Note 4. Long-Term Debt

At September 30, 2011, the Company's debt consisted of $1,129,478,741 in net borrowings under the amended Revolving Credit Facility. These borrowings consisted of $1,120,115,801 for the 44 vessels currently in operation and $9,362,940 to fund the Company's newbuilding program.

On September 26, 2011, we entered into a Sixth Amendatory and Commercial Framework Implementation Agreement (the "Sixth Amendment") to the Third Amended and Restated Credit Agreement dated October 19, 2007 which expires on April 30, 2012. Among other provisions, the Sixth Amendment suspends the Company's compliance with the Minimum Adjusted Net Worth covenant until April 30, 2012 for accounting periods ending March 31, 2011, June 30, 2011, September 30, 2011, and December 31, 2011, and suspends compliance with the Minimum Liquidity covenant until January 30, 2012. From January 31, 2012 until March 30, 2012, the Minimum Liquidity covenant is reduced to $500,000 multiplied by the number of vessels owned and from March 31 until April 29, 2012 the Company is required to maintain cash and cash equivalents in the amount of $27,000,000 and at April 30, 2012 in the amount of $36,000,000. Until April 30, 2012, the calculation of Minimum Liquidity covenant includes undrawn facility amounts as cash and cash equivalents. As of September 30, 2011 the undrawn amount is $21,875,735. The Sixth Amendment requires the Company to obtain the lenders' consent for additional vessel dispositions during the commercial framework period, and to make reasonable efforts to meet certain reporting requirements to the lenders.

On August 4, 2010, the Company entered into a Fourth Amendatory Agreement to its revolving credit facility dated October 19, 2007, by and between the Company and The Royal Bank of Scotland plc, as mandated lead arranger, bookrunner, swap bank, agent and security trustee and certain other lenders (collectively the "Lenders"), pursuant to which the Lenders consented, among other things, for the Company to conduct a Trading Operation.

On August 4, 2009, the Company entered into a Third Amendatory Agreement to its revolving credit facility dated October 19, 2007. Among other things, it reduced the amount of the credit facility to $1,200,000,000 with maturity in July 2014. The agreement also modified the minimum security covenant, the minimum net worth covenant, and the minimum interest coverage ratio covenant, until such time as the Company can comply with the original covenants for two consecutive accounting periods. In the interim, the measurement of the three covenants at the end of each accounting period has been amended as follows: (a) The minimum security covenant has been suspended, (b) the minimum net worth covenant has been amended to a threshold minimum of $400 million plus an amount equal to fifty percent of any equity received by the Company, with the determination of net worth to utilize book value of vessel assets as stated in the financial statements rather than the market value, and (c) until reinstatement of the original minimum security and net worth covenants, for 24 months from July 1, 2009 to June 30, 2011, at each accounting period, the Company's cumulative EBITDA (EBITDA as defined in the credit agreement) will at all times be not less than 120% of the cumulative loan interest incurred on a trailing four quarter basis, and for each accounting period after June 30, 2011, the Company's cumulative EBITDA will at all times be not less than 130% of the cumulative loan interest incurred on a trailing four quarter basis. The amendment also requires that until the Company is in compliance with the original covenants (as mentioned below) for two consecutive accounting periods, the Company will use half the net proceeds from any equity issuance to reduce the facility, including $48,645,524 from the equity raised in 2009. These payments reduce the available amount of the credit facility to $1,151,354,476. On July 25, 2011, the Company paid $21,875,735 towards the credit facility. The Company facility bears interest at LIBOR plus 2.50%. Undrawn portions of the facility bear a commitment fee of 0.7%. The facility is available in full until July 2012 when availability will begin to decline in four semi-annual reductions of $53,969,741 with a full repayment at maturity.

Under the terms of the Third Amendatory Agreement of the revolving credit facility, among other things, we will maintain with the lender an amount not less than the greater of $500,000 per delivered vessel or an amount equal to any reductions in the total commitments scheduled to be effected within the next six months less the amount of the then unutilized facility. Under the sixth amendment of the revolving credit facility, among other things, the minimum liquidity covenant is suspended until January 30, 2012.

On December 17, 2008, the Company entered into a Second Amendatory Agreement to its $1,600,000,000 revolving credit facility, which among other things, amended the amount of the credit facility to $1,350,000,000. The agreement also amends the minimum security value of the credit facility to include the aggregate market value of the vessels in the Company's operating fleet and the deposits on its newbuilding contracts. The agreement amends the minimum security value clause of the credit facility from 130% to 100% of the aggregate principal amount of debt outstanding under the credit facility. The agreement also provides that future dividend payments will be based on maintaining a minimum security value of 130%. The agreement reduces the minimum net worth clause of the credit facility from $300,000,000 to $75,000,000 for 2009, subject to annual review thereafter. The agreement also amends the interest margin to 1.75% over LIBOR.

Our obligations under the Amended revolving credit facility are secured by a first priority mortgage on each of the vessels in our fleet and such other vessels that we may from time to time include with the approval of our lender, and by a first assignment of all freights, earnings, insurances and requisition compensation relating to our vessels. The facility also limits our ability to create liens on our assets in favor of other parties.

For the nine months ended September 30, 2011, interest rates on the outstanding debt ranged from 2.64% to 7.73%, including a margin of 2.50% over LIBOR applicable under the terms of the amended revolving credit facility. The weighted average effective interest rate was 4.01%. Interest costs on borrowings used to fund the Company's newbuilding program are capitalized until the vessels are delivered. Interest Expense, exclusive of capitalized interest, consists of:

	Three Months Ended				Nine Months Ended
	September 30, 2011		September 30, 2010		September 30, 2011		September 30, 2010
Loan Interest	$	11,294,145	$	12,518,711	$	32,384,642	$	34,970,708
Amortization of Deferred Financing Costs		1,096,310		914,174		3,014,720		2,246,917
Total Interest Expense	$	12,390,455	$	13,432,885	$	35,399,362	$	37,217,625

Interest paid, exclusive of capitalized interest, in the nine-month periods ended September 30, 2011 and 2010 amounted to $33,465,717 and $32,803,204, respectively.