Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Subsequent Events

v3.20.4
Subsequent Events
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2020
Subsequent Events [Abstract]  
SUBSEQUENT EVENTS SUBSEQUENT EVENTS
The Company performed an evaluation of subsequent events through the date of the issuance of these financial statements and determined that no additional items require recognition or disclosure, except for the following:
Common Stock Dividend
On February 2, 2021, the Company's Board of Directors declared a 2020 fourth quarter dividend of $0.05 per share for CorEnergy common stock. The dividend was paid on February 26, 2021, to stockholders of record on February 12, 2021.
Preferred Stock Dividend
On February 2, 2021, the Company's Board of Directors also declared a dividend of $0.4609375 per depositary share for its 7.375% Series A Preferred Stock. The preferred stock dividend was paid on February 26, 2021, to stockholders of record on February 12, 2021.
Crimson Transaction
On February 4, 2021, the Company acquired a 49.50 percent interest in Crimson, with the right to acquire the remaining 50.50 percent, subject to CPUC approval, in exchange for a combination of cash on hand of approximately $74.6 million (after giving effect to initial working capital adjustments), commitments to issue approximately $118.4 million of new common and preferred equity (also after giving effect to the initial working capital adjustments), contribution of the GIGS asset (valued for the purposes of the transaction at $50.0 million) to the sellers and $105.0 million in new term loan and revolver borrowings, all as detailed further below (the "Crimson Transaction"). Crimson is a CPUC regulated crude oil pipeline owner and operator, and its assets include four critical infrastructure pipeline systems spanning approximately 2,000 miles across northern, central and southern California (including approximately 1,300 active miles), connecting California crude production to in-state refineries. The acquired assets qualify for REIT treatment under established IRS regulations and the Company's PLR. The Company's interest was acquired effective February 1, 2021, and the purchase consideration has an initial fair value of approximately $344.0 million. Due diligence expenses of approximately $1.5 million were incurred for the year ended December 31, 2020, however diligence and transaction related costs continued to accumulate subsequent to December 31, 2020. The initial accounting, including the identification and allocation of consideration to assets acquired and liabilities assumed, is not complete given the proximity of the acquisition to the financial statement filing date.
To effect the Crimson Transaction, on February 4, 2021, the Company entered into and consummated a Membership Interest Purchase Agreement (the "MIPA") with CGI Crimson Holdings, L.L.C. ("Carlyle"), Crimson, and John D. Grier. Pursuant to the terms of the MIPA, the Company acquired all of the Class C Units of Crimson owned by Carlyle, which represents 49.50 percent of all of the issued and outstanding membership interests of Crimson for approximately $66.0 million in cash (net of working capital adjustments) and the transfer to Carlyle of the Company's interest in GIGS (as further described in Note 3 ("Leased Properties And Leases")). Crimson Midstream Operating and Corridor MoGas also entered into to a $105.0 million Amended and Restated Credit Agreement with Wells Fargo (as further described below and in Note 11 ("Debt")).
Simultaneously, Crimson, the Company, Mr. Grier and certain affiliated trusts of Mr. Grier (collectively with Mr. Grier, the "Grier Members") entered into the Third Amended and Restated Limited Liability Company Agreement ("Third LLC Agreement”) of Crimson. Pursuant to the terms of the Third LLC Agreement, the Grier Members' outstanding membership interests in Crimson were exchanged for 1,613,202 Class A-1 Units of Crimson, 2,436,000 Class A-2 Units of Crimson and 2,450,142 Class A- 3 Units of Crimson, which, as described below, may eventually be exchangeable for shares of the Company's common and preferred stock. Additionally, 495,000 Class C-1 Units (representing 49.50 percent of the voting interests under the Third LLC Agreement) were issued to the Company in exchange for the former Class C Units acquired from Carlyle and 505,000 Class C-1 Units (representing 50.50 percent of the voting interests under the Third LLC Agreement) were issued to the Grier Members, in exchange for the Class C Units held by Grier prior to the Crimson Transaction.
Under the Third LLC Agreement, the Company has the right to designate two of the four managers of Crimson, which shall initially be David J. Schulte, the Company's Chief Executive Officer and President, and Todd Banks, a member of the Company's Board of Directors. The Grier Members have the right to designate the other two managers, which shall initially be Mr. Grier and Larry Alexander, President of Crimson. All material business decisions and actions will require supermajority approval of the Crimson managers; provided, however, that Mr. Grier will make decisions regarding the day-to-day operations of the assets regulated by the CPUC. Change of control of the CPUC regulated assets is subject to the approval of the CPUC ("CPUC Approval"), which is expected to occur in the third quarter of 2021.
Upon CPUC Approval, the parties will enter into a Fourth Amended and Restated LLC Agreement of Crimson ("Fourth LLC Agreement"), which will, among other things, (i) give the Company control of Crimson and its assets, in connection with an
anticipated further restructuring of the Company's asset ownership structure, and (ii) provide the Grier Members and certain management members the right to exchange their entire interest in Crimson for securities of the Company as follows:
Class A-1 Units will become exchangeable for up to 1,613,202 shares of a newly created Series C Preferred Stock of the Company ("Series C Preferred"), which may be converted by the holder into up to 1,716,172 of the Company’s depositary shares, each representing 1/100th of a share of the Company’s 7.375% Series A Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock ("Series A Preferred");
Class A-2 Units will become exchangeable for up to 2,436,000 shares of a newly created Series B Preferred Stock of the Company ("Series B Preferred"), which will be convertible, following approval of the Company's existing stockholders in compliance with the rules of the NYSE, into up to 8,675,214 additional shares of a new non-listed Class B Common Stock of the Company ("Class B Common Stock"), with such conversion to occur automatically assuming stockholder approval is received; and
Class A-3 Units will become exchangeable for up to 2,450,142 shares of the newly created Class B Common Stock.
Class B Common Stock will eventually be converted into the common stock of the Company ("Common Stock") on the occurrence of the earlier of the following: (i) the occurrence of the third anniversary of the closing date of the Crimson Transaction or (ii) the satisfaction of certain conditions related to an increase in the relative dividend rate of the Common Stock.
Prior to CPUC approval, the terms of the Third LLC Agreement provide the Grier Members the right to receive any distributions that the Company's Board of Directors determines would be payable if they held the shares of Class B Common Stock, Series B Preferred, and Series C Preferred, respectively. Following CPUC Approval, the terms of the Fourth LLC Agreement provide that such rights will continue until the Grier Members elect to exchange the Crimson units for the related securities of the Company. In addition, after CPUC Approval, certain Crimson units held by the Grier Members are expected to be transferred to other individuals currently managing Crimson (the "Management Members").
In connection with the Crimson Transaction, the Company entered into a Registration Rights Agreement with the Grier Members (the "Registration Rights Agreement"). The Registration Rights Agreement, subject to the terms thereof, will require the Company to, among other things, file a resale shelf registration statement on behalf of the Grier Members upon demand by any such stockholder for the resale of the listed securities of the Company they may ultimately acquire upon conversion of any of the new securities issued pursuant to the Crimson Transaction, under the terms of such securities. The Management Members are expected to become a party to the Registration Rights Agreement in the future. The Registration Rights Agreement will also provide for certain demand rights and piggyback registration rights to in favor of the Grier Members or Management Members, subject to customary underwriter cutbacks. The Company has agreed to pay certain fees and expenses relating to registrations under the Registration Rights Agreement. The Registration Rights Agreement also restricts the transfer of any holder of outstanding shares of Class B Common Stock for one year from February 4, 2021, except to an affiliate of such holder for estate planning purposes.
As described in Note 3 ("Leased Properties And Leases"), a portion of the consideration paid to Carlyle pursuant to the MIPA was the transfer of the Company's interest in the GIGS asset. In connection with the disposition, the Company and Grand Isle Corridor entered into a Settlement Agreement with the EXXI Entities and terminated the Grand Isle Lease Agreement and Landlord Guaranty.
Internalization of the Manager
On February 4, 2021, the Company entered into a Contribution Agreement with Richard C. Green, Rick Kreul, Rebecca M. Sandring, Sean DeGon, Jeff Teeven, Jeffrey E. Fulmer, David J. Schulte (as Trustee of the DJS Trust under Trust Agreement dated July 18, 2016), and Campbell Hamilton, Inc., which is an entity controlled by David J. Schulte (collectively, the "Contributors"), and Corridor, the Company's external manager.
Consummation of the transactions contemplated in the Contribution Agreement will result in the Internalization of the management of the Company. Following the Internalization, the Company will own all material assets of Corridor currently used in the conduct of its business and will be managed by officers and employees who currently work for Corridor and who are expected to become employees of the Company as a result of the Internalization.
In payment of the aggregate Internalization consideration (the "Internalization Consideration"), the Company will issue to the Contributors, on a pro rata basis (i) 1,153,846 shares of Common Stock, (ii) 683,761 shares of the newly created Class B Common Stock, and (iii) 170,213 depositary shares of Series A Preferred (collectively with the Common Stock and Class B Common Stock, the "REIT Stock").
Contemporaneously with execution of the Contribution Agreement, the Company and Corridor entered into the First Amendment (the "First Amendment") to the Management Agreement dated as of May 8, 2015 (as amended, the "Management Agreement") that has the effect of (i) reducing the amount paid to Corridor until closing of the Internalization or termination of the Contribution Agreement and (ii) provides payment to Corridor to enable distribution of payments to employees of Corridor as approved by the independent directors of the Company and pending closing of the Contribution Agreement. The Contribution Agreement acknowledges the funding of the distribution of the payments by Corridor pursuant to the First Amendment in connection with closing of the Internalization.
At closing of the Internalization, the Company will enter into a registration rights agreement in substantially similar to the form of the Registration Rights Agreement entered into with the Grier Members. Notwithstanding any registration rights, and pursuant to the Contribution Agreement: (i) subject to certain exceptions to sell a number of shares to pay tax obligations in connection with the Internalization, neither Campbell Hamilton, Inc. nor David J. Schulte (as Trustee of the DJS Trust under Trust Agreement dated July 18, 2016) will be permitted to sell or otherwise transfer any of the shares of Common Stock received in connection with the Internalization for a period of twelve months commencing on the closing date of the Internalization and (ii) no Contributor may sell or otherwise transfer any shares of Class B Common Stock issued to such party.
The Contribution Agreement can be terminated by the mutual agreement of the parties before or after stockholder approval and can be terminated by any party if the issuance of additional REIT Stock resulting from the Internalization is not approved by the Company's stockholders. If the Contribution Agreement is terminated, the existing Management Agreement and Administrative Agreement will revert to the previous revenue formula and otherwise remain in full force and effect.
In connection with the Contribution Agreement, each Contributor has agreed that, for twenty-four months after closing, it will not compete with the Company or solicit its employees, subject to certain exceptions as forth in the Contribution Agreement.
David J. Schulte is the Company's Chief Executive Officer, Chairman and a member of the Company's Board of Directors, Rebecca M. Sandring and Jeff Fulmer are both executive officers of the Company, and Rick Kreul, Sean DeGon and Jeff Teeven are all officers of the Company or employees of the Manager. These individuals have interests in the Internalization that differ from those of our stockholders, as each will have a direct or indirect beneficial interest in a portion of the consideration received by the Contributors in the Internalization.
In light of the above relationships, the Company's Board of Directors formed a special committee comprised entirely of independent and disinterested directors (the "Special Committee") in connection with the Internalization. The Special Committee received a fairness opinion from Evercore, its independent financial advisor, that the consideration to be paid pursuant to the Contribution Agreement is fair, from a financial point of view, to the Company.
The Company will seek stockholder approval of the Internalization in compliance with the rules of the NYSE. The Contribution Agreement requires that the Internalization be approved at a meeting by the affirmative vote of at least a majority of the votes cast by the stockholders entitled to vote on the matter, other than the votes of shares held by any of the Contributors or their affiliates. Such approval will constitute approval of the issuance of the Company’s securities as required under Section 312.03(b) of the NYSE Listed Company Manual, which requires stockholder approval prior to the issuance of common stock, or securities exchangeable for common stock, in excess of one percent of the Company’s outstanding shares in a transaction with a related party.