Note 5 - Long-Term Debt

Revolving Credit Facility

During 2016, the following amendments have been made to the Company’s Fifth Amended and Restated Credit Agreement (the “Credit Agreement”) with its lenders:

•

On April 8, 2016, as part of the regular, semi-annual borrowing base redetermination process, the Company entered into a Sixth Amendment to the Credit Agreement, which reduced the Company’s borrowing base to $1.25 billion. This expected reduction was primarily due to a decline in commodity prices, which resulted in a decrease in the Company’s proved reserves as of December 31, 2015. The amendment also reduced the aggregate lender commitments to $1.25 billion, and changed the required percentage of oil and gas properties subject to a mortgage to at least 90 percent of the total PV-9 of the Company’s proved oil and gas properties evaluated in the most recent reserve report. Further, this amendment revised certain of the Company’s covenants under the Credit Agreement and modified the borrowing base utilization grid, as discussed below. The Company incurred approximately $3.1 million in deferred financing costs associated with this amendment to the Credit Agreement.


•	On August 8, 2016, the Company entered into a Seventh Amendment to the Credit Agreement to allow for capped call transactions.


•	Upon issuing the Senior Convertible Notes and 2026 Notes (as defined and discussed below) during the third quarter of 2016, the Company’s borrowing base and aggregate lender commitments were reduced from $1.25 billion to $1.1 billion.

•

On September 30, 2016, the Company entered into an Eighth Amendment to the Credit Agreement. Pursuant to the amendment, and as part of the regular, semi-annual borrowing base redetermination process, the Company’s borrowing base was increased to $1.35 billion and aggregate lender commitments increased to $1.25 billion. This increase was primarily due an increase in commodity prices and the value of the proved reserves associated with the Rock Oil Acquisition. The borrowing base increase became effective upon the closing of the Rock Oil Acquisition on October 4, 2016.

The Credit Agreement, as amended, provides for a maximum loan amount of $2.5 billion and has a maturity date of December 10, 2019. The borrowing base redetermination process considers the value of both the Company’s (a) proved oil and gas properties reflected in the Company’s most recent reserve report and (b) commodity derivative contracts, each as determined by the Company’s lender group. The next scheduled redetermination date is April 1, 2017.

The Company must comply with certain financial and non-financial covenants under the terms of the Credit Agreement, including covenants limiting dividend payments and requiring the Company to maintain certain financial ratios, as defined by the Credit Agreement. Financial covenants under the Credit Agreement require, as of the last day of each of the Company’s fiscal quarters, the Company’s (a) ratio of senior secured debt to 12-month trailing adjusted EBITDAX to be not more than 2.75 to 1.0; (b) adjusted current ratio to be not less than 1.0 to 1.0; and (c) ratio of 12-month trailing adjusted EBITDAX to interest expense to be not less than 2.0 to 1.0. The Company was in compliance with all financial and non-financial covenants under the Credit Agreement as of September 30, 2016, and through the filing date of this report.

Interest and commitment fees are accrued based on a borrowing base utilization grid set forth in the Credit Agreement. Eurodollar loans accrue interest at the London Interbank Offered Rate plus the applicable margin from the utilization table below, and Alternate Base Rate (“ABR”) and swingline loans accrue interest at the prime rate, plus the applicable margin from the utilization table below. Commitment fees are accrued on the unused portion of the aggregate lender commitment amount and are included in interest expense in the accompanying statements of operations. The borrowing base utilization grid under the Credit Agreement is as follows:

Borrowing Base Utilization Grid



Borrowing Base Utilization Percentage	<25%		≥25% <50%		≥50% <75%		≥75% <90%		≥90%
Eurodollar Loans	1.750	%	2.000	%	2.250	%	2.500	%	2.750	%
ABR Loans or Swingline Loans	0.750	%	1.000	%	1.250	%	1.500	%	1.750	%
Commitment Fee Rate	0.300	%	0.300	%	0.350	%	0.375	%	0.375	%

The following table presents the outstanding balance, total amount of letters of credit outstanding, and available borrowing capacity under the credit facility as of October 26, 2016, September 30, 2016, and December 31, 2015:



	As of October 26, 2016		As of September 30, 2016		As of December 31, 2015
	(in thousands)
Credit facility balance ⁽¹⁾	$	—	$	—	$	202,000
Letters of credit ⁽²⁾	200		200		200
Available borrowing capacity	1,249,800		1,106,675		1,297,800
Total aggregate lender commitment amount	$	1,250,000	$	1,106,875	$	1,500,000

____________________________________________

⁽¹⁾Unamortized deferred financing costs attributable to the credit facility are presented as a component of other noncurrent assets on the accompanying balance sheets and thus are not deducted from the credit facility balance.

⁽²⁾ Letters of credit outstanding reduce the amount available under the credit facility on a dollar-for-dollar basis.

Senior Notes

The Company’s Senior Notes consist of 6.50% Senior Notes due 2021, 6.125% Senior Notes due 2022, 6.50% Senior Notes due 2023, 5.0% Senior Notes due 2024, 5.625% Senior Notes due 2025, and 6.75% Senior Notes due 2026 (collectively referred to as “Senior Notes”). The Senior Notes, net of unamortized deferred financing costs line on the accompanying balance sheets as of September 30, 2016, and December 31, 2015, consisted of the following:



	As of September 30, 2016						As of December 31, 2015
	Senior Notes		Unamortized Deferred Financing Costs		Senior Notes, Net of Unamortized Deferred Financing Costs		Senior Notes		Unamortized Deferred Financing Costs		Senior Notes, Net of Unamortized Deferred Financing Costs
	(in thousands)
6.50% Senior Notes due 2021	$	346,955	$	3,547	$	343,408	$	350,000	$	4,106	$	345,894
6.125% Senior Notes due 2022	561,796		7,274		554,522		600,000		8,714		591,286
6.50% Senior Notes due 2023	394,985		4,618		390,367		400,000		5,231		394,769
5.0% Senior Notes due 2024	500,000		6,763		493,237		500,000		7,455		492,545
5.625% Senior Notes due 2025	500,000		7,845		492,155		500,000		8,524		491,476
6.75% Senior Notes due 2026	500,000		8,291		491,709		—		—		—
Total	$	2,803,736	$	38,338	$	2,765,398	$	2,350,000	$	34,030	$	2,315,970

The Senior Notes are unsecured senior obligations and rank equal in right of payment with all of the Company’s existing and any future unsecured senior debt, and are senior in right of payment to any future subordinated debt. There are no subsidiary guarantors of the Senior Notes. The Company is subject to certain covenants under the indentures governing the Senior Notes that limit the Company’s ability to incur additional indebtedness, issue preferred stock, and make restricted payments, including dividends; however, the first $6.5 million of dividends paid each year are not restricted by the restricted payment covenant. The Company was in compliance with all covenants under its Senior Notes as of September 30, 2016, and through the filing date of this report. The Company may redeem some or all of its Senior Notes prior to their maturity at redemption prices based on a premium, plus accrued and unpaid interest as described in the indentures governing the Senior Notes.

During the first quarter of 2016, the Company repurchased in open market transactions a total of $46.3 million in aggregate principal amount of its 6.50% Senior Notes due 2021, 6.125% Senior Notes due 2022, and 6.50% Senior Notes due 2023 for a settlement amount of $29.9 million, excluding interest, which resulted in a net gain on extinguishment of debt of approximately $15.7 million. This amount includes a gain of $16.4 million associated with the discount realized upon repurchase, which was partially offset by approximately $700,000 related to the acceleration of unamortized deferred financing costs. The Company accounted for the repurchases under the extinguishment method of accounting. The Company canceled all repurchased Senior Notes upon cash settlement.

2026 Notes

On September 12, 2016, the Company issued $500.0 million in aggregate principal amount of 6.75% Senior Notes due September 15, 2026, at par (the “2026 Notes”). The Company received net proceeds of $491.6 million after deducting paid and accrued fees of $8.4 million, which are being amortized as deferred financing costs over the life of the 2026 Notes. The net proceeds were used to partially fund the Rock Oil Acquisition that closed on October 4, 2016.

Senior Convertible Notes

On August 12, 2016, the Company issued $172.5 million in aggregate principal amount of 1.50% Senior Convertible Notes due July 1, 2021 (the “Senior Convertible Notes”). The Senior Convertible Notes are unsecured senior obligations and rank equal in right of payment with all of the Company’s existing and any future unsecured senior debt, and are senior in right of payment to any future subordinated debt. The Company received net proceeds of $166.7 million after deducting fees of $5.8 million, of which a portion is being amortized over the life of the Senior Convertible Notes. The net proceeds were used to partially fund the Rock Oil Acquisition that closed on October 4, 2016.

The Senior Convertible Notes mature on July 1, 2021, unless earlier repurchased or converted. Holders may convert their Senior Convertible Notes at their option at any time prior to January 1, 2021, only under the following circumstances: (1) during any calendar quarter (and only during such calendar quarter) commencing after the calendar quarter ending on September 30, 2016, if the last reported sale price of the Company’s common stock for at least 20 trading days (whether or not consecutive) during a period of 30 consecutive trading days ending on the last trading day of the immediately preceding calendar quarter is greater than or equal to 130% of the conversion price on each applicable trading day; (2) during the five business day period after any five consecutive trading day period (the “measurement period”) in which the trading price (as defined in the indenture) per $1,000 principal amount of Notes for each trading day of the measurement period was less than 98% of the product of the last reported sale price of the Company’s common stock and the conversion rate on each such trading day; or (3) upon the occurrence of specified corporate events. On or after January 1, 2021, until the maturity date, holders may convert their Senior Convertible Notes at any time, regardless of the foregoing circumstances. The Company may not redeem the Senior Convertible Notes prior to the maturity date. Upon conversion, the Senior Convertible Notes may be settled, at the Company’s election, in shares of the Company’s common stock, cash, or a combination of cash and common stock. Holders may convert their notes based on a conversion rate of 24.6914 shares of the Company’s common stock per $1,000 principal amount of the Senior Convertible Notes, which is equal to an initial conversion price of approximately $40.50 per share, subject to adjustment.

The Company has initially elected a net-settlement method to satisfy its conversion obligation, which allows the Company to settle the principal amount of the Senior Convertible Notes in cash and to settle the excess conversion value in shares, as well as cash in lieu of fractional shares. The Senior Convertible Notes were not convertible at the option of holders as of September 30, 2016, or through the filing date of this report. Notwithstanding the inability to convert, the if-converted value of the Senior Convertible Notes as of September 30, 2016, did not exceed the principal amount.

In accounting for the Senior Convertible Notes at issuance, the Company allocated proceeds from the Senior Convertible Notes into debt and equity components according to the authoritative accounting guidance for convertible debt instruments that may be fully or partially settled in cash upon conversion. The initial carrying amount of the debt component, which approximates its fair value, was estimated by using an interest rate for nonconvertible debt with terms similar to the Senior Convertible Notes. The effective interest rate used was 7.25 percent. The excess of the principal amount of the Senior Convertible Notes over the fair value of the debt component was recorded as a debt discount and a corresponding increase in additional paid-in capital. The Company incurred transaction costs of $5.8 million relating to the issuance of the Senior Convertible Notes, which were allocated between the debt and equity components in proportion to their determined fair value amounts. The debt discount and debt issuance costs are amortized to the carrying value of the Senior Convertible Notes as interest expense through the maturity date of July 1, 2021. Upon issuance of the Senior Convertible Notes, the Company recorded $132.3 million as long-term debt and $40.2 million as additional paid-in capital in stockholders’ equity in the accompanying balance sheets.

The net carrying amount of the liability component of the Senior Convertible Notes, as reflected on the accompanying balance sheets, consisted of the following as of September 30, 2016:



	As of September 30, 2016
	(in thousands)
Principal amount of Senior Convertible Notes	$	172,500
Original debt discount due to allocation of proceeds to equity	(40,217		)
Accumulated amortization of debt discount	953
Unamortized deferred financing costs	(4,311		)
Net carrying amount	$	128,925

If the Company undergoes a fundamental change, holders of the Senior Convertible Notes may require the Company to repurchase for cash all or any portion of their notes at a fundamental change repurchase price equal to 100% of the principal amount of the Senior Convertible Notes to be repurchased, plus accrued and unpaid interest. The indenture governing the Senior Convertible Notes contains customary events of default with respect to the Senior Convertible Notes, including that upon certain events of default, the Trustee by notice to the Company, or the holders of at least 25% in principal amount of the outstanding Senior Convertible Notes by notice to the Company, may declare 100% of the principal and accrued and unpaid interest, if any, due and payable immediately. In case of certain events of bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization involving the Company or a significant subsidiary, 100% of the principal and accrued and unpaid interest on the Senior Convertible Notes will automatically become due and payable.

The Company is subject to certain covenants under the indenture governing the Senior Convertible Notes and was in compliance with all covenants as of September 30, 2016, and through the filing date of this report.

Capped Call Transactions

In connection with the issuance of the Senior Convertible Notes, the Company entered into capped call transactions with affiliates of the underwriters of such issuance. The aggregate cost of the capped call transactions was approximately $24.2 million. The capped call transactions are generally expected to reduce the potential dilution upon conversion of the Senior Convertible Notes and/or partially offset any cash payments the Company is required to make in excess of the principal amount of converted Senior Convertible Notes in the event that the market price per share of the Company’s common stock, as measured under the terms of the capped call transactions (“market price per share”), is greater than the strike price of the capped call transactions, which initially corresponds to the approximate $40.50 per share conversion price of the Senior Convertible Notes and is subject to anti-dilution adjustments substantially similar to those applicable to the conversion rate of the Senior Convertible Notes. The cap price of the capped call transactions will initially be $60.00 per share, and is subject to certain adjustments under the terms of the capped call transactions. If, however, the market price per share exceeds the cap price of the capped call transactions, there would be dilution and/or there would not be an offset of such potential cash payments, in each case, to the extent that such market price per share exceeds the cap price of the capped call transactions.

The Company evaluated the capped call transactions under authoritative accounting guidance and determined that they should be accounted for as separate transactions and classified as equity instruments with no recurring fair value measurement recorded.