UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

Form 6-K

REPORT OF FOREIGN PRIVATE ISSUER

PURSUANT TO RULE 13a-16 OR 15d-16

OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the month of August 2015

Commission File Number 1-32895

 

 

Penn West Petroleum Ltd.

(Translation of registrant’s name into English)

Suite 200, 207 – 9th Avenue SW

Calgary, Alberta T2P 1K3

Canada

(Address of principal executive offices)

 

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual reports under cover of Form 20-F or Form 40-F.)

Form 20-F ¨                             Form 40-F þ

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as permitted by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(1) ¨

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as permitted by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(7) ¨

 

 

 


DOCUMENTS INCLUDED AS PART OF THIS FORM 6-K

See the Exhibit Index hereto.

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, on August 19, 2015.

 

PENN WEST PETROLEUM LTD.

By:      /s/ Mark Hawkins                    

Name:

 

Mark Hawkins

Title:

 

Corporate Secretary and

Senior Counsel

 

2


EXHIBIT INDEX

 

Exhibit

  

Description

99.1    Limited Waiver, Amendment and Retention of Rights Acknowledgment Agreement for the Note Purchase Agreement dated May 31, 2007
99.2    Limited Waiver, Amendment and Retention of Rights Acknowledgment Agreement for the Note Purchase Agreement dated May 29, 2008
99.3    Limited Waiver, Amendment and Retention of Rights Acknowledgment Agreement for the Note Purchase Agreement dated July 31, 2008
99.4    Limited Waiver, Amendment and Retention of Rights Acknowledgment Agreement for the Note Purchase Agreement dated May 5, 2009
99.5    Limited Waiver, Amendment and Retention of Rights Acknowledgment Agreement for the Note Purchase Agreement dated March 16, 2010
99.6    Limited Waiver, Amendment and Retention of Rights Acknowledgment Agreement for the Note Purchase Agreement dated December 2, 2010
99.7    Limited Waiver, Amendment and Retention of Rights Acknowledgment Agreement for the Note Purchase Agreement dated November 30, 2011
99.8    Amended and Restated Limited Waiver and Retention of Rights Acknowledgment Agreement for the Amended and Restated Credit Agreement dated May 6, 2014


Exhibit 99.1

[EXECUTION COPY]

LIMITED WAIVER, AMENDMENT AND RETENTION OF RIGHTS

ACKNOWLEDGMENT AGREEMENT

THIS AGREEMENT is dated as of August 15, 2014 between Penn West Petroleum Ltd. (the “Company”) and each noteholder (each a “Noteholder” and, collectively, the “Noteholders”) under the Note Purchase Agreement dated May 31, 2007 among the Company and the Purchasers listed in Schedule A attached thereto as holders of the outstanding senior guaranteed notes of the Company issued thereunder (as amended, restated, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time, the “Note Agreement”).

PREAMBLE:

A. Capitalized terms used in this Agreement without express definition shall have the same meanings as are ascribed to such terms in the Note Agreement and section references herein are to sections of the Note Agreement.

B. The Company has issued a press release on July 29, 2014 (the “Press Release”) announcing that the Audit Committee of the Company’s Board of Directors is conducting a voluntary internal review of certain of its accounting practices and that the Board of Directors of the Company has concluded that certain of the Company’s historical financial statements for the 2012 and 2013 fiscal years of the Company and the quarterly financial statements for its first fiscal quarter of 2014 (the “Relevant Periods”) must be restated (the “Restatement Decision”).

C. The Company has delivered a notice to each Noteholder under Section 7.1(d) advising that as a result of the Restatement Decision, the Company is in Default under: (a) Sections 7.1(a) and 7.1(b) (as they relate to the statement that the financial statements be prepared in accordance with GAAP) (the “Financial Reporting Default”), and (b) Section 9.6 in respect of the requirement of the Company to maintain books and records of account in accordance with GAAP (the “Covenant Default”, and together with the Financial Reporting Default, the “Specified Defaults”). Under the terms of Section 11, each Specified Default has a cure period of 30 days after a Responsible Officer obtains actual knowledge of such default (the “Cure Period”).

D. The Company’s ongoing internal review in connection with the Restatement Decision may include the review of financial statements prepared for periods prior to the Relevant Periods (“Pre-Relevant Period Financial Statements”) that may result in the Company becoming aware of Defaults or Events of Default under (a) Sections 5.5, 7.1(a) and 7.1(b) (as they relate to the requirement that such Pre-Relevant Period Financial Statements be prepared in accordance with GAAP, and certifications to that effect in certificates of officers delivered pursuant to Section 7.2), and (b) Section 9.6 in respect of the requirement of the Company to maintain books and records of account in accordance with GAAP (each, a “Pre-2012 Default” and collectively with the Specified Defaults, the “Applicable Defaults”).


 

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E. The Company is party to an amended and restated credit agreement dated May 6, 2014 (the “Credit Agreement”) between the Company, as borrower, the financial institutions and other persons party thereto as lenders (the “Lenders”) and Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, as agent of the Lenders (the “Agent”).

F. The accounting practices causing the Restatement Decision have resulted in one or more defaults under the Credit Agreement (each a “Restatement Decision Credit Agreement Default”) and each such default is subject to a cure period of 30 days after the giving of notice thereof by the Agent to the Company, or such later date as the Lenders and the Agent may agree in accordance with the Credit Agreement (the “Credit Agreement Cure Period”). The Agent has provided such notice to the Company (the “Credit Agreement Default Notice”) and a copy of such notice has been provided to each Noteholder. The Company, the Agent and the Lenders have entered into a limited waiver agreement (the “Bank Waiver Agreement”) in respect of the Restatement Decision Credit Agreement Default and a copy of the Bank Waiver Agreement has been provided to each Noteholder.

G. The Company is a party to six other Note Agreements (the “Other Note Agreements”) having terms substantially the same as the Note Agreement, and there exists, under each one, defaults that are substantially equivalent to the Applicable Defaults (“Restatement Decision Other Note Agreement Defaults”), having a cure period substantially the same as the Cure Period (the “Other Note Agreement Cure Periods”).

H. In accordance with Section 18.1, the agreements contained herein require the approval of the Required Holders.

I. Subject to the terms and provisions hereof, the Company has requested that the Noteholders agree to a limited waiver of the Pre-2012 Defaults, to extend the date by which quarterly financial statements are due for the second fiscal quarter of 2014, to extend the Cure Period and to amend certain terms and provisions of the Note Agreement.

AGREEMENT:

NOW THEREFORE in consideration of the premises, the covenants and the agreements herein contained and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which is hereby acknowledged between the parties, the parties agree as follows:

 

1.

The Noteholders agree to extend the Cure Period to the earliest of:

 

  (a)

the earlier of: (i) October 14, 2014, and (ii) the date by which the Company must under applicable Law deliver its quarterly financial statements for the second fiscal quarter of 2014 (the “Extended Delivery Date”);

 

  (b)

the earlier of (i) the last day of the Credit Agreement Cure Period or (ii) the Other Note Agreement Cure Periods;

 

  (c)

the date that any Event of Default (other than, for certainty, one that results from an Applicable Default maturing into an Event of Default) occurs under the Note Agreement; and


 

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  (d)

the date that the Company is in breach of any of its obligations hereunder (which for certainty shall also constitute an Event of Default under the Note Agreement);

(the “Extended Cure Period”).

 

2.

Notwithstanding anything else set forth in the Note Agreement or the other Financing Agreements and notwithstanding the Applicable Defaults, the Noteholders waive the Pre-2012 Defaults, if any, during the Extended Cure Period. For certainty, subject to the deemed cure set forth in Section 10 of this Agreement, the foregoing waiver expires as at the end of the Extended Cure Period.

 

3.

The Noteholders agree that, notwithstanding Section 7.1(a), the due date of the delivery of the Company’s quarterly unaudited consolidated financial statements for the second fiscal quarter of the 2014 fiscal year is hereby extended from August 29, 2014 to the earlier of: (a) the Extended Delivery Date; and (b) the date that such financial statements are due under the Credit Agreement, including any extension thereof consented to by the Lenders and Agent in accordance with the Credit Agreement (the “Outside Financial Statement Delivery Date”).

 

4.

The Company covenants and agrees that it will deliver restated financial statements for the Relevant Periods that are prepared in accordance with GAAP (and otherwise in accordance with Sections 7.1(a) and (b)) to the Noteholders by no later than the Outside Financial Statement Delivery Date and, concurrently with the delivery thereof, the Company will also deliver to the Noteholders a certificate of a Senior Financial Officer in accordance with Section 7.2 showing compliance with, and the detailed calculation of, each of the financial covenants set forth in Sections 10.5 and 10.6 and in the Credit Agreement, in each case as at the end of each of the Company’s fiscal quarters during the Relevant Periods.

 

5.

The Company agrees that the waivers and amendments set forth herein are conditional upon, and will not take effect until, the Company pays to each Noteholder a waiver fee equal to [Redacted] basis points based on aggregate principal amount of the Notes held by such Noteholder.

 

6.

The Company represents and warrants to each Noteholder that (a) to the best of its knowledge after reasonable inquiry, the Press Release discloses all material information related to the Restatement Decision and it is not aware of any omission of any material fact related thereto which renders such information incomplete or misleading in any material way, (b) it has not delivered notice of a Restatement Decision Credit Agreement Default to the Agent or any Lender or received notice of a Restatement Decision Credit Agreement Default from the Agent or any Lender, other than the Credit Agreement Default Notice, (c) it has not delivered notice of a Restatement Decision Other Note Agreement Default to a holder of a note under the Other Note Agreements or received notice of a Restatement Decision Other Note Agreement Default from any holder of a note under the Other Note Agreements, other than a notice equivalent to the one delivered to the Noteholders under the Note Agreement, (d) no material actions, suits or other litigation proceedings have been commenced against the Company related to the


 

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Restatement Decision, except as otherwise disclosed in writing by the Company to the Noteholders, and (e) other than Pre-2012 Defaults, if any, there are no other Defaults or Events of Default (other than the Specified Defaults) in existence as of the date hereof.

 

7.

Without limiting the existing notice and information requirements in the Note Agreement, the Company covenants and agrees that it will provide to each Noteholder: (a) a copy of any further notice of a Restatement Decision Credit Agreement Default delivered to the Agent or any Lender under the Credit Agreement forthwith upon delivery thereof as well as a copy of any notices or other written communications from or on behalf of the Agent or the Lenders relating to the waiving of any Restatement Decision Credit Agreement Default, the declaring of a Restatement Decision Credit Agreement Default or an event of default under the Credit Agreement, or the acceleration of any amounts owing under the Credit Agreement, and the equivalent under any Other Note Agreement, in each such case forthwith upon receipt thereof; (b) a copy of any further waiver, amendment or consent provided by the Agent and the Lenders in respect of the Restatement Decision Credit Agreement Default (a “Credit Agreement Waiver”) and the equivalent under any Other Note Agreement; (c) copies of any notices or written updates provided to any Governmental Authority in connection with the Restatement Decision and the underlying facts related thereto, and (d) any further material information related to the Restatement Decision and the underlying facts related thereto (including if a determination is made that the magnitude of the change in reported net income is different from what was set forth in the Press Release) forthwith upon the Company becoming aware thereof, provided that such information shall be subject to the confidentiality provisions of Section 21 (and not subject to Section 7.4). In addition, the Company covenants and agrees that it will not declare or make any dividend or similar Distributions to its shareholders until the Applicable Defaults have been deemed to be cured under Section 10 hereof, without the prior consent of the Required Holders (following which, for certainty, the requirements in the Note Agreement with respect to Distributions shall continue to apply).

 

8.

The Company also covenants and agrees that during the Extended Cure Period it will not exercise any right it may have to (a) permanently reduce the amount of the credit facility available to it under the Credit Agreement from that available to it on the date hereof, as such amount is provided in Section 2 of the Bank Waiver Agreement, or (b) repay any termination amounts owing under any Hedging Agreement (as that term is defined in the Credit Agreement), in either case without the prior written consent of the Required Holders.

 

9.

The parties agree that if and to the extent that a Credit Agreement Waiver is delivered to the Company in respect of the Restatement Decision Credit Agreement Default and such waiver results in (a) any one or more of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary being subject to any one or more restrictive conditions, covenants or terms or events of default that are not already provided for in this Agreement or the Financing Agreements or (b) any one or more of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary being required to pay any additional consideration or waiver or similar fees in excess of the fees provided for herein (on a percentage basis), then (i) such more restrictive conditions, covenants, terms or events of default shall be automatically incorporated by reference in this Agreement as if


 

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set forth fully herein, mutatis mutandis, and no such provision may thereafter be waived, amended or modified under this Agreement, except in accordance with the provisions of the Note Agreement, and/or (ii) such additional consideration or waiver or similar fees shall be payable to each Noteholder; provided, for greater certainty, this Clause 9 shall not apply in any manner in regards to the Bank Waiver Agreement as currently in place and the terms and conditions included therein, and shall not limit or affect the existing provisions of the Note Agreement.

 

10.

The Applicable Defaults will each be deemed to be cured upon delivery by the Company of the restated financial statements for the Relevant Periods prior to the end of the Extended Cure Period if (a) such restated financial statements do not disclose or result in any Material Adverse Effect, (b) no Default or Event of Default (other than the Applicable Defaults deemed to be cured hereby) exists at such time and the Company provides a certificate to each Noteholder confirming the same, (c) the Restatement Decision Credit Agreement Default has been unconditionally cured or otherwise permanently waived by the Agent and the Lenders, and (d) no Default or Event of Default (as defined in the Other Note Agreements) exists under the provisions of the Other Note Agreements. For certainty, if the Applicable Defaults have not been cured by the end of the Extended Cure Period, an Event of Default shall exist at such time.

 

11.

The Company and each Noteholder agree to amend (a) Section 7.1(a) by deleting the reference to “60 days” therein and replacing it with “45 days” and (b) Section 7.1(b) by deleting the reference to “120 days” therein and replacing it with “90 days”.

 

12.

The Company and each Noteholder agree to amend in its entirety clause (B) of the second paragraph of Section 10.10 by replacing the existing text therein with the following:

“(B) applied to a Debt Prepayment Application (I) solely in respect of the Notes, or (II) to the Notes and any other Senior Indebtedness on a pro rata basis in respect of the Senior Indebtedness (including the Notes) which is the subject of the Debt Prepayment Application.

For the purposes of the foregoing clause (B), if the Company is required to make an offer to prepay the Notes as a result of a Debt Prepayment Application, the Company will give written notice thereof to the holders of all outstanding Notes, which notice shall (a) refer specifically to this Section and describe in reasonable detail the Disposition giving rise to such offer to prepay the Notes, (b) specify the principal amount of each Note being offered to be prepaid which amount shall be allocated among all of the Notes at the time outstanding in proportion, as nearly as practicable, to the respective unpaid principal amounts not theretofore called for prepayment, (c) specify a payment date not less than 30 days and not more than 60 days after the date of such notice (the “Disposition Prepayment Date”) and specify the Disposition Response Date (as defined below), and (d) offer to prepay on the Disposition Prepayment Date the amount specified in (b) above with respect to each Note together


 

- 6 -

 

with interest accrued thereon to the Disposition Prepayment Date, but without Make-Whole Amount or other premium. Each holder of a Note shall notify the Company of such holder’s acceptance or rejection of such offer by giving written notice of such acceptance or rejection to the Company (provided, however, that any holder who fails to so notify the Company shall be deemed to have rejected such offer) on a date at least 15 days prior to the Disposition Prepayment Date (such date 15 days prior to the Disposition Prepayment Date being the “Disposition Response Date”), and the Company shall prepay on the Disposition Prepayment Date the amount specified in (b) above plus interest accrued thereon to the Disposition Prepayment Date, but without Make-Whole Amount or other premium, with respect to each Note held by the holders who have accepted such offer in accordance with this Section. To the extent that any holder of the Notes declines or is deemed to have declined any such offer of prepayment, the Company may use the remaining amount of such prepayment so declined for general corporate purposes.”

 

13.

The Company and each Noteholder agree to amend Section 10.9(b) by deleting the existing text therein in full and replacing it with the following:

“(b) make any payment in respect of any Subordinated Debt or Convertible Debentures during a Default or Event of Default or if such payment could reasonably be expected to cause a Default or Event of Default to occur.”

 

14.

This Agreement is a Financing Agreement for purposes of the Note Agreement.

 

15.

This Agreement shall be effective and binding on the Company and the Noteholders upon it being executed by the Company and the Required Holders.

 

16.

Except for the amendments and waivers expressly requested herein and for the limited purposes herein, provision of the waiver described herein shall not waive, limit or affect any other provision of the Note Agreement or other Financing Agreements, all of which continue in full force and effect.

 

17.

The waiver set forth herein shall not constitute an agreement, waiver or consent to any other event, circumstance, matter or thing other than the matters expressly described herein and is without prejudice to any of the rights or remedies of the Noteholders under the Note Agreement or any other Financing Agreement, and shall not extend to any other matter, provision or breach of, or Default or Event of Default under, the Note Agreement. For certainty, the waivers set forth herein shall not apply in respect of any Default or Event of Default (a) related to a breach of any negative covenants set forth in Section 10 that would result from the corrected information in the restated financial statements for the Relevant Periods that the Company will hereafter be delivering as described in the Press Release, or (b) any cross default or cross acceleration under Section 11(f) resulting from a Restatement Decision Credit Agreement Default that may hereafter be declared under the Credit Agreement or from a Restatement Decision Other Note Agreement Default that may hereafter be declared under the Other Note Agreements.


 

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18.

This Agreement shall be construed in connection with and as part of the Note Agreement, and except as modified and expressly amended by this Agreement, all terms, conditions and covenants contained in the Note Agreement and the Notes are hereby ratified and shall be and remain in full force and effect. For certainty, nothing herein shall be construed as a novation of the Notes or the indebtedness or obligations represented thereby or by the Note Agreement as amended by this Agreement, and the terms of the Notes shall not be and shall not be deemed to be, rescinded, converted or substituted.

 

19.

The Company will from time to time forthwith at any Noteholder’s request and at the Company’s own cost and expense make, execute and deliver, or cause to be done, made, executed and delivered, all such further documents, financing statements, assignments, acts, matters and things which may be reasonably required by a Noteholder and as are consistent with the intention of the parties as evidenced herein, with respect to all matters arising under this Agreement.

 

20.

This Agreement shall be construed and enforced in accordance with, and the rights of the parties shall be governed by, the law of the Province of Alberta excluding choice of law principles of the law of such Province that would permit the application of the laws of a jurisdiction other than such Province.

 

21.

This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts (including by facsimile or other electronic transmission), each of which when executed and delivered will be deemed to be an original, but all of which when taken together constitutes one and the same instrument. Any party may execute this Agreement by signing any counterpart.


 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have caused this Agreement to be duly executed by their respective authorized officers as of the date first written above.

PENN WEST PETROLEUM LTD.

as Company

By:     (Signed) “David A. Dyck”            
Name:   David A. Dyck
Title:   Senior Vice President and Chief Executive Officer
By:     (Signed) “Sherry A. Wendt”        
Name:   Sherri A. Wendt
Title:   Corporate Secretary and Senior Counsel

SUBSIDIARY GUARANTOR CONFIRMATION:

PENN WEST PETROLEUM, by its managing partner,

Penn West Petroleum Inc.

By:     (Signed) “David A. Dyck”            
Name:   David A. Dyck
Title:   Senior Vice President and Chief Executive Officer
By:     (Signed) “Sherry A. Wendt”        
Name:   Sherri A. Wendt
Title:   Corporate Secretary and Senior Counsel

PENN WEST PROP LIMITED PARTNERSHIP, by general partner,

Penn West Petroleum Ltd.

By:     (Signed) “David A. Dyck”            
Name:   David A. Dyck
Title:   Senior Vice President and Chief Executive Officer
By:     (Signed) “Keith Luft”        
Name:   Keith Luft
Title:  

General Counsel and

Senior Vice President


 

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PENN WEST PROP HOLDCO LTD.

By:     (Signed) “David A. Dyck”            
Name:   David A. Dyck
Title:   Senior Vice President and Chief Executive Officer
By:     (Signed) “Keith Luft”            
Name:   Keith Luft
Title:  

General Counsel and

Senior Vice President

PENN WEST SANDHILL CRANE LTD.

By:     (Signed) “David A. Dyck”            
Name:   David A. Dyck
Title:   Senior Vice President and Chief Executive Officer
By:     (Signed) “Keith Luft”            
Name:   Keith Luft
Title:  

General Counsel and

Senior Vice President

PENN WEST NORTHERN HARRIER PARTNERSHIP

By:  

  (Signed) “David A. Dyck”            
Name:   David A. Dyck
Title:   Senior Vice President and Chief Executive Officer

By:  

  (Signed) “Keith Luft”            
Name:   Keith Luft
Title:  

General Counsel and

Senior Vice President


 

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[NOTEHOLDER SIGNATURE PAGES]



Exhibit 99.2

[EXECUTION COPY]

LIMITED WAIVER, AMENDMENT AND RETENTION OF RIGHTS

ACKNOWLEDGMENT AGREEMENT

THIS AGREEMENT is dated as of August 15, 2014 between Penn West Petroleum Ltd. (the “Company”) and each noteholder (each a “Noteholder” and, collectively, the “Noteholders”) under the Note Purchase Agreement dated May 29, 2008 among the Company and the Purchasers listed in Schedule A attached thereto as holders of the outstanding senior guaranteed notes of the Company issued thereunder (as amended, restated, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time, the “Note Agreement”).

PREAMBLE:

A. Capitalized terms used in this Agreement without express definition shall have the same meanings as are ascribed to such terms in the Note Agreement and section references herein are to sections of the Note Agreement.

B. The Company has issued a press release on July 29, 2014 (the “Press Release”) announcing that the Audit Committee of the Company’s Board of Directors is conducting a voluntary internal review of certain of its accounting practices and that the Board of Directors of the Company has concluded that certain of the Company’s historical financial statements for the 2012 and 2013 fiscal years of the Company and the quarterly financial statements for its first fiscal quarter of 2014 (the “Relevant Periods”) must be restated (the “Restatement Decision”).

C. The Company has delivered a notice to each Noteholder under Section 7.1(d) advising that as a result of the Restatement Decision, the Company is in Default under: (a) Sections 7.1(a) and 7.1(b) (as they relate to the statement that the financial statements be prepared in accordance with GAAP) (the “Financial Reporting Default”), and (b) Section 9.6 in respect of the requirement of the Company to maintain books and records of account in accordance with GAAP (the “Covenant Default”, and together with the Financial Reporting Default, the “Specified Defaults”). Under the terms of Section 11, each Specified Default has a cure period of 30 days after a Responsible Officer obtains actual knowledge of such default (the “Cure Period”).

D. The Company’s ongoing internal review in connection with the Restatement Decision may include the review of financial statements prepared for periods prior to the Relevant Periods (“Pre-Relevant Period Financial Statements”) that may result in the Company becoming aware of Defaults or Events of Default under (a) Sections 5.5, 7.1(a) and 7.1(b) (as they relate to the requirement that such Pre-Relevant Period Financial Statements be prepared in accordance with GAAP, and certifications to that effect in certificates of officers delivered pursuant to Section 7.2), and (b) Section 9.6 in respect of the requirement of the Company to maintain books and records of account in accordance with GAAP (each, a “Pre-2012 Default” and collectively with the Specified Defaults, the “Applicable Defaults”).


 

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E. The Company is party to an amended and restated credit agreement dated May 6, 2014 (the “Credit Agreement”) between the Company, as borrower, the financial institutions and other persons party thereto as lenders (the “Lenders”) and Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, as agent of the Lenders (the “Agent”).

F. The accounting practices causing the Restatement Decision have resulted in one or more defaults under the Credit Agreement (each a “Restatement Decision Credit Agreement Default”) and each such default is subject to a cure period of 30 days after the giving of notice thereof by the Agent to the Company, or such later date as the Lenders and the Agent may agree in accordance with the Credit Agreement (the “Credit Agreement Cure Period”). The Agent has provided such notice to the Company (the “Credit Agreement Default Notice”) and a copy of such notice has been provided to each Noteholder. The Company, the Agent and the Lenders have entered into a limited waiver agreement (the “Bank Waiver Agreement”) in respect of the Restatement Decision Credit Agreement Default and a copy of the Bank Waiver Agreement has been provided to each Noteholder.

G. The Company is a party to six other Note Agreements (the “Other Note Agreements”) having terms substantially the same as the Note Agreement, and there exists, under each one, defaults that are substantially equivalent to the Applicable Defaults (“Restatement Decision Other Note Agreement Defaults”), having a cure period substantially the same as the Cure Period (the “Other Note Agreement Cure Periods”).

H. In accordance with Section 18.1, the agreements contained herein require the approval of the Required Holders.

I. Subject to the terms and provisions hereof, the Company has requested that the Noteholders agree to a limited waiver of the Pre-2012 Defaults, to extend the date by which quarterly financial statements are due for the second fiscal quarter of 2014, to extend the Cure Period and to amend certain terms and provisions of the Note Agreement.

AGREEMENT:

NOW THEREFORE in consideration of the premises, the covenants and the agreements herein contained and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which is hereby acknowledged between the parties, the parties agree as follows:

 

1.

The Noteholders agree to extend the Cure Period to the earliest of:

 

  (a)

the earlier of: (i) October 14, 2014, and (ii) the date by which the Company must under applicable Law deliver its quarterly financial statements for the second fiscal quarter of 2014 (the “Extended Delivery Date”);

 

  (b)

the earlier of (i) the last day of the Credit Agreement Cure Period or (ii) the Other Note Agreement Cure Periods;

 

  (c)

the date that any Event of Default (other than, for certainty, one that results from an Applicable Default maturing into an Event of Default) occurs under the Note Agreement; and


 

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  (d)

the date that the Company is in breach of any of its obligations hereunder (which for certainty shall also constitute an Event of Default under the Note Agreement);

(the “Extended Cure Period”).

 

2.

Notwithstanding anything else set forth in the Note Agreement or the other Financing Agreements and notwithstanding the Applicable Defaults, the Noteholders waive the Pre-2012 Defaults, if any, during the Extended Cure Period. For certainty, subject to the deemed cure set forth in Section 10 of this Agreement, the foregoing waiver expires as at the end of the Extended Cure Period.

 

3.

The Noteholders agree that, notwithstanding Section 7.1(a), the due date of the delivery of the Company’s quarterly unaudited consolidated financial statements for the second fiscal quarter of the 2014 fiscal year is hereby extended from August 29, 2014 to the earlier of: (a) the Extended Delivery Date; and (b) the date that such financial statements are due under the Credit Agreement, including any extension thereof consented to by the Lenders and Agent in accordance with the Credit Agreement (the “Outside Financial Statement Delivery Date”).

 

4.

The Company covenants and agrees that it will deliver restated financial statements for the Relevant Periods that are prepared in accordance with GAAP (and otherwise in accordance with Sections 7.1(a) and (b)) to the Noteholders by no later than the Outside Financial Statement Delivery Date and, concurrently with the delivery thereof, the Company will also deliver to the Noteholders a certificate of a Senior Financial Officer in accordance with Section 7.2 showing compliance with, and the detailed calculation of, each of the financial covenants set forth in Sections 10.5 and 10.6 and in the Credit Agreement, in each case as at the end of each of the Company’s fiscal quarters during the Relevant Periods.

 

5.

The Company agrees that the waivers and amendments set forth herein are conditional upon, and will not take effect until, the Company pays to each Noteholder a waiver fee equal to [Redacted] basis points based on aggregate principal amount of the Notes held by such Noteholder.

 

6.

The Company represents and warrants to each Noteholder that (a) to the best of its knowledge after reasonable inquiry, the Press Release discloses all material information related to the Restatement Decision and it is not aware of any omission of any material fact related thereto which renders such information incomplete or misleading in any material way, (b) it has not delivered notice of a Restatement Decision Credit Agreement Default to the Agent or any Lender or received notice of a Restatement Decision Credit Agreement Default from the Agent or any Lender, other than the Credit Agreement Default Notice, (c) it has not delivered notice of a Restatement Decision Other Note Agreement Default to a holder of a note under the Other Note Agreements or received notice of a Restatement Decision Other Note Agreement Default from any holder of a note under the Other Note Agreements, other than a notice equivalent to the one delivered to the Noteholders under the Note Agreement, (d) no material actions, suits or other litigation proceedings have been commenced against the Company related to the


 

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Restatement Decision, except as otherwise disclosed in writing by the Company to the Noteholders, and (e) other than Pre-2012 Defaults, if any, there are no other Defaults or Events of Default (other than the Specified Defaults) in existence as of the date hereof.

 

7.

Without limiting the existing notice and information requirements in the Note Agreement, the Company covenants and agrees that it will provide to each Noteholder: (a) a copy of any further notice of a Restatement Decision Credit Agreement Default delivered to the Agent or any Lender under the Credit Agreement forthwith upon delivery thereof as well as a copy of any notices or other written communications from or on behalf of the Agent or the Lenders relating to the waiving of any Restatement Decision Credit Agreement Default, the declaring of a Restatement Decision Credit Agreement Default or an event of default under the Credit Agreement, or the acceleration of any amounts owing under the Credit Agreement, and the equivalent under any Other Note Agreement, in each such case forthwith upon receipt thereof; (b) a copy of any further waiver, amendment or consent provided by the Agent and the Lenders in respect of the Restatement Decision Credit Agreement Default (a “Credit Agreement Waiver”) and the equivalent under any Other Note Agreement; (c) copies of any notices or written updates provided to any Governmental Authority in connection with the Restatement Decision and the underlying facts related thereto, and (d) any further material information related to the Restatement Decision and the underlying facts related thereto (including if a determination is made that the magnitude of the change in reported net income is different from what was set forth in the Press Release) forthwith upon the Company becoming aware thereof, provided that such information shall be subject to the confidentiality provisions of Section 21 (and not subject to Section 7.4). In addition, the Company covenants and agrees that it will not declare or make any dividend or similar Distributions to its shareholders until the Applicable Defaults have been deemed to be cured under Section 10 hereof, without the prior consent of the Required Holders (following which, for certainty, the requirements in the Note Agreement with respect to Distributions shall continue to apply).

 

8.

The Company also covenants and agrees that during the Extended Cure Period it will not exercise any right it may have to (a) permanently reduce the amount of the credit facility available to it under the Credit Agreement from that available to it on the date hereof, as such amount is provided in Section 2 of the Bank Waiver Agreement, or (b) repay any termination amounts owing under any Hedging Agreement (as that term is defined in the Credit Agreement), in either case without the prior written consent of the Required Holders.

 

9.

The parties agree that if and to the extent that a Credit Agreement Waiver is delivered to the Company in respect of the Restatement Decision Credit Agreement Default and such waiver results in (a) any one or more of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary being subject to any one or more restrictive conditions, covenants or terms or events of default that are not already provided for in this Agreement or the Financing Agreements or (b) any one or more of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary being required to pay any additional consideration or waiver or similar fees in excess of the fees provided for herein (on a percentage basis), then (i) such more restrictive conditions, covenants, terms or events of default shall be automatically incorporated by reference in this Agreement as if


 

- 5 -

 

 

set forth fully herein, mutatis mutandis, and no such provision may thereafter be waived, amended or modified under this Agreement, except in accordance with the provisions of the Note Agreement, and/or (ii) such additional consideration or waiver or similar fees shall be payable to each Noteholder; provided, for greater certainty, this Clause 9 shall not apply in any manner in regards to the Bank Waiver Agreement as currently in place and the terms and conditions included therein, and shall not limit or affect the existing provisions of the Note Agreement.

 

10.

The Applicable Defaults will each be deemed to be cured upon delivery by the Company of the restated financial statements for the Relevant Periods prior to the end of the Extended Cure Period if (a) such restated financial statements do not disclose or result in any Material Adverse Effect, (b) no Default or Event of Default (other than the Applicable Defaults deemed to be cured hereby) exists at such time and the Company provides a certificate to each Noteholder confirming the same, (c) the Restatement Decision Credit Agreement Default has been unconditionally cured or otherwise permanently waived by the Agent and the Lenders, and (d) no Default or Event of Default (as defined in the Other Note Agreements) exists under the provisions of the Other Note Agreements. For certainty, if the Applicable Defaults have not been cured by the end of the Extended Cure Period, an Event of Default shall exist at such time.

 

11.

The Company and each Noteholder agree to amend (a) Section 7.1(a) by deleting the reference to “60 days” therein and replacing it with “45 days” and (b) Section 7.1(b) by deleting the reference to “120 days” therein and replacing it with “90 days”.

 

12.

The Company and each Noteholder agree to amend in its entirety clause (B) of the second paragraph of Section 10.11 by replacing the existing text therein with the following:

“(B) applied to a Debt Prepayment Application (I) solely in respect of the Notes, or (II) to the Notes and any other Senior Indebtedness on a pro rata basis in respect of the Senior Indebtedness (including the Notes) which is the subject of the Debt Prepayment Application.

For the purposes of the foregoing clause (B), if the Company is required to make an offer to prepay the Notes as a result of a Debt Prepayment Application, the Company will give written notice thereof to the holders of all outstanding Notes, which notice shall (a) refer specifically to this Section and describe in reasonable detail the Disposition giving rise to such offer to prepay the Notes, (b) specify the principal amount of each Note being offered to be prepaid which amount shall be allocated among all of the Notes at the time outstanding in proportion, as nearly as practicable, to the respective unpaid principal amounts not theretofore called for prepayment, (c) specify a payment date not less than 30 days and not more than 60 days after the date of such notice (the “Disposition Prepayment Date”) and specify the Disposition Response Date (as defined below), and (d) offer to prepay on the Disposition Prepayment Date the amount specified in (b) above with respect to each Note together


 

- 6 -

 

with interest accrued thereon to the Disposition Prepayment Date, but without Make-Whole Amount or other premium. Each holder of a Note shall notify the Company of such holder’s acceptance or rejection of such offer by giving written notice of such acceptance or rejection to the Company (provided, however, that any holder who fails to so notify the Company shall be deemed to have rejected such offer) on a date at least 15 days prior to the Disposition Prepayment Date (such date 15 days prior to the Disposition Prepayment Date being the “Disposition Response Date”), and the Company shall prepay on the Disposition Prepayment Date the amount specified in (b) above plus interest accrued thereon to the Disposition Prepayment Date, but without Make-Whole Amount or other premium, with respect to each Note held by the holders who have accepted such offer in accordance with this Section. To the extent that any holder of the Notes declines or is deemed to have declined any such offer of prepayment, the Company may use the remaining amount of such prepayment so declined for general corporate purposes.”

 

13.

The Company and each Noteholder agree to amend Section 10.10(b) by deleting the existing text therein in full and replacing it with the following:

“(b) make any payment in respect of any Subordinated Debt or Convertible Debentures during a Default or Event of Default or if such payment could reasonably be expected to cause a Default or Event of Default to occur.”

 

14.

This Agreement is a Financing Agreement for purposes of the Note Agreement.

 

15.

This Agreement shall be effective and binding on the Company and the Noteholders upon it being executed by the Company and the Required Holders.

 

16.

Except for the amendments and waivers expressly requested herein and for the limited purposes herein, provision of the waiver described herein shall not waive, limit or affect any other provision of the Note Agreement or other Financing Agreements, all of which continue in full force and effect.

 

17.

The waiver set forth herein shall not constitute an agreement, waiver or consent to any other event, circumstance, matter or thing other than the matters expressly described herein and is without prejudice to any of the rights or remedies of the Noteholders under the Note Agreement or any other Financing Agreement, and shall not extend to any other matter, provision or breach of, or Default or Event of Default under, the Note Agreement. For certainty, the waivers set forth herein shall not apply in respect of any Default or Event of Default (a) related to a breach of any negative covenants set forth in Section 10 that would result from the corrected information in the restated financial statements for the Relevant Periods that the Company will hereafter be delivering as described in the Press Release, or (b) any cross default or cross acceleration under Section 11(f) resulting from a Restatement Decision Credit Agreement Default that may hereafter be declared under the Credit Agreement or from a Restatement Decision Other Note Agreement Default that may hereafter be declared under the Other Note Agreements.


 

- 7 -

 

18.

This Agreement shall be construed in connection with and as part of the Note Agreement, and except as modified and expressly amended by this Agreement, all terms, conditions and covenants contained in the Note Agreement and the Notes are hereby ratified and shall be and remain in full force and effect. For certainty, nothing herein shall be construed as a novation of the Notes or the indebtedness or obligations represented thereby or by the Note Agreement as amended by this Agreement, and the terms of the Notes shall not be and shall not be deemed to be, rescinded, converted or substituted.

 

19.

The Company will from time to time forthwith at any Noteholder’s request and at the Company’s own cost and expense make, execute and deliver, or cause to be done, made, executed and delivered, all such further documents, financing statements, assignments, acts, matters and things which may be reasonably required by a Noteholder and as are consistent with the intention of the parties as evidenced herein, with respect to all matters arising under this Agreement.

 

20.

This Agreement shall be construed and enforced in accordance with, and the rights of the parties shall be governed by, the law of the Province of Alberta excluding choice of law principles of the law of such Province that would permit the application of the laws of a jurisdiction other than such Province.

 

21.

This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts (including by facsimile or other electronic transmission), each of which when executed and delivered will be deemed to be an original, but all of which when taken together constitutes one and the same instrument. Any party may execute this Agreement by signing any counterpart.


 

- 8 -

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have caused this Agreement to be duly executed by their respective authorized officers as of the date first written above.

PENN WEST PETROLEUM LTD.

as Company

By:  (Signed) “David A. Dyck”            

Name:

David A. Dyck

Title:

Senior Vice President and Chief

Executive Officer

By:  (Signed) “Sherry A. Wendt”          

Name:

Sherri A. Wendt

Title:

Corporate Secretary and Senior Counsel

SUBSIDIARY GUARANTOR CONFIRMATION:

PENN WEST PETROLEUM, by its managing partner,

Penn West Petroleum Inc.

By:  (Signed) “David A. Dyck”            

Name:

David A. Dyck

Title:

Senior Vice President and Chief

Executive Officer

By:  (Signed) “Sherry A. Wendt”          

Name:

Sherri A. Wendt

Title:

Corporate Secretary and Senior Counsel

PENN WEST PROP LIMITED PARTNERSHIP, by general partner,

Penn West Petroleum Ltd.

By:  (Signed) “David A. Dyck”            

Name:

David A. Dyck

Title:

Senior Vice President and Chief

Executive Officer

By:  (Signed) “Keith Luft”            

Name:

Keith Luft

Title:

General Counsel and

Senior Vice President


 

- 9 -

 

PENN WEST PROP HOLDCO LTD.

By:  (Signed) “David A. Dyck”            

Name:

David A. Dyck

Title:

Senior Vice President and Chief

Executive Officer

By:  (Signed) “Keith Luft”            

Name:

Keith Luft

Title:

General Counsel and

Senior Vice President

PENN WEST SANDHILL CRANE LTD.

By:  (Signed) “David A. Dyck”            

Name:

David A. Dyck

Title:

Senior Vice President and Chief

Executive Officer

By:  (Signed) “Keith Luft”            

Name:

Keith Luft

Title:

General Counsel and

Senior Vice President

PENN WEST NORTHERN HARRIER PARTNERSHIP

By:  (Signed) “David A. Dyck”            

Name:

David A. Dyck

Title:

Senior Vice President and Chief

Executive Officer

By:  (Signed) “Keith Luft”            

Name:

Keith Luft

Title:

General Counsel and

Senior Vice President


 

- 10 -

 

[NOTEHOLDER SIGNATURE PAGES]



Exhibit 99.3

[EXECUTION COPY]

LIMITED WAIVER, AMENDMENT AND RETENTION OF RIGHTS

ACKNOWLEDGMENT AGREEMENT

THIS AGREEMENT is dated as of August 15, 2014 between Penn West Petroleum Ltd. (the “Company”) and each noteholder (each a “Noteholder” and, collectively, the “Noteholders”) under the Note Purchase Agreement dated July 31, 2008 among the Company and the Purchasers listed in Schedule A attached thereto as holders of the outstanding senior guaranteed notes of the Company issued thereunder (as amended, restated, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time, the “Note Agreement”).

PREAMBLE:

A. Capitalized terms used in this Agreement without express definition shall have the same meanings as are ascribed to such terms in the Note Agreement and section references herein are to sections of the Note Agreement.

B. The Company has issued a press release on July 29, 2014 (the “Press Release”) announcing that the Audit Committee of the Company’s Board of Directors is conducting a voluntary internal review of certain of its accounting practices and that the Board of Directors of the Company has concluded that certain of the Company’s historical financial statements for the 2012 and 2013 fiscal years of the Company and the quarterly financial statements for its first fiscal quarter of 2014 (the “Relevant Periods”) must be restated (the “Restatement Decision”).

C. The Company has delivered a notice to each Noteholder under Section 7.1(d) advising that as a result of the Restatement Decision, the Company is in Default under: (a) Sections 7.1(a) and 7.1(b) (as they relate to the statement that the financial statements be prepared in accordance with GAAP) (the “Financial Reporting Default”), and (b) Section 9.6 in respect of the requirement of the Company to maintain books and records of account in accordance with GAAP (the “Covenant Default”, and together with the Financial Reporting Default, the “Specified Defaults”). Under the terms of Section 11, each Specified Default has a cure period of 30 days after a Responsible Officer obtains actual knowledge of such default (the “Cure Period”).

D. The Company’s ongoing internal review in connection with the Restatement Decision may include the review of financial statements prepared for periods prior to the Relevant Periods (“Pre-Relevant Period Financial Statements”) that may result in the Company becoming aware of Defaults or Events of Default under (a) Sections 5.5, 7.1(a) and 7.1(b) (as they relate to the requirement that such Pre-Relevant Period Financial Statements be prepared in accordance with GAAP, and certifications to that effect in certificates of officers delivered pursuant to Section 7.2), and (b) Section 9.6 in respect of the requirement of the Company to maintain books and records of account in accordance with GAAP (each, a “Pre-2012 Default” and collectively with the Specified Defaults, the “Applicable Defaults”).


 

- 2 -

 

E. The Company is party to an amended and restated credit agreement dated May 6, 2014 (the “Credit Agreement”) between the Company, as borrower, the financial institutions and other persons party thereto as lenders (the “Lenders”) and Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, as agent of the Lenders (the “Agent”).

F. The accounting practices causing the Restatement Decision have resulted in one or more defaults under the Credit Agreement (each a “Restatement Decision Credit Agreement Default”) and each such default is subject to a cure period of 30 days after the giving of notice thereof by the Agent to the Company, or such later date as the Lenders and the Agent may agree in accordance with the Credit Agreement (the “Credit Agreement Cure Period”). The Agent has provided such notice to the Company (the “Credit Agreement Default Notice”) and a copy of such notice has been provided to each Noteholder. The Company, the Agent and the Lenders have entered into a limited waiver agreement (the “Bank Waiver Agreement”) in respect of the Restatement Decision Credit Agreement Default and a copy of the Bank Waiver Agreement has been provided to each Noteholder.

G. The Company is a party to six other Note Agreements (the “Other Note Agreements”) having terms substantially the same as the Note Agreement, and there exists, under each one, defaults that are substantially equivalent to the Applicable Defaults (“Restatement Decision Other Note Agreement Defaults”), having a cure period substantially the same as the Cure Period (the “Other Note Agreement Cure Periods”).

H. In accordance with Section 18.1, the agreements contained herein require the approval of the Required Holders.

I. Subject to the terms and provisions hereof, the Company has requested that the Noteholders agree to a limited waiver of the Pre-2012 Defaults, to extend the date by which quarterly financial statements are due for the second fiscal quarter of 2014, to extend the Cure Period and to amend certain terms and provisions of the Note Agreement.

AGREEMENT:

NOW THEREFORE in consideration of the premises, the covenants and the agreements herein contained and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which is hereby acknowledged between the parties, the parties agree as follows:

 

1.

The Noteholders agree to extend the Cure Period to the earliest of:

 

  (a)

the earlier of: (i) October 14, 2014, and (ii) the date by which the Company must under applicable Law deliver its quarterly financial statements for the second fiscal quarter of 2014 (the “Extended Delivery Date”);

 

  (b)

the earlier of (i) the last day of the Credit Agreement Cure Period or (ii) the Other Note Agreement Cure Periods;

 

  (c)

the date that any Event of Default (other than, for certainty, one that results from an Applicable Default maturing into an Event of Default) occurs under the Note Agreement; and


 

- 3 -

 

  (d)

the date that the Company is in breach of any of its obligations hereunder (which for certainty shall also constitute an Event of Default under the Note Agreement);

(the “Extended Cure Period”).

 

2.

Notwithstanding anything else set forth in the Note Agreement or the other Financing Agreements and notwithstanding the Applicable Defaults, the Noteholders waive the Pre-2012 Defaults, if any, during the Extended Cure Period. For certainty, subject to the deemed cure set forth in Section 10 of this Agreement, the foregoing waiver expires as at the end of the Extended Cure Period.

 

3.

The Noteholders agree that, notwithstanding Section 7.1(a), the due date of the delivery of the Company’s quarterly unaudited consolidated financial statements for the second fiscal quarter of the 2014 fiscal year is hereby extended from August 29, 2014 to the earlier of: (a) the Extended Delivery Date; and (b) the date that such financial statements are due under the Credit Agreement, including any extension thereof consented to by the Lenders and Agent in accordance with the Credit Agreement (the “Outside Financial Statement Delivery Date”).

 

4.

The Company covenants and agrees that it will deliver restated financial statements for the Relevant Periods that are prepared in accordance with GAAP (and otherwise in accordance with Sections 7.1(a) and (b)) to the Noteholders by no later than the Outside Financial Statement Delivery Date and, concurrently with the delivery thereof, the Company will also deliver to the Noteholders a certificate of a Senior Financial Officer in accordance with Section 7.2 showing compliance with, and the detailed calculation of, each of the financial covenants set forth in Sections 10.5 and 10.6 and in the Credit Agreement, in each case as at the end of each of the Company’s fiscal quarters during the Relevant Periods.

 

5.

The Company agrees that the waivers and amendments set forth herein are conditional upon, and will not take effect until, the Company pays to each Noteholder a waiver fee equal to [Redacted] basis points based on aggregate principal amount of the Notes held by such Noteholder.

 

6.

The Company represents and warrants to each Noteholder that (a) to the best of its knowledge after reasonable inquiry, the Press Release discloses all material information related to the Restatement Decision and it is not aware of any omission of any material fact related thereto which renders such information incomplete or misleading in any material way, (b) it has not delivered notice of a Restatement Decision Credit Agreement Default to the Agent or any Lender or received notice of a Restatement Decision Credit Agreement Default from the Agent or any Lender, other than the Credit Agreement Default Notice, (c) it has not delivered notice of a Restatement Decision Other Note Agreement Default to a holder of a note under the Other Note Agreements or received notice of a Restatement Decision Other Note Agreement Default from any holder of a note under the Other Note Agreements, other than a notice equivalent to the one delivered to the Noteholders under the Note Agreement, (d) no material actions, suits or other litigation proceedings have been commenced against the Company related to the


 

- 4 -

 

 

Restatement Decision, except as otherwise disclosed in writing by the Company to the Noteholders, and (e) other than Pre-2012 Defaults, if any, there are no other Defaults or Events of Default (other than the Specified Defaults) in existence as of the date hereof.

 

7.

Without limiting the existing notice and information requirements in the Note Agreement, the Company covenants and agrees that it will provide to each Noteholder: (a) a copy of any further notice of a Restatement Decision Credit Agreement Default delivered to the Agent or any Lender under the Credit Agreement forthwith upon delivery thereof as well as a copy of any notices or other written communications from or on behalf of the Agent or the Lenders relating to the waiving of any Restatement Decision Credit Agreement Default, the declaring of a Restatement Decision Credit Agreement Default or an event of default under the Credit Agreement, or the acceleration of any amounts owing under the Credit Agreement, and the equivalent under any Other Note Agreement, in each such case forthwith upon receipt thereof; (b) a copy of any further waiver, amendment or consent provided by the Agent and the Lenders in respect of the Restatement Decision Credit Agreement Default (a “Credit Agreement Waiver”) and the equivalent under any Other Note Agreement; (c) copies of any notices or written updates provided to any Governmental Authority in connection with the Restatement Decision and the underlying facts related thereto, and (d) any further material information related to the Restatement Decision and the underlying facts related thereto (including if a determination is made that the magnitude of the change in reported net income is different from what was set forth in the Press Release) forthwith upon the Company becoming aware thereof, provided that such information shall be subject to the confidentiality provisions of Section 21 (and not subject to Section 7.4). In addition, the Company covenants and agrees that it will not declare or make any dividend or similar Distributions to its shareholders until the Applicable Defaults have been deemed to be cured under Section 10 hereof, without the prior consent of the Required Holders (following which, for certainty, the requirements in the Note Agreement with respect to Distributions shall continue to apply).

 

8.

The Company also covenants and agrees that during the Extended Cure Period it will not exercise any right it may have to (a) permanently reduce the amount of the credit facility available to it under the Credit Agreement from that available to it on the date hereof, as such amount is provided in Section 2 of the Bank Waiver Agreement, or (b) repay any termination amounts owing under any Hedging Agreement (as that term is defined in the Credit Agreement), in either case without the prior written consent of the Required Holders.

 

9.

The parties agree that if and to the extent that a Credit Agreement Waiver is delivered to the Company in respect of the Restatement Decision Credit Agreement Default and such waiver results in (a) any one or more of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary being subject to any one or more restrictive conditions, covenants or terms or events of default that are not already provided for in this Agreement or the Financing Agreements or (b) any one or more of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary being required to pay any additional consideration or waiver or similar fees in excess of the fees provided for herein (on a percentage basis), then (i) such more restrictive conditions, covenants, terms or events of default shall be automatically incorporated by reference in this Agreement as if


 

- 5 -

 

 

set forth fully herein, mutatis mutandis, and no such provision may thereafter be waived, amended or modified under this Agreement, except in accordance with the provisions of the Note Agreement, and/or (ii) such additional consideration or waiver or similar fees shall be payable to each Noteholder; provided, for greater certainty, this Clause 9 shall not apply in any manner in regards to the Bank Waiver Agreement as currently in place and the terms and conditions included therein, and shall not limit or affect the existing provisions of the Note Agreement.

 

10.

The Applicable Defaults will each be deemed to be cured upon delivery by the Company of the restated financial statements for the Relevant Periods prior to the end of the Extended Cure Period if (a) such restated financial statements do not disclose or result in any Material Adverse Effect, (b) no Default or Event of Default (other than the Applicable Defaults deemed to be cured hereby) exists at such time and the Company provides a certificate to each Noteholder confirming the same, (c) the Restatement Decision Credit Agreement Default has been unconditionally cured or otherwise permanently waived by the Agent and the Lenders, and (d) no Default or Event of Default (as defined in the Other Note Agreements) exists under the provisions of the Other Note Agreements. For certainty, if the Applicable Defaults have not been cured by the end of the Extended Cure Period, an Event of Default shall exist at such time.

 

11.

The Company and each Noteholder agree to amend (a) Section 7.1(a) by deleting the reference to “60 days” therein and replacing it with “45 days” and (b) Section 7.1(b) by deleting the reference to “120 days” therein and replacing it with “90 days”.

 

12.

The Company and each Noteholder agree to amend Section 10.9(b) by deleting the existing text therein in full and replacing it with the following:

“(b) make any payment in respect of any Subordinated Debt or Convertible Debentures during a Default or Event of Default or if such payment could reasonably be expected to cause a Default or Event of Default to occur.”

 

13.

This Agreement is a Financing Agreement for purposes of the Note Agreement.

 

14.

This Agreement shall be effective and binding on the Company and the Noteholders upon it being executed by the Company and the Required Holders.

 

15.

Except for the amendments and waivers expressly requested herein and for the limited purposes herein, provision of the waiver described herein shall not waive, limit or affect any other provision of the Note Agreement or other Financing Agreements, all of which continue in full force and effect.

 

16.

The waiver set forth herein shall not constitute an agreement, waiver or consent to any other event, circumstance, matter or thing other than the matters expressly described herein and is without prejudice to any of the rights or remedies of the Noteholders under the Note Agreement or any other Financing Agreement, and shall not extend to any other matter, provision or breach of, or Default or Event of Default under, the Note Agreement.


 

- 6 -

 

 

For certainty, the waivers set forth herein shall not apply in respect of any Default or Event of Default (a) related to a breach of any negative covenants set forth in Section 10 that would result from the corrected information in the restated financial statements for the Relevant Periods that the Company will hereafter be delivering as described in the Press Release, or (b) any cross default or cross acceleration under Section 11(f) resulting from a Restatement Decision Credit Agreement Default that may hereafter be declared under the Credit Agreement or from a Restatement Decision Other Note Agreement Default that may hereafter be declared under the Other Note Agreements.

 

17.

This Agreement shall be construed in connection with and as part of the Note Agreement, and except as modified and expressly amended by this Agreement, all terms, conditions and covenants contained in the Note Agreement and the Notes are hereby ratified and shall be and remain in full force and effect. For certainty, nothing herein shall be construed as a novation of the Notes or the indebtedness or obligations represented thereby or by the Note Agreement as amended by this Agreement, and the terms of the Notes shall not be and shall not be deemed to be, rescinded, converted or substituted.

 

18.

The Company will from time to time forthwith at any Noteholder’s request and at the Company’s own cost and expense make, execute and deliver, or cause to be done, made, executed and delivered, all such further documents, financing statements, assignments, acts, matters and things which may be reasonably required by a Noteholder and as are consistent with the intention of the parties as evidenced herein, with respect to all matters arising under this Agreement.

 

19.

This Agreement shall be construed and enforced in accordance with, and the rights of the parties shall be governed by, the law of the Province of Alberta excluding choice of law principles of the law of such Province that would permit the application of the laws of a jurisdiction other than such Province.

 

20.

This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts (including by facsimile or other electronic transmission), each of which when executed and delivered will be deemed to be an original, but all of which when taken together constitutes one and the same instrument. Any party may execute this Agreement by signing any counterpart.


 

- 7 -

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have caused this Agreement to be duly executed by their respective authorized officers as of the date first written above.

PENN WEST PETROLEUM LTD.

as Company

By:     (Signed) “David A. Dyck”            
Name:   David A. Dyck
Title:   Senior Vice President and Chief Executive Officer
By:     (Signed) “Sherry A. Wendt”        
Name:   Sherri A. Wendt
Title:   Corporate Secretary and Senior Counsel

SUBSIDIARY GUARANTOR CONFIRMATION:

PENN WEST PETROLEUM, by its managing partner,

Penn West Petroleum Inc.

By:     (Signed) “David A. Dyck”            
Name:   David A. Dyck
Title:   Senior Vice President and Chief Executive Officer
By:     (Signed) “Sherry A. Wendt”        
Name:   Sherri A. Wendt
Title:   Corporate Secretary and Senior Counsel

PENN WEST PROP LIMITED PARTNERSHIP, by general partner,

Penn West Petroleum Ltd.

By:     (Signed) “David A. Dyck”            
Name:   David A. Dyck
Title:   Senior Vice President and Chief Executive Officer
By:     (Signed) “Keith Luft”        
Name:   Keith Luft
Title:  

General Counsel and

Senior Vice President


 

- 8 -

 

PENN WEST PROP HOLDCO LTD.

By:     (Signed) “David A. Dyck”            
Name:   David A. Dyck
Title:  

Senior Vice President and Chief

Executive Officer

By:     (Signed) “Keith Luft”            
Name:   Keith Luft
Title:  

General Counsel and

Senior Vice President

PENN WEST SANDHILL CRANE LTD.

By:     (Signed) “David A. Dyck”            
Name:   David A. Dyck
Title:   Senior Vice President and Chief Executive Officer
By:     (Signed) “Keith Luft”            
Name:   Keith Luft
Title:  

General Counsel and

Senior Vice President

PENN WEST NORTHERN HARRIER PARTNERSHIP

By:  

 

(Signed) “David A. Dyck”            

Name:

 

David A. Dyck

Title:

  Senior Vice President and Chief Executive Officer

By:  

 

(Signed) “Keith Luft”            

Name:

 

Keith Luft

Title:

 

General Counsel and

Senior Vice President


 

- 9 -

 

[NOTEHOLDER SIGNATURE PAGES]



Exhibit 99.4

[EXECUTION COPY]

LIMITED WAIVER, AMENDMENT AND RETENTION OF RIGHTS

ACKNOWLEDGMENT AGREEMENT

THIS AGREEMENT is dated as of August 15, 2014 between Penn West Petroleum Ltd. (the “Company”) and each noteholder (each a “Noteholder” and, collectively, the “Noteholders”) under the Note Purchase Agreement dated May 5, 2009 among the Company and the Purchasers listed in Schedule A attached thereto as holders of the outstanding senior guaranteed notes of the Company issued thereunder (as amended, restated, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time, the “Note Agreement”).

PREAMBLE:

A. Capitalized terms used in this Agreement without express definition shall have the same meanings as are ascribed to such terms in the Note Agreement and section references herein are to sections of the Note Agreement.

B. The Company has issued a press release on July 29, 2014 (the “Press Release”) announcing that the Audit Committee of the Company’s Board of Directors is conducting a voluntary internal review of certain of its accounting practices and that the Board of Directors of the Company has concluded that certain of the Company’s historical financial statements for the 2012 and 2013 fiscal years of the Company and the quarterly financial statements for its first fiscal quarter of 2014 (the “Relevant Periods”) must be restated (the “Restatement Decision”).

C. The Company has delivered a notice to each Noteholder under Section 7.1(d) advising that as a result of the Restatement Decision, the Company is in Default under: (a) Sections 7.1(a) and 7.1(b) (as they relate to the statement that the financial statements be prepared in accordance with GAAP) (the “Financial Reporting Default”), and (b) Section 9.6 in respect of the requirement of the Company to maintain books and records of account in accordance with GAAP (the “Covenant Default”, and together with the Financial Reporting Default, the “Specified Defaults”). Under the terms of Section 11, each Specified Default has a cure period of 30 days after a Responsible Officer obtains actual knowledge of such default (the “Cure Period”).

D. The Company’s ongoing internal review in connection with the Restatement Decision may include the review of financial statements prepared for periods prior to the Relevant Periods (“Pre-Relevant Period Financial Statements”) that may result in the Company becoming aware of Defaults or Events of Default under (a) Sections 5.5, 7.1(a) and 7.1(b) (as they relate to the requirement that such Pre-Relevant Period Financial Statements be prepared in accordance with GAAP, and certifications to that effect in certificates of officers delivered pursuant to Section 7.2), and (b) Section 9.6 in respect of the requirement of the Company to maintain books and records of account in accordance with GAAP (each, a “Pre-2012 Default” and collectively with the Specified Defaults, the “Applicable Defaults”).


 

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E. The Company is party to an amended and restated credit agreement dated May 6, 2014 (the “Credit Agreement”) between the Company, as borrower, the financial institutions and other persons party thereto as lenders (the “Lenders”) and Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, as agent of the Lenders (the “Agent”).

F. The accounting practices causing the Restatement Decision have resulted in one or more defaults under the Credit Agreement (each a “Restatement Decision Credit Agreement Default”) and each such default is subject to a cure period of 30 days after the giving of notice thereof by the Agent to the Company, or such later date as the Lenders and the Agent may agree in accordance with the Credit Agreement (the “Credit Agreement Cure Period”). The Agent has provided such notice to the Company (the “Credit Agreement Default Notice”) and a copy of such notice has been provided to each Noteholder. The Company, the Agent and the Lenders have entered into a limited waiver agreement (the “Bank Waiver Agreement”) in respect of the Restatement Decision Credit Agreement Default and a copy of the Bank Waiver Agreement has been provided to each Noteholder.

G. The Company is a party to six other Note Agreements (the “Other Note Agreements”) having terms substantially the same as the Note Agreement, and there exists, under each one, defaults that are substantially equivalent to the Applicable Defaults (“Restatement Decision Other Note Agreement Defaults”), having a cure period substantially the same as the Cure Period (the “Other Note Agreement Cure Periods”).

H. In accordance with Section 18.1, the agreements contained herein require the approval of the Required Holders.

I. Subject to the terms and provisions hereof, the Company has requested that the Noteholders agree to a limited waiver of the Pre-2012 Defaults, to extend the date by which quarterly financial statements are due for the second fiscal quarter of 2014, to extend the Cure Period and to amend certain terms and provisions of the Note Agreement.

AGREEMENT:

NOW THEREFORE in consideration of the premises, the covenants and the agreements herein contained and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which is hereby acknowledged between the parties, the parties agree as follows:

 

1.

The Noteholders agree to extend the Cure Period to the earliest of:

 

  (a)

the earlier of: (i) October 14, 2014, and (ii) the date by which the Company must under applicable Law deliver its quarterly financial statements for the second fiscal quarter of 2014 (the “Extended Delivery Date”);

 

  (b)

the earlier of (i) the last day of the Credit Agreement Cure Period or (ii) the Other Note Agreement Cure Periods;

 

  (c)

the date that any Event of Default (other than, for certainty, one that results from an Applicable Default maturing into an Event of Default) occurs under the Note Agreement; and


 

- 3 -

 

  (d)

the date that the Company is in breach of any of its obligations hereunder (which for certainty shall also constitute an Event of Default under the Note Agreement);

(the “Extended Cure Period”).

 

2.

Notwithstanding anything else set forth in the Note Agreement or the other Financing Agreements and notwithstanding the Applicable Defaults, the Noteholders waive the Pre-2012 Defaults, if any, during the Extended Cure Period. For certainty, subject to the deemed cure set forth in Section 10 of this Agreement, the foregoing waiver expires as at the end of the Extended Cure Period.

 

3.

The Noteholders agree that, notwithstanding Section 7.1(a), the due date of the delivery of the Company’s quarterly unaudited consolidated financial statements for the second fiscal quarter of the 2014 fiscal year is hereby extended from August 29, 2014 to the earlier of: (a) the Extended Delivery Date; and (b) the date that such financial statements are due under the Credit Agreement, including any extension thereof consented to by the Lenders and Agent in accordance with the Credit Agreement (the “Outside Financial Statement Delivery Date”).

 

4.

The Company covenants and agrees that it will deliver restated financial statements for the Relevant Periods that are prepared in accordance with GAAP (and otherwise in accordance with Sections 7.1(a) and (b)) to the Noteholders by no later than the Outside Financial Statement Delivery Date and, concurrently with the delivery thereof, the Company will also deliver to the Noteholders a certificate of a Senior Financial Officer in accordance with Section 7.2 showing compliance with, and the detailed calculation of, each of the financial covenants set forth in Sections 10.5 and 10.6 and in the Credit Agreement, in each case as at the end of each of the Company’s fiscal quarters during the Relevant Periods.

 

5.

The Company agrees that the waivers and amendments set forth herein are conditional upon, and will not take effect until, the Company pays to each Noteholder a waiver fee equal to [Redacted] basis points based on aggregate principal amount of the Notes held by such Noteholder.

 

6.

The Company represents and warrants to each Noteholder that (a) to the best of its knowledge after reasonable inquiry, the Press Release discloses all material information related to the Restatement Decision and it is not aware of any omission of any material fact related thereto which renders such information incomplete or misleading in any material way, (b) it has not delivered notice of a Restatement Decision Credit Agreement Default to the Agent or any Lender or received notice of a Restatement Decision Credit Agreement Default from the Agent or any Lender, other than the Credit Agreement Default Notice, (c) it has not delivered notice of a Restatement Decision Other Note Agreement Default to a holder of a note under the Other Note Agreements or received notice of a Restatement Decision Other Note Agreement Default from any holder of a note under the Other Note Agreements, other than a notice equivalent to the one delivered to the Noteholders under the Note Agreement, (d) no material actions, suits or other litigation proceedings have been commenced against the Company related to the


 

- 4 -

 

 

Restatement Decision, except as otherwise disclosed in writing by the Company to the Noteholders, and (e) other than Pre-2012 Defaults, if any, there are no other Defaults or Events of Default (other than the Specified Defaults) in existence as of the date hereof.

 

7.

Without limiting the existing notice and information requirements in the Note Agreement, the Company covenants and agrees that it will provide to each Noteholder: (a) a copy of any further notice of a Restatement Decision Credit Agreement Default delivered to the Agent or any Lender under the Credit Agreement forthwith upon delivery thereof as well as a copy of any notices or other written communications from or on behalf of the Agent or the Lenders relating to the waiving of any Restatement Decision Credit Agreement Default, the declaring of a Restatement Decision Credit Agreement Default or an event of default under the Credit Agreement, or the acceleration of any amounts owing under the Credit Agreement, and the equivalent under any Other Note Agreement, in each such case forthwith upon receipt thereof; (b) a copy of any further waiver, amendment or consent provided by the Agent and the Lenders in respect of the Restatement Decision Credit Agreement Default (a “Credit Agreement Waiver”) and the equivalent under any Other Note Agreement; (c) copies of any notices or written updates provided to any Governmental Authority in connection with the Restatement Decision and the underlying facts related thereto, and (d) any further material information related to the Restatement Decision and the underlying facts related thereto (including if a determination is made that the magnitude of the change in reported net income is different from what was set forth in the Press Release) forthwith upon the Company becoming aware thereof, provided that such information shall be subject to the confidentiality provisions of Section 21 (and not subject to Section 7.4). In addition, the Company covenants and agrees that it will not declare or make any dividend or similar Distributions to its shareholders until the Applicable Defaults have been deemed to be cured under Section 10 hereof, without the prior consent of the Required Holders (following which, for certainty, the requirements in the Note Agreement with respect to Distributions shall continue to apply).

 

8.

The Company also covenants and agrees that during the Extended Cure Period it will not exercise any right it may have to (a) permanently reduce the amount of the credit facility available to it under the Credit Agreement from that available to it on the date hereof, as such amount is provided in Section 2 of the Bank Waiver Agreement, or (b) repay any termination amounts owing under any Hedging Agreement (as that term is defined in the Credit Agreement), in either case without the prior written consent of the Required Holders.

 

9.

The parties agree that if and to the extent that a Credit Agreement Waiver is delivered to the Company in respect of the Restatement Decision Credit Agreement Default and such waiver results in (a) any one or more of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary being subject to any one or more restrictive conditions, covenants or terms or events of default that are not already provided for in this Agreement or the Financing Agreements or (b) any one or more of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary being required to pay any additional consideration or waiver or similar fees in excess of the fees provided for herein (on a percentage basis), then (i) such more restrictive conditions, covenants, terms or events of default shall be automatically incorporated by reference in this Agreement as if


 

- 5 -

 

 

set forth fully herein, mutatis mutandis, and no such provision may thereafter be waived, amended or modified under this Agreement, except in accordance with the provisions of the Note Agreement, and/or (ii) such additional consideration or waiver or similar fees shall be payable to each Noteholder; provided, for greater certainty, this Clause 9 shall not apply in any manner in regards to the Bank Waiver Agreement as currently in place and the terms and conditions included therein, and shall not limit or affect the existing provisions of the Note Agreement.

 

10.

The Applicable Defaults will each be deemed to be cured upon delivery by the Company of the restated financial statements for the Relevant Periods prior to the end of the Extended Cure Period if (a) such restated financial statements do not disclose or result in any Material Adverse Effect, (b) no Default or Event of Default (other than the Applicable Defaults deemed to be cured hereby) exists at such time and the Company provides a certificate to each Noteholder confirming the same, (c) the Restatement Decision Credit Agreement Default has been unconditionally cured or otherwise permanently waived by the Agent and the Lenders, and (d) no Default or Event of Default (as defined in the Other Note Agreements) exists under the provisions of the Other Note Agreements. For certainty, if the Applicable Defaults have not been cured by the end of the Extended Cure Period, an Event of Default shall exist at such time.

 

11.

The Company and each Noteholder agree to amend (a) Section 7.1(a) by deleting the reference to “60 days” therein and replacing it with “45 days” and (b) Section 7.1(b) by deleting the reference to “120 days” therein and replacing it with “90 days”.

 

12.

This Agreement is a Financing Agreement for purposes of the Note Agreement.

 

13.

This Agreement shall be effective and binding on the Company and the Noteholders upon it being executed by the Company and the Required Holders.

 

14.

Except for the amendments and waivers expressly requested herein and for the limited purposes herein, provision of the waiver described herein shall not waive, limit or affect any other provision of the Note Agreement or other Financing Agreements, all of which continue in full force and effect.

 

15.

The waiver set forth herein shall not constitute an agreement, waiver or consent to any other event, circumstance, matter or thing other than the matters expressly described herein and is without prejudice to any of the rights or remedies of the Noteholders under the Note Agreement or any other Financing Agreement, and shall not extend to any other matter, provision or breach of, or Default or Event of Default under, the Note Agreement. For certainty, the waivers set forth herein shall not apply in respect of any Default or Event of Default (a) related to a breach of any negative covenants set forth in Section 10 that would result from the corrected information in the restated financial statements for the Relevant Periods that the Company will hereafter be delivering as described in the Press Release, or (b) any cross default or cross acceleration under Section 11(f) resulting from a Restatement Decision Credit Agreement Default that may hereafter be declared under the Credit Agreement or from a Restatement Decision Other Note Agreement Default that may hereafter be declared under the Other Note Agreements.


 

- 6 -

 

16.

This Agreement shall be construed in connection with and as part of the Note Agreement, and except as modified and expressly amended by this Agreement, all terms, conditions and covenants contained in the Note Agreement and the Notes are hereby ratified and shall be and remain in full force and effect. For certainty, nothing herein shall be construed as a novation of the Notes or the indebtedness or obligations represented thereby or by the Note Agreement as amended by this Agreement, and the terms of the Notes shall not be and shall not be deemed to be, rescinded, converted or substituted.

 

17.

The Company will from time to time forthwith at any Noteholder’s request and at the Company’s own cost and expense make, execute and deliver, or cause to be done, made, executed and delivered, all such further documents, financing statements, assignments, acts, matters and things which may be reasonably required by a Noteholder and as are consistent with the intention of the parties as evidenced herein, with respect to all matters arising under this Agreement.

 

18.

This Agreement shall be construed and enforced in accordance with, and the rights of the parties shall be governed by, the law of the Province of Alberta excluding choice of law principles of the law of such Province that would permit the application of the laws of a jurisdiction other than such Province.

 

19.

This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts (including by facsimile or other electronic transmission), each of which when executed and delivered will be deemed to be an original, but all of which when taken together constitutes one and the same instrument. Any party may execute this Agreement by signing any counterpart.


 

- 7 -

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have caused this Agreement to be duly executed by their respective authorized officers as of the date first written above.

PENN WEST PETROLEUM LTD.

as Company

By:  

  (Signed) “David A. Dyck”            
Name:   David A. Dyck
Title:   Senior Vice President and Chief Executive Officer

By:  

  (Signed) “Sherry A. Wendt”        
Name:   Sherri A. Wendt
Title:   Corporate Secretary and Senior Counsel

SUBSIDIARY GUARANTOR CONFIRMATION:

PENN WEST PETROLEUM, by its managing partner,

Penn West Petroleum Inc.

By:  

  (Signed) “David A. Dyck”            
Name:   David A. Dyck
Title:   Senior Vice President and Chief Executive Officer

By:  

  (Signed) “Sherry A. Wendt”        
Name:   Sherri A. Wendt
Title:   Corporate Secretary and Senior Counsel

PENN WEST PROP LIMITED PARTNERSHIP, by general partner,

Penn West Petroleum Ltd.

By:  

  (Signed) “David A. Dyck”            
Name:   David A. Dyck
Title:   Senior Vice President and Chief Executive Officer

By:  

  (Signed) “Keith Luft”        
Name:   Keith Luft
Title:  

General Counsel and

Senior Vice President


 

- 8 -

 

PENN WEST PROP HOLDCO LTD.

By:     (Signed) “David A. Dyck”            
Name:   David A. Dyck
Title:   Senior Vice President and Chief Executive Officer
By:     (Signed) “Keith Luft”            
Name:   Keith Luft
Title:  

General Counsel and

Senior Vice President

PENN WEST SANDHILL CRANE LTD.

By:     (Signed) “David A. Dyck”            
Name:   David A. Dyck
Title:   Senior Vice President and Chief Executive Officer
By:     (Signed) “Keith Luft”            
Name:   Keith Luft
Title:  

General Counsel and

Senior Vice President

PENN WEST NORTHERN HARRIER PARTNERSHIP

By:     (Signed) “David A. Dyck”            
Name:   David A. Dyck
Title:   Senior Vice President and Chief Executive Officer
By:     (Signed) “Keith Luft”            
Name:   Keith Luft
Title:  

General Counsel and

Senior Vice President


 

- 9 -

 

[NOTEHOLDER SIGNATURE PAGES]



Exhibit 99.5

[EXECUTION COPY]

LIMITED WAIVER, AMENDMENT AND RETENTION OF RIGHTS

ACKNOWLEDGMENT AGREEMENT

THIS AGREEMENT is dated as of August 15, 2014 between Penn West Petroleum Ltd. (the “Company”) and each noteholder (each a “Noteholder” and, collectively, the “Noteholders”) under the Note Purchase Agreement dated March 16, 2010 among the Company and the Purchasers listed in Schedule A attached thereto as holders of the outstanding senior guaranteed notes of the Company issued thereunder (as amended, restated, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time, the “Note Agreement”).

PREAMBLE:

A. Capitalized terms used in this Agreement without express definition shall have the same meanings as are ascribed to such terms in the Note Agreement and section references herein are to sections of the Note Agreement.

B. The Company has issued a press release on July 29, 2014 (the “Press Release”) announcing that the Audit Committee of the Company’s Board of Directors is conducting a voluntary internal review of certain of its accounting practices and that the Board of Directors of the Company has concluded that certain of the Company’s historical financial statements for the 2012 and 2013 fiscal years of the Company and the quarterly financial statements for its first fiscal quarter of 2014 (the “Relevant Periods”) must be restated (the “Restatement Decision”).

C. The Company has delivered a notice to each Noteholder under Section 7.1(d) advising that as a result of the Restatement Decision, the Company is in Default under: (a) Sections 7.1(a) and 7.1(b) (as they relate to the statement that the financial statements be prepared in accordance with GAAP) (the “Financial Reporting Default”), and (b) Section 9.6 in respect of the requirement of the Company to maintain books and records of account in accordance with GAAP (the “Covenant Default”, and together with the Financial Reporting Default, the “Specified Defaults”). Under the terms of Section 11, each Specified Default has a cure period of 30 days after a Responsible Officer obtains actual knowledge of such default (the “Cure Period”).

D. The Company’s ongoing internal review in connection with the Restatement Decision may include the review of financial statements prepared for periods prior to the Relevant Periods (“Pre-Relevant Period Financial Statements”) that may result in the Company becoming aware of Defaults or Events of Default under (a) Sections 5.5, 7.1(a) and 7.1(b) (as they relate to the requirement that such Pre-Relevant Period Financial Statements be prepared in accordance with GAAP, and certifications to that effect in certificates of officers delivered pursuant to Section 7.2), and (b) Section 9.6 in respect of the requirement of the Company to maintain books and records of account in accordance with GAAP (each, a “Pre-2012 Default” and collectively with the Specified Defaults, the “Applicable Defaults”).


 

- 2 -

 

E. The Company is party to an amended and restated credit agreement dated May 6, 2014 (the “Credit Agreement”) between the Company, as borrower, the financial institutions and other persons party thereto as lenders (the “Lenders”) and Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, as agent of the Lenders (the “Agent”).

F. The accounting practices causing the Restatement Decision have resulted in one or more defaults under the Credit Agreement (each a “Restatement Decision Credit Agreement Default”) and each such default is subject to a cure period of 30 days after the giving of notice thereof by the Agent to the Company, or such later date as the Lenders and the Agent may agree in accordance with the Credit Agreement (the “Credit Agreement Cure Period”). The Agent has provided such notice to the Company (the “Credit Agreement Default Notice”) and a copy of such notice has been provided to each Noteholder. The Company, the Agent and the Lenders have entered into a limited waiver agreement (the “Bank Waiver Agreement”) in respect of the Restatement Decision Credit Agreement Default and a copy of the Bank Waiver Agreement has been provided to each Noteholder.

G. The Company is a party to six other Note Agreements (the “Other Note Agreements”) having terms substantially the same as the Note Agreement, and there exists, under each one, defaults that are substantially equivalent to the Applicable Defaults (“Restatement Decision Other Note Agreement Defaults”), having a cure period substantially the same as the Cure Period (the “Other Note Agreement Cure Periods”).

H. In accordance with Section 18.1, the agreements contained herein require the approval of the Required Holders.

I. Subject to the terms and provisions hereof, the Company has requested that the Noteholders agree to a limited waiver of the Pre-2012 Defaults, to extend the date by which quarterly financial statements are due for the second fiscal quarter of 2014, to extend the Cure Period and to amend certain terms and provisions of the Note Agreement.

AGREEMENT:

NOW THEREFORE in consideration of the premises, the covenants and the agreements herein contained and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which is hereby acknowledged between the parties, the parties agree as follows:

 

1.

The Noteholders agree to extend the Cure Period to the earliest of:

 

  (a)

the earlier of: (i) October 14, 2014, and (ii) the date by which the Company must under applicable Law deliver its quarterly financial statements for the second fiscal quarter of 2014 (the “Extended Delivery Date”);

 

  (b)

the earlier of (i) the last day of the Credit Agreement Cure Period or (ii) the Other Note Agreement Cure Periods;

 

  (c)

the date that any Event of Default (other than, for certainty, one that results from an Applicable Default maturing into an Event of Default) occurs under the Note Agreement; and


 

- 3 -

 

  (d)

the date that the Company is in breach of any of its obligations hereunder (which for certainty shall also constitute an Event of Default under the Note Agreement);

(the “Extended Cure Period”).

 

2.

Notwithstanding anything else set forth in the Note Agreement or the other Financing Agreements and notwithstanding the Applicable Defaults, the Noteholders waive the Pre-2012 Defaults, if any, during the Extended Cure Period. For certainty, subject to the deemed cure set forth in Section 10 of this Agreement, the foregoing waiver expires as at the end of the Extended Cure Period.

 

3.

The Noteholders agree that, notwithstanding Section 7.1(a), the due date of the delivery of the Company’s quarterly unaudited consolidated financial statements for the second fiscal quarter of the 2014 fiscal year is hereby extended from August 29, 2014 to the earlier of: (a) the Extended Delivery Date; and (b) the date that such financial statements are due under the Credit Agreement, including any extension thereof consented to by the Lenders and Agent in accordance with the Credit Agreement (the “Outside Financial Statement Delivery Date”).

 

4.

The Company covenants and agrees that it will deliver restated financial statements for the Relevant Periods that are prepared in accordance with GAAP (and otherwise in accordance with Sections 7.1(a) and (b)) to the Noteholders by no later than the Outside Financial Statement Delivery Date and, concurrently with the delivery thereof, the Company will also deliver to the Noteholders a certificate of a Senior Financial Officer in accordance with Section 7.2 showing compliance with, and the detailed calculation of, each of the financial covenants set forth in Sections 10.5 and 10.6 and in the Credit Agreement, in each case as at the end of each of the Company’s fiscal quarters during the Relevant Periods.

 

5.

The Company agrees that the waivers and amendments set forth herein are conditional upon, and will not take effect until, the Company pays to each Noteholder a waiver fee equal to [Redacted] basis points based on aggregate principal amount of the Notes held by such Noteholder.

 

6.

The Company represents and warrants to each Noteholder that (a) to the best of its knowledge after reasonable inquiry, the Press Release discloses all material information related to the Restatement Decision and it is not aware of any omission of any material fact related thereto which renders such information incomplete or misleading in any material way, (b) it has not delivered notice of a Restatement Decision Credit Agreement Default to the Agent or any Lender or received notice of a Restatement Decision Credit Agreement Default from the Agent or any Lender, other than the Credit Agreement Default Notice, (c) it has not delivered notice of a Restatement Decision Other Note Agreement Default to a holder of a note under the Other Note Agreeemnts or received notice of a Restatement Decision Other Note Agreement Default from any holder of a note under the Other Note Agreements, other than a notice equivalent to the one delivered to the Noteholders under the Note Agreement, (d) no material actions, suits or other litigation proceedings have been commenced against the Company related to the


 

- 4 -

 

 

Restatement Decision, except as otherwise disclosed in writing by the Company to the Noteholders, and (e) other than Pre-2012 Defaults, if any, there are no other Defaults or Events of Default (other than the Specified Defaults) in existence as of the date hereof.

 

7.

Without limiting the existing notice and information requirements in the Note Agreement, the Company covenants and agrees that it will provide to each Noteholder: (a) a copy of any further notice of a Restatement Decision Credit Agreement Default delivered to the Agent or any Lender under the Credit Agreement forthwith upon delivery thereof as well as a copy of any notices or other written communications from or on behalf of the Agent or the Lenders relating to the waiving of any Restatement Decision Credit Agreement Default, the declaring of a Restatement Decision Credit Agreement Default or an event of default under the Credit Agreement, or the acceleration of any amounts owing under the Credit Agreement, and the equivalent under any Other Note Agreement, in each such case forthwith upon receipt thereof; (b) a copy of any further waiver, amendment or consent provided by the Agent and the Lenders in respect of the Restatement Decision Credit Agreement Default (a “Credit Agreement Waiver”) and the equivalent under any Other Note Agreement; (c) copies of any notices or written updates provided to any Governmental Authority in connection with the Restatement Decision and the underlying facts related thereto, and (d) any further material information related to the Restatement Decision and the underlying facts related thereto (including if a determination is made that the magnitude of the change in reported net income is different from what was set forth in the Press Release) forthwith upon the Company becoming aware thereof, provided that such information shall be subject to the confidentiality provisions of Section 21 (and not subject to Section 7.4). In addition, the Company covenants and agrees that it will not declare or make any dividend or similar Distributions to its shareholders until the Applicable Defaults have been deemed to be cured under Section 10 hereof, without the prior consent of the Required Holders (following which, for certainty, the requirements in the Note Agreement with respect to Distributions shall continue to apply).

 

8.

The Company also covenants and agrees that during the Extended Cure Period it will not exercise any right it may have to (a) permanently reduce the amount of the credit facility available to it under the Credit Agreement from that available to it on the date hereof, as such amount is provided in Section 2 of the Bank Waiver Agreement, or (b) repay any termination amounts owing under any Hedging Agreement (as that term is defined in the Credit Agreement), in either case without the prior written consent of the Required Holders.

 

9.

The parties agree that if and to the extent that a Credit Agreement Waiver is delivered to the Company in respect of the Restatement Decision Credit Agreement Default and such waiver results in (a) any one or more of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary being subject to any one or more restrictive conditions, covenants or terms or events of default that are not already provided for in this Agreement or the Financing Agreements or (b) any one or more of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary being required to pay any additional consideration or waiver or similar fees in excess of the fees provided for herein (on a percentage basis), then (i) such more restrictive conditions, covenants, terms or events of default shall be automatically incorporated by reference in this Agreement as if


 

- 5 -

 

 

set forth fully herein, mutatis mutandis, and no such provision may thereafter be waived, amended or modified under this Agreement, except in accordance with the provisions of the Note Agreement, and/or (ii) such additional consideration or waiver or similar fees shall be payable to each Noteholder; provided, for greater certainty, this Clause 9 shall not apply in any manner in regards to the Bank Waiver Agreement as currently in place and the terms and conditions included therein, and shall not limit or affect the existing provisions of the Note Agreement.

 

10.

The Applicable Defaults will each be deemed to be cured upon delivery by the Company of the restated financial statements for the Relevant Periods prior to the end of the Extended Cure Period if (a) such restated financial statements do not disclose or result in any Material Adverse Effect, (b) no Default or Event of Default (other than the Applicable Defaults deemed to be cured hereby) exists at such time and the Company provides a certificate to each Noteholder confirming the same, (c) the Restatement Decision Credit Agreement Default has been unconditionally cured or otherwise permanently waived by the Agent and the Lenders, and (d) no Default or Event of Default (as defined in the Other Note Agreements) exists under the provisions of the Other Note Agreements. For certainty, if the Applicable Defaults have not been cured by the end of the Extended Cure Period, an Event of Default shall exist at such time.

 

11.

The Company and each Noteholder agree to amend (a) Section 7.1(a) by deleting the reference to “60 days” therein and replacing it with “45 days” and (b) Section 7.1(b) by deleting the reference to “120 days” therein and replacing it with “90 days”.

 

12.

This Agreement is a Financing Agreement for purposes of the Note Agreement.

 

13.

This Agreement shall be effective and binding on the Company and the Noteholders upon it being executed by the Company and the Required Holders.

 

14.

Except for the amendments and waivers expressly requested herein and for the limited purposes herein, provision of the waiver described herein shall not waive, limit or affect any other provision of the Note Agreement or other Financing Agreements, all of which continue in full force and effect.

 

15.

The waiver set forth herein shall not constitute an agreement, waiver or consent to any other event, circumstance, matter or thing other than the matters expressly described herein and is without prejudice to any of the rights or remedies of the Noteholders under the Note Agreement or any other Financing Agreement, and shall not extend to any other matter, provision or breach of, or Default or Event of Default under, the Note Agreement. For certainty, the waivers set forth herein shall not apply in respect of any Default or Event of Default (a) related to a breach of any negative covenants set forth in Section 10 that would result from the corrected information in the restated financial statements for the Relevant Periods that the Company will hereafter be delivering as described in the Press Release, or (b) any cross default or cross acceleration under Section 11(f) resulting from a Restatement Decision Credit Agreement Default that may hereafter be declared under the Credit Agreement or from a Restatement Decision Other Note Agreement Default that may hereafter be declared under the Other Note Agreements.


 

- 6 -

 

16.

This Agreement shall be construed in connection with and as part of the Note Agreement, and except as modified and expressly amended by this Agreement, all terms, conditions and covenants contained in the Note Agreement and the Notes are hereby ratified and shall be and remain in full force and effect. For certainty, nothing herein shall be construed as a novation of the Notes or the indebtedness or obligations represented thereby or by the Note Agreement as amended by this Agreement, and the terms of the Notes shall not be and shall not be deemed to be, rescinded, converted or substituted.

 

17.

The Company will from time to time forthwith at any Noteholder’s request and at the Company’s own cost and expense make, execute and deliver, or cause to be done, made, executed and delivered, all such further documents, financing statements, assignments, acts, matters and things which may be reasonably required by a Noteholder and as are consistent with the intention of the parties as evidenced herein, with respect to all matters arising under this Agreement.

 

18.

This Agreement shall be construed and enforced in accordance with, and the rights of the parties shall be governed by, the law of the Province of Alberta excluding choice of law principles of the law of such Province that would permit the application of the laws of a jurisdiction other than such Province.

 

19.

This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts (including by facsimile or other electronic transmission), each of which when executed and delivered will be deemed to be an original, but all of which when taken together constitutes one and the same instrument. Any party may execute this Agreement by signing any counterpart.


 

- 7 -

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have caused this Agreement to be duly executed by their respective authorized officers as of the date first written above.

PENN WEST PETROLEUM LTD.

as Company

By:     (Signed) “David A. Dyck”            
Name:   David A. Dyck
Title:   Senior Vice President and Chief Executive Officer
By:     (Signed) “Sherry A. Wendt”        
Name:   Sherri A. Wendt
Title:   Corporate Secretary and Senior Counsel

SUBSIDIARY GUARANTOR CONFIRMATION:

PENN WEST PETROLEUM, by its managing partner,

Penn West Petroleum Inc.

By:     (Signed) “David A. Dyck”            
Name:   David A. Dyck
Title:   Senior Vice President and Chief Executive Officer
By:     (Signed) “Sherry A. Wendt”        
Name:   Sherri A. Wendt
Title:   Corporate Secretary and Senior Counsel

PENN WEST PROP LIMITED PARTNERSHIP, by general partner,

Penn West Petroleum Ltd.

By:     (Signed) “David A. Dyck”            
Name:   David A. Dyck
Title:   Senior Vice President and Chief Executive Officer
By:     (Signed) “Keith Luft”        
Name:   Keith Luft
Title:  

General Counsel and

Senior Vice President


 

- 8 -

 

PENN WEST PROP HOLDCO LTD.

By:     (Signed) “David A. Dyck”            
Name:   David A. Dyck
Title:  

Senior Vice President and Chief

Executive Officer

By:     (Signed) “Keith Luft”            
Name:   Keith Luft
Title:  

General Counsel and

Senior Vice President

PENN WEST SANDHILL CRANE LTD.

By:     (Signed) “David A. Dyck”            
Name:   David A. Dyck
Title:   Senior Vice President and Chief Executive Officer
By:     (Signed) “Keith Luft”            
Name:   Keith Luft
Title:  

General Counsel and

Senior Vice President

PENN WEST NORTHERN HARRIER PARTNERSHIP

By:  

 

(Signed) “David A. Dyck”            

Name:

 

David A. Dyck

Title:

  Senior Vice President and Chief Executive Officer

By:  

 

(Signed) “Keith Luft”            

Name:

 

Keith Luft

Title:

 

General Counsel and

Senior Vice President


 

- 9 -

 

[NOTEHOLDER SIGNATURE PAGES]



Exhibit 99.6

[EXECUTION COPY]

LIMITED WAIVER, AMENDMENT AND RETENTION OF RIGHTS

ACKNOWLEDGMENT AGREEMENT

THIS AGREEMENT is dated as of August 15, 2014 between Penn West Petroleum Ltd. (the “Company”) and each noteholder (each a “Noteholder” and, collectively, the “Noteholders”) under the Note Purchase Agreement dated December 2, 2010 among the Company and the Purchasers listed in Schedule A attached thereto as holders of the outstanding senior guaranteed notes of the Company issued thereunder (as amended, restated, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time, the “Note Agreement”).

PREAMBLE:

A. Capitalized terms used in this Agreement without express definition shall have the same meanings as are ascribed to such terms in the Note Agreement and section references herein are to sections of the Note Agreement.

B. The Company has issued a press release on July 29, 2014 (the “Press Release”) announcing that the Audit Committee of the Company’s Board of Directors is conducting a voluntary internal review of certain of its accounting practices and that the Board of Directors of the Company has concluded that certain of the Company’s historical financial statements for the 2012 and 2013 fiscal years of the Company and the quarterly financial statements for its first fiscal quarter of 2014 (the “Relevant Periods”) must be restated (the “Restatement Decision”).

C. The Company has delivered a notice to each Noteholder under Section 7.1(d) advising that as a result of the Restatement Decision, the Company is in Default under: (a) Sections 7.1(a) and 7.1(b) (as they relate to the statement that the financial statements be prepared in accordance with GAAP) (the “Financial Reporting Default”), and (b) Section 9.6 in respect of the requirement of the Company to maintain books and records of account in accordance with GAAP (the “Covenant Default”, and together with the Financial Reporting Default, the “Specified Defaults”). Under the terms of Section 11, each Specified Default has a cure period of 30 days after a Responsible Officer obtains actual knowledge of such default (the “Cure Period”).

D. The Company’s ongoing internal review in connection with the Restatement Decision may include the review of financial statements prepared for periods prior to the Relevant Periods (“Pre-Relevant Period Financial Statements”) that may result in the Company becoming aware of Defaults or Events of Default under (a) Sections 5.1(e), 5.2(e), 7.1(a) and 7.1(b) (as they relate to the requirement that such Pre-Relevant Period Financial Statements be prepared in accordance with GAAP, and certifications to that effect in certificates of officers delivered pursuant to Section 7.2), and (b) Section 9.6 in respect of the requirement of the Company to maintain books and records of account in accordance with GAAP (each, a “Pre-2012 Default” and collectively with the Specified Defaults, the “Applicable Defaults”).


 

- 2 -

 

E. The Company is party to an amended and restated credit agreement dated May 6, 2014 (the “Credit Agreement”) between the Company, as borrower, the financial institutions and other persons party thereto as lenders (the “Lenders”) and Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, as agent of the Lenders (the “Agent”).

F. The accounting practices causing the Restatement Decision have resulted in one or more defaults under the Credit Agreement (each a “Restatement Decision Credit Agreement Default”) and each such default is subject to a cure period of 30 days after the giving of notice thereof by the Agent to the Company, or such later date as the Lenders and the Agent may agree in accordance with the Credit Agreement (the “Credit Agreement Cure Period”). The Agent has provided such notice to the Company (the “Credit Agreement Default Notice”) and a copy of such notice has been provided to each Noteholder. The Company, the Agent and the Lenders have entered into a limited waiver agreement (the “Bank Waiver Agreement”) in respect of the Restatement Decision Credit Agreement Default and a copy of the Bank Waiver Agreement has been provided to each Noteholder.

G. The Company is a party to six other Note Agreements (the “Other Note Agreements”) having terms substantially the same as the Note Agreement, and there exists, under each one, defaults that are substantially equivalent to the Applicable Defaults (“Restatement Decision Other Note Agreement Defaults”), having a cure period substantially the same as the Cure Period (the “Other Note Agreement Cure Periods”).

H. In accordance with Section 18.1, the agreements contained herein require the approval of the Required Holders.

I. Subject to the terms and provisions hereof, the Company has requested that the Noteholders agree to a limited waiver of the Pre-2012 Defaults, to extend the date by which quarterly financial statements are due for the second fiscal quarter of 2014, to extend the Cure Period and to amend certain terms and provisions of the Note Agreement.

AGREEMENT:

NOW THEREFORE in consideration of the premises, the covenants and the agreements herein contained and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which is hereby acknowledged between the parties, the parties agree as follows:

 

1.

The Noteholders agree to extend the Cure Period to the earliest of:

 

  (a)

the earlier of: (i) October 14, 2014, and (ii) the date by which the Company must under applicable Law deliver its quarterly financial statements for the second fiscal quarter of 2014 (the “Extended Delivery Date”);

 

  (b)

the earlier of (i) the last day of the Credit Agreement Cure Period or (ii) the Other Note Agreement Cure Periods;

 

  (c)

the date that any Event of Default (other than, for certainty, one that results from an Applicable Default maturing into an Event of Default) occurs under the Note Agreement; and


 

- 3 -

 

  (d)

the date that the Company is in breach of any of its obligations hereunder (which for certainty shall also constitute an Event of Default under the Note Agreement);

(the “Extended Cure Period”).

 

2.

Notwithstanding anything else set forth in the Note Agreement or the other Financing Agreements and notwithstanding the Applicable Defaults, the Noteholders waive the Pre-2012 Defaults, if any, during the Extended Cure Period. For certainty, subject to the deemed cure set forth in Section 10 of this Agreement, the foregoing waiver expires as at the end of the Extended Cure Period.

 

3.

The Noteholders agree that, notwithstanding Section 7.1(a), the due date of the delivery of the Company’s quarterly unaudited consolidated financial statements for the second fiscal quarter of the 2014 fiscal year is hereby extended from August 29, 2014 to the earlier of: (a) the Extended Delivery Date; and (b) the date that such financial statements are due under the Credit Agreement, including any extension thereof consented to by the Lenders and Agent in accordance with the Credit Agreement (the “Outside Financial Statement Delivery Date”).

 

4.

The Company covenants and agrees that it will deliver restated financial statements for the Relevant Periods that are prepared in accordance with GAAP (and otherwise in accordance with Sections 7.1(a) and (b)) to the Noteholders by no later than the Outside Financial Statement Delivery Date and, concurrently with the delivery thereof, the Company will also deliver to the Noteholders a certificate of a Senior Financial Officer in accordance with Section 7.2 showing compliance with, and the detailed calculation of, each of the financial covenants set forth in Sections 10.5 and 10.6 and in the Credit Agreement, in each case as at the end of each of the Company’s fiscal quarters during the Relevant Periods.

 

5.

The Company agrees that the waivers and amendments set forth herein are conditional upon, and will not take effect until, the Company pays to each Noteholder a waiver fee equal to [Redacted] basis points based on aggregate principal amount of the Notes held by such Noteholder.

 

6.

The Company represents and warrants to each Noteholder that (a) to the best of its knowledge after reasonable inquiry, the Press Release discloses all material information related to the Restatement Decision and it is not aware of any omission of any material fact related thereto which renders such information incomplete or misleading in any material way, (b) it has not delivered notice of a Restatement Decision Credit Agreement Default to the Agent or any Lender or received notice of a Restatement Decision Credit Agreement Default from the Agent or any Lender, other than the Credit Agreement Default Notice, (c) it has not delivered notice of a Restatement Decision Other Note Agreement Default to a holder of a note under the Other Note Agreements or received notice of a Restatement Decision Other Note Agreement Default from any holder of a note under the Other Note Agreements, other than a notice equivalent to the one delivered to the Noteholders under the Note Agreement, (d) no material actions, suits or other litigation proceedings have been commenced against the Company related to the


 

- 4 -

 

 

Restatement Decision, except as otherwise disclosed in writing by the Company to the Noteholders, and (e) other than Pre-2012 Defaults, if any, there are no other Defaults or Events of Default (other than the Specified Defaults) in existence as of the date hereof.

 

7.

Without limiting the existing notice and information requirements in the Note Agreement, the Company covenants and agrees that it will provide to each Noteholder: (a) a copy of any further notice of a Restatement Decision Credit Agreement Default delivered to the Agent or any Lender under the Credit Agreement forthwith upon delivery thereof as well as a copy of any notices or other written communications from or on behalf of the Agent or the Lenders relating to the waiving of any Restatement Decision Credit Agreement Default, the declaring of a Restatement Decision Credit Agreement Default or an event of default under the Credit Agreement, or the acceleration of any amounts owing under the Credit Agreement, and the equivalent under any Other Note Agreement, in each such case forthwith upon receipt thereof; (b) a copy of any further waiver, amendment or consent provided by the Agent and the Lenders in respect of the Restatement Decision Credit Agreement Default (a “Credit Agreement Waiver”) and the equivalent under any Other Note Agreement; (c) copies of any notices or written updates provided to any Governmental Authority in connection with the Restatement Decision and the underlying facts related thereto, and (d) any further material information related to the Restatement Decision and the underlying facts related thereto (including if a determination is made that the magnitude of the change in reported net income is different from what was set forth in the Press Release) forthwith upon the Company becoming aware thereof, provided that such information shall be subject to the confidentiality provisions of Section 21 (and not subject to Section 7.4). In addition, the Company covenants and agrees that it will not declare or make any dividend or similar Distributions to its shareholders until the Applicable Defaults have been deemed to be cured under Section 10 hereof, without the prior consent of the Required Holders (following which, for certainty, the requirements in the Note Agreement with respect to Distributions shall continue to apply).

 

8.

The Company also covenants and agrees that during the Extended Cure Period it will not exercise any right it may have to (a) permanently reduce the amount of the credit facility available to it under the Credit Agreement from that available to it on the date hereof, as such amount is provided in Section 2 of the Bank Waiver Agreement, or (b) repay any termination amounts owing under any Hedging Agreement (as that term is defined in the Credit Agreement), in either case without the prior written consent of the Required Holders.

 

9.

The parties agree that if and to the extent that a Credit Agreement Waiver is delivered to the Company in respect of the Restatement Decision Credit Agreement Default and such waiver results in (a) any one or more of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary being subject to any one or more restrictive conditions, covenants or terms or events of default that are not already provided for in this Agreement or the Financing Agreements or (b) any one or more of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary being required to pay any additional consideration or waiver or similar fees in excess of the fees provided for herein (on a percentage basis), then (i) such more restrictive conditions, covenants, terms or events of default shall be automatically incorporated by reference in this Agreement as if


 

- 5 -

 

 

set forth fully herein, mutatis mutandis, and no such provision may thereafter be waived, amended or modified under this Agreement, except in accordance with the provisions of the Note Agreement, and/or (ii) such additional consideration or waiver or similar fees shall be payable to each Noteholder; provided, for greater certainty, this Clause 9 shall not apply in any manner in regards to the Bank Waiver Agreement as currently in place and the terms and conditions included therein, and shall not limit or affect the existing provisions of the Note Agreement.

 

10.

The Applicable Defaults will each be deemed to be cured upon delivery by the Company of the restated financial statements for the Relevant Periods prior to the end of the Extended Cure Period if (a) such restated financial statements do not disclose or result in any Material Adverse Effect, (b) no Default or Event of Default (other than the Applicable Defaults deemed to be cured hereby) exists at such time and the Company provides a certificate to each Noteholder confirming the same, (c) the Restatement Decision Credit Agreement Default has been unconditionally cured or otherwise permanently waived by the Agent and the Lenders, and (d) no Default or Event of Default (as defined in the Other Note Agreements) exists under the provisions of the Other Note Agreements. For certainty, if the Applicable Defaults have not been cured by the end of the Extended Cure Period, an Event of Default shall exist at such time.

 

11.

The Company and each Noteholder agree to amend (a) Section 7.1(a) by deleting the reference to “60 days” therein and replacing it with “45 days” and (b) Section 7.1(b) by deleting the reference to “120 days” therein and replacing it with “90 days”.

 

12.

This Agreement is a Financing Agreement for purposes of the Note Agreement.

 

13.

This Agreement shall be effective and binding on the Company and the Noteholders upon it being executed by the Company and the Required Holders.

 

14.

Except for the amendments and waivers expressly requested herein and for the limited purposes herein, provision of the waiver described herein shall not waive, limit or affect any other provision of the Note Agreement or other Financing Agreements, all of which continue in full force and effect.

 

15.

The waiver set forth herein shall not constitute an agreement, waiver or consent to any other event, circumstance, matter or thing other than the matters expressly described herein and is without prejudice to any of the rights or remedies of the Noteholders under the Note Agreement or any other Financing Agreement, and shall not extend to any other matter, provision or breach of, or Default or Event of Default under, the Note Agreement. For certainty, the waivers set forth herein shall not apply in respect of any Default or Event of Default (a) related to a breach of any negative covenants set forth in Section 10 that would result from the corrected information in the restated financial statements for the Relevant Periods that the Company will hereafter be delivering as described in the Press Release, or (b) any cross default or cross acceleration under Section 11(f) resulting from a Restatement Decision Credit Agreement Default that may hereafter be declared under the Credit Agreement or from a Restatement Decision Other Note Agreement Default that may hereafter be declared under the Other Note Agreements.


 

- 6 -

 

16.

This Agreement shall be construed in connection with and as part of the Note Agreement, and except as modified and expressly amended by this Agreement, all terms, conditions and covenants contained in the Note Agreement and the Notes are hereby ratified and shall be and remain in full force and effect. For certainty, nothing herein shall be construed as a novation of the Notes or the indebtedness or obligations represented thereby or by the Note Agreement as amended by this Agreement, and the terms of the Notes shall not be and shall not be deemed to be, rescinded, converted or substituted.

 

17.

The Company will from time to time forthwith at any Noteholder’s request and at the Company’s own cost and expense make, execute and deliver, or cause to be done, made, executed and delivered, all such further documents, financing statements, assignments, acts, matters and things which may be reasonably required by a Noteholder and as are consistent with the intention of the parties as evidenced herein, with respect to all matters arising under this Agreement.

 

18.

This Agreement shall be construed and enforced in accordance with, and the rights of the parties shall be governed by, the law of the Province of Alberta excluding choice of law principles of the law of such Province that would permit the application of the laws of a jurisdiction other than such Province.

 

19.

This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts (including by facsimile or other electronic transmission), each of which when executed and delivered will be deemed to be an original, but all of which when taken together constitutes one and the same instrument. Any party may execute this Agreement by signing any counterpart.


 

- 7 -

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have caused this Agreement to be duly executed by their respective authorized officers as of the date first written above.

PENN WEST PETROLEUM LTD.

as Company

By:  (Signed) “David A. Dyck”            

Name:

David A. Dyck

Title:

Senior Vice President and Chief

Executive Officer

By:  (Signed) “Sherry A. Wendt”          

Name:

Sherri A. Wendt

Title:

Corporate Secretary and Senior Counsel

SUBSIDIARY GUARANTOR CONFIRMATION:

PENN WEST PETROLEUM, by its managing partner,

Penn West Petroleum Inc.

By:  (Signed) “David A. Dyck”            

Name:

David A. Dyck

Title:

Senior Vice President and Chief

Executive Officer

By:  (Signed) “Sherry A. Wendt”          

Name:

Sherri A. Wendt

Title:

Corporate Secretary and Senior Counsel

PENN WEST PROP LIMITED PARTNERSHIP, by general partner,

Penn West Petroleum Ltd.

By:  (Signed) “David A. Dyck”            

Name:

David A. Dyck

Title:

Senior Vice President and Chief

Executive Officer

By:  (Signed) “Keith Luft”            

Name:

Keith Luft

Title:

General Counsel and

Senior Vice President


 

- 8 -

 

PENN WEST PROP HOLDCO LTD.

By:  (Signed) “David A. Dyck”            

Name:

David A. Dyck

Title:

Senior Vice President and Chief

Executive Officer

By:  (Signed) “Keith Luft”          

Name:

Keith Luft

Title:

General Counsel and

Senior Vice President

PENN WEST SANDHILL CRANE LTD.

By:  (Signed) “David A. Dyck”            

Name:

David A. Dyck

Title:

Senior Vice President and Chief

Executive Officer

By:  (Signed) “Keith Luft”          

Name:

Keith Luft

Title:

General Counsel and

Senior Vice President

PENN WEST NORTHERN HARRIER PARTNERSHIP

By:  (Signed) “David A. Dyck”            

Name:

David A. Dyck

Title:

Senior Vice President and Chief

Executive Officer

By:  (Signed) “Keith Luft”            

Name:

Keith Luft

Title:

General Counsel and

Senior Vice President


 

- 9 -

 

[NOTEHOLDER SIGNATURE PAGES]



Exhibit 99.7

[EXECUTION COPY]

LIMITED WAIVER, AMENDMENT AND RETENTION OF RIGHTS

ACKNOWLEDGMENT AGREEMENT

THIS AGREEMENT is dated as of August 15, 2014 between Penn West Petroleum Ltd. (the “Company”) and each noteholder (each a “Noteholder” and, collectively, the “Noteholders”) under the Note Purchase Agreement dated November 30, 2011 among the Company and the Purchasers listed in Schedule A attached thereto as holders of the outstanding senior guaranteed notes of the Company issued thereunder (as amended, restated, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time, the “Note Agreement”).

PREAMBLE:

A. Capitalized terms used in this Agreement without express definition shall have the same meanings as are ascribed to such terms in the Note Agreement and section references herein are to sections of the Note Agreement.

B. The Company has issued a press release on July 29, 2014 (the “Press Release”) announcing that the Audit Committee of the Company’s Board of Directors is conducting a voluntary internal review of certain of its accounting practices and that the Board of Directors of the Company has concluded that certain of the Company’s historical financial statements for the 2012 and 2013 fiscal years of the Company and the quarterly financial statements for its first fiscal quarter of 2014 (the “Relevant Periods”) must be restated (the “Restatement Decision”).

C. The Company has delivered a notice to each Noteholder under Section 7.1(d) advising that as a result of the Restatement Decision, the Company is in Default under: (a) Sections 7.1(a) and 7.1(b) (as they relate to the statement that the financial statements be prepared in accordance with GAAP) (the “Financial Reporting Default”), and (b) Section 9.6 in respect of the requirement of the Company to maintain books and records of account in accordance with GAAP (the “Covenant Default”, and together with the Financial Reporting Default, the “Specified Defaults”). Under the terms of Section 11, each Specified Default has a cure period of 30 days after a Responsible Officer obtains actual knowledge of such default (the “Cure Period”).

D. The Company’s ongoing internal review in connection with the Restatement Decision may include the review of financial statements prepared for periods prior to the Relevant Periods (“Pre-Relevant Period Financial Statements”) that may result in the Company becoming aware of Defaults or Events of Default under (a) Sections 5.5, 7.1(a) and 7.1(b) (as they relate to the requirement that such Pre-Relevant Period Financial Statements be prepared in accordance with GAAP, and certifications to that effect in certificates of officers delivered pursuant to Section 7.2), and (b) Section 9.6 in respect of the requirement of the Company to maintain books and records of account in accordance with GAAP (each, a “Pre-2012 Default” and collectively with the Specified Defaults, the “Applicable Defaults”).


 

- 2 -

 

E. The Company is party to an amended and restated credit agreement dated May 6, 2014 (the “Credit Agreement”) between the Company, as borrower, the financial institutions and other persons party thereto as lenders (the “Lenders”) and Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, as agent of the Lenders (the “Agent”).

F. The accounting practices causing the Restatement Decision have resulted in one or more defaults under the Credit Agreement (each a “Restatement Decision Credit Agreement Default”) and each such default is subject to a cure period of 30 days after the giving of notice thereof by the Agent to the Company, or such later date as the Lenders and the Agent may agree in accordance with the Credit Agreement (the “Credit Agreement Cure Period”). The Agent has provided such notice to the Company (the “Credit Agreement Default Notice”) and a copy of such notice has been provided to each Noteholder. The Company, the Agent and the Lenders have entered into a limited waiver agreement (the “Bank Waiver Agreement”) in respect of the Restatement Decision Credit Agreement Default and a copy of the Bank Waiver Agreement has been provided to each Noteholder.

G. The Company is a party to six other Note Agreements (the “Other Note Agreements”) having terms substantially the same as the Note Agreement, and there exists, under each one, defaults that are substantially equivalent to the Applicable Defaults (“Restatement Decision Other Note Agreement Defaults”), having a cure period substantially the same as the Cure Period (the “Other Note Agreement Cure Periods”).

H. In accordance with Section 18.1, the agreements contained herein require the approval of the Required Holders.

I. Subject to the terms and provisions hereof, the Company has requested that the Noteholders agree to a limited waiver of the Pre-2012 Defaults, to extend the date by which quarterly financial statements are due for the second fiscal quarter of 2014, to extend the Cure Period and to amend certain terms and provisions of the Note Agreement.

AGREEMENT:

NOW THEREFORE in consideration of the premises, the covenants and the agreements herein contained and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which is hereby acknowledged between the parties, the parties agree as follows:

 

1.

The Noteholders agree to extend the Cure Period to the earliest of:

 

  (a)

the earlier of: (i) October 14, 2014, and (ii) the date by which the Company must under applicable Law deliver its quarterly financial statements for the second fiscal quarter of 2014 (the “Extended Delivery Date”);

 

  (b)

the earlier of (i) the last day of the Credit Agreement Cure Period or (ii) the Other Note Agreement Cure Periods;

 

  (c)

the date that any Event of Default (other than, for certainty, one that results from an Applicable Default maturing into an Event of Default) occurs under the Note Agreement; and


 

- 3 -

 

  (d)

the date that the Company is in breach of any of its obligations hereunder (which for certainty shall also constitute an Event of Default under the Note Agreement);

(the “Extended Cure Period”).

 

2.

Notwithstanding anything else set forth in the Note Agreement or the other Financing Agreements and notwithstanding the Applicable Defaults, the Noteholders waive the Pre-2012 Defaults, if any, during the Extended Cure Period. For certainty, subject to the deemed cure set forth in Section 10 of this Agreement, the foregoing waiver expires as at the end of the Extended Cure Period.

 

3.

The Noteholders agree that, notwithstanding Section 7.1(a), the due date of the delivery of the Company’s quarterly unaudited consolidated financial statements for the second fiscal quarter of the 2014 fiscal year is hereby extended from August 29, 2014 to the earlier of: (a) the Extended Delivery Date; and (b) the date that such financial statements are due under the Credit Agreement, including any extension thereof consented to by the Lenders and Agent in accordance with the Credit Agreement (the “Outside Financial Statement Delivery Date”).

 

4.

The Company covenants and agrees that it will deliver restated financial statements for the Relevant Periods that are prepared in accordance with GAAP (and otherwise in accordance with Sections 7.1(a) and (b)) to the Noteholders by no later than the Outside Financial Statement Delivery Date and, concurrently with the delivery thereof, the Company will also deliver to the Noteholders a certificate of a Senior Financial Officer in accordance with Section 7.2 showing compliance with, and the detailed calculation of, each of the financial covenants set forth in Sections 10.5 and 10.6 and in the Credit Agreement, in each case as at the end of each of the Company’s fiscal quarters during the Relevant Periods.

 

5.

The Company agrees that the waivers and amendments set forth herein are conditional upon, and will not take effect until, the Company pays to each Noteholder a waiver fee equal to [Redacted] basis points based on aggregate principal amount of the Notes held by such Noteholder.

 

6.

The Company represents and warrants to each Noteholder that (a) to the best of its knowledge after reasonable inquiry, the Press Release discloses all material information related to the Restatement Decision and it is not aware of any omission of any material fact related thereto which renders such information incomplete or misleading in any material way, (b) it has not delivered notice of a Restatement Decision Credit Agreement Default to the Agent or any Lender or received notice of a Restatement Decision Credit Agreement Default from the Agent or any Lender, other than the Credit Agreement Default Notice, (c) it has not delivered notice of a Restatement Decision Other Note Agreement Default to a holder of a note under the Other Note Agreements or received notice of a Restatement Decision Other Note Agreement Default from any holder of a note under the Other Note Agreements, other than a notice equivalent to the one delivered to the Noteholders under the Note Agreement, (d) no material actions, suits or other litigation proceedings have been commenced against the Company related to the


 

- 4 -

 

 

Restatement Decision, except as otherwise disclosed in writing by the Company to the Noteholders, and (e) other than Pre-2012 Defaults, if any, there are no other Defaults or Events of Default (other than the Specified Defaults) in existence as of the date hereof.

 

7.

Without limiting the existing notice and information requirements in the Note Agreement, the Company covenants and agrees that it will provide to each Noteholder: (a) a copy of any further notice of a Restatement Decision Credit Agreement Default delivered to the Agent or any Lender under the Credit Agreement forthwith upon delivery thereof as well as a copy of any notices or other written communications from or on behalf of the Agent or the Lenders relating to the waiving of any Restatement Decision Credit Agreement Default, the declaring of a Restatement Decision Credit Agreement Default or an event of default under the Credit Agreement, or the acceleration of any amounts owing under the Credit Agreement, and the equivalent under any Other Note Agreement, in each such case forthwith upon receipt thereof; (b) a copy of any further waiver, amendment or consent provided by the Agent and the Lenders in respect of the Restatement Decision Credit Agreement Default (a “Credit Agreement Waiver”) and the equivalent under any Other Note Agreement; (c) copies of any notices or written updates provided to any Governmental Authority in connection with the Restatement Decision and the underlying facts related thereto, and (d) any further material information related to the Restatement Decision and the underlying facts related thereto (including if a determination is made that the magnitude of the change in reported net income is different from what was set forth in the Press Release) forthwith upon the Company becoming aware thereof, provided that such information shall be subject to the confidentiality provisions of Section 21 (and not subject to Section 7.4). In addition, the Company covenants and agrees that it will not declare or make any dividend or similar Distributions to its shareholders until the Applicable Defaults have been deemed to be cured under Section 10 hereof, without the prior consent of the Required Holders (following which, for certainty, the requirements in the Note Agreement with respect to Distributions shall continue to apply).

 

8.

The Company also covenants and agrees that during the Extended Cure Period it will not exercise any right it may have to (a) permanently reduce the amount of the credit facility available to it under the Credit Agreement from that available to it on the date hereof, as such amount is provided in Section 2 of the Bank Waiver Agreement, or (b) repay any termination amounts owing under any Hedging Agreement (as that term is defined in the Credit Agreement), in either case without the prior written consent of the Required Holders.

 

9.

The parties agree that if and to the extent that a Credit Agreement Waiver is delivered to the Company in respect of the Restatement Decision Credit Agreement Default and such waiver results in (a) any one or more of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary being subject to any one or more restrictive conditions, covenants or terms or events of default that are not already provided for in this Agreement or the Financing Agreements or (b) any one or more of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary being required to pay any additional consideration or waiver or similar fees in excess of the fees provided for herein (on a percentage basis), then (i) such more restrictive conditions, covenants, terms or events of default shall be automatically incorporated by reference in this Agreement as if


 

- 5 -

 

 

set forth fully herein, mutatis mutandis, and no such provision may thereafter be waived, amended or modified under this Agreement, except in accordance with the provisions of the Note Agreement, and/or (ii) such additional consideration or waiver or similar fees shall be payable to each Noteholder; provided, for greater certainty, this Clause 9 shall not apply in any manner in regards to the Bank Waiver Agreement as currently in place and the terms and conditions included therein, and shall not limit or affect the existing provisions of the Note Agreement.

 

10.

The Applicable Defaults will each be deemed to be cured upon delivery by the Company of the restated financial statements for the Relevant Periods prior to the end of the Extended Cure Period if (a) such restated financial statements do not disclose or result in any Material Adverse Effect, (b) no Default or Event of Default (other than the Applicable Defaults deemed to be cured hereby) exists at such time and the Company provides a certificate to each Noteholder confirming the same, (c) the Restatement Decision Credit Agreement Default has been unconditionally cured or otherwise permanently waived by the Agent and the Lenders, and (d) no Default or Event of Default (as defined in the Other Note Agreements) exists under the provisions of the Other Note Agreements. For certainty, if the Applicable Defaults have not been cured by the end of the Extended Cure Period, an Event of Default shall exist at such time.

 

11.

The Company and each Noteholder agree to amend (a) Section 7.1(a) by deleting the reference to “60 days” therein and replacing it with “45 days” and (b) Section 7.1(b) by deleting the reference to “120 days” therein and replacing it with “90 days”.

 

12.

This Agreement is a Financing Agreement for purposes of the Note Agreement.

 

13.

This Agreement shall be effective and binding on the Company and the Noteholders upon it being executed by the Company and the Required Holders.

 

14.

Except for the amendments and waivers expressly requested herein and for the limited purposes herein, provision of the waiver described herein shall not waive, limit or affect any other provision of the Note Agreement or other Financing Agreements, all of which continue in full force and effect.

 

15.

The waiver set forth herein shall not constitute an agreement, waiver or consent to any other event, circumstance, matter or thing other than the matters expressly described herein and is without prejudice to any of the rights or remedies of the Noteholders under the Note Agreement or any other Financing Agreement, and shall not extend to any other matter, provision or breach of, or Default or Event of Default under, the Note Agreement. For certainty, the waivers set forth herein shall not apply in respect of any Default or Event of Default (a) related to a breach of any negative covenants set forth in Section 10 that would result from the corrected information in the restated financial statements for the Relevant Periods that the Company will hereafter be delivering as described in the Press Release, or (b) any cross default or cross acceleration under Section 11(f) resulting from a Restatement Decision Credit Agreement Default that may hereafter be declared under the Credit Agreement or from a Restatement Decision Other Note Agreement Default that may hereafter be declared under the Other Note Agreements.


 

- 6 -

 

16.

This Agreement shall be construed in connection with and as part of the Note Agreement, and except as modified and expressly amended by this Agreement, all terms, conditions and covenants contained in the Note Agreement and the Notes are hereby ratified and shall be and remain in full force and effect. For certainty, nothing herein shall be construed as a novation of the Notes or the indebtedness or obligations represented thereby or by the Note Agreement as amended by this Agreement, and the terms of the Notes shall not be and shall not be deemed to be, rescinded, converted or substituted.

 

17.

The Company will from time to time forthwith at any Noteholder’s request and at the Company’s own cost and expense make, execute and deliver, or cause to be done, made, executed and delivered, all such further documents, financing statements, assignments, acts, matters and things which may be reasonably required by a Noteholder and as are consistent with the intention of the parties as evidenced herein, with respect to all matters arising under this Agreement.

 

18.

This Agreement shall be construed and enforced in accordance with, and the rights of the parties shall be governed by, the law of the Province of Alberta excluding choice of law principles of the law of such Province that would permit the application of the laws of a jurisdiction other than such Province.

 

19.

This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts (including by facsimile or other electronic transmission), each of which when executed and delivered will be deemed to be an original, but all of which when taken together constitutes one and the same instrument. Any party may execute this Agreement by signing any counterpart.


 

- 7 -

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have caused this Agreement to be duly executed by their respective authorized officers as of the date first written above.

PENN WEST PETROLEUM LTD.

as Company

By:  (Signed) “David A. Dyck”            

Name:

David A. Dyck

Title:

Senior Vice President and Chief

Executive Officer

By:  (Signed) “Sherry A. Wendt”          

Name:

Sherri A. Wendt

Title:

Corporate Secretary and Senior Counsel

SUBSIDIARY GUARANTOR CONFIRMATION:

PENN WEST PETROLEUM, by its managing partner,

Penn West Petroleum Inc.

By:  (Signed) “David A. Dyck”            

Name:

David A. Dyck

Title:

Senior Vice President and Chief

Executive Officer

By:  (Signed) “Sherry A. Wendt”          

Name:

Sherri A. Wendt

Title:

Corporate Secretary and Senior Counsel

PENN WEST PROP LIMITED PARTNERSHIP, by general partner,

Penn West Petroleum Ltd.

By:  (Signed) “David A. Dyck”            

Name:

David A. Dyck

Title:

Senior Vice President and Chief

Executive Officer

By:  (Signed) “Keith Luft”            

Name:

Keith Luft

Title:

General Counsel and

Senior Vice President


 

- 8 -

 

PENN WEST PROP HOLDCO LTD.

By:  (Signed) “David A. Dyck”            

Name:

David A. Dyck

Title:

Senior Vice President and Chief

Executive Officer

By:  (Signed) “Keith Luft”        

Name:

Keith Luft

Title:

General Counsel and

Senior Vice President

PENN WEST SANDHILL CRANE LTD.

By:  (Signed) “David A. Dyck”            

Name:

David A. Dyck

Title:

Senior Vice President and Chief

Executive Officer

By:  (Signed) “Keith Luft”        

Name:

Keith Luft

Title:

General Counsel and

Senior Vice President

PENN WEST NORTHERN HARRIER PARTNERSHIP

By:  (Signed) “David A. Dyck”            

Name:

David A. Dyck

Title:

Senior Vice President and Chief

Executive Officer

By:  (Signed) “Keith Luft”        

Name:

Keith Luft

Title:

General Counsel and

Senior Vice President


 

- 9 -

 

[NOTEHOLDER SIGNATURE PAGES]



Exhibit 99.8

AMENDED AND RESTATED LIMITED WAIVER AND RETENTION OF RIGHTS

ACKNOWLEDGMENT AGREEMENT

THIS AGREEMENT is dated as of August 12, 2014 between Penn West Petroleum Ltd. and Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, as Agent on behalf of the Lenders.

PREAMBLE:

A. Reference is made to the amended and restated credit agreement dated May 6, 2014 (the “Credit Agreement”) between Penn West Petroleum Ltd. (the “Borrower”), the financial institutions and other persons party thereto as lenders (the “Lenders”) and Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, as agent of the Lenders (the “Agent”). Capitalized terms used in this Agreement without express definition shall have the same meanings as are ascribed to such terms in the Credit Agreement and section references herein are to sections of the Credit Agreement.

B. The Borrower has issued a press release on July 29, 2014 (the “Press Release”) announcing that the Audit Committee of the Borrower’s Board of Directors is conducting a voluntary internal review of certain of its accounting practices and that the Board of Directors of the Borrower has concluded that the Borrower’s financial statements for the 2012 and 2013 fiscal years of the Borrower and the quarterly financial statements for its first fiscal quarter of 2014 (the “Relevant Periods”) must be restated (the “Restatement Decision”).

C. The Borrower has delivered a notice to the Agent under Section 14.1(c) advising that as a result of the Restatement Decision, the Borrower is in Default under: (a) Section 13.1(i) (as it relates to the statement that the financial statements were prepared in accordance with GAAP) (the “Representation Default”), and (b) Section 14.1(j) in respect of the requirement of the Borrower to maintain books and records of account in accordance with GAAP (the “the “Covenant Default”, and together with the Representation Default, the “Specified Defaults”). Under the terms of Section 18.1, each Specified Default has a cure period of 30 days after notice thereof has been given by the Agent to the Borrower (the “Cure Period”). The Agent has provided such notice to the Borrower.

D. The Borrower has approximately $2.1 billion of unsecured notes (the “Notes”) outstanding to various noteholders (collectively, the “Noteholders”) pursuant to seven separate note purchase agreements (collectively, the “Note Purchase Agreements”), the latest of which was entered into in November 2011.

E. The Restatement Decision has resulted in one or more defaults under one or more of the Note Purchase Agreements (each a “Restatement Decision Note Default”) and each such default is subject to a cure period of 30 days after the giving of notice thereof, or such later date as the Noteholders may agree in accordance with the applicable Note Purchase Agreements (the “Note Cure Period”) and notices of such Restatement Decision Note Defaults have been issued to the Noteholders as required under the applicable Note Purchase Agreements (the “Note Default Notices”) and copies of such notices have been provided to the Agent.


 

- 2 -

 

F. As a result of the Specified Defaults, under the terms of the Credit Agreement the Borrower is unable to make any further Drawdowns while the Specified Defaults are continuing but the Borrower has an immediate need to borrow funds under the Credit Agreement in order to satisfy certain immediate accounts payable and related obligations.

G. In accordance with Section 21.16(b), the waiver of the Specified Defaults for the purposes set forth herein requires the approval of the Majority Lenders.

H. On July 31, 2014, the Agent on behalf of the Majority Lenders and the Borrower entered into a Limited Waiver and Retention of Rights Acknowledgment Agreement (the “July Waiver Agreement”) wherein certain Drawdowns up to $100,000,000 by way of Swing Line Loans and overdraft borrowing, Rollovers or replacement of then existing Bankers’ Acceptances and extensions of Swing Line Letters of Credit were permitted during the Cure Period.

I. As of the date hereof, the outstanding Advances under Tranche A and Tranche B (other than Swing Line Loans) are as set forth in Schedule A hereto (the “Existing Syndicated Advances”).

J. Subject to the terms and provisions hereof, the Borrower has requested that the Lenders continue to waive, and the Majority Lenders have determined to continue to waive, the Specified Defaults for the limited purposes set out herein, to extend the date by which quarterly financial statements are due for the second fiscal quarter of 2014 and to extend the Cure Period subject to the terms and provisions set forth herein.

AGREEMENT:

NOW THEREFORE in consideration of the premises, the covenants and the agreements herein contained and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which is hereby acknowledged between the Parties, the Parties agree as follows:

 

1.

The Lenders agree to extend the Cure Period to the earliest of:

 

  (a)

the earlier of: (i) October 14, 2014, and (ii) the date by which the Borrower must under applicable Law deliver its quarterly financial statements for the second fiscal quarter of 2014 (the “Extended Delivery Date”);

 

  (b)

the last day of the Note Cure Period;

 

  (c)

the date that an Event of Default (other than, for certainty, the Specified Defaults) occurs under the Credit Agreement; and

 

  (d)

the date that the Borrower is in breach of any of its covenants hereunder (other than, for certainty, the Specified Defaults),

(the “Extended Cure Period”).

 

2.

Notwithstanding anything else set forth in the Credit Agreement or the other Documents and notwithstanding the Specified Defaults, the Lenders continue to waive the Specified


 

- 3 -

 

 

Defaults during the Extended Cure Period for the sole purpose of allowing (a) the Borrower to continue to request, and the Swing Line Lender to continue to make available or honour, as applicable, overdraft borrowings and Swing Line Loans under and in accordance with Section 3.10 of the Credit Agreement and the provisions of such section, including the provisions related to the repayment of Swing Line Loans and the conversion of Swing Line Loans to Syndicated Advances under Tranche A, will continue to apply; provided that the Aggregate Principal Amount of all such Swing Line Loans shall at no time during the Extended Cure Period exceed $100,000,000 (the “Permitted Extended Cure Period Swing Line Drawdowns”), (b) the Borrower to continue to request, and the Lenders to continue to make available new Syndicated Advances under Tranche A (in addition to the Existing Syndicated Advances) by way of Bankers’ Acceptances (provided that the term thereof shall not exceed the earlier of: (i) 30 days, and (ii) the Extended Delivery Date), Canadian Prime Rate Loans or U.S. Base Rate Loans, provided that the Aggregate Principal Amount under the Credit Facility (including the Existing Syndicated Advances, the Swing Line Loans described in clause (a) above and any new Syndicated Advances under this clause (b)) shall not at any time during the Extended Cure Period exceed $[Redacted] (such drawdowns, together with the Permitted Extended Cure Period Swing Line Drawdowns, are referred to herein as the “Permitted Extended Cure Period Drawdowns”), (c) the Rollover or replacement of any existing Bankers’ Acceptances under Tranche A or Tranche B (including those listed in Schedule A hereto), such Rollover or replacement to be made under the applicable Tranche in which the existing Bankers’ Acceptance is outstanding, which mature at any time during the Extended Cure Period, provided that the term of any such Bankers’ Acceptance shall not exceed the earlier of: (i) 30 days, and (ii) the Extended Delivery Date, and (d) the renewal of the Swing Line Letters of Credit that are existing as of the date hereof. For certainty, the foregoing waiver expires as at the end of the Extended Cure Period and the Specified Defaults are not being waived for the purpose of any other Drawdown, or for any other purpose, under the Credit Agreement.

 

3.

The Lenders agree that, notwithstanding Section 14.1(h), the due date of the delivery of the Borrower’s quarterly unaudited consolidated financial statements for the second fiscal quarter of the 2014 fiscal year is hereby extended from August 15, 2014 to the earlier of: (a) Extended Delivery Date; and (b) the date that such financial statements are due under any of the Note Purchase Agreements, including any extension thereof consented to by the Noteholders in accordance with the applicable Note Purchase Agreements (the “Outside Financial Statement Delivery Date”).

 

4.

The Borrower covenants and agrees that it will deliver restated financial statements for the Relevant Periods that are prepared in accordance with GAAP to the Agent and the Lenders by no later than the Outside Financial Statement Delivery Date and concurrently with the delivery thereof to the Agent and the Lenders, the Borrower will also deliver to the Agent and the Lenders a Compliance Certificate, in form and substance satisfactory to the Agent, acting reasonably, showing compliance with, and the detailed calculation of, each of the financial covenants set forth in Section 14.2 and in the Note Purchase Agreements, in each case as at the end of each of the Borrower’s fiscal quarters during the Relevant Periods. Within 5 Banking Days of the delivery of such Compliance Certificate, the Borrower shall pay to the Agent on behalf of the Lenders and the lenders


 

- 4 -

 

 

under the Existing Credit Agreement any amounts owing to such parties under Section 4.2(l) (including under the Existing Credit Agreement to the extent applicable) as a result of the restatement of the financial statements and any resulting changes to the pricing levels in the Pricing Table during the Relevant Periods.

 

5.

The Borrower agrees that the waivers and amendments set forth herein are conditional upon, and will not take effect until, the Borrower pays to the Agent on behalf of each Lender a waiver fee equal to [Redacted] Basis Points based on each Lender’s Individual Commitment Amount.

 

6.

The Borrower represents and warrants to the Agent and each of the Lenders that (a) to the best of its knowledge after reasonable inquiry, the Press Release discloses all material information related to the Restatement Decision and it is not aware of any omission of any material fact related thereto which renders such information incomplete or misleading in any material way, (b) it has not delivered a notice of a Restatement Decision Note Default to any Noteholder or received a notice of Restatement Decision Note Default from any Noteholder, other than the Restatement Decision Note Default Notices, (c) no material actions, suits or other litigation proceedings have been commenced against the Borrower related to the Restatement Decision, except as otherwise disclosed in writing to the Agent, (d) there are no other Defaults or Events of Defaults (unrelated to the Specified Defaults) in existence as of the date hereof, and (e) the representations and warranties contained in Section 13.1, other than clauses (i) and (l) thereof, are true and correct in all material respects as of the date hereof.

 

7.

The Borrower covenants and agrees that it will provide to the Agent: (a) a copy of any further notice of default delivered to the Noteholders under any one or more of the Note Purchase Agreements forthwith upon delivery thereof as well as a copy of any material notices or other written communications from or on behalf of the Noteholders related to the waiving of any Restatement Decision Note Default, the declaring of a Restatement Decision Note Default or an event of default under any Note Purchase Agreement, or the acceleration of any amounts owing under any Note Purchase Agreement, in each such case forthwith upon receipt thereof; (b) a copy of any waiver, amendment or consent provided by the Noteholders in respect of the Restatement Decision Note Default (a “Note Waiver”); (c) copies of any notices or written up dates provided to any Administrative Body in connection with the Restatement Decision and the underlying facts related thereto, and (d) any further material information related to the Restatement Decision and the underlying facts related thereto (including if a determination is made that the magnitude of the change in reported net income is different from what was set forth in the Press Release) forthwith upon the Borrower becoming aware thereof, provided that such information shall be subject to the confidentiality provisions of Article 19 of the Credit Agreement. In addition, the Borrower covenants and agrees that it will not declare or make any dividend or similar Distributions to its shareholders during the Extended Cure Period without the prior consent of the Majority Lenders.

 

8.

The Borrower also covenants that during the Extended Cure Period it will not prepay or repay principal under the Notes or repay termination amounts owing under any Hedging Agreement, in either case without the prior written consent of all of the Lenders.


 

- 5 -

 

9.

Each of the Lenders who has provided its consent to this Agreement to the Agent, on its own behalf and on behalf of each of its Affiliates who are also Hedge Providers, agrees that for so long as the waivers set forth herein continue, that the facts resulting in the Specified Defaults will not in and of themselves, result in an event of default or termination event under any Hedging Agreement to which it and any one or more of the Loan Parties is a party. The Agent confirms that it has requisite authority from each such consenting Lender to make such agreement in respect of any such Hedge Agreement on such consenting Lender’s behalf.

 

10.

The Parties agree that if and to the extent that a Note Waiver is delivered by or on behalf of some or all of the Noteholders to the Borrower in respect of the Restatement Decision Note Default and such waiver results in (a) any one or more of the Loan Parties being subject to any one or more restrictive conditions, covenants or terms (which for certainty includes a reduction in the term to maturity of any of the Notes) or events of default that are not already provided for in this Agreement or the Documents or (b) any one or more of the Loan Parties being required to pay waiver or similar fees in excess of the fees provided for herein (on a percentage basis), then upon notice from the Agent, on the direction of the Majority Lenders, (i) such more restrictive conditions, covenants, terms or events of default shall be incorporated by reference in this Agreement as if set forth fully herein, mutatis mutandis, and no such provision may thereafter be waived, amended or modified under this Agreement, except in accordance with the provisions of the Credit Agreement, and/or (ii) such additional waiver or similar fees shall be payable to the Agent on behalf of the Lenders.

 

11.

This Agreement will be terminated and of no further force and effect, and the Specified Defaults will be deemed to be cured, upon delivery by the Borrower of the restated financial statements for the Relevant Period prior to the end of the Extended Cure Period if such restated financial statements do not result in any Material Adverse Effect; and, in either case, (a) no other Default or Event of Default exists at such time and the Borrower will provide a certificate to the Agent and the Lenders confirming the same, and (b) the Agent will have received satisfactory evidence that the Restatement Decision Note Default has been unconditionally cured or otherwise permanently waived by the Noteholders.

 

12.

This Agreement is a Document for purposes of the Credit Agreement.

 

13.

Except for the waivers expressly requested herein and for the limited purposes herein, provision of the waiver described herein shall not waive, limit or affect any other provision of the Credit Agreement or other Documents, all of which continue in full force and effect.

 

14.

The waiver set forth herein shall not constitute an agreement, waiver or consent to any other event, circumstance, matter or thing other than the matters expressly described herein and is without prejudice to any of the rights or remedies of the Agent or the Lenders under the Credit Agreement or any Document with respect thereto, and shall not extend to any other matter, provision or breach of, or Default or Event of Default under, the Credit Agreement. For certainty, the waivers set forth herein shall not apply in respect


 

- 6 -

 

 

of any Default or Event of Default (a) related to a breach of any financial covenants set forth in Section 14.2 that would result from the corrected information in the restated financial statements for the Relevant Periods that the Borrower will hereafter be delivering as described in the Press Release, or (b) any cross default under section 18.1(g) resulting from a Restatement Decision Note Default that may hereafter be declared under one or more of the Note Purchase Agreements. Further, the Lenders reserve all of their other rights and remedies with respect to the Specified Defaults as it relates to Section 4.2(l) (Restatement of Ratio) or otherwise.

 

15.

The Borrower will from time to time forthwith at the Agent’s request and at the Borrower’s own cost and expense make, execute and deliver, or cause to be done, made, executed and delivered, all such further documents, financing statements, assignments, acts, matters and things which may be reasonably required by the Agent and as are consistent with the intention of the Parties as evidenced herein, with respect to all matters arising under this Agreement.

 

16.

This Agreement amends and restates the July Waiver Agreement.

 

17.

This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts (including by facsimile or other electronic transmission), each of which when executed and delivered will be deemed to be an original, but all of which when taken together constitutes one and the same instrument. Any Party may execute this agreement by signing any counterpart.


 

- 7 -

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties have caused this Agreement to be duly executed by their respective authorized officers as of the date first written above.

PENN WEST PETROLEUM LTD.

as Borrower

 

By:     (Signed) “David A. Dyck”            
Name:   David A. Dyck
Title:   Senior VP & CFO

 

By:     (Signed) “Keith Luft                   
Name:   Keith Luft
Title:   General Counsel & Senior Vice

President, Corporate Services


 

- 8 -

 

[LENDER SIGNATURE PAGES]


 

- 9 -

 

SCHEDULE A

EXISTING SYNDICATED ADVANCES

Tranche A

 

a)

[Redacted]

 

b)

[Redacted]

Tranche B

 

a)

[Redacted]

 

b)

[Redacted]

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