History
Gulfport grew from a Utica Shale buyer into a two-basin gas producer, was wiped out for shareholders in a 2020-21 Chapter 11, and re-emerged on the NYSE.
2012-2013: The Utica land grab
The record opens in late 2012, after Gulfport had put all its Permian Basin assets into Diamondback Energy's IPO in return for a 35% pre-IPO stake plus a $63.6 million note. It then turned to the Utica Shale in eastern Ohio. In December it agreed to buy about 30,000 net acres from Windsor Ohio, an affiliate of its own sponsor Wexford Capital, for roughly $302 million, then added about 7,000 more acres for about $70 million. The deal closed on December 28 at about $372 million. A special board committee reviewed it, and Chairman Mike Liddell received about $2.9 million as a 10% member of Windsor Ohio.
The purchase was paid for with an 11-million-share offering at $38.00 and a $50 million add-on to its 7.75% notes, taking that series to $300 million. In February 2013 a third Windsor deal bought about 22,000 more acres for roughly $220 million, again funded by shares. In November 2013, with the stock at $56.75, Gulfport raised about $424 million more. Shares on issue rose from about 44.6 million at the end of 2010 to about 85.2 million by the end of 2013.
2014-2015: Building out with credit and equity
Credit grew with the reserves. In January 2014 a new bank facility allowed up to $1.5 billion, with an immediate borrowing base of $150 million, up from $50 million. The borrowing base is the amount lenders will let a company draw. In August 2014 another $300 million of 7.75% notes took that series to $600 million. The borrowing base rose to $450 million in December 2014 and $575 million in April 2015. In September 2014 the company also signed supply deals with Stingray Pressure Pumping (50% owned) and Muskie Proppant (25% owned).
In April 2015 it sold $350 million of 6.625% notes due 2023. In June it raised about 480 million dollars in shares and bought acreage from American Energy Utica for $68.2 million and $319 million. In September it closed the roughly $301.9 million Paloma Partners III purchase of about 24,000 net acres. The borrowing base reached $700 million. Shares on issue rose from about 85.7 million at the end of 2014 to about 108.3 million at the end of 2015.
2016: Holding steady, then refinancing
In February 2016 lenders left the $700 million borrowing base unchanged. Even so, in March Gulfport raised about $411.9 million by selling 16.9 million shares at $25.25, less than half its 2013 peak. In October it sold $650 million of 6.000% notes due 2024 and used the money to redeem all $600 million of its 7.75% notes due 2020.
2016-2017: Into Oklahoma
On December 13, 2016 Gulfport agreed to buy assets from Vitruvian II Woodford for about $1.85 billion, made up of $1.35 billion in cash and shares. They covered 46,400 net acres in Oklahoma's SCOOP area, with about 1.1 Tcfe of estimated proved reserves. To pay for it, the company launched a 29-million-share offering and raised $600 million of 6.375% notes. Lenders waived a $150 million cut to the borrowing base that the notes would have triggered.
The deal closed on February 24, 2017, with about 23.9 million shares issued, and made Gulfport a two-basin company. Shares on issue rose from about 158.8 million at the end of 2016 to about 183.1 million at the end of 2017. In October 2017 it sold $450 million of 6.375% notes due 2026 to pay down its revolving credit. By November the borrowing base was $1.2 billion with nothing drawn.
2018-2019: Peak credit, then strain
In May 2018 the borrowing base reached $1.4 billion, its peak, and lenders gave more room to buy back stock. It was reaffirmed in December 2018. Shares on issue fell from about 183.1 million to about 163.0 million over 2018, a fall these records do not explain beyond that buy-back room. The record for 2019 is quiet until December, when Gulfport ended its fracturing agreement with Stingray, a subsidiary of Mammoth Energy Services (in which it held about 22%), for cause.
2020-2021: Bankruptcy and reset
In April 2020 the stock fell below Nasdaq's $1.00 minimum bid for 30 days, and a second notice followed in September. In May lenders halved the borrowing base to $700 million. In October Gulfport defaulted under its credit agreement, signed forbearance agreements (lender pauses on enforcing their rights) and used a grace period rather than pay interest on its 2024 notes.
On November 13, 2020 it filed for Chapter 11 with a restructuring agreement backed by over 95% of its bank lenders and holders of over two-thirds of its notes, plus $262.5 million of debtor-in-possession financing. Nasdaq delisted the stock effective November 27. On April 28, 2021 the court confirmed the plan. The 160,762,186 existing shares would be cancelled with no payment to shareholders. Noteholders would receive up to 96% of the new stock, and unsecured parent creditors would get 4% plus $10 million in cash and the Mammoth shares. The bank and DIP loans would convert into a $580 million exit facility.
2021-2024: A new Gulfport
Gulfport emerged in October 2021 with a JPMorgan-led credit agreement of up to $1.5 billion, an $850 million initial borrowing base, and a new common stock listed on the NYSE. Year-end share counts fell to about 20.6 million, in line with the reset. In September 2024 it issued $650 million of 6.750% senior notes due 2029. The latest share count, from 2026, is about 17.7 million.
Written from the 41 story beats below (2012 to 16 Sept 2024), which come from the company's own announcements and filings.