SEPLAT: Revolving Credit Facility paper gets December 31, extension, oversubscribed
Seplat Petroleum Development Company Plc, on Monday, July 3, 2017, announced that it has successfully concluded a one-year extension of its Revolving Credit Facility (“RCF”) until 31 December. 2018.
The current three- year RCF, was due to expire at the end of 2017. The facility now expires on 31 December, 2018; and has been successfully amended to amortise the remaining outstanding principal balance of US$150 million in equal instalments over five quarters, commencing Q4 2017.
Overall, Seplat’s aggregate indebtedness, under its Term Loan and RCF, has reduced by US$365 million, from its peak in Q1 2015, of US$1 billion, to the current balance at the end of June, 2017, of US$635 million, which is a significant deleveraging of the balance sheet particularly in exceptionally difficult trading conditions over the past 18 months.
The amended facility has been provided by Citibank’s N.A. London Branch, Citibank Nigeria Limited, The Mauritius Commercial Bank Plc, Natixis, Nedbank Limited London Branch, Nomura International Plc, FirstRand Bank Limited, acting through its Rand Merchant Bank Division, Stanbic IBTC Bank Plc, The Standard Bank of South Africa Limited and Standard Chartered Bank.
Roger Brown, Seplat’s Chief Financial Officer, commenting on the extension, said: “We are pleased to announce the extension to our revolving credit facility. The approval to extend and strong demand within our core lending group, which saw around 30 per cent oversubscription, demonstrates Seplat’s strong underlying business fundamentals and is further testament to the strength of our relationship with our continuing and new lenders.”
He said, “The amended facility, and recent resumption of exports via the Forcados terminal, will enable the business to rebuild cash on its balance sheet, as we seek to strengthen our capital structure to ensure a strong platform.”
