SEC Company Response from GULFPORT ENERGY CORP (GPOR) (CIK 0000874499) (GPOR) — Jul 23, 2021
GULFPORT ENERGY CORP (GPOR) (CIK 0000874499)
Date: July 23, 2021 · CIK: 0000874499 · Accession: 0001213900-21-038346
AI Filing Summary & Sentiment
Referenced dates: June 15, 2021
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CORRESP
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filename1.htm
Gulfport
Energy Corporation
3001 Quail Springs Parkway
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73134
VIA
EDGAR
July
23, 2021
Attention:
Brad Skinner
Loan Lauren Nguyen
Irene Barberena-Meissner
United
States Securities and Exchange Commission
Division of Corporation Finance
Office of Energy & Transportation
100 F Street, NE
Washington, D.C. 20549
Re:
Gulfport Energy Corporation
Form T-3
Filed May 10, 2021
File No. 022-29093
Ladies
and Gentlemen:
On
behalf of Gulfport Energy Corporation (the “Company”) and its subsidiaries, we submit this letter in response to the
verbal comments from the Staff (the “Staff”) of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”),
with respect to the Application for Qualification of Indenture on Form T-3 filed on May 10, 2021 (as subsequently amended, the “Form
T-3”) by the Company and each of the other applicants listed on the cover page of the Form T-3 (collectively, the “Applicants”)
relating to the indenture (the “New Notes Indenture”) governing the Company’s 8.0% Senior 1145 Notes due 2026
(the “New Notes”). For the convenience of the Staff’s review, we have set forth the comments in italics, followed
by the responses of the Applicants.
1.
Has the Company considered
whether, and if so how, qualifying the Form T-3 after the notes were sold impacts the rights and protections of the noteholders? What
is the impact of the qualification now if the Company is of the view that the noteholders rights and protections are the same?
Response:
The Company believes that the holders of the New Notes (the “Noteholders”) have received substantially the same protections
that are provided by the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 (as amended, the “TIA”) even though the New Notes Indenture has not
yet been deemed qualified under the TIA. The Company is of the view that the qualification now of the New Notes Indenture does not substantially
change the rights and protections of the Noteholders, since the New Notes Indenture was drafted to comply with the provisions of the
TIA and the Noteholders have received significant disclosure regarding, and were involved with the drafting of, the New Notes Indenture.
Even though the Company does not view the rights and protections of the Noteholders as substantially changing with the qualification
of the Form T-3, it would prefer to finalize the process and complete the technical compliance with the TIA by qualifying the Form T-3.
The
qualification process, in addition to ensuring adequate disclosure to the Noteholders, serves to ensure the provisions of the indenture
comply with the TIA. The mandatory indenture provisions of the TIA are intended to provide certain procedural safeguards for bondholders
and do so by addressing several categories of protection, including: (1) eligibility and disqualification of the trustee, including conflicting
interests, (2) preferential collection of claims by the trustee, (3) maintenance of bondholders’ lists by the trustee, (4) the
provision of certain reports by the trustee to bondholders, (5) reports required to be delivered by the issuer with respect to, among
other things, indenture compliance, (6) duties of the trustee, (7) directions of the bondholders, and (8) special powers of the trustee.
As discussed in our letter dated June 15, 2021, the New Notes Indenture was drafted to incorporate the provisions of the TIA where applicable.
These provisions are woven throughout the New Notes Indenture and address each of the above categories of protection. For example:
● Eligibility
and disqualification of the trustee (TIA §310): The New Notes Indenture expressly
provides that (i) the trustee must satisfy the eligibility requirements of the TIA, including
having certain minimum capital amounts, and (ii) requires the trustee to resign, and provides
the Noteholders the right to remove the trustee, in the event certain conflicting interests
of the trustee are not cured.
● Preferential
collection of claims (TIA §311): The New Notes Indenture expressly requires compliance
with TIA §311, which requires the trustee to set apart in a separate account certain
amounts for the benefit of the Noteholders in the event the trustee becomes a creditor of
the issuer within three months of a default.
● Maintenance
of bondholders’ lists (TIA §312): In accordance with TIA §312, the New
Notes Indenture expressly requires the trustee to maintain a list of the names and addresses
of Noteholders and provide such names and addresses to Noteholders that wish to communicate
with other Noteholders with respect to their rights under the New Notes Indenture.
● Provision
of reports by the trustee (TIA §313): The New Notes Indenture expressly requires
the trustee to provide to the Noteholders the annual report required by TIA §313, which
must include disclosure of, among other things, any changes in the trustee’s eligibility,
new conflicting interests, and any actions taken by the trustee that were requested by the
issuer.
● Reports
required to be delivered by the issuer (TIA §314): In accordance with TIA §314,
the New Notes Indenture requires the Company to provide the trustee and Noteholders the reports
it is required to file with the SEC pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934 and requires the Company to provide the trustee with an annual compliance
certificate. Additionally, any action of the trustee requested by the Company must be accompanied
by an officer’s certificate and opinion of counsel providing that the conditions precedent
to such action pursuant to the New Notes Indenture have been complied with.
● Duties
of the trustee (TIA §315): In accordance with TIA §315, subject to certain
exceptions, the New Notes Indenture expressly requires the trustee to notify bondholders
of any known default within 90 days after it occurs and use a requisite level of care in
exercising its rights under the New Notes Indenture in connection with such default.
● Directions
of the bondholders (TIA §316): In accordance with TIA §316, the New Notes Indenture
authorizes holders of not less than a majority in principal amount of the Notes to (i) direct
the trustee to enforce the terms of the New Notes Indenture as part of a proceeding and (ii)
authorize the waiver of past defaults.
● Special
powers of the trustee (TIA §317): In accordance with TIA §317, the New Notes
Indenture provides the trustee with special powers to recover judgement against the Company
for unpaid principal and interest and file proofs of claim and other papers or documents
as may be necessary or advisable in order to have the claims of the trustee and the Noteholders
allowed in any judicial proceedings relative to the Company, its creditors or its property.
A
more detailed summary of the mandatory provisions of the TIA and the corresponding sections of the New Notes Indenture intended to address
such provisions of the TIA can be found in Annex A hereto. To the extent any portion of a mandatory TIA provision was not expressly
addressed in the New Notes Indenture, the New Notes Indenture contains various catch-all provisions, including the following:
● Section
1.03: “Incorporation by Reference of Trust Indenture Act. This Indenture
is subject to the mandatory provisions of the Trust Indenture Act which are incorporated
by reference in and made a part of this Indenture.”
● Section
11.01: “Trust Indenture Act Controls. If any provision of this Indenture
limits, qualifies or conflicts with another provision which is required to be included in
this Indenture by the Trust Indenture Act, the required provision shall control.”
These provisions expressly incorporate by reference any mandatory provision
of the TIA into the New Notes Indenture and specifically state that the TIA will control if there is any conflict.
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If
any additional supplemental information is required by the Staff or if you have any questions regarding the foregoing, please contact
Michael W. Rigdon of Kirkland & Ellis LLP at (713) 836-3647 with any questions or further comments regarding the responses to
the Staff’s comments.
Sincerely,
Gulfport Energy
Corporation
By:
/s/
Patrick K. Craine
Name:
Patrick K. Craine
Title:
General Counsel and Corporate Secretary
Enclosures
cc: Michael
W. Rigdon (Kirkland & Ellis LLP)
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ANNEX
A
Summary
of Mandatory TIA Provision
Excerpt
from Corresponding Section of New Notes Indenture
§310(a)
In
accordance with §310(a)(1) of the TIA, every qualified indenture must contain at all times at least one qualified “institutional
trustee,” which must, in accordance with §310(a)(1) and (a)(2): (i) be a corporation organized and doing business under
the laws of the United States or permitted to act as a trustee by the SEC and (ii) have a combine capital and surplus, which must
at all times be above $150,000.
§7.10
The
Trustee shall at all times satisfy the requirements of Trust Indenture Act §310(a). The Trustee shall have a combined capital
and surplus of at least $50,000,000 as set forth in its most recent published annual report of condition.”
§310(b)
Under
§310(b) of the TIA, a trustee will be “disqualified” from serving as trustee under an indenture where the trustee
is deemed to have a conflicting interest. A trustee is deemed to have a conflicting interest if the indenture securities are in “default”
and, among other criteria: (i) such trustee serves as trustee of another indenture relating to other securities of the issuer, (ii)
the trustee or its directors or officers are an underwriter (or control or in common control with such underwriter) of the indenture
securities, (iii) such issuer owns a certain percentage of the securities of the trustee, or (iv) such trustee owns the collateral
relating to such obligation under the indenture. If the trustee has a conflicting interest under the TIA, then, within 90 days after
ascertaining that it has such conflicting interest, and if the conflicting interest has not been cured or duly waived or otherwise
eliminated before the end of such 90-day period, the trustee must either: (i) eliminate the conflicting interest; or (ii) resign.
Where the trustee is forced to resign because of a conflicting interest, the issuer must, pursuant to §310(b) of the TIA, take
prompt steps to have a successor trustee appointed in the manner provided in the indenture.
§7.10
The Trustee shall comply with Trust Indenture Act §310(b); provided, however, that there shall be excluded from the operation of Trust Indenture Act §310(b)(1) any indenture or indentures under which other securities or certificates of interest or participation in other securities of the Company are outstanding if the requirements for such exclusion set forth in Trust Indenture Act §310(b)(1) are met.
§7.08
The
Trustee may resign at any time by so notifying the Company….
The
Company shall remove the Trustee if…the Trustee fails to comply with Section 7.10 [which requires compliance with TIA §310(b)]
If
the Trustee fails to comply with Section 7.10 [which requires compliance with TIA §310(b)], any Securityholder may petition
any court of competent jurisdiction for the removal of the Trustee and the appointment of a successor Trustee.
If
the Trustee resigns, is removed by the Company or by the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Securities and such Holders
do not reasonably promptly appoint a successor Trustee, or if a vacancy exists in the office of Trustee for any reason (the Trustee
in such event being referred to herein as the retiring Trustee), the Company shall promptly appoint a successor Trustee.
§311
Under
§311 of the TIA, if the indenture trustee is or becomes a creditor, directly or indirectly, secured or unsecured, of the issuer
within three months prior to a default, then the trustee must set apart and hold in a special account for the benefit of the trustee
and securityholders an amount equal to any and all reductions in the amount due and owing upon any claim as such creditor in respect
of principal or interest, effected after the beginning of such three months’ period and valid as against such issuer and its
other creditors.
§7.11
The
Trustee shall comply with Trust Indenture Act §311(a), excluding any creditor relationship listed in Trust Indenture Act §311(b).
A Trustee who has resigned or been removed shall be subject to Trust Indenture Act § 311(a) to the extent indicated.
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§312(a)
Under
§312(a) of the TIA, the issuer is required to deliver to the trustee the names and addresses of bondholders at intervals of
not more than six months and such other times that the trustee may request in writing.
§2.05
The
Trustee shall preserve in as current a form as is reasonably practicable the most recent list available to it of the names and addresses
of Securityholders. If the Trustee is not the Registrar, the Company shall furnish to the Trustee, in writing at least five Business
Days before each interest payment date and at such other times as the Trustee may request in writing, a list in such form and as
of such date as the Trustee may reasonably require of the names and addresses of Securityholders.
§312(b)
Under
§312(b) of the TIA, if the trustee receives a written application from three or more securityholders requesting that such securityholders
desire to communicate with other securityholders with respect to their rights under the indenture or the indenture securities, the
trustee must, within five business days of receiving the application, either: (i) provide the applicant securityholders access to
the securityholder lists that are maintained by the trustee; or (ii) inform the applican