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DEBT
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3 Months Ended |
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Mar. 31, 2012
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| DEBT [Abstract] | |
| DEBT | DEBT Revolving Credit Agreements During the three months ended March 31, 2012, we borrowed an aggregate $436.1 million under our $1.2 billion five-year revolving credit agreement (the 2007 Revolving Credit Agreement) to fund working capital requirements, our capital expenditures and distributions. Additionally, we repaid $203.9 million during the three months ended March 31, 2012. The 2007 Revolving Credit Agreement bears interest, at our option, based on either an alternative base rate or a LIBOR-based rate. As of March 31, 2012, our weighted average borrowing interest rate was 0.8%, and we had $411.6 million available for borrowing under the 2007 Revolving Credit Agreement. Due to a covenant in our 2007 Revolving Credit Agreement that requires us to maintain, as of the end of any four consecutive fiscal quarters, a consolidated debt coverage ratio not to exceed 5.00-to-1.00, we may not be able to borrow the maximum available amount. As of March 31, 2012, our consolidated debt coverage ratio was 4.6x. NuStar Logistics’ 4.75% Senior Notes On February 2, 2012, NuStar Logistics issued $250.0 million of 4.75% senior notes under our May 13, 2010 shelf registration statement. The net proceeds of $247.4 million were used to repay the outstanding principal amount of NuPOP’s 7.75% senior notes due February 15, 2012. The interest on the 4.75% senior notes is payable semi-annually in arrears on February 1 and August 1 of each year beginning on August 1, 2012. The notes will mature on February 1, 2022. The 4.75% senior notes do not have sinking fund requirements. These notes rank equally with existing senior unsecured indebtedness of NuStar Logistics and contain restrictions on NuStar Logistics’ ability to incur secured indebtedness unless the same security is also provided for the benefit of holders of the senior notes. In addition, the senior notes limit NuStar Logistics’ ability to incur indebtedness secured by certain liens and to engage in certain sale-leaseback transactions. At the option of NuStar Logistics, the 4.75% senior notes may be redeemed in whole or in part at any time at a redemption price, which includes a make-whole premium, plus accrued and unpaid interest to the redemption date. The 4.75% senior notes are fully and unconditionally guaranteed by NuStar Energy and NuPOP. Gulf Opportunity Zone Revenue Bonds The Parish of St. James, Louisiana issued, pursuant to the Gulf Opportunity Zone Act of 2005, tax-exempt revenue bonds in 2010 and 2011 (GoZone Bonds) associated with our St. James terminal expansions. The GoZone Bonds bear interest based on a weekly tax-exempt bond market interest rate, and we pay interest monthly. The interest rate was 0.1% as of March 31, 2012. The proceeds are deposited with a trustee and disbursed to us upon our request for reimbursement of expenditures related to our St. James terminal expansions. We include the amount remaining in trust related to the GoZone Bonds in “Other long-term assets, net,” and the amount of bonds issued in “Long-term debt, less current portion” in our consolidated balance sheets. For the three months ended March 31, 2012, we received $18.0 million from the trustee. As of March 31, 2012, the amount remaining in trust totaled $155.3 million. Lines of Credit As of March 31, 2012, we had one short-term line of credit with an uncommitted borrowing capacity of up to $20.0 million. We had no outstanding borrowings on this line of credit as of March 31, 2012. During the three months ended March 31, 2012, we borrowed and repaid $56.4 million related to this line of credit. |