SEC Filing | QEP Resources, Inc.

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FORM S-3ASR

As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 27, 2012

Registration No. 333-

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM S-3

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER

THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

QEP RESOURCES, INC.

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)

Delaware

87-0287750

(State or Other Jurisdiction of

Incorporation or Organization)

(I.R.S. Employer

Identification Number)

1050 17^th Street, Suite 500

Denver, Colorado 80265

(303) 672-6900

(Address, Including Zip Code, and Telephone Number, Including Area Code, of Registrant’s Principal Executive Offices)

Abigail L. Jones

QEP Resources, Inc.

1050 17^th Street, Suite 500

Denver, Colorado 80265

(303) 672-6900

(Name, Address, Including Zip Code, and Telephone Number, Including Area Code, of Agent for Service)

Copies to:

Michael E. Dillard

Sean T. Wheeler

Latham & Watkins LLP

811 Main Street, Suite 3700

Houston, Texas 77002

(713) 546-5400

Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: From time to time after this registration statement becomes effective, as determined by market and other conditions.

If the only securities being registered on this Form are being offered pursuant to dividend or interest reinvestment plans, please check the following box. ¨

If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, other than securities offered only in connection with dividend or interest reinvestment plans, check the following box. x

If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ¨

If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ¨

If this Form is a registration statement pursuant to General Instruction I.D. or a post-effective amendment thereto that shall become effective upon filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 462(e) under the Securities Act, check the following box. x

If this Form is a post-effective amendment to a registration statement filed pursuant to General Instruction I.D. filed to register additional securities or additional classes of securities pursuant to Rule 413(b) under the Securities Act, check the following box. ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated file” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE



Title of Each Class of Securities to be Registered	Amount to be Registered/ Proposed Maximum Offering Price Per Unit /Proposed Maximum Aggregate Offering Price	Amount of Registration Fee (2)
Debt Securities	(1)	$ —
Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share	(1)	$ —

(1)	There is being registered hereunder an unspecified amount of Debt Securities and Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share, as may be sold, from time to time, by QEP Resources, Inc.

(2)	In accordance with Rules 456(b) and 457(r) under the Securities Act, the registrant is deferring payment of all of the registration fees in connection with this Registration Statement.

PROSPECTUS

LOGO

QEP RESOURCES, INC.

Debt Securities

Common Stock

We may offer, issue and sell, from time to time, our debt securities and common stock. We refer to our debt securities and common stock collectively as the “securities.” We will determine when we sell securities, the amount of securities we will sell and the prices and other terms on which we will sell them.

We will provide the specific terms of these securities in supplements to this prospectus. You should read this prospectus and the accompanying prospectus supplement carefully before you make your investment decision.

QEP Resources, Inc.’s common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the trading symbol “QEP.”

This prospectus may not be used to sell securities unless accompanied by a prospectus supplement or a free writing prospectus.

We may offer securities through underwriting syndicates managed or co-managed by one or more underwriters, or directly to purchasers. The prospectus supplement for each offering of securities will describe in detail the plan of distribution for that offering. For general information about the distribution of securities offered, please see “Plan of Distribution” in this prospectus.

Investing in our securities involves risks. Please read carefully the section entitled “Risk Factors” beginning on page 4 of this prospectus along with the risk factors included in our periodic reports and other information that we file with the Securities and Exchange Commission incorporated by reference in this prospectus.

Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or passed upon the adequacy or accuracy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

The date of this prospectus is February 27, 2012.

TABLE OF CONTENTS


	Page
About this Prospectus		1
Where You Can Find More Information		1
Incorporation by Reference		2
Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements		2
QEP Resources, Inc.		4
Risk Factors		4
Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges		4
Use of Proceeds		5
Description of Debt Securities		6
Description of Capital Stock		14
Plan of Distribution		20
Legal Matters		21
Experts		21

ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS

Unless otherwise stated or the context otherwise requires, references in this prospectus to “QEP,” “we,” “our,” or “us” refer to QEP Resources, Inc.

This prospectus is part of a registration statement that we filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which we refer to as the SEC, using a “shelf” registration process. Under this shelf registration process, we may, from time to time, sell debt securities, common stock or any combination of the securities, as described in this prospectus, in one or more offerings. This prospectus provides you with a general description of the securities we may offer. Each time we offer securities, we will provide one or more prospectus supplements that will contain specific information about the terms of the offering and the offered securities. A prospectus supplement may also add, update or change information contained in this prospectus. If there is any inconsistency between the information in this prospectus and any prospectus supplement, you should rely on the information in the prospectus supplement. You should read both this prospectus and any prospectus supplement together with additional information described under the heading “Where You Can Find More Information.”

You should rely only on the information contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus, any prospectus supplement or any free writing prospectus we may provide you. We have not authorized anyone to provide you with different information. If anyone provides you with different or inconsistent information, you should not rely on it. We are not making an offer to sell these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.

You should not assume that the information appearing in this prospectus, any accompanying prospectus supplement and the documents incorporated by reference are accurate as of any date subsequent to their respective dates.

WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION

We file reports and other information with the SEC (File No. 001-34778). These reports and other information can be read and copied at the SEC’s Public Reference Room at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549-0213. You can obtain copies of these materials from the Public Reference Section of the SEC, 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549, at prescribed rates. Please call the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330 for further information on the operation of the Public Reference Room. The SEC also maintains an internet site at http://www.sec.gov that contains reports, proxy and information statements and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC, including us.

This prospectus is part of a registration statement we have filed with the SEC relating to the securities we may offer. As permitted by SEC rules, this prospectus does not contain all of the information we have included in the registration statement and the accompanying exhibits and schedules we file with the SEC. You may refer to the registration statement, exhibits and schedules for more information about us and the securities. The registration statement, exhibits and schedules are available at the SEC’s Public Reference Room or through its internet site.

INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

The SEC allows us to “incorporate by reference” into this prospectus information that we file with them. This permits us to disclose important information to you by referring you to documents previously filed with the SEC. Any information incorporated by reference is considered part of this prospectus, and any information filed by us with the SEC subsequent to the date of this prospectus will automatically be deemed to update and supersede this information. We incorporate by reference (excluding information deemed to be furnished and not filed with the SEC) the following documents which we have filed with the SEC:

•

our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011, filed with the SEC on February 24, 2012;

•

our Proxy Statement for the 2011 annual meeting of stockholders filed with the SEC on April 7, 2011;

•

our Current Reports on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on February 14, 2012 and February 16, 2012; and

•

the description of our common stock set forth in the registration statement on Form 8-A filed with the SEC on June 15, 2010.

In addition, all documents filed by us pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), subsequent to the date of this filing and until we file a post-effective amendment that indicates the termination of the offering of the securities made by this prospectus shall be deemed to be incorporated in this prospectus and to be a part hereof from the date of filing of such documents with the SEC (other than any portions of any such documents that are not deemed “filed” under the Exchange Act in accordance with the Exchange Act and applicable SEC rules). Any statement contained in a document incorporated by reference into this prospectus shall be deemed to be modified or superseded for all purposes to the extent that a statement contained in this prospectus or in any other subsequently filed document that is also incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference, modifies or supersedes such statement. Any statement so modified or superseded shall not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to constitute a part of this prospectus.

You may request a copy of our filings, other than an exhibit to a filing unless that exhibit is specifically incorporated by reference into that filing, at no cost, by writing or calling us at QEP Resources, Inc., 1050 17^th Street, Suite 500 Denver, Colorado 80265 (telephone number (303) 672-6900).

SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This prospectus and the accompanying prospectus supplement may contain or incorporate by reference information that includes or is based upon “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and Section 21E of the Exchange Act. Forward-looking statements give expectations or forecasts of future events. You can identify these statements by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. They use words such as “anticipate,” “estimate,” “expect,” “project,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” and other words and terms of similar meaning in connection with a discussion of future operating or financial performance. Forward-looking statements include statements relating to, among other things:

•

our growth strategies;

•

plans to drill or participate in wells;

•

future expenses and operating costs;

•

our belief that we have one of the lowest cash cost structures among our peers;

•

the outcome of contingencies such as legal proceedings;

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expected contributions to our retirement plans;

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results from planned drilling operations and production operations;

•

the amount and allocation of forecasted capital expenditures and plans for funding capital expenditures;

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the impact of recently issued accounting pronouncements;

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the amount and timing of the settlement of derivative contracts;

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the significance of Adjusted EBITDA as a measure of cash flow and liquidity;

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our ability to use derivative instruments to manage commodity price risk;

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our ability to secure long-term gathering, processing and treating contracts from third parties as required to fully utilize our midstream assets;

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operation of our Black Forks II and other processing plants at assumed capacities;

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our ability to develop reserves and grow production as necessary to satisfy delivery commitments and our ability to purchase natural gas, crude oil and NGLs in the market to cover any shortfalls;

•

payments of dividends;

•

plans to hedge a portion of forecasted production;

•

the conversion of proved undeveloped reserves to proved developed reserves;

•

acquisition strategy; and

•

growth strategy.

Any or all forward-looking statements may turn out to be incorrect. They can be affected by inaccurate assumptions or by known or unknown risks and uncertainties. Many such factors will be important in determining our actual future results. These statements are based on current expectations and the current economic environment. They involve a number of risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict. These statements are not guarantees of future performance, and there are no guarantees about the performance of any securities offered by this prospectus. Actual results could differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements. Among factors that could cause actual results to differ materially are:

•

the risk factors discussed in this prospectus or listed from time to time in prospectus supplements or any document we incorporate by reference;

•

changes in natural gas, oil and NGL prices;

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general economic conditions, including the performance of financial markets and interest rates;

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drilling results;

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shortages of oilfield equipment, services and personnel;

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operating risks such as unexpected drilling conditions;

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weather conditions;

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changes in maintenance and construction costs, including possible inflationary pressures;

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changes in industry trends;

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the availability and cost of debt financing;

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changes in laws or regulations, including the implementation of the Dodd-Frank Act;

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actions, or inaction, by federal, state, local or tribal governments; and

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other factors, most of which are beyond our control.

We do not undertake any obligation to publicly correct or update any forward-looking statement if we later become aware that it is not likely to be achieved. You are advised, however, to consult any further disclosures we make on related subjects in reports filed with the SEC.

QEP RESOURCES, INC.

The Company

QEP Resources, Inc. is a holding company with three major lines of business — gas and oil exploration and production, midstream field services, and energy marketing — which are conducted through three principal subsidiaries:

•

QEP Energy Company (QEP Energy) acquires, explores for, develops and produces natural gas, oil, and natural gas liquids (NGL);

•

QEP Field Services Company (QEP Field Services) provides midstream field services, including natural gas gathering, processing, compression and treating services for affiliates and third parties; and

•

QEP Marketing Company (QEP Marketing) markets affiliate and third-party natural gas and oil, provides risk-management services, and owns and operates an underground gas-storage reservoir.

We operate in two principal regions in the United States of America: the Northern Region (formerly referred to as the Rocky Mountain Region) and the Southern Region (formerly referred to as the Midcontinent Region). We are headquartered in Denver, Colorado and our principal offices are located in Salt Lake City, Utah; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; and Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Principal Executive Offices

Our principal executive offices are located at 1050 17^th Street, Suite 500, Denver, Colorado 80265 and our telephone number is (303) 672-6900.

RISK FACTORS

Investment in any securities offered pursuant to this prospectus involves risks. You should carefully consider the risk factors incorporated by reference to our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, as updated by any subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q or Current Reports on Form 8-K that we have filed or will file, and all other information contained or incorporated by reference into this prospectus and the risk factors and other information contained in the applicable prospectus supplement before acquiring any of such securities. The occurrence of any of these risks might cause you to lose all or part of your investment in the offered securities. Please also refer to the section above entitled “Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements.”

RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES

Our ratio of earnings to fixed charges for the periods indicated is stated below. For purposes of this presentation, earnings represent income from continuing operations before income taxes adjusted for fixed charges, earnings and distributions of equity investees. Income before income taxes includes QEP’s share of pretax earnings of equity investees. Fixed charges consist of total interest charges (expensed and capitalized), amortization of debt issuance costs and losses from reacquired debt, and the interest portion of rental expense estimated at 50%.

Year Ended December 31,

2011

2010

2009

2008

2007

Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges(1)

5.4x

6.1x

5.6x

12.6x

17.5x

(1)

To the extent that the proceeds from any offering of debt securities registered on the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part will be used to repay any of our outstanding debt and will change the ratio of earnings to fixed charges by ten percent or greater, the applicable prospectus supplement will include a pro forma ratio for the most recent fiscal year and the latest interim period, if applicable, showing the application of the proceeds.

USE OF PROCEEDS

Unless otherwise set forth in a prospectus supplement, we plan to use the net proceeds from the sale of the securities by this prospectus to repay debt, to finance capital expenditures, and for general corporate purposes, including working capital.

DESCRIPTION OF DEBT SECURITIES

The debt securities covered by this prospectus will be our general unsecured obligations. The debt securities will be senior debt securities that we will issue under an indenture to be entered into between us and a trustee that we will name in a prospectus supplement (the “indenture”).

We have summarized the provisions of the indenture and the debt securities below. You should read the indenture for more details regarding the provisions we describe below and for other provisions that may be important to you. We have filed the form of the indenture with the SEC as exhibits to this registration statement, and we will include the final indenture and any other instrument establishing the terms of any debt securities we offer as exhibits to a filing we will make with the SEC in connection with that offering. Please read “Incorporation by Reference.”

In this summary description of debt securities, unless we state otherwise or the context clearly indicates, all references to “we,” “our,” or “us” refer QEP Resources, Inc. only and not its subsidiaries or affiliates.

General

The debt securities will constitute senior debt and will rank equally with all of our unsecured and unsubordinated debt. The indenture will not limit the amount of debt we may issue under the indenture, and, unless we inform you otherwise in a prospectus supplement, it will not limit the amount of other unsecured debt or securities we may incur or issue. We may issue debt securities under the indenture from time to time in one or more series, each in an amount we authorize prior to issuance.

Unless we inform you otherwise in a prospectus supplement, the indentures and the debt securities will not contain:

•

any covenants or other provisions designed to protect holders of the debt securities in the event we participate in a highly leveraged transaction or upon a change of control; or

•

provisions that give holders of the debt securities the right to require us to repurchase their securities in the event of a decline in our credit rating resulting from a takeover, recapitalization or similar restructuring or otherwise.

A prospectus supplement relating to any series of debt securities being offered will include specific terms relating to the offering. These terms will include some or all of the following:

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the title of the debt securities;

•

the total principal amount of the debt securities;

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the price or prices (expressed as a percentage of the principal amount) at which we will sell the debt securities;

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whether we will issue the debt securities in individual certificates to each holder or in the form of temporary or permanent global securities held by a depository on behalf of holders;

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the date or dates on which the principal of and any premium on the debt securities will be payable;

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any interest rate, the date from which interest will accrue, interest payment dates and record dates for interest payments;

•

whether and under what circumstances any additional amounts with respect to the debt securities will be payable;

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the place or places where payments on the debt securities will be payable;

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any provisions for optional redemption or early repayment;

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any sinking fund or other provisions that would obligate us to redeem, purchase or repay the debt securities prior to maturity;

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the dates on which, the price at which and the conditions (if any) under which we will repurchase debt securities at the option of the holders or the holders of debt securities;

•

the denominations in which we may issue the debt securities;

•

whether payments on the debt securities will be payable in foreign currency or currency units or another form, and whether payments on the debt securities will be payable by reference to any index or formula;

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the portion of the principal amount of the debt securities that will be payable if the maturity is accelerated, if other than the entire principal amount;

•

any additional means of defeasance of the debt securities, any additional conditions or limitations to defeasance of the debt securities or any changes to those conditions or limitations;

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any changes or additions to the events of default or covenants this prospectus describes;

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any restrictions or other provisions relating to the transfer or exchange of the debt securities;

•

any terms for the conversion or exchange of the debt securities for other securities issued by us; and

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any other terms of the debt securities (whether or not such other terms are consistent or inconsistent with any other terms described in the indenture and any deletions from or modifications or additions to the indenture in respect of such debt securities).

We may sell the debt securities at a discount, which may be substantial, below their stated principal amount. Those debt securities may bear no interest or may bear interest at a rate that at the time of issuance is below market rates.

Consolidation, Merger and Sale of Assets

The indenture generally will permit a consolidation or merger between us and another entity. It also will permit the sale by us of our assets substantially as an entirety. The indenture will provide that we may consolidate with another entity to form a new entity or merge into any other entity or transfer or dispose of our assets substantially as an entirety to any other entity only if:

•

the resulting or surviving entity expressly assumes the due and punctual payments of the principal of (and premium, if any) and interest on the debt securities and the performance of our covenants and obligations under the indenture and the debt securities;

•

immediately after giving effect to the transaction or series of related transactions, no default or event of default would occur and be continuing; and

•

we deliver an officer’s certificate and opinion of counsel, each stating that such transaction complies with the indenture.

Restrictive Covenant — Limitation on Liens

Subject to certain exceptions, we will not, and will not permit any subsidiary to, create, assume or suffer to exist, otherwise than in favor of us or a subsidiary, any mortgage, pledge, lien, encumbrance or security interest (collectively, “Liens”) upon any of our or a subsidiary’s properties or assets or upon any income or profits therefrom unless the debt securities shall be equally and ratably secured. This prohibition will not apply to:

•

Liens existing as of the date of the indenture;

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any purchase money mortgage or Lien created to secure all or part of the purchase price of any property (or to secure a loan made to us or any subsidiary to enable us or such subsidiary to acquire such property); provided that such Lien shall extend only to the property so acquired, improvements thereon, replacements thereof and the income or profits therefrom;

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Liens on any property at the time of the acquisition thereof, whether or not assumed by us or a subsidiary; provided that such Lien shall extend only to the property so acquired, improvements thereon, replacements thereof and income or profits therefrom;

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Liens on any property or any contract for the sale of any product or service, or any rights thereunder or any proceeds therefrom, acquired or constructed by us or a subsidiary and created within one year after the later of: (i) such acquisition or the completion of such construction, or (ii) the commencement of operation of the property; provided that such Lien shall extend only to the property so acquired or constructed, improvements thereon, replacements thereof and income or profits therefrom;

•

Liens on the property or assets, real, personal or mixed, of a subsidiary or of or upon or in any income or profits therefrom, which are outstanding at the time such subsidiary became a subsidiary;

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Liens created or assumed by us or a subsidiary on coal, geothermal, oil, natural gas, inert gas, other hydrocarbon or mineral properties owned or leased by us or a subsidiary to secure loans to us or a subsidiary for the purpose of developing such properties;

•

Liens on any investment (as defined in the indenture) of ours or that of a subsidiary in any person other than a subsidiary or on any security representing any investment of ours or a subsidiary;

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any Lien not otherwise permitted by the indenture, if, after giving effect to the creation or assumption of the proposed mortgage, pledge, Lien, encumbrance or security interest, the sum of (i) all indebtedness of us and our subsidiaries secured by Liens not otherwise permitted by the indenture and (ii) to the extent not included in (i), all attributable debt (as defined in the indenture) of us and our subsidiaries does not exceed 10% of our consolidated capitalization (as defined in the indenture);

•

any refunding or extension of maturity, in whole or in part, of any obligation or indebtedness secured by any Lien created, existing or assumed in accordance with the provisions set forth above, inclusive; provided that the principal amount of the obligation or indebtedness secured by such refunding or extended Liens shall not exceed the principal amount of the obligation or indebtedness then outstanding at the time of such refunding or extension, together with related refinancing costs, and that such refunding or extended Liens shall be limited in lien to the same property that secured the obligation or indebtedness refunded or extended, or property substituted therefor and property acquired after the date thereof and subject to the Lien thereof, in accordance with the provisions of such refunding or extension;

•

Liens upon any office equipment or data processing equipment (including, without limitation, computer and computer peripheral equipment) or any motor vehicles, tractors or trailers;

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Liens of or upon or in current assets of ours or a subsidiary, determined in accordance with GAAP, created or assumed to secure indebtedness incurred in the ordinary course of business;

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Liens that are payable, both with respect to principal and interest, solely out of the proceeds of natural gas, oil, coal, geothermal resources, inert gas, hydrocarbons or minerals to be produced from the property subject thereto and to be sold or delivered by us or a subsidiary;

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Liens to secure indebtedness incurred to finance advances made by us or any subsidiary to any third party for the purpose of financing oil, natural gas, hydrocarbon, inert gas or other mineral exploration or development; provided that such Liens shall extend only to our receivables or that of such subsidiary in respect of such advances;

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any rights reserved in others to take or reserve any part of the natural gas, oil, coal, geothermal resources, inert gas, other hydrocarbons or minerals produced at any time on any property of ours or a subsidiary of ours; and

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Liens which secure indebtedness of a subsidiary of ours or another subsidiary.

Also excepted from the general prohibition are various other liens, such as mechanics’ or materialmen’s liens, certain governmental liens, leases, certain judgment liens not in excess of $10,000,000, and certain liens arising in connection with leases (including pursuant to sale and leaseback transactions), easements and rights of way.

Unless an accompanying prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus states otherwise, the above restrictive covenant shall apply to each series of debt securities.

Events of Default

Unless we inform you otherwise in a prospectus supplement, the following will be events of default with respect to a series of debt securities:

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our failure to pay interest or any required additional amounts on any debt securities of that series for 30 days;

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our failure to pay principal of or premium (if any) on any debt securities of that series when due and payable;

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our failure to deposit any sinking fund payment for that series of debt securities when due for 30 days;

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our failure to comply with any of our covenants or agreements in, or provisions of, the debt securities of that series or the indenture (other than an agreement, covenant or provision that we have expressly included in that indenture solely for the benefit of other series of debt securities) for 90 days after written notice by the trustee or by the holders of at least 25% in principal amount of all the outstanding debt securities issued under that indenture that are affected by that failure;

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the occurrence of an event of default in other indebtedness of ours (including securities other than debt securities) which results in indebtedness in excess of $10,000,000 principal amount being due and payable prior to maturity, and such acceleration is not rescinded or annulled or such indebtedness is not discharged after written notice as provided in the indenture;

•

specified events involving our bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization; and

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any other event of default provided for that series of debt securities.

A default under one series of debt securities will not necessarily be a default under another series. The trustee may withhold notice to the holders of the debt securities of any default or event of default, except in any payment on the debt securities, if the trustee in good faith determines that withholding notice is in the interest of the holders of the debt securities.

If an event of default with respect to any debt securities of any series at the time outstanding (other than an event of default specified in the sixth bullet point above) occurs and is continuing, the trustee by notice to us, or the holders of at least 33¹/3% in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of the series affected by that default (or, in the case of an event of default described in the fourth bullet point above, if the outstanding debt securities of other series are affected by that default, then at least 33¹/3% in principal amount of the then outstanding Securities so affected voting as one class) by notice to us and the trustee, may declare the principal of (or, if any of those debt securities are original issue discount debt securities, that portion of the principal amount as may be specified in the terms of that series) and all accrued and all unpaid interest on all then outstanding debt securities of that series or of all series, as the case may be, to be due and payable. Upon any such declaration, the amounts due and payable on those debt securities shall be due and payable immediately. If an event of default specified in the sixth bullet point above occurs, those amounts shall ipso facto become and be immediately due and payable without any declaration, notice or other act on the part of the trustee or any holder. The holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of the series affected by that default, or all series, as the case may be, by written notice to the trustee may rescind an acceleration and its consequences (other than nonpayment of principal of or premium or interest on or any additional amounts with respect to the debt

securities) if the rescission would not conflict with any judgment or decree and if all existing events of default with respect to the debt securities of that series (or of all series, as the case may be) have been cured or waived, except nonpayment of principal, premium, interest or any additional amounts that has become due solely because of the acceleration.

A holder of a debt security of any series will be able to pursue any remedy under the indenture only if:

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the holder gives the trustee written notice of a continuing event of default for that series;

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the holders of at least 25% in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series make a written request to the trustee to pursue the remedy;

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the holder or holders offer to the trustee indemnity satisfactory to it against any loss, liability or expense;

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the trustee fails to act for a period of 90 days after receipt of notice and offer of indemnity; and

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during that 90-day period, the holders of a majority in principal amount of the debt securities of that series do not give the trustee a direction inconsistent with the request.

This provision will not, however, affect the right of a holder of a debt security to sue for enforcement of any overdue payment.

In most cases, holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of a series, or of all debt securities affected, voting as one class, will be able to direct the time, method and place of:

•

conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the trustee; and

•

exercising any trust or power conferred on the trustee not relating to or arising under an event of default.

The indenture will require us to file with the trustee each year a written statement as to our compliance with the covenants contained in that indenture.

Modification and Waiver

We may amend or supplement the indenture if the holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of all series issued under the indenture and affected by the amendment or supplement, acting as one class, consent to it. Without the consent of the holder of each debt security affected, however, no amendment or supplement may:

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reduce the amount of debt securities whose holders must consent to an amendment, supplement or waiver;

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reduce the rate of or change the time for payment of interest, including default interest, on any debt security;

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reduce the principal of, premium on or any mandatory sinking fund payment for any debt security;

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reduce the premium, if any, payable on the redemption of any debt security or change the time at which any debt security may or shall be redeemed;

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change any obligation to pay additional amounts on any debt security;

•

change the coin or currency or currencies (including composite currencies) in which any debt security or any premium, interest or additional amounts with respect thereto are payable;

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make the payments on any debt security payable in any currency or currency unit other than as the debt security originally states;

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impair the holder’s right to institute suit for the enforcement of any payment on any debt security;

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make any change in the percentage of principal amount of debt securities necessary to waive compliance with specified provisions of the indenture or to make any change in the indenture’s provisions for modification; or

•

waive a continuing default or event of default in the payment of principal of, premium (if any) or interest on or additional amounts with respect to the debt securities.

We and the trustee may agree to amend or supplement the indenture or waive any provision of the indenture without the consent of any holders of debt securities in some circumstances, including:

•

to cure any ambiguity, omission, defect or inconsistency;

•

to provide for uncertificated debt securities in addition to or in place of certificated debt securities or to provide for the issuance of bearer debt securities;

•

to comply with any requirement in order to effect or maintain the qualification of the indenture under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 or conform the indenture or the debt securities of any series to the description thereof contained in this prospectus, any applicable prospectus supplement, free writing prospectus, offering memorandum, term sheet or other offering document as evidenced by an officer’s certificate;

•

to add covenants that would benefit the holders of all or any series of debt securities (and if those covenants are to be for the benefit of less than all series of debt securities, stating that those covenants are expressly being included solely for the benefit of that series), or to surrender any rights we have under the indenture;

•

to add events of default with respect to all or any series of debt securities (and, if any such event of default is applicable to less than all series of debt securities, specifying the series to which that event of default is applicable);

•

to make any change that does not adversely affect any outstanding debt securities of any series in any material respect;

•

to establish the form or terms of the debt securities of any series as permitted by the indenture;

•

to secure the debt securities;

•

to facilitate the defeasance or discharge of any series of debt securities if that change does not adversely affect the holders of debt securities of that series or any other series under the indenture in any material respect; and

•

to provide for the acceptance of a successor or another trustee.

The holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of any series, or of all debt securities affected, voting as one class, may waive any existing or past default or event of default with respect to those debt securities. Those holders may not, however, waive any default or event of default in any payment on any debt security or compliance with a provision that cannot be amended or supplemented without the consent of each holder affected.

The consent of the holders is not necessary under the indenture to approve the particular form of any proposed amendment. It is sufficient if such consent approves the substance of the proposed amendment. After an amendment under an indenture becomes effective, we are required to mail to the holders of debt securities thereunder a notice briefly describing such amendment. However, the failure to give such notice to all such holders, or any defect therein, will not impair or affect the validity of the amendment.

Discharge and Defeasance

We will be discharged from all obligations under the indenture with respect to any series of debt securities, except for surviving obligations relating to any conversion rights, to register the transfer or exchange of the debt securities and to compensate the Trustee, its agents and counsel for fees and expenses due under the indenture, if:

•

all debt securities of the series previously authenticated and delivered under the relevant indenture have been delivered to the indenture trustee for cancellation; or

•

all debt securities of that series have become due and payable or will become due and payable within one year, at maturity or by redemption, and we irrevocably deposit with the trustee funds or government securities sufficient in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent public accountants to make payments on the debt securities of that series on the dates those payments are due.

To exercise our right to be discharged, we must deliver to the trustee an opinion of counsel and an officers’ certificate stating that all conditions precedent to the satisfaction and discharge of the indenture have been complied with.

In addition to our right of discharge described above, we may deposit with the trustee funds or government securities sufficient to make payments on the debt securities of a series on the dates those payments are due and payable, then, at our option, either of the following will occur:

•

we will be discharged from our obligations with respect to the debt securities of that series (“legal defeasance”); or

•

we will no longer have any obligation to comply with the restrictive covenants under the indenture, and the related events of default will no longer apply to us, but some of our other obligations under the indenture and the debt securities of that series, including our obligation to make payments on those debt securities, will survive (“covenant defeasance”).

If we defease a series of debt securities, the holders of the debt securities of the series affected will not be entitled to the benefits of the indenture, except for our obligations to:

•

replace stolen, lost or mutilated debt securities; and

•

maintain paying agencies and hold moneys for payment in trust.

Unless we inform you otherwise in a prospectus supplement, we will be required to deliver to the trustee an opinion of counsel that the deposit and related defeasance would not cause the holders of the debt securities to recognize income, gain or loss for United States federal income tax purposes. If we elect legal defeasance, that opinion of counsel must be based on a ruling from the United States Internal Revenue Service or a change in law to that effect.

Governing Law

The indenture and the debt securities will be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York, without regard to conflicts of laws principles thereof.

Trustee

If an event of default with respect to the debt securities of any series occurs and is continuing under any indenture, the trustee shall exercise such of the rights and powers vested in it by the indenture with respect to the debt securities of that series, and use the same degree of care and skill in that exercise, as a prudent person would exercise or use under the circumstances in the conduct of his own affairs. The trustee will become obligated to exercise any of its powers under the indenture at the request of any of the holders of any debt securities only after those holders have offered the trustee indemnity satisfactory to it.

The indenture will limit the right of the trustee, if it becomes one of our creditors, to obtain payment of claims or to realize on certain property received for any such claim, as security or otherwise. The trustee may engage in other transactions with us. If it acquires any conflicting interest, however, it must eliminate that conflict or resign.

Form, Exchange, Registration and Transfer

We will issue the debt securities in registered form, without interest coupons. We will not charge a service charge for any registration of transfer or exchange of the debt securities. We may, however, require the payment of any tax or other governmental charge payable for that registration.

Debt securities of any series will be exchangeable for other debt securities of the same series with the same total principal amount and the same terms but in different authorized denominations in accordance with the indenture. Holders may present debt securities for registration of transfer at the office of the security registrar or any transfer agent we designate. The security registrar or transfer agent will effect the transfer or exchange when it is satisfied with the documents of title and identity of the person making the request.

Unless we inform you otherwise in a prospectus supplement, we will appoint the trustee under the indenture as security registrar for the debt securities we issue under the indenture. If a prospectus supplement refers to any transfer agents initially designated by us, we may at any time rescind that designation or approve a change in the location through which any transfer agent acts. We will be required to maintain an office or agency for transfers and exchanges in each place of payment. We may at any time designate additional transfer agents for any series of debt securities or rescind the designation of any transfer agent.

In the case of any redemption, neither the security registrar nor the transfer agent will be required to register the transfer or exchange of any debt security:

•

during a period beginning 15 business days before the day of mailing of the relevant notice of redemption and ending on the close of business on that day of mailing; or

•

if we have called the debt security for redemption in whole or in part, except the unredeemed portion of any debt security being redeemed in part.

Payment and Paying Agents

Unless we inform you otherwise in a prospectus supplement, we will make payments on the debt securities in U.S. dollars at the office of the trustee or any paying agent we designate. At our option, we may make payments by check mailed to the holder’s registered address or, with respect to global debt securities, by wire transfer. Unless we inform you otherwise in a prospectus supplement, we will make interest payments to the person in whose name the debt security is registered at the close of business on the record date for the interest payment.

Unless we inform you otherwise in a prospectus supplement, we will designate the trustee under the indenture as our paying agent for payments on debt securities we issue under the indenture. We may at any time designate additional paying agents or rescind the designation of any paying agent or approve a change in the office through which any paying agent acts.

Subject to the requirements of any applicable abandoned property laws, the trustee and paying agent will repay to us upon written request any funds held by them for payments on the debt securities that remain unclaimed for two years after the date upon which that payment has become due. After repayment to us, holders entitled to those funds must look only to us for payment.

Book-Entry Debt Securities

We may issue the debt securities of a series in the form of one or more global debt securities that would be deposited with a depositary or its nominee identified in a prospectus supplement. We may issue global debt securities in either temporary or permanent form. We will describe in a prospectus supplement the terms of any depository arrangement and the rights and limitations of owners of beneficial interests in any global debt security.

DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STOCK

As of the date of this prospectus, we are authorized to issue up to 500,000,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.01 per share, and 10,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $0.01 per share.

The following summary is not complete and is not intended to give full effect to provisions of statutory or common law. You should refer to the applicable provisions of the following documents:

•

our restated certificate of incorporation, which is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to our Form 8-K dated May 24, 2010;

•

our bylaws, as amended and restated as of May 24, 2010, which are incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.2 to our Form 8-K dated May 24, 2010; and

•

the description of our common stock set forth in the registration statement on Form 8-A filed with the SEC on June 15, 2010.

Common Stock

Dividends. The holders of our common stock are entitled to receive dividends when, as and if declared by our board of directors, out of funds legally available for their payment subject to the rights of holders of any preferred stock outstanding.

Voting Rights. The holders of our common stock are entitled to one vote per share on all matters submitted to a vote of stockholders and do not have cumulative voting rights.

Rights Upon Liquidation. In the event of our voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up, the holders of our common stock will be entitled to share equally in any of our assets available for distribution after the payment in full of all debts and distributions and after the holders of all series of outstanding preferred stock have received their liquidation preferences in full.

Listing. Our common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “QEP.”

Transfer Agent and Registrar. The transfer agent and registrar for our common stock is Wells Fargo Shareowner Services, 161 N. Concord Exchange, South St. Paul, MN 55075-1139. Its phone number is (866) 877-6324.

Miscellaneous. The outstanding shares of our common stock are fully paid and nonassessable. The holders of our common stock are not entitled to preemptive or redemption rights. Shares of our common stock are not convertible into shares of any other class of capital stock.

Preferred Stock

Our certificate of incorporation authorizes our board of directors, without stockholder approval, to issue up to 10,000,000 shares of preferred stock in one or more series and to fix the designations, powers, preferences, rights and qualifications, limitations or restrictions of the preferred stock, including the number of shares constituting any series or the designation of a series, voting rights, dividend rights, terms of redemption, liquidation preference, sinking fund terms and conversion rights. Thus, our board of directors can issue preferred stock with rights that could adversely affect the voting power of the common stockholders.

For purposes of the rights plan described below, QEP’s board of directors has designated 500,000 shares of preferred stock to constitute the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock. That number of shares may be increased or decreased by resolution of the board of directors. QEP’s Series A preferred stock will be issuable only in connection with the exercise of rights under the rights plan. For a description of the rights plan, please read “— Stockholder Rights Plan.”

Anti-Takeover Provisions of QEP’s Charter and Bylaws

Our restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws contain certain provisions that could discourage potential takeover attempts and make it more difficult for our stockholders to change management or receive a premium for their shares.

Board Classification; Director Removal. Our certificate of incorporation and bylaws provide for our board of directors to be divided into three classes of directors, as nearly equal in number as possible, serving staggered terms. Approximately one-third of our board of directors will be elected each year. The initial term for our Class I directors expired in 2011 and our Class II and Class III directors will have initial terms expiring in 2012 and 2013, respectively. After the expiration of those initial terms, directors will serve three-year terms. Our board of directors currently consists of seven directors. The classified board provision in our certificate of incorporation and bylaws may be amended, altered or repealed only upon the affirmative vote of holders of 80% of the outstanding voting power entitled to vote generally in the election of directors, voting together as a single class.

Subject to the rights of the holders of any series of preferred stock then outstanding, any directors may be removed, but only for cause, at any special meeting of stockholders called for that purpose by the affirmative vote of the holders of 66²/3% of the voting power of our outstanding shares entitled to vote generally in the election of directors. Further, subject to the rights of the holders of any series of preferred stock, vacancies resulting from death, resignation, retirement, disqualification, removal from office or otherwise, and newly created directorships resulting from any increase in the number of authorized directors may be filled only by the affirmative vote of a majority of the remaining directors, though less than a quorum of directors. Any director so chosen will hold office until the term of office of the class for which that director was chosen expires and until such director’s successor has been duly elected and qualified.

Fair Price Provision. Our certificate of incorporation requires that business combinations between QEP and a related person be approved, subject to compliance with Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law (“DGCL”), an anti-takeover law, by the affirmative vote of the holders of not less than 80% of our outstanding voting power entitled to vote generally in the election of directors. For purposes of the certificate of incorporation, a related person is (i) any person who, along with its affiliates and associates, beneficially owns in the aggregate 10% or more of the outstanding shares of any class of our capital stock or (ii) the affiliates and associates of the foregoing. Additionally, under the certificate of incorporation a business combination includes:

•

any merger, consolidation or share exchange of QEP with or into a related person;

•

any sale, lease, exchange, transfer or other disposition of 20% of the fair market value of (1) our total assets to a related person or (2) a related person’s total assets to QEP;

•

subject to certain exceptions, any transaction which results in the issuance or transfer (1) by QEP of any of its stock to a related person or (2) by a related person of any of the related person’s stock to QEP;

•

any recapitalization or reclassification of our securities which increases the voting power of a related person;

•

the adoption of any plan or proposal of our liquidation or dissolution proposed by or on behalf of a related person; and

•

any agreement, plan, contract or other arrangement providing for any of the transactions described above.

The supermajority voting requirement for business combinations does not apply if either: (i) 66²/3% of the continuing directors approves the transaction or (ii) specified fair price and other conditions are met. A continuing director is a director who is unaffiliated with the related person and either (i) was in office before the related person became a related person or (ii) before the director’s initial election or appointment was designated as a continuing director by a majority of the then continuing directors.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event a business combination requires a stockholder vote under Section 203 of the DGCL, the business combination will not require a greater vote than that specified by Section 203.

Stockholder Action by Written Consent; Special Meetings. Our certificate of incorporation and bylaws provide that any action required or permitted to be taken by our stockholders at an annual or special meeting of stockholders may be taken without a meeting and without a vote, if a consent, setting forth the action so taken, is signed by the holders of outstanding stock having not less than the minimum number of votes required to authorize or take such action; provided, however that no action may be taken without a meeting or effected by a written consent at any time when QEP is the owner of less than all of the voting power of all outstanding shares of stock entitled to vote generally in the election of directors. The bylaws provide that special meetings of the stockholders can only be called by our chairman, president or a majority of our board of directors.

Advanced Notice Procedures of Director Nominations and Stockholder Proposals.

Annual Meetings of Stockholders

Our bylaws provide the manner in which stockholders may give notice of director nominations and other business to be brought before an annual meeting. In general, a stockholder may nominate a director or bring other business before an annual meeting if that stockholder (i) gives timely written notice of the nomination or other business to our secretary, (ii) is a stockholder of record on the date the stockholder gives notice and on the date of the meeting and (iii) is entitled to vote at the meeting.

To be timely, a stockholder’s notice must be delivered to or mailed and received at our principal executive offices not less than 90 nor more than 120 days prior to the first anniversary of the immediately preceding annual meeting. However, in the event that the date of the annual meeting is more than 30 days before or 60 days after the anniversary date, or in the case of the first annual meeting of stockholders following the effectiveness of the bylaws, the stockholder’s notice must be received not earlier than the close of business on the 120^th day prior to the annual meeting and not later than the close of business on the later of the 90^th day prior to the annual meeting or, if the first public announcement of the date of the annual meeting is less than 100 days prior to the date of the annual meeting, the tenth day following the day on which we publicly announce the date of the meeting.

To be in proper form, the stockholder’s notice must set forth, among other things:

•

the name and record address of the stockholder;

•

the class or series and number of shares that are owned of record and beneficially by the stockholder proposing the nomination or other business;

•

a brief description of the business proposed to be brought before the meeting and the reason for conducting the business;

•

as to each proposed director nominee, if any (i) all information regarding the proposed nominee as would be required to be disclosed in a proxy statement or other filings required to be made in connection with solicitations of proxies for election of directors in a contested election pursuant to the proxy rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission (including the consent of the proposed nominee to be named in the proxy statement and to serve as a director if elected) and (ii) a description of all compensation and material monetary agreements during the past three years, and any other material relationships, between the stockholder, its affiliates and associates and other persons acting in concert with the stockholder, on the one hand, and the proposed nominee, his or her affiliates and associates and other persons acting in concert with the proposed nominee, on the other hand; and

•

if the stockholder intends to solicit proxies in support of the nomination or proposal, a representation to that effect.

Special Meetings of Stockholders

If our board of directors determines that directors are to be elected at a special meeting, stockholders may give notice of director nominations if that stockholder (i) gives timely written notice of the nomination to our secretary, (ii) is a stockholder of record on the date the stockholder gives notice and on the date of the meeting and (iii) is entitled to vote at the meeting. To be timely, a stockholder’s notice must be delivered to our secretary at our principal executive offices not earlier than the close of business on the 120^th day prior to the special meeting and not later than the close of business on the later of the 90^th day prior to the special meeting or, if the first public announcement of the date of the special meeting is less than 100 days prior to the date of the special meeting, the tenth day following the day on which we publicly announce the date of the meeting and of the nominees proposed by the board to be elected at the meeting. The stockholder’s notice must include the relevant information set forth above as to each proposed nominee.

Preferred Stock Issuances

In the event our board of directors does not approve of a proposed merger or tender offer, proxy contest or other attempt to gain control of QEP, the board may authorize the issuance of one or more series of preferred stock with voting or other rights and preferences which would impede the success of the transaction. The consent of common stockholders would not be required for any issuance of preferred stock in these situations. This authority may be limited by applicable law, our certificate of incorporation and the applicable rules of the stock exchange upon which our common stock is listed.

Amendment of Certificate of Incorporation

Any proposal to amend, alter, change or repeal any provision of our certificate of incorporation generally requires approval by our board of directors and a majority of the voting power of our outstanding shares entitled to vote generally in the election of directors. However, the affirmative vote of 80% of the outstanding voting power entitled to vote generally in the election of directors is required to approve any proposal to amend, alter, change or repeal the provisions of the certificate of incorporation relating to (i) the classification of the board of directors, removal of directors and filling of director vacancies; (ii) the amendment of our bylaws; (iii) business combinations with related persons; (iv) the limitation or elimination of directors’ liability to QEP and its stockholders; (v) stockholder action by written consent and (vi) the supermajority voting requirement to amend certain provisions of the certificate of incorporation.

Delaware Anti-Takeover Law

We are subject to Section 203 of the DGCL, an anti-takeover law. In general, the statute prohibits a publicly held Delaware corporation from engaging in a business combination with an “interested stockholder” for a period of three years after the date of the transaction in which the person became an interested stockholder. A “business combination” includes a merger, sale of 10% or more of a corporation’s assets and certain other transactions resulting in a financial benefit to the interested stockholder. For purposes of Section 203, an “interested stockholder” is defined to include any person that is:

•

the owner of 15% or more of the outstanding voting stock of the corporation;

•

an affiliate or associate of the corporation and was the owner of 15% or more of the corporation’s voting stock outstanding, at any time within three years immediately before the relevant date; and

•

an affiliate or associate of the persons described in the foregoing bullet points.

However, the above provisions of Section 203 do not apply if:

•

the corporation’s board approves the transaction that resulted in the stockholder becoming an interested stockholder before the date of that transaction;

•

after the completion of the transaction that resulted in the stockholder becoming an interested stockholder, that stockholder owned at least 85% of the corporation’s voting stock outstanding at the time the transaction commenced, excluding shares owned by the corporation’s officers and directors; or

•

on or subsequent to the date of the transaction, the business combination is approved by the corporation’s board and authorized at a meeting of the corporation’s stockholders by an affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of the outstanding voting stock not owned by the interested stockholder.

Stockholders may, by adopting an amendment to the corporation’s certificate of incorporation or bylaws, elect for the corporation not to be governed by Section 203, which amendment will generally be effective 12 months after adoption. Neither our restated certificate of incorporation nor our bylaws exempts us from the restrictions imposed under Section 203. It is anticipated that the provisions of Section 203 may encourage companies interested in acquiring us to negotiate in advance with our board.

Stockholder Rights Plan

Our board of directors adopted a stockholder rights plan on June 30, 2010. Generally, stockholder rights plans are designed to encourage potential acquirers to negotiate directly with the company’s elected board, which is in the best position to negotiate on behalf of all stockholders, evaluate the adequacy of any and all potential offers and protect stockholders against unfair and abusive takeover tactics. Stockholder rights plans may prevent abusive takeovers that include hostile tender offers made at less than fair price and partial and two-tiered offers that discriminate among the company’s stockholders. Because a stockholder rights plan can be an effective tool in a hostile takeover attempt, we believe the adoption of such a plan is appropriately within the scope of our responsibilities. Our board of directors and our stockholders approved a stockholder rights plan designed to prevent any potential acquirer from obtaining control of us without negotiating the terms of the transaction with our board of directors.

Under our stockholder rights plan, among other things, in the event of an acquisition of, or an announced tender offer for, 15% or more of our outstanding common stock, holders of our common stock will have been granted the right to purchase one one-thousandth of a share of our Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, par value $0.01 per share (the “Preferred Stock”), at an expected price of $225 per one one-thousandth of a share of the Preferred Stock, subject to adjustment. The rights will cause substantial dilution to a person or group that attempts to acquire us on terms not approved by a majority of our board of directors.

Although the stockholder rights plan is not intended to prevent acquisitions through negotiations with our board of directors, the existence of the stockholder rights plan may nevertheless discourage a third party from making a partial tender offer or otherwise attempting to obtain a substantial position in our equity securities or seeking to obtain control of us. To the extent any potential acquirers are deterred by our stockholder rights plan, the plan may have the effect of preserving incumbent directors and management in office or preventing acquisitions of us. Pursuant to an amendment dated February 14, 2012, the stockholder rights plan will expire on April 1, 2012 unless earlier redeemed, exchanged or terminated by us.

Limitation of Liability; Indemnification

Our certificate of incorporation contains certain provisions permitted under the DGCL relating to the liability of directors. These provisions eliminate a director’s personal liability for monetary damages resulting from a breach of fiduciary duty, except that a director will be personally liable:

•

for any breach of the director’s duty of loyalty to us or our stockholders;

•

for acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law;

•

under Section 174 of the DGCL relating to unlawful stock repurchases or dividends; and

•

for any transaction from which the director derives an improper personal benefit.

These provisions do not limit or eliminate our rights or those of any stockholder to seek non-monetary relief, such as an injunction or rescission, in the event of a breach of a director’s fiduciary duty. These provisions will not alter a director’s liability under federal securities laws.

Our amended and restated bylaws also provide that we must indemnify our directors and officers to the fullest extent permitted by Delaware law and that we must advance expenses, as incurred, to our directors and officers in connection with a legal proceeding to the fullest extent permitted by Delaware law, subject to very limited exceptions.

PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

We may sell the securities being offered by this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement or other offering materials:

•

to underwriters or dealers for resale to the public or to institutional investors;

•

directly to institutional investors; or

•

through agents to the public or to institutional investors.

In addition, we may enter into derivative or hedging transactions with third parties, or sell securities not covered by this prospectus to third parties in privately negotiated transactions. In connection with such a transaction, the third parties may sell securities covered by and pursuant to this prospectus and an applicable prospectus supplement. If so, the third party may use securities borrowed from us or others to settle such sales and may use securities received from us to close out any related short positions. We may also loan or pledge securities covered by this prospectus and an applicable prospectus supplement to third parties, who may sell the loaned securities or, in an event of default in the case of a pledge, sell the pledged securities pursuant to this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement.

The prospectus supplement with respect to each series of securities will state the terms of the offering of the securities, including:

•

the name or names of any underwriters or agents;

•

the purchase price of the securities and the proceeds to be received by us from the sale;

•

any underwriting discounts or agency fees and other items constituting underwriters’ or agents’ compensation;

•

any initial public offering price;

•

any discounts or concessions allowed or reallowed or paid to dealers; and

•

any securities exchange on which the securities may be listed.

If we use underwriters in the sale, the securities will be acquired by the underwriters for their own account and may be resold from time to time in one or more transactions, including:

•

negotiated transactions;

•

at a fixed public offering price or prices, which may be changed;

•

at market prices prevailing at the time of sale;

•

at prices related to prevailing market prices; or

•

at negotiated prices.

If dealers are utilized in the sale of offered securities, we will sell such offered securities to the dealers as principals. The dealers may then resell such offered securities to the public at varying prices to be determined by such dealers at the time of resale. The names of the dealers and the terms of the transaction will be set forth in the prospectus supplement relating to that transaction.

Offered securities may be sold directly by us to one or more institutional purchasers, or through agents designated by us from time to time, at a fixed price or prices, which may be changed, or at varying prices determined at the time of sale. Unless otherwise indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, any such agent will be acting on a best efforts basis for the period of its appointment.

As one of the means of direct issuance of offered securities, we may utilize the service of an entity through which it may conduct an electronic “dutch auction” or similar offering of the offered securities among potential purchasers who are eligible to participate in the auction or offering of such offered securities, if so described in the applicable prospectus supplement.

If so indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, we will authorize agents, underwriters or dealers to solicit offers from certain types of institutions to purchase offered securities from us at the public offering price set forth in such prospectus supplement pursuant to delayed delivery contracts providing for payment and delivery on a specified date in the future. Such contracts will be subject only to those conditions set forth in such prospectus supplement and such prospectus supplement will set forth the commission payable for solicitation of such contracts.

The securities may also be offered and sold, if so indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, in connection with a remarketing upon their purchase, in accordance with a redemption or repayment pursuant to their terms, or otherwise, by one or more remarketing firms, acting as principals for their own accounts or as agents for us. The applicable prospectus supplement will identify any remarketing firm and will describe the terms of its agreement, if any, with us and its compensation.

Unless otherwise stated in the applicable prospectus supplement, the obligations of the underwriters to purchase any securities will be conditioned on customary closing conditions and the underwriters will be obligated to purchase all of such series of securities, if any are purchased.

Underwriters, dealers, agents and remarketing firms may be entitled under agreements entered into with us to indemnification by us against certain civil liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act, or to contribution with respect to payments which the underwriters, dealers, agents and remarketing firms may be required to make. Underwriters, dealers, agents and remarketing agents may be customers of, engage in transactions with, or perform services in the ordinary course of business for us and/or our affiliates.

With respect to the debt securities, each series of debt securities will be a new issue of debt securities and will have no established trading market. The debt securities will not be listed on a national securities exchange. Any underwriters to whom securities are sold by us for public offering and sale may make a market in the securities, but such underwriters will not be obligated to do so and may discontinue any market making at any time without notice.

In compliance with the guidelines of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, or FINRA, the maximum compensation to be received by any FINRA member or independent broker/dealer may not be greater than 8% of the gross proceeds received by us for the sale of any securities pursuant to this prospectus.

LEGAL MATTERS

Unless otherwise indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, Latham & Watkins LLP, Houston, Texas will act as counsel to us.

EXPERTS

Our consolidated financial statements appearing in our Annual Report (Form 10-K) for the year ended December 31, 2011 (including the schedule appearing therein), have been audited by Ernst & Young LLP, independent registered public accounting firm, as set forth in their report thereon included therein, and incorporated herein by reference. Such financial statements are, and audited financial statements to be included in subsequently filed documents will be, incorporated herein in reliance upon the reports of Ernst & Young LLP pertaining to such financial statements (to the extent covered by consents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission) given on the authority of such firm as experts in accounting and auditing.

Certain information with respect to our natural gas and oil reserves has been derived from the reports of Ryder Scott Company L.P., independent reservoir engineering consultants, and has been included and incorporated by reference in this prospectus upon the authority of such firm as experts with respect to matters covered by such reports and in giving such reports.

PART II.

INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS

Item 14.

Other Expenses of Issuance and Distribution.

The following table sets forth the fees and expenses to be incurred by us in connection with the offering described in the registration statement.

		$000.00
Securities and Exchange Commission registration fee	$	*
Printing expenses		**
Legal fees and expenses		**
Accounting fees and expenses		**
Blue Sky fees and expenses		**
Rating Agency fees		**
Trustee’s fees and expenses		**
FINRA fees		75,500
Miscellaneous		**

Total	$	**

*	In accordance with Rules 456(b) and 457(r) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the registrant is deferring payment of all of the registration fees.

**	These fees are calculated based on the number of issuances and amount of securities offered and accordingly cannot be estimated at this time.

Item 15.

Indemnification of Officers and Directors.

Our amended and restated bylaws provide that we must indemnify to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law any person made, or threatened to be made, a party in any action, suit or proceeding (whether civil, criminal, administrative, arbitrative or investigative), by reason of the fact that he or she is or was one of our directors or officers or by reason of the fact that such director or officer, at our request, is or was serving as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation or of a partnership, joint venture, trust, enterprise or nonprofit entity. However, under our bylaws, except for proceedings to enforce the right to indemnification, we are not required to indemnify anyone in connection with any proceeding initiated by such person unless it was authorized by our board of directors.

Pursuant to Section 145 of the DGCL, we generally have the power to indemnify our current and former directors, officers, employees and agents against expenses and liabilities that they incur in connection with any suit to which they are, or are threatened to be made, a party by reason of their serving in such positions so long as they acted in good faith and in a manner they reasonably believed to be in, or not opposed to, our best interests, and with respect to any criminal action, they had no reasonable cause to believe their conduct was unlawful. The statute expressly provides that the power to indemnify or advance expenses authorized thereby is not exclusive of any rights granted under any charter provision, bylaw, agreement, vote of stockholders or disinterested directors, or otherwise, both as to actions in such person’s official capacity and as to action in another capacity while holding such office. We also have the power to purchase and maintain insurance for such directors and officers.

We maintain an insurance policy on behalf of our officers and directors pursuant to which (subject to the limits and limitations of such policy) the officers and directors are insured against certain expenses in connection with the defense of actions or proceedings, and certain liabilities which might be imposed as a result of such actions or proceedings, to which any of them is made a party by reason of being or having been a director or officer.

II-1

Item 16.

Exhibits.


Exhibit No.		Description of Exhibits
1.1**		Form of Underwriting Agreement.

2.1*		Agreement and Plan of Merger dated as of May 18, 2010, between Questar Market Resources, Inc., a Utah corporation, and QEP Resources, Inc., a Delaware corporation. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit No. 2.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 24, 2010.)

2.2*		Separation and Distribution Agreement, dated as of June 14, 2010, by and between Questar Corporation and QEP Resources, Inc. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit No. 2.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 16, 2010.)

4.1*		Certificate of Incorporation dated May 18, 2010. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit No. 3.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 24, 2010.)

4.2*		Amended and Restated Bylaws, deemed effective May 18, 2010. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit No. 2.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 24, 2010.)

4.3*		Certificate of Designations of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock of QEP Resources, Inc. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 2 of QEP Resources, Inc.’s Registration Statement on Form 8-A filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 30, 2010.)

4.4*		Rights Agreement, dated as of June 30, 2010, between QEP Resources, Inc. and Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., which includes the Form of Right Certificate as Exhibit B and the Summary of Rights to Purchase Preferred Stock as Exhibit C (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 1 of QEP Resources, Inc.’s Registration Statement on Form 8-A filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 30, 2010.), as amended by the First Amendment to Rights Agreement, dated as of February 14, 2012 (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 of QEP Resources, Inc.’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 14, 2012)

4.5*		Indenture dated as of March 1, 2001, between Questar Market Resources, Inc. (predecessor-in-interest to QEP Resources, Inc.) and Bank One, NA (predecessor-in-interest to Wells Fargo Bank, National Association), as Trustee, (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit No. 4.01 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 13, 2001.)

4.6*		Form of the Company’s 6.05% Notes due 2016. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.2 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 15, 2006.)

4.7*		Form of Officers’ Certificate setting forth the terms of the Company’s 6.05% Notes due 2016. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.3 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 15, 2006.)

4.8*		Form of the Company’s 6.80% Notes due 2018. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 1, 2008.)

4.9*		Form of Officers’ Certificate setting forth the terms of the Company’s 6.80% Notes due 2018. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.2 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 1, 2008.)

4.10*		Form of the Company’s 6.80% Notes due 2020. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on September 2, 2009.)

4.11*		Form of Officers’ Certificate setting forth the terms of the Company’s 6.80% Notes due 2020. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.2 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on September 2, 2009.)

II-2



4.12*		Officers’ Certificate, dated as of August 16, 2010 (including the form of the Company’s 6.875% Notes due 2021). (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 16, 2010.)

4.13		Form of Indenture

5.1		Opinion of Latham & Watkins LLP.

23.1		Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm.

23.2		Consent of Independent Petroleum Engineers and Geologists.

23.3		Consent of Latham & Watkins LLP (included in Exhibit 5.1).

25.1		Statement of Eligibility on Form T-1.

*	Exhibits so marked have been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission as part of the referenced filing and are incorporated herein by reference.

QEP will file as an exhibit to a Current Report on Form 8-K (i) any underwriting, remarketing or agency agreement relating to the debt or equity securities offered hereby, (ii) the instruments setting forth the terms of any debt securities and (iii) any additional required opinions of counsel with respect to the legality of the securities offered hereby.

Item 17.

Undertakings.

(a)	The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:

(1)

To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement:

(i)

To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933;

(ii)

To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in this registration statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than a 20 percent change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in the effective registration statement; and

(iii)

To include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to such information in this registration statement;

provided, however, that paragraphs (a)(1)(i), (a)(1)(ii) and (a)(1)(iii) of this section do not apply if the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in reports filed with or furnished to the Commission by the registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that are incorporated by reference in the registration statement, or is contained in a form of prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) that is part of the registration statement.

(2)

That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

II-3

(3)

To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering.

(4)

That, for purposes of determining liability under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser:

(i)

Each prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3) shall be deemed to be part of the registration statement as of the date the filed prospectus was deemed part of and included in the registration statement; and

(ii)

Each prospectus required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)(2), (b)(5), or (b)(7) as part of a registration statement in reliance on Rule 430B relating to an offering made pursuant to Rule 415(a)(1)(i), (vii), or (x) for the purpose of providing the information required by Section 10(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the earlier of the date such form of prospectus is first used after effectiveness or the date of the first contract of sale of securities in the offering described in the prospectus. As provided in Rule 430B, for liability purposes of the issuer and any person that is at that date an underwriter, such date shall be deemed to be a new effective date of the registration statement relating to the securities in the registration statement to which that prospectus relates, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof. Provided, however, that no statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into the registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such effective date, supersede or modify any statement that was made in the registration statement or prospectus that was part of the registration statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such effective date.

(5)

That, for the purpose of determining liability of the registrant under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser in the initial distribution of the securities:

The undersigned registrant undertakes that in a primary offering of securities of the undersigned registrant pursuant to this registration statement, regardless of the underwriting method used to sell the securities to the purchaser, if the securities are offered or sold to such purchaser by means of any of the following communications, the undersigned registrant will be a seller to the purchaser and will be considered to offer or sell such securities to such purchaser:

(i)

Any preliminary prospectus or prospectus of the undersigned registrant relating to the offering required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424;

(ii)

Any free writing prospectus relating to the offering prepared by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant or used or referred to by the undersigned registrant;

(iii)

The portion of any other free writing prospectus relating to the offering containing material information about the undersigned registrant or its securities provided by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant; and

(iv)

Any other communication that is an offer in the offering made by the undersigned registrant to the purchaser.

(b)

The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of the registrant’s annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan’s annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) that is incorporated by reference in the registration statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

(c)

Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act of 1933 and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such

II-4

director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act of 1933 and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

(d)

The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes to file an application for the purpose of determining the eligibility of the trustee to act under subsection (a) of Section 310 of the Trust Indenture Act (“Act”) in accordance with the rules and regulations prescribed by the Commission under section 305(b)(2) of the Act.

II-5

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-3 and has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Denver, State of Colorado, on the 27^th day of February, 2012.


QEP RESOURCES, INC.

By:		/s/ Charles B. Stanley
		Name: Charles B. Stanley
		Title: President and Chief Executive Officer

POWER OF ATTORNEY

Each person whose signature appears below hereby constitutes and appoints Charles B. Stanley and Richard J. Doleshek and each of them, his true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent with full power of substitution and resubstitution, for him in his name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign any and all amendments to this Registration Statement and any additional registration statement pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto, and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, and hereby grants to such attorney-in-fact and agent, full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done, as fully to all intents and purposes as he might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorney-in-fact and agent or his substitute or substitutes may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, this Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.


Signature	Title	Date

/s/ Keith O. Rattie	Chairman of the Board	February 27, 2012
Keith. O. Rattie

/s/ Charles B. Stanley	President, Chief Executive Officer and Director	February 27, 2012
Charles B. Stanley	(Principal Executive Officer)

/s/ Richard J. Doleshek	Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and	February 27, 2012
Richard J. Doleshek	Treasurer (Principal Financial Officer)

/s/ B. Kurtis Watts	Vice President and Controller (Principal Accounting	February 27, 2012
B. Kurtis Watts	Officer)

/s/ Phillips S. Baker, Jr.	Director	February 27, 2012
Phillips S. Baker, Jr.

/s/ L. Richard Flury	Director	February 27, 2012
L. Richard Flury

/s/ David A. Trice	Director	February 27, 2012
David A. Trice

/s/ Robert E. McKee III	Director	February 27, 2012
Robert E. McKee III

/s/ M. W. Scoggins	Director	February 27, 2012
M. W. Scoggins

II-6

EXHIBIT INDEX


Exhibit No.		Description of Exhibits
1.1**		Form of Underwriting Agreement.

2.1*		Agreement and Plan of Merger dated as of May 18, 2010, between Questar Market Resources, Inc., a Utah corporation, and QEP Resources, Inc., a Delaware corporation. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit No. 2.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 24, 2010.)

2.2*		Separation and Distribution Agreement, dated as of June 14, 2010, by and between Questar Corporation and QEP Resources, Inc. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit No. 2.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 16, 2010.)

4.1*		Certificate of Incorporation dated May 18, 2010. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit No. 3.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 24, 2010.)

4.2*		Amended and Restated Bylaws, deemed effective May 18, 2010. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit No. 2.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 24, 2010.)

4.3*		Certificate of Designations of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock of QEP Resources, Inc. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 2 of QEP Resources, Inc.’s Registration Statement on Form 8-A filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 30, 2010.)

4.4*		Rights Agreement, dated as of June 30, 2010, between QEP Resources, Inc. and Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., which includes the Form of Right Certificate as Exhibit B and the Summary of Rights to Purchase Preferred Stock as Exhibit C (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 1 of QEP Resources, Inc.’s Registration Statement on Form 8-A filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 30, 2010.), as amended by the First Amendment to Rights Agreement, dated as of February 14, 2012 (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 of QEP Resources, Inc.’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 14, 2012)

4.5*		Indenture dated as of March 1, 2001, between Questar Market Resources, Inc. (predecessor-in-interest to QEP Resources, Inc.) and Bank One, NA (predecessor-in-interest to Wells Fargo Bank, National Association), as Trustee, (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit No. 4.01 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 13, 2001.)

4.6*		Form of the Company’s 6.05% Notes due 2016. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.2 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 15, 2006.)

4.7*		Form of Officers’ Certificate setting forth the terms of the Company’s 6.05% Notes due 2016. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.3 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 15, 2006.)

4.8*		Form of the Company’s 6.80% Notes due 2018. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 1, 2008.)

4.9*		Form of Officers’ Certificate setting forth the terms of the Company’s 6.80% Notes due 2018. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.2 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 1, 2008.)

4.10*		Form of the Company’s 6.80% Notes due 2020. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on September 2, 2009.)

4.11*		Form of Officers’ Certificate setting forth the terms of the Company’s 6.80% Notes due 2020. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.2 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on September 2, 2009.)


4.12*		Officers’ Certificate, dated as of August 16, 2010 (including the form of the Company’s 6.875% Notes due 2021). (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 16, 2010.)

4.13		Form of Indenture

5.1		Opinion of Latham & Watkins LLP.

23.1		Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm.

23.2		Consent of Independent Petroleum Engineers and Geologists.

23.3		Consent of Latham & Watkins LLP (included in Exhibit 5.1).

25.1		Statement of Eligibility on Form T-1.

*	Exhibits so marked have been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission as part of the referenced filing and are incorporated herein by reference.

FORM OF INDENTURE

Exhibit 4.13

FORM OF INDENTURE

QEP RESOURCES, INC.

as Issuer

and

WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION

as Trustee

Indenture

Dated as of [ ], 20[ ]

Senior Debt Securities

QEP RESOURCES, INC.

Reconciliation and tie between Trust Indenture Act of 1939

and Indenture, dated as of [ ], 20[ ]


Section of Trust Indenture Act of 1939		Section(s) of Indenture
Section 310	(a)(1)	7.10
	(a)(2)	7.10
	(a)(3)	Not Applicable
	(a)(4)	Not Applicable
	(a)(5)	7.10
	(b)	7.08, 7.10
Section 311	(a)	7.11
	(b)	7.11
	(c)	Not Applicable
Section 312	(a)	2.07
	(b)	10.03
	(c)	10.03
Section 313	(a)	7.06
	(b)	7.06
	(c)	7.06
	(d)	7.06
Section 314	(a)	4.03, 4.04
	(b)	Not Applicable
	(c)(1)	10.04
	(c)(2)	10.04
	(c)(3)	Not Applicable
	(d)	Not Applicable
	(e)	10.05
Section 315	(a)	7.01(b)
	(b)	7.05
	(c)	7.01(a)
	(d)	7.01(c)
	(d)(1)	7.01(c)(1)
	(d)(2)	7.01(c)(2)
	(d)(3)	7.01(c)(3)
	(e)	6.11
Section 316	(a)(1)(A)	6.05
	(a)(1)(B)	6.04
	(a)(2)	Not Applicable
	(a)(last sentence)	2.11
	(b)	6.07
Section 317	(a)(1)	6.08

Note: This reconciliation and tie shall not, for any purpose, be deemed to be a part of the Indenture.

TABLE OF CONTENTS


		Page
ARTICLE I DEFINITIONS AND INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE			1
Section 1.01	Definitions		1
Section 1.02	Other Definitions		8
Section 1.03	Incorporation by Reference of Trust Indenture Act		8
Section 1.04	Rules of Construction.		8

ARTICLE II THE SECURITIES			9
Section 2.01	Amount Unlimited; Issuable in Series		9
Section 2.02	Denominations		11
Section 2.03	Forms Generally		12
Section 2.04	Execution, Authentication, Delivery and Dating		12
Section 2.05	Registrar and Paying Agent		14
Section 2.06	Paying Agent to Hold Money in Trust		14
Section 2.07	Holder Lists		15
Section 2.08	Transfer and Exchange		15
Section 2.09	Replacement Securities		15
Section 2.10	Original Issue Discount, Foreign-Currency Denominated and Treasury Securities		16
Section 2.11	Temporary Securities		16
Section 2.12	Cancellation		16
Section 2.13	Payments; Defaulted Interest		17
Section 2.14	Persons Deemed Owners		17
Section 2.15	Computation of Interest		17
Section 2.16	Global Securities; Book-Entry Provisions		17
Section 2.17	CUSIP Numbers		19

ARTICLE III REDEMPTION			20
Section 3.01	Applicability of Article		20
Section 3.02	Notice to the Trustee		20
Section 3.03	Selection of Securities To Be Redeemed		20
Section 3.04	Notice of Redemption.		20
Section 3.05	Effect of Notice of Redemption		21
Section 3.06	Deposit of Redemption Price		21
Section 3.07	Securities Redeemed or Purchased in Part		22
Section 3.08	Purchase of Securities		22
Section 3.09	Mandatory and Optional Sinking Funds		22
Section 3.10	Satisfaction of Sinking Fund Payments with Securities		22
Section 3.11	Redemption of Securities for Sinking Fund		23

ARTICLE IV COVENANTS			23
Section 4.01	Payment of Securities		23
Section 4.02	Maintenance of Office or Agency		24
Section 4.03	SEC Reports; Financial Statements		24
Section 4.04	Compliance Certificate		25
Section 4.05	Existence		25
Section 4.06	Waiver of Stay, Extension or Usury Laws		25


Section 4.07	Additional Amounts	26
Section 4.08	Limitation on Liens	26
Section 4.09	Waiver of Covenant	30
Section 4.10	Calculation of Original Issue Discount	30

ARTICLE V SUCCESSORS		30
Section 5.01	Limitations on Mergers, Consolidations and Other Transactions	30
Section 5.02	Successor Person Substituted	30

ARTICLE VI DEFAULTS AND REMEDIES		31
Section 6.01	Events of Default	31
Section 6.02	Acceleration	33
Section 6.03	Other Remedies	33
Section 6.04	Waiver of Defaults	34
Section 6.05	Control by Majority	34
Section 6.06	Limitations on Suits	34
Section 6.07	Rights of Holders to Receive Payment	35
Section 6.08	Collection Suit by Trustee	35
Section 6.09	Trustee May File Proofs of Claim	35
Section 6.10	Priorities	36
Section 6.11	Undertaking for Costs	36

ARTICLE VII TRUSTEE		37
Section 7.01	Duties of Trustee	37
Section 7.02	Rights of Trustee	38
Section 7.03	May Hold Securities	38
Section 7.04	Trustee’s Disclaimer	38
Section 7.05	Notice of Defaults	38
Section 7.06	Reports by Trustee to Holders	39
Section 7.07	Compensation and Indemnity	39
Section 7.08	Replacement of Trustee	40
Section 7.09	Successor Trustee by Merger, etc.	41
Section 7.10	Eligibility; Disqualification	42
Section 7.11	Preferential Collection of Claims Against Company	42

ARTICLE VIII DISCHARGE OF INDENTURE		42
Section 8.01	Termination of Company’s Obligations	42
Section 8.02	Application of Trust Money	46
Section 8.03	Repayment to Company	46
Section 8.04	Reinstatement	46

ARTICLE IX SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES AND AMENDMENTS		47
Section 9.01	Without Consent of Holders	47
Section 9.02	With Consent of Holders	48
Section 9.03	Compliance with Trust Indenture Act	49
Section 9.04	Revocation and Effect of Consents	50
Section 9.05	Notation on or Exchange of Securities	50
Section 9.06	Trustee to Sign Amendments, etc.	50


ARTICLE X MISCELLANEOUS		51
Section 10.01	Trust Indenture Act Controls	51
Section 10.02	Notices	51
Section 10.03	Communication by Holders with Other Holders	52
Section 10.04	Certificate and Opinion as to Conditions Precedent	52
Section 10.05	Statements Required in Certificate or Opinion	52
Section 10.06	Rules by Trustee and Agents	53
Section 10.07	Legal Holidays	53
Section 10.08	No Recourse Against Others	53
Section 10.09	Governing Law; Jury Trial Waiver	53
Section 10.10	No Adverse Interpretation of Other Agreements	53
Section 10.11	Successors	53
Section 10.12	Severability.	54
Section 10.13	Counterpart Originals	54
Section 10.14	Table of Contents, Headings, etc	54
Section 10.15	U.S.A. Patriot Act.	54
Section 10.16	Force Majeure.	54

iii

INDENTURE dated as of [ ], 20[__] between QEP Resources, Inc., a corporation duly organized and existing under the laws of the State of Delaware (herein called the “Company”), and Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, a national banking association, as trustee (herein called the “Trustee”).

The Company has duly authorized the execution and delivery of this Indenture to provide for the issuance from time to time of its debentures, notes or other evidences of indebtedness (herein called the “Securities”), to be issued in one or more series as in this Indenture provided.

All things necessary to make this Indenture a valid agreement of the Company, in accordance with its terms, have been done.

NOW, THEREFORE, THIS INDENTURE WITNESSETH:

For and in consideration of the premises and the purchase of the Securities by the Holders thereof, it is mutually agreed, for the equal and proportionate benefit of all Holders of the Securities or of series thereof, as follows:

ARTICLE I

DEFINITIONS AND INCORPORATION BY

REFERENCE

Section 1.01 Definitions.

“Additional Amounts” means any additional amounts required by the express terms of a Security or by or pursuant to a Board Resolution, under circumstances specified therein or pursuant thereto, to be paid by the Company with respect to certain taxes, assessments or other governmental charges imposed on certain Holders and that are owing to those Holders.

“Affiliate” of any specified Person means any other Person directly or indirectly controlling or controlled by, or under direct or indirect common control with, that specified Person. For purposes of this definition, “control” of a Person shall mean the power to direct the management and policies of that Person, directly or indirectly, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by contract or otherwise, and the terms “controlling” and “controlled” shall have meanings correlative to the foregoing.

“Agent” means any Registrar or Paying Agent.

“Attributable Debt” means, as of the date of determination, the present value of net rent for the remaining term of a capital lease, determined in accordance with GAAP, which is part of a Sale and Leaseback Transaction, including any periods for which the lessee has the right to renew or extend the lease. For purposes of the foregoing, “net rent” means the sum of capitalized rental payments required to be paid by the lessee, other than amounts required to be paid by the lessee for maintenance, repairs, insurance, taxes, assessments, energy, fuel, utilities and similar charges. In the case of a capital lease which is terminable by the lessee upon the payment of a penalty, such net amount shall also include the amount of such penalty, but no rent shall be considered to be required to be paid under such lease subsequent to the first date upon which it may be so terminated.

“Bankruptcy Law” means Title 11 of the United States Code or any similar federal, state or foreign law for the relief of debtors.

“Board of Directors” means the Board of Directors of the Company or any committee thereof duly authorized, with respect to any particular matter, to act by or on behalf of the Board of Directors of the Company.

“Board Resolution” means a copy of a resolution certified by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company to have been duly adopted by the Board of Directors and to be in full force and effect on the date of that certification, and delivered to the Trustee.

“Business Day” means any day that is not a Legal Holiday.

“Capital Stock” means, with respect to any Person, any and all shares, interests, rights to purchase (other than convertible or exchangeable Indebtedness), warrants, options, participations or other equivalents of or interests (however designated) in stock issued by that corporation.

“Company” means the Person named as the “Company” in the first paragraph of this instrument until a successor corporation shall have become such pursuant to the applicable provisions of this Indenture, and thereafter “Company” shall mean that successor corporation; provided, however, that for purposes of any provision contained herein which is required by the TIA, “Company” shall also mean each other obligor (if any) on the Securities of a series.

“Company Order” and “Company Request” mean, respectively, a written order or request signed in the name of the Company by an Officer of the Company, and delivered to the Trustee.

“Consolidated Capitalization” means, without duplication, the sum of (a) the principal amount of Consolidated Funded Debt of the Company and its Subsidiaries at the time outstanding, (b) the total capital represented by the capital stock of the Company and its Subsidiaries at the time outstanding, based, in the case of stock having par value, upon its par value, and in the case of stock having no par value, upon the value stated on the books of the Company or such Subsidiary, as the case may be, (c) the total amount of (or less the amount of any deficit in) retained earnings and paid-in capital of the Company and its Subsidiaries, (d) reserves for deferred federal and state income taxes arising from timing differences, and (e) Attributable Debt, all as shown on a consolidated balance sheet of the Company and its Subsidiaries prepared in accordance with GAAP; provided that in determining the consolidated retained earnings and paid-in capital of the Company and its Subsidiaries no effect shall be given to any unrealized write-up or write-down in the value of assets or any amortization thereof, except for accumulated provisions for depreciation, depletion, amortization and property retirement which shall have been created by charges made by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries on its books.

“Consolidated Funded Debt” means the Funded Debt of the Company and its Subsidiaries, consolidated in accordance with GAAP.

“Corporate Trust Office” of the Trustee means the office of the Trustee located at 707 Wilshire Blvd., 17^th Floor, Los Angeles, California 90017, Attention: Corporate Trust Department, and shall mean for Section 4.02, c/o Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, 625 Marquette Avenue, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55402, and as may be located at such other address as the Trustee may give notice to the Company.

“Default” means any event, act or condition that is, or after notice or the passage of time or both would be, an Event of Default.

“Depositary” means, with respect to the Securities of any series issuable or issued in whole or in part in global form, the Person specified pursuant to Section 2.01 hereof as the initial Depositary with respect to the Securities of that series, until a successor shall have been appointed and become such pursuant to the applicable provisions of this Indenture, and thereafter “Depositary” shall mean or include that successor.

“Dollar” or “$” means a dollar or other equivalent unit in such coin or currency of the United States as at the time shall be legal tender for the payment of public and private debt.

“Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and any successor statute, in each case as amended from time to time.

“Funded Debt” means all Indebtedness that will mature, pursuant to a mandatory sinking fund or prepayment provision or otherwise, and all installments of Indebtedness that will fall due, more than one year from the date of determination. In calculating the maturity of any Indebtedness, there shall be included the term of any unexercised right of the debtor to renew or extend such Indebtedness existing at the time of determination.

“GAAP” means generally accepted accounting principles in the United States, as in effect as of the date or time of any computation required hereunder from time to time.

“Global Security” of any series means a Security of that Series that is issued in global form in the name of the Depositary with respect thereto or its nominee.

“Government Obligations” means, with respect to a series of Securities, direct obligations of the government that issues the currency in which the Securities of the series are payable for the payment of which the full faith and credit of that government is pledged, or obligations of a Person controlled or supervised by and acting as an agency or instrumentality of that government, the payment of which is unconditionally guaranteed as a full faith and credit obligation by that government.

“Holder” means a Person in whose name a Security is registered on the books of the Registrar.

“Indebtedness” means all items of indebtedness for borrowed money (other than unamortized debt discount and premium) which would be included in determining total liabilities as shown on the liability side of a balance sheet prepared in accordance with GAAP as of the date as of which Indebtedness is to be determined, and shall include indebtedness for borrowed money (other than unamortized debt discount and premium) with respect to which the Company or any Subsidiary customarily pays interest secured by any mortgage, pledge or other lien or encumbrance of or upon, or any security interest in, any properties or assets owned by the Company or any Subsidiary, whether or not the Indebtedness secured thereby shall have been assumed, and shall also include guarantees of Indebtedness of others; provided that in determining Indebtedness of the Company or any Subsidiary there shall be included the

aggregate liquidation preference of all outstanding securities of any Subsidiary senior to its Common Stock that are not owned by the Company or a Subsidiary; and provided, further, that Indebtedness of any Person shall not include the following:

(a) any indebtedness evidence of which is held in treasury (but the subsequent resale of such indebtedness shall be deemed to constitute the creation thereof); or

(b) any particular indebtedness if, upon or prior to the maturity thereof, there shall have been deposited with a depository (or set aside and segregated, if permitted by the instrument creating such indebtedness), in trust, money (or evidence of such indebtedness as permitted by the instrument creating such indebtedness) in the necessary amount to pay, redeem or satisfy such indebtedness; or

(c) any indebtedness incurred to finance oil, natural gas, other hydrocarbon, inert gas or other mineral exploration or development to the extent that the issuer thereof has outstanding advances to finance oil, natural gas, hydrocarbon, inert gas or other mineral exploration or development, but only to the extent such advances are not in default; or

(d) any indebtedness incurred without recourse to the Company or any Subsidiary; or

(e) any indebtedness incurred to finance advance payments for gas (pursuant to take-or-pay provisions or otherwise), but only to the extent that such advance payments are pursuant to gas purchase contracts entered into in the normal course of business; or

(f) any amount (whether or not included in determining total liabilities as shown on the liability side of a balance sheet prepared in accordance with GAAP) representing capitalized rent under any lease; or

(g) any indirect guarantees or other contingent obligations in respect of indebtedness of other Persons, including agreements, contingent or otherwise, with such other Persons or with third parties with respect to, or to permit or assure the payment of, obligations of such other Persons, including, without limitation, agreements to purchase or repurchase obligations of such other Persons, to advance or supply funds to, or to invest in, such other Persons, or to pay for property, products or services of such other Persons (whether or not conveyed, delivered or rendered); demand charge contracts, through-put, take-or-pay, keep-well, make-whole or maintenance of working capital or similar agreements; or guarantees with respect to rental or similar periodic payments to be made by such other Persons.

“Indenture” means this Indenture as amended or supplemented from time to time pursuant to the provisions hereof, and includes the terms of a particular series of Securities established as contemplated by Section 2.01.

“Indexed Security” means a Security the terms of which provide that the principal amount thereof payable at Stated Maturity may be more or less than the principal face amount thereof at original issuance.

“Interest Payment Date,” when used with respect to any Security, shall have the meaning assigned to that term in the Security as contemplated by Section 2.01.

“Issue Date” means, with respect to Securities of a series, the date on which the Securities of that series are originally issued under this Indenture.

“Legal Holiday” means a Saturday, a Sunday or a day on which banking institutions in The City of New York, New York or a Place of Payment are authorized or obligated by law, regulation or executive order to remain closed.

“Maturity” means, with respect to any Security, the date on which the principal of that Security or an installment of principal becomes due and payable as therein or herein provided, whether at the Stated Maturity thereof, or by declaration of acceleration, call for redemption or otherwise.

“Officer” means the President, any Vice President, the Chief Financial Officer, the Treasurer, any Assistant Treasurer, the Controller, the Secretary or any Assistant Secretary of the Company.

“Officer’s Certificate” means a certificate signed by an Officer of the Company.

“Opinion of Counsel” means a written opinion from legal counsel who is reasonably acceptable to the Trustee. That counsel may be an employee of or counsel to the Company or the Trustee.

“Original Issue Discount Security” means any Security that provides for an amount less than the principal amount thereof to be due and payable on a declaration of acceleration of the Maturity thereof pursuant to Section 6.02.

“Outstanding”, when used with respect to Securities, means, as of the date of determination, all Securities theretofore authenticated and delivered under this Indenture, except:

(a) Securities theretofore cancelled by the Trustee or delivered to the Trustee for cancellation;

(b) Securities for whose payment or redemption (a) money in the necessary amount has been theretofore deposited with the Trustee or any Paying Agent (other than the Company) in trust or set aside and segregated in trust by the Company (if the Company shall act as its own Paying Agent) for the Holders of such Securities or (b) Government Obligations as contemplated by Section 8.01 in the necessary amount have been theretofore deposited with the Trustee in trust for the Holders of such Securities in accordance with Section 8.01; provided that, if such Securities are to be redeemed, notice of such redemption has been duly given pursuant to this Indenture or provisions therefor satisfactory to the Trustee has been made;

(c) any such Security with respect to which the Company has effected Legal Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance pursuant to Section 8.01 hereof; and

(d) Securities which have been paid pursuant to Section 2.09 or in exchange for or in lieu of which other Securities have been authenticated and delivered pursuant to this Indenture, other than any such Securities in respect of which there shall have been presented to the Trustee proof satisfactory to it that such Securities are held by a bona fide purchaser in whose hands such Securities are valid obligations of the Company; provided, however, that in determining whether

the Holders of the requisite principal amount of the Outstanding Securities have given any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent or waiver hereunder or are present at a meeting of Holders of Securities for quorum purposes, the principal amount of any Original Issue Discount Securities that shall be deemed to be Outstanding for such purposes shall be equal to the amount of the principal thereof that would be due and payable as of the date of such determination upon a declaration of acceleration of the maturity thereof pursuant to Section 6.02, the principal amount of a Security denominated other than in Dollars shall be deemed to be that amount of Dollars that could be obtained for such principal amount on the basis of the spot rate of exchange for such foreign currency or such currency unit as determined by the Company or by an authorized exchange rate agent, the principal amount of any Indexed Security that may be counted in making such determination and that shall be deemed Outstanding for such purpose shall be equal to the principal face amount of such Indexed Security at original issuance, unless otherwise provided in or pursuant to this Indenture, and Securities owned by the Company or any other obligor upon the Securities or any Affiliate of the Company or of such other obligor shall be disregarded and deemed not to be Outstanding, except that, in determining whether the Trustee shall be protected in relying upon any such request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent or waiver, only Securities which the Trustee knows to be so owned shall be so disregarded. Securities so owned which have been pledged in good faith may be regarded as Outstanding if the pledgee establishes to the satisfaction of the Trustee the pledgee’s right so to act with respect to such Securities and that the pledgee is not the Company or any other obligor upon the Securities or any Affiliate of the Company or of such other obligor.

“Person” means any individual, corporation, partnership, limited liability company, joint venture, incorporated or unincorporated association, joint stock company, trust, unincorporated organization or government or other agency or political subdivision thereof or other entity of any kind.

“Place of Payment” means, with respect to the Securities of any series, the place or places where, subject to the provisions of Section 4.02, the principal of, premium (if any) on and interest on the Securities of that series are payable as specified in accordance with Section 2.01.

“Principal” of a Security means the principal of the Security plus, when appropriate, the premium, if any, on the Security.

“Redemption Date” means, with respect to any Security to be redeemed, the date fixed for that redemption by or pursuant to this Indenture.

“Redemption Price” means, with respect to any Security to be redeemed, the price at which it is to be redeemed pursuant to this Indenture.

“Sale and Leaseback Transaction” means an arrangement in which the Company or a Subsidiary sells any of its property which was placed into service more than 120 days prior to such sale to a Person and leases it back from that Person within 180 days of the sale.

“SEC” means the Securities and Exchange Commission.

“Security” or “Securities” has the meaning stated in the preamble of this Indenture and more particularly means any Securities authenticated and delivered under this Indenture.

“Security Custodian” means, with respect to Securities of a series issued in global form, the Trustee for Securities of that series, as custodian with respect to the Securities of that series, or any successor entity thereto.

“Stated Maturity” means, when used with respect to any Security or any installment of principal thereof or interest thereon or any Additional Amounts with respect thereto, the date specified in that Security as the fixed date on which the principal of that Security or that installment of principal or interest is or such Additional Amounts are due and payable.

“Subsidiary” means a corporation more than 50% of the outstanding voting stock of which is owned, directly or indirectly, by the Company or by one or more other Subsidiaries, or by the Company and one or more other Subsidiaries. For the purposes of this definition, “voting stock” means stock that ordinarily has voting power for the election of directors, whether at all times or only so long as no senior class of stock has that voting power by reason of any contingency.

“TIA” means the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended (15 U.S.C. Sections 77aaa-77bbbb), as in effect on the date hereof.

“Trust Officer” shall mean, when used with respect to the Trustee, any officer within the corporate trust department of the Trustee, including any vice president, assistant vice president, assistant secretary, assistant treasurer, trust officer or any other officer of the Trustee who customarily performs functions similar to those performed by the Persons who at the time shall be such officers, respectively, or to whom any corporate trust matter is referred because of such person’s knowledge of and familiarity with the particular subject and who shall have direct responsibility for the administration of this Indenture.

“Trustee” means the Person named as such above until a successor replaces it in accordance with the applicable provisions of this Indenture, and thereafter “Trustee” means each Person who is then a Trustee hereunder, and if at any time there is more than one such Person, “Trustee” as used with respect to the Securities of any series means the Trustee with respect to Securities of that series.

“United States” means the United States of America (including the States and the District of Columbia) and its territories and possessions (including Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, Wake Island and the Northern Mariana Islands).

“United States Alien” means any Person who, for United States federal income tax purposes, is a foreign corporation, a nonresident alien individual, a nonresident alien or foreign fiduciary of an estate or trust, or a foreign partnership.

“U.S. Government Obligations” means Government Obligations with respect to Securities payable in Dollars.

“U.S.A. Patriot Act” means the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001, Pub. L. 107-56, as amended and signed into law October 26, 2001.

Section 1.02 Other Definitions.


Defined Term	Defined in Section
“Agent Members”		2.16
“Bankruptcy Custodian”		6.01
“Conversion Event”		6.01
“Covenant Defeasance”		8.01
“Event of Default”		6.01
“Exchange Rate”		2.10
“Judgment Currency”		6.10
“Legal Defeasance”		8.01
“Lien”		4.08
“Mandatory Sinking Fund Payment”		3.09
“Optional Sinking Fund Payment”		3.09
“Paying Agent”		2.05
“Registrar”		2.05
“Required Currency”		6.10
“Successor”		5.01

Section 10.3 Incorporation by Reference of Trust Indenture Act.

Whenever this Indenture refers to a provision of the TIA, the provision is incorporated by reference in and made a part of this Indenture. The following TIA terms used in this Indenture have the following meanings:

“Commission” means the SEC.

“indenture securities” means the Securities.

“indenture security holder” means a Holder.

“indenture to be qualified” means this Indenture.

“indenture trustee” or “institutional trustee” means the Trustee.

“obligor” on the indenture securities means the Company or any other obligor on the Securities.

All terms used in this Indenture that are defined by the TIA, defined by a TIA reference to another statute or defined by an SEC rule under the TIA have the meanings so assigned to them.

Section 1.04 Rules of Construction.

Unless the context otherwise requires:

(1) a term has the meaning assigned to it;

(2) an accounting term not otherwise defined has the meaning assigned to it in accordance with GAAP;

(3) “or” is not exclusive;

(4) words in the singular include the plural, and in the plural include the singular;

(5) provisions apply to successive events and transactions; and

(6) all references in this instrument to Articles and Sections are references to the corresponding Articles and Sections in and of this instrument.

ARTICLE II

THE SECURITIES

Section 2.01 Amount Unlimited; Issuable in Series.

The aggregate principal amount of Securities that may be authenticated and delivered under this Indenture is unlimited.

The Securities may be issued in one or more series. There shall be established in or pursuant to a Board Resolution, and set forth, or determined in a manner provided, in an Officer’s Certificate or in a Company Order, or established in one or more indentures supplemental hereto, prior to the issuance of Securities of any series:

(1) the title of the Securities of the series (which shall distinguish the Securities of the series from the Securities of all other series);

(2) if there is to be a limit, the limit on the aggregate principal amount of the Securities of the series that may be authenticated and delivered under this Indenture (except for Securities authenticated and delivered on registration of transfer of, or in exchange for, or in lieu of, other Securities of the series pursuant to Section 2.08, 2.09, 2.12, 2.16, 3.07 or 9.05 and except for any Securities that, pursuant to Section 2.04 or 2.16, are deemed never to have been authenticated and delivered hereunder); provided, however, that unless otherwise provided in the terms of the series, the authorized aggregate principal amount of that series may be increased before or after the issuance of any Securities of the series by a Board Resolution (or action pursuant to a Board Resolution) to that effect;

(3) whether any Securities of the series are to be issuable initially in temporary global form and whether any Securities of the series are to be issuable in permanent global form, as Global Securities or otherwise, and, if so, whether beneficial owners of interests in any such Global Security may exchange those interests for Securities of that series and of like tenor of any authorized form and denomination and the circumstances under which those exchanges may occur, if other than in the manner provided in Section 2.16, and the initial Depositary and Security Custodian, if any, for any Global Security or Securities of that series;

(4) (i) if other than provided herein, the Person to whom any interest on Securities of the series shall be payable, and (ii) the manner in which any interest payable on a temporary Global Security on any Interest Payment Date will be paid if other than in the manner provided in Section 2.13;

(5) the date or dates on which the principal of (and premium, if any, on) the Securities of the series is payable or the method of determination thereof;

(6) the rate or rates, or the method of determination thereof, at which the Securities of the series shall bear interest, if any, whether and under what circumstances Additional Amounts with respect to those Securities shall be payable, the date or dates from which that interest shall accrue, the Interest Payment Dates on which that interest shall be payable and the record date for the interest payable on any Securities on any Interest Payment Date;

(7) the place or places where, subject to the provisions of Section 4.02, the principal of, premium (if any) and interest on and any Additional Amounts with respect to the Securities of the series shall be payable;

(8) the period or periods within which, the price or prices (whether denominated in cash, securities or otherwise) at which and the terms and conditions on which Securities of the series may be redeemed, in whole or in part, at the option of the Company, if the Company is to have that option, and the manner in which the Company may exercise any such option, if different from those set forth herein;

(9) the obligation, if any, of the Company to redeem, purchase or repay Securities of the series pursuant to any sinking fund or analogous provisions or at the option of a Holder thereof and the period or periods within which, the price or prices (whether denominated in cash, securities or otherwise) at which and the terms and conditions on which Securities of the series shall be redeemed, purchased or repaid in whole or in part pursuant to that obligation;

(10) if other than denominations of $2,000 and any integral multiples of $1,000 thereof, the denomination in which any Securities of that series shall be issuable;

(11) if other than Dollars, the currency or currencies (including composite currencies) or the form, including equity securities, other debt securities (including Securities), warrants or any other securities or property of the Company or any other Person, in which payment of the principal of, premium (if any) and interest on and any Additional Amounts with respect to the Securities of the series shall be payable;

(12) if the principal of, premium (if any) or interest on or any Additional Amounts with respect to the Securities of the series are to be payable, at the election of the Company or a Holder thereof, in a currency or currencies (including composite currencies) other than that in which the Securities are stated to be payable, the currency or currencies (including composite currencies) in which payment of the principal, premium (if any), interest and any Additional Amounts with respect to Securities of that series as to which that election is made shall be payable, and the periods within which and the terms and conditions on which that election is to be made;

(13) if the amount of payments of principal, premium (if any), interest and any Additional Amounts with respect to the Securities of the series may be determined with reference to any commodities, currencies or indices, values, rates or prices or any other index or formula, the manner in which those amounts shall be determined;

(14) if other than the entire principal amount thereof, the portion of the principal amount of Securities of the series that shall be payable on declaration of acceleration of the Maturity thereof pursuant to Section 6.02;

(15) any additional means of satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture and any additional conditions or limitations to discharge with respect to Securities of the series pursuant to Article VIII or any modifications of or deletions from those conditions or limitations;

(16) any deletions or modifications of or additions to the Events of Default set forth in Section 6.01 or covenants of the Company set forth in Article IV pertaining to the Securities of the series;

(17) any restrictions or other provisions with respect to the transfer or exchange of Securities of the series, which may amend, supplement, modify or supersede those contained in this Article II;

(18) if the Securities of the series are to be convertible into or exchangeable for Capital Stock, other debt securities (including Securities), warrants, other equity securities or any other securities or property of the Company or any other Person, at the option of the Company or the Holder or on the occurrence of any condition or event, the terms and conditions for that conversion or exchange;

(19) if the Securities of the series are to be entitled to the benefit of Section 4.03(b); and

(20) any other terms of the Securities (whether or not such other terms are consistent or inconsistent with any other terms of this Indenture and any deletions from or modifications or additions to this Indenture with respect to such Securities).

All Securities of any one series shall be substantially identical except as to denomination and except as may otherwise be provided in or pursuant to the Board Resolution referred to above and (subject to Section 2.03) set forth, or determined in the manner provided, in the Officer’s Certificate or Company Order referred to above or in any such indenture supplemental hereto.

If any of the terms of the series are established by action taken pursuant to a Board Resolution, a copy of an appropriate record of that action together with that Board Resolution shall be set forth in an Officer’s Certificate or certified by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company and delivered to the Trustee at or prior to the delivery of the Officer’s Certificate or Company Order setting forth the terms of the series.

Section 2.02 Denominations.

The Securities of each series shall be issuable in such denominations as shall be specified as contemplated by Section 2.01. In the absence of any such provisions with respect to the Securities of any series, the Securities of that series denominated in Dollars shall be issuable in denominations of $2,000 and any integral multiples of $1,000 thereof.

Section 2.03 Forms Generally.

The Securities of each series shall be in fully registered form and in substantially the form or forms (including temporary or permanent global form) established by or pursuant to a Board Resolution or in one or more indentures supplemental hereto. The Securities may have notations, legends or endorsements required by law, securities exchange rule, the Company’s certificate of incorporation, bylaws or other similar governing documents, agreements to which the Company is subject, if any, or usage (provided that any such notation, legend or endorsement is in a form acceptable to the Company). A copy of the Board Resolution establishing the form or forms of Securities of any series shall be delivered to the Trustee at or prior to the delivery of the Company Order contemplated by Section 2.04 for the authentication and delivery of those Securities.

The definitive Securities of each series shall be printed, lithographed or engraved on steel engraved borders or may be produced in any other manner, all as determined by the Officers executing those Securities, as evidenced by their execution thereof.

The Trustee’s certificate of authentication shall be in substantially the following form:

“This is one of the Securities of the series designated therein referred to in the within-mentioned Indenture.


Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as Trustee

By:
		Authorized Signatory”.

Section 20.4 Execution, Authentication, Delivery and Dating.

An Officer of the Company shall sign the Securities of each series on behalf of the Company by manual or facsimile signature.

If an Officer of the Company whose signature is on a Security no longer holds that office at the time the Security is authenticated, the Security shall be valid nevertheless.

A Security shall not be entitled to any benefit under this Indenture or be valid or obligatory for any purpose until authenticated by the manual signature of an authorized signatory of the Trustee, which signature shall be conclusive evidence that the Security has been authenticated under this Indenture. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if any Security has been authenticated and delivered hereunder but never issued and sold by the Company, and the Company delivers that Security to the Trustee for cancellation as provided in Section 2.12 together with a written statement (which need not comply with Section 10.05 and need not be accompanied by an Opinion of Counsel) stating that such Security has never been issued and sold by the Company, for all purposes of this Indenture that Security shall be deemed never to have been authenticated and delivered hereunder and shall never be entitled to the benefits of this Indenture.

At any time and from time to time after the execution and delivery of this Indenture, the Company may deliver Securities of any series executed by the Company to the Trustee for authentication, and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver those Securities for original issue on a Company Order for the authentication and delivery of those Securities or pursuant to such procedures reasonably acceptable to the Trustee as may be specified from time to time by Company Order. That order shall specify the amount of the Securities to be authenticated, the date on which the original issue of Securities is to be authenticated, the name or names of the initial Holder or Holders and any other terms of the Securities of that series not otherwise determined. If provided for in those procedures, that Company Order may authorize (1) authentication and delivery of Securities of that series for original issue from time to time, with certain terms (including, without limitation, the Maturity date or dates, original issue date or dates and interest rate or rates) that differ from Security to Security and (2) may authorize authentication and delivery pursuant to oral or electronic instructions from the Company or its duly authorized agent, which instructions shall be promptly confirmed in writing.

If the form or terms of the Securities of the series have been established in or pursuant to one or more Board Resolutions as permitted by Section 2.01, in authenticating those Securities, and accepting the additional responsibilities under this Indenture in relation to those Securities, the Trustee shall receive (in addition to the Company Order referred to above and the other documents required by Section 10.04), and (subject to Section 7.01) shall be fully protected in relying on,

(a) an Officer’s Certificate setting forth the Board Resolution and, if applicable, an appropriate record of any action taken pursuant thereto, as contemplated by the last paragraph of Section 2.01; and

(b) an Opinion of Counsel to the effect that:

(i) if the form of those Securities has been established by or pursuant to Board Resolution, as is permitted by Section 2.01, that such form has been established in conformity with the provisions of this Indenture;

(ii) if the terms of those Securities have been established by or pursuant to Board Resolution, as is permitted by Section 2.01, that such terms have been established in conformity with the provisions of this Indenture; and

(iii) those Securities, when authenticated and delivered by the Trustee and issued by the Company in the manner and subject to any conditions specified in that Opinion of Counsel, will constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms, except as the enforceability thereof may be limited by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium, fraudulent conveyance or other similar laws in effect from time to time affecting the rights of creditors generally, and the application of general principles of equity (regardless of whether that enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law).

If all the Securities of any series are not to be issued at one time, it shall not be necessary to deliver an Officer’s Certificate and Opinion of Counsel at the time of issuance of each such Security, but that Officer’s Certificate and Opinion of Counsel shall be delivered at or before the time of issuance of the first Security of the series to be issued.

The Trustee shall not be required to authenticate those Securities if the issuance of those Securities pursuant to this Indenture would affect the Trustee’s own rights, duties or immunities under the Securities and this Indenture or otherwise in a manner not reasonably acceptable to the Trustee.

The Trustee may appoint an authenticating agent acceptable to the Company to authenticate Securities. Unless limited by the terms of that appointment, an authenticating agent may authenticate Securities whenever the Trustee may do so. Each reference in this Indenture to authentication by the Trustee includes authentication by that agent. An authenticating agent has the same rights as an Agent to deal with the Company or an Affiliate of the Company.

Each Security shall be dated the date of its authentication.

Section 2.05 Registrar and Paying Agent.

The Company shall maintain an office or agency for each series of Securities where Securities of that series may be presented for registration of transfer or exchange (“Registrar”) and an office or agency where Securities of that series may be presented for payment (“Paying Agent”). The Registrar shall keep a register of the Securities of that series and of their transfer and exchange. The Company may appoint one or more co-registrars and one or more additional paying agents. The term “Registrar” includes any co-registrar, and the term “Paying Agent” includes any additional paying agent.

The Company shall enter into an appropriate agency agreement with any Registrar or Paying Agent not a party to this Indenture. The agreement shall implement the provisions of this Indenture that relate to that Agent. The Company shall notify the Trustee in writing of the name and address of any Agent not a party to this Indenture. The Company may change any Paying Agent or Registrar without notice to any Holder. If the Company fails to appoint or maintain another entity as Registrar or Paying Agent, the Trustee shall act as such. The Company or any of its Subsidiaries may act as Paying Agent or Registrar.

The Company initially appoints the Trustee as Registrar and Paying Agent.

Section 2.06 Paying Agent to Hold Money in Trust.

With respect to each series of Securities, the Company shall require each Paying Agent other than the Trustee to agree in writing that the Paying Agent will hold in trust for the benefit of Holders of Securities of that series or the Trustee all money held by the Paying Agent for the payment of principal of, premium, if any, or interest on or any Additional Amounts with respect to Securities of that series and will notify the Trustee in writing of any default by the Company in making any such payment. While any such default continues, the Trustee may require a Paying Agent to pay all money held by it to the Trustee and to account for any funds disbursed. The Company at any time may require a Paying Agent to pay all money held by it to the Trustee and to account for any funds disbursed. Upon payment over to the Trustee and upon accounting for any funds disbursed, the Paying Agent (if other than the Company or a Subsidiary of the Company) shall have no further liability for the money. If the Company or a Subsidiary of the Company acts as

Paying Agent with respect to a series of Securities, it shall segregate and hold in a separate trust fund for the benefit of the Holders of Securities of that series all money held by it as Paying Agent. Each Paying Agent shall otherwise comply with TIA Section 317(b).

Section 2.07 Holder Lists.

The Trustee shall preserve in as current a form as is reasonably practicable the most recent list available to it of the names and addresses of Holders of each series of Securities and shall otherwise comply with TIA Section 312(a). If the Trustee is not the Registrar with respect to a series of Securities, the Company shall furnish to the Trustee at least five Business Days before each Interest Payment Date with respect to that series of Securities, and at such other times as the Trustee may request in writing, a list in such form and as of such date as the Trustee may reasonably require of the names and addresses of Holders of the Securities of that series, and the Company shall otherwise comply with TIA Section 312(a).

Section 2.08 Transfer and Exchange.

Except as set forth in Section 2.16 or as may be provided pursuant to Section 2.01, when Securities of any series are presented to the Registrar with the request to register the transfer of those Securities or to exchange those Securities for an equal principal amount of Securities of the same series of like tenor and of other authorized denominations, the Registrar shall register the transfer or make the exchange as requested if its requirements and the requirements of this Indenture for those transactions are met; provided, however, that the Securities presented or surrendered for registration of transfer or exchange shall be duly endorsed or accompanied by a written instruction of transfer in form reasonably satisfactory to the Registrar duly executed by the Holder thereof or by his attorney, duly authorized in writing, on which instruction the Registrar can rely.

To permit registrations of transfers and exchanges, the Company shall execute and the Trustee shall authenticate Securities at the Registrar’s written request and submission of the Securities (other than Global Securities). No service charge shall be made to a Holder for any registration of transfer or exchange (except as otherwise expressly permitted herein), but the Company may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any transfer tax or similar governmental charge payable in connection therewith (other than such transfer tax or similar governmental charge payable on exchanges pursuant to Section 2.11, 3.07 or 9.05). The Trustee shall authenticate Securities in accordance with the provisions of Section 2.04. Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Indenture to the contrary, the Company shall not be required to register the transfer or exchange of (a) any Security selected for redemption in whole or in part pursuant to Article III, except the unredeemed portion of any Security being redeemed in part or (b) any Security during the period beginning 15 Business Days before the mailing of notice of any offer to repurchase Securities of the series required pursuant to the terms thereof or of redemption of Securities of a series to be redeemed and ending at the close of business on the date of mailing.

Section 2.09 Replacement Securities.

If any mutilated Security is surrendered to the Trustee, or if the Holder of a Security claims that the Security has been destroyed, lost or stolen and the Company and the Trustee

receive evidence to their satisfaction of the destruction, loss or theft of that Security, the Company shall issue and the Trustee shall authenticate upon receipt of a Company Order a replacement Security of the same series if the Trustee’s requirements are met. If any such mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Security has become or is about to become due and payable, the Company in its discretion may, instead of issuing a new Security, pay that Security. The Holder must furnish an indemnity bond that is sufficient in the judgment of the Trustee and the Company to protect the Company, the Trustee, any Agent or any authenticating agent from any loss that any of them may suffer if a Security is replaced. The Company and the Trustee may charge the Holder for their expenses in replacing a Security.

Every replacement Security is an additional contractual obligation of the Company.

Section 2.10 Original Issue Discount, Foreign-Currency Denominated and Treasury Securities.

In determining whether the Holders of the required principal amount of Securities have concurred in any direction, amendment, supplement, waiver or consent, (a) the principal amount of an Original Issue Discount Security shall be the principal amount thereof that would be due and payable as of the date of that determination upon acceleration of the Maturity thereof pursuant to Section 6.02, (b) the principal amount of a Security denominated in a foreign currency shall be the Dollar equivalent, as determined by the Company by reference to the noon buying rate in The City of New York for cable transfers for that currency, as that rate is certified for customs purposes by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York (the “Exchange Rate”) on the date of original issuance of that Security, of the principal amount (or, in the case of an Original Issue Discount Security, the Dollar equivalent, as determined by the Company by reference to the Exchange Rate on the date of original issuance of that Security, of the amount determined as provided in (a) above), of that Security and (c) Securities owned by the Company or any other obligor on the Securities or any Affiliate of the Company or of that other obligor shall be disregarded, except that, for the purpose of determining whether the Trustee shall be protected in relying on any such direction, amendment, supplement, waiver or consent, only Securities that the Trustee actually knows are so owned shall be so disregarded.

Section 2.11 Temporary Securities.

Until definitive Securities of any series are ready for delivery, the Company may prepare and the Trustee shall authenticate temporary Securities. Temporary Securities shall be substantially in the form of definitive Securities, but may have variations that the Company considers appropriate for temporary Securities. Without unreasonable delay, the Company shall prepare and the Trustee shall authenticate upon receipt of a Company Order definitive Securities in exchange for temporary Securities. Until so exchanged, the temporary Securities shall in all respects be entitled to the same benefits under this Indenture as definitive Securities.

Section 2.12 Cancellation.

The Company at any time may deliver Securities to the Trustee for cancellation. The Registrar and the Paying Agent shall forward to the Trustee any Securities surrendered to them for registration of transfer, exchange, payment or redemption or for credit against any sinking fund payment. The Trustee shall cancel all Securities surrendered for registration of transfer,

exchange, payment, redemption, replacement or cancellation or for credit against any sinking fund. All canceled Securities held by the Trustee shall be disposed of in accordance with the usual disposal procedures of the Trustee, and the Trustee shall maintain a record of their disposal. The Company may not issue new Securities to replace Securities that have been paid or that have been delivered to the Trustee for cancellation.

Section 2.13 Payments; Defaulted Interest.

Unless otherwise provided as contemplated by Section 2.01 with respect to the Securities of any series, interest (except defaulted interest) on any Security that is payable, and is punctually paid or duly provided for, on any Interest Payment Date shall be paid to the Persons who are registered Holders of that Security at the close of business on the record date next preceding that Interest Payment Date, even if those Securities are canceled after that record date and on or before that Interest Payment Date. Unless otherwise provided with respect to the Securities of any series, the Company will pay the principal of, premium (if any) and interest on and any Additional Amounts with respect to the Securities in Dollars. Those amounts shall be payable at the offices of the Trustee, provided that at the option of the Company, the Company may pay those amounts (1) by wire transfer with respect to Global Securities or (2) by check payable in that money mailed to a Holder’s address as it appears in the register of Securities with respect to any Securities.

If the Company defaults in a payment of interest on the Securities of any series, it shall pay the defaulted interest in any lawful manner plus, to the extent lawful, interest on the defaulted interest, in each case at the rate provided in the Securities of that series and in Section 4.01. The Company may pay the defaulted interest to the Persons who are Holders on a subsequent special record date. At least 15 days before any special record date selected by the Company, the Company (or the Trustee, in the name of and at the expense of the Company upon 20 days’ prior written notice from the Company setting forth that record date and the interest amount to be paid) shall mail to Holders of any such series of Securities a notice that states the special record date, the related payment date and the amount of that interest to be paid.

Section 2.14 Persons Deemed Owners.

The Company, the Trustee, any Agent and any authenticating agent may treat the Person in whose name any Security is registered as the owner of that Security for the purpose of receiving payments of principal of, premium (if any) or interest on, or any Additional Amounts with respect to that Security and for all other purposes. None of the Company, the Trustee, any Agent or any authenticating agent shall be affected by any notice to the contrary.

Section 2.15 Computation of Interest.

Except as otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 2.01 for Securities of any series, interest on the Securities of each series shall be computed on the basis of a 360-day year comprising twelve 30-day months.

Section 2.16 Global Securities; Book-Entry Provisions.

If Securities of a series are issuable in global form as a Global Security, as contemplated by Section 2.01, then, notwithstanding clause (10) of Section 2.01 and the provisions of Section 2.02,

any such Global Security shall represent those of the outstanding Securities of that series as shall be specified therein and may provide that it shall represent the aggregate amount of outstanding Securities from time to time endorsed thereon and that the aggregate amount of outstanding Securities represented thereby may from time to time be reduced or increased, as appropriate, to reflect exchanges or redemptions. Any endorsement of a Global Security to reflect the amount, or any increase or decrease in the amount, of outstanding Securities represented thereby shall be made by the Trustee (i) in such manner and upon instructions given by such Person or Persons as shall be specified in that Security or in a Company Order to be delivered to the Trustee pursuant to Section 2.04 or (ii) otherwise in accordance with written instructions or such other written form of instructions as is customary for the Depositary for that Security, from that Depositary or its nominee on behalf of any Person having a beneficial interest in that Global Security. Subject to the provisions of Section 2.04 and, if applicable, Section 2.11, the Trustee shall deliver and redeliver any Security in permanent global form in the manner and upon instructions given by the Person or Persons specified in that Security or in the applicable Company Order. With respect to the Securities of any series that are represented by a Global Security, the Company authorizes the execution and delivery by the Trustee of a letter of representations or other similar agreement or instrument in the form customarily provided for by the Depositary appointed with respect to that Global Security. Any Global Security may be deposited with the Depositary or its nominee, or may remain in the custody of the Trustee or the Security Custodian therefor pursuant to a FAST Balance Certificate Agreement or similar agreement between the Trustee and the Depositary. If a Company Order has been, or simultaneously is, delivered, any instructions by the Company with respect to endorsement or delivery or redelivery of a Security in global form shall be in writing but need not comply with Section 10.05 and need not be accompanied by an Opinion of Counsel.

Members of, or participants in, the Depositary (“Agent Members”) shall have no rights under this Indenture with respect to any Global Security held on their behalf by the Depositary, or the Trustee or the Security Custodian as its custodian, or under that Global Security, and the Depositary may be treated by the Company, the Trustee or the Security Custodian and any agent of the Company, the Trustee or the Security Custodian as the absolute owner of that Global Security for all purposes whatsoever. Notwithstanding the foregoing, (i) the registered holder of a Global Security of any series may grant proxies and otherwise authorize any Person, including Agent Members and Persons that may hold interests through Agent Members, to take any action that a Holder of Securities of that series is entitled to take under this Indenture or the Securities of that series and (ii) nothing herein shall prevent the Company, the Trustee or the Security Custodian or any agent of the Company, the Trustee, or the Security Custodian from giving effect to any written certification, proxy or other authorization furnished by the Depositary or shall impair, as between the Depositary and its Agent Members, the operation of customary practices governing the exercise of the rights of a beneficial owner of any Security.

Notwithstanding Section 2.08, and except as otherwise provided pursuant to Section 2.01, transfers of a Global Security shall be limited to transfers of that Global Security in whole, but not in part, to the Depositary, its successors or their respective nominees. Interests of beneficial owners in a Global Security may be transferred in accordance with the rules and procedures of the Depositary. Securities of any series shall be transferred to all beneficial owners of a Global Security of that series in exchange for their beneficial interests in that Global Security if, and only if, either (1) the Depositary notifies the Company that it is unwilling or unable to continue

as Depositary for that Global Security or if the Depository ceases to be a clearing agency registered under the Exchange Act and, in either case, a successor Depositary is not appointed by the Company within 90 days of that notice, (2) an Event of Default has occurred with respect to that series and is continuing or (3) the Company, in its sole discretion, determines not to have the Securities of that series represented by a Global Security.

In connection with any transfer of a portion of the beneficial interests in a Global Security to beneficial owners pursuant to this Section 2.16, the Registrar shall reflect on its books and records the date and a decrease in the principal amount of the Global Security in an amount equal to the principal amount of the beneficial interest in the Global Security to be transferred, and the Company shall execute, and the Trustee on receipt of a Company Order for the authentication and delivery of Securities shall authenticate and deliver, one or more Securities of the same series of like tenor and amount.

In connection with the transfer of all the beneficial interests in a Global Security of any series to beneficial owners pursuant to this Section 2.16, the Global Security shall be deemed to be surrendered to the Trustee for cancellation, and the Company shall execute, and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver, to each beneficial owner identified by the Depositary in exchange for its beneficial interest in the Global Security, an equal aggregate principal amount of Securities of that series of authorized denominations.

Neither the Company nor the Trustee will have any responsibility or liability for any aspect of the records relating to, or payments made on account of, Securities by the Depositary, or for maintaining, supervising or reviewing any records of the Depositary relating to those Securities. Neither the Company nor the Trustee shall be liable for any delay by the related Global Security Holder or the Depositary in identifying the beneficial owners, and each such Person may conclusively rely on, and shall be protected in relying on, instructions from that Global Security Holder or the Depositary for all purposes (including with respect to the registration and delivery, and the respective principal amounts, of the Securities to be issued).

The provisions of the last sentence of the third paragraph of Section 2.04 shall apply to any Global Security if that Global Security was never issued and sold by the Company and the Company delivers to the Trustee the Global Security together with written instructions (which need not comply with Section 10.05 and need not be accompanied by an Opinion of Counsel) with regard to the cancellation or reduction in the principal amount of Securities represented thereby, together with the written statement contemplated by the last sentence of the third paragraph of Section 2.04.

Notwithstanding the provisions of Sections 2.03 and 2.14, unless otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 2.01 with respect to Securities of any series, payment of principal of and premium (if any) and interest on and any Additional Amounts with respect to any Global Security shall be made to the Person or Persons specified therein.

Section 2.17 CUSIP Numbers.

The Company in issuing the Securities may use “CUSIP” numbers (if then generally in use), and, if so, the Trustee shall use “CUSIP” numbers in notices of redemption as a convenience to Holders; provided that the Trustee shall have no liability for any defect in the “CUSIP” numbers as they appear on the any Security, notice or elsewhere, and, provided further that any such notice may state that no representation is made as to the correctness of such numbers either as printed on the Securities or as contained in any notice of a redemption and that reliance may be placed only on the other identification numbers printed on the Securities, and any such redemption shall not be affected by any defect in or omission of such numbers. The Company will promptly notify the Trustee in writing of any change in the “CUSIP” numbers.

ARTICLE III

REDEMPTION

Section 3.01 Applicability of Article.

Securities of any series that are redeemable before their Stated Maturity shall be redeemable in accordance with their terms and (except as otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 2.01 for Securities of any series) in accordance with this Article III.

Section 3.02 Notice to the Trustee.

If the Company elects to redeem Securities of any series pursuant to this Indenture, it shall notify the Trustee of the Redemption Date and principal amount of Securities of that series to be redeemed. The Company shall so notify the Trustee at least 40 days before the Redemption Date (unless a shorter notice shall be satisfactory to the Trustee) by delivering to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate stating that the redemption will comply with the provisions of this Indenture and of the Securities of that series. Any such notice may be canceled at any time prior to the mailing of that notice of redemption to any Holder of the Securities of that series and shall thereupon be void and of no effect.

Section 3.03 Selection of Securities To Be Redeemed.

If less than all the Securities of any series are to be redeemed (unless all of the Securities of that series of a specified tenor are to be redeemed), the particular Securities to be redeemed shall be selected at least 30 and not more than 60 days prior to the Redemption Date by the Trustee, from the outstanding Securities of that series (and tenor) not previously called for redemption, either by lot or by another method as the Trustee shall deem fair and appropriate in accordance with DTC procedures. That redemption may provide for the selection for redemption of portions (equal to the minimum authorized denomination for Securities of that series or any integral multiple thereof) of the principal amount of Securities of that series of a denomination larger than the minimum authorized denomination for Securities of that series or of the principal amount of Global Securities of that series.

The Trustee shall promptly notify the Company and the Registrar in writing of the Securities selected for redemption and, in the case of any Securities selected for partial redemption, the principal amount thereof to be redeemed.

For purposes of this Indenture, unless the context otherwise requires, all provisions relating to redemption of Securities of any series shall relate, in the case of any of the Securities redeemed or to be redeemed only in part, to the portion of the principal amount thereof which has been or is to be redeemed.

Section 3.04 Notice of Redemption.

Notice of redemption shall be given by first-class mail (in the case of notes held in book entry form, by electronic transmission), postage prepaid, mailed not less than 30 nor more than 60 days prior to the Redemption Date, to each Holder of Securities of a series to be redeemed, at the address of that Holder appearing in the register of Securities for that series maintained by the Registrar.

All notices of redemption shall identify the Securities to be redeemed and shall state:

(1) the Redemption Date;

(2) the Redemption Price;

(3) that, unless the Company defaults in making the payment of the Redemption Price, interest on Securities called for redemption ceases to accrue on and after the Redemption Date, and the only remaining right of the Holders of those Securities is to receive payment of the Redemption Price on surrender to the Paying Agent of the Securities redeemed;

(4) if any Security is to be redeemed in part, the portion of the principal amount thereof to be redeemed and that on and after the Redemption Date, on surrender for cancellation of that Security to the Paying Agent, a new Security or Securities in the aggregate principal amount equal to the unredeemed portion thereof will be issued without charge to the Holder;

(5) that Securities called for redemption must be surrendered to the Paying Agent to collect the Redemption Price and the name and address of the Paying Agent;

(6) that the redemption is for a sinking or analogous fund, if that is the case; and

(7) the CUSIP number, if any, relating to those Securities.

Notice of redemption of Securities to be redeemed at the election of the Company shall be given by the Company or, at the Company’s written request made not less than 45 days prior to the Redemption Date, by the Trustee in the name and at the expense of the Company.

Section 3.05 Effect of Notice of Redemption.

Once notice of redemption is mailed, Securities called for redemption become due and payable on the Redemption Date and at the Redemption Price. Upon surrender to the Paying Agent, those Securities called for redemption shall be paid at the Redemption Price, but interest installments whose maturity is on or prior to that Redemption Date will be payable on the relevant Interest Payment Dates to the Holders of record at the close of business on the relevant record dates specified pursuant to Section 2.01.

Section 3.06 Deposit of Redemption Price.

No later than 11:00 am New York City time on or prior to any Redemption Date, the Company shall deposit with the Trustee or the Paying Agent (or, if the Company is acting as its own Paying Agent, segregate and hold in trust as provided in Section 2.06) an amount of money in same day funds sufficient to pay the Redemption Price of, and (except if the Redemption Date shall be an Interest Payment Date) accrued interest on and any Additional Amounts with respect to, the Securities or portions thereof which are to be redeemed on that date, other than Securities or portions thereof called for redemption on that date which have been delivered by the Company to the Trustee for cancellation.

If the Company complies with the preceding paragraph, then, unless the Company defaults in the payment of that Redemption Price, interest on the Securities to be redeemed will cease to accrue on and after the applicable Redemption Date, whether or not those Securities are presented for payment, and the Holders of those Securities shall have no further rights with respect to those Securities except for the right to receive the Redemption Price on surrender of those Securities. If any Security called for redemption shall not be so paid on surrender thereof for redemption, the principal of and premium, if any, any Additional Amounts, and, to the extent lawful, accrued interest thereon shall, until paid, bear interest from the Redemption Date at the rate specified pursuant to Section 2.01 or provided in the Securities or, in the case of Original Issue Discount Securities, their initial yield to maturity.

Section 3.07 Securities Redeemed or Purchased in Part.

Upon surrender to the Paying Agent of a Security to be redeemed in part, the Company shall execute and the Trustee shall authenticate upon receipt of a Company Order and deliver to the Holder of that Security without service charge a new Security or Securities, of the same series and of any authorized denomination as requested by that Holder in aggregate principal amount equal to, and in exchange for, the unredeemed portion of the principal of the Security so surrendered that is not redeemed.

Section 3.08 Purchase of Securities.

Unless otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 2.01, the Company and any Affiliate of the Company may at any time purchase or otherwise acquire Securities in the open market or by private agreement. Any such acquisition shall not operate as or be deemed for any purpose to be a redemption of the indebtedness represented by those Securities. Any Securities purchased or acquired by the Company may be delivered to the Trustee for cancellation and, on that cancellation, the indebtedness represented thereby shall be deemed to be satisfied. Section 2.12 shall apply to all Securities so delivered.

Section 3.09 Mandatory and Optional Sinking Funds.

The minimum amount of any sinking fund payment provided for by the terms of Securities of any series is herein referred to as a “Mandatory Sinking Fund Payment,” and any payment in excess of the minimum amount provided for by the terms of Securities of any series is herein referred to as an “Optional Sinking Fund Payment.” Unless otherwise provided by the terms of Securities of any series, the cash amount of any sinking fund payment may be subject to reduction as provided in Section 3.10. Each sinking fund payment shall be applied to the redemption of Securities of any series as provided for by the terms of Securities of that series and by this Article III.

Section 3.10 Satisfaction of Sinking Fund Payments with Securities.

The Company may deliver outstanding Securities of a series (other than any previously called for redemption) and may apply as a credit Securities of a series that have been redeemed either at the election of the Company pursuant to the terms of those Securities or through the application of permitted Optional Sinking Fund Payments pursuant to the terms of those Securities, in each case in satisfaction of all or any part of any sinking fund payment with respect to the Securities of that series required to be made pursuant to the terms of that series of

Securities; provided that those Securities have not been previously so credited. Those Securities shall be received and credited for that purpose by the Trustee at the Redemption Price specified in those Securities for redemption through operation of the sinking fund, and the amount of that sinking fund payment shall be reduced accordingly.

Section 3.11 Redemption of Securities for Sinking Fund.

Not less than 45 days prior (unless a shorter period shall be satisfactory to the Trustee) to each sinking fund payment date for any series of Securities, the Company will deliver to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate of the Company specifying the amount of the next ensuing sinking fund payment for that series pursuant to the terms of that series, the portion thereof, if any, that is to be satisfied by payment of cash and the portion thereof, if any, that is to be satisfied by delivery of or by crediting Securities of that series pursuant to Section 3.10 and will also deliver to the Trustee any Securities to be so delivered. Failure of the Company to timely deliver that Officer’s Certificate and Securities specified in this paragraph, if any, shall not constitute a default but shall constitute the election of the Company (i) that the Mandatory Sinking Fund Payment for that series due on the next succeeding sinking fund payment date shall be paid entirely in cash without the option to deliver or credit Securities of that series in respect thereof and (ii) that the Company will make no Optional Sinking Fund Payment with respect to that series as provided in this Section.

If the sinking fund payment or payments (mandatory or optional or both) to be made in cash on the next succeeding sinking fund payment date plus any unused balance of any preceding sinking fund payments made in cash shall exceed $100,000 (or the Dollar equivalent thereof based on the applicable Exchange Rate on the date of original issue of the applicable Securities) or a lesser sum if the Company shall so request with respect to the Securities of any particular series, that cash shall be applied on the next succeeding sinking fund payment date to the redemption of Securities of that series at the sinking fund redemption price together with accrued interest to the date fixed for redemption. If that amount shall be $100,000 (or the Dollar equivalent thereof as aforesaid) or less and the Company makes no such request, then it shall be carried over until a sum in excess of $100,000 (or the Dollar equivalent thereof as aforesaid) is available. Not less than 30 days before each such sinking fund payment date, the Trustee shall select the Securities to be redeemed on that sinking fund payment date in the manner specified in Section 3.03 and cause notice of the redemption thereof to be given in the name of and at the expense of the Company in the manner provided in Section 3.04. That notice having been duly given, the redemption of those Securities shall be made on the terms and in the manner stated in Sections 3.05, 3.06 and 3.07.

ARTICLE IV

COVENANTS

Section 4.01 Payment of Securities.

The Company shall pay no later than 11:00 am New York City time, the principal of, premium (if any) and interest on and any Additional Amounts with respect to the Securities of each series on the dates and in the manner provided in the Securities of that series and in this Indenture. Principal, premium, interest and any Additional Amounts shall be considered paid on the date due if the Paying Agent, other than the Company or a Subsidiary of the Company, holds on that date money deposited by the Company designated for and sufficient to pay all principal, premium (if any), interest and any Additional Amounts then due.

The Company shall pay interest (including post-petition interest in any proceeding under any Bankruptcy Law) on overdue principal of and premium (if any) on Securities of any series, at a rate equal to the then applicable interest rate on the Securities of that series to the extent lawful; and it shall pay interest (including post-petition interest in any proceeding under any Bankruptcy Law) on overdue installments of interest on and any overdue payments of Additional Amounts with respect to Securities of that series (without regard to any applicable grace period) at the same rate to the extent lawful.

Section 4.02 Maintenance of Office or Agency.

The Company will maintain in each Place of Payment for any series of Securities an office or agency (which may be an office of the Trustee, the Registrar or the Paying Agent) where Securities of that series may be presented for registration of transfer or exchange, where Securities of that series may be presented for payment and where notices and demands to or on the Company in respect of the Securities of that series and this Indenture may be served. Unless otherwise designated by the Company by written notice to the Trustee, that office or agency shall be the office of the Trustee in Minneapolis, Minnesota, which on the date hereof is located at 625 Marquette Avenue, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55402. The Company will give prompt written notice to the Trustee of the location, and any change in the location, of that office or agency. If at any time the Company shall fail to maintain any such required office or agency or shall fail to furnish the Trustee with the address thereof, those presentations, surrenders, notices and demands may be made or served at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee.

The Company may also from time to time designate one or more other offices or agencies where the Securities of one or more series may be presented or surrendered for any or all those purposes and may from time to time rescind those designations; provided, however, that no such designation or rescission shall in any manner relieve the Company of its obligation to maintain an office or agency in each Place of Payment for Securities of any series for those purposes. The Company will give prompt written notice to the Trustee of any such designation or rescission and of any change in the location of any such other office or agency.

Section 4.03 SEC Reports; Financial Statements.

(a) The Company shall file with the Trustee, within 15 days after it files the same with the SEC, copies of the annual reports and the information, documents and other reports (or copies of those portions of any of the foregoing as the SEC may by rules and regulations prescribe) that the Company is required to file with the SEC pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act. The Company shall also comply with the provisions of TIA Section 314(a). Delivery of such reports, information and documents to the Trustee is for informational purposes only and the Trustee’s receipt of such shall not constitute constructive notice of any information contained therein or determinable from information contained therein, including the Company’s compliance with any of its covenants hereunder (as to which the Trustee is entitled to rely exclusively on Officer’s Certificates).

(b) If the Company is not subject to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, the Company shall furnish to all Holders of Securities and prospective purchasers of Securities designated by the Holders of Securities, promptly on their request, the information required to be delivered pursuant to Rule 144A(d)(4) promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

(c) The availability of the foregoing materials on the SEC’s website or on a freely accessible page on the Company’s website shall be deemed to satisfy the foregoing delivery obligations; provided, however, that the Trustee shall have no obligation whatsoever to determine whether or not such materials have been posted on the website.

Section 4.04 Compliance Certificate.

(a) The Company shall deliver to the Trustee, within 120 days after the end of each fiscal year of the Company, a statement signed by an Officer of the Company, which need not constitute an Officer’s Certificate, complying with TIA Section 314(a)(4) and stating that, in the course of performance by the signing Officer of the Company of his or her duties as such Officer of the Company, he or she would normally obtain knowledge of the keeping, observing, performing and fulfilling by the Company of its obligations under this Indenture, and further stating that, to the best of his or her knowledge, the Company has kept, observed, performed and fulfilled each and every covenant contained in this Indenture and is not in default in the performance or observance of any of the terms, provisions and conditions hereof (or, if a Default or Event of Default shall have occurred, describing all such Defaults or Events of Default of which that Officer may have knowledge and what action the Company is taking or proposes to take with respect thereto).

(b) The Company shall, so long as Securities of any series are outstanding, deliver to the Trustee, promptly on any Officer of the Company becoming aware of any Default or Event of Default under this Indenture, an Officer’s Certificate specifying that Default or Event of Default and what action the Company is taking or proposes to take with respect thereto.

Section 4.05 Existence.

Subject to Article V hereof, the Company shall do or cause to be done all things necessary to preserve and keep in full force and effect its existence and all rights (charter and statutory) and franchises of the Company; provided that the Company shall not be required to preserve any such right or franchise if the Board of Directors of the Company shall determine that the preservation thereof is no longer desirable in the conduct of the business of the Company and that the loss thereof is not disadvantageous in any material respect to the Holders.

Section 4.06 Waiver of Stay, Extension or Usury Laws.

The Company covenants (to the extent that it may lawfully do so) that it will not at any time insist on, or plead, or in any manner whatsoever claim or take the benefit or advantage of, any stay or extension law or any usury law or other law that would prohibit or forgive the Company from paying all or any portion of the principal of or interest on the Securities as contemplated herein, wherever enacted, now or at any time hereafter in force, or which may affect the covenants or the performance of this Indenture; and (to the extent that it may lawfully do so) the Company hereby expressly waives all benefit or advantage of any such law, and covenants that it will not hinder, delay or impede the execution of any power herein granted to the Trustee, but will suffer and permit the execution of every such power as though no such law had been enacted.

Section 4.07 Additional Amounts.

If the Securities of a series expressly provide for the payment of Additional Amounts, the Company will pay to the Holder of any Security of that series Additional Amounts as expressly provided therein. Whenever in this Indenture there is mentioned, in any context, the payment of the principal of or any premium or interest on, or in respect of, any Security of any series or the net proceeds received from the sale or exchange of any Security of any series, that mention shall be deemed to include mention of the payment of Additional Amounts provided for in this Section 4.07 to the extent that, in that context, Additional Amounts are, were or would be payable in respect thereof pursuant to the provisions of this Section 4.07, and express mention of the payment of Additional Amounts (if applicable) in any provisions hereof shall not be construed as excluding Additional Amounts in those provisions hereof where that express mention is not made.

Unless otherwise provided pursuant to Section 2.01 with respect to Securities of any series, if the Securities of a series provide for the payment of Additional Amounts, at least ten days prior to the first Interest Payment Date with respect to that series of Securities (or if the Securities of that series will not bear interest prior to Maturity, the first day on which a payment of principal and any premium is made), and at least ten days prior to each date of payment of principal and any premium or interest if there has been any change with respect to the matters set forth in the below-mentioned Officer’s Certificate, the Company shall furnish the Trustee and the Company’s principal Paying Agent or Paying Agents, if other than the Trustee, with an Officer’s Certificate instructing the Trustee and such Paying Agent or Paying Agents whether that payment of principal of and any premium or interest on the Securities of that series shall be made to Holders of Securities of that series who are United States Aliens without withholding for or on account of any tax, assessment or other governmental charge described in the Securities of that series. If any such withholding shall be required, then that Officer’s Certificate shall specify by country the amount, if any, required to be withheld on those payments to those Holders of Securities, and the Company will pay to that Paying Agent the Additional Amounts required by this Section. The Company covenants to indemnify the Trustee and any Paying Agent for and to hold them harmless against any loss, liability or expense reasonably incurred without negligence or bad faith on their part arising out of or in connection with actions taken or omitted by any of them in reliance on any Officer’s Certificate furnished pursuant to this Section 4.07. The Trustee shall not at any time be under any duty or responsibility to any Holder to determine the Additional Amounts, or with respect to the nature, extent or calculation of the Additional Amounts owned, or with respect to the method employed in such calculation of the Additional Amounts.

Section 4.08 Limitation on Liens.

Except as hereinafter in this Section 4.08 expressly permitted and as permitted by Section 5.01, so long as any of the Securities remain Outstanding, the Company will not at any time directly or indirectly create, assume or suffer to exist, and will not cause, suffer or permit any Subsidiary to create, assume or suffer to exist, otherwise than in favor of the Company or a Subsidiary, any mortgage, pledge, lien, encumbrance of or upon or security interest (collectively, “Liens”) upon any of its properties or assets, real, personal or mixed, whether owned at the date of this Indenture or thereafter acquired, or of or upon, any income or profits therefrom, without making effective provision, and the Company covenants that in any such case it will make or cause to be made effective provision, whereby the Securities then or thereafter Outstanding shall be secured by such Liens equally and ratably with any and all other obligations and indebtedness thereby secured, so long as any such other obligations or indebtedness shall be so secured.

Nothing in this Section 4.08 shall be construed to prevent the Company or any Subsidiary from creating, assuming or suffering to exist Liens of the following character, to all of which the provisions of the first paragraph of this Section 4.08 shall not be applicable:

(a) Liens existing as of the date of this Indenture;

(b) any purchase money mortgage or Lien created to secure all or part of the purchase price of any property (or to secure a loan made to the Company or any Subsidiary to enable the Company or such Subsidiary to acquire the property described in such mortgage or in any applicable security agreement); provided that such Lien shall extend only to the property so acquired, improvements thereon, replacements thereof and the income or profits therefrom;

(c) Liens on any property at the time of the acquisition thereof, whether or not assumed by the Company or a Subsidiary; provided that such Lien shall extend only to the property so acquired, improvements thereon, replacements thereof and the income or profits therefrom;

(d) Liens on any property or any contract for the sale of any product or service, or any rights thereunder or any proceeds therefrom, acquired or constructed by the Company or a Subsidiary and created within one year after the later of (i) such acquisition or the completion of such construction, or (ii) commencement of operation of such property; provided that such Lien shall extend only to the property so acquired or constructed, improvements thereon, replacements thereof and the income or profits therefrom;

(e) Liens on the properties or assets, real, personal or mixed, of a Subsidiary, or of or upon or in any income or profits therefrom, which is outstanding at the time such Subsidiary becomes a Subsidiary;

(f) Liens created or assumed by the Company or a Subsidiary on coal, geothermal, oil, natural gas, inert gas, other hydrocarbon or mineral properties owned or leased by the Company or a Subsidiary to secure loans to the Company or a Subsidiary for the purpose of developing such properties;

(g) Liens on any investment of the Company or a Subsidiary in any Person other than a Subsidiary or any security representing any investment of the Company or a Subsidiary; for the purposes of this clause (g), “investment” means any equity investment in any Person, any obligation of any Person for money borrowed or for the deferred purchase price of property which is owed to the Company or a Subsidiary, as the case may be, and any amount advanced to any person by the Company or any Subsidiary, excluding, however, current accounts payable other than for cash advances;

(h) any Lien not otherwise permitted by this Section 4.08 if, after giving effect to the creation or assumption of the proposed mortgage, pledge, Lien, encumbrance or security interest the sum of (i) all indebtedness of the Company and its Subsidiaries secured by Liens not otherwise permitted by this Section 4.08, and (ii) to the extent not included in (i) above, all Attributable Debt of the Company and its Subsidiaries does not exceed 10% of Consolidated Capitalization;

(i) any refunding or extension of maturity, in whole or in part, of any obligation or indebtedness secured by any Lien created, existing or assumed in accordance with the provisions of clauses (a) through (h) above, inclusive, provided that the principal amount of the obligation or indebtedness secured by such refunding or extended Liens shall not exceed the principal amount of the obligation or indebtedness then outstanding at the time of such refunding or extension, together with related financing costs, and that such refunding or extended Liens shall be limited in lien to the same property that secured the obligation or indebtedness refunded or extended, or property substituted therefor and property acquired after the date thereof and subject to the Lien thereof, in accordance with the provisions of such refunding or extension;

(j) Liens on any office equipment or data processing equipment (including, without limitation, computer and computer peripheral equipment) or any motor vehicles, tractors or trailers;

(k) Liens of or upon or in current assets of the Company or a Subsidiary, determined in accordance with GAAP, created or assumed to secure indebtedness incurred in the ordinary course of business;

(l) mechanics’ or materialmen’s liens; any Lien or charge arising by reason of pledges or deposits to secure payment of or to permit participation in workmen’s compensation, unemployment insurance, old age pensions or other Social Security or other insurance or to permit self-insurance; good faith deposits in connection with tenders or leases of real estate, bids or contracts or in connection with the financing of the acquisition or construction of property to be used in the business of the Company or a Subsidiary; deposits to secure public or statutory obligations; deposits to secure or in lieu of surety, stay or appeal bonds; deposits as security for the payment of taxes or assessments or other similar charges; judgment liens against the Company or any Subsidiary thereof in an aggregate amount not in excess of $10,000,000, or any such judgment lien so long as the finality of such judgment is being contested and execution thereon is stayed and which has been appealed and secured, if necessary, by the filing of an appeal bond; and Liens for taxes or assessments for the current year or which are not due or which remain payable without penalty or which are being contested in good faith and against which an adequate reserve has been established;

(m) any Lien arising by reason of deposits with or the giving of any form of security to any governmental agency or any body created or approved by law or governmental regulation for any purpose at any time in connection with the financing of the acquisition or construction of property to be used in the business of the Company or a Subsidiary, or as required by law or governmental regulation as a condition to the transaction of any business or the exercise of any privilege or license, or to permit the maintenance of self-insurance or participation in any fund for liability on any insurance risks or in connection with workmen’s compensation, unemployment insurance, old age pensions or other social security or to share in the privileges or benefits required for companies participating in such arrangements;

(n) Liens which are payable, both with respect to principal and interest, solely out of the proceeds of natural gas, oil, coal, geothermal resources, inert gas, other hydrocarbons or minerals to be produced from the property subject thereto and to be sold or delivered by the Company or a Subsidiary;

(o) Liens to secure indebtedness incurred to finance advances made by the Company or any Subsidiary to any third party for the purpose of financing oil, natural gas, hydrocarbon, inert gas or other mineral exploration or development; provided that such Liens shall extend only to the receivables of the Company or such Subsidiary in respect of such advances;

(p) any rights reserved in others to take or reserve any part of the natural gas, oil, coal, geothermal resources, inert gas, other hydrocarbons or mineral produced at any time on any property of the Company or a Subsidiary;

(q) any rights reserved to or vested in, or any obligations or duties to, any person, firm, corporation or governmental authority by the terms of any franchise, grant, lease, license, easement or permit or by any provision of law with respect to any property of the Company or a Subsidiary;

(r) leases (whether pursuant to Sale and Leaseback Transactions or otherwise) now or hereafter existing and any renewals or extensions thereof;

(s) Liens upon the underlying interests in property covered by any lease, contract, easement or right-of-way existing at the time of the acquisition thereof; easements or similar encumbrances, the existence of which does not materially impair the use of the property subject thereto for the purposes for which it was acquired; Liens upon rights-of-way for pipeline or distribution plant purposes and undetermined Liens and charges incidental to construction or maintenance; or defects and irregularities in the titles to any property (including right-of-way) which are not material to the business of the Company and its Subsidiaries considered as a whole;

(t) the lien reserved in leases for rent and for compliance with the terms of the lease in the case of leasehold estates;

(u) zoning laws and ordinances; and

(v) Liens which secure indebtedness of a Subsidiary to the Company or another Subsidiary.

If at any time the Company or any Subsidiary shall create or assume any Lien to which the covenant in the first paragraph of this Section 4.08 is applicable, the Company will promptly deliver to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate, stating that the covenant in the first paragraph of this Section 4.08 has been complied with, and an Opinion of Counsel, stating that in his opinion such covenant has been complied with and that any instruments executed by the Company or any Subsidiary in the performance of such covenant complied with the requirements thereof.

In the event that the Company or any Subsidiary shall hereafter secure the Securities equally and ratably with any other obligation or indebtedness pursuant to the provisions of this Section 4.08, the Trustee is hereby authorized to enter into an indenture supplemental hereto and to take such action, if any, as it may deem advisable to enable it to enforce effectively the rights of the Holders of the Securities so secured, equally and ratably with such other obligation or indebtedness.

The Trustee may accept an Officer’s Certificate and Opinion of Counsel as conclusive evidence that any such supplemental indenture or steps taken to secure the Securities equally and ratably comply with the provisions of this Section 4.08.

Section 4.09 Waiver of Covenant.

The Company may omit in any particular instance to comply with any term, provision or condition set forth in Sections 4.08 and 5.01, if before the time for such compliance the Holders upon written notice to the Trustee of (i) a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities or (ii) in case less than all of the several series of Securities then Outstanding are affected by the omission, at least a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of each series so affected voting as a single class shall, either waive such compliance in such instance or generally waive compliance with such term, provision or condition, but no such waiver shall extend to or affect such term, provision or condition except to the extent so expressly waived, and, until such waiver shall become effective, the obligations of the Company and the duties of the Trustee in respect of any such term, provision or condition shall remain in full force and effect.

Section 4.10 Calculation of Original Issue Discount.

The Company shall file with the Trustee promptly at the end of each calendar year (i) a written notice specifying the amount of original issue discount (including daily rates and accrual periods) accrued on Outstanding Securities as of the end of such year and (ii) such other specific information relating to such original issue discount as may then be relevant under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time.

ARTICLE V

SUCCESSORS

Section 5.01 Limitations on Mergers, Consolidations and Other Transactions.

The Company shall not, in any transaction or series of related transactions, consolidate with any other Person into, or merge into, any other Person, or sell, lease, convey, transfer or otherwise dispose of its assets substantially as an entirety to any Person, unless:

(1) the Person formed by that consolidation or into which the Company is merged, or to which that sale, lease, conveyance, transfer or other disposition shall be made (collectively, the “Successor”), expressly assumes by supplemental indenture the due and punctual payment of the principal of (and premium, if any) and interest on and Additional Amounts with respect to all the Securities and the performance of the Company’s covenants and obligations under this Indenture and the Securities;

(2) immediately after giving effect to that transaction or series of related transactions, no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing; and

(3) the Company delivers to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that the transaction and that supplemental indenture comply with this Indenture.

Section 5.02 Successor Person Substituted.

Upon any consolidation or merger of the Company or any sale, lease, conveyance, transfer or other disposition of the assets of the Company substantially as an entirety in accordance with Section 5.01, any Successor formed by that consolidation or into or with which the Company is merged or to which that sale, lease, conveyance, transfer or other disposition is made shall succeed to, and be substituted for, and may exercise every right and power of the

Company under this Indenture and the Securities with the same effect as if that Successor had been named as the Company herein and the predecessor Company, in the case of a sale, conveyance, transfer or other disposition, shall be released from all obligations under this Indenture and the Securities.

ARTICLE VI

DEFAULTS AND REMEDIES

Section 6.01 Events of Default.

Unless either inapplicable to a particular series or specifically deleted or modified in or pursuant to the supplemental indenture or Board Resolution establishing that series of Securities or in the form of Security for that series, an “Event of Default,” wherever used herein with respect to Securities of any series, occurs if:

(1) the Company defaults in the payment of interest on or any Additional Amounts with respect to any Security of that series when the same becomes due and payable and that default continues for a period of 30 days;

(2) the Company defaults in the payment of (A) the principal of any Security of that series at its Maturity or (B) premium (if any) on any Security of that series when the same becomes due and payable;

(3) the Company defaults in the deposit of any sinking fund payment, when and as due by the terms of a Security of that series, and that default continues for a period of 30 days;

(4) the Company fails to comply with any of its other covenants or agreements in, or provisions of, the Securities of that series or this Indenture (other than an agreement, covenant or provision that has expressly been included in this Indenture solely for the benefit of one or more series of Securities other than that series) which shall not have been remedied within the specified period after written notice, as specified in the last paragraph of this Section 6.01;

(5) the Company pursuant to or within the meaning of any Bankruptcy Law:

(A) commences a voluntary case,

(B) consents to the entry of an order for relief against it in an involuntary case,

(D) makes a general assignment for the benefit of its creditors;

(6) a court of competent jurisdiction enters an order or decree under any Bankruptcy Law that remains unstayed and in effect for 90 days and that:

(A) is for relief against the Company as debtor in an involuntary case,

(B) appoints a Bankruptcy Custodian of the Company or a Bankruptcy Custodian for all or substantially all of the property of the Company, or

(7) any event of default as defined in any mortgage, indenture or instrument under which there may be issued, or by which there may be secured or evidenced, any indebtedness of the Company for money borrowed, whether such indebtedness now exists or shall hereafter be created, shall happen and shall result in such indebtedness in principal amount in excess of $10,000,000 becoming or being declared due and payable prior to the date on which it would otherwise become due and payable, and such acceleration shall not be rescinded or annulled, or such indebtedness shall not have been discharged, within a period of 30 days after there shall have been given, by registered or certified mail, to the Company by the Trustee or to the Company and the Trustee by the Holders of at least 25% in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of such series, a written notice specifying such event of default and requiring the Company to cause such acceleration to be rescinded or annulled or to cause such indebtedness to be discharged stating that such notice is a “Notice of Default” hereunder; or

(8) any other Event of Default provided with respect to Securities of that series occurs.

The term “Bankruptcy Custodian” means any receiver, trustee, assignee, liquidator or similar official under any Bankruptcy Law.

The Trustee shall not be deemed to know or have notice of a Default unless a Trust Officer at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee receives written notice at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee of that Default with specific reference to that Default.

When a Default is cured, it ceases.

Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section 6.01, if the principal of, premium (if any) or interest on or Additional Amounts with respect to any Security is payable in a currency or currencies (including a composite currency) other than Dollars and such currency or currencies are not available to the Company for making payment thereof due to the imposition of exchange controls or other circumstances beyond the control of the Company (a “Conversion Event”), the Company will be entitled to satisfy its obligations to Holders of the Securities by making that payment in Dollars in an amount equal to the Dollar equivalent of the amount payable in such other currency, as determined by the Company by reference to the Exchange Rate on the date of that payment, or, if that rate is not then available, on the basis of the most recently available Exchange Rate. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section 6.01, any payment made under such circumstances in Dollars where the required payment is in a currency other than Dollars will not constitute an Event of Default under this Indenture.

Promptly after the occurrence of a Conversion Event, the Company shall give written notice thereof to the Trustee; and the Trustee, promptly after receipt of that notice, shall give notice thereof in the manner provided in Section 10.02 to the Holders. Promptly after the making of any payment in Dollars as a result of a Conversion Event, the Company shall give notice in the manner provided in Section 10.02 to the Holders, setting forth the applicable Exchange Rate and describing the calculation of those payments.

A Default under clause (4) or (7) of this Section 6.01 is not an Event of Default until the Trustee notifies the Company, or the Holders of at least 25% in principal amount of the then outstanding Securities of the series affected by that Default (or, in the case of a Default under clause (4) of this Section 6.01, if outstanding Securities of other series are affected by that Default, then at least 25% in principal amount of the then outstanding Securities so affected) notify the Company and the Trustee, of the Default, and the Company fails to cure the Default within 90 days after receipt of the notice. The notice must specify the Default, demand that it be remedied and state that the notice is a “Notice of Default.”

Section 6.02 Acceleration.

If an Event of Default with respect to any Securities of any series at the time outstanding (other than an Event of Default specified in clause (5) or (6) of Section 6.01 hereof) occurs and is continuing, the Trustee by notice to the Company, or the Holders of at least 33 1/3% in principal amount of the then outstanding Securities of the series affected by that default (or, in the case of an Event of Default described in clause (4) of Section 6.01, if outstanding Securities of other series are affected by that Default, then at least 33 1/3% in principal amount of the then outstanding Securities so affected voting as one class) by written notice to the Company and the Trustee, may declare the principal of (or, if any of those Securities are Original Issue Discount Securities, that portion of the principal amount as may be specified in the terms of that series) and all accrued and unpaid interest on all then Outstanding Securities of that series or of all series, as the case may be, to be due and payable. Upon any such declaration, the amounts due and payable on those Securities shall be due and payable immediately. If an Event of Default specified in clause (5) or (6) of Section 6.01 hereof occurs, those amounts shall ipso facto become and be immediately due and payable without any declaration, notice or other act on the part of the Trustee or any Holder. The Holders of a majority in principal amount of the then Outstanding Securities of the series affected by that default or all series, as the case may be, by written notice to the Trustee may rescind an acceleration and its consequences (other than nonpayment of principal of or premium or interest on or any Additional Amounts with respect to the Securities) if the rescission would not conflict with any judgment or decree and if all existing Events of Default with respect to Securities of that series (or of all series, as the case may be) have been cured or waived, except nonpayment of principal, premium, interest or any Additional Amounts that has become due solely because of the acceleration.

Section 6.03 Other Remedies.

If an Event of Default with respect to Securities of any series occurs and is continuing, the Trustee may pursue any available remedy to collect the payment of principal of, or premium, if any, or interest on the Securities of that series or to enforce the performance of any provision of the Securities of that series or this Indenture.

The Trustee may maintain a proceeding with respect to Securities of any series even if it does not possess any of the Securities of that series or does not produce any of them in the proceeding. A delay or omission by the Trustee or any Holder in exercising any right or remedy accruing on an Event of Default shall not impair the right or remedy or constitute a waiver of or acquiescence in the Event of Default. All remedies are cumulative to the extent permitted by law.

Section 6.04 Waiver of Defaults.

Subject to Sections 6.07 and 9.02, the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the then Outstanding Securities of any series or of all series (acting as one class) by written notice to the Trustee may waive an existing or past Default or Event of Default with respect to that series or all series, as the case may be, and its consequences (including waivers obtained in connection with a tender offer or exchange offer for Securities of that series or all series or a solicitation of consents in respect of Securities of that series or all series, provided that in each case that offer or solicitation is made to all Holders of then outstanding Securities of that series or all series (but the terms of that offer or solicitation may vary from series to series)), except (1) a continuing Default or Event of Default in the payment of the principal of, or premium, if any, or interest on or any Additional Amounts with respect to any Security or (2) a continued Default in respect of a provision that under Section 9.02 cannot be amended or supplemented without the consent of each Holder affected. Upon any such waiver, that Default shall cease to exist, and any Event of Default arising therefrom shall be deemed to have been cured for every purpose of this Indenture; but no such waiver shall extend to any subsequent or other Default or impair any right consequent thereon.

Section 6.05 Control by Majority.

With respect to Securities of any series, the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the then outstanding Securities of that series may direct in writing the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the Trustee or exercising any trust or power conferred on it relating to or arising under an Event of Default described in clause (1), (2), (3), (4) or (7) of Section 6.01, and with respect to all Securities, the Holders of a majority in principal amount of all the then Outstanding Securities affected may direct in writing the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the Trustee or exercising any trust or power conferred on it not relating to or arising under such an Event of Default. However, the Trustee may refuse to follow any direction that conflicts with applicable law or this Indenture, that the Trustee determines may be unduly prejudicial to the rights of other Holders, or that may involve the Trustee in personal liability; provided, however, that the Trustee may take any other action deemed proper by the Trustee that is not inconsistent with that direction. Prior to taking any action hereunder, the Trustee shall be entitled to indemnification satisfactory to it in its sole discretion from Holders directing the Trustee against all losses and expenses caused by taking or not taking that action.

Section 6.06 Limitations on Suits.

Subject to Section 6.07 hereof, a Holder of a Security of any series may pursue a remedy with respect to this Indenture or the Securities of that series only if:

(1) the Holder gives to the Trustee written notice of a continuing Event of Default with respect to that series;

(2) the Holders of at least 25% in principal amount of the then outstanding Securities of that series make a written request to the Trustee to pursue the remedy;

(3) such Holder or Holders offer to the Trustee indemnity satisfactory to the Trustee against any loss, liability or expense;

(4) the Trustee does not comply with the request within 90 days after receipt of the request and the offer of indemnity; and

(5) during that 90-day period, the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Securities of that series do not give the Trustee a direction inconsistent with the request.

A Holder may not use this Indenture to prejudice the rights of another Holder or to obtain a preference or priority over another Holder (it being understood that the Trustee does not have an affirmative duty to ascertain whether or not such actions or forbearances are unduly prejudiced to such Holders).

Section 6.07 Rights of Holders to Receive Payment.

Notwithstanding any other provision of this Indenture, the right of any Holder of a Security to receive payment of principal of and premium, if any, and interest on and any Additional Amounts with respect to that Security, on or after the respective due dates expressed in that Security, or to bring suit for the enforcement of any such payment on or after those respective dates, is absolute and unconditional and shall not be impaired or affected without the consent of the Holder.

Section 6.08 Collection Suit by Trustee.

If an Event of Default specified in clause (1) or (2) of Section 6.01 hereof occurs and is continuing with respect to Securities of any series, the Trustee is authorized to recover judgment in its own name and as trustee of an express trust against the Company for the amount of principal, premium (if any), interest and any Additional Amounts remaining unpaid on the Securities of that series, and interest on overdue principal and premium, if any, and, to the extent lawful, interest on overdue interest, and such further amount as shall be sufficient to cover the costs and expenses of collection, including the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel.

Section 6.09 Trustee May File Proofs of Claim.

The Trustee is authorized to file such proofs of claim and other papers or documents and to take such actions, including participating as a member, voting or otherwise, of any committee of creditors, as may be necessary or advisable to have the claims of the Trustee (including any claim for the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel) and the Holders allowed in any judicial proceeding relative to the Company or its creditors or properties and shall be entitled and empowered to collect, receive and distribute any money or other property payable or deliverable on any such claims and any Bankruptcy Custodian in any such judicial proceeding is hereby authorized by each Holder to make those payments to the Trustee, and in the event that the Trustee shall consent to the making of those payments directly to the Holders, to pay to the Trustee any amount due to it for the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel, and any other amounts due the Trustee under Section 7.07. To the extent that the payment of any such compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel, and any other amounts due the Trustee under Section 7.07 out of the estate in

any such proceeding, shall be denied for any reason, payment of the same shall be secured by a lien on, and shall be paid out of, any and all distributions, dividends, money, securities and other properties which the Holders of the Securities may be entitled to receive in that proceeding whether in liquidation or under any plan of reorganization or arrangement or otherwise. Nothing herein contained shall be deemed to authorize the Trustee to authorize or consent to or accept or adopt on behalf of any Holder any plan of reorganization, arrangement, adjustment or composition affecting the Securities or the rights of any Holder thereof, or to authorize the Trustee to vote in respect of the claim of any Holder in any such proceeding.

Section 6.10 Priorities.

If the Trustee collects any money pursuant to this Article VI, it shall pay out the money in the following order:

First: to the Trustee for amounts due under Section 7.07;

Second: to Holders for amounts due and unpaid on the Securities in respect of which or for the benefit of which that money has been collected, for principal, premium (if any), interest and any Additional Amounts ratably, without preference or priority of any kind, according to the amounts due and payable on those Securities for principal, premium (if any), interest and any Additional Amounts, respectively; and

Third: to the Company.

The Trustee, on prior written notice to the Company, may fix record dates and payment dates for any payment to Holders pursuant to this Article VI.

To the fullest extent allowed under applicable law, if for the purpose of obtaining a judgment against the Company in any court it is necessary to convert the sum due in respect of the principal of, premium (if any) or interest on or Additional Amounts with respect to the Securities of any series (the “Required Currency”) into a currency in which a judgment will be rendered (the “Judgment Currency”), the rate of exchange used shall be the rate at which in accordance with normal banking procedures the Trustee could purchase in The City of New York the Required Currency with the Judgment Currency on the New York Business Day next preceding that on which final judgment is given. Neither the Company nor the Trustee shall be liable for any shortfall nor shall it benefit from any windfall in payments to Holders of Securities under this Section 6.10 caused by a change in exchange rates between the time the amount of a judgment against it is calculated as above and the time the Trustee converts the Judgment Currency into the Required Currency to make payments under this Section to Holders of Securities, but payment of that judgment shall discharge all amounts owed by the Company on the claim or claims underlying that judgment.

Section 6.11 Undertaking for Costs.

In any suit for the enforcement of any right or remedy under this Indenture or in any suit against the Trustee for any action taken or omitted by it as a trustee, a court in its discretion may require the filing by any party litigant in the suit of an undertaking to pay the costs of the suit, and the court in its discretion may assess reasonable costs, including reasonable attorneys’ fees, against any party litigant in the suit, having due regard to the merits and good faith of the claims

or defenses made by the party litigant. This Section 6.11 does not apply to a suit by the Trustee, a suit by a Holder pursuant to Section 6.07, or a suit by a Holder or Holders of more than 10% in principal amount of the then outstanding Securities of any series.

ARTICLE VII

TRUSTEE

Section 7.01 Duties of Trustee.

(a) If an Event of Default with respect to the Securities of any series has occurred and is continuing, the Trustee shall exercise such of the rights and powers vested in it by this Indenture with respect to the Securities of that series, and use the same degree of care and skill in that exercise, as a prudent person would exercise or use under the circumstances in the conduct of his or her own affairs.

(b) Except during the continuance of an Event of Default with respect to the Securities of any series:

(1) the Trustee need perform only those duties that are specifically set forth in this Indenture and no others, and no implied covenants or obligations shall be read into this Indenture against the Trustee; and

(2) in the absence of bad faith on its part, the Trustee may conclusively rely, as to the truth of the statements and the correctness of the opinions expressed therein, on certificates or opinions furnished to the Trustee and conforming to the requirements of this Indenture. However, the Trustee shall examine those certificates and opinions to determine whether, on their face, they appear to conform to the requirements of this Indenture (but need not confirm or investigate the accuracy of mathematical calculations or other facts stated therein).

(c) The Trustee may not be relieved from liabilities for its own negligent action, its own negligent failure to act or its own willful misconduct, except that:

(1) this paragraph does not limit the effect of Section 7.01(b);

(2) the Trustee shall not be liable for any error of judgment made in good faith by a Trust Officer, unless it is proved that the Trustee was negligent in ascertaining the pertinent facts; and

(3) the Trustee shall not be liable with respect to any action it takes or omits to take in good faith in accordance with a direction received by it pursuant to Section 6.05 hereof.

(d) Whether or not therein expressly so provided, every provision of this Indenture that in any way relates to the Trustee is subject to the provisions of this Section 7.01.

(e) No provision of this Indenture shall require the Trustee to expend or risk its own funds or incur any liability. The Trustee may refuse to perform any duty or exercise any right or power unless it receives indemnity reasonably satisfactory to it against any loss, liability or expense.

(f) The Trustee shall not be liable for interest on any money received by it except as the Trustee may agree in writing with the Company. Money held in trust by the Trustee need not be segregated from other funds except to the extent required by law. All money received by the Trustee with respect to Securities of any series shall, until applied as herein provided, be held in trust for the payment of the principal of, premium (if any) and interest on and Additional Amounts with respect to the Securities of that series.

Section 7.02 Rights of Trustee.

(a) The Trustee may conclusively rely on any document believed by it to be genuine and to have been signed or presented by the proper Person. The Trustee need not investigate any fact or matter stated in the document.

(b) Before the Trustee acts or refrains from acting, it may require instruction, and an Officer’s Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel to be provided. The Trustee shall not be liable for any action it takes or omits to take in good faith in reliance on that instruction, Officer’s Certificate or Opinion of Counsel. The Trustee may consult with counsel of its selection, and the written advice of that counsel or any Opinion of Counsel shall be full and complete authorization and protection in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted by it hereunder in good faith and in reliance thereon.

(c) The Trustee may act through agents and shall not be responsible for the misconduct or negligence of any agent appointed with due care.

(d) The Trustee shall not be liable for any action it takes or omits to take in good faith which it believes to be authorized or within its rights or powers conferred on it by this Indenture.

(e) Unless otherwise specifically provided in this Indenture, any demand, request, direction or notice from the Company shall be sufficient if signed by an Officer of the Company.

(f) In no event shall the Trustee be responsible or liable for special, indirect, punitive or consequential loss or damage of any kind whatsoever (including, but not limited to, loss of profit) irrespective of whether the Trustee has been advised of the likelihood of such loss or damage and regardless of the form of action.

(g) The rights, privileges, protections, immunities and benefits given to the Trustee, including, without limitation, its right to be indemnified, are extended to, and shall be enforceable by, the Trustee in each of its capacities hereunder, and each agent, custodian and other Person employed to act hereunder.

(h) The Trustee shall not be deemed to have notice of any Default or Event of Default unless a Trust Officer of the Trustee has actual knowledge thereof or unless written notice of any event which is in fact such a default is received by the Trustee at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee, and such notice references the Securities and this Indenture.

(i) The Trustee may request that the Company deliver a certificate setting forth the names of individuals and/or titles of officers authorized at such time to take specified actions pursuant to this Indenture.

Section 7.03 May Hold Securities.

The Trustee in its individual or any other capacity may become the owner or pledgee of Securities and may otherwise deal with the Company or any of its Affiliates with the same rights it would have if it were not Trustee. Any Agent may do the same with like rights and duties. However, the Trustee is subject to Sections 7.10 and 7.11.

Section 7.04 Trustee’s Disclaimer.

The Trustee makes no representation as to the validity or adequacy of this Indenture or the Securities; it shall not be accountable for the Company’s use of the proceeds from the Securities or any money paid to the Company or upon the Company’s direction under any provision hereof; it shall not be responsible for the use or application of any money received by any Paying Agent other than the Trustee; and it shall not be responsible for any statement or recital herein or any statement in the Securities other than its certificate of authentication.

Section 7.05 Notice of Defaults.

If a Default or Event of Default with respect to the Securities of any series occurs and is continuing and it is actually known to the Trustee, the Trustee shall mail to Holders of Securities of that

series a notice of the Default or Event of Default within 90 days after it occurs. Except in the case of a Default or Event of Default in payment of principal of, premium (if any) and interest on and Additional Amounts or any sinking fund installment with respect to the Securities of that series, the Trustee may withhold the notice if and so long as it in good faith determines that withholding the notice is in the interests of Holders of Securities of that series.

Section 7.06 Reports by Trustee to Holders.

Within 60 days after each May 15 of each year after the execution of this Indenture, the Trustee shall mail to Holders of a series and the Company a brief report dated as of that reporting date that complies with TIA Section 313(a); provided, however, that if no event described in TIA Section 313(a) has occurred within the twelve months preceding the reporting date with respect to a series, no report need be transmitted to Holders of that series. The Trustee also shall comply with TIA Section 313(b). The Trustee shall also transmit by mail all reports if and as required by TIA Sections 313(c) and 313(d).

A copy of each report at the time of its mailing to Holders of a series of Securities shall be filed by the Company with the SEC and each securities exchange, if any, on which the Securities of that series are listed. The Company shall notify the Trustee in writing if and when any series of Securities is listed on any stock exchange and of any delisting thereof.

Section 7.07 Compensation and Indemnity.

The Company agrees to pay to the Trustee from time to time such compensation as agreed to writing for its acceptance of this Indenture and services hereunder. The Trustee’s compensation shall not be limited by any law on compensation of a trustee of an express trust. The Company agrees to reimburse the Trustee on request for all reasonable disbursements, advances and expenses incurred by it. Those expenses shall include the reasonable compensation, disbursements and expenses of the Trustee’s agents and counsel.

The Company hereby indemnifies the Trustee against any loss, liability claim (whether asserted by the Company, a Holder or any other Person) or expense incurred by it arising out of or in connection with the acceptance or administration of its duties under this Indenture, except, as set forth in the next paragraph. The Trustee shall notify the Company promptly of any claim for which it may seek indemnity. The Company shall defend the claim and the Trustee shall cooperate in the defense. The Trustee may have separate counsel, and the Company shall pay the reasonable fees and expenses of that counsel. The Company need not pay for any settlement made without its consent.

The Company shall not be obligated to reimburse any expense or indemnify against any loss or liability incurred by the Trustee through negligence or willful misconduct. Such compensation and indemnity obligations shall survive the termination of this Indenture or the resignation or removal of the Trustee.

To secure the payment obligations of the Company in this Section 7.07, the Trustee shall have a lien prior to the Securities on all money or property held or collected by the Trustee, except that held in trust to pay principal of, premium (if any) and interest on and any Additional Amounts with respect to the Securities of any series. That lien shall survive the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture.

When the Trustee incurs expenses or renders services after an Event of Default specified in Section 6.01(5) or (6) occurs, the expenses and the compensation for the services are intended to constitute expenses of administration under any Bankruptcy Law.

Section 7.08 Replacement of Trustee

A resignation or removal of the Trustee and appointment of a successor Trustee shall become effective only on the successor Trustee’s acceptance of appointment as provided in this Section 7.08.

The Trustee may resign and be discharged at any time with respect to the Securities of one or more series by so notifying the Company. The Holders of a majority in principal amount of the then outstanding Securities of any series may remove the Trustee with respect to the Securities of that series by so notifying the Trustee and the Company. The Company may remove the Trustee if:

(1) the Trustee fails to comply with Section 7.10;

(2) the Trustee is adjudged a bankrupt or an insolvent or an order for relief is entered with respect to the Trustee under any Bankruptcy Law;

(3) a Bankruptcy Custodian or public officer takes charge of the Trustee or its property; or

(4) the Trustee otherwise becomes incapable of acting.

If the Trustee resigns or is removed or if a vacancy exists in the office of Trustee for any reason, with respect to the Securities of one or more series, the Company shall promptly appoint a successor Trustee or Trustees with respect to the Securities of that or those series (it being understood that any such successor Trustee may be appointed with respect to the Securities of one or more or all of those series and that at any time there shall be only one Trustee with respect to the Securities of any particular series). Within one year after the successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of any series takes office, the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Securities of that series may appoint a successor Trustee to replace the successor Trustee appointed by the Company.

If a successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of any series does not take office within 60 days after the retiring Trustee resigns or is removed, the retiring Trustee, the Company or the Holders of at least 10% in principal amount of the then outstanding Securities of that series may petition any court of competent jurisdiction, at the expense of the Company, for the appointment of a successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of that series.

If the Trustee with respect to the Securities of a series fails to comply with Section 7.10, any Holder of Securities of that series may petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the removal of the Trustee and the appointment of a successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of that series.

In case of the appointment of a successor Trustee with respect to all Securities, each such successor Trustee shall deliver a written acceptance of its appointment to the retiring Trustee and

to the Company. Thereupon, the resignation or removal of the retiring Trustee shall become effective, and the successor Trustee shall have all the rights, powers and duties of the retiring Trustee under this Indenture. The successor Trustee shall mail a notice of its succession to Holders. The retiring Trustee shall promptly transfer all property held by it as Trustee to the successor Trustee, subject to the lien provided for in Section 7.07.

In case of the appointment of a successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of one or more (but not all) series, the Company, the retiring Trustee and each successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of one or more (but not all) series shall execute and deliver an indenture supplemental hereto in which each successor Trustee shall accept that appointment and that (1) shall confer to each successor Trustee all the rights, powers and duties of the retiring Trustee with respect to the Securities of that or those series to which the appointment of that successor Trustee relates, (2) if the retiring Trustee is not retiring with respect to all Securities, shall confirm that all the rights, powers and duties of the retiring Trustee with respect to the Securities of that or those series as to which the retiring Trustee is not retiring shall continue to be vested in the retiring Trustee and (3) shall add to or change any of the provisions of this Indenture as shall be necessary to provide for or facilitate the administration of the trusts hereunder by more than one Trustee. Nothing herein or in that supplemental indenture shall constitute those Trustees co-trustees of the same trust, and each such Trustee shall be trustee of a trust or trusts hereunder separate and apart from any trust or trusts hereunder administered by any other such Trustee. Upon the execution and delivery of that supplemental indenture, the resignation or removal of the retiring Trustee shall become effective to the extent provided therein, and each such successor Trustee shall have all the rights, powers and duties of the retiring Trustee with respect to the Securities of that or those series to which the appointment of that successor Trustee relates. On the request of the Company or any successor Trustee, that retiring Trustee shall transfer to that successor Trustee all property held by that retiring Trustee as Trustee with respect to the Securities of that or those series to which the appointment of that successor Trustee relates.

Notwithstanding replacement of the Trustee or Trustees pursuant to this Section 7.08, the obligations of the Company under Section 7.07 shall continue for the benefit of the retiring Trustee or Trustees.

Section 7.09 Successor Trustee by Merger, etc.

Subject to Section 7.10, if the Trustee consolidates, merges or converts into, or transfers all or substantially all of its corporate trust business to, another corporation, the successor corporation without any further act shall be the successor Trustee; provided, however, that in the case of a transfer of all or substantially all of its corporate trust business to another corporation, the transferee corporation expressly assumes all of the Trustee’s liabilities hereunder.

In case any Securities shall have been authenticated, but not delivered, by the Trustee then in office, any successor by merger, conversion or consolidation to that authenticating Trustee may adopt that authentication and deliver the Securities so authenticated; and in case at that time any of the Securities shall not have been authenticated, any successor to the Trustee may authenticate those Securities either in the name of any predecessor hereunder or in the name of the successor to the Trustee; and in all those cases those certificates shall have the full force which it is anywhere in the Securities or in this Indenture provided that the certificate of the Trustee shall have.

Section 7.10 Eligibility; Disqualification.

There shall at all times be a Trustee hereunder which shall be a corporation organized and doing business under the laws of the United States, any State thereof or the District of Columbia and authorized under those laws to exercise corporate trust power, shall be subject to supervision or examination by Federal or State (or the District of Columbia) authority and shall have, or be a Subsidiary of a bank or bank holding company having, a combined capital and surplus of at least $50 million as set forth in its most recent published annual report of condition.

The Indenture shall always have a Trustee who satisfies the requirements of TIA Sections 310(a)(1), 310(a)(2) and 310(a)(5). The Trustee is subject to and shall comply with the provisions of TIA Section 310(b) during the period of time required by this Indenture. Nothing in this Indenture shall prevent the Trustee from filing with the SEC the application referred to in the penultimate paragraph of TIA Section 310(b).

Section 7.11 Preferential Collection of Claims Against Company.

The Trustee is subject to and shall comply with the provisions of TIA Section 311(a), excluding any creditor relationship listed in TIA Section 311(b). A Trustee who has resigned or been removed shall be subject to TIA Section 311(a) to the extent indicated therein.

ARTICLE VIII

DISCHARGE OF INDENTURE

Section 8.01 Termination of Company’s Obligations.

(a) This Indenture shall cease to be of further effect with respect to the Securities of a series (except as to any surviving rights of conversion or of registration of transfer or exchange of Securities expressly provided for herein and except that the Company’s obligations under Section 7.07, the Trustee’s and Paying Agent’s obligations under Section 8.03 and the rights, powers, protections and privileges accorded the Trustee under Article VII shall survive), and the Trustee, on demand of the Company, shall execute proper instruments acknowledging the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture with respect to the Securities of that series, when:

(1) either

(A) all outstanding Securities of that series theretofore authenticated and issued (other than destroyed, lost or stolen Securities that have been replaced or paid) have been delivered to the Trustee for cancellation; or

(B) all outstanding Securities of that series not theretofore delivered to the Trustee for cancellation:

(i) have become due and payable, or

(ii) will become due and payable at their Stated Maturity within one year, or

(iii) are to be called for redemption within one year under arrangements satisfactory to the Trustee for the giving of notice of redemption by the Trustee in the name, and at the expense, of the Company,

and, in the case of clause (i), (ii) or (iii) above, the Company has irrevocably deposited or caused to be deposited with the Trustee as funds (immediately available to the Holders in the case of clause (i)) in trust for that purpose (x) cash in an amount, or (y) Government Obligations, maturing as to principal and interest at such times and in such amounts as will ensure the availability of cash in an amount or (z) a combination thereof, which will be sufficient, in the opinion (in the case of clauses (y) and (z)) of a nationally recognized firm of independent public accountants expressed in a written certification thereof delivered to the Trustee, to pay and discharge the entire indebtedness on the Securities of that series for principal and any interest and any Additional Amounts to the date of that deposit (in the case of Securities which have become due and payable) or for principal, premium, if any, interest and any Additional Amounts to the Stated Maturity or Redemption Date, as the case may be; or

(C) the Company has properly fulfilled such other means of satisfaction and discharge as is specified, as contemplated by Section 2.01, to be applicable to the Securities of that series;

(2) the Company has paid or caused to be paid all other sums payable by it hereunder with respect to the Securities of that series; and

(3) the Company has delivered to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate stating that all conditions precedent to satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture with respect to the Securities of that series have been complied with, together with an Opinion of Counsel to the same effect.

(b) Unless this Section 8.01(b) is specified as not being applicable to Securities of a series as contemplated by Section 2.01, the Company may terminate certain of its obligations under this Indenture (“Covenant Defeasance”) with respect to the Securities of a series if:

(1) the Company has irrevocably deposited or caused to be irrevocably deposited with the Trustee as trust funds in trust for the purpose of making the following payments, specifically pledged as security for and dedicated solely to the benefit of the Holders of Securities of that series, (i) money in the currency in which payment of the Securities of that series is to be made in an amount, or (ii) Government Obligations with respect to that series, maturing as to principal and interest at such times and in such amounts as will ensure the availability of money in the currency in which payment of the Securities of that series is to be made in an amount or (iii) a combination thereof, that is sufficient, in the opinion (in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii)) of a nationally recognized firm of independent public accountants expressed in a written certification thereof delivered to the Trustee, to pay, without consideration of the reinvestment of any such amounts and after payment of all taxes or other charges or assessments in respect thereof payable by the Trustee, the principal of and premium (if any) and interest on and any Additional Amounts with respect to all Securities of that series on each date that such principal, premium (if any), interest or Additional Amounts are due and payable and (at

the Stated Maturity thereof or on redemption as provided in Section 8.01(e)) to pay all other sums payable by it hereunder; provided that the Trustee shall have been irrevocably instructed to apply that money and/or the proceeds of those Government Obligations to the payment of said principal, premium (if any), interest and Additional Amounts with respect to the Securities of that series as the same shall become due;

(2) the Company has delivered to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate stating that all conditions precedent to satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture with respect to the Securities of that series have been complied with, and an Opinion of Counsel to the same effect;

(3) no Default or Event of Default with respect to the Securities of that series shall have occurred and be continuing on the date of that deposit;

(4) the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel from counsel reasonably acceptable to the Trustee or a tax ruling to the effect that the Holders of Securities of that series will not recognize income, gain or loss for Federal income tax purposes as a result of the Company’s exercise of its option under this Section 8.01(b) and will be subject to Federal income tax on the same amount and in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case if that option had not been exercised;

(5) the Company has complied with any additional conditions specified pursuant to Section 2.01 to be applicable to the discharge of Securities of that series pursuant to this Section 8.01; and

(6) that deposit and discharge shall not cause the Trustee to have a conflicting interest as defined in TIA Section 310(b).

In that event, this Indenture shall cease to be of further effect (except as set forth in this paragraph), and the Trustee, on demand of the Company, shall execute proper instruments acknowledging satisfaction and discharge under this Indenture. However, the Company’s obligations in Sections 2.05, 2.06, 2.07, 2.08, 2.09, 4.01, 4.02, 5.01, 7.07, 7.08 and 8.04, the Trustee’s and Paying Agent’s obligations in Section 8.03 and the rights, powers, protections and privileges accorded the Trustee under Article VII shall survive until all Securities of that series are no longer outstanding. Thereafter, only the Company’s obligations in Section 7.07 and the Trustee’s and Paying Agent’s obligations in Section 8.03 shall survive with respect to Securities of that series.

After making the irrevocable deposit pursuant to this Section 8.01(b) and following satisfaction of the other conditions set forth herein, the Trustee on request shall acknowledge in writing the discharge of the Company’s obligations under this Indenture with respect to the Securities of that series, except for those surviving obligations specified above.

In order to have money available on a payment date to pay principal of or premium (if any) or interest on or any Additional Amounts with respect to the Securities, the Government Obligations shall be payable as to principal or interest on or before that payment date in such amounts as will provide the necessary money. Any such Government Obligations shall not be callable at the issuer’s option.

(c) If the Company has previously complied or is concurrently complying with Section 8.01(b) (other than any additional conditions specified pursuant to Section 2.01 that are expressly applicable only to Covenant Defeasance) with respect to Securities of a series, then, unless this Section 8.01(c) is specified as not being applicable to Securities of that series as contemplated by Section 2.01, the Company may elect to be discharged (“Legal Defeasance”) from its obligations to make payments with respect to Securities of that series, if:

(1) no Default or Event of Default under clauses (5) and (6) of Section 6.01 hereof shall have occurred at any time during the period ending on the 91st day after the date of deposit contemplated by Section 8.01(b) (it being understood that this condition shall not be deemed satisfied until the expiration of that period);

(2) unless otherwise specified with respect to Securities of that series as contemplated by Section 2.01, the Company has delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel from counsel reasonably acceptable to the Trustee to the effect referred to in Section 8.01(b)(4) with respect to that Legal Defeasance, which opinion is based on (i) a private ruling of the Internal Revenue Service addressed to the Company, (ii) a published ruling of the Internal Revenue Service or (iii) a change in the applicable federal income tax law (including regulations) after the date of this Indenture;

(3) the Company has complied with any other conditions specified pursuant to Section 2.01 to be applicable to the Legal Defeasance of Securities of that series pursuant to this Section 8.01(c); and

(4) the Company has delivered to the Trustee a Company Request requesting Legal Defeasance of the Securities of that series and an Officer’s Certificate stating that all conditions precedent with respect to Legal Defeasance of the Securities of that series have been complied with, together with an Opinion of Counsel to the same effect.

In that event, the Company will be discharged from its obligations under this Indenture and the Securities of that series to pay principal of, premium (if any) and interest on, and any Additional Amounts with respect to, Securities of that series, the Company’s obligations under Sections 4.01, 4.02 and 5.01 shall terminate with respect to those Securities, and the entire indebtedness of the Company evidenced by those Securities shall be deemed paid and discharged.

(d) If and to the extent additional or alternative means of satisfaction, discharge or defeasance of Securities of a series are specified to be applicable to that series as contemplated by Section 2.01, the Company may terminate any or all of its obligations under this Indenture with respect to Securities of a series and any or all of its obligations under the Securities of that series if it fulfills such other means of satisfaction and discharge as may be so specified, as contemplated by Section 2.01, to be applicable to the Securities of that series.

(e) If Securities of any series subject to subsections (a), (b), (c) or (d) of this Section 8.01 are to be redeemed prior to their Stated Maturity, whether pursuant to any optional redemption provisions or in accordance with any mandatory or optional sinking fund provisions, the terms of the applicable trust arrangement shall provide for that redemption, and the Company shall make such arrangements as are reasonably satisfactory to the Trustee for the giving of notice of redemption by the Trustee in the name, and at the expense, of the Company.

Section 8.02 Application of Trust Money.

The Trustee or a trustee reasonably satisfactory to the Trustee and the Company shall hold in trust money or Government Obligations deposited with it pursuant to Section 8.01 hereof. It shall apply the deposited money and the money from Government Obligations through the Paying Agent and in accordance with this Indenture to the payment of principal of, premium (if any) and interest on and any Additional Amounts with respect to the Securities of the series with respect to which the deposit was made.

Section 8.03 Repayment to Company.

The Trustee and the Paying Agent shall promptly pay to the Company at any time on the written request of the Company any excess money or Government Obligations (or proceeds therefrom) held by them.

Subject to the requirements of any applicable abandoned property laws, the Trustee and the Paying Agent shall pay to the Company on written request any money held by them for the payment of principal, premium (if any), interest or any Additional Amounts that remain unclaimed for two years after the date on which that payment shall have become due. After payment to the Company, Holders entitled to the money must look to the Company for payment as general creditors unless an applicable abandoned property law designates another Person, and all liability of the Trustee and the Paying Agent with respect to that money shall cease.

Section 8.04 Reinstatement.

If the Trustee or the Paying Agent is unable to apply any money or Government Obligations deposited with respect to Securities of any series in accordance with Section 8.01 by reason of any legal proceeding or by reason of any order or judgment of any court or governmental authority enjoining, restraining or otherwise prohibiting that application, the obligations of the Company under this Indenture with respect to the Securities of that series and under the Securities of that series shall be revived and reinstated as though no deposit had occurred pursuant to Section 8.01 until such time as the Trustee or the Paying Agent is permitted to apply all such money or Government Obligations in accordance with Section 8.01; provided, however, that if the Company has made any payment of principal of, premium (if any) or interest on or any Additional Amounts with respect to any Securities because of the reinstatement of its obligations, the Company shall be subrogated to the rights of the Holders of those Securities to receive such payment from the money or Government Obligations held by the Trustee or the Paying Agent.

ARTICLE IX

SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES AND

AMENDMENTS

Section 9.01 Without Consent of Holders.

The Company and the Trustee may amend or supplement this Indenture or the Securities or waive any provision hereof or thereof without the consent of any Holder:

(1) to cure any ambiguity, omission, defect or inconsistency;

(2) to comply with Section 5.01;

(3) to provide for uncertificated Securities in addition to or in place of certificated Securities, or to provide for the issuance of bearer Securities (with or without coupons);

(4) to comply with any requirement in order to effect or maintain the qualification of this Indenture under the TIA or conform the Indenture or the Securities of any series to the description thereof contained in any applicable prospectus, prospectus supplement, free writing prospectus, offering memorandum, term sheet or other offering document as evidenced in an Officer’s Certificate;

(5) to add to the covenants of the Company for the benefit of the Holders of all or any series of Securities (and if those covenants are to be for the benefit of less than all series of Securities, stating that those covenants are expressly being included solely for the benefit of that series), or to surrender any right or power herein conferred on the Company;

(6) to add any additional Events of Default with respect to all or any series of the Securities (and, if any such Event of Default is applicable to less than all series of Securities, specifying the series to which that Event of Default is applicable);

(7) to change or eliminate any of the provisions of this Indenture; provided that any such change or elimination shall become effective only when there is no Outstanding Security of any series created prior to the execution of that amendment or supplemental indenture that is adversely affected in any material respect by that change in or elimination of that provision;

(8) to establish the form or terms of Securities of any series as permitted by Section 2.01;

(9) to supplement any of the provisions of this Indenture to such extent as shall be necessary to permit or facilitate the defeasance and discharge of any series of Securities pursuant to Section 8.01; provided, however, that any such action shall not adversely affect the interest of the Holders of Securities of that series or any other series of Securities in any material respect;

(10) to secure the Securities; or

(11) to evidence and provide for the acceptance of appointment hereunder by a successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of one or more series and to add to or change any of the provisions of this Indenture as shall be necessary to provide for or facilitate the administration of the trusts hereunder by more than one Trustee, pursuant to the requirements of Section 7.08.

Upon the request of the Company, accompanied by a Board Resolution, and upon receipt by the Trustee of the documents described in Section 9.06, the Trustee shall, subject to Section 9.06, join with the Company in the execution of any supplemental indenture authorized or permitted by the terms of this Indenture and make any further appropriate agreements and stipulations that may be therein contained.

Section 9.02 With Consent of Holders.

Except as provided below in this Section 9.02, the Company and the Trustee may amend or supplement this Indenture with the written consent (including consents obtained in connection with a tender offer or exchange offer for Securities of any one or more series or all series or a solicitation of consents in respect of Securities of any one or more series or all series, provided that in each case that offer or solicitation is made to all Holders of then outstanding Securities of each such series (but the terms of that offer or solicitation may vary from series to series)) of the Holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the then outstanding Securities of all series affected by that amendment or supplement (acting as one class).

Upon the request of the Company, accompanied by a Board Resolution, and upon the filing with the Trustee of evidence of the consent of the Holders as aforesaid, and upon receipt by the Trustee of the documents described in Section 9.06, the Trustee shall, subject to Section 9.06, join with the Company in the execution of that amendment or supplemental indenture.

It shall not be necessary for the consent of the Holders under this Section 9.02 to approve the particular form of any proposed amendment, supplement or waiver, but it shall be sufficient if that consent approves the substance thereof.

The Holders of a majority in principal amount of the then outstanding Securities of one or more series or of all series may waive compliance in a particular instance by the Company with any provision of this Indenture with respect to Securities of that series (including waivers obtained in connection with a tender offer or exchange offer for Securities of that series or a solicitation of consents in respect of Securities of that series, provided that in each case that offer or solicitation is made to all Holders of then outstanding Securities of that series (but the terms of that offer or solicitation may vary from series to series)).

However, without the consent of each Holder affected, an amendment, supplement or waiver under this Section 9.02 may not:

(1) reduce the amount of Securities whose Holders must consent to an amendment, supplement or waiver;

(2) reduce the rate of or change the time for payment of interest, including default interest, on any Security;

(3) reduce the principal of, premium on or any Mandatory Sinking Fund Payment with respect to, or change the Stated Maturity of, any Security or reduce the amount of the principal of an Original Issue Discount Security that would be due and payable on a declaration of acceleration of the Maturity thereof pursuant to Section 6.02;

(4) reduce the premium, if any, payable on the redemption of any Security or change the time at which any Security may or shall be redeemed;

(5) change any obligation of the Company to pay Additional Amounts with respect to any Security;

(6) change the coin or currency or currencies (including composite currencies) in which any Security or any premium, interest or Additional Amounts with respect thereto are payable;

(7) impair the right to institute suit for the enforcement of any payment of principal of, premium (if any) or interest on or any Additional Amounts with respect to any Security pursuant to Sections 6.07 and 6.08, except as limited by Section 6.06;

(8) make any change in the percentage of principal amount of Securities necessary to waive compliance with certain provisions of this Indenture pursuant to Section 6.04 or 6.07 or make any change in this sentence of Section 9.02; or

(9) waive a continuing Default or Event of Default in the payment of principal of, premium (if any) or interest on or Additional Amounts with respect to the Securities.

A supplemental indenture that changes or eliminates any covenant or other provision of this Indenture which has expressly been included solely for the benefit of one or more particular series of Securities, or which modifies the rights of the Holders of Securities of that series with respect to that covenant or other provision, shall be deemed not to affect the rights under this Indenture of the Holders of Securities of any other series.

The right of any Holder to participate in any consent required or sought pursuant to any provision of this Indenture (and the obligation of the Company to obtain any such consent otherwise required from that Holder) may be subject to the requirement that such Holder shall have been the Holder of record of any Securities with respect to which that consent is required or sought as of a date identified by the Company in a notice furnished to Holders in accordance with the terms of this Indenture.

After an amendment, supplement or waiver under this Section 9.02 becomes effective, the Company shall mail to the Holders of each Security affected thereby a notice briefly describing the amendment, supplement or waiver. Any failure of the Company to mail that notice, or any defect therein, shall not, however, in any way impair or affect the validity of any such amendment, supplement or waiver.

Section 9.03 Compliance with Trust Indenture Act.

Every amendment or supplement to this Indenture or the Securities shall comply in form and substance with the TIA as then in effect.

Section 9.04 Revocation and Effect of Consents.

Until an amendment, supplement or waiver becomes effective, a consent to it by a Holder is a continuing consent by the Holder and every subsequent Holder of a Security or portion of a Security that evidences the same debt as the consenting Holder’s Security, even if notation of the consent is not made on any Security. However, any such Holder or subsequent Holder may revoke the consent as to his or her Security or portion of a Security if the Trustee receives written notice of revocation before the date the amendment, supplement or waiver becomes effective. An amendment, supplement or waiver becomes effective in accordance with its terms and thereafter binds every Holder.

The Company may, but shall not be obligated to, fix a record date (which need not comply with Section 316(c) of the TIA) for the purpose of determining the Holders entitled to consent to any amendment, supplement or waiver or to take any other action under this Indenture. If a record date is fixed, then notwithstanding the provisions of the immediately preceding paragraph, those Persons who were Holders at that record date (or their duly designated proxies), and only those Persons, shall be entitled to consent to that amendment, supplement or waiver or to revoke any consent previously given, whether or not those Persons continue to be Holders after that record date. No consent shall be valid or effective for more than 90 days after that record date unless consents from Holders of the principal amount of Securities required hereunder for that amendment or waiver to be effective shall have also been given and not revoked within that 90-day period.

After an amendment, supplement or waiver becomes effective, it shall bind every Holder, unless it is of the type described in any of clauses (1) through (9) of Section 9.02 hereof. In that case, the amendment, supplement or waiver shall bind each Holder affected and every subsequent Holder that evidences the same debt as the affected Holder’s Security.

Section 9.05 Notation on or Exchange of Securities.

If an amendment or supplement changes the terms of an outstanding Security, the Company may require the Holder of the Security to deliver it to the Trustee. The Trustee may place an appropriate notation on the Security at the request of the Company regarding the changed terms and return it to the Holder. Alternatively, if the Company so determines, the Company in exchange for the Security shall issue and the Trustee shall authenticate upon receipt of a Company Order a new Security that reflects the changed terms. Failure to make the appropriate notation or to issue a new Security shall not affect the validity of that amendment or supplement.

Securities of any series authenticated and delivered after the execution of any amendment or supplement may, and shall if required by the Company, bear a notation in form approved by the Company as to any matter provided for in that amendment or supplement.

Section 9.06 Trustee to Sign Amendments, etc.

The Trustee shall sign any amendment or supplement authorized pursuant to this Article if the amendment or supplement does not adversely affect the rights, duties, liabilities or immunities of the Trustee. If it does, the Trustee may, but need not, sign it. In signing or refusing to sign that amendment or supplement, the Trustee shall receive, and, subject to Section 7.01 hereof, shall be fully protected in conclusively relying on, an Officer’s Certificate and Opinion of

Counsel provided at the expense of the Company as conclusive evidence that such amendment or supplement is authorized or permitted by this Indenture, that it is not inconsistent herewith, and that it will be legal, valid and binding enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms.

ARTICLE X

MISCELLANEOUS

Section 10.01 Trust Indenture Act Controls.

If any provision of this Indenture limits, qualifies or conflicts with the duties imposed by operation of TIA Section 318(c), the imposed duties shall control.

Section 10.02 Notices.

Any notice or communication by the Company or the Trustee to the other is duly given if in writing and delivered in person or mailed by first-class mail (registered or certified, return receipt requested), facsimile, email or overnight air courier guaranteeing next day delivery, to the other’s address:

If to the Company:

QEP Resources, Inc.

1050 17^th Street, Suite 500

Denver, Colorado 80265

Attention: [ ]

Facsimile: [ ]

If to the Trustee:

Wells Fargo Bank, National Association

Attention: Corporate Trust Department

707 Wilshire Blvd., 17^th Floor

Los Angeles, California 90017

The Company or the Trustee by notice to the other may designate additional or different addresses for subsequent notices or communications.

All notices and communications shall be deemed to have been duly given: at the time delivered by hand, if personally delivered; five Business Days after being deposited in the mail, postage prepaid, if mailed; when sent, if emailed; when receipt acknowledged, if by facsimile; and the next Business Day after timely delivery to the courier, if sent by overnight air courier guaranteeing next day delivery.

Any notice or communication to a Holder shall be mailed by first-class mail, postage prepaid, to the Holder’s address shown on the register kept by the Registrar. Failure to mail a notice or communication to a Holder or any defect in it shall not affect its sufficiency with respect to other Holders.

If a notice or communication is mailed in the manner provided above within the time prescribed, it is duly given, whether or not the addressee receives it, except in the case of notice to the Trustee, it is duly given only when received.

If the Company mails a notice or communication to Holders, it shall mail a copy to the Trustee and each Agent at the same time.

All notices or communications, including without limitation notices to the Trustee or the Company by Holders, shall be in writing, except as otherwise set forth herein.

In case by reason of the suspension of regular mail service, or by reason of any other cause, it shall be impossible to mail any notice required by this Indenture, then such method of notification as shall be made with the approval of the Trustee shall constitute a sufficient mailing of that notice.

Section 10.03 Communication by Holders with Other Holders.

Holders may communicate pursuant to TIA Section 312(b) with other Holders with respect to their rights under this Indenture or the Securities. The Company, the Trustee, the Registrar and anyone else shall have the protection of TIA Section 312(c).

Section 10.04 Certificate and Opinion as to Conditions Precedent.

Upon any request or application by the Company to the Trustee to take any action under this Indenture, the Company shall, if requested by the Trustee, furnish to the Trustee at the expense of the Company:

(1) an Officer’s Certificate (which shall include the statements set forth in Section 10.05) stating that, in the opinion of the signer, all conditions precedent and covenants, if any, provided for in this Indenture relating to the proposed action have been complied with; and

(2) an Opinion of Counsel (which shall include the statements set forth in Section 10.05 hereof) stating that, in the opinion of that counsel, all those conditions precedent and covenants have been complied with.

Section 10.05 Statements Required in Certificate or Opinion.

Each certificate or opinion with respect to compliance with a condition or covenant provided for in this Indenture (other than a certificate provided pursuant to TIA Section 314(a)(4)) shall comply with the provisions of TIA Section 314(e) and shall include:

(1) a statement that the Person making that certificate or opinion has read that covenant or condition;

(2) a brief statement as to the nature and scope of the examination or investigation on which the statements or opinions contained in that certificate or opinion are based;

(3) a statement that, in the opinion of that Person, he or she has made such examination or investigation as is necessary to enable him or her to express an informed opinion as to whether or not that covenant or condition has been complied with; and

(4) a statement as to whether or not, in the opinion of that Person, that condition or covenant has been complied with.

Section 10.06 Rules by Trustee and Agents.

The Trustee may make reasonable rules for action by or at a meeting of Holders. The Registrar or the Paying Agent may make reasonable rules and set reasonable requirements for its functions.

Section 10.07 Legal Holidays.

If a payment date is a Legal Holiday at a Place of Payment, payment may be made at that place on the next succeeding day that is not a Legal Holiday, and no interest shall accrue for the intervening period.

Section 10.08 No Recourse Against Others.

A director, officer, employee, stockholder, partner or other owner of the Company, or the Trustee (other than a stockholder, partner or other owner which itself is the Company), as such, shall not have any liability for any obligations of the Company under the Securities or for any obligations of the Company, or the Trustee under this Indenture or for any claim based on, in respect of or by reason of those obligations or their creation. Each Holder by accepting a Security waives and releases all that liability. The waiver and release shall be part of the consideration for the issue of Securities.

Section 10.09 Governing Law; Jury Trial Waiver.

THIS INDENTURE AND THE SECURITIES SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, WITHOUT GIVING EFFECT TO ANY PRINCIPLES OF CONFLICTS OF LAWS THEREUNDER TO THE EXTENT THE LAWS OF ANOTHER JURISDICTION WOULD BE REQUIRED THEREBY. EACH OF THE COMPANY AND THE TRUSTEE HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, ANY AND ALL RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY LEGAL PROCEEDING ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS INDENTURE, THE SECURITIES OR THE TRANSACTION CONTEMPLATED HEREBY.

Section 10.10 No Adverse Interpretation of Other Agreements.

This Indenture may not be used to interpret another indenture, loan or debt agreement of the Company or any Subsidiary. Any such indenture, loan or debt agreement may not be used to interpret this Indenture.

Section 10.11 Successors.

All agreements of the Company in this Indenture and the Securities shall bind its successors. All agreements of the Trustee in this Indenture shall bind its successors.

Section 10.12 Severability.

In case any provision in this Indenture or in the Securities shall be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions shall, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, not in any way be affected or impaired thereby.

Section 10.13 Counterpart Originals.

The parties may sign any number of copies of this Indenture. Each signed copy shall be an original, but all of them together represent the same agreement. The exchange of copies of this Indenture and of signature pages by facsimile or PDF transmission shall constitute effective execution and delivery of this Indenture as to the parties hereto and may be used in lieu of the original Indenture for all purposes. Signatures of the parties hereto transmitted by facsimile or PDF shall be deemed to be their original signatures for all purposes.

Section 10.14 Table of Contents, Headings, etc.

The table of contents, cross-reference table and headings of the Articles and Sections of this Indenture have been inserted for convenience of reference only, are not to be considered a part hereof and shall in no way modify or restrict any of the terms or provisions hereof.

Section 10.15 U.S.A. Patriot Act.

The parties hereto acknowledge that in accordance with Section 326 of the U.S.A. Patriot Act, the Trustee, like all financial institutions and in order to help fight the funding of terrorism and money laundering, is required to obtain, verify, and record information that identifies each person or legal entity that establishes a relationship or opens an account with the Trustee. The parties to this Indenture agree that they will provide the Trustee with such information as it may request in order for the Trustee to satisfy the requirements of the U.S.A. Patriot Act.

Section 10.16 Force Majeure.

In no event shall the Trustee be responsible or liable for any failure or delay in the performance of its obligations hereunder arising out of or caused by, directly or indirectly, forces beyond its control, including without limitation, strikes, work stoppages, accidents, acts of war or terrorism, civil or military disturbances, nuclear or natural catastrophes or acts of God, and interruptions, loss or malfunctions or utilities, communications or computer (software and hardware) services; it being understood that the Trustee shall use reasonable efforts which are consistent with accepted practices in the banking industry to resume performance as soon as practicable under the circumstances.

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


QEP RESOURCES, INC., AS ISSUER

By:
Name:
Title:


WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE

By:
Name:
Title:

<![CDATA[OPINION OF LATHAM & WATKINS LLP]]>

Exhibit 5.1

Opinion of Latham & Watkins LLP

February 27, 2012

QEP Resources, Inc.

1050 17th Street, Suite 500

Denver, Colorado 80265

Re: QEP Resources, Inc. Registration Statement on Form S-3

Ladies and Gentlemen:

We have acted as special counsel to QEP Resources, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), in connection with its filing on February 27, 2012 with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) of a registration statement on Form S-3 (the “Registration Statement”) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Act”), relating to the registration for issue and sale by the Company from time to time of one or more series of debt securities of the Company (the “Debt Securities”), shares of common stock of the Company, par value $0.01 per share (the “Common Stock”), or any combination of the foregoing (collectively, the “Securities”) having an indeterminate aggregate initial offering price. The Securities shall include any additional amounts of such securities registered by the Company pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Act in connection with the offering contemplated by the Registration Statement. The Debt Securities will be issued pursuant to a senior indenture to be entered into between the Company and Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as trustee, a form of which is attached as Exhibit 4.1 to the Registration Statement, and one or more officer’s certificates or supplemental indentures thereto (the “Indenture”). You have provided us with a draft of the Registration Statement in the form in which it will be filed, which includes a form of prospectus (the “Prospectus”). The Prospectus provides that it will be supplemented in the future by one or more supplements to the Prospectus (each, a “Prospectus Supplement”). This opinion is being furnished in connection with the requirements of Item 601(b)(5) of Regulation S-K under the Act, and no opinion is expressed herein as to any matter pertaining to the contents of the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or any Prospectus Supplement, other than as expressly stated herein with respect to the issue of the Securities.

As such counsel, we have examined such matters of fact and questions of law as we have considered appropriate for purposes of this letter. With your consent, we have relied upon certificates and other assurances of officers of the Company and others as to factual matters without having independently verified such factual matters. We are opining herein as to the internal laws of the State of New York, and in numbered paragraph 1 of this letter, the Delaware General Corporation Law, and we express no opinion with respect to the applicability thereto, or the effect thereon, of the laws of any other jurisdiction or, in the case of Delaware, any other laws, or as to any matters of municipal law or the laws of any local agencies within any state.

February 27, 2012

Page 2

LOGO

Subject to the foregoing and the other matters set forth herein, it is our opinion that, as of the date hereof:

(1) When an issuance of Common Stock has been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action of the Company, upon issuance, delivery and payment therefor in an amount not less than the par value thereof, in the manner contemplated by the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the applicable Prospectus Supplement(s) and by such corporate action, such shares of Common Stock will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassesable.

(2) When the Indenture has been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action of the Company and duly executed and delivered, and when the specific terms of a particular Debt Security have been duly established in accordance with such Indenture and authorized by all necessary corporate action of the Company, and such Debt Security has been duly executed, authenticated, issued and delivered against payment therefor in accordance with such Indenture and in the manner contemplated by the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the applicable Prospectus Supplement(s) and by such corporate action, such Debt Security will be a legally valid and binding obligation of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms.

Our opinions are subject to: (i) the effect of bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, preference, fraudulent transfer, moratorium or other similar laws relating to or affecting the rights and remedies of creditors; (ii) the effect of general principles of equity, whether considered in a proceeding in equity or at law (including the possible unavailability of specific performance or injunctive relief), concepts of materiality, reasonableness, good faith and fair dealing, and the discretion of the court before which a proceeding is brought; and (iii) the invalidity under certain circumstances under law or court decisions of provisions providing for the indemnification of or contribution to a party with respect to a liability where such indemnification or contribution is contrary to public policy. We express no opinion as to (a) any provision for liquidated damages, default interest, late charges, monetary penalties, make-whole premiums or other economic remedies to the extent such provisions are deemed to constitute a penalty, (b) consents to, or restrictions upon, governing law, jurisdiction, venue, arbitration, remedies or judicial relief, (c) waivers of rights or defenses, (d) any provision requiring the payment of attorneys’ fees, where such payment is contrary to law or public policy, (e) any provision permitting, upon acceleration of any Debt Security, collection of that portion of the stated principal amount thereof which might be determined to constitute unearned interest thereon, (f) the creation, validity, attachment, perfection, or priority of any lien or security interest, (g) advance waivers of claims, defenses, rights granted by law, or notice, opportunity for hearing, evidentiary requirements, statutes of limitation, trial by jury or at law, or other procedural rights, (h) waivers of broadly or vaguely stated rights, (i) provisions for exclusivity, election or cumulation of rights or remedies, (j) provisions authorizing or validating conclusive or discretionary determinations, (k) grants of setoff rights, (1) proxies, powers and trusts, (m) provisions prohibiting, restricting, or requiring consent to assignment or transfer of any right or property, (n) provisions purporting to make a guarantor primarily liable rather than as a surety, (o) provisions purporting to waive modifications of any guaranteed obligation to the extent such

February 27, 2012

Page 3

LOGO

modification constitutes a novation, (p) any provision to the extent it requires that a claim with respect to a security denominated in other than U.S. dollars (or a judgment in respect of such a claim) be converted into U.S. dollars at a rate of exchange at a particular date, to the extent applicable law otherwise provides, and (q) the severability, if invalid, of provisions to the foregoing effect.

With your consent, we have assumed (i) that each of the Debt Securities and the Indenture (collectively, the “Documents”) will be governed by the internal laws of the State of New York, (ii) that each of the Documents will be duly authorized, executed and delivered by the parties thereto, (iii) that each of the Documents will constitute legally valid and binding obligations of the parties thereto other than the Company, enforceable against each of them in accordance with their respective terms and (iv) that the status of each of the Documents as legally valid and binding obligations of the parties will not be affected by any (a) breaches of, or defaults under, agreements or instruments, (b) violations of statutes, rules, regulations or court or governmental orders, or (c) failures to obtain required consents, approvals or authorizations from, or to make required registrations, declarations or filings with, governmental authorities.

This opinion is for your benefit in connection with the Registration Statement and may be relied upon by you and by persons entitled to rely upon it pursuant to the applicable provisions of the Act. We consent to your filing this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement and to the reference to our firm contained in the Prospectus under the heading “Legal Matters.” We further consent to the incorporation by reference of this letter and consent into any registration statement or post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement filed pursuant to Rule 462(b) with respect to the Securities. In giving such consent, we do not thereby admit that we are in the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Act or the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.


Very truly yours,

/s/ LATHAM & WATKINS LLP

<![CDATA[CONSENT OF ERNST & YOUNG LLP]]>

Exhibit 23.1

Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

We consent to the reference to our firm under the caption “Experts” in the Registration Statement (Form S-3) and related Prospectus of QEP Resources, Inc. for the registration of debt securities and common stock and to the incorporation by reference therein of our report dated February 24, 2012, with respect to the consolidated financial statements and schedule of QEP Resources, Inc. included in its Annual Report (Form 10-K) for the year ended December 31, 2011, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

/s/ Ernst & Young LLP

ERNST & YOUNG LLP

Denver, Colorado

February 27, 2012

CONSENT OF RYDER SCOTT COMPANY L.P.

Exhibit 23.2

Engineer’s Consent

As independent petroleum engineers, we hereby consent to the reference of our appraisal reports for QEP Resources, Inc. as of the years ended December 31, 2011, 2010 and 2009 in the Registration Statement (Form S-3) and related Prospectus of QEP Resources, Inc. incorporated herein by reference.

/s/ Ryder Scott Company L.P.

RYDER SCOTT COMPANY L.P.

Denver, Colorado

February 27, 2012

STATEMENT OF ELIGIBILITY

Exhibit 25.1

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM T-1

STATEMENT OF ELIGIBILITY

UNDER THE TRUST INDENTURE ACT OF 1939 OF A

CORPORATION DESIGNATED TO ACT AS TRUSTEE

¨	CHECK IF AN APPLICATION TO DETERMINE ELIGIBILITY OF A TRUSTEE PURSUANT TO SECTION 305(b) (2)

WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION

(Exact name of trustee as specified in its charter)


A National Banking Association		94-1347393
(Jurisdiction of incorporation or organization if not a U.S. national bank)		(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

101 North Phillips Avenue Sioux Falls, South Dakota		57104
(Address of principal executive offices)		(Zip code)

Wells Fargo & Company

Law Department, Trust Section

MAC N9305-175

Sixth Street and Marquette Avenue, 17^th Floor

Minneapolis, Minnesota 55479

(612) 667-4608

(Name, address and telephone number of agent for service)

QEP RESOURCES, INC.

(Exact name of obligor as specified in its charter)


Delaware		87-0287750
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)		(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

1050 17^th Street, Suite 500 Denver, Colorado		80265
(Address of principal executive offices)		(Zip code)

Debt Securities

(Title of the indenture securities)

Item 1. General Information. Furnish the following information as to the trustee:

(a)

Name and address of each examining or supervising authority to which it is subject.

Comptroller of the Currency

Treasury Department

Washington, D.C.

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation

Washington, D.C.

Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco

San Francisco, California 94120

(b)

Whether it is authorized to exercise corporate trust powers.

The trustee is authorized to exercise corporate trust powers.

Item 2. Affiliations with Obligor. If the obligor is an affiliate of the trustee, describe each such affiliation.

None with respect to the trustee.

No responses are included for Items 3-14 of this Form T-1 because the obligor is not in default as provided under Item 13.

Item 15. Foreign Trustee. Not applicable.

Item 16. List of Exhibits. List below all exhibits filed as a part of this Statement of Eligibility.

Exhibit

1. A copy of the Articles of Association of the trustee now in effect.*

Exhibit

2. A copy of the Comptroller of the Currency Certificate of Corporate Existence and Fiduciary Powers for Wells

Fargo Bank, National Association, dated February 4, 2004.**

Exhibit

3. See Exhibit 2

Exhibit

4. Copy of By-laws of the trustee as now in effect.***

Exhibit

5. Not applicable.

Exhibit

6. The consent of the trustee required by Section 321(b) of the Act.

Exhibit

7. A copy of the latest report of condition of the trustee published pursuant to law or the requirements of its

supervising or examining authority.

Exhibit

8. Not applicable.

Exhibit

9. Not applicable.

*	Incorporated by reference to the exhibit of the same number to the trustee’s Form T-1 filed as exhibit 25 to the Form S-4 dated December 30, 2005 of file number 333-130784-06.

**	Incorporated by reference to the exhibit of the same number to the trustee’s Form T-1 filed as exhibit 25 to the Form T-3 dated March 3, 2004 of file number 022-28721.

***	Incorporated by reference to the exhibit of the same number to the trustee’s Form T-1 filed as exhibit 25 to the Form S-4 dated May 26, 2005 of file number 333-125274.

SIGNATURE

Pursuant to the requirements of the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended, the trustee, Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, a national banking association organized and existing under the laws of the United States of America, has duly caused this statement of eligibility to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, all in the City of Los Angeles and State of California on the 24th day of February, 2012.

WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION

/s/ Maddy Hall

Maddy Hall

Vice President

EXHIBIT 6

February 24, 2012

Securities and Exchange Commission

Washington, D.C. 20549

Gentlemen:

In accordance with Section 321(b) of the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended, the undersigned hereby consents that reports of examination of the undersigned made by Federal, State, Territorial, or District authorities authorized to make such examination may be furnished by such authorities to the Securities and Exchange Commission upon its request therefor.

Very truly yours,

WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION

/s/ Maddy.Hall

Maddy Hall

Vice President

EXHIBIT 7

Consolidated Report of Condition of

Wells Fargo Bank National Association

of 101 North Phillips Avenue, Sioux Falls, SD 57104

And Foreign and Domestic Subsidiaries,

at the close of business December 31, 2011, filed in accordance with 12 U.S.C. §161 for National Banks.


		Dollar Amounts
		In Millions
ASSETS
Cash and balances due from depository institutions:
Noninterest-bearing balances and currency and coin		$	19,751
Interest-bearing balances			23,384
Securities:
Held-to-maturity securities			0
Available-for-sale securities			195,800
Federal funds sold and securities purchased under agreements to resell:
Federal funds sold in domestic offices			4,151
Securities purchased under agreements to resell			23,225
Loans and lease financing receivables:
Loans and leases held for sale			28,417
Loans and leases, net of unearned income	711,276
LESS: Allowance for loan and lease losses	16,360
Loans and leases, net of unearned income and allowance			694,916
Trading Assets			56,692
Premises and fixed assets (including capitalized leases)			7,977
Other real estate owned			4,485
Investments in unconsolidated subsidiaries and associated companies			607
Direct and indirect investments in real estate ventures			99
Intangible assets
Goodwill			21,252
Other intangible assets			22,891
Other assets			57,843

Total assets		$	1,161,490

LIABILITIES
Deposits:
In domestic offices		$	832,749
Noninterest-bearing	234,375
Interest-bearing	598,374
In foreign offices, Edge and Agreement subsidiaries, and IBFs			72,904
Noninterest-bearing	2,140
Interest-bearing	70,764
Federal funds purchased and securities sold under agreements to repurchase:
Federal funds purchased in domestic offices			2,591
Securities sold under agreements to repurchase			13,050

	0000000		0000000
		Dollar Amounts
		In Millions
Trading liabilities			23,460
Other borrowed money (includes mortgage indebtedness and obligations under capitalized leases)			39,703
Subordinated notes and debentures			18,609
Other liabilities			33,933

Total liabilities		$	1,036,999

EQUITY CAPITAL
Perpetual preferred stock and related surplus			0
Common stock			519
Surplus (exclude all surplus related to preferred stock)			99,326
Retained earnings			18,744
Accumulated other comprehensive income			4,769
Other equity capital components			0

Total bank equity capital			123,358
Noncontrolling (minority) interests in consolidated subsidiaries			1,133

Total equity capital			124,491

Total liabilities, and equity capital		$	1,161,490

I, Timothy J. Sloan, EVP & CFO of the above-named bank do hereby declare that this Report of Condition has been prepared in conformance with the instructions issued by the appropriate Federal regulatory authority and is true to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Timothy J. Sloan

EVP & CFO

We, the undersigned directors, attest to the correctness of this Report of Condition and declare that it has been examined by us and to the best of our knowledge and belief has been prepared in conformance with the instructions issued by the appropriate Federal regulatory authority and is true and correct.

John Stumpf Directors

Carrie Tolstedt

Michael Loughlin