Current Report Filing (8-k)

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): February 26, 2015

NOBLE ENERGY, INC.

(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)




Delaware	001-07964	73-0785597
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)	Commission File Number	(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

1001 Noble Energy Way Houston, Texas		77070
(Address of principal executive offices)		(Zip Code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (281) 872-3100

(Former name, former address and former fiscal year, if changed since last report)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:



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



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



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



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

Item 1.01 Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement.

On February 26, 2015, Noble Energy, Inc. (the “Company”) entered into an underwriting agreement (the “Underwriting Agreement”) with Goldman, Sachs & Co. and J.P. Morgan Securities LLC (the “Representatives”), as underwriters and representatives of the additional underwriters named therein (collectively, the “Underwriters”), in connection with an underwritten public offering of 21,000,000 shares of common stock of the Company, par value $0.01 per share (the “Common Shares”), at a purchase price to the Underwriters of $46.075 per share (the “Purchase Price”). The Company estimates that the net proceeds of the offering will be approximately $967.0 million (after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses) and intends to use approximately $150 million of the net proceeds to repay outstanding indebtedness under its revolving credit facility and the remainder for general corporate purposes, including the funding of the Company’s capital investment program. Pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement, the Company granted the Underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to 3,150,000 additional shares of its common stock at the Purchase Price.

The Underwriting Agreement contains customary representations, warranties and agreements of the Company and other customary obligations of the parties and termination provisions. The Underwriting Agreement also provides for the indemnification by the Company of the Underwriters against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. Furthermore, the Company has agreed with the Underwriters not to offer or sell any shares of its common stock (or securities convertible into or exchangeable for common stock), subject to certain exceptions, for a period of 90 days after the date of the Underwriting Agreement without the prior written consent of the Representatives.

The offering was made pursuant to the Company’s automatic shelf registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-186497), which was filed and deemed automatically effective by the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 7, 2013.

The underwriters and their respective affiliates are full service financial institutions engaged in various activities, which may include sales and trading, commercial and investment banking, advisory, investment management, investment research, principal investment, hedging, market making, brokerage and other financial and non-financial activities and services. Certain of the underwriters and their respective affiliates have provided, and may in the future provide, a variety of these services to the Company and to persons and entities with relationships with the Company, for which they received or will receive customary fees and expenses. Affiliates of certain underwriters are lenders under the Company’s revolving credit facility and will receive a portion of the proceeds from the offering that are used to repay amounts drawn under such facility.

The foregoing description of the Underwriting Agreement is qualified in its entirety by reference to such Underwriting Agreement, a copy of which is filed herewith as Exhibit 1.1 and is incorporated herein by reference.

Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits.

(d) Exhibits. The following exhibits are filed as part of this current report on Form 8-K:



	1.1	Underwriting Agreement, dated as of February 26, 2015, among Noble Energy, Inc. and Goldman, Sachs & Co. and J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, as representatives of the several underwriters named therein.
	5.1	Opinion of Mayer Brown LLP.
	23.1	Consent of Mayer Brown LLP (included as Exhibit 5.1 hereto).

SIGNATURE

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




		NOBLE ENERGY, INC.

Date:	March 3, 2015	By:	/s/ Aaron G. Carlson
			Aaron G. Carlson
			Associate General Counsel and Assistant Secretary

INDEX TO EXHIBITS




Exhibit No.		Description

1.1		Underwriting Agreement, dated as of February 26, 2015, among Noble Energy, Inc. and Goldman, Sachs & Co. and J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, as representatives of the several underwriters named therein.

5.1		Opinion of Mayer Brown LLP.

23.1		Consent of Mayer Brown LLP (included as Exhibit 5.1 hereto).

Exhibit 1.1

EXECUTION VERSION

NOBLE ENERGY, INC.

(a Delaware corporation)

21,000,000 Shares of Common Stock

(Par Value $0.01 Per Share)

UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT

February 26, 2015

GOLDMAN, SACHS & CO.

200 West Street

New York, New York 10282

J.P. MORGAN SECURITIES LLC

383 Madison Avenue

New York, New York 10179

As Representatives of the several Underwriters

Ladies and Gentlemen:

Noble Energy, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), confirms its agreement with Goldman, Sachs & Co. (“Goldman Sachs”) and J.P. Morgan Securities LLC (“J.P. Morgan”), and each of the other several underwriters named in Schedule A hereto (collectively, the “Underwriters”, which term shall also include any underwriter substituted as hereinafter provided in Section 10) for which Goldman Sachs and J.P. Morgan are acting as representatives (in such capacity, the “Representatives”), with respect to (i) the issue and sale by the Company and the purchase, severally and not jointly, by the Underwriters of the respective numbers of shares of Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the Company (“Common Stock”) set forth in Schedule A hereto (the “Firm Securities”) and (ii) the grant by the Company to the Underwriters, acting severally and not jointly, of the option described in Section 2(b) hereof to purchase all or any part of 3,150,000 additional shares of Common Stock (the “Option Securities” and together with the Firm Securities, the “Securities”).

As the Representatives, you have advised the Company (a) that you are authorized to enter into this Agreement on behalf of the several Underwriters, and (b) that the several Underwriters are willing, acting severally and not jointly, to purchase the principal amount of Securities set forth opposite their respective names in Schedule A.

In consideration of the mutual agreements contained herein and of the interests of the parties in the transactions contemplated hereby, the parties hereto agree as follows:

SECTION 1. Representations and Warranties.

(a)Representations and Warranties by the Company. The Company represents and warrants to each Underwriter as of the date hereof, as of the Applicable Time (as defined in Section 1(a)(i)), as of the Closing Time (as defined in Section 2(c)) and as of each Date of Delivery (as defined in Section 2(b)), if any, and agrees with each Underwriter as follows:

(i) Filing of Registration Statement. An “automatic shelf registration statement” as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “1933 Act”), on Form S-3 (File No.

333-186497) in respect of the Securities, including a form of prospectus (the “Base Prospectus”), has been prepared and filed by the Company not earlier than three years prior to the date hereof, in conformity with the requirements of the 1933 Act and the rules and regulations (the “1933 Act Regulations”) of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) thereunder. The Company and the transactions contemplated by this Agreement meet the requirements of, and comply with the conditions for the use of, Form S-3 under the 1933 Act. Such registration statement, which shall be deemed to include all information omitted therefrom in reliance upon Rules 430A, 430B or 430C under the 1933 Act, is herein referred to as the “Registration Statement” and became effective under the 1933 Act upon filing with the Commission. If the Company has filed a registration statement pursuant to Rules 413(b) and 462(e) under the 1933 Act, then any reference herein to the term “Registration Statement” shall be deemed to include such registration statement. No post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement has been filed as of the date of this Agreement. As used herein, the term “Prospectus” means the form of prospectus relating to the Securities first filed with the Commission pursuant to and within the time limits described in Rule 424(b) under the 1933 Act and in accordance with Section 3(a). The Base Prospectus, as supplemented by each preliminary prospectus (including any preliminary prospectus supplement) relating to the Securities filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the 1933 Act, including the documents incorporated by reference in the Base Prospectus is herein referred to as a “Preliminary Prospectus.” Any reference herein to the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus or to the Prospectus or to any amendment or supplement to any of the foregoing documents shall be deemed to refer to and include the documents incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the 1933 Act, as of the effective date of the Registration Statement or the date of such Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus, as the case may be, and any reference to “amend,” “amendment” or “supplement” with respect to the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to include any documents incorporated by reference therein, and any supplements or amendments thereto, filed with the Commission after the date of filing of the Prospectus under Rule 424(b) under the 1933 Act, and prior to the termination of the offering of the Securities by the Underwriters.

(ii) General Disclosure Package and Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus. As of the Applicable Time and as of the Closing Time and each Date of Delivery, if any, neither (i) the General Use Free Writing Prospectus(es) (as defined below) issued at or prior to the Applicable Time, the Statutory Prospectus (as defined below) and the information agreed to in writing by the Company and the Underwriters as the information to be conveyed orally by the Underwriters to purchasers of the Securities at the Applicable Time as set forth on Schedule B hereto, all considered together (collectively, the “General Disclosure Package”), nor (ii) any individual Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus (as defined below), when considered together with the General Disclosure Package, included or will include any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or will omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided, however, that the Company makes no representations or warranties as to information contained in or omitted from any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, in reliance upon, and in conformity with, written information furnished to the Company by or on behalf of any Underwriter through the Representatives, specifically for use therein.

As used in this Agreement:

“Applicable Time” means 8:05 a.m. (New York time) on the date of this Agreement.

“Statutory Prospectus” means the Base Prospectus, as amended and supplemented immediately prior to the Applicable Time, including any document incorporated by reference therein and any prospectus supplement deemed to be a part thereof.

“Issuer Free Writing Prospectus” means any “issuer free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433 under the 1933 Act, relating to the Securities in the form filed or required to be filed with the Commission or, if not required to be filed, in the form retained in the Company’s records pursuant to Rule 433(g) under the 1933 Act.

“General Use Free Writing Prospectus” means any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is identified on Schedule C to this Agreement.

“Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus” means any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is not a General Use Free Writing Prospectus.

(iii) No Stop Order. The Commission has not issued an order preventing or suspending the use of the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or the Prospectus relating to the proposed offering of the Securities, and no proceeding for that purpose or pursuant to Section 8A of the 1933 Act has been instituted or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened by the Commission. The Registration Statement contains, and the Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto will contain, all statements which are required to be stated therein by, and will conform to, the requirements of the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations.

(iv) Incorporated Documents. The documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, at the time they were or hereafter are filed with the Commission, complied or when so filed will comply, as the case may be, in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “1934 Act”), and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder (the “1934 Act Regulations”), and, when read together with the other information in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, did not, does not and will not include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were or are made, not misleading. The Registration Statement and any amendment thereto do not contain, and will not contain, any untrue statement of a material fact and do not omit, and will not omit, to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading and; the Prospectus and any amendments and supplements thereto do not contain and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact and do not omit and will not omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were or are made, not misleading; provided, however, that the Company makes no representation or warranties as to information contained in or omitted from the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, or any such amendment or supplement, in reliance upon, and in conformity with, written information furnished to the Company by or on behalf of any Underwriter through the Representatives, specifically for use therein.

(v) Issuer Free Writing Prospectus. Each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, as of its date and at all subsequent times through the completion of the public offer and sale of the Securities, did not, does not and will not include any information that conflicted, conflicts or will conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus not superseded or modified or the Prospectus, including any document incorporated by reference and any Prospectus Supplement deemed to be a part thereof that has not been superseded or modified.

(vi) No Distribution of Other Offering Materials. The Company has not, directly or indirectly, distributed and will not distribute any offering material in connection with the offering and sale of the Securities other than any Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus and other materials, if any, permitted under the 1933 Act and consistent with Section 3(b) below. The Company will file with the Commission all Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses in the time and manner required under Rules 163(b)(2) and 433(d) under the 1933 Act.

(vii) Well-Known Seasoned Issuer. (A) At the time of filing the Registration Statement, (B) at the time of the most recent amendment thereto for the purposes of complying with Section 10(a)(3) under the 1933 Act (whether such amendment was by post-effective amendment, incorporated report filed pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the 1934 Act or form of prospectus), (C) at the time the Company or any person acting on its behalf (within the meaning, for this clause only, of Rule 163(c) under the 1933 Act) made any offer relating to the Securities in reliance on the exemption of Rule 163 under the 1933 Act and (D) at the date hereof, the Company is a “well-known seasoned issuer” as defined in Rule 405 under the

1933 Act. The Company has not received from the Commission any notice pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2) under the 1933 Act objecting to the use of the automatic shelf registration form.

(viii) Ineligible Issuer. (A) At the earliest time after the filing of the Registration Statement that the Company or another offering participant made a bona fide offer (within the meaning of Rule 164(h)(2) under the 1933 Act) of the Securities and (B) as of the date hereof (with such date being used as the determination date for purposes of this clause (B)), the Company was not and is not an “ineligible issuer” (as defined in Rule 405 under the 1933 Act, without taking into account any determination by the Commission pursuant to Rule 405 under the 1933 Act that it is not necessary that the Company be considered an ineligible issuer), including, without limitation, for purposes of Rules 164 and 433 under the 1933 Act with respect to the offering of the Securities as contemplated by the Registration Statement.

(ix) Independent Accountants. KPMG LLP, who have certified the financial statements and supporting schedules filed with the Commission as part of, or incorporated by reference in, the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, is an independent registered public accounting firm with respect to the Company and the subsidiaries within the meaning of the 1933 Act and the applicable 1933 Act Regulations and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States).

(x) Financial Statements. The financial statements, and the related notes thereto, and any supporting schedules of the Company and its subsidiaries included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus present fairly the consolidated financial position of the Company and its subsidiaries as of the dates indicated and the statement of operations, shareholders’ equity and cash flows of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries for the periods specified. Said financial statements have been prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods involved. The supporting schedules included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus present fairly in accordance with GAAP the information required to be stated therein. The selected financial data and the summary financial information included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus present fairly the information shown therein as of the dates indicated and have been compiled on a basis consistent with that of the audited financial statements included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. The interactive data in eXtensible Business Reporting Language incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus fairly presents the information called for in all material respects and has been prepared in accordance with the Commission’s rules and guidelines applicable thereto.

(xi) No Material Adverse Change in Business. Since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, except as may otherwise be stated therein or contemplated thereby, (1) there has been no material adverse change in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business affairs or business prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries considered as one enterprise, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business (a “Material Adverse Effect”), (2) there have been no transactions entered into by the Company or any of its subsidiaries, other than those in the ordinary course of business, which are material with respect to the Company and its subsidiaries considered as one enterprise and (3) except for the dividend of $0.18 per share declared on the Company’s common stock, par value $0.01, declared on January 27, 2015, there has been no dividend or distribution of any kind declared, paid or made by the Company on any class of its capital stock.

(xii) Good Standing of the Company. The Company has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware with corporate power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and to enter into and perform its obligations under this Agreement. The Company is duly qualified as a foreign corporation to transact business and is in good standing in the State of Texas and in each other jurisdiction in which such

qualification is required, whether by reason of the ownership or leasing of property or the conduct of business, except where the failure so to qualify and be in good standing would not result in a Material Adverse Effect.

(xiii) Good Standing of Subsidiaries. Each “significant subsidiary” of the Company (as defined in Rule 1-02 of Regulation S-X of the 1933 Act Regulations) (each, a “Subsidiary” and collectively, the “Subsidiaries”) has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation, has corporate power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and is duly qualified as a foreign corporation to transact business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which such qualification is required, whether by reason of the ownership or leasing of property or the conduct of business, except where the failure so to qualify and be in good standing would not result in a Material Adverse Effect. Except as otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or as would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, all of the issued and outstanding capital stock or ownership interests, as applicable, of each Subsidiary has been duly authorized and validly issued, is fully paid and non‑assessable and is owned by the Company, directly or through subsidiaries, free and clear of any security interest, mortgage, pledge, lien, encumbrance, claim or equity. None of the outstanding shares of capital stock of any Subsidiary was issued in violation of the preemptive or similar rights of any securityholder of such Subsidiary. The Subsidiaries of the Company are as set forth in Schedule D hereto.

(xiv) Capitalization. All of the issued and outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company has been duly authorized and validly issued and is fully paid and non-assessable. None of the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company was issued in violation of the preemptive or other similar rights of any securityholder of the Company. The outstanding shares of Common Stock are duly listed and admitted and authorized for trading on the New York Stock Exchange, Inc. (the “NYSE”) and, at the Closing Time, the Firm Securities, and at each Date of Delivery, if any, the Option Securities, will have been approved for listing on the NYSE, subject to official notice of issuance.

(xv) Authorization of Agreement. This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company.

(xvi) Authorization of the Securities. The Securities have been duly authorized for issuance and sale by the Company and, at the Closing Time and each Date of Delivery, if any, will have been validly issued and fully paid and non‑assessable, and the issuance of the Securities is not subject to the preemptive or other similar rights of any securityholder of the Company.

(xvii) Description of the Securities. The Common Stock, including the Securities, conforms in all material respects to the respective statements relating thereto contained in the Prospectus and the General Disclosure Package and will be in substantially the respective forms filed or incorporated by reference, as the case may be, as exhibits to the Registration Statement.

(xviii) Registration Rights. There are no persons with registration rights or other similar rights to have any securities registered for sale pursuant to the Registration Statement or otherwise registered for sale or sold by the Company under the 1933 Act pursuant to this Agreement.

(xix) Absence of Defaults and Conflicts. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is in violation of its charter or by-laws or in default in the performance or observance of any obligation, agreement, covenant or condition contained in any contract, indenture, mortgage, loan agreement, note, lease or other instrument to which it is a party or by which it or any of them or their properties may be bound (collectively, “Agreements and Instruments”) where the consequences of such violation or default would result in a Material Adverse Effect; and the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated in this Agreement and in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (including the issuance and sale of the

Securities and the use of the proceeds from the sale of the Securities as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus under the caption “Use of Proceeds”) and compliance by the Company with its obligations hereunder have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action of the Company and do not and will not conflict with or constitute a breach of, or default or Repayment Event (as defined below) under, or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property or assets of the Company or any subsidiary pursuant to, the Agreements and Instruments, nor will such action result in any violation of the provisions of the charter or by‑laws of the Company or any subsidiary or any applicable law, statute, rule, regulation, judgment, order, writ or decree of any government, government instrumentality or court, domestic or foreign, having jurisdiction over the Company or any subsidiary or any of their assets, properties or operations. As used herein, a “Repayment Event” means any event or condition which gives the holder of any note, debenture or other evidence of indebtedness (or any person acting on such holder’s behalf) the right to require the repurchase, redemption or repayment of all or a portion of such indebtedness by the Company or any subsidiary.

(xx) Absence of Labor Dispute. No labor dispute with the employees of the Company or any subsidiary exists or, to the knowledge of the Company, is imminent that would result in a Material Adverse Effect.

(xxi) Absence of Proceedings. There is no action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation before or brought by any court or governmental agency or body, domestic or foreign, now pending, or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened, against or affecting the Company or any subsidiary, which (1) could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, (2) could reasonably be expected to materially and adversely affect the properties or assets of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole or (3) could reasonably be expected to materially and adversely affect the consummation of the transactions contemplated in this Agreement or the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder. The aggregate of all pending legal or governmental proceedings to which the Company or any subsidiary is a party or of which any of their respective property or assets is the subject that are not described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, including ordinary routine litigation incidental to the business, could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

(xxii) Possession of Intellectual Property. The Company and its subsidiaries own or possess, or can acquire on reasonable terms, adequate patents, patent rights, licenses, inventions, copyrights, know‑how (including trade secrets and other unpatented and/or unpatentable proprietary or confidential information, systems or procedures), trademarks, service marks, trade names or other intellectual property (collectively, “Intellectual Property”) necessary to carry on the business now operated by them, and neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received any notice or is otherwise aware of any infringement of or conflict with asserted rights of others with respect to any Intellectual Property or of any facts or circumstances that would render any Intellectual Property invalid or inadequate to protect the interest of the Company or any of its subsidiaries therein, and which infringement or conflict (if the subject of any unfavorable decision, ruling or finding) or invalidity or inadequacy, singly or in the aggregate, would result in a Material Adverse Effect.

(xxiii) Possession of Licenses and Permits. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is in violation of any law, ordinance, governmental rule or regulation or court decree to which it may be subject or has failed to obtain any license, permit, franchise or other governmental authorization necessary to the ownership of its property or to the conduct of its business, which violation or failure would materially adversely affect the condition, financial or otherwise, or the results of operations, business affairs or business prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries considered as one enterprise; and the Company and its subsidiaries own or possess or have obtained all governmental licenses, permits, consents, orders, approvals and other authorizations and have properly filed with the appropriate authorities all notices, applications and other documents necessary to lease or own their respective properties and to carry on their respective businesses as presently conducted, except where the failure to possess such licenses or authorizations or make such filings would not materially adversely affect the condition, financial or

otherwise, or the results of operations, business affairs or business prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries considered as one enterprise.

(xxiv) Title to Property. The Company and its subsidiaries have legal, valid and defensible title to all of their interests in oil and gas properties and to all other real and personal property owned by them, in each case free and clear of all mortgages, pledges, security interests, claims, liens, encumbrances, restrictions and defects of any kind, except (a) such as are described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or (b) those that do not materially affect or interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such properties taken as a whole. Any property held under lease or sublease by the Company or any of its subsidiaries is held under valid, subsisting and enforceable leases or subleases with such exceptions as are not material and do not interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such properties taken as a whole by the Company and its subsidiaries or except such as are described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has any notice or knowledge of any claim of any sort that has been, or may be, asserted by anyone adverse to the Company’s or any of its subsidiaries’ rights as lessee or sublessee under any lease or sublease described above, or affecting or questioning the Company’s or any of its subsidiaries’ rights to the continued possession of the leased or subleased premises under any such lease or sublease in conflict with the terms thereof except for such claims that would not result in a Material Adverse Effect.

(xxv) Environmental Laws. Except as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and except as would not, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect, (A) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is in violation of any federal, state, local or foreign statute, law, rule, regulation, ordinance, code, policy or rule of common law or any judicial or administrative interpretation thereof, including any judicial or administrative order, consent, decree or judgment, relating to pollution or protection of human health, the environment (including, without limitation, ambient air, surface water, groundwater, land surface or subsurface strata) or wildlife, including, without limitation, laws and regulations relating to the release or threatened release of chemicals, pollutants, contaminants, wastes, toxic substances, hazardous substances or petroleum or petroleum products (collectively, “Hazardous Materials”) or to the manufacture, processing, distribution, use, treatment, storage, disposal, transport or handling of Hazardous Materials (collectively, “Environmental Laws”), (B) the Company and its subsidiaries have all permits, authorizations and approvals required under any applicable Environmental Laws and are each in compliance with their requirements, (C) there are no pending or threatened administrative, regulatory or judicial actions, suits, demands, demand letters, claims, liens, notices of noncompliance or violation, investigation or proceedings relating to any Environmental Law against the Company or any of its subsidiaries and (D) there are no events or circumstances that would reasonably be expected to form the basis of an order for clean-up or remediation, or an action, suit or proceeding by any private party or governmental body or agency, against or affecting the Company or any of its subsidiaries relating to Hazardous Materials or any Environmental Laws.

(xxvi) Oil and Gas Reserve Estimates. The information underlying the estimates of oil and gas reserves as described in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus is complete and accurate in all material respects. Other than production of the reserves in the ordinary course of business as described in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and intervening product price fluctuations, the Company is not aware of any facts or circumstances that would result in a material adverse change in the reserves or the present value of future net cash flows therefrom as described in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. Estimates of such reserves and present values comply in all material respects with the applicable requirements of Regulation S-X and Subpart 1200 of Regulation S-K of the 1933 Act Regulations.

(xxvii) Petroleum Engineers. The petroleum engineers who have consented to being named as having reviewed certain reserve data included or incorporated by reference in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus are independent engineers with respect to the Company and its subsidiaries.

(xxviii) Investment Company Act. The Company is not required, and upon the issuance and sale of the Securities as herein contemplated and the application of the net proceeds therefrom as described in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus will not be required, to register as an “investment company” under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”).

(xxix) Absence of Manipulation. Neither the Company nor any affiliate of the Company has taken, nor will the Company or any affiliate take, directly or indirectly, any action that is designed to or which has constituted or which would be expected to cause or result in stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale of the Securities.

(xxx) Absence of Further Requirements. No filing with, or authorization, approval, consent, license, order, registration, qualification or decree of, any court or governmental authority or agency is necessary or required in connection with the offering, issuance or sale of the Securities hereunder or the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or for the due authorization, execution, delivery or performance of this Agreement by the Company, except such as have been already obtained or as may be required under state securities laws.

(xxxi) Internal Control. The Company and its subsidiaries maintain systems of “internal control over financial reporting” (as defined in Rule 13a-15(f) of the 1934 Act) that comply with the requirements of the 1934 Act and have been designed by, or under the supervision of, their respective principal executive and principal financial officers, or persons performing similar functions, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, including, but not limited to, internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurance that (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorizations; (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles and to maintain asset accountability; (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences; and (v) the interactive data in eXtensible Business Reporting Language incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus fairly presents the information called for in all material respects and is prepared in accordance with the Commission’s rules and guidelines applicable thereto. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is aware of (A) any material weakness in its internal control over financial reporting or (B) change in internal control over financial reporting that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. The Company’s auditors and the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors of the Company have been advised of: (i) all significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal controls over financial reporting which have adversely affected or are reasonably likely to adversely affect the Company’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and (ii) any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the Company’s internal controls over financial reporting.

(xxxii) Disclosure Controls. The Company has established and maintains an effective system of “disclosure controls and procedures” (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the 1934 Act) that complies with the requirements of the 1934 Act; the Company’s “disclosure controls and procedures” are reasonably designed to ensure that all information (both financial and non-financial) required to be disclosed by the Company in the reports that it files or submits under the 1934 Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the 1934 Act, and that all such information is accumulated and communicated to the Company’s management as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure and to make the certifications of the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer of the Company required under the 1934 Act with respect to such reports.

(xxxiii) Sarbanes-Oxley. Solely to the extent that the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated by the Commission and the New York Stock Exchange thereunder (the “Sarbanes-Oxley Act”) is applicable to the Company, there is and has been no failure on the part of the Company to comply in all material respects with any provision of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.

(xxxiv) No Unlawful Contributions or Other Payments. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries nor, to the Company’s knowledge, any director, officer, agent, employee or affiliate of the Company or any of its subsidiaries has taken any action, directly or indirectly, that would result in a violation by such persons of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder (the “FCPA”), including, without limitation, making use of the mails or any means or instrumentality of interstate commerce corruptly in furtherance of an offer, payment, promise to pay or authorization of the payment of any money, or other property, gift, promise to give, or authorization of the giving of anything of value to any “foreign official” (as such term is defined in the FCPA) or any foreign political party or official thereof or any candidate for foreign political office, in contravention of the FCPA, or of the Bribery Act 2010 of the United Kingdom, and the Company, its subsidiaries and, to the knowledge of the Company, its affiliates have conducted their businesses in compliance with the FCPA and have instituted and maintain policies and procedures designed to ensure, and which are reasonably expected to continue to ensure, continued compliance therewith.

(xxxv) Compliance with Money Laundering Laws. The operations of the Company and its subsidiaries are and have been conducted at all times in compliance in all material respects with applicable financial recordkeeping and reporting requirements of the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970, as amended, the money laundering statutes of all applicable jurisdictions, the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines issued, administered or enforced by any court, arbitrator, regulatory body, administrative agency, governmental body or other authority or agency that, in each case, are applicable to the business and operations of the Company (collectively, the “Money Laundering Laws”). No action, suit or proceeding by or before any court, arbitrator, regulatory body, administrative agency, governmental body or other authority or agency involving the Company or any of its subsidiaries with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened.

(xxxvi) Compliance with OFAC Laws. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries nor, to the Company’s knowledge, any director, officer, agent, employee or affiliate of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is currently subject to any U.S. sanctions administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Treasury Department (“OFAC”). The Company will not directly or indirectly use the proceeds from the sale of the Securities, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds, to any subsidiary, joint venture partner or other person or entity in any manner that, to the Company’s or its subsidiaries’ knowledge, would result in a violation of any economic sanctions imposed by the United States (including any administered or enforced by OFAC, the U.S. Department of State, or the Bureau of Industry and Security of the U.S. Department of Commerce), the United Nations Security Council, the European Union, or the United Kingdom (including sanctions administered or controlled by Her Majesty’s Treasury) (collectively, “Sanctions” and such persons, “Sanctioned Persons”).

(xxxvii) Sanctions. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, agent, employee or affiliate of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, is a person that is, or is 50% or more owned or otherwise controlled by a person that is: (i) the subject of any Sanctions; or (ii) located, organized or resident in Burma (Myanmar), Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan, and Syria (collectively, “Sanctioned Countries” and each, a “Sanctioned Country”). Except as has been disclosed to the Underwriters or is not material to the analysis under any Sanctions, neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has engaged in any dealings or transactions with or for the benefit of a Sanctioned Person, or with or in a Sanctioned Country, in the preceding 3 years, nor does the Company or any of its subsidiaries have any plans to initiate any dealings or transactions with Sanctioned Persons, or with or in Sanctioned Countries.

(b) Officer’s Certificates. Any certificate signed by any director or officer of the Company and delivered to the Representatives or to counsel for the Underwriters shall be deemed a representation and warranty by the Company to each Underwriter as to the matters covered thereby.

SECTION 2. Sale and Delivery to Underwriters; Closing.

(a) Firm Securities. On the basis of the representations and warranties herein contained and subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, the Company agrees to sell to each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, and each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, agrees to purchase from the Company, at the price set forth in Schedule A, the number of Securities set forth in Schedule A opposite the name of such Underwriter, plus any additional principal amount of Securities that such Underwriter may become obligated to purchase pursuant to the provisions of Section 10 hereof.

(b) Option Securities. In addition, on the basis of the representations and warranties herein contained and subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, the Company hereby grants an option to the Underwriters, severally and not jointly, to purchase up to an additional 3,150,000 shares of Common Stock at the price per share set forth in Schedule A, less an amount per share equal to any dividends or distributions declared by the Company and payable on the Firm Securities but not payable on the Option Securities. The option granted hereby may be exercised for 30 days after the date hereof and may be exercised in whole or in part at any time from time to time upon notice by the Representatives to the Company setting forth the number of Option Securities as to which the several Underwriters are then exercising the option and the time and date of payment and delivery for such Option Securities. Any such time and date of delivery (a “Date of Delivery”) shall be determined by the Representatives, but shall not be later than seven full business days after the exercise of said option, nor in any event prior to the Closing Time. If the option is exercised as to all or any portion of the Option Securities, each of the Underwriters, acting severally and not jointly, will purchase that proportion of the total number of Option Securities then being purchased which the number of Firm Securities set forth in Schedule A opposite the name of such Underwriter bears to the total number of Firm Securities.

(c) Payment. Payment of the purchase price for the Firm Securities shall be made at the offices of Sidley Austin LLP at 787 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10019, or at such other place as shall be agreed upon by the Representatives and the Company, at 9:00 A.M. (Eastern time) on the third (fourth, if the pricing occurs after 4:30 p.m. (Eastern time) on any given day) business day after the date hereof (unless postponed in accordance with the provisions of Section 10), or such other time not later than ten business days after such date as shall be agreed upon by the Representatives and the Company (such time and date of payment and delivery being herein called “Closing Time”).

In addition, in the event that any or all of the Option Securities are purchased by the Underwriters, payment of the purchase price for, and delivery of certificates or security entitlements for, such Option Securities shall be made at the above‑mentioned offices, or at such other place as shall be agreed upon by the Representatives and the Company, on each Date of Delivery as specified in the notice from the Representatives to the Company.

Payment shall be made to the Company by wire transfer of immediately available funds to a bank account designated by the Company, against delivery to Goldman Sachs for the respective accounts of the Underwriters of the Securities to be purchased by them. It is understood that each Underwriter has authorized Goldman Sachs, for its account, to accept delivery of, receipt for, and make payment of the purchase price for, the Firm Securities and Option Securities, if any, that it has agreed to purchase. Goldman Sachs, individually and not as representative of the Underwriters, may (but shall not be obligated to) make payment of the purchase price for the Firm Securities and Option Securities, if any, to be purchased by any Underwriter whose funds have not been received by the Closing Time or the relevant Date of Delivery, as the case may be, but such payment shall not relieve such Underwriter from its obligations hereunder.

Payment for the Securities to be purchased on the Closing at the Closing Time or the relevant Date of Delivery, as the case may be, shall be made against delivery through the facilities of the Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) to the Representatives for the respective accounts of the several Underwriters of the Securities to be

purchased on such date in definitive form registered in such names and in such denominations as the Representatives shall request in writing not later than one business day prior to the Closing Time or the relevant Date of Delivery, as the case may be, as the case may be, with any transfer taxes payable in connection with the sale of the Securities duly paid by the Company.

SECTION 3. Covenants of the Company. The Company covenants with each Underwriter as follows:

(a) Filings. The Company will (A) prepare and timely file with the Commission under Rule 424(b) (without reliance on Rule 424(b)(8)) under the 1933 Act a Prospectus in a form approved by the Representatives containing information previously omitted at the time of effectiveness of the Registration Statement in reliance on Rule 430A, 430B or 430C under the 1933 Act, (B) not file any amendment to the Registration Statement or distribute an amendment or supplement to the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or document incorporated by reference therein of which the Representatives shall not previously have been advised and furnished with a copy or to which the Representatives shall have reasonably objected in writing or which is not in compliance with the 1933 Act Regulations and (C) file on a timely basis all reports and any definitive proxy or information statements required to be filed by the Company with the Commission subsequent to the date of the Prospectus and prior to the termination of the offering of the Securities by the Underwriters.

(b) Issuer Free Writing Prospectus. The Company will (i) not make any offer relating to the Securities that would constitute an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or that would otherwise constitute a “free writing prospectus” (as defined in Rule 405 under the 1933 Act) required to be filed by the Company with the Commission under Rule 433 under the 1933 Act unless the Representatives approve its use in writing prior to first use (each, a “Permitted Free Writing Prospectus”); provided that the prior written consent of the Representatives hereto shall be deemed to have been given in respect of the Issuer Free Writing Prospectus(es) included in Schedule B hereto, (ii) treat each Permitted Free Writing Prospectus as an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, (iii) comply with the requirements of Rules 163, 164 and 433 under the 1933 Act applicable to any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, including the requirements relating to timely filing with the Commission, legending and record keeping and (iv) not take any action that would result in an Underwriter or the Company being required to file with the Commission pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the 1933 Act a free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of such Underwriter that such Underwriter otherwise would not have been required to file thereunder.

(c) Amendments and Stop Order. The Company will advise the Representatives promptly (A) when any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement or new registration statement relating to the Securities shall have become effective, or any supplement to the Prospectus shall have been filed, (B) of the receipt of any comments from the Commission, (C) of any request of the Commission for amendment of the Registration Statement or the filing of a new registration statement or any amendment or supplement to the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or any document incorporated by reference therein or otherwise deemed to be a part thereof or for any additional information, and (D) of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or such new registration statement or any order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or the Prospectus, or of the institution of any proceedings for that purpose or pursuant to Section 8A of the 1933 Act. The Company will use its best efforts to prevent the issuance of any such order and to obtain as soon as possible the lifting thereof, if issued.

(d) Automatic Shelf Registration Statement Ineligibility. If at any time when Securities remain unsold by the Underwriters the Company receives from the Commission a notice pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2) under the 1933 Act or otherwise ceases to be eligible to use the automatic shelf registration statement form, the Company will (i) promptly notify the Representatives, (ii) promptly file a new registration statement or post-effective amendment on the proper form relating to the Securities, in a form satisfactory to the Representatives, (iii) use its best efforts to cause such registration statement or post-effective amendment to be declared effective as soon as practicable (if such filing is not otherwise effective immediately pursuant to Rule 462 under the 1933 Act), and (iv) promptly notify the Representatives of such effectiveness. The Company will take all other action necessary or appropriate to permit the public offering and sale of the Securities to continue as contemplated in the Registration Statement that was the subject of the notice under Rule 401(g)(2) under the 1933 Act or for which the Company has

otherwise become ineligible. References herein to the Registration Statement relating to the Securities shall include such new registration statement or post-effective amendment, as the case may be.

(e) Renewal Deadline Obligations. If immediately prior to the third anniversary (the “Renewal Deadline”) of the initial effective date of the Registration Statement, any of the Securities remain unsold by the Underwriters, the Company will, prior to the Renewal Deadline, file, if it has not already done so and is eligible to do so, a new automatic shelf registration statement relating to the Securities, in a form satisfactory to the Representatives. If the Company is no longer eligible to file an automatic shelf registration statement, the Company will, prior to the Renewal Deadline, if it has not already done so, file a new shelf registration statement relating to the Securities, in a form satisfactory to the Representatives, and will use its best efforts to cause such registration statement to be declared effective within 180 days after the Renewal Deadline. The Company will take all other action necessary or appropriate to permit the public offering and sale of the Securities to continue as contemplated in the expired registration statement. References herein to the Registration Statement shall include such new automatic shelf registration statement or such new shelf registration statement, as the case may be.

(f) Filing Fees. The Company agrees to pay the required filing fees to the Commission relating to the Securities within the time required by Rule 456(b)(1) under the 1933 Act without regard to the proviso therein and otherwise in accordance with Rules 456(b) and 457(r) under the 1933 Act.

(g) Delivery of Prospectus and Registration Statements. The Company will deliver to, or upon the order of, the Representatives, from time to time, as many copies of any Preliminary Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus as the Representatives may reasonably request. The Company will deliver to, or upon the order of, the Representatives during the period when delivery of a Prospectus (or, in lieu thereof, the notice referred to under Rule 173(a) under the 1933 Act) is required under the 1933 Act (the “Prospectus Delivery Period”), as many copies of the Prospectus in final form, or as there-after amended or supplemented, as the Representatives may reasonably request. The Company will deliver to the Representatives at or before the Closing Time, four signed copies of the Registration Statement and all amendments thereto including all exhibits filed therewith, and will deliver to the Representatives such number of copies of the Registration Statement (including such number of copies of the exhibits filed therewith that may reasonably be requested), including documents incorporated by reference therein, and of all amendments thereto, as the Representatives may reasonably request.

(h) Compliance with Securities Laws. The Company will comply with the 1933 Act, the 1933 Act Regulations, the 1934 Act and the 1934 Act Regulations and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, so as to permit the completion of the distribution of the Securities as contemplated in this Agreement and the Prospectus. If during the Prospectus Delivery Period, any event shall occur as a result of which, in the judgment of the Company or in the reasonable opinion of the Representatives, it becomes necessary to amend or supplement the Prospectus in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances existing at the time the Prospectus is delivered to a purchaser, not misleading, or, if it is necessary at any time to amend or supplement the Prospectus to comply with any law, the Company promptly will either (i) prepare and file with the Commission an appropriate amendment to the Registration Statement or supplement to the Prospectus or (ii) prepare and file with the Commission an appropriate filing under the 1934 Act which shall be incorporated by reference in the Prospectus so that the Prospectus as so amended or supplemented will not, in the light of the circumstances when it is so delivered, be misleading, or so that the Prospectus will comply with the law.

(i) Amendments or Supplements to the General Disclosure Package. If the General Disclosure Package is being used to solicit offers to buy the Securities at a time when the Prospectus is not yet available to prospective purchasers and any event shall occur as a result of which, in the judgment of the Company or in the reasonable opinion of the Representatives, it becomes necessary to amend or supplement the General Disclosure Package in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances, not misleading, or to make the statements therein not conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement then on file, or if it is necessary at any time to amend or supplement the General Disclosure Package to comply with any law, the Company promptly will either (i) prepare, file with the Commission (if required) and furnish to the Underwriters and any dealers an appropriate amendment or supplement to the General Disclosure Package or (ii) prepare and file with the Commission an appropriate filing under the 1934 Act which shall be incorporated by reference in the

General Disclosure Package so that the General Disclosure Package as so amended or supplemented will not, in the light of the circumstances, be misleading or conflict with the Registration Statement then on file, or so that the General Disclosure Package will comply with law.

(j) Earnings Statement. The Company will timely file such reports pursuant to the 1934 Act as are necessary in order to make generally available to its securityholders as soon as practicable an earnings statement for the purposes of, and to provide the benefits contemplated by, the last paragraph of Section 11(a) of the 1933 Act.

(k) Blue Sky Qualifications. The Company will use its best efforts, in cooperation with the Representatives, to qualify the Securities for offering and sale under the applicable securities laws of such states and other jurisdictions (domestic or foreign) as the Representatives may designate and to maintain such qualifications in effect for as long as may be required for the distribution of the Securities; provided, however, that the Company shall not be obligated to file any general consent to service of process or to qualify as a foreign corporation or as a dealer in securities in any jurisdiction in which it is not so qualified or to subject itself to taxation in respect of doing business in any jurisdiction in which it is not otherwise so subject. In each jurisdiction in which the Securities have been so qualified, the Company will file such statements and reports as may be required by the laws of such jurisdiction to continue such qualification in effect for as long as may be required for the distribution of the Securities.

(l) Use of Proceeds. The Company will use the net proceeds received by it from the sale of the Securities in the manner specified in the Registration Statement, General Disclosure Package and Prospectus under “Use of Proceeds”.

(m) Lock-up Period. During the period beginning from the date hereof and continuing to and including the date 90 days after the date of the Prospectus, the Company will not (i) offer, sell, contract to sell, pledge, grant any option to purchase, make any short sale or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, or file with the Commission a registration statement under the 1933 Act relating to, any securities of the Company that are substantially similar to the Securities, including but not limited to any options or warrants to purchase shares of Common Stock or any securities that are convertible into or exchangeable for, or that represent the right to receive, Common Stock or any such substantially similar securities, or publicly disclose the intention to make any offer, sale, pledge or disposition, or filing or (ii) enter into any swap or other agreement that transfers, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of the Common Stock or any such other securities, whether any such transaction described in clause (i) or (ii) above is to be settled by delivery of Stock or such other securities, in cash or otherwise, without the prior written consent of the Representatives; provided, however, that (A) the Company may issue and sell Common Stock pursuant to any employee stock option plan, stock ownership plan, dividend reinvestment plan or other stock plan or arrangement of the Company described in the Prospectus or any amendment to or replacement of such plan, (B) the Company may file one or more registration statements on Form S-8, (C) the Company may issue Common Stock issuable upon the conversion or exchange of convertible or exchangeable securities outstanding as of the date of this Agreement and (D) the Company may issue or contract to issue Common Stock or any securities that are convertible into or exchangeable for, or that represent the right to receive, Common Stock as consideration in connection with any merger, acquisition or other business combination or strategic investment (including any joint venture or partnership), and may file a registration statement with the Commission under the 1933 Act relating to such securities, provided that any recipients of such securities in any such acquisition or investment enter into lock-up letter agreements for the remainder of the Lock-Up Period.

(n) Listing. Company will use its best efforts to cause the Securities to be approved for listing, subject to official notice of issuance, on the NYSE prior to the Closing Time.

SECTION 4. Payment of Expenses.

(a) The Company will pay all expenses incident to the performance of its obligations under this Agreement, including:

(i) the costs of preparing, printing and delivering to, or as requested by, the Underwriters copies of the Registration Statement, Preliminary Prospectuses, Statutory Prospectus, the Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses, the Prospectus and any supplements or amendments thereto;

(ii) the preparation, filing, reproduction and delivery to the Underwriters of this Agreement and such other documents as may be required in connection with the offering, purchase, sale, issuance or delivery of the Securities;

(iii) the preparation, printing, issuance and delivery of the Securities to the Underwriters;

(iv) the filing fees and expenses (including legal fees and disbursements) incident to securing any required review by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. of the terms of the sale of the Securities;

(v) the fees and disbursements of the Company’s accountants, counsel and other advisors;

(vi) the fees and disbursements of the Company’s transfer agent or registrar for the Securities;

(vii) the qualification of the Securities under state and foreign securities laws in accordance with the provisions of Section 3(k), including filing fees and the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters in connection therewith and in connection with the preparation and delivery of any Blue Sky Survey and any supplement thereto to the Underwriters;

(viii) the costs and expenses of the Company relating to investor presentations on any “road show” undertaken in connection with the marketing of the offering of the Securities, including, without limitation, expenses associated with the production of road show slides and graphics, fees and expenses of any consultants engaged in connection with the road show presentations with the prior approval of the Company, travel and lodging expenses of the representatives and officers of the Company and any such consultants, and, with the prior approval of the Company, the cost of any aircraft chartered in connection with the road show;

(ix) any out-of-pocket expenses, excluding any legal expenses of the Underwriters (other than as set forth in subparagraph 4(a)(vii) above) incurred with the approval of the Company;

(x) any fees payable in connection with the registration of the Securities under the 1934 Act and the listing of the Securities on the NYSE; and

(xi) the cost of having the Securities eligible for settlement, clearance and trading through the facilities of DTC.

(b) If this Agreement is terminated by the Representatives in accordance with the provisions of Section 5, Section 9(a) or Section 10, the Company shall reimburse the Underwriters for all of their out-of-pocket expenses, including the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters.

SECTION 5. Conditions of Obligations of the Underwriters. The obligations of the several Underwriters to purchase the Firm Securities and the Option Securities, as the case may be, at the Closing Time or the applicable Date of Delivery, if any, are subject to the accuracy, as of the date hereof, as of the Applicable Time and the Closing Time or each Date of Delivery, if any, as the case may be, of the representations and warranties of the Company contained in Section 1 or in certificates of any officer of the Company or any subsidiary of the Company delivered pursuant to the provisions hereof, to the performance by the Company of its covenants and other obligations hereunder, and to the following further conditions:

(a) Effectiveness of Registration Statement; Filing of Prospectus; Payment of Filing Fee. The Registration Statement has become effective and at the Closing Time, and each Date of Delivery, if any, no stop

order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement shall have been issued under the 1933 Act or proceedings therefor initiated or threatened by the Commission, and any request on the part of the Commission for additional information shall have been complied with to the reasonable satisfaction of counsel to the Underwriters. A prospectus containing information that was omitted from the Registration Statement at the time it became effective but that is deemed to be part of and included in the Registration Statement pursuant to Rule 430B shall have been filed with the Commission in the manner and within the time period required by Rule 424(b) without reliance on Rule 424(b)(8) (or a post-effective amendment providing such information shall have been filed and become effective in accordance with the requirements of Rule 430B). The Company shall have paid the required Commission filing fees relating to the Securities within the time period required by Rule 456(1)(i) under the 1933 Act without regard to the proviso therein and otherwise in accordance with Rules 456(b) and 457(r) under the 1933 Act and, if applicable, shall have updated the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in accordance with Rule 456(b)(1)(ii) either in a post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement or on the cover page of a prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b).

(b) Opinions of Counsel for Company. At the Closing Time and, if requested by the Representatives, any Date of Delivery, the Representatives shall have received the favorable opinion, dated as of Closing Time, of each of (1) Mayer Brown LLP, counsel for the Company, and (2) Arnold J. Johnson, Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of the Company, each in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives, to the effect set forth in Exhibits A and B, respectively and to such further effect as the Representatives may reasonably request.

(c) Opinion of Counsel for Underwriters. At the Closing Time and, if requested by the Representatives, any Date of Delivery, as the case may be, the Representatives shall have received the favorable opinion, dated as of the Closing Time or the applicable Date of Delivery, as the case may be, of Sidley Austin LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives. In giving such opinion, such counsel may rely, as to matters governed by jurisdictions other than the federal law of the United States, the laws of the State of New York and the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, upon the opinions of counsel satisfactory to the Representatives. Such counsel may also state that, insofar as such opinion involves factual matters, they have relied, to the extent they deem proper, upon certificates of officers of the Company and its subsidiaries and certificates of public officials.

(d) Officers’ Certificate. At the Closing Time or applicable Date of Delivery, as the case may be, there shall not have been, since the date hereof or since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, any material adverse change in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business affairs or business prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries considered as one enterprise, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business, and the Representatives shall have received a certificate of the Chief Executive Officer, President or a Vice President of the Company and of the Treasurer, the Assistant Treasurer, the principal financial officer or the principal accounting officer of the Company, dated as of the Closing Time or the applicable Date of Delivery, as the case may be, to the effect that (i) there has been no such material adverse change, (ii) the representations and warranties in Section 1(a) are true and correct with the same force and effect as though expressly made at and as of the Closing Time or the applicable Date of Delivery, as the case may be, and (iii) the Company has performed or complied with all agreements and satisfied all conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied at or prior to Closing Time or the applicable Date of Delivery, as the case may be.

(e) Accountants’ Comfort Letters. At the time of the execution of this Agreement, the Representatives shall have received from KPMG LLP a letter dated such date, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives, containing statements and information of the type ordinarily included in accountants’ “comfort letters” to underwriters with respect to the financial statements and certain financial information contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

(f) Bring-down Comfort Letter. At the Closing Time and, if requested by the Representatives, any Date of Delivery, the Representatives shall have received from KPMG LLP a letter, dated as of Closing Time or the applicable Date of Delivery, as the case may be, to the effect that they reaffirm the statements made in the respective

letters furnished pursuant to subsection (e) of this Section, except that the specified date referred to shall be a date not more than three business days prior to Closing Time or the applicable Date of Delivery, as the case may be.

(g) Reservoir Engineer’s Comfort Letter. At the time of execution of this Agreement, the Representatives shall have received from Netherland, Sewell & Associates a letter dated such date, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives, containing statements and information of the type customarily included in such letters to underwriters with respect to the reserve and other operational information contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

(h) Bring-down Comfort Letter. At the Closing Time and, if requested by the Representatives, any Date of Delivery, the Representatives shall have received from Netherland, Sewell & Associates a letter, dated as of Closing Time or the applicable Date of Delivery, as the case may be, to the effect that they reaffirm the statements made in the letter furnished pursuant to subsection (g) of this Section, except that the specified date referred to shall be a date not more than three business days prior to Closing Time or the applicable Date of Delivery, as the case may be.

(i) Maintenance of Rating. Subsequent to the earlier of (A) the Applicable Time and (B) the execution and delivery of this Agreement, there shall not have occurred a downgrading in the rating assigned any of the debt securities or preferred stock of the Company or any of its subsidiaries by any “nationally recognized statistical rating organization”, and no such organization shall have publicly announced that it has under surveillance or review its rating of the debt securities or preferred stock of the Company or any of its subsidiaries.

(j) Lock-Up Agreements. On or prior to the Closing Time, the Representatives shall have received lock-up agreements substantially in the form of Exhibit C hereto (the “Lock-Up Agreements”) from each of the executive officers and directors of the Company listed on Schedule E hereof.

(k) Approval of Listing. On the Closing Time, the Securities shall have been approved for listing on the NYSE, subject only to official notice of issuance.

(l) Additional Documents. At Closing Time and any Date of Delivery, counsel for the Underwriters shall have been furnished with such documents and opinions as they may reasonably require for the purpose of enabling them to pass upon the issuance and sale of the Securities as herein contemplated, or in order to evidence the accuracy of any of the representations or warranties, or the fulfillment of any of the conditions, herein contained, and all proceedings taken by the Company in connection with the issuance and sale of the Securities as herein contemplated shall be satisfactory in form and substance to the Representatives and counsel for the Underwriters.

(m) Termination of Agreement. If any condition specified in this Section shall not have been fulfilled when and as required to be fulfilled, this Agreement may be terminated by the Representatives by notice to the Company at any time at or prior to Closing Time or the applicable Date of Delivery, as the case may be, and such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except as provided in Section 4 and except that Sections 1, 6, 7 and 8 shall survive any such termination and remain in full force and effect.

SECTION 6. Indemnification.

(a) Indemnification of Underwriters. The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, each of its officers and directors, and each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act as follows:

(i) against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense whatsoever, as incurred, arising out of any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto, or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading;

(ii) against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense whatsoever, as incurred, to the extent of the aggregate amount paid, in settlement of any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or of any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue statement or omission, or any such alleged untrue statement or omission; provided that any such settlement is effected with the written consent of the Company, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld; and

(iii) against any and all expense whatsoever, as incurred (including the fees and disbursements of counsel chosen by the Representatives), reasonably incurred in investigating, preparing or defending against any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue statement or omission, or any such alleged untrue statement or omission, to the extent that any such expense is not paid under (i) or (ii) above;

provided, however, that this indemnity agreement shall not apply to any loss, liability, claim, damage or expense to the extent arising out of any untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission made in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the Prospectus or such amendment or supplement, in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by the Underwriters through the Representatives expressly for use therein.

(b) Indemnification of Company, Directors and Officers. Each Underwriter severally agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, each of its directors, each of its officers who have signed the Registration Statement and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense described in the indemnity contained in subsection (a) of this Section, as incurred, but only with respect to untrue statements or omissions, or alleged untrue statements or omissions, made in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto, in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by the Underwriters through the Representatives expressly for use therein.

(c) Actions against Parties; Notification. Each indemnified party shall give notice as promptly as reasonably practicable to each indemnifying party of any action (including any governmental investigation) commenced against it in respect of which indemnity may be sought hereunder, but failure to so notify an indemnifying party shall not relieve such indemnifying party from any liability hereunder to the extent it is not materially prejudiced as a result thereof and in any event shall not relieve it from any liability which it may have otherwise than on account of this indemnity agreement. In the case of parties indemnified pursuant to Section 6(a) above, counsel to the indemnified parties shall be selected by the Representatives, and, in the case of parties indemnified pursuant to Section 6(b) above, counsel to the indemnified parties shall be selected by the Company. An indemnifying party may participate at its own expense in the defense of any such action; provided, however, that counsel to the indemnifying party shall not (except with the consent of the indemnified party) also be counsel to the indemnified party. In no event shall the indemnifying parties be liable for fees and expenses of more than one counsel (in addition to any local counsel) separate from their own counsel for all indemnified parties in connection with any one action or separate but similar or related actions in the same jurisdiction arising out of the same general allegations or circumstances. No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of the indemnified parties, settle or compromise or consent to the entry of any judgment with respect to any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever in respect of which indemnification or contribution could be sought under this Section 6 or Section 7 hereof (whether or not the indemnified parties are actual or potential parties thereto), unless such settlement, compromise or consent (i) includes an unconditional release of each indemnified party from all liability arising out of such litigation, investigation, proceeding or claim and (ii) does not include a statement as to or an admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act by or on behalf of any indemnified party.

SECTION 7. Contribution. If the indemnification provided for in Section 6 is for any reason unavailable to or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party in respect of any losses, liabilities, claims, damages or expenses referred to therein, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to the aggregate amount of

such losses, liabilities, claims, damages and expenses incurred by such indemnified party, as incurred, (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, from the offering of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause (i) is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause (i) above but also the relative fault of the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, in connection with the statements or omissions that resulted in such losses, liabilities, claims, damages or expenses, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations.

The relative benefits received by the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, in connection with the offering of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement shall be deemed to be in the same respective proportions as the total net proceeds from the offering of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement (before deducting expenses) received by the Company and the total underwriting discount received by the Underwriters, in each case as set forth on the cover of the Prospectus, bear to the aggregate initial public offering price of the Securities set forth on such cover.

The relative fault of the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether any such untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company or by the Underwriters and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission.

The Company and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 7 were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to above in this Section 7. The aggregate amount of losses, liabilities, claims, damages and expenses incurred by an indemnified party and referred to above in this Section 7 shall be deemed to include any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in investigating, preparing or defending against any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission.

The Underwriters’ respective obligations to contribute pursuant to this Section 7 are several in proportion to the number of Firm Securities set forth opposite their respective names in Schedule A hereto and not joint.

Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 7, no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the total price at which the Securities underwritten by it and distributed to the public were offered to the public exceeds the amount of any damages which such Underwriter has otherwise been required to pay by reason of any such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission.

No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the 1933 Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation.

For purposes of this Section 7, each officer and director of an Underwriter and each person, if any, who controls an Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act shall have the same rights to contribution as such Underwriter, and each director of the Company, and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act shall have the same rights to contribution as the Company.

SECTION 8. Representations, Warranties and Agreements to Survive Delivery. All representations, warranties and agreements contained in this Agreement or in certificates of officers of the Company or any of its subsidiaries submitted pursuant hereto, shall remain operative and in full force and effect regardless of (i) any investigation made by or on behalf of any Underwriter or its affiliates or selling agents, any person controlling any Underwriter, its officers or directors or any person controlling the Company, and (ii) delivery of and payment for the Securities.

SECTION 9. Termination of Agreement.

(a) Termination; General. The Representatives may terminate this Agreement, by notice to the Company, at any time at or prior to the Closing Time or the applicable Date of Delivery, as the case may be, (i) if there has been, since the time of execution of this Agreement or since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, any material adverse change in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business affairs or business prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries considered as one enterprise, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business, or (ii) if there has occurred any material adverse change in the financial markets in the United States or the international financial markets, any outbreak or escalation of hostilities or other calamity or crisis or any change or development involving a prospective change in national or international political, financial or economic conditions, in each case the effect of which, singly or together with any other event specified in this clause (ii), is such as to make it, in the judgment of the Representatives, impracticable or inadvisable to market the Securities or to enforce contracts for the sale of the Securities, or (iii) if trading in any securities of the Company or any of its subsidiaries has been suspended or materially limited by the Commission or a national securities exchange, or if trading generally on the New York Stock Exchange or in the Nasdaq Stock Market has been suspended or materially limited, or minimum or maximum prices for trading have been fixed, or maximum ranges for prices have been required, by either of said exchanges or by such system or by order of the Commission or any other governmental authority, or (iv) if a banking moratorium shall have been declared by Federal, New York, Delaware or Texas authorities, or (v) there has been a material disruption in commercial banking or securities settlement, payment or clearance services in the United States.

(b) Liabilities. If this Agreement is terminated pursuant to this Section, such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except as provided in Section 4, and provided further that Sections 1, 6, 7 and 8 shall survive such termination and remain in full force and effect.

SECTION 10. Default by One or More of the Underwriters. If one or more of the Underwriters shall fail at the Closing Time or the applicable Date of Delivery, as the case may be, to purchase the Securities that it or they are obligated to purchase under this Agreement (the “Defaulted Securities”), the Representatives shall have the right, within 24 hours thereafter, to make arrangements for one or more of the non-defaulting Underwriters, or any other underwriters, to purchase all, but not less than all, of the Defaulted Securities in such amounts as may be agreed upon and upon the terms herein set forth; if, however, the Representatives shall not have completed such arrangements within such 24-hour period, then:

(a) if the number of Defaulted Securities does not exceed 10% of the aggregate number of Securities to be purchased on such date, each of the non-defaulting Underwriters shall be obligated, severally and not jointly, to purchase the full amount thereof in the proportions that their respective underwriting obligations hereunder (as set forth in Schedule A) bear to the underwriting obligations of all non-defaulting Underwriters, or

(b) if the number of Defaulted Securities exceeds 10% of the aggregate number of Securities to be purchased on such date, this Agreement shall terminate without liability on the part of any non-defaulting Underwriter.

No action taken pursuant to this Section shall relieve any defaulting Underwriter from liability in respect of its default.

In the event of any such default which does not result in a termination of this Agreement, either the Representatives or the Company shall have the right to postpone the Closing Time or the applicable Date of Delivery, as the case may be, as the case may be, for a period not exceeding seven days in order to effect any required changes in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or in the Prospectus or in any other documents or arrangements. As used herein, the term “Underwriter” includes any person substituted for a Underwriter under this Section 10.

SECTION 11. No Advisory or Fiduciary Responsibility. The Company acknowledges and agrees that (i) the purchase and sale of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement is an arm’s-length commercial transaction

between the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other, (ii) in connection therewith and with the process leading to such transaction each Underwriter is acting solely as a principal and not the agent or fiduciary of the Company, (iii) no Underwriter has assumed an advisory or fiduciary responsibility in favor of the Company with respect to the offering contemplated hereby or the process leading thereto (irrespective of whether such Underwriter has advised or is currently advising the Company on other matters) or any other obligation to the Company except the obligations expressly set forth in this Agreement and (iv) the Company has consulted its own legal and financial advisors to the extent it deemed appropriate. The Company agrees that it will not claim that any Underwriter has rendered advisory services of any nature or respect, or owes a fiduciary or similar duty to the Company, in connection with such transaction or the process leading thereto.

SECTION 12. Notices. All notices and other communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given if mailed or transmitted by any standard form of telecommunication. Notices to the Underwriters shall be directed to the Representatives c/o Goldman, Sachs & Co., 200 West Street, New York, New York 10282, Attention: Registration Department and J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, 383 Madison Avenue, New York, New York 10179 Attention: Equity Syndicate Desk, 5^th Floor, Facsimile: (212) 622 8358; and notices to the Company shall be directed to it at 1001 Noble Energy Way, Houston, Texas 77070, attention of Gerald M. Stevenson, Vice President – Treasurer.

SECTION 13. Parties. This Agreement shall each inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the Underwriters and the Company and their respective successors. Nothing expressed or mentioned in this Agreement is intended or shall be construed to give any person, firm or corporation, other than the Underwriters and the Company and their respective successors and the controlling persons and officers and directors referred to in Sections 6 and 7 and their heirs and legal representatives, any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or in respect of this Agreement or any provision herein contained. This Agreement and all conditions and provisions hereof are intended to be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the Underwriters and the Company and their respective successors, and said controlling persons and officers and directors and their heirs and legal representatives, and for the benefit of no other person, firm or corporation. No purchaser of Securities from any Underwriter shall be deemed to be a successor by reason merely of such purchase.

SECTION 14. GOVERNING LAW AND TIME. THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE INTERNAL LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.

SECTION 15. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original, but all such counterparts shall together constitute one and the same Agreement.

SECTION 16. Effect of Headings. The Article and Section headings herein are for convenience only and shall not affect the construction hereof.

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

Very truly yours,

NOBLE ENERGY, INC.

By: /s/ Kenneth M. Fisher

Name: Kenneth M. Fisher
Title: Executive Vice President and

Chief Financial Officer

CONFIRMED AND ACCEPTED,
as of the date first above written:

By: GOLDMAN, SACHS & CO.


By: /s/ Rich Cohn	Name: Rich Cohn

Title: Managing Director

By: J.P. MORGAN SECURITIES LLC


By: /s/ Yaw Asamoah-Duodu	Name: Yaw Asamoah-Duodu

Title: Managing Director

For itself and as Representatives of the
several Underwriters named in Schedule A hereto

SCHEDULE A

The initial public offering price per share for the Securities shall be $47.50.

The purchase price per share for the Securities to be paid by the several Underwriters shall be $46.075, being an amount equal to the initial public offering price set forth above less $1.425 per share, subject to adjustment in accordance with Section 2(b) for dividends or distributions declared by the Company and payable on the Initial Securities but not payable on the Option Securities.



Name of Underwriter	Number of Initial Securities	Maximum Number of Option Securities
	6,300,000
GOLDMAN, SACHS & CO.	6,300,000	945,000
J.P. MORGAN SECURITIES LLC	6,090,000	913,500
CITIGROUP GLOBAL MARKETS INC.	945,000	141,750
MERRILL LYNCH, PIERCE, FENNER & SMITH INCORPORATED	945,000	141,750
SG AMERICAS SECURITIES, LLC	1,890,000	283,500
BARCLAYS CAPITAL INC.	210,000	31,500
BB&T CAPITAL MARKETS, A DIVISION OF BB&T SECURITIES, LLC	210,000	31,500
BBVA SECURITIES INC.	210,000	31,500
BMO CAPITAL MARKETS CORP	210,000	31,500
BNP PARIBAS SECURITIES CORP.	210,000	31,500
CIBC WORLD MARKETS CORP.	210,000	31,500
DEUTSCHE BANK SECURITIES INC.	420,000	63,000
DNB NOR MARKETS, INC.	210,000	31,500
FIFTH THIRD SECURITIES, INC.	210,000	31,500
HSBC SECURITIES (USA) INC.	210,000	31,500
JOHNSON RICE & COMPANY L.L.C.	210,000	31,500
MITSUBISHI UFJ SECURITIES (USA), INC.	420,000	63,000
MIZUHO SECURITIES USA INC.	210,000	31,500
MORGAN STANLEY & CO. LLC	210,000	31,500
PNC CAPITAL MARKETS LLC	210,000	31,500
RBC CAPITAL MARKETS, LLC	210,000	31,500
SCOTIA CAPITAL (USA) INC.	210,000	31,500
SIMMONS & COMPANY INTERNATIONAL	210,000	31,500
SMBC NIKKO SECURITIES AMERICA, INC.	210,000	31,500
TD SECURITIES (USA) LLC	210,000	31,500
WELLS FARGO SECURITIES, LLC	210,000	31,500
Total	21,000,000	3,150,000

Sch A-1

SCHEDULE B

21,000,000 Shares of Common Stock (Par Value $0.01 Per Share)


1.	The Company is selling 21,000,000 shares of Common Stock.


2.	The Company has granted an option to the Underwriters, severally and not jointly, to purchase up to an additional 3,150,000 shares of Common Stock.


3.	The initial public offering price per share for the Securities shall be $47.50.

Sch B-1

SCHEDULE C

Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses: None

Sch C-1

SCHEDULE D

Samedan of North Africa, LLC

Noble Energy Mediterranean Ltd.

Noble Energy EG Ltd.

Sch D-1

SCHEDULE E

David L. Stover

Kenneth M. Fisher

Dustin A. Hatley

Charles D. Davidson

Jeffrey L. Berenson

Michael A. Cawley

Edward F. Cox

Thomas J. Edelman

Eric P. Grubman

Kirby L. Hedrick

Scott D. Urban

William T. Van Kleef

Molly K. Williamson
Susan M. Cunningham
Gary W. Willingham

Arnold J. Johnson

Sch E-1

Exhibit 5.1




	Mayer Brown LLP 700 Louisiana Street Suite 3400 Houston, Texas 77002-2730 Main Tel +1 713 238 3000 Main Fax +1 713 238 4888 www.mayerbrown.com

March 3, 2015
Noble Energy, Inc. 1001 Noble Energy Way Houston, Texas 77070 Ladies and Gentlemen:

We have acted as special counsel to Noble Energy, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), with respect to certain legal matters in connection with (i) the offering and sale (the “Offering”) by the Company of an aggregate of 21,000,000 shares (the “Shares”) of its common stock, par value $0.01 per share (the “Common Stock”). The Shares are being sold pursuant to an Underwriting Agreement (the “Underwriting Agreement”), dated as of February 26, 2015, between (i) the Company and (ii) Goldman Sachs & Co and J.P Morgan Securities LLC, as representatives of the several underwriters named therein (the “Underwriters”), and (ii) the filing of the Registration Statement on Form S-3 (Registration No. 333-186497) (the “Registration Statement”), and the Prospectus dated February 7, 2013 included therein (the “Base Prospectus”) by the Company under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Act”), with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), pursuant to which the Shares are registered. On February 27, 2015, the Company filed with the SEC a Prospectus Supplement dated February 26, 2015 (the “Prospectus Supplement”) pursuant to Rule 424(b)(5) promulgated under the Act.

In rendering the opinions set forth below, we have examined originals or copies, certified or otherwise identified to our satisfaction, of (i) the Registration Statement, including the Base Prospectus, (ii) the Prospectus Supplement, (iii) the Certificate of Incorporation of the Company, as amended through the date hereof (the “Certificate of Incorporation”), (iv) the Bylaws of the Company, as amended through the date hereof, (v) the Underwriting Agreement, (vi) certain resolutions adopted (a) by the Board of Directors of the Company by unanimous written consent on February 24, 2015 and (b) by the Pricing Committee of the Board of Directors at a meeting of such committee on February 26, 2015 with respect to the authorization of the issuance and sale of the Shares and related matters, (vii) cross receipts delivered by the Company and the Underwriters upon the closing of the Offering and (viii) such other certificates, statutes and instruments and documents as we consider appropriate for purposes of the opinions hereafter expressed.

During the course of such examination and review, and in connection with furnishing the opinions set forth below, we have assumed the accuracy and completeness of all documents and records that we have reviewed, the genuineness of all signatures, the legal capacity of all natural persons, the authenticity of the documents submitted to us as originals and the conformity to authentic original documents of all documents submitted to us as certified, conformed or reproduced copies. We have also assumed that the Shares have been and will be issued and sold in the manner stated in the Prospectus Supplement, the Base Prospectus and the Underwriting Agreement. We are familiar with the proceedings taken and proposed to be taken by the Company in connection with the authorization and issuance of the Shares, and, for the purposes of this opinion letter, we have assumed that any future, similar or other required proceedings will be timely completed in the manner presently contemplated.

Mayer Brown LLP operates in combination with other Mayer Brown entities with offices in Europe and Asia
and is associated with Tauil & Chequer Advogados, a Brazilian law partnership.

Noble Energy, Inc.

March 3, 2015

Page 2

Based upon the foregoing and subject to the assumptions, exceptions, limitations and qualifications set forth herein, we are of the opinion that when the Shares have been issued and sold by the Company against payment therefor in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Underwriting Agreement, the Shares will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable.

This opinion is limited to matters governed by the federal laws of the United States of America and the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (including the applicable provisions of the Delaware Constitution and the reported judicial decisions interpreting the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware and such applicable provisions of the Delaware Constitution).

The opinions and statements expressed herein are as of the date hereof. We assume no obligation to update or supplement this opinion letter to reflect any facts or circumstances that may hereafter come to our attention or any changes in applicable law which may hereafter occur.

We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion of counsel as Exhibit 5.1 to the Current Report on Form 8-K of the Company dated on or about the date hereof, to the incorporation by reference of this opinion of counsel into the Registration Statement and to the reference to our Firm under the heading “Legal Matters” in the Prospectus Supplement and the Base Prospectus. In giving this consent, we do not admit that we are within the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act or the rules and regulations of the SEC issued thereunder.

Respectfully submitted,

/s/ Mayer Brown LLP

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