钻井平台运营商Borr推迟债务偿还

据路透社9月23日报道，石油钻井平台运营商Borr Drilling Ltd周二晚间表示，已与贷款机构达成协议，推迟偿还部分债务的最后期限，并计划通过股权融资，来应对需求的下滑。

Borr在奥斯陆和纽约两地上市。该公司表示，已与银行以及贷款机构Hayfin Capital Management达成协议，将5.95亿美元的债务偿还期限从2022年延长至2023年，并放宽了最低流动性要求。

该计划的前提是，需承诺以每股0.7美元的认购价发行4000万至5000万美元的新股，这较其在华尔街周二的收盘价折让2.8%。Borr补充称，投资者已承诺认购约3000万美元的股票，并可能将部分收益用于回购可转换债券。

Borr在一份声明中称："这将在可能的行业整合前强化资产负债表。"

该公司还将要求船厂接受付款期限的延长。该公司新任命的首席执行官Patrick Schorn表示:“我们相信，有了这项协议，加上船厂的持续支持，可以创造一个长期解决方案，未来几年将实现较低水平的现金盈亏平衡。”

Borr成立于2014-2016年的油价崩盘之后，收购了一支拥有30个现代钻井平台的船队，该公司押注于钻探和勘探市场将在接下来的几年反弹。

尽管该公司股价在2016年底上市后上涨，但由于新冠肺炎疫情爆发，钻井平台需求大幅下降，今年迄今为止该公司股价已下跌92%。

其竞争对手Seadrill SDRL于9月16日和债权人达成协议，暂停支付利息。今年早些时候，其他钻井平台公司也宣布了类似的债务重组信息。

王佳晶 摘译自 路透社

原文如下：

Oil rig owner Borr to delay debt repayment, plans stock issue to weather downturn

Oil rig operator Borr Drilling Ltd BDRILL.OLBORR.N has agreed with lenders to postpone the deadline for repayment of some of its debt, and aims to raise capital through equity as it seeks to overcome a demand slump, the company said late Tuesday.

Borr, which is dual listed in Oslo and New York, reached a deal with banks as well as lender Hayfin Capital Management to push debt repayments of $595 million into 2023 from 2022 and to ease a minimum liquidity requirement, it said.

The plan rests on a commitment to raise between $40 million and $50 million in new equity at a subscription price of $0.7 per share, a 2.8% discount to its Wall Street closing on Tuesday.

Borr has secured investor commitments for some $30 million of the share issue, and may use some of the proceeds to buy back convertible debt, the company added.

“This will strengthen the balance sheet ahead of possible industry consolidation,” Borr said in a statement.

It will also ask yards to accept extension of payment deadlines.

“We are confident that with this agreement and the continued support of the yards, we are creating a long-term solution, with low cash-breakeven for the coming years,” newly appointed Chief Executive Patrick Schorn said.

Founded in the wake of the 2014-2016 oil price crash, Borr acquired a fleet of 30 modern rigs in a bet that the market for drilling and exploration would rebound in the following years.

But while its shares rose following a late-2016 stock market listing, they are down 92% so far this year as rig demand plunged amid the COVID-19 outbreak.

Competitor Seadrill SDRL.OL on Sept. 16 agreed with creditors to suspend interest payments, following similar announcements of debt restructuring by other rig firms earlier this year.