History
Energy XXI grew from a Gulf of Mexico shelf producer into a debt-heavy giant, then lost its equity in a 2016 Chapter 11 after the 2014 EPL deal.
2008-2009: Crisis and a costly debt swap
In May 2008 Energy XXI offered holders of its 77,264,872 outstanding $5.00 warrants (rights to buy shares) the chance to swap them for common shares. In September it declared its first-ever quarterly dividend, $0.005 per share. In December 2008 its bank credit facility stood at $400 million, with $280 million drawn and $102 million of cash.
The financial crisis changed that quickly. In March 2009 the lenders cut the facility to $240 million, and by September the first-lien borrowing base (the amount banks will lend against its reserves) was down to $199 million. The company responded with a distressed debt exchange. In November 2009 it swapped $347.5 million of its 10% Senior Notes for $278 million of new 16% Second Lien Notes. It also sold $60 million more of those notes plus 13.2 million new shares in a private placement. This cut debt somewhat, but replaced cheap debt with expensive debt.
2009-2010: Mitsui assets and the Exxon deal
Even while repairing its balance sheet, Energy XXI agreed in November 2009 to buy Gulf of Mexico shelf interests from Mitsui subsidiary MitEnergy for $283 million. The assets added 8,000 barrels of oil equivalent a day of production. To fund it, the company launched offerings of 90 million common shares and $75 million of convertible preferred stock.
Through 2010 it kept turning preferred stock into common and raised more equity, including 9.5 million shares and $200 million of new preferred in October, to buy back its 16% notes and repay bank debt. The borrowing base had recovered to $350 million. In November 2010 it agreed to its largest deal, a $1.012 billion purchase of nine shelf fields from ExxonMobil and Mobil affiliates. It was funded by a term loan, revolver borrowings, cash and $750 million of new 9.25% notes due 2017. The deal closed on December 17, 2010, adding about 20,000 barrels a day, and brought roughly $200 million of well-plugging and abandonment obligations.
2011-2013: Cheaper debt, bigger facility
With credit markets improving, the company refinanced at ever lower rates. In February 2011 it raised $250 million of 7.75% notes to repay bank debt and buy back its remaining 10% notes. By May 2011 the 16% second-lien debt was fully retired and the borrowing base had risen to $750 million. It reached $825 million in October 2012 and $850 million in April 2013, when total commitments hit $1.7 billion. In September 2013 it sold $500 million of 7.50% notes due 2021, and the borrowing base rose to $1.0875 billion. In November it raised $400 million of 3.0% convertible notes.
2014: The EPL merger
In March 2014 Energy XXI agreed to buy EPL Oil & Gas, with EPL holders receiving about 65% cash and 35% stock, leaving existing Energy XXI holders with about 75% of the combined company. The borrowing base rose to $1.2 billion in April, and the company sold $650 million of 6.875% notes due 2024 to help pay. Shareholders voted on May 30, and the deal closed on June 3, 2014. The borrowing base reached an all-time high of $1.5 billion. Shares on issue rose from 71.5 million at the end of 2013 to 94.4 million at the end of 2014. By September, with oil prices falling, the company needed lenders to loosen its leverage covenant (a limit on debt relative to earnings) from 3.5x to 4.25x.
2015: Distress deepens
In February 2015 director James LaChance was named interim Chief Strategic Officer to negotiate with lenders and noteholders. In March the lenders cut off dividends to the parent and set the facility to shrink from about $1.5 billion to $500 million. The company priced $1.45 billion of 11% second lien notes at a 12% yield, its most expensive financing in years. In June it agreed to sell the Grand Isle Gathering System for $245 million and lease it back for 11 years at about $40.5 million a year; the sale closed on July 1. In September it said it would restate FY2011 to FY2014 results over hedge-accounting paperwork, which it described as non-cash with no effect on liquidity. In November lenders loosened the secured-debt leverage covenant again.
2016-2017: Bankruptcy and the end of the parent
Nasdaq warned in March 2016 that the stock had traded below $1.00. EPL missed a February interest payment, and in March the main subsidiary also missed interest on two note issues, with the borrowing base cut to $377.7 million. On April 14, 2016, Energy XXI Ltd, Energy XXI Gulf Coast, EPL and other subsidiaries filed for Chapter 11 in Texas with a Restructuring Support Agreement. Nasdaq delisted the shares on April 20. The plan gave second lien noteholders 87.8% of the new equity and reserved 11.6% for a creditor trust, while existing common and preferred stock received nothing. The court confirmed the plan on December 13, 2016. Reorganized Energy XXI Gulf Coast became the new parent holding substantially all the assets. A Form 15 ending SEC reporting was filed on December 30, then withdrawn on February 13, 2017. As of that date the Bermuda parent was in liquidation, with John C. McKenna as Provisional Liquidator and modified reporting.
Written from the 53 story beats below (2008 to 29 June 2017), which come from the company's own announcements and filings.