Debt | 9 Months Ended |
|---|---|
Sep. 30, 2011 | |
| Debt | |
| Debt | 7. Debt
Credit Lines
Devon has a $2.7 billion syndicated, unsecured revolving line of credit (the "Senior Credit Facility"). As of September 30, 2011, Devon had no borrowings under the Senior Credit Facility, but its borrowing capacity was reduced $0.1 billion by outstanding letters of credit.
The Senior Credit Facility contains only one material financial covenant. This covenant requires Devon's ratio of total funded debt to total capitalization to be less than 65 percent. The credit agreement contains definitions of total funded debt and total capitalization that include adjustments to the respective amounts reported in the consolidated financial statements. Also, total capitalization is adjusted to add back noncash financial writedowns such as full cost ceiling impairments or goodwill impairments. As of September 30, 2011, Devon was in compliance with this covenant. Devon's debt-to-capitalization ratio at September 30, 2011, as calculated pursuant to the terms of the agreement, was 22 percent.
2.40% Notes Due July 15, 2016, 4.00% Notes Due July 15, 2021 and 5.60% Notes Due July 15, 2041
In July 2011, Devon issued $2.25 billion of senior notes. The $2.22 billion of net proceeds received after discounts and issuance costs, were used to repay outstanding commercial paper balances as of June 30, 2011. These notes are unsecured and unsubordinated obligations of Devon.
Commercial Paper
In March 2011, Devon's Board of Directors authorized an increase in its commercial paper program from $2.2 billion to $5.0 billion. Commercial paper debt generally has a maturity of between 1 and 90 days, although it can have a maturity of up to 365 days, and bears interest at rates agreed to at the time of the borrowing. The interest rate is based on a standard index such as the Federal Funds Rate, LIBOR, or the money market rate as found on the commercial paper market.
Although Devon ended the third quarter of 2011 with approximately $6.8 billion of cash and short-term investments, the vast majority of this amount consists of proceeds from its International divestitures. Based on Devon's evaluation of future cash needs across its operations in the United States and Canada, these proceeds remain outside of the United States.
Consequently, subsequent to the commercial paper repayment in July 2011 noted above, Devon utilized additional commercial paper borrowings primarily to fund debt maturities, capital expenditures, common stock repurchases and dividends in excess of cash flow generated by its United States operating activities. As of September 30, 2011, Devon's average borrowing rate on its $3.2 billion of commercial paper borrowings was 0.27 percent. At December 31, 2010, Devon had no borrowings of commercial paper. |