1 EXHIBIT 10.2 SIXTH AMENDMENT TO CREDIT AGREEMENT THIS SIXTH AMENDMENT TO CREDIT AGREEMENT (this "Amendment") is made and entered into effective as of the 28th day of January, 1998, by and among SOUTHERN MINERAL CORPORATION, a Nevada corporation (the "Borrower"), SMC PRODUCTION CO., a Texas corporation, SPRUCE HILLS PRODUCTION COMPANY, INC., a Delaware corporation and BEC ENERGY, INC., a Texas corporation and AMERAC ENERGY CORPORATION, a Delaware corporation (collectively, the "Co-Borrowers") and COMPASS BANK, a Texas state chartered banking institution ("Lender"). W I T N E S S E T H: WHEREAS, the Borrower, the Co-Borrowers and Lender did execute and exchange counterparts of that certain Credit Agreement dated December 20, 1995, executed in connection with a revolving loan extended to the Borrowers by Lender as amended by First Amendment effective as of June 1, 1996, by letter amendment dated August 30, 1996, by letter amendment dated January 22, 1997, by Second Amendment to Credit Agreement effective as of December 17, 1996, by Third Amendment to Credit Agreement effective as of June 10, 1997, by Fourth Amendment to Credit Agreement effective as of June 30, 1997, and by Fifth Amendment to Credit Agreement effective as of December 31, 1997 (the "Credit Agreement"); WHEREAS, the parties hereto desire to amend the Credit Agreement as hereinafter set forth; NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants and agreements contained in the Credit Agreement and this Amendment, the parties hereto agree as follows: ARTICLE I DEFINITIONS AND INTERPRETATION I.1 Terms Defined Above. As used herein, each of the terms "Amendment," "Borrowers," "Co- Borrowers," "Lender," and "Credit Agreement" shall have the meaning assigned to such term herein above. I.2 Terms Defined in Credit Agreement. As used herein, each term defined in the Credit Agreement shall have the meaning assigned thereto in the Credit Agreement, unless expressly provided herein to the contrary. I.3 References. References in this Amendment to Article or Section numbers shall be to Articles and Sections of this Amendment, unless expressly stated to the contrary. References in this Amendment to "hereby," "herein," "hereinafter," "herein above," 2 "herein below," "hereof," and "hereunder" shall be to this Amendment in its entirety and not only to the particular Article or Section in which such reference appears. I.4 Articles and Sections. This Amendment, for convenience only, has been divided into Articles and Sections and it is understood that the rights, powers, privileges, duties, and other legal relations of the parties hereto shall be determined from this Amendment as an entirety and without regard to such division into Articles and Sections and without regard to headings prefixed to such Articles and Sections. I.5 Number and Gender. Whenever the context requires, reference herein made to the single number shall be understood to include the plural and likewise the plural shall be understood to include the singular. Words denoting sex shall be construed to include the masculine, feminine, and neuter, when such construction is appropriate, and specific enumeration shall not exclude the general, but shall be construed as cumulative. Definitions of terms defined in the singular and plural shall be equally applicable to the plural or singular, as the case may be. ARTICLE II AMENDMENTS TO CREDIT AGREEMENT II.1 Addition of Co-Borrower. The Credit Agreement is hereby amended to add AMERAC ENERGY CORPORATION as a Co-Borrower. II.2 Amendment of Exhibit I. Exhibit I of the Credit Agreement, i.e. the Form of Promissory Note, is amended as set forth on Exhibit I to this Sixth Amendment. ARTICLE III CONDITIONS The obligation of the Lender to amend the Credit Agreement as provided herein is subject to the fulfillment of the following conditions precedent: III.1 Receipt of Documents and Other Items. The Lender shall have received, reviewed, and approved the following documents and other items, appropriately executed when necessary and in form and substance satisfactory to the Lender: (a) multiple counterparts of this Amendment and the Note, as requested by the Lender; (b) Mortgage, Deed of Trust, Security Agreement and Financing Statement covering properties of Amerac Energy Corporation; and 3 (c) such other agreements, documents, items, instruments, opinions, certificates, waivers, consents, and evidence as the Lender may reasonably request. III.2 Accuracy of Representations and Warranties. The representations and warranties contained in Article IV of the Credit Agreement and in any other Loan Document shall be true and correct, except as affected by the transactions contemplated in the Credit Agreement and this Amendment. III.3 Matters Satisfactory to Lender. All matters incident to the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby shall be satisfactory to the Lender. ARTICLE IV REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES The Borrower and each of the Co-Borrowers hereby expressly re-makes, in favor of the Lender, all of the representations and warranties set forth in Article IV of the Credit Agreement and set forth in any other Loan Document to which it is a party, and represents and warrants that all such representations and warranties remain true and unbreached, except as affected by the transactions contemplated in the Credit Agreement and this Amendment. ARTICLE V RATIFICATION Each of the parties hereto does hereby adopt, ratify, and confirm the Credit Agreement and the other Loan Documents to which it is a party, in all things in accordance with the terms and provisions thereof, as amended by this Amendment and the documents executed in connection herewith. ARTICLE VI MISCELLANEOUS VI.1 Scope of Amendment. The scope of this Amendment is expressly limited to the matters addressed herein and this Amendment shall not operate as a waiver of any past, present, or future breach, Default, or Event of Default under the Credit Agreement, except to the extent, if any, that any such breach, Default, or Event of Default is remedied by the effect of this Amendment. 3 4 VI.2 Credit Agreement as Amended. All references to the Credit Agreement in any document heretofore or hereafter executed in connection with the transactions contemplated in the Credit Agreement shall be deemed to refer to the Credit Agreement as amended by this Amendment. VI.3 Parties in Interest. All provisions of this Amendment shall be binding upon and shall inure to the benefit of the Borrower, the Co-Borrowers, the Lender, and their respective successors and permitted assigns. VI.4 Rights of Third Parties. All provisions herein are imposed solely and exclusively for the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors and permitted assigns. No other Person shall have standing to require satisfaction of such provisions in accordance with their terms and any or all of such provisions may be freely waived in whole or in part by the Lender at any time if in its sole discretion it deems it advisable to do so. VI.5 Entire Agreement. THIS AMENDMENT CONSTITUTES THE ENTIRE AGREEMENT AMONG THE PARTIES HERETO WITH RESPECT TO THE SUBJECT HEREOF AND SUPERSEDES ANY PRIOR AGREEMENT, WHETHER WRITTEN OR ORAL, AMONG SUCH PARTIES REGARDING THE SUBJECT HEREOF. FURTHERMORE IN THIS REGARD, THIS AMENDMENT, THE CREDIT AGREEMENT, AND THE OTHER WRITTEN LOAN DOCUMENTS REPRESENT, COLLECTIVELY, THE FINAL AGREEMENT AMONG THE PARTIES THERETO AND MAY NOT BE CONTRADICTED BY EVIDENCE OF PRIOR, CONTEMPORANEOUS, OR SUBSEQUENT ORAL AGREEMENTS OF SUCH PARTIES. THERE ARE NO UNWRITTEN ORAL AGREEMENTS AMONG SUCH PARTIES. VI.6 Governing Law. THIS AMENDMENT AND ALL ISSUES ARISING IN CONNECTION HEREWITH AND THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY SHALL BE CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH AND GOVERNED BY THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF TEXAS WITHOUT GIVING EFFECT TO PRINCIPLES THEREOF RELATING TO CONFLICTS OF LAW. VI.7 Jurisdiction and Venue. ALL ACTIONS OR PROCEEDINGS WITH RESPECT TO, ARISING DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY IN CONNECTION WITH, OUT OF, RELATED TO OR FROM THIS AMENDMENT, THE CREDIT AGREEMENT, OR ANY OTHER LOAN DOCUMENT MAY BE LITIGATED, AT THE SOLE DISCRETION AND ELECTION OF THE LENDER, IN COURTS HAVING SITUS IN HOUSTON, HARRIS COUNTY, TEXAS. EACH OF THE BORROWERS HEREBY SUBMITS TO THE JURISDICTION OF ANY LOCAL, STATE, OR FEDERAL COURT LOCATED IN HOUSTON, HARRIS COUNTY, TEXAS, AND HEREBY WAIVES ANY RIGHTS IT MAY HAVE TO TRANSFER OR CHANGE THE JURISDICTION OR VENUE OF ANY LITIGATION BROUGHT AGAINST IT BY THE LENDER IN ACCORDANCE WITH THIS SECTION. 4 5 VI.8 Waiver of Rights to Jury Trial. THE BORROWER, EACH OF THE CO-BORROWERS AND THE LENDER HEREBY KNOWINGLY, VOLUNTARILY, INTENTIONALLY, IRREVOCABLY, AND UNCONDITIONALLY WAIVES ALL RIGHTS TO TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY ACTION, SUIT, PROCEEDING, COUNTERCLAIM, OR OTHER LITIGATION THAT RELATES TO OR ARISES OUT OF THIS AMENDMENT, THE CREDIT AGREEMENT, OR ANY OTHER LOAN DOCUMENT OR THE ACTS OR OMISSIONS OF THE LENDER IN THE ENFORCEMENT OF ANY OF THE TERMS OR PROVISIONS OF THIS AMENDMENT, THE CREDIT AGREEMENT, OR ANY OTHER LOAN DOCUMENT OR OTHERWISE WITH RESPECT THERETO. THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION ARE A MATERIAL INDUCEMENT FOR THE LENDER ENTERING INTO THIS AMENDMENT. 5 6 IN WITNESS WHEREOF, this Amendment is executed effective as of the date first herein above written. SOUTHERN MINERAL CORPORATION SMC PRODUCTION CO. SPRUCE HILLS PRODUCTION COMPANY,INC. BEC ENERGY, INC. By:/s/ James H. Price ---------------------------------- James H. Price Vice President-Finance COMPASS BANK By:/s/ Allison Hammer -------------------------------- Allison Hammer Vice President 6 7 SIXTH AMENDMENT TO CREDIT AGREEMENT between SOUTHERN MINERAL CORPORATION BEC ENERGY, INC. SMC PRODUCTION CO. SPRUCE HILLS PRODUCTION COMPANY, INC. AMERAC ENERGY CORPORATION and COMPASS BANK Effective as of January 28, 1998 8 EXHIBIT I [FORM OF NOTE] $100,000,000 Houston, Texas January 28, 1998 FOR VALUE RECEIVED and WITHOUT GRACE, the undersigned ("Maker") promises to pay to the order of COMPASS BANK, ("Payee"), at its banking quarters in Houston, Harris County, Texas, the sum of ONE HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS ($100,000,000), or so much thereof as may be advanced against this Note pursuant to the Credit Agreement dated December 20, 1995, by and among Maker and Payee (as amended, restated, or supplemented from time to time, the "Credit Agreement"), together with interest at the rates and calculated as provided in the Credit Agreement. Reference is hereby made to the Credit Agreement for matters governed thereby, including, without limitation, certain events which will entitle the holder hereof to accelerate the maturity of all amounts due hereunder. Capitalized terms used but not defined in this Note shall have the meanings assigned to such terms in the Credit Agreement. This Note is issued pursuant to, is the "Note" under, and is payable as provided in the Credit Agreement. Subject to compliance with applicable provisions of the Credit Agreement, Maker may at any time pay the full amount or any part of this Note without the payment of any premium or fee, but such payment shall not, until this Note is fully paid and satisfied, excuse the payment as it becomes due of any payment on this Note provided for in the Credit Agreement. This Note is issued in renewal and replacement, but not as a novation or discharge, of that certain Promissory Note dated December 31, 1997 in the original principal amount of $100,000,000, executed by Maker and payable to the order of Payee. Without being limited thereto or thereby, this Note is secured by the Security Instruments. THIS NOTE SHALL BE GOVERNED AND CONTROLLED BY THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF TEXAS WITHOUT GIVING EFFECT TO PRINCIPLES THEREOF RELATING TO CONFLICTS OF LAW; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, THAT VERNON'S TEXAS CIVIL STATUTES, ARTICLE 5069, CHAPTER 15 (WHICH REGULATES CERTAIN REVOLVING CREDIT LOAN ACCOUNTS AND REVOLVING TRIPARTY ACCOUNTS) SHALL NOT APPLY TO THIS NOTE. 9 SOUTHERN MINERAL CORPORATION SMC PRODUCTION CO. SPRUCE HILLS PRODUCTION COMPANY, INC. BEC ENERGY, INC. By:/s/ James H. Price -------------------------------------------- James H. Price Vice President-Finance