Long-term Debt



Obligations (in thousands)	September 30, 2014			December 31, 2013
Senior secured second-priority notes	$	175,000		$	175,000
Revolving line of credit	—			35,000
Equipment capital leases	9,693			8,651
Facility capital lease obligation	791			1,501
Total	185,484			220,152
Current portion of long-term debt and lease obligations	(5,901		)	(5,906		)
Non-current portion of long-term debt and lease obligations	$	179,583		$	214,246

New Credit Facility, including Revolving Line of Credit

In August 2014, ION and its subsidiaries, ION Exploration Products (U.S.A.), Inc., I/O Marine Systems, Inc. and GX Technology Corporation (collectively, the “Subsidiary Borrowers” and together with ION, the “Borrowers”), entered into a new credit facility (the “New Credit Facility”).

The terms of the New Credit Facility are set forth in a revolving credit and security agreement dated as of August 22, 2014, among the Borrowers, the lenders party thereto and PNC Bank, National Association (“PNC”), as agent for the lenders.

The New Credit Facility replaced the Company’s prior syndicated credit facility under a credit agreement dated as of March 25, 2010, as amended, by and among ION, the subsidiary guarantors that were parties thereto and China Merchants Bank Co., Ltd., New York Branch (“CMB”), as administrative agent and lender (the “Prior Credit Facility”).

The revolving credit and security agreement contemplates maximum credit facilities of up to $175.0 million in the aggregate, consisting of (i) a revolving facility of up to $125.0 million, to which the lenders have committed $80.0 million and up to an additional $45.0 million of which is subject to the implementation of certain accordion provisions (with availability under such revolving facility subject at all times to a borrowing base and other conditions to borrowing) and (ii) an uncommitted term facility in an aggregate amount of up to $50.0 million on terms to be mutually agreed at a later date and subject to receiving commitments of lenders to such term facility.

The borrowing base for revolving credit borrowings under the New Credit Facility is calculated using a formula based on certain eligible receivables, eligible inventory and other amounts. In addition, the New Credit Facility includes a $15.0 million sublimit for the issuance of documentary and standby letters of credit. As of September 30, 2014, no amounts were drawn under the New Credit Facility. The Company expects that any amounts drawn under the New Credit Facility sooner than one year prior to the maturity of the New Credit Facility (as described below) will be classified as long-term debt.

The New Credit Facility is available for revolving credit borrowings to be used to pay fees and expenses related to the entry into the New Credit Facility and to provide for the Company’s general corporate needs, including the Company’s working capital requirements, capital expenditures, surety deposits and acquisition financing.

The interest rate on revolving credit borrowings under the New Credit Facility will be, at the Company’s option, (i) an alternate base rate equal to the highest of (a) the prime rate of PNC, (b) a federal funds effective rate plus 0.50% or (c) a LIBOR-based rate plus 1.0%, plus an applicable interest margin, or (ii) a LIBOR-based rate, plus an applicable interest margin. The revolving credit indebtedness under the New Credit Facility is scheduled to mature on the earlier of (x) August 22, 2019 or (y) the date which is 90 days prior to the maturity date of the Notes (as defined below) (or such later due date if the Notes have been refinanced).

The obligations of the Borrowers under the New Credit Facility are secured by a first-priority security interest in 100% of the stock of the Subsidiary Borrowers and 65% of the equity interests in ION International Holdings L.P. and by substantially all other assets of the Borrowers.

The revolving credit and security agreement contains covenants that, among other things, restrict the Company, subject to certain exceptions, from incurring additional indebtedness (including capital lease obligations), repurchasing equity, paying dividends or distributions, granting or incurring additional liens on the Company’s properties, pledging shares of the Company’s subsidiaries, entering into certain merger or other change-in-control transactions, entering into transactions with the Company’s affiliates, making certain sales or other dispositions of the Company’s assets, making certain investments, acquiring other businesses and entering into sale-leaseback transactions with respect to the Company’s property.

The revolving credit and security agreement requires compliance with certain financial covenants, including requirements related to ION and the Subsidiary Borrowers, measured on a rolling four quarter basis, (i) maintaining a minimum fixed charge coverage ratio of 1.1 to 1 as of the end of each fiscal quarter during the existence of a covenant testing trigger event, and (ii) not exceeding a maximum senior secured leverage ratio of 3.0 to 1 as of the end of each fiscal quarter.

The fixed charge coverage ratio is defined as the ratio of (i) ION’s EBITDA, minus unfunded capital expenditures made during the relevant period, minus distributions (including tax distributions) and dividends made during the relevant period, minus cash taxes paid during the relevant period, to (ii) certain debt payments made during the relevant period. The senior secured leverage ratio is defined as the ratio of (x) total senior funded debt to (y) ION’s EBITDA (excluding expenditures related directly to the Company’s multi-client data library). As of September 30, 2014, the Company was in compliance with these financial covenants.

The revolving credit and security agreement contains customary event of default provisions (including a “change of control” event affecting ION), the occurrence of which could lead to an acceleration of the Company’s obligations under the revolving credit and security agreement.

In connection with entering into the New Credit Facility, PNC replaced CMB as administrative agent, first lien representative for the first lien secured parties and collateral agent for the first lien secured parties under the Intercreditor Agreement (as defined below). The Company incurred $1.9 million of costs related to entering into the New Credit Facility, which are being amortized over 3.5 years. As a part of the cancellation of the Prior Credit Facility, the Company wrote-off to interest expense $0.3 million of unamortized debt issuance costs.

Senior Secured Second-Priority Notes

In May 2013, the Company sold $175.0 million aggregate principal amount of 8.125% Senior Secured Second-Priority Notes due 2018 (“Notes”) in a private offering pursuant to an Indenture dated as of May 13, 2013. The Notes are senior secured second-priority obligations of the Company, are guaranteed by certain of the Company’s U.S. subsidiaries, and mature on May 15, 2018. Interest on the Notes accrues at the rate of 8.125% per annum and will be payable semiannually in arrears on May 15 and November 15 of each year during their term. In May 2014, the holders of the Notes exchanged their Notes for a like principal amount of registered Notes with the same terms.

On or after May 15, 2015, the Company may on one or more occasions redeem all or a part of the Notes at the redemption prices set forth below, plus accrued and unpaid interest and special interest, if any, on the Notes redeemed during the 12-month period beginning on May 15th of the years indicated below:



Date		Percentage
2015		104.063%
2016		102.031%
2017 and thereafter		100.000%

The Notes are initially jointly and severally guaranteed on a senior secured basis by each of the Company’s current material U.S. subsidiaries: GX Technology Corporation, ION Exploration Products (U.S.A.), Inc. and I/O Marine Systems, Inc. (the “Notes Guarantors”). The Notes and the guarantees are secured, subject to certain exceptions and permitted liens, by second-priority liens on substantially all of the assets that secure the indebtedness under the New Credit Facility (see “— New Credit Facility, including Revolving Line of Credit” above). The indebtedness under the Notes is effectively junior to the Company’s obligations under the New Credit Facility to the extent of the value of the collateral securing the New Credit Facility, and to any other indebtedness secured on a first-priority basis to the extent of the value of the Company’s assets subject to those first-priority security interests.

The Notes contain certain covenants that, among other things, limit the Company’s ability and the ability of its restricted subsidiaries to take certain actions or permit certain conditions to exist during the term of the Notes. These limits apply to making certain investments, incurring additional indebtedness, selling assets, paying dividends, issuing preferred stock, carrying out mergers or consolidations, and certain other transactions. These and other restrictive covenants contained in the Indenture are subject to important exceptions and qualifications. All of the Company’s subsidiaries are currently restricted subsidiaries. As of September 30, 2014, the Company was in compliance with these covenants.

In connection with the issuance of the Notes, the Company and the Notes Guarantors entered into a second lien intercreditor agreement dated as of May 13, 2013 (the “Intercreditor Agreement”) with, among others, CMB, as administrative agent, first lien representative for the first lien secured parties and collateral agent for the first lien secured parties, the trustee under the Indenture and the collateral agent for the second lien secured parties.

OceanGeo Brazil Bank Debt

In connection with the Company’s acquisition of a controlling interest in OceanGeo in the first quarter of 2014, OceanGeo’s existing debt was consolidated into the Company’s accounts. During the three months ended September 30, 2014, OceanGeo repaid this debt in full.