HARVEST NATURAL RESOURCES, INC. and WELLS FARGO BANK, N. A. Rights Agent THIRD AMENDED AND RESTATED RIGHTS AGREEMENT As Amended and Restated as of August 23, 2007

HARVEST NATURAL RESOURCES, INC.

and

▇▇▇▇▇ FARGO BANK, N. A.
Rights Agent

THIRD AMENDED AND RESTATED RIGHTS AGREEMENT

As Amended and Restated as of August 23, 2007

TABLE OF CONTENTS


Section 1.	Certain Definitions	1
Section 2.	Appointment of Rights Agent	3
Section 3.	Issue of Right Certificates	4
Section 4.	Form of Rights Certificates	5
Section 5.	Countersignature and Registration	6
Section 6.	Transfer, Split Up, Combination and Exchange of Rights Certificates; Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or Stolen Rights Certificates	6
Section 7.	Exercise of Rights; Purchase Price; Expiration Date of Rights and Extension	7
Section 8.	Cancellation and Destruction of Rights Certificates	8
Section 9.	Reservation and Availability of Preferred Shares	8
Section 10.	Preferred Shares Record Date	9
Section 11.	Adjustment of Purchase Price, Number of Shares or Number of Rights	9
Section 12.	Certificate of Adjusted Purchase Price or Number of Shares	15
Section 13.	Consolidation, Merger or Sale or Transfer of Assets or Earning Power	16
Section 14.	Fractional Rights and Fractional Shares	18
Section 15.	Rights of Action	18
Section 16.	Agreement of Rights Holders	19
Section 17.	Rights Certificate Holder Not Deemed a Shareholder	19
Section 18.	Concerning the Rights Agent	19
Section 19.	Merger or Consolidation or Change of Name of Rights Agent	20
Section 20.	Duties of Rights Agent	20
Section 21.	Change of Rights Agent	22
Section 22.	Issuance of New Rights Certificates	23
Section 23.	Redemption	23
Section 24.	Exchange	23
Section 25.	Notice of Certain Events	24
Section 26.	Notices	25
Section 27.	Supplements and Amendments	26
Section 28.	Successors	26
Section 29.	Determinations and Actions by the Board of Directors	26
Section 30.	Benefits of this Agreement	26


Section 31.	Severability	26
Section 32.	Governing Law	27
Section 33.	Counterparts	27
Section 34.	Descriptive Headings	27

EXHIBITS

Exhibit A	Form of Certificate of Designation, Rights and Preferences

Exhibit B	Form of Rights Certificate

Exhibit C	Summary of Rights

THIRD AMENDED AND RESTATED RIGHTS AGREEMENT

THIS THIRD AMENDED AND RESTATED RIGHTS AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”), dated as of August 23, 2007, is between Harvest Natural Resources, Inc. (formerly named “▇▇▇▇▇▇ Oil and Gas Company”), a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and ▇▇▇▇▇ Fargo Bank, N. A. (formerly named “First Interstate Bank of California”), a California corporation (the “Rights Agent”).

W I T N E S S E T H:

WHEREAS, on April 28, 1995, the Board of Directors of the Company authorized and declared a dividend of one preferred share purchase right (a “Right”) for each Common Share (as such term is hereinafter defined) of the Company outstanding as of the close of business on May 19, 1995 (the “Record Date”), each Right representing the right to purchase one one-hundredth of a share of Series B Preferred Stock of the Company (subject to adjustment as provided herein) having the rights, powers and preferences set forth in the form of Certificate of Designation, Rights and Preferences attached hereto as Exhibit A, upon the terms and subject to the conditions herein set forth, and has further authorized and directed the issuance of one Right (subject to adjustment as herein provided) with respect to each Common Share that shall become outstanding between the Record Date and the earlier of the Distribution Date and the Expiration Date (as such terms are hereinafter defined), and in certain circumstances after the Distribution Date;

WHEREAS, the original Rights Agreement was entered into on April 28, 1995, and was amended and restated on September 16, 2003 and on April 15, 2005; and

WHEREAS, effective August 23, 2007, the Board of Directors of the Company resolved to further amend and restate the amended and restated Rights Agreement;

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the mutual agreements herein set forth, the parties hereby agree as follows:

Section 1. Certain Definitions.

For purposes of this Agreement, the following terms have the meanings indicated:

(a) A Person shall be deemed an “Acquiring Person” as set forth in subsections (i), (ii) and (iii) below:

(i) Except as otherwise provided in subsection 1(a)(ii) or (iii) below, “Acquiring Person” shall mean any Person (as such term is hereinafter defined) who or which, together with all Affiliates and Associates (as such terms are hereinafter defined) of such Person, shall be the Beneficial Owner (as such term is hereinafter defined) of 15% or more of the Common Shares then outstanding, but shall not include the Company, any Subsidiary (as such term is hereinafter defined) of the Company, any employee benefit plan of the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company, or any entity holding Common Shares for or pursuant to the terms of any such plan.

(ii) Notwithstanding the foregoing, except as set forth in subsection 1(a)(iii) below, no Person shall be deemed to be an Acquiring Person either (A) as the result of an acquisition of Common Shares by the Company which, by reducing the number of Common Shares outstanding, increases the proportionate number of Common Shares owned by such Person to 15% or more of the Common Shares of the Company then outstanding; provided, however, that if a Person shall become the Beneficial Owner of 15% or more of the Common Shares then outstanding by reason of share purchases by the Company

and shall, after such share purchases by the Company, become the Beneficial Owner of any additional Common Shares of the Company, then such Person shall be deemed to be an Acquiring Person, (B) if within five Business Days (as such term is hereinafter defined) after such Person would otherwise have become an Acquiring Person (but for the operation of this clause (B)), such Person notifies the Board of Directors of the Company that such Person did so and within two Business Days after such notification such Person is the Beneficial Owner of less than 15% of the outstanding Common Shares of the Company, or (C) if within ten Business Days (as such term is hereinafter defined) after the Company learns that such Person would otherwise have become an Acquiring Person (but for the operation of this clause (C)), the Company’s Board of Directors determines, by duly adopted resolution, that such Person should not be deemed an Acquiring Person and adopts and approves a supplement to this Agreement pursuant to Section 27 exempting such Person from being deemed an Acquiring Person, with such conditions, if any, that the Board of Directors deems appropriate.

(iii) Notwithstanding the foregoing subsections 1(a)(i) and (ii), ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, together with his Affiliates and Associates (as such terms are hereinafter defined), shall not be deemed to be an Acquiring Person as long as he, together with his Affiliates and Associates, shall be the Beneficial Owner of less than the Special Applicable Percentage of the Common Shares outstanding; provided, however, that he, together with his Affiliates and Associates, shall not be deemed to be an Acquiring Person as the result of any acquisition of Common Shares by the Company which, by reducing the number of Common Shares outstanding, increases the proportionate number of Common Shares owned by him, together with his Affiliates and Associates, to more than the then applicable Special Applicable Percentage, but if thereafter he, together with his Affiliates and Associates, shall become the Beneficial Owner of any additional Common Shares, then he shall be deemed to be an Acquiring Person. At such time that ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, together with his Affiliates and Associates, becomes the Beneficial Owner of less than 15% of the Common Shares then outstanding, the exception and other provisions contained in this subsection 1(a)(iii) shall no longer apply, and subsections 1(a)(i) and (ii) shall apply to him, together with his Affiliates and Associates for purposes of determining whether he is an Acquiring Person. For purposes of this subsection 1(a)(iii), the “Special Applicable Percentage” shall mean, initially, the percentage of Common Shares outstanding (but not more than 16.5%) on August 23, 2007, owned by ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, and shall be reduced (but never increased) from time to time as ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, together with his Affiliates, own less than the previously applicable Special Applicable Percentage (whether as a result of the sale or other disposition of Common Shares or as a result of the Company’s issuance of additional Common Shares), until such time (if any) that ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, together with his Affiliates and Associates, owns less than 15% of the Common Shares then outstanding.

(b) “Affiliate” and “Associate” shall have the respective meanings ascribed to such terms in Rule 12b-2 of the General Rules and Regulations under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), as is in effect on the date of this Agreement.

(i) which such Person or any of such Person’s Affiliates or Associates beneficially owns, directly or indirectly, for purposes of Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and Rule 13d-3 thereunder (or any comparable or successor law or regulation);

(ii) which such Person or any of such Person’s Affiliates or Associates has (A) the right to acquire (whether such right is exercisable immediately or only after the passage of time) pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or understanding (whether or not in writing), or upon the exercise of conversion rights, exchange rights, rights (other than the Rights), warrants or options, or otherwise; provided, however, that a Person shall not be deemed the Beneficial Owner of, or to beneficially own,

securities tendered pursuant to a tender or exchange offer made by or on behalf of such Person or any of such Person’s Affiliates or Associates until such tendered securities are accepted for purchase or exchange; or (B) the right to vote pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or understanding (whether or not in writing); provided, however, that a Person shall not be deemed the Beneficial Owner of, or to beneficially own, any security if the agreement, arrangement or understanding to vote such security (1) arises solely from a revocable proxy or consent given to such Person in response to a public proxy or consent solicitation made pursuant to, and in accordance with, the applicable rules and regulations of the Exchange Act and (2) is not also then reportable on Schedule 13D under the Exchange Act (or any comparable or successor report); or

(iii) which are beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, by any other Person with which such Person or any of such Person’s Affiliates or Associates has any agreement, arrangement or understanding (whether or not in writing) for the purpose of acquiring, holding, voting (except to the extent contemplated by the proviso to Section 1(c)(ii)(B)) or disposing of any securities of the Company.

(d) “Business Day” shall mean any day other than a Saturday, Sunday, or a day on which banking institutions in the State of Texas are authorized or obligated by law or executive order to close.

(e) “Close of business” on any given date shall mean 5:00 P.M., Texas time, on such date; provided, however, that if such date is not a Business Day it shall mean 5:00 P.M., Texas time, on the next succeeding Business Day.

(f) “Common Shares” when used with reference to the Company shall mean shares of Common Stock, $.01 par value, of the Company. “Common Shares” when used with reference to any Person other than the Company shall mean the capital stock (or voting equity interests, or in certain circumstances, cash, property or other interests) with the greatest voting power of such other Person or, if such other Person is a Subsidiary of another Person, the Person or Persons which ultimately control such first-mentioned Person.

(g) “Person” shall mean any individual, firm, corporation, partnership, limited liability company, joint venture, association or other entity, and shall include any successor (by merger or otherwise) of such entity.

(h) “Preferred Shares” shall mean shares of Series B Preferred Stock, $.01 par value, of the Company.

(i) “Shares Acquisition Date” shall mean the first date of public announcement (which, for purposes of this definition, shall include, without limitation, a report filed pursuant to Section 13(d) under the Exchange Act, but shall exclude filings made pursuant to Section 13(f) or Section 16 of the Exchange Act) by the Company or an Acquiring Person that an Acquiring Person has become such; provided that, if such person does not become, or is determined not to have become, an Acquiring Person pursuant to subsection 1(a)(ii) or (iii) hereof, then no Shares Acquisition Date shall be deemed to have occurred.

(j) “Subsidiary” of any Person shall mean any corporation or other entity of which a majority of the voting power of the voting equity securities or equity interest is owned, directly or indirectly, by such Person, or which is otherwise controlled by such Person.

Section 2. Appointment of Rights Agent.

The Company hereby appoints the Rights Agent to act as agent for the Company and the holders of the Rights (who, in accordance with Section 3 hereof, shall prior to the Distribution Date also be the holders of

the Common Shares) in accordance with the terms and conditions hereof, and the Rights Agent hereby accepts such appointment. The Company may from time to time appoint such co-Rights Agents as it may deem necessary or desirable.

Section 3. Issue of Right Certificates.

(a) Until the earlier of (i) the tenth day after the Shares Acquisition Date or (ii) the tenth Business Day (or such later date as may be determined by action of the Board of Directors of the Company prior to such time as any Person becomes an Acquiring Person) after the date of the commencement of, or first public announcement by any Person (other than the Company, any Subsidiary of the Company, any employee benefit plan of the Company or of any subsidiary of the Company or any entity holding Common Shares for or pursuant to the terms of any such plan) of or of the first public announcement of the intention of any Person (other than the Company, any wholly-owned Subsidiary of the Company, any employee benefit plan of the Company or of any Subsidiary of the Company or any entity holding Common Shares for or pursuant to the terms of any such plan) to commence, a tender or exchange offer the consummation of which would result in beneficial ownership by a Person of 15% or more of the outstanding Common Shares of the Company (including any such date which is on or after the date of this Agreement and prior to the issuance of the Rights; the earlier of such dates being herein referred to as the “Distribution Date”), (x) the Rights will be evidenced (subject to the provisions of Section 3(c) hereof) by the certificates for Common Shares registered in the names of the holders thereof (which certificates shall also be deemed to be Rights Certificates) and not by separate Rights Certificates, and (y) the Rights (and the right to receive Rights Certificates) will be transferable only in connection with the transfer of Common Shares. As soon as practicable after the Distribution Date, the Company will prepare and execute, the Rights Agents will countersign, and the Company will send or cause to be sent (and Rights Agent will, if requested, send) by first-class, insured, postage-prepaid mail, to each record holder of Common Shares as of the close of business on the Distribution Date, at the address of such holder shown on the records of the Company, a Rights Certificate, in substantially the form of Exhibit B hereto (a “Right Certificate”), evidencing one Right for each Common Share so held. As of and after the Distribution Date, the Rights shall be evidenced solely by such Right Certificates.

(b) As soon as practicable after the date of this Agreement, the Company will send a copy of a Summary of Rights, in substantially the form of Exhibit C hereto (the “Summary of Rights”), by first-class, postage-prepaid mail, to each record holder of Common Shares as of the close of business on August 23, 2007, at the address of such holder shown on the records of the Company. With respect to certificates for Common Shares outstanding as of August 23, 2007, until the Distribution Date (or earlier redemption, expiration, exchange or termination of the Rights), the Rights shall be evidenced by such certificates for Common Shares registered in the names of the holders thereof together with a copy of the Summary of Rights. Until the Distribution Date (or earlier redemption, expiration, exchange or termination of the Rights), the surrender for transfer of any certificate for Common Shares outstanding on August 23, 2007, with or without a copy of the Summary of Rights attached thereto, shall also constitute the transfer of the Rights associated with the Common Shares represented thereby.

(c) Certificates for Common Shares which become outstanding (including without limitation, reacquired Common Shares referred to in the last sentence of this paragraph (c)) after the date of this Agreement, but prior to the earlier of the Distribution Date or the Expiration Date shall have impressed, printed, written, stamped or otherwise affixed on to them the following legend:

This certificate also evidences and entitles the holder hereof to certain Rights as set forth in the Third Amended and Restated Rights Agreement between Harvest Natural Resources, Inc. and ▇▇▇▇▇ Fargo Bank, N. A., dated August 23, 2007 (the “Rights Agreement”), the terms of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference and a copy of which is on file at the principal executive offices of Harvest Natural Resources, Inc. Under certain circumstances, as set forth in the Rights Agreement, such Rights will be

evidenced by separate certificates and will no longer be evidenced by this certificate. Harvest Natural Resources, Inc. will mail to the holder of this certificate a copy of the Rights Agreement without charge after receipt of a written request therefor. Under certain circumstances, as set forth in the Rights Agreement, Rights issued to or held by any Person who becomes an Acquiring Person or any Affiliates or Associates thereof (as such terms are defined in the Rights Agreement) may become null and void.

With respect to such certificates containing the foregoing legend, until the Distribution Date (or earlier redemption, expiration, exchange or termination of the Rights), the Rights associated with the Common Shares represented by such certificates shall be evidenced by such certificates alone, and the surrender for transfer of any such certificate shall also constitute the transfer of the Rights associated with the Common Shares represented thereby. In the event that the Company purchases or acquires any Common Shares after the Record Date but prior to the Distribution Date, any Rights associated with such Common Shares shall be deemed cancelled and retired so that the Company shall not be entitled to exercise any Rights associated with the Common Shares which are no longer outstanding.

Section 4. Form of Rights Certificates.

(a) The Rights Certificates (and the forms of Election to Purchase and of Assignment to be printed on the reverse thereof) shall be substantially in the form of Exhibit B hereto and may have such marks of identification or designation and such legends, summaries or endorsements printed thereon as the Company may deem appropriate and as are not inconsistent with the provisions of this Agreement, or as may be required to comply with any applicable law or with any rule or regulation made pursuant thereto or with any rule or regulation of any stock exchange on which the Rights may from time to time be listed, or to conform to usage. Subject to the provisions of Sections 11 and Section 22 hereof, the Rights Certificates, whenever issued, shall be dated as of the Record Date (or, in the case of Rights issued with respect to Common Shares issued by the Company after the Record Date, as of the date of issuance of such Common Shares), and, on their face, shall entitle the holders thereof to purchase such number of one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share as shall be set forth therein at the price per one one-hundredth of a Preferred Share set forth therein (the “Purchase Price”), but the number and type of securities purchasable upon the exercise of each Right and the Purchase Price shall be subject to adjustment as provided herein.

(b) Any Rights Certificate issued pursuant to Section 3(a) or Section 22 hereof that represents Rights beneficially owned by (i) an Acquiring Person or any Associate or Affiliate of an Acquiring Person, (ii) a transferee of an Acquiring Person (or of any such Associate or Affiliate) who becomes a transferee after the Acquiring Person becomes such or (iii) a transferee of an Acquiring Person (or of any such Associate or Affiliate) who becomes such a transferee prior to or concurrently with the Acquiring Person becoming such and receives such Rights pursuant to either (A) a transfer (whether or not for consideration) from the Acquiring Person to holders of equity interests in such Acquiring Person or to any Person with whom such Acquiring Person has any continuing agreement, arrangement or understanding regarding the transferred Rights or (B) a transfer which the Board of Directors of the Company has determined is part of a plan, arrangement or understanding which has a primary purpose or effect avoidance of Section 7(e) hereof, and any Rights Certificate issued pursuant to Section 6 or Section 11 hereof upon transfer, exchange, replacement or adjustment of any other Rights Certificate referred to in this sentence, shall contain (to the extent feasible) the following legend:

The Rights represented by this Rights Certificate are or were beneficially owned by a Person who was or became an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person (as such terms are defined in the Rights Agreement). Accordingly, this

Rights Certificate and the Rights represented hereby may become null and void in the circumstances specified in Section 7(e) of the Rights Agreement.

The provisions of Section 7(e) hereof shall be operative whether or not the foregoing legend is contained on any such Rights Certificate.

Section 5. Countersignature and Registration.

(a) The Rights Certificates shall be executed on behalf of the Company by its Chairman of the Board, its Chief Executive Officer, its President or any Vice President, either manually or by facsimile signature, and by the Secretary or any Assistant Secretary of the Company, either manually or by facsimile signature, and shall have affixed thereto the Company’s seal or a facsimile thereof. The Rights Certificates shall be countersigned by the Rights Agent, either manually or by facsimile signature, and shall not be valid for any purpose unless countersigned. In case any officer of the Company who shall have signed any of the Rights Certificates shall cease to be such officer of the Company before countersignature by the Rights Agent and issuance and delivery by the Company, such Rights Certificates, nevertheless, may be countersigned by the Rights Agent, and issued and delivered by the Company with the same force and effect as though the Person who signed such Rights Certificates had not ceased to be such officer of the Company; and any Rights Certificate may be signed on behalf of the Company by any person who, at the actual date of the execution of such Rights Certificate, shall be a proper officer of the Company to sign such Right Certificate, although at the date of the execution of this Agreement any such person was not such an officer.

(b) Following the Distribution Date, the Rights Agent will keep or cause to be kept, at its office designated for such purpose, books for registration and transfer of the Rights Certificates issued hereunder. Such books shall show the names and addresses of the respective holders of the Rights Certificates, the number of Rights evidenced on its face by each of the Rights Certificates and the date of each of the Right Certificates.

Section 6. Transfer, Split Up, Combination and Exchange of Rights Certificates; Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or Stolen Rights Certificates.

(a) Subject to the provisions of Sections 7(e), 14 and 24 hereof, at any time after the close of business on the Distribution Date, and at or prior to the close of business on the Expiration Date, any Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates may be transferred, split up, combined or exchanged for another Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates, entitling the registered holder to purchase a like number of one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share as the Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates surrendered then entitled such holder to purchase. Any registered holder desiring to transfer, split up, combine or exchange any Rights Certificate shall make such request in writing delivered to the Rights Agent, and shall surrender the Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates to be transferred, split up, combined or exchanged at the office of the Rights Agent designated for such purpose. Neither the Rights Agent nor the Company shall be obligated to take any action whatsoever with respect to the transfer of any such surrendered Rights Certificate until the registered holder shall have completed and signed the certificate contained in the form of assignment on the reverse side of such Rights Certificate and shall have provided such additional evidence of the identity of the Beneficial Owner (or former Beneficial Owner) or Affiliates or Associates thereof as the Company shall reasonably request. Thereupon the Rights Agent shall, subject to Sections 7(e), 14 and 24 hereof, countersign and deliver to the person entitled thereto a Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates, as the case may be, as so requested. The Company may require payment by holders of Rights of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or governmental charge that may be imposed in connection with any transfer, split up, combination or exchange of Rights Certificates.

(b) Upon receipt by the Company and the Rights Agent of evidence reasonably satisfactory to them of the loss, theft, destruction or mutilation of a Rights Certificate and such additional evidence of the identity of the Beneficial Owner (or former Beneficial Owner) or Affiliate or Associate thereof as the Company shall reasonably request, and, in case of loss, theft or destruction, of indemnity or security reasonably satisfactory to them, and, at the Company’s request, reimbursement to the Company and the Rights Agent of all reasonable expenses incidental thereto, and upon surrender to the Rights Agent and cancellation of the Rights Certificate if mutilated, the Company shall execute and deliver a new Rights Certificate of like tenor to the Rights Agent for countersignature and delivery to the registered owner in lieu of the Right Certificate so lost, stolen, destroyed or mutilated.

Section 7. Exercise of Rights; Purchase Price; Expiration Date of Rights and Extension.

(a) Subject to the provisions of Section 7(e) hereof, the registered holder of any Rights Certificate may exercise the Rights evidenced thereby (except as otherwise provided herein) in whole or in part at any time after the Distribution Date upon surrender of the Rights Certificate, with the form of Election to Purchase on the reverse side thereof duly executed, to the Rights Agent at the office of the Rights Agent designated for such purpose, together with payment of the Purchase Price for each one one-hundredth of a Preferred Share (or such other number of shares or other securities or property) as to which the Rights are exercised, at or prior to the earliest of (i) the close of business on April 28, 2015 (the “Final Expiration Date”), (ii) the date on which the Rights are redeemed as provided in Section 23 hereof (the “Redemption Date”), (iii) the consummation of a transaction contemplated by Section 13(d) hereof or (iv) the time at which the Rights are exchanged as provided in Section 24 hereof (such earliest time being herein referred to as the “Expiration Date”).

(b) The Purchase Price for each one one-hundredth of a Preferred Share pursuant to the exercise of a Right shall be $60, shall be subject to adjustment from time to time as provided in Sections 11 and 13 hereof and shall be payable in lawful money of the United States of America in accordance with paragraph (c) below.

(c) Upon receipt of a Rights Certificate representing exercisable Rights, with the form of Election to Purchase duly executed, accompanied by payment of the Purchase Price for the shares (or other securities or property) to be purchased and an amount equal to any applicable transfer tax required to be paid by the holder of such Rights Certificate in accordance with Section 9 hereof in cash, or by certified check or cashier’s check payable to the order of the Company, the Rights Agent shall, subject to Section 20(k) hereof, thereupon promptly (i)(A) requisition from any transfer agent of the Preferred Shares (or make available, if the Rights Agent is the transfer agent for the Preferred Shares) certificates for the number of Preferred Shares to be purchased, and the Company hereby irrevocably authorizes its transfer agent to comply with all such requests, or (B) if the Company, in its sole discretion, shall have elected to deposit the total number of one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share issuable upon exercise of the Rights hereto with a depositing agent, requisition from the depository agent depository receipts representing such number of one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share as are to be purchased (in which case certificates for the Preferred Shares represented by such receipts shall be deposited by the transfer agent with the depository agent), and the Company hereby directs the depository agent to comply with such request, (ii) when appropriate, requisition from the Company the amount of cash, if any, to be paid in lieu of issuance of fractional shares in accordance with Section 14 hereof, (iii) promptly after receipt of such certificates or depository receipts, cause the same to be delivered to or upon the order of the registered holder of such Rights Certificate, registered in such name or names as may be designated by such holder and (iv) when appropriate, after receipt, promptly deliver such cash to or upon the order of the registered holder of such Rights Certificate. In the event that the Company is obligated to issue other securities of the Company, pay cash and/or distribute other property pursuant to Section 11(a) hereof, the

Company shall make all arrangements necessary so that such other securities, cash and/or other property are available for distribution by the Rights Agent, if and when appropriate.

(d) In case the registered holder of any Rights Certificate shall exercise less than all the Rights evidenced thereby, a new Rights Certificate evidencing Rights equivalent to the Rights remaining unexercised shall be issued by the Rights Agent to the registered holder of such Right Certificate or to his duly authorized assigns, subject to the provisions of Section 14 hereof.

(e) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, if there occurs any of the events set forth in Section 11(a)(ii) or Section 13(a) hereof, then any Rights that are or were on or after the Distribution Date beneficially owned by an Acquiring Person or any Associate or Affiliate of any Acquiring Person shall become null and void, without any further action, and any holder of such Rights shall thereafter have no rights whatsoever with respect to such Rights, whether under any provision of this Agreement or otherwise.

(f) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, neither the Rights Agent nor the Company shall be obligated to undertake any action with respect to a registered holder upon the occurrence of any purported exercise as set forth in this Section 7 hereof unless the certificate contained in the appropriate form of Election to Purchase set forth on the reverse side of the Rights Certificate surrendered for such exercise shall have been properly completed and duly executed by the registered holder thereof and the Company shall have been provided with such additional evidence of the identity of the Beneficial Owner (or former Beneficial Owner) or Affiliates or Associates thereof as the Company shall reasonably request.

Section 8. Cancellation and Destruction of Rights Certificates.

All Rights Certificates surrendered for the purpose of exercise, transfer, split up, combination or exchange shall, if surrendered to the Company or to any of its agents, be delivered to the Rights Agent for cancellation or in cancelled form, or, if surrendered to the Rights Agent, shall be cancelled by it, and no Rights Certificates shall be issued in lieu thereof except as expressly permitted by any of the provisions of this Agreement. The Company shall deliver to the Rights Agent for cancellation and retirement, and the Rights Agent shall so cancel and retire, any other Rights Certificate purchased or acquired by the Company otherwise than upon the exercise thereof. The Rights Agent shall deliver all cancelled Rights Certificates to the Company, or shall, at the written request of the Company, destroy such cancelled Rights Certificates, and in such case shall deliver a certificate of destruction thereof to the Company.

Section 9. Reservation and Availability of Preferred Shares.

(a) The Company covenants and agrees that it will cause to be reserved and kept available out of its authorized and unissued Preferred Shares, or any authorized and issued Preferred Shares held in its treasury, the number of Preferred Shares and, after the occurrence of an event specified in Section 11 and 13 hereof, shall so reserve and keep available a sufficient number of Common Shares (and/or other securities) that will be sufficient to permit the exercise in full of all outstanding Rights.

(b) If the Company shall hereafter list the Preferred Shares on a national securities exchange or on Nasdaq, then so long as the Preferred Shares (and, after the occurrence of an event specified in Section 11 and 13 hereof, any other securities) issuable upon the exercise of Rights may be listed on any national securities exchange or Nasdaq, the Company shall use its best efforts to cause, from and after such time as the Rights become exercisable, all shares (or other securities) reserved for such issuance to be listed on such exchange or Nasdaq upon official notice of issuance upon such exercise.

(c) The Company covenants and agrees that it shall take all such action as may be necessary to ensure that all Preferred Shares and/or other securities delivered upon exercise of Rights shall, at the time of delivery of the certificates for such Preferred Shares or other securities (subject to payment of the Purchase Price), be duly and validly authorized and issued and fully paid and nonassessable.

(d) The Company further covenants and agrees that it shall pay when due and payable any and all federal and state transfer taxes and charges which may be payable in respect of the issuance or delivery of the Rights Certificates or of any Preferred Shares upon the exercise of Rights. The Company shall not, however, be required to pay any transfer tax which may be payable in respect of any transfer or delivery of Rights Certificates to a person other than, or the issuance or delivery of certificates or depository receipts for the Preferred Shares in a name other than that of, the registered holder of the Rights Certificate evidencing Rights surrendered for exercise or to issue or deliver any certificates for Preferred Shares upon the exercise of any Rights until any such tax shall have been paid (any such tax being payable by the holder of such Rights Certificate at the time of surrender) or until it has been established to the Company’s satisfaction that no such tax is due.

(e) The Company shall use its best efforts to (i) file, if required by law, as soon as practicable following the Distribution Date, a registration statement under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), with respect to the securities purchasable upon exercise of the Rights on an appropriate form, (ii) cause such registration statement to become effective as soon as practicable after such filing, and (iii) cause such registration statement to remain effective (with a prospectus at all times meeting the requirements of the Securities Act and the rules and regulations thereunder) until the Expiration Date (unless and until the Company shall have received an opinion of counsel to the effect that the maintenance of such registration statement in effect is no longer necessary). The Company shall also take such action as may be appropriate under the securities or “blue sky” laws of the various states in connection with the exercise of the Rights.

Section 10. Preferred Shares Record Date.

Each Person in whose name any certificate for Preferred Shares (or other securities) is issued upon the exercise of Rights shall for all purposes be deemed to have become the holder of record of the Preferred Shares (or other securities) represented thereby on, and such certificate shall be dated, the date upon which the Rights Certificate evidencing such Rights was duly surrendered and payment of the Purchase Price (and any applicable transfer taxes) was made; provided, however, that if the date of such surrender and payment is a date upon which the Preferred Shares (or other securities) transfer books of the Company are closed, such Person shall be deemed to have become the record holder of such shares on, and such certificate shall be dated, the next succeeding Business Day on which the Preferred Shares (or other securities) transfer books of the Company are open. Prior to the exercise of the Rights evidenced thereby, the holder of a Rights Certificate, as such, shall not be entitled to any rights of a holder of Preferred Shares for which the Rights shall be exercisable, including, without limitation, the right to vote, to receive dividends or other distributions or to exercise any preemptive rights, and shall not be entitled to receive any notice of any proceedings of the Company, except as provided herein.

Section 11. Adjustment of Purchase Price, Number of Shares or Number of Rights.

The Purchase Price, the number of Preferred Shares covered by each Right and the number of Rights outstanding are subject to adjustment from time to time as provided in this Section 11.

(a) (i) In the event the Company shall at any time after the date of this Agreement (A) declare a dividend on the Preferred Shares payable in Preferred Shares, (B) subdivide the outstanding Preferred Shares, (C) combine the outstanding Preferred Shares into a smaller number of Preferred Shares

or (D) issue any shares of its capital stock in a reclassification of the Preferred Shares (including any such reclassification in connection with a consolidation or merger in which the Company is the continuing or surviving corporation), except as otherwise provided in this Section 11(a) and in Section 7(e) hereof, the Purchase Price in effect at the time of the record date for such dividend or of the effective date of such subdivision, combination or reclassification, and the number and kind of shares of capital stock issuable on such date, shall be proportionately adjusted so that the holder of any Right exercised after such time shall be entitled to receive the aggregate number and kind of shares of capital stock and other securities which, if such Right had been exercised immediately prior to such date and at a time when the Preferred Shares transfer books of the Company were open, he would have owned upon such exercise and been entitled to receive by virtue of such dividend, subdivision, combination or reclassification. If an event occurs which would require an adjustment under both this Section 11(a)(i) and Section 11(a)(ii) hereof, the adjustment provided for in this Section 11(a)(i) shall be in addition to, and shall be made prior to, any adjustment required pursuant to Section 11(a)(ii) hereof.

(ii) Subject to the provisions of Section 24 of this Agreement, in the event any Person, alone or together with its Affiliates and Associates, becomes an Acquiring Person (except (A) in a case in which such Person is determined not to have become an Acquiring Person pursuant to subsection 1(a)(ii) or (iii) hereof and (B) pursuant to a tender or exchange offer for all outstanding Common Shares at a price and on the terms determined prior to the date of the first acceptance of payment for any of such shares by at least a majority of the members of the Company’s Board of Directors who are not officers of the Company to be in the best interests of the Company and its shareholders (other than the Person or an Affiliate or Associate thereof on whose behalf the offer is being made) (a “Permitted Offer”)), then, promptly thereafter, proper provision shall be made so that each holder of a Right, except as provided in Section 7(e) hereof, shall thereafter have the right to receive for each Right, upon exercise thereof at a price equal to the then current Purchase Price multiplied by the number of one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share for which a Right is then exercisable in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, in lieu of Preferred Shares, such number of Common Shares of the Company as shall equal the result obtained by (x) multiplying the then current Purchase Price by the then number of one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share for which a Right is then exercisable, and (y) dividing that product by 50% of the then current per share market price of the Company’s Common Shares (determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) on the date of the occurrence of such event (such number of shares being referred to as the “number of Adjustment Shares”); provided, however, that if the transaction that would otherwise give rise to the foregoing adjustment is also subject to the provisions of Section 13 hereof, then only the provisions of Section 13 hereof shall apply and no adjustment shall be made pursuant to this Section 11(a)(ii).

(iii) In lieu of issuing Common Shares in accordance with Section 11(a)(ii) hereof, the Company may, if a majority of the Company’s Board of Directors determine that such action is necessary or appropriate and not contrary to the interests of holders of Rights, elect to (and, in the event that the Company has not exercised the exchange right set forth in Section 24 hereof and there are not sufficient treasury shares and authorized but unissued Common Shares to permit the exercise in full of the Rights in accordance with the foregoing subparagraph (ii), the Company shall) take all such action as may be necessary to authorize, issue or pay, upon the exercise of the Rights, cash (including by way of a reduction of the Purchase Price), property, Common Shares, other securities or any combination thereof having an aggregate value equal to the value of the Common Shares which otherwise would have been issuable pursuant to Section 11(a)(ii), which aggregate value shall be determined by a nationally recognized investment banking firm selected by a majority of the Company’s Board of Directors. For purposes of the preceding sentence, the value of the Common Shares shall be determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof and the value of any Preferred Shares or other preferred stock which a majority of the Company’s Board of Directors determines to be a “common shares equivalent” shall be deemed to have the same value as the Common Shares. Any such election by the Company’s Board of Directors must be made and publicly announced within 60 days following the date on which the event described in

Section 11(a)(ii) hereof shall have occurred. Following the occurrence of the event described in Section 11(a)(ii) hereof, a majority of the Company’s Board of Directors may suspend the exercisability of the Rights for a period of up to 60 days following the date on which the event described in Section 11(a)(ii) hereof shall have occurred to the extent that the Board of Directors of the Company has not determined whether to exercise its rights of election under this Section 11(a)(iii). In the event of any such suspension, the Company shall issue a public announcement stating that the exercisability of the Rights has been temporarily suspended.

(b) In case the Company shall fix a record date for the issuance of rights, options or warrants to all holders of Preferred Shares entitling them (for a period expiring within 45 calendar days after such record date) to subscribe for or purchase Preferred Shares (or shares having the same or more favorable rights, privileges and preferences as the Preferred Shares (“equivalent preferred shares”)) or securities convertible into Preferred Shares or equivalent preferred shares at a price per Preferred Share or per equivalent preferred share (or having a conversion price per share, if a security convertible into Preferred Shares or equivalent preferred shares) less than the current per share market price of the Preferred Shares (as defined in Section 11(d) hereof) on such record date, the Purchase Price to be in effect after such record date shall be determined by multiplying the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to such record date by a fraction, the numerator of which shall be the number of Preferred Shares outstanding on such record date plus the number of Preferred Shares which the aggregate offering price of the total number of Preferred Shares and/or equivalent preferred shares so to be offered (and/or the aggregate initial conversion price of the convertible securities so to be offered) would purchase at such current market price and the denominator of which shall be the number of Preferred Shares outstanding on such record date plus the number of additional Preferred Shares and/or equivalent preferred shares to be offered for subscription or purchase (or into which the convertible securities so to be offered are initially convertible). In case such subscription price may be paid in a consideration part or all of which shall be in a form other than cash, the value of such consideration shall be as determined reasonable and in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Company, whose determination shall be described in a statement filed with the Rights Agent and shall be conclusive for all purposes and binding on the Rights Agent and the holders of Rights. Preferred Shares and equivalent preferred shares owned by or held for the account of the Company shall not be deemed outstanding for the purpose of any such computation. Such adjustment shall be made successively whenever such a record date is fixed; and in the event that such rights or warrants are not so issued, the Purchase Price shall be adjusted to be the Purchase Price which would then be in effect if such record date had not been fixed.

(c) In case the Company shall fix a record date for the making of a distribution to all holders of Preferred Shares (including any such distribution made in connection with a consolidation or merger in which the Company is the continuing corporation) of evidences of indebtedness, cash (other than a regular quarterly cash dividend out of the earnings or the retained earnings of the Company) or assets (other than a dividend payable in Preferred Shares) or subscription rights or warrants (excluding those referred to in Section 11(b) hereof), the Purchase Price to be in effect after such record date shall be determined by multiplying the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to such record date by a fraction, the numerator of which shall be the current per share market price of the Preferred Shares (as defined in Section 11(d) hereof) on such record date, less the fair market value (as determined reasonably and in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Company, whose determination shall be described in a statement filed with the Rights Agent and shall be conclusive for all purposes and binding upon the Rights Agent and the holders of Rights) of the portion of the cash, assets or evidences of indebtedness so to be distributed or of such subscription rights or warrants distributable in respect of one Preferred Share and the denominator of which shall be the current per share market price of the Preferred Shares (as defined in Section 11(d) hereof). Such adjustments shall be made successively whenever such a record date is fixed; and in the event that such distribution is not so made, the Purchase Price shall again be adjusted to be the Purchase Price which would then be in effect if such record date had not been fixed.

(d) (i) For the purpose of any computation hereunder, other than computations made pursuant to Section 11(a)(iii) hereof, the “current per share market price” of the Common Shares on any date shall be deemed to be the average of the daily closing prices per share of such Common Shares for the 30 consecutive Trading Days (as such term is hereinafter defined) immediately prior to such date; provided, however, that in the event that the current per share market price of the Common Shares is determined during a period following the announcement by the issuer of such Common Shares of (A) a dividend or distribution on such Common Shares payable in such Common Shares or securities convertible into such Common Shares, or (B) any subdivision, combination or reclassification of such Common Shares, and prior to the expiration of 30 Trading Days after the ex-dividend date for such dividend or distribution, or the record date for such subdivision, combination or reclassification, then, and in each such case, the current per share market price shall be appropriately adjusted to reflect the current market price per Common Share equivalent. The closing price for each day shall be the last sale price, regular way, or, in case no such sale takes place on such day, the average of the closing bid and asked prices, regular way, in either case as reported in the principal consolidated transaction reporting system with respect to securities listed or admitted to trading on the New York Stock Exchange or, if the Common Shares are not listed or admitted to trading on the New York Stock Exchange, as reported in the principal consolidated transaction reporting system with respect to securities listed on the principal national securities exchange on which the Common Shares are listed or admitted to trading or, if the Common Shares are not listed or admitted to trading on any national securities exchange, the last quoted price, or, if not so quoted, the average of the high bid and low asked prices in the over-the-counter market, as reported by the Nasdaq Stock Market (“Nasdaq”) or such other quotation system then in use, or, if on any such date the Common Shares are not quoted by any such organization, the average of the closing bid and asked prices as furnished by a professional market maker making a market in the Common Shares selected by the Board of Directors of the Company. If on any such date no market maker is making a market in the Common Shares, the fair value of such shares on such date as determined reasonably and in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Company shall be used and shall be conclusive for all purposes binding on the Rights Agent and the holders of Rights. The term “Trading Day” shall mean a day on which the principal national securities exchange on which the Common Shares are listed or admitted to trading is open for the transaction of business or, if the Common Shares are not listed or admitted to trading on any national securities exchange, a Business Day.

(ii) For the purpose of any computation hereunder, the “current per share market price” of the Preferred Shares shall be determined in the same manner as set forth above for Common Shares in clause (i) of this Section 11(d). If the current per share market price of the Preferred Shares cannot be determined in the manner provided above, the “current per share market price” of the Preferred Shares shall be conclusively deemed to be the current per share market price of the Common Shares (appropriately adjusted to reflect any stock split, stock dividend or similar transaction occurring after the date hereof), multiplied by one hundred.

(iii) If neither the Common Shares nor the Preferred Shares are publicly held or so listed or traded, “current per share market price” shall mean the fair value per share as determined reasonably and in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Company, whose determination shall be described in a statement filed with the Rights Agent and shall be conclusive for all purposes and binding upon the Rights Agent and the holders of Rights.

(e) Anything herein to the contrary notwithstanding, no adjustment in the Purchase Price shall be required unless such adjustment would require an increase or decrease of at least 1% of the Purchase Price; provided, however, that any adjustments which by reason of this Section 11(e) are not required to be made shall be carried forward and taken into account in any subsequent adjustment. All calculations under this Section 11 shall be made to the nearest cent or to the nearest ten-thousandth of a Common Share or other share or one-millionth of a Preferred Share as the case may be. Notwithstanding

the first sentence of this Section 11(e), any adjustment required by this Section 11 shall be made no later than the earlier of (i) three years from the date of the transaction which requires such adjustment or (ii) the Expiration Date.

(f) If, as a result of an adjustment made pursuant to Section 11(a) or 13(a) hereof, the holder of any Right thereafter exercised shall become entitled to receive any shares of capital stock of the Company other than Preferred Shares, thereafter the number of such other shares so receivable upon exercise of any Right shall be subject to adjustment from time to time in a manner and on terms as nearly equivalent as practicable to the provisions with respect to the shares contained in Sections 11(a), (b), (c), (e), (h), (i), (j) (k), (l) and (n) hereof, inclusive, and the provisions of Sections 7, 9, 10, 13 and 14 hereof with respect to the Preferred Shares shall apply on like terms to any such other shares.

(g) All Rights originally issued by the Company subsequent to any adjustment made to the Purchase Price hereunder shall evidence the right to purchase, at the adjusted Purchase Price, the number of Preferred Shares purchasable from time to time hereunder upon exercise of the Rights, all subject to further adjustment as provided herein.

(h) Unless the Company shall have exercised its election as provided in Section 11(i) hereof, upon each adjustment of the Purchase Price as a result of the calculations made in Section 11(b) and (c) hereof, each Right outstanding immediately prior to the making of such adjustment shall thereafter evidence the right to purchase, at the adjusted Purchase Price per one one-hundredth of a Preferred Share, that number of one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share (calculated to the nearest one-millionth of a Preferred Share) obtained by (i) multiplying (x) the number of one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share covered by a Right immediately prior to this adjustment by (y) the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to such adjustment of the Purchase Price, and (ii) dividing the product so obtained by the Purchase Price in effect immediately after such adjustment of the Purchase Price.

(i) The Company may elect on or after the date of any adjustment of the Purchase Price to adjust the number of Rights, in substitution for any adjustment in the number of Preferred Shares purchasable upon the exercise of a Right. Each of the Rights outstanding after such adjustment of the number of Rights shall be exercisable for the number of one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share for which a Right was exercisable immediately prior to such adjustment. Each Right held of record prior to such adjustment of the number of Rights shall become that number of Rights (calculated to the nearest one millionth) obtained by dividing the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to adjustment of the Purchase Price by the Purchase Price in effect immediately after adjustment of the Purchase Price. The Company shall make a public announcement of its election to adjust the number of Rights, indicating the record date for the adjustment, and, if known at the time, the amount of the adjustment to be made. This record date may be the date on which the Purchase Price is adjusted or any day thereafter, but, if the Rights Certificates have been issued, shall be at least ten days later than the date of the public announcement. If Rights Certificates have been issued, upon each adjustment of the number of Rights pursuant to this Section 11(i), the Company shall, as promptly as practicable, cause to be distributed to holders of record of Rights Certificates on such record date Rights Certificates evidencing, subject to Section 14 hereof, the additional Rights to which such holders shall be entitled as a result of such adjustment, or, at the option of the Company, shall cause to be distributed to such holders of record in substitution and replacement for the Rights Certificates held by such holders prior to the date of adjustment, and upon surrender thereof, if required by the Company, new Rights Certificates evidencing all the Rights to which such holders shall be entitled after such adjustment. Rights Certificates so to be distributed shall be issued, executed and countersigned in the manner provided for herein (and may bear, at the option of the Company, the adjusted Purchase Price) and shall be registered in the names of the holders of record of Rights Certificates on the record date specified in the public announcement.

(j) Irrespective of any adjustment or change in the Purchase Price or the number of Preferred Shares issuable upon the exercise of the Rights, the Rights Certificates theretofore and thereafter issued may continue to express the Purchase Price per one one-hundredth of a Preferred Share and the number of Preferred Shares which were expressed in the initial Rights Certificates issued hereunder.

(k) Before taking any action that would cause an adjustment reducing the Purchase Price below one one-hundredth of the then par value, if any, of the Preferred Shares issuable upon exercise of the Rights, the Company shall take any corporate action which may, in the opinion of its counsel, be necessary in order that the Company may validly and legally issue fully paid and nonassessable Preferred Shares at such adjusted Purchase Price.

(l) In any case in which this Section 11 shall require that an adjustment in the Purchase Price be made effective as of a record date for a specified event, the Company may elect to defer until the occurrence of such event the issuing to the holder of any Right exercised after such record date of the Preferred Shares and other capital stock or securities of the Company, if any, issuable upon such exercise over and above the Preferred Shares and other capital stock or securities of the Company, if any, issuable upon such exercise on the basis of the Purchase Price in effect prior to such adjustment; provided, however, that the Company shall deliver to such holder a due ▇▇▇▇ or other appropriate instrument evidencing such holder’s right to receive such additional shares upon the occurrence of the event requiring such adjustment.

(m) Anything in this Section 11 to the contrary notwithstanding, the Company shall be entitled to make such reductions in the Purchase Price, in addition to those adjustments expressly required by this Section 11, as and to the extent that it in its sole discretion shall determine to be advisable in order that any consolidation or subdivision of the Preferred Shares, issuance wholly for cash of any of Preferred Shares at less than the current per share market price, issuance wholly for cash of Preferred Shares or securities which by their terms are convertible into or exchangeable for Preferred Shares, dividends on Preferred Shares payable in Preferred Shares or issuance of rights, options or warrants referred to hereinabove in subsection (b) of this Section 11, hereafter made by the Company to holders of its Preferred Shares shall not be taxable to such shareholders.

(n) Anything in this Agreement to the contrary notwithstanding, in the event that at any time after the date of this Agreement and prior to the Distribution Date, the Company shall (A) declare or pay any dividend on the Common Shares payable in Common Shares, (B) subdivide, combine or consolidate the outstanding Common Shares into a greater or lesser number of Common Shares or (C) issue any shares of its capital stock in a reclassification of the outstanding Common Shares, then, in any such case, except as otherwise provided in this Section 11 and Section 7(c) hereof, (i) the number of one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share purchasable after such event upon proper exercise of each Right shall be determined by multiplying the number of one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share so purchasable immediately prior to such event by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of Common Shares outstanding immediately before such event and the denominator of which is the number of Common Shares outstanding immediately after such event, and (ii) each Common Share outstanding immediately after such event shall have issued with respect to it that number of Rights which each Common Share outstanding immediately prior to such event had issued with respect to it. The adjustments provided for in this Section 11(n) shall be made successively whenever such a dividend is declared or paid or such a subdivision, combination or consolidation is effected.

(o) The Company covenants and agrees that, after the Distribution Date, it will not, except as permitted by Sections 23, 24 or 27 hereof, take (or permit to be taken) any action if at such time such action is taken it is reasonably foreseeable that such action will diminish substantially or otherwise eliminate the benefits intended to be afforded by the Rights.

Section 12. Certificate of Adjusted Purchase Price or Number of Shares.

Whenever an adjustment is made as provided in Sections 11 and 13 hereof, the Company shall (a) promptly prepare a certificate setting forth such adjustment and a brief statement of the facts accounting for such adjustment, (b) promptly file with the Rights Agent and with each transfer agent for the Common Shares and the Preferred Shares a copy of such certificate and (c) mail a brief summary thereof to each holder of a Rights Certificate in accordance with Section 26 hereof. Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, the failure of the Company to make such certificate or give such notice shall not affect the validity of such adjustment or the force or effect of the requirement for such adjustment. The Rights Agent shall be fully protected in relying on any such certificate and on any adjustment contained therein and shall not be deemed to have knowledge of such adjustment unless and until it shall have received such certificate.

Section 13. Consolidation, Merger or Sale or Transfer of Assets or Earning Power.

(a) In the event that, following the Shares Acquisition Date, directly or indirectly, (x) the Company shall consolidate with, or merge with and into, any other Person (other than a Subsidiary of the Company in a transaction the principal purpose of which is to change the state of incorporation of the Company), (y) any Person shall consolidate with the Company, or merge with and into the Company and the Company shall be the continuing or surviving corporation of such merger, or (z) the Company shall sell, mortgage or otherwise transfer (or one or more of its Subsidiaries shall sell, mortgage or otherwise transfer), in one or more transactions, assets or earning power aggregating more than 50% of the assets or earning power of the Company and its Subsidiaries (taken as a whole) to any other Person, then, and in each such case, proper provision shall be made so that (i) following the Distribution Date, each holder of a Right (except as otherwise provided herein) shall thereafter have the right to receive, upon the exercise thereof at the then current Purchase Price in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, such number of validly authorized and issued, fully paid and nonassessable Common Shares of the Principal Party (as hereinafter defined) as shall be equal to the result obtained by (A) multiplying the then current Purchase Price by the number of one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share for which a Right is then exercisable (without taking into account any adjustment previously made pursuant to Section 11(a)(ii) hereof) and (B) dividing that product by 50% of the current per share market price of the Common Shares of such Principal Party (determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) on the date of consummation of such consolidation, merger, sale or transfer; (ii) such Principal Party shall thereafter be liable for, and shall assume, by virtue of such consolidation, merger, sale or transfer, all the obligations and duties of the Company pursuant to this Agreement; (iii) the term “Company” shall thereafter be deemed to refer to such Principal Party, it being specifically intended that the provisions of Section 11 hereof shall apply to such Principal Party; and (iv) such Principal Party shall take such steps (including, but not limited to, the reservation of a sufficient number of its Common Shares in accordance with Section 9 hereof) in connection with such consummation as may be necessary to assure that the provisions hereof shall thereafter be applicable, as nearly as reasonably may be, in relation to its Common Shares thereafter deliverable upon the exercise of the Rights.

(b) “Principal Party” shall mean:

(i) in the case of any transaction described in (x) or (y) of the first sentence of Section 13(a) hereof, the Person that is the issuer of any securities into which Common Shares of the Company are converted in such merger or consolidation, and if no securities are so issued, the Person that is the other party to the merger or consolidation (including, if applicable, the Company, if it is the surviving corporation); and

(ii) in the case of any transaction described in (z) of the first sentence of Section 13(a) hereof, the Person that is the party receiving the greatest portion of the assets or earning power transferred pursuant to such transaction or transactions;

Provided, however, that in any such case, (1) if the Common Shares of such Person are not at such time and have not been continuously over the preceding 12-month period registered under Section 12 of the Exchange Act, and such Person is a direct or indirect subsidiary of Affiliate of another Person, “Principal Party” shall refer to such other Person; (2) in cash such Person is a subsidiary, directly or indirectly, or Affiliate of more than one person, the Common Shares of two or more of which are and have been so registered, “Principal Party” shall refer to whichever of such Persons is the issuer of Common Shares having the greatest aggregate market value; and (3) in cash such Person is owned, directly or indirectly, by a joint venture formed by two or more Persons that are not owned, directly or indirectly, by the same Person, the rules set forth in (1) and (2) above shall apply to each of the chains of ownership having an interest in such joint venture as if such party were a “Subsidiary” of both of all of such venturers and the

Principal Parties in each such chain shall bear the obligations set forth in this Section 13 in the same ratio as their direct or indirect interests in such Person bear the total of such interests.

(c) The Company shall not consummate any such consolidation, merger, sale or transfer unless the Principal Party shall have a sufficient number of its authorized Common Shares that have not been issued or reserved for issuance to permit the exercise in full of the Rights in accordance with this Section 13 and unless prior thereto the Company and each Principal Party and each other Person who may become a Principal Party as a result of such consolidation, merger, sale or transfer shall have executed and delivered to the Rights Agent a supplemental agreement providing for the terms set forth in paragraphs (a) and (b) of this Section 13 and further providing that, as soon as practicable after the date of any consolidation, merger, sale or transfer of assets mentioned in paragraph (a) of this Section 13, the Principal Party at its own expense shall:

(i) prepare and file a registration statement under the Securities Act with respect to the Rights and the securities purchasable upon exercise of the Rights on an appropriate form, will use its best efforts to cause such registration statement to become effective as soon as practicable after such filing and will use its best efforts to cause such registration statement to become effective as soon as practicable after such filing and will use its best efforts to cause such registration statement to remain effective (with a prospectus at all times meeting the requirements of the Securities Act) until the Expiration Date;

(ii) use its best efforts to qualify or register the Rights and the securities purchasable upon exercise of the Rights under the securities or “blue sky” laws of such jurisdictions as may be necessary or appropriate;

(iii) use its best efforts to list (or continue the listing of) the Rights and the securities purchasable upon exercise of the Rights on a national securities exchange or to meet the eligibility requirements for quotation on Nasdaq; and

(iv) deliver to holders of the Rights historical financial statements for the Principal Party and each of the affiliates which comply in all material respects with the requirements for registration on Form 10 under the Exchange Act.

(d) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, Section 13 shall not be applicable to a transaction described in clauses (x) and (y) of Section 13(a) if (i) such transaction is consummated with a Person or Persons who acquired Common Shares pursuant to a Permitted Offer (or a wholly-owned Subsidiary of any such Person or Persons), (ii) the price per Common Share offered in such transaction is not less than the price per Common Share paid to all holders of Common Shares whose shares were purchased pursuant to such Permitted Offer and (iii) the form of consideration being offered to the remaining holders of Common Shares pursuant to such transaction is the same as the form of consideration paid pursuant to such Permitted Offer. Upon consummation of any such transaction contemplated by this subsection(c), all Rights hereunder shall expire.

(e) The provisions of this Section 13 shall similarly apply to successive mergers or consolidations or sales or other transfers. The Rights under this Section 13 shall be in addition to the rights to exercise Rights and adjustments under Section 11(a)(ii) and shall survive any exercise thereunder.

(f) The Company shall not enter into any transaction of the kind referred to in clauses (x), (y) and (z) of Section 13(a) hereof if at the time of such transaction there are any rights, warrants, instruments or securities outstanding or any agreements or arrangements which, as a result of the

consummation of such transaction, would substantially diminish or otherwise eliminate the benefits intended to be afforded by the Rights. The Company shall not consummate any such transaction unless prior thereto the Company and such issuer shall have executed and delivered to the Rights Agent a supplemental agreement so providing.

Section 14. Fractional Rights and Fractional Shares.

(a) The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of Rights or to distribute Rights Certificates which evidence fractional Rights. In lieu of such fractional Rights, there shall be paid to the registered holders of the Rights Certificates with regard to which such fractional Rights would otherwise be issuable, an amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the current market value of a whole Right. For the purposes of this Section 14(a), the current market value of a whole Right shall be the closing price of the Rights for the Trading Day immediately prior to the date on which such fractional Rights would have been otherwise issuable, which closing price shall be determined in the same manner as set forth for Common Shares in Section 11(d)(i) hereof.

(b) The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of Preferred Shares (other than fractions which are integral multiples of one one-hundredth of a Preferred Share) upon exercise of the Rights or to distribute certificates which evidence fractional Preferred Shares (other than fractions which are integral multiples of one one-hundredth of a Preferred Share). Fractions of Preferred Shares in integral multiples of one one-hundredth of a Preferred Share may, at the election of the Company, be evidenced by depository receipts, pursuant to an appropriate agreement between the Company and a depository selected by it, provided that such agreement shall provide that the holders of such depository receipts shall have all the rights, privileges and preferences to which they are entitled as beneficial owners of the Preferred Shares. In lieu of fractional Preferred Shares that are not integral multiples of one one-hundredth of a Preferred Share, the Company may pay to the registered holders of Rights Certificates at the time such Rights are exercised as herein provided an amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the current market value of one one-hundredth of a Preferred Share. For purposes of this Section 14(b), the current market value of one-hundredth of a Preferred Share shall be one one-hundredth of the closing price of a Preferred Share (as determined pursuant to the second sentence of Section 11(d)(ii) hereof) for the Trading Day immediately prior to the date of such exercise.

(c) The holder of a Right by the acceptance of the Rights expressly waives his right to receive any fractional Rights or any fractional shares (other than, in the case of fractional Preferred Shares, fractions which are integral multiples of one one-hundredth of a Preferred Share) upon exercise of a Right.

Section 15. Rights of Action.

All rights of action in respect of this Agreement, excepting the rights of actions given to the Rights Agent under Section 18 hereof, are vested in the respective registered holders of the Rights Certificates (and, prior to the Distribution Date, the registered holders of the Common Shares); and any registered holder of any Rights Certificate (or, prior to the Distribution Date, of the Common Shares), without the consent of the Rights Agent or of the holder of any other Rights Certificate (or, prior to the Distribution Date, of the Common Shares), may, in his own behalf and for his own benefit, enforce, and may institute and maintain any suit, action or proceeding against the Company to enforce, or otherwise act in respect of, his right to exercise the Rights evidenced by such Rights Certificate in the manner provided in such Rights Certificate and in this Agreement. Without limiting the foregoing or any remedies available to the holders of Rights, it is specifically acknowledged that the holders of Rights would not have an adequate remedy at law for any breach of this Agreement and shall be entitled to

specific performance of the obligations under, and injunctive relief against actual or threatened violations of, the obligations of any Person subject to this Agreement.

Section 16. Agreement of Rights Holders.

Every holder of a Right, by accepting the same, consents and agrees with the Company and the Rights Agent and with every other holder of a Right that:

(a) prior to the Distribution Date, the Rights will be transferable only in connection with the transfer of the Common Shares;

(b) after the Distribution Date, the Rights Certificates are transferable only on the registry books of the Rights Agent if surrendered at the office of the Rights Agent designated for such purpose, duly endorsed or accompanied by a proper instrument of transfer; and

(c) subject to Sections 6(a) and 7(f) hereof, the Company and the Rights Agent may deem and treat the person in whose name the Rights Certificate (or, prior to the Distribution Date, the associated Common Shares certificate) is registered as the absolute owner thereof and of the Rights evidenced thereby (notwithstanding any notations of ownership or writing on the Rights Certificates or the associated Common Shares certificate made by anyone other than the Company or the Rights Agent) for all purposes whatsoever, and neither the Company nor the Rights Agent shall be affected by any notice to the contrary.

Section 17. Rights Certificate Holder Not Deemed a Shareholder.

No holder, as such, of any Rights Certificate shall be entitled to vote, receive dividends or be deemed for any purpose the holder of the Preferred Shares, Common Shares or any other securities of the Company which may at any time be issuable upon exercise of the Rights represented thereby, nor shall anything contained herein or in any Rights Certificate be construed to confer upon the holder of any Rights Certificate, as such, any of the rights of a shareholder of the Company or any right to vote for the election of directors or upon any matter submitted to shareholders at any meeting thereof, or to give or withhold consent to any corporate action, or to receive notice of meetings or other actions affecting shareholders (except as provided in Section 25 hereof), or to receive dividends or subscription rights, or otherwise, until the Right or Rights evidenced by such Rights Certificate shall have been exercised in accordance with the provisions hereof.

Section 18. Concerning the Rights Agent.

(a) The Company agrees to pay to the Rights Agent reasonable compensation for all services rendered by it hereunder and, from time to time, on demand of the Rights Agent, its reasonable expenses and counsel fees and other disbursements incurred in the administration and execution of this Agreement and the exercise and performance of its duties hereunder. The Company also agrees to indemnify the Rights Agent for, and to hold it harmless against, any loss, liability, or expense, incurred without negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct on the part of the Rights Agent, for anything done or omitted by the Rights Agent in connection with the acceptance and administration of this Agreement, including the costs and expenses of defending against any claim of liability arising therefrom, directly or indirectly.

(b) The Rights Agent shall be protected and shall incur no liability for, or in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted by it in connection with, its administration of this Agreement in reliance upon any Rights Certificate or certificate for Preferred Shares or Common Shares or for other securities of the Company, instrument of assignment or transfer, power of attorney, endorsement, affidavit, letter,

notice, direction, consent, instruction, certificate, statement, or other paper or document believed by it to be genuine and to be signed, executed and, where necessary, verified or acknowledged, by the proper Person or Persons, or otherwise upon the advice of its counsel as set forth in Section 20 hereof.

Section 19. Merger or Consolidation or Change of Name of Rights Agent.

(a) Any corporation into which the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent may be merged or with which it may be consolidated, or any corporation resulting from any merger or consolidation to which the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent shall be a party, or any corporation succeeding to the corporate trust or stockholder services business of the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent, shall be the successor to the Rights Agent under this Agreement without the execution or filing of any paper or any further action on the part of any of the parties hereto, provided that such corporation would be eligible for appointment as a successor Rights Agent under the provisions of Section 21 hereof. In case at the time such successor Rights Agent shall succeed to the agency created by this Agreement, any of the Rights Certificates shall have been countersigned but not delivered, any such successor Rights Agent may adopt the countersignature of the predecessor Rights Agent and deliver such Rights Certificates so countersigned; and in case at that time any of the Rights Certificates shall not have been countersigned, any successor Rights Agent may countersign such Rights Certificates either in the name of the predecessor Rights Agent or in the name of the successor Rights Agent; and in all such cases such Rights Certificates shall have the full force provided in the Rights Certificates and in this Agreement.

(b) In case at any time the name of the Rights Agent shall be changed and at such time any of the Rights Certificates shall have been countersigned but not delivered, the Rights Agent may adopt the countersignature under its prior name and deliver Right Certificates so countersigned; and in case at that time any of the Rights Certificates shall not have been countersigned, the Rights Agent may countersign such Rights Certificates either in its prior name or in its changed name; and in all such cases such Rights Certificates shall have the full force provided in the Rights Certificates and in this Agreement.

Section 20. Duties of Rights Agent.

The Rights Agent undertakes the duties and obligations imposed by this Agreement upon the following terms and conditions, by all of which the Company and the holders of Rights Certificates, by their acceptance thereof, shall be bound:

(a) The Rights Agent may consult with legal counsel (who may be legal counsel for the Company), and the opinion of such counsel shall be full and complete authorization and protection to the Rights Agent as to any action taken or omitted by it in good faith and in accordance with such opinion.

(b) Whenever in the performance of its duties under this Agreement the Rights Agent shall deem it necessary or desirable that any fact or matter (including, without limitation, the identity of any Acquiring Person and the determination of the “current per share market price”) be proved or established by the Company prior to taking or suffering any action hereunder, such fact or matter (unless other evidence in respect thereof be herein specifically prescribed) may be deemed to be conclusively proved and established by a certificate signed by any one of the Chairman of the Board, the President, any Vice President, the Chief Financial Officer, the Secretary or any Assistant Secretary of the Company and delivered to the Rights Agent; and such certificate shall be full authorization to the Rights Agent for any action taken or suffered in good faith by it under the provisions of this Agreement in reliance upon such certificate.

(c) The Rights Agent shall be liable hereunder to the Company and any other Person only for its own negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct.

(d) The Rights Agent shall not be liable for or by reason of any of the statements of fact or recitals contained in this Agreement or in the Rights Certificates (except its countersignature thereof) or be required to verify the same, but all such statements and recitals are and shall be deemed to have been made by the Company only.

(e) The Rights Agent shall not be under any responsibility in respect of the validity of this Agreement or the execution and delivery hereof (except the due execution hereof by the Rights Agent) or in respect of the validity or execution of any Rights Certificate (except its countersignature thereof); nor shall it be responsible for any breach by the Company of any covenant or condition contained in this Agreement or in any Rights Certificate; nor shall it be responsible for any change in the exercisability of the Rights or any adjustment in the terms of the Rights (including the manner, method or amount thereof) provided for in Sections 3, 11, 13, 23 or 24 hereof, or the ascertaining of the existence of facts that would require any such change or adjustment (except with respect to the exercise of Rights evidenced by Rights Certificates after receipt by the Rights Agent of a certificate furnished pursuant to Section 13 hereof describing any such change or adjustment); nor shall it by any act hereunder be deemed to make any representation or warranty as to the authorization or reservation of any Preferred Shares or other securities to be issued pursuant to this Agreement or any Rights Certificate or as to whether any Preferred Shares or other securities will, when issued, be validly authorized and issued, fully paid and nonassessable.

(f) The Company agrees that it will perform, execute, acknowledge and deliver or cause to be performed, executed, acknowledged and delivered all such further and other acts, instruments and assurances as may reasonably be required by the Rights Agent for the carrying out or performing by the Rights Agent of the provisions of this Agreement.

(g) The Rights Agent is hereby authorized and directed to accept written instructions with respect to the performance of its duties hereunder from any one of the Chairman of the Board, the President, any Vice President, the Chief Financial Officer, the Secretary or any Assistant Secretary of the Company, and is authorized to apply to such officers for advice or instructions in connection with its duties, and it shall not be liable for any action taken or suffered to be taken by it in good faith in accordance with instructions of any such officer. Any application by the Rights Agent for written instructions from the Company may, at the option of the Rights Agent, set forth in writing any action proposed to be taken or omitted by the Rights Agent with respect to its duties or obligations under this Agreement and the date on and/or after which such action shall be taken and the Rights Agent shall not be liable for any action taken or omitted in accordance with a proposal included in any such application on or after the date specified therein (which date shall be not less than five Business Days after the date any such officer actually receives such application, unless any such officer shall have consented in writing to an earlier date) unless, prior to taking or omitting any such action, the Rights Agent has received written instructions in response to such application specifying the action to be taken or omitted.

(h) The Rights Agent and any shareholder, director, officer or employee of the Rights Agent may buy, sell or deal in any of the Rights or other securities of the Company or become peculiarly interested in any transaction in which the Company may be interested, or contract with or lend money to the Company or otherwise act as fully and freely as though it were not Rights Agent under this Agreement. Nothing herein shall preclude the Rights Agent from acting in any other capacity for the Company or for any other legal entity.

(i) The Rights Agent may execute and exercise any of the rights or powers hereby vested in it or perform any duty hereunder either itself or by or through its attorneys or agents, and the Rights

Agent shall not be answerable or accountable for any act, omission, default, neglect or misconduct of any such attorneys or agents or for any loss to the Company resulting from any such act, omission, default, neglect or misconduct, provided reasonable care was exercised in the selection and continued employment thereof.

(j) No provision of this Agreement shall require the Rights Agent to expend or risk its own funds or otherwise incur any financial liability in the performance of any of its duties hereunder or in the exercise of its rights if there shall be reasonable grounds for believing that repayment of such funds or adequate indemnification against such risk or liability is not reasonably assured to it.

(k) If, with respect to any Rights Certificate surrendered to the Rights Agent for exercise or transfer, the Certificate attached to the form of Assignment of form of Election to Purchase, as the case may be, has either not been completed or indicates an affirmative response to clause 1 and/or 2 thereof, the Rights Agent shall not take any further action with respect to such requested exercise of transfer without first consulting with the Company.

Section 21. Change of Rights Agent.

The Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent may resign and be discharged from its duties under this Agreement upon 30 days’ notice in writing mailed to the Company and to each transfer agent of the Common Shares and Preferred Shares by registered or certified mail, and to the holders of the Rights Certificates by first-class mail. The Company may remove the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent upon 30 days’ notice in writing, mailed to the Rights Agent or successor Rights Agent, as the case may be, to each transfer agent of the Common Shares and Preferred Shares by registered or certified mail, and to the holders of the Rights Certificates by first-class mail. If the Rights Agent shall resign or be removed or shall otherwise become incapable of acting, the Company shall appoint a successor to the Rights Agent. If the Company shall fail to make such appointment within a period of 30 days after giving notice of such removal or after it has been notified in writing of such resignation or incapacity by the resigning or incapacitated Rights Agent or by the holder of a Rights Certificate (who shall, with such notice, submit his Rights Certificate for inspection by the Company), then the registered holder of any Rights Certificate may apply to any court of competent jurisdiction or the appointment of a new Rights Agent. Any successor Rights Agent, whether appointed by the Company or by such a court, shall be (a) a corporation organized and doing business under the laws of the United States or of the State of California or of the State of New York (or of any other state of the United States so long as such corporation is authorized to do business as a banking institution in the State of Texas or the State of New York), in good standing, having a principal office in the State of California or the State of New York, which is authorized under such laws to exercise corporate trust or stockholder services powers and is subject to supervision or examination by federal or state authority and which has at the time of its appointment as Rights Agent a combined capital and surplus of at least $50,000,000 or (b) an affiliate of a corporation denoted in clause (a) of this sentence. After appointment, the successor Rights Agent shall be vested with the same powers, rights, duties and responsibilities as if it had been originally named as Rights Agent without further act or deed; but the predecessor Rights Agent shall deliver and transfer to the successor Rights Agent any property at the time held by it hereunder, and execute and deliver any further assurance, conveyance, act or deed necessary for the purpose. Not later than the effective date of any such appointment the Company shall file notice thereof in writing with the predecessor Rights Agent and each transfer agent of the Common Shares and Preferred Shares, and mail a notice thereof in writing to the registered holders of the Rights Certificates. Failure to give any notice provided for in this Section 21, however, or any defect therein, shall not affect the legality or validity of the resignation or removal of the Rights Agent or the appointment of the successor Rights Agent, as the case may be.

Section 22. Issuance of New Rights Certificates.

Notwithstanding any of the provisions of this Agreement or of the Rights to the contrary, the Company may, at its option, issue new Rights Certificates evidencing Rights in such form as may be approved by its Board of Directors to reflect any adjustment or change in the Purchase Price per share and the number or kind or class of shares or other securities or property purchasable under the Rights Certificates made in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement. In addition, in connection with the issuance or sale by the Company of Common Shares following the Distribution Date and prior to the redemption or expiration of the Rights, the Company (a) shall with respect to Common Shares so issued or sold pursuant to the exercise of stock options or under any employee plan or arrangement, which plan or arrangement is existing as of the Distribution Date, or upon the exercise, conversion or exchange of any other securities issued by the Company prior to the Distribution Date, and (b) may, in any other case, if deemed necessary or appropriate by the Board of Directors of the Company, issue Rights Certificates representing the appropriate number of Rights in connection with such issuance and sale; provided, however, that (i) no such Rights Certificate shall be issued if, and to the extent that, in its good faith judgment the Board of Directors of the Company shall have determined that the issuance of such Rights Certificate would create significant risk of material adverse tax consequences to the Company or to the Person to whom or which such Rights Certificate otherwise would be issued, and (ii) no such Rights Certificate shall be issued if, and to the extent that, appropriate adjustment otherwise shall have been made in lieu of the issuance thereof.

Section 23. Redemption.

(a) The Board of Directors of the Company may, at its option, at any time prior to the close of business on the earlier of (i) the tenth day following the Shares Acquisition Date, or (ii) the Final Expiration Date, redeem all but not less than all the then outstanding Rights at a redemption price of $.01 per Right, appropriately adjusted to reflect any stock split, stock dividend or similar transaction occurring after the date hereof (such redemption price being hereinafter referred to as the “Redemption Price”) and the Company may, at its option, pay the Redemption Price either in Common Shares (based on the current per share market price thereof (as determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) at the time of redemption) or cash.

(b) Immediately upon the action of the Board of Directors of the Company ordering the redemption of the Rights, evidence of which shall have been filed with the Rights Agent, and without any further action and without any notice, the right to exercise the Rights will terminate and the only right thereafter of the holders of Rights shall be to receive the Redemption Price. Within ten days after the action of the Company’s Board of Directors ordering the redemption of the Rights, the Company shall give notice of such redemption to the Rights Agent and to the holders of the then outstanding Rights by mailing such notice to the Rights Agent and to all such holders at their last addresses as they appear upon the registry books of the Rights Agent or, prior to the Distribution Date, on the registry books of the transfer agent for the Common Shares. Any notice which is mailed in the manner herein provided shall be deemed given, whether or not the holder receives the notice. Each such notice of redemption will state the method by which the payment of the Redemption Price will be made. Neither the Company nor any of its Affiliates or Associates may redeem, acquire or purchase for value any Rights at any time in any manner other than that specifically set forth in this Section 23 or in Section 24 hereof, and other than in connection with the purchase of Common Shares prior to the Distribution Date.

Section 24. Exchange.

(a) Subject to the provisions of applicable law, the Board of Directors of the Company may, at its option, at any time after any Person becomes an Acquiring Person, exchange all or part of the then

outstanding and exercisable Rights (which shall not include Rights that have become void pursuant to the provisions of Section 7(e) hereof) for (A) Common Shares at an exchange ratio of one Common Share per Right, appropriately adjusted to reflect any stock split, stock dividend or similar transaction occurring after the date hereof (such exchange ratio being hereinafter referred to as the “Exchange Ratio”). Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company’s Board of Directors shall not be empowered to effect such exchange at any time after any Person (other than the Company, any Subsidiary of the Company, any employee benefit plan of the Company or any such Subsidiary, or any entity holding Common Shares for or pursuant to the terms of any such plan), together with all Affiliates and Associates of such Person, becomes the Beneficial Owner of 50% or more of the Common Shares then outstanding.

(b) Immediately upon the action of the Board of Directors of the Company ordering the exchange of any Rights pursuant to paragraph (a) of this Section 24, and without any further action and without any notice, the right to exercise such Rights shall terminate and the only right thereafter of a holder of such Rights shall be to receive that number of Common Shares equal to the number of such Rights held by such holder multiplied by the Exchange Ratio. The Company shall promptly give public notice of any such exchange; provided, however, that the failure to give, or any defect in, such notice shall not affect the validity of such exchange to all of the holders of such Rights at their last addresses as they appear upon the registry books of the Rights Agency. Any notice which is mailed in the manner herein provided shall be deemed given, whether or not the holder receives the notice. Each such notice of exchange will state the method by which the exchange of the Common Shares for Rights will be effected and, in the event of any partial exchange, the number of Rights which will be exchanged. Any partial exchange shall be effected pro rata based on the number of Rights (other than Rights which have become void pursuant to the provisions of Section 7(e) hereof) held by each holder of Rights.

(c) In the event that there shall not be sufficient Common Shares issued but not outstanding or authorized but unissued to permit any exchange of Rights as contemplated in accordance with this Section 24, the Company shall take all such actions as may be necessary to authorize additional Common Shares for issuance upon exchange of the Rights. In the event the Company shall, after good faith effort, be unable to take all such action as may be necessary to authorize such additional Common Shares, the Company shall substitute, for each Common Shares that would otherwise be issuable upon exchange of a Right, a number of Preferred Shares or fraction thereof such that the current per share market price of one Preferred Share multiplied by such number or fraction is equal to the current per share market price of one Common Share as of the date of issuance of such Preferred Shares or fraction thereof.

(d) The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of Common Shares or to distribute certificates which evidence fractional Common Shares. In lieu of such fractional Common Shares, the Company shall pay to the registered holders of the Rights Certificates with regard to which such fractional Common Shares would otherwise be issuable an amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the current market value of a whole Common Share. For the purposes of this paragraph (d), the current market value of a whole Common Share shall be the closing price of a Common Share (as determined pursuant to the second sentence of Section 11(d)(i) hereof) for the Trading Day immediately prior to the date of exchange pursuant to this Section 24.

Section 25. Notice of Certain Events.

In case the Company shall propose (a) to pay any dividend payable in stock of any class to the holders of its Preferred Shares or to make any other distribution to the holders of its Preferred Shares (other than a regular quarterly cash dividend out of earnings or retained earnings of the Company), (b) to offer to the holders of its Preferred Shares rights or warrants to subscribe for or to purchase any additional Preferred Shares or shares of stock of any class or any other securities, rights or options, (c) to effect any reclassification of its Preferred Shares (other than a reclassification involving only the subdivision of

outstanding Preferred Shares), (d) to effect any consolidation or merger into or with, or to effect any sale or other transfer (or to permit one or more of its subsidiaries to effect any sale or other transfer), in one or more transactions, of more than 50% of the assets or earning power of the Company and its Subsidiaries (taken as a whole) to, any other Person, or (e) to effect the liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Company, then, in each such case, the Company shall give to each holder of a Rights Certificate, in accordance with Section 26 hereof, a notice of such proposed action, which shall specify the record date for the purposes of such stock dividend, or distribution of rights or warrants, or the date on which such reclassification, consolidation, merger, sale, transfer, liquidation, dissolution, or winding up is to take place and the date of participation therein by the holders of the Common Shares and/or Preferred Shares, if any such date is to be fixed, and such notice shall be so given in the case of any action covered by clause (a) or (b) above at least 20 days prior to the record date for determining holders of the Preferred Shares for purposes of such action, and in the case of any such other action, at least 20 days prior to the date of the taking of such proposed action or the date of participation therein by the holders of the Common Shares and/or Preferred Shares, whichever shall be the earlier.

In case the event set forth in Section 11(a)(ii) or Section 13(a) of this Agreement shall occur, then, in any such case, the Company or the Principal Party, as the case may be, shall as soon as practicable thereafter give to each holder of a Rights Certificate, in accordance with Section 26 hereof, a notice of the occurrence of such event, which shall specify the event and the consequences of the event to holders of Rights under Section 11(a)(ii) or Section 13(a) hereof, as the case may be.

Section 26. Notices.

Notices or demands authorized by this Agreement to be given or made by the Rights Agent or by the holder of any Rights Certificate to or on the Company shall be sufficiently given or made if sent by first-class mail, postage prepaid, addressed (until another address is filed in writing with the Rights Agent) as follows:

Harvest Natural Resources, Inc.
▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
Attention: President

Subject to the provisions of Section 21 hereof, any notice or demand authorized by this Agreement to be given or made by the Company or by the holder of any Rights Certificate to or on the Rights Agent shall be sufficiently given or made if sent by first-class mail, postage prepaid, addressed (until another address is filed in writing with the Company) as follows:

▇▇▇▇▇ Fargo Bank, N. A.
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇. ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
Attention: ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, Vice President

Notices or demands authorized by this Agreement to be given or made by the Company or the Rights Agent to the holder of any Rights Certificate shall be sufficiently given or made if sent by first-class mail, postage prepaid, addressed to such holder at the address of such holder as shown on the registry books of the Company.

Section 27. Supplements and Amendments.

The Company may, by resolution adopted by its Board of Directors, from time to time supplement or amend this Agreement without the approval of any holders of Right or Rights Certificates in order (i) to cure any ambiguity, (ii) to correct or supplement any provision contained herein which may be defective or inconsistent with any other provisions herein, (iii) prior to the Distribution Date, to change or supplement any provision hereunder in any manner which the Company may deem necessary or desirable, or (iv) on or after the Distribution Date, to change or supplement any provision hereunder which the Company may deem necessary or desirable and which shall not adversely affect the interests of the holders of Rights (other than an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or as Associate of an Acquiring Person). Upon the delivery of a certificate from an appropriate officer of the Company which states that the proposed supplement or amendment is in compliance with the terms of this Section 27, the Rights Agent shall, if the Company so directs, execute such supplement or amendment unless the Rights Agent shall have determined in good faith that such supplement or amendment would adversely affect its interests under this Agreement. Prior to the Distribution Date, the interests of the holders of Rights shall be deemed consistent with the interests of the holders of Common Shares.

Section 28. Successors.

All the covenants and provisions of this Agreement by or for the benefit of the Company or the Rights Agent shall bind and inure to the benefit of their respective successors and assigns hereunder.

Section 29. Determinations and Actions by the Board of Directors.

For all purposes of this Agreement, any calculation of the number of Common Shares outstanding at any particular time, including for purposes of determining the particular percentage of such outstanding Common Shares of which any Person is the Beneficial Owner, shall be made in accordance with the last sentence of Rule 13d-3(d)(1)(i) under the Exchange Act. The Board of Directors of the Company shall have the exclusive power and authority to administer this Agreement and to exercise all rights and powers specifically granted to the Company’s Board of Directors or to the Company, or as may be necessary or advisable in the administration of this Agreement, including, without limitation, the right and power to (i) interpret the provisions of this Agreement, and (ii) make all determinations deemed necessary or advisable for the administration of this Agreement (including a determination to redeem or not redeem the Rights or to amend the Agreement). All such actions, calculations, interpretations and determinations (including, for purposes of clause (y) below, all omissions with respect to the foregoing) which are done or made by the Company’s Board of Directors in good faith, shall (x) be final, conclusive and binding on the Company, the Rights Agent, the holders of Rights Certificates and all other parties, and (y) not subject the Company’s Board of Directors to any liability to the holders of the Rights.

Section 30. Benefits of this Agreement.

Nothing in this Agreement shall be construed to give to any Person other than the Company, the Rights Agent and the registered holders of the Rights Certificates (and, prior to the Distribution Date, the Common Shares) any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under this Agreement; but this Agreement shall be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the Company, the Rights Agent and the registered holders of the Rights Certificates (and, prior to the Distribution Date, the Common Shares).

Section 31. Severability.

If any term, provision, covenant or restriction of this Agreement is held by a court of competent jurisdiction or other authority to be invalid, void or unenforceable in any respect, the remainder of the

terms, provisions, covenants and restrictions of this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect and shall in no way be affected, impaired or invalidated; it is hereby agreed that such provisions are severable and that this Agreement or the Rights shall be construed in all respects as if such invalid, void or unenforceable provisions were omitted.

Section 32. Governing Law.

This Agreement and each Right Certificate issued hereunder shall be deemed to be a contract made under the laws of the State of Delaware and for all purposes shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of such State applicable to contracts to be made and performed entirely within such State.

Section 33. Counterparts.

This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts and each of such counterparts shall for all purposes be deemed to be an original, and all such counterparts shall together constitute but one and the same instrument.

Section 34. Descriptive Headings.

Descriptive headings of the several Sections of this Agreement are inserted for convenience only and shall not control or affect the meaning or construction of any of the provisions hereof.

* * * * *

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be duly executed and attested, all as of the day and year first above written.


	HARVEST NATURAL RESOURCES, INC.

Attest:

By:	By:	/s/ ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇

Title:	Title:	President & CEO


	▇▇▇▇▇ FARGO BANK, N. A.

Attest:

By:	By:	/s/ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇

Title:	Title:	Vice President

EXHIBIT A

FORM OF

CERTIFICATE OF DESIGNATION,
RIGHTS AND PREFERENCES
OF THE SERIES B PREFERRED STOCK
OF
▇▇▇▇▇▇ OIL AND GAS COMPANY

CERTIFICATE OF DESIGNATION,

RIGHTS AND PREFERENCES

OF THE

SERIES B PREFERRED STOCK

▇▇▇▇▇▇ OIL AND GAS COMPANY

Pursuant to Section 151 of the
General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware

▇▇▇▇▇▇ OIL AND GAS COMPANY, a corporation organized and existing under the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the “Corporation”), does hereby certify that pursuant to the authority conferred upon the Board of Directors of the Corporation by Article 4 of the Certificate of Incorporation, as amended, of the Corporation and in accordance with the provisions of Section 151 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, its Board of Directors, at a meeting duly called and held on April 28, 1995, adopted, the following resolution creating a series of authorized but unissued Preferred Stock, $.01 par value, designated as Series B Preferred Stock:

RESOLVED, that pursuant to the authority granted to and vested in the Board of Directors of this Corporation in accordance with the provisions of its Certificate of Incorporation, the Board of Directors hereby creates a series of Preferred Stock of the Corporation and hereby fixes the designation and the amount thereof and the powers, preferences and relative participating, optional or other special rights of the shares of such series, and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof, as follows:

1. Designation and Amount. The shares of such series shall be designated as “Series B Preferred Stock,” par value $.01 per share, and the number of shares constituting such series shall be 500,000. Such number of shares may be increased or decreased by resolution of the Board of Directors; provided, however, that no decrease shall reduce the number of shares of Series B Preferred Stock to a number less than that of the shares then outstanding plus the number of shares issuable upon exercise of outstanding rights, options or warrants or upon conversion of outstanding securities issued by the Corporation.

2. Dividends and Distributions.

(A) Subject to the prior and superior rights of the holders of any shares of any series of Preferred Stock ranking prior and superior to the shares of Series B Preferred Stock with respect to dividends, the holders of shares of Series B Preferred Stock, in preference to the holders of shares of Common Stock, par value $.01 per share (the “Common Stock”), of the Corporation, shall be entitled to receive, when, as and if declared by the Board of Directors out of funds legally available for the purpose, quarterly dividends payable in cash on the first day of March, June, September and December in each year (each such date being referred to herein as a “Quarterly Dividend Payment Date”), commencing on the first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date after the first issuance of a share or fraction of a share of

Series B Preferred Stock, in an amount per share (rounded to the nearest cent) equal to the greater of (a) $10.00 or (b) subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth, 100 times the aggregate per share amount of all cash dividends, and 100 times the aggregate per share amount (payable in kind) of all non-cash dividends or other distributions, other than a dividend payable in shares of Common Stock or a subdivision of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (by reclassification or otherwise), declared on the Common Stock since the immediately preceding Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, or, with respect to the first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, since the first issuance of any share or fraction of a share of Series B Preferred Stock. In the event the Corporation shall at any time after May 19, 1995 (the “Rights Declaration Date”) (i) declare or pay any dividend on Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, or (ii) effect a subdivision, combination or consolidation of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (by reclassification or otherwise) into a greater or lesser number of shares of Common Stock, then in each such case the amount to which holders of shares of Series B Preferred Stock were entitled immediately prior to such event under clause (b) of the preceding sentence shall be adjusted by multiplying such amount by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event, and the denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event.

(B) The Corporation shall declare a dividend or distribution on the Series B Preferred Stock as provided in paragraph (A) of this Section immediately after it declares a dividend or distribution on the Common Stock (other than a dividend payable in shares of Common Stock); provided that, in the event no dividend or distribution shall have been declared on the Common Stock during the period between any Quarterly Dividend Payment Date and the next subsequent Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, a dividend of $10.00 per share on the Series B Preferred Stock shall nevertheless be payable on such subsequent Quarterly Dividend Payment Date.

(C) Dividends shall begin to accrue and be cumulative on outstanding shares of Series B Preferred Stock from the Quarterly Dividend Payment Date next preceding the date of issue of such shares of Series B Preferred Stock, unless the date of issue of such shares is prior to the record date for the first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, in which case dividends on such shares shall begin to accrue from the date of issue of such shares, or unless the date of issue is a Quarterly Dividend Payment Date or is a date after the record date for the determination of holders of shares of Series B Preferred Stock entitled to receive a quarterly dividend and before such Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, in either of which events such dividends shall begin to accrue and be cumulative from such Quarterly Dividend Payment Date. Accrued but unpaid dividends shall not bear interest. Dividends paid on the shares of Series B Preferred Stock in an amount less than the total amount of such dividends at the time accrued and payable on such shares shall be allocated pro rata on a share-by-share basis among all such shares at the time outstanding. The Board of Directors may fix a record date for the determination of holders of shares of Series B Preferred Stock entitled to receive payment of a dividend or distribution declared thereon, which record date shall be not more than 30 days prior to the date fixed for the payment thereof.

3. Voting Rights. The holders of shares of Series B Preferred Stock shall have the following voting rights:

(A) Subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth, each share of Series B Preferred Stock shall entitle the holder thereof to 100 votes on all matters submitted to a vote of the shareholders of the Corporation. In the event the Corporation shall at any time after the Rights Declaration Date declare or pay any dividend on Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, or effect a subdivision, combination or consolidation of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (by reclassification or otherwise) into a greater or lesser number of shares of Common Stock, then in each such case the number of votes per share to which holders of shares of Series B Preferred Stock were

entitled immediately prior to such event shall be adjusted by multiplying such number by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event, and the denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event.

(B) Except as otherwise set forth herein or as required by law, the holders of shares of Series B Preferred Stock and the holders of shares of Common Stock shall vote together as one class on all matters submitted to a vote of shareholders of the Corporation.

(C) Except as otherwise set forth herein or as required by law, the holders of Series B Preferred Stock shall have no special voting rights and their consent shall not be required (except to the extent they are entitled to vote with the holders of Common Stock as set forth herein) for taking any corporation action.

4. Certain Restrictions.

(A) Whenever quarterly dividends or other dividends or distributions payable on the Series B Preferred Stock as provided in Section 2 are in arrears, thereafter and until all accrued and unpaid dividends and distributions, whether or not declared, on shares of Series B Preferred Stock outstanding shall have been paid in full, the Corporation shall not:

(i) declare or pay dividends on, make any other distributions on, or redeem or purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration any shares of stock ranking junior (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) to the Series B Preferred Stock;

(ii) declare or pay dividends on or make any other distributions on any shares of stock ranking on a parity (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) with the Series B Preferred Stock, except dividends paid ratably on the Series B Preferred Stock and all such parity stock on which dividends are payable or in arrears in proportion to the total amounts to which the holders of all such shares are then entitled.

(iii) redeem or purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration shares of stock ranking junior (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) with the Series B Preferred Stock, provided that the Corporation may at any time redeem, purchase or otherwise acquire shares of any such junior stock in exchange for shares of any stock of the Corporation ranking junior (either as to dividends or upon dissolution, liquidation or winding up) to the Series B Preferred Stock; or

(iv) redeem or purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration any shares of Series B Preferred Stock or any shares of stock ranking on a parity (either as to dividends or upon dissolution, liquidation or winding up) with the Series B Preferred Stock, except in accordance with a purchase offer made in writing or by publication (as determined by the Board of Directors) to all holders of such shares upon such terms as the Board of Directors, after consideration of the respective annual dividend rates and other relative rights and preferences of the respective series and classes, shall determine in good faith will result in fair and equitable treatment among the respective series or classes.

(B) The Corporation shall not permit any subsidiary of the Corporation to purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration any shares of stock of the Corporation unless the Corporation could, under paragraph (A) of this Section 4, purchase or otherwise acquire such shares at such time and in such manner.

5. Reacquired Shares. Any shares of Series B Preferred Stock purchased or otherwise acquired by the Corporation in any manner whatsoever shall be retired and cancelled promptly after the acquisition thereof. All such shares shall upon their cancellation become authorized but unissued shares of Preferred Stock and may be reissued as part of a new series of Preferred Stock to be created by resolution or resolutions of the Board of Directors, subject to the conditions and restrictions on issuance set forth herein.

6. Liquidation. Dissolution or Winding Up.

(A) Upon any liquidation (voluntary or otherwise), dissolution or winding up of the Corporation, no distribution shall be made to the holders of shares of Common Stock or of other stock ranking junior (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) to the Series B Preferred Stock unless, prior thereto, the holders of shares of Series B Preferred Stock shall have received, per share, the greater of $100.00 or 100 times (subject to adjustment as hereinafter set forth) the aggregate amount to be distributed per share of Common Stock, plus an amount equal to accrued and unpaid dividends and distributions thereon, whether or not declared, to the date of such payment (the “Series B Liquidation Preference”).

(B) In the event that upon any liquidation (voluntary or otherwise), dissolution or winding up of the Corporation, there are not sufficient assets remaining to permit payment in full of the Series B Liquidation Preference and the liquidation preferences of all other series of Preferred Stock, if any, which rank on a parity (either as to dividends or upon, liquidation, dissolution or winding up) with the Series B Preferred Stock, then such remaining assets shall be distributed ratably to the holders of such parity stock in proportion to the amount to which the holders of all such shares are entitled to receive upon such liquidation, dissolution or winding up.

(C) In the event the Corporation shall at any time after the Rights Declaration Date (i) declare any dividend on Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, (ii) subdivide the outstanding Common Stock, or (iii) combine the outstanding Common Stock into a smaller number of shares, by reclassification or otherwise, then in each such case the aggregate amount to which holders of Series B Preferred Stock were entitled immediately prior to such event shall be adjusted by multiplying such amount by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event, and the denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event.

7. Consolidation. Merger, etc. In case the Corporation shall enter into any consolidation, merger, combination or other transaction in which the shares of Common Stock are exchanged for or changed into other stock or securities, cash and/or any other property, then in any such case the shares of Series B Preferred Stock shall at the same time be similarly exchanged or changed in an amount per share (subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth) equal to 100 times the aggregate amount of stock, securities, cash and/or any other property (payable in kind), as the case may be, into which or for which each share of Common Stock is changed or exchanged. In the event the Corporation shall at any time after the Rights Declaration Date declare or pay any dividend on Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, or effect a subdivision, combination or consolidation of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (by reclassification or otherwise) into a greater or lesser number of shares of Common Stock, then in each such case the amount set forth in the preceding sentence with respect to the exchange or change of shares of Series B Preferred Stock shall be adjusted by multiplying such amount by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after

such event, and the denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event.

8. Redemption. The shares of Series B Preferred Stock shall not be redeemable.

9. Ranking. The Series B Preferred Stock shall rank junior to all other series of the Corporation’s Preferred Stock as to the payment of dividends and the distribution of assets, unless the terms of any such series shall provide otherwise.

10. Fractional Shares. Series B Preferred Stock may be issued in fractions (including, but not limited to, one hundredths) of a share which shall entitle the holder, in proportion to such holder’s fractional shares, to exercise voting rights, receive dividends, participate in distributions and to have the benefit of all other rights of holders of Series B Preferred Stock.

11. Amendment. The Certificate of Incorporation and the Bylaws of the Corporation shall not be further amended in any manner which would materially alter or change the powers, preferences or special rights of the Series B Preferred Stock so as to affect them adversely without the affirmative vote of the holders of at least 66-2/3% of the outstanding shares of Series B Preferred Stock, voting separately as a class.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, ▇▇▇▇▇▇ Oil and Gas Company has caused this Certificate of Designation, Rights and Preferences of the Series B Preferred Stock to be duly signed by its President and attested to by its Secretary and has caused its corporate seal to be affixed hereto this 28th day of April, 1995.


		▇▇▇▇▇▇ OIL AND GAS COMPANY

		By:

		▇.▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇, Chairman of the Board,
		President and Chief Executive Officer

Attest:

▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, Secretary

EXHIBIT B

[Form of Rights Certificate]



Certificate No. R-
Rights

NOT EXERCISABLE AFTER APRIL 28, 2015 OR EARLIER IF NOTICE OF REDEMPTION IS GIVEN. THE RIGHTS ARE SUBJECT TO REDEMPTION, AT THE OPTION OF THE COMPANY, AT $.01 PER RIGHT ON THE TERMS SET FORTH IN THE THIRD AMENDED AND RESTATED RIGHTS AGREEMENT. [THE RIGHTS REPRESENTED BY THIS RIGHTS CERTIFICATE ARE OR WERE BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY A PERSON WHO WAS OR BECAME AN ACQUIRING PERSON OR AN AFFILIATE OR AN ASSOCIATE OF AN ACQUIRING PERSON (AS SUCH TERMS ARE DEFINED IN THE THIRD AMENDED AND RESTATED RIGHTS AGREEMENT). ACCORDINGLY, THIS RIGHTS CERTIFICATE AND THE RIGHTS REPRESENTED HEREBY MAY BECOME VOID UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES SPECIFIED IN SECTION 7(e) OF THE THIRD AMENDED AND RESTATED RIGHTS AGREEMENT.] ¹

RIGHTS CERTIFICATE

HARVEST NATURAL RESOURCES, INC.

This certifies that , or registered assigns, is the registered owner of the number of Rights set forth above, each of which entitles the owner thereof, subject to the terms, provisions and conditions of the Third Amended and Restated Rights Agreement, dated as of August 23, 2007 (the “Rights Agreement”), between Harvest Natural Resources, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and ▇▇▇▇▇ Fargo Bank, N. A. (the “Rights Agent”), to purchase from the Company at any time after the Distribution Date (as such term is defined in the Rights Agreement) and prior the Expiration Date (as such term is defined in the Rights Agreement) at the office of the Rights Agent, or its successors as Rights Agent, designated for such purpose, one one-hundredth of a fully-paid non-assessable share of Series B Preferred Stock, $.01 par value (the “Preferred Shares”), of the Company (or other securities or property, as provided in the Rights Agreement), at a purchase price of $60 per one one-hundredth of a Preferred Share (the “Purchase Price”), upon presentation and surrender of this Rights Certificate with the appropriate Form of Election to Purchase and Certificate duly executed. The number of Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate (and the number of Preferred Shares which may be purchased upon exercise thereof) set forth above, and the Purchase Price set forth above, are the number and Purchase Price as of the close of business on August 23, 2007, based on the Preferred Shares as constituted at such date.

As provided in the Rights Agreement, the Purchase Price and the number of Preferred Shares (or other securities or property which may be purchased upon the exercise of the Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate) are subject to modification and adjustment upon the happening of certain events.

This Rights Certificate is subject to all of the terms, provisions and conditions of the Rights Agreement, which terms, provisions and conditions are hereby incorporated herein by reference and made


¹		The portion of the legend in brackets shall be inserted only if applicable.

a part hereof and to which Rights Agreement reference is hereby made for a full description of the rights, limitations of rights, obligations, duties and immunities hereunder of the Rights Agent, the Company and the holders of the Rights Certificates. Copies of the Rights Agreement are on file at the principal executive offices of the Company and are also available upon written request to the Company.

This Rights Certificate, with or without other Rights Certificates, upon surrender at the office of the Rights Agent designated for such purpose, may be exchanged for another Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates of like tenor and date evidencing Rights entitling the holder to purchase a like aggregate number of Preferred Shares as the Rights evidenced by the Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates surrendered shall have entitled such holder to purchase. If this Rights Certificate shall be exercised in part, the holder shall be entitled to receive upon surrender hereof another Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates for the number of whole Rights not exercised.

Subject to the provisions of the Rights Agreement, the Rights evidenced by this Certificate may, but are not required to, be redeemed by the Company at a redemption price of $.01 per Right.

No fractional Preferred Shares will be issued upon the exercise of any Right or Rights evidenced hereby (other than fractions which are integral multiples of one one-hundredth of a Preferred Share, which may, at the election of the Company, be evidenced by depositary receipts), but in lieu thereof a cash payment will be made, as provided in the Rights Agreement.

No holder of this Rights Certificate shall be entitled to vote or receive dividends or be deemed for any purpose the holder of the Preferred Shares or of any other securities of the Company which may at any time be issuable on the exercise hereof, nor shall anything contained in the Rights Agreement or herein be construed to confer upon the holder hereof, as such, any of the rights of a shareholder of the Company or any right to vote for the election of directors or upon any matter submitted to shareholders at any meeting thereof, or to give or withhold consent to any corporate action, or to receive notice of meetings or other actions affecting shareholders (except as provided in the Rights Agreement), or to receive dividends or subscription rights, or otherwise, until the Right or Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate shall have been exercised as provided in the Rights Agreement.

This Rights Certificate shall not be valid or obligatory for any purpose until it shall have been countersigned by the Rights Agent.

WITNESS the facsimile signature of the proper officers of the Company and its corporate seal.



Dated:

ATTEST:		HARVEST NATURAL RESOURCES, INC.

		By:

Title:		Title:


Countersigned:
▇▇▇▇▇ FARGO BANK, N. A.,
as Rights Agent

By:

	Authorized Signatory

[Form of Reverse Side of Rights Certificate]

FORM OF ASSIGNMENT

(To be executed by the registered holder if such
holder desires to transfer the Rights Certificates.)

FOR VALUE RECEIVED, hereby sells, assigns and transfers unto

(Please print name and address of transferee)

this Rights Certificate, together with all right, title and interest therein, and does hereby irrevocably constitute and appoint Attorney to transfer the within Rights Certificate on the books of the within-named Company, with full power of substitution.


Dated:



Signature						Signature

Signature(s) Guaranteed:

CERTIFICATE

The undersigned hereby certifies by checking the appropriate boxes that:

(1) the Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate [ ] are [ ] are not being sold, assigned and transferred by or on behalf of a Person who is or was an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of any such Acquiring Person (as such terms are defined in the Rights Agreement); and

(2) after due inquiry and to the best knowledge of the undersigned, the undersigned [ ] did [ ] did not acquire the Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate from any Person who is, was or subsequently became an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person.

Dated:

Signature

NOTICE

The signature to the foregoing Assignment must correspond to the name as written upon the face of this Rights Certificate in every particular, without alteration or enlargement or any change whatsoever.

FORM OF ELECTION TO PURCHASE

(To be executed if holder desires to exercise the Rights Certificate.)

TO: HARVEST NATURAL RESOURCES, INC.

The undersigned hereby irrevocably elects to exercise Rights represented by this Rights Certificate to purchase the Preferred Shares (or such other securities of the Company) issuable upon the exercise of such Rights and requests that certificate for such Preferred Shares (or other securities of the Company) be issued in the name of:

(Please print name and address)

(Please insert social security or other identifying number)

If such number of Rights shall not be all the Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate, a new Rights Certificate for the balance remaining of such Rights shall be registered in the name of and delivered to:

(Please print name and address)

(Please insert social security or other identifying number)


Dated:



Signature						Signature

Signature(s) Guaranteed:

CERTIFICATE

The undersigned hereby certifies by checking the appropriate boxes that:

(1) the Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate [ ] are [ ] are not being exercised by or on behalf of a Person who is or was an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of any such Acquiring Person (as such terms are defined pursuant to the Rights Agreement); and

(2) after due inquiry and to the best knowledge of the undersigned, the undersigned [ ] did [ ] did not acquire the Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate from any Person who, was or subsequently became an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person.

Dated:

Signature

NOTICE

The signature to the foregoing Form of Election to Purchase must correspond to the name as written upon the face of this Rights Certificate in every particular, without alteration or enlargement or any change whatsoever.

In the event the Certificate set forth above in the Forms of Assignment and Election to Purchase is not completed, the Company will deem the beneficial owner of the Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate to be an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate thereof (as such terms are defined in the Rights Agreement) and, in the case of an Assignment, will affix a legend to that effect on any Rights Certificates issued in exchange for his Rights Certificate.

EXHIBIT C

HARVEST NATURAL RESOURCES, INC.

Summary of Preferred Share Purchase Rights

On April 28, 1995, the Board of Directors of Harvest Natural Resources, Inc. (the “Company”) declared a dividend distribution of one preferred share purchase right (the “Right”) for each outstanding share of common stock, $.01 par value, of the Company (the “Common Shares”) to shareholders of record as of the close of business on May 19, 1995 (the “Record Date”). The Board of Directors of the Company further declared that one Right be distributed with each Common Share issued after the Record Date but prior to the Distribution Date (as defined below) or the earlier expiration, exchange, redemption or termination of the Rights. On September 16, 2003, the Board of Directors of the Company approved an amendment and restatement of the rights agreement governing the Rights. Effective March 31, 2005, the Board of Directors of the Company approved a second amendment and restatement of the rights agreement governing the Rights, which, among other things, extended the term of the original Rights Agreement to April 28, 2015. Effective August 23, 2007, the Board of Directors of the Company approved a third amendment and restatement of the rights agreement governing the Rights (the “Third Amended and Restated Rights Agreement”). Under the Third Amended and Restated Rights Agreement, and except as set forth below, each Right entitles the registered holder to purchase from the Company one one-hundredth of a share of Series B Preferred Stock, $.01 par value, of the Company (the “Preferred Shares”) at a price of $60 per one one-hundredth of a Preferred Share (the “Purchase Price”), subject to adjustment. The description and terms of the Rights are set forth in the Third Amended and Restated Rights Agreement, between the Company and ▇▇▇▇▇ Fargo Bank, N. A., as Rights Agent (the “Rights Agent”).

Initially, the Rights will be attached to the Common Shares then outstanding, and no separate certificates evidencing the rights (“Rights Certificates”) will be issued. The Rights will separate from the Common Shares, Rights Certificates will be issued and the Rights will become exercisable upon the earlier to occur of (i) 10 days following the first date (the “Shares Acquisition Date”) of a public announcement that a person or group of affiliated or associated persons (an “Acquiring Person”) has acquired, or obtained the right to acquire, beneficial ownership of 15% or more of the outstanding Common Shares of the Company (with certain exceptions), or (ii) 10 business days (or such later date as may be determined by action of the Board of Directors prior to such time as any person or group becomes an Acquiring Person) following the commencement or announcement of an intention to make a tender offer or exchange offer for Common Shares of the Company the consummation of which would result in the beneficial ownership by a person or group of affiliated or associated persons of 15 % or more of such outstanding Common Shares (the earlier of such dates being referred to as the “Distribution Date”). However, a person or group of affiliated or associated persons will not be deemed to be an “Acquiring Person” (i) as a result of share purchases by the Company reducing the number of Common Shares outstanding (provided such person or group does not acquire additional Common Shares), (ii) if such person or group inadvertently became an Acquiring Person and so notifies the Board of Directors within five business days and within two business days after such notice divests itself of enough Common Shares so as to no longer have the beneficial ownership of 15 % of the outstanding Common Shares, or (iii) if within ten business days after the Company learns that such person or group may have become an Acquiring Person, the Board of Directors determines that such person or group should not be deemed an Acquiring Person.

Until the Distribution Date, the Rights will be evidenced, with respect to any of the Common Share certificates outstanding on or after the Record Date, by such Common Share certificates with a copy of this Summary of Rights attached thereto. The Third Amended and Restated Rights Agreement

provides that, until the Distribution Date, the Rights will be transferred with and only with the Common Shares. Until the Distribution Date (or earlier redemption, exchange, expiration or termination of the Rights), new Common Share certificates issued after the date of the Third Amended and Restated Rights Agreement upon transfer or new issuance of the Common Shares will contain a notation incorporating the Third Amended and Restated Rights Agreement by reference. Until the Distribution Date (or earlier redemption, exchange, expiration or termination of the Rights), the surrender for transfer of any certificates for Common Shares outstanding on or after the Record Date, even without such notation or a copy of this Summary of Rights being attached thereto, will also constitute the transfer of the Rights associated with the Common Shares represented by such certificate. As soon as practicable following the Distribution Date, separate Rights Certificates will be mailed to holders of record of the Common Shares as of the close of business on the Distribution Date, and such separate Rights Certificates alone will evidence the Rights.

The Rights are not exercisable until the Distribution Date. The Rights will expire at the close of business on April 28, 2015, unless earlier redeemed, exchanged or terminated as provided below.

The Purchase Price payable, and the number of Preferred Shares or other securities or property issuable, upon exercise of the Rights are subject to adjustment from time to time to prevent dilution (i) in the event of a stock dividend on, or a subdivision, combination or reclassification of, the Preferred Shares, (ii) upon the grant to holders of the Preferred Shares of certain rights or warrants to subscribe for Preferred Shares, certain convertible securities or securities having the same or more favorable rights, privileges and preferences to the Preferred Shares at less than the current market price of the Preferred Shares or (iii) upon the distribution to holders of the Preferred Shares of evidences of indebtedness or assets (excluding regular periodic cash dividends out of earnings or retained earnings or dividends payable in Preferred Shares) or of subscription rights or warrants (other than those referred to above).

In the event that a Person becomes an Acquiring Person (other than pursuant to a tender offer or exchange offer for all outstanding Common Shares at a price and on terms determined by at least a majority of the members of the Company’s Board of Directors who are not officers of the Company and are not Acquiring Persons or affiliates or associates thereof to be both adequate and otherwise in the best interests of the Company and its shareholders (a “Permitted Offer”)), then proper provision will be made so that each holder of a Right (other than Rights beneficially owned by an Acquiring Person or affiliates or associates thereof) will thereafter have the right to receive, upon exercise, that number of Common Shares of the Company having a market value of two times the exercise price of the Right. In the event that the Company does not have a sufficient number of Common Shares available, the Company may, among other things, instead substitute cash, assets or other securities for the Common Shares into which the Rights would have otherwise been exercisable.

In the event that, after the Shares Acquisition Date, the Company consolidates or merges with another entity (whether or not the Company is the surviving corporation) or the Company sells or otherwise transfers 50% or more of its consolidated assets or earnings power, proper provision will be made so that each holder of a Right (other than Rights beneficially owned by an Acquiring Person or affiliates or associates thereof) will thereafter have the right to receive, upon exercise, that number of Common Shares of either the Company, in the event that the Company is the surviving corporation of a merger or consolidation, or of the acquiring company (or, in the event there is more than one acquiring company, the acquiring company receiving the greatest portion of the assets or earning power transferred), which at the time of such transaction would have a market value of two times the exercise price of the Right (unless the transaction satisfies certain conditions, and is consummated with a person pursuant to a Permitted Offer, in which case the Rights will terminate).

With certain exceptions, no adjustment in the Purchase Price will be required until cumulative adjustments require an adjustment of at least 1% in such Purchase Price. No fractional Preferred Shares will be issued (other than fractions which are integral multiples of one one-hundredth of a Preferred Share, which may, at the election of the Company, be evidenced by depositary receipts) and, in lieu thereof, an adjustment in cash will be made based on the market price of the Preferred Shares on the last trading date prior to the date of exercise.

At any time prior to the earliest to occur of: (i) the tenth day following the Shares Acquisition Date or (ii) the Expiration Date, the Company may redeem the Rights in whole, but not in part, at a price of $.01 per Right (the “Redemption Price”). Immediately upon the action of the Board of Directors of the Company ordering redemption of the Rights, the right to exercise the Rights will terminate and the only right of the holders of Rights will be to receive the Redemption Price.

Subject to applicable law, the Board of Directors, at its option, may, at any time after a person or group becomes an Acquiring Person but prior to the acquisition by such person or group of 50% or more of the outstanding Common Shares, exchange all or part of the then outstanding Rights (other than Rights beneficially owned by an Acquiring Person or affiliates or associates thereof) for Common Shares at an exchange ratio of one Common Share per Right, subject to adjustment.

The Preferred Shares purchasable upon exercise of the Rights will not be redeemable and will be, in ranking as to dividend and liquidation preferences, senior to the Common Shares, but junior to any other series of preferred stock the Company may issue (unless otherwise provided in the terms of such preferred stock). Each Preferred Share will have a preferential quarterly dividend in an amount equal to 100 times the dividend declared on each Common Share but in no event less than $10.00. In the event of liquidation, the holders of Preferred Shares will be entitled to a preferred liquidation payment equal to the greater of $100.00 or 100 times the payment made per each Common Share. Each Preferred Share will have 100 votes, voting together with the Common Shares. In the event of any merger, consolidation or other transaction in which Common Shares are exchanged, each Preferred Share will be entitled to receive 100 times the amount and type of consideration received per Common Share. The rights of the Preferred Shares as to dividends, liquidation and voting, and in the event of mergers and consolidations, are protected by customary antidilution provisions. Fractional Preferred Shares will be issuable; however, the Company may elect to distribute depositary receipts in lieu of such fractional shares. In lieu of fractional shares (other than fractions that are multiples of one one-hundredth of a share), an adjustment in cash will be made based on the market price of the Preferred Shares on the last trading date prior to the date of exercise.

Until a Right is exercised, the holder thereof, as such, will have no rights as a shareholder of the Company, including, without limitation, the right to vote or to receive dividends.

The terms of the Rights may be amended by the Board of Directors of the Company without the consent of the holders of the Rights at any time to cure any ambiguity or to correct or supplement any defective or inconsistent provisions and may, prior to the Distribution Date, be amended to change or supplement any other provision in any manner that the Company may deem necessary or desirable. After the Distribution Date, the terms of the Rights may be amended (other than to cure ambiguities or to correct or supplement defective or inconsistent provisions) only so long as the amendment does not adversely affect the interests of the holders of the Rights (other than the Acquiring Person).

The Rights have certain anti-takeover effects. The Rights will cause substantial dilution to a person or group that attempts to acquire the Company without conditioning the offer on a substantial number of Rights being acquired. The Rights should not interfere with any merger or other business

combination approved by the Board of Directors of the Company because the Board of Directors may, at its option, at any time prior to ten days after the Shares Acquisition Date, redeem all but not less than all the then outstanding Rights at the Redemption Price.

A copy of the Third Amended and Restated Rights Agreement has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission as an Exhibit to an amendment to a Registration Statement on Form 8-A. A copy of the Third Amended and Restated Rights Agreement is available free of charge from the Company. This summary description of the Rights does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the Third Amended and Restated Rights Agreement, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference.

HARVEST NATURAL RESOURCES, INC. and WELLS FARGO BANK, N. A. Rights Agent THIRD AMENDED AND RESTATED RIGHTS AGREEMENT As Amended and Restated as of August 23, 2007

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