London, 30 July 2020 -- Moody's Investors Service (Moody's) has today downgraded RussNeft
PJSC's (RussNeft) corporate family rating (CFR) to Caa2 from Caa1
and probability of default rating (PDR) to Caa3-PD from Caa1-PD.
RussNeft's outlook remains negative.
RATINGS RATIONALE
Today's downgrade of RussNeft's PDR to Caa3-PD reflects
a significantly increased likelihood of default, including a potential
debt restructuring, over the next 12-18 months on the company's
financial debt represented mostly by a bank loan of total outstanding
$1.17 billion as of year-end 2019, because
of the company's persistently very weak liquidity, which has
been amplified by the severe drop in oil prices and aggressive liquidity
management. The downgrade of RussNeft's CFR to Caa2,
one notch above the PDR, reflects Moody's expectation that
the recovery rate on the debt in case of default could be higher than
65%.
As of 31 December 2019, the date at which the company's latest
IFRS financial statements are available, RussNeft's liquidity
comprised cash and cash equivalents of RUB3.0 billion, and
operating cash flow of below RUB10 billion which Moody's expects
the company to generate over the next 12 months assuming the average oil
price for 2020 at $35 per barrel of Brent. This liquidity
was insufficient to cover the company's debt maturities of RUB7.2
billion (including lease payments) over the same period, capital
spending which Moody's estimates at up to RUB19 billion and dividend
payouts of at least $60 million on the company's preferred
shares, as anticipated by its dividend policy. Moody's
understands that since year-end 2019 the company has failed to
procure new debt or other funding sufficient to materially improve its
liquidity.
As of year-end 2019, RussNeft's borrowings mostly comprised
a loan from Bank VTB, PJSC (Baa3 stable), which represented
92% of the company's debt portfolio. The company was
to repay the outstanding $1.17 billion loan in quarterly
instalments totalling $91 million per year in 2020-25 and
a $625 million final payment in 2026.
RussNeft's Caa2 CFR also factors in (1) Moody's expectation
that the company's credit metrics will materially deteriorate over
the next 12-18 months because of the drop in oil prices and production
cuts under the OPEC+ agreement, with limited potential for
recovery over the following 12-18 months; (2) the company's
elevated corporate governance risks stemming from significant related-party
transactions with other businesses of the Gutseriev family, which
controls 46.5% of RussNeft's voting shares; (3)
the company's commitment to pay dividends of at least $60 million
per year on its preferred shares; (4) its high capital spending,
amortisation of received prepayments under oil supply contracts,
and significant interest expenses; and (5) the sensitivity of the
company's financial metrics to the volatility in oil prices and
the Russian rouble exchange rate.
RussNeft's CFR takes into account the company's (1) sizeable
reserves and sustainable hydrocarbon production in the absence of OPEC+
restrictions; and (2) historically moderate leverage, robust
cash flow metrics and positive free cash flow, although all of these
metrics will deteriorate because of low oil prices and production cuts.
RATIONALE FOR THE NEGATIVE OUTLOOK
The negative rating outlook reflects continuing uncertainty over RussNeft's
ability to significantly improve its liquidity, further elevating
the probability of default on its bank debt, including a potential
debt restructuring.
FACTORS THAT COULD LEAD TO AN UPGRADE OR DOWNGRADE OF THE RATINGS
An upgrade of RussNeft's ratings would be conditional upon the company
materially improving its liquidity and liquidity management.
Moody's could downgrade RussNeft's ratings if (1) the company fails
to improve its liquidity, increasing the probability of default
on its debt obligations, including in the form of debt restructuring
which Moody's could view as a distressed exchange, a form
of default; or (2) if Moody's estimates that expected losses
for the company's creditors in case of default would be higher than
those implied by its current rating.
PRINCIPAL METHODOLOGY
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.
Headquartered in Moscow, Russia, RussNeft PJSC (RussNeft)
is a medium-sized independent oil and gas producer, with
key upstream assets located in Western and Central Siberia, and
the Volga-Urals region. As of 31 December 2019, the
company had around 1,305 million barrels of oil equivalent (boe)
of proved oil and gas reserves in accordance with the Petroleum Resources
Management System classification. In 2019, RussNeft produced
7.1 million tonnes (mt) of crude oil and condensate (including
0.5 mt produced by companies of the GEA Group, which is not
consolidated by RussNeft) and 2.5 billion cubic metres (bcm) of
gas. In the same period, the company generated revenue of
RUB187.1 billion and Moody's-adjusted EBITDA of RUB49.7
billion. RussNeft's key shareholders are the Gutseriev family
(46.5% of voting shares) and Glencore plc (Baa1 negative,
33% of voting shares), with around 20% of ordinary
shares in free float on the Moscow Exchange.
REGULATORY DISCLOSURES
For further specification of Moody's key rating assumptions and
sensitivity analysis, see the sections Methodology Assumptions and
Sensitivity to Assumptions in the disclosure form. Moody's
Rating Symbols and Definitions can be found at: https://www.moodys.com/researchdocumentcontentpage.aspx?docid=PBC_79004.
For ratings issued on a program, series, category/class of
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Artem Frolov
VP - Senior Credit Officer
Corporate Finance Group
Moody's Investors Service Limited, Russian Branch
7th floor, Four Winds Plaza
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Russia
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Victoria Maisuradze
Associate Managing Director
Corporate Finance Group
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