EX-10.271 8 ex_493849.htm EXHIBIT 10.27.1

Exhibit 10.27.1

Deed of Novation and Amendment

World Carrier Offshore Services Corp.

and

VAALCO Energy, Inc.

and

Ocean Cloud Navigation Inc.

relating to the Deed of Guarantee and Indemnity in respect of Bareboat Charter dated 31 August 2021

15th November, 2022

CONTENTS

CLAUSE | PAGE
1. | DEFINITIONS AND INTERPRETATION | 3
2. | THE AGREEMENT | 4
3. | NOVATION | 4
4. | MUTUAL INDEMNITIES | 5
5. | ENTIRE AGREEMENT AND AFFIRMATION | 5
6. | COSTS | 5
7. | WAIVER | 5
8. | INVALIDITY | 6
9. | COUNTERPARTS | 6
10. | THIRD PARTY RIGHTS | 6
11. | GOVERNING LAW | 7

THIS DEED OF NOVATION AND AMENDMENT is made on 15th of November, 2022

BETWEEN:

| (1) | WORLD CARRIER OFFSHORE SERVICES CORP., a company incorporated in the Marshall Islands and having its principal office at Trust Company Complex, Ajeltake Road, Ajeltake Islands, Majuro, MH96960, Marshall Islands (the "Original Party");

| (2) | VAALCO ENERGY, INC., a company incorporated in Delaware and having its principal office at 9800 Richmond Avenue, Suite 700, Houston, TX 77042 (the "Continuing Party"); and

| (3) | OCEAN CLOUD NAVIGATION INC., a company registered in the Marshall Islands with company number 113454 whose registered office is at Trust Company Complex, Ajeltake Road, Ajeltake Island, Majuro, MH96960, Marshall Islands (the "New Party"),

each being referred to individually as a "Party" and collectively as the "Parties".

RECITALS

| (A) | The Original Party and the Continuing Party entered into a deed of guarantee and indemnity in respect of a Bareboat Charter with VAALCO Gabon SA (the "Charterer") in respect of the provision of an FSO (the "Charter") dated 31 August 2021 (the "Agreement").

| (B) | The Parties desire to novate the Agreement such that, with effect from the date of this deed of novation and amendment (the "Deed"), the New Party shall assume all the rights, obligations and liabilities of the Original Party under the Agreement on the terms and subject to the terms and conditions contained in this Deed.

THE PARTIES AGREE AS FOLLOWS:

| 1. | DEFINITIONS AND INTERPRETATION

| 1.1 | Words and expressions not defined in this Deed but defined in the Agreement shall have the same meaning when used in this Deed.

| 1.2 | Reference to a recital or clause is to the relevant recital or clause of this Deed.

| 1.3 | In this Deed:

| (a) | unless the context otherwise requires, the singular shall be deemed to include the plural and vice versa;

| (b) | the words "other" and "including" shall not limit the generality of any preceding words or be construed as being limited to the same class as the preceding words where a wider construction is possible;

| (c) | reference to any law, statute or other legislative or regulatory order is to the same as amended, modified or replaced from time to time and to any regulation, rule, delegated legislation or order made thereunder; and

| (d) | a "person" includes any person, individual, company, firm, corporation, government, state or agency of a state or any undertaking (whether or not having separate legal personality and irrespective of the jurisdiction in or under the law of which it was incorporated or exists).

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| 1.4 | Each reference in this Deed to any other deed, agreement or side agreement shall be construed and shall have effect as a reference to the same as it may have been supplemented and/or amended and/or novated from time to time.

| 2. | THE AGREEMENT

Each of the Original Party and the Continuing Party hereby severally confirms to the New Party that the Agreement is in full force and effect between the Original Party and the Continuing Party and that neither has assigned or otherwise transferred any of their respective rights under or in connection with the Agreement.

| 3. | NOVATION

| 3.1 | Each Party severally agrees that with effect on and from 00:01 hours (London time) on the date of this Deed:

| (a) | the Original Party shall cease for all purposes to be a party to the Agreement, and the New Party shall become a party to the Agreement and shall assume the liabilities, perform the obligations and be entitled to the rights and benefits therein in place of the Original Party;

| (b) | the New Party undertakes and covenants as a separate obligation with each of the Original Party and the Continuing Party to assume, observe, perform, discharge and be bound by all liabilities and obligations arising under the Agreement in the place of the Original Party whether actual, accrued, contingent or otherwise and whether arising on, before or after the date of this Deed and to be bound by the Agreement as if the New Party had at all times been a party to the Agreement in place of the Original Party;

| (c) | the Continuing Party and the New Party shall each release and discharge the Original Party from the observance, performance and discharge of each of the liabilities and obligations assumed by the New Party pursuant to clause 3.1(b) and shall accept the like observance, performance and discharge of those liabilities and obligations by the New Party in the place of the Original Party provided that, the Original Party shall not be so released, and shall retain all such liabilities, in cases of its wilful misconduct or fraud; and

| (d) | the New Party undertakes to indemnify fully and hold harmless the Continuing Party (solely so far as concerns the Agreement or any side agreement (as defined in clause 3.2) to which it is a party) in respect of any claims, proceedings, injury, costs (including legal costs), loss, damage or expense for which the Original Party would have been liable but for the release and discharge referred to in clause 3.1(c).

| 3.2 | Clause 3.1 shall also apply, as it applies to the Agreement, in relation to any other agreement, instrument or document between or binding upon the Original Party and the Continuing Party (and no other person or persons) (a "side agreement"), if and to the extent that the side agreement in question relates to any of the rights, liabilities and obligations affected by clause 3.1.

| 3.3 | Notwithstanding the provisions of clauses 3.1 and 3.2, the Original Party shall be bound and continue to be bound by this clause 3.3 (which shall take effect as an agreement separate and independent from the Agreement and/or any side-agreement), to observe and perform such duties of confidentiality and non-disclosure owed to such persons as would have been applicable to it under the Agreement and/or any side agreement had it continued to be a party to those agreements.

| 3.4 | This Deed shall be treated as constituting all actions, confirmations, consents and undertakings required of the Parties under the Agreement or any side agreement for the purpose of giving effect to the transfer to the New Party.

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| 4. | MUTUAL INDEMNITIES

| 4.1 | The New Party indemnifies the Original Party and shall keep the Original Party indemnified against all liability, costs, damages or claims incurred by or made against the Original Party by the Continuing Party relating to any act or omission occurring under or in connection with the Agreement on or after the date of this Deed.

| 4.2 | The Original Party indemnifies the New Party and shall keep the New Party indemnified against all liability, costs, damages or claims incurred by or made against the New Party by the Continuing Party relating to any act or omission occurring under or in connection with the Agreement prior to the date of this Deed.

| 5. | STAMP DUTY

The New Party shall be solely responsible for the payment in a timely fashion of and undertakes to pay, all and any stamp duty and/or stamp duty land tax (including any interest, penalties and/or fines) ("Stamp Duty") payable on or in connection with the execution or enforcement of this Deed and shall fully indemnify each of the other Parties in respect of any costs (including legal costs), expenses, loss or damage occasioned by its failure to pay (or any delay in paying) Stamp Duty.

| 6. | ENTIRE AGREEMENT AND AFFIRMATION

| 6.1 | Except in the case of fraud or fraudulent concealment, each Party acknowledges that:

| (a) | this Deed together with any other documents referred to in it (together, the "Contract") constitutes the entire and only agreement between the Parties relating to the subject matter of the Contract;

| (b) | it has not been induced to enter into the Contract in reliance on, nor has it been given, any representation or other statement of any nature whatsoever other than those set out in the Contract; and

| (c) | the only remedies available to it in respect of the Contract are damages for breach of contract and it shall have no right to rescind or terminate the Contract for any reason whatsoever.

| 6.2 | Except as specifically amended by this Deed all the terms and conditions of the Agreement and any side agreement shall remain in full force and effect and binding on those parties thereto, insofar as the same are in force and effect and binding on those parties immediately prior to the date of this Deed.

| 7. | AMENDMENTS TO THE AGREEMENT

Each Party severally agrees that the amendments to the agreement in this Deed take effect on and from 00:01 hours (London time) on the date of this Deed.

| 7.1 | The Agreement shall be amended to delete the definition of "Default Rate" in clause 1.1 (Interpretation) and to delete clause 9.2 (Payments and Withholdings).

| 7.2 | In clause 15.1 (Notices) of the Agreement, the details for the Beneficiary and the Guarantor shall be replaced with the following:

"in the case of the Beneficiary:

Address | Ocean Cloud Navigation Inc. c/o World Carrier Shipmanagement Inc, Agiassou 34 Vrilissia Athens, 15235 Greece

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Email Address Attention | With copy to: Attention: Legal Counsel Email: Attention: Operations Manager Email:
in the case of the Guarantor: Address | VAALCO Energy, Inc. 9800 Richmond Avenue – Suite 700 Houston, Texas 77042 USA Chief Executive Officer
Email Address Attention | With copy to: Attention: General Counsel Email: Attention: Gabon Operations Email:

| 8. | COSTS

Except as expressly otherwise provided in this Deed, each of the Parties shall bear its own legal, accountancy and other costs, charges and expenses connected with the negotiation, preparation and implementation of this Deed and any other agreement incidental to or referred to in this Deed.

| 9. | WAIVER

| 9.1 | A waiver of any term, provision or condition of, or consent granted under, this Deed shall be effective only if given in writing and signed by the waiving or consenting Party and then only in the instance and for the purpose for which it is given.

| 9.2 | No failure or delay on the part of any Party in exercising any right, power or privilege under this Deed shall operate as a waiver thereof, nor shall any single or partial exercise of any such right, power or privilege preclude any other or further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other right, power or privilege.

| 9.3 | No breach of any provision of this Deed shall be waived or discharged except with the express written consent of the Parties.

| 10. | INVALIDITY

| 10.1 | If any provision of this Deed is or becomes (whether or not pursuant to any judgment or otherwise) invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any respect under the law of any jurisdiction:

| (a) | the validity, legality and enforceability under the law of that jurisdiction of any other provision; and

| (b) | the validity, legality and enforceability under the law of any other jurisdiction of that or any other provision,

shall not be affected or impaired in any way.

| 10.2 | If any provision of this Deed shall be held to be void or declared illegal, invalid or unenforceable for any reason whatsoever, such provision shall be divisible from this Deed and shall be deemed to be deleted from this Deed and the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions shall not be affected.

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| 11. | COUNTERPARTS

This Deed may be executed in any number of counterparts to the same effect as if the executions on the counterparts were on a single text of this Deed and this Deed shall not come into force and effect until it is properly executed by or on behalf of each of the Parties and is duly dated.

| 12. | THIRD PARTY RIGHTS

The Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999 (the "Act") shall not apply to this Deed and no person other than the Parties (which term shall, for the purposes of this clause, include all permitted assignees) shall have any rights under the Act, nor shall this Deed be enforceable under the Act by any person other than the Parties.

| 13. | GOVERNING LAW

| 13.1 | This Deed shall be governed by and construed in accordance with English law.

| 13.2 | Any dispute arising out of or in connection with this Deed, including any question regarding its existence, validity or termination, shall be referred to and finally resolved by arbitration in London in accordance with the rules of the London Maritime Arbitrators Association for the time being in force, which rules are deemed to be incorporated by reference in this clause 13.2. The arbitrators shall be entitled to give interlocutory orders and/or give rulings on an agreed set of facts and/or a preliminary point of law at the request of any Party if they think fit to do so.

The reference shall be to three arbitrators. A Party wishing to refer a dispute to arbitration shall appoint its arbitrator and send notice of such appointment in writing to each other Party requiring the other relevant Party to appoint its own arbitrator within fourteen (14) calendar days of that notice and stating that it will appoint its arbitrator as sole arbitrator unless the other relevant Party appoints its own arbitrator and gives notice that it has done so within the fourteen (14) days specified. If the other relevant Party does not appoint its own arbitrator and give notice that it has done so within the fourteen (14) days specified, the Party referring a dispute to arbitration may, without the requirement of any further prior notice to the other relevant Party, appoint its arbitrator as sole arbitrator and shall advise the other relevant Party accordingly. The award of a sole arbitrator shall be binding on the relevant Parties as if he or she had been appointed by agreement.

The Parties agree, and shall procure that each of its Affiliates agrees, that any Affiliate of either may be joined to any proceedings under this Deed and/or proceedings consolidated, in each case in respect of any claim pursuant to the Agreement, Charter or the Operating Agreement.

The arbitrators' award shall be final and binding upon the relevant Parties and may be enforced in any court having jurisdiction in respect thereof.

The arbitration shall be conducted in the English language.

| 13.3 | The arbitrators shall determine which Party shall bear the expenses of the proceedings, or the proportion of such expenses which each Party shall bear.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF this Deed has been duly executed and delivered as a deed by the Parties on the date specified above.

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SIGNATURE PAGES

Executed as a deed for and on behalf of | ) |
WORLD CARRIER OFFSHORE SERVICES | ) |
CORP. | ) |
acting by: | ) |
|  | /s/ Nikos Zarakovitis
|  | Director: Nikos Zarakovitis 15.11.2022
|  | Director:

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Executed as a deed by | ) |
VAALCO ENERGY, INC. | ) |
acting by: | ) |
|  | /s/ George Maxwell
|  | Director: George Maxwell
|  | Director

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Executed as a deed for and on behalf of | ) |
OCEAN CLOUD NAVIGATION INC. | ) |
acting by: | ) |
|  | /s/ Nikos Zarakovitis
|  | Attorney-in-Fact: Nikos Zarakovitis 15.11.2022
|  | Director:

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