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Secured Lenders News

12 May 2022

AMSC to Buy Normand Maximus OSCV for $157M. Agrees Charter with Solstad Offshore

Credit: Solstad Offshore

American Shipping Company ASA (AMSC) has agreed to acquire the Normand Maximus construction support vessel from Maximus Limited, a company controlled by its secured lenders.In parallel with the transaction, AMSC will enter into a long-term bareboat agreement with a subsidiary of the Norwegian offshore services provider Solstad Offshore. Solstad Offshore has managed the vessel for years, and the deal with AMSC means it will continue to do so.The total purchase price for the vessel is about USD 157 million…

06 Sep 2021

Seadrill Closer to Chapter 11 Emergence as Court Nod Granted

(Photo: Seadrill)

Offshore drilling company Seadrill has moved a step closer to reaching bankruptcy emergence after the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas approved the disclosure statement for the company's proposed plan of reorganization.Seadrill said Friday that the court had authorized the company to distribute the disclosure statement and solicit votes from all lenders on the Plan. The court also set a hearing to consider approval of the Plan for October 26, 2021."The…

21 Jul 2021

Buyers Reportedly Line-up for a Crack at Seadrill

© Elnur/AdobeStock

Noble Corp and a consortium that includes Transocean Ltd and Dolphin Drilling are competing to acquire the assets of Seadrill Ltd, the bankrupt offshore oil driller controlled by Norwegian-born tycoon John Fredriksen, people familiar with the matter said on Tuesday.Seadrill is trying to emerge from its second U.S. Chapter 11 bankruptcy in four years: like many in the industry, it expanded its drilling rigs too aggressively in the mid-2010s to withstand a subsequent plunge in energy prices and rig hire rates.

14 Jul 2021

Siem Offshore Names New CFO

Norwegian offshore vessel operator Siem Offshore has named a replacement for its departing CFO Dagfinn B Lie.Two weeks ago, Siem Offshore said that Dagfinn B Lie would resign as CFO in the company, but it didn't at the time say who would be the next CFO.However, on Wednesday, July 14, Siem Offshoresaid Vidar Jerstad would be its CFO effective from of August 1, 2021. He will also be a member of the Management Team in Siem Offshore from the same date.Jerstad has been employed as Finance Director in Siem Offshore since 2017."He has extensive experience from various positions in finance area in Nordea and he will be an excellent contribution to our company as our new CFO…

29 Jun 2021

Siem Offshore's CFO Resigns

Norwegian offshore vessel owner Siem Offshore said Tuesday its CFO Dagfinn B Lie had decided to resign.He'll remain with Siem Offshore until September 30, 2021."The company would like to thank Mr. Lie for his contribution and devotion to the company for the past 14 years, and we wish him good luck with new endeavors," Siem Offshore said without providing further details behind the CFO's decision to resign.Earlier this month, Siem Offshore sold two AHTS vessels Siem Garnet and Siem Diamond for further trading outside the offshore shipping industry. The company said at the time its objective was to reduce debt, and that surplus cash after…

18 Jun 2021

Siem Offshore Sells AHTS Duo to Reduce Debt

Norwegian vessel owner Siem Offshore has agreed to sell two anchor handling tug and supply vessels Siem Garnet and Siem Diamond.Siem Offshore said that the vessels would be sold to an independent third party, for further trading outside the offshore shipping industry. "Siem Garnet” was delivered to the Buyer today and “Siem Diamond” is scheduled for delivery during next week," Siem Offshore said.Siem Offshore said its objective was to reduce debt, adding that the sale of the AHTS due was done "on market terms and at book values," without sharing the exact value."Surplus cash after debt repayment on the two vessels sold will be used for additional debt repayment on the 8 remaining AHTS vessels in accordance with the restructuring plan agreed with our secured lenders last month.

18 May 2020

DOF in Standstill Agreement with Lenders

Skandi Vega - Image by Cavernia/Wikimedia - Shared under CC BY-SA 4.0 license

Norwegian offshore support and subsea service vessel owners DOF and DOF Subsea have reached stand-still agreements with lenders representing to 93% secured debt of DOF companies. The agreement means all payments of principal and interest to the secured lenders are suspended until 30 June 2020 on certain customary terms and conditions. The deal does not cover payments on the NOK 100 million credit facility provided to DOF Subsea AS by certain of its lenders on March 27, 2020 to cover its immediate liquidity needs…

11 Sep 2020

Hornbeck Offshore Strikes Restructuring Deal with Lenders

A Hornbeck Offshore vessel - Image credit: Hornbeck Offshore

US-based offshore vessel provider Hornbeck Offshore has struck a comprehensive balance sheet restructuring support agreement with its lenders.The announcement on Tuesday follows Hornbeck’s previous announcement earlier this month when the company said it was in talks with lenders over the terms of the balance sheet restructuring, to be implemented through a prepackaged chapter 11 filing in the Southern District of Texas.Hornbeck Offshore said Tuesday that it had entered into restructuring…

01 Apr 2020

Siem Offshore Gets Breathing Room

Norway-based offshore vessel owner Siem Offshore has received some breathing room after reaching an agreement with its banks.The company last week warned that the extreme fluctuations in the financial markets over the past weeks „have resulted in a further deterioration in the company's liquidity situation“ and that Siem Offshore was in discussions with its banks to seek to alleviate the situation.In a statement on Wednesday morning, Siem Offshore said that it had "with effect from 31 March 2020 entered into an agreement with the group's secured lenders to provide time to secure a long-term financing solution for the Siem Offshore group."The terms of the agreement include deferral and suspension of principal and interest and waiver of financial covenants until May 15…

01 Apr 2020

Solstad Offshore, Creditors Agree on Draft Restructuring Plan

(Photo: Solstad Offshore)

Norway's offshore service vessels (OSVs) supplier Solstad Offshore and its creditors have agreed on a draft restructuring plan, which includes converting 10 billion crowns ($962.17 million) of debt into equity, the company said on Tuesday.The large majority of stakeholders, including secured lenders, leasing companies, industrial shareholders and key bondholders plan to sign a binding agreement by the end of April, the Oslo-listed firm added in a statement."We are entering a period…

28 Oct 2016

Paragon Offshore Eyes Options after Court Denies Bankruptcy Plan

Paragon Offshore Plc said on Friday it was evaluating its options after a U.S. judge rejected the offshore rig contractor's plan to exit bankruptcy, an unusual setback for a corporate Chapter 11 proceeding. In an oral ruling in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in the District of Delaware, Judge Christopher Sontchi said the plan was not feasible because it removes too much cash from the company during the current downturn. The ruling does not preclude the company from a restructuring under a different plan, he said. "The company continues to believe, but cannot provide any assurances, that a positive resolution of the company's restructuring process can be achieved," Paragon said in a statement following the ruling.

27 Jan 2014

Excel Reduces Debt by $600 Million

Excel Maritime Carriers Ltd., an owner and operator of dry bulk carriers, today announced that the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York confirmed the Amended Joint Chapter 11 Plan of Reorganization, which has the support of the company's senior secured lenders and unsecured creditors. The plan was unanimously accepted by Excel's two voting classes, with 100% of the class of secured lenders and approximately 92% of the class of impaired Excel general unsecured creditors, by value, voting in favor. Excel expects to emerge from Chapter 11 in mid-February 2014. Upon completion of the restructuring process, the company's total prepetition debt of $920 million will be reduced to approximately $300 million.

28 Nov 2013

Excel Maritime Agree Chapter 11 Way Out Re-structuring

Image courtesy of Excel Maritime

Excel Maritime Carriers Ltd. say they have reached an agreement on the terms of a modified plan of reorganization with its senior secured lenders and the Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors, which was filed with United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York. "We are pleased to have reached this agreement with our lenders and bondholders, which positions Excel Maritime for future growth and success," said Gabriel Panayotides, Chairman of the Board.

02 Jul 2013

Bulk Carrier Owner Excel Files Chapter 11 Bankruptcy

Bulker MV Christine: Photo courtesy of Excel Maritime Carriers

Excel Maritime Carriers has entered into an agreement with its senior lenders on the terms of a financial restructuring, having now necessarily filed Chapter 11 petitions for relief in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York. The agreement, which has the support of Excel Maritime's senior secured lenders, is substantially similar to the previously announced agreement in principle the Company reached with the steering committee of its senior lenders and provides the Company with up to $80 million of additional liquidity…

12 Jun 2013

Excel Maritime Files Chapter 11, Plans Financial Re-structuring

Excel Capesize Vessel: Photo courtesy of Excel Maritime

Excel Maritime Carriers, owners & operators of a large fleet of dry bulk carriers, become the latest casualty of the downturn in the shipping industry, but sets financial plans for recovery. The company says t has reached an agreement in principle with a steering committee of its senior lenders on the terms of a financial restructuring to strengthen its balance sheet. Up to $50 million infusion of capital as a result of an agreement between the senior lenders and an entity affiliated with the family of Gabriel Panayotides, Excel Maritime's Chairman of the Board of Directors.

11 Jun 2013

Excel Agreements Strengthen Financial Foundation

Excel Maritime Carriers Ltd., an owner and operator of dry bulk carriers and an international provider of worldwide seaborne transportation services for dry bulk cargoes, has announced that it has reached an agreement in principle with a steering committee of its senior lenders on the terms of a financial restructuring to strengthen its balance sheet. Through this agreement, Excel Maritime expects to reduce its funded indebtedness and enhance its liquidity profile with the support of its senior lenders as it continues to provide first class service as a premier provider of dry bulk transportation services. Under the terms of the agreement…

16 Apr 2013

Does Chapter 11 Work for Foreign Shipping Companies?

Thomas J. Belknap, Partner and Vice Practice Group Leader of Blank Rome’s International and Maritime Litigation/ADR practice group, concentrates his practice in the areas of international commercial and insurance litigation and arbitration, with particular emphasis on the maritime industry.

In the past two or three years, we have seen a wave of shipping companies file Chapter 11 bankruptcy cases in the United States. This latest wave started hitting the street in about 2011 and has included such names as General Maritime, Omega Navigation, Marco Polo, TBS International, B&H, and OSG. The timing is no mystery to anyone who has been following our industry, and I do not think it is too controversial to suggest that what we are seeing now are the continuing effects of the precipitous collapse of freight markets starting in 2008 which…

04 May 2012

General Maritime Corp to Emerge from Bankruptcy Soon

General Maritime Corp. Financial Indebtedness to be reduced by approximately $600 Million; Oaktree Managed Funds to Provide $175 Million in new capital

. General Maritime Corporation (the "Company") has announced that the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York (the "Bankruptcy Court") confirmed the second amended joint plan of reorganization (the "Plan") of the Company and its direct and indirect subsidiaries that are debtors under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code (the "Debtors"). General Maritime currently expects to emerge from Chapter 11 in May 2012 after the conditions to effectiveness of the Plan are satisfied.

10 Sep 2004

ACL Files Reorganization Plan

American Commercial Lines LLC and its affiliated debtors today filed their Joint Plan of Reorganization in the United States Bankruptcy Court, Southern District of Indiana, New Albany Division. ACL and its affiliated debtors, including American Commercial Barge Line LLC and Jeffboat LLC, filed for Chapter 11 protection on January 31, 2003. Richard L. Under the terms of the Plan, ACL will issue $225M in new Senior Secured Notes, and approximately $138M in new Junior Secured Notes in satisfaction of obligations to the Senior Secured Lenders. Five-year Maritime Lien Holder Notes will be issued to holders of maritime liens or in the alternative, a cash payout of as much as fifty cents on the dollar.

14 Jan 2005

ACL Emerges From Chapter 11

American Commercial Lines LLC (ACL) has emerged from Chapter 11 protection pursuant to the Plan of Reorganization approved on December 30, 2004 by the United States Bankruptcy Court of Southern Indiana, New Albany Division. Under the terms of the Plan of Reorganization, ACL LLC’s emergence from bankruptcy became effective on January 11, 2005. Equity in ACL LLC was transferred to a new parent company, American Commercial Lines Inc. (“ACL”), which will transfer shares to the holders of approximately $278 million of pre-petition bonds and other secured creditors. On January 13, 2005, ACL renewed approximately $364 million of secured financing with JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A. as Agent for the pre-petition secured lenders. Bank of America, N.A.