The First Lien Notes are jointly and severally and fully and unconditionally guaranteed on a senior secured basis by all of the Company’s subsidiaries other than the Zonda Debtors, certain immaterial subsidiaries and PIDWAL. If the Zonda Debtors are successful in their appeal of the Tribunal’s award, they will guarantee and provide collateral for the First Lien Notes, Second Lien PIK Notes and the Revolving Credit Facility upon their emergence from bankruptcy pursuant to the terms of the Zonda Plan and agreements governing such debt. If the Zonda Debtors are unsuccessful in the appeal, the Company expects that the Zonda Debtors will be liquidated in accordance with the terms of the Zonda Plan and the Zonda Debtors would not provide collateral for or guarantee the First Lien Notes, Second Lien PIK Notes or the Revolving Credit Facility. See Note 11 for further discussion.
The First Lien Notes are secured by first-priority liens on substantially all assets of the Company and the guarantors (other than certain excluded property), including (i) vessels, (ii) books and records, (iii) certain deposit accounts and the amounts contained therein, (iv) assignments of proceeds of hull and machinery and loss of hire insurance, (v) assignments of earnings from drilling contracts, and (vi) equity interests owned by the Company and the guarantors, in each case, subject to certain exceptions, including that such first-priority liens will be subject to payment priority in favor of lenders under the Revolving Credit Facility.
The First Lien Notes Indenture contains covenants limiting the ability of the Company, and any subsidiary to, among other things, (i) incur or guarantee additional indebtedness and issue preferred stock, (ii) pay dividends on or redeem or repurchase capital stock, make certain investments, make certain payments on or with respect to subordinated and junior debt (including making cash interest or principal payments on the Second Lien PIK Notes (as defined below)), (iii) create or incur certain liens, (iv) impose restrictions on the ability of restricted subsidiaries to pay dividends, (v) merge or consolidate with other entities, (vi) enter into certain transactions with affiliates, (vii) impair the security interests in the collateral for the First Lien Notes, and (viii) engage in certain lines of business. These covenants are subject to a number of important exceptions and qualifications and certain of them will be suspended with respect to the First Lien Notes in the event that the First Lien Notes obtain an investment grade rating.
The Company may be required to offer to purchase the First Lien Notes at 101.0% percent of the principal amount thereof, plus accrued and unpaid interest, upon the occurrence of a Change of Control (as defined in the First Lien Notes Indenture), and at 100.0% of the principal amount, plus accrued and unpaid interest, under certain other circumstances. In addition, the Company will be required to offer to purchase First Lien Notes at 100.0% of the principal amount thereof, plus accrued and unpaid interest, with any cash proceeds from a settlement or award in connection with the arbitration relating to the Pacific Zonda with such offer to be for an aggregate principal amount of First Lien Notes equal to the lesser of (x) 50.0% of such cash proceeds and (y) $75.0 million.
At any time prior to October 1, 2020, (i) the Company may redeem the First Lien Notes, in whole or in part, at a redemption price equal to 100.0% of the principal amount thereof, plus a “make-whole” premium, (ii) the Company may redeem up to 35.0% of the original principal amount of the First Lien Notes with proceeds from certain equity offerings at a redemption price equal to 108.375% of the principal amount thereof, and (iii) not more than once in any twelve-month period, the Company may redeem up to 10.0% of the original principal amount of the First Lien Notes at a redemption price equal to 103.0% of the principal amount thereof, in each case plus accrued and unpaid interest.
At any time on or after October 1, 2020, the Company may redeem the First Lien Notes, in whole or in part, at the following redemption prices (expressed as a percentage of the principal amount), plus accrued and unpaid interest, during the twelve-month period beginning on October 1 of the years indicated: 2020 – 104.188%; 2021 – 102.094%; 2022 and thereafter – 100.0%.
The First Lien Notes Indenture contains customary events of default, including, among other things, (i) failure to make required payments; (ii) failure to comply with certain agreements or covenants; (iii) failure to pay certain other indebtedness; (iv) certain events of bankruptcy and insolvency; and (v) failure to pay certain judgments. An event of default under the First Lien Notes Indenture will allow either the Trustee or the holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of the then-outstanding First Lien Notes to accelerate, or in certain cases will automatically cause the acceleration of, the amounts due under the First Lien Notes.