Exhibit 1.1

                                                                  EXECUTION COPY










                              Swift Energy Company

                    10.25% Senior Subordinated Notes due 2009


                             Underwriting Agreement


                                                              New York, New York
                                                              July 30, 1999


To the  Representatives  named in Schedule I hereto of the Underwriters named in
Schedule II hereto


Ladies and Gentlemen:


     Swift Energy Company,  a corporation  organized under the laws of the State
of Texas (the "Company"),  proposes to sell to the several underwriters named in
Schedule II hereto (the  "Underwriters"),  for whom you (the  "Representatives")
are acting as representatives, the principal amount of its securities identified
in Schedule I hereto (the  "Securities"),  to be issued under an indenture  (the
"Original  Indenture")  to  be  dated  as of  July  29,  1999,  as  amended  and
supplemented  by the  First  Supplemental  Indenture  thereto  to be dated as of
August 4, 1999 (the  Original  Indenture,  as so amended and  supplemented,  the
"Indenture")  between the Company and Bank One N.A., as trustee (the "Trustee").
To the extent there are no  additional  Underwriters  listed on Schedule I other
than  you,  the  term   Representatives  as  used  herein  shall  mean  you,  as
Underwriters,  and the terms  Representatives and Underwriters shall mean either
the  singular or plural as the context  requires.  Any  reference  herein to the
Registration Statement,  the Basic Prospectus,  any Preliminary Final Prospectus
or the Final  Prospectus  shall be deemed to refer to and include the  documents
incorporated  by  reference  therein  pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 which were
filed under the Exchange Act on or before the Effective Date of the Registration
Statement  or the issue  date of the Basic  Prospectus,  any  Preliminary  Final
Prospectus or the Final Prospectus, as the case may be; and any reference herein
to  the  terms  "amend",   "amendment"  or  "supplement"  with  respect  to  the
Registration Statement,  the Basic Prospectus,  any Preliminary Final Prospectus
or the Final  Prospectus  shall be deemed to refer to and  include the filing of
any document under the Exchange Act after the Effective Date of the Registration
Statement  or the issue  date of the Basic  Prospectus,  any  Preliminary  Final
Prospectus  or  the  Final  Prospectus,  as  the  case  may  be,  deemed  to  be
incorporated  therein by  reference.  Certain  terms used  herein are defined in
Section 17 hereof.

     1. Representations and Warranties.  The Company represents and warrants to,
and agrees with, each Underwriter as set forth below in this Section 1.






                                                                               2

          (a) The Company meets the  requirements  for use of Form S-3 under the
     Act and has prepared and filed with the Commission a registration statement
     (the file  number of which is set forth in  Schedule I hereto) on Form S-3,
     including a related basic prospectus, for registration under the Act of the
     offering and sale of the Securities. The Company may have filed one or more
     amendments  thereto and a Preliminary Final  Prospectus,  each of which has
     previously  been  furnished  to you.  The  Company  will next file with the
     Commission  one of the  following:  (1)  after the  Effective  Date of such
     registration  statement,  a final  prospectus  supplement  relating  to the
     Securities  in  accordance  with  Rules 430A and  424(b),  (2) prior to the
     Effective  Date  of  such  registration  statement,  an  amendment  to such
     registration  statement (including the form of final prospectus supplement)
     or (3) a final  prospectus in accordance with Rules 415 and 424(b).  In the
     case of clause (1), the Company has included  all  information  (other than
     Rule 430A  Information)  required by the Act and the rules thereunder to be
     included in such registration statement and the Final Prospectus. As filed,
     such  final  prospectus  supplement  or such  amendment  and  form of final
     prospectus  supplement  shall contain all Rule 430A  Information,  together
     with all other such  required  information,  and,  except to the extent the
     Representatives  shall agree in writing to a modification,  shall be in all
     substantive  respects in the form  furnished to you prior to the  Execution
     Time or, to the extent not completed at the Execution  Time,  shall contain
     only such specific  additional  information  and other changes (beyond that
     contained in the Basic Prospectus and any Preliminary  Final Prospectus) as
     the Company has advised you, prior to the Execution  Time, will be included
     or made therein. The Registration  Statement,  at the Execution Time, is in
     compliance with Rule 415(a)(1)(x).

          (b) On the Effective Date, the Registration Statement did or will, and
     when the Final  Prospectus is first filed (if required) in accordance  with
     Rule 424(b) and on the Closing Date (as defined  herein) and on any date on
     which Option Securities are purchased, if such date is not the Closing Date
     (a "settlement  date"),  the Final Prospectus (and any supplement  thereto)
     will, comply in all material  respects with the applicable  requirements of
     the Act and the Exchange Act and the respective  rules  thereunder;  on the
     Effective Date and at the Execution  Time, the  Registration  Statement did
     not or will not contain any untrue  statement of a material fact or omit to
     state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order
     to make the statements therein not misleading;  and, on the Effective Date,
     the Final Prospectus,  if not filed pursuant to Rule 424(b),  will not, and
     on the date of any filing  pursuant to Rule 424(b) and on the Closing  Date
     and any settlement date, the Final Prospectus (together with any supplement
     thereto) will not,  include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit
     to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein,
     in the  light  of  the  circumstances  under  which  they  were  made,  not
     misleading; provided, however, that the Company makes no representations or
     warranties  as  to  the  information  contained  in  or  omitted  from  the
     Registration  Statement or the Final Prospectus (or any supplement thereto)
     in  reliance  upon and in  conformity  with  information  furnished  to the
     Company  by or on behalf of any  Underwriter  through  the  Representatives
     specifically  for  inclusion  in the  Registration  Statement  or the Final
     Prospectus (or any supplement thereto).

          (c) The Company and its  subsidiaries  are (i) in compliance  with any
     and all applicable foreign,  federal,  state and local laws and regulations
     relating to the protection of human health and safety,  the  environment or
     hazardous  or  toxic  substances  or  wastes,  pollutants  or  contaminants







                                                                               3

     ("Environmental  Laws"),  (ii) have received and are in compliance with all
     permits,  licenses or other  approvals  required  of them under  applicable
     Environmental  Laws to conduct their  respective  businesses and (iii) have
     not  received  notice  of  any  actual  or  potential   liability  for  the
     investigation  or  remediation  of any  disposal or release of hazardous or
     toxic substances or wastes,  pollutants or contaminants,  except where such
     non-compliance   with  Environmental  Laws,  failure  to  receive  required
     permits,  licenses or other approvals, or liability would not, individually
     or in the  aggregate,  have a  material  adverse  change  in the  condition
     (financial or otherwise),  prospects,  earnings,  business or properties of
     the Company and its subsidiaries,  taken as a whole, whether or not arising
     from  transactions in the ordinary course of business,  except as set forth
     in or  contemplated  in the Final  Prospectus  (exclusive of any supplement
     thereto).  Except as set forth in the  Prospectus,  neither the Company nor
     any of the subsidiaries has been named as a "potentially responsible party"
     under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability
     Act of 1980, as amended.

          (d) In the ordinary course of its business,  the Company  periodically
     reviews the effect of  Environmental  Laws on the business,  operations and
     properties of the Company and its  subsidiaries,  in the course of which it
     identifies  and  evaluates  associated  costs and  liabilities  (including,
     without  limitation,  any capital or  operating  expenditures  required for
     clean-up,  closure of properties or compliance with Environmental  Laws, or
     any permit,  license or  approval,  any related  constraints  on  operating
     activities and any potential liabilities to third parties). On the basis of
     such review,  the Company has  reasonably  concluded  that such  associated
     costs  and  liabilities  would  not,  singly  or in the  aggregate,  have a
     material  adverse  effect  on  the  condition   (financial  or  otherwise),
     prospects,  earnings,  business  or  properties  of  the  Company  and  its
     subsidiaries, taken as a whole, whether or not arising from transactions in
     the ordinary course of business,  except as set forth in or contemplated in
     the Prospectus (exclusive of any supplement thereto).

          (e)  Each  of  the  Company  and  its   Subsidiaries   has  been  duly
     incorporated  and is validly  existing as a  corporation  in good  standing
     under the laws of the  jurisdiction  in which it is  chartered or organized
     with full  corporate  power and authority to own or lease,  as the case may
     be, and to operate its  properties and conduct its business as described in
     the Final Prospects  Prospectus,  and is duly qualified to do business as a
     foreign  corporation  and is in  good  standing  under  the  laws  of  each
     jurisdiction which requires such qualification.

          (f) All the  outstanding  shares of capital  stock of each  Subsidiary
     have been duly and  validly  authorized  and  issued and are fully paid and
     nonassessable,  and, except as otherwise set forth in the Final Prospectus,
     all outstanding  shares of capital stock of the  Subsidiaries  are owned by
     the Company either directly or through wholly owned  subsidiaries  free and
     clear of any perfected  security interest or any other security  interests,
     claims, liens or encumbrances.

         Any  certificate  signed by any officer of the Company and delivered to
the  Representatives  or counsel for the  Underwriters  in  connection  with the
offering of the Securities shall be deemed a representation  and warranty by the
Company, as to matters covered thereby, to each Underwriter.







                                                                               4

     2. Purchase and Sale.  Subject to the terms and  conditions and in reliance
upon the  representations and warranties herein set forth, the Company agrees to
sell to  each  Underwriter,  and  each  Underwriter  agrees,  severally  and not
jointly,  to  purchase  from the  Company,  at the  purchase  price set forth in
Schedule I hereto the principal amount of the Securities set forth opposite such
Underwriter's name in Schedule II hereto.

     3. Delivery and Payment.  Delivery of and payment for the Securities  shall
be made on the date and at the time  specified  in  Schedule I hereto or at such
time on such later date not more than three  Business  Days after the  foregoing
date  as the  Representatives  shall  designate,  which  date  and  time  may be
postponed  by  agreement  between  the  Representatives  and the  Company  or as
provided in Section 9 hereof (such date and time of delivery and payment for the
Securities being herein called the "Closing  Date").  Delivery of the Securities
shall be made to the  Representatives for the respective accounts of the several
Underwriters   against   payment  by  the  several   Underwriters   through  the
Representatives  of the  purchase  price  thereof  to or upon  the  order of the
Company by wire transfer  payable in same-day  funds to an account  specified by
the Company.  Delivery of the Securities shall be made through the facilities of
The Depository Trust Company unless the Representatives shall otherwise instruct
in writing.

     4. Offering by Underwriters. It is understood that the several Underwriters
propose to offer the Securities for sale to the public as set forth in the Final
Prospectus.

     5. Agreements. The Company agrees with the several Underwriters that:


          (a) The Company  will use its best  efforts to cause the  Registration
     Statement,  if not  effective  at the  Execution  Time,  and any  amendment
     thereof,  to become effective.  Prior to the termination of the offering of
     the Securities, the Company will not file any amendment of the Registration
     Statement or supplement  (including the Final Prospectus or any Preliminary
     Final  Prospectus) to the Basic Prospectus or any Rule 462(b)  Registration
     Statement unless the Company has furnished you a copy for your review prior
     to filing and will not file any such  proposed  amendment or  supplement to
     which you  reasonably  object on a timely  basis.  Subject to the foregoing
     sentence,  if the  Registration  Statement has become or becomes  effective
     pursuant  to Rule  430A,  or filing of the Final  Prospectus  is  otherwise
     required  under Rule 424(b),  the Company will cause the Final  Prospectus,
     properly  completed,  and any  supplement  thereto  to be  filed  with  the
     Commission  pursuant to the applicable  paragraph of Rule 424(b) within the
     time period prescribed and if requested, will provide evidence satisfactory
     to the  Representatives  of such timely  filing.  The Company will promptly
     advise the  Representatives  (1) when the  Registration  Statement,  if not
     effective at the Execution Time, shall have become effective,  (2) when the
     Final  Prospectus,  and any supplement  thereto,  shall have been filed (if
     required)  with the  Commission  pursuant  to Rule  424(b) or when any Rule
     462(b)  Registration  Statement  shall have been filed with the Commission,
     (3) when,  prior to  termination  of the  offering of the  Securities,  any
     amendment  to the  Registration  Statement  shall have been filed or become
     effective,  (4) of any  request  by the  Commission  or its  staff  for any
     amendment of the Registration  Statement,  or any Rule 462(b)  Registration
     Statement,  or for  any  supplement  to the  Final  Prospectus  or for  any
     additional  information,  (5) of the issuance by the Commission of any stop
     order suspending the  effectiveness  of the  Registration  Statement or the







                                                                               5

     institution  or  threatening  of any proceeding for that purpose and (6) of
     the  receipt  by  the  Company  of any  notification  with  respect  to the
     suspension  of  the  qualification  of  the  Securities  for  sale  in  any
     jurisdiction  or the  institution or threatening of any proceeding for such
     purpose.  The Company  will use its best efforts to prevent the issuance of
     any such stop order or the  suspension  of any such  qualification  and, if
     issued, to obtain as soon as possible the withdrawal thereof.

          (b) If, at any time when a prospectus  relating to the  Securities  is
     required to be  delivered  under the Act,  any event  occurs as a result of
     which the Final  Prospectus as then  supplemented  would include any untrue
     statement of a material fact or omit to state any material  fact  necessary
     to make the  statements  therein  in the light of the  circumstances  under
     which they were made not  misleading,  or if it shall be necessary to amend
     the  Registration  Statement or supplement  the Final  Prospectus to comply
     with the Act or the Exchange Act, the Company  promptly will (1) notify the
     Representatives  of such event,  (2) prepare and file with the  Commission,
     subject to the  second  sentence  of  paragraph  (a) of this  Section 5, an
     amendment or  supplement  which will correct such  statement or omission or
     effect such compliance and (3) supply any supplemented  Final Prospectus to
     you in such quantities as you may reasonably request.

          (c) As soon as practicable,  the Company will make generally available
     to its security holders and to the Representatives an earnings statement or
     statements  of the  Company  and its  subsidiaries  which will  satisfy the
     provisions of Section 11(a) of the Act and Rule 158 under the Act.

          (d) The Company  will furnish to the  Representatives  and counsel for
     the  Underwriters,  without  charge,  copies  of  the  signed  Registration
     Statement (including exhibits thereto) and to each other Underwriter a copy
     of the Registration  Statement  (without  exhibits thereto) and, so long as
     delivery of a prospectus by an Underwriter or dealer may be required by the
     Act,  as many copies of each  Preliminary  Final  Prospectus  and the Final
     Prospectus and any supplement thereto as the Representatives may reasonably
     request.  The Company will be  responsible  for the expenses of printing or
     other production of all documents relating to the offering.

          (e) The Company will arrange,  if necessary,  for the qualification of
     the  Securities  for  sale  under  the  laws of such  jurisdictions  as the
     Representatives may designate,  will maintain such qualifications in effect
     so long as required for the distribution of the Securities and will pay any
     fee of the National Association of Securities Dealers,  Inc., in connection
     with its  review  of the  offering;  provided  that in no event  shall  the
     Company be obligated to qualify to do business in any jurisdiction where it
     is not now so  qualified  or to take any action  that  would  subject it to
     service of process in suits,  other than those  arising out of the offering
     or sale  of the  Securities,  in any  jurisdiction  where  it is not now so
     subject.

          (f) The Company will not, without the prior written consent of Salomon
     Smith Barney Inc.,  offer,  sell,  contract to sell,  pledge,  or otherwise
     dispose of, (or enter into any  transaction  which is designed to, or might
     reasonably  be expected to,  result in the  disposition  (whether by actual
     disposition or effective  economic  disposition  due to cash  settlement or
     otherwise)  by the Company or any affiliate of the Company or any person in







                                                                               6

     privity  with the  Company or any  affiliate  of the  Company)  directly or
     indirectly,  including  the filing (or  participation  in the  filing) of a
     registration  statement  with the Commission in respect of, or establish or
     increase  a put  equivalent  position  or  liquidate  or  decrease  a  call
     equivalent  position  within the meaning of Section 16 of the Exchange Act,
     any debt  securities  issued or guaranteed  by the Company  (other than the
     Securities)   or  publicly   announce  an  intention  to  effect  any  such
     transaction until the Business Day set forth on Schedule I hereto provided,
     however,  this paragraph (f) shall not apply to issuances of any commercial
     paper by the Company.

          (g) The  Company  will not take,  directly or  indirectly,  any action
     designed to or which will constitute or which might  reasonably be expected
     to cause or result,  under the Exchange Act or otherwise,  in stabilization
     or  manipulation  of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate
     the sale or resale of the Securities.

     6.  Conditions to the Obligations of the  Underwriters.  The obligations of
the  Underwriters to purchase the Securities shall be subject to the accuracy of
the  representations  and warranties on the part of the Company contained herein
as of the Execution Time and the Closing Date, to the accuracy of the statements
of the Company made in any certificates  pursuant to the provisions  hereof,  to
the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder and to the following
additional conditions:

          (a) If the  Registration  Statement has not become  effective prior to
     the Execution Time, unless the Representatives  agree in writing to a later
     time, the  Registration  Statement will become effective not later than (i)
     6:00 PM New York City  time,  on the date of  determination  of the  public
     offering price, if such  determination  occurred at or prior to 3:00 PM New
     York City time on such date or (ii) 9:30 AM on the Business  Day  following
     the  day on  which  the  public  offering  price  was  determined,  if such
     determination  occurred  after 3:00 PM New York City time on such date;  if
     filing of the Final  Prospectus,  or any  supplement  thereto,  is required
     pursuant to Rule 424(b),  the Final  Prospectus,  and any such  supplement,
     will be filed in the manner and within  the time  period  required  by Rule
     424(b);  and no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration
     Statement  shall have been issued and no proceedings for that purpose shall
     have been instituted or threatened.

          (b) The Company shall have requested and caused Jenkens & Gilchrist, A
     Professional Corporation, counsel for the Company, to have furnished to the
     Representatives their opinion,  dated the Closing Date and addressed to the
     Representatives, to the effect that:

               (i) each of the Company and  SWENCO-Western,  Inc.,  Swift Energy
          Marketing   Company  and  Swift  Energy   International,   Inc.  is  a
          corporation duly  incorporated,  validly existing and in good standing
          under  the  laws of the  jurisdiction  in  which  it is  chartered  or
          organized, with full corporate power and authority to own or lease, as
          the case  may be,  and to  operate  its  properties  and  conduct  its
          business as described in the Final  Prospectus,  and is duly qualified
          to do business as a foreign  corporation and is in good standing under
          the  laws of  each  jurisdiction  which  requires  such  qualification
          wherein it owns or leases  material  properties  or conducts  material







                                                                               7

          business  and  where  the  failure  to be so  qualified  would  have a
          material  adverse  effect on the condition  (financial or  otherwise),
          prospects,  earnings,  business or  properties  of the Company and its
          subsidiaries,   taken  as  a  whole,   whether  or  not  arising  from
          transactions in the ordinary  course of business,  except as set forth
          in or contemplated in the Final Prospectus;

               (ii) the Company's  authorized  equity  capitalization  is as set
          forth in the Final Prospectus;  the Securities conform in all material
          respects to the description thereof contained in the Final Prospectus;
          and,  except as set forth in the Final  Prospectus,  or  designated in
          such  opinion,  no  options,  warrants  or other  rights to  purchase,
          agreements  or other  obligations  to issue,  or rights to convert any
          obligations  into or exchange any  securities  for,  shares of capital
          stock of or ownership interests in the Company are outstanding;

               (iii)  the  Indenture  has been  duly  authorized,  executed  and
          delivered,  has been duly qualified under the Trust Indenture Act, and
          constitutes a legal, valid and binding instrument  enforceable against
          the Company in accordance with its terms  (subject,  as to enforcement
          of remedies,  to applicable  bankruptcy,  reorganization,  insolvency,
          moratorium,  fraudulent  conveyance or other laws affecting creditors'
          rights generally from time to time in effect and to general principles
          of equity,  including,  without  limitation,  concepts of materiality,
          reasonableness,  good faith and fair  dealing,  regardless  of whether
          considered  in a proceeding in equity or at law);  and the  Securities
          have been duly  authorized  and,  when executed and  authenticated  in
          accordance  with the  provisions of the Indenture and delivered to and
          paid  for  by  the  Underwriters  pursuant  to  this  Agreement,  will
          constitute  legal,  valid  and  binding  obligations  of  the  Company
          entitled to the benefits of the Indenture;

               (iv) to the  knowledge  of such  counsel,  there is no pending or
          threatened  action,  suit or  proceeding  by or  before  any  court or
          governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the
          Company  or any of its  subsidiaries  or its or  their  property  of a
          character required to be disclosed in the Registration Statement which
          is not  adequately  disclosed  in  the  Final  Prospectus,  and to the
          knowledge of such counsel, there is no contract or other document of a
          character  required to be described in the  Registration  Statement or
          Final Prospectus,  or to be filed as an exhibit thereto,  which is not
          described or filed as  required;  and the  statements  included in the
          Final Prospectus under the headings "Risk Factors--We may not finalize
          our  pending  litigation  settlement",   "Risk   Factors--Governmental
          regulations are costly and complex, especially regulations relating to
          environmental  protection"  and "Business and  Properties--Litigation"
          and  incorporated by reference  under the heading "Legal  Proceedings"
          from the Company's report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31,
          1998 each fairly summarize the matters therein described;

               (v) the  Registration  Statement has become  effective  under the
          Act;  any required  filing of the Basic  Prospectus,  any  Preliminary
          Final  Prospectus  and  the  Final  Prospectus,  and  any  supplements
          thereto,  pursuant  to Rule  424(b)  has been made in the  manner  and







                                                                               8

          within the time period  required by Rule 424(b);  to the  knowledge of
          such  counsel,  no stop  order  suspending  the  effectiveness  of the
          Registration  Statement  has  been  issued,  no  proceedings  for that
          purpose  have  been  instituted  or  threatened  and the  Registration
          Statement  and  the  Final   Prospectus   (other  than  the  financial
          statements  and  other  financial  or  reserve  information  contained
          therein and the Statement of Eligibility and Qualification on Form T-1
          of the  Trustee,  as to which such  counsel  need  express no opinion)
          comply  as to  form  in all  material  respects  with  the  applicable
          requirements  of the Act and the Exchange Act; they have  participated
          in  conferences  with  officers  and  representatives  of the Company,
          representatives  of the independent public accountants for the Company
          reserve  engineers and the  Underwriters  at which the contents of the
          Registration  Statement  and  the  Registration  Statement  and  Final
          Prospectus  and related  matters were  discussed,  and  although  such
          counsel is not passing upon and does not assume any responsibility for
          and have not verified the  accuracy,  completeness  or fairness of the
          statements contained in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus,
          except for such  statements  under the  heading  "Description  of Debt
          Securities" in the Basic  Prospectus and "Description of Notes" in the
          Final  Prospectus and such  statements  referred to in subsection (iv)
          hereof,  and  have  not made  any  independent  check or  verification
          thereof, on the basis of the foregoing (relying as to materiality to a
          large extent upon facts provided by officers and other representatives
          of the  Company) no facts have come to the  attention  of such counsel
          that lead  such  counsel  to  believe  that  either  the  Registration
          Statement at the time it became  effective  (including the information
          deemed  to be  part  of the  Registration  Statement  at the  time  of
          effectiveness  pursuant  to  Rule  430A(b),  if  applicable),  or  any
          amendment  thereof  made prior to the  Closing  Date as of the date of
          such  amendment,  contained an untrue  statement of a material fact or
          omitted to state any material  fact  required to be stated  therein or
          necessary to make the  statements  therein not  misleading or that the
          Final  Prospectus  as  of  its  date  (or  any  amendment  thereof  or
          supplement  thereto  made prior to the Closing  Date as of the date of
          such amendment or supplement)  and as of the Closing Date contained or
          contains an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or omits to
          state any material fact required to be stated  therein or necessary to
          make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which
          they were made, not misleading (it being  understood that such counsel
          need express no belief or opinion with  respect to the  exhibits,  the
          Statement of Eligibility (Form T-1), and the financial  statements and
          other financial reserve and statistical data included therein).

               (vi)  this  Agreement  has been  duly  authorized,  executed  and
          delivered by the Company;

               (vii) the Company is not and, after giving effect to the offering
          and sale of the Securities and the application of the proceeds thereof
          as  described  in the  Final  Prospectus,  will not be an  "investment
          company" as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended;

               (viii) no consent, approval, authorization,  filing with or order
          of any court or governmental  agency or body is required in connection
          with the transactions  contemplated  herein,  except such as have been







                                                                               9

          obtained  under the Act and such as may be required under the blue sky
          laws  of  any   jurisdiction  in  connection  with  the  purchase  and
          distribution  of the  Securities  by the  Underwriters  in the  manner
          contemplated  in this  Agreement and in the Final  Prospectus and such
          other approvals (specified in such opinion) as have been obtained;

               (ix) neither the  execution  and delivery of the  Indenture,  the
          issue and sale of the Securities, nor the consummation of any other of
          the transactions  herein contemplated nor the fulfillment of the terms
          hereof  will  conflict  with,  result in a breach or  violation  of or
          imposition  of any lien,  charge or  encumbrance  upon any property or
          assets of the Company or its subsidiaries pursuant to, (i) the charter
          or by-laws of the Company or its  subsidiaries,  (ii) the terms of any
          indenture,  contract,  lease, mortgage, deed of trust, note agreement,
          loan agreement or other agreement, obligation,  condition, covenant or
          instrument  to which the  Company  or its  subsidiaries  is a party or
          bound or to which  its or their  property  is  subject,  or (iii)  any
          statute, law, rule, regulation,  judgment,  order or decree applicable
          to the  Company or its  subsidiaries  of any court,  regulatory  body,
          administrative   agency,   governmental  body,   arbitrator  or  other
          authority having  jurisdiction over the Company or its subsidiaries or
          any of its or their properties; and

               (x) to the knowledge of such counsel, no holders of securities of
          the Company have rights to the  registration of such securities  under
          the Registration Statement.

     In  rendering  such  opinion,  such  counsel  may  rely  (A) as to  matters
involving the application of laws of any  jurisdiction  other than the States of
New York and Texas or the Federal laws of the United States,  to the extent they
deem proper and specified in such opinion,  upon the opinion of other counsel of
good  standing  whom they  believe to be reliable  and who are  satisfactory  to
counsel for the  Underwriters,  provided  that such  counsel may assume that the
applicable  law in New York is  similar  to the  applicable  law in the State of
Texas,  and (B) as to  matters  of fact,  to the  extent  they deem  proper,  on
certificates  of  responsible  officers  of the  Company  and public  officials.
References to the Final Prospectus in this paragraph (b) include any supplements
thereto at the Closing Date.

          (c) The  Representatives  shall have received  from Cravath,  Swaine &
     Moore,  counsel for the Underwriters,  such opinion or opinions,  dated the
     Closing  Date and  addressed  to the  Representatives,  with respect to the
     issuance  and  sale of the  Securities,  the  Indenture,  the  Registration
     Statement,  the Final Prospectus (together with any supplement thereto) and
     other related matters as the Representatives  may reasonably  require,  and
     the Company  shall have  furnished to such  counsel such  documents as they
     request for the purpose of enabling them to pass upon such matters.

          (d)  The  Company  shall  have  furnished  to  the  Representatives  a
     certificate  of the  Company,  signed by the  Chairman  of the Board or the
     President and the principal financial or accounting officer of the Company,
     dated the Closing Date, to the effect that the signers of such  certificate







                                                                              10

     have  reviewed  the  Registration  Statement,  the  Final  Prospectus,  any
     supplements to the Final Prospectus and this Agreement and that:

               (i) the  representations  and  warranties  of the Company in this
          Agreement  are true and correct in all material  respects on and as of
          the Closing  Date with the same effect as if made on the Closing  Date
          and the Company has complied with all the agreements and satisfied all
          the conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied at or prior to
          the Closing Date;

               (ii)  no  stop  order   suspending  the   effectiveness   of  the
          Registration  Statement  has been issued and no  proceedings  for that
          purpose  have  been   instituted  or,  to  the  Company's   knowledge,
          threatened; and

               (iii)  since  the date of the most  recent  financial  statements
          included  or  incorporated  by  reference  in  the  Final   Prospectus
          (exclusive  of any  supplement  thereto),  there has been no  material
          adverse effect on the condition  (financial or otherwise),  prospects,
          earnings,  business or properties of the Company and its subsidiaries,
          taken as a whole,  whether or not  arising  from  transactions  in the
          ordinary course of business, except as set forth in or contemplated in
          the Final Prospectus (exclusive of any supplement thereto).

          (e) The Company shall have requested and caused Arthur Andersen LLP to
     have  furnished to the  Representatives,  at the Execution  Time and at the
     Closing Date, letters,  (which may refer to letters previously delivered to
     one or more of the Representatives), dated respectively as of the Execution
     Time and as of the Closing Date, in form and substance  satisfactory to the
     Representatives,  confirming that they are independent  accountants  within
     the meaning of the Act and the Exchange Act and the  respective  applicable
     rules and  regulations  adopted by the Commission  thereunder and that they
     have performed a review of the unaudited interim  financial  information of
     the Company for the  six-month  period ended June 30, 1999,  and as at June
     30, 1999, in accordance  with  Statement on Auditing  Standards No. 71, and
     stating in effect, except as provided in Schedule I hereto, that:

               (i)  in  their  opinion  the  audited  financial  statements  and
          financial statement schedules included or incorporated by reference in
          the Registration Statement and the Final Prospectus and reported on by
          them comply as to form in all material  respects  with the  applicable
          accounting  requirements  of the  Act  and  the  Exchange  Act and the
          related rules and regulations adopted by the Commission;

               (ii) on the basis of a reading of the latest unaudited  financial
          statements made available by the Company and its  subsidiaries;  their
          limited  review,  in  accordance  with  standards   established  under
          Statement  on  Auditing  Standards  No. 71, of the  unaudited  interim
          financial  information  for the six- month  period ended June 30, 1999
          and as at June 30,  1999;  carrying out certain  specified  procedures
          (but not an examination in accordance with generally accepted auditing
          standards) which would not necessarily  reveal matters of significance
          with respect to the  comments  set forth in such letter;  a reading of







                                                                              11

          the minutes of the  meetings of the  stockholders,  directors  and the
          committees  of the  Company and the  Subsidiaries;  and  inquiries  of
          certain officials of the Company who have responsibility for financial
          and  accounting  matters of the  Company  and its  subsidiaries  as to
          transactions and events subsequent to December 31, 1998,  nothing came
          to their attention which caused them to believe that:

                    (1)  any   unaudited   financial   statements   included  or
               incorporated by reference in the  Registration  Statement and the
               Final  Prospectus  do not  comply  as to  form  in  all  material
               respects with applicable  accounting  requirements of the Act and
               with the related rules and regulations  adopted by the Commission
               with respect to financial  statements included or incorporated by
               reference  in  quarterly  reports on Form 10-Q under the Exchange
               Act;  and  said  unaudited   financial   statements  are  not  in
               conformity with generally accepted accounting  principles applied
               on a basis  substantially  consistent  with  that of the  audited
               financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the
               Registration Statement and the Final Prospectus;

                    (2) with respect to the period  subsequent to June 30, 1999,
               there were any  changes,  at a specified  date not more than five
               Business  Days prior to the date of the letter,  in the long-term
               debt of the Company and its  subsidiaries or capital stock of the
               Company or decreases in the  stockholders'  equity of the Company
               as  compared  with  the  amounts  shown  on  the  June  30,  1999
               consolidated  balance sheet included or incorporated by reference
               in the Registration  Statement and the Final  Prospectus,  or for
               the period  from July 1, 1999 to such  specified  date there were
               any decreases,  as compared with the corresponding  period in the
               preceding  quarter in net revenues or income  before income taxes
               or in total or per share amounts of net income of the Company and
               its subsidiaries except in all instances for changes or decreases
               set  forth in such  letter,  in which  case the  letter  shall be
               accompanied   by  an   explanation  by  the  Company  as  to  the
               significance  thereof  unless  said  explanation  is  not  deemed
               necessary by the Representatives;

                    (3) the information included or incorporated by reference in
               the  Registration  Statement and Final  Prospectus in response to
               Regulation  S-K, Item 301  (Selected  Financial  Data),  Item 302
               (Supplementary   Financial  Information),   Item  402  (Executive
               Compensation)  and  Item  503(d)  (Ratio  of  Earnings  to  Fixed
               Charges)  is not in  conformity  with the  applicable  disclosure
               requirements of Regulation S-K; and

               (iii) they have performed certain other specified procedures as a
          result  of  which  they  determined  that  certain  information  of an
          accounting,  financial  or  statistical  nature  (which is  limited to
          accounting,  financial  or  statistical  information  derived from the
          general  accounting  records of the Company and its  subsidiaries) set
          forth in the  Registration  Statement and the Final  Prospectus and in
          Exhibit 12 to the  Registration  Statement,  including the information







                                                                              12

          set forth under the caption  "Capitalization" in the Final Prospectus,
          the information included or incorporated by reference in the Company's
          Annual  Report  on  Form  10-K,   incorporated  by  reference  in  the
          Registration  Statement and the Final Prospectus,  and the information
          included in the  "Management's  Discussion  and  Analysis of Financial
          Condition  and  Results of  Operations"  included or  incorporated  by
          reference   in  the   Company's   Quarterly   Reports  on  Form  10-Q,
          incorporated by reference in the Registration  Statement and the Final
          Prospectus and any  information  of an accounting or financial  nature
          appearing in a Current Report on Form 8-K incorporated by reference in
          the Registration  Statement and the Final Prospectus,  agrees with the
          accounting records of the Company and its subsidiaries,  excluding any
          questions of legal interpretation.

     References  to the Final  Prospectus  in this  paragraph  (e)  include  any
supplement thereto at the date of the letter.

          (f) Subsequent to the Execution  Time or, if earlier,  the dates as of
     which information is given in the Registration  Statement (exclusive of any
     amendment  thereof) and the Final  Prospectus  (exclusive of any supplement
     thereto), there shall not have been (i) any change or decrease specified in
     the letter or letters  referred to in  paragraph  (e) of this  Section 6 or
     (ii) any change, or any development  involving a prospective  change, in or
     affecting the condition  (financial or  otherwise),  earnings,  business or
     properties of the Company and its subsidiaries,  taken as a whole,  whether
     or not arising from transactions in the ordinary course of business, except
     as set forth in or contemplated in the Final  Prospectus  (exclusive of any
     supplement  thereto) the effect of which, in any case referred to in clause
     (i)  or  (ii)  above,   is,  in  the  sole   reasonable   judgment  of  the
     Representatives,  so  material  and  adverse as to make it  impractical  or
     inadvisable  to proceed with the offering or delivery of the  Securities as
     contemplated  by the  Registration  Statement  (exclusive  of any amendment
     thereof) and the Final Prospectus (exclusive of any supplement thereto).

          (g) Prior to the Closing Date, the Company shall have furnished to the
     Representatives such further information, certificates and documents as the
     Representatives may reasonably request.

          (h)  Subsequent to the Execution  Time,  there shall not have been any
     decrease  in the  rating of any of the  Company's  debt  securities  by any
     "nationally  recognized  statistical  rating  organization" (as defined for
     purposes of Rule 436(g)  under the Act) or any notice given of any intended
     or  potential  decrease in any such  rating or of a possible  change in any
     such rating that does not indicate the direction of the possible change.

     If any of the  conditions  specified  in this Section 6 shall not have been
fulfilled in all material respects when and as provided in this Agreement, or if
any of the  opinions  and  certificates  mentioned  above or  elsewhere  in this
Agreement shall not be in all material respects reasonably  satisfactory in form
and  substance to the  Representatives  and counsel for the  Underwriters,  this
Agreement and all obligations of the Underwriters  hereunder may be canceled at,
or at any time prior to, the Closing Date by the Representatives. Notice of such
cancelation  shall  be  given to the  Company  in  writing  or by  telephone  or
facsimile confirmed in writing.






                                                                              13

     The documents required to be delivered by this Section 6 shall be delivered
at the offices of Cravath, Swaine & Moore, counsel for the Underwriters,  at 825
Eighth Avenue, New York, New York 10019, on the Closing Date.

     7. Reimbursement of Underwriters'  Expenses.  If the sale of the Securities
provided for herein is not consummated  because any condition to the obligations
of the Underwriters  set forth in Section 6 hereof is not satisfied,  because of
any  termination  pursuant  to  Section  10 hereof or  because  of any  refusal,
inability or failure on the part of the Company to perform any agreement  herein
or comply with any provision  hereof other than by reason of a default by any of
the Underwriters,  the Company will reimburse the Underwriters severally through
Salomon Smith Barney Inc. on demand for all  reasonable  out-of-pocket  expenses
(including  reasonable fees and  disbursements  of counsel) that shall have been
incurred  by them in  connection  with  the  proposed  purchase  and sale of the
Securities.

     8.  Indemnification  and Contribution.  (a) The Company agrees to indemnify
and hold harmless  each  Underwriter,  the  directors,  officers,  employees and
agents of each Underwriter and each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter
within the  meaning of either the Act or the  Exchange  Act  against any and all
losses, claims,  damages or liabilities,  joint or several, to which they or any
of them may become  subject  under the Act, the Exchange Act or other Federal or
state statutory law or regulation,  at common law or other wise, insofar as such
losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out
of or are based  upon any untrue  statement  or alleged  untrue  statement  of a
material fact contained in the  registration  statement for the  registration of
the Securities as originally filed or in any amendment thereof,  or in the Basic
Prospectus,  any Preliminary Final Prospectus or the Final Prospectus, or in any
amendment thereof or supplement  thereto,  or arise out of or are based upon the
omission or alleged  omission to state  therein a material  fact  required to be
stated therein or necessary to make the statements  therein not misleading,  and
agrees to reimburse each such  indemnified  party,  as incurred,  subject to the
procedures  set forth in paragraph (c) of this Section 8, for any legal or other
expenses  reasonably  incurred  by  them in  connection  with  investigating  or
defending any such loss, claim, damage, liability or action; provided,  however,
(i) that the Company  will not be liable in any such case to the extent that any
such loss,  claim,  damage or liability  arises out of or is based upon any such
untrue  statement or alleged  untrue  statement or omission or alleged  omission
made  therein  in  reliance  upon and in  conformity  with  written  information
furnished  to the  Company  by or on  behalf  of  any  Underwriter  through  the
Representatives  specifically for inclusion therein and (ii) with respect to any
untrue  statement or omission of a material fact made in any  Preliminary  Final
Prospectus,  the  indemnity  agreement  contained in this Section 8(a) shall not
inure to the  benefit of any  Underwriter  (or any of the  directors,  officers,
employees  and  agents of such  Underwriter  or any  controlling  person or such
Underwriter)  from whom the person  asserting  any such loss,  claim,  damage or
liability purchased the Securities concerned,  to the extent that any such loss,
claim,  damage or liability of such  Underwriter  occurs under the  circumstance
where it shall have been  determined  by a court of  competent  jurisdiction  by
final and nonappealable  judgment that (x) the Company had previously  furnished
copies of the Final Prospectus to the Representatives,  (y) the untrue statement
or omission of a material fact contained in the Preliminary Final Prospectus was
corrected  in the Final  Prospectus  and (z) there was not sent or given to such
person,  at or prior to the written  confirmation of the sale of such Securities
to such person, a copy of the Final Prospectus. This indemnity agreement will be
in addition to any liability which the Company may otherwise have.







                                                                              14

          (b) Each Underwriter severally and not jointly agrees to indemnify and
     hold harmless the Company, each of its directors,  each of its officers who
     signs the Registration Statement,  and each person who controls the Company
     within  the  meaning  of either the Act or the  Exchange  Act,  to the same
     extent as the foregoing indemnity from the Company to each Underwriter, but
     only with  reference to written  information  relating to such  Underwriter
     furnished  to the Company by or on behalf of such  Underwriter  through the
     Representatives  specifically for inclusion in the documents referred to in
     the foregoing  indemnity.  This indemnity  agreement will be in addition to
     any  liability  which any  Underwriter  may  otherwise  have.  The  Company
     acknowledges  that the  statements  set forth in the last  paragraph of the
     cover page  regarding  delivery of the  Securities  and,  under the heading
     "Underwriting" or "Plan of Distribution",  (i) the list of Underwriters and
     their  respective  participation  in the sale of the  Securities,  (ii) the
     sentences  related to concessions and  reallowances and (iii) the paragraph
     related to stabilization,  syndicate covering transactions and penalty bids
     in any Preliminary Final Prospectus and the Final Prospectus constitute the
     only  information  furnished  in  writing  by or on behalf  of the  several
     Underwriters for inclusion in any Preliminary Final Prospectus or the Final
     Prospectus.

          (c) Promptly after receipt by an indemnified  party under this Section
     8 of notice of the commencement of any action, such indemnified party will,
     if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against the indemnifying  party
     under this  Section  8,  notify  the  indemnifying  party in writing of the
     commencement  thereof;  but the failure so to notify the indemnifying party
     (i) will not relieve it from  liability  under  paragraph  (a) or (b) above
     unless and to the extent it did not otherwise learn of such action and such
     failure results in the forfeiture by the indemnifying  party of substantial
     rights  and  defenses  and  (ii)  will  not,  in  any  event,  relieve  the
     indemnifying party from any obligations to any indemnified party other than
     the indemnification  obligation provided in paragraph (a) or (b) above. The
     indemnifying party shall be entitled to appoint counsel of the indemnifying
     party's  choice  at the  indemnifying  party's  expense  to  represent  the
     indemnified  party in any  action for which  indemnification  is sought (in
     which case the  indemnifying  party shall not thereafter be responsible for
     the fees and expenses of any separate  counsel  retained by the indemnified
     party or parties except as set forth below);  provided,  however, that such
     counsel  shall  be  reasonably   satisfactory  to  the  indemnified  party.
     Notwithstanding  the  indemnifying  party's  election to appoint counsel to
     represent the indemnified  party in an action,  the indemnified party shall
     have the right to employ separate counsel  (including  local counsel),  and
     the  indemnifying  party shall bear the reasonable fees, costs and expenses
     of  such  separate  counsel  if  (i)  the  use  of  counsel  chosen  by the
     indemnifying  party to represent the  indemnified  party would present such
     counsel  with  a  conflict  of  interest,  (ii)  the  actual  or  potential
     defendants in, or targets of, any such action include both the  indemnified
     party and the indemnifying  party and the indemnified party shall have been
     advised  in  writing  by such  counsel  that  there  may be legal  defenses
     available to it and/or other indemnified  parties which are different from,
     in conflict  with,  or additional  to those  available to the  indemnifying
     party,  (iii)  the  indemnifying  party  shall  not have  employed  counsel
     satisfactory  to the indemnified  party to represent the indemnified  party
     within a reasonable  time after notice of the institution of such action or
     (iv) the indemnifying party shall authorize the indemnified party to employ
     separate counsel at the expense of the indemnifying party. The indemnifying
     party shall not be liable for any  settlement  of any such action  effected
     without its written  consent,  which shall not be unreasonably  withheld or
     delayed, but if settled with the written consent of the indemnifying party,
     the   indemnifying   party  agrees  to  indemnify  and  hold  harmless  any
     indemnified  party from and against any loss or liability by reason of such
     settlement.  An  indemnifying  party will not,  without  the prior  written
     consent of the indemnified parties, which consent shall not be unreasonably
     withheld or delayed,  settle or  compromise  or consent to the entry of any






                                                                              15

     judgment with respect to any pending or threatened claim,  action,  suit or
     proceeding  in  respect of which  indemnification  or  contribution  may be
     sought  hereunder  (whether  or not the  indemnified  parties are actual or
     potential  parties  to  such  claim  or  action)  unless  such  settlement,
     compromise or consent includes an unconditional release of each indemnified
     party  from  all  liability  arising  out of such  claim,  action,  suit or
     proceeding.

          (d) In the event that the  indemnity  provided in paragraph (a) or (b)
     of this Section 8 is  unavailable  to or  insufficient  to hold harmless an
     indemnified  party  for  any  reason,  the  Company  and  the  Underwriters
     severally agree to contribute to the aggregate losses,  claims, damages and
     liabilities  (including  legal or other  expenses  reasonably  incurred  in
     connection with investigating or defending same) (collectively "Losses") to
     which the  Company  and one or more of the  Underwriters  may be subject in
     such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received
     by the  Company on the one hand and by the  Underwriters  on the other from
     the offering of the Securities;  provided,  however,  that in no case shall
     any  Underwriter  (except  as  may  be  provided  in  any  agreement  among
     underwriters relating to the offering of the Securities) be responsible for
     any amount in excess of the underwriting  discount or commission applicable
     to  the  Securities  purchased  by  such  Underwriter  hereunder.   If  the
     allocation  provided by the immediately  preceding  sentence is unavailable
     for any reason, the Company and the Underwriters severally shall contribute
     in such  proportion  as is  appropriate  to reflect not only such  relative
     benefits but also the relative  fault of the Company on the one hand and of
     the  Underwriters  on the  other  in  connection  with  the  statements  or
     omissions  which  resulted  in such  Losses as well as any  other  relevant
     equitable considerations.  Benefits received by the Company shall be deemed
     to be equal to the total net proceeds from the offering  (before  deducting
     expenses)  received by it, and benefits received by the Underwriters  shall
     be deemed to be equal to the total underwriting  discounts and commissions,
     in each  case as set  forth  on the  cover  page of the  Final  Prospectus.
     Relative  fault shall be  determined  by reference  to, among other things,
     whether any untrue or any alleged  untrue  statement of a material  fact or
     the  omission  or  alleged  omission  to state a material  fact  relates to
     information  provided by the Company on the one hand or the Underwriters on
     the other, the intent of the parties and their relative  knowledge,  access
     to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such untrue  statement
     or omission.  The Company and the  Underwriters  agree that it would not be
     just and equitable if  contribution  were determined by pro rata allocation
     or any other  method  of  allocation  which  does not take  account  of the
     equitable considerations referred to above.  Notwithstanding the provisions
     of this  paragraph  (d), no person guilty of  fraudulent  misrepresentation
     (within  the  meaning of Section  11(f) of the Act)  shall be  entitled  to
     contribution  from  any  person  who was  not  guilty  of  such  fraudulent
     misrepresentation. For purposes of this Section 8, each person who controls
     an Underwriter within the meaning of either the Act or the Exchange Act and
     each director, officer, employee and agent of an Underwriter shall have the
     same  rights to  contribution  as such  Underwriter,  and each  person  who
     controls  the Company  within the meaning of either the Act or the Exchange
     Act,  each  officer of the Company  who shall have signed the  Registration
     Statement  and each  director of the Company  shall have the same rights to
     contribution as the Company,  subject in each case to the applicable  terms
     and conditions of this paragraph (d).

     9. Default by an Underwriter. If any one or more Underwriters shall fail to
purchase  and pay for  any of the  Securities  agreed  to be  purchased  by such
Underwriter  or  Underwriters  hereunder  and such  failure  to  purchase  shall
constitute a default in the performance of its or their  obligations  under this
Agreement,  the remaining  Underwriters shall be obligated  severally to take up
and pay for (in  the  respective  proportions  which  the  principal  amount  of






                                                                              16

Securities  set forth  opposite  their names in Schedule II hereto  bears to the
aggregate principal amount of Securities set forth opposite the names of all the
remaining  Underwriters)  the  Securities  which the  defaulting  Underwriter or
Underwriters agreed but failed to purchase; provided, however, that in the event
that  the  aggregate   principal  amount  of  Securities  which  the  defaulting
Underwriter  or  Underwriters  agreed but failed to purchase shall exceed 10% of
the aggregate  principal  amount of Securities  set forth in Schedule II hereto,
the remaining  Underwriters  shall have the right to purchase all, but shall not
be  under  any  obligation  to  purchase  any,  of the  Securities,  and if such
nondefaulting  Underwriters do not purchase all the  Securities,  this Agreement
will  terminate  without  liability  to  any  nondefaulting  Underwriter  or the
Company.  In the  event of a  default  by any  Underwriter  as set forth in this
Section 9, the Closing Date shall be postponed  for such period,  not  exceeding
five Business  Days, as the  Representatives  shall  determine in order that the
required  changes in the  Registration  Statement and the Final Prospectus or in
any other documents or arrangements may be effected.  Nothing  contained in this
Agreement shall relieve any defaulting Underwriter of its liability,  if any, to
the Company and any  nondefaulting  Underwriter  for damages  occasioned  by its
default hereunder.

     10.  Termination.  This  Agreement  shall be subject to  termination in the
absolute  discretion  of the  Representatives,  by written  notice  given to the
Company  prior to delivery of and  payment  for the  Securities,  if at any time
prior to such time (i)  trading in the  Company's  Common  Stock shall have been
suspended  by the  Commission  or the New York  Stock  Exchange  or  trading  in
securities generally on the New York Stock Exchange shall have been suspended or
limited or minimum prices shall have been  established on such Exchange,  (ii) a
banking  moratorium shall have been declared either by Federal or New York State
authorities  or (iii) there shall have  occurred any outbreak or  escalation  of
hostilities, declaration by the United States of a national emergency or war, or
other calamity or crisis the effect of which on financial  markets is such as to
make it, in the sole reasonable judgment of the Representatives,  impractical or
inadvisable  to proceed  with the  offering  or delivery  of the  Securities  as
contemplated by the Final Prospectus (exclusive of any supplement thereto).

     11.  Representations and Indemnities to Survive. The respective agreements,
representations,  warranties, indemnities and other statements of the Company or
its  officers  and of the  Underwriters  set forth in or made  pursuant  to this
Agreement will remain in full force and effect,  regardless of any investigation
made by or on behalf of any  Underwriter  or the Company or any of the officers,
directors,  employees,  agents or controlling  persons  referred to in Section 8
hereof,  and will  survive  delivery  of and  payment  for the  Securities.  The
provisions  of  Sections  7  and 8  hereof  shall  survive  the  termination  or
cancelation of this Agreement.

     12. Notices. All communications  hereunder will be in writing and effective
only on receipt, and, if sent to the Representatives,  will be mailed, delivered
or telefaxed to the Salomon Smith Barney Inc.  General  Counsel (fax no.:  (212)
816-7912)  and confirmed to the General  Counsel,  Salomon Smith Barney Inc., at
388 Greenwich Street, New York, New York, 10013, Attention: General Counsel; or,
if sent to the Company, will be mailed, delivered or telefaxed to (281) 874-2701
and confirmed to it at 16825 Northchase Drive, Suite 400, Houston,  Texas 77060,
Attention: Chief Financial Officer.

     13. Successors.  This Agreement will inure to the benefit of and be binding
upon the  parties  hereto  and their  respective  successors  and the  officers,







                                                                              17

directors,  employees,  agents and controlling  persons referred to in Section 8
hereof, and no other person will have any right or obligation hereunder.

     14.  Applicable  Law. This  Agreement  will be governed by and construed in
accordance  with the laws of the State of New York  applicable to contracts made
and to be performed within the State of New York.

     15. Counterparts. This Agreement may be signed in one or more counterparts,
each of which shall  constitute  an  original  and all of which  together  shall
constitute one and the same agreement.

     16. Headings. The section headings used herein are for convenience only and
shall not affect the construction hereof.

     17. Definitions. The terms which follow, when used in this Agreement, shall
have the meanings indicated.

     "Act" shall mean the  Securities  Act of 1933, as amended and the rules and
regulations of the Commission promulgated thereunder.

     "Basic Prospectus" shall mean the prospectus  referred to in paragraph 1(a)
above  contained in the  Registration  Statement at the Effective Date including
any Preliminary Final Prospectus.

     "Business  Day"  shall mean any day other  than a  Saturday,  a Sunday or a
legal  holiday or a day on which  banking  institutions  or trust  companies are
authorized or obligated by law to close in New York City.

     "Commission" shall mean the Securities and Exchange Commission.

     "Effective  Date"  shall  mean  each  date and time  that the  Registration
Statement,  any  post-effective  amendment  or  amendments  thereto and any Rule
462(b) Registration Statement became or become effective.

     "Exchange Act" shall mean the Securities  Exchange Act of 1934, as amended,
and the rules and regulations of the Commission promulgated thereunder.

     "Execution  Time"  shall  mean the date and time  that  this  Agreement  is
executed and delivered by the parties hereto.

     "Final Prospectus" shall mean the final prospectus  supplement  relating to
the Securities  that was first filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) after the Execution
Time, together with the Basic Prospectus.

     "Preliminary  Final  Prospectus"  shall  mean  any  preliminary  prospectus
supplement  to the Basic  Prospectus  which  describes  the  Securities  and the
offering thereof and is used prior to filing of the Final  Prospectus,  together
with the Basic Prospectus.







                                                                              18

     "Registration  Statement" shall mean the registration statement referred to
in paragraph 1(a) above, including exhibits and financial statements, as amended
at the Execution  Time (or, if not effective at the Execution  Time, in the form
in which  it shall  become  effective)  and,  in the  event  any  post-effective
amendment  thereto or any Rule 462(b)  Registration  Statement becomes effective
prior to the Closing  Date,  shall also mean such  registration  statement as so
amended or such Rule  462(b)  Registration  Statement,  as the case may be. Such
term shall include any Rule 430A  Information  deemed to be included  therein at
the Effective Date as provided by Rule 430A.

     " Rule 415",  "Rule  424",  "Rule  430A" and "Rule 462" refer to such rules
under the Act.

     "Rule  430A  Information"  shall  mean  information  with  respect  to  the
Securities  and  the  offering   thereof   permitted  to  be  omitted  from  the
Registration Statement when it becomes effective pursuant to Rule 430A.

     "Rule 462(b)  Registration  Statement" shall mean a registration  statement
and any  amendments  thereto  filed  pursuant  to Rule  462(b)  relating  to the
offering  covered by the  registration  statement  referred  to in Section  1(a)
hereof.

     "Subsidiary"  shall  mean  SWENCO-Western,  Inc.,  Swift  Energy  Marketing
Company and Swift Energy  International,  Inc. and any other  subsidiary  of the
Company that is a "significant  subsidiary" of the Company within the meaning of
Rule 1-02 under Regulation S-X promulgated by the Commission,  substituting five
percent for 10 percent in the  conditions  specified  therein  and  substituting
"proportionate share of the total net revenue (after intercompany eliminations)"
for  "equity in the income  from  continuing  operations  before  income  taxes,
extraordinary  items and cumulative effect of a change in accounting  principle"
and "such revenue" for "such income" in clause (3) of such definition; provided,
however, this definition shall not include any limited partnerships of which the
Company is the managing general partner.

     "Trust  Indenture  Act"  shall  mean the Trust  Indenture  Act of 1939,  as
amended and the rules and regulations of the Commission promulgated thereunder.








                                                                              19

     If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding of our agreement,
please  sign and return to us the  enclosed  duplicate  hereof,  whereupon  this
letter and your acceptance shall represent a binding agreement among the Company
and the several Underwriters.


                                         Very truly yours,


                                         SWIFT ENERGY COMPANY

                                         By:   /s/ John R. Alden
                                               ---------------------------------
                                               John R. Alden
                                               Senior Vice President-Finance


The  foregoing  Agreement  is  hereby  confirmed  and  accepted  as of the  date
specified in Schedule I hereto.

SALOMON SMITH BARNEY INC.
CIBC WORLD MARKETS CORP.
MORGAN STANLEY & CO. INCORPORATED
CREDIT SUISSE FIRST BOSTON CORPORATION
BANC ONE CAPITAL MARKETS, INC.
ABN AMRO INCORPORATED
SG COWEN SECURITIES CORPORATION

By:  SALOMON SMITH BARNEY INC.

By:    /s/ Angela M. Reiton
       -----------------------
       Angela M. Reiton
       Vice President
Title:


For themselves and the other several Underwriters,  if any, named in Schedule II
to the foregoing Agreement.










                                   SCHEDULE I


Underwriting Agreement dated July 30, 1999

Registration Statement No.  333-81651

Representative(s):  Salomon Smith Barney Inc.
                    CIBC World Markets Corp.
                    Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated
                    Credit Suisse First Boston Corporation
                    Banc One Capital Markets, Inc.
                    ABN AMRO Incorporated
                    SG Cowen Securities Corporation

Title, Purchase Price and Description of Securities:

         Title:  10.25% Senior Subordinated Notes due 2009

         Principal amount:  $125,000,000

         Purchase price (include accrued
           interest or amortization, if
           any):

         Sinking fund provisions:   None

         Redemption provisions:  Redeemable at the Company's option at the times
                                 and prices specified in the Final Prospectus

         Other provisions:       As provided in the Indenture

Closing Date, Time and Location:  August 4, 1999 at 10:00 a.m. at the offices of
Cravath, Swaine & Moore, 825 Eighth Avenue, New York, New York 10019

Type of Offering:  Non-delayed

Date  referred to in Section 5(f) after which the Company may offer or sell debt
securities  issued or  guaranteed  by the  Company  without  the  consent of the
Representative(s): 90 days after the Execution Time

Modification  of items to be covered  by the letter  from  Arthur  Andersen  LLP
delivered pursuant to Section 6(e) at the Execution Time: None






                                   SCHEDULE II


                                                           Principal Amount
                                                           of Securities to
Underwriters                                                be Purchased
============                                               ================
Salomon Smith Barney Inc.                                   $ 62,500,000
CIBC World Markets Corp.                                    $ 25,000,000
Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated                           $ 25,000,000
Credit Suisse First Boston Corporation                      $  3,125,000
Banc One Capital Markets, Inc.                              $  3,125,000
ABN AMRO Incorporated                                       $  3,125,000
SG Cowen Securities Corporation                             $  3,125,000


         Total                                              $125,000,000
                                                            ============