REVOLVING LINE OF CREDIT |
12 Months Ended |
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Dec. 31, 2023 | |
| Debt Disclosure [Abstract] | |
| REVOLVING LINE OF CREDIT |
NOTE 9 — REVOLVING LINE OF CREDIT
On July 1, 2014, the Company entered into a Credit Agreement with SunTrust Bank (now Truist), as lender, issuing bank and administrative agent for several banks and other financial institutions and lenders (the “Administrative Agent”), (which was amended several times) that provided for a maximum borrowing base of $1 billion with security consisting of substantially all of the assets of the Company. In April 2019, the Company amended and restated the Credit Agreement with the Administrative Agent (as amended and restated, the “Credit Facility”).
On August 31, 2022, the Company modified its Credit Facility through a Second Amended and Restated Credit Agreement (the "Second Credit Agreement"), extending the maturity date of the facility to August 2026 and the syndicate was modified to add five lenders, replacing five lenders. In conjunction with the Stronghold Acquisition, with the newly acquired assets put up for collateral, the Company established a borrowing base of $600 million. The borrowing base is subject to periodic redeterminations, mandatory reductions and further adjustments from time to time. The borrowing base is redetermined semi-annually each May and November. The borrowing base is subject to reduction in certain circumstances such as the sale or disposition of certain oil and gas properties of the Company or its subsidiaries and cancellation of certain hedging positions.
Rather than Eurodollar loans, the reference rate on the Second Credit Agreement is the SOFR. Also, the Second Credit Agreement permits the Company to declare dividends for its equity owners, subject to certain limitations, including (i) no default or event of default has occurred or will occur upon such payments, (ii) the pro forma Leverage Ratio (outstanding debt to adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, exploration expenses, and all other non-cash charges acceptable to the Administrative Agent) does not exceed 2.00 to 1.00, (iii) the amount of such payments does not exceed Available Free Cash Flow (as defined in the Second Credit Agreement), and (iv) the Borrowing Base Utilization Percentage (as defined in the Second Credit Agreement) is not greater than 80%.
The interest rate on each SOFR Loan will be the adjusted term SOFR for the applicable interest period plus a margin between 3.0% and 4.0% (depending on the then-current level of borrowing base usage). The annual interest rate on each
base rate Loan is (a) the greatest of (i) the Administrative Agent’s prime lending rate, (ii) the Federal Funds Rate (as defined in the Second Credit Agreement) plus 0.5% per annum, (iii) the adjusted term SOFR determined on a daily basis for an interest period of one month, plus 1.00% per annum and (iv) 0.00% per annum, plus (b) a margin between 2.0% and 3.0% per annum (depending on the then-current level of borrowing base usage).
The Second Credit Agreement contains certain covenants, which, among other things, require the maintenance of (i) a total Leverage Ratio of not more than 3.0 to 1.0 and (ii) a minimum ratio of Current Assets to Current Liabilities (as such terms are defined in the Second Credit Agreement) of 1.0 to 1.0. The Second Credit Agreement also contains other customary affirmative and negative covenants and events of default. The Company is required to maintain on a rolling 24 months basis, hedging transactions in respect of crude oil and natural gas, on not less than 50% of the projected production from its proved, developed, producing oil and gas. However, if the borrowing base utilization is less than 25% at the hedge testing date and the Leverage Ratio is not greater than 1.25 to 1.00, the required hedging percentage for months 13 through 24 of the rolling 24 month period provided for will be 0% from such hedge testing date to the next succeeding hedge testing date and if the borrowing base utilization percentage is equal to or greater than 25%, but less than 50% and the Leverage Ratio is not greater than 1.25 to 1.00, the required hedging percentage for months 13 through 24 of the rolling 24 month period provided for will be 25% from such hedge testing date to the next succeeding hedge testing date.
As of December 31, 2023, $425 million was outstanding on the Credit Facility and the Company was in compliance with all covenants contained in the Second Credit Agreement.
Under the Second Credit Agreement, the applicable percentage for the unused commitment fee is 0.5% per annum for all levels of borrowing base utilization. As of December 31, 2023, the Company's unused line of credit was $174.2 million, which was calculated by subtracting the outstanding Credit Facility balance of $425 million and standby letters of credit of $760,438 in total ($260,000 with state and federal agencies and $500,438 with an insurance company for New Mexico surety bonds) from the $600 million borrowing base. Note 14 — COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES describes changes in the surety bonds which did not yet affect the letters of credit (collateral) aforementioned.
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