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Debt and Debt-Related Parties
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Sep. 30, 2012
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| Debt Disclosure [Abstract] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Debt and Debt-Related Parties |
Debt and Debt—Related Parties
As of September 30, 2012 and December 31, 2011, our debt consisted of the following (in thousands):
2007 Term Loan
In May 2007, Cheniere Subsidiary Holdings, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Cheniere, entered into a $400.0 million credit agreement ("2007 Term Loan"). Borrowings under the 2007 Term Loan generally bore interest at a fixed rate of 9¾% per annum. Interest was calculated on the unpaid principal amount of the 2007 Term Loan outstanding and was payable quarterly in arrears on March 31, June 30, September 30 and December 31 of each year. The 2007 Term Loan had a maturity date of May 31, 2012. The 2007 Term Loan was secured by a pledge of our 135,383,831 subordinated units in Cheniere Partners.
In May 2010, we sold our 30% interest in Freeport LNG Development, L.P. ("Freeport LNG") to institutional investors for net proceeds of $104.3 million. The net proceeds from the sale were used to prepay $102.0 million of the 2007 Term Loan in May 2010. As of December 31, 2010, $298.0 million was outstanding under the 2007 Term Loan and included in long-term debt on our Consolidated Balance Sheets. During the second quarter of 2011, we reclassified $298.0 million of debt from a long-term liability to a current liability because our 2007 Term Loan was due within 12 months as of May 31, 2011.
In January 2012, we used a portion of the net proceeds from the public offering of common stock in December 2011 to repay in full the outstanding principal balance of the 2007 Term Loan. The aggregate repayment amount was $298.2 million, including the outstanding principal amount and accrued interest through January 5, 2012.
Convertible Senior Unsecured Notes
In July 2005, we consummated a private offering of $325.0 million aggregate principal amount of Convertible Senior Unsecured Notes to qualified institutional buyers pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended ("the Securities Act"). The notes bore interest at a rate of 2¼% per year. The notes were convertible at any time into our common stock under certain circumstances at an initial conversion rate of 28.2326 shares per $1,000 principal amount of the notes, which was equal to a conversion price of approximately $35.42 per share.
We had the right to redeem some or all of the notes on or before August 1, 2012, for cash equal to 100% of the principal plus any accrued and unpaid interest if in the previous 10 trading days the volume-weighted average price of our common stock exceeded $53.13, subject to adjustment, for at least five consecutive trading days. In the event of such redemption, we would have made an additional payment equal to the present value of all remaining scheduled interest payments through August 1, 2012, discounted at the U.S. Treasury securities rate plus 50 basis points. The indenture governing the notes contained customary reporting requirements.
During the second quarter of 2009, we reduced debt by exchanging $120.4 million aggregate principal amount of our Convertible Senior Unsecured Notes for a combination of $30.0 million cash and cash equivalents and 4.0 million shares of common stock, reducing our principal amount due in 2012 to $204.6 million. The remaining principal amount of the Convertible Senior Unsecured Notes was convertible into 5.8 million shares.
During the third quarter of 2011, we reclassified $190.7 million of debt, net of discount, from a long-term liability to a current liability because our Convertible Senior Unsecured Notes were due within 12 months as of August 1, 2011.
We adopted on January 1, 2009 an accounting standard that requires issuers of certain convertible debt instruments to separately account for the liability component and the equity component represented by the embedded conversion option in a manner that will reflect that entity's nonconvertible debt borrowing rate when interest costs are recognized in subsequent periods. The fair value of the embedded conversion option at the date of issuance of the Convertible Senior Unsecured Notes was determined to be $134.0 million and has been recorded as a debt discount to the Convertible Senior Unsecured Notes, with a corresponding adjustment to additional paid-in capital.
In August 2012, we repaid in full the outstanding principal balance of the Convertible Senior Unsecured Notes. The aggregate repayment amount was $206.9 million including the outstanding principal amount and accrued interest through August 1, 2012.
Senior Notes
In November 2006, Sabine Pass LNG issued an aggregate principal amount of $2,032.0 million of Senior Notes (the "Senior Notes"), consisting of $550.0 million of 7¼% Senior Secured Notes due 2013 (the "2013 Notes") and $1,482.0 million of 7½% Senior Secured Notes due 2016 (the "2016 Notes"). In September 2008, Sabine Pass LNG issued an additional $183.5 million, before discount, of 2016 Notes whose terms were identical to the previously outstanding 2016 Notes. Interest on the Senior Notes is payable semi-annually in arrears on May 30 and November 30 of each year. The Senior Notes are secured on a first-priority basis by a security interest in all of Sabine Pass LNG’s equity interests and substantially all of its operating assets.
Sabine Pass LNG may redeem some or all of the Senior Notes at any time, and from time to time, at a redemption price equal to 100% of the principal plus any accrued and unpaid interest plus the greater of:
•1.0% of the principal amount of the Senior Notes; or
Under the Sabine Pass Indenture, except for permitted tax distributions, Sabine Pass LNG may not make distributions until certain conditions are satisfied: there must be on deposit in an interest payment account an amount equal to one-sixth of the semi-annual interest payment multiplied by the number of elapsed months since the last semi-annual interest payment, and there must be on deposit in a permanent debt service reserve fund an amount equal to one semi-annual interest payment of approximately $82.4 million. Distributions are permitted only after satisfying the foregoing funding requirements, a fixed charge coverage ratio test of 2:1 and other conditions specified in the Sabine Pass Indenture. During the nine months ended September 30, 2012, Sabine Pass LNG made distributions of $182.9 million after satisfying all the applicable conditions in the Sabine Pass Indenture. During the nine months ended September 30, 2011, Sabine Pass LNG made distributions of $231.7 million after satisfying all the applicable conditions in the Sabine Pass Indenture.
See Note 15—"Subsequent Events" for a description of the repurchase in October 2012 of the 2013 Notes and Sabine Pass LNG's issuance of new notes.
2008 Loans
In August 2008, we entered into a credit agreement pursuant to which we obtained $250.0 million in convertible term loans ("2008 Loans"). The 2008 Loans had a maturity date in 2018. The 2008 Loans bore interest at a fixed rate of 12% per annum, except during the occurrence of an event of default during which time the rate of interest would have been 14% per annum. Interest was due semi-annually on the last business day of January and July. The 2008 Loans were secured by Cheniere's rights and fees payable under management services agreements with Sabine Pass LNG and Cheniere Partners, by Cheniere's 12.0 million common units in Cheniere Partners, by the equity and assets of Cheniere's pipeline entities, by the equity of various other subsidiaries and certain other assets and subsidiary guarantees.
In June 2010, the 2008 Loans were amended to permit all funds on deposit in a terminal use agreement ("TUA") reserve payment account to be applied to the prepayment of the accrued interest on the loans outstanding under the 2008 Loans, with any remainder to be applied to the prepayment of the principal balance of such 2008 Loans. As a result, $63.6 million from the TUA reserve account was used to prepay $60.9 million of accrued interest and $2.7 million of principal of the 2008 Loans.
In December 2010, the 2008 Loans were amended to, among other things: eliminate the "put rights" which had allowed the lenders to demand repayment of the 2008 Loans on the third, fifth, and seventh anniversaries thereof; allow for the early prepayment of the 2008 Loans; allow Cheniere for a limited period to sell Cheniere Partners common units held as collateral and prepay the 2008 Loans with the proceeds; and release restrictions on prepayments of other indebtedness of Cheniere as certain conditions were met. In addition, 96.6% of the lenders agreed to terminate their rights to exchange the 2008 Loans for Series B Preferred Stock of Cheniere.
The outstanding principal amount of the 2008 Loans held by Scorpion Capital Partners, L.P. ("Scorpion") was exchangeable for shares of Cheniere common stock at a price of $5.00 per share pursuant to an amendment to the 2008 Loans adopted in September 2011. No portion of any accrued interest was eligible for exchange into Cheniere common stock. On June 16, 2011, our stockholders approved a proposal to permit Scorpion to exchange its 2008 Loans for common stock, to hold such shares of common stock, and to allow Scorpion to vote the common stock as any other stockholder. The portion of outstanding principal amount of the 2008 Loans for Scorpion was classified as related party long-term debt on our consolidated financial statements because Scorpion is an affiliate of one of Cheniere's directors. As of December 31, 2011, we classified $9.6 million of the 2008 Loans as part of Long-Term Debt—Related Parties on our Consolidated Balance Sheets because a related party then held these portions of this debt. In April 2012, Scorpion exchanged all $8.4 million of its loan for 1.7 million shares of Cheniere common stock and $1.4 million cash.
In June 2012, we repaid in full the entire outstanding principal balance of the 2008 Loans. Upon such payment, the credit agreement and related agreements were terminated. As a result, we recorded a $15.1 million loss on early extinguishment of debt in June 2012.
Liquefaction Credit Facility
In July 2012, Sabine Pass Liquefaction entered into the $3.6 billion Liquefaction Credit Facility with a syndicate of lenders. The Liquefaction Credit Facility will be used to fund a portion of the costs of developing, constructing and placing into operation LNG trains 1 and 2 of the Liquefaction Project. The Liquefaction Credit Facility will mature on the earlier of July 31, 2019 or the second anniversary of the completion date of LNG trains 1 and 2 of the Liquefaction Project. Borrowings under the Liquefaction Credit Facility may be refinanced, in whole or in part, at any time without premium or penalty, except for interest hedging and interest rate breakage costs. Sabine Pass Liquefaction made a $100.0 million borrowing under the Liquefaction Credit Facility in August 2012 after meeting the required conditions precedent to the initial advance. The second advance will not be made until Sabine Pass Liquefaction has received an aggregate of at least $1.9 billion of equity or subordinated debt proceeds, and has expended at least $1.8 billion of such funds in payment of costs for LNG trains 1 and 2 of the Liquefaction Project. In addition, the second advance will not be made until Cheniere Creole Trail Pipeline, L.P. has received equity or debt commitments sufficient to fund the pipeline modifications necessary to provide sufficient gas supply for the Liquefaction Project.
Borrowings under the Liquefaction Credit Facility bear interest, at Sabine Pass Liquefaction's election, at a variable rate equal to LIBOR or the base rate, plus the applicable margin. The applicable margin for LIBOR loans is 3.50% during construction and 3.75% during operations, and the applicable margin for base rate loans is 2.50% during construction and 2.75% during operations. Interest on LIBOR loans is due and payable at the end of each LIBOR period, and interest on base rate loans is due and payable at the end of each calendar quarter. The Liquefaction Credit Facility required Sabine Pass Liquefaction to pay certain up-front fees to the agents and lenders in the aggregate amount of approximately $178 million and provides for a commitment fee calculated at a rate per annum equal to 40% of the applicable margin for LIBOR loans, multiplied by the average daily amount of the undrawn commitment. Annual administrative fees must also be paid to the agent and the trustee. The principal of loans made under the Liquefaction Credit Facility must be repaid in quarterly installments, commencing with the first calendar quarter ending at least three months following the completion of LNG trains 1 and 2 of the Liquefaction Project. Scheduled repayments are based upon an 18-year amortization, with the remaining balance due upon the maturity of the Liquefaction Credit Facility.
Under the terms and conditions of the Liquefaction Credit Facility, all cash held by Sabine Pass Liquefaction is controlled by the collateral agent. These funds can only be released by the collateral agent upon satisfaction of certain terms and conditions, including receipt of satisfactory documentation that the Liquefaction Project costs are bona fide expenditures and are permitted under the terms of the Liquefaction Credit Facility. The Liquefaction Credit Facility does not permit Sabine Pass Liquefaction to hold any cash, or cash equivalents, outside of the accounts established under the agreement. Because these cash accounts are controlled by the collateral agent, the cash balance of $100.0 million held in these accounts as of September 30, 2012 is classified as restricted on our Consolidated Balance Sheets.
The Liquefaction Credit Facility contains customary conditions precedent for the second borrowing and any subsequent borrowings, as well as customary affirmative and negative covenants. The obligations of Sabine Pass Liquefaction under the Liquefaction Credit Facility are secured by substantially all of the assets of Sabine Pass Liquefaction as well as all of the membership interests in Sabine Pass Liquefaction, and a security interest in Cheniere Partners' rights under the Blackstone Unit Purchase Agreement and the guaranty related thereto.
Under the terms of the Liquefaction Credit Facility, Sabine Pass Liquefaction is required to hedge against the potential of rising interest rates with respect to no less than 75% (calculated on a weighted average basis) of the projected outstanding borrowings. In connection with the closing of the Liquefaction Credit Facility, Sabine Pass Liquefaction entered into interest rate swap agreements. The swap agreements have the effect of fixing the LIBOR component of the interest rate payable under the Liquefaction Credit Facility with respect to forecasted borrowings under the Liquefaction Credit Facility up to a maximum of $2.9 billion at 1.98% from August 14, 2012 to July 31, 2019, the final termination date of the swap agreements.
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