NINTH AMENDED AND RESTATED CREDIT AGREEMENT DATED AS OF DECEMBER 31, 2003 AMONG GULF ISLAND FABRICATION, INC., THE GUARANTORS, THE LENDERS, AND BANK ONE, NA AS AGENT AND LC ISSUER

Exhibit 10.9

NINTH AMENDED AND RESTATED

CREDIT AGREEMENT

DATED AS OF DECEMBER 31, 2003

AMONG

GULF ISLAND FABRICATION, INC.,

THE GUARANTORS,

THE LENDERS,

AND

BANK ONE, NA

AS AGENT AND LC ISSUER

BANC ONE CAPITAL MARKETS, INC.

AS LEAD ARRANGER AND SOLE BOOK RUNNER

TABLE OF CONTENTS


ARTICLE I.	DEFINITIONS	1

ARTICLE II.	THE CREDITS	13

2.1.	Commitment	13
2.2.	Required Payments; Termination	14
2.3.	Ratable Loans	14
2.4.	Types of Advances	14
2.5.	Commitment Fee; Reductions in Aggregate Commitment	14
2.6.	Minimum Amount of Each Advance	14
2.7.	Optional Principal Payments	14
2.8.	Method of Selecting Types and Interest Periods for New Advances	15
2.9.	Conversion and Continuation of Outstanding Advances	15
2.10.	Changes in Interest Rate, etc.	16
2.11.	Rates Applicable After Default	16
2.12.	Method of Payment	16
2.13.	Noteless Agreement; Evidence of Indebtedness	16
2.14.	Telephonic Notices	17
2.15.	Interest Payment Dates; Interest and Fee Basis	17
2.16.	Notification of Advances, Interest Rates, Prepayments and Commitment Reductions	18
2.17.	Lending Installations	18
2.18.	Non-Receipt of Funds by the Agent	18
2.19.	Facility LCs.	18
	2.19.1. Issuance	18
	2.19.2. Participations	19
	2.19.3. Notice	19
	2.19.4. Fees	19
	2.19.5. Administration	20
	2.19.6. Reimbursement	20
	2.19.7. Obligations Absolute	21
	2.19.8. Actions of LC Issuer	21
	2.19.9. Indemnification	22
	2.19.10. Lenders’ Indemnification.	22
	2.19.11. Facility LC Collateral Account	22
	2.19.12. Rights as a Lender	23
2.20.	Replacement of Lender	23

ARTICLE III.	YIELD PROTECTION; TAXES	24

3.1.	Yield Protection	24
3.2.	Changes in Capital Adequacy Regulations	25
3.3.	Availability of Types of Advances	25
3.4.	Funding Indemnification	25
3.5.	Taxes	25
3.6.	Lender Statements; Survival of Indemnity	27

ARTICLE IV.	CONDITIONS PRECEDENT	28


4.1.	Initial Credit Extension	28
4.2.	Each Credit Extension	29

ARTICLE V.	REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES	29

5.1.	Existence and Standing	29
5.2.	Authorization and Validity	30
5.3.	No Conflict; Government Consent	30
5.4.	Financial Statements	30
5.5.	Material Adverse Change	30
5.6.	Taxes	30
5.7.	Litigation and Contingent Obligations	31
5.8.	Subsidiaries	31
5.9.	ERISA	31
5.10.	Accuracy of Information	31
5.11.	Regulation U	31
5.12.	Material Agreements	31
5.13.	Compliance With Laws	32
5.14.	Ownership of Properties	32
5.15.	Plan Assets; Prohibited Transactions	32
5.16.	Environmental Matters	32
5.17.	Investment Company Act	32
5.18.	Public Utility Holding Company Act	32
5.19.	Subordinated Indebtedness	32
5.20.	Post-Retirement Benefits	33
5.21.	Insurance	33
5.22.	Solvency	33
5.23.	Reportable Transaction	33

ARTICLE VI.	COVENANTS	34

6.1.	Financial Reporting	34
6.2.	Use of Proceeds	35
6.3.	Notice of Default	35
6.4.	Conduct of Business	35
6.5.	Taxes	35
6.6.	Insurance	36
6.7.	Compliance with Laws	36
6.8.	Maintenance of Properties	36
6.9.	Inspection	36
6.10.	Indebtedness	36
6.11.	Merger	37
6.12.	Sale of Assets	37
6.13.	Investments in and distributions to, and guaranties of, Excluded Subsidiaries	37
6.14.	Liens	38
6.15.	Affiliates	39
6.16.	GIF Finance	39
6.17.	Subordinated Indebtedness	39
6.18.	Sale of Accounts	39
6.19.	New Subsidiary	39
6.20.	Financial Contracts	39
6.21.	Shareholder or Employee Loans	39
6.22.	Financial Covenants	39


	6.22.1.	Current Ratio	39
	6.22.2.	Minimum Net Worth	39
	6.22.3.	Indebtedness to Net Worth Ratio	40
	6.22.4.	Interest Coverage Ratio	40

ARTICLE VII.	DEFAULTS		40

ARTICLE VIII.	ACCELERATION, WAIVERS, AMENDMENTS AND REMEDIES		43

8.1.	Acceleration; Facility LC Collateral Account		43
8.2.	Amendments		44
8.3.	Preservation of Rights		44

ARTICLE IX.	GENERAL PROVISIONS		45

9.1.	Survival of Representations		45
9.2.	Governmental Regulation		45
9.3.	Headings		45
9.4.	Entire Agreement		45
9.5.	Several Obligations; Benefits of this Agreement		45
9.6.	Expenses; Indemnification		45
9.7.	Numbers of Documents		46
9.8.	Accounting		46
9.9.	Severability of Provisions		47
9.10.	Nonliability of Lenders		47
9.11.	Confidentiality		47
9.12.	Nonreliance		48
9.13.	Disclosure		48
9.14.	USA PATRIOT ACT NOTIFICATION		48

ARTICLE X.	THE AGENT		49

10.1.	Appointment; Nature of Relationship		49
10.2.	Powers		49
10.3.	General Immunity		49
10.4.	No Responsibility for Loans, Recitals, etc.		49
10.5.	Action on Instructions of Lenders		50
10.6.	Employment of Agents and Counsel		50
10.7.	Reliance on Documents; Counsel		50
10.8.	Agent’s Reimbursement and Indemnification		50
10.9.	Notice of Default		51
10.10.	Rights as a Lender		51
10.11.	Lender Credit Decision		51
10.12.	Successor Agent		52
10.13.	Delegation to Affiliates		52
10.14.	Execution of Collateral Documents		52
10.15.	Collateral Releases		53

ARTICLE XI.	SETOFF; RATABLE PAYMENTS		53

11.1.	Setoff		53

iii


11.2.	Ratable Payments		53
11.3.	Exceptions to Ratable Payments		53

ARTICLE XII.	BENEFIT OF AGREEMENT; ASSIGNMENTS; PARTICIPATIONS		53

12.1.	Successors and Assigns		53
12.2.	Participations		54
	12.2.1.	Permitted Participants; Effect	54
	12.2.2.	Voting Rights	54
	12.2.3.	Benefit of Certain Provisions	55
12.3.	Assignments		55
	12.3.1.	Permitted Assignments	55
	12.3.2.	Permitted Consents	55
	12.3.2.	Effect; Effective Date	56
	12.3.4.	Register	56
12.4.	Dissemination of Information		56
12.5.	Tax Treatment		57

ARTICLE XIII.	NOTICES		57

13.1.	Notices, Effectiveness, Electronic Communication		57

ARTICLE XIV.	COUNTERPARTS		58

14.1.	Counterparts, Effectiveness		58
14.2.	Electronic Execution of Assignments		58

ARTICLE XV.	CHOICE OF LAW; CONSENT TO JURISDICTION; WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL		59

15.1.	CHOICE OF LAW		59
15.2.	CONSENT TO JURISDICTION		59
15.3.	WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL		59

EXHIBIT A.	LIST OF COLLATERAL DOCUMENTS		64

EXHIBIT B.	COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATE		66

EXHIBIT C	ASSIGNMENT AND ASSUMPTION AGREEMENT		70

EXHIBIT D.	LOAN/CREDIT RELATED MONEY TRANSFER INSTRUCTION		77

EXHIBIT E	NOTE		79

SCHEDULE 1	SUBSIDIARIES AND OTHER INVESTMENTS		81

SCHEDULE 2	INDEBTEDNESS AND LIENS		82

NINTH AMENDED AND RESTATED

CREDIT AGREEMENT

This NINTH AMENDED AND RESTATED CREDIT AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”), dated as of December 31, 2003, is among GULF ISLAND FABRICATION, INC., a Louisiana corporation (“Borrower”), GULF ISLAND, L.L.C., a Louisiana limited liability company (“Gulf Island Subsidiary”), DOLPHIN SERVICES, INC., a Louisiana corporation (“Dolphin”), SOUTHPORT, L.L.C., a Louisiana limited liability company and successor by merger to Southport, Inc. (“Southport”), GULF ISLAND MINDOC COMPANY, L.L.C. (formerly Vanguard Ocean Services, L.L.C.), a Louisiana limited liability company (“MinDOC”), and GIF FINANCE, INC., a Delaware corporation (“GIF Finance”) as Guarantors, Whitney National Bank, a national banking association (“Whitney”) and Bank One, NA, a national banking association having its principal office in Chicago, Illinois, in its individual capacity (“Bank One”) (Whitney and Bank One, each a “Lender” and collectively the “Lenders”) and Bank One, NA, as Agent and LC Issuer. The parties hereto agree as follows:

RECITALS:

A. Borrower, the Guarantors, Lenders, Agent, and LC Issuer entered into that certain Eighth Amended and Restated Revolving Credit Agreement, dated effective as of September 21, 2000 as amended (the “Restated Credit Agreement”);

B. Borrower, the Existing Subsidiaries, Lenders, LC Issuer, and Agent desire to amend and restate the Restated Credit Agreement;

C. This Agreement constitutes an amendment and restatement of the Restated Credit Agreement and does not constitute a payment, prepayment, or novation of any obligations issued pursuant to the Restated Credit Agreement.

NOW, THEREFORE, effective as of the date set forth above, the parties do hereby amend and restate the Restated Credit Agreement to read in its entirety as follows:

ARTICLE I

DEFINITIONS

As used in this Agreement:

“Advance” means a borrowing hereunder, (i) made by the Lenders on the same Borrowing Date, or (ii) converted or continued by the Lenders on the same date of conversion or continuation, consisting, in either case, of the aggregate amount of the several Loans of the same Type and, in the case of Eurodollar Loans, for the same Interest Period.

“Affiliate” of any Person means any other Person directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by or under common control with such Person. A Person shall be deemed to control another Person if the controlling Person owns 10% or more of any class of voting securities (or other ownership interests) of the controlled Person or possesses, directly or indirectly, the power to direct or cause the direction of the management or policies of the controlled Person, whether through ownership of stock, by contract or otherwise.

“Agent” means Bank One in its capacity as contractual representative of the Lenders pursuant to Article X, and not in its individual capacity as a Lender, and any successor Agent appointed pursuant to Article X.

“Aggregate Commitment” means the aggregate of the Commitments of all the Lenders, as reduced from time to time pursuant to the terms hereof.

“Aggregate Outstanding Credit Exposure” means, at any time, the aggregate of the Outstanding Credit Exposure of all the Lenders.

“Agreement” means this Ninth Amended and Restated Credit Agreement, as it may be amended or modified and in effect from time to time.

“Alternate Base Rate” means, for any day, a rate of interest per annum equal to the higher of (i) the Prime Rate for such day and (ii) the sum of the Federal Funds Effective Rate for such day plus 1/2% per annum.

“Applicable Margin” means, with respect to Eurodollar Advances, 1.50% per annum.

“Approved Fund” means any Fund that is administered or managed by (a) a Lender, (b) an Affiliate of a Lender or (c) an entity or an Affiliate of an entity that administers or manages a Lender.

“Article” means an article of this Agreement unless another document is specifically referenced.

“Authorized Officer” means any of the President or Chief Financial Officer of the Borrower, acting singly.

“Available Aggregate Commitment” means, at any time, the Aggregate Commitment then in effect minus the Aggregate Outstanding Credit Exposure at such time.

“Bank One” means Bank One, NA, a national banking association having its principal office in Chicago, Illinois, in its individual capacity, and its successors.

“Bank Guaranty Indebtedness” means any obligation of Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries to reimburse the issuer of any bank guaranty issued outside of the United States for draws on such bank guaranty, including principal, interest, fees, costs and expenses.

“Borrower” means Gulf Island Fabrication, Inc., a Louisiana corporation, and its successors and assigns.

“Borrowing Date” means a date on which an Advance is made hereunder.

“Borrowing Notice” is defined in Section 2.8.

“Business Day” means (i) with respect to any borrowing, payment or rate selection of Eurodollar Advances, a day (other than a Saturday or Sunday) on which banks generally are open in Chicago and New York City and New Orleans for the conduct of substantially all of their commercial lending activities, interbank wire transfers can be made on the Fedwire system and dealings in United States dollars are carried on in the London interbank market and (ii) for all other purposes, a day (other than a Saturday or Sunday) on which banks generally are open in Chicago and New Orleans for the conduct of substantially all of their commercial lending activities and interbank wire transfers can be made on the Fedwire system.

“Capitalized Lease” of a Person means any lease of Property by such Person as lessee which would be capitalized on a balance sheet of such Person prepared in accordance with GAAP.

“Capitalized Lease Obligations” of a Person means the amount of the obligations of such Person under Capitalized Leases which would be shown as a liability on a balance sheet of such Person prepared in accordance with GAAP.

“Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, reformed or otherwise modified from time to time.

“Collateral Documents” means the documents set forth on Exhibit A hereto, together with all amendments, modifications, and restatements thereof, including any requested by the Agent pursuant to Section 4.1(vii).

“Collateral Shortfall Amount” is defined in Section 8.1.

“Commitment” means, for each Lender, the obligation of such Lender to make Loans to, and participate in Facility LCs issued upon the application of, the Borrower in an aggregate amount not exceeding the amount set forth opposite its signature below, as it may be modified as a result of any assignment that has become effective pursuant to Section 12.3.2 or as otherwise modified from time to time pursuant to the terms hereof.

“Consolidated Current Ratio” means the ratio of current assets to current liabilities of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries, each as defined under GAAP.

“Consolidated EBITDA” means Consolidated Net Income plus, to the extent deducted from revenues in determining Consolidated Net Income, (i) Consolidated Interest Expense, (ii) expense for taxes paid or accrued, (iii) depreciation expenses, (iv) amortization expenses, and (v)

extraordinary losses incurred other than in the ordinary course of business and non-cash charges resulting from discontinued operations, minus, to the extent included in Consolidated Net Income, extraordinary gains realized other than in the ordinary course of business, all calculated for the Borrower and its Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis.

“Consolidated Funded Indebtedness” means at any time the aggregate dollar amount of Consolidated Indebtedness which has actually been funded and is outstanding at such time, whether or not such amount is due or payable at such time.

“Consolidated Indebtedness” means at any time the Indebtedness of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries calculated on a consolidated basis as of such time.

“Consolidated Interest Expense” means, with reference to any period, the interest expense of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries calculated on a consolidated basis for such period.

“Consolidated Net Income” means, with reference to any period, the net income (or loss) of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries calculated on a consolidated basis for such period.

“Consolidated Net Worth” means at any time the consolidated stockholders’ equity of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries calculated on a consolidated basis as of such time.

“Contingent Obligation” of a Person means any agreement, undertaking or arrangement by which such Person assumes, guarantees, endorses, contingently agrees to purchase or provide funds for the payment of, or otherwise becomes or is contingently liable upon, the obligation or liability of any other Person, or agrees to maintain the net worth or working capital or other financial condition of any other Person, or otherwise assures any creditor of such other Person against loss, including, without limitation, any comfort letter, operating agreement, take-or-pay contract or the obligations of any such Person as general partner of a partnership with respect to the liabilities of the partnership; provided, however, that endorsements of checks and similar negotiable instruments for deposit in the ordinary course of business shall not be deemed Contingent Obligations.

“Conversion/Continuation Notice” is defined in Section 2.9.

“Controlled Group” means all members of a controlled group of corporations or other business entities and all trades or businesses (whether or not incorporated) under common control which, together with the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries, are treated as a single employer under Section 414 of the Code.

“Credit Extension” means the making of an Advance or the issuance of a Facility LC hereunder.

“Credit Extension Date” means the Borrowing Date for an Advance or the issuance date for a Facility LC.

“Default” means an event described in Article VII.

“Environmental Laws” means any and all federal, state, local and foreign statutes, laws, judicial decisions, regulations, ordinances, rules, judgments, orders, decrees, plans, injunctions, permits, concessions, grants, franchises, licenses, agreements and other governmental restrictions relating to (i) the protection of the environment, (ii) the effect of the environment on human health, (iii) emissions, discharges or releases of pollutants, contaminants, hazardous substances or wastes into surface water, ground water or land, or (iv) the manufacture, processing, distribution, use, treatment, storage, disposal, transport or handling of pollutants, contaminants, hazardous substances or wastes or the clean-up or other remediation thereof.

“ERISA” means the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended from time to time, and any rule or regulation issued thereunder.

“Eurodollar Advance” means an Advance which, except as otherwise provided in Section 2.11, bears interest at the applicable Eurodollar Rate.

“Eurodollar Base Rate” means, with respect to a Eurodollar Advance for the relevant Interest Period, the applicable British Bankers’ Association LIBOR rate for deposits in U.S. dollars as reported by any generally recognized financial information service as of 11:00 a.m. (London time) two Business Days prior to the first day of such Interest Period, and having a maturity equal to such Interest Period, provided that, if no such British Bankers’ Association LIBOR rate is available to the Agent, the applicable Eurodollar Base Rate for the relevant Interest Period shall instead be the rate determined by the Agent to be the rate at which Bank One or one of its Affiliate banks offers to place deposits in U.S. dollars with first-class banks in the interbank market at approximately 11:00 a.m. (London time) two Business Days prior to the first day of such Interest Period, in the approximate amount of Bank One’s relevant Eurodollar Loan and having a maturity equal to such Interest Period.

“Eurodollar Loan” means a Loan which, except as otherwise provided in Section 2.11, bears interest at the applicable Eurodollar Rate.

“Eurodollar Rate” means, with respect to a Eurodollar Advance for the relevant Interest Period, the sum of (i) the quotient of (a) the Eurodollar Base Rate applicable to such Interest Period, divided by (b) one minus the Reserve Requirement (expressed as a decimal) applicable to such Interest Period, plus (ii) the Applicable Margin.

“Excluded Subsidiaries” means MinDOC, L.L.C., Southport of Houma, L.L.C., GIFI Properties, L.L.C., and Deep Ocean Services, L.L.C.

“Excluded Taxes” means, in the case of each Lender or applicable Lending Installation and the Agent, taxes imposed on its overall net income, and franchise taxes imposed on it, by (i) the jurisdiction under the laws of which such Lender or the Agent is incorporated or organized or (ii) the jurisdiction in which the Agent’s or such Lender’s principal executive office or such Lender’s applicable Lending Installation is located.

“Exhibit” refers to an exhibit to this Agreement, unless another document is specifically referenced.

“Existing Subsidiaries” means Gulf Island Subsidiary, Dolphin, Southport, MinDOC, and GIF Finance.

“Facility LC” is defined in Section 2.19.1.

“Facility LC Application” is defined in Section 2.19.3.

“Facility LC Collateral Account” is defined in Section 2.19.11.

“Facility Termination Date” means December 31, 2005 or any later date as may be specified as the Facility Termination Date in any amendment to this Agreement or any earlier date on which the Aggregate Commitment is reduced to zero or otherwise terminated pursuant to the terms hereof.

“Federal Funds Effective Rate” means, for any day, an interest rate per annum equal to the weighted average of the rates on overnight Federal funds transactions with members of the Federal Reserve System arranged by Federal funds brokers on such day, as published for such day (or, if such day is not a Business Day, for the immediately preceding Business Day) by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, or, if such rate is not so published for any day which is a Business Day, the average of the quotations at approximately 10:00 a.m. (Chicago time) on such day on such transactions received by the Agent from three Federal funds brokers of recognized standing selected by the Agent in its sole discretion.

“Financial Contract” of a Person means (i) any exchange-traded or over-the-counter futures, forward, swap or option contract or other financial instrument with similar characteristics, or (ii) any Rate Management Transaction.

“Floating Rate” means, for any day, a rate per annum equal to the Alternate Base Rate for such day, changing when and as the Alternate Base Rate changes.

“Floating Rate Advance” means an Advance which, except as otherwise provided in Section 2.11, bears interest at the Floating Rate.

“Floating Rate Loan” means a Loan which, except as otherwise provided in Section 2.11, bears interest at the Floating Rate.

“Fund” means any Person (other than a natural person) that is (or will be) engaged in making, purchasing, holding or otherwise investing in commercial loans and similar extensions of credit in the ordinary course of its business.

“GAAP” means generally accepted accounting principles as in effect from time to time, on a basis consistent (except for changes approved by independent public accountants for the Borrower) with the most recent audited financial statements of the Borrower completed prior to the date hereof.

“Guarantor” means each of the Existing Subsidiaries and their respective successors and assigns, together with any Subsidiaries (other than Excluded Subsidiaries) formed from time to time.

“Guaranty” means that certain Amended and Restated Subsidiary Continuing Guaranty dated as of even date herewith, executed by the Existing Subsidiaries, in solido, in favor of the Agent, for the ratable benefit of the Lenders, as it may be amended or modified and in effect from time to time.

“Indebtedness” of a Person means, calculated without duplication and in accordance with GAAP, such Person’s (i) obligations for borrowed money, (ii) obligations representing the deferred purchase price of Property or services (other than accounts payable arising in the ordinary course of such Person’s business payable on terms customary in the trade), (iii) obligations, whether or not assumed, secured by Liens or payable out of the proceeds or production from Property now or hereafter owned or acquired by such Person (provided that if the obligations are not assumed, the amount of such obligation shall be restricted, for purposes of Section 6.21, to the fair market value of the Property encumbered), (iv) obligations which are evidenced by notes, acceptances, or other instruments, (v) obligations of such Person to purchase securities or other Property arising out of or in connection with the sale of the same or substantially similar securities or Property, (vi) Capitalized Lease Obligations, (vii) the fair value of Contingent Obligations (excluding, however, for purposes of the calculation of Indebtedness, any guaranties by the Borrower of a Subsidiary’s construction contract), (viii) Reimbursement Obligations; (ix) Rate Management Obligations; (x) Off-Balance Sheet Liabilities; (xi) Sale and Leaseback Transactions; (xii) obligations to reimburse the issuer of Letters of Credit; (xiii) all liabilities in respect of unfunded vested benefits under any Plan; and (xiv) any other obligation for borrowed money or other financial accommodation which in accordance with GAAP would be shown as a liability on the consolidated balance sheet of such Person.

“Interest Period” means, with respect to a Eurodollar Advance, a period of one, two, three or six months commencing on a Business Day selected by the Borrower pursuant to this Agreement. Such Interest Period shall end on the day which corresponds numerically to such date one, two, three or six months thereafter, provided, however, that if there is no such numerically corresponding day in such next, second, third or sixth succeeding month, such Interest Period shall end on the last Business Day of such next, second, third or sixth succeeding month. If an Interest Period would otherwise end on a day which is not a Business Day, such Interest Period shall end on the next succeeding Business Day, provided, however, that if said next succeeding Business Day falls in a new calendar month, such Interest Period shall end on the immediately preceding Business Day.

“Investment” of a Person means any loan, advance (other than commission, travel and similar advances to officers and employees made in the ordinary course of business), extension of credit (other than accounts receivable arising in the ordinary course of business on terms customary in the trade) or contribution of capital by such Person; stocks, bonds, mutual funds,

partnership interests, notes, debentures or other securities owned by such Person; any deposit accounts and certificate of deposit owned by such Person; and structured notes, derivative financial instruments and other similar instruments or contracts owned by such Person.

“Late Expiring Facility LC” means any Facility LC with an expiry date after the Facility Termination Date.

“LC Fee” is defined in Section 2.19.4.

“LC Issuer” means Bank One (or any subsidiary or Affiliate of Bank One designated by Bank One) in its capacity as issuer of Facility LCs hereunder.

“LC Obligations” means, at any time, the sum, without duplication, of (i) the aggregate undrawn stated amount under all Facility LCs outstanding at such time plus (ii) the aggregate unpaid amount at such time of all Reimbursement Obligations.

“LC Payment Date” is defined in Section 2.19.5.

“Lenders” means the lending institutions listed on the signature pages of this Agreement and their respective successors and assigns.

“Lender Guaranty Indebtedness” means any obligation of Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries to reimburse the issuer of any bank guaranty issued outside of the United States for draws on such bank guaranty, including principal, interest, fees, costs, and expenses.

“Lending Installation” means, with respect to a Lender or the Agent, the office, branch, subsidiary or affiliate of such Lender or the Agent listed on the signature pages hereof or on a Schedule or otherwise selected by such Lender or the Agent pursuant to Section 2.17.

“Letter of Credit” of a Person means a letter of credit or similar instrument which is issued upon the application of such Person or upon which such Person is an account party or for which such Person is in any way liable.

“Lien” means any lien (statutory or other), mortgage, pledge, hypothecation, assignment, deposit arrangement, encumbrance or preference, priority or other security agreement or preferential arrangement of any kind or nature whatsoever (including, without limitation, the interest of a vendor or lessor under any conditional sale, Capitalized Lease or other title retention agreement).

“Loan” means, with respect to a Lender, such Lender’s loan made pursuant to Article II (or any conversion or continuation thereof).

“Loan Documents” means this Agreement, the Facility LC Applications, any Notes issued pursuant to Section 2.13, the Collateral Documents, and the Guaranty.

“Material Adverse Effect” means a material adverse effect on (i) the business, Property, condition (financial or otherwise), results of operations, or prospects of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole, or (ii) the ability of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, to perform their obligations under the Loan Documents.

“Material Indebtedness” means Indebtedness in an outstanding principal amount of $2,000,000.00 or more in the aggregate (or the equivalent thereof in any currency other than U.S. dollars).

“Material Indebtedness Agreement” means any agreement under which any Material Indebtedness was created or is governed or which provides for the incurrence of Indebtedness in an amount which would constitute Material Indebtedness (whether or not an amount of Indebtedness constituting Material Indebtedness is outstanding thereunder).

“Modify” and “Modification” are defined in Section 2.19.1.

“Moody’s” means ▇▇▇▇▇’▇ Investors Service, Inc.

“Multiemployer Plan” means a Plan maintained pursuant to a collective bargaining agreement or any other arrangement to which the Borrower or any member of the Controlled Group is a party to which more than one employer is obligated to make contributions.

“Net ▇▇▇▇-to-Market Exposure” of a Person means, as of any date of determination, the excess (if any) of all unrealized losses over all unrealized profits of such Person arising from Rate Management Transactions. “Unrealized losses” means the fair market value of the cost to such Person of replacing such Rate Management Transaction as of the date of determination (assuming the Rate Management Transaction were to be terminated as of that date), and “unrealized profits” means the fair market value of the gain to such Person of replacing such Rate Management Transaction as of the date of determination (assuming such Rate Management Transaction were to be terminated as of that date).

“Non-U.S. Lender” is defined in Section 3.5(iv).

“Note” is defined in Section 2.13.

“Obligations” means all unpaid principal of and accrued and unpaid interest on the Loans, all Reimbursement Obligations, all accrued and unpaid fees and all expenses, reimbursements, indemnities and other obligations of the Borrower to the Lenders or to any Lender, the Agent, the LC Issuer or any indemnified party arising under the Loan Documents.

“Off-Balance Sheet Liability” of a Person means (i) any repurchase obligation or liability of such Person with respect to accounts or notes receivable sold by such Person, (ii) any liability under any Sale and Leaseback Transaction which is not a Capitalized Lease, (iii) any liability under any so-called “synthetic lease” transaction entered into by such Person, or (iv) any obligation arising with respect to any other transaction which is the functional equivalent of or takes the place of borrowing but which does not constitute a liability on the balance sheets of such Person, but excluding from this clause (iv) Operating Leases.

“Operating Lease” of a Person means any lease of Property (other than a Capitalized Lease) by such Person as lessee which has an original term (including any required renewals and any renewals effective at the option of the lessor) of one year or more.

“Other Taxes” is defined in Section 3.5(ii).

“Outstanding Credit Exposure” means, as to any Lender at any time, the sum of (i) the aggregate principal amount of its Loans outstanding at such time, plus (ii) an amount equal to its Pro Rata Share of the LC Obligations at such time.

“Participants” is defined in Section 12.2.1.

“Payment Date” means the last day of each March, June, September, and December.

“PBGC” means the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, or any successor thereto.

“Permitted Indebtedness” means any Indebtedness permitted by Section 6.10.

“Person” means any natural person, corporation, firm, joint venture, partnership, limited liability company, association, enterprise, trust or other entity or organization, or any government or political subdivision or any agency, department or instrumentality thereof.

“Plan” means an employee pension benefit plan which is covered by Title IV of ERISA or subject to the minimum funding standards under Section 412 of the Code as to which the Borrower or any member of the Controlled Group may have any liability.

“Prime Rate” means a rate per annum equal to the prime rate of interest announced from time to time by Bank One or its parent (which is not necessarily the lowest rate charged to any customer), changing when and as said prime rate changes.

“Property” of a Person means any and all property, whether real, personal, tangible, intangible, or mixed, of such Person, or other assets owned, leased or operated by such Person.

“Pro Rata Share” means, with respect to a Lender, a portion equal to a fraction the numerator of which is such Lender’s Commitment and the denominator of which is the Aggregate Commitment.

“Purchasers” is defined in Section 12.3.1.

“Rate Management Transaction” means any transaction (including an agreement with respect thereto) now existing or hereafter entered by the Borrower or a Subsidiary which is a rate swap, basis swap, forward rate transaction, commodity swap, commodity option, equity or equity index swap, equity or equity index option, bond option, interest rate option, foreign exchange

transaction, cap transaction, floor transaction, collar transaction, forward transaction, currency swap transaction, cross-currency rate swap transaction, currency option or any other similar transaction (including any option with respect to any of these transactions) or any combination thereof, whether linked to one or more interest rates, foreign currencies, commodity prices, equity prices or other financial measures.

“Rate Management Obligations” of a Person means any and all obligations of such Person, whether absolute or contingent and howsoever and whensoever created, arising, evidenced or acquired (including all renewals, extensions and modifications thereof and substitutions therefor), under (i) any and all Rate Management Transactions, and (ii) any and all cancellations, buy backs, reversals, terminations or assignments of any Rate Management Transactions.

“Regulation D” means Regulation D of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System as from time to time in effect and any successor thereto or other regulation or official interpretation of said Board of Governors relating to reserve requirements applicable to member banks of the Federal Reserve System.

“Regulation U” means Regulation U of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System as from time to time in effect and any successor or other regulation or official interpretation of said Board of Governors relating to the extension of credit by banks for the purpose of purchasing or carrying margin stocks applicable to member banks of the Federal Reserve System.

“Reimbursement Obligations” means, at any time, the aggregate of all obligations of the Borrower then outstanding under Section 2.19 to reimburse the LC Issuer for amounts paid by the LC Issuer in respect of any one or more drawings under Facility LCs.

“Reportable Event” means a reportable event as defined in Section 4043 of ERISA and the regulations issued under such section, with respect to a Plan, excluding, however, such events as to which the PBGC has by regulation waived the requirement of Section 4043(a) of ERISA that it be notified within 30 days of the occurrence of such event, provided, however, that a failure to meet the minimum funding standard of Section 412 of the Code and of Section 302 of ERISA shall be a Reportable Event regardless of the issuance of any such waiver of the notice requirement in accordance with either Section 4043(a) of ERISA or Section 412(d) of the Code.

“Reports” is defined in Section 9.6.

“Required Lenders” means Lenders in the aggregate having at least a majority of the Aggregate Commitment or, if the Aggregate Commitment has been terminated, Lenders in the aggregate holding at least a majority of the Aggregate Outstanding Credit Exposure.

“Reserve Requirement” means, with respect to an Interest Period, the maximum aggregate reserve requirement (including all basic, supplemental, marginal and other reserves) which is imposed under Regulation D on Eurocurrency liabilities.

“S&P” means Standard and Poor’s Ratings Services, a division of The McGraw Hill Companies, Inc.

“Sale and Leaseback Transaction” means any sale or other transfer of Property by any Person with the intent to lease such Property as lessee.

“Schedule” refers to a specific schedule to this Agreement, unless another document is specifically referenced.

“Section” means a numbered section of this Agreement, unless another document is specifically referenced.

“Secured Obligations” means the Obligations.

“Single Employer Plan” means a Plan maintained by the Borrower or any member of the Controlled Group for employees of the Borrower or any member of the Controlled Group.

“Subordinated Indebtedness” of a Person means any Indebtedness of such Person the payment of which is subordinated to payment of the Secured Obligations to the written satisfaction of the Required Lenders.

“Subordination Agreement” means that certain Subordination Agreement among Gulf Island Subsidiary, GIF Finance, and Agent, on behalf of the Lenders, dated October 24, 2001, as amended and restated from time to time.

“Subsidiary” of a Person means (i) any corporation more than 50% of the outstanding securities having ordinary voting power of which shall at the time be owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by such Person or by one or more of its Subsidiaries or by such Person and one or more of its Subsidiaries, or (ii) any partnership, limited liability company, association, joint venture or similar business organization more than 50% of the ownership interests having ordinary voting power of which shall at the time be so owned or controlled. Unless otherwise expressly provided, all references herein to a “Subsidiary” shall mean a Subsidiary of the Borrower.

“Substantial Portion” means, with respect to the Property of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries, Property which represents more than 15% of the consolidated assets of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries or property which is responsible for more than 15% of the consolidated net sales or of the consolidated net income of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries, in each case, as would be shown in the consolidated financial statements of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries as at the beginning of the twelve-month period ending with the month in which such determination is made (or if financial statements have not been delivered hereunder for that month which begins the twelve-month period, then the financial statements delivered hereunder for the quarter ending immediately prior to that month).

“Taxes” means any and all present or future taxes, duties, levies, imposts, deductions, charges or withholdings, and any and all liabilities with respect to the foregoing, but excluding Excluded Taxes and Other Taxes.

“Third-Party Letter of Credit Indebtedness” means any obligation of Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries to reimburse the issuer of any letter of credit, other than letters of credit issued pursuant to this Agreement, for draws on such letter of credit, including principal, interests, fees, costs, and expenses. “Third-Party Letter of Credit Indebtedness” specially includes any such obligation of Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries to reimburse either Lender for draws on letters of credit issued by such Lender other than pursuant to the terms of this Agreement.

“Transferee” is defined in Section 12.4.

“Type” means, with respect to any Advance, its nature as a Floating Rate Advance or a Eurodollar Advance and with respect to any Loan, its nature as a Floating Rate Loan or a Eurodollar Loan.

“Unfunded Liabilities” means the amount (if any) by which the present value of all vested and unvested accrued benefits under all Single Employer Plans exceeds the fair market value of all such Plan assets allocable to such benefits, all determined as of the then most recent valuation date for such Plans using PBGC actuarial assumptions for single employer plan terminations.

“Unmatured Default” means an event which but for the lapse of time or the giving of notice, or both, would constitute a Default.

“Wholly-Owned Subsidiary” of a Person means (i) any Subsidiary all of the outstanding voting securities of which shall at the time be owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by such Person or one or more Wholly-Owned Subsidiaries of such Person, or by such Person and one or more Wholly-Owned Subsidiaries of such Person, or (ii) any partnership, limited liability company, association, joint venture or similar business organization 100% of the ownership interests having ordinary voting power of which shall at the time be so owned or controlled.

The foregoing definitions shall be equally applicable to both the singular and plural forms of the defined terms.

ARTICLE II

THE CREDITS

2.1. Commitment. From and including the date of this Agreement and prior to the Facility Termination Date, each Lender severally agrees, on the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement, to (i) make Loans to the Borrower and (ii) participate in Facility LCs issued prior to the Facility Termination Date upon the request of the Borrower for the benefit of the Borrower or any Subsidiary (other than an Excluded Subsidiary), provided that, after giving effect to the

making of each such Loan and the issuance of each such Facility LC, such Lender’s Outstanding Credit Exposure shall not exceed its Commitment. Subject to the terms of this Agreement, the Borrower may borrow, repay and reborrow at any time prior to the Facility Termination Date. The Commitments to extend credit hereunder shall expire on the Facility Termination Date. The LC Issuer will issue Facility LCs hereunder on the terms and conditions set forth in Section 2.19.

2.2. Required Payments; Termination. The Aggregate Outstanding Credit Exposure and all other unpaid Obligations shall be paid in full by the Borrower on the Facility Termination Date; provided, however, that any Late Expiring Facility LC that is fully cash collateralized as provided in Section 2.19.11 may remain outstanding after the Facility Termination Date.

2.3. Ratable Loans. Each Advance hereunder shall consist of Loans made from the several Lenders ratably according to their Pro Rata Shares.

2.4. Types of Advances. The Advances may be Floating Rate Advances or Eurodollar Advances, or a combination thereof, selected by the Borrower in accordance with Sections 2.8 and 2.9.

2.5. Commitment Fee; Reductions in Aggregate Commitment. The Borrower agrees to pay to the Agent for the account of each Lender according to its Pro Rata Share a commitment fee of .1875% per annum on the average daily Available Aggregate Commitment from the date hereof to and including the Facility Termination Date, payable on each Payment Date hereafter and on the Facility Termination Date. The Borrower may permanently reduce the Aggregate Commitment in whole, or in part ratably among the Lenders in the minimum amount of $500,000 (and in multiples of $100,000 if in excess thereof), upon at least five Business Days’ written notice to the Agent, which notice shall specify the amount of any such reduction, provided, however, that the amount of the Aggregate Commitment may not be reduced below the Aggregate Outstanding Credit Exposure. All accrued commitment fees shall be payable on the effective date of any termination of the obligations of the Lenders to make Credit Extensions hereunder.

2.6. Minimum Amount of Each Advance. Each Eurodollar Advance shall be in the minimum amount of $500,000 (and in multiples of $100,000 if in excess thereof), and each Floating Rate Advance shall be in the minimum amount of $100,000 (and in multiples of $100,000 if in excess thereof), provided, however, that any Floating Rate Advance may be in the amount of the Available Aggregate Commitment.

2.7. Optional Principal Payments. The Borrower may from time to time pay, without penalty or premium, all outstanding Floating Rate Advances, or, in a minimum aggregate amount of $100,000 or any integral multiple of $100,000 in excess thereof, any portion of the outstanding Floating Rate Advances upon one Business Day’s prior notice to the Agent. The Borrower may from time to time pay, subject to the payment of any funding indemnification amounts required by Section 3.4 but without penalty or premium, all outstanding Eurodollar Advances, or, in a minimum aggregate amount of $500,000 or any integral multiple of $100,000 in excess thereof, any portion of the outstanding Eurodollar Advances upon three Business Days’ prior notice to the Agent.

2.8. Method of Selecting Types and Interest Periods for New Advances. The Borrower shall select the Type of Advance and, in the case of each Eurodollar Advance, the Interest Period applicable thereto from time to time. The Borrower shall give the Agent irrevocable notice (a “Borrowing Notice”) not later than 10:00 a.m. (Chicago time) at least one Business Day before the Borrowing Date of each Floating Rate Advance and three Business Days before the Borrowing Date for each Eurodollar Advance, specifying:

(i)

the Borrowing Date, which shall be a Business Day, of such Advance,

(ii)

the aggregate amount of such Advance,

(iii)

the Type of Advance selected, and

(iv)

in the case of each Eurodollar Advance, the Interest Period applicable thereto.

Not later than noon (Chicago time) on each Borrowing Date, each Lender shall make available its Loan or Loans in funds immediately available in Chicago to the Agent at its address specified pursuant to Article XIII. The Agent will make the funds so received from the Lenders available to the Borrower at the Agent’s aforesaid address.

2.9. Conversion and Continuation of Outstanding Advances. Floating Rate Advances shall continue as Floating Rate Advances unless and until such Floating Rate Advances are converted into Eurodollar Advances pursuant to this Section 2.9 or are repaid in accordance with Section 2.7. Each Eurodollar Advance shall continue as a Eurodollar Advance until the end of the then applicable Interest Period therefor, at which time such Eurodollar Advance shall be automatically converted into a Floating Rate Advance unless (x) such Eurodollar Advance is or was repaid in accordance with Section 2.7 or (y) the Borrower shall have given the Agent a Conversion/Continuation Notice (as defined below) requesting that, at the end of such Interest Period, such Eurodollar Advance continue as a Eurodollar Advance for the same or another Interest Period. Subject to the terms of Section 2.6, the Borrower may elect from time to time to convert all or any part of a Floating Rate Advance into a Eurodollar Advance. The Borrower shall give the Agent irrevocable notice (a “Conversion/Continuation Notice”) of each conversion of a Floating Rate Advance into a Eurodollar Advance or continuation of a Eurodollar Advance not later than 10:00 a.m. (Chicago time) at least three Business Days prior to the date of the requested conversion or continuation, specifying:

(i)

the requested date, which shall be a Business Day, of such conversion or continuation,

(ii)

the aggregate amount and Type of the Advance which is to be converted or continued, and

(iii)

the amount of such Advance which is to be converted into or continued as a Eurodollar Advance and the duration of the Interest Period applicable thereto.

2.10. Changes in Interest Rate, etc. Each Floating Rate Advance shall bear interest on the outstanding principal amount thereof, for each day from and including the date such Advance is made or is automatically converted from a Eurodollar Advance into a Floating Rate Advance pursuant to Section 2.9, to but excluding the date it is paid or is converted into a Eurodollar Advance pursuant to Section 2.9 hereof, at a rate per annum equal to the Floating Rate for such day. Changes in the rate of interest on that portion of any Advance maintained as a Floating Rate Advance will take effect simultaneously with each change in the Alternate Base Rate. Each Eurodollar Advance shall bear interest on the outstanding principal amount thereof from and including the first day of the Interest Period applicable thereto to (but not including) the last day of such Interest Period at the interest rate determined by the Agent as applicable to such Eurodollar Advance based upon the Borrower’s selections under Sections 2.8 and 2.9 and otherwise in accordance with the terms hereof. No Interest Period may end after the Facility Termination Date.

2.11. Rates Applicable After Default. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in Section 2.8, 2.9, or 2.10 during the continuance of a Default or Unmatured Default the Required Lenders may, at their option, by notice to the Borrower, declare that no Advance may be made as, converted into or continued as a Eurodollar Advance. During the continuance of a Default the Required Lenders may, at their option, by notice to the Borrower, declare that (i) each Eurodollar Advance shall bear interest for the remainder of the applicable Interest Period at the rate otherwise applicable to such Interest Period plus 2% per annum, (ii) each Floating Rate Advance shall bear interest at a rate per annum equal to the Floating Rate in effect from time to time plus 2% per annum and (iii) the LC Fee shall be increased by 2% per annum, provided that, during the continuance of a Default under Section 7.6 or 7.7, the interest rates set forth in clauses (i) and (ii) above and the increase in the LC Fee set forth in clause (iii) above shall be applicable to all Credit Extensions without any election or action on the part of the Agent or any Lender.

2.12. Method of Payment. All payments of the Obligations hereunder shall be made, without setoff, deduction, or counterclaim, in immediately available funds to the Agent at the Agent’s address specified pursuant to Article XIII, or at any other Lending Installation of the Agent specified in writing by the Agent to the Borrower, by noon (local time) on the date when due and shall (except in the case of Reimbursement Obligations for which the LC Issuer has not been fully indemnified by the Lenders, or as otherwise specifically required hereunder) be applied ratably by the Agent among the Lenders. Each payment delivered to the Agent for the account of any Lender shall be delivered promptly by the Agent to such Lender in the same type of funds that the Agent received at its address specified pursuant to Article XIII or at any Lending Installation specified in a notice received by the Agent from such Lender. The Agent is hereby authorized to charge the account of the Borrower maintained with Bank One for each payment of principal, interest, Reimbursement Obligations and fees as it becomes due hereunder. Each reference to the Agent in this Section 2.12 shall also be deemed to refer, and shall apply equally, to the LC Issuer, in the case of payments required to be made by the Borrower to the LC Issuer pursuant to Section 2.19.6.

2.13. Noteless Agreement; Evidence of Indebtedness. (i) Each Lender shall maintain in accordance with its usual practice an account or accounts evidencing the indebtedness of the Borrower to such Lender resulting from each Loan made by such Lender from time to time, including the amounts of principal and interest payable and paid to such Lender from time to time hereunder.

(ii) The Agent shall also maintain accounts in which it will record (a) the amount of each Loan made hereunder, the Type thereof and the Interest Period with respect thereto, (b) the amount of any principal or interest due and payable or to become due and payable from the Borrower to each Lender hereunder, (c) the original stated amount of each Facility LC and the amount of LC Obligations outstanding at any time, and (d) the amount of any sum received by the Agent hereunder from the Borrower and each Lender’s share thereof.

(iii) The entries maintained in the accounts maintained pursuant to paragraphs (i) and (ii) above shall be prima facie evidence of the existence and amounts of the Obligations therein recorded; provided, however, that the failure of the Agent or any Lender to maintain such accounts or any error therein shall not in any manner affect the obligation of the Borrower to repay the Obligations in accordance with their terms.

(iv) Any Lender may request that its Loans be evidenced by a promissory note (a “Note”). In such event, the Borrower shall prepare, execute and deliver to such Lender a Note payable to the order of such Lender in the form of Exhibit E. Thereafter, the Loans evidenced by such Note and interest thereon shall at all times (prior to any assignment pursuant to Section 12.3) be represented by one or more Notes payable to the order of the payee named therein except to the extent that any such Lender subsequently returns any such Note for cancellation and requests that such Loans once again be evidenced as described in paragraphs (i) and (ii) above.

2.14. Telephonic Notices. The Borrower hereby authorizes the Lenders and the Agent to extend, convert or continue Advances, effect selections of Types of Advances and to transfer funds based on telephonic notices made by any person or persons the Agent or any Lender in good faith believes to be acting on behalf of the Borrower, it being understood that the foregoing authorization is specifically intended to allow Borrowing Notices and Conversion/Continuation Notices to be given telephonically. The Borrower agrees to deliver promptly to the Agent a written confirmation, if such confirmation is requested by the Agent or any Lender, of each telephonic notice signed by an Authorized Officer. If the written confirmation differs in any material respect from the action taken by the Agent and the Lenders, the records of the Agent and the Lenders shall govern absent manifest error.

2.15. Interest Payment Dates; Interest and Fee Basis. Interest accrued on each Floating Rate Advance shall be payable on each Payment Date, commencing with the first such date to occur after the date hereof, on any date on which the Floating Rate Advance is prepaid, whether due to acceleration or otherwise, and at maturity. Interest accrued on that portion of the outstanding principal amount of any Floating Rate Advance converted into a Eurodollar Advance on a day other than a Payment Date shall be payable on the date of conversion. Interest accrued on each Eurodollar Advance shall be payable on the last day of its applicable Interest Period, on any date on which the Eurodollar Advance is prepaid, whether by acceleration or otherwise, and at maturity. Interest accrued on each Eurodollar Advance having an Interest Period longer than three months shall also be payable on the last day of each three-month interval during such Interest Period. Interest, commitment fees and LC Fees shall be calculated for actual days

elapsed on the basis of a 360-day year. Interest shall be payable for the day an Advance is made but not for the day of any payment on the amount paid if payment is received prior to noon (local time) at the place of payment. If any payment of principal of or interest on an Advance shall become due on a day which is not a Business Day, such payment shall be made on the next succeeding Business Day and, in the case of a principal payment, such extension of time shall be included in computing interest in connection with such payment.

2.16. Notification of Advances, Interest Rates, Prepayments and Commitment Reductions. Promptly after receipt thereof, the Agent will notify each Lender of the contents of each Aggregate Commitment reduction notice, Borrowing Notice, Conversion/Continuation Notice, and repayment notice received by it hereunder. Promptly after notice from the LC Issuer, the Agent will notify each Lender of the contents of each request for issuance of a Facility LC hereunder. The Agent will notify each Lender of the interest rate applicable to each Eurodollar Advance promptly upon determination of such interest rate and will give each Lender prompt notice of each change in the Alternate Base Rate.

2.17. Lending Installations. Each Lender may book its Loans and its participation in any LC Obligations and the LC Issuer may book the Facility LCs at any U.S. Lending Installation selected by such Lender or the LC Issuer, as the case may be, and may change its Lending Installation from time to time. All terms of this Agreement shall apply to any such Lending Installation and the Loans, Facility LCs, participations in LC Obligations and any Notes issued hereunder shall be deemed held by each Lender or the LC Issuer, as the case may be, for the benefit of any such Lending Installation. Each Lender and the LC Issuer may, by written notice to the Agent and the Borrower in accordance with Article XIII, designate replacement or additional Lending Installations through which Loans will be made by it or Facility LCs will be issued by it and for whose account Loan payments or payments with respect to Facility LCs are to be made.

2.18. Non-Receipt of Funds by the Agent. Unless the Borrower or a Lender, as the case may be, notifies the Agent prior to the date on which it is scheduled to make payment to the Agent of (i) in the case of a Lender, the proceeds of a Loan or (ii) in the case of the Borrower, a payment of principal, interest or fees to the Agent for the account of the Lenders, that it does not intend to make such payment, the Agent may assume that such payment has been made. The Agent may, but shall not be obligated to, make the amount of such payment available to the intended recipient in reliance upon such assumption. If such Lender or the Borrower, as the case may be, has not in fact made such payment to the Agent, the recipient of such payment shall, on demand by the Agent, repay to the Agent the amount so made available together with interest thereon in respect of each day during the period commencing on the date such amount was so made available by the Agent until the date the Agent recovers such amount at a rate per annum equal to (x) in the case of payment by a Lender, the Federal Funds Effective Rate for such day for the first three days and, thereafter, the interest rate applicable to the relevant Loan or (y) in the case of payment by the Borrower, the interest rate applicable to the relevant Loan.

2.19. Facility LCs.

2.19.1. Issuance. The LC Issuer hereby agrees, on the terms and conditions set

forth in this Agreement, to issue standby letters of credit (each, a “Facility LC”) and to renew, extend, increase, decrease or otherwise modify each Facility LC (“Modify,” and each such action a “Modification”), from time to time from and including the date of this Agreement and prior to the Facility Termination Date upon the request of the Borrower for the account of the Borrower or any Subsidiary other than an Excluded Subsidiary; provided that immediately after each such Facility LC is issued or Modified, the Aggregate Outstanding Credit Exposure shall not exceed the Aggregate Commitment. No Facility LC shall have an expiry date later than eighteen months after to the Facility Termination Date.

2.19.2. Participations. Upon the issuance or Modification by the LC Issuer of a Facility LC in accordance with this Section 2.19, the LC Issuer shall be deemed, without further action by any party hereto, to have unconditionally and irrevocably sold to each Lender, and each Lender shall be deemed, without further action by any party hereto, to have unconditionally and irrevocably purchased from the LC Issuer, a participation in such Facility LC (and each Modification thereof) and the related LC Obligations in proportion to its Pro Rata Share.

2.19.3. Notice. Subject to Section 2.19.1, the Borrower shall give the LC Issuer notice prior to 10:00 a.m. (Chicago time) at least three Business Days prior to the proposed date of issuance or Modification of each Facility LC, specifying the beneficiary, the proposed date of issuance (or Modification) and the expiry date of such Facility LC, and describing the proposed terms of such Facility LC and the nature of the transactions proposed to be supported thereby. Upon receipt of such notice, the LC Issuer shall promptly notify the Agent, and the Agent shall promptly notify each Lender, of the contents thereof and of the amount of such Lender’s participation in such proposed Facility LC. The issuance or Modification by the LC Issuer of any Facility LC shall, in addition to the conditions precedent set forth in Article IV (the satisfaction of which the LC Issuer shall have no duty to ascertain), be subject to the conditions precedent that such Facility LC shall be satisfactory to the LC Issuer and that the Borrower shall have executed and delivered such application agreement and/or such other instruments and agreements relating to such Facility LC as the LC Issuer shall have reasonably requested (each, a “Facility LC Application”). In no event, however, may the LC Issuer require the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries to provide additional collateral to secure the Reimbursement Obligations with respect to a Facility LC other than the collateral required by this Agreement. In the event of any conflict between the terms of this Agreement and the terms of any Facility LC Application, the terms of this Agreement shall control.

2.19.4. LC Fees. The Borrower shall pay to the Agent, for the account of the Lenders ratably in accordance with their respective Pro Rata Shares, with respect to each Facility LC, a letter of credit fee (the “LC Fee”) at the rate of 1.25% per annum on the average daily undrawn stated amount under such Facility LC, such fee to be payable in arrears on the last day of each quarter, beginning with the first quarter after such Facility LC is issued and ending on the expiry date of such Facility LC. The Borrower shall also pay to the LC Issuer for its own account (x) a fronting fee of $300.00 to be payable at the

time of issuance of such Facility LC, and (y) documentary and processing charges in connection with the issuance or Modification of and draws under Facility LCs in accordance with the LC Issuer’s standard schedule for such charges as in effect from time to time.

2.19.5. Administration; Reimbursement by Lenders. Upon receipt from the beneficiary of any Facility LC of any demand for payment under such Facility LC, the LC Issuer shall notify the Agent and the Agent shall promptly notify the Borrower and each other Lender as to the amount to be paid by the LC Issuer as a result of such demand and the proposed payment date (the “LC Payment Date”). The responsibility of the LC Issuer to the Borrower and each Lender shall be only to determine that the documents (including each demand for payment) delivered under each Facility LC in connection with such presentment shall be in conformity in all material respects with such Facility LC. The LC Issuer shall endeavor to exercise the same care in the issuance and administration of the Facility LCs as it does with respect to letters of credit in which no participations are granted, it being understood that in the absence of any gross negligence or willful misconduct by the LC Issuer, each Lender shall be unconditionally and irrevocably liable without regard to the occurrence of any Default or any condition precedent whatsoever, to reimburse the LC Issuer on demand for (i) such Lender’s Pro Rata Share of the amount of each payment made by the LC Issuer under each Facility LC to the extent such amount is not reimbursed by the Borrower pursuant to Section 2.19.6 below, plus (ii) interest on the foregoing amount to be reimbursed by such Lender, for each day from the date of the LC Issuer’s demand for such reimbursement (or, if such demand is made after 11:00 a.m. (Chicago time) on such date, from the next succeeding Business Day) to the date on which such Lender pays the amount to be reimbursed by it, at a rate of interest per annum equal to the Federal Funds Effective Rate for the first three days and, thereafter, at a rate of interest equal to the rate applicable to Floating Rate Advances.

2.19.6. Reimbursement by Borrower. The Borrower shall be irrevocably and unconditionally obligated to reimburse the LC Issuer on or before the applicable LC Payment Date for any amounts to be paid by the LC Issuer upon any drawing under any Facility LC whether issued for the account of the Borrower or a Subsidiary, without presentment, demand, protest or other formalities of any kind; provided that neither the Borrower nor any Lender shall hereby be precluded from asserting any claim for direct (but not consequential) damages suffered by the Borrower or such Lender to the extent, but only to the extent, caused by (i) the willful misconduct or gross negligence of the LC Issuer in determining whether a request presented under any Facility LC issued by it complied with the terms of such Facility LC or (ii) the LC Issuer’s failure to pay under any Facility LC issued by it after the presentation to it of a request strictly complying with the terms and conditions of such Facility LC. All such amounts paid by the LC Issuer and remaining unpaid by the Borrower shall bear interest, payable on demand, for each day until paid at a rate per annum equal to (x) the rate applicable to Floating Rate Advances for such day if such day falls on or before the applicable LC Payment Date and (y) the sum of 2% plus the rate applicable to Floating Rate Advances for such day if such day falls after such LC Payment Date. The LC Issuer will pay to each Lender ratably in accordance with its Pro Rata Share all amounts received by it from the Borrower for

application in payment, in whole or in part, of the Reimbursement Obligation in respect of any Facility LC issued by the LC Issuer, but only to the extent such Lender has made payment to the LC Issuer in respect of such Facility LC pursuant to Section 2.19.5. Subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement (including without limitation the submission of a Borrowing Notice in compliance with Section 2.8 and the satisfaction of the applicable conditions precedent set forth in Article IV), the Borrower may request an Advance hereunder for the purpose of satisfying any Reimbursement Obligation.

2.19.7. Obligations Absolute. The Borrower’s obligations under this Section 2.19 shall be absolute and unconditional under any and all circumstances and irrespective of any setoff, counterclaim or defense to payment which the Borrower or any Subsidiary may have or have had against the LC Issuer, any Lender or any beneficiary of a Facility LC. The Borrower further agrees with the LC Issuer and the Lenders that the LC Issuer and the Lenders shall not be responsible for, and the Borrower’s Reimbursement Obligation in respect of any Facility LC shall not be affected by, among other things, the validity or genuineness of documents or of any endorsements thereon, even if such documents should in fact prove to be in any or all respects invalid, fraudulent or forged, or any dispute between or among the Borrower, any of its Affiliates, the beneficiary of any Facility LC or any financing institution or other party to whom any Facility LC may be transferred or any claims or defenses whatsoever of the Borrower or of any of its Affiliates against the beneficiary of any Facility LC or any such transferee. The LC Issuer shall not be liable for any error, omission, interruption or delay in transmission, dispatch or delivery of any message or advice, however transmitted, in connection with any Facility LC. The Borrower agrees that any action taken or omitted by the LC Issuer or any Lender under or in connection with each Facility LC and the related drafts and documents, if done without gross negligence or willful misconduct, shall be binding upon the Borrower and shall not put the LC Issuer or any Lender under any liability to the Borrower. Notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing in this Section 2.19.7 is intended to limit the right of the Borrower to make a claim against the LC Issuer for damages as contemplated by the proviso to the first sentence of Section 2.19.6.

2.19.8. Actions of LC Issuer. The LC Issuer shall be entitled to rely, and shall be fully protected in relying, upon any Facility LC, draft, writing, resolution, notice, consent, certificate, affidavit, letter, cablegram, telegram, telecopy, telex or teletype message, statement, order or other document believed by it to be genuine and correct and to have been signed, sent or made by the proper Person or Persons, and upon advice and statements of legal counsel, independent accountants and other experts selected by the LC Issuer. The LC Issuer shall be fully justified in failing or refusing to take any action under this Agreement unless it shall first have received such advice or concurrence of the Required Lenders as it reasonably deems appropriate or it shall first be indemnified to its reasonable satisfaction by the Lenders against any and all liability and expense which may be incurred by it by reason of taking or continuing to take any such action. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Section 2.19, the LC Issuer shall in all cases be fully protected in acting, or in refraining from acting, under this Agreement in accordance with a request of the Required Lenders, and such request and any action taken or failure to act pursuant thereto shall be binding upon the Lenders and any future holders of a participation in any Facility LC.

2.19.9. Indemnification. The Borrower hereby agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Lender, the LC Issuer and the Agent, and their respective directors, officers, agents and employees from and against any and all claims and damages, losses, liabilities, costs or expenses which such Lender, the LC Issuer or the Agent may incur (or which may be claimed against such Lender, the LC Issuer or the Agent by any Person whatsoever) by reason of or in connection with the issuance, execution and delivery or transfer of or payment or failure to pay under any Facility LC or any actual or proposed use of any Facility LC, including, without limitation, any claims, damages, losses, liabilities, costs or expenses which the LC Issuer may incur by reason of or in connection with (i) the failure of any other Lender to fulfill or comply with its obligations to the LC Issuer hereunder (but nothing herein contained shall affect any rights the Borrower may have against any defaulting Lender) or (ii) by reason of or on account of the LC Issuer issuing any Facility LC which specifies that the term “Beneficiary” included therein includes any successor by operation of law of the named Beneficiary, but which Facility LC does not require that any drawing by any such successor Beneficiary be accompanied by a copy of a legal document, satisfactory to the LC Issuer, evidencing the appointment of such successor Beneficiary; provided that the Borrower shall not be required to indemnify any Lender, the LC Issuer or the Agent for any claims, damages, losses, liabilities, costs or expenses to the extent, but only to the extent, caused by (x) the willful misconduct or gross negligence of the LC Issuer in determining whether a request presented under any Facility LC complied with the terms of such Facility LC or (y) the LC Issuer’s failure to pay under any Facility LC after the presentation to it of a request strictly complying with the terms and conditions of such Facility LC. Nothing in this Section 2.19.9 is intended to limit the obligations of the Borrower under any other provision of this Agreement.

2.19.10. Lenders’ Indemnification. Each Lender shall, ratably in accordance with its Pro Rata Share, indemnify the LC Issuer, its affiliates and their respective directors, officers, agents and employees (to the extent not reimbursed by the Borrower) against any cost, expense (including reasonable counsel fees and disbursements), claim, demand, action, loss or liability (except such as result from such indemnitees’ gross negligence or willful misconduct or the LC Issuer’s failure to pay under any Facility LC after the presentation to it of a request strictly complying with the terms and conditions of the Facility LC) that such indemnitees may suffer or incur in connection with this Section 2.19 or any action taken or omitted by such indemnitees hereunder.

2.19.11. Facility LC Collateral Account. Following the Facility Termination Date or during the continuance of a Default, the Borrower agrees that it will, upon the request of the Agent or the Required Lenders and until the final expiration date of any Facility LC and thereafter as long as any amount is payable to the LC Issuer or the Lenders in respect of any Facility LC, maintain a special collateral account pursuant to arrangements satisfactory to the Agent (the “Facility LC Collateral Account”) at the Agent’s office at the address specified pursuant to Article XIII, in the name of such Borrower but under the sole dominion and control of the Agent, for the benefit of the

Lenders and in which such Borrower shall have no interest other than as set forth in Section 8.1. The Borrower hereby pledges, assigns and grants to the Agent, on behalf of and for the ratable benefit of the Lenders and the LC Issuer, a security interest in all of the Borrower’s right, title and interest in and to all funds which may from time to time be on deposit in the Facility LC Collateral Account to secure the prompt and complete payment and performance of the Obligations. The Agent will invest any funds on deposit from time to time in the Facility LC Collateral Account in certificates of deposit of Bank One having a maturity not exceeding 30 days. Nothing in this Section 2.19.11 shall either obligate the Agent to require the Borrower to deposit any funds in the Facility LC Collateral Account or limit the right of the Agent to release any funds held in the Facility LC Collateral Account, in each case other than as required by Section 8.1; provided, however that Borrower shall be obligated to deposit in the Facility LC Collateral Account, not later than ten (10) days prior to the Facility Termination Date, an amount directed by Agent in order to fully cash collateralize any Late Expiring Facility LC.

2.19.12. Rights as a Lender. In its capacity as a Lender, the LC Issuer shall have the same rights and obligations as any other Lender.

2.20. Replacement of Lender. If the Borrower is required pursuant to Section 3.1, 3.2 or 3.5 to make any additional payment to any Lender or if any Lender’s obligation to make or continue, or to convert Floating Rate Advances into, Eurodollar Advances shall be suspended pursuant to Section 3.3 (any Lender so affected an “Affected Lender”), the Borrower may elect, if such amounts continue to be charged or such suspension is still effective, to replace such Affected Lender as a Lender party to this Agreement, provided that no Default or Unmatured Default shall have occurred and be continuing at the time of such replacement, and provided further that, concurrently with such replacement, (i) another bank or other entity which is reasonably satisfactory to the Borrower, the Agent, and the LC Issuer shall agree, as of such date, to purchase for cash the Advances and other Obligations due to the Affected Lender pursuant to an assignment substantially in the form of Exhibit C and to become a Lender for all purposes under this Agreement and to assume all obligations of the Affected Lender to be terminated as of such date and to comply with the requirements of Section 12.3 applicable to assignments, and (ii) the Borrower shall pay to such Affected Lender in same day funds on the day of such replacement (A) all interest, fees and other amounts then accrued but unpaid to such Affected Lender by the Borrower hereunder to and including the date of termination, including without limitation payments due to such Affected Lender under Sections 3.1, 3.2 and 3.5, and (B) an amount, if any, equal to the payment which would have been due to such Lender on the day of such replacement under Section 3.4 had the Loans of such Affected Lender been prepaid on such date rather than sold to the replacement Lender.

ARTICLE III

YIELD PROTECTION; TAXES

3.1. Yield Protection. If, on or after the date of this Agreement, the adoption of any law or any governmental or quasi-governmental rule, regulation, policy, guideline or directive (whether or not having the force of law), or any change in the interpretation or administration thereof by any governmental or quasi-governmental authority, central bank or comparable agency charged with the interpretation or administration thereof, or compliance by any Lender or applicable Lending Installation or the LC Issuer with any request or directive (whether or not having the force of law) of any such authority, central bank or comparable agency:

(i)

subjects any Lender or any applicable Lending Installation or the LC Issuer to any Taxes, or changes the basis of taxation of payments (other than with respect to Excluded Taxes) to any Lender or the LC Issuer in respect of its Eurodollar Loans, Facility LCs or participations therein, or

(ii)

imposes or increases or deems applicable any reserve, assessment, insurance charge, special deposit or similar requirement against assets of, deposits with or for the account of, or credit extended by, any Lender or any applicable Lending Installation or the LC Issuer (other than reserves and assessments taken into account in determining the interest rate applicable to Eurodollar Advances), or

(iii)

imposes any other condition the result of which is to increase the cost to any Lender or any applicable Lending Installation or the LC Issuer of making, funding or maintaining its Eurodollar Loans, or of issuing or participating in Facility LCs, or reduces any amount receivable by any Lender or any applicable Lending Installation or the LC Issuer in connection with its Eurodollar Loans, Facility LCs or participations therein, or requires any Lender or any applicable Lending Installation or the LC Issuer to make any payment calculated by reference to the amount of Eurodollar Loans, Facility LCs or participations therein held or interest or LC Fees received by it, by an amount deemed material by such Lender or the LC Issuer as the case may be,

and the result of any of the foregoing is to increase the cost to such Lender or applicable Lending Installation or the LC Issuer, as the case may be, of making or maintaining its Eurodollar Loans or Commitment or of issuing or participating in Facility LCs or to reduce the return received by such Lender or applicable Lending Installation or the LC Issuer, as the case may be, in connection with such Eurodollar Loans, Commitment, Facility LCs or participations therein, then, within 15 days of demand by such Lender or the LC Issuer, as the case may be, the Borrower shall pay such Lender or the LC Issuer, as the case may be, such additional amount or amounts as will compensate such Lender or the LC Issuer, as the case may be, for such increased cost or reduction in amount received.

3.2. Changes in Capital Adequacy Regulations. If a Lender or the LC Issuer determines the amount of capital required or expected to be maintained by such Lender or the LC Issuer, any Lending Installation of such Lender or the LC Issuer or any corporation controlling such Lender or the LC Issuer is increased as a result of a Change, then, within 15 days of demand by such Lender or the LC Issuer, the Borrower shall pay such Lender or the LC Issuer the amount necessary to compensate for any shortfall in the rate of return on the portion of such increased capital which such Lender or the LC Issuer determines is attributable to this Agreement, its Outstanding Credit Exposure or its Commitment to make Loans and issue or participate in Facility LCs, as the case may be, hereunder (after taking into account such Lender’s or the LC Issuer’s policies as to capital adequacy). “Change” means (i) any change after the date of this Agreement in the Risk-Based Capital Guidelines or (ii) any adoption of or change in any other law, governmental or quasi-governmental rule, regulation, policy, guideline, interpretation, or directive (whether or not having the force of law) after the date of this Agreement which affects the amount of capital required or expected to be maintained by any Lender or the LC Issuer or any Lending Installation or any corporation controlling any Lender or the LC Issuer. “Risk-Based Capital Guidelines” means (i) the risk-based capital guidelines in effect in the United States on the date of this Agreement, including transition rules, and (ii) the corresponding capital regulations promulgated by regulatory authorities outside the United States implementing the July 1988 report of the Basle Committee on Banking Regulation and Supervisory Practices Entitled “International Convergence of Capital Measurements and Capital Standards,” including transition rules, and any amendments to such regulations adopted prior to the date of this Agreement.

3.3. Availability of Types of Advances. If any Lender determines that maintenance of its Eurodollar Loans at a suitable Lending Installation would violate any applicable law, rule, regulation, or directive, whether or not having the force of law, or if the Required Lenders determine that (i) deposits of a type and maturity appropriate to match fund Eurodollar Advances are not available or (ii) the interest rate applicable to Eurodollar Advances does not accurately reflect the cost of making or maintaining Eurodollar Advances, then the Agent shall suspend the availability of Eurodollar Advances and require any affected Eurodollar Advances to be repaid or converted to Floating Rate Advances, subject to the payment of any funding indemnification amounts required by Section 3.4.

3.4. Funding Indemnification. If any payment of a Eurodollar Advance occurs on a date which is not the last day of the applicable Interest Period, whether because of acceleration, prepayment or otherwise, or a Eurodollar Advance is not made on the date specified by the Borrower for any reason other than default by the Lenders, the Borrower will indemnify each Lender for any loss or cost incurred by it resulting therefrom, including, without limitation, any loss or cost in liquidating or employing deposits acquired to fund or maintain such Eurodollar Advance.

3.5. Taxes. (i) All payments by the Borrower to or for the account of any Lender, the LC Issuer or the Agent hereunder or under any Note or Facility LC Application shall be made free and clear of and without deduction for any and all Taxes. If the Borrower shall be required by law to deduct any Taxes from or in respect of any sum payable hereunder to any Lender,. the LC Issuer or the Agent, (a) the sum payable shall be increased as necessary so that after making

all required deductions (including deductions applicable to additional sums payable under this Section 3.5) such Lender, the LC Issuer or the Agent (as the case may be) receives an amount equal to the sum it would have received had no such deductions been made, (b) the Borrower shall make such deductions, (c) the Borrower shall pay the full amount deducted to the relevant authority in accordance with applicable law and (d) the Borrower shall furnish to the Agent the original copy of a receipt evidencing payment thereof within 30 days after such payment is made.

(ii) In addition, the Borrower hereby agrees to pay any present or future stamp or documentary taxes and any other excise or property taxes, charges or similar levies which arise from any payment made hereunder or under any Note or Facility LC Application or from the execution or delivery of, or otherwise with respect to, this Agreement or any Note or Facility LC Application (“Other Taxes”).

(iii) The Borrower hereby agrees to indemnify the Agent, the LC Issuer and each Lender for the full amount of Taxes or Other Taxes (including, without limitation, any Taxes or Other Taxes imposed on amounts payable under this Section 3.5) paid by the Agent, the LC Issuer or such Lender as a result of its Commitment, any Loans made by it hereunder, or otherwise in connection with its participation in this Agreement and any liability (including penalties, interest and expenses) arising therefrom or with respect thereto. Payments due under this indemnification shall be made within 30 days of the date the Agent, the LC Issuer or such Lender makes demand therefor pursuant to Section 3.6.

(iv) Each Lender that is not incorporated under the laws of the United States of America or a state thereof (each a “Non-U.S. Lender”) agrees that it will, not more than ten Business Days after the date of this Agreement, (i) deliver to the Agent two duly completed copies of United States Internal Revenue Service Form W-8BEN or W-8ECI, certifying in either case that such Lender is entitled to receive payments under this Agreement without deduction or withholding of any United States federal income taxes, and (ii) deliver to the Agent a United States Internal Revenue Form W-8 or W-9, as the case may be, and certify that it is entitled to an exemption from United States backup withholding tax. Each Non-U.S. Lender further undertakes to deliver to each of the Borrower and the Agent (x) renewals or additional copies of such form (or any successor form) on or before the date that such form expires or becomes obsolete, and (y) after the occurrence of any event requiring a change in the most recent forms so delivered by it, such additional forms or amendments thereto as may be reasonably requested by the Borrower or the Agent. All forms or amendments described in the preceding sentence shall certify that such Lender is entitled to receive payments under this Agreement without deduction or withholding of any United States federal income taxes, unless an event (including without limitation any change in treaty, law or regulation) has occurred prior to the date on which any such delivery would otherwise be required which renders all such forms inapplicable or which would prevent such Lender from duly completing and delivering any such form or amendment with respect to it and such Lender advises the Borrower and the Agent that it is not capable of receiving payments without any deduction or withholding of United States federal income tax.

(v) For any period during which a Non-U.S. Lender has failed to provide the Borrower with an appropriate form pursuant to clause (iv), above (unless such failure is due to a change in treaty, law or regulation, or any change in the interpretation or administration thereof by any

governmental authority, occurring subsequent to the date on which a form originally was required to be provided), such Non-U.S. Lender shall not be entitled to indemnification under this Section 3.5 with respect to Taxes imposed by the United States; provided that, should a Non-U.S. Lender which is otherwise exempt from or subject to a reduced rate of withholding tax become subject to Taxes because of its failure to deliver a form required under clause (iv), above, the Borrower shall take such steps as such Non-U.S. Lender shall reasonably request to assist such Non-U.S. Lender to recover such Taxes.

(vi) Any Lender that is entitled to an exemption from or reduction of withholding tax with respect to payments under this Agreement or any Note pursuant to the law of any relevant jurisdiction or any treaty shall deliver to the Borrower (with a copy to the Agent), at the time or times prescribed by applicable law, such properly completed and executed documentation prescribed by applicable law as will permit such payments to be made without withholding or at a reduced rate.

(vii) If the U.S. Internal Revenue Service or any other governmental authority of the United States or any other country or any political subdivision thereof asserts a claim that the Agent did not properly withhold tax from amounts paid to or for the account of any Lender (because the appropriate form was not delivered or properly completed, because such Lender failed to notify the Agent of a change in circumstances which rendered its exemption from withholding ineffective, or for any other reason), such Lender shall indemnify the Agent fully for all amounts paid, directly or indirectly, by the Agent as tax, withholding therefor, or otherwise, including penalties and interest, and including taxes imposed by any jurisdiction on amounts payable to the Agent under this subsection, together with all costs and expenses related thereto (including attorneys fees and time charges of attorneys for the Agent, which attorneys may be employees of the Agent). The obligations of the Lenders under this Section 3.5(vii) shall survive the payment of the Obligations and termination of this Agreement.

3.6. Lender Statements; Survival of Indemnity. To the extent reasonably possible, each Lender shall designate an alternate Lending Installation with respect to its Eurodollar Loans to reduce any liability of the Borrower to such Lender under Sections 3.1, 3.2 and 3.5 or to avoid the unavailability of Eurodollar Advances under Section 3.3, so long as such designation is not, in the judgment of such Lender, disadvantageous to such Lender. Each Lender shall deliver a written statement of such Lender to the Borrower (with a copy to the Agent) as to the amount due, if any, under Section 3.1, 3.2, 3.4 or 3.5. Such written statement shall set forth in reasonable detail the calculations upon which such Lender determined such amount and shall be final, conclusive and binding on the Borrower in the absence of manifest error. Determination of amounts payable under such Sections in connection with a Eurodollar Loan shall be calculated as though each Lender funded its Eurodollar Loan through the purchase of a deposit of the type and maturity corresponding to the deposit used as a reference in determining the Eurodollar Rate applicable to such Loan, whether in fact that is the case or not. Unless otherwise provided herein, the amount specified in the written statement of any Lender shall be payable on demand after receipt by the Borrower of such written statement. The obligations of the Borrower under Sections 3.1, 3.2, 3.4 and 3.5 shall survive payment of the Obligations and termination of this Agreement.

ARTICLE IV

CONDITIONS PRECEDENT

4.1. Initial Credit Extension. The Lenders shall not be required to make the initial Credit Extension hereunder unless the Borrower has furnished to the Agent with sufficient copies for the Lenders:

(i)

Copies of the articles or certificate of incorporation or articles of organization, as applicable, of the Borrower and the Existing Subsidiaries, together with all amendments, and a certificate of good standing or existence, as applicable, each certified by the appropriate governmental officer in its jurisdiction of incorporation as well as any other information required by Section 326 of the USA PATRIOT Act or necessary for the Agent or any Lender to verify the identity of Borrower or any Existing Subsidiary as required by Section 326 of the USA PATRIOT Act.

(ii)

Copies, certified by the Secretary or Assistant Secretary of the Borrower and the Existing Subsidiaries, of their by-laws or operating agreement, as applicable, and of the resolutions or actions authorizing the execution of the Loan Documents to which the Borrower and the Existing Subsidiaries are a party.

(iii)

An incumbency certificate executed by the Secretary or Assistant Secretary of the Borrower and the Existing Subsidiaries which shall identify by name and title and bear the signatures of the Authorized Officers and any other officers of the Borrower and the Existing Subsidiaries authorized to sign the Loan Documents to which the Borrower and the Existing Subsidiaries are a party, upon which certificate the Agent and the Lenders shall be entitled to rely until informed of any change in writing by the Borrower or and Existing Subsidiary, as applicable.

(iv)

A certificate, signed by the chief financial officer of the Borrower, stating that on the initial Credit Extension Date no Default or Unmatured Default has occurred and is continuing.

(v)

A written opinion of the Borrower’s counsel, addressed to the Lenders in form and content acceptable to Lenders.

(vi)

Any Notes requested by a Lender pursuant to Section 2.13 payable to the order of each such requesting Lender.

(vii)

Any amendments or modifications to, or restatements of, the Collateral Documents as requested by Agent.

(viii)

The Guaranty.

(ix)

The insurance certificate described in Section 5.21.

(x)

If the initial Credit Extension will be the issuance of a Facility LC, a properly completed Facility LC Application.

(xi)

Such UCC and mortgage search information as deemed advisable by Agent.

(xii)

Such other documents as any Lender or its counsel may have reasonably requested.

4.2. Each Credit Extension. The Lenders shall not be required to make any Credit Extension unless on the applicable Credit Extension Date:

(i)

There exists no Default or Unmatured Default.

(ii)

The representations and warranties contained in Article V are true and correct as of such Credit Extension Date except to the extent any such representation or warranty is stated to relate solely to an earlier date, in which case such representation or warranty shall have been true and correct on and as of such earlier date.

(iii)

All legal matters incident to the making of such Credit Extension shall be satisfactory to the Lenders and their counsel.

Each Borrowing Notice or request for issuance of a Facility LC with respect to each such Credit Extension shall constitute a representation and warranty by the Borrower that the conditions contained in Sections 4.2(i) and (ii) have been satisfied. Any Lender may require a duly completed compliance certificate in substantially the form of Exhibit B as a condition to making a Credit Extension.

ARTICLE V

REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES

The Borrower represents and warrants to the Lenders that:

5.1. Existence and Standing. Each of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries is a corporation, partnership (in the case of Subsidiaries only) or limited liability company duly and properly incorporated or organized, as the case may be, validly existing and (to the extent such concept applies to such entity) in good standing under the laws of its jurisdiction of incorporation or organization and has all requisite authority to conduct its business in each jurisdiction in which its business is conducted.

5.2. Authorization and Validity. The Borrower has the power and authority and legal right to execute and deliver the Loan Documents to which it is a party and to perform its obligations thereunder. The execution and delivery by the Borrower of the Loan Documents to which it is a party and the performance of its obligations thereunder have been duly authorized by proper corporate proceedings, and the Loan Documents to which the Borrower is a party constitute legal, valid and binding obligations of the Borrower enforceable against the Borrower in accordance with their terms, except as enforceability may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency or similar laws affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights generally.

5.3. No Conflict; Government Consent. Neither the execution and delivery by the Borrower of the Loan Documents to which it is a party, nor the consummation of the transactions therein contemplated, nor compliance with the provisions thereof will violate (i) any law, rule, regulation, order, writ, judgment, injunction, decree or award binding on the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries or (ii) the Borrower’s or any Subsidiary’s articles or certificate of incorporation, partnership agreement, certificate of partnership, articles or certificate of organization, by-laws, or operating or other management agreement, as the case may be, or (iii) the provisions of any indenture, instrument or agreement to which the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries is a party or is subject, or by which it, or its Property, is bound, or conflict with or constitute a default thereunder, or result in, or require, the creation or imposition of any Lien in, of or on the Property of the Borrower or a Subsidiary pursuant to the terms of any such indenture, instrument or agreement. No order, consent, adjudication, approval, license, authorization, or validation of, or filing, recording or registration with, or exemption by, or other action in respect of any governmental or public body or authority, or any subdivision thereof, which has not been obtained by the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries, is required to be obtained by the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries in connection with the execution and delivery of the Loan Documents, the borrowings under this Agreement, the payment and performance by the Borrower of the Obligations or the legality, validity, binding effect or enforceability of any of the Loan Documents.

5.4. Financial Statements. The June 30, 2003 consolidated financial statements of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries heretofore delivered to the Lenders were prepared in accordance with GAAP in effect on the date such statements were prepared and fairly present the consolidated financial condition and operations of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries at such date and the consolidated results of their operations for the period then ended.

5.5. Material Adverse Change. Since December 31, 2002 there has been no change in the business, Property, prospects, condition (financial or otherwise) or results of operations of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries which could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

5.6. Taxes. Taking into account any extensions obtained, the Borrower and its Subsidiaries have filed all United States federal tax returns and all other tax returns which are required to be filed and have paid all taxes due pursuant to said returns or pursuant to any assessment received by the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries, except such taxes, if any, as are being contested in good faith and as to which adequate reserves have been provided in accordance with GAAP and as to which no Lien exists (other than a Lien permitted under

Section 6.14). The charges, accruals and reserves on the books of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries in respect of any taxes or other governmental charges are adequate. If any of the Subsidiaries is a limited liability company, each such limited liability company qualifies for partnership tax treatment under United States federal tax law.

5.7. Litigation. There is no litigation, arbitration, governmental investigation, proceeding or inquiry pending or, to the knowledge of any of their officers, threatened against or affecting the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries which could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect or which seeks to prevent, enjoin or delay the making of any Credit Extensions.

5.8. Subsidiaries. Schedule 1 contains an accurate list of all Subsidiaries of the Borrower as of the date of this Agreement, setting forth their respective jurisdictions of organization and the percentage of their respective capital stock or other ownership interests owned by the Borrower or other Subsidiaries. All of the issued and outstanding shares of capital stock or other ownership interests of such Subsidiaries have been (to the extent such concepts are relevant with respect to such ownership interests) duly authorized and issued and are fully paid and non-assessable.

5.9. ERISA. The Unfunded Liabilities of all Single Employer Plans do not in the aggregate exceed $1,500,000. Neither the Borrower nor any other member of the Controlled Group has incurred, or is reasonably expected to incur, any withdrawal liability to Multiemployer Plans. Each Plan complies in all material respects with all applicable requirements of law and regulations, no Reportable Event has occurred with respect to any Plan, neither the Borrower nor any other member of the Controlled Group has withdrawn from any Plan or initiated steps to do so, and no steps have been taken to reorganize or terminate any Plan.

5.10. Accuracy of Information. No information, exhibit or report furnished by the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries to the Agent or to any Lender in connection with the negotiation of, or compliance with, the Loan Documents contained any material misstatement of fact or omitted to state a material fact or any fact necessary to make the statements contained therein not misleading.

5.11. Regulation U. Margin stock (as defined in Regulation U) constitutes less than 25% of the value of those assets of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries which are subject to any limitation on sale, pledge, or other restriction hereunder.

5.12. Material Agreements. With the exception of (i) construction contracts entered into by Borrower or one of its Subsidiaries in the ordinary course of Borrower’s or such Subsidiary’s business and (ii) loan agreements, bond indenture, promissory notes, and similar agreements and documents relating solely to Permitted Indebtedness, neither the Borrower nor any Subsidiary is a party to any agreement or instrument or subject to any charter or other corporate or limited liability company restriction which could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. Neither the Borrower nor any Subsidiary is in default in the performance, observance or fulfillment of any of the obligations, covenants or conditions contained in (i) any agreement to which it is a party, which default could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect or (ii) any agreement or instrument evidencing or governing Indebtedness.

5.13. Compliance With Laws. The Borrower and its Subsidiaries have complied with all applicable statutes, rules, regulations, orders and restrictions of any domestic or foreign government or any instrumentality or agency thereof having jurisdiction over the conduct of their respective businesses or the ownership of their respective Property except for any immaterial failure to comply with any of the foregoing.

5.14. Ownership of Properties. Except as set forth on Schedule 2, on the date of this Agreement, the Borrower and its Subsidiaries will have good title, free of all Liens other than those permitted by Section 6.14, to all of the Property and assets reflected in the Borrower’s most recent consolidated financial statements provided to the Agent as owned by the Borrower and its Subsidiaries.

5.15. Plan Assets; Prohibited Transactions. The Borrower is not an entity deemed to hold “plan assets” within the meaning of 29 C.F.R. § 2510.3-101 of an employee benefit plan (as defined in Section 3(3) of ERISA) which is subject to Title I of ERISA or any plan (within the meaning of Section 4975 of the Code), and neither the execution of this Agreement nor the making of Credit Extensions hereunder gives rise to a prohibited transaction within the meaning of Section 406 of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code.

5.16. Environmental Matters. In the ordinary course of its business, the officers of the Borrower consider the effect of Environmental Laws on the business of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries, in the course of which they identify and evaluate potential risks and liabilities accruing to the Borrower due to Environmental Laws. On the basis of this consideration, the Borrower has concluded that Environmental Laws cannot reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. Neither the Borrower nor any Subsidiary has received any notice to the effect that its operations are not in material compliance with any of the requirements of applicable Environmental Laws or are the subject of any federal or state investigation evaluating whether any remedial action is needed to respond to a release of any toxic or hazardous waste or substance into the environment, which non-compliance or remedial action could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

5.17. Investment Company Act. Neither the Borrower nor any Subsidiary is an “investment company” or a company “controlled” by an “investment company”, within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.

5.18. Public Utility Holding Company Act. Neither the Borrower nor any Subsidiary is a “holding company” or a “subsidiary company” of a “holding company”, or an “affiliate” of a “holding company” or of a “subsidiary company” of a “holding company”, within the meaning of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935, as amended.

5.19. Subordinated Indebtedness. The Obligations constitute senior indebtedness which is entitled to the benefits of the Subordination Agreement and the subordination provisions of all outstanding Subordinated Indebtedness.

5.20. Post-Retirement Benefits. The present value of the expected cost of post-retirement medical and insurance benefits payable by the Borrower and its Subsidiaries to its employees and former employees, as estimated by the Borrower in accordance with procedures and assumptions deemed reasonable by the Required Lenders, does not exceed $500,000.

5.21. Insurance. The certificate signed by the President or Chief Financial Officer of the Borrower, that attests to the existence and adequacy of, and summarizes, the property and casualty insurance program carried by the Borrower with respect to itself and its Subsidiaries and that has been furnished by the Borrower to the Agent and the Lenders, is complete and accurate. This summary includes the insurer’s or insurers’ name(s), policy number(s), expiration date(s), amount(s) of coverage, type(s) of coverage and deductibles. This summary also includes similar information, and describes any reserves, relating to any self-insurance program that is in effect.

5.22. Solvency. (i) Immediately after the consummation of the transactions to occur on the date hereof and immediately following the making of each Loan, if any, made on the date hereof and after giving effect to the application of the proceeds of such Loans, (a) the fair value of the assets of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis, at a fair valuation, will exceed the debts and liabilities, subordinated, contingent or otherwise, of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis; (b) the present fair saleable value of the Property of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis will be greater than the amount that will be required to pay the probable liability of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis on their debts and other liabilities, subordinated, contingent or otherwise, as such debts and other liabilities become absolute and matured; (c) the Borrower and its Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis will be able to pay their debts and liabilities, subordinated, contingent or otherwise, as such debts and liabilities become absolute and matured; and (d) the Borrower and its Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis will not have unreasonably small capital with which to conduct the businesses in which they are engaged as such businesses are now conducted and are proposed to be conducted after the date hereof.

(ii) The Borrower does not intend to, or to permit any of its Subsidiaries to, and does not believe that it or any of its Subsidiaries will, incur debts beyond its ability to pay such debts as they mature, taking into account the timing of and amounts of cash to be received by it or any such Subsidiary and the timing of the amounts of cash to be payable on or in respect of its Indebtedness or the Indebtedness of any such Subsidiary.

5.23 Reportable Transaction. The Borrower does not intend to treat the Advances and the other transactions contemplated hereby as being a “reportable transaction” (within the meaning of Treasury Regulation Section 1.6011-4). In the event the Borrower determines to take any action inconsistent with such intention, it will promptly notify the Agent thereof. The Borrower acknowledges that the Agent and/or one or more of the Lenders may treat its Advances and the other transactions contemplated hereby as part of a transaction that is subject to Treasury Regulation Section 1.6011-4 or Section 301.6112-1, and the Agent and such Lender or Lenders, as applicable, may file such IRS forms or maintain such lists and other records as they may determine is required by such Treasury Regulations.

ARTICLE VI

COVENANTS

During the term of this Agreement, unless the Required Lenders shall otherwise consent in writing:

6.1. Financial Reporting. The Borrower will maintain, for itself and each Subsidiary, a system of accounting established and administered in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and furnish to the Lenders:

(i)

Within 120 days after the close of each of its fiscal years, an unqualified audit report certified by independent certified public accountants acceptable to the Lenders, prepared in accordance with GAAP on a consolidated basis for itself and its Subsidiaries, including balance sheets as of the end of such period, related profit and loss and reconciliation of surplus statements, and a statement of cash flows, accompanied by any management letter prepared by said accountants.

(ii)

Within 45 days after the close of the first three quarterly periods of each of its fiscal years, for itself and its Subsidiaries, consolidated unaudited balance sheets as at the close of each such period and consolidated profit and loss and reconciliation of surplus statements and a statement of cash flows for the period from the beginning of such fiscal year to the end of such quarter, all certified by its chief financial officer.

(iii)

Promptly upon the filing thereof, copies of all registration statements and annual, quarterly, monthly or other regular reports which the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries files with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

(iv)

Together with the financial statements required under Sections 6.1(i), (ii), and (iii), a compliance certificate in substantially the form of Exhibit B signed by its chief financial officer showing the calculations necessary to determine compliance with this Agreement and stating that no Default or Unmatured Default exists, or if any Default or Unmatured Default exists, stating the nature and status thereof.

(v)

As soon as possible and in any event within 10 days after the Borrower knows that any Reportable Event has occurred with respect to any Plan, a statement, signed by the chief financial officer of the Borrower, describing said Reportable Event and the action which the Borrower proposes to take with respect thereto.

(vi)

As soon as possible and in any event within 10 days after receipt by the Borrower, a copy of (a) any notice or claim to the effect that the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries is or may be liable to any Person as a result of the release by the

Borrower, any of its Subsidiaries, or any other Person of any toxic or hazardous waste or substance into the environment, and (b) any notice alleging any violation of any federal, state or local environmental, health or safety law or regulation by the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries, which, in either case, could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

(vii)

Promptly upon the furnishing thereof to the shareholders of the Borrower, copies of all financial statements, reports and proxy statements so furnished.

(viii)

Written notice of any and all litigation affecting Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries, directly or indirectly if the amount involved, in the aggregate, is equal to or greater than $500,000.

(ix)

Such other information (including non-financial information) as the Agent or any Lender may from time to time reasonably request.

If any information which is required to be furnished to the Lenders under this Section 6.1 is required by law or regulation to be filed by the Borrower with a government body on an earlier date, then the information required hereunder shall be furnished to the Lenders at such earlier date.

6.2. Use of Proceeds. The Borrower will, and will cause each Subsidiary to, use the proceeds of the Credit Extensions for general corporate purposes. The Borrower will not, nor will it permit any Subsidiary to, use any of the proceeds of the Credit Extensions to purchase or carry any “margin stock” (as defined in Regulation U).

6.3. Notice of Default. The Borrower will, and will cause each Subsidiary to, give prompt notice in writing to the Lenders of the occurrence of any Default and of any other development, financial or otherwise, which could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect other than publicly-known events applicable to all participants in the Borrower’s industry.

6.4. Conduct of Business. The Borrower will, and will cause each Subsidiary to, carry on and conduct its business in substantially the same manner and in substantially the same fields of enterprise as it is presently conducted; provided, however that (i) Borrower or its Subsidiaries may enter into new or additional activities that are in substantially the same fields of enterprise as are currently engaged in by Borrower and the Existing Subsidiaries, and (ii) MinDOC may engage in a business to construct, own, lease, or sell floating offshore petroleum exploration and production platform. The Borrower will and will cause each Subsidiary to do all things necessary to remain duly incorporated or organized, validly existing and (to the extent such concept applies to such entity) in good standing as a domestic corporation, partnership or limited liability company in its jurisdiction of incorporation or organization, as the case may be, and maintain all requisite authority to conduct its business in each jurisdiction in which its business is conducted.

6.5. Taxes. The Borrower will, and will cause each Subsidiary to, timely file (taking into account all available extensions) complete and correct United States federal and applicable

foreign, state and local tax returns required by law and pay when due all taxes, assessments and governmental charges and levies upon it or its income, profits or Property, except those which are being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings and with respect to which adequate reserves have been set aside in accordance with GAAP.

6.6. Insurance. The Borrower will, and will cause each Subsidiary to, maintain with financially sound and reputable insurance companies insurance (i) on such of their Property, (ii) in such amounts, and (iii) covering such risks, as is consistent with sound business practice, and the Borrower will furnish to Agent annually, at the time of the delivery of the report required under Section 6.1 (i), full information as to the insurance carried.

6.7. Compliance with Laws. The Borrower will, and will cause each Subsidiary to, comply with all laws, rules, regulations, orders, writs, judgments, injunctions, decrees or awards to which it may be subject including, without limitation, all Environmental Laws, except for minor or immaterial non-compliance.

6.8. Maintenance of Properties. The Borrower will, and will cause each Subsidiary to, do all things necessary to maintain, preserve, protect and keep its Property in good repair, working order and condition, and make all necessary and proper repairs, renewals and replacements so that its business carried on in connection therewith may be properly conducted at all times, other than for minor or immaterial non-compliance.

6.9. Inspection. The Borrower will, and will cause each Subsidiary to, permit the Agent and the Lenders, by their respective representatives and agents, to inspect any of the Property, books and financial records of the Borrower and each Subsidiary, to examine and make copies of the books of accounts and other financial records of the Borrower and each Subsidiary, and to discuss the affairs, finances and accounts of the Borrower and each Subsidiary with, and to be advised as to the same by, their respective officers at such reasonable times and intervals as the Agent or any Lender may designate.

6.10. Indebtedness. The Borrower will not, nor will it permit any Subsidiary to, create, incur or suffer to exist any Indebtedness, except:

(i)

The Loans and the Reimbursement Obligations.

(ii)

Indebtedness existing on the date hereof and described in Schedule 2 and any refinancing thereof which does not increase the principal amount thereof.

(iii)

Indebtedness owed by MinDOC to the United States Maritime Administration or which is guaranteed by the United States Maritime Administration and which Debt is (1) non-recourse to Borrower or any of its other Subsidiaries other than MinDOC and (2) secured by Liens only on MinDOC’s assets.

(iv)

Indebtedness owed by a Subsidiary to the Borrower, by the Borrower to a Wholly-Owned Subsidiary of the Borrower (other than an Excluded Subsidiary), or by one Subsidiary to another Wholly-Owned Subsidiary of the Borrower (other than an

Excluded Subsidiary); provided, however, that all such Indebtedness shall be unsecured, (y) any Indebtedness owed to GIF Finance shall be subject to the limitations of Section 6.10 (vi), and (z) if other Indebtedness by Borrower or a Subsidiary permitted by this Section 6.10 (iv) exceeds $5,000,000.00 at any one time and with any one holder, the Borrower shall so notify the Agent and shall cause such holder to execute a subordination agreement in favor of Agent and Lenders on terms and conditions substantially similar to the Subordination Agreement.

(v)

Bank Guaranty Indebtedness and Third-Party Letter of Credit Indebtedness in favor of either of the Lenders but not exceeding $30,000,000 in aggregate principal amount for Borrower and its Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis.

(vi)

Debt owed by the Subsidiaries to GIF Finance that (1) does not exceed $40,000,000 in the aggregate, (2) is unsecured, and (3) is subject to the terms of the Subordination Agreement.

(vii)

Indebtedness resulting from currency hedging which, on the basis of Net Market-to-Market Exposure calculated as of the last day of each calendar quarter, does not exceed $10,000,000.

(viii)

Other Indebtedness which, when combined with Indebtedness described in Schedule 2, would not exceed $2,000,000 in the aggregate.

6.11. Merger. The Borrower will not, nor will it permit any Subsidiary to, merge or consolidate with or into any other Person, except that a Subsidiary may merge into the Borrower or a Wholly-Owned Subsidiary other than an Excluded Subsidiary.

6.12. Sale of Assets. The Borrower will not, nor will it permit any Subsidiary to, lease, sell or otherwise dispose of its Property to any other Person, except:

(i)

Sales of inventory, scrap, and obsolete equipment in the ordinary course of business.

(ii)

Leases, sales or other dispositions of its Property that, together with all other Property of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries previously leased, sold or disposed of (other than inventory and scrap in the ordinary course of business) as permitted by this Section (y) during the twelve-month period ending with the month in which any such lease, sale or other disposition occurs, do not constitute a Substantial Portion of the Property of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries, and (z) during the period from the date of this Agreement through the Facility Termination Date do not exceed 15% of the consolidated assets of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries as of the date hereof.

6.13. Investments in and distributions to, and guaranties of, Excluded Subsidiaries. The Borrower will not, nor will it permit any Subsidiary to (i) make or suffer to exist any Investments

(including without limitation, loans and advances to, and other Investments in) or commitments therefor in, Excluded Subsidiaries, or (ii) make any dividends or other distributions to, Excluded Subsidiaries, or (iii) guarantee the obligations of any Excluded Subsidiaries under any construction contracts, in excess of $3,000,000 in aggregate, determined on a cumulative basis from the date of organization of the first Excluded Subsidiary to be or to have been formed.

6.14. Liens. The Borrower will not, nor will it permit any Subsidiary to, create, incur, or suffer to exist any Lien in, of or on the Property of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries, except:

(i)

Liens for taxes, assessments or governmental charges or levies on its Property if the same shall not at the time be delinquent or thereafter can be paid without penalty, or are being contested in good faith and by appropriate proceedings and for which adequate reserves in accordance with GAAP shall have been set aside on its books.

(ii)

Liens imposed by law, such as carriers’, warehousemen’s and mechanics’ liens and other similar liens arising in the ordinary course of business which secure payment of obligations not more than 60 days past due or which are being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings and for which adequate reserves shall have been set aside on its books.

(iii)

Liens arising out of pledges or deposits under worker’s compensation laws, unemployment insurance, old age pensions, or other social security or retirement benefits, or similar legislation.

(iv)

Utility easements, building restrictions and such other encumbrances or charges against real property as are of a nature generally existing with respect to properties of a similar character and which do not in any material way affect the marketability of the same or interfere with the use thereof in the business of the Borrower or its Subsidiaries.

(v)

Liens on the assets of MinDOC securing Indebtedness permitted by Section 6.10(iii).

(vi)

Liens existing on the date hereof and described in Schedule 2.

(vii)

Liens on collateral consisting solely of cash, cash equivalents, and freely-marketable investment securities securing Bank Guaranty Indebtedness or Third-Party Letter of Credit Indebtedness, which collateral cannot exceed the principal amount of the Bank Guaranty Indebtedness or Third-Party Letter of Credit Indebtedness in question plus 5%.

(viii)

Liens in favor of the Agent, for the benefit of the Lenders, granted pursuant to any Collateral Document.

(ix)

Liens on other assets not exceeding $2,000,000 in value.

6.15. Affiliates. The Borrower will not, and will not permit any Subsidiary to, enter into any transaction (including, without limitation, the purchase or sale of any Property or service) with, or make any payment or transfer to, any Affiliate (other than a Wholly-Owned Subsidiary of the Borrower) except in the ordinary course of business and pursuant to the reasonable requirements of the Borrower’s or such Subsidiary’s business and upon fair and reasonable terms no less favorable to the Borrower or such Subsidiary than the Borrower or such Subsidiary would obtain in a comparable arms-length transaction.

6.16. GIF Finance. Upon ten (10) days request by Agent Borrower shall cause GIF Finance to pledge and grant a first priority perfected security interest in all accounts, payment intangibles, instruments, general intangibles, and proceeds owed to it by Borrower or any Subsidiary.

6.17. Subordinated Indebtedness. The Borrower will not, and will not permit any Subsidiary to voluntarily prepay, defease or in substance defease, purchase, redeem, retire or otherwise acquire, any Subordinated Indebtedness.

6.18. Sale of Accounts. The Borrower will not, nor will it permit any Subsidiary to, sell or otherwise dispose of any notes receivable or accounts receivable, with or without recourse; provided, however, that prior to a Default, Borrower and its Subsidiaries may, in the ordinary course of business, assign delinquent notes receivable and accounts receivable to a collection agency for collection purposes.

6.19. New Subsidiary. Promptly upon forming or acquiring any Subsidiary, other than an Excluded Subsidiary, Borrower shall cause the Subsidiary to execute a guaranty of the Secured Obligations in the form of the Guaranty.

6.20. Financial Contracts. The Borrower will not, nor will it permit any Subsidiary to, enter into or remain liable upon any Financial Contract, other than a currency hedging contract in compliance with Section 6.10(vii).

6.21. Shareholder or Employee Loans. The Borrower shall not make and shall not permit any Subsidiary to make advances or loans to employees of Borrower or any Subsidiary or shareholders of Borrower exceeding at any time $100,000 outstanding in the aggregate.

6.22. Financial Covenants.

6.22.1. Current Ratio The Borrower shall maintain a Consolidated Current Ratio of 1.50 or greater.

6.22.2. Minimum Net Worth. The Borrower will at all times maintain Consolidated Net Worth of not less than the sum of (i) $90,000,000.00 plus (ii) 50% of Consolidated Net Income earned in each fiscal quarter beginning with the quarter ending September 30, 2003 (without deduction for losses) plus (iii) 100% of all net proceeds of any issuance of stock or other equity after deduction of any fees, commissions, expenses and other costs incurred in such offering.

6.22.3. Indebtedness to Net Worth Ratio. The Borrower will not permit Consolidated Indebtedness (other than Permitted Indebtedness owed by MinDOC or to GIF Finance) to Consolidated Net Worth to exceed .50 to 1.00.

6.22.4. Interest Coverage Ratio. The Borrower will not permit the ratio, determined as of the end of each of its fiscal quarters for the then most-recently ended four fiscal quarters, of (i) Consolidated EBITDA to (ii) Consolidated Interest Expense to be less than 4.0 to 1.0.

ARTICLE VII

DEFAULTS

The occurrence of any one or more of the following events shall constitute a Default:

7.1. Any representation or warranty made or deemed made by or on behalf of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries to the Lenders or the Agent under or in connection with this Agreement, any Credit Extension, or any certificate or information delivered in connection with this Agreement or any other Loan Document shall be materially false on the date as of which made.

7.2. Nonpayment of principal of any Loan, of any Reimbursement Obligation, of interest upon any Loan, or of any commitment fee, LC Fee or other obligations under any of the Loan Documents when due or, in the case of the first two such non-payments in any calendar year, within two Business Days of the giving of notice by Agent.

7.3. The breach by the Borrower of any of the terms or provisions of Sections 6.2, 6.10, 6.11, 6.12, 6.13, 6.15, 6.16, 6.17, 6.18, 6.20, 6.21, or 6.22.

7.4. The breach by the Borrower (other than a breach which constitutes a Default under another Section of this Article VII) of any of the terms or provisions of this Agreement which is not remedied within fifteen (15) days after written notice from the Agent or any Lender.

7.5. Failure of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries to pay when due any Material Indebtedness; or the default by the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries in the performance (beyond the applicable grace period with respect thereto, if any) of any material term, provision or condition contained in any Material Indebtedness Agreement, or any other material event shall occur or condition exist, the effect of which default, event or condition is to cause, or to permit the holder(s) of such Material Indebtedness or the lender(s) under any Material Indebtedness Agreement to cause, such Material Indebtedness to become due prior to its stated maturity or any commitment to lend under any Material Indebtedness Agreement to be terminated prior to its

stated expiration date; or any Material Indebtedness of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries shall be declared to be due and payable or required to be prepaid or repurchased (other than by a regularly scheduled payment) prior to the stated maturity thereof; or the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries shall not pay, or admit in writing its inability to pay, its debts generally as they become due.

7.6. The Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries shall (i) have an order for relief entered with respect to it under the Federal bankruptcy laws as now or hereafter in effect, (ii) make an assignment for the benefit of creditors, (iii) apply for, seek, consent to, or acquiesce in, the appointment of a receiver, custodian, trustee, examiner, liquidator or similar official for it or any Substantial Portion of its Property, (iv) institute any proceeding seeking an order for relief under the Federal bankruptcy laws as now or hereafter in effect or seeking to adjudicate it a bankrupt or insolvent, or seeking dissolution, winding up, liquidation, reorganization, arrangement, adjustment or composition of it or its debts under any law relating to bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization or relief of debtors or fail to file an answer or other pleading denying the material allegations of any such proceeding filed against it, (v) take any corporate or partnership action to authorize or effect any of the foregoing actions set forth in this Section 7.6 or (vi) fail to contest in good faith any appointment or proceeding described in Section 7.7.

7.7. Without the application, approval or consent of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries, a receiver, trustee, examiner, liquidator or similar official shall be appointed for the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries or any Substantial Portion of its Property, or a proceeding described in Section 7.6(iv) shall be instituted against the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries and such appointment continues undischarged or such proceeding continues undismissed or unstayed for a period of 30 consecutive days.

7.8. Any court, government or governmental agency shall condemn, seize or otherwise appropriate, or take custody or control of, all or any portion of the Property of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries which, when taken together with all other Property of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries so condemned, seized, appropriated, or taken custody or control of, during the twelve-month period ending with the month in which any such action occurs, constitutes a Substantial Portion.

7.9. The Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries shall fail within 30 days to pay, bond or otherwise discharge one or more (i) judgments or orders for the payment of money in excess of $2,000,000.00 (or the equivalent thereof in currencies other than U.S. Dollars) in the aggregate, or (ii) nonmonetary judgments or orders which, individually or in the aggregate, could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, which judgment(s), in any such case, is/are not stayed on appeal or otherwise being appropriately contested in good faith.

7.10. The Unfunded Liabilities of all Single Employer Plans shall exceed in the aggregate $1,500,000 or any Reportable Event shall occur in connection with any Plan.

7.11. The Borrower or any other member of the Controlled Group shall have been notified by the sponsor of a Multiemployer Plan that it has incurred withdrawal liability to such Multiemployer Plan in an amount which, when aggregated with all other amounts required to be paid to Multiemployer Plans by the Borrower or any other member of the Controlled Group as withdrawal liability (determined as of the date of such notification), exceeds $500,000.

7.12. The Borrower or any other member of the Controlled Group shall have been notified by the sponsor of a Multiemployer Plan that such Multiemployer Plan is in reorganization or is being terminated, within the meaning of Title IV of ERISA, if as a result of such reorganization or termination the aggregate annual contributions of the Borrower and the other members of the Controlled Group (taken as a whole) to all Multiemployer Plans which are then in reorganization or being terminated have been or will be increased over the amounts contributed to such Multiemployer Plans for the respective plan years of each such Multiemployer Plan immediately preceding the plan year in which the reorganization or termination occurs by an amount exceeding $250,000.

7.13. The Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries shall (i) be the subject of any proceeding or investigation pertaining to the release by the Borrower, any of its Subsidiaries or any other Person of any toxic or hazardous waste or substance into the environment, or (ii) violate any Environmental Law, which, in the case of an event described in clause (i) or clause (ii), could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

7.14. The occurrence of any “default”, as defined in any Loan Document (other than this Agreement) or the breach of any of the terms or provisions of any Loan Document (other than this Agreement), which default or breach continues beyond any period of grace therein provided.

7.15. The Guaranty shall fail to remain in full force or effect or any action shall be taken to discontinue or to assert the invalidity or unenforceability of the Guaranty, or any Guarantor shall fail to comply with any of the terms or provisions of any Guaranty to which it is a party, or any Guarantor shall deny that it has any further liability under any Guaranty to which it is a party, or shall give notice to such effect.

7.16. Any Collateral Document shall for any reason fail to create a valid and perfected first priority security interest in any collateral purported to be covered thereby, except as permitted by the terms of any Collateral Document, or any Collateral Document shall fail to remain in full force or effect or any action shall be taken to discontinue or to assert the invalidity or unenforceability of any Collateral Document, and the Borrower fails to cure such failure within 15 days of the Borrower’s receipt of notice thereof from the Agent.

7.17. The representations and warranties set forth in Section 5.15 (Plan Assets; Prohibited Transactions”) shall at any time not be true and correct.

ARTICLE VIII

ACCELERATION, WAIVERS, AMENDMENTS AND REMEDIES

8.1. Acceleration; Facility LC Collateral Account. (i) If any Default described in Section 7.6 or 7.7 occurs with respect to the Borrower, the obligations of the Lenders to make Loans hereunder and the obligation and power of the LC Issuer to issue Facility LCs shall automatically terminate and the Obligations shall immediately become due and payable without any election or action on the part of the Agent, the LC Issuer or any Lender and the Borrower will be and become thereby unconditionally obligated, without any further notice, act or demand, to pay to the Agent an amount in immediately available funds, which funds shall be held in the Facility LC Collateral Account, equal to the difference of (x) the amount of LC Obligations at such time, less (v) the amount on deposit in the Facility LC Collateral Account at such time which is free and clear of all rights and claims of third parties and has not been applied against the Obligations (such difference, the “Collateral Shortfall Amount”). If any other Default occurs, the Required Lenders (or the Agent with the consent of the Required Lenders) may (a) terminate or suspend the obligations of the Lenders to make Loans hereunder and the obligation and power of the LC Issuer to issue Facility LCs, or declare the Obligations to be due and payable, or both, whereupon the Obligations shall become immediately due and payable, without presentment, demand, protest or notice of any kind, all of which the Borrower hereby expressly waives, and (b) upon notice to the Borrower and in addition to the continuing right to demand payment of all amounts payable under this Agreement, make demand on the Borrower to pay, and the Borrower will, forthwith upon such demand and without any further notice or act, pay to the Agent the Collateral Shortfall Amount, which funds shall be deposited in the Facility LC Collateral Account.

(ii) If at any time while any Default is continuing, the Agent determines that the Collateral Shortfall Amount at such time is greater than zero, the Agent may make demand on the Borrower to pay, and the Borrower will, forthwith upon such demand and without any further notice or act, pay to the Agent the Collateral Shortfall Amount, which funds shall be deposited in the Facility LC Collateral Account.

(iii) The Agent may at any time or from time to time after funds are deposited in the Facility LC Collateral Account, apply such funds to the payment of the Obligations and any other amounts as shall from time to time have become due and payable by the Borrower to the Lenders or the LC Issuer under the Loan Documents.

(iv) At any time while any Default is continuing, neither the Borrower nor any Person claiming on behalf of or through the Borrower shall have any right to withdraw any of the funds held in the Facility LC Collateral Account. After all of the Obligations have been indefeasibly paid in full and the Aggregate Commitment has been terminated, any funds remaining in the Facility LC Collateral Account shall be returned by the Agent to the Borrower or paid to whomever may be legally entitled thereto at such time.

(v) If, within 30 days after acceleration of the maturity of the Obligations or termination of the obligations of the Lenders to make Loans and the obligation and power of the LC Issuer to issue Facility LCs hereunder as a result of any Default (other than any Default as described in Section 7.6 or 7.7 with respect to the Borrower) and before any judgment or decree for the payment of the Obligations due shall have been obtained or entered, the Required Lenders (in their sole discretion) shall so direct, the Agent shall, by notice to the Borrower, rescind and annul such acceleration and/or termination.

8.2. Amendments. Subject to the provisions of this Section 8.2, the Required Lenders (or the Agent with the consent in writing of the Required Lenders) and the Borrower may enter into agreements supplemental hereto for the purpose of adding or modifying any provisions to the Loan Documents or changing in any manner the rights of the Lenders or the Borrower hereunder or waiving any Default hereunder; provided, however, that no such supplemental agreement shall, without the consent of all of the Lenders:

(i)

Extend the final maturity of any Loan or forgive all or any portion of the principal amount thereof, or any Reimbursement Obligation related to any Facility LC, or reduce the rate or extend the time of payment of interest or fees thereon or Reimbursement Obligations related thereto.

(ii)

Reduce the percentage specified in the definition of Required Lenders.

(iii)

Extend the Facility Termination Date, or reduce the amount or extend the payment date for, the mandatory payments required under Section 2.2, or increase the amount of the Aggregate Commitment or of the Commitment of any Lender hereunder or the commitment to issue Facility LCs, or permit the Borrower to assign its rights under this Agreement.

(iv)

Amend this Section 8.2.

(v)

Release any guarantor of any Advance or, except as provided in the Collateral Documents, release all or substantially all of the Collateral.

No amendment of any provision of this Agreement relating to the Agent shall be effective without the written consent of the Agent, and no amendment of any provision relating to the LC Issuer shall be effective without the written consent of the LC Issuer. The Agent may waive payment of the fee required under Section 12.3.3 without obtaining the consent of any other party to this Agreement.

8.3. Preservation of Rights. No delay or omission of the Lenders, the LC Issuer or the Agent to exercise any right under the Loan Documents shall impair such right or be construed to be a waiver of any Default or an acquiescence therein, and the making of a Credit Extension notwithstanding the existence of a Default or the inability of the Borrower to satisfy the conditions precedent to such Credit Extension shall not constitute any waiver or acquiescence. Any single or partial exercise of any such right shall not preclude other or further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other right, and no waiver, amendment or other variation of the terms,

conditions or provisions of the Loan Documents whatsoever shall be valid unless in writing signed by the Lenders required pursuant to Section 8.2, and then only to the extent in such writing specifically set forth. All remedies contained in the Loan Documents or by law afforded shall be cumulative and all shall be available to the Agent, the LC Issuer and the Lenders until the Obligations have been paid in full.

ARTICLE IX

GENERAL PROVISIONS

9.1. Survival of Representations. All representations and warranties of the Borrower contained in this Agreement shall survive the making of the Credit Extensions herein contemplated.

9.2. Governmental Regulation. Anything contained in this Agreement to the contrary notwithstanding, neither the LC Issuer nor any Lender shall be obligated to extend credit to the Borrower in violation of any limitation or prohibition provided by any applicable statute or regulation.

9.3. Headings. Section headings in the Loan Documents are for convenience of reference only, and shall not govern the interpretation of any of the provisions of the Loan Documents.

9.4. Entire Agreement. The Loan Documents embody the entire agreement and understanding among the Borrower, the Agent, the LC Issuer and the Lenders and supersede all prior agreements and understandings among the Borrower, the Agent, the LC Issuer and the Lenders relating to the subject matter thereof.

9.5. Several Obligations; Benefits of this Agreement. The respective obligations of the Lenders hereunder are several and not joint and no Lender shall be the partner or agent of any other (except to the extent to which the Agent is authorized to act as such). The failure of any Lender to perform any of its obligations hereunder shall not relieve any other Lender from any of its obligations hereunder. This Agreement shall not be construed so as to confer any right or benefit upon any Person other than the parties to this Agreement and their respective successors and assigns, provided, however, that the parties hereto expressly agree that the Arranger shall enjoy the benefits of the provisions of Sections 9.6, 9.10 and 10.11 to the extent specifically set forth therein and shall have the right to enforce such provisions on its own behalf and in its own name to the same extent as if it were a party to this Agreement.

9.6. Expenses; Indemnification. (i) The Borrower shall reimburse the Agent and the Arranger for any reasonable and documented costs, internal charges and out-of-pocket expenses (including reasonable and documented attorneys’ fees and time charges of attorneys for the Agent, which attorneys may be employees of the Agent) paid or incurred by the Agent or the Arranger in connection with the preparation, negotiation, execution, delivery, syndication, distribution (including, without limitation, via the internet), review, amendment, modification, and administration of the Loan Documents.

(ii) The Borrower also agrees to reimburse the Agent, the Arranger, the LC Issuer and the Lenders for any costs, internal charges and out-of-pocket expenses (including attorneys’ fees and time charges of attorneys for the Agent, the Arranger, the LC Issuer and the Lenders, which attorneys may be employees of the Agent, the Arranger, the LC Issuer or the Lenders) paid or incurred by the Agent, the Arranger, the LC Issuer or any Lender in connection with the collection and enforcement of the Loan Documents.

(iii) Expenses being reimbursed by the Borrower under this Section include, without limitation, the cost and expense of obtaining an appraisal of each parcel of real property or interest in real property described in the relevant Collateral Documents but only during the continuance of an Unmatured Default or a Default, which appraisal shall be in conformity with the applicable requirements of any law or any governmental rule, regulation, policy, guideline or directive (whether or not having the force of law), or any interpretation thereof, including, without limitation, the provisions of Title XI of the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery and Enforcement Act of 1989, as amended, reformed or otherwise modified from time to time, and any rules promulgated to implement such provisions and costs and expenses incurred in connection with the Reports described in the following sentence. The Borrower acknowledges that from time to time Agent may prepare and may distribute to the Lenders (but shall have no obligation or duty to prepare or to distribute to the Lenders) certain audit reports (the “Reports”) pertaining to the Borrower’s assets for internal use by Agent from information furnished to it by or on behalf of the Borrower, after Agent has exercised its rights of inspection pursuant to this Agreement.

(iv) The Borrower hereby further agrees to indemnify the Agent, the Arranger, the LC Issuer, each Lender, their respective affiliates, and each of their directors, officers and employees against all losses, claims, damages, penalties, judgments, liabilities and expenses (including, without limitation, all expenses of litigation or preparation therefor whether or not the Agent, the Arranger, the LC Issuer, any Lender or any affiliate is a party thereto) which any of them may pay or incur arising out of or relating to this Agreement, the other Loan Documents, the transactions contemplated hereby or the direct or indirect application or proposed application of the proceeds of any Credit Extension hereunder except to the extent that they are determined in a final non-appealable judgment by a court of competent jurisdiction to have resulted from the gross negligence or willful misconduct of the party seeking indemnification.

9.7. Numbers of Documents. All statements, notices, closing documents, and requests hereunder shall be furnished to the Agent with sufficient counterparts so that the Agent may furnish one to each of the Lenders.

9.8. Accounting. Except as provided to the contrary herein, all accounting terms used herein shall be interpreted and all accounting determinations hereunder shall be made in accordance with GAAP, except that any calculation or determination which is to be made on a consolidated basis shall be made for the Borrower and all its Subsidiaries, including those Subsidiaries, if any, which are unconsolidated on the Borrower’s audited financial statements. If

at any time any change in GAAP would affect the computation of any financial ratio or requirement set forth in any Loan Document, and the Borrower, the Agent or the Required Lenders shall so request, the Agent, the Lenders and the Loan Parties shall negotiate in good faith to amend such ratio or requirement to preserve the original intent thereof in light of such change in GAAP (subject to the approval of the Required Lenders), provided that, until so amended, such ratio or requirement shall continue to be computed in accordance with GAAP prior to such change therein and the Borrower shall provide to the Agent and the Lenders reconciliation statements showing the difference in such calculation, together with the delivery of monthly, quarterly and annual financial statements required hereunder.

9.9. Severability of Provisions. Any provision in any Loan Document that is held to be inoperative, unenforceable, or invalid in any jurisdiction shall, as to that jurisdiction, be inoperative, unenforceable, or invalid without affecting the remaining provisions in that jurisdiction or the operation, enforceability, or validity of that provision in any other jurisdiction, and to this end the provisions of all Loan Documents are declared to be severable.

9.10. Nonliability of Lenders. The relationship between the Borrower on the one hand and the Lenders, the LC Issuer and the Agent on the other hand shall be solely that of borrower and lender. Neither the Agent, the Arranger, the LC Issuer nor any Lender shall have any fiduciary responsibilities to the Borrower. Neither the Agent, the Arranger, the LC Issuer nor any Lender undertakes any responsibility to the Borrower to review or inform the Borrower of any matter in connection with any phase of the Borrower’s business or operations. The Borrower agrees that neither the Agent, the Arranger, the LC Issuer nor any Lender shall have liability to the Borrower (whether sounding in tort, contract or otherwise) for losses suffered by the Borrower in connection with, arising out of, or in any way related to, the transactions contemplated and the relationship established by the Loan Documents, or any act, omission or event occurring in connection therewith, unless it is determined in a final non-appealable judgment by a court of competent jurisdiction that such losses resulted from the gross negligence or willful misconduct of the party from which recovery is sought. Neither the Agent, the Arranger, the LC Issuer nor any Lender shall have any liability with respect to, and the Borrower hereby waives, releases and agrees not to ▇▇▇ for, any special, indirect, consequential or punitive damages suffered by the Borrower in connection with, arising out of, or in any way related to the Loan Documents or the transactions contemplated thereby.

9.11. Confidentiality. The Agent and each Lender agrees to hold any confidential information which it may receive from the Borrower in connection with this Agreement in confidence, except for disclosure (i) to its Affiliates and to the Agent and any other Lender and their respective Affiliates, (ii) to legal counsel, accountants, and other professional advisors to such Lender or to a Transferee, (iii) to regulatory officials, (iv) to any Person as requested pursuant to or as required by law, regulation, or legal process, (v) to any Person in connection with any legal proceeding to which it is a party, (vi) to its direct or indirect contractual counterparties in swap agreements or to legal counsel, accountants and other professional advisors to such counterparties, and (vii) permitted by Section 12.4. Without limiting Section 9.4, the Borrower agrees that the terms of this Section 9.11 shall set forth the entire agreement between the Borrower and each Lender (including the Agent) with respect to any confidential information previously or hereafter received by such Lender in connection with this Agreement,

and this Section 9.11 shall supersede any and all prior confidentiality agreements entered into by such Lender with respect to such confidential information. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, confidential information shall not include, and each party to any of the Loan Documents and their respective Affiliates (and the respective partners, directors, officers, employees, advisors, representatives and other agents of each of the foregoing and their Affiliates) may disclose to any and all Persons, without limitation of any kind, (i) any information with respect to the U.S. federal and state income tax treatment of the transactions contemplated hereby and any facts that may be relevant to understanding such tax treatment, which facts shall not include for this purpose the names of the parties or any other Person named herein, or information that would permit identification of the parties or such other Persons, or any pricing terms or other nonpublic business or financial information that is unrelated to such tax treatment or facts, and (ii) all materials of any kind (including opinions or other tax analyses) relating to such tax treatment or facts that are provided to any of the Persons referred to above, and it is hereby confirmed that each of the Persons referred to above has been authorized to make such disclosures since the commencement of discussions regarding the transactions contemplated hereby.

9.12. Nonreliance. Each Lender hereby represents that it is not relying on or looking to any margin stock (as defined in Regulation U of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System) for the repayment of the Credit Extensions provided for herein.

9.13. Disclosure. The Borrower and each Lender hereby acknowledge and agree that Bank One and/or its Affiliates from time to time may hold investments in, make other loans to or have other relationships with the Borrower and its Affiliates.

9.14. USA PATRIOT ACT NOTIFICATIONUSA PATRIOT ACT NOTIFICATION. The following notification is provided to Borrower pursuant to Section 326 of the USA Patriot Act of 2001, 31 U.S.C. Section 5318:

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT PROCEDURES FOR OPENING A NEW ACCOUNT. To help the government fight the funding of terrorism and money laundering activities, Federal law requires all financial institutions to obtain, verify, and record information that identifies each person or entity that opens an account, including any deposit account, treasury management account, loan, other extension of credit, or other financial services product. What this means for Borrower: When Borrower opens an account, if Borrower is an individual, Agent and the Lenders will ask for Borrower’s name, residential address, tax identification number, date of birth, and other information that will allow Agent and the Lenders to identify Borrower, and, if Borrower is not an individual, Agent and the Lenders will ask for Borrower’s name, tax identification number, business address, and other information that will allow Agent and the Lenders to identify Borrower. Agent and the Lenders may also ask, if Borrower is an individual, to see Borrower’s driver’s license or other identifying documents, and, if Borrower is not an individual, to see Borrower’s legal organizational documents or other identifying documents.

ARTICLE X

THE AGENT

10.1. Appointment; Nature of Relationship. Bank One, NA is hereby appointed by each of the Lenders as its contractual representative (herein referred to as the “Agent”) hereunder and under each other Loan Document, and each of the Lenders irrevocably authorizes the Agent to act as the contractual representative of such Lender with the rights and duties expressly set forth herein and in the other Loan Documents. The Agent agrees to act as such contractual representative upon the express conditions contained in this Article X. Notwithstanding the use of the defined term “Agent,” it is expressly understood and agreed that the Agent shall not have any fiduciary responsibilities to any Lender by reason of this Agreement or any other Loan Document and that the Agent is merely acting as the contractual representative of the Lenders with only those duties as are expressly set forth in this Agreement and the other Loan Documents. In its capacity as the Lenders’ contractual representative, the Agent (i) does not hereby assume any fiduciary duties to any of the Lenders, (ii) is a “representative” of the Lenders within the meaning of the term “secured party” as defined in the Illinois Uniform Commercial Code and (iii) is acting as an independent contractor, the rights and duties of which are limited to those expressly set forth in this Agreement and the other Loan Documents. Each of the Lenders hereby agrees to assert no claim against the Agent on any agency theory or any other theory of liability for breach of fiduciary duty, all of which claims each Lender hereby waives.

10.2. Powers. The Agent shall have and may exercise such powers under the Loan Documents as are specifically delegated to the Agent by the terms of each thereof, together with such powers as are reasonably incidental thereto. The Agent shall have no implied duties to the Lenders, or any obligation to the Lenders to take any action thereunder except any action specifically provided by the Loan Documents to be taken by the Agent.

10.3. General Immunity. Neither the Agent nor any of its directors, officers, agents or employees shall be liable to the Borrower, the Lenders or any Lender for any action taken or omitted to be taken by it or them hereunder or under any other Loan Document or in connection herewith or therewith except to the extent such action or inaction is determined in a final non-appealable judgment by a court of competent jurisdiction to have arisen from the gross negligence or willful misconduct of such Person.

10.4. No Responsibility for Loans, Recitals, etc. Neither the Agent nor any of its directors, officers, agents or employees shall be responsible for or have any duty to ascertain, inquire into, or verify (a) any statement, warranty or representation made in connection with any Loan Document or any borrowing hereunder; (b) the performance or observance of any of the covenants or agreements of any obligor under any Loan Document, including, without limitation, any agreement by an obligor to furnish information directly to each Lender; (c) the satisfaction of any condition specified in Article IV, except receipt of items required to be delivered solely to the Agent; (d) the existence or possible existence of any Default or Unmatured Default; (e) the validity, enforceability, effectiveness, sufficiency or genuineness of any Loan Document or any other instrument or writing furnished in connection therewith; (f) the value, sufficiency, creation,

perfection or priority of any Lien in any collateral security; or (g) the financial condition of the Borrower or any guarantor of any of the Obligations or of any of the Borrower’s or any such guarantor’s respective Subsidiaries. The Agent shall have no duty to disclose to the Lenders information that is not required to be furnished by the Borrower to the Agent at such time, but is voluntarily furnished by the Borrower to the Agent (either in its capacity as Agent or in its individual capacity).

10.5. Action on Instructions of Lenders. The Agent shall in all cases be fully protected in acting, or in refraining from acting, hereunder and under any other Loan Document in accordance with written instructions signed by the Required Lenders, and such instructions and any action taken or failure to act pursuant thereto shall be binding on all of the Lenders. The Lenders hereby acknowledge that the Agent shall be under no duty to take any discretionary action permitted to be taken by it pursuant to the provisions of this Agreement or any other Loan Document unless it shall be requested in writing to do so by the Required Lenders. The Agent shall be fully justified in failing or refusing to take any action hereunder and under any other Loan Document unless it shall first be indemnified to its satisfaction by the Lenders pro rata against any and all liability, cost and expense that it may incur by reason of taking or continuing to take any such action.

10.6. Employment of Agents and Counsel. The Agent may execute any of its duties as Agent hereunder and under any other Loan Document by or through employees, agents, and attorneys-in-fact and shall not be answerable to the Lenders, except as to money or securities received by it or its authorized agents, for the default or misconduct of any such agents or attorneys-in-fact selected by it with reasonable care. The Agent shall be entitled to advice of counsel concerning the contractual arrangement between the Agent and the Lenders and all matters pertaining to the Agent’s duties hereunder and under any other Loan Document.

10.7. Reliance on Documents; Counsel. The Agent shall be entitled to rely upon any Note, notice, consent, certificate, affidavit, letter, telegram, facsimile, telex, electronic mail message, statement, paper or document believed by it to be genuine and correct and to have been signed or sent by the proper person or persons, and, in respect to legal matters, upon the opinion of counsel selected by the Agent, which counsel may be employees of the Agent. For purposes of determining compliance with the conditions specified in Sections 4.1 and 4.2, each Lender that has signed this Agreement shall be deemed to have consented to, approved or accepted or to be satisfied with, each document or other matter required thereunder to be consented to or approved by or acceptable or satisfactory to a Lender unless the Agent shall have received notice from such Lender prior to the applicable date specifying its objection thereto.

10.8. Agent’s Reimbursement and Indemnification. The Lenders agree to reimburse and indemnify the Agent ratably in proportion to their respective Commitments (or, if the Commitments have been terminated, in proportion to their Commitments immediately prior to such termination) (i) for any amounts not reimbursed by the Borrower for which the Agent is entitled to reimbursement by the Borrower under the Loan Documents, (ii) for any other expenses incurred by the Agent on behalf of the Lenders, in connection with the preparation, execution, delivery, administration and enforcement of the Loan Documents (including, without limitation, for any expenses incurred by the Agent in connection with any dispute between the

Agent and any Lender or between two or more of the Lenders) and (iii) for any liabilities, obligations, losses, damages, penalties, actions, judgments, suits, costs, expenses or disbursements of any kind and nature whatsoever which may be imposed on, incurred by or asserted against the Agent in any way relating to or arising out of the Loan Documents or any other document delivered in connection therewith or the transactions contemplated thereby (including, without limitation, for any such amounts incurred by or asserted against the Agent in connection with any dispute between the Agent and any Lender or between two or more of the Lenders), or the enforcement of any of the terms of the Loan Documents or of any such other documents, provided that (i) no Lender shall be liable for any of the foregoing to the extent any of the foregoing is found in a final non-appealable judgment by a court of competent jurisdiction to have resulted from the gross negligence or willful misconduct of the Agent and (ii) any indemnification required pursuant to Section 3.5(vii) shall, notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 10.8, be paid by the relevant Lender in accordance with the provisions thereof. The obligations of the Lenders under this Section 10.8 shall survive payment of the Obligations and termination of this Agreement.

10.9. Notice of Default. The Agent shall not be deemed to have knowledge or notice of the occurrence of any Default or Unmatured Default hereunder unless the Agent has received written notice from a Lender or the Borrower referring to this Agreement describing such Default or Unmatured Default and stating that such notice is a “notice of default”. In the event that the Agent receives such a notice, the Agent shall give prompt notice thereof to the Lenders.

10.10. Rights as a Lender. In the event the Agent is a Lender, the Agent shall have the same rights and powers hereunder and under any other Loan Document with respect to its Commitment and its Loans as any Lender and may exercise the same as though it were not the Agent, and the term “Lender” or “Lenders” shall, at any time when the Agent is a Lender, unless the context otherwise indicates, include the Agent in its individual capacity. The Agent and its Affiliates may accept deposits from, lend money to, and generally engage in any kind of trust, debt, equity or other transaction, in addition to those contemplated by this Agreement or any other Loan Document, with the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries in which the Borrower or such Subsidiary is not restricted hereby from engaging with any other Person. The Agent, in its individual capacity, is not obligated to remain a Lender.

10.11. Lender Credit Decision. Each Lender acknowledges that it has, independently and without reliance upon the Agent, the Arranger or any other Lender and based on the financial statements prepared by the Borrower and such other documents and information as it has deemed appropriate, made its own credit analysis and decision to enter into this Agreement and the other Loan Documents. Each Lender also acknowledges that it will, independently and without reliance upon the Agent, the Arranger or any other Lender and based on such documents and information as it shall deem appropriate at the time, continue to make its own credit decisions in taking or not taking action under this Agreement and the other Loan Documents. Except for any notice, report, document or other information expressly required to be furnished to the Lenders by the Agent or Arranger hereunder, neither the Agent nor the Arranger shall have any duty or responsibility (either initially or on a continuing basis) to provide any Lender with any notice, report, document, credit information or other information concerning the affairs, financial condition or business of the Borrower or any of its Affiliates that may come into the possession of the Agent or Arranger (whether or not in their respective capacity as Agent or Arranger) or any of their Affiliates.

10.12. Successor Agent. The Agent may resign at any time by giving written notice thereof to the Lenders and the Borrower, such resignation to be effective upon the appointment of a successor Agent or, if no successor Agent has been appointed, forty-five days after the retiring Agent gives notice of its intention to resign. The Agent may be removed at any time with or without cause by written notice received by the Agent from the Required Lenders, such removal to be effective on the date specified by the Required Lenders. Upon any such resignation or removal, the Required Lenders shall have the right to appoint, on behalf of the Borrower and the Lenders, a successor Agent. If no successor Agent shall have been so appointed by the Required Lenders within thirty days after the resigning Agent’s giving notice of its intention to resign, then the resigning Agent may appoint, on behalf of the Borrower and the Lenders, a successor Agent. Notwithstanding the previous sentence, the Agent may at any time without the consent of the Borrower or any Lender, appoint any of its Affiliates which is a commercial bank as a successor Agent hereunder. If the Agent has resigned or been removed and no successor Agent has been appointed, the Lenders may perform all the duties of the Agent hereunder and the Borrower shall make all payments in respect of the Obligations to the applicable Lender and for all other purposes shall deal directly with the Lenders. No successor Agent shall be deemed to be appointed hereunder until such successor Agent has accepted the appointment. Any such successor Agent shall be a commercial bank having capital and retained earnings of at least $100,000,000. Upon the acceptance of any appointment as Agent hereunder by a successor Agent, such successor Agent shall thereupon succeed to and become vested with all the rights, powers, privileges and duties of the resigning or removed Agent. Upon the effectiveness of the resignation or removal of the Agent, the resigning or removed Agent shall be discharged from its duties and obligations hereunder and under the Loan Documents. After the effectiveness of the resignation or removal of an Agent, the provisions of this Article X shall continue in effect for the benefit of such Agent in respect of any actions taken or omitted to be taken by it while it was acting as the Agent hereunder and under the other Loan Documents. In the event that there is a successor to the Agent by merger, or the Agent assigns its duties and obligations to an Affiliate pursuant to this Section 10.12, then the term “Prime Rate” as used in this Agreement shall mean the prime rate, base rate or other analogous rate of the new Agent.

10.13. Delegation to Affiliates. The Borrower and the Lenders agree that the Agent may delegate any of its duties under this Agreement to any of its Affiliates. Any such Affiliate (and such Affiliate’s directors, officers, agents and employees) which performs duties in connection with this Agreement shall be entitled to the same benefits of the indemnification, waiver and other protective provisions to which the Agent is entitled under Articles IX and X.

10.14. Execution of Collateral Documents. The Lenders hereby empower and authorize the Agent to execute and deliver to the Borrower on their behalf the Security Agreement(s) and all related financing statements and any financing statements, agreements, documents or instruments as shall be necessary or appropriate to effect the purposes of the Security Agreement(s).

10.15. Collateral Releases. The Lenders hereby empower and authorize the Agent to execute and deliver to the Borrower on their behalf any agreements, documents or instruments as shall be necessary or appropriate to effect any releases of Collateral which shall be permitted by the terms hereof or of any other Loan Document or which shall otherwise have been approved by the Required Lenders (or, if required by the terms of Section 8.2, all of the Lenders) in writing.

ARTICLE XI

SETOFF; RATABLE PAYMENTS

11.1. Setoff. In addition to, and without limitation of, any rights of the Lenders under applicable law, if the Borrower becomes insolvent, however evidenced, or any Default occurs, any and all deposits (including all account balances, whether provisional or final and whether or not collected or available) and any other Indebtedness at any time held or owing by any Lender or any Affiliate of any Lender to or for the credit or account of the Borrower may be offset and applied toward the payment of the Secured Obligations owing to such Lender, whether or not the Secured Obligations, or any part thereof, shall then be due.

11.2. Ratable Payments. If any Lender, whether by setoff or otherwise, has payment made to it upon its Outstanding Credit Exposure (other than payments received pursuant to Section 3.1, 3.2, 3.4 or 3.5) in a greater proportion than that received by any other Lender, such Lender agrees, promptly upon demand, to purchase a portion of the Aggregate Outstanding Credit Exposure held by the other Lenders so that after such purchase each Lender will hold its Pro Rata Share of the Aggregate Outstanding Credit Exposure. If any Lender, whether in connection with setoff or amounts which might be subject to setoff or otherwise, receives collateral or other protection for its Obligations or such amounts which may be subject to setoff, such Lender agrees, promptly upon demand, to take such action necessary such that all Lenders share in the benefits of such collateral ratably in proportion to their respective Pro Rata Shares of the Aggregate Outstanding Credit Exposure. In case any such payment is disturbed by legal process, or otherwise, appropriate further adjustments shall be made.

11.3. Exceptions to Ratable Payments The provisions of Section 11.2 shall not apply to any payments received or collateral held by either Lender to secure Lender Guaranty Indebtedness or Third-Party Letter of Credit Indebtedness owed by Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries to such Lender and permitted under the terms of Section 6.15(vi).

ARTICLE XII

BENEFIT OF AGREEMENT; ASSIGNMENTS; PARTICIPATIONS

12.1. Successors and Assigns. The terms and provisions of the Loan Documents shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the Borrower and the Lenders and their respective successors and assigns permitted hereby, except that (i) the Borrower shall not have the right to

assign its rights or obligations under the Loan Documents without the prior written consent of each Lender, (ii) any assignment by any Lender must be made in compliance with Section 12.3, and (iii) any transfer by Participation must be made in compliance with Section 12.2. Any attempted assignment or transfer by any party not made in compliance with this Section 12.1 shall be null and void, unless such attempted assignment or transfer is treated as a participation in accordance with Section 12.3.2. The parties to this Agreement acknowledge that clause (ii) of this Section 12.1 relates only to absolute assignments and this Section 12.1 does not prohibit assignments creating security interests, including, without limitation, (x) any pledge or assignment by any Lender of all or any portion of its rights under this Agreement and any Note to a Federal Reserve Bank or (y) in the case of a Lender which is a Fund, any pledge or assignment of all or any portion of its rights under this Agreement and any Note to its trustee in support of its obligations to its trustee; provided, however, that no such pledge or assignment creating a security interest shall release the transferor Lender from its obligations hereunder unless and until the parties thereto have complied with the provisions of Section 12.3. The Agent may treat the Person which made any Loan or which holds any Note as the owner thereof for all purposes hereof unless and until such Person complies with Section 12.3; provided, however, that the Agent may in its discretion (but shall not be required to) follow instructions from the Person which made any Loan or which holds any Note to direct payments relating to such Loan or Note to another Person. Any assignee of the rights to any Loan or any Note agrees by acceptance of such assignment to be bound by all the terms and provisions of the Loan Documents. Any request, authority or consent of any Person, who at the time of making such request or giving such authority or consent is the owner of the rights to any Loan (whether or not a Note has been issued in evidence thereof), shall be conclusive and binding on any subsequent holder or assignee of the rights to such Loan.

12.2. Participations.

12.2.1. Permitted Participants; Effect. Any Lender may at any time sell to one or more banks or other entities (“Participants”) participating interests in any Outstanding Credit Exposure of such Lender, any Note held by such Lender, any Commitment of such Lender or any other interest of such Lender under the Loan Documents. In the event of any such sale by a Lender of participating interests to a Participant, such Lender’s obligations under the Loan Documents shall remain unchanged, such Lender shall remain solely responsible to the other parties hereto for the performance of such obligations, such Lender shall remain the owner of its Outstanding Credit Exposure and the holder of any Note issued to it in evidence thereof for all purposes under the Loan Documents, all amounts payable by the Borrower under this Agreement shall be determined as if such Lender had not sold such participating interests, and the Borrower and the Agent shall continue to deal solely and directly with such Lender in connection with such Lender’s rights and obligations under the Loan Documents.

12.2.2. Voting Rights. Each Lender shall retain the sole right to approve, without the consent of any Participant, any amendment, modification or waiver of any provision of the Loan Documents other than any amendment, modification or waiver with respect to any Credit Extension or Commitment in which such Participant has an interest which would require consent of all of the Lenders pursuant to the terms of Section 8.2 or of any other Loan Document.

12.2.3. Benefit of Certain Provisions. The Borrower agrees that each Participant shall be deemed to have the right of setoff provided in Section 11.1 in respect of its participating interest in amounts owing under the Loan Documents to the same extent as if the amount of its participating interest were owing directly to it as a Lender under the Loan Documents, provided that each Lender shall retain the right of setoff provided in Section 11.1 with respect to the amount of participating interests sold to each Participant. The Lenders agree to share with each Participant, and each Participant, by exercising the right of setoff provided in Section 11.1, agrees to share with each Lender, any amount received pursuant to the exercise of its right of setoff, such amounts to be shared in accordance with Section 11.2 as if each Participant were a Lender. The Borrower further agrees that each Participant shall be entitled to the benefits of Sections 3.1, 3.2, 3.4, 3.5, 9.6, and 9.10 to the same extent as if it were a Lender and had acquired its interest by assignment pursuant to Section 12.3, provided that (i) a Participant shall not be entitled to receive any greater payment under Section 3.1, 3.2 or 3.5 than the Lender who sold the participating interest to such Participant would have received had it retained such interest for its own account, unless the sale of such interest to such Participant is made with the prior written consent of the Borrower, and (ii) any Participant not incorporated under the laws of the United States of America or any State thereof agrees to comply with the provisions of Section 3.5 to the same extent as if it were a Lender.

12.3. Assignments.

12.3.1. Permitted Assignments. Any Lender may at any time assign to one or more banks or other entities (“Purchasers”) all or any part of its rights and obligations under the Loan Documents. Such assignment shall be substantially in the form of Exhibit C or in such other form as may be agreed to by the parties thereto. Each such assignment with respect to a Purchaser which is not a Lender or an Affiliate of a Lender or an Approved Fund shall either be in an amount equal to the entire applicable Commitment and Loans of the assigning Lender or (unless each of the Borrower and the Agent otherwise consents) be in an aggregate amount not less than $5,000,000. The amount of the assignment shall be based on the Commitment or Outstanding Credit Exposure (if the Commitment has been terminated) subject to the assignment, determined as of the date of such assignment or as of the “Trade Date,” if the “Trade Date” is specified in the assignment.

12.3.2. Consents. The consent of the Borrower shall be required prior to an assignment becoming effective unless the Purchaser is a Lender, an Affiliate of a Lender or an Approved Fund, provided that the consent of the Borrower shall not be required if a Default has occurred and is continuing. The consent of the Agent and the LC Issuer shall be required prior to an assignment becoming effective unless the Purchaser is a Lender, an Affiliate of a Lender or an Approved Fund. Any consent required under this Section 12.3.2 shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed.

12.3.3. Effect; Effective Date. Upon (i) delivery to the Agent of an assignment, together with any consents required by Sections 12.3.1 and 12.3.2, and (ii) payment of a $3,500 fee to the Agent for processing such assignment (unless such fee is waived by the Agent), such assignment shall become effective on the effective date specified in such assignment. The assignment shall contain a representation by the Purchaser to the effect that none of the consideration used to make the purchase of the Commitment and Outstanding Credit Exposure under the applicable assignment agreement constitutes “plan assets” as defined under ERISA and that the rights and interests of the Purchaser in and under the Loan Documents will not be “plan assets” under ERISA. On and after the effective date of such assignment, such Purchaser shall for all purposes be a Lender party to this Agreement and any other Loan Document executed by or on behalf of the Lenders and shall have all the rights and obligations of a Lender under the Loan Documents, to the same extent as if it were an original party thereto, and the transferor Lender shall be released with respect to the Commitment and Outstanding Credit Exposure assigned to such Purchaser without any further consent or action by the Borrower, the Lenders or the Agent. In the case of an assignment covering all of the assigning Lender’s rights and obligations under this Agreement, such Lender shall cease to be a Lender hereunder but shall continue to be entitled to the benefits of, and subject to, those provisions of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents which survive payment of the Obligations and termination of the applicable agreement. Any assignment or transfer by a Lender of rights or obligations under this Agreement that does not comply with this Section 12.3 shall be treated for purposes of this Agreement as a sale by such Lender of a participation in such rights and obligations in accordance with Section 12.2. Upon the consummation of any assignment to a Purchaser pursuant to this Section 12.3.3, the transferor Lender, the Agent and the Borrower shall, if the transferor Lender or the Purchaser desires that its Loans be evidenced by Notes, make appropriate arrangements so that new Notes or, as appropriate, replacement Notes are issued to such transferor Lender and new Notes or, as appropriate, replacement Notes, are issued to such Purchaser, in each case in principal amounts reflecting their respective Commitments, as adjusted pursuant to such assignment.

12.3.4. Register. The Agent, acting solely for this purpose as an agent of the Borrower, shall maintain at one of its offices in Chicago, Illinois a copy of each Assignment and Assumption delivered to it and a register for the recordation of the names and addresses of the Lenders, and the Commitments of, and principal amounts of the Loans owing to, each Lender pursuant to the terms hereof from time to time (the “Register”). The entries in the Register shall be conclusive, and the Borrower, the Agent and the Lenders may treat each Person whose name is recorded in the Register pursuant to the terms hereof as a Lender hereunder for all purposes of this Agreement, notwithstanding notice to the contrary. The Register shall be available for inspection by the Borrower and any Lender, at any reasonable time and from time to time upon reasonable prior notice.

12.4. Dissemination of Information. The Borrower authorizes each Lender to disclose to any Participant or Purchaser or any other Person acquiring an interest in the Loan Documents by operation of law (each a “Transferee”) and any prospective Transferee any and all information

in such Lender’s possession concerning the creditworthiness of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries, including without limitation any information contained in any Reports; provided that each Transferee and prospective Transferee agrees to be bound by Section 9.11 of this Agreement.

12.5. Tax Treatment. If any interest in any Loan Document is transferred to any Transferee which is not incorporated under the laws of the United States or any State thereof, the transferor Lender shall cause such Transferee, concurrently with the effectiveness of such transfer, to comply with the provisions of Section 3.5(iv).

ARTICLE XIII

NOTICES

13.1. Notices; Effectiveness; Electronic Communication.

(a) Notices Generally. Except in the case of notices and other communications expressly permitted to be given by telephone (and except as provided in paragraph (b) below), all notices and other communications provided for herein shall be in writing and shall be delivered by hand or overnight courier service, mailed by certified or registered mail or sent by telecopier as follows:

(i) if to the Borrower or any other party to a Loan Document at its address or telecopier number set forth on the signature page hereof;

(ii) if to the Agent, the LC Issuer, or a Lender, at its address or telecopier number set forth on the signature page hereof.

Notices sent by hand or overnight courier service, or mailed by certified or registered mail, shall be deemed to have been given when received; notices sent by telecopier shall be deemed to have been given when sent (except that, if not given during normal business hours for the recipient, shall be deemed to have been given at the opening of business on the next Business Day for the recipient). Notices delivered through electronic communications to the extent provided in paragraph (b) below, shall be effective as provided in said paragraph (b).

(b) Electronic Communications. Notices and other communications to the Lenders and the LC Bank hereunder may be delivered or furnished by electronic communication (including e-mail and internet or intranet websites) pursuant to procedures approved by the Agent or as otherwise determined by the Agent, provided that the foregoing shall not apply to notices to any Lender or the LC Bank pursuant to Article II if such Lender or the LC Bank, as applicable, has notified the Agent that it is incapable of receiving notices under such Article by electronic communication. The Agent or the Borrower may, in its respective discretion, agree to accept notices and other communications to it hereunder by electronic communications pursuant to procedures approved by it or as it otherwise determines, provided that such determination or approval may be limited to particular notices or communications.

Unless the Agent otherwise prescribes, (i) notices and other communications sent to an e-mail address shall be deemed received upon the sender’s receipt of an acknowledgement from the intended recipient (such as by the “return receipt requested” function, as available, return e-mail or other written acknowledgement), provided that if such notice or other communication is not given during the normal business hours of the recipient, such notice or communication shall be deemed to have been given at the opening of business on the next Business Day for the recipient, and (ii) notices or communications posted to an Internet or intranet website shall be deemed received upon the deemed receipt by the intended recipient at its e-mail address as described in the foregoing clause (i) of notification that such notice or communication is available and identifying the website address therefor.

(c) Change of Address. The Borrower, the Agent and any Lender may each change the address for service of notice upon it by a notice in writing to the other parties hereto.

ARTICLE XIV

COUNTERPARTS

14.1 Counterparts; Effectiveness. This Agreement may be executed in counterparts (and by different parties hereto in different counterparts), each of which shall constitute an original, but all of which when taken together shall constitute a single contract. Except as provided in Article IV, this Agreement shall become effective, as of December 31, 2003, when it shall have been executed by the Agent and when the Agent shall have received counterparts hereof which, when taken together, bear the signatures of each of the parties hereto, and thereafter shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns. Delivery of an executed counterpart of a signature page of this Agreement by telecopy shall be effective as delivery of a manually executed counterpart of this Agreement.

14.2 Electronic Execution of Assignments. The words “execution,” “signed,” “signature,” and words of like import in any assignment and assumption agreement shall be deemed to include electronic signatures or the keeping of records in electronic form, each of which shall be of the same legal effect, validity or enforceability as a manually executed signature or the use of a paper-based recordkeeping system, as the case may be, to the extent and as provided for in any applicable law, including the Federal Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act, or any other state laws based on the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act.

ARTICLE XV

CHOICE OF LAW; CONSENT TO JURISDICTION; WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL

15.1. CHOICE OF LAW. THE LOAN DOCUMENTS (OTHER THAN THOSE CONTAINING A CONTRARY EXPRESS CHOICE OF LAW PROVISION) SHALL BE CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE INTERNAL LAWS WITHOUT REGARD TO THE CONFLICT OF LAWS PROVISIONS) OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA, BUT GIVING EFFECT TO FEDERAL LAWS APPLICABLE TO NATIONAL BANKS.

15.2. CONSENT TO JURISDICTION. THE BORROWER HEREBY IRREVOCABLY SUBMITS TO THE NON-EXCLUSIVE JURISDICTION OF ANY UNITED STATES FEDERAL OR LOUISIANA STATE COURT SITTING IN NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA IN ANY ACTION OR PROCEEDING ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO ANY LOAN DOCUMENTS AND THE BORROWER HEREBY IRREVOCABLY AGREES THAT ALL CLAIMS IN RESPECT OF SUCH ACTION OR PROCEEDING MAY BE HEARD AND DETERMINED IN ANY SUCH COURT AND IRREVOCABLY WAIVES ANY OBJECTION IT MAY NOW OR HEREAFTER HAVE AS TO THE VENUE OF ANY SUCH SUIT, ACTION OR PROCEEDING BROUGHT IN SUCH A COURT OR THAT SUCH COURT IS AN INCONVENIENT FORUM. NOTHING HEREIN SHALL LIMIT THE RIGHT OF THE AGENT, THE LC ISSUER OR ANY LENDER TO BRING PROCEEDINGS AGAINST THE BORROWER IN THE COURTS OF ANY OTHER JURISDICTION. ANY JUDICIAL PROCEEDING BY THE BORROWER AGAINST THE AGENT, THE LC ISSUER OR ANY LENDER OR ANY AFFILIATE OF THE AGENT, THE LC ISSUER OR ANY LENDER INVOLVING, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, ANY MATTER IN ANY WAY ARISING OUT OF, RELATED TO, OR CONNECTED WITH ANY LOAN DOCUMENT SHALL BE BROUGHT ONLY IN A COURT IN NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA.

15.3. WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL. THE BORROWER, THE AGENT, THE LC ISSUER AND EACH LENDER HEREBY WAIVE TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY JUDICIAL PROCEEDING INVOLVING, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, ANY MATTER (WHETHER SOUNDING IN TORT, CONTRACT OR OTHERWISE) IN ANY WAY ARISING OUT OF, RELATED TO, OR CONNECTED WITH ANY LOAN DOCUMENT OR THE RELATIONSHIP ESTABLISHED THEREUNDER.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Borrower, the Guarantors, the Lenders, the LC Issuer and the Agent have executed this Agreement as of the date first above written.


BORROWER:

GULF ISLAND FABRICATION, INC.

By:		/s/ ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
		▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
Title:		President & CEO
		Address:
		▇.▇. ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇
		▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
		▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇
		▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
Attention:		▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
		Telephone: (▇▇▇) ▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇
		FAX: (▇▇▇) ▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇

GUARANTORS:

GULF ISLAND, L.L.C.

By:		/s/ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
		▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, President & CEO
		Address:
		▇.▇. ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇
		▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
		▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇
		▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
		Telephone: (▇▇▇) ▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇
		FAX: (▇▇▇) ▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇

DOLPHIN SERVICES, INC.

By:		/s/ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
		▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, President & CEO


		Address:
		▇.▇. ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇
		▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
		▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇
		▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
		Telephone: (▇▇▇) ▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇
		FAX: (▇▇▇) ▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇

SOUTHPORT, L.L.C.

By:		/s/ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
		▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, President & CEO
		Address:
		▇.▇. ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇
		▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
		▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇
		▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
		Telephone: (▇▇▇) ▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇
		FAX: (▇▇▇) ▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇

GULF ISLAND MINDOC
COMPANY, L.L.C.

By:		/s/ ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
		▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, Manager
		Address:
		▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇
		▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇
		▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
		Telephone: (▇▇▇) ▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇
		FAX: (▇▇▇) ▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇

GIF FINANCE, INC.

By:		/s/ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, III
		▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, III
		President & CEO


Commitments	LENDERS:

$10,000,000.00	BANK ONE, NA,
	Individually, as LC Issuer, and as Agent

	By:	/s/ J. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇.
	Title:	Director of Capital Markets

		Address:
		▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
		▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇

	Attention: ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇
		Telephone: (▇▇▇) ▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇
		FAX: (▇▇▇) ▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇

	With a Copy to:

	Bank One, NA
	29th Floor
	▇▇▇ ▇▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇
	▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
	Attention: ▇▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
	Telephone: (▇▇▇) ▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇
	FAX: (▇▇▇) ▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇


$10,000,000.00		WHITNEY NATIONAL BANK

	By:	/s/ ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇
		▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇
	Title:	Senior Vice-President
		Address:
		▇▇▇ ▇▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇
		▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇

	Attention: ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇
		Telephone: (▇▇▇) ▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇
		FAX: (▇▇▇) ▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇
Total: $20,000,000.00

EXHIBIT A

LIST OF COLLATERAL DOCUMENTS

1.	Collateral Mortgage Note by Dolphin Services, dated January 2, 1997, in the principal sum of $3,000,000.00, bearing interest at the rate of eighteen percent (18%) per annum, from date until paid, and payable to the order of Bearer.

2.	Collateral Mortgage by Dolphin Services, dated January 2, 1997, in favor of First NBC, as Agent for Banks, and any and all future holders, recorded in Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana in MOB 1086, Entry No. 989722, which mortgage secures the note described in item 1 above.

3.	Pledge of Collateral Mortgage Note, dated January 2, 1997, by Dolphin Services to First NBC, as Agent for Banks, with respect to the note described in item 1 above.

First Amendment to Pledge of Collateral Mortgage Note between Dolphin Services and First NBC, as Agent, dated May 1, 1997, amending item 3 above.

Second Amendment to Pledge of Collateral Mortgage Note between Dolphin Services and First NBC, as Agent, dated August 21, 1998, amending item 3 above.

4.	Commercial Security Agreement, dated January 2, 1997, by Dolphin Services, as grantor, in favor of First NBC, as Agent for Banks.

First Amendment to Commercial Security Agreement between Dolphin Services and First NBC, as Agent, dated May 1, 1997, amending item 4 above.

Second Amendment to Commercial Security Agreement between Dolphin Services and First NBC, as Agent, dated August 21, 1998, amending item 4 above.

5.	A UCC-1 Financing Statement executed by Dolphin Services in connection with the security agreement described in item 4 above.

6.	Collateral Mortgage Note by Dolphin Sales, dated January 2, 1997, in the principal sum of $3,000,000.00, bearing interest at the rate of eighteen percent (18%) per annum, from date until paid, and payable to the order of Bearer.

7.	Collateral Mortgage by Dolphin Sales, dated January 2, 1997, in favor of First NBC, as Agent for Banks, and any and all future holders, recorded in Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana in MOB 1086, Entry No. 989723, which mortgage secures the note described in item 6 above.

8.	Pledge of Collateral Mortgage Note, dated January 2, 1997, by Dolphin Sales to First NBC, as Agent for Banks, with respect to the note described in item 6 above.

First Amendment to Pledge of Collateral Mortgage Note between Dolphin Services, as successor-by-merger to Dolphin Sales, and First NBC, as Agent, dated May 1, 1997, amending item 8 above.

Second Amendment to Pledge of Collateral Mortgage Note between Dolphin Services, as successor-by-merger to Dolphin Sales, and First NBC, as Agent, dated August 21, 1998, amending item 8 above.

9.	Mortgage Securing Future Advances of Gulf Island, L.L.C., dated effective as of January 1, 2000, in favor of Bank One Louisiana, N.A., recorded in the mortgage records of Orleans Parish, Louisiana, on April 14, 2000, in Mortgage Book No. 1288, under Entry No. 1069178.

10.	Commercial Security Agreement, dated effective as of January 1, 2000, among Gulf Island Fabrication, Inc. (Borrower), Gulf Island, L.L.C. (Grantor), and Bank One, Louisiana, N.A., as Agent for Whitney National Bank and Bank One, Louisiana, N.A. (Lender).

11.	UCC-1 Financing Statement executed by Gulf Island, L.L.C., recorded in the mortgage records of Orleans Parish, Louisiana, on April 18, 2000, at Instrument No. 36-147638, in connection with the security agreement described in item 10 above.

12.	Subsidiary Continuing Guaranty by Gulf Island L.L.C., Dolphin Services, Inc., Southport, Inc., and Vanguard Ocean Services, L.L.C. in favor of Agent for the benefit of Lenders, dated January 1, 2000.

EXHIBIT B

COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATE

To:	The Lenders parties to the

Credit Agreement Described Below

This Compliance Certificate is furnished pursuant to that certain Ninth Amended and Restated Credit Agreement dated as of December 31, 2003 (as amended, modified, renewed or extended from time to time, the “Agreement”) among Gulf Island Fabrication, Inc. (the “Borrower”), certain guarantors, the lenders party thereto and Bank One, NA, as Agent for the Lenders and as LC Issuer. Unless otherwise defined herein, capitalized terms used in this Compliance Certificate have the meanings ascribed thereto in the Agreement.

THE UNDERSIGNED HEREBY CERTIFIES THAT:

1. I am the duly elected of the Borrower;

2. I have reviewed the terms of the Agreement and I have made, or have caused to be made under my supervision, a detailed review of the transactions and conditions of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries during the accounting period covered by the attached financial statements;

3. The examinations described in paragraph 2 did not disclose, and I have no knowledge of, the existence of any condition or event which constitutes a Default or Unmatured Default during or at the end of the accounting period covered by the attached financial statements or as of the date of this Certificate, except as set forth below; and

4. Schedule I attached hereto sets forth financial data and computations evidencing the Borrower’s compliance with certain covenants of the Agreement, all of which data and computations are true, complete and correct.

5. Schedule II attached hereto sets forth the various reports and deliveries which are required at this time under the Credit Agreement and the other Loan Documents and the status of compliance.

Described below are the exceptions, if any, to paragraph 3 by listing, in detail, the nature of the condition or event, the period during which it has existed and the action which the Borrower has taken, is taking, or proposes to take with respect to each such condition or event:

The foregoing certifications, together with the computations set forth in Schedule I hereto and the financial statements delivered with this Certificate in support hereof, are made and delivered this day of , .

SCHEDULE I TO COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATE

Compliance as of , with

Provisions of and of

the Agreement

SCHEDULE II TO COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATE

Reports and Deliveries Currently Due

EXHIBIT C

ASSIGNMENT AND ASSUMPTION AGREEMENT

This Assignment and Assumption (the “Assignment and Assumption”) is dated as of the Effective Date set forth below and is entered into by and between [Insert name of Assignor] (the “Assignor”) and [Insert name of Assignee] (the “Assignee”). Capitalized terms used but not defined herein shall have the meanings given to them in the Credit Agreement identified below (as amended, the “Credit Agreement”), receipt of a copy of which is hereby acknowledged by the Assignee. The Terms and Conditions set forth in Annex 1 attached hereto are hereby agreed to and incorporated herein by reference and made a part of this Assignment and Assumption as if set forth herein in full.

For an agreed consideration, the Assignor hereby irrevocably sells and assigns to the Assignee, and the Assignee hereby irrevocably purchases and assumes from the Assignor, subject to and in accordance with the Standard Terms and Conditions and the Credit Agreement, as of the Effective Date inserted by the Agent as contemplated below, the interest in and to all of the Assignor’s rights and obligations in its capacity as a Lender under the Credit Agreement and any other documents or instruments delivered pursuant thereto that represents the amount and percentage interest identified below of all of the Assignor’s outstanding rights and obligations under the respective facilities identified below (including without limitation any letters of credit, guaranties and swingline loans included in such facilities and, to the extent permitted to be assigned under applicable law, all claims (including without limitation contract claims, tort claims, malpractice claims, statutory claims and all other claims at law or in equity), suits, causes of action and any other right of the Assignor against any Person whether known or unknown arising under or in connection with the Credit Agreement, any other documents or instruments delivered pursuant thereto or the loan transactions governed thereby) (the “Assigned Interest”). Such sale and assignment is without recourse to the Assignor and, except as expressly provided in this Assignment and Assumption, without representation or warranty by the Assignor.


1.	Assignor:

2.	Assignee:	[and is an Affiliate/Approved

		Fund of [identify Lender]¹

3.	Borrower(s):

4.	Agent:	, as the agent under the Credit Agreement.

5.	Credit Agreement: The [amount] Credit Agreement dated as of among

[name of Borrower(s)], the Lenders party thereto, [name of Agent], as Agent, and the other agents party thereto.

¹	Select as applicable.

6. Assigned Interest:


Facility Assigned	Aggregate Amount of Commitment/Loans for all Lenders*	Amount of Commitment/Loans Assigned*	Percentage Assigned of Commitment/Loans²
³	$	$		%

	$	$		%

	$	$		%

7. Trade Date: ⁴

Effective Date: , 20 [TO BE INSERTED BY AGENT AND WHICH SHALL BE THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF RECORDATION OF TRANSFER BY THE AGENT.]

The terms set forth in this Assignment and Assumption are hereby agreed to:


ASSIGNOR
[NAME OF ASSIGNOR]

By:
		Title:

ASSIGNEE
[NAME OF ASSIGNEE]

By:
		Title:

[Consented to and]⁵ Accepted:

[NAME OF AGENT], as Agent


By:
Title:

[Consented to:]⁶

*	Amount to be adjusted by the counterparties to take into account any payments or prepayments made between the Trade Date and the Effective Date.

²	Set forth, to at least 9 decimals, as a percentage of the Commitment/Loans of all Lenders thereunder.

³	Fill in the appropriate terminology for the types of facilities under the Credit Agreement that are being assigned under this Assignment (e.g. “Revolving Credit Commitment,” “Term Loan Commitment,”, etc.)

⁴	Insert if satisfaction of minimum amounts is to be determined as of the Trade Date.

⁵	To be added only if the consent of the Agent is required by the terms of the Credit Agreement.

⁶	To be added only if the consent of the Borrower and/or other parties (e.g. Swingline Lender, L/C Issuer) is required by the terms of the Credit Agreement.


[NAME OF RELEVANT PARTY]

By:
Title:

ANNEX 1

TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR

ASSIGNMENT AND ASSUMPTION

1. Representations and Warranties.

1.1 Assignor. The Assignor represents and warrants that (i) it is the legal and beneficial owner of the Assigned Interest, (ii) the Assigned Interest is free and clear of any lien, encumbrance or other adverse claim and (iii) it has full power and authority, and has taken all action necessary, to execute and deliver this Assignment and Assumption and to consummate the transactions contemplated hereby. Neither the Assignor nor any of its officers, directors, employees, agents or attorneys shall be responsible for (i) any statements, warranties or representations made in or in connection with the Credit Agreement or any other Loan Document, (ii) the execution, legality, validity, enforceability, genuineness, sufficiency, perfection, priority, collectibility, or value of the Loan Documents or any collateral thereunder, (iii) the financial condition of the Borrower, any of its Subsidiaries or Affiliates or any other Person obligated in respect of any Loan Document, (iv) the performance or observance by the Borrower, any of its Subsidiaries or Affiliates or any other Person of any of their respective obligations under any Loan Documents, (v) inspecting any of the property, books or records of the Borrower, or any guarantor, or (vi) any mistake, error of judgment, or action taken or omitted to be taken in connection with the Loans or the Loan Documents.

1.2. Assignee. The Assignee (a) represents and warrants that (i) it has full power and authority, and has taken all action necessary, to execute and deliver this Assignment and Assumption and to consummate the transactions contemplated hereby and to become a Lender under the Credit Agreement, (ii) from and after the Effective Date, it shall be bound by the provisions of the Credit Agreement as a Lender thereunder and, to the extent of the Assigned Interest, shall have the obligations of a Lender thereunder, (iii) agrees that its payment instructions and notice instructions are as set forth in Schedule 1 to this Assignment and Assumption, (iv) confirms that none of the funds, monies, assets or other consideration being used to make the purchase and assumption hereunder are “plan assets” as defined under ERISA and that its rights, benefits and interests in and under the Loan Documents will not be “plan assets” under ERISA, (v) agrees to indemnify and hold the Assignor harmless against all losses, costs and expenses (including, without limitation, reasonable attorneys’ fees) and liabilities incurred by the Assignor in connection with or arising in any manner from the Assignee’s non-performance of the obligations assumed under this Assignment and Assumption, (vi) it has received a copy of the Credit Agreement, together with copies of financial statements and such other documents and information as it has deemed appropriate to make its own credit analysis and decision to enter into this Assignment and Assumption and to purchase the Assigned Interest on the basis of which it has made such analysis and decision independently and without reliance on the Agent or any other Lender, and (vii) attached as Schedule 1 to this Assignment and Assumption is any documentation required to be delivered by the Assignee with respect to its tax status pursuant to the terms of the Credit Agreement, duly completed and executed by the Assignee and (b) agrees that (i) it will, independently and without reliance on the Agent, the Assignor or any other Lender, and based on such documents and information as it shall deem appropriate at the time, continue to make its own credit decisions in taking or not taking action

under the Loan Documents, and (ii) it will perform in accordance with their terms all of the obligations which by the terms of the Loan Documents are required to be performed by it as a Lender.

2. Payments. The Assignee shall pay the Assignor, on the Effective Date, the amount agreed to by the Assignor and the Assignee. From and after the Effective Date, the Agent shall make all payments in respect of the Assigned Interest (including payments of principal, interest, fees and other amounts) to the Assignor for amounts which have accrued to but excluding the Effective Date and to the Assignee for amounts which have accrued from and after the Effective Date.

3. General Provisions. This Assignment and Assumption shall be binding upon, and inure to the benefit of, the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns. This Assignment and Assumption may be executed in any number of counterparts, which together shall constitute one instrument. Delivery of an executed counterpart of a signature page of this Assignment and Assumption by telecopy shall be effective as delivery of a manually executed counterpart of this Assignment and Assumption. This Assignment and Assumption shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the law of the State of Louisiana.

US AND NON-US TAX INFORMATION REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

(Schedule to be supplied by Closing Unit or Trading Documentation Unit)

EXHIBIT D

LOAN/CREDIT RELATED MONEY TRANSFER INSTRUCTION

To Bank One, NA,

as Agent (the “Agent”) under the Credit Agreement

Described Below.

Re:

Ninth Amended and Restated Credit Agreement, dated as of December 31, 2003 (as the same may be amended or modified, the “Credit Agreement”), among Gulf Island Fabrication, Inc. (the “Borrower”), certain guarantors, the Lenders named therein, the LC Issuer and the Agent. Capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings assigned thereto in the Credit Agreement.

The Agent is specifically authorized and directed to act upon the following standing money transfer instructions with respect to the proceeds of Advances or other extensions of credit from time to time until receipt by the Agent of a specific written revocation of such instructions by the Borrower, provided, however, that the Agent may otherwise transfer funds as hereafter directed in writing by the Borrower in accordance with Section 13.1 of the Credit Agreement or based on any telephonic notice made in accordance with Section 2.14 of the Credit Agreement.

Facility Identification Number(s)

Customer/Account Name

Transfer Funds To

For Account No.

Reference/Attention To


Authorized Officer (Customer Representative)		Date


(Please Print)		Signature

Bank Officer Name		Date

(Please Print)		Signature

(Deliver Completed Form to Credit Support Staff For Immediate Processing)

EXHIBIT E

NOTE

[Date]

Gulf Island Fabrication, Inc., a Louisiana Corporation (the “Borrower”), promises to pay to the order of (the “Lender”) the aggregate unpaid principal amount of all Loans made by the Lender to the Borrower pursuant to Article II of the Agreement (as hereinafter defined), in immediately available funds at the main office of Bank One, NA in Chicago, Illinois, as Agent, together with interest on the unpaid principal amount hereof at the rates and on the dates set forth in the Agreement. The Borrower shall pay the principal of and accrued and unpaid interest on the Loans in full on the Facility Termination Date.

The Lender shall, and is hereby authorized to, record on the schedule attached hereto, or to otherwise record in accordance with its usual practice, the date and amount of each Loan and the date and amount of each principal payment hereunder.

This Note is one of the Notes issued pursuant to, and is entitled to the benefits of, the Ninth Amended and Restated Credit Agreement dated as of December 31, 2003 (which, as it may be amended or modified and in effect from time to time, is herein called the “Agreement”), among the Borrower, certain Guarantors, the lenders party thereto, including the Lender, and Bank One, NA, as Agent and LC Issuer, to which Agreement reference is hereby made for a statement of the terms and conditions governing this Note, including the terms and conditions under which this Note may be prepaid or its maturity date accelerated. This Note is secured pursuant to the Collateral Documents and guaranteed pursuant to the Guaranty, all as more specifically described in the Agreement, and reference is made thereto for a statement of the terms and provisions thereof. Capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined herein are used with the meanings attributed to them in the Agreement.




By:
Print Name:
Title:

SCHEDULE OF LOANS AND PAYMENTS OF PRINCIPAL

NOTE OF ,

DATED ,

Date

Principal

Amount of

Loan

Maturity

of Interest

Period

Principal

Amount

Paid

Unpaid

Balance

SCHEDULE 1

SUBSIDIARIES AND OTHER INVESTMENTS

(See Section 5.8)


Investment In	Jurisdiction of Organization	Owned By	Amount of Investment	Percent Ownership
Deep Ocean Services, LLC	Louisiana	Gulf Island Fabrication, Inc.		100	%

MINDOC, LLC	Louisiana	Gulf Island Fabrication, Inc.		60	%

Southport of Houma, LLC	Louisiana	Gulf Island Fabrication, Inc.		100	%

GIFI Properties, LLC	Louisiana	Gulf Island Fabrication, Inc.		100	%

Gulf Island, LLC	Louisiana	Gulf Island Fabrication, Inc.		100	%

Dolphin Services, Inc.	Louisiana	Gulf Island Fabrication, Inc.		100	%

Gulf Island, MinDoc, L.L.C.	Louisiana	Gulf Island Fabrication, Inc.		100	%

GIF Finance, Inc.	Delaware	Gulf Island Fabrication, Inc.		100	%

Southport, L.L.C.	Louisiana	Gulf Island, LLC		100	%

SCHEDULE 2

INDEBTEDNESS AND LIENS

(See Sections 5.14, 6.10, and 6.14)

Indebtedness

Incurred By

Indebtedness

Owed To

Property

Encumbered (If Any)

Maturity

and Amount

of ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇

▇▇▇▇

▇▇

NINTH AMENDED AND RESTATED CREDIT AGREEMENT DATED AS OF DECEMBER 31, 2003 AMONG GULF ISLAND FABRICATION, INC., THE GUARANTORS, THE LENDERS, AND BANK ONE, NA AS AGENT AND LC ISSUER

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