NOTE 6: DEBT

Debt at December 31 is detailed as follows:



	Effective
in thousands	Interest Rates	2018	2017
Short-term Debt
Bank line of credit expires 2021 1, 2	1.25%	$ 133,000	$ 0
Total short-term debt		$ 133,000	$ 0
Long-term Debt
Bank line of credit expires 2021 1		$ 0	$ 250,000
Term loan due 2018 3		0	350,000
Floating-rate notes due 2020	3.50%	250,000	250,000
Floating-rate notes due 2021	3.71%	500,000	0
7.50% notes due 2021		0	35,111
8.85% notes due 2021	8.88%	6,000	6,000
Term loan due 2021		0	250,000
4.50% notes due 2025	4.65%	400,000	400,000
3.90% notes due 2027	4.00%	400,000	400,000
7.15% notes due 2037	8.05%	129,239	240,188
4.50% notes due 2047	4.59%	700,000	700,000
4.70% notes due 2048	5.42%	460,949	0
Other notes	6.46%	208	230
Total long-term debt - face value		$ 2,846,396	$ 2,881,529
Unamortized discounts and debt issuance costs		(67,016)	(26,664)
Total long-term debt - book value		$ 2,779,380	$ 2,854,865
Less current maturities		23	41,383
Total long-term debt - reported value		$ 2,779,357	$ 2,813,482
Estimated fair value of long-term debt		$ 2,695,802	$ 2,983,419


1	Borrowings on the bank line of credit are classified as short-term debt if we intend to repay within twelve months and as long-term debt if we have the intent and ability to extend payment beyond twelve months.
2	The effective interest rate reflects the margin above LIBOR for LIBOR-based borrowings. We also paid upfront fees that are amortized to interest expense and pay fees for unused borrowing capacity and standby letters of credit.
3	This short-term loan was refinanced on a long-term basis in February 2018 as discussed below. Thus, it was classified as long-term debt as of December 31, 2017.

Discounts and debt issuance costs are amortized using the effective interest method over the terms of the respective notes resulting in $5,161,000 and $9,808,000, respectively, of net interest expense for these items for 2018 and 2017.

LINE OF CREDIT

Our unsecured $750,000,000 line of credit matures December 2021 and contains affirmative, negative and financial covenants customary for an unsecured investment-grade facility. The primary negative covenant limits our ability to incur secured debt. The financial covenants are: (1) a maximum ratio of debt to EBITDA of 3.5:1 (upon certain acquisitions, the maximum ratio can be 3.75:1 for three quarters), and (2) a minimum ratio of EBITDA to net cash interest expense of 3.0:1. As of December 31, 2018, we were in compliance with the line of credit covenants.

Borrowings on our line of credit are classified as short-term debt if we intend to repay within twelve months and as long-term debt if we have the intent and ability to extend repayment beyond twelve months. Borrowings bear interest, at our option, at either LIBOR plus a credit margin ranging from 1.00% to 1.75%, or SunTrust Bank’s base rate (generally, its prime rate) plus a credit margin ranging from 0.00% to 0.75%. The credit margin for both LIBOR and base rate borrowings is determined by our credit ratings. Standby letters of credit, which are issued under the line of credit and reduce availability, are charged a fee equal to the credit margin for LIBOR borrowings plus 0.175%. We also pay a commitment fee on the daily average unused amount of the line of credit that ranges from 0.10% to 0.25% determined by our credit ratings. As of December 31, 2018, the credit margin for LIBOR borrowings was 1.25%, the credit margin for base rate borrowings was 0.25%, and the commitment fee for the unused amount was 0.15%.

As of December 31, 2018, our available borrowing capacity was $572,021,000. Utilization of the borrowing capacity was as follows:

$133,000,000 was borrowed

$44,979,000 was used to provide support for outstanding standby letters of credit

TERM DEBT

All of our $2,846,396,000 (face value) of term debt is unsecured. $2,846,188,000 of such debt is governed by three essentially identical indentures that contain customary investment-grade type covenants. The primary covenant in all three indentures limits the amount of secured debt we may incur without ratably securing such debt. As of December 31, 2018, we were in compliance with all term debt covenants.

In December 2018, we completed an exchange offer in which all of the $460,949,000 of 4.70% senior unregistered notes due 2048 (issued in February 2018 and March 2018 as described below) were exchanged for new registered notes of like principal amount and like denomination as the unregistered notes, with substantially identical terms. We did not receive any proceeds from the issuance of the new notes.

In March 2018, we early retired via exchange offer $110,949,000 of the $240,188,000 7.15% senior notes due 2037 for: (1) a like amount of notes due 2048 (these notes are a further issuance of, and form a single series with, the $350,000,000 of 4.70% senior notes due 2048 issued in February 2018 as described below, and (2) $38,164,000 of cash. The cash payment primarily reflects the trading price of the retired notes relative to par and will be amortized to interest expense over the term of the notes due 2048. We recognized transaction costs of $1,314,000 with this early retirement.

In February 2018, we issued $350,000,000 of 4.70% senior notes due 2048 (these notes now total $460,949,000 including the notes issued in March as described above) and $500,000,000 of floating-rate senior notes due 2021. Total proceeds of $846,029,000 (net of discounts, transaction costs and an interest rate derivative settlement gain), together with cash on hand, were used to retire/repay without penalty or premium: (1) the $350,000,000 term loan due 2018, (2) the $250,000,000 term loan due 2021, and (3) the $250,000,000 bank line of credit borrowings. We recognized noncash expense of $203,000 with the acceleration of unamortized deferred transaction costs.

In January 2018, we early retired via redemption the remaining $35,111,000 of the 7.50% senior notes due 2021 at a cost of $40,719,000 including a premium of $5,608,000. Additionally, we recognized noncash expense of $263,000 with the acceleration of unamortized deferred transaction costs.

As a result of the first quarter 2018 early debt retirements described above, we recognized premiums of $5,608,000, transaction costs of $1,314,000 and noncash expense (acceleration of unamortized deferred transaction costs) of $466,000. The combined charge of $7,388,000 was a component of interest expense for the year ended December 31, 2018.

In December 2017, we early retired via tender offer $564,889,000 of the $600,000,000 7.50% senior notes due 2021 at a cost of $662,613,000 including a premium of $96,167,000 and transaction costs of $1,558,000. Additionally, we recognized noncash expense of $4,228,000 with the acceleration of unamortized deferred transaction costs.

Also in December 2017, we entered into a 6-month $350,000,000 unsecured term loan with one of the banks that provides our line of credit. Proceeds were used for general corporate purposes. This term loan was prepaid, as described above, in February 2018 with the proceeds of the 4.70% senior notes due 2048.

In July 2017, we early retired via redemption: (1) the $272,512,000 7.00% senior notes due 2018 and (2) the $250,000,000 10.375% senior notes due 2018 (neither of which now appear in the table above) — at a combined cost of $565,560,000 including a premium of $43,020,000 and transaction costs of $28,000. Additionally, we recognized noncash expense of $3,029,000 with the acceleration of unamortized deferred discounts, transaction costs and interest rate derivative settlement losses. Such redemptions were partially funded with the proceeds of the senior notes issued in June 2017 as described below.

In June 2017, we issued $1,000,000,000 of debt composed of three issuances as follows: (1) $700,000,000 of 4.50% senior notes due 2047, (2) $50,000,000 of 3.90% senior notes due 2027 (these notes are a further issuance of, and form a single series with, the 3.90% notes issued in March 2017), and (3) $250,000,000 of floating-rate senior notes due 2020. Total proceeds of $989,512,000 (net of discounts/premiums and transaction costs) were used to partially finance an acquisition and to early retire the notes due in 2018 as described above.

In June 2017, we drew the full $250,000,000 on the unsecured delayed draw term loan due 2021. These funds were used to repay the $235,000,000 line of credit borrowings and for general corporate purposes. This term loan was repaid, as described above, in February 2018 with proceeds of the floating-rate senior notes due 2021.

In March 2017, we issued $350,000,000 of 3.90% senior notes due 2027. Proceeds of $345,450,000 (net of discounts and transaction costs) were used for general corporate purposes. This series of notes now totals $400,000,000 including the additional $50,000,000 issued in June as described above.

As a result of the 2017 early debt retirements described above, we recognized premiums of $139,187,000, transaction costs of $1,586,000 and noncash expense (acceleration of unamortized deferred transaction costs) of $7,257,000. The combined charge of $148,030,000 was a component of interest expense for the year ended December 31, 2017.

The total scheduled (principal and interest) debt payments, excluding the line of credit, for the five years subsequent to December 31, 2018 are as follows:



in thousands	Total	Principal	Interest
Scheduled Debt Payments (excluding the line of credit)
2019	$ 121,629	$ 23	$ 121,606
2020	366,366	250,025	116,341
2021	606,312	506,026	100,286
2022	96,041	28	96,013
2023	96,041	30	96,011

STANDBY LETTERS OF CREDIT

We provide, in the normal course of business, certain third-party beneficiaries with standby letters of credit to support our obligations to pay or perform according to the requirements of an underlying agreement. Such letters of credit typically have an initial term of one year, typically renew automatically, and can only be modified or canceled with the approval of the beneficiary. All of our standby letters of credit are issued by banks that participate in our $750,000,000 line of credit, and reduce the borrowing capacity thereunder. Our standby letters of credit as of December 31, 2018 are summarized by purpose in the table below:



in thousands
Standby Letters of Credit
Risk management insurance				$ 38,111
Reclamation/restoration requirements				6,868
Total				$ 44,979