Petroquest Energy Inc.

November 6, 2018

Petroquest Energy Inc. ($PQUE), an independent energy company engaged in the exploration, development, acquisition and production of oil and gas reserves in Texas and Louisiana, managed to stave off bankruptcy back during the oil and gas downturn. How? Well, this is how:

Bankruptcy, however, caught up to it anyway.

The company filed for bankruptcy in the Southern District of Texas with a restructuring support agreement in tow. The terms of the RSA reflect that (i) the prepetition term lenders will be paid in full with an exit facility, (ii) the holders of second lien notes will have an option to participate in the exit facility (which will be fully backstopped by certain consenting creditors), and (iii) the prepetition second lien noteholders will receive 100% equity in the reorganized PetroQuest, a backstop fee in connection with provision of the exit facility, and $80mm of new second lien PIK notes. All of which is to say that the company will meaningfully de-lever its balance sheet. Meanwhile, general unsecured creditors will get $400k and all equityholders will, shockingly, get wiped.

More to come…

• Jurisdiction: S.D of Texas (Judge Isgur)

• Capital Structure: $50mm Term Loan, $9.4mm second lien debt, $275mm second lien PIK debt (Wilmington Trust NA)     

• Company Professionals:

  • Legal: Porter Hedges LLP (John Higgins, Joshua Wolfshohl, M. Shane Johnson)

  • Financial Advisor: FTI Consulting Inc.

  • Investment Banker: Seaport Global Securities

  • Claims Agent: Epiq Corporate Restructuring LLC (*click on company name above for free docket access)

• Other Parties in Interest:

  • Second Lien Agent: Wilmington Trust NA

    • Legal: Reed Smith LLP (Kurt Gwynne)