CREDIT FACILITY

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2024

Debt Disclosure [Abstract]

CREDIT FACILITY

CREDIT FACILITY

The Partnership maintains a senior secured revolving credit agreement, as amended (the “Credit Facility”). The Credit Facility has an aggregate maximum credit amount of $1.0 billion and terminates on October 31, 2027. The commitment of the lenders equals the least of the aggregate maximum credit amount, the then-effective borrowing base, and the aggregate elected commitment, as it may be adjusted from time to time. The amount of the borrowing base is redetermined semi-annually, usually in October and April, and is derived from the value of the Partnership’s oil and natural gas properties as determined by the lender syndicate using pricing assumptions that often differ from the current market for future prices. The Partnership and the lenders (at the direction of two-thirds of the lenders) each have discretion to request a borrowing base redetermination one time between scheduled redeterminations. The Partnership also has the right to request a redetermination following the acquisition of oil and natural gas properties in excess of 10% of the value of the borrowing base immediately prior to such acquisition. The borrowing base is also adjusted if we terminate our hedge positions or sell oil and natural gas property interests that have a combined value exceeding 5% of the current borrowing base. In these circumstances, the borrowing base will be adjusted by the value attributed to the terminated hedge positions or the oil and natural gas property interests sold in the most recent borrowing base. The April 2023 borrowing base redetermination reaffirmed the borrowing base at $550.0 million. The subsequent redeterminations increased the borrowing base to $580.0 million in October 2023 and reaffirmed the borrowing base in April 2024 and November 2024. After each redetermination we elected to maintain cash commitments at $375.0 million. The next semi-annual redetermination is scheduled for April 2025.

The Partnership’s borrowings under the Credit Facility bear interest at a floating rate determined by the type of loan the Partnership has elected to take: a secured overnight financing rate ("SOFR") loan or a base-rate loan. Both types of loans bear interest at a reference rate plus a margin that varies with the amount of borrowings outstanding under the Credit Facility. The reference rate for SOFR loans is equal to SOFR as published by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, adjusted for the borrowing term, plus 0.10%, which is referred to as Adjusted Term SOFR. The reference rate for base rate loans is the highest of (a) Wells Fargo’s prime commercial lending rate for that day, (b) the Federal Funds Rate in effect on that day plus 0.50%, and (c) the Adjusted Term SOFR for a one-month tenor, plus 1.00%. As of December 31, 2023 and September 30, 2024, the applicable margin for the base rate loans ranged from 1.50% to 2.50%, and the margin for SOFR loans ranged from 2.50% to 3.50%.

The Partnership is obligated to pay a quarterly commitment fee ranging from a 0.375% to 0.500% annualized rate on the unused portion of the borrowing base, depending on the amount of the borrowings outstanding in relation to the borrowing base. Principal may be optionally repaid from time to time without premium or penalty, other than customary SOFR breakage, and is required to be paid (a) if the amount outstanding exceeds the borrowing base, whether due to a borrowing base redetermination or otherwise, in some cases subject to a cure period, or (b) at the maturity date.

The weighted-average interest rate of the Credit Facility was 8.04% during the nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 7.36% for the twelve months ended December 31, 2023. Accrued interest is payable at the end of each calendar quarter or at the end of each interest period, unless the interest period is longer than 90 days, in which case interest is payable at the end of every 90-day period. The Credit Facility is secured by substantially all of the Partnership’s oil and natural gas production and assets.

The Credit Facility contains various limitations on future borrowings, leases, hedging, and sales of assets. Additionally, the Credit Facility requires the Partnership to maintain a current ratio of not less than 1.0:1.0 and a ratio of total debt to EBITDAX (Earnings before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, Amortization, and Exploration) of not more than 3.5:1.0. Distributions are not permitted if there is a default under the Credit Facility (including the failure to satisfy one of the financial covenants), if the availability under the Credit Facility is less than 10% of the lenders' commitments, or if total debt to EBITDAX is greater than 3.0. As of September 30, 2024, the Partnership was in compliance with all financial covenants in the Credit Facility.

There was no aggregate principal balance outstanding at September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023. The unused portion of the available borrowings under the Credit Facility was $375.0 million at September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023