(1)

On the Effective Date, two wholly-owned subsidiaries of the operating partnership (referred to herein as the “Escrow Issuers”) issued the 2026 Notes and the 2029 Notes. On the Effective Date and immediately after the issuance of the 2026 Notes and 2029 Notes by the Escrow Issuers, (i) the Escrow Issuers were merged into the operating partnership and Ferrellgas Finance Corp., respectively, and the operating partnership and Ferrellgas Finance Corp. assumed the obligations of the Escrow Issuers as co-issuers of the 2026 Notes and the 2029 Notes, and (ii) the general partner and certain subsidiaries of the operating partnership guaranteed the 2026 Notes and the 2029 Notes. The 2026 Notes and 2029 Notes bear interest from the date of issuance, payable semi-annually in arrears on October 1 and April 1 of each year. The 2026 Notes will mature on April 1, 2026, and the 2029 Notes will mature on April 1, 2029. See “–Senior unsecured notes” below for additional discussion.

Senior secured revolving credit facility

On the Effective Date, the operating partnership, the general partner and certain of the operating partnership’s subsidiaries entered into the Credit Agreement, which provides for the four-year revolving Credit Facility in an aggregate principal amount of up to $350.0 million. The Credit Agreement includes a sublimit not to exceed $200.0 million for the issuance of letters of credit.

All borrowings under the Credit Facility are guaranteed by the general partner and the direct and indirect subsidiaries of the operating partnership (other than Ferrellgas Finance Corp. and Ferrellgas Receivables, LLC) and a limited-recourse guaranty from Ferrellgas Partners (limited to its equity interests in the operating partnership). Additionally, all borrowings are secured, on a first priority basis, by substantially all of the assets of the operating partnership and its subsidiaries and all of the equity interests in the operating partnership held by the general partner and Ferrellgas Partners.

Availability under the Credit Facility is, at any time, an amount equal to (a) the lesser of the revolving commitment and the Borrowing Base (as defined below) minus (b) the sum of the aggregate outstanding amount of borrowings under the Credit Facility plus the undrawn amount of outstanding letters of credit under the Credit Facility plus unreimbursed drawings in respect of letters of credit (unless otherwise converted into revolving loans). The "Borrowing Base" equals the sum of: (a) $200.0 million, plus (b) 80% of the eligible accounts receivable of the operating partnership and its subsidiaries, plus (c) 70% of the eligible propane inventory of the operating partnership and its subsidiaries, valued at weighted average cost, less (d) certain reserves, as determined and subject to certain modifications by the administrative agent in its permitted discretion.

Amounts borrowed under the Credit Facility bear interest, at the operating partnership's option, at either (a) for base rate loans, (i) a base rate determined by reference to the highest of (A) the rate of interest last quoted by The Wall Street Journal in the U.S. as the prime rate in effect, (B) the NYFRB Rate from time to time plus 0.50% per annum and (C) the Adjusted LIBO Rate for a one-month interest period plus 1.00% per annum plus (ii) a margin of 1.50% to 2.00% per annum depending on total net leverage or (b) for Eurodollar rate loans, (i) a rate determined by reference to the Adjusted LIBO Rate plus (ii) a margin of 2.50% to 3.00% per annum depending on total net leverage. The operating partnership will be required to pay an undrawn fee to the lenders on the average daily unused amount of the Credit Facility at a rate of 0.375% to 0.50% per annum depending on total net leverage.

The Credit Agreement contains customary representations, warranties, covenants and events of default.

The financial covenants in the Credit Agreement require the operating partnership to maintain: (1) a minimum interest coverage ratio (defined generally as the ratio of adjusted EBITDA to cash interest expense) of 2.50 to 1.00, (2) a maximum secured leverage ratio (defined generally as the ratio of total first priority secured indebtedness to adjusted EBITDA) of 2.50 to 1.00, and (3) a maximum total net leverage ratio (defined generally as the ratio of total indebtedness (net of unrestricted cash, subject to certain limits) to adjusted EBITDA) of 5.50 to 1.00 initially. The maximum total net leverage ratio adjusts to 5.25 to 1.00 starting with the quarter ending April 30, 2022, 5.00 to 1.00 starting with the quarter ending October 31, 2022, and 4.75 to 1.00 starting with the quarter ending April 30, 2023.

In addition to the financial covenants, the Credit Agreement includes covenants that may (or if not met will) restrict the ability of the operating partnership to, among other things: incur indebtedness or liens; effect certain fundamental changes, including mergers, consolidations, liquidations, dissolutions and changes in line of business; make certain restricted payments, including distributions to holders of Preferred Units, Ferrellgas Partners and the general partner and redemptions of Preferred Units; make investments, loans or advances; dispose of assets; effect sale and leaseback transactions; enter into swap agreements; make optional payments and modifications of subordinated and other debt instruments; enter into transactions with affiliates; agree to negative pledge clauses and burdensome agreements; and effect amendments to organizational documents.

On June 11, 2021, the operating partnership, the general partner and certain of the operating partnership’s subsidiaries entered into a First Amendment to the Credit Agreement (the “Credit Agreement Amendment”), with an effective date of April 30, 2021. Among other matters, the Credit Agreement Amendment amended the minimum-interest-coverage-ratio covenant described above by (i) waiving compliance with the covenant for the trailing four fiscal quarters ended April 30, 2021 and (ii) annualizing the cash interest expense component of the covenant for (a) the fiscal quarter ended on July 31, 2021, (b) the two fiscal quarters ending October 31, 2021, and (c) the three fiscal quarters ending January 31, 2022.

Senior unsecured notes

As discussed above, on the Effective Date, (i) the Escrow Issuers issued $650.0 million aggregate principal amount of 2026 Notes and $825.0 million aggregate principal amount of 2029 Notes, and (ii) the operating partnership and Ferrellgas Finance Corp. assumed the obligations of the Escrow Issuers as co-issuers of the 2026 Notes and the 2029 Notes upon the merger of the Escrow Issuers into the operating partnership and Ferrellgas Finance Corp., respectively. The operating partnership received aggregate net proceeds from the issuance and sale of the 2026 Notes and the 2029 Notes of approximately $1,441.2 million, after deducting the initial purchasers’ discount and estimated offering expenses. The operating partnership used such net proceeds, together with the net proceeds of the issuance and sale of the Preferred Units, as discussed in Note I – Preferred units, and cash on hand, (i) to redeem (or satisfy and discharge the indentures governing and subsequently redeem) all of the issued and outstanding 2021 Notes, 2022 Notes, 2023 Notes and 2025 Notes, and (ii) to repay all outstanding obligations under the Accounts Receivable Facility in connection with the termination of that facility, as described in Note F – Accounts and notes receivable, net.

The 2026 Notes and 2029 Notes are the senior unsecured obligations of the operating partnership and Ferrellgas Finance Corp. and are unconditionally guaranteed, jointly and severally, on a senior unsecured basis by the general partner and all domestic subsidiaries of the operating partnership other than Ferrellgas Finance Corp. and Ferrellgas Receivables, LLC.

The 2026 Notes may be redeemed prior to April 1, 2023 and the 2029 Notes may be redeemed prior to April 1, 2024 at the issuers’ option, in whole or in part, at a redemption price of par plus the applicable make-whole premium and accrued and unpaid interest. On and after April 1, 2023 and April 1, 2024, the 2026 Notes and the 2029 Notes, respectively, may be redeemed at the issuers’ option, in whole or in part, at the redemption prices set forth in the respective indenture governing such notes, plus accrued and unpaid interest. Beginning on April 1, 2025 and April 1, 2026, the 2026 Notes and 2029 Notes, respectively, may be redeemed at par plus accrued and unpaid interest.

The indentures governing the 2026 Notes and 2029 Notes contain customary affirmative and negative covenants restricting, among other things, the ability of the operating partnership and its restricted subsidiaries to: incur additional indebtedness and guarantee indebtedness; pay dividends or make other distributions (including distributions to holders of Preferred Units, Ferrellgas Partners and the general partner) or repurchase or redeem their equity interests (including redemptions of Preferred Units); repurchase or redeem certain debt; make certain other restricted payments or investments; sell assets, incur liens, enter into transactions with affiliates, enter into agreements restricting the operating partnership’s subsidiaries’ ability to pay dividends; and consolidate, merge or sell all or substantially all of their assets. The indentures also restrict the ability of the general partner to engage in certain activities.

In particular, under these covenants, subject to certain exceptions and additional requirements, the operating partnership is permitted to make cash distributions to holders of Preferred Units, Ferrellgas Partners and the general partner, redemptions of Preferred Units and other restricted payments (i) only in limited amounts specified in the indentures and (ii) only if the operating partnership’s net leverage ratio (defined generally to mean the ratio of consolidated total net debt to trailing four quarters consolidated EBITDA, both as adjusted for certain, specified items) is not greater than 5.0 to 1.0, on a pro forma basis giving effect to the restricted payment and, if applicable, certain other specified events. Further, if the operating partnership’s consolidated fixed charge coverage ratio (defined generally to mean the ratio of trailing four quarters consolidated EBITDA to consolidated fixed charges, both as adjusted for certain, specified items) is equal to or less than 1.75 to 1.00 (on a pro forma basis giving effect to the restricted payment and, if applicable, certain other specified events), the amount of distributions and other restricted payments the operating partnership is permitted to make under the indentures is further limited. As of July 31, 2022, the operating partnership is in compliance with all of its debt covenants.

Loss on extinguishment of debt

Proceeds from the issuance of the Preferred Units, the 2026 Notes and the 2029 Notes were used to redeem (or satisfy and discharge and subsequently redeem) all of the operating partnership’s previously issued and outstanding notes.

Ferrellgas Partners

The Class B Units were issued to holders of the Ferrellgas Partners Notes in satisfaction of their claims in respect of the Ferrellgas Partners Notes. The effects of these transactions resulted in a loss on extinguishment of debt, with the components presented below:


	For the year ended
	July 31, 2021
Payment of redemption premium on debt extinguishment	$	83,072
Fair value of Class B units in excess of current value		(5,101)
Make-whole payments		1,964
Unamortized deferred financing costs		24,899
Total loss on extinguishment of debt	$	104,834

The operating partnership

The effects of these transactions resulted in a loss on extinguishment of debt, with the components presented below:


	For the year ended
	July 31, 2021
Payment of redemption premium on debt extinguishment	$	83,072
Unamortized deferred financing costs		24,899
Total loss on extinguishment of debt	$	107,971

Scheduled annual principal payments

The scheduled annual principal payments on long-term debt are as follows:


	Scheduled
Payment due by fiscal year	principal payments
2023	$	1,517
2024		947
2025		817
2026		650,435
2027		100
Thereafter		826,188
Total	$	1,480,004

Letters of credit outstanding at July 31, 2022 and 2021 totaled $87.6 million and $107.7 million, respectively, and were used to secure insurance arrangements, product purchases and commodity hedges. At July 31, 2022, Ferrellgas had available borrowing capacity under its Credit Facility of $253.5 million and during fiscal 2022 incurred undrawn and commitment fees of $1.1 million. Ferrellgas incurred commitment fees of $0.1 million and $0.5 million in fiscal 2021 and 2020, respectively.