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Revolving Credit Facility
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2012
Revolving Credit Facility
4. Revolving Credit Facility

We have a $300 million revolving credit facility with a borrowing base set at $280 million. The borrowing base is redetermined semi-annually on or before each April 1 and October 1 based on our oil and gas reserves. We or the lenders can each request one additional borrowing base redetermination each calendar year.

The maturity date under our revolving credit facility is July 31, 2014. Borrowings bear interest based on the agent bank’s prime rate plus an applicable margin ranging from 0.75% to 1.75%, or the sum of the Eurodollar rate plus an applicable margin ranging from 1.75% to 2.75%. Margins vary based on the borrowings outstanding compared to the borrowing base. In addition, we pay an annual commitment of 0.50% of unused borrowings available under our revolving credit facility.

Effective April 26, 2012, the lenders increased the borrowing base under our credit agreement to $270 million from $260 million.

Effective September 7, 2012, we entered into a thirteenth amendment to our credit agreement, which permits the Company to enter into thirty-six (36) month derivatives contracts on up to 100% of projected production from proved developed producing (“PDP”) reserves, compared to 85% under the former credit agreement, and sixty (60) – month derivatives contracts on up to 85% of projected production from PDP reserves, compared to thirty-six (36) months under the former credit agreement.

Effective November 16, 2012, we entered into a fourteenth amendment to our credit agreement, which increased the aggregate limit on the Company’s permitted indebtedness evidenced by the issuance of unsecured senior notes from $200 million to $400 million, eliminated the borrowing base reduction associated with the issuance of senior unsecured notes for notes issued before October 1, 2013, and added Approach Services, LLC and Approach Midstream Holdings LLC, wholly-owned subsidiaries of the Company, as guarantors under the credit agreement.

Effective October 11, 2012, the lenders increased the borrowing base under the credit agreement to $280 million from $270 million.

We had outstanding borrowings of $106.0 million and $43.8 million under our revolving credit facility at December 31, 2012, and 2011, respectively. The interest rate applicable to our revolving credit facility at December 31, 2012, and 2011 was 2.7% and 3.7%, respectively. We also had outstanding unused letters of credit under our revolving credit facility totaling $325,000 at December 31, 2012, which reduce amounts available for borrowing under our revolving credit facility.

Loans under our revolving credit facility are secured by first priority liens on substantially all of our West Texas assets, a pledge of our equity interests in our subsidiaries, and are guaranteed by our subsidiaries.

 

Covenants

Our credit agreement contains two principal financial covenants:

 

   

a consolidated modified current ratio covenant that requires us to maintain a ratio of not less than 1.0 to 1.0 at all times. The consolidated modified current ratio is calculated by dividing Consolidated Current Assets (as defined in the credit agreement) by Consolidated Current Liabilities (as defined in the credit agreement). As defined more specifically in the credit agreement, the consolidated modified current ratio is calculated as current assets less current unrealized gains on commodity derivatives plus the available borrowing base at the respective balance sheet date, divided by current liabilities less current unrealized losses on commodity derivatives at the respective balance sheet date.

 

   

a consolidated funded debt to consolidated EBITDAX ratio covenant that requires us to maintain a ratio of not more than 4.0 to 1.0 at the end of each fiscal quarter. The consolidated funded debt to consolidated EBITDAX ratio is calculated by dividing Consolidated Funded Debt (as defined in the credit agreement) by Consolidated EBITDAX (as defined in the credit agreement). As defined more specifically in the credit agreement, consolidated EBITDAX is calculated as net income (loss), plus (1) exploration expense, (2) depletion, depreciation and amortization expense, (3) share-based compensation expense, (4) unrealized loss on commodity derivatives, (5) interest expense, (6) income and franchise taxes and (7) certain other noncash expenses, less (1) gains or losses from sales or dispositions of assets, (2) unrealized gain on commodity derivatives and (3) extraordinary or nonrecurring gains. For purposes of calculating this ratio, consolidated EBITDAX for a fiscal quarter is annualized pursuant to the credit agreement.

Our credit agreement also restricts cash dividends and other restricted payments, transactions with affiliates, incurrence of other debt, consolidations and mergers, the level of operating leases, asset sales, investments in other entities and liens on properties.

In addition, our credit agreement contains customary events of default that would permit our lenders to accelerate the debt under our credit agreement if not cured within applicable grace periods, including, among others, failure to make payments of principal or interest when due, materially incorrect representations and warranties, failure to make mandatory prepayments in the event of borrowing base deficiencies, breach of covenants, defaults upon other obligations in excess of $500,000, events of bankruptcy, the occurrence of one or more unstayed judgments in excess of $500,000 not covered by an acceptable policy of insurance, failure to pay any obligation in excess of $500,000 owed under any derivatives transaction or in any amount if the obligation under the derivatives transaction is secured by collateral under the credit agreement, any event of default by the Company occurs under any agreement entered into in connection with a derivatives transaction, liens securing the loans under the credit agreement cease to be in place, a Change in Control (as defined in the credit agreement) of the Company occurs, and dissolution of the Company.

At December 31, 2012, we were in compliance with all of our covenants and had not committed any acts of default under the credit agreement.