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Debt
9 Months Ended
Apr. 30, 2018
Debt
Debt
 
As discussed further in Note M - Subsequent events, on May 4, 2018, the operating partnership entered into a new $575.0 million senior secured credit facility, which replaced the $575.0 million secured credit facility that was scheduled to mature in October 2018. Credit facility disclosures below pertain to the secured credit facility that was in place as of April 30, 2018.

Short-term borrowings
 
Ferrellgas classifies as short-term the portion of its secured credit facility borrowings that were used to fund working capital needs and that management intends to pay down within the 12 month period following the balance sheet date. As of April 30, 2018, there were no amounts classified as short-term borrowings because all amounts outstanding were refinanced on May 4, 2018 under the five-year term loan discussed in Note M - Subsequent events. As of July 31, 2017, $59.8 million was classified as short-term borrowings. For further discussion see the senior secured credit facility section below.

Financial covenants

The indenture governing the outstanding notes of Ferrellgas Partners and the agreements governing the operating partnership’s indebtedness contain various covenants that limit Ferrellgas Partners' ability and its subsidiaries to, among other things, make restricted payments and incur additional indebtedness. The general partner believes that the most restrictive of these covenants is the consolidated fixed charge coverage ratio, as defined in the indenture governing the outstanding notes of Ferrellgas Partners.

Consolidated fixed charge coverage ratio

Before a restricted payment (as defined in the Ferrellgas Partners indenture) can be made by Ferrellgas Partners, Ferrellgas Partners must be in compliance with the consolidated fixed charge coverage ratio covenant under the Ferrellgas Partners indenture. If Ferrellgas Partners is unable to make restricted payments, Ferrellgas Partners will not have the ability to make distributions to Ferrellgas Partners common unitholders.

This covenant requires that the ratio of trailing four quarters EBITDA to interest expense (both as adjusted for certain, specified items) of Ferrellgas Partners be at least 1.75x before a restricted payment (as defined in the indenture) can be made by Ferrellgas Partners. If this ratio were to drop below 1.75x, the indenture allows Ferrellgas Partners to make restricted payments of up to $50.0 million in total over a 16 quarter period while below this ratio. As of April 30, 2018, the ratio was 1.56x. As a result, the $9.8 million distribution to be paid to common unitholders on June 14, 2018 will be taken from the $50.0 million restricted payment limitation, which after considering the $9.8 million deductions taken as a result of the distributions paid in September 2017, December 2017 and March 2018, leaves $10.8 million for future restricted payments. Unless the indenture governing the outstanding notes is amended or refinanced, if our consolidated fixed charge coverage ratio does not improve to at least 1.75x and we continue our current quarterly distribution rate of $0.10 per common unit, this covenant will not allow us to make common unit distributions for our quarter ending October 31, 2018 and beyond. Ferrellgas Partners is presently considering potential solutions to cure the limitation on distributions under the consolidated fixed charge covenant ratio related to the outstanding unsecured bonds due in June 2020. The potential solutions, among others, include a refinancing or a transaction to exchange new bonds for some or all of the bonds due June 2020.

Debt and interest expense reduction strategy

Ferrellgas continues to execute on a strategy to further reduce its debt and interest expense. This strategy included amending our secured credit facility and accounts receivable securitization facility, as discussed in Note M - Subsequent events, as well as certain asset sales executed to date, and may include refinancing existing debt agreements, additional asset sales, a reduction in Ferrellgas Partners' annual distribution rate or the issuance of equity. Ferrellgas believes any debt and interest expense reduction strategies would remain in effect until Ferrellgas' consolidated leverage ratio reaches 4.5x or a level Ferrellgas deems appropriate for its business.

Senior secured credit facility

As of April 30, 2018, Ferrellgas had total borrowings outstanding under its secured credit facility of $184.9 million, all of which was classified as long-term debt. Ferrellgas had $252.3 million of capacity under the secured credit facility as of April 30, 2018. As of July 31, 2017, Ferrellgas had total borrowings outstanding under its secured credit facility of $245.5 million, of which $185.7 million was classified as long-term debt. Ferrellgas had $190.3 million of capacity under the secured credit facility as of July 31, 2017. Borrowings outstanding at April 30, 2018 and July 31, 2017 under the secured credit facility had weighted average interest rates of 6.7% and 6.0%, respectively.
 
Letters of credit outstanding at April 30, 2018 totaled $111.8 million and were used to secure commodity hedges, product purchases, and insurance arrangements. Letters of credit outstanding at July 31, 2017 totaled $139.2 million and were used to secure commodity hedges, product purchases, and insurance arrangements. At April 30, 2018, Ferrellgas had remaining letter of credit capacity of $88.2 million. At July 31, 2017, Ferrellgas had remaining letter of credit capacity of $60.8 million.
Ferrellgas, L.P. [Member]  
Debt
Debt
 
As discussed further in Note M - Subsequent events, on May 4, 2018, Ferrellgas, L.P. entered into a new $575.0 million senior secured credit facility, which replaced the $575.0 million secured credit facility that was scheduled to mature in October 2018. Credit facility disclosures below pertain to the secured credit facility that was in place as of April 30, 2018.

Short-term borrowings
 
Ferrellgas, L.P. classifies as short-term the portion of its secured credit facility borrowings that were used to fund working capital needs and that management intends to pay down within the 12 month period following the balance sheet date. As of April 30, 2018, there were no amounts classified as short-term borrowings because all amounts outstanding were refinanced on May 4, 2018 under the five-year term loan discussed in Note M - Subsequent events. As of July 31, 2017, $59.8 million was classified as short-term borrowings. For further discussion see the senior secured credit facility section below.

Debt and interest expense reduction strategy

Ferrellgas, L.P. continues to execute on a strategy to further reduce its debt and interest expense. This strategy included amending our secured credit facility and accounts receivable securitization facility, as discussed in Note M - Subsequent events, as well as certain asset sales executed to date, and may include refinancing existing debt agreements, additional asset sales, a reduction in Ferrellgas Partners' annual distribution rate or the issuance of equity. Ferrellgas, L.P. believes any debt and interest expense reduction strategies would remain in effect until Ferrellgas, L.P.'s consolidated leverage ratio reaches 4.5x or a level Ferrellgas, L.P. deems appropriate for its business.

Senior secured credit facility

As of April 30, 2018, Ferrellgas, L.P. had total borrowings outstanding under its secured credit facility of $184.9 million, all of which was classified as long-term. Ferrellgas, L.P. had $252.3 million of capacity under the secured credit facility as of April 30, 2018. As of July 31, 2017, Ferrellgas, L.P. had total borrowings outstanding under its secured credit facility of $245.5 million, of which $185.7 million was classified as long-term debt. Ferrellgas, L.P. had $190.3 million of capacity under our secured credit facility as of July 31, 2017. Borrowings outstanding at April 30, 2018 and July 31, 2017 under the secured credit facility had weighted average interest rates of 6.7% and 6.0%, respectively.
 
Letters of credit outstanding at April 30, 2018 totaled $111.8 million and were used to secure commodity hedges, product purchases, and insurance arrangements. Letters of credit outstanding at July 31, 2017 totaled $139.2 million and were used to secure commodity hedges, product purchases, and insurance arrangements. At April 30, 2018, Ferrellgas, L.P. had remaining letter of credit capacity of $88.2 million. At July 31, 2017, Ferrellgas, L.P. had remaining letter of credit capacity of $60.8 million.