US indies spent 83? on debt for every dollar: EIA

OREANDA-NEWS. September 23, 2015. US independent oil and gas producers spent 83 cents for every dollar they earned to repay debt as a plunge in crude prices to six-and-a-half-year lows squeezed cash flow, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) said.

The percentage of funds devoted to debt repayment, measured for 12 months ending 30 June, was the highest since at least 2011. The EIA analyzed second-quarter earnings of 44 companies, whose combined output of 2.7mn b/d in the first half of the year represented 35pc of Lower 48 production.

"With fixed debt repayments and the large reduction in cash from operations for these companies, the ratio of debt repayments to operating cash flow has increased in recent quarters," EIA said. With the increase in the ratio, "a company is left with less cash to use for investment opportunities, dividends or savings for future use."

The difference between operating cash flow and capex — known as free cash flow — remained negative for the companies EIA studied in the first half of the year, but it was \\$2.8bn higher than the same period in 2014 and the second quarter was the lowest deficit for any quarter since 2012.

Ample liquidity available on the back of the US Federal Reserve's easy money policy in the past few years helped producers rely heavily on debt to fund growth. With oil holding near \\$100/bl for most of the first half of the decade, the industry focus was also on expansion and boosting output.

But with the plunge in oil prices since mid-2014, producers responded to the reduced cash flow by pulling back drilling plans and lowering capital expenditures. They also sold shares worth billions of dollars and took on more debt in addition to what they already had before.

"Because of the large stock of debt accumulated from past years, a higher percentage of operating cash flow is being devoted to debt-service payments," it said.

Companies have tried to mitigate the impact of the price drop though hedges worth an estimated \\$8.8bn as of 30 June, according to EIA. They were also able to lower operating costs, partly as service providers reduced rental rates for rigs and crew to retain share in a shrinking market.

Some companies also refinanced their debt. "This option has increasingly become more expensive, though, as interest rates for energy company debt issuance increased as crude oil prices declined, and are higher than for any other business sector," the EIA said.

Companies are also bracing for a drop in their oil reserve values in coming months, in bi-annual exercise carried out by banks known as asset redetermination.

"With next month's round of redeterminations …some companies may face challenges in raising enough cash to maintain capital expenditures and meet liabilities," EIA said.