SANTA FE INTERNATIONAL CORP/
F-3/A, EX-1.1, 2000-06-20
DRILLING OIL & GAS WELLS
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                                                                     EXHIBIT 1.1


                       SANTA FE INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION

                                 ORDINARY SHARES

                                   ----------

                         FORM OF UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT

                                   ----------

                                                                 June [  ], 2000

Goldman, Sachs & Co.
Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated
Credit Suisse First Boston Corporation
Salomon Smith Barney Inc.,
As representatives (the "Representatives") of the several Underwriters
    named in Schedule I hereto,
c/o Goldman, Sachs & Co.,
85 Broad Street,
New York, New York 10004

Ladies and Gentlemen:


     SFIC Holdings (Cayman), Inc., a Cayman Islands company ("Holdings") and a
wholly-owned subsidiary of Kuwait Petroleum Corporation, a Kuwaiti corporation
("KPC"), proposes, subject to the terms and conditions stated herein, to sell to
the Underwriters named in Schedule I hereto (the "Underwriters") an aggregate of
___________ ordinary shares (the "Firm Shares"), par value $0.01 per share (the
"Ordinary Shares") of Santa Fe International Corporation, a Cayman Islands
company (the "Company"), and, at the election of the Underwriters, up to
___________ additional Ordinary Shares (the "Optional Shares"). The Firm Shares
and the Optional Shares that the Underwriters elect to purchase pursuant to
Section 2 hereof are herein collectively called the "Shares".

     Two forms of prospectus are to be used in connection with the offering and
sale of the Shares, one relating to the offering and sale of Shares in the
United States and the other relating to the offering and sale of Shares outside
the United States. The two forms of prospectus will be substantially identical
except that the prospectus to be used in connection with the offering and sale
of Shares outside the United States will contain the documents which are
incorporated by reference in the prospectus to be used for the offering and sale
of the Shares in the United States. References herein to any prospectus whether
in preliminary or final form, and whether as amended or supplemented, shall
include both forms of prospectus. Pursuant to the Agreement among Underwriters,
each Underwriter agrees that as part of the offering of the Shares, it will not,
directly or indirectly, sell or deliver any Shares in the Cayman Islands or to
any person who it believes intends to reoffer, resell or deliver Shares in the
Cayman Islands.

     1. (a) The Company represents and warrants to, and agrees with, each of the
Underwriters and Holdings that:

        (i) A registration statement on Form F-3 (File No. 333-38436) (the
     "Initial Registration Statement") in respect of the Shares has been filed
     with the Securities and



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     Exchange Commission (the "Commission"); the Initial Registration Statement
     and any post-effective amendment thereto, each in the form heretofore
     delivered to you, and, excluding exhibits thereto but including all
     documents incorporated by reference in the prospectus contained therein, to
     you for each of the other Underwriters, have been declared effective by the
     Commission in such form; other than a registration statement, if any,
     increasing the size of the offering (a "Rule 462(b) Registration
     Statement"), filed pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act of
     1933, as amended (the "Act"), which became effective upon filing, no other
     document with respect to the Initial Registration Statement or document
     incorporated by reference therein has heretofore been filed with the
     Commission; and no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Initial
     Registration Statement, any post-effective amendment thereto or the Rule
     462(b) Registration Statement, if any, has been issued and no proceeding
     for that purpose has been initiated or threatened by the Commission (any
     preliminary prospectus included in the Initial Registration Statement or
     filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(a) of the rules and
     regulations of the Act, is hereinafter called a "Preliminary Prospectus";
     the various parts of the Initial Registration Statement and the Rule 462(b)
     Registration Statement, if any, including all exhibits thereto and
     including (i) the information contained in the form of final prospectus
     filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act in
     accordance with Section 5(a) hereof and deemed by virtue of Rule 430A under
     the Act to be part of the Initial Registration Statement at the time it was
     declared effective and (ii) the documents incorporated by reference in the
     prospectus contained in the Initial Registration Statement at the time such
     part of the Initial Registration Statement became effective, each as
     amended at the time such part of the Initial Registration Statement became
     effective or such part of the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, if any,
     became or hereafter becomes effective, are hereinafter collectively called
     the "Registration Statement"; and such final prospectus, in the form first
     filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act, is hereinafter called the
     "PROSPECTUS"; and any reference herein to any Preliminary Prospectus or the
     Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include the documents
     incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form F-3 under the
     Act, as of the date of such Preliminary Prospectus or Prospectus, as the
     case may be; any reference to any amendment or supplement to any
     Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and
     include any documents filed after the date of such Preliminary Prospectus
     or Prospectus, as the case may be, under the Securities Exchange Act of
     1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), and incorporated by reference in
     such Preliminary Prospectus or Prospectus, as the case may be; and any
     reference to any amendment to the Registration Statement shall be deemed to
     refer to and include any annual report of the Company filed pursuant to
     Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act after the effective date of the
     Initial Registration Statement that is incorporated by reference in the
     Registration Statement);

        (ii) No order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary
     Prospectus has been issued by the Commission, and each Preliminary
     Prospectus, at the time of filing thereof, conformed in all material
     respects to the requirements of the Act and the rules and regulations of
     the Commission thereunder, and did not contain an untrue statement of a
     material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated
     therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the
     circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided,
     however, that this representation and warranty shall not apply to any
     statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with
     information furnished in writing to the Company by an Underwriter through
     Goldman, Sachs & Co. expressly for use therein or by Holdings expressly for
     use in the preparation of the answers therein to Item 7 of Form F-3;

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        (iii) The documents incorporated by reference in the Prospectus, when
     they became effective or were filed with the Commission, as the case may
     be, conformed in all material respects to the requirements of the Act or
     the Exchange Act, as applicable, and the rules and regulations of the
     Commission thereunder, and none of such documents contained an untrue
     statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required
     to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not
     misleading; and any further documents so filed and incorporated by
     reference in the Prospectus or any further amendment or supplement thereto,
     when such documents become effective or are filed with the Commission, as
     the case may be, will conform in all material respects to the requirements
     of the Act or the Exchange Act, as applicable, and the rules and
     regulations of the Commission thereunder and will not contain an untrue
     statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to
     be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not
     misleading; provided, however, that this representation and warranty shall
     not apply to any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in
     conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by an
     Underwriter through Goldman, Sachs & Co. expressly for use therein;

        (iv) The Registration Statement conforms, and the Prospectus and any
     further amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement or the
     Prospectus will conform, in all material respects to the requirements of
     the Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder and do
     not and will not, as of the applicable effective date as to the
     Registration Statement and any amendment thereto and as of the applicable
     filing date as to the Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto,
     contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material
     fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements
     therein not misleading; provided, however, that this representation and
     warranty shall not apply to any statements or omissions made in reliance
     upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company
     by an Underwriter through Goldman, Sachs & Co. expressly for use therein or
     by Holdings expressly for use in the preparation of the answers therein to
     Item 7 of Form F-3;

        (v) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has sustained since
     the date of the latest audited financial statements included or
     incorporated by reference in the Prospectus any material loss or
     interference with its business from fire, explosion, flood or other
     calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor dispute or
     court or governmental action, order or decree, otherwise than as set forth
     or contemplated in the Prospectus; and, since the respective dates as of
     which information is given in the Registration Statement and the
     Prospectus, there has not been any change in the share capital or in the
     consolidated long-term debt of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a
     whole, or any material adverse change, or any development involving a
     prospective material adverse change, in or affecting the general affairs,
     management, financial position, taxation, shareholders' equity or results
     of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole,
     otherwise than as set forth or contemplated in the Prospectus;

        (vi) The Company and its subsidiaries, taken together, have good and
     marketable title in fee simple to all real property and, except as
     described in the Prospectus or such as materially affect the Company's
     right, title and interest in such rigs, good and marketable title to all
     drilling rigs and all other personal property owned by them, in each case
     free and clear of all liens, encumbrances and defects except such as are
     described in the Prospectus or such as do not materially affect the value
     of such property and do not interfere with the use made and proposed to be
     made of such

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     property by the Company and its subsidiaries; and any real property and
     buildings held under lease by the Company and its subsidiaries are held by
     them under valid, subsisting and enforceable leases with such exceptions as
     are not material and do not interfere with the use made and proposed to be
     made of such property and buildings by the Company and its subsidiaries;

        (vii) The Company has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as
     an exempted company and is in good standing under the laws of the Cayman
     Islands, with power and authority (corporate and other) to own its
     properties and conduct its business as described in the Prospectus, and has
     been duly qualified as a foreign corporation for the transaction of
     business and is in good standing under the laws of the State of Texas and
     each other jurisdiction in which it owns or leases properties or conducts
     any business so as to require such qualification, or is subject to no
     material liability or disability by reason of the failure to be so
     qualified in any such jurisdiction; and each subsidiary of the Company has
     been duly organized and is a company validly existing and (with respect to
     each subsidiary organized in a jurisdiction that recognizes good standing)
     in good standing under the laws of its jurisdiction of organization;

        (viii) The Company has an authorized capitalization as set forth in the
     Prospectus, and all of the issued shares of the Company have been duly and
     validly authorized and issued, are fully paid and non-assessable and
     conform to the description of the Ordinary Shares contained in the
     Prospectus; and all of the issued shares of capital stock of each
     subsidiary of the Company have been duly and validly authorized and issued,
     are fully paid and non-assessable and (except for directors' qualifying
     shares and except as set forth in the Prospectus) are owned directly or
     indirectly by the Company, free and clear of all liens, encumbrances,
     equities or claims; all of the Ordinary Shares have been duly listed and
     admitted for trading on the New York Stock Exchange (the "NYSE"); the
     holders of issued shares of the Company are not entitled to preemptive or
     other rights to acquire the Shares; there are no outstanding securities
     convertible into or exchangeable for, or warrants, rights or options to
     purchase from the Company, or obligations of the Company to issue, the
     Ordinary Shares or any other class of share capital of the Company (other
     than under the 1997 Long Term Incentive Plan, the Annual Incentive
     Compensation Plan, the 1997 Employee Share Purchase Plan or the 1997
     Non-Employee Director Stock Option Plan, each as generally described in the
     Company's Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 1999);
     and there are no restrictions on subsequent transfers of the Shares under
     the laws of the Cayman Islands and of the United States except as described
     in the Prospectus under the caption "Description of Share Capital";

        (ix) The Shares have been duly and validly authorized and duly and
     validly issued and are fully paid and non-assessable and conform to the
     description of the Ordinary Shares contained in the Prospectus;

        (x) All consents, approvals, authorizations, orders, registrations,
     clearances and qualifications (hereinafter referred to as "Governmental
     Authorizations") of or with any court or governmental agency or body or any
     stock exchange authorities (hereinafter referred to as a "Governmental
     Agency") having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its subsidiaries or
     any of their properties required for the execution and delivery by the
     Company of this Agreement to be duly and validly authorized have been
     obtained or made and are in full force and effect;

        (xi) All dividends and other distributions declared and payable on the
     shares of the Company may under the current laws and regulations of the
     Cayman Islands be

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     paid in United States dollars and may be freely transferred out of the
     Cayman Islands, and all such dividends and other distributions will not be
     subject to currency exchange controls or withholding or other taxes under
     the laws and regulations of the Cayman Islands and are otherwise free and
     clear of any other tax, withholding or deduction in the Cayman Islands and
     may be paid without the necessity of obtaining any Governmental
     Authorization in the Cayman Islands;

        (xii) The sale of the Shares and the compliance by the Company with all
     of the provisions of this Agreement and the consummation of the
     transactions herein and therein contemplated will not conflict with or
     result in a breach or violation of any of the terms or provisions of, or
     constitute a default under, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan
     agreement or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of
     its subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or any of its
     subsidiaries is bound or to which any of the property or assets of the
     Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject, nor will such action result
     in any violation of the provisions of the Amended and Restated Memorandum
     of Association (the "Memorandum") and the Amended and Restated Articles of
     Association (the "Articles") of the Company or any statute or any order,
     rule or regulation of any Governmental Agency having jurisdiction over the
     Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of their properties, and no
     consent, approval, authorization, order, registration or qualification of
     or with any such Governmental Agency is required for the sale of the Shares
     or the consummation by the Company of the transactions contemplated by this
     Agreement, except (A) the registration under the Act of the Shares, (B)
     such Governmental Authorizations as have been duly obtained and are in full
     force and effect and (C) such Governmental Authorizations as may be
     required under state securities or Blue Sky laws or any laws of
     jurisdictions outside the Cayman Islands and the United States in
     connection with the purchase and distribution of the Shares by or for the
     account of the Underwriters;

        (xiii) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is in violation
     of its Memorandum of Association or Articles of Association (or comparable
     charter documents), or in default in the performance or observance of any
     material obligation, agreement, covenant or condition contained in any
     indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement lease or other agreement
     or instrument to which it is a party or by which it or any of its
     properties may be bound;

        (xiv) The Intercompany Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and
     delivered by the Company, KPC and Holdings and constitutes a valid and
     legally binding agreement of the Company, KPC and Holdings, and the
     Management Services Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and
     delivered by the Company and Holdings and constitutes a valid and legally
     binding agreement of the Company and Holdings (the Intercompany Agreement
     and the Management Services Agreement being referred to herein collectively
     as the "Cooperation Agreements"), and each of the Cooperation Agreements is
     enforceable in accordance with its terms, subject, as to enforcement, to
     bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization and similar laws of general
     applicability relating to or affecting creditors' rights and to general
     equity principles;

        (xv) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has taken, directly
     or indirectly, any action which was designed to or which has constituted or
     which might reasonably be expected to cause or result in stabilization or
     manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the
     sale or resale of the Shares;

        (xvi) The statements set forth or incorporated by reference in the
     Prospectus under the caption "Description of Share Capital", insofar as
     they purport to constitute a

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     summary of the terms of the Ordinary Shares, and under the captions
     "Enforceability of Civil Liabilities", "Our Relationship with Kuwait
     Petroleum Corporation", "Management", "Taxation" and "Exchange Controls",
     insofar as they purport to describe the provisions of the laws and
     documents referred to therein, are accurate, complete and fair in all
     material respects;

        (xvii) Other than as set forth in the Prospectus, there are no legal or
     governmental proceedings pending to which the Company or any of its
     subsidiaries or any of its officers or directors is a party or of which any
     property of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of its officers
     or directors is the subject which, if determined adversely to the Company
     or any of its subsidiaries or any of its officers or directors, would
     individually or in the aggregate have a material adverse effect on the
     current or future consolidated financial position, shareholders' equity or
     results of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a
     whole, and, to the best of the Company's knowledge, no such proceedings are
     threatened or contemplated by any Governmental Agency or threatened by
     others;

        (xviii) Other than as set forth in the Prospectus and except for such
     matters that would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a material
     adverse effect on the business, consolidated financial position,
     shareholders' equity or results of operations of the Company and its
     subsidiaries, taken as a whole, (A) neither the Company nor any of its
     subsidiaries has violated or is subject to existing liability under any
     laws, regulations, orders, rules, decrees, directives (including EC
     directives), treaties or conventions (including MARPOL) relating to the
     protection of human health, the environment or otherwise relating to the
     generation, use, emission, handling or disposal of hazardous or toxic
     substances, crude oil, petroleum and petroleum products, drilling muds,
     produced water, cuttings, sulphur dioxide, oxides of nitrogen, naturally
     occurring radioactive materials or any other substance where exposure or
     handling is regulated by law or any Governmental Authority ("Environmental
     Laws"); (B) the Company and each of its subsidiaries possess all permits,
     authorizations, licenses and approvals necessary to the current and
     anticipated future conduct of each of their businesses required under any
     Environmental Law; and (C) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries
     are subject to any current or anticipated claims, liabilities, costs,
     proceedings, investigations, operating restrictions or increased operating
     expenditures that relate to contamination, air emissions, pollution,
     natural resources or to any current or anticipated Environmental Laws;

        (xix) Other than as set forth in the Prospectus and except for such
     matters that would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a material
     adverse effect on the business, consolidated financial position,
     shareholders' equity or results of operations of the Company and its
     subsidiaries, taken as a whole, (A) neither the Company nor any of its
     subsidiaries has violated or is subject to existing liability under any
     laws, regulations, orders, rules, decrees, directives, treaties or
     conventions relating to taxation, including without limitation those
     relating to corporate and personal income and property taxes ("Tax Laws"),
     and (B) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is subject to any
     current or anticipated claims, liabilities, audits, costs, proceedings,
     investigations or increased levels or rates of taxation under any current
     or anticipated Tax Laws;

        (xx) The Company is not and, after giving effect to the offering and
     sale of the Shares, will not be an "investment company" as such term is
     defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "Investment
     Company Act");

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        (xxi) The Company and each of its subsidiaries have all material
     licenses, franchises, permits, authorizations, approvals and orders and
     other material concessions of and from all Governmental Agencies that are
     necessary to own or lease their other properties and conduct their
     businesses as described in the Prospectus;

        (xxii) The Company is not a Passive Foreign Investment Company ("PFIC")
     within the meaning of Section 1297 of the United States Internal Revenue
     Code of 1986, as amended, a Controlled Foreign Corporation ("CFC"), or a
     Foreign Personal Holding Company ("FPHC") and does not expect to be
     considered a PFIC, CFC or FPHC in future tax years;

        (xxiii) Ernst & Young LLP, who have certified certain financial
     statements of the Company and its subsidiaries, are independent public
     accountants as required by the Act and the rules and regulations of the
     Commission thereunder; and

        (xxiv) The corporate benefit the Company expects to receive from the
     sale of the Shares fully support the Company's entering into this
     Agreement.

     (b) Holdings represents and warrants to, and agrees with, each of the
Underwriters and the Company that:

        (i) All Governmental Authorizations required for the sale and delivery
     of the Shares hereunder and for the execution and delivery by Holdings of
     this Agreement, have been obtained or made and are in full force and
     effect, including any Governmental Authorization by the Government of
     Kuwait or any entity under its direct or indirect control, including but
     not limited to the Supreme Petroleum Council and KPC; and Holdings has full
     right, power and authority to enter into this Agreement, and has full
     right, power and authority to sell, assign, transfer and deliver the Shares
     hereunder;

        (ii) The sale of the Shares hereunder, and the compliance by Holdings
     with all of the provisions of this Agreement and the consummation of the
     transactions herein contemplated will not conflict with or result in a
     breach or violation of any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a
     default under, any statute, indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan
     agreement or other agreement or instrument to which Holdings is a party or
     by which Holdings is bound, or to which any of the property or assets of
     Holdings is subject, nor will such action result in any violation of the
     provisions of Memorandum of Association or Articles of Association (or
     comparable charter documents) of Holdings or any statute or any order, rule
     or regulation of any Governmental Agency having jurisdiction over Holdings
     or the property of Holdings;

        (iii) Holdings has, and immediately prior to each Time of Delivery (as
     defined in Section 4 hereof) Holdings will have, good and valid title to
     the Shares, free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, equities or claims;
     and, upon registration of such Shares in the name of Cede & Co., as nominee
     of the Depository Trust Company ("DTC"), in the Company's Register of
     Members and payment therefor hereunder, good and valid title to such
     Shares, free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, equities or claims, will
     pass to Cede & Co., as nominee of DTC; Holdings has not taken, directly or
     indirectly, any action which was designed to or which has constituted or
     which might reasonably be expected to cause or result in stabilization or
     manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the
     sale or resale of the Shares;

        (iv) To the extent that any statements or omissions made in the
     Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus or any
     amendment or supplement thereto are made in reliance upon and in conformity
     with information furnished to the Company by Holdings expressly for use
     therein, such Preliminary

                                       7

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     Prospectus and the Registration Statement did, and the Prospectus and any
     further amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement and the
     Prospectus, when they become effective or are filed with the Commission, as
     the case may be, will, solely with respect to such information, conform in
     all material respects to the requirements of the Act and the rules and
     regulations of the Commission thereunder and will not contain any untrue
     statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to
     be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not
     misleading;

        (v) In order to document the Underwriters' compliance with the reporting
     and withholding provisions of the Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act
     of 1982 with respect to the transactions herein contemplated, Holdings will
     deliver to you prior to or at the First Time of Delivery (as hereinafter
     defined) a properly completed and executed United States Treasury
     Department Form W-9 (or other applicable form or statement specified by
     Treasury Department regulations in lieu thereof);

        (vi) No stamp or other issuance or transfer taxes or duties and no
     capital gains, income, withholding or other taxes (other than such capital
     gains, income, withholding or other taxes imposed by virtue of any offices
     or operations of the Underwriters within Kuwait or the Cayman Islands) are
     payable by or on behalf of the Underwriters to the Government of Kuwait or
     to the Cayman Islands or to any political subdivision or taxing authority
     thereof or therein in connection with the sale and delivery by Holdings of
     the Shares to or for the respective accounts of the Underwriters, or the
     sale and delivery by the Underwriters of the Shares to the initial
     purchasers thereof.

     2. Subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, Holdings agrees
(a) to sell to each of the Underwriters, and each of the Underwriters agrees,
severally and not jointly, to purchase from Holdings, at a purchase price per
Share of $____________________ the number of Firm Shares to be purchased by such
Underwriter as set forth opposite the name of such Underwriter in Schedule I
hereto and (b) in the event and to the extent that the Underwriters shall
exercise the election to purchase Optional Shares as provided below, Holdings
agrees to sell to each of the Underwriters, and each of the Underwriters agrees,
severally and not jointly, to purchase from Holdings, at the purchase price per
Share set forth in clause (a) of this Section 2, that portion of the number of
Optional Shares as to which such election shall have been exercised (to be
adjusted by you so as to eliminate fractional shares) determined by multiplying
such number of Optional Shares by a fraction the numerator of which is the
maximum number of Optional Shares which such Underwriter is entitled to purchase
as set forth opposite the name of such Underwriter in Schedule I hereto and the
denominator of which is the maximum number of Optional Shares that all of the
Underwriters are entitled to purchase hereunder.

     Holdings hereby grants to the Underwriters the right to purchase at their
election up to _____________ Optional Shares, at the purchase price per Share
set forth in the paragraph above, for the sole purpose of covering sales of
shares in excess of the number of Firm Shares. Any such election to purchase
Optional Shares may be exercised only by written notice from you to the Company
and Holdings, given within a period of 30 calendar days after the date of this
Agreement and setting forth the aggregate number of Optional Shares to be
purchased and the date on which such Optional Shares are to be delivered, as
determined by you but in no event earlier than the First Time of Delivery (as
defined in Section 4 hereof); if the Time of Delivery for the Optional Shares is
the same day as the First Time of Delivery, such notice shall be delivered no
later than two days before such Time of Delivery, and, unless you, the Company
and Holdings otherwise agree in writing, if the Time of Delivery for the
Optional Shares is after the First Time of Delivery, such Time of Delivery shall
be no earlier than three or later than ten business days after the date of such
notice.

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<PAGE>   9


     3. Upon the authorization by you of the release of the Firm Shares, the
several Underwriters propose to offer the Firm Shares for sale upon the terms
and conditions set forth in the Prospectus.

     4. (a) Delivery of the Shares by Holdings will be made by book-entry
transfer in the Register of Members of the Company as maintained by ChaseMellon
Shareholder Services L.L.C. to an account or accounts specified by Goldman,
Sachs & Co. It is understood and agreed by the parties hereto that no delivery
or transfer of Shares to be purchased and sold hereunder at a Time of Delivery
shall be effective until and unless payment has been made pursuant hereto and
each of DTC and Holdings shall have furnished or caused to be furnished to
Goldman, Sachs & Co., on behalf of the Underwriters, at such Time of Delivery,
certificates and other evidence reasonably satisfactory to Goldman, Sachs & Co.
of the execution in favor of the Underwriters of the book-entry transfer of
Shares.

     The time and date of such delivery and payment shall be, with respect to
the Firm Shares, 9:30 a.m., New York City time, on _____________, 2000 or such
other time and date as Goldman, Sachs & Co., the Company and Holdings may agree
upon in writing, and, with respect to the Optional Shares, 9:30 a.m., New York
City time, on the date specified by Goldman, Sachs & Co., in the written notice
given by Goldman, Sachs & Co. of the Underwriters' election to purchase such
Optional Shares, or such other time and date as Goldman, Sachs & Co., the
Company and Holdings may agree upon in writing. Such time and date for delivery
of the Firm Shares is herein called the "First Time of Delivery", such time and
date for delivery of the Optional Shares, if not the First Time of Delivery, is
herein called the "Second Time of Delivery", and each such time and date for
delivery is herein called a "Time of Delivery".

     (b) The documents to be delivered each Time of Delivery by or on behalf of
the parties hereto pursuant to Section 7 hereof, including the cross-receipt for
the Shares and any additional documents requested by the Underwriters pursuant
to Section 7(m) hereof will be delivered at the offices of Haynes and Boone,
LLP, 901 Main Street, Suite 3100, Dallas, Texas 75202 (the "Closing Location"),
and the Shares will be delivered as specified in Section (a) above, all at such
Time of Delivery. A meeting will be held at the Closing Location at _______
p.m., Dallas, Texas time, on the New York Business Day next preceding such Time
of Delivery, at which meeting the final drafts of the documents to be delivered
pursuant to the preceding sentence will be available for review by the parties
hereto. For the purposes of this Agreement, "New York Business Day" shall mean
each Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday which is not a day on which
banking institutions in New York are generally authorized or obligated by law or
executive order to close.

     5. (a) The Company agrees with each of the Underwriters and Holdings:

        (i) To prepare the Prospectus in a form approved by the Representatives
     and to file such Prospectus pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act not later
     than the Commission's close of business on the second business day
     following the execution and delivery of this Agreement, or, if applicable,
     such earlier time as may be required by Rule 430A(a)(3) under the Act; to
     make no further amendment or any supplement to the Registration Statement
     or Prospectus prior to the last Time of Delivery which shall be disapproved
     by the Representatives promptly after reasonable notice thereof; to advise
     the Representatives and Holdings, promptly after it receives notice
     thereof, of the time when any amendment to the Registration Statement has
     been filed or becomes effective or any supplement to the Prospectus or any
     amended Prospectus has been filed and to furnish the Representatives and
     Holdings copies thereof; to file promptly all reports required to be filed
     by the Company with the Commission pursuant to Section 13(a),

                                       9

<PAGE>   10


     13(c) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act subsequent to the date of the Prospectus
     and for so long as the delivery of a prospectus is required in connection
     with the offering or sale of the Shares; to advise the Representatives and
     Holdings, promptly after it receives notice thereof, of the issuance by the
     Commission of any stop order or of any order preventing or suspending the
     use of any Preliminary Prospectus or prospectus, of the suspension of the
     qualification of the Shares for offering or sale in any jurisdiction, of
     the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for any such purpose, or of
     any request by the Commission for the amending or supplementing of the
     Registration Statement or Prospectus or for additional information; and, in
     the event of the issuance of any stop order or of any order preventing or
     suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus or prospectus or
     suspending any such qualification, promptly to use its best efforts to
     obtain the withdrawal of such order;

        (ii) Promptly from time to time to take such action as the
     Representatives may reasonably request to qualify the Shares for offering
     and sale under the securities laws of such jurisdictions as the
     Representatives may request and to comply with such laws so as to permit
     the continuance of sales and dealings therein in such jurisdictions for as
     long as may be necessary to complete the distribution of the Shares,
     provided that in connection therewith the Company shall not be required to
     qualify as a foreign corporation or to file a general consent to service of
     process or, to subject itself generally to taxation, in any jurisdiction;

        (iii) Prior to 10:00 A.M., New York City time, on the New York Business
     Day next succeeding the date of this Agreement and from time to time, to
     furnish the Underwriters with copies of the Prospectus in New York City in
     such quantities as the Representatives may from time to time reasonably
     request, and, if the delivery of a prospectus is required at any time prior
     to the expiration of nine months after the time of issue of the Prospectus
     in connection with the offering or sale of the Shares and if at such time
     any events shall have occurred as a result of which the Prospectus as then
     amended or supplemented would include an untrue statement of a material
     fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the
     statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were
     made when such Prospectus is delivered, not misleading, or, if for any
     other reason it shall be necessary during such period to amend or
     supplement the Prospectus or to file under the Exchange Act any document
     incorporated by reference in the Prospectus in order to comply with the Act
     or the Exchange Act, to notify the Representatives and Holdings and upon
     request of the Representatives to file such document and to prepare and
     furnish without charge to each Underwriter and to any dealer in securities
     as many copies as the Representatives may from time to time reasonably
     request of an amended Prospectus or a supplement to the Prospectus which
     will correct such statement or omission or effect such compliance, and in
     case any Underwriter is required to deliver a prospectus in connection with
     sales of any of the Shares at any time nine months or more after the time
     of issue of the Prospectus, upon their request but at the expense of such
     Underwriter, to prepare and deliver to such Underwriter as many copies as
     the Representatives may request of an amended or supplemented Prospectus
     complying with Section 10(a)(3) of the Act;

        (iv) To make generally available to its securityholders as soon as
     practicable, but in any event not later than eighteen months after the
     effective date of the Registration Statement (as defined in Rule 158(c)
     under the Act), an earnings statement of the Company and its subsidiaries
     (which need not be audited) complying with Section 11(a) of the Act and the
     rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder (including, at the
     option of the Company, Rule 158);

                                       10

<PAGE>   11


        (v) During the period beginning from the date hereof and continuing to
     and including the date 90 days after the date of the Prospectus, not to
     offer, sell, contract to sell or otherwise dispose of, except as provided
     hereunder, any securities of the Company that are substantially similar to
     the Shares, including but not limited to any securities that are
     convertible into or exchangeable for, or that represent the right to
     receive, Ordinary Shares or any such substantially similar securities
     (other than pursuant to employee benefit plans existing on the date of this
     Agreement, as referenced in Section 1(a)(viii) of this Agreement), without
     the prior written consent of Goldman, Sachs & Co.;

        (vi) So long as the Company is a "foreign private issuer" as defined in
     Rule 3b-4 under the Exchange Act, to furnish to its shareholders as soon as
     practicable after the end of each fiscal year an annual report (in English)
     (including a balance sheet and statements of income, shareholders' equity
     and cash flows of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries certified
     by independent public accountants and prepared in conformity with generally
     accepted accounting principles in the United States ("U.S. GAAP")) and, as
     soon as practicable after the end of each of the first three quarters of
     each fiscal year prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP (beginning with the
     fiscal quarter ending after the effective date of the Registration
     Statement), to make available to its shareholders consolidated summary
     financial information of the Company and its subsidiaries for such quarter
     in reasonable detail;

        (vii) During a period of two years from the effective date of the
     Registration Statement, to furnish to the Representatives copies of all
     reports or other communications (financial or other) furnished to
     shareholders, and to deliver to you as soon as they are available, copies
     of any reports and financial statements furnished to or filed with the
     Commission or any securities exchange on which any class of securities of
     the Company is listed;

        (viii) Not to (and to cause its subsidiaries not to) take, directly or
     indirectly, any action which is designed to or which constitutes or which
     might reasonably be expected to cause or result in stabilization or
     manipulation of the price of any security of the Company or facilitate the
     sale or resale or the Shares; and

        (ix) If the Company elects to rely upon Rule 462(b), the Company shall
     file a Rule 462(b) Registration Statement with the Commission in compliance
     with Rule 462(b) by 10:00 P.M., Washington, D.C. time, on the date of this
     Agreement, and the Company shall at the time of filing either pay to the
     Commission the filing fee for the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement or
     give irrevocable instructions for the payment of such fee pursuant to Rule
     111(b) under the Act.

        (b) Holdings agrees with each of the Underwriters and the Company:

        (i) During the period beginning from the date hereof and continuing to
     and including the date 90 days after the date of the Prospectus, not to
     (and to cause its subsidiaries other than the Company not to), directly or
     indirectly, offer, sell, contract to sell or otherwise dispose of any
     securities of the Company that are substantially similar to the Shares,
     including but not limited to any securities that are convertible into or
     exchangeable for, or that represent the right to receive, Ordinary Shares
     or any such substantially similar securities, whether now owned or
     hereafter acquired by the undersigned or with respect to which the
     undersigned has or hereafter acquires the power of disposition, without the
     prior written consent of Goldman, Sachs & Co.; notwithstanding the
     foregoing, the restrictions imposed during the lock-up period shall not
     apply to (i) the offer and sale of the shares pursuant to this Agreement;
     (ii) any offer,

                                       11

<PAGE>   12


     sale, contract of sale or other disposition of securities of the Company by
     Holdings to an affiliate (as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act)
     of KPC or Holdings, as the case may be; and (iii) any offer, sale, contract
     of sale or other disposition of securities of the Company in a transaction
     not involving a public offering; provided, that in the case of (ii) or
     (iii) above, the acquiring entity or transferee agrees in writing prior to
     such transfer to be bound by the provisions of the lock-up agreement for
     the remainder of the lock-up period; and

        (ii) Not to (and to cause its subsidiaries other than the Company not
     to) take, directly or indirectly, any action which is designed to or which
     constitutes or which might reasonably be expected to cause or result in
     stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company
     or facilitate the sale or resale or the Shares.

     6. The Company and Holdings, jointly and severally, covenant and agree with
one another and with the several Underwriters that the Company will pay or cause
to be paid the following: (i) the fees, disbursements and expenses of the
Company's and Holdings' U.S., Cayman Islands and Kuwaiti counsel and accountants
and KPC's U.S. and Cayman Islands counsel in connection with the registration of
the Shares under the Act and all other expenses in connection with the
preparation, printing and filing of the Registration Statement, any Preliminary
Prospectus and the Prospectus and amendments and supplements thereto and the
mailing and delivering of copies thereof to the Underwriters and dealers; (ii)
the cost of printing or producing any Agreement among Underwriters, this
Agreement, the Selling Agreement, closing documents (including compilations
thereof, if any) and any other documents in connection with the offering,
purchase, sale and delivery of the Shares; (iii) all expenses in connection with
the qualification of the Shares for offering and sale under state securities
laws as provided in Section 5 hereof, including the fees and disbursements of
counsel for the Underwriters in connection with such qualification; (iv) all
fees and expenses in connection with listing the Shares on the New York Stock
Exchange; (v) the filing fees incident to, and the fees and disbursements of
counsel for the Underwriters in connection with, securing any required review by
the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. of the terms of the sale of
the Shares; (vi) the cost of preparing share certificates, if any, (vii) the
cost and charges of any transfer agent or registrar; and (viii) all other costs
and expenses incident to the performance of its obligations hereunder which are
not otherwise specifically provided for in this Section (including without
limitation all other costs and expenses to be borne by the Company under the
Cooperation Agreements). It is understood, however, that except as provided in
this Section, the Underwriters will pay all of their own costs and expenses,
including the fees of their counsel, stock transfer taxes (other than any
imposed by the Government of Kuwait or the Cayman Islands or any political
subdivision or taxing authority thereof or therein) on resale of any of the
Shares by them, and any advertising expenses connected with any offers they may
make.

     7. The obligations of the Underwriters hereunder, as to the Shares to be
delivered at each Time of Delivery, shall be subject, in their discretion, to
the condition that all representations and warranties and other statements of
each of the Company and Holdings herein are, at and as of such Time of Delivery,
true and correct, the condition that each of the Company and Holdings shall have
performed all of its obligations hereunder theretofore to be performed, and the
following additional conditions:

        (a) The Prospectus shall have been filed with the Commission pursuant to
     Rule 424(b) within the applicable time period prescribed for such filing by
     the rules and regulations under the Act and in accordance with Section 5(a)
     hereof; if the Company has elected to rely upon Rule 462(b), the Rule
     462(b) Registration Statement shall have become effective by 10:00 p.m.,
     Washington, D.C. time, on the date of this Agreement; no stop order
     suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any part

                                       12

<PAGE>   13


     thereof shall have been issued and no proceeding for that purpose shall
     have been initiated or threatened by the Commission; and all requests for
     additional information on the part of the Commission shall have been
     complied with to your reasonable satisfaction;

        (b) Sullivan & Cromwell, U.S. counsel for the Underwriters, shall have
     furnished to you such opinion or opinions, dated such Time of Delivery,
     with respect to such matters as you may reasonably request, and such
     counsel shall have received such papers and information as they may
     reasonably request to enable them to pass upon such matters; in giving such
     opinion or opinions such counsel may rely, without independent
     investigation, as to all matters of Cayman Islands law upon the opinion of
     Walkers, Cayman Islands counsel to the Underwriters, delivered pursuant to
     paragraph (e) of this Section 7, which opinion shall be addressed to you;

        (c) Haynes and Boone, LLP, U.S. counsel for the Company, shall have
     furnished to you their written opinion, dated such Time of Delivery, in
     form and substance satisfactory to you, to the effect that:

            (i) This Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by the
        Company;

            (ii) Under the laws of the State of New York relating to personal
        jurisdiction, the Company has, pursuant to Section 14 of this Agreement,
        validly and irrevocably submitted to the personal jurisdiction of any
        state or federal court located in the Borough of Manhattan, The City of
        New York (each a "New York Court") in any action arising out of or based
        on this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby, has validly
        and irrevocably waived any objection to the venue of a proceeding in any
        such court, and has validly and irrevocably appointed the Authorized
        Agent (as defined herein) as its authorized agent for the purpose
        described in Section 14 hereof; and service of process effected on such
        agent in the manner set forth in Section 14 hereof will be effective to
        confer valid personal jurisdiction over the Company;

            (iii) The execution and delivery by the Company of, and the
        performance of its obligations under, this Agreement and the sale of the
        Shares by Holdings will not (i) violate, breach, or result in a default
        under, any existing obligation of or restriction on the Company under
        any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other
        agreement or instrument identified in an officer's certificate (the
        "Company Certificate") of the Company (a copy of which will be provided
        to you) to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by
        which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is bound or to which any of
        the property or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is
        subject or (ii) breach or otherwise violate any existing obligation of
        or restriction on the Company under any order, judgment or decree of any
        Texas or U.S. federal court or governmental authority binding on the
        Company or any of its subsidiaries and identified in the Company
        Certificate;

            (iv) The execution and delivery by the Company of, and the
        performance of its obligations under, this Agreement and the sale of the
        Shares by Holdings do not violate any Texas or U.S. federal statute or
        regulation that such counsel have, in the exercise of customary
        professional diligence, recognized as applicable to the Company or to
        transactions of the type contemplated by this Agreement, except that
        such counsel need not express any opinion regarding any federal
        securities laws or Blue Sky or state securities laws

                                       13

<PAGE>   14


        or Sections 8 and 10 of this Agreement, except as otherwise expressly
        stated in this Section 7(c);

            (v) No order, consent, permit or approval of any Texas or U.S.
        federal governmental authority is required on the part of the Company
        for the execution and delivery of this Agreement by the Company, except
        such as have been obtained under the Act and such as may be required
        under applicable Blue Sky or state securities laws;

            (vi) The statements set forth in the Prospectus under the captions
        "Enforceability of Civil Liabilities," "Our Relationship with Kuwait
        Petroleum Corporation--Related Party Agreements--Intercompany Agreement
        and Management Services Agreement" and "Management", insofar as they
        summarize provisions of U.S. federal laws and of the documents referred
        to therein, are fair and accurate in all material respects;

            (vii) The Company is not an "investment company" within the meaning
        of the Investment Company Act of 1940;

            (viii) Insofar as matters of U.S. federal and New York State law are
        concerned, the Company is not entitled to any immunity from the
        jurisdiction of any New York Court on the basis of sovereignty or
        otherwise in respect of its obligations under this Agreement and could
        not successfully interpose any such immunity as a defense to any suit or
        action brought or maintained in respect of its obligations under this
        Agreement;

            (ix) The Registration Statement and the Prospectus and any
        amendments and supplements thereto made by the Company prior to such
        Time of Delivery appeared on their face to comply in all material
        respects with the requirements as to form for registration statements on
        Form F-3 under the Act and the related rules and regulations in effect
        at the date of filing, except that such counsel need not express any
        opinion concerning the financial statements and other financial
        information contained therein; such counsel does not know of any
        contract or other document of a character required to be filed, or to be
        incorporated by reference, as an exhibit to the Registration Statement
        which is not filed or incorporated by reference as required;

            (x) The documents incorporated by reference in the Prospectus as set
        forth in the Prospectus under the caption "Incorporation of Documents by
        Reference" or any further amendment or supplement thereto made by the
        Company prior to such Time of Delivery (other than the financial
        statements and related schedules therein, as to which such counsel need
        express no opinion), when they became effective or were filed with the
        Commission, as the case may be, appeared on their face to comply as to
        form in all material respects with the requirements of the Act or the
        Exchange Act, as applicable, and the rules and regulations of the
        Commission thereunder; although such counsel have not independently
        verified the accuracy, completeness or fairness of the statements
        contained therein, and the limitations inherent in the examination made
        by them and the knowledge available to them is such that they are unable
        to assume, and need not assume, any responsibility for such accuracy,
        completeness or fairness, they do not believe that any of such
        documents, when such documents became effective or were so filed, as the
        case may be, contained in the case of a registration statement which
        became effective under the Act, an untrue statement of a material fact
        or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein

                                       14

<PAGE>   15


        or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, or, in the
        case of other documents which were filed under the Exchange Act with the
        Commission, an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a
        material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the
        light of the circumstances under which they were made when such
        documents were so filed, not misleading; such counsel need not express
        any opinion or belief as to the financial statements and other financial
        information contained in any such document incorporated by reference in
        the Prospectus;

            (xi) To the best of such counsel's knowledge and other than as set
        forth in the Prospectus, there are no legal or governmental proceedings
        pending to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or of
        which any property of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is the
        subject which, if determined adversely to the Company or any of its
        subsidiaries, would individually or in the aggregate have a material
        adverse effect on the current or future consolidated financial position,
        shareholders' equity or results of operations of the Company and its
        subsidiaries; and, to the best of such counsel's knowledge, no such
        proceedings are threatened or contemplated by any governmental authority
        or threatened by others; and

            (xii) Although such counsel have not independently verified the
        accuracy, completeness or fairness of the statements contained therein,
        and the limitations inherent in the examination made by them and the
        knowledge available to them is such that they are unable to assume, and
        need not assume, any responsibility for such accuracy, completeness or
        fairness (except as otherwise specifically stated in clause (vi) above),
        on the basis of their review and participation in conferences in
        connection with the preparation of the Registration Statement and the
        Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto, they do not
        believe that the Registration Statement as of its effective date, or the
        Registration Statement as amended prior to such Time of Delivery as of
        its effective date as so amended, contained or contains any untrue
        statement of a material fact or omitted or omits to state a material
        fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements
        therein not misleading, and they do not believe that the Prospectus on
        its issue date, or the Prospectus as amended or supplemented as of such
        Time of Delivery contained or contains any untrue statement of a
        material fact or omitted or omits to state a 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; such
        counsel need not express any opinion or belief as to the financial
        statements and other financial information contained in the Registration
        Statement or the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto.

     In rendering such opinions, such counsel may state that they limit their
opinion to the present federal law of the United States, the present law of the
State of New York (only as to clauses (i), (ii) and (viii) above), the present
law of the State of Texas and the present general corporation law of the State
of Delaware; in giving such opinions such counsel may rely, without independent
investigation as to all matters of Cayman Islands law upon the opinion of Maples
and Calder, Cayman Islands counsel to the Company, delivered pursuant to
paragraph (d) of this Section 7, which opinion shall be addressed to you;

        (d) Maples and Calder, Cayman Islands counsel for the Company and
     Holdings, shall have furnished to you their written opinion or opinions,
     dated such Time

                                       15

<PAGE>   16


     of Delivery, in form and substance satisfactory to you and substantially in
     the form set forth as Annex II hereto;

        (e) Walkers, Cayman Islands counsel for the Underwriters, shall have
     furnished to you such opinion or opinions, dated such Time of Delivery, in
     form and substance satisfactory to you and substantially in the form set
     forth as Annex III hereto;

        (f) Cary A. Moomjian, Jr., Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary
     of the Company, shall have furnished to you his written opinion, dated such
     Time of Delivery, in form and substance satisfactory to you, to the effect
     that:

            (i) To the best of such counsel's knowledge and other than as set
        forth in the Prospectus, there are no legal or governmental proceedings
        pending to which Holdings or the Company or any of its subsidiaries or
        any of its officers or directors is a party or of which any property of
        Holdings or the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of its
        officers or directors is the subject which, if determined adversely to
        Holdings or the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of its
        officers or directors, would individually or in the aggregate have a
        material adverse effect on the current or future consolidated financial
        position, shareholders' equity or results of operations of the Company
        and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole; and, to the best of such
        counsel's knowledge, no such proceedings are threatened or contemplated
        by any Governmental Agency or threatened by others;

            (ii) The sale of the Shares being delivered at such Time of Delivery
        by Holdings and the compliance by the Company with all of the provisions
        of this Agreement and the consummation of actions herein contemplated
        will not conflict with or result in a breach or violation of any of the
        terms or provisions of, or constitute a default under, any indenture,
        mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other agreement or instrument
        known to such counsel to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is
        a party or by which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is bound or
        to which any of the property or assets of the Company or any of its
        subsidiaries is subject, nor will such action result in any violation of
        the provisions of the Memorandum or Articles of the Company or any
        statute or any order, rule or regulation known to such counsel of any
        Governmental Agency having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its
        subsidiaries or any of their properties; and

            (iii) To the best of such counsel's knowledge and after due inquiry,
        the Company has been duly qualified as a foreign corporation for the
        transaction of business and is in good standing under the laws of each
        other jurisdiction in which it owns or leases properties or conducts any
        business so as to require such qualification, or is subject to no
        material liability or disability by reason of failure to be so qualified
        in any such jurisdiction (such counsel being entitled to rely in respect
        of the opinion in this clause upon opinions of local counsel and in
        respect of matters of fact upon certificates of officers of the Company,
        provided that such counsel shall state that they believe that both you
        and they are justified in relying upon such opinions and certificates).

     In rendering such opinion, such counsel may state that he limits his
opinion to the federal law of the United States and the law of the State of
Texas; in giving such opinion or opinions such counsel may rely, without
independent investigation, (A) as to all matters of Cayman Islands law, upon the
opinion of Maples and Calder, Cayman Islands counsel to the Company and
Holdings, delivered pursuant to paragraph (d) of this Section 7, which opinion

                                       16

<PAGE>   17


shall be addressed to you, and (B) as to all matters of Kuwaiti law, upon the
opinion of Mohamed A. Sallam, top management legal advisor of KPC, delivered
pursuant to paragraph (h) of this Section 7, which opinion shall be addressed to
you;

        (g) Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, LLP, U.S. counsel for Holdings
     shall have furnished to you their written opinion, dated such Time of
     Delivery, in form and substance satisfactory to you, to the effect that:

            (i) This Agreement has been, as a matter of New York law, duly
        executed and delivered by or on behalf of Holdings; and the sale of the
        Shares by Holdings hereunder and thereunder and the compliance by
        Holdings with all of the provisions of this Agreement and the
        consummation of the transactions herein contemplated will not conflict
        with or result in a breach or violation of any terms or provisions of,
        or constitute a default under, any agreement or instrument to which
        Holdings is a party or by which Holdings is bound, or to which any of
        the property or assets of Holdings is subject, as set forth on Schedule
        A to such counsel's opinion and which have been identified to such
        counsel by Holdings as the agreements and instruments which are material
        to Holding's business, financial condition or ability to comply with the
        provisions of this Agreement and to consummate the transactions
        contemplated herein, nor will such action result in any violation of any
        order, rule or regulation of any U.S. court or governmental agency or
        body having jurisdiction over Holdings or the property of Holdings
        which, in such counsel's experience, are normally applicable to
        transactions of the type contemplated hereunder;

            (ii) No Governmental Authorization of or with any Governmental
        Agency in the United States is required for the consummation by Holdings
        of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement in connection with
        the Shares, except such as have been duly obtained and are in full force
        and effect, including such as have been obtained under the Act and such
        as may be required under state securities or Blue Sky laws in connection
        with the purchase and distribution of such Shares by the Underwriters;

            (iii) If and to the extent Goldman, Sachs & Co. acquires security
        entitlements with respect to the Shares hereunder through DTC and does
        not have notice of any adverse claims, an action based on an adverse
        claim to the Shares, whether framed in conversion, replevin,
        constructive trust, equitable lien, or other theory, may not be asserted
        successfully against Goldman, Sachs & Co.

            (iv) Holdings' agreement to the choice of law provisions set forth
        in Section 14 hereof will be recognized by the courts of the United
        States, and the State of New York; Holdings can be sued in its own name
        under the laws of the United States and the State of New York; the
        irrevocable submission of Holdings to the exclusive jurisdiction of a
        New York Court, the waiver by Holdings of any objection to the venue of
        a proceeding of a New York Court and the agreement of Holdings that this
        Agreement of Holdings shall be governed by and construed in accordance
        with the laws of the State of New York are legal, valid and binding;
        service of process effected in the manner set forth in Section 14 hereof
        will be effective, insofar as the laws of the United States and the
        State of New York are concerned, to confer valid personal jurisdiction
        over Holdings; and judgment obtained in a New York Court arising out of
        or in relation to the obligations of Holdings under this Agreement would
        be enforceable against Holdings in the courts of the United States and
        the State of New York; and

                                       17

<PAGE>   18


            (v) Holdings is not entitled to any immunity on the basis of
        sovereignty or otherwise in respect of its obligations under this
        Agreement; and Holdings could not successfully interpose any such
        immunity as a defense to any suit or action brought or maintained in
        respect of its obligation under this Agreement.

     In rendering such opinion, such counsel may state that they express no
opinion as to the laws of any jurisdiction outside the United States and in
rendering the opinion such counsel may rely upon a certificate of Holdings in
respect of matters of fact;

        (h) Mohamed A. Sallam, or any successor as senior counsel to KPC,
     reasonably acceptable to you, shall have furnished to you his written
     opinion, dated such Time of Delivery, in form and substance satisfactory to
     you, to the effect that:

            (i) No Governmental Authorization of or with any Kuwaiti
        Governmental Agency, including any Governmental Authorization by the
        Government of Kuwait or any entity under its direct or indirect control,
        including but not limited to the Supreme Petroleum Council and KPC, is
        required for the sale of the Shares, for the execution and delivery by
        each of the Company and Holdings of this Agreement of and the
        consummation by the Company and Holdings of the transactions herein
        contemplated, except the approval of the Board of Directors of KPC, the
        approval by the Supreme Petroleum Council and the ratification thereof
        by the Council of Ministers of the Government of Kuwait, each of which
        has been duly obtained and is in full force and effect; and

            (ii) The sale of the Shares being delivered at such Time of Delivery
        by Holdings and the compliance by the Company and Holdings with all of
        the provisions of this Agreement and the consummation of the
        transactions herein contemplated by the Company and Holdings, and the
        compliance of KPC with all of the provisions of the Lock-up Agreement
        (as defined below) will not result in any violation of the provisions of
        any statute or any order, rule or regulation known to such counsel of
        any Kuwaiti Governmental Agency having jurisdiction over the Company or
        any of its subsidiaries, Holdings or KPC, or any of their properties.

     In rendering such opinion, such counsel may state that he expresses no
opinion as to the laws of any jurisdiction outside of Kuwait;

        (i) On the date of the Prospectus, at a time prior to the execution of
     this Agreement, on the effective date of any post-effective amendment to
     the Registration Statement filed subsequent to the date of this Agreement
     and also at each Time of Delivery, Ernst & Young LLP, shall have furnished
     to you a letter or letters, dated the respective dates of delivery thereof,
     in form and substance satisfactory to you;

        (j) (i) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries shall have
     sustained since the date of the latest audited financial statements
     included or incorporated by reference in the Prospectus any loss or
     interference with its business from fire, explosion, flood or other
     calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor dispute or
     court or governmental action, order or decree, otherwise than as set forth
     or contemplated in the Prospectus, and (ii) since the respective dates as
     of which information is given in the Prospectus there shall not have been
     any change in the share capital or long-term debt of the Company or any of
     its subsidiaries or any change, or any development involving a prospective
     change, in or affecting the general affairs, management, financial
     position, shareholders' equity or results of operations of the

                                       18

<PAGE>   19


     Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, otherwise than as set forth
     or contemplated in the Prospectus, the effect of which, in any such case
     described in Clause (i) or (ii), is in the judgment of the Representatives
     so material and adverse as to make it impracticable or inadvisable to
     proceed with the public offering or the delivery of the Shares being
     delivered at such Time of Delivery on the terms and in the manner
     contemplated in the Prospectus;

        (k) On or after the date hereof there shall not have occurred any of the
     following: (i) a suspension or material limitation in trading in securities
     generally on the New York Stock Exchange; (ii) a suspension or material
     limitation in trading in the Company's securities on the New York Stock
     Exchange; (iii) a general moratorium on commercial banking activities in
     New York or the Cayman Islands declared by the relevant authorities; (iv) a
     change or development involving a prospective change in the Cayman Islands
     taxation affecting the Company or the Shares or the transfer thereof or the
     imposition of exchange controls by the United States or the Cayman Islands,
     if the effect of any such event specified in this Clause (iv) in the
     judgment of the Representatives makes it impracticable or inadvisable to
     proceed with the public offering or the delivery of the Shares being
     delivered at such Time of Delivery on the terms and in the manner
     contemplated in the Prospectus; (v) the outbreak or escalation of
     hostilities involving the United States, Kuwait or the Cayman Islands or
     the declaration by the United States, Kuwait or the Cayman Islands of a
     national emergency or war, if the effect of any such event specified in
     this Clause (v) in the judgment of the Representatives makes it
     impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the public offering or the
     delivery of the Shares being delivered at such Time of Delivery on the
     terms and in the manner contemplated in the Prospectus or (vi) the
     occurrence of any material adverse change in the existing financial,
     political or economic conditions in the United States, and Kuwait and the
     Cayman Islands or elsewhere which, in the judgment of the Representatives
     would materially and adversely affect the financial markets or the market
     for the Shares and other equity securities;

        (l) The Shares at such Time of Delivery shall have been duly listed on
     the New York Stock Exchange;

        (m) Each of the Company and Holdings shall have furnished or caused to
     be furnished to you at such Time of Delivery certificates of its officers
     satisfactory to you as to the accuracy of the representations and
     warranties of the Company and Holdings, respectively, herein at and as of
     such Time of Delivery, as to the performance by the Company and Holdings,
     respectively, of all of its obligations hereunder to be performed at or
     prior to such Time of Delivery, as to the matters set forth in subsections
     (a) and (j) of this Section, and as to such other matters as you may
     reasonably request;

        (n) You shall receive a certificate of Nader Hamad Sultan, Chief
     Executive Officer of KPC, or any other appropriate officer, reasonably
     acceptable to you, that no Governmental Authorization of or with any
     Kuwaiti Governmental Agency, including any Governmental Authorization of
     the Government of Kuwait or of any entity under its direct or indirect
     control, including but not limited to the Supreme Petroleum Council and
     KPC, is required for sale of the Shares, for the execution and delivery by
     the Company and Holdings of this Agreement and the consummation by the
     Company and Holdings of the transactions herein and therein contemplated,
     and the compliance by KPC with all of the provisions of the Lock-Up
     Agreement (as defined below), except the approval of the Board of Directors
     of KPC, the approval of the Supreme Petroleum Council and the ratification
     thereof by the Council of Ministers of the Government of Kuwait, each of
     which has been duly obtained and is in full force and effect;

                                       19

<PAGE>   20


        (o) Frank de la Guardia, Panamanian counsel to the Company, or any other
     Panamanian counsel to the Company, reasonably acceptable to you, shall have
     furnished to you his written opinion, dated such Time of Delivery, in form
     and substance satisfactory to you, to the effect that each of the drilling
     rigs listed on a schedule to such opinion (being the drilling rigs owned by
     the Company, its subsidiaries and its joint venture affiliates) is duly and
     validly registered as a vessel in the sole ownership of the entity
     indicated as the "Owning Entity" of such rig on such schedule under the
     laws of the Republic of Panama; that each of said entities has good and
     marketable title thereto, free and clear of all liens, claims, charges,
     debts or encumbrances and defects of title of record, except as indicated
     on such schedule; and that each such drilling rig is in good standing with
     respect to the payment of past and current taxes, fees and other amounts
     payable under the laws of the Republic of Panama as would affect its
     registry with the National Merchant Marine of Panama;

        (p) KPC shall have duly executed and delivered to you a Lock-Up
     Agreement in substantially the form of Annex 1 attached hereto (the
     "Lock-Up Agreement"), and there shall have occurred no breach of such
     agreement; and

        (q) Mayer, Brown & Platt, special tax counsel to the Company, shall have
     furnished to you their written opinion, dated such time of delivery, in
     form and substance satisfactory to you to the effect that the statements
     set forth in the Prospectus under the caption "Taxation" insofar as they
     summarize provisions of U.S. federal tax laws are fair and accurate in all
     material respects.

     8. (a) The Company and Holdings, jointly and severally, will indemnify and
hold harmless each Underwriter against any losses, claims, damages or
liabilities, joint or several, to which such Underwriter may become subject,
under the Act or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or
liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon an
untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any
Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, or any
amendment 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 will
reimburse each Underwriter for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred
by such Underwriter in connection with investigating or defending any such
action or claim as such expenses are incurred; provided, however, that the
Company and Holdings shall 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 an untrue
statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission made in
any Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or any
such amendment or supplement in reliance upon and in conformity with written
information furnished to the Company by any Underwriter through Goldman, Sachs &
Co. expressly for use therein; and provided further that the Company and
Holdings shall not be liable under the indemnity agreement in this subsection
(a) with respect to any Preliminary Prospectus to the extent that any such loss,
claim, damage or liability of such Underwriter results from the fact that such
Underwriter sold Ordinary Shares to a person as to whom it shall be established
that there was not sent or given, at or prior to the time of written
confirmation of such sale, a copy of the Prospectus or of the Prospectus as then
amended, in any case where such delivery is required by the Act, if the Company
had previously furnished copies thereof in sufficient quantities to such
Underwriter and the loss, claim, damage or liability of such Underwriter results
from an untrue statement or omission of a material fact contained in the
Preliminary Prospectus which was identified in writing to such Underwriter and
corrected in the Prospectus or in the Prospectus as then amended; and provided
further that Holdings shall not be liable under the indemnity agreement in this
subsection (a) unless (i) the Company disclaims liability under this

                                       20

<PAGE>   21


subsection due to a lack of corporate benefit under Cayman Islands law or raises
enforceability of the indemnity agreement due to a lack of corporate benefit
under Cayman Islands law as a defense to any action or investigation or (ii) a
court determines the indemnity agreement is unenforceable against the Company
due to a lack of corporate benefit under Cayman Islands law or any judgment
obtained by such Underwriter is unenforceable against the Company due to a lack
of corporate benefit under Cayman Islands law.

        (b) Each Underwriter will indemnify and hold harmless the Company and
Holdings against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities to which the Company
or Holdings may become subject, under the Act or otherwise, insofar as such
losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out
of or are based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a
material fact contained in any Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration
Statement or the Prospectus, or any amendment 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, in each case to the extent, but only to the extent, that
such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged
omission was made in any Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration Statement or
the Prospectus or any such amendment or supplement in reliance upon and in
conformity with written information furnished to the Company by such Underwriter
through Goldman, Sachs & Co. expressly for use therein; and will reimburse the
Company and Holdings for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by the
Company or Holdings in connection with investigating or defending any such
action or claim as such expenses are incurred.

        (c) Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party under subsection (a)
or (b) above of notice of the commencement of any action, such indemnified party
shall, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against an indemnifying party
under such subsection, notify the indemnifying party in writing of the
commencement thereof; but the omission so to notify the indemnifying party shall
not relieve it from any liability which it may have to any indemnified party
otherwise than under such subsection. In case any such action shall be brought
against any indemnified party and it shall notify the indemnifying party of the
commencement thereof, the indemnifying party shall be entitled to participate
therein and, to the extent that it shall wish, jointly with any other
indemnifying party similarly notified, to assume the defense thereof, with
counsel satisfactory to such indemnified party (which shall not, except with the
consent of the indemnified party, be counsel to the indemnifying party), and,
after notice from the indemnifying party to such indemnified party of its
election so to assume the defense thereof, the indemnifying party shall not be
liable to such indemnified party under such subsection for any legal expenses of
other counsel or any other expenses, in each case subsequently incurred by such
indemnified party, in connection with the defense thereof other than reasonable
costs of investigation. No indemnified party shall, without the written consent
of the indemnifying party, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld or
delayed, effect the settlement or compromise of, or consent to entry of judgment
with respect to, any pending or threatened action or claim in respect of which
indemnification or contribution may be sought. No indemnifying party shall,
without the written consent of the indemnified party, effect the settlement or
compromise of, or consent to the entry of any judgment with respect to, any
pending or threatened action or claim in respect of which indemnification or
contribution may be sought hereunder (whether or not the indemnified party is an
actual or potential party to such action or claim) unless such settlement,
compromise or judgment (i) includes an unconditional release of the indemnified
party from all liability arising out of such action or claim and (ii) does not
include a statement as to or an admission of fault, culpability or a failure to
act, by or on behalf of any indemnified party.

                                       21

<PAGE>   22


        (d) If the indemnification provided for in this Section 8 is unavailable
to or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party under subsection (a) or
(b) above in respect of any losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions
in respect thereof) referred to therein, then each indemnifying party shall
contribute to the amount paid or payable by such indemnified party as a result
of such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof)
in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received
by the Company and Holdings on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other
from the offering of the Shares. If, however, the allocation provided by the
immediately preceding sentence is not permitted by applicable law or if the
indemnified party failed to give the notice required under subsection (c) above,
then each indemnifying party shall contribute to such amount paid or payable by
such indemnified party in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only
such relative benefits but also the relative fault of the Company and Holdings
on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other in connection with the
statements or omissions which resulted in such losses, claims, damages or
liabilities (or actions in respect thereof), as well as any other relevant
equitable considerations, provided, however, that Holdings shall not be liable
to contribute under this subsection unless the Company disclaims liability under
this subsection due to a lack of corporate benefit under Cayman Islands law or
raises enforceability of the contribution agreement due to a lack of corporate
benefit under Cayman Islands law as a defense to any action or investigation or
a court determines the contribution agreement is unenforceable against the
Company due to a lack of corporate benefit under Cayman Islands law or any
judgment obtained by such Underwriter is unenforceable against the Company due
to a lack of corporate benefit under Cayman Islands law. The relative benefits
received by the Company and Holdings on the one hand and the Underwriters on the
other shall be deemed to be in the same proportion as the total net proceeds
from the offering of the Shares purchased under this Agreement (before deducting
expenses) received by Holdings bear to the total underwriting discounts and
commissions received by the Underwriters with respect to the Shares purchased
under this Agreement, in each case as set forth in the table on the cover page
of the Prospectus. The relative fault shall be determined by reference to, among
other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact
or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to
information supplied by the Company or Holdings on the one hand or the
Underwriters on the other and the parties' relative intent, knowledge, access to
information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission.
The Company, Holdings and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and
equitable if contributions pursuant to this subsection (d) were determined by
pro rata allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for
such purpose) or by any other method of allocation which does not take account
of the equitable considerations referred to above in this subsection (d). The
amount paid or payable by an indemnified party as a result of the losses,
claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) referred to above
in this subsection (d) shall be deemed to include any legal or other expenses
reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in connection with investigating
or defending any such action or claim. Notwithstanding the provisions of this
subsection (d), no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in
excess of the amount by which the total price at which the Shares underwritten
by it and distributed to the public were offered to the public exceeds the
amount of any damages which such Underwriter has otherwise been required to pay
by reason of such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged
omission. 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. The Underwriters'
obligations in this subsection (d) to contribute are several in proportion to
their respective underwriting obligations and not joint.

                                       22

<PAGE>   23


        (e) The obligations of the Company and Holdings under this Section 8
shall be in addition to any liability which the Company and Holdings may
otherwise have and shall extend, upon the same terms and conditions, to each
person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of the Act; and
the obligations of the Underwriters under this Section 8 shall be in addition to
any liability which the respective Underwriters may otherwise have and shall
extend, upon the same terms and conditions, to each officer and director of the
Company and to each person, if any, who controls the Company or Holdings within
the meaning of the Act.

     9. (a) If any Underwriter shall default in its obligation to purchase the
Shares which it has agreed to purchase hereunder at a Time of Delivery, you may
in your discretion arrange for you or another party or other parties to purchase
such Shares on the terms contained herein. If within thirty-six hours after such
default by any Underwriter you do not arrange for the purchase of such Shares,
then Holdings shall be entitled to a further period of thirty-six hours within
which to procure another party or other parties satisfactory to you to purchase
such Shares on such terms. In the event that, within the respective prescribed
periods, you notify Holdings that you have so arranged for the purchase of such
Shares or Holdings notifies you that it has so arranged for the purchase of such
Shares, you or Holdings shall have the right to postpone such Time of Delivery
for a period of not more than seven days, in order to effect whatever changes
may thereby be made necessary in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus,
or in any other documents or arrangements, and the Company agrees to file
promptly any amendments to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus which in
your opinion may thereby be made necessary. The term "Underwriter" as used in
this Agreement shall include any person substituted under this Section with like
effect as if such person had originally been a party to this Agreement with
respect to such Shares.

        (b) If, after giving effect to any arrangements for the purchase of the
Shares of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters by you and Holdings as
provided in subsection (a) above, the aggregate number of such Shares which
remains unpurchased does not exceed one-eleventh of the aggregate number of all
of the Shares to be purchased at such Time of Delivery, then Holdings shall have
the right to require each non-defaulting Underwriter to purchase the number of
Shares which such Underwriter agreed to purchase hereunder at such Time of
Delivery and, in addition, to require each non-defaulting Underwriter to
purchase its pro rata share (based on the number of Shares which such
Underwriter agreed to purchase hereunder) of the Shares of such defaulting
Underwriter or Underwriters for which such arrangements have not been made; but
nothing herein shall relieve a defaulting Underwriter from liability for its
default.

        (c) If, after giving effect to any arrangements for the purchase of the
Shares of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters by you and Holdings as
provided in subsection (a) above, the aggregate number of such Shares which
remains unpurchased exceeds one-eleventh of the aggregate number of all of the
Shares to be purchased at such Time of Delivery, or if Holdings shall not
exercise the right described in subsection (b) above to require non-defaulting
Underwriters to purchase Shares of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters,
then this Agreement (or, with respect to the Second Time of Delivery, the
obligations of the Underwriters to purchase and of Holdings to sell the Optional
Shares) shall thereupon terminate, without liability on the part of any
non-defaulting Underwriter or Holdings, except for the expenses to be borne by
the Company, Holdings and the Underwriters as provided in Section 6 hereof and
the indemnity and contribution agreements in Section 8 hereof; but nothing
herein shall relieve a defaulting Underwriter from liability for its default.

     10. The respective indemnities, agreements, representations, warranties and
other statements of the Company and Holdings and the several Underwriters, as
set forth in this

                                       23

<PAGE>   24


Agreement or made by or on behalf of them, respectively, pursuant to this
Agreement, shall remain in full force and effect, regardless of any
investigation (or any statement as to the results thereof) made by or on behalf
of any Underwriter or any controlling person of any Underwriter, or the Company,
or Holdings, or any officer or director or controlling person of the Company, or
any controlling person of Holdings, and shall survive delivery of and payment
for the Shares.

     11. If this Agreement shall be terminated pursuant to Section 9 hereof,
neither the Company nor Holdings shall then be under any liability to any
Underwriter except as provided in Sections 6 and 8 hereof; but, if for any other
reason any Shares are not delivered by or on behalf of Holdings as provided
herein, Holdings will reimburse the Underwriters through you for all
out-of-pocket expenses, including fees and disbursements of counsel, reasonably
incurred by the Underwriters in making preparations for the purchase, sale and
delivery of the Shares not so delivered, but the Company and Holdings shall then
be under no further liability to any Underwriter in respect of the Shares not so
delivered except as provided in Sections 6 and 8 hereof.

     12. In all dealings hereunder, you shall act on behalf of each of the
Underwriters, and the parties hereto shall be entitled to act and rely upon any
statement, request, notice or agreement on behalf of any Underwriter made or
given by you jointly or by Goldman, Sachs & Co. on behalf of you as the
representatives.

     All statements, requests, notices and agreements hereunder shall be in
writing, and if to the Underwriters shall be delivered or sent by mail, telex or
facsimile transmission to you as the representatives in care of Goldman, Sachs &
Co., 32 Old Slip, 21st Floor, New York, New York 10005, Attention: Registration
Department; if to Holdings shall be delivered or sent by mail, telex or
facsimile transmission to Holdings at _________________________; and if to the
Company shall be delivered or sent by mail, telex or facsimile transmission to
the address of the Company set forth in the Registration Statement, Attention:
Secretary; provided, however, that any notice to an Underwriter pursuant to
Section 8(c) hereof shall be delivered or sent by mail, telex or facsimile
transmission to such Underwriter at its address set forth in its Underwriters'
Questionnaire or telex constituting such Questionnaire, which address will be
supplied to the Company or the Holdings by you upon request. Any such
statements, requests, notices or agreements shall take effect upon receipt
thereof.

     13. This Agreement shall be binding upon, and inure solely to the benefit
of, the Underwriters, the Company and Holdings and, to the extent provided in
Sections 8 and 10 hereof, the officers and directors of the Company and each
person who controls the Company, Holdings or any Underwriter, and their
respective heirs, executors, administrators, successors and assigns, and no
other person shall acquire or have any right under or by virtue of this
Agreement. No purchaser of any of the Shares from any Underwriter shall be
deemed a successor or assign by reason merely of such purchase.

     14. Each of the parties hereto irrevocably (i) agrees that any legal suit,
action or proceeding against the Company and Holdings brought by any Underwriter
or by any person who controls any Underwriter arising out of or based upon this
Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby may be instituted in any New
York court, (ii) waives, to the fullest extent it may effectively do so, any
objection which it may now or hereafter have to the laying of venue of any such
proceeding and (iii) submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of such courts in any
such suit, action or proceeding. Each of the Company and Holdings irrevocably
waives any immunity to jurisdiction to which it may otherwise be entitled or
become entitled (including sovereign immunity, immunity to pre-judgment
attachment, post-judgment attachment and execution, including any rights or
entitlements that may arise under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act of 1976)
in any legal suit, action or proceeding against it arising out of or based on
this

                                       24

<PAGE>   25


Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby which is instituted in any New
York Court or in any competent court in the Cayman Islands or Kuwait. Each of
the Company and Holdings has appointed Corporation Service Company, Albany, New
York, New York, as its authorized agent (the "Authorized Agent") upon whom
process may be served in any such action arising out of or based on this
Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby which may be instituted in any
New York Court by any Underwriter or by any person who controls any Underwriter,
expressly consents to the jurisdiction of any such court in respect of any such
action, and waives any other requirements of or objections to personal
jurisdiction with respect thereto. Such appointment shall be irrevocable
pursuant to a contract that shall be prepaid for a period through June 28, 2010.
Each of the Company and Holdings represents and warrants that the Authorized
Agent has agreed to act as such agent for service of process and agrees to take
any and all action, including the filing of any and all documents and
instruments, that may be necessary to continue such appointment in full force
and effect as aforesaid. Service of process upon the Authorized Agent and
written notice of such service to the Company or Holdings, as the case may be,
shall be deemed, in every respect, effective service of process upon the Company
or Holdings, respectively.

     15. In respect of any judgment or order given or made for any amount due
hereunder that is expressed and paid in a currency (the "judgment currency")
other than United States dollars, the Company and Holdings, as the case may be,
will indemnify each Underwriter against any loss incurred by such Underwriter as
a result of any variation as between (i) the rate of exchange at which the
United States dollar amount is converted into the judgment currency for the
purpose of such judgment or order and (ii) the rate of exchange at which an
Underwriter is able to purchase United States dollars with the amount of the
judgment currency actually received by such Underwriter. The foregoing indemnity
shall constitute a separate and independent obligation of the Company and
Holdings, as the case may be, and shall continue in full force and effect
notwithstanding any such judgment or order as aforesaid. The term "rate of
exchange" shall include any premiums and costs of exchange payable in connection
with the purchase of or conversion into United States dollars.

     16. Time shall be of the essence of this Agreement. As used herein, the
term "business day" shall mean any day when the Commission's office in
Washington, D.C. is open for business.

     17. THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH
THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK (WITHOUT REGARD TO PRINCIPLES OF CONFLICTS OR
CHOICE OF LAWS OR ANY OTHER LAW THAT WOULD MAKE THE LAWS OF ANY JURISDICTION
OTHER THAN THE STATE OF NEW YORK APPLICABLE HERETO).

     18. This Agreement may be executed by any one or more of the parties hereto
in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original,
but all such counterparts shall together constitute one and the same instrument.

     If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding, please sign and
return to us ten (10) counterparts hereof, and upon the acceptance hereof by
you, on behalf of each of the Underwriters, this letter and such acceptance
hereof shall constitute a binding agreement among each of the Underwriters, the
Company and Holdings. It is understood that your acceptance of this letter on
behalf of each of the Underwriters is pursuant to the authority set forth in a
form of Agreement among Underwriters, the form of which shall be submitted to
the Company and Holdings for examination upon request, but without warranty on
your part as to the authority of the signers thereof.

                                       25

<PAGE>   26


                                       Very truly yours,

                                       Santa Fe International Corporation

                                       By:
                                          --------------------------------------
                                          Name:
                                          Title:

                                       SFIC Holdings (Cayman), Inc.

                                       By:
                                          --------------------------------------
                                          Name:
                                          Title:

Accepted as of the date hereof at New York, New York

Goldman, Sachs & Co.
Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated
Credit Suisse First Boston Corporation
Salomon Smith Barney Inc.


By:
   -------------------------------------
          (Goldman, Sachs & Co.)


   On behalf of each of the Underwriters

                                       26

<PAGE>   27


                                   SCHEDULE I

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                                               NUMBER OF OPTIONAL
                                                                         TOTAL NUMBER OF         TO BE PURCHASED
                                                                           FIRM SHARES             IF MAXIMUM
                            UNDERWRITER                                  TO BE PURCHASED        OPTION EXERCISED
                            -----------                                  ---------------        ----------------

<S>                                                                      <C>                    <C>
Goldman, Sachs & Co.............................................
Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated...............................
Credit Suisse First Boston Corporation..........................
Salomon Smith Barney Inc........................................


                                                                         ---------------        ----------------
                  Total.........................................
                                                                         ===============        ================
</TABLE>

                                       27
<PAGE>   28
                                                                         ANNEX I
                                                 (FORM OF KPC LOCK-UP AGREEMENT)


                    [KUWAIT PETROLEUM CORPORATION LETTERHEAD]


                                           June __, 2000


Goldman, Sachs & Co.,
Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated
Credit Suisse First Boston Corporation,
Salomon Smith Barney Inc.
  As representatives of the several Underwriters
c/o Goldman, Sachs & Co.
85 Broad Street
New York, New York 10004

Ladies and Gentlemen:

     The undersigned, the sole shareholder of SFIC Holdings (Cayman), Inc., a
Cayman Islands company ("Holdings"), which is in turn the sole shareholder of
Santa Fe International Corporation, a Cayman Islands company (the "Company"),
understands that Holdings proposes to sell ordinary shares, par value $0.01 per
share ("Ordinary Shares"), of the Company to a group of underwriters for whom
Goldman, Sachs & Co., Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated, Credit Suisse First
Boston Corporation and Salomon Smith Barney Inc. are acting as representatives
(the "Underwriters"), pursuant to the underwriting agreement dated the date
hereof among Holdings, the Company and the Underwriters (the "Underwriting
Agreement").

     The undersigned, to facilitate the marketing of the Shares and in
consideration of the benefit the offering of Shares will confer upon the
undersigned as the indirect owner of the Company, hereby irrevocably confirms
and agrees with each of the Underwriters that during the period beginning on and
including the date of the Prospectuses relating to the offering of the Shares
(the "Offering Date") and continuing to and including the 90th day after the
Offering Date (the "Lock-up Period"), the undersigned will not, directly or
indirectly, offer, sell, contract to sell, or otherwise dispose of any
securities of the Company that are substantially similar to the Shares,
including but not limited to any securities that are convertible into or
exchangeable for, or that represent the right to receive, Ordinary Shares or any
substantially similar securities, whether now owned or hereafter acquired by the
undersigned or with respect to which the undersigned has or hereafter acquires
the power of disposition (the "undersigned's securities"), without the prior
written consent of Goldman, Sachs & Co. The foregoing restriction is expressly
agreed to preclude the undersigned from engaging in any hedging or other
transaction which is designed to or which reasonably could be expected to lead
to or result in a sale or disposition of the undersigned's securities even if
such securities would be disposed of by someone other than the undersigned. Such
prohibited hedging or other transaction



<PAGE>   29


Goldman, Sachs & Co.,                                                        -2-
Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated
Credit Suisse First Boston Corporation,
Salomon Smith Barney Inc.

would include without limitation any short sale or any purchase, sale or grant
of any right (including without limitation any put or call option) with respect
to any of the undersigned's securities or with respect to any security that
includes, relates to, or derives any significant part of its value from such
securities.

     Notwithstanding the foregoing, the restrictions imposed during the Lock-up
Period shall not apply to (i) the offering and sale of the Shares pursuant to
the Underwriting Agreement; (ii) any offer, sale, contract of sale or other
disposition of securities of the Company by the undersigned to an affiliate (as
defined in Rule 405 under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended) of the
undersigned; and (iii) any offer, sale, contract of sale or other disposition of
securities of the Company in a transaction not involving a public offering;
provided, in the case of (ii) or (iii) above, that the acquiring entity or
transferee agrees in writing prior to such transfer to be bound by the
provisions of this letter for the remainder of the Lock-up Period.

     The undersigned represents, warrants and further agrees that it has not
taken and during the Lock-up Period will not (and has not caused and during the
Lock-up Period will not cause its affiliates to) take, directly or indirectly,
any action which has constituted, or which is designed to constitute or which
constitutes or which might reasonably be expected to cause or result in
stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to
facilitate the sale or resale of the Shares.

     The undersigned represents and warrants that all consents, approvals,
authorizations and orders necessary for the execution and delivery by the
undersigned of this agreement have been obtained; the undersigned has full
right, power and authority to enter into this agreement; and this agreement has
been duly executed and delivered by the undersigned and constitutes a valid and
legally binding obligation of the undersigned enforceable in accordance with its
terms.

     The undersigned further represents, warrants and agrees that it has not
taken, and during the Lock-up Period will not take, directly or indirectly, any
action which is intended to circumvent the obligations and agreements of the
undersigned set forth above.

     This agreement is to be governed by and construed in accordance with the
laws of the State of New York (without regard to principles of conflicts or
choice of laws or any other law that would make the laws of any jurisdiction
other than the State of New York applicable thereto). Neither you nor any of the
Underwriters is under any obligation with respect to the Underwriting Agreement
or otherwise with respect to the Ordinary Shares by reason of this agreement.



<PAGE>   30


Goldman, Sachs & Co.,                                                        -3-
Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated
Credit Suisse First Boston Corporation,
Salomon Smith Barney Inc.


     IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has caused this agreement to be
executed as of the date of this letter.

                                       KUWAIT PETROLEUM CORPORATION



                                       By:
                                          --------------------------------------
                                          Name:
                                          Title:

Acknowledged:



--------------------------
  (Goldman, Sachs & Co.)

On behalf of each of the Underwriters
<PAGE>   31
                                                                        ANNEX II
                                             (FORM OF MAPLES AND CALDER OPINION)

                                                                [   ] June, 2000

Goldman, Sachs & Co.
Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated
Credit Suisse First Boston Corporation
Salomon Smith Barney, Inc.
as Representatives of the several Underwriters
named in the Underwriting
Agreement below


c/o Goldman, Sachs & Co.
85 Broad Street
New York, New York 10004
U.S.A.

Dear Sirs:

SALE BY SFIC HOLDINGS (CAYMAN), INC. ("HOLDINGS") OF 30,000,000 ORDINARY SHARES
OF US$0.01 (THE "SHARES") OF SANTA FE INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION (THE "COMPANY")

We act as Cayman Islands counsel to the Company and Holdings and have been
requested to deliver to you the following legal opinion as to certain matters of
Cayman Islands law concerning the Company, a Cayman Islands exempted company,
and Holdings, a Cayman Islands exempted company, in relation to the sale of the
Shares by Holdings pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement (the "Underwriting
Agreement") dated [ ] June, 2000 between the Company, Holdings and the
Underwriters named therein (the "Underwriters").

For the purposes of this legal opinion, we have examined the following
documents:

a)   the Underwriting Agreement;

b)   the prospectus (the "Prospectus") dated [ ] June, 2000 in the Registration
     Statement (No. 333-[     ]) on Form F-3 filed on [ ] June, 2000 (the
     "Registration Statement") with the Securities and Exchange Commission of
     the United States of America (the "SEC");

c)   the Management Services Agreement dated 9th June, 1997 and entered into by
     the Company and Holdings;

d)   the Intercompany Agreement dated 9th June, 1997 and entered into by the
     Company, Holdings and Kuwait Petroleum Corporation;

e)   the written resolutions of the Directors considered by the Board of
     Directors of the Company at its meeting on [  ] May, 2000;

f)   the written resolutions of the Directors considered by the Board of
     Directors of Holdings at its meeting on [  ] May, 2000;



<PAGE>   32


                                       2

g)   the written resolutions dated [    ] May, 2000 of the Pricing Committee of
     the Board of Directors of Holdings;

h)   the written authorisation dated [    ], 2000 from the Chairman of the Board
     of Holdings addressed to the Company in relation to the filing of the
     Registration Statement with the SEC;

i)   the written request dated [    ], 2000 from a Director of Holdings
     addressed to the Company in relation to, inter alia, the registration of
     the Shares with the SEC;

j)   the written advice dated [    ], 2000 from a Director of Holdings addressed
     to the Company in relation to the execution of the Underwriting Agreement;

k)   the Certificate of Incorporation and Certificate of Change of Name of the
     Company;

l)   the Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association (the
     "Articles") adopted on 30th May, 1997 (the "Adoption Date");

m)   a certified extract of the Register of Members (the "Certified Extract of
     the Register of Members") of the Company as mained by ChaseMellon
     Shareholder Services L.L.C. certified as at [    ] June, 2000 by
     ChaseMellon Shareholder Services L.L.C..

n)   the Certificate of Incorporation and the Memorandum and Articles of
     Association of Holdings (the "Holdings Articles");

o)   a certificate from a Director of the Company in the form attached hereto
     (the "Company Certificate");

p)   a certificate from a Director of Holdings in the form attached hereto (the
     "Holdings Certificate");

q)   the Certificate of Good Standing dated [    ] June, 2000 issued by the
     Registrar of Companies in and for the Cayman Islands in relation to the
     Company;

r)   the Certificate of Good Standing dated [    ] June, 2000 issued by the
     Registrar of Companies in and for the Cayman Islands in relation to
     Holdings.

We have also reviewed such other records, agreements, instruments and documents
and considered such questions of law as we have deemed relevant or necessary as
the basis for the opinions hereinafter expressed.



<PAGE>   33


                                       3

The following opinion is given only as to matters of fact existing on the date
hereof and of which we are aware and as to the laws of the Cayman Islands as the
same are in force at the date hereof. We have assumed, without further
verification, that there is nothing under any law (other than the laws of the
Cayman Islands) which would or might affect the opinions hereinafter appearing.
Specifically, we have made no independent investigation of United States Federal
laws or the laws of the State of New York ("New York").

We have relied upon the accuracy of the Company Certificate and the Holdings
Certificate (and their continuing accuracy as at the date hereof) without
further verification. We have also relied upon the following assumptions, which
we have not independently verified:

(a)  the Underwriting Agreement has been duly authorised, executed and delivered
     by or on behalf of all relevant parties (other than the Company and
     Holdings as a matter of Cayman Islands law) and is valid, binding and
     enforceable against all relevant parties in accordance with its terms under
     the laws of New York and all other relevant laws (other than the laws of
     the Cayman Islands);

(b)  the choice of the laws of New York as the governing law of the Underwriting
     Agreement has been made in good faith and would be regarded as a valid and
     binding selection which will be upheld by the courts of New York and the
     federal courts of the United States of America as a matter of New York law
     and all other relevant laws (other than the laws of the Cayman Islands);

(c)  copies of documents provided to us are true copies of the originals and
     draft documents provided to us conform in all respects with the executed
     originals thereof;

(d)  the genuineness of all signatures, seals and initials;

(e)  the power, authority and legal right of all parties (other than the Company
     and Holdings as a matter of Cayman Islands law) under all relevant laws and
     regulations (other than the laws of the Cayman Islands) to enter into,
     execute and perform their respective obligations under the Underwriting
     Agreement;

(f)  all conditions precedent contained in the Underwriting Agreement have been
     satisfied or duly waived and there has been no breach of the terms of the
     Underwriting Agreement as at the date hereof;

(g)  no invitation has been or will be made by or on behalf of the Company to
     the public in the Cayman Islands to purchase any of the Shares;

(h)  payment for the Shares will be lawfully and properly transferred and
     received by the



<PAGE>   34


                                       4

     Holdings in cleared funds, directly or indirectly, from purchasers duly
     entitled to make such purchases;

(i)  each of the Directors of the Company and of Holdings has acted bona fide in
     the best interests of the Company or, as the case may be, Holdings in
     connection with the transactions contemplated by the Underwriting Agreement
     and has disclosed his interest therein (if any) in accordance with the
     Articles or, as the case may be, the Holdings Articles.

Based upon the foregoing, we advise you that in our opinion:

1.   Each of the Company and Holdings has been duly organised and is validly
     existing and in good standing as an exempted company with limited liability
     pursuant to the Companies Law (2000 Revision) of the Cayman Islands.

2.   Each of the Company and Holdings has full power and authority as a matter
     of Cayman Islands law to carry out any object not prohibited by law and is
     a body corporate capable of exercising all the functions of a natural
     person of full capacity including the capacity to enter into Underwriting
     Agreement and to perform its obligations thereunder.

3.   Save as referred to below and subject to the Underwriting Agreement and any
     original counterparts thereof being stamped with CI$2.00 stamp duty if
     executed in or brought within the jurisdiction of the Cayman Islands in
     original form, no registration, filing, stamping or other formalities are
     necessary for the validity and enforceability of the Underwriting Agreement
     in the Cayman Islands or for its admissibility in evidence in proceedings
     in the courts of the Cayman Islands.

4.   The Articles are with effect from the Adoption Date, valid, binding and
     enforceable as between the Company and its shareholders and between the
     shareholders inter se.

5.   The Underwriting Agreement has been duly authorised and executed on behalf
     of the Company. When delivered it will constitute the legal, valid and
     binding obligations of the Company enforceable in accordance with its terms
     except and insofar as such enforcement may be limited as hereinafter set
     forth. The term "enforceable" as used above means that the obligations
     assumed by the Company under the Underwriting Agreement are of a type which
     the courts of the Cayman Islands enforce. It does not mean that those
     obligations will necessarily be enforced in all circumstances in accordance
     with their terms. We would draw to your attention the following:

     (i)   enforcement may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, liquidation,
           reorganization and other laws of general application relating to or
           affecting the rights of creditors;



<PAGE>   35


                                       5

     (ii)   enforcement may be limited by general principles of equity - for
            example, equitable remedies such as specific performance may not be
            available, inter alia, where damages are considered to be an
            adequate remedy;

     (iii)  claims may become barred under the statutes of limitation or may be
            or become subject to defences of set-off or counterclaim;

     (iv)   where obligations are to be performed in a jurisdiction outside the
            Cayman Islands, they may not be enforceable in the Cayman Islands to
            the extent that performance would be illegal under the laws of that
            jurisdiction;

     (v)    the Cayman Islands court has jurisdiction to give judgment in the
            currency of the relevant obligation and statutory rates of interest
            payable upon judgments given after lst June, 1995 will vary
            according to the currency of the judgment. In the event that a
            Company becomes insolvent and is made subject to a liquidation
            proceeding, the Cayman Islands court is likely to require all debts
            to be proved in a common currency, which is likely to be the
            "functional currency" of such Company determined in accordance with
            applicable accounting principles; currency indemnity provisions have
            not been tested, so far as we are aware, in the courts of the Cayman
            Islands;

     (vi)   obligations to make payments that may be regarded as penalties will
            not be enforceable to the extent they are penal;

     (vii)  in principle a Cayman Islands court will award costs and
            disbursements in litigation in accordance with contractual
            provisions in this regard but the applicable rule of court (GCR
            Order 62, rule 2) has been in force only since lst June, 1995 and
            there remains some uncertainty as to the way in which it will be
            applied in practice. Whilst it is clear that costs incurred prior to
            judgment can be recovered in accordance with the contract, it is
            likely that post-judgment costs will be recoverable, if at all, in
            accordance with the scales laid down in the Grand Court (Taxation of
            Costs) Rules 1995;

     (viii) a certificate, determination, calculation or designation of any
            party to the foregoing instruments as to any matter provided therein
            might be held by a Cayman Islands court not to be conclusive, final
            and binding if, for example, it could be shown to have an
            unreasonable or arbitrary basis or in the event of manifest error;

     (ix)   any term of Underwriting Agreement may be amended orally by the
            parties thereto, notwithstanding any provision to the contrary
            contained therein;



<PAGE>   36


                                       6

     (x)    we reserve our opinion as to the extent to which a Cayman Islands
            court would, in the event of unenforceability, sever the offending
            provisions and enforce the remainder of the agreement of which such
            provisions form a part, notwithstanding any express provisions in
            this regard;

     (xi)   to maintain the Company and Holdings in good standing under the laws
            of the Cayman Islands, annual filing fees must be paid and returns
            made to the Registrar of Companies;

     (xii)  the obligations of the Company under the Agreements which involve
            the government of any country which is currently the subject of
            United Nations sanctions (namely Iraq, Libya, Sierra Leone, Angola
            and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and each an "Affected
            Country"), any person or body resident in, incorporated in or
            constituted under the laws of any Affected Country or exercising
            public functions in any Affected Country or any person or body
            controlled by any of the foregoing or by any person acting on behalf
            of any of the foregoing may be subject to restrictions pursuant to
            such sanctions as implemented under the laws of the Cayman Islands.

6.   No authorisations, consents or approvals are required from and no filings
     are required with any governmental authorities or agencies or other
     official bodies in the Cayman Islands in connection with the execution or
     delivery of the Underwriting Agreement and the performance by the Company
     or Holdings of their respective obligations thereunder.

7.   Based solely on our review of the Certified Extract of the Register of
     Members of the Company, Holdings was listed as the registered holder of
     74,500,000 ordinary shares in the share capital of the Company.

8.   The authorised share capital of the Company conforms to the description
     thereof set forth in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and all
     of the Shares have been duly and validly authorised and issued as fully
     paid and registered on the books of the Company. The holders of ordinary
     shares are not subject to any preemptive or similar rights under the laws
     of the Cayman Islands or the Articles. Other than in relation to a
     redeemable share for which the Company has issued a notice of redemption
     under Article 8.2, there are no restrictions on the transfer of Shares
     under the Articles.

9.   The performance by the Company of its obligations under Underwriting
     Agreement and the completion of the transactions contemplated therein will
     not conflict with or result in a breach or violation of provisions of the
     Articles or any law or statute of the Cayman Islands or any order, rule or
     regulation of any court or governmental agency or body of the Cayman
     Islands having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its properties and
     no



<PAGE>   37


                                       7

     consent, approval, authorisation, order, registration, qualification or
     filing of or with any court or governmental authorities or agencies or
     other official bodies of the Cayman Islands is required for the sale of the
     Shares, or the completion by the Company of the transactions contemplated
     by the Underwriting Agreement.

10.  The performance by Holdings of its obligations under Underwriting Agreement
     and the completion of the transactions contemplated therein will not
     conflict with or result in a breach or violation of provisions of the
     Holdings Articles or any law or statute of the Cayman Islands or any order,
     rule or regulation of any court or governmental agency or body of the
     Cayman Islands having jurisdiction over Holdings or any of its properties
     and no consent, approval, authorisation, order, registration, qualification
     or filing of or with any court or governmental authorities or agencies or
     other official bodies of the Cayman Islands is required for the sale of the
     Shares, or the completion by Holdings of the transactions contemplated by
     the Underwriting Agreement.

11.  Neither the Underwriters nor any subsequent purchasers of the Shares will
     (subject as described in paragraph 3 above) be subject to any stamp or
     other issue or transfer taxes or duties and no capital gains, income,
     withholding or other taxes imposed in the Cayman Islands in connection with
     the offering, sale or purchase of the Shares; there are no currency
     exchange control laws or withholding or other taxes in the Cayman Islands
     that would be applicable to the payment of dividends on the Shares by the
     Company.

12.  Under the laws of the Cayman Islands, the submission of the Company to
     the jurisdiction of any New York State or Federal court sitting in the City
     of New York and the appointment of [          ] as its authorised agent for
     the purposes described in Section 14 of the Underwriting Agreement are
     valid and binding; and service of process effected in the manner set forth
     in Section 14 of the Underwriting Agreement will be effective under the
     laws of the Cayman Islands to confer personal jurisdiction over the
     Company, assuming this to be the case under the laws of New York.

13.  So far as Cayman Islands conflicts of law principles are concerned, the
     power and authority of all parties to enter into, execute and perform their
     obligations under Underwriting Agreement will be determined by the laws of
     the jurisdiction of incorporation of the relevant parties and by the
     parties' constitutional documents as governed by such laws; under Cayman
     Islands conflicts of law principles, the laws governing the due corporate
     authorisation and execution by a party of the Underwriting Agreement are
     the laws of the jurisdiction of incorporation of the relevant party.

14.  The choice of the laws of New York as the governing law of the Underwriting
     Agreement is a valid and effective choice of law; if proceedings were
     commenced in a court of competent jurisdiction in the Cayman Islands based
     on or arising under the Underwriting Agreement, the laws of New York would,
     to the extent specifically pleaded and proved as



<PAGE>   38


                                       8

     a fact by expert evidence, be recognized and applied by such court to all
     issues concerning the construction, validity and effect of the Underwriting
     Agreement and the interpretation thereof, except that in any such
     proceeding such court might apply those laws of the Cayman Islands as such
     court characterised as procedural and would not necessarily apply those
     laws of New York as such court characterised as procedural.

15.  Although there is no statutory enforcement in the Cayman Islands of a
     judgment obtained in New York, the courts of the Cayman Islands will
     recognise and enforce a foreign judgment of a court of competent
     jurisdiction, based on the principle that a judgment of a competent foreign
     court imposes upon the judgment debtor an obligation to pay the sum for
     which judgment has been given provided such judgment is final, for a
     liquidated sum, not in respect of taxes or a fine or penalty, and was not
     obtained in a manner and is not of a kind the enforcement of which is
     contrary to the public policy of the Cayman Islands; a Cayman Islands court
     may stay proceedings if concurrent proceedings are being brought elsewhere;
     and for the purposes of enforcement of a judgment granted against the
     Company based on or arising under the Underwriting Agreement; the federal
     or state courts to which the Company has submitted pursuant to Section 14
     of the Underwriting Agreement would be considered by the courts of the
     Cayman Islands of competent jurisdiction to consider matters arising out of
     the terms of the Underwriting Agreement if service of process on the
     Company was effected in accordance with the provisions of the Underwriting
     Agreement.

16.  The persons to whom Shares are duly sold in accordance with the
     Underwriting Agreement will, as a matter of Cayman Islands law, upon their
     due registration as the holders thereof in the Register of Members of the
     Company acquire legal title to the relevant shares provided that, in the
     case of fraud or manifest error, a Cayman Islands court has jurisdiction to
     order rectification of the Register of Members.

17.  The Registration Statement and the filing of the Registration Statement
     with the SEC have been duly authorised by and on behalf of the Company in
     accordance with Cayman Islands law. The Registration Statement has been
     duly executed pursuant to such authorisation by and on behalf of the
     Company.

18.  All statements made in the Prospectus under the captions "Enforceability of
     Civil Liabilities", "Risk Factors - Risks Related to Our Ordinary Shares",
     "Exchange Controls", "Our Relationship with Kuwait Petroleum Corporation --
     Related Party Agreements", "Description of Share Capital" and "Taxation",
     insofar as they purport to describe the provisions of the laws of the
     Cayman Islands or the Articles, fairly and accurately present the
     information and our opinions as to such matters as set out therein.

19.  Insofar as matters of Cayman Islands law are concerned neither the Company
     nor Holdings is entitled to any immunity on the basis of sovereignty or
     otherwise in respect of its obligations under the Underwriting Agreement.



<PAGE>   39


                                       9

20.  Except for the limitations under the heading "Enforceability of Civil
     Liabilities" in the Prospectus the indemnification and contribution
     provisions set out in Section 8 of the Underwriting Agreement do not
     contravene the public policy or laws of the Cayman Islands.

21.  Based on a search of the Cause Book maintained in the office of the Clerk
     to the Grand Court in the Cayman Islands and the Register of Writs and
     Other Originating Process for the period from 1st June, 1995, and to the
     best of our knowledge and belief, we believe that there were (a) no actions
     pending against the Company or Holdings (b) no proceedings had been
     commenced compulsorily to wind up the Company or Holdings in the Grand
     Court of the Cayman Islands as at the close of business on [ ] June, 2000.

Except as may be specifically stated herein, we offer no opinion with regard to
the commercial terms of the transactions contemplated by the documents referred
to herein or to any representations which may be made by or on behalf of the
Company in any of such documents or otherwise.

This opinion may be relied upon only by you, your United States legal advisors
and United States legal advisors to the Company and Holdings in connection with
opinions to be delivered by them on or about the date hereof in each case in
relation to the Underwriting Agreement (and solely in those respective
capacities) and may not otherwise be relied upon by any other person without our
prior written consent.

Yours faithfully,


MAPLES AND CALDER



<PAGE>   40


                 [SANTA FE INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION LETTERHEAD]


                                                                [   ] June, 2000

Maples and Calder
P.O. Box 309
Grand Cayman
Cayman Islands
British West Indies


Dear Sirs:

RE: SANTA FE INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION (THE "COMPANY")

I, being a Director of the Company, am aware that you have been asked to deliver
a legal opinion (the "Opinion") to Goldman, Sachs & Co., Credit Suisse First
Boston Corporation, Salomon Smith Barney, Inc. and Morgan Stanley & Co.
Incorporated as representatives of certain Underwriters in relation to the
Underwriting Agreement (the "Underwriting Agreement"), dated [ ] June, 2000
between the Company, SFIC Holdings (Cayman) Inc. and the Underwriters named
therein and the sale of certain of the Company's Ordinary Shares of US$0.01 each
(the "Shares").

1.   The Amended and Restated Memorandum of Association and the Amended and
     Restated Articles of Association of the Company, each as adopted on 30th
     May, 1997, have not been amended, modified or supplemented.

2.   The shareholders of the Company have not prescribed in general meeting or
     by resolution any regulations restricting the powers of the Directors of
     the Company in any respect other than as provided in the Underwriting
     Agreement.

3.   You have been provided with true copies of the resolutions of the Directors
     of the Company adopted at their meeting held on [ ] May, 2000, which were
     duly adopted at a meeting of the Directors duly convened and held and at
     which a quorum was present throughout all in accordance with the Articles
     of Association of the Company then in force; such resolutions were duly
     adopted, remain in full force and effect and have not been revoked or
     amended in any respect;



<PAGE>   41


                                       2

4.   The Directors of the Company as at [   ] May, 2000 and the date hereof were
     and are:

                             [Gordon M. Anderson
                             Stedman Garber, Jr.
                             Abdulmalik Mohamed Al-Gharabally
                             Khalid Yousef Al-Fulaij
                             Nader Hamad Sultan
                             Abdullah Hamad Al-Roumi.]

5.   The Company received due and full consideration for each of the Shares (as
     defined in the Opinion).

6.   The entry into the Underwriting Agreement by the Company and the
     transactions contemplated thereby is not intended to constitute an exercise
     of sovereign authority.

7.   The Company does not own any real estate situated in the Cayman Islands.

8.   I am duly authorised to give the above certifications on behalf of the
     Company.




---------------------------------------
Name:
Director



<PAGE>   42


                    [SFIC HOLDINGS (CAYMAN), INC. LETTERHEAD]

                                                               [    ] June, 2000


Maples and Calder
P.O. Box 309
Grand Cayman
Cayman Islands
British West Indies


Dear Sirs:

RE: SFIC HOLDINGS (CAYMAN), INC. (THE "COMPANY")

I, being a Director of the Company, am aware that you have been asked to deliver
a legal opinion (the "Opinion") to Goldman, Sachs & Co., Credit Suisse First
Boston Corporation, Salomon Smith Barney, Inc. and Morgan Stanley & Co.
Incorporated as representatives of certain Underwriters in relation to the
Underwriting Agreement (the "Underwriting Agreement"), dated [   ] June, 2000
between Santa Fe International Corporation, the Company and the Underwriters
named therein and the sale of certain of Santa Fe International Corporation's
Ordinary Shares of US$0.01 each (the "Shares").

1.   The Memorandum of Association and Articles of Association of the Company,
     each as adopted on 31st January, 1990, are in full force and effect and are
     unamended save for the amendments made by special resolutions passed on 6th
     April, 1990;

2.   The shareholders of the Company have not prescribed in general meeting or
     by resolution any regulations restricting the powers of the Directors of
     the Company in any respect other than as provided in the Underwriting
     Agreement.

3.   You have been provided with true copies of the resolutions of the Directors
     of the Company adopted at their meetings held on [   ] May, 2000, which
     were duly adopted at a meeting of the Directors duly convened and held and
     at which a quorum was present throughout all in accordance with the
     Articles of Association of the Company; you have also been provided with
     true copies of the resolutions of the Pricing Committee of the Board of
     Directors adopted by unanimous written consent on [     ], 2000 in
     accordance



<PAGE>   43


                                       2

     with the Articles of Association of the Company then in force; such
     resolutions were duly adopted, remain in full force and effect and have not
     been revoked or amended in any respect;

4.   Directors of the Company as at [   ] May, 2000 and the date hereof were and
     are:

                             [Gordon M. Anderson
                             Stedman Garber, Jr.
                             Abdulmalik Mohamed Al-Gharabally
                             Khalid Yousef Al-Fulaij
                             Nader Hamad Sultan
                             Abdullah Hamad Al-Roumi.]

5.   The Company paid full consideration for each of the Shares (as defined in
     the Opinion).

6.   The entry into the Underwriting Agreement by the Company and the
     transactions contemplated thereby is not intended to constitute an exercise
     of sovereign authority.

7.   The Company does not own any real estate situated in the Cayman Islands.

8.   I am duly authorised to give the above certifications on behalf of the
     Company.




---------------------------
Name:
Director
<PAGE>   44


                                                                       ANNEX III
                                                       (FORM OF WALKERS OPINION)


                      [WALKERS ATTORNEYS-AT-LAW LETTERHEAD]


THE PERSONS LISTED IN SCHEDULE 4


                                                                  [  ] JUNE 2000


Dear Sirs,

SANTE FE INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION (THE "COMPANY")

We have been asked to provide this legal opinion to you with regard to the laws
of the Cayman Islands in relation to the Underwriting Agreement (as defined
below) being entered into by the Company and SFIC Holdings (Cayman) Inc.
("Holdings") in connection with the sale of [ ] ordinary shares of the Company
(the "Shares") by Holdings to the persons listed in Schedule 4.

For the purposes of giving this opinion, we have examined:

(a)  the documents listed in Schedule 1 Part I; and

(b)  an executed copy of the Underwriting Agreement as defined in Schedule 1
     Part II.

In giving this opinion we have relied upon the assumptions set out in Schedule 2
hereto, which we have not independently verified.

We are Attorneys-at-Law in the Cayman Islands and express no opinion as to any
laws other than the laws of the Cayman Islands in force and as interpreted at
the date hereof. Except as explicitly stated herein, we express no opinion in
relation to any representation or warranty contained in the Underwriting
Agreement nor upon the



<PAGE>   45


commercial terms of the transaction contemplated by the Underwriting Agreement.

Based upon the foregoing examinations and assumptions and upon such searches as
we have conducted and having regard to legal considerations which we deem
relevant, and subject to the qualifications set out in Schedule 3 hereto, we are
of the opinion that under the laws of the Cayman Islands:

1.   The Company and Holdings are each companies duly incorporated, validly
     existing and in good standing under the laws of the Cayman Islands and have
     full power and legal right to execute and deliver the Underwriting
     Agreement to be executed by them and to perform the provisions of the
     Underwriting Agreement to be performed on their part.

2.   The Underwriting Agreement has been duly authorised, executed and delivered
     by the Company and Holdings and constitutes the legal, valid and binding
     obligations of the Company and Holdings enforceable in accordance with its
     terms. The Registration Statement and the filing of the Registration
     Statement as contemplated therein have been duly authorised by the Company
     and the Registration Statement has been duly executed by the Company.

3.   The execution, delivery and performance of the Underwriting Agreement by
     the Company, the consummation of the transactions contemplated thereby and
     the compliance by the Company with the terms and provisions thereof do not:

     (i)   contravene any law or regulation of the Cayman Islands applicable to
           the Company; or

     (ii)  contravene the Memorandum and Articles of Association of the Company
           as adopted by a special resolution of the sole shareholder of the
           Company dated 3rd January 1994 and amended on 18th March 1994 (the
           "Memorandum and Articles of Association of the Company") or the
           Company's Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association
           as adopted by a special resolution of the sole shareholder of the
           Company dated 30th May 1997 (the "Amended and Restated Memorandum and
           Articles of Association"); or

     (iii) to our knowledge, contravene any order of any Cayman Islands court or
           other Cayman Islands agency of government applicable to the Company
           or binding on or affecting it or its property.

4.   The execution, delivery and performance of the Underwriting Agreement by
     Holdings, the consummation of the transactions contemplated thereby and the
     compliance by Holdings with the terms and provisions thereof do not:

     (i)   contravene any law or regulation of the Cayman Islands applicable to
           Holdings;

     (ii)  contravene the Memorandum and Articles of Association of Holdings; or

     (iii) to our knowledge, contravene any order of any Cayman Islands court or
           other Cayman Islands agency of government applicable to Holdings or
           binding on or affecting it or its property.

5.   Neither the execution, delivery or performance of the Underwriting
     Agreement to which the Company is party nor the consummation or performance
     of any of the transaction contemplated thereby by the Company require the
     consent or approval of, the giving of notice to, or the registration with,
     or the taking of any other action in respect of any Cayman Islands
     governmental or judicial authority or agency.

6.   Neither the execution, delivery or performance of the Underwriting
     Agreement to which Holdings is party

                                       2

<PAGE>   46


     nor the consummation or performance of any of the transaction contemplated
     thereby by Holdings require the consent or approval of, the giving of
     notice to, or the registration with, or the taking of any other action in
     respect of any Cayman Islands governmental or judicial authority or agency.

7.   The law chosen by the Underwriting Agreement to govern its interpretation
     would be upheld as a valid choice of law in any action on that document in
     the courts of the Cayman Islands.

8.   There are no stamp duties (other than the stamp duties mentioned in
     qualification 2 in Schedule 3 hereto) or other issue or transfer taxes or
     duties and no capital gains, income taxes, withholdings, levies,
     registration taxes, or other duties or similar taxes or charges now
     imposed, or which under the present laws of the Cayman Islands could in the
     future become imposed, in connection with:

     (i)   the enforcement or admissibility in evidence of the Underwriting
           Agreement or on any payment to be made by the Company or any other
           person pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement; or

     (ii)  the sale of the Shares to the Underwriters as contemplated by the
           Underwriting Agreement or any sale of the Shares by the Underwriters.

9.   None of the parties to the Underwriting Agreement (other than the Company
     and Holdings which may be resident, domiciled or carrying on business in
     the Cayman Islands by virtue of being Cayman Islands exempted companies or
     otherwise) is or will be deemed to be resident, domiciled or carrying on
     business in the Cayman Islands by reason only of the execution, delivery,
     performance or enforcement of the Underwriting Agreement to which any of
     them is party.

10.  It is not necessary or advisable under the laws of the Cayman Islands that
     the Underwriting Agreement or any document relating thereto be registered
     or recorded in any public office or elsewhere in the Cayman Islands in
     order to ensure the validity, effectiveness or enforceability of the
     Underwriting Agreement.

11.  Each of the Company and Holdings has executed an effective submission to
     the jurisdiction of the courts of the jurisdiction specified in the
     Underwriting Agreement.

12.  A judgment obtained in a foreign court will be enforced in the courts of
     the Cayman Islands without any re-examination of the merits.

13.  The Company is subject to civil and commercial law with respect to its
     obligations under the Underwriting Agreement and neither the Company nor
     any of its assets is entitled to immunity from suit or enforcement of a
     judgment on the grounds of sovereignty or otherwise in the courts of the
     Cayman Islands in proceedings against the Company in respect of any
     obligations under the Underwriting Agreement, which obligations constitute
     private and commercial acts rather than governmental or public acts.

14.  Holdings is subject to civil and commercial law with respect to its
     obligations under the Underwriting Agreement and neither Holdings nor any
     of its assets is entitled to immunity from suit or enforcement of a
     judgment on the grounds of sovereignty or otherwise in the courts of the
     Cayman Islands in proceedings against Holdings in respect of any
     obligations under the Underwriting Agreement, which obligations constitute
     private and commercial acts rather than governmental or public acts.

15.  There are no actions, suits or proceedings pending against the Company or
     Holdings before any court in the Cayman Islands for the period from 12th
     June 1997 to [ ] June 2000 and no steps have been, or are being, taken to
     compulsorily wind up the Company or Holdings during that period and no
     resolution to voluntarily wind up the Company or Holdings has been adopted
     by its members during that period.

                                       3

<PAGE>   47


16.  A judgment of a court in the Cayman Islands may be expressed in a currency
     other than Cayman Islands dollars.

17.  On a liquidation of the Company, claims against the Company under the
     Underwriting Agreement to which it is party will rank at least pari passu
     with the claims of all other unsecured creditors (other than those
     preferred by law).

18.  On a liquidation of Holdings, claims against Holdings under the
     Underwriting Agreement to which it is party will rank at least pari passu
     with the claims of all other unsecured creditors (other than those
     preferred by law).

19.  In the event of an insolvency, liquidation, bankruptcy or reorganisation
     affecting the Company, no liquidator, creditor or other person would be
     able to set aside any disposition of property effected by the Company
     pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement.

20.  In the event of an insolvency, liquidation, bankruptcy or reorganisation
     affecting Holdings, no liquidator, creditor or other person would be able
     to set aside any disposition of property effected by Holdings pursuant to
     the Underwriting Agreement.

21.  The authorised share capital of the Company including the Shares conforms
     to the description thereof in the Registration Statement and 74,500,000
     shares of the Company have been duly and validly authorised and issued [as
     fully paid] to Holdings [with an entry in respect of such shares and the
     registered owner having been made in the register of members of the Company
     confirming that they are fully paid]. There is no provision of Cayman
     Islands law that would impose further liability on persons holding the
     Shares in the Company registered on the books of the Company as fully paid
     solely as a result of such shareholding. The holders of Shares do not have
     any preemptive rights under the laws of the Cayman Islands or the Company's
     Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association. The Shares may
     be transferred in accordance with the provisions of the Amended and
     Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association and the Companies Law (2000
     Revision).

22.  The Company's Memorandum and Articles of Association and Amended and
     Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association have been duly adopted and
     approved by all necessary action of the Company and its shareholders. The
     Memorandum and Articles of Association were in full force and effect for
     the period from 3rd January 1994 to 30th May 1997 and the Amended and
     Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association are in full force and
     effect.

23.  All statements made in the Prospectus under the captions "Enforcement of
     Civil Liabilities", "Risk Factors -- Control By Holdings and Potential
     Conflicts of Interest, Limited Rights of Shareholders under Cayman Islands
     Law and Shares Available for Future Sale", "Exchange Controls",
     "Relationship between the Company and KPC -- Related Party Agreements",
     "Description of Share Capital" and "Taxation" insofar as they purport to
     describe the provisions of the laws of the Cayman Islands fairly and
     accurately present our opinion as to such matters set out therein. All
     statements in the above referred to captions insofar as they purport to
     describe the provisions of the Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles
     of Association fairly and accurately present such provisions.

24.  Based solely upon the copy of the register of mortgages and charges of
     Holdings provided to us by Maples and Calder, there are no entries in the
     register of mortgages and charges of Holdings.

25.  An award made in pursuance of an arbitration award in a foreign country
     (being a party to the Convention

                                       4

<PAGE>   48


     on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards adopted by
     the United Nations Conference on International Commercial Arbitration the
     10th of June 1958) may be enforced in the Cayman Islands with the leave of
     the court in the Cayman Islands and judgment entered in terms of the award
     and such leave shall not be refused except:

     (a)  if the person against whom the award is invoked proves:

          (i)   that a party to the relevant agreement was (under the law
                applicable to him) under some incapacity; or

          (ii)  that the relevant agreement was not valid under the law to which
                the parties subjected it or, failing any indication thereon
                under the law of the country where the award was made; or

          (iii) that he was not given proper notice of the appointment of the
                arbitrator or of the arbitration proceedings or was otherwise
                unable to present his case; or

          (iv)  (subject to (c) below) that the award deals with a difference
                not contemplated by or not falling within the terms of the
                submission to arbitration or contains decisions on matters
                beyond the scope of the submission to arbitration; or

          (v)   that the composition of the arbitral authority or the arbitral
                procedure was not in accordance with the agreement of the
                parties or failing such agreement with the law of the country
                where the arbitration took place; or

          (vi)  that the award has not yet become binding on the parties, or has
                been set aside or suspended by a competent authority of the
                country in which or under the law of which it was made;

     (b)  Enforcement may be refused if the award is in respect of a matter
          which is not capable of settlement by arbitration or is it would be
          contrary to public policy to enforce the award;

     (c)  An award which contains decisions on matters not submitted to
          arbitration may be enforced to the extent that it contains decisions
          on matters submitted to arbitration which can be separated from those
          on matters not so submitted;

     (d)  Where an application for the setting aside of an award has been made
          to such a competent authority as is mentioned in sub-paragraph (a)(vi)
          above the court before which enforcement of the award is sought may if
          it thinks fit, adjourn the proceedings and may on the application of
          the party seeking to enforce the award order the other party to give
          security.

This opinion is limited to the matters referred to herein and shall not be
construed as extending to any other matter or document not referred to herein.
This opinion is given solely for your benefit and the benefit of your legal
advisers acting in that capacity in relation to this transaction and may not be
relied upon by any other person without our prior written consent. This opinion
is governed by and shall be construed in accordance with the laws of the Cayman
Islands.


                                       Yours faithfully,



                                       WALKERS




                                       5

<PAGE>   49


                                   SCHEDULE 1


                           LIST OF DOCUMENTS EXAMINED



                                     PART I

(1)  the Memorandum and Articles of Association of the Company and the Amended
     and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association of Holdings;

(2)  a Certificate of Good Standing dated 4th May 2000 in respect of each of the
     Company and Holdings issued by the Registrar of Companies;

(3)  the Special Resolution of the sole shareholder of the Company passed on 3rd
     January 1994;

(4)  the Resolutions adopted by the Board of Directors of the Company dated [ ]
     May 2000, the written authorisation of the Chairman of the Board of
     Holdings to submit the Registration Statement to the Securities and
     Exchange Commission dated [ ] 2000, the written request of a Director of
     Holdings specifying the maximum number of Offered Shares and requesting the
     registration of those shares dated [ ] 2000 and the written advice from any
     Director of Holdings that Holdings has or will execute and deliver the
     Underwriting Agreement (the "Company Resolutions");

(5)  the Resolutions adopted by the Board of Directors of Holdings dated [ ] May
     2000 and the Resolutions of the Pricing Committee of Holdings dated [ ]
     2000 (the "Holdings Resolutions" and together with the Company Resolutions,
     the "Resolutions");

(6)  the Prospectus dated [ ] 2000 (the "Prospectus") included in the
     Registration Statement on Form F-3 (the "Registration Statement") relating
     to the offering of ordinary shares of the Company;

(7)  the Register of Mortgages and Charges of Holdings produced to us on [ ]
     June 2000;

(8)  the Certified Extract of the Register of Members of the Company as
     maintained by ChaseMellon Shareholder Services L.L.C. certified as at [ ]
     June 2000 by ChaseMellon Shareholder Services L.L.C.;

                                     PART II

(8)  the Underwriting Agreement dated [ ] June 2000 between the Company and the
     Underwriters named therein (the "Underwriting Agreement");

(9)  such other documents as we have considered necessary for the purposes of
     rendering this opinion.

The documents at paragraphs (3), (4) and (5) above are referred to in this
opinion as the "Resolutions".

                                        6

<PAGE>   50


                                   SCHEDULE 2

                                   ASSUMPTIONS

The opinions hereinbefore given are based upon the following assumptions insofar
as each such assumption may relate to the opinions given:

1.   There are no provisions of the laws of any jurisdiction outside the Cayman
     Islands which would be contravened by the execution or delivery of the
     Underwriting Agreement and that, in so far as any obligation expressed to
     be incurred under the Underwriting Agreement is to be performed in or is
     otherwise subject to the laws of any jurisdiction outside the Cayman
     Islands, its performance will not be illegal by virtue of the laws of that
     jurisdiction.

2.   The Underwriting Agreement is within the capacity and powers of and has
     been or will be duly authorised, executed and delivered by each of the
     parties thereto (other than the Company and Holdings) and has been duly
     delivered by the Company and Holdings and constitute or will when executed
     constitute the legal, valid and binding obligations of each of the parties
     thereto enforceable in accordance with its terms as a matter of the laws of
     the relevant jurisdiction (other than the Cayman Islands).

3.   The choice of the laws of the jurisdiction selected to govern the
     Underwriting Agreement has been made in good faith and will be regarded as
     a valid and binding selection which will be upheld in the courts of that
     jurisdiction and all other relevant jurisdictions (other than the Cayman
     Islands).

4.   All authorisations, approvals, consents, licences and exemptions required
     by and all filings and other requirements of each of the parties to the
     Underwriting Agreement outside the Cayman Islands to ensure the legality,
     validity and enforceability of the Underwriting Agreement have been or will
     be duly obtained, made or fulfilled and are and will remain in full force
     and effect and that any conditions to which they are subject have been
     satisfied.

5.   All conditions precedent contained in the Underwriting Agreement have been
     or will be satisfied or waived.

6.   No disposition of property effected by the Underwriting Agreement is made
     wilfully to defeat an obligation owed to a creditor and at an undervalue.

7.   The Company and Holdings were on the date of execution of the Underwriting
     Agreement to which they are party able to pay their debts as they became
     due from their own moneys, and that any disposition or settlement of
     property effected by the Underwriting Agreement is made in good faith and
     for valuable consideration.

8.   The Underwriting Agreement has not been nor will be executed or delivered
     in the Cayman Islands.

9.   All original documents are authentic, that all signatures and seals are
     genuine, that all documents purporting to be sealed have been so sealed and
     that all copies conform to their originals.

10.  Particulars of all mortgages and charges given by the Company and Holdings
     have been properly recorded in its Register of Mortgages and Charges.

                                       7

<PAGE>   51


11.  The copy Minute Book of the Company and Holdings examined by us on [ ] June
     2000 at the registered office of the Company contains a complete record of
     the business transacted by it.

12.  The copy corporate records of the Company provided to us by the Registered
     Office of the Company constitute its complete corporate records and that
     all matters required by law to be recorded therein are so recorded.

13.  The Cause Books of the Cayman Islands Grand Court maintained by the Clerk
     of the Courts examined by us on [ ] June 2000 at the Courts Office
     constitute a complete record of the proceedings before the Grand Court of
     the Cayman Islands.

14.  None of the parties to the Underwriting Agreement is:

     (a)  a "person in Iraq" as that term is defined in The Iraq and Kuwait
          (United Nations Sanctions) (Dependent Territories) Order 1990 or an
          "Iraqi person" as defined in The Iraq (United Nations) (Sequestration
          of Assets) (Dependent Territories) Order 1993 or a person resident in
          the Republic of Iraq for the purposes of The Caribbean Territories
          (Control of Gold, Securities, Payment and Credits: Kuwait and Republic
          of Iraq) Order 1990; or

     (b)  a "person connected with Libya" as that term is defined in The Libya
          (United Nations Sanctions) (Dependent Territories) Order 1992.

     (c)  the "Government of the FRY" or the "Government of the Republic of
          Serbia" as those terms are defined in the Dependant Territories
          (Federal Republic of Yugoslavia) (Freezing of Funds and Prohibition on
          Investment) Order 1999; or

     (d)  "Taliban" as that term is defined in The Afghanistan (United Nations
          Sanctions) Overseas Territories Order 1999.

15.  The Resolutions were duly adopted in accordance with the Articles of
     Association of the Company and Holdings respectivley. We confirm that the
     examination made by us for the purpose of giving this opinion gives us no
     reason to suppose that the Resolutions were not so adopted.

16.  There is a corporate benefit to the Company in entering into the
     Underwriting Agreement.

17.  The Company received due and full consideration for each of the Shares and
     Holdings paid full consideration for each of the Shares.

                                       8

<PAGE>   52


                                   SCHEDULE 3

                                 QUALIFICATIONS


The opinions hereinbefore given are subject to the following qualifications:

1.   The term "enforceable" as used above means that the obligations assumed by
     the Company under the Underwriting Agreement are of a type which the courts
     of the Cayman Islands enforce; it does not mean that those obligations will
     necessarily be enforced in all circumstances in accordance with their
     terms. In particular:

     (a)  enforcement may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, liquidation,
          reorganisation and other laws of general application relating to or
          affecting the rights of creditors;

     (b)  enforcement may be limited by general principles of equity;

     (c)  claims may become barred under statutes of limitation or may be or
          become subject to defences of set-off or counterclaim;

     (d)  where obligations are to be performed in a jurisdiction outside the
          Cayman Islands, they may not be enforceable in the Cayman Islands to
          the extent that performance would be illegal under the laws of that
          jurisdiction;

     (e)  an award of a court of the Cayman Islands may be required to be made
          in Cayman Islands dollars;

     (f)  to the extent that any provision of the Underwriting Agreement is
          adjudicated to be penal in nature, it will not be enforceable in the
          courts of the Cayman Islands; in particular, the enforceability of any
          provision of the Underwriting Agreement which imposes additional
          obligations in the event of any breach or default, or of payment or
          prepayment being made other than on an agreed date may be limited to
          the extent that it is subsequently adjudicated to be penal in nature
          and not an attempt to make a reasonable pre-estimate of loss;

     (g)  to the extent that the performance of any obligation arising under the
          Underwriting Agreement would be fraudulent or contrary to public
          policy, it will not be enforceable in the courts of the Cayman
          Islands; and

     (h)  a Cayman Islands court will not necessarily award costs in litigation
          in accordance with contractual provisions in this regard.

2.   Cayman Islands stamp duty will be payable if the Underwriting Agreement is
     executed in, brought to, or produced before a court of the Cayman Islands.
     Such duty would be nominal except in the case of:

     (a)  a legal or equitable mortgage or charge of immovable property or a
          debenture:

          (i)  where the sum secured is US$360,000 or less - 1% of the sum
               secured;

          (ii) where the sum secured is more than US$360,000 - 1.5% of the sum
               secured;

                                       9

<PAGE>   53


     (b)  a legal or equitable mortgage of moveable property (not including a
          debenture) - 1.5% of the sum secured;

     (c)  a bill of sale - 1% of the sum secured;

     provided that no duty shall be payable where the property is situated
     outside the Cayman Islands and that in the case of a mortgage of moveable
     property situated in the Islands granted by an exempted company or by an
     ordinary non-resident company (as defined in the Companies Law (2000
     Revision)) or by a body corporate incorporated outside the Islands, the
     maximum duty payable shall be US$600.00.

3.   A certificate, determination, calculation or designation of any party to
     the Underwriting Agreement as to any matter provided therein might be held
     by a Cayman Islands court not to be conclusive, final and binding,
     notwithstanding any provision to that effect therein contained, if, for
     example, it could be shown to have an unreasonable, arbitrary or improper
     basis or in the event of manifest error.

4.   The courts of the Cayman Islands will recognise and enforce a foreign
     judgment which is final and in respect of which the foreign court had
     jurisdiction over the defendant according to Cayman Islands conflict of law
     rules and which is conclusive, for a liquidated sum not in respect of
     penalties or taxes or a fine or similar fiscal or revenue obligations, and
     which was neither obtained in a manner, nor is of a kind of which
     enforcement is contrary to natural justice or the public policy of the
     Cayman Islands.

5.   If any provision of the Underwriting Agreement is held to be illegal,
     invalid or unenforceable, severance of such provision from the remaining
     provisions will be subject to the discretion of the Cayman Islands courts.

6.   To maintain the Company and Holdings in good standing under the laws of the
     Cayman Islands, annual filing fees must be paid and returns made to the
     Registrar of Companies.

7.   Any term of the Underwriting Agreement may be amended orally by the parties
     thereto, notwithstanding provisions to the contrary contained therein.

8.   Notwithstanding any purported date of execution in the Underwriting
     Agreement, the rights and obligations therein contained take effect only on
     the actual execution and delivery thereof but the Underwriting Agreement
     may provide that they have retrospective effect as between the parties
     thereto alone.

9.   The effectiveness of terms in the Underwriting Agreement excusing any party
     from a liability or duty otherwise owed or indemnifying that party from the
     consequences of incurring such liability or breaching such duty are limited
     by law.

10.  The Company requires an exemption under the Companies Management Law (1999
     Revision) or to be duly licensed under the Companies Management Law (1999
     Revision) to the extent that it is in control of all or substantially all
     of the assets of Holdings under the Management Services Agreement and is
     therefore carrying on the "business of Company management" as defined in
     the Companies Management Law (1999 Revision).

11.  We give no opinion on the beneficial ownership of the shares of the Company
     insofar as any statement is made in the Prospectus regarding the beneficial
     ownership of shares in the Company.

                                       10

<PAGE>   54


                                   SCHEDULE 4

                                   ADDRESSEES


Goldman Sachs & Co.
Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated
Credit Suisse First Boston Corporation
Salomon Smith Barney Inc.

as Representatives of the several Underwriters
named in the Underwriting Agreement

                                       11


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