They were saddled with "take or pay" contracts that obliged them to buy fixed quantities of gas far above what they could sell and at prices way above those on the spot market.

他们签署了一系列“照付不议”的合同，必须以大大高于现货市场的价格购买固定数量的天然气，而很大一部分根本就卖不出去。

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It delivers sand under long-term, "take or pay" contracts that reduce the company's exposure to short-term fluctuations in the price of sand.

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While at Akin Gump, in the early 1980s, Rogers waded into the fight between natural gas suppliers and pipeline operators, who were refusing to buy gas under onerous "take-or-pay" contracts.

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