New York, September 30, 2020 -- Moody's Investors Service (Moody's) downgraded Laredo Petroleum,
Inc.'s (Laredo) corporate family rating (CFR) to B3 from B1,
Probability of Default Rating (PDR) to B3-PD from B1-PD,
senior unsecured notes rating to Caa1 from B3 and the Speculative Grade
Liquidity (SGL) Rating to SGL-3 from SGL-2. The rating
outlook is stable.
"Laredo's strategy is transforming its portfolio to focus on increasing
oil production and margins over time," commented Amol Joshi,
Moody's Vice President and Senior Credit Officer. "Laredo faces
increased execution risk exacerbated by weak operating conditions and
uncertainty about the pace of economic recovery, while its sizeable
but less oily legacy asset base endures lower margins and cash flow even
with a competitive cost structure."
Downgrades:
..Issuer: Laredo Petroleum, Inc.
.... Probability of Default Rating,
Downgraded to B3-PD from B1-PD
.... Speculative Grade Liquidity Rating,
Downgraded to SGL-3 from SGL-2
.... Corporate Family Rating, Downgraded
to B3 from B1
....Senior Unsecured Regular Bond/Debenture,
Downgraded to Caa1 (LGD5) from B3 (LGD5)
Outlook Actions:
..Issuer: Laredo Petroleum, Inc.
....Outlook, Remains Stable
RATINGS RATIONALE
The downgrade of Laredo's CFR to B3 reflects Moody's view
that the low commodity price environment should lead to weaker cash flow
and leverage metrics along with a lower value of its less oily assets,
even as Laredo's commodity hedges and lower capital spending temporarily
boost cash flow based leverage metrics in 2020.
Laredo's credit profile is constrained by its moderate scale and
geographically concentrated upstream operations, as well as low
proportion of crude oil in its existing production that is reflected in
lower capital efficiency compared to its more oily peers. Laredo's
strategy is to focus drilling on its more oily acreage to raise the proportion
of profitable production and to significantly reduce new drilling activity
on its legacy acreage. This could gradually increase oil content
in the company's production mix and improve margins and returns,
if capital and operating costs remain under control. The strategy
entails significant capital expenditures required to develop new acreage
and grow production of oil.
Laredo's B3 CFR is supported by its production and reserve base
in the Permian's prolific Midland Basin with a drilling inventory
providing organic reserve development, high degree of operational
control, relatively low operating costs along with retained gathering
assets within its production corridors and management's track record of
hedging oil and gas production.
Moody's downgraded Laredo's senior unsecured notes to Caa1 from
B3. Laredo's notes are rated one notch below the B3 CFR,
reflecting the priority claim of its borrowing base senior secured credit
facility that has a first lien on most of Laredo's assets.
Laredo's SGL-3 Speculative Grade Liquidity Rating reflects
its adequate liquidity. At June 30, the company had $16
million of cash and $275 million of borrowings with $44
million of letters of credit outstanding under its credit facility.
During the April 2020 redetermination, Laredo's borrowing
base was reduced to $725 million from $950 million.
The company will likely limit cash flow outspend through 2021 if commodity
prices remain weak. Availability under its revolver should cover
modest anticipated funding shortfalls through 2021. The two financial
covenants under Laredo's credit facility are a maximum Consolidated
Net Leverage Ratio of 4.25x and a current ratio of at least 1x.
Laredo's revolver matures in April 2023 and its nearest notes maturity
is January 2025. Moody's expects the company to have sufficient
headroom under its covenants through 2021 based on projected spending
and debt levels.
Laredo's stable rating outlook is based on Moody's expectation
that Laredo should maintain a competitive cost structure and manage its
capital program and liquidity prudently.
FACTORS THAT COULD LEAD TO AN UPGRADE OR DOWNGRADE OF THE RATINGS
The ratings could be upgraded in a more supportive commodity price environment
if Laredo successfully executes its strategy of increasing oil production
while keeping capital and operating costs under control and its leveraged
full cycle ratio (LFCR) comfortably exceeds 1x. Moody's could consider
a downgrade if the company's capital productivity materially declines
or its liquidity significantly deteriorates.
Laredo Petroleum, Inc. is a Tulsa, Oklahoma based independent
exploration and production company with primary assets in West Texas'
Midland Basin.
The principal methodology used in these ratings was Independent Exploration
and Production Industry published in May 2017 and available at https://www.moodys.com/researchdocumentcontentpage.aspx?docid=PBC_1056808.
Alternatively, please see the Rating Methodologies page on www.moodys.com
for a copy of this methodology.
REGULATORY DISCLOSURES
For further specification of Moody's key rating assumptions and
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Amol Joshi, CFA
VP - Sr Credit Officer
Corporate Finance Group
Moody's Investors Service, Inc.
250 Greenwich Street
New York, NY 10007
U.S.A.
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Client Service: 1 212 553 1653
Steven Wood
MD - Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance Group
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