BASIN EXPLORATION INC
8-K, 1999-06-18
CRUDE PETROLEUM & NATURAL GAS
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<PAGE>

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

                             --------------------

                                    FORM 8-K

                Current Report Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of
                       the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

         Date of Report (date of earliest event reported): June 17, 1999

                             BASIN EXPLORATION, INC.
               (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)

            Delaware                   0-20125              84-1143307
  (State or Other Jurisdiction       (Commission         (I.R.S. Employer
        of Incorporation)           File Number)        Identification No.)

              370 Seventeenth Street, Suite 3400, Denver, Colorado
            80202 (Address of principal executive offices, zip code)

       Registrant's telephone number, including area code: (303) 685-8000

                                 Not Applicable

           Former Name or Former Address if Changed Since Last Report

<PAGE>

ITEM 7.  FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND EXHIBITS.

    (c)  EXHIBITS

          1.1   Underwriting Agreement

         10.1   Company Indemnity Agreement

         23.1   Consent of Arthur Andersen LLP



                                   SIGNATURES

         Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned hereunto duly authorized.


                                       BASIN EXPLORATION, INC.
                                         (Registrant)

Date: June 17, 1999                    By: /s/ Howard L. Boigon
                                          --------------------------------
                                          Howard L. Boigon
                                          VICE PRESIDENT, GENERAL COUNSEL AND
                                          SECRETARY

                                       -2-

<PAGE>

                                   EXHIBIT INDEX

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Exhibit
Number         Exhibit Description
- -------        -------------------
<S>            <C>
    1.1        Underwriting Agreement

   10.1        Company Indemnity Agreement

   23.1        Consent of Arthur Andersen LLP

</TABLE>


                                       -3-


<PAGE>

                             BASIN EXPLORATION, INC.

                                  COMMON STOCK

                           (PAR VALUE $.01 PER SHARE)

                               ------------------


                             UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT

                                  June 17, 1999

<PAGE>

Goldman, Sachs & Co.,
Banc of America Securities LLC,
Dain Rauscher Wessels,
a division of Dain Rauscher Incorporated,
Petrie Parkman & Co., Inc.,
As representatives of the several Underwriters
named in Schedule I hereto,

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

Ladies and Gentlemen:

         Basin Exploration, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the "Company"),
proposes, subject to the terms and conditions stated herein, to issue and
sell to the Underwriters named in Schedule I hereto (the "Underwriters") an
aggregate of 3,750,000 shares and, at the election of the Underwriters, up to
562,500 additional shares of Common Stock, par value $.01 per share
("Stock"), of the Company, and the stockholder of the Company named in
Schedule II hereto (the "Selling Stockholder") proposes, subject to the terms
and conditions stated herein, to sell to the Underwriters an aggregate of
250,000 shares and, at the election of the Underwriters, up to 37,500
additional shares of Stock. The aggregate of 4,000,000 shares to be sold by
the Company and the Selling Stockholder is herein called the "Firm Shares"
and the aggregate of 600,000 additional shares to be sold by the Company and
the Selling Stockholder is herein called the "Optional Shares". The Firm
Shares and the Optional Shares that the Underwriters elect to purchase
pursuant to Section 2 hereof are herein collectively called the "Shares".

         1.     (a)   The Company and the Selling Stockholder, jointly and
severally, represent and warrant to, and agree with, each of the Underwriters
that:

                (i) A registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-36143)
         (the "Initial Registration Statement") in respect of the Shares has
         been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the
         "Commission"); the Initial Registration Statement and any
         post-effective amendment thereto, each in the form heretofore delivered
         to you and, excluding exhibits thereto but including all documents
         incorporated by reference in the prospectus contained therein, to you
         for each of the other Underwriters, have been declared effective by the
         Commission in such form; other than a registration statement, if any,
         increasing the size of the offering (a "Rule 462(b) Registration
         Statement"), filed pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act of
         1933, as amended (the "Act"), which became effective upon filing, no
         other document with respect to the Initial Registration Statement or
         document incorporated by reference therein has heretofore been filed,
         or transmitted for filing, with the Commission (other than prospectuses
         filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act, each in the Form
         heretofore delivered to the Representatives); and no stop order
         suspending the effectiveness of the Initial Registration Statement, any
         post-effective amendment thereto or the Rule 462(b) Registration
         Statement, if any, has been issued and no proceeding for that purpose
         has been initiated or threatened by the Commission (any preliminary
         prospectus included in the Initial Registration Statement or filed with
         the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(a) of the rules and regulations of
         the Commission under the Act is hereinafter called a "Preliminary
         Prospectus"; the various parts of the Initial Registration Statement
         and the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, if any, including all
         exhibits thereto and including the documents incorporated by reference
         in the prospectus contained in the Initial Registration Statement at
         the time such part of the Initial Registration Statement became
         effective, each as amended at the time such part of the Initial
         Registration Statement became effective or such part of the Rule 462(b)
         Registration Statement, if any, became or hereafter becomes effective,
         are hereinafter collectively called the "Registration Statement"; the
         prospectus used in the offer and sale of the Shares, in the
<PAGE>

         form in which it has most recently been filed, or transmitted for
         filing with the Commission on or prior to the date of this Agreement,
         is hereinafter called the "Prospectus"; any reference herein to any
         Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to
         and include the documents incorporated by reference therein pursuant to
         Item 12 of Form S-3 under the Act, as of the date of such Preliminary
         Prospectus or Prospectus, as the case may be; any reference to any
         amendment or supplement to any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus
         shall be deemed to refer to and include any documents filed after the
         date of such Preliminary Prospectus or Prospectus, as the case may be,
         under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange
         Act"), and incorporated by reference in such Preliminary Prospectus or
         Prospectus, as the case may be; any reference to any amendment to the
         Registration Statement shall be deemed to refer to and include any
         annual report of the Company filed pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d)
         of the Exchange Act after the effective date of the Registration
         Statement that is incorporated by reference in the Registration
         Statement, and any reference to the Prospectus as amended or
         supplemented shall be deemed to refer to the Prospectus as amended or
         supplemented in relation to the Shares in the form in which it is first
         filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act in
         accordance with Section 5(a) hereof, including any documents
         incorporated by reference therein as of the date of such filing;

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

                (iii) The documents incorporated by reference in the Prospectus,
         when they became effective or were filed with the Commission, as the
         case may be, conformed in all material respects to the requirements of
         the Act or the Exchange Act, as applicable, and the rules and
         regulations of the Commission thereunder, and none of such documents
         contained an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a
         material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the
         statements therein not misleading or omitted to state a material fact
         necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the
         circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; and any
         further documents so filed and incorporated by reference in the
         Prospectus or any further amendment or supplement thereto, when such
         documents become effective or are filed with the Commission, as the
         case may be, will conform in all material respects to the requirements
         of the Act or the Exchange Act, as applicable,

                                       2
<PAGE>

         and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder and will
         not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a
         material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the
         statements therein not misleading; provided, however, that this
         representation and warranty shall not apply to any statements or
         omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with information
         furnished in writing to the Company by an Underwriter through
         Goldman, Sachs & Co. expressly for use therein;

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

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

                (vi) Except as otherwise set forth in the Prospectus or such as
         are not material to the financial condition, stockholders' equity,
         business, properties, prospects or results of operations of the Company
         and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, the Company has title to its
         properties as follows: (a) with respect to its wells (including
         leasehold interests and appurtenant personal property), such title is
         free and clear of all liens,

                                       3
<PAGE>

         claims, encumbrances and restrictions, except liens for taxes not yet
         due and payable, and other defects reasonably acceptable to a prudent
         owner or purchaser of producing oil and gas properties; (b) with
         respect to its non-producing oil and gas properties (including
         undeveloped locations on leases held by production and those leases
         not held by production, but excluding exploration prospects not
         situated offshore in state or federal waters), such title, to the
         knowledge of the Company, is free and clear of all liens, claims,
         encumbrances and restrictions except for matters expected to be cured
         in the ordinary course prior to drilling; (c) with respect to its
         non-producing properties in exploration prospects not situated offshore
         in state or federal waters, such title was investigated in accordance
         with customary industry procedures prior to the Company's acquisition
         thereof; (d) with respect to its real property other than oil and gas
         interests, such title is good and marketable; and (e) with respect to
         its personal property other than that appurtenant to its oil and gas
         interests, such title is free and clear of all liens, claims,
         encumbrances and restrictions other than restrictions contained in
         licensing agreements for licensed seismic data;

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

                (viii) The Company has an authorized capitalization as set forth
         in the Prospectus, and all of the issued shares of capital stock of the
         Company have been duly and validly authorized and issued, are fully
         paid and nonassessable and conform to the description of the Stock
         contained in the Prospectus; all of the partnership interests in each
         partnership subsidiary in which the Company or one of its subsidiaries
         is a general partner and all of the issued shares of capital stock of
         each corporate subsidiary of the Company have been duly and validly
         authorized and issued, are fully paid and, in the case of each
         corporate subsidiary, nonassessable, and the Company's interests in
         such subsidiaries (except for directors' qualifying shares and except
         as set forth in the Prospectus) are owned directly or indirectly by the
         Company, free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, equities or claims;

                (ix) The unissued Shares to be issued and sold by the Company to
         the Underwriters hereunder have been duly and validly authorized and,
         when issued and delivered against payment therefor as provided herein,
         will be duly and validly issued and fully paid and nonassessable and
         will conform to the description of the Stock contained in the
         Prospectus;

                (x) The issue and sale of the Shares to be sold by the Company
         and the

                                       4
<PAGE>

         compliance by the Company with all of the provisions of this Agreement
         and the consummation of the transactions herein contemplated will not
         conflict with or result in a breach or violation of (a) any of the
         provisions of the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation
         or By-laws of the Company; (b) any of the terms or provisions of, or
         constitute a default under, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust,
         loan agreement or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or
         any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or any of
         its subsidiaries is bound or to which any of the property or assets of
         the Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject or (c) any statute or
         any order, rule or regulation of any court or governmental agency or
         body having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its subsidiaries or
         any of their properties except in the case of (b) and (c) for such
         breaches, violations and defaults as would not, individually or in the
         aggregate with all other such breaches, violations and defaults, have a
         Material Adverse Effect or affect the validity, performance or
         consummation of this Agreement by the Company; and no consent,
         approval, authorization, order, registration or qualification of or
         with any such court or governmental agency or body is required for the
         issue and sale of the Shares or the consummation by the Company of the
         transactions contemplated by this Agreement, except the registration
         under the Act of the Shares and such consents, approvals,
         authorizations, registrations or qualifications as may be required
         under state securities or Blue Sky laws in connection with the purchase
         and distribution of the Shares by the Underwriters;

                (xi) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is in
         violation of its certificate of incorporation, by-laws or other
         organizational documents or in default in the performance or observance
         of any material obligation, agreement, covenant or condition contained
         in any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement, lease or
         other agreement or instrument to which it is a party or by which it or
         any of its properties may be bound except, other than in respect of the
         Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Company and
         the Bylaws of the Company, for such breaches, violations and defaults
         as would not, individually or in the aggregate with all other such
         breaches, violations and defaults, have a Material Adverse Effect or
         affect the validity, performance or consummation of this Agreement by
         the Company;

                (xii) The statements set forth in the Prospectus under the
         caption "Description of Common Stock", insofar as they purport to
         constitute a summary of the terms of the Stock, are accurate and
         complete;

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

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

                                       5
<PAGE>

                (xv) Neither the Company nor any of its affiliates does business
         with the government of Cuba or with any person or affiliate located in
         Cuba within the meaning of Section 517.075, Florida Statutes;

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

                (xvii) The factual information underlying the estimates of the
         oil and gas reserve information of the Company and its subsidiaries
         included or incorporated by reference in the Prospectus (the "Reserve
         Information"), including such information supplied by the Company to
         Ryder Scott & Company ("Ryder Scott") and Netherland Sewell &
         Associates, Inc. ("Netherland Sewell"), independent petroleum
         engineers, for purposes of preparing and or auditing the Reserve
         Information, and including, without limitation, historical production
         volumes, sales prices for production, contractual pricing provisions
         under oil or gas sales or marketing contracts, incurred costs of
         operations and development, and working interest and net revenue
         information relating to the Company's ownership interests in
         properties, was accurate and complete in all material respects on the
         date of such Reserve Information; the estimates of future capital
         expenditures and other future exploration and development costs
         supplied to Ryder Scott and Netherland Sewell were prepared in good
         faith and with a reasonable basis; the information provided by Ryder
         Scott for purposes of preparing the Reserve Information was prepared in
         accordance with customary industry practices; Ryder Scott and
         Netherland Sewell were, as of the date of the Reserve Information was
         prepared and/or audited by them, and are, as of the date hereof,
         independent petroleum engineers with respect to the Company and its
         subsidiaries; other than normal production of the reserves, intervening
         spot market product price fluctuations and other factors described
         under "Risk Factors" in the Prospectus, the Company is not aware of any
         facts or circumstances that would result in a material adverse change
         in the Reserve Information in the aggregate, or the aggregate present
         value of future net cash flows therefrom, as described in the
         Prospectus or reflected in the Reserve Information; the terminology,
         estimates of such reserves and the present value of the future net cash
         flows therefrom, as described in the Prospectus and reflected in the
         Reserve Information comply in all material respects with the applicable
         requirements of Regulation S-X, Industry Guide 2 under the Act and
         general practices in the oil and gas industry;

                (xviii) The Company and its subsidiaries (A) are in compliance
         with any and all applicable federal, state and local laws and
         regulations relating to the protection of human health and safety, the
         environment or hazardous or toxic substances or waste, pollutants or
         contaminants ("Environmental Laws"), (B) have received all permits,
         licenses or other approvals required under applicable Environmental
         Laws necessary to conduct their respective businesses and (C) are in
         compliance with all terms and conditions of any such permit, license or
         approval, except for such noncompliance with Environmental Laws,
         failure to receive required permits, licenses or other approvals or

                                       6
<PAGE>

         failure to comply with the terms and conditions of such permits,
         licenses or approvals that would not, singularly or in the aggregate,
         have a material adverse effect on the prospects, financial position,
         stockholders' equity or results of operations of the Company and its
         subsidiaries, taken as a whole ("Material Adverse Effect"). There has
         been no storage, disposal, generation, transportation, handling or
         treatment of hazardous substances or solid wastes by the Company or
         any of its subsidiaries (or to the knowledge of the Company and its
         subsidiaries, any of their respective predecessors in interest) at,
         upon or from any of the property now or previously owned or leased
         by the Company or any subsidiary in violation of any applicable law,
         ordinance, rule, regulation, order, judgment, decree or permit, or
         which would require remedial action by the Company or any subsidiary
         under any applicable law, ordinance, rule, regulation, order, judgment,
         decree or permit, except for any violation or remedial action which has
         already been remedied, has been assumed by a third party, or which
         would not result in, or which would not be reasonably likely to result
         in, singularly or in the aggregate with all such violations and
         remedial actions, a Material Adverse Effect; there has been no spill,
         discharge, leak, emission, injection, escape, dumping or release of any
         kind onto such property or into the environment surrounding such
         property of any solid wastes or hazardous substances due to or caused
         by the Company or any subsidiary, except for any such spill, discharge,
         leak, emission, injection, escape, dumping or release which has already
         been remedied, has been assumed by a third party, or which would not
         result in or would not be reasonably likely to result in, singularly or
         in the aggregate with all such spills, discharges, leaks, emissions,
         injections, escapes, dumping or releases, a Material Adverse Effect;

                (xix) The Company and each of its subsidiaries is in possession
         of, and operating in compliance with, all concessions, licenses,
         franchises, permits, authorizations, approvals and orders of and from
         all governmental and regulatory agencies and bodies that are required
         for the conduct of their respective businesses as currently operated
         and as described in the Prospectus, except when the failure to be in
         possession of, or to have obtained, such concessions, licenses,
         franchises, permits, authorizations, approvals and orders would not
         have a Material Adverse Effect; and such businesses are conducted in
         compliance with all applicable laws and regulations, except when such
         non-compliance would not have a Material Adverse Effect;

                (xx) The Company is in the process of conducting a review of its
         operations and that of its subsidiaries and any third parties with
         which the Company or any of its subsidiaries has a material
         relationship to evaluate the extent to which the business or operations
         of the Company or any of its subsidiaries will be affected by the Year
         2000 Problem. As a result of such review, the Company has no reason to
         believe, and does not believe, that the Year 2000 Problem will have a
         Material Adverse Effect or result in any material loss or interference
         with the Company's business or operations. The "Year 2000 Problem" as
         used herein means any significant risk that computer hardware or
         software used in the receipt, transmission, processing, manipulation,
         storage, retrieval, retransmission or other utilization of data or in
         the operation of mechanical or electrical systems of any kind will not,
         in the case of dates or time periods occurring after

                                       7
<PAGE>

         December 31, 1999, function at least as effectively as in the case of
         dates or time periods occurring prior to January 1, 2000.

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

                (i) All consents, approvals, authorizations and orders necessary
         for the execution and delivery by him of this Agreement and the Custody
         Agreement hereinafter referred to, and for the sale and delivery of the
         Shares to be sold by him hereunder, have been obtained; and he has full
         right, power and authority to enter into this Agreement, the Custody
         Agreement and to sell, assign, transfer and deliver the Shares to be
         sold by him hereunder;

                (ii) The sale of the Shares to be sold by him hereunder and the
         compliance by him with all of the provisions of this Agreement and the
         Custody Agreement and the consummation of the transactions herein and
         therein contemplated will not conflict with or result in a breach or
         violation of any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a default
         under, any statute, indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement
         or other agreement or instrument to which he is a party or by which he
         is bound or to which any of his property or assets is subject, nor will
         such action result in any violation of the provisions of any statute or
         any order, rule or regulation of any court or governmental agency or
         body having jurisdiction over him or his property;

                (iii) He has, and immediately prior to each Time of Delivery (as
         defined in Section 4 hereof) he will have, good and valid title to the
         Shares to be sold by him hereunder, free and clear of all liens,
         encumbrances, equities or claims; and, upon delivery of such Shares and
         payment therefor pursuant hereto, good and valid title to such Shares,
         free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, equities or claims, will
         pass to the several Underwriters;

                (iv) During the period beginning from the date hereof and
         continuing to and including the date 90 days after the date of the
         Prospectus, he will not offer, sell, contract to sell or otherwise
         dispose of, except as provided hereunder, any securities of the Company
         that are substantially similar to the Shares, including but not limited
         to any securities that are convertible into or exchangeable for, or
         that represent the right to receive, Stock or any such substantially
         similar securities (other than pursuant to employee equity incentive
         plans existing on, or upon the conversion or exchange of convertible or
         exchangeable securities outstanding as of, the date of this Agreement),
         without your prior written consent;

                (v) He has not taken and will not take, directly or indirectly,
         any action which is designed to or which has constituted or which might
         reasonably be expected to cause or result in stabilization or
         manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate
         the sale or resale of the Shares;

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

                                       8
<PAGE>

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

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

                (viii) Certificates in negotiable form representing all of the
         Shares to be sold by him hereunder have been placed in custody under a
         Custody Agreement, in the form heretofore furnished to you (the
         "Custody Agreement"), duly executed and delivered by him to Corporate
         Stock Transfer, Inc., as custodian (the "Custodian").

         2. Subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, (a) the
Company and the Selling Stockholder agree, severally and not jointly, to sell to
each of the Underwriters, and each of the Underwriters agrees, severally and not
jointly, to purchase from the Company and the Selling Stockholder, at a purchase
price per share of $15.56, the number of Firm Shares (to be adjusted by you so
as to eliminate fractional shares) determined by multiplying the aggregate
number of Shares to be sold by the Company and the Selling Stockholder as set
forth opposite their respective names in Schedule II hereto by a fraction, the
numerator of which is the aggregate number of Firm Shares to be purchased by
such Underwriter as set forth opposite the name of such Underwriter in Schedule
I hereto and the denominator of which is the aggregate number of Firm Shares to
be purchased by all of the Underwriters from the Company and the Selling
Stockholder hereunder and (b) in the event and to the extent that the
Underwriters shall exercise the election to purchase Optional Shares as provided
below, the Company and the Selling Stockholder agree, severally and not jointly,
to sell to each of the Underwriters, and each of the Underwriters agrees,
severally and not jointly, to purchase from the Company and the Selling
Stockholder, at the purchase price per share set forth in clause (a) of this
Section 2, that portion of the number of Optional Shares as to which such
election shall have been exercised (to be adjusted by you so as to eliminate
fractional shares) determined by multiplying such number of Optional Shares by a
fraction the numerator of which is the maximum number of Optional Shares which
such Underwriter is entitled to purchase as set forth opposite the name of such
Underwriter in Schedule I hereto and the denominator of which is the maximum
number of Optional Shares that all of the Underwriters are entitled to purchase
hereunder.

         The Company and the Selling Stockholder, as and to the extent indicated
in Schedule II hereto, hereby grant, severally and not jointly, to the
Underwriters the right to purchase at their

                                       9
<PAGE>

election up to 562,500 Optional Shares, at the purchase price per share set
forth in the paragraph above, for the sole purpose of covering sales of
shares in excess of the number of Firm Shares. Any such election to purchase
Optional Shares shall be made in proportion to the maximum number of Optional
Shares to be sold by the Company and the Selling Stockholder as set forth in
Schedule II hereto. Any such election to purchase Optional Shares may be
exercised only by written notice from you to the Company and the Selling
Stockholder, given within a period of 30 calendar days after the date of this
Agreement and setting forth the aggregate number of Optional Shares to be
purchased and the date on which such Optional Shares are to be delivered, as
determined by you but in no event earlier than the First Time of Delivery (as
defined in Section 4 hereof) or, unless you and the Company and the Selling
Stockholder otherwise agree in writing, earlier than two or later than ten
business days after the date of such notice.

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

         4. (a) The Shares to be purchased by each Underwriter hereunder, in
definitive form, and in such authorized denominations and registered in such
names as Goldman, Sachs & Co. may request upon at least forty-eight hours'
prior notice to the Company and the Selling Stockholder shall be delivered by
or on behalf of the Company and the Selling Stockholder to Goldman, Sachs &
Co., through the facilities of The Depository Trust Company ("DTC"), for the
account of such Underwriter, against payment by or on behalf of such
Underwriter of the purchase price therefor by wire transfer of Federal
(same-day) funds to the accounts specified by the Company and the Selling
Stockholder, respectively, to Goldman, Sachs & Co. at least forty-eight hours
in advance. The Company will cause the certificates representing the Shares
to be made available for checking and packaging at least twenty-four hours
prior to the Time of Delivery (as defined below) with respect thereto at the
office of DTC or its designated custodian (the "Designated Office"). The time
and date of such delivery and payment shall be, with respect to the Firm
Shares, 9:30 a.m., New York time, on June 23, 1999 or such other time and
date as Goldman, Sachs & Co. and the Company may agree upon in writing, and,
with respect to the Optional Shares, 9:30 a.m., New York time, on the date
specified by Goldman, Sachs & Co. in the written notice given by Goldman,
Sachs & Co. of the Underwriters' election to purchase such Optional Shares,
or such other time and date as Goldman, Sachs & Co. and the Company may agree
upon in writing. Such time and date for delivery of the Firm Shares is herein
called the "First Time of Delivery", such time and date for delivery of the
Optional Shares, if not the First Time of Delivery, is herein called the
"Second Time of Delivery", and each such time and date for delivery is herein
called a "Time of Delivery".

         (b) The documents to be delivered at each Time of Delivery by or on
behalf of the parties hereto pursuant to Section 7 hereof, including the
cross-receipt for the Shares and any additional documents requested by the
Underwriters pursuant to Section 7(m) hereof, will be delivered at the
offices of Davis, Graham & Stubbs LLP, 370 17th Street, Denver, Colorado
80202 (the "Closing Location"), and the Shares will be delivered at the
Designated Office, all at such Time of Delivery. A meeting will be held at
the Closing Location at 2:00 p.m., New York

                                       10
<PAGE>

City time, on the New York Business Day next preceding such Time of Delivery,
at which meeting the final drafts of the documents to be delivered pursuant
to the preceding sentence will be available for review by the parties hereto.
For the purposes of this Section 4, "New York Business Day" shall mean each
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday which is not a day on which
banking institutions in New York are generally authorized or obligated by law
or executive order to close.

         5. The Company and the Selling Stockholder, jointly and severally,
agree with each of the Underwriters:

                (a) To prepare the Prospectus in a form approved by you and to
         file such Prospectus pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act not later
         than the Commission's close of business on the second business day
         following the execution and delivery of this Agreement, or, if
         applicable, such earlier time as may be required by Rule 430A(a)(3)
         under the Act; to make no further amendment or any supplement to the
         Registration Statement or Prospectus prior to the last Time of Delivery
         which shall be disapproved by you promptly after reasonable notice
         thereof; to advise you, promptly after it receives notice thereof, of
         the time when any amendment to the Registration Statement has been
         filed or becomes effective or any supplement to the Prospectus or any
         amended Prospectus has been filed and to furnish you with copies
         thereof; to file promptly all reports and any definitive proxy or
         information statements required to be filed by the Company with the
         Commission pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the
         Exchange Act subsequent to the date of the Prospectus and for so long
         as the delivery of a prospectus is required in connection with the
         offering or sale of the Shares; to advise you, promptly after it
         receives notice thereof, of the issuance by the Commission of any stop
         order or of any order preventing or suspending the use of any
         Preliminary Prospectus or prospectus, of the suspension of the
         qualification of the Shares for offering or sale in any jurisdiction,
         of the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for any such
         purpose, or of any request by the Commission for the amending or
         supplementing of the Registration Statement or Prospectus or for
         additional information; and, in the event of the issuance of any stop
         order or of any order preventing or suspending the use of any
         Preliminary Prospectus or prospectus or suspending any such
         qualification, promptly to use its best efforts to obtain the
         withdrawal of such order;

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

                (c) Prior to 10:00 a.m., New York City time, on the New York
         Business Day next succeeding the date of this Agreement and from time
         to time, to furnish the Underwriters with copies of the Prospectus in
         New York City in such quantities as you may reasonably request, and, if
         the delivery of a prospectus is required at any time prior

                                       11
<PAGE>

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

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

                (e) During the period beginning from the date hereof and
         continuing to and including the date 90 days after the date of the
         Prospectus, not to offer, sell, contract to sell or otherwise dispose
         of, except as provided hereunder, any securities of the Company that
         are substantially similar to the Shares, including but not limited to
         any securities that are convertible into or exchangeable for, or that
         represent the right to receive, Stock or any such substantially similar
         securities (other than the issuance of Stock by the Company pursuant to
         employee incentive plans existing, and warrants issued and outstanding,
         on the date of this Agreement), without your prior written consent;

                (f) To furnish to its stockholders as soon as practicable after
         the end of each fiscal year an annual report (including a balance sheet
         and statements of income, stockholders' equity and cash flows of the
         Company and its consolidated subsidiaries certified by independent
         public accountants) and, as soon as practicable after the end of each
         of the first three quarters of each fiscal year (beginning with the
         fiscal quarter ending after the effective date of the Registration
         Statement), to make available to its stockholders consolidated summary
         financial information of the Company and its subsidiaries for such
         quarter in reasonable detail;

                (g) During a period of five years from the effective date of the
         Registration Statement, to furnish to you copies of all reports or
         other communications (financial or

                                       12
<PAGE>

         other) furnished to stockholders, and to deliver to you (i) as soon as
         they are available, copies of any reports and financial statements
         furnished to or filed with the Commission or any national securities
         exchange on which any class of securities of the Company is listed; and
         (ii) for so long as the Company is required to file periodic reports
         with the Commission pursuant to the Exchange Act, such additional
         information concerning the business and financial condition of the
         Company as you may from time to time reasonably request (such financial
         statements to be on a consolidated basis to the extent the accounts of
         the Company and its subsidiaries are consolidated in reports furnished
         to its stockholders generally or to the Commission);

                (h) To use the net proceeds received by the Company from the
         sale of the Shares pursuant to this Agreement in the manner specified
         in the Prospectus under the caption "Use of Proceeds";

                (i) To use its best efforts to list for quotation the Shares on
         the National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations
         National Market System ("NASDAQ"); and

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

         6. (a) The Company covenants and agrees with the several
Underwriters that the Company will pay or cause to be paid the following: (i)
the fees, disbursements and expenses of the Company's counsel and accountants
in connection with the registration of the Shares under the Act and all other
expenses in connection with the preparation, printing and filing of the
Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus and
amendments and supplements thereto and the mailing and delivering of copies
thereof to the Underwriters and dealers; (ii) the cost of printing or
producing any Agreement among Underwriters, this Agreement, the Blue Sky
Memorandum, closing documents (including any compilations thereof) and any
other documents in connection with the offering, purchase, sale and delivery
of the Shares; (iii) all expenses in connection with the qualification of the
Shares for offering and sale under state securities laws as provided in
Section 5(b) hereof, including the fees and disbursements of counsel for the
Underwriters in connection with such qualification and in connection with the
Blue Sky survey; (iv) all fees and expenses in connection with listing the
Shares on NASDAQ; and (v) the filing fees incident to, and the fees and
disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters in connection with, securing
any required review by the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc.
of the terms of the sale of the Shares. (b) The Company covenants and agrees
with the several Underwriters that the Company will pay or cause to be paid:
(i) the cost of preparing stock certificates; (ii) the cost and charges of
any transfer agent or registrar and (iii) all other costs and expenses
incident to the performance of its obligations hereunder which are not
otherwise specifically provided for in this Section. (c) The Company and the
Selling Stockholder, jointly and severally, covenant and agree that the
Selling

                                       13
<PAGE>

Stockholder will pay or cause to be paid all costs and expenses incident to
the performance of the Selling Stockholder's obligations hereunder which are
not otherwise specifically provided for in this Section, including (i) any
fees and expenses of counsel for such Selling Stockholder, (ii) the fees and
expenses of the Custodian and (iii) all expenses and taxes incident to the
sale and delivery of the Shares to be sold by the Selling Stockholder to the
Underwriters hereunder. In connection with clause (c)(iii) of the preceding
sentence, the Selling Stockholder agrees to reimburse Goldman, Sachs & Co.
for any Colorado stock transfer tax it may incur. It is understood, however,
that, except as provided in this Section and Sections 8 and 11 hereof, the
Underwriters will pay all of their own costs and expenses, including the fees
of their counsel, stock transfer taxes on resale of any of the Shares by them
and any advertising expenses connected with any offers they may make.

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

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

                (b) Sullivan & Cromwell, counsel for the Underwriters, shall
         have furnished to you such written opinion or opinions (a draft of each
         such opinion is attached as Annex II(a) hereto), dated such Time of
         Delivery, with respect to the matters covered in paragraphs (i), (ii),
         (iii), (vi), (viii) and (ix) of subsection (c) below as well as such
         other related matters as you may reasonably request, and such counsel
         shall have received such papers and information as they may reasonably
         request to enable them to pass upon such matters;

                (c) Davis, Graham & Stubbs LLP, counsel for the Company, shall
         have furnished to you their written opinion (a draft of such opinion is
         attached as Annex II(b) hereto), dated such Time of Delivery, in form
         and substance satisfactory to you, to the effect that:

                      (i) The Company has been duly incorporated and is validly
                existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the
                state of Delaware, with corporate power and authority to own its
                properties and conduct its business as described in the
                Prospectus;

                      (ii) The Company has an authorized capitalization as set
                forth in the

                                       14
<PAGE>

                Prospectus, and all of the issued shares of capital stock of
                the Company (including the Shares being delivered at such Time
                of Delivery) have been duly and validly authorized and issued
                and are fully paid and nonassessable; and the description
                of the Shares conforms in all material respects to the
                description of the Stock contained or incorporated by reference
                in the Prospectus;

                      (iii) This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed
                and delivered by the Company;

                      (iv) The issue and sale of the Shares being delivered at
                such Time of Delivery to be sold by the Company and the
                compliance by the Company with all of the provisions of this
                Agreement and the consummation of the transactions herein
                contemplated will not conflict with or result in a breach or
                violation of any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a
                default under, any agreement or instrument included or
                incorporated by reference as an exhibit to the Registration
                Statement, nor will such action result in any violation of the
                provisions of the Amended and Restated Certificate of
                Incorporation or By-laws of the Company 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 Company
                or any of its subsidiaries or any of their properties; except,
                other than in respect of the Amended and Restated Certificate of
                Incorporation and Bylaws of the Company, for such conflicts,
                breaches and violations as would not, individually or in the
                aggregate with such other conflicts, breaches and violations,
                have a Material Adverse Effect or affect the validity,
                performance or consummation of this Agreement by the Company;

                      (v) No consent, approval, authorization, order,
                registration or qualification of or with any such court or
                governmental agency or body is required for the issue and sale
                of the Shares or the consummation by the Company of the
                transactions contemplated by this Agreement, except the
                registration under the Act of the Shares, and such consents,
                approvals, authorizations, registrations or qualifications as
                may be required under state securities or Blue Sky laws in
                connection with the purchase and distribution of the Shares by
                the Underwriters;

                      (vi) The statements set forth in the Prospectus under the
                caption "Description of Capital Stock", insofar as they purport
                to constitute a summary of the terms of the Stock, are accurate
                and complete in all material respects;

                      (vii) The Company is not an "investment company", as such
                term is defined in the Investment Company Act;

                      (viii) The documents incorporated by reference in the
                Prospectus or any further amendment or supplement thereto made
                by the Company prior to such Time of Delivery (other than the
                financial statements and related schedules therein and other
                than operational and production data and reserve information
                therein, as to which such counsel need express no opinion), when
                they became effective or were filed with the Commission, as the
                case may be, complied as to form in all

                                       15
<PAGE>

                material respects with the requirements of the Act or the
                Exchange Act, as applicable, and the rules and regulations of
                the Commission thereunder; and they have no reason to believe
                that any of such documents, when such documents became effective
                or were so filed, as the case may be, contained, in the case of
                a registration statement which became effective under the Act,
                an untrue statement of a material fact, or omitted to state a
                material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to
                make the statements therein not misleading, or, in the case of
                other documents which were filed under the Exchange Act with the
                Commission, an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted
                to state a material fact necessary in order to make the
                statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under
                which they were made when such documents were so filed, not
                misleading; and

                      (ix) The Registration Statement and the Prospectus and any
                further amendments and supplements thereto made by the Company
                prior to such Time of Delivery (other than the financial
                statements and related schedules therein and other than
                operational and production data and reserve information therein,
                as to which such counsel need express no opinion) comply as to
                form in all material respects with the requirements of the Act
                and the rules and regulations thereunder; although they do not
                assume any responsibility for the accuracy, completeness or
                fairness of the statements contained in the Registration
                Statement or the Prospectus, except for those referred to in the
                opinion in subsection (vi) of this Section 7(c), they have no
                reason to believe that, as of its effective date, the
                Registration Statement or any further amendment thereto made by
                the Company prior to such Time of Delivery (other than the
                financial statements and related schedules therein and other
                than operational and production data and reserve information
                therein, as to which such counsel need express no opinion)
                contained an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to
                state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary
                to make the statements therein not misleading or that, as of its
                date, the Prospectus or any further amendment or supplement
                thereto made by the Company prior to such Time of Delivery
                (other than the financial statements and related schedules
                therein and other than operational and production data and
                reserve information therein, as to which such counsel need
                express no opinion) contained an untrue statement of a material
                fact or omitted to state a material fact necessary to make the
                statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under
                which they were made, not misleading or that, as of such Time of
                Delivery, either the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or
                any further amendment or supplement thereto made by the Company
                prior to such Time of Delivery (other than the financial
                statements and related schedules therein and other than
                operational and production data and reserve information therein,
                as to which such counsel need express no opinion) contains an
                untrue statement of a material fact or omits to state a material
                fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of
                the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading;
                and they do not know of any amendment to the Registration
                Statement required to be filed in order for the Registration
                Statement to comply as

                                       16
<PAGE>

                to form in all material respects with the requirements of the
                Act and the rules and regulations thereunder or of any contracts
                or other documents of a character required to be filed as an
                exhibit to the Registration Statement or required to be
                incorporated by reference into the Prospectus or required to be
                described in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus which
                are not filed or incorporated by reference or described as
                required;

                (d) Howard L. Boigon, Esq., General Counsel of the Company, in
         his capacity as General Counsel, shall have furnished to you his
         written opinion (a draft of such opinion is attached as Annex II(c)
         hereto), dated such Time of Delivery, in form and substance
         satisfactory to you, to the effect that:

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

                      (ii) Each subsidiary of the Company has been duly
                incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation in good
                standing under the laws of its jurisdiction of incorporation or
                has been duly organized and is validly existing as a general or
                limited partnership under the laws of its jurisdiction of
                organization; all of the partnership interests in each
                partnership subsidiary in which the Company or one of its
                subsidiaries is a general partner and all of the issued shares
                of capital stock of each corporate subsidiary of the Company
                have been duly and validly authorized and issued, are fully paid
                and, in the case of each corporate subsidiary, nonassessable,
                and (except for directors' qualifying shares and except as
                otherwise set forth in the Prospectus) are owned directly or
                indirectly by the Company, free and clear of all liens,
                encumbrances, equities or claims (such counsel being entitled to
                rely in respect of the opinion in this clause upon opinions of
                local counsel and in respect of matters of fact upon
                certificates of officers of the Company or its subsidiaries,
                provided that such counsel shall state that they believe that
                both you and they are justified in relying upon such opinions
                and certificates);

                      (iii) To the best of such counsel's knowledge, the Company
                and each of its subsidiaries is in possession of, and operating
                in compliance with, all concessions, licenses, franchises,
                permits, authorizations, approvals and orders of and from all
                governmental and regulatory agencies and bodies that are
                required for the conduct of their respective businesses as
                currently operated and as described in the Prospectus, except
                when the failure to be in possession of, or to have obtained,
                such concessions, licenses, franchises, permits, authorizations,
                approvals and orders would not have a Material Adverse Effect;
                and, to the best of such counsel's knowledge, such businesses
                are conducted in compliance with all

                                       17
<PAGE>

                applicable laws and regulations, except when such non-compliance
                would not have a Material Adverse Effect;

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

                      (v) The issue and sale of the Shares being delivered at
                such Time of Delivery to be sold by the Company and the
                compliance by the Company with all of the provisions of this
                Agreement and the consummation of the transactions herein
                contemplated will not conflict with or result in a breach or
                violation of any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a
                default under, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan
                agreement or other agreement or instrument known to such counsel
                to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by
                which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is bound or to
                which any of the property or assets of the Company or any of its
                subsidiaries is subject, nor will such action result in any
                violation of the provisions of the Amended and Restated
                Certificate of Incorporation or Bylaws of the Company 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 Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of their
                properties except, other than in respect of the Amended and
                Restated Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws of the Company,
                for such conflicts, breaches and violations as would not,
                individually or in the aggregate with such other conflicts,
                breaches and violations, have a Material Adverse Effect or
                affect the validity, performance or consummation of this
                Agreement by the Company;

                      (vi) To the best of such counsel's knowledge, neither the
                Company nor any of its subsidiaries is in violation of its
                certificate of incorporation, by-laws or other organizational
                documents or in default in the performance or observance of any
                material obligation, agreement, covenant or condition contained
                in any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement, or
                lease or agreement or other instrument to which it is a party or
                by which it or any of its properties may be bound except, other
                than in respect of the Amended and Restated Certificate of
                Incorporation and Bylaws of the Company, for such violations and
                defaults as would not, individually or in the aggregate with
                such other violations and defaults, have a Material Adverse
                Effect or affect the validity, performance or consummation of
                this Agreement by the Company;

                      (vii) Such counsel has no reason to believe that any of
                the documents incorporated by reference into the Prospectus
                (other than the financial statements

                                       18
<PAGE>

                and related schedules therein and other than operational and
                production data and reserve information therein, as to which
                such counsel need express no opinion), when such documents
                became effective or were so filed, as the case may be,
                contained, in the case of a registration statement which became
                effective under the Act, an untrue statement of a material fact,
                or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated
                therein or necessary to make the statements therein not
                misleading, or, in the case of other documents which were filed
                under the Exchange Act with the Commission, an untrue statement
                of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact necessary
                in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the
                circumstances under which they were made when such documents
                were so filed, not misleading; and

                      (viii) Although such counsel does not assume any
                responsibility for the accuracy, completeness or fairness of the
                statements contained in the Registration Statement or the
                Prospectus, he has no reason to believe that, as of its
                effective date, the Registration Statement or any further
                amendment thereto made by the Company prior to such Time of
                Delivery (other than the financial statements and related
                schedules therein and other than operational and production data
                and reserve information therein, as to which such counsel need
                express no opinion) contained an untrue statement of a material
                fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated
                therein or necessary to make the statements therein not
                misleading or that, as of its date, the Prospectus or any
                further amendment or supplement thereto made by the Company
                prior to such Time of Delivery (other than the financial
                statements and related schedules therein and other than
                operational and production data and reserve information therein,
                as to which such counsel need express no opinion) contained an
                untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a
                material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the
                light of the circumstances under which they were made, not
                misleading or that, as of such Time of Delivery, either the
                Registration Statement or the Prospectus or any further
                amendment or supplement thereto made by the Company prior to
                such Time of Delivery (other than the financial statements and
                related schedules therein and other than operational and
                production data and reserve information therein, as to which
                such counsel need express no opinion) contains an untrue
                statement of a material fact or omits to state a material fact
                necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the
                circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; and
                such counsel does not know of any amendment to the Registration
                Statement required to be filed or of any contracts or other
                documents of a character required to be filed as an exhibit to
                the Registration Statement or required to be incorporated by
                reference into the Prospectus or required to be described in the
                Registration Statement or the Prospectus which are not filed or
                incorporated by reference or described as required;

                (e) Davis, Graham & Stubbs LLP, counsel for the Selling
         Stockholder, as indicated in Schedule II hereto, shall have furnished
         to you their written opinion with

                                       19
<PAGE>

         respect to the Selling Stockholder (a draft of such opinion is attached
         as Annex II(d) hereto), dated such Time of Delivery, in form and
         substance satisfactory to you, to the effect that:

                      (i) A Custody Agreement has been duly executed and
                delivered by the Selling Stockholder and constitutes a valid and
                binding agreement of the Selling Stockholder in accordance with
                its terms;

                      (ii) This Agreement has been duly executed and delivered
                by or on behalf of the Selling Stockholder; and the sale of the
                Shares to be sold by the Selling Stockholder hereunder and the
                compliance by the Selling Stockholder with all of the provisions
                of this Agreement and the Custody Agreement and the consummation
                of the transactions herein and therein contemplated will not
                conflict with or result in a breach or violation of any terms or
                provisions of, or constitute a default under, any statute,
                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 action
                result in any violation of the provisions of 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 of the Selling Stockholder;

                      (iii) No consent, approval, authorization or order of any
                court or governmental agency or body is required for the
                consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement
                in connection with the Shares to be sold by the Selling
                Stockholder hereunder, except such as have been obtained under
                the Act and such as may be required under state securities or
                Blue Sky laws in connection with the purchase and distribution
                of such Shares by the Underwriters;

                      (iv) Immediately prior to such Time of Delivery, the
                Selling Stockholder had good title to the Shares to be sold at
                such Time of Delivery by the Selling Stockholder under this
                Agreement, free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, equities
                or claims, and full right, power and authority to sell, assign,
                transfer and deliver the Shares to be sold by the Selling
                Stockholder hereunder; and

                      (v) Good title to such Shares, free and clear of all
                liens, encumbrances, equities or claims, has been transferred to
                each of the several Underwriters who have purchased such Shares
                in good faith and without notice of any such lien, encumbrance,
                equity or claim or any other adverse claim within the meaning of
                the Uniform Commercial Code.

         In rendering the opinion in paragraph (iv), such counsel may rely upon
a certificate of the Selling Stockholder in respect of matters of fact as to
ownership of, and liens, encumbrances, equities or claims on, the Shares sold by
the Selling Stockholder, provided that such counsel shall state that they
believe that both you and they are justified in relying upon such certificate;

                (f) On the date of the Prospectus at a time prior to the
         execution of this

                                       20
<PAGE>

         Agreement, at 9:30 a.m., New York City time, on the effective date of
         any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement filed
         subsequent to the date of this Agreement and also at each Time of
         Delivery, Arthur Andersen LLP shall have furnished to you a letter or
         letters, dated the respective dates of delivery thereof, in form and
         substance satisfactory to you, to the effect set forth in Annex I
         hereto (the executed copy of the letter delivered prior to the
         execution of this Agreement is attached as Annex I(a) hereto and a
         draft of the form of letter to be delivered on the effective date of
         any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement and as of
         each Time of Delivery is attached as Annex I(b) hereto);

                (g) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries shall have
         sustained since the date of the latest audited financial statements
         included or incorporated by reference in the Prospectus any loss or
         interference with its business from fire, explosion, flood or other
         calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor
         dispute or court or governmental action, order or decree, otherwise
         than as set forth or contemplated in the Prospectus, and (ii) since the
         respective dates as of which information is given in the Prospectus
         there shall not have been any change in the capital stock or long-term
         debt of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any change, or any
         development involving a prospective change, in or affecting the general
         affairs, management, financial position, stockholders' equity or
         results of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries, otherwise
         than as set forth or contemplated in the Prospectus, the effect of
         which, in any such case described in clause (i) or (ii), is in the
         judgment of the representatives so material and adverse as to make it
         impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the public offering or
         the delivery of the Shares being delivered at such Time of Delivery on
         the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Prospectus;

                (h) Ryder Scott and Netherland Sewell shall have each delivered
         to you at each Time of Delivery a letter, dated the date of such Time
         of Delivery, in each case in form and substance reasonably satisfactory
         to you, stating, as of the date of such letter (or, with respect to
         matters involving changes or developments since the respective dates as
         of which specified information with respect to the oil and gas reserves
         is given or incorporated in the Prospectus as of the date not more than
         five days prior to the date of such letter), their respective
         conclusions and findings with respect to the oil and gas reserves of
         the Company;

                (i) On or after the date hereof, there shall not have occurred
         any of the following: (i) a suspension or material limitation in
         trading in securities generally on the New York Stock Exchange or on
         NASDAQ; (ii) a suspension or material limitation in trading in the
         Company's securities on NASDAQ; (iii) a general moratorium on
         commercial banking activities declared by either Federal or New York
         State authorities; or (iv) the outbreak or escalation of hostilities
         involving the United States or the declaration by the United States of
         a national emergency or war, if the effect of any such event specified
         in this clause (iv) in the judgment of the Representatives makes it
         impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the public offering or the
         delivery of the Shares being delivered at such Time of Delivery on the
         terms and in the manner contemplated in the Prospectus;

                (j) The Shares at such Time of Delivery shall have been duly
         listed for quotation

                                       21
<PAGE>

         on NASDAQ;

                (k) The Company has obtained and delivered to the Underwriters
         executed copies of an agreement from each person listed under the
         caption "Management" in the Prospectus, substantially to the effect set
         forth in Subsection 1(b)(iv) hereof in form and substance satisfactory
         to you;

                (l) The Company shall have complied with the provisions of
         Section 5(c) hereof with respect to the furnishing of prospectuses on
         the New York Business Day next succeeding the date of this Agreement;
         and

                (m) The Company and the Selling Stockholder shall have each
         furnished or caused to be furnished to you at such Time of Delivery
         certificates of officers of the Company and a certificate of the
         Selling Stockholder satisfactory to you as to the accuracy of the
         representations and warranties of the Company and the Selling
         Stockholder, respectively, herein at and as of such Time of Delivery,
         as to the performance by the Company and the Selling Stockholder of all
         of their respective obligations hereunder to be performed at or prior
         to such Time of Delivery, and as to such other matters as you may
         reasonably request, and the Company shall have furnished or caused to
         be furnished certificates as to the matters set forth in subsections
         (a) and (g) of this Section.

         8. (a) The Company and the Selling Stockholder, jointly and
severally, will indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter against any
losses, claims, damages or liabilities, joint or several, to which such
Underwriter may become subject, under the Act or otherwise, insofar as such
losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise
out of or are based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a
material fact contained in any Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration
Statement or the Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, or arise
out of or are based upon the omission or alleged omission to state therein a
material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the
statements therein not misleading, and will reimburse each Underwriter for
any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such Underwriter in
connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim as such
expenses are incurred; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that the Company and the Selling
Stockholder shall not be liable in any such case to the extent that any such
loss, claim, damage or liability arises out of or is based upon an untrue
statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission made in
any Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or
any such amendment or supplement in reliance upon and in conformity with
written information furnished to the Company by any Underwriter through
Goldman, Sachs & Co. expressly for use therein; and provided further, that
(i) the liability of the Selling Stockholder pursuant to this subsection 8(a)
shall not exceed the product of the number of Shares to be sold by the
Selling Stockholder and the initial price to public per Share as set forth on
the cover page of the Prospectus and (ii) prior to making any demand for
payment from the Selling Stockholder under this subsection 8(a), the
Underwriters shall have first made demand for payment of any amounts due
under this subsection 8(a) against the Company and the Company shall have
failed to make payment of any of such amounts within 30 days following such
demand.

                                       22
<PAGE>

         (b) Each Underwriter will indemnify and hold harmless the Company and
the Selling Stockholder against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities to
which the Company or the Selling Stockholder may become subject, under the Act
or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions
in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon an untrue statement or
alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any Preliminary
Prospectus, the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, or any amendment or
supplement thereto, or arise out of or are based upon the omission or alleged
omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or
necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, in each case to the
extent, but only to the extent, that such untrue statement or alleged untrue
statement or omission or alleged omission was made in any Preliminary
Prospectus, the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or any such amendment
or supplement in reliance upon and in conformity with written information
furnished to the Company by such Underwriter through Goldman, Sachs & Co.
expressly for use therein; and will reimburse the Company and the Selling
Stockholder for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by the Company
or the Selling Stockholder in connection with investigating or defending any
such action or claim as such expenses are incurred.

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

         (d) If the indemnification provided for in this Section 8 is
unavailable to or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party under
subsection (a) or (b) above in respect of any losses, claims, damages or
liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) referred to therein, then each
indemnifying party shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such
indemnified

                                       23
<PAGE>

party as a result of such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions
in respect thereof) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the
relative benefits received by the Company and the Selling Stockholder on the
one hand and the Underwriters on the other from the offering of the Shares.
If, however, the allocation provided by the immediately preceding sentence is
not permitted by applicable law or if the indemnified party failed to give
the notice required under subsection (c) above, then each indemnifying party
shall contribute to such amount paid or payable by such indemnified party in
such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only such relative benefits
but also the relative fault of the Company and the Selling Stockholder on the
one hand and the Underwriters on the other in connection with the statements
or omissions which resulted in such losses, claims, damages or liabilities
(or actions in respect thereof), as well as any other relevant equitable
considerations. The relative benefits received by the Company and the Selling
Stockholder on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other shall be deemed
to be in the same proportion as the total net proceeds from the offering
(before deducting expenses) received by the Company and the Selling
Stockholder bear to the total underwriting discounts and commissions received
by the Underwriters, in each case as set forth in the table on the cover page
of the Prospectus. The relative fault shall be determined by reference to,
among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a
material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact
relates to information supplied by the Company or the Selling Stockholder on
the one hand or the Underwriters on the other and the parties' relative
intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or
prevent such statement or omission. The Company, the Selling Stockholder and
the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if
contributions pursuant to this subsection (d) were determined by PRO RATA
allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for such
purpose) or by any other method of allocation which does not take account of
the equitable considerations referred to above in this subsection (d). The
amount paid or payable by an indemnified party as a result of the losses,
claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) referred to
above in this subsection (d) shall be deemed to include any legal or other
expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in connection with
investigating or defending any such action or claim. Notwithstanding the
provisions of this subsection (d), no Underwriter shall be required to
contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the total price at
which the Shares underwritten by it and distributed to the public were
offered to the public exceeds the amount of any damages which such
Underwriter has otherwise been required to pay by reason of such untrue or
alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission. No person guilty of
fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Act)
shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such
fraudulent misrepresentation. The Underwriters' obligations in this
subsection (d) to contribute are several in proportion to their respective
underwriting obligations and not joint. In no event shall the liability of
the Selling Stockholder pursuant to this subsection 8(d) exceed the product
of the number of Shares to be sold by the Selling Stockholder and the initial
price to public per share as set forth on the cover page of the Prospectus.

         (e) The obligations of the Company and the Selling Stockholder under
this Section 8 shall be in addition to any liability which the Company and the
Selling Stockholder may otherwise have and shall extend, upon the same terms and
conditions, to each person, if any,

                                       24
<PAGE>

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

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

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

         (c) If, after giving effect to any arrangements for the purchase of
the Shares of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters by you and the Company
and the Selling Stockholder as provided in subsection (a) above, the
aggregate number of such Shares which remains unpurchased exceeds
one-eleventh of the aggregate number of all of the Shares to be purchased at
such Time of Delivery, or if the Company and the Selling Stockholder shall
not exercise the right described in subsection (b) above to require
non-defaulting Underwriters to purchase Shares of a defaulting Underwriter or
Underwriters, then this Agreement (or, with respect to the Second Time of
Delivery, the obligations of the Underwriters to purchase and of

                                       25
<PAGE>

the Company and the Selling Stockholder to sell the Optional Shares) shall
thereupon terminate, without liability on the part of any non-defaulting
Underwriter or the Company or the Selling Stockholder, except for the
expenses to be borne by the Company and the Selling Stockholder and the
Underwriters as provided in Section 6 hereof and the indemnity and
contribution agreements in Section 8 hereof; but nothing herein shall relieve
a defaulting Underwriter from liability for its default.

         10. The respective indemnities, agreements, representations,
warranties and other statements of the Company, the Selling Stockholder and
the several Underwriters, as set forth in this Agreement or made by or on
behalf of them, respectively, pursuant to this Agreement, shall remain in
full force and effect, regardless of any investigation (or any statement as
to the results thereof) made by or on behalf of any Underwriter or any
controlling person of any Underwriter, or the Company, or any officer or
director or controlling person of the Company, and shall survive delivery of
and payment for the Shares.

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

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

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

         13. This Agreement shall be binding upon, and inure solely to the
benefit of, the Underwriters, the Company and the Selling Stockholder and, to
the extent provided in Sections 8 and 10 hereof, the officers and directors of
the Company and each person who

                                       26
<PAGE>

controls the Company or any Underwriter, and their respective heirs,
executors, administrators, successors and assigns, and no other person shall
acquire or have any right under or by virtue of this Agreement. No purchaser
of any of the Shares from any Underwriter shall be deemed a successor or
assign by reason merely of such purchase.

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

         15. THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE
WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.

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












                                       27
<PAGE>

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

                                       Very truly yours,

                                       Basin Exploration, Inc.

                                       By: /s/ Michael S. Smith
                                           --------------------------
                                           Name:  Michael S. Smith
                                           Title:  President

                                       Michael S. Smith

                                       By: /s/ Michael s. Smith
                                           --------------------------
                                           Name:  Michael S. Smith

Accepted as of the date hereof:

Goldman, Sachs & Co.
Banc of America Securities LLC
Dain Rauscher Wessels,
    a division of Dain Rauscher Incorporated
Petrie Parkman & Co., Inc.

By: /s/ Goldman, Sachs & Co.
    --------------------------
    (Goldman, Sachs & Co.)
    On behalf of each of the Underwriters

                                       28

<PAGE>

                                    SCHEDULE I

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                                     NUMBER OF OPTIONAL
                                                                                        SHARES TO BE
                                                             TOTAL NUMBER OF            PURCHASED IF
                                                               FIRM SHARES              MAXIMUM OPTION
                                                             TO BE PURCHASED              EXERCISED
                                                             ---------------         ------------------
<S>                                                          <C>                     <C>
Goldman, Sachs & Co.........................................    1,275,000                 191,250
Banc of America Securities LLC..............................      637,500                  95,625
Dain Rauscher Wessels, a division of Dain Rauscher
   Incorporated.............................................      637,500                  95,625
Petrie Parkman & Co., Inc...................................      637,500                  95,625
J.C. Bradford & Co..........................................      203,125                  30,469
Hanifen, Imhoff Inc.........................................      203,125                  30,469
Morgan Keegan & Company, Inc................................      203,125                  30,469
Southcoast Capital Corporation..............................      203,125                  30,468
                                                                ---------                 -------
         Total..............................................    4,000,000                 600,000
                                                                ---------                 -------
                                                                ---------                 -------
</TABLE>


<PAGE>

                                 SCHEDULE II

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                                            NUMBER OF OPTIONAL
                                                                                               SHARES TO BE
                                                                       TOTAL NUMBER OF           SOLD-IF
                                                                         FIRM SHARES          MAXIMUM OPTION
                                                                         TO BE SOLD             EXERCISED
                                                                       ---------------      ------------------
<S>                                                                                         <C>
The Company........................................................         3,750,000                 562,500

Michael S. Smith...................................................           250,000                  37,500
                                                                       --------------            ------------




         Total.....................................................         4,000,000                 600,000
                                                                       --------------            ------------
                                                                       --------------            ------------
</TABLE>




<PAGE>

                                                                        ANNEX I

                      FORM OF DESCRIPTION OF COMFORT LETTER

         Pursuant to Section 7(f) of the Underwriting Agreement, the
accountants shall furnish letters to the Underwriters to the effect that:

              (i) They are independent certified public accountants with respect
         to the Company and its subsidiaries within the meaning of the Act and
         the applicable published rules and regulations thereunder;

              (ii) In their opinion, the financial statements and any
         supplementary financial information and schedules (and, if applicable,
         financial forecasts and/or pro forma financial information) examined by
         them and included or incorporated by reference in the Registration
         Statement or the Prospectus comply as to form in all material respects
         with the applicable accounting requirements of the Act or the Exchange
         Act, as applicable, and the related published rules and regulations
         thereunder; and, if applicable, they have made a review in accordance
         with standards established by the American Institute of Certified
         Public Accountants of the consolidated interim financial statements,
         selected financial data, pro forma financial information, financial
         forecasts and/or condensed financial statements derived from audited
         financial statements of the Company for the periods specified in such
         letter, as indicated in their reports thereon, copies of which have
         been furnished to the representatives of the Underwriters (the
         "representatives");

              (iii) They have made a review in accordance with standards
         established by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants
         of the unaudited condensed consolidated statements of income,
         consolidated balance sheets and consolidated statements of cash flows
         included in the Prospectus and/or included in the Company's Quarterly
         Report on Form 10-Q incorporated by reference into the Prospectus as
         indicated in their reports thereon; and on the basis of specified
         procedures including inquiries of officials of the Company who have
         responsibility for financial and accounting matters regarding whether
         the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements referred to
         in paragraph (vi)(A)(i) below comply as to form in all material
         respects with the applicable accounting requirements of the Act and the
         Exchange Act and the related published rules and regulations, nothing
         came to their attention that caused them to believe that the unaudited
         condensed consolidated financial statements do not comply as to form in
         all material respects with the applicable accounting requirements of
         the Act and the Exchange Act and the related published rules and
         regulations;

              (iv) The unaudited selected financial information with respect to
         the consolidated results of operations and financial position of the
         Company for the five most recent fiscal years included in the
         Prospectus and included or incorporated by reference in Item 6 of the
         Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the most recent fiscal year
         agrees with the corresponding amounts (after restatement where
         applicable) in the audited consolidated financial statements for such
         five fiscal years which were included or incorporated by reference in
         the Company's Annual Reports on Form 10-K for such

<PAGE>

         fiscal years;

              (v) They have compared the information in the Prospectus under
         selected captions with the disclosure requirements of Regulation S-K,
         and on the basis of limited procedures specified in such letter,
         nothing came to their attention as a result of the foregoing procedures
         that caused them to believe that this information does not conform in
         all material respects with the disclosure requirements of Items 301,
         302, 402 and 503(d), respectively, of Regulation S-K;

              (vi) On the basis of limited procedures not constituting an
         examination in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards,
         consisting of a reading of the unaudited financial statements and other
         information referred to below, a reading of the latest available
         interim financial statements of the Company and its subsidiaries,
         inspection of the minute books of the Company and its subsidiaries
         since the date of the latest audited financial statements included or
         incorporated by reference in the Prospectus, inquiries of officials of
         the Company and its subsidiaries responsible for financial and
         accounting matters and such other inquiries and procedures as may be
         specified in such letter, nothing came to their attention that caused
         them to believe that:

                      (A) (i) the unaudited condensed consolidated statements of
              income, consolidated balance sheets and consolidated statements of
              cash flows included in the Prospectus and/or included or
              incorporated by reference in the Company's quarterly reports on
              Form 10-Q incorporated by reference in the Prospectus do not
              comply as to form in all material respects with the applicable
              accounting requirements of the Exchange Act as it applies to Form
              10-Q and the related published rules and regulations, or (ii) any
              material modifications should be made to the unaudited condensed
              consolidated statements of income, consolidated balance sheets and
              consolidated statements of cash flows included in the Prospectus
              or included in the Company's Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q
              incorporated by reference in the Prospectus, for them to be
              conformity with generally accepted accounting principles;

                      (B) any other unaudited income statement data and balance
              sheet items included in the Prospectus do not agree with the
              corresponding items in the unaudited consolidated financial
              statements from which such data and items were derived, and any
              such unaudited data and items were not determined on a basis
              substantially consistent with the basis for the corresponding
              amounts in the audited consolidated financial statements included
              or incorporated by reference in the Company's Annual Report on
              Form 10-K for the most recent fiscal year;

                      (C) the unaudited financial statements which were not
              included in the Prospectus but from which were derived the
              unaudited condensed financial statements referred to in clause (A)
              and any unaudited income statement data and balance sheet items
              included in the Prospectus and referred to in clause (B) were not
              determined on a basis substantially consistent with the basis for
              the audited financial statements included or incorporated by
              reference in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the most
              recent fiscal year;

                      (D) any unaudited pro forma consolidated condensed
              financial statements

<PAGE>

              included or incorporated by reference in the Prospectus do not
              comply as to form in all material respects with the applicable
              accounting requirements of the Act and the published rules and
              regulations thereunder or the pro forma adjustments have not been
              properly applied to the historical amounts in the compilation of
              those statements;

                      (E) as of a specified date not more than five days prior
              to the date of such letter, there have been any changes in the
              consolidated capital stock (other than issuances of capital stock
              upon exercise of options and stock appreciation rights, upon
              earn-outs of performance shares and upon conversions of
              convertible securities, in each case which were outstanding on the
              date of the latest balance sheet included or incorporated by
              reference in the Prospectus) or any increase in the consolidated
              long-term debt of the Company and its subsidiaries, or any
              decreases in consolidated net current assets or stockholders'
              equity or other items specified by the representatives, or any
              increases in any items specified by the representatives, in each
              case as compared with amounts shown in the latest balance sheet
              included or incorporated by reference in the Prospectus, except in
              each case for changes, increases or decreases which the Prospectus
              discloses have occurred or may occur or which are described in
              such letter; and

                      (F) for the period from the date of the latest financial
              statements included or incorporated by reference in the Prospectus
              to the specified date referred to in clause (E) there were any
              decreases in consolidated net revenues or operating profit or the
              total or per share amounts of consolidated net income or other
              items specified by the representatives, or any increases in any
              items specified by the representatives, in each case as compared
              with the comparable period of the preceding year and with any
              other period of corresponding length specified by the
              representatives, except in each case for increases or decreases
              which the Prospectus discloses have occurred or may occur or which
              are described in such letter; and

              (vii) In addition to the examination referred to in their
         report(s) included or incorporated by reference in the Prospectus and
         the limited procedures, inspection of minute books, inquiries and other
         procedures referred to in paragraphs (iii) and (vi) above, they have
         carried out certain specified procedures, not constituting an
         examination in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards,
         with respect to certain amounts, percentages and financial information
         specified by the representatives which are derived from the general
         accounting records of the Company and its subsidiaries, which appear in
         the Prospectus (excluding documents incorporated by reference) or in
         Part II of, or in exhibits and schedules to, the Registration Statement
         specified by the representatives or in documents incorporated by
         reference in the Prospectus specified by the representatives, and have
         compared certain of such amounts, percentages and financial information
         with the accounting records of the Company and its subsidiaries and
         have found them to be in agreement.


<PAGE>

                     [LETTERHEAD OF BASIN EXPLORATION, INC.]

                                  June 17, 1999

Mr. Michael S. Smith
370 Seventeenth St.
Suite 3400
Denver, CO 80202

Dear Mr. Smith:


         Basin Exploration, Inc. (the "Company") and you are parties to an
Underwriting Agreement dated June 17, 1999 (the "Underwriting Agreement"),
pursuant to which the Company and you are selling to Goldman, Sachs & Co.,
Banc of America Securities LLC, Dain Rauscher Wessels, a division of Dain
Rauscher Incorporated, and Petrie Parkman & Co., Inc. (collectively, the
"Underwriters") 3,750,000 and 250,000 shares, respectively, of the Company's
common stock, $.01 par value per share, plus, if so elected by the
Underwriters, up to an additional 562,500 and 37,500 shares, respectively, to
cover over-allotments (the "Shares"). In the Underwriting Agreement, the
Company and you have jointly and severally agreed to indemnify the
Underwriters against certain losses incurred in connection with the offer and
sale of the Shares, subject to the terms and conditions set forth therein. By
this letter, the Company agrees to indemnify you from and against liabilities
that you may incur pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement, as set forth
below. Capitalized terms used herein and not defined herein have the meanings
therefor set forth in the Underwriting Agreement.

         The Company agrees to indemnify you and hold you harmless from and
against any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities and judgments
incurred by you pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement 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 statements therein not misleading, except insofar as such losses,
claims, damages, liabilities or judgments are caused by any such untrue
statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission based upon
information relating to you furnished in writing to the Company by you or on
your behalf expressly for use therein.

         The Company and you agree that the indemnification procedures set
forth in the Underwriting Agreement, including those relating to notice and
assumption of defense, shall also govern the indemnity provided for herein.


<PAGE>

Mr. Michael S. Smith
June 17, 1999
Page 2



                                       BASIN EXPLORATION, INC.


                                       By: /s/ Howard L. Boigon
                                          --------------------------------
                                          Howard L. Boigon
                                          Vice President and General Counsel


AGREED AND ACCEPTED:

/s/ Michael S. Smith
- ----------------------------
Michael S. Smith


<PAGE>

                                                                    EXHIBIT 23.1


                      CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS

As independent public accountants, we hereby consent to the use of our report
dated February 24, 1999 (and to all references to our Firm) included in or
made a part of the prospectus supplement dated June 17, 1999 pursuant to the
registration statement on Form S-3 (No. 333-36143) filed by Basin
Exploration, Inc.

                                        /s/ Arthur Andersen LLP
Denver, Colorado
  June 17, 1999


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