Deed of Guarantee and Indemnity
VAALCO Energy, Inc.
and
World Carrier Offshore Services Corp.
in respect of Operating Agreement
August 31, 2021
THIS DEED OF GUARANTEE AND INDEMNITY is made as a deed on August 31, 2021
BETWEEN:
(1) VAALCO ENERGY, INC., a company incorporated in Delaware and having its principal office at 9800 Richmond Avenue, Suite 700, Houston, TX 77042 (the "Guarantor"); and
(2) WORLD CARRIER OFFSHORE SERVICES CORP., a company incorporated in the Marshall Islands and having its principal office at Trust Company Complex, Ajeltake Road, Ajeltake Islands, Majuro, MH96960, Marshall Islands (the "Beneficiary"),
each a "Party" and together the "Parties". RECITALS
(A) The Beneficiary has, on the same date as this Deed of Guarantee and Indemnity, entered into an Operating Agreement with VAALCO Gabon SA (Charterer) in respect of the operation and maintenance of an FSO on the Field (Operating Agreement).
(A) VAALCO Gabon SA is the operator of the Field on behalf of the Co-venturers, pursuant to the Etame Marin JOA.
(B) The Beneficiary has agreed to enter into the Operating Agreement subject to (i) the Guarantor agreeing to enter into this Deed of Guarantee and Indemnity in respect of the Guaranteed Obligations as set out in clause 2 and (ii) the other Co-venturers holding a paying interest in the Field agreeing to enter into, or procuring the entry into by an Affiliate of such Co-venturer on its behalf (in each case by an entity with a credit standing reasonably acceptable to the Beneficiary), a deed of guarantee and indemnity (on terms identical to this Deed of Guarantee and Indemnity) in respect of their respective paying interest in the Field (together, the Other Deeds of Guarantee and Indemnity). This Deed of Guarantee and Indemnity, together with the Other Deeds of Guarantee and Indemnity, relate to the entirety of the Charterer's obligations pursuant to the Operating Agreement.
(C) The Guarantor is the ultimate parent company of a Co-venturer holding a paying interest in the Field and has agreed (it being in its best commercial interests to do so) to enter into this Deed of Guarantee and Indemnity in respect of the Guaranteed Obligations.
THE PARTIES AGREE AS FOLLOWS:
1. INTERPRETATION
1.1 In this Deed of Guarantee and Indemnity, unless otherwise defined or provided for in this Deed of Guarantee and Indemnity, words and expressions shall have the following meanings:
"Affiliate" means, in relation to a person, a company, partnership or other legal entity which controls, is controlled by, or which is under common control with, that person, and "control" means the ownership, directly or indirectly, of fifty per cent (50%) or more of the voting rights in a company, partnership or other legal entity;
"Business Day" means a day throughout which banks are open for business in New York, London and the Gabonese Republic;
"Charter" has the meaning given to it in the Operating Agreement;
"Charterer" has the meaning given to it in Recital (A);
"Co-venturer" has the meaning given to it in the Operating Agreement;
"Default Rate" means US Dollar LIBOR plus seven per cent (7%);
"Etame Marin JOA" has the meaning given to it in the Operating Agreement;
"Field" has the meaning given to it in the Operating Agreement; "FSO" has the meaning given to it in the Operating Agreement; "Guaranteed Obligations" has the meaning given in clause 2; "Operating Agreement" has the meaning given to it in Recital (A);
"Other Deeds of Guarantee and Indemnity" has the meaning given in Recital (C); and
"US Dollar LIBOR" has the meaning given to it in the Operating Agreement.
1.2 In this Deed of Guarantee and Indemnity, unless otherwise specified:
(a) clause headings shall not affect the interpretation of this Deed of Guarantee and Indemnity;
(b) a reference to a "company" shall include any company, corporation or other body corporate, wherever and however incorporated or established, a partnership, a joint venture and unincorporated association;
(c) the words "include", "includes", "including" "inclusive of" shall mean "including but not limited to";
(d) a "person" includes any person, individual, company, firm, corporation, government, state or agency of a state or any undertaking (whether or not having separate legal personality and irrespective of the jurisdiction in or under the law of which it was incorporated or exists);
(e) reference to "clauses" are to clauses of this Deed of Guarantee and Indemnity;
(f) "writing" means typed text or legible manuscript text (including by e-mail);
(g) words denoting the singular shall include the plural and vice versa and words denoting any gender shall include all genders;
(h) reference to a legal or regulatory provision or standard is to be construed as a reference to that legal or regulatory provision or standard as the same may have been amended or re-enacted before the date of this Deed of Guarantee and Indemnity;
(i) reference to any statute, statutory instrument, regulation, by-law or other requirement of English law and to any English legal term for any action, remedy, method of judicial proceeding, legal document, legal status, procedure, court, official or any legal concept or doctrine or other expression shall in respect of any jurisdiction other than England be deemed to include that which most nearly approximates in that jurisdiction to the English term;
(j) a reference to a statute or statutory provision shall include all subordinate legislation made as at the date of this Deed of Guarantee and Indemnity under that statute or statutory provision;
(k) reference to the time of day is reference to time in London, England;
(I) unless the context otherwise requires, references to documents and agreements shall be construed as references to those documents or agreements as may have been or are amended, supplemented, novated or superseded from time to time; and
(m) a reference to a Party shall include that Party's successors and permitted assigns.
2. GUARANTEE
2.1 The Guarantor (as a primary obligor and not merely as a surety) at the request of the Beneficiary hereby irrevocably and unconditionally guarantees to the Beneficiary the due and punctual payment to the Beneficiary by the Charterer of all amounts which the Charterer is or shall become obliged to pay to the Beneficiary under the Operating Agreement (the Guaranteed Obligations).
2.2 If the Charterer fails to pay in full and on time any of the Guaranteed Obligations, the Guarantor irrevocably and unconditionally undertakes that it shall immediately on demand pay the Guaranteed Obligations as if it were the principal obligor.
2.3 The Guarantor irrevocably and unconditionally agrees with the Beneficiary that, if for any reason, any amount claimed under this Deed of Guarantee and Indemnity is not recoverable on the basis of a guarantee, the Guarantor will be liable as a primary obligor to indemnify the Beneficiary against any cost, loss, or liability incurred by the Beneficiary as a result of the Charterer failing to pay any of the Guaranteed Obligations, provided the amount payable by the Guarantor under this Deed of Guarantee and Indemnity will not exceed the amount it would have had to pay if the amount claimed had been recoverable on the basis of a guarantee.
2.4 Without prejudice to clause 3.1 and notwithstanding any other provision of this Deed of Guarantee and Indemnity, the total liability of the Guarantor under this Deed of Guarantee and Indemnity shall not exceed sixty three decimal point five seven five per cent (63.575%) of the Guaranteed Obligations. The liability of the Charterer under the Operating Agreement shall be automatically reduced by the aggregate of (i) any amount paid by the Guarantor to the Beneficiary pursuant to this Deed of Guarantee and Indemnity and (ii) (pro rata to any reduction under the Other Deeds of Guarantee and Indemnity) the amounts paid to the Beneficiary pursuant to the Other Deeds of Guarantee and Indemnity.
2.5 In no event shall the Guarantor be required to pay any sums pursuant to any of the Other Deeds of Guarantee and Indemnity, including as a result of a failure by the guarantor thereunder to pay.
3. MATTERS NOT TO REDUCE THE GUARANTOR'S LIABILITY
3.1 If any purported obligation or liability of the Charterer under the Operating Agreement which, if valid, would have been the subject of this Deed of Guarantee and Indemnity is not or ceases to be valid or enforceable on any ground whatsoever (whether or not known to the Beneficiary or the Charterer) (including any defect in or want of powers of the Charterer or irregular exercise thereof or lack of authority by any person apparently authorised to act on behalf of the Charterer or any legal or other limitation (whether under the Limitation Act 1980 or otherwise), disability, incapacity or any change in the constitution of or any amalgamation, reconstruction or liquidation of the Charterer), the Guarantor shall nevertheless be liable in respect of that purported obligation or liability as if the same were fully valid and enforceable and as if the Guarantor were the principal debtor in respect thereof. The Guarantor hereby agrees to indemnify, defend and hold the Beneficiary harmless in accordance with the terms of this Deed of Guarantee and
Indemnity against sixty three decimal point five seven five per cent (63.575%) of all damages, losses, costs and expenses arising from any failure of the Charterer to carry out any such purported obligation or liability by reason of it not being or ceasing to be valid or enforceable.
3.2 The obligations and liabilities of the Guarantor in respect of the Guaranteed Obligations shall not in any way be affected nor shall this Deed of Guarantee and Indemnity be discharged or diminished by reason of any of the following (whether or not known to the Guarantor or the Beneficiary):
(a) any time, consent, waiver or release being given by the Beneficiary to the Charterer or to any surety, or by any other indulgence or concession granted by the Beneficiary to the Charterer or to any surety in respect of (or any variation or waiver of) any of the Guaranteed Obligations or any obligations of any surety (whether the same be made with the Guarantor's consent or not);
(b) any termination, amendment, variation, replacement, restatement or supplement of or to the Operating Agreement or any of the Guaranteed Obligations;
(c) the taking, holding, variation, compromise, renewal, non-enforcement, release or refusal or neglect to perfect or enforce any right, remedies or securities against the Charterer or any other person;
(d) any present or future guarantee, indemnity or security being or becoming wholly or partially void, voidable or unenforceable on any ground whatsoever;
(e) the insolvency, bankruptcy, liquidation, administration, winding-up, dissolution, receivership, incapacity, amalgamation, reconstruction, re-organisation or any analogous proceedings relating to the Charterer or the Guarantor;
(f) any claim or enforcement of payment from the Charterer or any other person;
(g) any change in the status, function, constitution or ownership of the Charterer, the Guarantor or the Beneficiary;
(h) any invalidity, illegality, unenforceability, irregularity or frustration of any actual or purported obligation of the Charterer or any other person in connection with the Guaranteed Obligations; or
(i) any other act, omission, event, circumstance, matter or thing which, but for this provision, might operate to release or otherwise exonerate the Guarantor from any of its obligations under this Deed of Guarantee and Indemnity or affect or prejudice any of the rights, powers or remedies conferred upon the Beneficiary under this Deed of Guarantee and Indemnity or by law.
4. NO COMPETITION
4.1 Until all the Guaranteed Obligations have been irrevocably paid, discharged or satisfied in full, the Guarantor will not exercise any rights which it may have:
(a) to be subrogated to or otherwise entitled to share in, any security or monies held, received or receivable by the Beneficiary or to claim any right of contribution in relation to any payment made by the Guarantor under this Deed of Guarantee and Indemnity;
(b) to exercise or enforce any of its rights of subrogation and indemnity against the Charterer;
(c) following a claim being made on the Guarantor, to claim any set-off or counterclaim against the Charterer; or
(d) to claim or prove in a liquidation or other insolvency proceeding of the Charterer in competition with the Beneficiary.
4.2 If the Guarantor receives any benefit, payment or distribution in relation to such rights it shall hold that benefit, payment or distribution on trust for the Beneficiary and shall promptly pay or transfer the same to the Beneficiary or as the Beneficiary may direct.
S. DISCHARGE TO BE CONDITIONAL
Any release, discharge or settlement between the Guarantor and the Beneficiary shall be conditional upon no security, disposition or payment to the Beneficiary by the Charterer or any other person in respect of the Guaranteed Obligations being void, set aside or ordered to be refunded pursuant to any enactment or law in relation to bankruptcy, liquidation or insolvency (or its equivalent in any relevant jurisdiction) or for any reason whatever, and if such condition shall not be fulfilled the Beneficiary shall be entitled to enforce this Deed of Guarantee and Indemnity as if such release, discharge or settlement had not occurred and any such payment had not been made.
6. ENFORCEMENT
The Beneficiary shall not be obliged before exerc1s1ng or enforcing any of its rights, powers or remedies conferred upon it by this Deed of Guarantee and Indemnity or by law:
6.1 to take any action or obtain any judgement in any court or tribunal against the Charterer or any other person;
6.2 to make or file any claim or proof in connection with the bankruptcy, liquidation, administration or insolvency (or its equivalent in any relevant jurisdiction) of the Charterer or any other person;
6.3 to make, enforce or seek to enforce any claim, right or remedy against the Charterer or any other person under any security or other document, agreement or arrangement; or
6.4 to enforce against and/or realise (or seek so to do) any security that it may have in respect of all or any part of the Guaranteed Obligations.
7. REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES
The Guarantor hereby represents and warrants to the Beneficiary as at the date of this Deed of Guarantee and Indemnity:
(a) the execution, delivery and performance of this Deed of Guarantee and Indemnity, have been duly and validly authorised by the Guarantor;
(b) the signing of this Deed of Guarantee and Indemnity by the Guarantor and the performance of its obligations under this Deed of Guarantee and Indemnity shall not contravene or constitute a breach of or default under any provision contained in any agreement or instrument to which it is a party or by which it is bound nor will it result in a breach of any provision of its memorandum or articles of association or equivalent constitutional documents nor will it result in a breach of any order, judgment or decree of any court or governmental, administrative, judicial or regulatory body, authority or organisation or any law to which it is a party or by which it is bound;
(c) the Guarantor is duly organised, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of Delaware. The Guarantor has all requisite power and authority to execute
and deliver this Deed of Guarantee and Indemnity and to perform its obligations hereunder;
(d) the Guarantor is not for statutory purposes deemed to be unable to pay its debts nor is it unable to pay its debt as they become due;
(e) no order has been served on the Guarantor and no resolution has been passed for the winding-up or dissolution of the Guarantor; the Guarantor is not in administration and no steps have been taken to place the Guarantor into administration (including the filing of any notice of intention to appoint an administrator over the Guarantor); the Guarantor is not subject to a company voluntary arrangement and no such arrangement has been proposed nor is the Guarantor subject to a scheme of arrangement and no such scheme has been proposed; no receiver (whether statutory or contractual) has been appointed to the Guarantor or any of its assets; the Guarantor is not in administrative receivership and has not suspended payments on any of its debts, nor entered into any compromises with any or all of its creditors;
(f) all consents, permissions, approvals and agreements of its shareholders, lenders or any third parties which are necessary or desirable for it to obtain in order to enter into and perform this Deed of Guarantee and Indemnity in accordance with its terms have been unconditionally obtained in writing and have been disclosed in writing to the Beneficiary; and
(g) the Guarantor, its Affiliates, its personnel and its subcontractors have not made, offered, authorized, requested, received, or accepted and will not make, offer, or authorize, request, receive or accept with respect to the matters which are the subject of this Guarantee and Indemnity or the Operating Agreement, any payment, gift, promise or other advantage, whether directly or indirectly through any person or entity, to or for the use or benefit of any public official or any political party or any political party official or candidate for office, or any other person where such payment, gift, promise or advantage would violate: (a) any Applicable Laws, including the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act 1977 (US) or the Bribery Act 2010 (UK); or (b) the laws of the country of incorporation of such entity or such entity's ultimate parent company or of the principal place of business of such ultimate parent company. The Guarantor has instituted, maintained and monitored policies and procedures designed to ensure, and which are reasonably expected to continue to ensure, continued compliance with applicable anti-bribery and corruption laws.
8. CONTINUING AND ADDITIONAL SECURITY
8.1 This Deed of Guarantee and Indemnity is a continuing security and shall remain in full force and effect until all the Guaranteed Obligations and the indemnity obligations have been discharged or satisfied in full notwithstanding . any intermediate payment or discharge by the Guarantor of the Guaranteed Obligations or the liquidation or other incapacity or any change in the constitution or name of the Charterer or of the Guarantor or any settlement of account or other matter or thing whatsoever.
8.2 This Deed of Guarantee and Indemnity is in addition to and shall not merge with or otherwise prejudice or affect or be prejudiced by any other right, remedy, guarantee, indemnity or security and may be enforced without first having recourse to the same or any other bill, note, mortgage, charge, pledge or lien now or hereafter held by or available to the Beneficiary.
9. PAYMENTS AND WITHHOLDINGS
9.1 Subject to clauses 2.4 and 2. 5, all payments to be made by the Guarantor under the Deed of Guarantee and Indemnity shall be made in immediately available cleared funds, without
any deduction or set-off or counterclaim and free and clear of and without deduction for or on account of any taxes, levies, imports, duties, charges, fees and withholdings of any nature now or hereafter imposed by any governmental, fiscal or other authority save as required by law or regulation which is binding on the Guarantor. If the Guarantor is required by law or regulation to make any such deduction, it will pay to the Beneficiary such additional amounts as are necessary to ensure receipt by the Beneficiary of the full amount which that party would have received but for the deduction. The Guarantor shall promptly deliver or procure delivery to the Beneficiary of all receipts issued to it evidencing each deduction or withholding which it has made.
9. 2 If the Guarantor fails to pay any sum payable under this Deed of Guarantee and Indemnity within fifteen (15) Business Days of receipt of a demand for payment, the Guarantor shall pay an amount equivalent to interest on such sum for the period from and including the date the demand for such amount was received up to the date of actual payment (both before and after judgment) at the Default Rate which shall accrue from day to day and be compounded monthly and shall be paid by the Guarantor on demand.
10. WAIVER
10.1 No failure or delay by the Beneficiary in exercising any right, power or privilege under this Deed of Guarantee and Indemnity or by law shall operate as a waiver of that right, power or privilege nor shall any single or partial exercise of any right, power or privilege preclude any other further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other right, power or privilege.
10.2 A waiver given or consent granted by the Beneficiary under this Deed of Guarantee and Indemnity will be effective only if given in writing and then only in the instance and for the purpose for which it is given.
10.3 The Beneficiary may release or compromise the liability of, or grant time or any other indulgence without compromising or affecting the liability of the Guarantor.
10.4 The powers which this Deed of Guarantee and Indemnity confers on the Beneficiary are cumulative, without prejudice to any rights or remedies provided by law and may be exercised as often as the Beneficiary thinks appropriate.
11. SEVERANCE
Each provision of this Deed of Guarantee and Indemnity is severable and distinct from the others and, if any such provision shall in whole or in part be held to any extent to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any respect under any enactment or rule of law, that provision or part shall to that extent be deemed not to form part of this Deed of Guarantee and Indemnity and the validity, legality and enforceability of the remainder of this Deed of Guarantee and Indemnity shall not be affected or impaired in any way.
12. CONTINUATION OF DEED OF GUARANTEE AND INDEMNITY
This Deed of Guarantee and Indemnity shall remain in full force and effect notwithstanding any amendments, variations, replacements or supplements from time to time to the Operating Agreement.
13. ASSIGNMENT
13.1 No Party shall be entitled to assign, transfer, encumber, sub-contract, delegate, declare a trust over or deal in any other manner with any or all of its rights and obligations under this Deed of Guarantee and Indemnity without the prior written consent of the other Party.
13.2 This Deed of Guarantee and Indemnity shall enure to the benefit of and be binding upon the respective successors and permitted assigns of the parties.
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14. ENFORCEMENT COSTS
The Guarantor hereby agrees to indemnify, defend and hold harmless (save insofar as otherwise indemnified under this Deed of Guarantee and Indemnity) the Beneficiary on demand against all losses, actions, claims, costs, charges, expenses and liabilities incurred or sustained by the Beneficiary in any enforcement or attempted enforcement of this Deed of Guarantee and Indemnity or occasioned by any breach by the Guarantor of any of the covenants or obligations to the Beneficiary under this Deed of Guarantee and Indemnity.
15. NOTICES
15.1 Except as otherwise provided _in this Deed of Guarantee and Indemnity, any notice, demand or other communication given or made under or in connection with the matters contemplated by this Deed of Guarantee and Indemnity shall be in writing, in the English language and must be:
(a) delivered by hand;
(b) delivered by internationally recognised courier with tracked delivery;
(c) sent by email, with the notice attached in PDF format, to:
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Carrier Offshore Services Corp.
34 Vrilissia
15235 Greece
Zarakovitis
copy to:
Legal Counsel
legal@worldcarrier.gr
Operations Manager
operations@worldcarrier.gr
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in the case of the Beneficiary:
Address
Email Address
Attention
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World Carrier Offshore Services Corp.
Agiassou 34 Vrilissia
Athens, 15235 Greece
commercial@worldcarrier.gr
Nikos Zarakovitis
With copy to:
Attention: Legal Counsel
Email: legal@worldcarrier.gr
Attention: Operations Manager
Email: operations@worldcarrier.gr
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in the case of the Guarantor:
Address
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VAALCO Energy, Inc.
9800 Richmond Avenue - Suite 700
Houston, Texas 77042 USA
gmaxwell@vaalco.com
Chief Executive Officer
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Email Address
Attention
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With copy to:
Attention: General Counsel
Email: msilver@vaalco.com
Attention: Gabon Operations
Email: operationsmanager@vaalco.com
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and shall be deemed to have been duly given or made as follows:
(a) if delivered by hand or by courier, upon delivery at the address of the relevant Party; and
(b) if sent by email, on the date sent if such date is a Business Day (in the country to which the notice is sent). If the date sent is not a Business Day, notice shall be deemed effectively given on the first Business Day after the notice is sent. Notice will not be deemed given by email where the sender receives an automated server response that the intended recipient has not received the email,
provided that if, in accordance with the above provisions, any such notice, demand or other communication would otherwise be deemed to be given or made after 5.00 p.m. on a Business Day such notice, demand or other communication shall be deemed to be given or made at 9.00 a.m. on the next Business Day.
15.2 In proving the giving of a notice it shall be sufficient to prove that delivery in person was made or that the envelope containing the notice was properly addressed and posted or that the email was properly addressed and transmitted and no notice of failure of delivery was received by the sender, as the case may be.
15.3 A Party may notify the other Parties to this Deed of Guarantee and Indemnity of a change to its name, relevant addressee or address for the purposes of clause 15 provided that such notification shall only be effective on:
(a) the date specified in the notification as the date on which the change is to take place; or
(b) if no date is specified or the date specified is less than five (5) Business Days after the date on which notice is given, the date falling five (5) Business Days after notice of any such change has been given.
16. CURRENCY
All payments to be made under this Deed of Guarantee and Indemnity shall be made in the currency in which the Guaranteed Obligations were expressed to be payable.
17. AMENDMENT
A variation of this Deed of Guarantee and Indemnity shall be in writing and executed as a deed by or on behalf of each Party.
18. THIRD PARTY RIGHTS
18.1 Save for the rights of each party to the Other Deeds of Guarantee and Indemnity to enforce the relevant terms of this Deed of Guarantee and Indemnity, the Parties confirm that no term of this Deed of Guarantee and Indemnity is enforceable under the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999 by a person who is not a Party to this Deed of Guarantee and Indemnity.
18.2 The Parties may amend, vary or terminate this Deed of Guarantee and Indemnity in such a way as may affect any rights or benefits of any third party which are directly enforceable against the Parties under the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999 without the consent of such third party.
18.3 Any third party entitled pursuant to the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999 to enforce any rights or benefits conferred on it by this Deed of Guarantee and Indemnity may not veto any amendment, variation or termination of this Deed of Guarantee and Indemnity which is proposed by the Parties and which may affect the rights or benefits of the third party.
19. CERTIFICATES CONCLUSIVE
A certificate, determination, notification or opinion of the Beneficiary as to any amount payable under this Deed of Guarantee and Indemnity will be conclusive and binding on the Guarantor except in the case of fraud or manifest error.
20. COUNTERPARTS
This Deed of Guarantee and Indemnity may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which is an original and which together have the same effect as if each party had signed the same document, provided, however, that none of the counterparts will be effective until both parties have executed a counterpart thereof. Each counterpart shall constitute an original of this Deed of Guarantee and Indemnity but all the counterparts together shall constitute one and the same agreement.
21. GOVERNING LAW AND ARBITRATION
21.1 This Deed of Guarantee and Indemnity shall be governed by and construed in accordance with English law.
21.2 Any dispute arising out of or in connection with this Deed of Guarantee and Indemnity, including any question regarding its existence, validity or termination, shall be referred to and finally resolved by arbitration in London in accordance with the rules of the London Maritime Arbitrators Association for the time being in force, which rules are deemed to be incorporated by reference in this clause 21.2. The arbitrators shall be entitled to give interlocutory orders and/or give rulings on an agreed set of facts and/or a preliminary point of law at the request of either Party if they think fit to do so.
The reference shall be to three arbitrators. A Party wishing to refer a dispute to arbitration shall appoint its arbitrator and send notice of such appointment in writing to the other Party requiring the other Party to appoint its own arbitrator within fourteen (14) calendar days of that notice and stating that it will appoint its arbitrator as sole arbitrator unless the other Party appoints its own arbitrator and gives notice that it has done so within the fourteen (14) days specified. If the other Party does not appoint its own arbitrator and give notice that it has done so within the fourteen (14) days specified, the Party referring a dispute to arbitration may, without the requirement of any further prior notice to the other Party, appoint its arbitrator as sole arbitrator and shall advise the other Party accordingly. The award of a sole arbitrator shall be binding on both Parties as if he or she had been appointed by agreement.
The Parties agree, and shall procure that each of its Affiliates agrees, that any Affiliate of either may be joined to any proceedings under this Deed of Guarantee and Indemnity and/or proceedings consolidated, in each case in respect of any claim pursuant to the Charter or the Operating Agreement.
The arbitrators' award shall be final and binding upon both Parties and may be enforced in any court having jurisdiction in respect thereof.
The arbitration shall be conducted in the English language.
21.3 The arbitrators shall determine which Party shall bear the expenses of the proceedings, or the proportion of such expenses which each Party shall bear.
IN WITNESS whereof the Guarantor and the Beneficiary have executed and delivered this Deed of Guarantee and Indemnity as a deed the day and year first above written.
Executed as a deed by
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VAALCO ENERGY, INC.
acting by:
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Digitally signed by George Maxwell
Date: 2021.08.31 13:22:58
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Authorised Signatory
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Michael
Silver
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Digitally signed by Michael Silver
Date: 2021.08.31 13:39:19
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Authorised Signatory
Executed as a deed for and on behalf of)
WORLDCARRIEROFFSHORESERVICES CORP.
acting by:
Director
Director