LPC-Vitol Signs $8bn Loan Refinancing
Geneva-headquartered energy trader Vitol has signed an US$8bn loan refinancing of credit facilities agreed in October 2015, the company announced on Wednesday.
The transaction includes a 12-month maturity extension to the company's existing US$7.076bn three-year revolver.
The company's existing US$924.2bn 364-day revolving credit facility has also been refinanced for the same amount after the facility was increased from the launch amount of US$750m.
The loan was launched into syndication on August 22 and supported by a total of 55 banks.
Mandated lead arrangers and bookrunners on the financing were ABN AMRO, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, BNP Paribas, Citigroup, Commerzbank, Rabobank, Credit Agricole (XCA.F), Credit Suisse, DBS Bank, Deutsche Bank, HSBC Bank, ING Bank, JP Morgan, Lloyds Bank, Mizuho Bank, Royal Bank of Scotland, Societe Generale (SGE.SG), Standard Chartered Bank, SMBC and UniCredit Bank.
BNP Paribas, Commerzbank, Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, Royal Bank of Scotland and UniCredit were active bookrunners on the transaction, while JP Morgan was documentation and facility agent.
Last year's financing was launched at US$6bn but was increased to US$8bn after raising around US$8.7bn from the market from a group of 57 banks.
Vitol Group's trading portfolio includes crude oil, oil products, LPG, LNG, natural gas, coal, electricity, agricultural products, metals and carbon emissions. Revenues in 2015 were US$168bn.
(By Alasdair Reilly)
