-----BEGIN PRIVACY-ENHANCED MESSAGE----- Proc-Type: 2001,MIC-CLEAR Originator-Name: webmaster@www.sec.gov Originator-Key-Asymmetric: MFgwCgYEVQgBAQICAf8DSgAwRwJAW2sNKK9AVtBzYZmr6aGjlWyK3XmZv3dTINen TWSM7vrzLADbmYQaionwg5sDW3P6oaM5D3tdezXMm7z1T+B+twIDAQAB MIC-Info: RSA-MD5,RSA, T4xZ10TtfH4bphDYrro+zW2EScPTqiknLBOqsG1hUt5CykPHNk+fCe0RPoo2k8VP aMtTD7PNC9GLzN1dhARh1g== 0000950129-00-002545.txt : 20000522 0000950129-00-002545.hdr.sgml : 20000522 ACCESSION NUMBER: 0000950129-00-002545 CONFORMED SUBMISSION TYPE: 8-K PUBLIC DOCUMENT COUNT: 4 CONFORMED PERIOD OF REPORT: 20000518 ITEM INFORMATION: FILED AS OF DATE: 20000519 FILER: COMPANY DATA: COMPANY CONFORMED NAME: ENRON CORP/OR/ CENTRAL INDEX KEY: 0001024401 STANDARD INDUSTRIAL CLASSIFICATION: WHOLESALE-PETROLEUM & PETROLEUM PRODUCTS (NO BULK STATIONS) [5172] IRS NUMBER: 470255140 STATE OF INCORPORATION: OR FISCAL YEAR END: 1231 FILING VALUES: FORM TYPE: 8-K SEC ACT: SEC FILE NUMBER: 001-13159 FILM NUMBER: 639842 BUSINESS ADDRESS: STREET 1: 1400 SMITH ST CITY: HOUSTON STATE: TX ZIP: 77002-7369 BUSINESS PHONE: 7138536161 MAIL ADDRESS: STREET 1: 1400 SMITH ST CITY: HOUSTON STATE: TX ZIP: 75002-7369 FORMER COMPANY: FORMER CONFORMED NAME: ENRON OREGON CORP DATE OF NAME CHANGE: 19961008 8-K 1 ENRON CORP. - DATED MAY 18, 2000 1 SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 FORM 8-K CURRENT REPORT Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 Date of Report: May 18, 2000 Enron Corp. (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter) Oregon (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation) 1-13159 47-0255140 (Commission File Number) (IRS Employer Identification No.) Enron Building 1400 Smith Street Houston, Texas 77002 (Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code) Registrant's telephone number, including area code: 713-853-6161 1 2 Item 7. Exhibits. The registrant is filing herewith the following in connection with the offering of medium term notes pursuant to its registration statement on Form S-3 (No. 333-70465) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities Act of 1933, as described in the Prospectus and Prospectus Supplement dated May 18, 2000 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act of 1933: 1.1 Form of Distribution Agreement between the registrant and any entity that serves as agent 1.2 Form of Administrative Procedures 8.1 Opinion and consent of Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. with respect to certain federal income tax matters. SIGNATURES Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized. ENRON CORP. By: /s/ REX R. ROGERS -------------------------------- Rex R. Rogers Vice President and Associate General Counsel Dated: May 18, 2000 2 3 INDEX TO EXHIBITS Exhibit Number - ------- 1.1 Form of Distribution Agreement between the registrant and any entity that serves as agent 1.2 Form of Administrative Procedures 8.1 Opinion and consent of Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. with respect to certain federal income tax matters. EX-1.1 2 FORM OF DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT 1 EXHIBIT 1.1 ENRON CORP. MEDIUM-TERM NOTES DUE NINE MONTHS OR MORE FROM DATE OF ISSUE DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT [Date] [Name and Address of Agent] Dear Sirs: Enron Corp., an Oregon corporation (the "Company"), confirms its agreement with the agent set forth above and on the signature page hereto (the "Agent") with respect to the issue and sale by the Company of its Medium-Term Notes Due Nine Months or More From Date of Issue (the "Notes"). The Notes are to be issued pursuant to an Indenture, dated as of November 1, 1985, as amended or modified from time to time (the "Indenture"), between the Company and The Bank of New York (as successor to Harris Trust and Savings Bank), as trustee (the "Trustee"). As of the date hereof, the Company has authorized the issuance and sale of up to U.S. $500,000,000 aggregate initial offering price of Notes (or its equivalent, based upon the exchange rate on the applicable trade date in such foreign currencies as the Company shall designate at the time of issuance) to or through the Agent pursuant to the terms of this Agreement. It is understood, however, that the Company may from time to time authorize the issuance of additional Notes and that such additional Notes may be sold to or through the Agent pursuant to the terms of this Agreement, all as though the issuance of such Notes were authorized as of the date hereof. This Agreement provides both for the sale of Notes by the Company to the Agent as principal for resale to investors and other purchasers and for the sale of Notes by the Company directly to investors (as may from time to time be agreed to by the Company and the Agent), in which case the Agent will act as an agent of the Company in soliciting offers for the purchase of Notes. The Company has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission") a registration statement on Form S-3 (No. 333-70465) for the registration of its common stock, preferred stock, depositary shares and debt securities, including the Notes, under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "1933 Act"), and the offering thereof from time to time in accordance with Rule 415 of the rules and regulations of the Commission under the 1933 Act (the "1933 Act Regulations"). Such registration statement has been declared effective by the Commission and the Indenture has been duly qualified under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended (the "1939 Act"), and the Company has filed such post-effective amendments thereto as may be required prior to its acceptance of any offer for the purchase of Notes and each such post-effective amendment has been declared effective by the Commission. Such registration 2 statement, in the form in which it or any post-effective amendment thereto became effective, is referred to herein as the "Registration Statement"; and the final prospectus and all applicable amendments or supplements thereto (including the final prospectus supplement and pricing supplement relating to the offering of Notes), in the form first furnished to the Agent for use in confirming sales of Notes, are collectively referred to herein as the "Prospectus"; provided, however, that all references to the "Registration Statement" and the "Prospectus" shall also be deemed to include all documents incorporated therein by reference pursuant to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "1934 Act"), prior to the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any acceptance by the Company of an offer for the purchase of Notes, respectively; provided, further, that if the Company files a registration statement with the Commission pursuant to Rule 462(b) of the 1933 Act Regulations (the "Rule 462(b) Registration Statement"), then, after such filing, all references to the "Registration Statement" shall also be deemed to include the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement. A "preliminary prospectus" shall be deemed to refer to any prospectus used before the Registration Statement became effective and any prospectus furnished by the Company after the registration statement became effective and before any acceptance by the Company of an offer for the purchase of Notes which omitted information to be included upon pricing in a form of prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) of the 1933 Act Regulations. All references in this Agreement to amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement, Prospectus or preliminary prospectus shall be deemed to include the filing of any document under the 1934 Act which is incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, Prospectus or preliminary prospectus, as the case may be. For purposes of this Agreement, all references to the Registration Statement, Prospectus or preliminary prospectus or to any amendment or supplement thereto shall be deemed to include any copy filed with the Commission pursuant to its Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval system ("EDGAR"). SECTION 1. Appointment as Agent. (a) Appointment. Subject to the terms and conditions stated herein and subject to the reservation by the Company of the right to sell Notes directly on its own behalf, the Company hereby agrees that Notes will be sold to or through the Agent on a non-exclusive basis. (b) Sale of Notes. The Company shall not sell or approve the solicitation of offers for the purchase of Notes in excess of the amount which shall be authorized by the Company from time to time or in excess of the aggregate initial offering price of Notes registered pursuant to the Registration Statement. The Agent shall not have any responsibility for maintaining records with respect to the aggregate initial offering price of Notes sold, or of otherwise monitoring the availability of Notes for sale, under the Registration Statement. (c) Purchases as Principal. The Agent shall not have any obligation to purchase Notes from the Company as principal. However, absent an agreement between the Agent and the Company that the Agent shall be acting solely as an agent for the Company, the Agent shall be deemed to be acting as principal in connection with any offering of Notes hereunder. Accordingly, the Agent may agree from time to time to purchase Notes from the Company as principal for resale to investors and other purchasers determined by the Agent. Any purchase of Notes from the Company by the Agent as principal shall be made in accordance with Section 3(a) hereof. 3 (d) Solicitations as Agent. If agreed upon between the Agent and the Company, the Agent, acting solely as an agent for the Company and not as principal, will solicit offers for the purchase of Notes. The Agent will communicate to the Company, orally, each offer for the purchase of Notes solicited by it on an agency basis other than those offers rejected by the Agent. The Agent shall have the right, in its discretion reasonably exercised, to reject any offer for the purchase of Notes, in whole or in part, and any such rejection shall not be deemed a breach of its agreement contained herein. The Company may accept or reject any offer for the purchase of Notes, in whole or in part. The Agent shall make reasonable efforts to assist the Company in obtaining performance by each purchaser whose offer for the purchase of Notes has been solicited by it on an agency basis and accepted by the Company. The Agent shall not have any liability to the Company in the event that any such purchase is not consummated for any reason. If the Company shall default on its obligation to deliver Notes to a purchaser whose offer has been solicited by the Agent on an agency basis and accepted by the Company, the Company shall (i) hold the Agent harmless against any loss, claim or damage arising from or as a result of such default by the Company and (ii) pay to the Agent any commission to which it would otherwise be entitled absent such default. (e) Reliance. The Company and the Agent agree that any Notes purchased from the Company by the Agent as principal shall be purchased, and any Notes the placement of which the Agent arranges as an agent of the Company shall be placed by the Agent, in reliance on the representations, warranties, covenants and agreements of the Company contained herein and on the terms and conditions and in the manner provided herein. SECTION 2. Representations and Warranties. (a) The Company represents and warrants to the Agent as of the date hereof, as of the date of each acceptance by the Company of an offer for the purchase of Notes (whether to the Agent as principal or through the Agent as agent), as of the date of each delivery of Notes (whether to the Agent as principal or through the Agent as agent) (the date of each such delivery to the Agent as principal is referred to herein as a "Settlement Date"), and as of any time that the Registration Statement or the Prospectus shall be amended or supplemented (each of the times referenced above is referred to herein as a "Representation Date"), as follows: (i) Due Incorporation, Good Standing and Due Qualification of the Company. The Company has been duly organized and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the state of its incorporation with corporate power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the Prospectus and to enter into this Agreement and consummate the transactions contemplated in the Prospectus; and the Company is duly qualified as a foreign corporation to transact business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which such qualification is required, whether by reason of the ownership or leasing of property or the conduct of business, except where the failure to so qualify or be in good standing would not result in a material adverse change in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business affairs or business prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries considered as one enterprise (a "Material Adverse Effect"). 4 (ii) Due Incorporation, Good Standing and Due Qualification of Material Subsidiaries. Each Material Subsidiary (as defined below) has been duly organized and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation, has corporate power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and conduct its business as described in the Prospectus and is duly qualified as a foreign corporation to transact business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which such qualification is required, whether by reason of the ownership or leasing of property or the conduct of business, except where the failure to so qualify or be in good standing would not result in a Material Adverse Effect; except as stated in the Prospectus, all of the issued and outstanding shares of capital stock of each Material Subsidiary has been duly authorized and is validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable and is owned by the Company, directly or through subsidiaries, free and clear of any security interest, mortgage, pledge, lien, encumbrance, claim or equity; and none of the outstanding shares of capital stock of any Material Subsidiary was issued in violation of preemptive or other similar rights of any securityholder of such Material Subsidiary. The following subsidiaries of the Company shall be "Material Subsidiaries": Citrus Corp., Enron North America Corp., Florida Gas Transmission Company, Houston Pipe Line Company, Northern Natural Gas Company, Portland General Electric Company, Transwestern Pipeline Company and Enron Broadband Services, Inc. and each other subsidiary deemed material by the Company prior to any acceptance of an offer to purchase Notes. (iii) Registration Statement and Prospectus. The Company meets the requirements for use of Form S-3 under the 1933 Act; the Registration Statement (or any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement) has become effective under the 1933 Act and no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement (or any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement) has been issued under the 1933 Act and no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or are pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, are contemplated by the Commission, and any request on the part of the Commission for additional information has been complied with; the Indenture has been duly qualified under the 1939 Act; at the respective times that the Registration Statement (including any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement) and any post-effective amendment thereto (including the filing of the Company's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K with the Commission (the "Annual Report on Form 10-K")) became effective and at each Representation Date, the Registration Statement (including any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement) and any amendments thereto complied and will comply in all material respects with the requirements of the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations and the 1939 Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission under the 1939 Act (the "1939 Act Regulations") and did not and will not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; each preliminary prospectus and prospectus filed as part of the Registration Statement as originally filed or as part of any amendment thereto, or filed pursuant to Rule 424 under the 1933 Act, complied when so filed in all material respects with the 1933 Act Regulations; each preliminary prospectus and the Prospectus delivered to the Agent for use in connection with the offering of Notes are identical to any electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to EDGAR, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T; and at the date hereof, at the date of the Prospectus and each amendment or supplement thereto and at 5 each Representation Date, neither the Prospectus nor any amendment or supplement thereto included or will include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or will omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided, however, that the representations and warranties in this subsection shall not apply to statements in or omissions from the Registration Statement or the Prospectus made in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished to the Company in writing by the Agent expressly for use in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus. (iv) Incorporated Documents. The documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Prospectus, at the time they were or hereafter are filed with the Commission, complied and will comply in all material respects with the requirements of the 1934 Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission under the 1934 Act (the "1934 Act Regulations") and, when read together with the other information in the Prospectus, at the date hereof, at the date of the Prospectus and at each Representation Date, did not and will not include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. (v) Independent Accountants. The accountants who certified the financial statements and any supporting schedules thereto included in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus are independent public accountants as required by the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations. (vi) Financial Statements. The consolidated financial statements of the Company included in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, together with the related schedules and notes, as well as those financial statements, schedules and notes of any other entity included in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, present fairly the consolidated financial position of the Company and its subsidiaries, or such other entity, as the case may be, at the dates indicated and the consolidated statement of operations, stockholders' equity and cash flows of the Company and its subsidiaries, or such other entity, as the case may be, for the periods specified; such financial statements have been prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP") applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods involved; the supporting schedules, if any, included in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus present fairly in accordance with GAAP the information required to be stated therein; the selected financial data and the summary financial information included in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus present fairly the information shown therein and have been compiled on a basis consistent with that of the audited financial statements included in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus; and any pro forma consolidated financial statements of the Company and its subsidiaries and the related notes thereto included in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus present fairly the information shown therein, have been prepared in accordance with the Commission's rules and guidelines with respect to pro forma financial statements and have been properly compiled on the bases described therein, and the assumptions used in the preparation thereof are reasonable and the adjustments used therein are appropriate to give effect to the transactions and circumstances referred to therein. 6 (vii) No Material Changes. Since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, except as otherwise stated therein, there has been no event or occurrence that would result in a Material Adverse Effect. (viii) Authorization, etc. of this Agreement, the Indenture and the Notes. This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company; the Indenture has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and will be a valid and legally binding agreement of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, except as enforcement thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other similar laws affecting the enforcement of creditors' rights generally or by general equitable principles (regardless of whether enforcement is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law), and except further as enforcement thereof may be limited by requirements that a claim with respect to any debt securities issued under the Indenture that are payable in a foreign or composite currency (or a foreign or composite currency judgment in respect of such claim) be converted into U.S. dollars at a rate of exchange prevailing on a date determined pursuant to applicable law or by governmental authority to limit, delay or prohibit the making of payments outside the United States; the Notes have been duly authorized by the Company for offer, sale, issuance and delivery pursuant to this Agreement and, when issued, authenticated and delivered in the manner provided for in the Indenture and delivered against payment of the consideration therefor, will constitute valid and legally binding obligations of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms, except as enforcement thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other similar laws affecting the enforcement of creditors' rights generally or by general equitable principles (regardless of whether enforcement is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law), and except further as enforcement thereof may be limited by requirements that a claim with respect to any Notes payable in a foreign or composite currency (or a foreign or composite currency judgment in respect of such claim) be converted into U.S. dollars at a rate or exchange prevailing on a date determined pursuant to applicable law or by governmental authority to limit, delay or prohibit the making of payments outside the United States; the Notes will be substantially in a form previously certified to the Agent and contemplated by the Indenture; and each holder of Notes will be entitled to the benefits of the Indenture. (ix) Descriptions of the Indenture and the Notes. The Indenture and the Notes conform and will conform in all material respects to the statements relating thereto contained in the Prospectus and are substantially in the form filed or incorporated by reference, as the case may be, as an exhibit to the Registration Statement. (x) Absence of Defaults and Conflicts. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is in violation of the provisions of its charter or by-laws or in default in the performance or observance of any obligation, agreement, covenant or condition contained in any contract, indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan or credit agreement, note, lease or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which it or any of them may be bound or to which any of the property or 7 assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject (collectively, "Agreements and Instruments"), except for such defaults that would not result in a Material Adverse Effect; and the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement, the Indenture, the Notes and any other agreement or instrument entered into or issued or to be entered into or issued by the Company in connection with the transactions contemplated by the Prospectus, the consummation of the transactions contemplated in the Prospectus (including the issuance and sale of the Notes and the use of proceeds therefrom as described in the Prospectus) and the compliance by the Company with its obligations hereunder and under the Indenture, the Notes and such other agreements or instruments have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action and do not and will not, whether with or without the giving of notice or the passage of time or both, conflict with or constitute a breach of, or default or event or condition which gives the holder of any note, debenture or other evidence of indebtedness (or any person acting on such holder's behalf) the right to require the repurchase, redemption or repayment of all or a portion of such indebtedness by the Company or any of its subsidiaries (a "Repayment Event") under, or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any assets, properties or operations of the Company or any of its subsidiaries pursuant to, any Agreements and Instruments, except for such liens, charges, encumbrances or violations that would not result in a Material Adverse Effect, nor will such action result in any violation of the provisions of the charter or by-laws of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any applicable law, statute, rule, regulation, judgment, order, writ or decree of any government, government instrumentality or court, domestic or foreign, having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of their assets, properties or operations. (xi) Absence of Proceedings. There is no action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation before or brought by any court or governmental agency or body, domestic or foreign, now pending, or to the knowledge of the Company threatened, against or affecting the Company or any of its subsidiaries which is required to be disclosed in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus (other than as stated therein), or which may reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, or which may reasonably be expected to materially and adversely affect the assets, properties or operations thereof, the performance by the Company of its obligations under this Agreement, the Indenture and the Notes or the consummation of the transactions contemplated in the Prospectus. (xii) Title to Property. The Company and its subsidiaries have good and marketable title to all real property owned by the Company and its subsidiaries and good title to all other properties owned by them, in each case, free and clear of all mortgages, pledges, liens, security interests, claims, restrictions or encumbrances of any kind, except (A) as otherwise stated in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus or (B) those that do not adversely affect the value of such property or interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property by the Company or any of its subsidiaries, in either case in a manner that would result in a Material Adverse Effect; and all of the leases and subleases material to the business of the Company and its subsidiaries considered as one enterprise, and under which the Company or any of its subsidiaries holds properties described in the Prospectus, are in full force and effect, and neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received any notice of any material claim of any sort that has been 8 asserted by anyone adverse to the rights of the Company or any of its subsidiaries under any of such leases or subleases, or affecting or questioning the rights of the Company or such subsidiary of the continued possession of the leased or subleased premises under any such lease or sublease, except for those that would not have a Material Adverse Effect. (xiii) Environmental Laws. Except as otherwise stated in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and except as would not, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect, (A) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is in violation of any federal, state, local or foreign statute, law, rule, regulation, ordinance, code, policy or rule of common law or any judicial or administrative interpretation thereof including any judicial or administrative order, consent, decree or judgment, relating to pollution or protection of human health, the environment (including, without limitation, ambient air, surface water, groundwater, land surface or subsurface strata) or wildlife, including, without limitation, laws and regulations relating to the release or threatened release of chemicals, pollutants, contaminants, wastes, toxic substances, hazardous substances, petroleum or petroleum products (collectively, "Hazardous Materials") or to the manufacture, processing, distribution, use, treatment, storage, disposal, transport or handling of Hazardous Materials (collectively, "Environmental Laws"), (B) the Company and its subsidiaries have all permits, authorizations and approvals required under any applicable Environmental Laws and are each in compliance with their requirements, (C) there are no pending or threatened administrative, regulatory or judicial actions, suits, demands, demand letters, claims, liens, notices of noncompliance or violation, investigation or proceedings relating to any Environmental Law against the Company or any of its subsidiaries and (D) there are no events or circumstances that may reasonably be expected to form the basis of an order for clean-up or remediation, or an action, suit or proceeding by any private party or governmental body or agency, against or affecting the Company or any of its subsidiaries relating to Hazardous Materials or any Environmental Laws. (xiv) No Filings, Regulatory Approvals, etc. No filing with, or approval, authorization, consent, license, registration, qualification, order or decree of, any court or governmental authority or agency, domestic or foreign, is necessary or required for the due authorization, execution and delivery by the Company of this Agreement, the Indenture and the Notes or for the performance by the Company of the transactions contemplated in this Agreement, the Indenture or the Prospectus, except such as have been previously made, obtained or rendered, as applicable. (xv) Investment Company Act. The Company is not, and upon the issuance and sale of the Notes as herein contemplated and the application of the net proceeds therefrom as described in the Prospectus will not be, an "investment company" within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act"). (xvi) Commodity Exchange Act. The Notes, upon issuance, will be excluded or exempted under, or beyond the purview of, the Commodity Exchange Act, as amended (the "Commodity Exchange Act"), and the rules and regulations of the Commodity 9 Futures Trading Commission under the Commodity Exchange Act (the "Commodity Exchange Act Regulations"). (b) Additional Certifications. Any certificate signed by any officer of the Company or any of its subsidiaries and delivered to the Agent or to counsel for the Agent in connection with an offering of Notes to the Agent as principal or through the Agent as agent shall be deemed a representation and warranty by the Company to the Agent as to the matters covered thereby on the date of such certificate and, unless subsequently amended or supplemented, at each Representation Date subsequent thereto. SECTION 3. Purchases as Principal; Solicitations as Agent. (a) Purchases as Principal. Notes purchased from the Company by the Agent, as principal shall be made in accordance with terms agreed upon between the Agent and the Company (which terms shall, to the extent deemed appropriate, include those terms specified in Exhibit A hereto). The Agent's commitment to purchase Notes as principal shall be deemed to have been made on the basis of the representations and warranties of the Company herein contained and shall be subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth. Unless the context otherwise requires, references herein to "this Agreement" shall include the applicable agreement of the Agent to purchase Notes from the Company as principal. The Agent may engage the services of any broker or dealer in connection with the resale of the Notes purchased by them as principal and may allow all or any portion of the discount received from the Company in connection with such purchases to such brokers or dealers. At the time of each purchase of Notes from the Company by the Agent as principal, the Agent shall specify the requirements for the officers' certificate, opinion of counsel and comfort letter pursuant to Sections 7(b), 7(c) and 7(d) hereof. (b) Solicitations as Agent. On the basis of the representations and warranties herein contained, but subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, when agreed by the Company and the Agent, the Agent, as an agent of the Company, will use its reasonable efforts to solicit offers for the purchase of Notes upon the terms set forth herein and in the Prospectus. The Agent is not authorized to appoint sub-Agents with respect to Notes sold through it as agent. All Notes sold through the Agent as agent will be sold at 100% of their principal amount unless otherwise agreed upon between the Company and the Agent. The Company reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to suspend solicitation of offers for the purchase of Notes through the Agent, as an agent of the Company, commencing at any time for any period of time or permanently. As soon as practicable after receipt of instructions from the Company, the Agent will suspend solicitation of offers for the purchase of Notes from the Company until such time as the Company has advised the Agent that such solicitation may be resumed. The Company agrees to pay the Agent a commission, in the form of a discount, equal to the applicable percentage of the principal amount of each Note sold by the Company as a result of a solicitation made by the Agent, as an agent of the Company, as set forth in Schedule A hereto. 10 (c) Administrative Procedures. The purchase price, interest rate or formula, maturity date and other terms of the Notes specified in Exhibit A hereto (as applicable) shall be agreed upon between the Company and the Agent and specified in a pricing supplement to the Prospectus (each, a "Pricing Supplement") to be prepared by the Company in connection with each sale of Notes. Except as otherwise specified in the applicable Pricing Supplement, the Notes will be issued in denominations of U.S. $1,000 or any larger amount that is an integral multiple of U.S. $1,000. Administrative procedures with respect to the issuance and sale of the Notes (the "Procedures") shall be agreed upon from time to time among the Company, the Agent and the Trustee. The Agent and the Company agree to perform, and the Company agrees to cause the Trustee to agree to perform, their respective duties and obligations specifically provided to be performed by them in the Procedures. SECTION 4. Covenants of the Company. The Company covenants and agrees with the Agent as follows: (a) Notice of Certain Events. The Company will notify the Agent immediately, and confirm such notice in writing, of (i) the effectiveness of any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement or the filing of any amendment or supplement to the Prospectus (other than any amendment or supplement thereto providing solely for the determination of the variable terms of the Notes or relating solely to the offering of securities other than the Notes), (ii) the receipt of any comments from the Commission, (iii) any request by the Commission for any amendment to the Registration Statement or any amendment or supplement to the Prospectus or for additional information, (iv) the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, or of any order preventing or suspending the use of any preliminary prospectus, or of the initiation of any proceedings for that purpose or (v) any change in the rating assigned by any nationally recognized statistical rating organization to the Program or any debt securities (including the Notes) of the Company, or the public announcement by any nationally recognized statistical rating organization that it has under surveillance or review, with possible negative implications, its rating of the Program or any such debt securities, or the withdrawal by any nationally recognized statistical rating organization of its rating of the Program or any such debt securities. The Company will make every reasonable effort to prevent the issuance of any stop order and, if any stop order is issued, to obtain the lifting thereof at the earliest possible moment. (b) Filing or Use of Amendments. Except as otherwise provided in subsection (m) of this Section 4, the Company will give the Agent advance notice of its intention to file or prepare any additional registration statement with respect to the registration of additional Notes, any amendment to the Registration Statement (including any filing under Rule 462(b) of the 1933 Act Regulations) or any amendment or supplement to the prospectus included in the Registration Statement at the time it became effective or to the Prospectus (other than an amendment or supplement thereto providing solely for the determination of the variable terms of the Notes or relating solely to the offering of securities other than the Notes), whether pursuant to the 1933 Act, the 1934 Act or otherwise, will furnish to the Agent copies of any such document a reasonable amount of time prior to such proposed filing or use, as the case may be, and will not file any such document to which the Agent or counsel for the Agent shall reasonably object. 11 (c) Delivery of the Registration Statement. The Company has furnished to the Agent and to counsel for the Agent, without charge, conformed copies of the Registration Statement as originally filed and of each amendment thereto (including exhibits filed therewith or incorporated by reference therein and documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference therein) and conformed copies of all consents and certificates of experts. The Registration Statement and each amendment thereto furnished to the Agent will be identical to any electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to EDGAR, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T. (d) Delivery of the Prospectus. The Company will deliver to the Agent, without charge, as many copies of each preliminary prospectus as the Agent may reasonably request, and the Company hereby consents to the use of such copies for purposes permitted by the 1933 Act. The Company will furnish to the Agent, without charge, such number of copies of the Prospectus (as amended or supplemented) as the Agent may reasonably request. The Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto furnished to the Agent will be identical to any electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to EDGAR, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T. (e) Preparation of Pricing Supplements. The Company will prepare, with respect to any Notes to be sold to or through the Agent pursuant to this Agreement, a Pricing Supplement with respect to such Notes in a form previously approved by the Agent. The Company will deliver such Pricing Supplement no later than 11:00 a.m., New York City time, on the business day following the date of the Company's acceptance of the offer for the purchase of such Notes and will file such Pricing Supplement pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3) under the 1933 Act not later than the close of business of the Commission on the fifth business day after the date on which such Pricing Supplement is first used. (f) Revisions of Prospectus -- Material Changes. Except as otherwise provided in subsection (m) of this Section 4, if at any time during the term of this Agreement any event shall occur or condition shall exist as a result of which it is necessary, in the opinion of counsel for the Agent or counsel for the Company, to amend the Registration Statement in order that the Registration Statement will not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading or to amend or supplement the Prospectus in order that the Prospectus will not include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading in the light of the circumstances existing at the time the Prospectus is delivered to a purchaser, or if it shall be necessary, in the opinion of either such counsel, to amend the Registration Statement or amend or supplement the Prospectus in order to comply with the requirements of the 1933 Act or the 1933 Act Regulations, the Company shall give immediate notice, confirmed in writing, to the Agent to cease the solicitation of offers for the purchase of Notes in its capacity as agent and to cease sales of any Notes it may then own as principal, and the Company will promptly prepare and file with the Commission, subject to Section 4(b) hereof, such amendment or supplement as may be necessary to correct such statement or omission or to make the Registration Statement and Prospectus comply with such requirements, and the Company will furnish to the Agent, without charge, such number of copies of such amendment or supplement as the Agent may reasonably request. In addition, the 12 Company will comply with the 1933 Act, the 1933 Act Regulations, the 1934 Act and the 1934 Act Regulations so as to permit the completion of the distribution of each offering of Notes. (g) Prospectus Revisions -- Periodic Financial Information. Except as otherwise provided in subsection (m) of this Section 4, on or prior to the date on which there shall be released to the general public interim financial statement information related to the Company with respect to each of the first three quarters of any fiscal year or preliminary financial statement information with respect to any fiscal year, the Company shall furnish such information to the Agent, confirmed in writing, and shall cause the Prospectus to be amended or supplemented to include financial information with respect thereto and corresponding information for the comparable period of the preceding fiscal year, as well as such other information and explanations as shall be necessary for an understanding thereof or as shall be required by the 1933 Act or the 1933 Act Regulations. (h) Prospectus Revisions -- Audited Financial Information. Except as otherwise provided in subsection (m) of this Section 4, on or prior to the date on which there shall be released to the general public financial information included in or derived from the audited consolidated financial statements of the Company for the preceding fiscal year, the Company shall furnish such information to the Agent, confirmed in writing, and shall cause the Prospectus to be amended or supplemented to include such audited consolidated financial statements and the report or reports, and consent or consents to such inclusion, of the independent accountants with respect thereto, as well as such other information and explanations as shall be necessary for an understanding of such consolidated financial statements or as shall be required by the 1933 Act or the 1933 Act Regulations. (i) Earnings Statements. The Company will timely file such reports pursuant to the 1934 Act as are necessary in order to make generally available to its securityholders as soon as practicable an earnings statement for the purposes of, and to provide the benefits contemplated by, the last paragraph of Section 11(a) of the 1933 Act. (j) Reporting Requirements. The Company, during the period when the Prospectus is required to be delivered under the 1933 Act or the 1934 Act, will file all documents required to be filed with the Commission pursuant to the 1934 Act within the time periods prescribed by the 1934 Act and the 1934 Act Regulations. (k) Restriction on Offers and Sales of Securities. Unless otherwise agreed upon between the Agent acting as principal and the Company, between the date of the agreement by the Agent to purchase the related Notes from the Company and the Settlement Date with respect thereto, the Company will not, without the prior written consent of the Agent, issue, sell, offer or contract to sell, grant any option for the sale of, or otherwise dispose of, any debt securities of the Company (other than the Notes that are to be sold pursuant to such agreement or commercial paper in the ordinary course of business). For such purposes, debt securities of the Company shall not include guarantees of the trading obligations of subsidiaries in the ordinary course of business and consistent with past practices. (l) Use of Proceeds. The Company will use the net proceeds received by it from the issuance and sale of the Notes in the manner specified in the Prospectus. 13 (m) Suspension of Certain Obligations. The Company shall not be required to comply with the provisions of subsections (b), (f), (g) or (h) of this Section 4 during any period from the time (i) the Agent shall have suspended solicitation of offers for the purchase of Notes in its capacity as agent pursuant to a request from the Company and (ii) the Agent shall not then hold any Notes purchased from the Company as principal, as the case may be, until the time the Company shall determine that solicitation of offers for the purchase of Notes should be resumed or the Agent shall subsequently purchase Notes from the Company as principal. (n) Ratings. The Company will obtain a rating for the Notes from Moody's Investors Service, Inc. and Standard & Poor's Ratings Services prior to the issuance of such Notes. SECTION 5. Conditions of Agent's Obligations. The obligations of the Agent to purchase Notes from the Company as principal and to solicit offers for the purchase of Notes as an agent of the Company, and the obligations of any purchasers of Notes sold through the Agent as an agent of the Company, will be subject to the accuracy of the representations and warranties on the part of the Company herein contained or contained in any certificate of an officer of the Company or any of its subsidiaries delivered pursuant to the provisions hereof, to the performance and observance by the Company of its covenants and other obligations hereunder, and to the following additional conditions precedent: (a) Effectiveness of Registration Statement. The Registration Statement (including any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement) has become effective under the 1933 Act and no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement shall have been issued under the 1933 Act and no proceedings for that purpose shall have been instituted or shall be pending or threatened by the Commission, and any request on the part of the Commission for additional information shall have been complied with to the reasonable satisfaction of counsel to the Agent. (b) Legal Opinions. On the date hereof, the Agent shall have received the following legal pinions, dated as of the date hereof and in form and substance satisfactory to the Agent: (1) Opinion of Counsel for the Company. The favorable opinion of General Counsel of the Company substantially in the form attached hereto as Exhibit B. (2) Opinions of Counsel for the Agent. The favorable opinion of Bracewell & Patterson, L.L.P., counsel for the Agent, substantially in the form attached hereto as Exhibit C. (c) Officer's Certificate. On the date hereof, there shall not have been, since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Prospectus, any Material Adverse Effect, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business, and the Agent shall have received a certificate of the President or any Vice President of the Company and any one of the Chief Financial Officer, the Chief Accounting Officer or the Treasurer of the Company, dated as of the date hereof, to the effect that (i) there has been no such Material Adverse Effect, (ii) the representations and warranties of the Company herein contained are true and correct with the same force and effect as though expressly made at and as of the date of such certificate, (iii) the Company has complied with all agreements and satisfied all conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied at or prior to the date of such certificate, and (iv) no stop order suspending 14 the effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been issued and no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted, are pending or, to the best of such officer's knowledge, are threatened by the Commission. (d) Comfort Letter of Arthur Andersen LLP. On the date hereof, the Agent shall have received a letter from Arthur Andersen LLP, dated as of the date hereof and in form and substance satisfactory to the Agent. (e) Additional Documents. On the date hereof, counsel to the Agent shall have been furnished with such documents and opinions as such counsel may reasonably require for the purpose of enabling such counsel to pass upon the issuance and sale of Notes as herein contemplated and related proceedings, or in order to evidence the accuracy of any of the representations and warranties, or the fulfillment of any of the conditions, herein contained; and all proceedings taken by the Company in connection with the issuance and sale of Notes as herein contemplated shall be satisfactory in form and substance to the Agent and to counsel to the Agent. (f) Ratings. The Notes shall be rated at a rating satisfactory to the Agent. If any condition specified in this Section 5 shall not have been fulfilled when and as required to be fulfilled, this Agreement may be terminated by the Agent by notice to the Company at any time and any such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except as provided in Section 10 hereof and except that Sections 8, 9, 11, 14 and 15 hereof shall survive any such termination and remain in full force and effect. SECTION 6. Delivery of and Payment for Notes Sold through an Agent as Agent. Delivery of Notes sold through the Agent as an agent of the Company shall be made by the Company to the Agent for the account of any purchaser only against payment therefor in immediately available funds. In the event that a purchaser shall fail either to accept delivery of or to make payment for a Note on the date fixed for settlement, the Agent shall promptly notify the Company and deliver such Note to the Company and, if the Agent has theretofore paid the Company for such Note, the Company will promptly return such funds to the Agent. If such failure has occurred for any reason other than default by the Agent in the performance of its obligations hereunder, the Company will reimburse the Agent on an equitable basis for its loss of the use of the funds for the period such funds were credited to the Company's account. SECTION 7. Additional Covenants of the Company. The Company further covenants and agrees with the Agent as follows: (a) Reaffirmation of Representations and Warranties. Each acceptance by the Company of an offer for the purchase of Notes (whether to the Agent as principal or through the Agent as agent), and each delivery of Notes (whether to the Agent as principal or through the Agent as agent), shall be deemed to be an affirmation that the representations and warranties of the Company herein contained and contained in any certificate theretofore delivered to the Agent pursuant hereto are true and correct at the time of such acceptance, and an undertaking that such representations and warranties will be true and correct at the time of delivery to the Agent or to 15 the purchaser or its agent, as the case may be, of the Notes relating to such acceptance as though made at and as of each such time (it being understood that such representations and warranties shall relate to the Registration Statement and Prospectus as amended and supplemented to each such time). (b) Subsequent Delivery of Certificates. Each time that (i) the Registration Statement or the Prospectus shall be amended or supplemented (other than by an amendment or supplement providing solely for the determination of the variable terms of the Notes or relating solely to the offering of securities other than the Notes), (ii) (if required in connection with the purchase of Notes from the Company by the Agent as principal) the Company sells Notes to the Agent as principal or (iii) the Company sells Notes in a form not previously certified to the Agent by the Company, the Company shall furnish or cause to be furnished to the Agent, forthwith a certificate dated the date of filing with the Commission or the date of effectiveness of such amendment or supplement, as applicable, or the date of such sale, as the case may be, in form satisfactory to the Agent, to the effect that the statements contained in the certificate referred to in Section 5(c) hereof which were last furnished to the Agent are true and correct at the time of the filing or effectiveness of such amendment or supplement, as applicable, or the time of such sale, as the case may be, as though made at and as of such time (except that such statements shall be deemed to relate to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as amended and supplemented to such time) or, in lieu of such certificate, a certificate of the same tenor as the certificate referred to in Section 5(c) hereof, modified as necessary to relate to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as amended and supplemented to the time of delivery of such certificate (it being understood that, in the case of clause (ii) above, any such certificate shall also include a certification that there has been no Material Adverse Effect, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business, since the date of the agreement by the Agent to purchase Notes from the Company as principal). (c) Subsequent Delivery of Legal Opinions. Each time that (i) the Registration Statement or the Prospectus shall be amended or supplemented (other than by an amendment or supplement providing solely for the determination of the variable terms of the Notes or relating solely to the offering of securities other than the Notes), (ii) (if required in connection with the purchase of Notes from the Company by the Agent as principal) the Company sells Notes to the Agent as principal or (iii) the Company sells Notes in a form not previously certified to the Agent by the Company, the Company shall furnish or cause to be furnished forthwith to the Agent and to counsel to the Agent the written opinion of General Counsel of the Company, or other counsel satisfactory to the Agent, and, at least once annually, counsel for the Agent, dated the date of filing with the Commission or the date of effectiveness of such amendment or supplement, as applicable, or the date of such sale, as the case may be, in form and substance satisfactory to the Agent, of the same tenor as the opinion referred to in Section 5(b) hereof, but modified, as necessary, to relate to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as amended and supplemented to the time of delivery of such opinion or, in lieu of such opinion, counsel last furnishing such opinion to the Agent shall furnish the Agent with a letter substantially to the effect that the Agent may rely on such last opinion to the same extent as though it was dated the date of such letter authorizing reliance (except that statements in such last opinion shall be deemed to relate to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as amended and supplemented to the time of delivery of such letter authorizing reliance). 16 (d) Subsequent Delivery of Comfort Letters. Each time that (i) the Registration Statement or the Prospectus shall be amended or supplemented to include additional financial information (other than by an amendment or supplement relating solely to the issuance and/or offering of securities other than the Notes) or (ii) (if required in connection with the purchase of Notes from the Company by the Agent as principal) the Company sells Notes to the Agent as principal, the Company shall cause Arthur Andersen LLP forthwith to furnish to the Agent a letter, dated the date of filing with the Commission or the date of effectiveness of such amendment or supplement, as applicable, or the date of such sale, as the case may be, in form satisfactory to the Agent, of the same tenor as the letter referred to in Section 5(d) hereof but modified to relate to the Registration Statement and Prospectus as amended and supplemented to the date of such letter. SECTION 8. Indemnification. (a) Indemnification of the Agent. The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Agent and each person, if any, who controls the Agent within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act as follows: (i) against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense whatsoever, as incurred, arising out of an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, or arising out of an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact included in any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; (ii) against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense whatsoever, as incurred, to the extent of the aggregate amount paid in settlement of any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue statement or omission, or any such alleged untrue statement or omission, provided that (subject to Section 8(d) hereof) any such settlement is effected with the written consent of the Company; and (iii) against any and all expense whatsoever, as incurred (including the fees and disbursements of counsel chosen by the Agent), reasonably incurred in investigating, preparing or defending against any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue statement or omission, or any such alleged untrue statement or omission, to the extent that any such expense is not paid under subparagraph (i) or (ii) above; provided, however, that this indemnity does not apply to (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement contained in or omission or alleged omission from a preliminary prospectus delivered to the person asserting the loss, liability, claim, damage or expense if the Company shall sustain the burden of proving that such person was not sent or given a copy of the 17 Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) at or prior to the written confirmation of the sale of the related Notes to such person and the untrue statement contained in or omission from such preliminary prospectus was corrected in the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) and the Company furnished copies thereof to the Agent a reasonable amount of time in advance of the delivery of the written confirmation and (ii) any loss, liability, claim, damage or expense to the extent arising out of an untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by the Agent expressly for use in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto) or any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto). (b) Indemnification of Company, Directors and Officers. The Agent agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, its directors, each of its officers who signed the Registration Statement and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense described in the indemnity contained in Section 8(a) hereof, as incurred, but only with respect to untrue statements or omissions, or alleged untrue statements or omissions, made in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto) or any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by the Agent expressly for use in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto) or such preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto). (c) Actions Against Parties; Notification. Each indemnified party shall give notice as promptly as reasonably practicable to each indemnifying party of any action commenced against it in respect of which indemnity may be sought hereunder, but failure to so notify an indemnifying party shall not relieve such indemnifying party from any liability hereunder to the extent it is not materially prejudiced as a result thereof and in any event shall not relieve it from any liability which it may have otherwise than on account of this indemnity agreement. In the case of parties indemnified pursuant to Section 8(a) hereof, counsel to the indemnified parties shall be selected by the Agent and, in the case of parties indemnified pursuant to Section 8(b) hereof, counsel to the indemnified parties shall be selected by the Company; provided that if it so elects within a reasonable time after receipt of such notice, an indemnifying party, jointly with any other indemnifying parties receiving such notice, may assume the defense of such action with counsel chosen by it and approved by the indemnified parties defendant in such action, unless such indemnified parties reasonably object to such assumption on the ground that there may be legal defenses available to them that are different from or in addition to those available to such indemnifying party. If an indemnifying party assumes the defense of such action in accordance with the preceding sentence, the indemnifying parties shall not be liable for any fees and expenses of counsel for the indemnified parties incurred thereafter in connection with such action. An indemnifying party may participate at its own expense in the defense of any such action; provided, however, that counsel to the indemnifying party shall not (except with the consent of the indemnified party) also be counsel to the indemnified party. In no event shall the indemnifying parties be liable for fees and expenses of more than one counsel (in addition to any local counsel) separate from their own counsel for all indemnified parties in connection with any one action or separate but similar or 18 related actions in the same jurisdiction arising out of the same general allegations or circumstances. No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of the indemnified parties, settle or compromise or consent to the entry of any judgment with respect to any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever in respect of which indemnification or contribution could be sought under this Section 8 or 9 hereof (whether or not the indemnified parties are actual or potential parties thereto), unless such settlement, compromise or consent (i) includes an unconditional release of each indemnified party from all liability arising out of such litigation, investigation, proceeding or claim and (ii) does not include a statement as to or an admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act by or on behalf of any indemnified party. (d) Settlement without Consent if Failure to Reimburse. If at any time an indemnified party shall have requested an indemnifying party to reimburse the indemnified party for fees and expenses of counsel, such indemnifying party agrees that it shall be liable for any settlement of the nature contemplated by Section 8(a)(ii) effected without its written consent if (i) such settlement is entered into more than 45 days after receipt by such indemnifying party of the aforesaid request, (ii) such indemnifying party shall have received notice of the terms of such settlement at least 30 days prior to such settlement being entered into and (iii) such indemnifying party shall not have reimbursed such indemnified party in accordance with such request prior to the date of such settlement. Notwithstanding the immediately preceding sentence, if at any time an indemnified party shall have requested an indemnifying party to reimburse the indemnified party for fees and expenses of counsel, an indemnifying party shall not be liable for any settlement of the nature contemplated by Section 8(a)(ii) effected without its consent if such indemnifying party (i) reimburses such indemnified party in accordance with such request to the extent it considers such request to be reasonable and (ii) provides written notice to the indemnified party substantiating the unpaid balance as unreasonable, in each prior to the date of such settlement. SECTION 9. Contribution. If the indemnification provided for in Section 8 hereof is for any reason unavailable to or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party in respect of any losses, liabilities, claims, damages or expenses referred to therein, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to the aggregate amount of such losses, liabilities, claims, damages and expenses incurred by such indemnified party, as incurred, (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company, on the one hand, and the Agent, on the other hand, from the offering of the Notes that were the subject of the claim for indemnification or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause (i) is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause (i) above but also the relative fault of the Company, on the one hand, and the Agent, on the other hand, in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such losses, liabilities, claims, damages or expenses, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the Company, on the one hand, and the Agent, on the other hand, in connection with the offering of the Notes that were the subject of the claim for 19 indemnification shall be deemed to be in the same respective proportions as the total net proceeds from the offering of such Notes (before deducting expenses) received by the Company and the total discount or commission received by the Agent bears to the aggregate initial offering price of such Notes. The relative fault of the Company, on the one hand, and the Agent, on the other hand, shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether any untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company or by the Agent and the parties' relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission. The Company and the Agent agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 9 were determined by pro rata allocation or by any other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to above in this Section 9. The aggregate amount of losses, liabilities, claims, damages and expenses incurred by an indemnified party and referred to above in this Section 9 shall be deemed to include any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in investigating, preparing or defending against any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever based upon any applicable untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 9, (i) the Agent shall not be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the total discount or commission received by it in connection with the offering of the Notes that were the subject of the claim for indemnification exceeds the amount of any damages which the Agent has otherwise been required to pay by reason of any applicable untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission and (ii) no person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the 1933 Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. For purposes of this Section 9, each person, if any, who controls the Agent within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act shall have the same rights to contribution as the Agent, and each director of the Company, each officer of the Company and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act shall have the same rights to contribution as the Company. SECTION 10. Payment of Expenses. The Company will pay all expenses incident to the performance of its obligations under this Agreement, including: (a) The preparation, filing, printing and delivery of the Registration Statement as originally filed and all amendments thereto and any preliminary prospectus, the Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto; (b) The preparation, printing and delivery of this Agreement and the Indenture; 20 (c) The preparation, issuance and delivery of the Notes, including any fees and expenses relating to the eligibility and issuance of Notes in book-entry form and the cost of obtaining CUSIP or other identification numbers for the Notes; (d) The fees and disbursements of the Company's accountants, counsel and other advisors or Agent (including any calculation agent or exchange rate agent) and of the Trustee and its counsel; (e) The reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel to the Agent incurred in connection with the establishment of the Program and incurred from time to time in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby; (f) The fees charged by nationally recognized statistical rating organizations for the rating of the Program and the Notes; (g) The fees and expenses incurred in connection with any listing of Notes on a securities exchange; (h) The filing fees incident to, and the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel to the Agent in connection with, the review, if any, by the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. (the "NASD"); and (i) Any advertising and other out-of-pocket expenses of the Agent incurred with the approval of the Company. SECTION 11. Representations, Warranties and Agreements to Survive Delivery. All representations, warranties and agreements contained in this Agreement or in certificates of officers of the Company or any of its subsidiaries submitted pursuant hereto or thereto shall remain operative and in full force and effect, regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of the Agent or any controlling person of the Agent, or by or on behalf of the Company, and shall survive each delivery of and payment for the Notes. SECTION 12. Termination. (a) Termination of this Agreement. This Agreement (excluding any agreement by the Agent to purchase Notes from the Company as principal) may be terminated for any reason, at any time by either the Company or the Agent upon the giving of 30 days' prior written notice of such termination to the other party hereto. (b) Termination of Agreement to Purchase Notes as Principal. The Agent may terminate any agreement by it to purchase Notes from the Company as principal, immediately upon notice to the Company, at any time prior to the Settlement Date relating thereto, if (i) there has been, since the date of such agreement or since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Prospectus, any Material Adverse Effect, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business, or (ii) there has occurred any material adverse change in the financial markets in the United States or, if such Notes are denominated and/or payable in, or indexed to, one or more foreign currencies, in the international financial markets, or any outbreak of hostilities or 21 escalation thereof or other calamity or crisis or any change or development or event involving a prospective change in national or international political, financial or economic conditions, in each case the effect of which is such as to make it, in the judgment of the Agent, impracticable to market such Notes or enforce contracts for the sale of such Notes, or (iii) trading in any securities of the Company has been suspended or materially limited by the Commission or a national securities exchange, or if trading generally on the New York Stock Exchange or the American Stock Exchange or in the Nasdaq National Market has been suspended or materially limited, or minimum or maximum prices for trading have been fixed, or maximum ranges for prices have been required, by either of said exchanges or by such system or by order of the Commission, the NASD or any other governmental authority, or (iv) a banking moratorium has been declared by either Federal or New York authorities or by the relevant authorities in the country or countries of origin of any foreign currency in which such Notes are denominated and/or payable, or (v) the rating assigned by any nationally recognized statistical rating organization to the Program or any debt securities (including the Notes) of the Company as of the date of such agreement has been lowered or withdrawn since that date or if any such rating organization has publicly announced that it has under surveillance or review its rating of the Program or any such debt securities, or (vi) there has come to the attention of the Agent any facts that would cause the Agent to believe that the Prospectus, at the time it was required to be delivered to a purchaser of such Notes, included an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances existing at the time of such delivery, not misleading. (c) General. In the event of any such termination, neither party will have any liability to the other party hereto, except that (i) the Agent shall be entitled to any commissions earned on Notes actually sold in accordance with the third paragraph of Section 3(b) hereof, (ii) if at the time of termination (a) the Agent shall own any Notes purchased by it from the Company as principal or (b) an offer to purchase any of the Notes has been accepted by the Company but the time of delivery to the purchaser or his agent of such Notes relating thereto has not occurred, the covenants set forth in Sections 4 and 7 hereof shall remain in effect until such Notes are so resold or delivered, as the case may be, and (iii) the covenant set forth in Section 4(i) hereof, the provisions of Section 10 hereof, the indemnity and contribution agreements set forth in Sections 8 and 9 hereof, and the provisions of Sections 11, 14 and 15 hereof shall remain in effect. SECTION 13. Notices. Unless otherwise provided herein, all notices required under the terms and provisions hereof shall be in writing, either delivered by hand, by mail or by telex, telecopier or telegram, and any such notice shall be effective when received at the address specified below. If to the Company: Enron Corp. 1400 South Street Houston, Texas 77002 Attention: Treasurer Telecopy No.: (713) 646-3422 22 If to the Agent: [Agent Name and Address] Attention: Telecopy No.: or at such other address as such party may designate from time to time by notice duly given in accordance with the terms of this Section 13. SECTION 14. Parties. This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the Agent and the Company and their respective successors. Nothing expressed or mentioned in this Agreement is intended or shall be construed to give any person, firm or corporation, other than the parties hereto and their respective successors and the controlling persons, officers and directors referred to in Sections 8 and 9 hereof and their heirs and legal representatives, any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or in respect of this Agreement or any provision herein contained. This Agreement and all conditions and provisions hereof are intended to be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors, and said controlling persons, officers and directors and their heirs and legal representatives, and for the benefit of no other person, firm or corporation. No purchaser of Notes shall be deemed to be a successor by reason merely of such purchase. SECTION 15. GOVERNING LAW. THIS AGREEMENT AND ALL THE RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS OF THE PARTIES SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK WITHOUT REGARD TO CONFLICT OF LAW PRINCIPLES. SECTION 16. Effect of Headings. The Article and Section headings herein are for convenience only and shall not affect the construction hereof. SECTION 17. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts and, if executed in more than one counterpart, the executed counterparts hereof shall constitute a single instrument. 23 If the foregoing is in accordance with the Agent's understanding of our agreement, please sign and return to the Company a counterpart hereof, whereupon this Distribution Agreement, along with all counterparts, will become a binding agreement between the Agent and the Company in accordance with its terms. Very truly yours, ENRON CORP. By: ---------------------------------------- Name: Title: CONFIRMED AND ACCEPTED, By the Agent named below as of the date first above written: [NAME OF AGENT] By: ---------------------------- Name: Title: 24 SCHEDULE A As compensation for the services of the Agent hereunder, the Company shall pay the Agent, on a discount basis, a commission for the sale of each Note equal to the principal amount of such Note multiplied by the appropriate percentage set forth below: PERCENT OF PRINCIPAL AMOUNT [To be agreed upon with Agent] 25 EXHIBIT A PRICING TERMS Principal Amount: $_______ (or principal amount of foreign or composite currency) Interest Rate or Formula: If Fixed Rate Note, Interest Rate: Interest Payment Dates: If Floating Rate Note, Interest Rate Basis(es): If LIBOR, LIBOR Reuters Page: LIBOR Telerate Page: Designated LIBOR Currency: If CMT Rate, Designated CMT Telerate Page: If Telerate Page 7052: Weekly Average Monthly Average Index Maturity: Spread and/or Spread Multiplier, if any: Initial Interest Rate, if any: Interest Reset Dates: Interest Payment Dates: Maximum Interest Rate, if any: Minimum Interest Rate, if any: Fixed Rate Commencement Date, if any: Fixed Interest Rate, if any: Day Count Convention: Calculation Agent: Redemption Provisions: Initial Redemption Date: Initial Redemption Percentage: Annual Redemption Percentage Reduction, if any: Repayment Provisions: Optional Repayment Date(s): Original Issue Date: Stated Maturity Date: Specified Currency: Exchange Rate Agent: Authorized Denomination: Purchase Price: ___%, plus accrued interest, if any, from ___________ Price to Public: ___%, plus accrued interest, if any, from __________ Issue Price: Settlement Date and Time: Additional/Other Terms: Also, in connection with the purchase of Notes from the Company by the Agent as principal, agreement as to whether the following will be required: 26 Officers' Certificate pursuant to Section 7(b) of the Distribution Agreement. Legal Opinion pursuant to Section 7(c) of the Distribution Agreement. Comfort Letter pursuant to Section 7(d) of the Distribution Agreement. EX-1.2 3 FORM OF ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES 1 EXHIBIT 1.2 ENRON CORP. ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES FOR FIXED RATE AND FLOATING RATE MEDIUM-TERM NOTES (Dated as of _____, ____) Medium-Term Notes Due Nine Months or More From Date of Issue (the "Notes") are to be offered on a continuous basis by Enron Corp., an Oregon corporation (the "Company"), to or through __________ ( the "Agent") pursuant to a Distribution Agreement, dated ________, ____ (the "Distribution Agreement"), by and among the Company and the Agent. The Distribution Agreement provides both for the sale of Notes by the Company to the Agent as principal for resale to investors and other purchasers and for the sale of Notes by the Company directly to investors (as may from time to time be agreed to by the Company and the Agent), in which case the Agent will act as an agent of the Company in soliciting purchases of Notes. Unless otherwise agreed by the Agent and the Company, Notes will be purchased by the related Agent as principal. Such purchases will be made in accordance with terms agreed upon by the related Agent and the Company (which terms shall be agreed upon orally, with written confirmation prepared by the related Agent and mailed to the Company). If agreed upon by any Agent and the Company, the Agent, acting solely as agent for the Company and not as principal, will use reasonable efforts to solicit offers to purchase the Notes. Only those provisions in these Administrative Procedures that are applicable to the particular role to be performed by the related Agent shall apply to the offer and sale of the relevant Notes. The Notes will be issued as a series of debt securities under an Indenture, dated as of November 1, 1985, as amended, supplemented or modified from time to time (the "Indenture"), between the Company and Bank of New York, as trustee (together with any successor in such capacity, the "Trustee"). The Company has filed a Registration Statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission") registering, among other securities, debt securities (which includes the Notes) (the "Registration Statement", which term shall include any additional registration statements filed in connection with the Notes). The most recent base prospectus deemed part of the Registration Statement, as supplemented with respect to the Notes, is herein referred to as the "Prospectus". The most recent supplement to the Prospectus setting forth the purchase price, interest rate or formula, maturity date and other terms of the Notes (as applicable) is herein referred to as the "Pricing Supplement". The Notes will either be issued (a) in book-entry form and represented by one or more fully registered Notes without coupons (each, a "Global Note") delivered to the Trustee, as agent for The Depository Company ("DTC"), and recorded in the book-entry system maintained by DTC, or (b) in certificated form (each, a "Certificated Note") delivered to the investor or other purchaser thereof or a person designated by such investor or other purchaser. 2 General procedures relating to the issuance of all Notes are set forth in Part I hereof. Additionally, Notes issued in book-entry form will be issued in accordance with the procedures set forth in Part II hereof and Certificated Notes will be issued in accordance with the procedures set forth in Part III hereof. Capitalized terms used but not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings ascribed thereto in the Indenture or the Notes, as the case may be. PART I: PROCEDURES OF GENERAL APPLICABILITY Date of Issuance/Authentication: Each Note will be dated as of the date of its authentication by the Trustee. Each Note shall also bear an original issue date (each, an "Original Issue Date"). The Original Issue Date shall remain the same for all Notes subsequently issued upon transfer, exchange or substitution of an original Note regardless of their dates of authentication. Maturities: Each Note will mature on a date nine months or more from its Original Issue Date (the "Stated Maturity Date") selected by the investor or other purchaser and agreed to by the Company. Registration: Unless otherwise provided in the applicable Pricing Supplement, Notes will be issued only in fully registered form. Denominations: Unless otherwise provided in the applicable Pricing Supplement, the Notes will be issued in denominations of U.S.$1,000 and integral multiples of U.S.$1,000. Interest Rate Bases applicable to Floating Rate Notes: Unless otherwise provided in the applicable Pricing Supplement, Floating Rate Notes will bear interest at a rate or rates determined by reference to the CD Rate, the CMT Rate, the Commercial Paper Rate, the Eleventh District Cost of Funds Rate, the Federal Funds Rate, LIBOR, the Prime Rate, the Treasury Rate, or such other interest rate basis or formula as may be set forth in applicable Pricing Supplement, or by reference to two or more such rates, as adjusted by the Spread and/or Spread Multiplier, if any, applicable to such Floating Rate Notes. Redemption/Repayment: The Notes will be subject to redemption by the Company in accordance with the terms of the Notes, which will be fixed at the time of sale and set forth in the applicable Pricing Supplement. If no Initial Redemption Date is indicated 3 with respect to a Note, such Note will not be redeemable prior to its Stated Maturity Date. The Notes will be subject to repayment at the option of the Holders thereof in accordance with the terms of the Notes, which will be fixed at the time of sale and set forth in the applicable Pricing Supplement. If no Optional Repayment Date is indicated with respect to a Note, such Note will not be repayable at the option of the Holder prior to its Stated Maturity Date. Calculation of Interest: In case of Fixed Rate Notes, interest (including payments for partial periods) will be calculated and paid on the basis of a 360-day year of twelve 30-day months. The interest rate on each Floating Rate Note will be calculated by reference to the specified Interest Rate Basis or Bases plus or minus the applicable Spread, if any, and/or multiplied by the applicable Spread Multiplier, if any. Unless otherwise provided in the applicable Pricing Supplement, interest on each Floating Rate Note will be calculated by multiplying its principal amount by an accrued interest factor. Such accrued interest factor is computed by adding the interest factor calculated for each day in the period for which accrued interest is being calculated. Unless otherwise provided in the applicable Pricing Supplement, the interest factor for each such day is computed by dividing the interest rate applicable to such day by 360 if the CD Rate, Commercial Paper Rate, Eleventh District Cost of Funds Rate, Federal Funds Rate, LIBOR or Prime Rate is an applicable Interest Rate Basis, or by the actual number of days in the year if the CMT Rate or Treasury Rate is an applicable Interest Rate Basis. As provided in the applicable Pricing Supplement, the interest factor for Notes for which the interest rate is calculated with reference to two or more Interest Rate Bases will be calculated in each period in the same manner as if only one of the applicable Interest Rate Bases applied. Interest: General. Each Note will bear interest in accordance with its terms. Unless otherwise provided in the applicable Pricing Supplement, interest on each Note will accrue from and including the Original Issue Date of such Note for the 4 first interest period or from the most recent Interest Payment FFFF Date (as defined below) to which interest has been paid or duly provided for all subsequent interest periods to but excluding applicable Interest Payment Date or the Stated Maturity Date or date of earlier redemption or repayment , as the case may be (the Stated Maturity Date or date of earlier redemption or repayment is referred to herein as the "Maturity Date" with respect to the principal repayable on such date). If an Interest Payment Date or the Maturity Date with respect to any Fixed Rate Note falls on a day that is not a Business Day (as defined below), the required payment of principal, premium, if any, or interest to be made on such day need not be made on such day, but may be made on the next succeeding Business Day with the same force and effect as if made on such day, and no interest shall accrue on such payment for the period from and after such day to the next succeeding Business Day. If an Interest Payment Date other than the Maturity Date with respect to any Floating Rate Note would otherwise fall on a day that is not a Business Day, such Interest Payment Date will be postponed to the next succeeding Business Day, except that in the case of a Note for which LIBOR is an applicable Interest Rate Basis, if such Business Day falls in the next succeeding calendar month, such Interest Payment Date will be the immediately preceding Business Day. If the Maturity Date with respect to any Floating Rate Note falls on a day that is not a Business Day, the required payment of principal, premium, if any, or interest to be made on such day need not be made on such day, but may be made on the next succeeding Business Day with the same force and effect as if made on such day, and no interest shall accrue on such payment for the period from and after the Maturity Date to the next succeeding Business Day. Unless otherwise provided in the applicable Pricing Supplement, "Business Day" has the meaning specified in the Prospectus. Regular Record Dates. Unless otherwise provided in the applicable Pricing Supplement, the "Regular Record Date" for a Note shall be the date 15 calendar days (whether or not a Business Day) preceding the applicable Interest Payment Date. 5 Interest Payment Dates. Interest payments will be made on each Interest Payment Date commencing with the first Interest Payment Date following the Original Issue Date; provided, however, the first payment of interest on any Note originally issued between a Regular Record Date and an Interest Payment Date will occur on the Interest Payment Date immediately following the next succeeding Regular Record Date. Unless otherwise provided in the applicable Pricing Supplement, interest payments on Fixed Rate Notes will be made semiannually in arrears on May 15 and November 15 of each year and on the Maturity Date, while interest payments on Floating Rate Notes will be made as specified in the applicable Pricing Supplement. Acceptance and Rejection of Offers from Solicitation as Agent: If agreed upon by the Agent and the Company, then the Agent acting solely as agent for the Company and not as principal will solicit purchases of the Notes. The Agent will communicate to the Company, orally or in writing, each reasonable offer to purchase Notes solicited by the Agent on an agency basis, other than those offers rejected by the Agent. The Agent has the right, in its discretion reasonably exercised, to reject any proposed purchase of Notes, as a whole or in part, and any such rejection shall not be a breach of the Agent's agreement contained in the Distribution Agreement. The Company has the sole right to accept or reject any proposed purchase of Notes, in whole or in part, and any such rejection shall not be a breach of the Company's agreement contained in the Distribution Agreement. The Agent has agreed to make reasonable efforts to assist the Company in obtaining performance by each purchaser whose offer to purchase Notes has been solicited by the Agent and accepted by the Company. Preparation of Pricing Supplement: If any offer to purchase a Note is accepted by the Company, the Company will promptly prepare a Pricing Supplement reflecting the terms of such Note and file such Pricing Supplement with the Commission in accordance with the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. Information to be included in the Pricing Supplement shall include: 6 1. the name of the Company; 2. the title of the Notes including series designation, if any; 3. the date of the Pricing Supplement and the date of the Prospectus and Prospectus Supplement to which the Pricing Supplement relates: 4. the name of the Agent; 5. whether such Notes are being sold to the Agent as principal or to an investor to other purchaser through the Agent acting as agent for the Company; 6. with respect to Notes sold to the Agent as principal, whether such Notes will be resold by the Agent to investors and other purchasers at (i) a fixed public offering price of a specified percentage of their principal amount or (ii) at varying prices related to prevailing market prices at the time of resale to be determined by the Agent; 7. with respect to Notes sold to an investor or other purchaser through the Agent acting as agent for the Company, whether such Notes will be sold at (i) 100% of their principal amount or (ii) a specified percentage of their principal amount; 8. the Agent's discount or commission; 9. Net proceeds to the Company; 10. the Principal Amount, Specified Currency, Original Issue Date, Stated Maturity Date, Interest Payment Date(s), Authorized Denomination, Initial Redemption Date, if any, Initial Redemption Percentage, if any, Annual Redemption Percentage Reduction, if any, Optional Repayment Date(s), if any, Exchange Rate Agent, if any, and, in the case of Fixed Rate Notes, the Interest Rate, and whether such Fixed Rate Note is an Original Issue Discount Note (and, if so, the Issue Price), and, in the case of 7 Floating Rate Notes, the Interest Category, the Interest Rate Basis or Bases, the Day Count Convention, Index Maturity (if applicable), Initial Interest Rate, if any, Maximum Interest Rate, if any, Minimum Interest Rate, if any, Initial Interest Reset Date, Interest Reset Dates, Spread and/or Spread Multiplier, if any, and Calculation Agent; and 11. any other additional provisions of the Notes material to investors or other purchasers of the Notes not otherwise specified in the Prospectus. The Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to send such Pricing Supplement by telecopy or overnight express (for delivery by the close of business on the applicable trade date, but in no event later than 11:00 a.m. New York City time, on the Business Day following the applicable trade date) to the Agent who made or presented the offer to purchase the applicable Note and the Trustee at the following applicable address: if to the Agent to the address set forth in the notice provisions of the Distribution Agreement or an address otherwise designated by the Agent; and if to the Trustee, to: Bank of New York, 2 North LaSalle Street, 10th Floor, Chicago, Illinois 60602, Attention: Frank A. Pierson, (312) 827-8525, telecopier: (312) 827-8522. For record keeping purposes, one copy of such Pricing Supplement shall also be mailed or telecopied to Bracewell & Patterson, L.L.P., South Tower Pennzoil Place, Suite 2900, 711 Louisiana Street, Houston, Texas 77002-2781, Attention: Gary W. Orloff, telecopier: (713) 221-2166. In each instance that a Pricing Supplement is prepared, the Agent will provide a copy of such Pricing Supplement to each investor or purchaser of the relevant Notes or the Agent. Pursuant to Rule 434 ("Rule 434") of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the Pricing Supplement may be delivered separately from the Prospectus. Outdated Pricing Supplements (other than those retained for files) will be destroyed. Settlement: The receipt of immediately available funds by the Company in payment for a Note and the authentication and delivery of such Note shall, with respect to such Note, 8 constitute "settlement". Offers accepted by the Company will be settled in three Business Days, or at such time as the purchaser, the Agent and the Company shall agree, pursuant to the timetable for settlement set forth in Parts II and III hereof under "Settlement Procedure Timetable" with respect to Global Notes and Certificated Notes, respectively (each such date fixed for settlement is hereinafter referred to as a "Settlement Date"). If procedures A and B of the applicable Settlement Procedures with respect to a particular offer are not completed on or before the time set forth under the applicable "Settlement Procedures Timetable", such offer shall not be settled until the Business Day following the completion of settlement procedures A and B or such later date as the purchaser and the Company shall agree. The foregoing settlement procedures may be modified with respect to any purchase of Notes by the Agent as principal if so agreed by the Company and the Agent. Procedure for Changing Rates or Other Variable Terms: When a decision has been reached to change the interest rate or any other variable term on any Notes being sold by the Company, the Company will promptly advise the Agent and the Trustee by facsimile transmission and the Agent will forthwith suspend solicitation of offers to purchase such Notes. The Agent will telephone the Company with recommendations as to the changed interest rates or other variable terms. At such time as the Company notifies the Agent and the Trustee of the new interest rates or other variable terms, the Agent may resume solicitation of offers to purchase such Notes. Until such time, only "indications of interest" may be recorded. Immediately after acceptance by the Company of an offer to purchase Notes at a new interest rate or new variable term, the Company, the Agent and the Trustee shall follow the procedures set forth under the applicable "Settlement Procedures". 9 Suspension of Solicitation; Amendment or Supplement: The Company may instruct the Agent to suspend solicitation of offers to purchase Notes at any time. Upon receipt of such instructions, the Agent will forthwith suspend solicitation of offers to purchase from the Company until such time as the Company has advised the Agent that solicitation of offers to purchase may be resumed. If the Company decides to amend or supplement the Registration Statement or the Prospectus (other than to establish or change interest rates or formulas, maturities, prices or other similar variable terms with respect to the Notes), it will promptly advise the Agent and will furnish the Agent and its counsel with copies of the proposed amendment or supplement. Copies of such amendment or supplement will be delivered or mailed to the Agent, its counsel and the Trustee in quantities which such parties may reasonably request at the address set forth in the notice provisions of the Distribution Agreement; the Trustee, to: Bank of New York, 2 North LaSalle Street, 10th Floor, Chicago, Illinois 60602, Attention: Frank A. Pierson, (312) 827-8525, telecopier: (312) 827-8522. For record keeping purposes, one copy of each such amendment or supplement shall also be mailed or telecopied to Bracewell & Patterson, L.L.P., South Tower Pennzoil Place, Suite 2900, 711 Louisiana Street, Houston, Texas 77002-2781, Attention: Gary W. Orloff, (713) 221-1306, telecopier: (713) 221-2166. In the event that at the time the solicitation of offers to purchase from the Company is suspended (other than to establish or change interest rates or formulas, maturities, prices or other similar variable terms with respect to the Notes) there shall be any offers to purchase Notes that have been accepted by the Company which have not been settled, the Company will promptly advise the Agent and the Trustee whether such offers may be settled and whether copies of the Prospectus as theretofore amended and/or supplemented as in effect at the time of the suspension may be delivered in connection with the settlement of such offers. The Company will have the sole responsibility for such decision and for any arrangements which may be made in the event that the Company determines that such offers may not be settled or that copies of such Prospectus may not be so delivered. 10 Delivery of Prospectus and applicable Pricing Supplement: A copy of the most recent Prospectus and the applicable Pricing Supplement, which pursuant to Rule 434 may be delivered separately from the Prospectus, must accompany or precede the earlier of (a) the written confirmation of a sale sent to an investor or other purchaser or its agent and (b) the delivery of Notes to an investor or other purchaser or its agent. Authenticity of Signatures: The Agent will have no obligation or liability to the Company or the Trustee in respect of the authenticity of the signature of any officer, employee or agent of the Company or the Trustee on any Note. Documents Incorporated by Reference: The Company shall supply the Agent with an adequate supply of all documents incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus. PART II: PROCEDURES FOR NOTES ISSUED IN BOOK-ENTRY FORM In connection with the qualification of Notes issued in book-entry form for eligibility in the book-entry system maintained by DTC, the Trustee will perform the custodial, document control and administrative functions described below, in accordance with its respective obligations under a Letter of Representations from the Company and the Trustee to DTC, dated May 17, 2000, and a Certificate Agreement, dated August 17, 1989, between the Trustee and DTC, as amended (the "Certificate Agreement"), and its obligations as a participant in DTC, including DTC's Same-Day Funds Settlement System ("SDFS"). Issuance: All Fixed Rate Notes issued in book-entry form having the same Original Issue Date, Specified Currency, Interest Rate, Default Rate, redemption and/or repayment terms, if any, and Stated Maturity Date (collectively, the "Fixed Rate Terms") will be represented initially by a single Global Note; and all Floating Rate Notes issued in book-entry form having the same Original Issue Date, Specified Currency, Interest Rate Basis, which may be the CD Rate, the CMT Rate, the Commercial Paper Rate, the Eleventh District Cost of Funds Rate, the Federal Funds Rate, LIBOR, the Prime Rate or the Treasury Rate or any other interest rate basis or formula, and Spread and/or Spread Multiplier, if any), Day Count Convention, Initial 11 Interest Rate, Index Maturity (if applicable), Minimum Interest Rate, if any, Maximum Interest Rate, if any, redemption and/or repayment terms, if any, Interest Payment Dates, Initial Interest Reset Date, Interest Reset Dates and Stated Maturity Date (collectively, the "Floating Rate Terms") will be represented initially by a single Global Note. For other variable terms with respect to the Fixed Rate Notes and Floating Rate Notes, see the Prospectus and the applicable Pricing Supplement. Owners of beneficial interests in Global Notes will be entitled to physical delivery of Certificated Notes equal in principal amount to their respective beneficial interests only upon certain limited circumstances described in the Prospectus. Identification: The Company has arranged with the CUSIP Service Bureau of Standard & Poor's (the "CUSIP Service Bureau") for the reservation of one series of CUSIP numbers, which series consists of approximately 900 CUSIP numbers which have been reserved for and relating to Global Notes and the Company has delivered to each of the Trustee and DTC such list of such CUSIP numbers. The Company will assign CUSIP numbers to Global Notes as described below under Settlement Procedure B. DTC will notify the CUSIP Service Bureau periodically of the CUSIP numbers that the Company has assigned to Global Notes. The Trustee will notify the Company at any time when fewer than 100 of the reserved CUSIP numbers remain unassigned to Global Notes, and, if it deems necessary, the Company will reserve and obtain additional CUSIP numbers for assignment to Global Notes. Upon obtaining such additional CUSIP numbers, the Company will deliver a list of such additional numbers to the Trustee and DTC. Notes issued in book-entry form in excess of $400,000,000 (or the equivalent thereof in one or more foreign currencies) and otherwise required to be represented by the same Global Certificate will instead be represented by two or more Global Certificates which shall all be assigned the same CUSIP number. 12 Registration: Unless otherwise specified by DTC, each Global Note will be registered in the name of Cede & Co., as nominee for DTC, on the register maintained by the Trustee under the Indenture. The beneficial owner of a Note issued in book-entry form (i.e., an owner of a beneficial interest in a Global Note) (or one or more indirect participants in DTC designated by such owner) will designate one or more participants in DTC (with respect to such Note issued in book-entry form, the "Participants") to act as agent for such beneficial owner in connection with the book-entry system maintained by DTC, and DTC will record in book-entry form, in accordance with instructions provided by such Participants, a credit balance with respect to such Note issued in book-entry form in the account of such Participants. The ownership interest of such beneficial owner in such Note issued in book-entry form will be recorded through the records of such Participants or through the separate records of such Participants and one or more indirect participants in DTC. Transfers: Transfers of beneficial ownership interests in a Global Note will be accomplished by book entries made by DTC and, in turn, by Participants (and in certain cases, one or more indirect participants in DTC) acting on behalf of beneficial transferors and transferees of such Global Note. Exchanges: The Trustee may deliver to DTC and the CUSIP Service Bureau at any time a written notice specifying (a) the CUSIP numbers of two or more Global Notes outstanding on such date that represent Global Notes having the same Fixed Rate Terms or Floating Rate Terms, as the case may be (other than Original Issue Dates),and for which interest has been paid to the same date; (b) a date, occurring at least 30 days after such written notice is delivered and at least 30 days before the next Interest Payment Date for the related Notes issued in book-entry form, on which such Global Notes shall be exchanged for a single replacement Global Note; and (c) a new CUSIP number, obtained from the Company, to be assigned to such replacement Global Note. Upon receipt of such a notice, DTC will send to its Participants (including the Trustee) a written reorganization notice to the effect that such exchange will occur on such date. Prior to the specified exchange date, the Trustee will deliver to the CUSIP Service Bureau written notice setting 13 forth such exchange date and the new CUSIP number and stating that, as of such exchange date, the CUSIP numbers of the Global Notes to be exchanged will no longer be valid. On the specified exchange date, the Trustee will exchange such Global Notes for a single Global Note bearing the new CUSIP number and the CUSIP numbers of the exchanged Notes will, in accordance with CUSIP Service Bureau procedures, be canceled and not immediately reassigned. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Global Notes to be exchanged exceed $400,000,000 (or the equivalent thereof in one or more foreign currencies) in aggregate principal amount, one replacement Note will be authenticated and issued to represent each $400,000,000 (or the equivalent thereof in one or more foreign currencies) in aggregate principal amount of the exchanged Notes and an additional Global Note or Notes will be authenticated and issued to represent any remaining principal amount of such Global Notes (See "Denominations" below). Denominations: Unless otherwise provided in the applicable Pricing Supplement, Notes issued in book-entry form will be issued in denominations of U.S.$1,000 and integral multiples of U.S.$1,000. Global Notes will not be denominated in excess of $400,000,000 (or the equivalent thereof in one or more foreign currencies). If one or more Notes are issued in book-entry form having an aggregate principal amount of $400,000,000 (or the equivalent thereof in one or more foreign currencies) and would, but for the preceding sentence, be represented by a single Note, then one Note will be issued to represent each $400,000,000 (or the equivalent thereof in one or more foreign currencies) of principal amount of such Notes issued in book-entry form and an additional Global Note or Notes will be issued to represent any remaining aggregate principal amount of such Note or Notes issued in book-entry form. In such a case, each of the Global Notes representing Notes issued in book-entry form shall be assigned the same CUSIP number. Payments of Principal and Interest: Payments of Interest Only. Promptly after each Regular Record Date, the Trustee will deliver to the Company and DTC a written notice specifying by CUSIP number the amount of interest to be paid on each Global Note on the 14 following Interest Payment Date (other than an Interest Payment Date coinciding with the Maturity Date) and the total of such amounts. DTC will confirm the amount payable on each Global Note on such Interest Payment Date by reference to the daily bond reports published by Standard & Poor's. On such Interest Payment Date, the Company will pay to the Trustee in immediately available funds an amount sufficient to pay the interest then due and owing on the Global Notes, and upon receipt of such funds from the Company, the Trustee in turn will pay to DTC such total amount of interest due on such Global Notes (other than on the Maturity Date) which is payable in U.S. dollars, at the times and in the manner set forth below under "Manner of Payment". The Trustee shall make payment of that amount of interest due and owing on any Global Notes that Participants have elected to receive in foreign currency directly to such Participants. Notice of Interest Payments and Regular Record Dates. Promptly after each Interest Determination Date for Floating Rate Notes issued in book-entry form, the Trustee will notify each of Moody's Investors Service and Standard & Poor's of the interest rates determined as of such Interest Determination Date. Payments at Maturity. On or about the first Business Day of each month, the Trustee will deliver to the Company and DTC a written list of principal, premium, if any, and interest to be paid on each Global Note maturing or otherwise becoming due in the following month. The Trustee, the Company and DTC will confirm the amounts of such principal, premium, if any, and interest payments with respect to each such Global Note on or about the fifth Business Day preceding the Maturity Date of such Global Note. On the Maturity Date, the Company will pay to the Trustee in immediately available funds an amount sufficient to make the required payments, and upon receipt of such funds the Trustee in turn will pay to DTC the principal amount of Global Notes, together with premium, if any, and interest due on the Maturity Date, which are payable in U.S. dollars, at the times and in the manner set forth below under "Manner of Payment". The Trustee shall make payment of the principal, premium, if any, and interest to be paid on the Maturity Date of each Global 15 Note that Participants have elected to receive in foreign or composite currencies directly to such Participants. Promptly after (i) payment to DTC of the principal, premium, if any, and interest due on the Maturity Date of such Global Note which are payable in U.S. dollars and (ii) payment of the principal, premium, if any, and interest due on the Maturity Date of such Global Note to those Participants who have elected to receive such payments in foreign or composite currencies, the Trustee will cancel such Global Note and deliver it to the Company with an appropriate debit advice. On the first Business Day of each month, the Trustee will deliver to the Company a written statement indicating the total principal amount of outstanding Global Notes as of the close of business on the immediately preceding Business Day. Manner of Payment. The total amount of any principal, premium, if any, and interest due on Global Notes on any Interest Payment Date or the Maturity Date, as the case may be, which is payable in U.S. dollars shall be paid by the Company to the Trustee in funds available for use by the Trustee no later than 10:00 a.m., New York City time, on such date. The Company will make such payment on such Global Notes to an account specified by the Trustee. Upon receipt of such funds, the Trustee will pay by separate wire transfer (using Fedwire message entry instructions in a form previously specified by DTC) to an account at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York previously specified by DTC, in funds available for immediate use by DTC, each payment in U.S. dollars of principal, premium, if any, and interest due on Global Notes on such date. Thereafter on such date, DTC will pay, in accordance with its SDFS operating procedures then in effect, such amounts in funds available for immediate use to the respective Participants in whose names the beneficial interests in such Global Notes are recorded in the book-entry system maintained by DTC. Neither the Company nor the Trustee shall have any responsibility or liability for the payment in U.S. dollars by DTC of the principal of, or premium, if any, or interest on, the Global Notes. The Trustee shall make all payments of principal, premium, if any, and interest on each Global Note that Participants have elected to receive in foreign or composite currencies directly to such Participants. 16 Withholding Taxes. The amount of any taxes required under applicable law to be withheld from any interest payment on a Global Note will be determined and withheld by the Participant, indirect participant in DTC or other Person responsible for forwarding payments and materials directly to the beneficial owner of such Global Note. Settlement Procedures: Settlement Procedures with regard to each Note in book-entry form sold by the Agent, as agent of the Company, or purchased by the Agent, as principal, will be as follows: A. The Agent will advise the Company by telephone, confirmed by facsimile, of the following settlement information: 1. Principal amount, Authorized Denomination, and Specified Currency. 2. Exchange Rate Agent, if any. 3. (a) Fixed Rate Notes: (i) Interest Rate. (ii) Interest Payment Dates. (b) Floating Rate Notes: (i) Interest Rate Basis or Bases. (ii) Initial Interest Rate. (iv) Spread and/or Spread Multiplier, if any. (v) Interest Reset Dates. (vi) Interest Rate Reset Period. (vii) Interest Payment Dates. (viii) Interest Payment Period.
17 (ix) Record Dates. (x) Index Maturity, if any. (xi) Maximum and/or Minimum Interest Rates, if any. (xii) Day Count Convention. (xiii) Calculation Agent. 4. Price to public, if any, of such Note (or whether such Note is being offered at varying prices relating to prevailing market prices at time of resale as determined by the Agent). 5. Trade Date. 6. Settlement Date (Original Issue Date). 7. Stated Maturity Date. 8. Redemption provisions, if any, including: Redemption Date, Initial Redemption Percentage and Annual Redemption Percentage Reduction. 9. Optional Repayment Dates, if any. 10. Net proceeds to the Company. 11. The Agent's discount or commission. 12. Whether such Note is being sold to the Agent as principal or to an investor or other purchaser through the Agent acting as agent for the Company. 13. Whether such Note is being issued with Original Issue Discount and the terms thereof. 14. Such other information specified with respect to such Note (whether by Addendum or otherwise).
18 B. The Company will assign a CUSIP number to the Global Note representing such Note and then advise the Trustee by facsimile transmission or other electronic transmission of the above settlement information received from the Agent, such CUSIP number and the name of the Agent. The Company will also advise the Agent of the CUSIP number assigned to the Global Note. C. The Trustee will communicate to DTC and the Agent through DTC's Participant Terminal System a pending deposit message specifying the following settlement information: 1. The information set forth in the Settlement Procedure A. 2. Identification numbers of the participant accounts maintained by DTC on behalf of the Trustee and the Agent. 3. Identification of the Global Note as a Fixed Rate Global Note or Floating Rate Global Note. 4. Initial Interest Payment Date for such Note, number of days by which such date succeeds the related record date for DTC purposes (or, in the case of Floating Rate Notes which reset daily or weekly, the date five calendar days preceding the Interest Payment Date) and, if then calculable, the amount of interest payable on such Interest Payment Date (which amount shall have been confirmed by the Trustee). 5. CUSIP number of the Note representing such Note. 6. Whether such Global Note represents any other Notes issued or to be issued in book-entry form. DTC will arrange for each pending deposit message described above to be transmitted to Standard & Poor's Corporation, which will use the information in
19 the message to include certain terms of the related Global Note in the appropriate daily bond report published by Standard & Poor's Corporation. D. The Trustee will complete and authenticate the Global Note representing such Note. E. DTC will credit such Note to the participant account of the Trustee maintained by DTC. F. The Trustee will enter an SDFS deliver order through DTC's Participant Terminal System instructing DTC (i) to debit such Note to the Trustee's participant account and credit such Note to the participant account of the Agent maintained by DTC and (ii) to debit the settlement account of the Agent and credit the settlement account of the Trustee maintained by DTC, in an amount equal to the price of such Note less such Agent's discount or underwriting commission, as applicable. Any entry of such a deliver order shall be deemed to constitute a representation and warranty by the Trustee to DTC that (i) the Global Note representing such Note has been issued and authenticated and (ii) the Trustee is holding such Global Note pursuant to the Certificate Agreement. G. In the case of Notes in book-entry form sold through the Agent, as agent, the Agent will enter an SDFS deliver order through DTC's Participant Terminal System instructing DTC (i) to debit such Note to the Agent's participant account and credit such Note to the participant account of the Participants maintained by DTC and (ii) to debit the settlement accounts of such Participants and credit the settlement account of the Agent maintained by DTC in an amount equal to the initial public offering price of such Note. H. Transfers of funds in accordance with SDFS deliver orders described in Settlement Procedures F and G will be settled in accordance with SDFS operating procedures in effect on the Settlement Date. 20 I. Upon receipt, the Trustee will pay the Company, by wire transfer of immediately available funds to an account specified by the Company to the Trustee from time to time, the amount transferred to the Trustee in accordance with Settlement Procedure F. J. The Trustee will send a copy of the Global Note by first class mail to the Company together with a statement setting forth the principal amount of Notes Outstanding as of the related Settlement Date after giving effect to such transaction and all other offers to purchase Notes of which the Company has advised the Trustee but which have not yet been settled. K. If such Note was sold through the Agent, as agent, the Agent will confirm the purchase of such Note to the investor or other purchaser either by transmitting to the Participant with respect to such Note a confirmation order through DTC's Participant Terminal System or by mailing a written confirmation to such investor or other purchaser. Settlement Procedures Timetable: For offers to purchase Notes accepted by the Company, Settlement Procedures A through K set forth above shall be completed as soon as possible following the trade but not later than the respective times (New York City time) set forth below:
SETTLEMENT PROCEDURE TIME ---------- ---- A 11:00 a.m. on the trade date or within one hour following the trade B As soon as practicable following the trade, but in no event later than 12:00 noon on the Business Day following the trade date C No later than the close of business on the trade date D 9:00 a.m. on Settlement Date E 10:00 a.m. on Settlement Date F-G No later than 2:00 p.m. on Settlement Date H 4:00 p.m. on Settlement Date I-K 5:00 p.m. on Settlement Date
21 Settlement Procedure H is subject to extension in accordance with any extension of Fedwire closing deadlines and in the other events specified in the SDFS operating procedures in effect on the Settlement Date. If settlement of a Note issued in book-entry form is rescheduled or canceled, the Trustee will deliver to DTC, through DTC's Participant Terminal System, a cancellation message to such effect by no later than 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on the Business Day immediately preceding the scheduled Settlement Date. Failure to Settle: If the Trustee fails to enter an SDFS deliver order with respect to a Note issued in book-entry form pursuant to Settlement Procedure F, the Trustee may deliver to DTC, through DTC's Participant Terminal System, as soon as practicable a withdrawal message instructing DTC to debit such Note to the participant account of the Trustee maintained at DTC. DTC will process the withdrawal message, provided that such participant account contains a principal amount of the Global Note representing such Note that is at least equal to the principal amount to be debited. If withdrawal messages are processed with respect to all the Notes represented by a Global Note, the Trustee will mark such Global Note "canceled", make appropriate entries in its records and send certification of destruction of such canceled Global Note to the Company. The CUSIP number assigned to such Global Note shall, in accordance with CUSIP Service Bureau procedures, be canceled and not immediately reassigned. If withdrawal messages are processed with respect to a portion of the Notes represented by a Global Note, the Trustee will exchange such Global Note for two Global Notes, one of which shall represent the Global Notes for which withdrawal messages are processed and shall be canceled immediately after issuance and the other of which shall represent the other Notes previously represented by the surrendered Global Note and shall bear the CUSIP number of the surrendered Global Note. In the case of any Note in book-entry form sold through the Agent, as agent, if the purchase price for any such Note is not timely paid to the Participants with respect thereto by the beneficial investor or other purchaser thereof (or a person, including an indirect participant in DTC, acting on 22 behalf of such investor or other purchaser), such Participants and, in turn, the related Agent may enter SDFS deliver orders through DTC's Participant Terminal System reversing the orders entered pursuant to Settlement Procedures F and G, respectively. Thereafter, the Trustee will deliver the withdrawal message and take the related actions described in the preceding paragraph. If such failure shall have occurred for any reason other than default by the Agent to perform its obligations hereunder or under the Distribution Agreement, the Company will reimburse the Agent on an equitable basis for its reasonable loss of the use of funds during the period when the funds were credited to the account of the Company. Notwithstanding the foregoing, upon any failure to settle with respect to a Note in book-entry form, DTC may take any actions in accordance with its SDFS operating procedures then in effect. In the event of a failure to settle with respect to a Note that was to have been represented by a Global Note also representing other Notes, the Trustee will provide, in accordance with Settlement Procedure D, for the authentication and issuance of a Global Note representing such remaining Notes and will make appropriate entries in its records. PART III: PROCEDURES FOR CERTIFICATED NOTES Denominations: Unless otherwise provided in the applicable Pricing Supplement, the Certificated Notes will be issued in denominations of U.S.$1,000 and integral multiples of U.S.$1,000. Payments of Principal, Premium, if any, and Interest: Upon presentment and delivery of the Certificated Note, the Trustee upon receipt of immediately available funds from the Company will pay the principal of, premium, if any, and interest on, each Certificated Note on the Maturity Date in immediately available funds. All interest payments on a Certificated Note, other than interest due on the Maturity Date, will be made by check mailed to the address of the person entitled thereto as such address shall appear in the Security Register; provided, however, that Holders of $10,000,000 or more in aggregate principal amount of Certificated Notes (whether having identical or different terms and provisions) shall be entitled to receive such 23 interest payments by wire transfer of immediately available funds if appropriate wire transfer instructions have been received in writing by the Trustee not less than 15 calendar days prior to the applicable Interest Payment Date. The Trustee will provide monthly to the Company a list of the principal, premium, if any, and interest to be paid on Certificated Notes maturing in the next succeeding month. The Trustee will be responsible for withholding taxes on interest paid as required by applicable law. Certificated Notes presented to the Trustee on the Maturity Date for payment will be canceled by the Trustee. All canceled Certificated Notes held by the Trustee shall be destroyed, and the Trustee shall furnish to the Company a certificate with respect to such destruction. Settlement Procedures: Settlement Procedures with regard to each Certificated Note purchased by the Agent, as principal, or through the Agent, as agent, shall be as follows: A. The Agent will advise the Company by telephone of the following Settlement information with regard to each Certificated Note: 1. Exact name in which the Certificated Note(s) is to be registered (the "Registered Owner"). 2. Exact address or addresses of the Registered Owner for delivery, notices and payments of principal, premium, if any, and interest. 3. Taxpayer identification number of the Registered Owner. 4. Principal amount, Authorized Denomination and Specified Currency. 5. Exchange Rate Agent, if any. 6. (a) Fixed Rate Notes: (i) Interest Rate.
24 (ii) Interest Payment Dates. (b) Floating Rate Notes: (i) Interest Rate Basis or Bases. (ii) Initial Interest Rate. (iv) Spread and/or Spread Multiplier, if any. (v) Interest Reset Dates. (vi) Interest Rate Reset Period. (vii) Interest Payment Dates. (viii) Interest Payment Period. (ix) Record Dates. (x) Index Maturity, if any. (xi) Maximum and/or Minimum Interest Rates, if any. (xii) Calculation Agent. 7. Price to public of such Certificated Note (or whether such Note is being offered at varying prices relating to prevailing market prices at time of resale as determined by the Agent). 8. Trade Date. 9. Settlement Date (Original Issue Date). 10. Stated Maturity Date. 11. Redemption provisions, if any, including: Initial Redemption Date, Initial Redemption Percentage and Annual Redemption Percentage Reduction.
25 12. Optional Repayment provisions, if any. 13. Net proceeds to the Company. 14. The Agent's discount or commission. 15. Whether such Note is being sold to the Agent as principal or to an investor or other purchaser through the Agent acting as agent for the Company. 16. Whether such Note is being issued with Original Issue Discount and the terms thereof. 17. Such other information specified with respect to such Note (whether by Addendum or otherwise). B. After receiving such settlement information from the Agent, the Company will advise the Trustee of the above settlement information by facsimile transmission confirmed by telephone. The Company will prepare a Pricing Supplement to the Prospectus and deliver copies to the Agent and the Trustee and will cause the Trustee to issue, authenticate and deliver the Certificated Note. C. The Trustee will complete the Certificated Note in the form approved by the Company and the Agent, and will make three copies thereof (herein called "Stub 1", "Stub 2" and "Stub 3"): 1. Certificated Note with the Agent's confirmation, if traded on a principal basis, or the Agent's customer confirmation, if traded on an agency basis. 2. Stub 1 for Trustee. 3. Stub 2 for Agent. 4. Stub 3 for the Company. 26 D. With respect to each trade, the Trustee will deliver the Certificated Note and Stub 2 thereof to the Agent at the address set forth in the notice provisions of the Distribution Agreement or to an address otherwise designated by the Agent to the Trustee; and the Trustee will keep Stub 1. The Agent will acknowledge receipt of the Certificated Note through a broker's receipt and will keep Stub 2. Delivery of the Certificated Note will be made only against such acknowledgment of receipt. Upon determination that the Certificated Note has been authorized, delivered and completed as aforementioned, the Agent will wire the net proceeds of the Certificated Note after deduction of its applicable commission to the Company pursuant to standard wire instructions given by the Company. E. In the case of a Certificated Note sold through the Agent, as agent, the Agent will deliver such Certificated Note as well as a copy of the Prospectus and any applicable Pricing Supplement received from the Company (with the confirmation) to the purchaser against payment in immediately available funds. F. The Trustee will send Stub 3 to the Company. Settlement Procedures Timetable: For offers to purchase Certificated Notes accepted by the Company, Settlement Procedures A through F set forth above shall be completed as soon as possible following the trade but not later than the respective times (New York City time) set forth below:
SETTLEMENT PROCEDURE TIME --------- ---- A 11:00 a.m. on the trade date B 3:00 p.m. on the trade date C-D 2:15 p.m. on Settlement Date E 3:00 p.m. on Settlement Date F 5:00 p.m. on Settlement Date
Failure to Settle: In the case of Certificated Notes sold through the Agent, as agent, if an investor or other purchaser of a Certificated 27 Note from the Company shall either fail to accept delivery of or make payment for such Certificated Note on the date fixed for settlement, the Agent will forthwith notify the Trustee and the Company by telephone, confirmed in writing, and return such Certificated Note to the Trustee. The Trustee, upon receipt of such Certificated Note from the Agent, will immediately advise the Company and the Company will promptly arrange to credit the account of the Agent in an amount of immediately available funds equal to the amount previously paid to the Company by such Agent in settlement for such Certificated Note. Such credits will be made on the Settlement Date if possible, and in any event not later than the Business Day following the Settlement Date; provided that the Company has received notice on the same day. If such failure shall have occurred for any reason other than failure by such Agent to perform its obligations hereunder or under the Distribution Agreement, the Company will reimburse such Agent on an equitable basis for its reasonable loss of the use of funds during the period when the funds were credited to the account of the Company. Immediately upon receipt of the Certificated Note in respect of which the failure occurred, the Trustee will cancel and destroy such Certificated Note, make appropriate entries in its records to reflect the fact that such Certificated Note was never issued, and accordingly notify in writing the Company.
EX-8.1 4 OPINION AND CONSENT OF VINSON & ELKINS L.L.P. 1 EXHIBIT 8.1 May 18, 2000 Enron Corp. 1400 Smith Street Houston, Texas 77002-7369 Ladies and Gentlemen: We have acted as counsel to Enron in connection with its Medium Term Note Program. In connection with the opinion expressed below, we have examined the Registration Statement, the Prospectus, the documents incorporated by reference therein and such other documents and records as we have deemed necessary or advisable for purposes of the opinion expressed below. Based on the foregoing and subject to the qualifications and limitations set forth below and in the Prospectus, in our opinion, the discussion and legal conclusions set forth in the Prospectus under the caption "United States Federal Income Taxation" are accurate and complete in all material respects. Our opinion expressed above is based and conditioned upon the initial and continuing accuracy of the facts and assumptions set forth in the Prospectus and on the representations of management of Enron as to the existence of certain facts. Our opinion is also based on existing provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, regulations promulgated or proposed thereunder and interpretations thereof by the Internal Revenue Service and the courts, all of which are subject to change with prospective or retroactive effect, and such opinion could be adversely affected or rendered obsolete by any such change. We hereby consent to the references to this firm under the captions "United States Federal Income Taxation" in the Prospectus and to the filing of this opinion as an Exhibit to the Registration Statement. By giving such consent, we do not admit that we are within the category of person whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act or the rules and regulations of the Commission issued thereunder Very truly yours, /s/ VINSON & ELKINS L.L.P.
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