US LNG firm NextDecade, the developer of the Rio Grande LNG export project in Texas, has issued $1.115 billion of senior secured notes in a private placement.
NextDecade said in a statement these senior secured notes, issued by its subsidiary Rio Grande LNG, will accrue interest at a fixed rate of 6.58 percent.
Proceeds from the notes will be used to reduce outstanding borrowings and commitments under Rio Grande LNG’s existing term loan facilities for Phase 1 at the Rio Grande LNG facility, according to NextDecade.
The senior secured notes will be amortized over a period of 18 years beginning in September 2029, with a final maturity in September 2047.
Also, the senior secured notes rank pari passu with Rio Grande LNG’s existing senior secured financings, NextDecade said.
Including this transaction, the company has now refinanced a total of over $1.85 billion of the original $11.1 billion Rio Grande LNG term loan facilities since a positive final investment decision was reached on Phase 1 at the Rio Grande LNG Facility in July 2023, NextDecade added.
Rio Grande LNG
Besides the final investment decision on the first three Rio Grande trains, NextDecade also last year completed $18.4 billion project financing and it awarded the $12 billion EPC contract to Bechtel.
The firm also closed a joint venture agreement for the first phase which included about $5.9 billion of financial commitments from Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), GIC, Mubadala, and TotalEnergies.
Phase 1, with nameplate liquefaction capacity of 17.6 mtpa, has 16.2 mtpa of long-term binding LNG sale and purchase agreements.
These include deals with TotalEnergies, Shell, ENN, Engie, ExxonMobil, Guangdong Energy Group, China Gas Hongda Energy Trading, Galp, and also Itochu.
Including trains 4 and 5, the Rio Grande LNG facility would have a capacity of 27 mtpa.
Deals with Aramco, Adnoc
Last month, Saudi Arabia’s energy behemoth Aramco signed a non-binding deal to buy LNG from NextDecade’s Rio Grande LNG export terminal.
Under the terms of heads of agreement, Aramco expects to buy 1.2 mtpa of LNG for 20 years from the fourth Rio Grande LNG train on a free on board basis, at a price indexed to Henry Hub.
NextDecade is targeting FID for train 4 in the second half of 2024.
This agreement with Aramco followed a deal with UAE’s Adnoc announced on May 10.
Adnoc purchased an 11.7 percent stake in the first phase of NextDecade’s Rio Grande LNG export terminal from Global Infrastructure Partners.
Adnoc and NextDecade also entered into a 20-year LNG offtake agreement for the fourth Rio Grande LNG train.
The LNG offtake agreement is for 1.9 mtpa from train 4, on a FOB basis at a price indexed to Henry Hub.
