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Debt
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2020
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]  
Debt DEBT
The components of debt as of December 31, 2020 and 2019 consisted of the following:
December 31, 2020
(in millions)Debt InstrumentUnamortized Issuance ExpenseUnamortized
Debt Discount
Total
Long-term debt:
Variable rate (2.110% at December 31, 2020) 2018 revolving credit facility, due April 2024
$700 $— 
(1)
$— $700 
4.10% Senior Notes due March 2022
207 — — 207 
4.95% Senior Notes due January 2025 (2)
856 (4)(1)851 
7.50% Senior Notes due April 2026
618 (6)— 612 
7.75% Senior Notes due October 2027
440 (5)— 435 
8.375% Senior Notes due September 2028
350 (5)— 345 
Total long-term debt$3,171 $(20)$(1)$3,150 

December 31, 2019
(in millions)Debt InstrumentUnamortized Issuance ExpenseUnamortized Debt DiscountTotal
Long-term debt:
Variable rate (4.310% at December 31, 2019) 2018 revolving credit facility, due April 2024
$34 $— 
(1)
$— $34 
4.10% Senior Notes due March 2022
213 (1)— 212 
4.95% Senior Notes due January 2025 (2)
892 (5)(1)886 
7.50% Senior Notes due April 2026
639 (7)— 632 
7.75% Senior Notes due October 2027
484 (6)— 478 
Total long-term debt$2,262 $(19)$(1)$2,242 
(1)At December 31, 2020 and 2019, unamortized issuance expense of $12 million and $11 million, respectively, associated with the 2018 revolving credit facility (as defined below) was classified as other long-term assets on the consolidated balance sheet.
(2)Effective in July 2018, the interest rate was 6.20% for the 2025 Notes, reflecting a net downgrade in the Company's bond ratings since the initial offering. On April 7, 2020, S&P downgraded the Company's bond rating to BB-, which had the effect of increasing the interest rate on the 2025 Notes to 6.45% following the July 23, 2020 interest payment due date. The first coupon payment to the bondholders at the higher interest rate will be paid in January 2021. 
The following is a summary of scheduled debt maturities by year as of December 31, 2020:
(in millions)
2021$— 
2022207 
2023— 
2024 (1)
700 
2025856 
Thereafter1,408 
$3,171 
(1)The Company’s current revolving credit facility matures in 2024.
Credit Facilities
2018 Credit Facility
In April 2018, the Company replaced its credit facility entered into in 2016 with a new revolving credit facility (the “2018 credit facility”) with a group of banks that, as amended, has a maturity date of April 2024.  The 2018 credit facility has an aggregate maximum revolving credit amount of $3.5 billion with a current aggregate commitment of $2.0 billion and borrowing base (limit on availability) that is redetermined at least each April and October.  The 2018 credit facility is secured by substantially all of the assets owned by the Company and its subsidiaries. The permitted lien provisions in the senior notes indentures currently limit liens securing indebtedness to the greater of $2.0 billion and 25% of adjusted consolidated net tangible assets.
The Company may utilize the 2018 credit facility in the form of loans and letters of credit. Loans under the 2018 credit facility are subject to varying rates of interest based on whether the loan is a Eurodollar loan or an alternate base rate loan.  Eurodollar loans bear interest at the Eurodollar rate, which is adjusted LIBOR for such interest period plus the applicable margin (as those terms are defined in the 2018 credit facility documentation).  The applicable margin for Eurodollar loans under the 2018 credit facility, as amended, ranges from 1.75% to 2.75% based on the Company’s utilization of the 2018 credit facility.  Alternate base rate loans bear interest at the alternate base rate plus the applicable margin.  The applicable margin for alternate base rate loans under the 2018 credit facility, as amended, ranges from 0.75% to 1.75% based on the Company’s utilization of the 2018 credit facility.
In conjunction with the October 2020 redetermination process, the Company entered into an amendment to the credit agreement governing the 2018 credit facility to, among other matters:
limit the Company's unrestricted cash and cash equivalents to $200 million when loans under the 2018 credit facility are outstanding, subject to certain exceptions; and
increase the applicable rate by 25 basis points on loans outstanding under the 2018 credit facility.
In addition, the following amendments and redeterminations were made upon the closing of the Merger:
increase the elected borrowing base and total aggregate commitments to $2.0 billion, the maximum permitted lien amount based on provisions in certain of the Company's senior note indentures;
include certain Montage entities owning gas and oil properties as guarantors to the 2018 credit facility; and
deem any Montage letters of credit issued prior to the Merger close to have been issued under the 2018 credit facility.
The 2018 credit facility contains customary representations and warranties and covenants including, among others, the following: 
a prohibition against incurring debt, subject to permitted exceptions;
a restriction on creating liens on assets, subject to permitted exceptions;  
restrictions on mergers and asset dispositions; 
restrictions on use of proceeds, investments, transactions with affiliates, or change of principal business; and
maintenance of the following financial covenants, commencing with the fiscal quarter ended June 30, 2018:
(1)Minimum current ratio of no less than 1.00 to 1.00, whereby current ratio is defined as the Company’s consolidated current assets (including unused commitments under the credit agreement, but excluding non-cash derivative assets) to consolidated current liabilities (excluding non-cash derivative obligations and current maturities of long-term debt).
(2)Maximum total net leverage ratio of no greater than, with respect to each fiscal quarter ending on or after June 30, 2020, 4.00 to 1.00.  Total net leverage ratio is defined as total debt less cash on hand (up to the lesser of 10% of credit limit or $150 million) divided by consolidated EBITDAX for the last four consecutive quarters.  For purposes of calculating consolidated EBITDAX, the Company can include the Montage consolidated EBITDAX prior to the merger for the same twelve-month rolling period. EBITDAX, as defined in the Company’s 2018 credit agreement, excludes the effects of interest expense, depreciation, depletion and amortization, income tax, any non-cash impacts from impairments, certain non-cash hedging activities, stock-based compensation expense, non-cash gains or losses on asset sales, unamortized issuance cost, unamortized debt discount and certain restructuring costs. 
The 2018 credit facility contains customary events of default that include, among other things, the failure to comply with the financial covenants described above, non-payment of principal, interest or fees, violation of covenants, inaccuracy of representations and warranties, bankruptcy and insolvency events, material judgments and cross-defaults to material indebtedness.  If an event of default occurs and is continuing, all amounts outstanding under the 2018 credit facility may become immediately due and payable.  As of December 31, 2020, the Company was in compliance with all of the covenants of the credit agreement in all material respects.
Each United States domestic subsidiary of the Company for which the Company owns 100% of its equity guarantees the 2018 credit facility.  Pursuant to requirements under the indentures governing its senior notes, each subsidiary that became a guarantor of the 2018 credit facility also became a guarantor of each of the Company’s senior notes.  
As of December 31, 2020, the Company had $233 million in letters of credit and $700 million in borrowings outstanding under the 2018 credit facility.
The Company's exposure to the anticipated transition from LIBOR in late 2021 is limited to the 2018 credit facility. Upon announcement by the administrator of LIBOR identifying a specific date for LIBOR cessation, the credit agreement governing the 2018 credit facility will be amended to reference an alternative rate as established by JP Morgan, as Administrative Agent, and the Company. The alternative rate will be based on the prevailing market convention and is expected to be the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“SOFR”).
Senior Notes
In January 2015, the Company completed a public offering of $1.0 billion aggregate principal amount of its 4.95% Senior Notes due 2025 (the “2025 Notes”).  The interest rate on the 2025 Notes is determined based upon the public bond ratings from Moody’s and S&P.  Downgrades on the 2025 Notes from either rating agency increase interest costs by 25 basis points per downgrade level and upgrades decrease interest costs by 25 basis points per upgrade level, up to the stated coupon rate, on the following semi-annual bond interest payment. Effective in July 2018, the interest rate for the 2015 Notes was 6.20%, reflecting a net downgrade in the Company's bond ratings since the initial offering. On April 7, 2020, S&P downgraded the Company's bond rating to BB-, which had the effect of increasing the interest rate on the 2025 Notes to 6.45% following the July 23, 2020 interest payment due date. The first coupon payment to the bondholders at the higher interest rate will be paid in January 2021. In the event of future downgrades, the coupons for this series of notes have been capped at 6.95%.  
In the second half of 2019, the Company repurchased $35 million of its 4.95% senior notes due 2025, $11 million of its 7.50% Senior Notes due 2026 and $16 million of its 7.75% Senior Notes due 2027 at a discount for $54 million, and recognized an $8 million gain on extinguishment of debt. Additionally, in December 2019, the Company retired the remaining $52 million principal of its 4.05% Senior Notes due January 2020.
In the first half of 2020, the Company repurchased $6 million of its 4.10% senior notes due 2022, $36 million of its 4.95% senior notes due 2025, $21 million of its 7.50% senior notes due 2026 and $44 million of its 7.75% senior notes due 2027 for $72 million, and recognized a $35 million gain on the extinguishment of debt.
In August 2020, the Company completed a public offering of $350 million aggregate principal amount of its 2028 Notes, with net proceeds from the offering totaling approximately $345 million after underwriting discounts and offering expenses. The 2028 Notes were sold to the public at 100% of their face value. The net proceeds from the notes, in conjunction with the net proceeds from the August 2020 common stock offering and borrowings under the revolving credit facility, were utilized to fund a redemption of $510 million of Montage's Notes in connection with the closing of the Merger.