A high level of indebtedness increases the risk that we may default on our debt obligations. Our ability to meet our debt obligations and to reduce our level of indebtedness depends on our future performance. General economic conditions, risks associated with exploring for and producing oil and natural gas, oil and natural gas prices and financial, business and other factors affect our operations and our future performance. Many of these factors are beyond our control. We may not be able to generate sufficient cash flows to pay the interest on our indebtedness and future working capital, borrowings or equity financing may not be available to pay or refinance such indebtedness. Factors that will affect our ability to raise cash through an offering of our equity securities or a refinancing of our indebtedness include financial market conditions, the value of our assets and our performance at the time we need capital. We are a holding company and our ability to make payments on our outstanding indebtedness, including our Senior Notes and our commercial debt facility, is dependent upon the receipt of funds from our subsidiaries by way of dividends, fees, interest, loans or otherwise. We are a holding company, and our subsidiaries own all of our assets and conduct all of our operations. Accordingly, our ability to make payments of interest and principal on the Senior Notes and commercial debt facility will be dependent on the generation of cash flow by our subsidiaries and their ability to make such cash available to us, by dividend, debt repayment or otherwise. Unless they are guarantors, our subsidiaries will not have any obligation to pay amounts due on the notes or to make funds available for that purpose. Our subsidiaries may not be able to, or may not be permitted to, make distributions to enable us to make payments in respect of the Senior Notes or the commercial debt facility. Each subsidiary is a distinct legal entity and, under certain circumstances, legal and contractual restrictions may limit our ability to obtain cash from our subsidiaries. The indenture governing the Senior Notes limits the ability of our subsidiaries to incur consensual encumbrances or restrictions on their ability to pay dividends or make other intercompany payments to us, with significant qualifications and exceptions. In addition, the terms of the commercial debt facility limit the ability of the obligors thereunder, including our material operating subsidiaries that hold interests in our assets located offshore Ghana and their intermediate parent companies (other than Kosmos Energy Holdings) to provide cash to us through dividend, debt repayment or intercompany lending. In the event that we do not receive distributions from our subsidiaries, we may be unable to make required principal and interest payments on our indebtedness, including the Senior Notes and commercial debt facility. We may be subject to risks in connection with acquisitions and the integration of significant acquisitions may be difficult. We periodically evaluate acquisitions of prospects and licenses, reserves and other strategic transactions that appear to fit within our overall business strategy. The successful acquisition of these assets or businesses requires an assessment of several factors, including: • recoverable reserves; • future oil and natural gas prices and their appropriate differentials; • development and operating costs; and • potential environmental and other liabilities. The accuracy of these assessments is inherently uncertain. In connection with these assessments, we perform a review of the subject assets that we believe to be generally consistent with industry practices. Our review will not reveal all existing or potential problems nor will it permit us to become sufficiently familiar with the assets to fully assess their deficiencies and potential recoverable reserves. Inspections may not always be performed on every well, and environmental problems are not 63