據路透社9月23日報道，石油鉆井平臺運營商Borr Drilling Ltd周二晚間表示，已與貸款機構達成協議，推遲償還部分債務的最后期限，并計劃通過股權融資，來應對需求的下滑。

Borr在奧斯陸和紐約兩地上市。該公司表示，已與銀行以及貸款機構Hayfin Capital Management達成協議，將5.95億美元的債務償還期限從2022年延長至2023年，并放寬了最低流動性要求。

該計劃的前提是，需承諾以每股0.7美元的認購價發行4000萬至5000萬美元的新股，這較其在華爾街周二的收盤價折讓2.8%。Borr補充稱，投資者已承諾認購約3000萬美元的股票，并可能將部分收益用于回購可轉換債券。

Borr在一份聲明中稱："這將在可能的行業整合前強化資產負債表。"

該公司還將要求船廠接受付款期限的延長。該公司新任命的首席執行官Patrick Schorn表示:“我們相信，有了這項協議，加上船廠的持續支持，可以創造一個長期解決方案，未來幾年將實現較低水平的現金盈虧平衡。”

Borr成立于2014-2016年的油價崩盤之后，收購了一支擁有30個現代鉆井平臺的船隊，該公司押注于鉆探和勘探市場將在接下來的幾年反彈。

盡管該公司股價在2016年底上市后上漲，但由于新冠肺炎疫情爆發，鉆井平臺需求大幅下降，今年迄今為止該公司股價已下跌92%。

其競爭對手Seadrill SDRL于9月16日和債權人達成協議，暫停支付利息。今年早些時候，其他鉆井平臺公司也宣布了類似的債務重組信息。

王佳晶 摘譯自 路透社

原文如下：

Oil rig owner Borr to delay debt repayment, plans stock issue to weather downturn

Oil rig operator Borr Drilling Ltd BDRILL.OLBORR.N has agreed with lenders to postpone the deadline for repayment of some of its debt, and aims to raise capital through equity as it seeks to overcome a demand slump, the company said late Tuesday.

Borr, which is dual listed in Oslo and New York, reached a deal with banks as well as lender Hayfin Capital Management to push debt repayments of $595 million into 2023 from 2022 and to ease a minimum liquidity requirement, it said.

The plan rests on a commitment to raise between $40 million and $50 million in new equity at a subscription price of $0.7 per share, a 2.8% discount to its Wall Street closing on Tuesday.

Borr has secured investor commitments for some $30 million of the share issue, and may use some of the proceeds to buy back convertible debt, the company added.

“This will strengthen the balance sheet ahead of possible industry consolidation,” Borr said in a statement.

It will also ask yards to accept extension of payment deadlines.

“We are confident that with this agreement and the continued support of the yards, we are creating a long-term solution, with low cash-breakeven for the coming years,” newly appointed Chief Executive Patrick Schorn said.

Founded in the wake of the 2014-2016 oil price crash, Borr acquired a fleet of 30 modern rigs in a bet that the market for drilling and exploration would rebound in the following years.

But while its shares rose following a late-2016 stock market listing, they are down 92% so far this year as rig demand plunged amid the COVID-19 outbreak.

Competitor Seadrill SDRL.OL on Sept. 16 agreed with creditors to suspend interest payments, following similar announcements of debt restructuring by other rig firms earlier this year.