CAIRN ENERGY USA INC
S-3/A, 1995-09-07
CRUDE PETROLEUM & NATURAL GAS
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<PAGE>   1
 
   
   AS FILED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION ON SEPTEMBER 7, 1995
    
 
   
                                                       REGISTRATION NO. 33-61747
    
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             ---------------------
   
                                AMENDMENT NO. 1
    
   
                                       TO
    
 
                                    FORM S-3
            REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
                             ---------------------
                             CAIRN ENERGY USA, INC.
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
 
<TABLE>
<S>                               <C>                               <C>
            DELAWARE                            1311                           23-2169839
  (State or other jurisdiction      (Primary Standard Industrial            (I.R.S. Employer
of incorporation or organization)    Classification Code Number)         Identification Number)
</TABLE>
 
                               MICHAEL R. GILBERT
                     PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
                             CAIRN ENERGY USA, INC.
                        8235 DOUGLAS AVENUE, SUITE 1221
                              DALLAS, TEXAS 75225
                                 (214) 369-0316
           (Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number,
 including area code, of registrant's principal executive offices and of agent
                                  for service)
 
                             ---------------------
 
                                   Copies to:
 
<TABLE>
<S>                               <C>                               <C>
      MARK D. WIGDER, ESQ.             LARRY JORDAN ROWE, ESQ.            STEVEN A. COHEN, ESQ.
      JENKENS & GILCHRIST,                  ROPES & GRAY                HOLME ROBERTS & OWEN LLC
   A PROFESSIONAL CORPORATION          ONE INTERNATIONAL PLACE          1700 LINCOLN, SUITE 4100
  1445 ROSS AVENUE, SUITE 3200       BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02110         DENVER, COLORADO 80203
       DALLAS, TEXAS 75202                 (617) 951-7407                    (303) 866-0238
         (214) 855-4326
</TABLE>
 
                             ---------------------
APPROXIMATE DATE OF COMMENCEMENT OF PROPOSED SALE TO THE PUBLIC: As soon as
practicable after the effective date of this registration statement.
 
If the only securities being registered on this form are being offered pursuant
to dividend or interest reinvestment plans, please check the following box.  / /
 
If any of the securities being registered on this form are to be offered on a
delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of
1933, other than securities offered in connection with dividend or interest
reimbursement plans, check the following box.  / /
                             ---------------------
 
   
THE REGISTRANT HEREBY AMENDS THIS REGISTRATION STATEMENT ON SUCH DATE OR DATES
AS MAY BE NECESSARY TO DELAY ITS EFFECTIVE DATE UNTIL THE REGISTRANT SHALL FILE
A FURTHER AMENDMENT WHICH SPECIFICALLY STATES THAT THIS REGISTRATION STATEMENT
SHALL THEREAFTER BECOME EFFECTIVE IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 8(A) OF THE
SECURITIES ACT OF 1933 OR UNTIL THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT SHALL BECOME
EFFECTIVE ON SUCH DATE AS THE COMMISSION, ACTING PURSUANT TO SECTION 8(A), MAY
DETERMINE.
    
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<PAGE>   2
 
                                    PART II
 
                     INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS
 
ITEM 14.  OTHER EXPENSES OF ISSUANCE AND DISTRIBUTION.
 
The following table indicates the expenses to be incurred in connection with the
issuance and distribution of the securities described in this registration
statement, other than underwriting discounts and commissions. The Company will
pay all such expenses.
 
   
<TABLE>
    <S>                                                                         <C>
    Securities and Exchange Commission Registration Fee.......................  $ 12,404
    National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. Filing Fee...............     4,097
    NASDAQ Stock Market Filing Fee............................................    17,500
    Blue Sky Fees and Expenses................................................     2,500*
    Accounting Fees and Expenses..............................................    47,000*
    Legal Fees and Expenses...................................................    55,000*
    Printing and Engraving Fees and Expenses..................................    95,000*
    Miscellaneous.............................................................     6,499*
                                                                                --------
              Total...........................................................  $240,000*
                                                                                ========
</TABLE>
    
 
- ---------------
 
   
* Estimated.
    
 
ITEM 15.  INDEMNIFICATION OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS.
 
The Company has authority under the Delaware General Corporation Law, subject to
certain limitations, to indemnify its directors and officers against expenses
(including attorneys' fees), judgments, fines and certain settlements actually
and reasonably incurred by them in connection with any suit or proceeding to
which they are a party so long as they acted in good faith and in a manner
reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the
corporation, and, with respect to a criminal action or proceeding, so long as
they had no reasonable cause to believe their conduct was unlawful.
 
Reference is also made to the Company's Certificate of Incorporation, which
limits or eliminates a director's liability for monetary damages to the Company
or its stockholders for acts or omissions in the director's capacity as a
director, except that the Company's Certificate of Incorporation does not
eliminate or limit the liability of a director for (i) a breach of the
director's duty of loyalty to the Company or its stockholders, (ii) an act or
omission not in good faith that constitutes a breach of duty of the director to
the Company or an act or omission that involves intentional misconduct or a
knowing violation of the law, (iii) a transaction from which a director received
an improper benefit, whether or not the benefit resulted from an action taken
within the scope of the director's office, or (iv) an act or omission for which
the liability of a director is expressly provided for by an applicable statute.
In the case of an action by or in the right of the Company, indemnification is
precluded if such person has been adjudged to be liable, unless and only to the
extent that the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware or the court in which
the action was brought shall determine that indemnification is proper. The
Company will advance amounts to an indemnified person on receipt of an
undertaking to repay the advance following any subsequent determination that the
indemnified person is not entitled to indemnification. Indemnification will be
provided unless it is determined to be improper (i) by a majority of
disinterested directors constituting a quorum or if no such quorum is
obtainable, a majority vote of a committee of two or more directors, (ii) by a
majority vote of a quorum of the outstanding shares of stock of all classes
entitled to vote for directors, voting as a single class, which quorum shall
consist of disinterested stockholders, (iii) by independent legal counsel in a
written opinion, or (iv) by a court of competent jurisdiction. The Company also
has the power to obtain insurance indemnifying officers and directors of the
Company against any liability which it may deem proper, whether or not the
Company would have the power to indemnify such officer or director pursuant to
the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware. The Company has not
obtained such insurance.
 
                                      II-1
<PAGE>   3
 
ITEM 16.  EXHIBITS AND FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES.
 
(a) Exhibits:
 
   
<TABLE>
<S>      <C> 
  1.1    -- Form of Underwriting Agreement.
  1.2    -- Form of Agreement Among Underwriters.
  2.1    -- Purchase and Sale Agreement dated July 12, 1994, by and among Smith Offshore
            Exploration Company, II, Phemus Corporation, and Cairn Energy USA, Inc. (without
            exhibits) (the exhibits and schedules to the Agreement have been omitted pursuant to
            Item 601(b)(2) of Regulation S-K). Incorporated by reference from the Company's
            Current Report on Form 8-K, dated July 12, 1994, filed with the Commission on July
            27, 1994.
  2.2    -- Common Stock Purchase Agreement dated July 12, 1994 by and between Cairn Energy PLC
            and Phemus Corporation. Incorporated by reference from the Company's Current Report
            on Form 8-K, dated July 12, 1994, filed with the Commission on July 27, 1994.
 *5.1    -- Opinion of Jenkens & Gilchrist, a Professional Corporation.
*23.1    -- Consent of Ernst & Young LLP, Independent Auditors.
*23.2    -- Consent of Jenkens & Gilchrist, a Professional Corporation (included in opinion
            Exhibit 5).
*23.3    -- Consent of Ryder Scott Company.
*23.4    -- Consent of Arthur Andersen LLP, Independent Public Accountants
*24.1    -- Power of Attorney (included on the signature page of the Registration Statement).
</TABLE>
    
 
- ---------------
 
   
  * Previously filed.
    
 
(b) Financial Statement Schedules:
 
          See index to financial schedules on page F-1.
 
ITEM 17.  UNDERTAKINGS.
 
A. The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of
determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of the
registrant's annual report pursuant to section 13(a) or section 15(d) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that is incorporated by reference in the
registration statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement
relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities
at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.
 
B. The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes to deliver or cause to be
delivered with the prospectus, to each person to whom the prospectus is sent or
given, the latest annual report to security-holders that is incorporated by
reference in the prospectus and furnished pursuant to and meeting the
requirements of Rule 14a-3 or Rule 14c-3 under the Securities Exchange Act of
1934; and, where interim financial information required to be presented by
Article 3 of Regulation S-X is not set forth in the prospectus, to deliver, or
cause to be delivered to each person to whom the prospectus is sent or given,
the latest quarterly report that is specifically incorporated by reference in
the prospectus to provide such interim financial information.
 
C. Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act
of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the
registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant
has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission
such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act
and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification
against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses
incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person in the successful
defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer
or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the
registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been
settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction
the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as
expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such
issue.
 
                                      II-2
<PAGE>   4
 
D. The registrant hereby undertakes that:
 
     (1) For purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act of
     1933, the information omitted from the form of prospectus filed as part of
     this registration statement or in reliance upon Rule 430A and contained in
     a form of prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(1) or
     (4) or 497(h) under the Securities Act of 1933 shall be deemed to be part
     of this registration statement as of the time it was declared effective.
 
     (2) For the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act
     of 1933, each post-effective amendment that contains a form of prospectus
     shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the
     securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that
     time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.
 
                                      II-3
<PAGE>   5
 
                                   SIGNATURES
 
   
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the registrant
certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the
requirements for filing on Form S-3 and has duly caused this registration
statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly
authorized, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Dallas, and the State of
Texas, the 6th day of September, 1995.
    
 
                                          CAIRN ENERGY USA, INC.
                                          (Registrant)
 
                                          By:    /s/  MICHAEL R. GILBERT
                                             ----------------------------------
                                                    Michael R. Gilbert,
                                               President and Chief Executive
                                                           Officer
 
                               POWER OF ATTORNEY
 
Know All Men By These Presents, that each person whose signature appears below
constitutes and appoints Michael R. Gilbert and J. M. M. Sutherland, and each of
them, each with full power to act without the other, his or her true and lawful
attorney-in-fact and agent, with full power and substitution, for him and in his
name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign any or all amendments
to this Registration Statement, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto,
and all other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and
Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorney-in-fact and agent full power
and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and
necessary to be done in and about the premises, as fully to all intents and
purposes as he might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all
that said attorney-in-fact and agent, or his substitute, may lawfully do or
cause to be done by virtue thereof.
 
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this registration
statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities and
on the dates indicated.
 
   
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
               SIGNATURE                                TITLE                        DATE
- ----------------------------------------   --------------------------------   ------------------
<C>                                        <S>                                <C>
          /s/  MICHAEL R. GILBERT          President, Chief Executive          September 6, 1995
- ----------------------------------------     Officer and
           Michael R. Gilbert                Director (Principal Executive
                                             Officer)

          /s/  J.M.M. SUTHERLAND*          Senior Vice President, Chief        September 6, 1995
- ----------------------------------------     Financial
           J.M.M. Sutherland                 Officer, Treasurer, and
                                             Director
                                             (Principal Financial Officer)

              /s/  A. ALLEN PAUL*          Vice President-Finance              September 6, 1995
- ----------------------------------------     (Principal Accounting Officer)
             A. Allen Paul

           /s/  R. DANIEL ROBINS*          Director                            September 6, 1995
- ----------------------------------------
            R. Daniel Robins

          /s/  JACK O. NUTTER, II*         Director                            September 6, 1995
- ----------------------------------------
           Jack O. Nutter, II
</TABLE>
    
 
                                      II-4
<PAGE>   6
 
   
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
               SIGNATURE                                TITLE                        DATE
- ----------------------------------------   --------------------------------   ------------------
<C>                                        <S>                                <C>
       /s/  WILLIAM B. B. GAMMELL*         Director                            September 6, 1995
- ----------------------------------------
         William B. B. Gammell

         /s/  MICHAEL E. MCMAHON*          Director                            September 6, 1995
- ----------------------------------------
           Michael E. McMahon

            /s/  JOHN C. HALSTED*          Director                            September 6, 1995
- ----------------------------------------
            John C. Halsted

     *By:  /s/  MICHAEL R. GILBERT
- ----------------------------------------
           Michael R. Gilbert
       Agent and Attorney-in-Fact
</TABLE>
    
 
                                      II-5
<PAGE>   7
 
                               INDEX TO EXHIBITS
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                                     SEQUENTIALLY
 EXHIBIT                                                                               NUMBERED
   NO.                                   DESCRIPTION                                     PAGE
- ---------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------  ------------
<C>        <S>                                                                       <C>
    1.1    -- Form of Underwriting Agreement.
    1.2    -- Form of Agreement Among Underwriters.
    2.1    -- Purchase and Sale Agreement dated July 12, 1994, by and among Smith
              Offshore Exploration Company, II, Phemus Corporation, and Cairn
              Energy USA, Inc. (without exhibits) (the exhibits and schedules to
              the Agreement have been omitted pursuant to Item 601(b)(2) of
              Regulation S-K). Incorporated by reference from the Company's Current
              Report on Form 8-K, dated July 12, 1994, filed with the Commission on
              July 27, 1994.
    2.2    -- Common Stock Purchase Agreement dated July 12, 1994 by and between
              Cairn Energy PLC and Phemus Corporation. Incorporated by reference
              from the Company's Current Report on Form 8-K, dated July 12, 1994,
              filed with the Commission on July 27, 1994.
   *5.1    -- Opinion of Jenkens & Gilchrist, a Professional Corporation.
  *23.1    -- Consent of Ernst & Young LLP, Independent Auditors.
  *23.2    -- Consent of Jenkens & Gilchrist, a Professional Corporation (included
              in opinion Exhibit 5).
  *23.3    -- Consent of Ryder Scott Company.
  *23.4    -- Consent of Arthur Andersen LLP, Independent Public Accountants
  *24.1    -- Power of Attorney (included on the signature page of the Registration
              Statement).
</TABLE>
 
- ---------------
 
  * Previously filed.

<PAGE>   1

                                2,750,000 Shares

                             CAIRN ENERGY USA, INC.

                                  Common Stock

                             UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT


                                                                 August __, 1995

S.G. WARBURG & CO. INC.
HOWARD, WEIL, LABOUISSE, FRIEDRICHS INCORPORATED
PETRIE PARKMAN & CO., INC.
c/o S.G. WARBURG & CO. INC.
      277 Park Avenue
      New York, New York  10172



Dear Sirs:

         Cairn Energy USA, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the "Company"), and
Phemus Corporation, a Massachusetts membership corporation (the "Selling
Stockholder"),  propose to sell an aggregate of 2,750,000 shares of common
stock, par value $.01 per share, of the Company (the "Common Stock"), of which
750,000 shares of Common Stock are to be issued and sold by the Company and
2,000,000 shares of Common Stock are to be sold by the Selling Stockholder, in
each case to you and the several underwriters named in Schedule I hereto (the
"Underwriters").  The 2,750,000 shares of Common Stock being sold to the
several Underwriters by the Company and the Selling Stockholder are herein
called the "Firm Shares." The Company also proposes to sell to the several
Underwriters not more than 412,500 additional shares of Common Stock (the
"Additional Shares") if requested by the Underwriters as provided in Section 2
hereof.  The Firm Shares and the Additional Shares are herein collectively
called the "Shares."

         1.      Registration Statement and Prospectus.  The Company has
prepared and filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the
"Commission") in accordance with the provisions of the Securities Act of 1933,
as amended (the "Securities Act"), and the rules and regulations of the
Commission thereunder (collectively, the "Rules and Regulations"), a
registration statement on Form S-3 including a prospectus relating to the
Shares, which may be amended.  The registration statement as amended at the
time when it becomes effective, including information (if any) deemed to be
part of the registration statement at the time of effectiveness pursuant to
<PAGE>   2
Rule 430A under the Securities Act, is hereinafter referred to as the
"Registration Statement"; and the prospectus in the form first used to confirm
sales of Shares is hereinafter referred as the "Prospectus."  For purposes
hereof, the term "Prospectus" shall include the consolidated financial
statements of the Company and the notes thereto included therein.  Any
reference in this Agreement to the Registration Statement or any Prospectus
shall be deemed to refer to and include the documents incorporated by reference
therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the Act, as of the date of the
Registration Statement or any Prospectus, as the case may be, and any reference
to any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or any Prospectus
shall be deemed to refer to and include any documents filed after such date
under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"),
which, upon filing, are incorporated by reference therein, as required by
paragraph (b) of Item 12 of Form S-3.  As used herein, the term "Incorporated
Documents" means the documents which at the time are incorporated by reference
in the Registration Statement, any Prospectus or any amendment or supplement
thereto, but does not include any documents incorporated by reference in the
Registration Statement, any Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto
subsequent to the Closing Date (as defined in Section 4 hereof).

         2.      Agreements to Sell and Purchase.  The Selling Stockholder and
the Company, severally and not jointly, hereby agree, subject to all the terms
and conditions set forth herein, to sell 2,000,000 shares of Common Stock and
750,000 shares of Common Stock, respectively, to the Underwriters and, upon the
basis of the representations, warranties and agreements of the Company and the
Selling Stockholder herein contained and subject to all of the terms and
conditions set forth herein, each of the Underwriters, severally and not
jointly, agrees to purchase from the Selling Stockholder and the Company the
respective number of Firm Shares set forth opposite that Underwriter's name in
Schedule I hereto, at a purchase price of $       per share (the "Purchase
Price").

         On the basis of the representations and warranties contained in this
Agreement, and subject to its terms and conditions, the Company also agrees to
issue and sell to the several Underwriters up to 412,500 Additional Shares, and
the Underwriters shall have a one-time right to purchase up to an aggregate of
412,500 Additional Shares from the Company at the Purchase Price.  Additional
Shares may be purchased as provided in Section 4 hereof solely for the purpose
of covering over-allotments made in connection with the offering of the Firm
Shares.  If any Additional Shares are to be purchased, each Underwriter,
severally and not jointly, agrees to purchase from the Company the number of
Additional Shares (subject to such adjustments to eliminate fractional shares
as you may determine) which bears the same proportion to the total number of
Additional Shares to be purchased from the Company as the number of Firm Shares
set forth opposite the name of such Underwriter in Schedule I bears to the
total number of Firm Shares.

         The Company and the Selling Stockholder hereby agree to, and the
Company and the Selling Stockholder shall, concurrently with the execution of
this Agreement, deliver agreements executed by (i) each of the directors and
officers of the Company, (ii) the Company and (iii) the Selling Stockholder
pursuant to which each such person agrees, except as provided in the
Prospectus, not to offer, sell, contract to sell, grant any option to purchase,
or otherwise dispose





                                      2
<PAGE>   3
of any common stock of the Company or any securities convertible into or
exercisable or exchangeable for such common stock (or, in the case of the
Company, file any registration statement under the Securities Act with respect
to any of the foregoing), except to the several Underwriters pursuant to this
Agreement, for a period of 180 days after the date of the Prospectus without
the prior written consent of S.G. Warburg & Co. Inc.  Notwithstanding the
foregoing, during such period the Company may issue or grant options to
purchase shares of Common Stock pursuant to employee benefit plans and issue
shares of Common Stock upon the exercise of an option or warrant or the
conversion of a security outstanding on the date hereof.

         3.      Terms of Public Offering.  The Company and the Selling
Stockholder are advised by you that the Underwriters propose to make a public
offering of the Shares as soon after the Registration Statement and this
Agreement have become effective as in your judgment is advisable.  The Company
and the Selling Stockholder are further advised by you that the Shares are to
be offered to the public initially at U.S. $       per share (the public
offering price) and to certain dealers selected by you at a price that
represents a concession not in excess of U.S. $.      per share under the
public offering price, and that the Underwriters may allow, and such dealers
may reallow, a concession, not in excess of U.S. $.     per share, to certain
other dealers.

         4.      Delivery and Payment.  Delivery to the Underwriters of and
payment for the Firm Shares shall be made by certified or official bank check
or checks payable to the order of the Company (in the case of Shares sold by
the Company) and the Selling Stockholder (in the case of Shares sold by the
Selling Stockholder), in New York Clearing House or similar next day funds, at
the offices of S.G.Warburg & Co. Inc., 277 Park Avenue, New York, New York, at
10:00 a.m.  (New York City time), on September   , 1995, or at such other time
on the same or such other date, not later than September   , 1995, or such
other place as shall be designated in writing by you.  The time and date of
such payment are hereinafter referred to as the Closing Date.

         Delivery to the Underwriters and payment for any Additional Shares
shall be made by certified or official bank check or checks payable to the
order of the Company, in each case in New York Clearing House or similar next
day funds, at the offices of S.G.Warburg & Co. Inc., 277 Park Avenue, New York,
New York, at 10:00 a.m. (New York City time), on such date (which may be the
same as the Closing Date but shall in no event be earlier than the Closing Date
nor later than 10 business days after the giving of the notice hereinafter
referred to) as shall be designated in a written notice from S.G.Warburg  & Co.
Inc. to the Company of its determination to purchase a number, specified in
said notice, of Additional Shares, or on such other date, in any event not
later than October   , 1995, or at such other place as shall be designated in
writing by you.  The time and date of such payment are hereinafter referred to
as the Option Closing Date.  The notice of the determination to exercise the
option to purchase Additional Shares and of the Option Closing Date may be
given at any time within 30 days after the date of this Agreement.

         Certificates for the Firm Shares and Additional Shares shall be in
definitive form and registered in such names and issued in such denominations
as you shall request in writing not later than two full business days prior to
the Closing Date or the Option Closing Date, as the case may be.  Such
certificates shall be made available to you for inspection not later than 9:30
A.M.





                                       3
<PAGE>   4
(New York City time) on the business day next preceding the Closing Date or the
Option Closing Date, as the case may be.  Certificates in definite form
evidencing the Shares shall be delivered to you on the Closing Date or the
Option Closing Date, as the case may be, with any transfer or similar taxes
thereon duly paid by the Company or the Selling Stockholder, as appropriate,
for the respective accounts of the several Underwriters.

         5.      Covenants of the Company.  In further consideration of the
agreements of the Underwriters herein contained, the Company covenants to each
Underwriter as follows:

                 (a)      If, at the time this Agreement is executed and
         delivered, it is necessary for the Registration Statement or a
         post-effective amendment thereto to be declared effective before the
         offering of the Shares may commence, to use its best efforts to cause
         the Registration Statement or such post-effective amendment to become
         effective at the earliest possible time.  The Company will comply in a
         timely manner with the applicable provisions of Rules 424 and 430A
         under the Securities Act prior to the Closing Date.

                 (b)      To advise you promptly and, if requested by you, to
         confirm such advice in writing, (i) when the Registration Statement
         has become effective and when any post-effective amendment to it
         becomes effective, (ii) of any request by the Commission for
         amendments to the Registration Statement or amendments or supplements
         to the Prospectus or for additional information with respect thereto,
         (iii) of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending
         the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or of the suspension
         of qualification of the Shares for offering or sale in any
         jurisdiction, or the initiation of any proceeding for such purposes,
         and (iv) of the happening of any event during the period referred to
         in paragraph (e) below which makes any statement of a material fact
         made in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus untrue or which
         requires the making of any additions to or changes in the Registration
         Statement or the Prospectus in order to make the statement therein, in
         light of the circumstances under which made, not misleading.  If at
         any time the Commission shall issue any stop order suspending the
         effectiveness of the Registration Statement, the Company will make
         every reasonable effort to obtain the withdrawal or lifting of such
         order at the earliest possible time.

                 (c)      To furnish to you, without charge, two signed copies
         of the Registration Statement as first filed with the Commission and
         of each subsequent amendment to the Registration Statement, including
         all exhibits, and to furnish to you and each Underwriter designated by
         you, (i) such number of conformed copies of the Registration Statement
         as so filed and of each such amendment to it, without exhibits, as you
         may reasonably request, and (ii) such number of the Incorporated
         Documents, and the exhibits thereto, as you may reasonably request.

                 (d)      Not to file (i) any amendment or supplement to the
         Registration Statement (other than an amendment or supplement made
         through the filing of Incorporated Documents), whether before or after
         the time when it becomes effective, or to make any amendment or
         supplement to the Prospectus of which you shall not previously have
         been





                                       4
<PAGE>   5
         advised or to which you shall reasonably object, or (ii) so long as,
         in the reasonable opinion of counsel to the Underwriters, a prospectus
         is required to be delivered in connection with sales by any
         Underwriter or dealer, any document which, upon filing, becomes an
         Incorporated Document without delivering a copy of such documents to
         you prior to or concurrently with such filing.

                 (e)      Promptly after the Registration Statement becomes
         effective, and from time to time thereafter for such period as in the
         reasonable opinion of counsel for the Underwriters a prospectus is
         required by law to be delivered in connection with sales by an
         Underwriter or a dealer, to furnish to each Underwriter and dealer as
         many copies of the Prospectus (and of any amendment or supplement to
         the Prospectus) as such Underwriter or dealer may reasonably request.

                 (f)      If during the period specified in paragraph (e) any
         event shall occur as a result of which, in the reasonable opinion of
         counsel for the Underwriters, it becomes necessary to amend or
         supplement the Prospectus in order to make the statements therein, in
         the light of the circumstances when the Prospectus is delivered to a
         purchaser, not misleading, or if it is necessary to amend or
         supplement the Prospectus to comply with any law, forthwith to prepare
         and file with the Commission an appropriate amendment or supplement to
         the Prospectus so that the statements in the Prospectus, as so amended
         or supplemented, will not in the light of the circumstances when it is
         so delivered, be misleading, or so that the Prospectus will comply
         with law, and to furnish to each Underwriter and to such dealers as
         you shall specify, such number of copies thereof as such Underwriter
         or dealers may reasonably request.

                 (g)      Prior to any public offering of the Shares, to
         cooperate with you and counsel for the Underwriters in connection with
         the registration or qualification of the Shares for offer and sale by
         the several Underwriters and by dealers under the state securities or
         Blue Sky laws of such jurisdictions as you may request, to continue
         such qualification in effect so long as required for distribution of
         the Shares and to file such consents to service of process or other
         documents as may be necessary in order to effect such registration or
         qualification; provided, however, that the Company shall not be
         required to qualify as a foreign corporation or to take any action
         that would subject it to service of process in suits other than as to
         matters relating to the offer and sale of the Shares or subject itself
         to taxation in respect of doing business in any jurisdiction where it
         is not now so subject.

                 (h)      To make generally available to its stockholders as
         soon as reasonably practicable a consolidated earnings statement
         covering a period of at least twelve months beginning after the
         "effective date" (as defined in Rule 158 under the Act) of the
         Registration Statement (but in no event commencing later than 90 days
         after such effective date) which shall satisfy the provisions of
         Section 11(a) of the Act (including, at the option of the Company,
         Rule 158 promulgated thereunder).





                                       5
<PAGE>   6
                 (i)      During the period of five years hereafter, to furnish
         to you as soon as available a copy of each report or other publicly
         available information of the Company mailed to the holders of Common
         Shares and a copy of each report (including related financial
         statements) filed with the Commission, the NASDAQ National Market
         System and such other publicly available information concerning the
         Company and its subsidiaries as you may reasonably request.

                 (j)      To pay all costs, expenses, fees and taxes incident
         to (i) the preparation, printing, filing and distribution under the
         Securities Act of the Registration Statement (including financial
         statements and exhibits), each Prospectus and all amendments and
         supplements to any of them prior to or during the period specified in
         paragraph (e), (ii) the printing and delivery of the Prospectus and
         all amendments or supplements to it during the period specified in
         paragraph (e), (iii) the copying and delivery of this Agreement, the
         Preliminary and Supplemental Blue Sky Memoranda (including in each
         case any reasonable disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters
         relating to such copying and delivery), (iv) the registration or
         qualification of the Shares for offer and sale under the securities or
         Blue Sky laws of the several states (including in each case the
         reasonable fees and disbursement of counsel for the Underwriters
         relating to such registration or qualification and memoranda relating
         thereto), (v) filing and clearance with the National Association of
         Securities Dealers, Inc. (the "NASD") in connection with the offering,
         (vi) the listing of the Shares on the NASDAQ National Market System,
         (vii) furnishing such copies of the Registration Statement, the
         Prospectus and all amendments and supplements thereto as may be
         requested for use in connection with the offering or sale of the
         Shares by the Underwriters or by dealers to whom Shares may be sold as
         described herein and (viii) the performance by the Company of its
         other obligations under this Agreement.

                 (k)      In accordance with the Cuba Act and without
         limitation to the provisions of Section 9 hereof, the Company agrees
         to indemnify and hold harmless the Underwriters from and against any
         and all losses, claims, damages and liabilities (including, without
         limitation, any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred), arising
         out of any violation by the Company of the Cuba Act.

                 (l)      Except as stated in this Agreement and in the
         Prospectus, to not take, directly or indirectly, any action designed
         to or that might reasonably be expected to cause or result in
         stabilization or manipulation of the price of the Common Stock to
         facilitate the sale or resale of the Shares.

                 (m)      To use its best efforts to do and perform all things
         required or necessary to be done and performed under this Agreement by
         the Company prior to the Closing Date or the Option Closing Date, as
         the case may be, and to satisfy all conditions precedent to the
         delivery of the Shares.

                 (n)      To apply its net proceeds from the sale of the Shares
         in accordance with the description set forth in the Prospectus under
         "Use of Proceeds."





                                       6
<PAGE>   7
         6.      Covenants of the Selling Stockholder.  In further
consideration of the agreements of the Underwriters herein contained, the
Selling Stockholder covenants to each Underwriter as follows:

                 (a)      To cooperate to the extent necessary to cause the
         Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto to
         become effective at the earliest possible time.

                 (b)      To do or perform all things reasonably required to be
         done or performed by the Selling Stockholder before the Closing Date
         or the Option Closing Date, as the case may be, to satisfy all
         conditions precedent to the delivery of the Shares to be sold by the
         Selling Stockholder to the Underwriters pursuant to this Agreement.

                 (c)      Except as stated in this Agreement and in the
         Prospectus, to not take, directly or indirectly, any action designed
         to or that might reasonably be expected to cause or result in
         stabilization or manipulation of the price of the Common Stock to
         facilitate the sale or resale of the Shares.

                 (d)      To advise you promptly, and if requested by you, to
         confirm such advice in writing, within the period of time referred to
         in Section 5(e) hereof, of any change in information relating to the
         Selling Stockholder or any new information relating to the Selling
         Stockholder stated in the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement
         thereto which comes to the attention of the Selling Stockholder that
         suggests that any statement made in the Registration Statement or the
         Prospectus (as then amended or supplemented, if amended or
         supplemented) is or may be untrue in any material respect or that the
         Registration Statement or Prospectus (as then amended or supplemented,
         if amended or supplemented) omits or may omit to state a material fact
         or a fact necessary to be stated therein in order to make the
         statements therein not misleading in any material respect, or of the
         necessity to amend or supplement the Prospectus (as then amended or
         supplemented, if amended or supplemented) in order to comply with the
         Securities Act and the Rules and Regulations or any other law.

                 (e)      Prior to any public offering of the Shares, to
         cooperate with you and counsel for the Underwriters in connection with
         the registration or qualification of the Shares for offer and sale by
         the Underwriter and by dealers under the state securities or Blue Sky
         laws of such jurisdictions as you may request, to continue such
         qualification in effect so long as required for distribution of the
         Shares and to file such consents to service of process or other
         documents as may be necessary to effect such registration or
         qualification; provided, however, that the Selling Stockholder shall
         not be required to qualify as a foreign corporation or to take any
         action that would subject it to service of process in suits other than
         as to matters relating to the offer and sale of the Shares or subject
         itself to taxation in respect of doing business in any jurisdiction
         where it is not now subject.





                                       7
<PAGE>   8
         7.      Representations and Warranties of the Company.  The Company
represents and warrants to, and covenants and agrees with, each Underwriter
as follows:

                 (a)      The Registration Statement has become effective; no
         stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement
         is in effect, and no proceedings for such purpose are pending before
         or, to the best knowledge of the Company, threatened by the
         Commission.

                 (b)      (i) The Company and the offering and sale of shares
         contemplated by this Agreement meet the requirements for using Form
         S-3 under the Act, (ii) each part of the Registration Statement, when
         such part became effective, did not contain and each such part, as
         amended or supplemented, if applicable, will not contain any 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, (iii) the Registration Statement and the Prospectus comply
         in all material respects and, as amended or supplemented, if
         applicable, will comply in all material respects with the Securities
         Act and the Rules and Regulations and (iv) the Prospectus does not
         contain and, as amended or supplemented, if applicable, will not
         contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a
         material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in
         the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not
         misleading, except that the representations and warranties set forth
         in this Section 7(b) do not apply to statements or omissions in the
         Registration Statement or the Prospectus based upon information
         relating to (x) the Underwriters furnished to the Company in writing
         by the Underwriters expressly for use therein or (y) the Selling
         Stockholder furnished to the Company in writing by the Selling
         Stockholder expressly for use therein.

                 (c)      Each preliminary prospectus filed as part of the
         Registration Statement as originally filed or as part of any amendment
         thereto, or filed pursuant to Rule 424 of the Rules and Regulations,
         complied when so filed in all material respects with the Securities
         Act and the Rules and Regulations.

                 (d)      All of the Company's subsidiaries are listed, to the
         extent such listing is required under the Securities Act and the Rules
         and Regulations, in an exhibit to the Company's Annual Report on Form
         10-K which is incorporated by reference into the Registration
         Statement.  Each of the Company and its subsidiaries has been duly
         incorporated, is validly existing as a corporation in good standing
         under the laws of its jurisdiction of incorporation and has the
         corporate power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties
         and conduct its business as described in the Prospectus and to enter
         into and perform its obligations under this Agreement, and each is
         duly qualified and is in good standing as a foreign corporation
         authorized to do business in each jurisdiction in which the nature of
         its business or its ownership or leasing of property requires such
         qualification, except where the failure to be so qualified would not
         have a material adverse effect on the Company and its subsidiaries,
         taken as a whole.





                                       8
<PAGE>   9
                 (e)      The Incorporated Documents heretofore filed, when
         they were filed (or, if any amendment with respect to any such
         document was filed, when such amendment was filed), conformed in all
         material respects with the requirements of the Exchange Act and the
         rules and regulations thereunder; any further Incorporated Documents
         so filed will, when they are filed, conform in all material respects
         with the requirements of the Exchange Act and the rules and
         regulations thereunder; no such document when it was filed (or, if any
         amendment with respect to any such document was filed, when such
         amendment was filed) contained an untrue statement of a material fact
         or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or
         necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the
         circumstances when made, not misleading; and no such further document,
         when it is filed, will contain an untrue statement of a material fact
         or will omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or
         necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the
         circumstances when made, not misleading.

                 (f)      All of the outstanding shares of capital stock of the
         Company's subsidiaries have been duly authorized and validly issued
         and are fully paid and non-assessable, and are owned by the Company,
         free and clear of any security interest, claim, lien, encumbrance or
         adverse interest of any nature, except for the security interest
         granted to International Nederlanden (U.S.) Capital Corporation
         ("INCC") pursuant to the Credit Agreement dated September 8, 1993, as
         amended on October 15, 1993 and May 10, 1994 and amended and restated
         on December 20, 1994 (the "Credit Agreement") between the Company and
         INCC, a copy of which (without exhibits) has been filed with the
         Commission as an exhibit to [                    ] which is
         incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement.

                 (g)      (i)  All the outstanding shares of capital stock of
         the Company have been duly authorized and validly issued and are fully
         paid, non-assessable and not subject to any preemptive or similar
         rights and have been issued in compliance with all federal and state
         securities laws and (ii) the Shares to be issued and sold by the
         Company hereunder have been duly authorized and, when issued and
         delivered to the Underwriters against payment therefor as provided by
         this Agreement, will have been validly issued and will be fully paid
         and non-assessable, and the issuance of such Shares will not be
         subject to any preemptive rights.

                 (h)      The authorized and outstanding capital stock of the
         Company conforms as to legal matters in all material respects to the
         description thereof contained in the Prospectus.  Except as described
         in the Prospectus, there are no outstanding rights (including, without
         limitation, preemptive rights), warrants or options to acquire, or
         instruments convertible into or exchangeable for, any capital stock of
         the Company or its subsidiaries or other equity interest in the
         Company or its subsidiaries, in each case, issued by the Company or
         its subsidiaries, or any contract, commitment, agreement,
         understanding or arrangement of any kind of which the Company or its
         subsidiaries is a party relating to the issuance of capital stock of
         the Company or its subsidiaries, any such convertible or exchangeable
         securities or any such rights, warrants or options.





                                       9
<PAGE>   10
                 (i)      Except as otherwise stated in the Prospectus,
         subsequent to the respective dates as of which information is given in
         the Prospectus:  (i) there has been no material adverse change, or any
         development that would reasonably be expected to result in a material
         adverse change, in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the
         earnings, business or operations of the Company and its subsidiaries,
         taken as a whole, whether or not arising from transactions in the
         ordinary course of business, (ii) the Company and its subsidiaries,
         taken as a whole, have not incurred any material liability or
         obligation, direct or contingent, not in the ordinary course of
         business nor entered into any material transaction not in the ordinary
         course of business, and (iii) there has been no dividend or
         distribution of any kind declared, paid or made by the Company or,
         except for dividends paid to the Company, its subsidiaries on any
         class of capital stock or repurchase or redemption by the Company or
         its subsidiaries of any class of capital stock.

                 (j)      Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is in
         violation of its respective charter or bylaws or in default in the
         performance or observance of any obligation, agreement, covenant or
         condition contained in any indenture, mortgage, loan agreement,
         covenant, note, contract, lease or other instrument to which the
         Company or its subsidiary is a party or by which it or any of them may
         be bound (including the Credit Agreement) or to which any of the
         property or assets of the Company or its subsidiaries is subject,
         except for such defaults as would not, singly or in the aggregate,
         have a material adverse effect on the Company and its subsidiaries,
         taken as a whole.

                 (k)      This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and
         delivered by the Company and is a valid and binding agreement of the
         Company enforceable in accordance with its terms, except to the extent
         that rights to indemnification thereunder may be limited by federal or
         state securities laws and policies embodied therein, or to the extent
         that such obligations are subject to or affected or limited by (i)
         applicable liquidation, conservatorship, bankruptcy, insolvency,
         reorganization, fraudulent conveyance, moratorium or other laws
         affecting creditors' rights or in the collection of debtors'
         obligations generally from time to time in effect, or (ii) general
         principles of equity (whether enforceability is considered in a
         proceeding in equity or at law).  The execution, delivery and
         performance of this Agreement, compliance by the Company with all the
         provisions hereof and the consummation of the transactions
         contemplated hereby will not require any consent, approval,
         authorization or other order of any court, regulatory body,
         administrative agency or other governmental body (except as has been
         previously obtained and except as may be required under the securities
         or blue sky laws of the various states) and will not conflict with or
         constitute a breach of any of the terms or provisions of, or a default
         under, the charter or bylaws of the Company or its subsidiaries or any
         agreement, indenture or other instrument to which the Company or its
         subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or its subsidiaries or
         their respective property is bound, or violate or conflict with any
         laws, administrative regulations or rulings or court decrees
         applicable to the Company, its subsidiaries or their respective
         property, except for any such conflict, breach, violation or default
         as will not have a material adverse effect on the Company and its
         subsidiaries taken as a whole.





                                       10
<PAGE>   11
                 (l)      There is no action, suit or proceeding before or by
         any court or governmental agency or body, domestic or foreign, now
         pending, or, to the best knowledge of the Company, threatened, against
         or affecting the Company or its subsidiaries, (i) which is required to
         be disclosed in the Registration Statement (other than as disclosed
         therein), or (ii) in which there is a reasonable possibility of a
         determination adverse to the Company or its subsidiaries and which, if
         determined adversely to the Company and its subsidiaries, would
         reasonably be expected to (A) result in any material adverse change in
         the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business or
         operations of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, or
         (B) materially and adversely affect the properties or assets thereof
         or (C) materially and adversely affect the consummation of this
         Agreement; all pending legal or governmental proceedings to which the
         Company or its subsidiaries is a party or of which any of their
         respective properties or assets is the subject which are not described
         in the Registration Statement, including ordinary routine litigation
         incidental to the business, are, considered in the aggregate, not
         material; and there are no contracts or documents of the Company or
         its subsidiaries which are required to be filed as exhibits to the
         Registration Statement or incorporated by reference therein by the
         Securities Act or the Rules and Regulations which have not been so
         filed or incorporated.

                 (m)      The Company and its subsidiaries have obtained all
         licenses, permits and other authorizations required under any
         Environmental Law (as defined below) necessary for their respective
         operations, except to the extent that failure to have such license,
         permit or authorization would not reasonably be expected to have a
         material adverse effect on the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as
         a whole; the business and operations of the Company and its
         subsidiaries comply with the terms and conditions of such licenses,
         permits and authorizations and comply with all Environmental Laws,
         except to the extent that failure to comply would not reasonably be
         expected to have a material adverse effect on the Company and its
         subsidiaries taken as a whole; the Company and its subsidiaries are in
         compliance with all Environmental Laws, except to the extent that any
         noncompliance would not reasonably be expected to have a material
         adverse effect on the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole;
         neither the Company nor its subsidiaries has received any written
         communication, whether from a governmental authority, citizens group,
         employee or otherwise, that alleges that the Company or its
         subsidiaries is not in compliance with any Environmental Law, except
         to the extent that such noncompliance would not reasonably be expected
         to have a material adverse effect on the Company and its subsidiaries,
         taken as a whole; there is no Environmental Claim (as defined below)
         pending or, to the Company's knowledge, threatened against the Company
         or its subsidiaries or, to the Company's knowledge, against any person
         or entity whose liability for any Environmental Claim the Company or
         its subsidiary has retained or assumed either contractually or by
         operation of law, except to the extent that such Environmental Claim
         would not reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on
         the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole; the Company is not
         aware of any condition or circumstance that is reasonably likely to
         give rise to an Environmental Claim that, if made, would have a
         material adverse effect on the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as
         a whole.  As used in this Agreement, "Environmental Laws" means any
         and all





                                       11
<PAGE>   12
         federal, state and local statutes, laws, regulations, ordinances,
         grants, franchises, licenses, agreements, or governmental restrictions
         relating to pollution, human health or the environment or the release
         of any materials into the environment, including, but not limited to,
         emissions, discharges, releases or threatened releases of pollutants,
         contaminants, wastes, toxic substances, hazardous substances,
         petroleum or petroleum products; and "Environmental Claim" means any
         claim, action, cause of action, investigation or notice by any person
         or entity alleging potential liability (including, without limitation,
         potential liability for investigatory costs, cleanup costs,
         governmental response costs, natural resources damages, property
         damages, personal injuries, or penalties) arising out of, based on or
         resulting from (a) the presence, or release into the environment, of
         any pollutants, contaminants, wastes, toxic substances, hazardous
         substances, petroleum and petroleum products at any location, whether
         or not owned or operated by the Company or any of its subsidiaries or
         (b) circumstances forming the basis of any violation, or alleged
         violation, of any Environmental Law.

                 (n)      Except as otherwise set forth in the Prospectus, the
         title of the Company and its subsidiaries to their oil and gas
         properties and assets is consistent with industry standards.  Certain
         of the Company's and its subsidiaries' assets are subject to liens and
         pledges in connection with their respective financings.  Except as
         otherwise set forth in the Prospectus, the Company has no notice of
         any material claim of any sort that has been asserted by anyone
         adverse to the rights of the Company or its subsidiaries to the
         continued possession of their leased or subleased premises or property
         under such leases or subleases, where such claim would have a material
         adverse effect upon the Company's or its subsidiaries' business or
         assets, taken as a whole.

                 (o)      The Company and its subsidiaries are insured by
         recognized financially sound and reputable insurance companies in such
         amounts with such deductibles and covering such losses and risks as
         are prudent and customary in the businesses in which they are engaged;
         and neither the Company nor its subsidiaries believes that it will not
         be able to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such
         coverage expires or to obtain similar coverage from similar insurers
         as may be necessary to continue its business at a cost that would not
         materially and adversely affect the condition, financial or otherwise,
         or the earnings, business or operations of the Company and its
         subsidiaries, taken as a whole, except as described in or contemplated
         by the Prospectus.

                 (p)      The accountants who certified the financial
         statements and supporting schedules included in the Registration
         Statement are independent public accountants as required by the
         Securities Act and the Rules and Regulations.

                 (q)      The financial statements, together with related
         schedules and notes forming part of the Registration Statement and the
         Prospectus (and any amendment or supplement thereto), present fairly
         the consolidated financial position, results of operations and changes
         in financial position of the Company and its subsidiaries on the basis
         stated in the Registration Statement at the respective dates or for
         the respective periods to which they apply; such financial statements
         and related schedules and notes





                                       12
<PAGE>   13
         have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting
         principles consistently applied throughout the periods involved,
         except as disclosed therein; the other financial and statistical
         information and data set forth in the Registration Statement and the
         Prospectus (and any amendment or supplement thereto) is, in all
         material respects, accurately presented and prepared on a basis
         consistent with such financial statements and the books and records of
         the Company; and the supporting schedules included in the Registration
         Statement present fairly the information required to be stated
         therein.

                 (r)      The Ryder Scott Company ("Ryder Scott"), who has
         taken such actions with respect to the Company's estimates of its oil
         and gas reserves as is set forth in the Prospectus, are independent
         petroleum engineers with respect to the Company.  The factual data
         provided to Ryder Scott in the preparation of their estimates of the
         Company's oil and gas reserves were accurate in all material respects
         with the applicable requirements of Rule 4-10 of Regulations S-X and
         Securities Act Industry Guide 2.  The projections and assumptions
         provided to Ryder Scott by the Company were reasonable based upon the
         information available to the Company at the time such information was
         so provided.

                 (s)      Except as disclosed in the Prospectus, the Company
         and its subsidiaries have such permits, licenses, franchises and
         authorizations of governmental or regulatory authorities ("permits"),
         including, without limitation, under any applicable Environmental
         Laws, as are necessary to own, lease and operate their respective
         properties and to conduct their businesses as described in the
         Prospectus, except where the failure to have such permits would not
         have a material adverse effect on the Company and its subsidiaries
         taken as a whole; the Company and its subsidiaries have fulfilled and
         performed all of their material obligations due to be performed with
         respect to such permits and, except as disclosed in the Prospectus, no
         event has occurred which allows, or after notice or lapse of time
         would allow, revocation or termination thereof or result in any other
         material impairment of the rights of the holder of any such permit;
         and, except as described in the Prospectus, such permits contain no
         restrictions that are materially burdensome to the Company or its
         subsidiary.

                 (t)      In the ordinary course of its business, the Company
         conducts a periodic review of the effect of Environmental Laws on the
         business, operations and properties of the Company and its
         subsidiaries.  As of the date of this Agreement, the associated costs
         and liabilities to the Company and its subsidiaries relating to such
         Environmental Laws (including, without limitation, any capital or
         operating  expenditures required for clean-up, closure of properties
         or compliance with Environmental Laws or any permit, license or
         approval, any related constraints on operating activities and any
         potential liabilities to third parties) would not, singly or in the
         aggregate, have a material adverse effect on the Company and its
         subsidiaries, taken as a whole.

                 (u)      No holder of any security of the Company has any
         right to require registration of shares of Common Stock or any other
         security of the Company except as





                                       13
<PAGE>   14
         set forth in the Prospectus, and no security holders of the Company
         that have rights to require registration of any shares of Common Stock
         or other securities of the Company are being excluded from
         participating in the filing of the Registration Statement and the
         consummation of the transactions contemplated therein except with
         their express written consent.

                 (v)      The Shares are listed on the NASDAQ Stock Market
         National Market.

                 (w)      Except as described in the Prospectus, the Company,
         its subsidiaries which have been or are consolidated with the Company
         for the purpose of filing income tax returns (the "Consolidated Tax
         Subsidiaries") and any group of which the Company or any of its
         Consolidated Tax Subsidiaries is or was a member for income tax
         purposes have filed all foreign, federal, state and local tax returns
         that are required to be filed or have requested extensions thereof and
         have paid all taxes required to be paid by any of them and any related
         or similar assessment, fine or penalty levied against any of them, to
         the extent that any of the foregoing is due and payable, except for
         any such tax, assessment, fine or penalty that is currently being
         contested in good faith and by appropriate proceedings; and adequate
         charges, accruals and reserves have been made in the applicable
         financial statements referred to in Section 7(p) above in respect of
         all foreign, federal, state and local taxes for all periods as to
         which the tax liability of the Company, its Consolidated Tax
         Subsidiaries and any group of which the Company or any of its
         Consolidated Tax Subsidiaries is or was a member for income tax
         purposes has not been finally determined.

                 (x)      Neither the Company nor its subsidiaries have
         violated any federal or state law relating to discrimination in the
         hiring, promotion or pay of employees nor any applicable federal or
         state wages and hours laws, nor any provisions of the Employee
         Retirement Income Security Act or the rules and regulations
         promulgated thereunder, which in each case would reasonably be
         expected to result in any material adverse change in the business,
         prospects, financial condition or results of operation of the Company
         and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole.

                 (y)      The Company is not an "investment company" or an
         entity "controlled" by an "investment company" as such terms are
         defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the
         "Investment Company Act").

                 (z)      The Company has complied with, and is and will be in
         compliance with, the provisions of that certain Florida act relating
         to disclosure of doing business with Cuba, codified as Section 517.075
         of the Florida statutes, and the rules and regulations thereunder
         (collectively, the "Cuba Act") or is exempt therefrom.

                 (aa)     Except for the consent of the Selling Stockholder to
         the number of Shares to be sold by it pursuant to Section 2 of this
         Agreement, no vote or consent of any stockholder of the Company, and
         no consent, approval or waiver of any party to or any person entitled
         to any right or benefit under the Company's charter or amended by-laws
         or





                                       14
<PAGE>   15
         any other instrument or agreement to which the Company is a party or
         by which it is bound or under which it is entitled to any right or
         benefit, is required in connection with the offering, sale or purchase
         by the Underwriters of any of the Shares under this Agreement or the
         consummation of any of the other transactions contemplated hereby.

                 (bb)     The Company has not taken, directly or indirectly,
         any action designed to cause or to result in, or that has constituted
         or which might reasonably be expected to cause or result in, the
         stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the
         Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Shares.

                 (cc)     Except as described in the Prospectus under
         "Underwriting" and on the cover page, there are no claims, payments,
         issuances, arrangements or understandings for services in the nature
         of a finder's or origination fee with respect to the sale of the
         Shares hereunder.

         8.      Representations and Warranties of the Selling  Stockholder.
The Selling Stockholder represents and warrants to, and covenants and agrees
with, each Underwriter as follows:

                 (a)      The Selling Stockholder has been duly incorporated
         and is validly existing as a corporation under the laws of its
         jurisdiction of incorporation and has full legal right, corporate
         power and authority to enter into and perform its obligations under
         this Agreement.

                 (b)      This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and
         delivered by or on behalf of the Selling Stockholder.

                 (c)      The execution and delivery by the Selling Stockholder
         of, and the performance by the Selling Stockholder of its obligations
         under, this Agreement will not contravene or conflict with, result in
         a breach of, or constitute a default under, the charter or by-laws or
         other organization documents of the Selling Stockholder or, to the
         best knowledge of the Selling Stockholder, the terms of any agreement
         or instrument to which the Selling Stockholder is a party or by which
         it is bound or under which it is entitled to any right or benefit, any
         provision of applicable law or any judgment, order, decree or
         regulation applicable to the Selling Stockholder of any court,
         regulatory body, administrative agency, governmental body or
         arbitrator having jurisdiction over the Selling Stockholder.

                 (d)      The Selling Stockholder has, and on the Closing Date
         will have, valid title to all of the Shares which may be sold by the
         Selling Stockholder under this Agreement and the legal right and
         power, and all authorizations and approvals required by law and under
         its charter or by-laws or other organization documents, to sell,
         transfer and deliver all of the Shares which may be sold by the
         Selling Stockholder under this Agreement and to comply with its other
         obligations hereunder and thereunder.





                                       15
<PAGE>   16
                 (e)      Assuming that the Underwriters purchase the Shares
         which are sold by the Selling Stockholder pursuant to this Agreement
         for value, in good faith and without notice of any adverse claim, the
         delivery of the Shares which are sold by the Selling Stockholder
         pursuant to this Agreement will pass title to such Shares, free and
         clear of any security interests, claims, liens, equities and other
         encumbrances.

                 (f)      To the best knowledge of the Selling Stockholder, no
         authorization, approval, consent or order of, or qualification,
         registration or filing with, any court or governmental authority or
         agency is required for the consummation by the Selling Stockholder of
         the transactions contemplated in this Agreement, except such as have
         been obtained under the Securities Act and the Rules and Regulations
         and except such as may be required under the securities or Blue Sky
         laws of any jurisdiction in connection with the purchase and
         distribution of Shares by the Underwriters.

                 (g)      The Selling Stockholder does not have any
         registration or other similar rights to have any securities (debt or
         equity) registered under the Securities Act by the Company except for
         such rights as are described in the Prospectus under "Shares Eligible
         for Future Sale."

                 (h)      Except for the consent of the Selling Stockholder to
         the number of Shares to be sold by the Selling Stockholder pursuant to
         Section 2 of this Agreement, to the best knowledge of the Selling
         Stockholder, no consent, approval or waiver under any instrument or
         agreement to which such Selling Stockholder is a party or by which it
         is bound or under which it is entitled to any right or benefit, is
         required in connection with the offering, sale or purchase by the
         Underwriters of any of the Shares which may be sold by such Selling
         Stockholder under this Agreement or the consummation by the Selling
         Stockholder of any of the other transactions contemplated hereby; and
         the Selling Stockholder hereby consents to the offering and sale by
         the Selling Stockholder of the number of Shares to be sold by it
         pursuant to this Agreement and to the consummation of the other
         transactions contemplated hereby and, to the extent that any of the
         foregoing might conflict with, result in a breach of, or constitute a
         default under any instrument or agreement to which the Selling
         Stockholder is a party or by which it is bound or under which it is
         entitled to any right or benefit, the Selling Stockholder hereby
         waives such conflict, breach or default.

                 (i)      All information furnished by or on behalf of the
         Selling Stockholder in writing expressly for use in the Registration
         Statement and Prospectus is, and on the Closing Date will be, true,
         correct and complete in all material respects, and does not, and on
         the Closing Date will not, contain any untrue statement of a material
         fact or omit to state any material fact necessary to make such
         information not misleading; and the Selling Stockholder confirms as
         accurate the number of shares of Common Stock set forth opposite the
         Selling Stockholder's name in the Prospectus under the caption
         "Principal Stockholders," as of the date of the Prospectus and on the
         date hereof, prior to the sale of any Shares.





                                       16
<PAGE>   17
                 (j)      The Selling Stockholder has not taken, directly or
         indirectly, any action designed to cause or to result in, or that has
         constituted or which might reasonably be expected to cause or result
         in, the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of
         the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Shares.

         9.      Indemnification.

                 (a)      The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless
         each Underwriter and each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter
         within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20
         of the Exchange Act, from and against any and all losses, claims,
         damages, liabilities and judgments caused by any untrue statement or
         alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the
         Registration Statement or the Prospectus (as amended or supplemented
         if the Company shall have furnished any amendments or supplements
         thereto) or any preliminary prospectus, or caused by any omission or
         alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be
         stated therein or necessary to make the statement therein not
         misleading, except insofar as such losses, claims, damages,
         liabilities or judgments are caused by any untrue statement or
         omission or alleged untrue statement or omission based upon
         information relating to (x) any Underwriter furnished in writing to
         the Company by such Underwriter expressly for use therein or (y) the
         Selling Stockholder furnished in writing to the Company by the Selling
         Stockholder expressly for use therein; provided, however, that the
         foregoing indemnity agreement with respect to any preliminary
         prospectus shall not inure to the benefit of any Underwriter from whom
         the person asserting any such losses, claims, damages or liabilities
         purchased Shares, or any person controlling such Underwriter, if a
         copy of the Prospectus (as then amended or supplemented if the Company
         shall have furnished any amendments or supplements thereto) was not
         sent or given by or on behalf of such Underwriter to such person, if
         required by law so to have been delivered, at or before the written
         confirmation of the sale of the Shares to such person, and if the
         Prospectus (as so amended or supplemented) would have cured the defect
         giving rise to such loss, claim, damage or liability.

                 (b)      In case any action shall be brought against any
         Underwriter or any person controlling such Underwriter, based upon any
         preliminary prospectus, the Registration Statement or the Prospectus
         or any amendment or supplement thereto and with respect to which
         indemnity may be sought against the Company, such Underwriter shall
         promptly notify the Company in writing and the Company shall assume
         the defense thereof, including the employment of counsel reasonably
         satisfactory to such indemnified party and payment of all reasonable
         fees and expenses.  Such Underwriter or any such controlling person
         shall have the right to employ separate counsel in any such action and
         participate in the defense thereof, but the fees and expenses of such
         counsel shall be at the expense of such Underwriter or such
         controlling person unless (i) the employment of such counsel shall
         have been specifically authorized in writing by the Company, (ii) the
         Company shall have failed to assume the defense and employ counsel or
         (iii) the named parties to any such action (including any impleaded
         parties) include both such Underwriter or such





                                       17
<PAGE>   18
         controlling person and the Company and such Underwriter or such
         controlling person shall have been advised by such counsel that there
         may be one or more legal defenses available to it which are different
         from or in addition to those available to the Company (in which case
         the Company shall not have the right to assume the defense of such
         action on behalf of such Underwriter or such controlling person, it
         being understood, however, that the Company shall not, in connection
         with any one such action or separate but substantially similar or
         related actions in the same jurisdiction arising out of the same
         general allegations or circumstances, be liable for the fees and
         expenses of more than one separate firm of attorneys for such
         Underwriter and controlling persons, which firm shall be designated in
         writing by S.G.Warburg & Co. Inc., and that all such fees and expenses
         shall be reimbursed as they are incurred).  The Company shall not be
         liable for any settlement of any such action effected without its
         written consent but if settled with the written consent of the
         Company, the Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless such
         Underwriter and any such controlling person from and against any loss
         or liability by reason of such settlement.  Notwithstanding the
         foregoing sentence, if at any time an indemnified party shall have
         requested an indemnifying party to reimburse the indemnified party for
         fees and expenses of counsel as contemplated by the second sentence of
         this paragraph, the indemnifying party agrees that it shall be liable
         for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written
         consent if (i) such settlement is entered into more than 60 business
         days after receipt by such indemnifying party of the aforesaid request
         and (ii) such indemnifying party shall not have reimbursed the
         indemnified party in accordance with such request before the date of
         such settlement.  No indemnifying party shall, without the prior
         written consent of the indemnified party, effect any settlement of any
         pending or threatened proceeding in respect of which any indemnified
         party is or could have been a party and indemnity could have been
         sought hereunder by such indemnified party, unless such settlement
         includes unconditional release of such indemnified party from all
         liability on claims that are the subject matter of such proceeding.
         The Company's obligations under this  paragraph (b) shall not impair
         the Company's right to indemnification under Sections 9(c) and 9(d).

                 (c)      Each Underwriter agrees, severally and not jointly,
         to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, its directors, its
         officers who sign the Registration Statement, the Selling Stockholder
         and any person controlling the Company or the Selling Stockholder
         within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20
         of the Exchange Act, to the same extent as the foregoing indemnity
         from the Company to the Underwriters but only with reference to
         information relating to such Underwriter furnished in writing by such
         Underwriter expressly for use in the Registration Statement, the
         Prospectus or any preliminary prospectus.  In case any action shall be
         brought against the Selling Stockholder, the Company, any of its
         directors, any such officer or any person controlling the Company or
         the Selling Stockholder based on the Registration Statement, the
         Prospectus or any preliminary prospectus and in respect of which
         indemnity may be sought against an Underwriter, such Underwriter shall
         have the rights and duties given to the Company (except that if the
         Company shall have assumed the defense thereof, such Underwriter shall
         not be required to do so, but may employ separate counsel therein and
         participate in the defense thereof but the fees and expenses of such
         counsel shall be at the expense of such Underwriter), and the Company,
         its directors, any such officers and any





                                       18
<PAGE>   19
         person controlling the Company shall have the rights and duties given
         to each Underwriter by Section 9(b) hereof.

                 (d)      The Selling Stockholder agrees to indemnify and hold
         harmless the Company, its directors, its officers who sign the
         Registration Statement, each Underwriter and any person controlling
         the Company or any such Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15
         of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, to the same
         extent as the foregoing indemnity from the Company to each Underwriter
         but only with reference to information relating to the Selling
         Stockholder furnished in writing by the Selling Stockholder expressly
         for use in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or any
         preliminary prospectus.  In case any action shall be brought against
         any Underwriter, the Company, any of its directors, any of its
         officers or any person controlling the Company or such Underwriter
         based on the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or any preliminary
         prospectus and in respect of which indemnity may be sought against the
         Selling Stockholder, the Selling Stockholder shall have the rights and
         duties given to the Company (except that if the Company shall have
         assumed the defense thereof, the Selling Stockholder shall not be
         required to do so, but may employ separate counsel therein and
         participate in the defense thereof but the fees and expenses of such
         counsel shall be at the expense of the Selling Stockholder), and the
         Company and such Underwriter, their respective directors, any such
         officers and any persons controlling the Company or such Underwriter
         shall have the rights and duties given to each Underwriter by Section
         9(b) hereof; provided, however, that the aggregate amount the Selling
         Stockholder shall be liable for under this Section 9(d) shall not
         exceed the amount of the aggregate gross proceeds of the Shares
         offered and sold pursuant to the terms of this Agreement on behalf of
         the Selling Stockholder to the public.

                 (e)      If the indemnification provided for in this Section 9
         is unavailable or insufficient to an indemnified party in respect of
         any losses, claims, damages, liabilities or judgments referred to
         herein, then each indemnifying party, in lieu of indemnifying such
         indemnified party, shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by
         such indemnified party as a result of such losses, claims, damages,
         liabilities and judgments (i) such proportion as is appropriate to
         reflect the relative benefits received by the Company and Selling
         Stockholder on the one hand and of the Underwriters on the other hand
         from the offerings of the Shares or (ii) if the allocation provided by
         clause (i) above is not permitted by applicable law, in such
         proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits
         referred to in clause (i) above but also the relative fault of the
         Company and the Selling Stockholder on the one hand and of the
         Underwriters on the other hand in connection with the statements or
         omissions which resulted in such losses, claims, damages, liabilities
         or judgments, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations.
         The relative benefits received by the Company and the Selling
         Stockholder on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other hand in
         connection with the offering of the Shares shall be deemed to be in
         the same respective proportions as the net proceeds from the offering
         of the Shares (before deducting expenses) received by the Company and
         the Selling Stockholder and the total underwriting discounts and
         commissions received by the Underwriters, in each case as set forth in
         the table





                                       19
<PAGE>   20
         (including the footnotes thereto) on the cover of the Prospectus, bear
         to the aggregate public offering price of the Shares.  The relative
         fault of the Company and the Selling Stockholder on the one hand and
         the Underwriters on the other hand 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 the
         Selling Stockholder or by the Underwriters and the parties' relative
         intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or
         prevent such statement or mission.  The Underwriters' respective
         obligations to contribute pursuant to this Section 9 are several in
         proportion to the respective number of Shares they have purchase
         hereunder, and not joint.

                 (f)      The Company, the Selling Stockholder and the
         Underwriters agree that it would not be just or equitable if
         contribution pursuant to this Section 9 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 that does not take
         account of the equitable considerations referred to in the immediately
         preceding paragraph.  The amount paid or payable by an indemnified
         party as a result of the losses, claims, damages and liabilities
         referred to in the immediately preceding paragraph shall be deemed to
         include, subject to the limitations set forth above, 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 Section 9, (i) 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 that such Underwriter has otherwise been
         required to pay by reason of such untrue or alleged untrue statement
         or omission or alleged omission and (ii) the Selling Stockholder shall
         not be required to contribute any amount in excess of the aggregate
         gross proceeds of the Shares offered and sold pursuant to the terms of
         this Agreement on behalf of the Selling Stockholder to the public.
         Notwithstanding the provisions of the Section 9, no person guilty of
         fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of
         the Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person
         who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation.  The remedies
         provided for in this Section 9 are not exclusive and shall not limit
         any right or remedies which may otherwise be available to any
         indemnified party at law or in equity.

                 (g)      Any losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses
         for which an indemnified party is entitled to indemnification or
         contribution under this Section 9 shall be paid by the indemnifying
         party to the indemnified party as such losses, claims, damages,
         liabilities or expenses are incurred.

                 (h)      To the extent that both the Company and the Selling
         Stockholder are subject to any losses, claims, damages, liabilities or
         expenses as indemnifying parties under this Section 9, their
         obligation under this Section 9 shall be several and not joint.





                                       20
<PAGE>   21
         10.     Conditions of Underwriters' Obligations.  The several
obligations of the Underwriters to purchase the Firm Shares under this
Agreement are subject to the satisfaction of each of the following conditions:

                 (a)      The Underwriter shall have received on the Closing
         Date a certificate, dated the Closing Date and signed by the President
         or Senior Vice President and the principal financial or accounting
         officer of the Company, to the effect that the representations and
         warranties of the Company contained in this Agreement are true and
         correct on and as of the Closing Date and that the Company has
         complied with all of the agreements and satisfied all of the
         conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied hereunder on or
         before the Closing Date.

                 (b)      (i) Since the date of the latest balance sheet
         included in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, there shall
         not have been any material adverse change, or any development
         involving a prospective material adverse change, in the condition,
         financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, affairs or business
         prospects, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business,
         of the Company, (ii) since the date of the latest balance sheet
         included in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus there shall
         not have been any change, or any development involving a prospective
         material adverse change, in the capital stock or in the long-term debt
         of the Company from that set forth in the Registration Statement and
         Prospectus, (iii) the Company and its subsidiaries shall have no
         liability or obligation, direct or contingent, which is material to
         the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, other than those
         reflected in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and (iv) on
         the Closing Date the Underwriter shall have received a certificate
         dated the Closing Date, signed by the President or Senior Vice
         President and the principal financial or accounting officer of the
         Company, confirming the matters set forth in this paragraph (b) of
         this Section 10.

                 (c)      You shall have received on the Closing Date an
         opinion (satisfactory to you and counsel for the Underwriters), dated
         the Closing Date, of Jenkens & Gilchrist, a Professional Corporation,
         counsel for the Company, to the effect that:

                          (i)     The Company is a corporation duly
                 incorporated and validly existing in good standing under the
                 laws of the State of Delaware with full corporate power and
                 authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to
                 conduct its business as described in the Registration
                 Statement and the Prospectus (and any amendment or supplement
                 thereto) and to enter into and perform its obligations under
                 this Agreement, and is duly registered and qualified to
                 conduct its business and is in good standing in each
                 jurisdiction or place where the nature of its properties or
                 the conduct of its business requires such registration or
                 qualification, except where the failure so to register or
                 qualify does not have a material adverse effect on the
                 condition (financial or other), business, properties, net
                 worth or results of operations of the Company and its
                 subsidiary taken as a whole.





                                       21
<PAGE>   22
                          (ii)    The Company's subsidiary is a corporation
                 duly incorporated and validly existing in good standing under
                 the laws of the jurisdiction of its organization, with
                 corporate power and authority to own, lease, and operate its
                 properties and to conduct its business as described in the
                 Registration Statement and the Prospectus (and any amendment
                 or supplement thereto); and all the outstanding shares of
                 capital stock of the Company's subsidiary have been duly
                 authorized and validly issued, are fully paid and
                 nonassessable, and, to the knowledge of such counsel, are
                 owned by the Company directly, free and clear of any security
                 interest, or lien, adverse claim, equity or other encumbrance
                 except for the security interest granted to INCC pursuant to
                 the Credit Agreement.

                          (iii)   The Shares to be issued and sold by the
                 Company hereunder, when issued and delivered to the
                 Underwriters against payment therefore as provided by this
                 Agreement, will have been validly issued and will be fully
                 paid and non-assessable, and the issuance of such Shares is
                 not subject to any statutory, charter or, to the knowledge of
                 such counsel, contractual preemptive or similar rights; the
                 form of certificates used to evidence the Common Stock is in
                 due and proper form and complies with all applicable
                 requirements of the charter and by-laws of the Company and the
                 General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware; the
                 authorized capital stock of the Company is as set forth under
                 the caption "Capitalization" in the Prospectus; the authorized
                 capital stock of the Company conforms in all material respects
                 as to legal matters to the description thereof contained in
                 the Prospectus under the caption "Description of Capital
                 Stock;" the four million shares of Common Stock issued in the
                 Company's public offering that closed on August 6, 1993 and
                 the shares of Common Stock owned by the Selling Stockholder
                 have been duly issued and are fully paid, non-assessable and
                 not subject to any preemptive or, to the knowledge of such
                 counsel, contractual preemptive rights or similar rights.

                          (iv)    The Shares to be sold by the Selling
                 Stockholder to the several Underwriters hereunder have been
                 duly authorized, and when delivered to the Underwriters
                 against payment therefor as provided by this Agreement, will
                 have been validly issued and will be fully paid and
                 non-assessable, and are not subject to any preemptive, or to
                 the knowledge of such counsel, contractual preemptive or
                 similar rights.

                          (v)     This Agreement has been duly authorized,
                 executed and delivered by the Company and is a valid and
                 binding agreement of the Company enforceable against the
                 Company in accordance with its terms, except to the extent
                 that rights to indemnification thereunder may be limited by
                 federal or state securities laws and policies embodied
                 therein, or to the extent that such obligations are subject to
                 or affected or limited by (i) applicable liquidation,
                 conservatorship, bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization,
                 fraudulent conveyance, moratorium or other laws affecting
                 creditors' rights or in the collection of debtors' obligations
                 generally from time to time in effect, or (ii) general
                 principles of





                                       22
<PAGE>   23
                 equity (whether enforceability is considered in a proceeding
                 in equity or at law), including the qualification that the
                 availability of the remedy of specific performance or
                 injunction relief or other equitable remedies is subject to
                 the discretion of the court before which any such proceeding
                 therefor may be brought and including standards of good faith,
                 fair dealing and reasonableness that may be applied by a court
                 to the exercise of certain rights and remedies.

                          (vi)    The Registration Statement has become
                 effective under the Securities Act; to such counsel's
                 knowledge, any required filings of the Prospectus, and any
                 supplements thereto, pursuant to Rule 424(b) of the Rules and
                 Regulations have been made in the manner and within the time
                 period required by such Rule 424(b); and, to such counsel's
                 knowledge, no stop order suspending its effectiveness has been
                 issued and no proceedings for that purpose are, to the
                 knowledge of such counsel, pending before or contemplated by
                 the Commission.

                          (vii)   To such counsel's  knowledge, there are no
                 legal or governmental proceedings pending or threatened which
                 are required to be disclosed in the Registration Statement,
                 other than those disclosed therein.

                          (viii)  The statements in the Prospectus under "Risk
                 Factors--Shares Eligible for Future Sale," "Management's
                 Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of
                 Operations of the Company--Capital Resources and Liquidity,"
                 "Business--Regulation," "Business--Title to Properties,"
                 "Selling Stockholder," "Shares Eligible for Future Sale,"
                 "Description of Capital Stock," and "Underwriting," in each
                 case insofar as such statements constitute summaries of the
                 legal matters, documents or proceedings referred to therein,
                 when read together with related information contained in the
                 Incorporated Documents, fairly present, in all material
                 respects, the information called for with respect to such
                 legal matters, documents and proceedings referred to therein
                 and fairly summarize, in all material respects, the matters
                 referred to therein (it being understood that such counsel
                 expresses no opinion as to factual matters or as to the
                 financial statements or schedules or other financial,
                 statistical or reserve data included in the Registration
                 Statement or Prospectus or any amendments or supplements
                 thereto specifically).

                          (ix)    To such counsel's  knowledge, there are no
                 contracts, indentures, mortgages, loan agreements, notes,
                 leases or other instruments required to be described or
                 referred to in the Registration Statement or to be filed as
                 exhibits thereto other than those described or referred to
                 therein or filed as exhibits thereto, and the descriptions
                 thereof and references thereto are correct in all material
                 respects.

                          (x)     To such counsel's knowledge, neither the
                 Company nor its subsidiary is in violation of its respective
                 charter or bylaws and, to such counsel's





                                       23
<PAGE>   24
                 knowledge, neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is
                 in default in the performance of any obligation, debenture,
                 note or any other evidence of indebtedness or in any other
                 agreement, indenture or instrument, except for any default
                 which will not have a material adverse effect to the Company
                 and its subsidiary taken as a whole.

                          (xi)    The execution, delivery and  performance of
                 this Agreement by the Company, the issuance and the sale of
                 the Shares to be sold to the several Underwriters by the
                 Company and the sale of the Shares to be sold to the several
                 Underwriters by the Selling Stockholder hereunder will not
                 require the Company to obtain any consent, approval,
                 authorization or other order of any court, regulatory body,
                 administrative agency or other governmental body (except as
                 such has been obtained or may be required under the Securities
                 Act and the Rules and Regulations or other securities or Blue
                 Sky laws) and will not conflict with or constitute a breach of
                 any of the terms or provisions of, or a default under, the
                 charter or bylaws of the Company or its subsidiary or, to such
                 counsel's knowledge, any agreement indenture or other
                 instrument or, to such counsel's knowledge, violate or
                 conflict with any laws, administrative regulations or rulings
                 or court decrees applicable to the Company or its subsidiaries
                 or their respective properties except for any such conflict,
                 breach, violation or default that is not material to the
                 business of the Company and its subsidiary taken as a whole.

                          (xii)   Such counsel does not know of any legal or
                 governmental proceedings pending or threatened to which the
                 Company or its subsidiary is a party or to which any of their
                 respective property is subject which is required to be
                 described in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus and
                 is not so described.

                          (xiii)  To such counsel's knowledge, (1) except as
                 described in the Prospectus, no holder of any security of the
                 Company has any right to require registration of shares of
                 Common Stock or any other security of the Company and (2)
                 there are no rights of any security holders of the Company to
                 require registration of any shares of Common Stock or other
                 securities of the Company because of the filing of the
                 Registration Statement and the consummation of the
                 transactions contemplated therein, except such rights as have
                 been effectively waived.

                          (xiv)   Except for the consent of the Selling
                 Stockholder to the number of Shares to be sold by it pursuant
                 to Section 2 of this Agreement, no vote or consent of any
                 stockholder of the Company, and no consent, approval or waiver
                 of any party to or any person entitled to any right or benefit
                 under the Company's charter or by-laws or, to such counsel's
                 knowledge, any other instrument or agreement to which the
                 Company is a party or by which it is bound or under which it
                 is entitled to any right or benefit, is required in connection
                 with the offering, sale or purchase





                                       24
<PAGE>   25
                 by the Underwriter of any of the Shares under this Agreement
                 or the consummation of any of the other transactions
                 contemplated by this Agreement.

                          (xv)    To such counsel's  knowledge, there are no
                 persons with registration or other similar rights to have any
                 securities (debt or equity) (A) registered pursuant to the
                 Registration Statement or included in the offerings
                 contemplated by this Agreement except for the Selling
                 Stockholder or (B) except for such rights as are accurately
                 described, in all material respects, in the Prospectus under
                 "Shares Eligible for Future Sale", except such rights as have
                 been waived.

                          (xvi)   The Company is not an "investment  company"
                 or an entity "controlled" by an "investment company," as such
                 terms are defined in the Investment Company Act.

                          (xvii)  Each of the Incorporated Documents (except
                 for the financial statements, schedules and notes thereto and
                 other financial, statistical and reserve data, as amended,
                 included therein, as to which counsel need not express any
                 opinion), when they were filed (or, if an amendment with
                 respect to any Incorporated Document was filed, when such
                 amendment was filed) complied as to form in all material
                 respects with the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations
                 promulgated thereunder.

                          (xviii) The Registration Statement and the Prospectus
                 and any supplement or amendment thereto (except for financial
                 statements, schedules and other financial, statistical and
                 reserve data, as to which no opinion need be expressed) comply
                 as to form in all material respects with the Securities Act
                 and the Rules and Regulations.

                          (xix)   Such counsel has participated in conferences
                 with officers and other representatives of the Company and
                 representatives of the independent public accountants for the
                 Company and with your representatives at which the contents of
                 the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, and any
                 supplements or amendments thereto, and related matters were
                 discussed and, although such counsel is not passing upon and
                 does not assume any responsibility for the accuracy,
                 completeness or fairness of the statements contained in the
                 Registration Statement or the Prospectus (other than as
                 specified above in clause viii), and any supplements or
                 amendments thereto, on the basis of the foregoing, nothing has
                 come to such counsel's attention that would lead them to
                 believe that either the Registration Statement or any
                 amendments thereto at the time the Registration Statement or
                 such amendments became effective, contained an untrue
                 statement of a material fact necessary in order to make the
                 statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under
                 which they were made, not misleading (it being understood that
                 such counsel need express no belief as to the financial
                 statements or schedules or other financial, statistical or
                 reserve data included in the





                                       25
<PAGE>   26
                 Registration Statement or the Prospectus or any amendments or
                 supplements thereto).

                 In rendering such opinion, such counsel may rely (A) as to
         matters involving the application of laws of any jurisdiction other
         than the States of Texas and New York, the General Corporation Law of
         the State of Delaware, or the federal law of the United States, to the
         extent they deem proper and specified in such opinion, upon the
         opinion (which shall be dated the Closing Date, shall be satisfactory
         in form and substance to the Underwriter, shall expressly state that
         the Underwriter may rely on such opinion as if it were address to them
         and shall be furnished to the Underwriter) of other counsel of good
         standing whom they believe to be reliable and who are satisfactory to
         counsel for the Underwriter, provided that Jenkens & Gilchrist, a
         Professional Corporation, shall further state that they believe that
         they and the Underwriters are justified in relying upon such opinion
         of other counsel, and (B) as to matters of fact, to the extent they
         deem proper, on certificates of responsible officers of the Company
         and public officials.

                 The opinion described in this paragraph (c) shall be rendered
         to you at the request of the Company and shall so state therein.
         References to the Prospectus in this paragraph (c) include any
         supplements thereto at the Closing Date.

                 (d)      You shall have received on the Closing Date the
         opinion of Ropes & Gray, counsel for the Selling Stockholder, dated
         the Closing Date, to the effect that:

                          (i)     The Selling Stockholder has full right, power
                 and authority to enter into this Agreement.  The execution,
                 delivery and performance of this Agreement by the Selling
                 Stockholder and the consummation by the Selling Stockholder of
                 the transactions contemplated thereby 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, any
                 indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other
                 agreement or instrument known to such counsel to which the
                 Selling Stockholder is a party or by which the Selling
                 Stockholder is bound or to which any of the property or assets
                 of the Selling Stockholder is subject, nor will such actions
                 result in any violation of the provisions of the Selling
                 Stockholder's charter or by-laws or any statute or any order,
                 rule or regulation known to such counsel of any court or
                 governmental agency or body having jurisdiction over the
                 Selling Stockholder or the property or assets of the Selling
                 Stockholder; and, except for the registration of the Shares
                 under the Securities Act of 1933 and such consents, approvals,
                 authorizations, registrations, qualifications, filings or
                 registrations as may be required under the Securities Exchange
                 Act of 1934, as amended and applicable state securities laws
                 in connection with the purchase and distribution of the Shares
                 by the Underwriters, no consent, approval, authorization or
                 order of, or filing or registration with, any such court or
                 governmental agency or body is required for the execution,
                 delivery and performance of this Agreement by the Selling
                 Stockholder and the consummation by the Selling Stockholder of
                 the transactions contemplated hereby.





                                       26
<PAGE>   27
                 (ii)     This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and
                 delivered by or on behalf of the Selling Stockholder.

                 (iii)    Immediately prior to the delivery of certificates for
                 the Shares by the Selling Stockholder to the Underwriters, the
                 Selling Stockholder was the sole beneficial owner of the
                 Shares to be sold by the Selling Stockholder under this
                 Agreement, and such Shares were free and clear of all liens in
                 favor of the issuer and any adverse claims.  Upon completion
                 of the sale of the Shares by the Selling Stockholder to the
                 Underwriters, assuming that each of the several Underwriters
                 has purchased such Shares in good faith and without notice of
                 any such lien or adverse claim or any other adverse claim
                 within the meaning of the Uniform Commercial Code, such
                 Underwriters will have all acquired all rights of the Selling
                 Stockholder in such Shares free of any adverse claim.

                 In rendering such opinions, such counsel may rely (A) as to
         matters involving the application of laws of any jurisdiction other
         than the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the general corporation law of
         the State of Delaware, the federal law of the United States, to the
         extent such counsel deems proper and specified in such opinion, upon
         the opinion (which shall be dated the Closing Date, shall be
         satisfactory in form and substance to the Underwriter, shall be
         addressed to or shall expressly state that the Underwriter may rely
         upon such opinion as if it were addressed to them and shall be
         furnished to the Underwriter) of other counsel of good standing whom
         they believe to be reliable and who are satisfactory to counsel for
         the Underwriter,provided that such counsel shall further state that
         they believe that they and the Underwriter are justified in relying
         upon such opinion of other counsel, and (B) as to matters of fact, to
         the extent they deem proper, on representations of the Selling
         Stockholder contained herein and on certificates of the Selling
         Stockholder and public officials.

                 The opinions of such counsel described in this paragraph (d)
         above shall be rendered to you at the request of the Selling
         Stockholder and shall so state therein.

                 (e)      The Underwriters shall have received on the Closing
         Date an opinion, dated the Closing Date, of Holme Roberts & Owen LLC,
         counsel for the Underwriters, as to the matters referred to in clauses
         (v), (vi), (viii) (but only with respect to the statements under the
         caption "Underwriting") and (xviii) of the foregoing Section 10(c).
         In giving such opinion with respect to the matters covered by clause
         (xviii)(2) such counsel may state that their opinion and belief are
         based upon their participation in the preparation of the Registration
         Statement and Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto and
         review and discussion of the contents thereof, but are without
         independent check or verification except as specified.

                 (f)      The Underwriters shall have received letters dated as
         of the date hereof and as of the Closing Date, in form and substance
         satisfactory to you, from Ernst & Young LLP, independent public
         accountants, with respect to the financial statements and





                                       27
<PAGE>   28
         certain financial information relating to the Company contained in the
         Registration Statement and the Prospectus.

                 (g)      The Underwriters shall have received letters dated as
         of the date hereof and as of the Closing Date, in form and substance
         satisfactory to you, from Ryder Scott, with respect to the oil and gas
         reserve information contained in the Registration Statement and the
         Prospectus.

                 (h)      The Underwriters shall have received from the Company
         and the Selling Stockholder the lock-up agreements specified in
         Section 2 hereof.

                 (i)      The Underwriters shall have received on the Closing
         Date a certificate, dated the Closing Date and signed by the Selling
         Stockholder, to the effect that the representations and warranties of
         the Selling Stockholder set forth in this Agreement are true and
         correct on and as of the Closing Date and that the Selling Stockholder
         has complied with all of the agreements and satisfied all of the
         conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied hereunder on or
         before the Closing Date.

                 (j)      At the date of this Agreement and at the Closing
         Date, the Company shall have furnished to the Underwriters a
         certificate of the Company, signed by the principal financial or
         accounting officer of the Company, in form and substance satisfactory
         to the Underwriters, to the effect that the signer of such certificate
         has performed (or members of his staff acting under his supervision
         have performed) certain specified procedures as a result of which such
         signer has determined that certain numerical and statistical
         information set forth in the Registration Statement and the
         Prospectus, and any supplements to the Prospectus (and not covered by
         the letter or letters delivered pursuant to Section 10(f) above)
         specified by the Underwriter, has been derived from, and agrees with,
         the records of the Company.

                 (k)      The Company and the Selling Stockholder shall not
         have failed at or before the Closing Date to perform or comply with
         any of the agreements herein contained and required to be performed or
         complied with by the Company and the Selling Stockholder at or before
         the Closing Date.

         The obligation of the Underwriter to purchase Additional Shares
hereunder is subject to the satisfaction on and as of the Option Closing Date
of the conditions set forth in this Section 10, except that, if the Option
Closing Date is other than the Closing Date, the certificates, opinions and
letters referred to in Section 10 shall be dated as of the Option Closing Date
and the opinions called for by Sections 10(c), 10(d) and (e) shall be revised
to reflect the sale of the Additional Shares.

         11.     Effective Date of Agreement and Termination.  This Agreement
shall become effective upon the later of (i) execution of this Agreement and
(ii) when notification of the effectiveness of the Registration Statement has
been released by the Commission.





                                       28
<PAGE>   29
         This Agreement may be terminated at any time before the Closing Date
by you by written notice to the Company if any of the following has occurred:
(i) since the respective dates as of which information is given in the
Registration Statement and the Prospectus, any adverse change or development
involving a prospective adverse change in the condition, financial or
otherwise, of the Company or its subsidiary or the earnings, affairs, or
business prospects of the Company or its subsidiary, whether or not arising in
the ordinary course of business, which would, in your reasonable judgment, make
it impracticable to market the Shares on the terms and in the manner
contemplated in the Prospectus, (ii) any outbreak or escalation of hostilities
or other national or international calamity or crisis or change in economic
conditions or in the financial markets of the United States or elsewhere that,
in your reasonable judgment, is material and adverse and would, in your
reasonable judgment, make it impracticable to market the Shares on the terms
and in the manner contemplated in the Prospectus, (iii) the suspension or
material limitation of trading in securities on the New York Stock Exchange,
the American Stock Exchange or the NASDAQ Stock Market National Market or
limitation on prices for securities on any such exchange or the National Market
System, (iv) the enactment, publication, decree or other promulgation of any
federal or state statute, regulation, rule or order of any court or other
governmental authority which in your reasonable opinion materially and
adversely affects, or will materially and adversely affect, the business or
operations of the Company or its subsidiary, (v) the declaration of a banking
moratorium by either federal or New York authorities or (vi) the taking of any
action by any federal, state or local government or agency in respect of its
monetary or fiscal affairs which in your reasonable opinion has a material
adverse effect on the financial markets in the United States.

         12.     Miscellaneous.  Notices given pursuant to any provision of
this Agreement shall be addressed as follows;  (a) if to the Company, to Cairn
Energy USA, Inc. 8235 Douglas Avenue, Suite 1221, Dallas, Texas 75225,
Attention:  Michael R. Gilbert, (b) if to the Selling Stockholder,  the Phemus
Corporation, c/o John Halsted, Harvard Management Company, 600 Atlantic Avenue,
Boston, Massachusetts  02203, with a copy to Larry Jordan Rowe, Ropes & Gray,
One International Place, Boston, Massachusetts  02110, and (c) if to any
Underwriter, S.G.Warburg & Co. Inc., Attention: Syndicate Department, 277 Park
Avenue, New York, New York  10172, with a copy to Steven A. Cohen, Holme
Roberts & Owen LLC, 1700 Lincoln Street, Suite 4100, Denver, Colorado  80203,
or in any case to such other address as the person to be notified may have
requested in writing.

         The respective indemnities, contribution agreements, representations,
warranties and other statements of the Company, its officers and directors, the
Selling Stockholders and of the Underwriters set forth in or made pursuant to
this Agreement shall remain operative and in full force and effect, and will
survive delivery of and payment of the Shares, regardless of (i) any
investigation, or statement as to the results thereof made by or on behalf of
the Underwriters or by or on behalf of the Company or the Selling Stockholder,
the officers or directors of the Company or the Selling Stockholder or any
controlling person of the Company or the Selling Stockholder, (ii) acceptance
of the Shares and payment for them hereunder and (iii) termination of this
Agreement.





                                       29
<PAGE>   30
         If this Agreement shall be terminated by the Underwriters because of
any failure or refusal on the part of the Company or the Selling Stockholder to
comply with the terms or to fulfill any of the conditions of this Agreement,
the Company agrees to reimburse the Underwriters for all out-of-pocket expenses
(including the fees and disbursements of counsel) reasonably incurred by them.

         Except as otherwise provided herein, this Agreement has been and is
made solely for the benefit of and shall be binding upon the Company, the
Selling Stockholder, the Underwriters, any controlling persons referred to
herein and their respective successors and assigns, all as and to the extent
providing in this Agreement, and no other person shall acquire or have any
right under or by virtue of this Agreement.  The term "successors and assigns"
shall not include a purchaser of any of the Shares from any of the several
Underwriter merely because of such purchase.

         This Agreement shall be governed and construed in accordance with the
laws of the State of New York.

         This Agreement may be signed in various counterparts which together
shall constitute one and the same instrument.

                           [SIGNATURE PAGE(S) FOLLOW]





                                       30
<PAGE>   31
         Please confirm that the foregoing correctly sets forth the agreement
between the Company and the Selling Stockholder and the Underwriter.


                                        Very truly yours,
                                        
                                        CAIRN ENERGY USA, INC.
                                        
                                        
                                        
                                        By:      
                                             -----------------------------------
                                             Name:
                                             Title:
                                        
                                        
                                        PHEMUS CORPORATION
                                        the Selling Stockholder
                                        
                                        
                                        
                                        By:      
                                             -----------------------------------
                                             Name:
                                             Title:
                                        
                                        
                                        By:      
                                             -----------------------------------
                                             Name:
                                             Title:

The foregoing Agreement is hereby 
confirmed and accepted as of the date first
above written.

S.G.Warburg & Co. Inc.
Howard, Weil, Labouisse, Friedrichs
  Incorporated
Petrie Parkman & Co., Inc.

Acting severally on behalf of themselves    
and the several Underwriters named in    
Schedule I hereto.

S.G.WARBURG & CO. INC.


By:
   -----------------------------------




                                       31

<PAGE>   1





                                2,750,000 SHARES
                             CAIRN ENERGY USA, INC.
                          AGREEMENT AMONG UNDERWRITERS



S.G.WARBURG & CO. INC.
HOWARD, WEIL, LABOUISSE, FRIEDRICHS INCORPORATED
PETRIE PARKMAN & CO., INC.
  As Representatives of the Several Underwriters
c/o S.G.WARBURG & CO. INC.
  277 Park Avenue
  New York, New York  10172

Dear Sirs:

        We hereby agree with you as follows with respect to (i) the purchase by
you and the other Underwriters (the "Underwriters") named in Schedule I to the
Underwriting Agreement annexes to this Agreement as Exhibit A (the
"Underwriting Agreement"), including ourselves, severally, of an aggregate of
2,750,000 shares of common stock, par value $.01 per share, ("Common Stock") of
Cairn Energy USA, Inc. (the "Company"), 750,000 of such shares to be issued and
sold by the Company, and 2,000,000 of such shares to be sold by Phemus
Corporation, a Massachusetts corporation (the "Selling Stockholder") (the
750,000 shares of Common Stock being issued and sold to the Underwriters by the
Company and the 2,000,000 shares of Common Stock being sold to the Underwriters
by the Selling Stockholder are herein collectively referred to as (the "Firm
Shares")), (ii) the purchase, if you shall have determined that the
Underwriters shall purchase any of the additional 412,500 shares of Common
Stock (the "Additional Shares") which the Company will agree to issue and sell
to the Underwriters pursuant to Section 2 of the Underwriting Agreement, from
the Company of the Additional Shares, (iii) the offering of all such Firm
Shares and Additional Shares (collectively, "Shares").

        1.      REGISTRATION STATEMENT.  We confirm that we have examined the
registration statement relating to the Shares as amended to the date of this
Agreement and we are familiar with the terms of the securities to be offered
and the other terms of the offering which are to be reflected in the proposed
amendment to the registration statement (or, if the registration statement has
become effective under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities
Act"), which are deemed to be included in the registration statement pursuant
to Rule 430A under the Securities Act).  The registration statement as amended
at the time when it becomes effective, including the information, if any,
deemed to be a part of the registration statement at the time of effectiveness
pursuant to Rule 430A under the Act, is hereinafter referred to as the
"Registration Statement;" and the prospectus in the form first used to confirm
sales of shares is hereinafter referred to as the "Prospectus."

        We further confirm that:

                a.       Insofar as it relates to us, the information in the
        Registration Statement as amended to this date and in the proposed
        amendment is correct and complete and is not misleading.

                b.       We are aware of and are willing to accept our
        responsibilities under the Securities Act as an Underwriter to be named
        in the Registration Statement.

<PAGE>   2

                c.       We are willing to proceed with the underwriting of the
        Shares in the manner contemplated in the Underwriting Agreement and
        described in the Prospectus.

                d.       You are authorized, in your discretion and on our
        behalf, with approval of counsel for the Underwriters, to approve any
        proposed amendment to the Prospectus and to approve of or to object to
        any further amendments to the Registration Statement, or amendments or
        supplements to the Prospectus.

        2.      UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT.  We authorize you to execute ad
deliver, on our behalf, the Underwriting Agreement in substantially the form
attached hereto as Exhibit A and to make the representations and warranties, on
our behalf, as set forth therein.  The number of Firm Shares set forth opposite
each Underwriter's name in Schedule I to the Underwriting Agreement is referred
to in this Agreement as the "original underwriting commitment" of such
Underwriter, and the ratio which such original underwriting commitment bears to
the total number of Firm Shares is referred to in this Agreement as the
"underwriting proportion" of such Underwriter.

        3.      AUTHORIZATION UNDER UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT.  The Underwriting
Agreement provides that the obligations of the Underwriters thereunder are
subject, among other things, to the condition that the Registration Statement
shall have become effective not later than 5:00 p.m. (New York City time) on
the date of the Underwriting Agreement.  You are hereby authorized, in your
discretion, to extend such time to not later than 1:00 p.m. (New York City
time) on the date following such date and, with the consent of the
Underwriters, including yourselves, who have agreed to purchase in the
aggregate at least a majority of the Firm Shares, to agree to one or more
subsequent extensions of such date and to take on our behalf any action that
may be necessary in your sole discretion to take the following action with
respect to the Underwriting Agreement:

                a.       To postpone the Closing Date or the Option Closing
        Date (as such terms are defined in the Underwriting Agreement) or,
        except as provided above, to extend any other date specified in the
        Underwriting Agreement.

                b.       To exercise any right of cancellation or termination.

                c.       To arrange for the purchase by other persons
        (including yourselves or any other Underwriters) of any of the Shares
        not taken up by any defaulting Underwriter or by the other
        Underwriters.

                d.       To give notice on our behalf of your determination
        that the Underwriters shall purchase Additional Shares from the
        Company.

        4.      METHOD OF OFFERING.  We authorize you, as representatives of
the several Underwriters, to manage the underwriting and the public offering of
the Shares and to take such action in connection therewith and in connection
with the purchase, carrying and resale of the Shares, including without
limitation the following, as you in your sole discretion deem appropriate or
desirable:

                a.       To determine the time of the initial public offering
        of the Shares, the initial public offering price and the Underwriters'
        gross spread and whether the Underwriters shall purchase any Additional
        Shares and the amount, if any, of Additional Shares to be so purchased.

                b.       To make any changes in the public offering price or
        other terms of the offering.

                c.       To make changes in those who are to be Underwriters
        and in the respective numbers of the Firm Shares to be purchased by
        them, provided that our original underwriting commitment shall not be
        changed without our consent.





                                     -2-
<PAGE>   3

                d.       To determine all matters relating to advertising and
        communications with dealers or others.

                e.       To reserve for sale and to sell to institutions or
        other retail purchasers, for our account, such of our Shares as you may
        determine; provided, however, that such reservations and sales shall be
        made for the respective accounts of the several Underwriters as nearly
        as practicable in their respective underwriting proportions, except for
        such sales for the account of a particular Underwriter designated by
        such a purchaser.

                g.       To fix the concession to dealers and the reallowance
        to dealers and, after the initial public offering of the Shares, to
        make changes in the concession and reallowance.

                h.       At any time with respect to unsold Shares retained by
        us:  (A) to reserve any such Shares for sale by you for our account or
        (B) to purchase any such Shares which in your opinion are needed to
        enable you to make deliveries for the accounts of the several
        Underwriters pursuant to this Agreement.  Such purchase may be made at
        the public offering price or, at your option, at such price less all or
        any part of the concession to dealers.

                i.       To charge the account of any Underwriter with an
        amount equal to the concession allowed to dealers in respect of Shares
        purchased under the Underwriting Agreement by such Underwriter and not
        sold by us for its account (and Shares which we believe have been
        substituted therefor) which may be delivered against a purchase
        contract made by us for the account of any Underwriter before the
        termination of all of the provisions referred to in Section 5 hereof or
        the covering by S.G.Warburg & Co. Inc. of any short position created by
        S.G.Warburg & Co. Inc. for the accounts of the Underwriters pursuant to
        Section  5 hereof, or in lieu of such charge, require such Underwriter
        to repurchase on demand at the total cost thereof (including
        commissions), plus transfer taxes, any such Shares so delivered.

        We understand that you will advise us when the Shares are released for
public offering and of the number of Shares sold or reserved for sale for our
account.  We shall retain for direct sale any Shares purchased by us and not so
sold or reserved.  Direct sales will be made in accordance with the terms of
offering set forth in the Prospectus.  With your consent, we may obtain release
from you for direct sale of any Shares held by you for sale pursuant to
subparagraphs (e) and (f) above but not sold and paid for.  To the extent
Shares so released had been reserved for sale to dealers, the number of Shares
reserved for our account for sale to dealers shall be correspondingly reduced.
We will advise you from time to time, at your request, of the number of Shares
retained by us which remain unsold and of the number of Shares remaining unsold
which were delivered to us pursuant to the last paragraph of this Section 4.

        We agree that without your consent and the prior specific written
approval of our customer we will not sell to any account over which we exercise
discretionary authority any of the Shares which we have agreed to purchase
under the Underwriting Agreement.





                                     -3-
<PAGE>   4

        If, before the termination of this Agreement, you shall purchase or
contract to purchase any of the Shares sold directly by us, in your discretion
you may (i) sell for our account the Share so purchased and debit or credit our
account for the loss or profit resulting from such sale, (ii) charge our
account with an amount equal to the concession to dealers with respect thereto
and credit such amount against the cost thereof or (iii) require us to purchase
such Shares at a price equal to the total cost of such purchase including
commissions and transfer taxes on redelivery.  Certificates for the Shares
delivered on such repurchase need not be identical to the certificates for the
Shares so purchased by you.

        5.      TRADING AUTHORIZATIONS.  We authorize you, during the term of
this Agreement in your discretion:

                a.       To make purchases and sales of shares of Common Stock
        in the open market or otherwise (in addition to purchase and sales made
        under the authority of Section 4), either for long or short account, on
        such terms and at such prices as you may determine.

                b.       To arrange for sales of the Shares pursuant to Section 
        4 above, the over-allotment, and to make purchases for the purpose of
        covering any over-allotment so made.

        All such purchases and sale and over-allotments shall be made for the
respective accounts of the several Underwriters as nearly as practicable in
their respective underwriting proportions; provided, however, that at no time
shall our net commitment resulting from such purchases and sales, either for
long or short account, or pursuant to such over-allotments, exceed 15% of our
original underwriting commitment and provided that in determining our net
commitment for account here shall be subtracted the maximum number of
Additional Shares which we are entitled to purchase.  We agree to take up at
cost on demand any shares of Common Stock so purchased for our account and to
deliver on demand any shares so sold or so over-allotted for our account.
Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, you may buy or take over for
the respective accounts of the several Underwriters, in the proportion and
within the limits set forth, at the price at which reserved, any of the Shares
reserved for sale by you but not sold and paid for, for such purposes as you
may determine, including, but not limited to, the covering of over-allotments
and short sales.

        You will notify us promptly if you engage in any stabilization
transaction requiring reports to e filed pursuant to Rule 17a-2 under the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and notify us of the date of
termination of stabilization.  S.G.Warburg & Co. Inc. shall prepare and
maintain such records as are required to be maintained by it as manager
pursuant to such Rule 17a-2.

        The provisions of this Section 5 shall terminate at the close of
business on the 30th full business day after the Shares are released by you for
sale of the public, unless any of such provisions are terminated as such
earlier time as we may determine by telegraphic notice to that effect sent to
each Underwriter.

        6.      LIMITATION ON TRANSACTIONS BY UNDERWRITERS.  Except as
permitted by you, we will not during the term of this Agreement bid for,
purchase, sell or attempt to induce others to purchase or sell, directly or
indirectly, any Common Stock other than (i) as provided in the Underwriting
Agreement and in this Agreement, (ii) purchases from or sales to dealers of the
Shares at the public offering price less all or any part of the reallowance to
dealers or (iii) purchases or sales by us of any Common Stock as broker on
unsolicited orders for the account of others.

        We represent that we have not participated in any transaction
prohibited by the preceding paragraph and that we have at all times complied
with the provisions of Rule 10b-6 of the Securities Exchange Commission
applicable to this offering.

        We may, with your prior consent, make purchases of the Shares from and
sales to other Underwriters at the public offering price, less all or any part
of the concession to dealers.





                                     -4-
<PAGE>   5

        7.      DELIVERY AND PAYMENT.  At 9:00 a.m. (New York City time) on the
Closing Date, we will deliver to you at the office of S.G.Warburg & Co. Inc.,
277 Park Avenue, New York, New York  10772, a certified or official bank check,
payable in New York Clearing House funds, to the order of S.G.Warburg & Co.
Inc. or otherwise as you may direct, for either (i) an amount equal to the
public offering price less the selling concession in respect of the Firm Shares
to be purchased by us or (ii) an amount equal to the public offering price less
the selling concession in respect of such of the Firm Shares to be purchased by
us as shall have been retained by or released to us for direct sale, as you
shall direct.  At 9:00 a.m. (New York City time) on the Option Closing Date (as
defined in Section 4 of the Underwriting Agreement), if any, we will make
similar payments as you may direct for any Additional Shares to be purchased by
us.  You shall use such funds to make payment on our behalf to the Company of
the purchase price for our Firm Shares or Additional Shares, as the case may
be.  Any balance shall be held by you for our account.  If you have not
received our funds as requested, you may in your discretion make any such
payment on our behalf and we will promptly deliver funds to you in the amount
so requested.  Any such payment by you will not relieve us from any of our
obligations under this Agreement or under the Underwriting Agreement.  Unless
we promptly give you written instructions otherwise, if transactions in the
Shares may be settled through the facilities of the Depository Trust Company,
payment for and delivery of shares purchase by us will be made through such
facilities, if we are a member, or, if we are not a member, settlement may be
made thorough our ordinary correspondent who is a member.

        We authorize you, in carrying out the provisions of this Agreement, in
your discretion, to arrange loans for our account, to advance your funds to our
account, charging current interest rates, and to hold or pledge as security
therefor all or any party of the Shares which you may be holding for our
account.  Any lender is hereby authorized to accept your instructions with
respect to such loans, and we authorize you to execute and deliver notes or
other instruments in connection therewith.

        You shall promptly remit to us or credit to our account (i) the
proceeds of any loan taken down on our behalf and (ii) upon payment to you for
any Shares sold for our account, an amount equal either to the purchase price
paid by us or the price received by you therefor, as you may determine.

        We authorize you to take delivery of certificates for our Shares,
registered as you may direct in order to facilitate deliveries, and to deliver
any Shares reserved for us against sale.  You will deliver to us certificates
for our unreserved Shares and certificates for our reserved but unsold Shares
as soon as practicable after the termination of the provisions referred to in
Section 10.

        Certificates for all other Shares which you then hold for our account
shall be delivered to us upon termination of this Agreement, or prior thereto
in your discretion, and certificates for any such Shares may at any time be
delivered to us for carrying purposes only, subject to redelivery upon demand.
If, upon termination of this Agreement, an aggregate of not more than 10% of
the Shares remains unsold, you may, in your discretion, sell such Shares at
such prices as you may determine.

        8.      BLUE SKY QUALIFICATION.  Upon request, you will inform us as to
the jurisdictions in which you have been advised by counsel that the Shares
have been registered or qualified for sale under the respective securities or
Blue Sky laws, but you do not assume any responsibility or obligations as to
our right to sell the Shares in any jurisdiction.

        If required, you will file or cause to be filed a Further State Notice
with the Department of State of New York.

        9.      INDEMNIFICATION AND CERTAIN CLAIMS.  Each Underwriter,
including yourselves, agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each of the other
Underwriters, and each person, if any, who controls any other Underwriter
within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section  20 of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), and to
reimburse their expenses, all to the extent, if any, and upon the terms that we
agree to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, its director, its officers
who signed the





                                     -5-
<PAGE>   6

Registration Statement and any person controlling the Company and to reimburse
their expenses, as set forth in the Underwriting Agreement.

        We agree that in respect of any matters connected with, or action taken
by you pursuant to, this Agreement you shall act only as agents of the
Underwriters and you shall be under no lability to us in any such respect or in
respect of the form of, or the statements contained in, or the validity of, any
preliminary prospectus or the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, or any
amendment or supplement to any of them, or for any report or other filing made
by you for us on our behalf under this Agreement, except for want of good faith
and for obligations expressly assumed by you herein and no obligations on your
part will be implied or inferred from confirmation or acceptance of this
Agreement.

        We will pay our proportionate share (based on our underwriting
proportion) of (i)  all expenses incurred by you in investigating or defending
against any claim or proceeding which is asserted or instituted by any party
(including any governmental or regulatory body) other than an Underwriter based
upon the claim that the Underwriters constitute an association, unincorporated
business or other separate entity, or relating to the Registration Statement or
the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) or any preliminary
prospectus and (ii)  any liability incurred by you in respect of any such claim
or proceeding, whether such liability shall be the result of any settlement
agreed to by you, other than any such liability as to which you actually
receive indemnity pursuant to the first paragraph of this Section 9 or pursuant
to Section 9 of the Underwriting Agreement.

        10.     TERMINATION AND SETTLEMENT.  This Agreement shall terminate (i)
on the 30th business day after the initial public offering of the Shares, (ii)
on such earlier date as you may determine or (iii)  on the termination of the
Underwriting Agreement if the Underwriting Agreement shall be terminated as
permitted by its terms provided, however, that S.G.Warburg & Co. Inc. may in
its discretion extend this Agreement for a further period or periods not
exceeding an aggregate of 30 days.  You may at your discretion, on notice to us
before the termination of this Agreement, terminate or suspend the
effectiveness of Sections 4, 5 and  6 hereof or any part of them or alter any
of the terms or conditions of offering determined pursuant to Section 4 hereof.
No termination or suspension pursuant to this Section shall affect your
authority under Section 5 hereof to cover any short position under this
Agreement.

        Upon termination of this Agreement, all authorizations, rights and
obligations hereunder shall cease, except (i) the mutual obligations to settle
accounts hereunder, (ii)  our obligation to pay any transfer taxes which may be
assessed and paid on account of any sales hereunder for our account, (iii) our
obligations with respect to purchases which may be made by you from time to
time thereafter to cover any short position incurred under this Agreement and
(iv) the obligations of any defaulting Underwriter, all of which shall continue
until fully discharged.  If any other Underwriter defaults in its obligations
under this Agreement we will assume our proportionate share (determined on the
basis of the respective underwriting proportions of the non-defaulting
Underwriters) of such obligations without relieving the defaulting Underwriter
from liability.

        The accounts arising pursuant to this Agreement shall be settled and
paid as soon as practicable after termination except that you may reserve such
amount as you deem advisable to cover any additional contingent expenses.

        You are authorized at any time:

                a.       To make partial or total distributions of credit
        balances for the payment of debit balances.

                b.       To determine the amounts to be paid to or by us, which
        determination will be final and conclusive.

                c.       As compensation for your services in connection with
        this Agreement, to charge our account and pay to your selves, when
        final accounting is made, an amount per Share to be determined by





                                     -6-
<PAGE>   7
        you (not to exceed 20% of the Underwriters' gross spread per Share) 
        for each Share which we have agreed or shall become committed to
        purchase from the Company.

                d.       To charge our account with (i) all transfer taxes on
        sales made for our account and (ii) our underwriting proportion of all
        expenses (other than transfer taxes) incurred by you, as
        representatives of the several Underwriters, in connection with the
        transactions contemplated by this Agreement.

                e.       To hold any of our funds at any time in your hands
        with your general funds without accountability for interest.

        11.     MISCELLANEOUS.  Nothing in this Agreement shall constitute us
partners with you or with the other Underwriters and the obligations of
ourselves and of each of the other Underwriters are several and not joint. Each
Underwriter elects to be excluded from the application of Subchapter K, Chapter
1, Subtitle A, of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.  Default by any
Underwriter with respect to the Underwriting Agreement shall not release us
from any of our obligations thereunder or hereunder.

        Your authority under this Agreement and the Underwriting Agreement may
be exercised by you jointly or by S.G.Warburg & Co. Inc. on your behalf.

        Any notice from you to us shall be deemed to have been given if mailed,
telegraphed, transmitted by facsimile or hand delivered, or telephoned and
subsequently confirmed in writing, to our address in the Underwriters'
Questionnaire which we have furnished to you for transmittal to the Company.

        We confirm that we are a member in good standing of the NASD or that we
are a foreign bank or dealer, not eligible for membership in the NASD.  In
making sales of the Shares, if we are such a member, we agree to comply with
all applicable rules of the NASD, including, without limitation, the NASD's
Interpretation with Respect to Free-Riding and Withholding and Section  24 of
Article III of the NASD's Rules of Fair Practice or, if we are such a foreign
bank or dealer, we agree to comply with such Interpretation and Section 8, 24
and 36 of such Article as though we were such a member and Section 25 of such
Article as it applies to non-member broker or dealer in a foreign country.  We
also confirm that our commitment to purchase Shares pursuant to the
underwriting Agreement will not result in a violation of Rule 15c3-1 under the
Exchange Act or of any restriction imposed upon us by any such exchange or any
governmental authority.

        We agree that we will comply with such prospectus delivery requirements
of rule 15c2-8 under the Exchange Act as are applicable to us.

        This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with
the laws of the State of New York.

        This Agreement is being executed by us and delivered to you in
duplicate.  Please indicate your receipt of identical agreements from each of
the other Underwriters by confirming this Agreement, whereupon it shall
constitute a binding agreement between us.


                                        Very truly yours,
                                        
                                        -----------------------------------
                                        Name of Underwriter
                                        
                                        
                                        
                                        By:
                                           --------------------------------
                                           Authorized Signatory or 
                                           Attorney-in-Fact





                                     -7-
<PAGE>   8
Confirmed as of the date first above mentioned.

S.G.WARBURG & CO. INC.
HOWARD, WEIL, LABOUISSE, FRIEDRICHS INCORPORATED
PETRIE PARKMAN & CO., INC.

By:  S.G.WARBURG & CO. INC.



By:
   ----------------------------------------
   Authorized Signatory or Attorney-in-Fact





                                     -8-


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