Long-term Debt

The following table is a summary of long-term debt obligations, net (in thousands):



Obligations (in thousands)	June 30, 2016			December 31, 2015
Senior secured second-priority notes (maturing December 15, 2021)	$	120,569		$	—
Senior secured third-priority notes (maturing May 15, 2018)	28,497			175,000
Revolving line of credit	15,000			—
Equipment capital leases	6,068			9,762
Other debt	685			1,558
Costs associated with issuances of debt ⁽¹⁾	(5,318		)	(3,328		)
Total	165,501			182,992
Current portion of long-term debt and lease obligations	(20,371		)	(7,912		)
Non-current portion of long-term debt and lease obligations	$	145,130		$	175,080


⁽¹⁾	Represents debt issuance costs presented as a direct deduction from the carrying amount of the associated debt liability.

Revolving Credit Facility

In August 2014, ION and its material U.S. subsidiaries, ION Exploration Products (U.S.A.), Inc., I/O Marine Systems, Inc. and GX Technology Corporation (collectively, the “Subsidiary Borrowers”), and together with the Company, collectively, the “Borrowers”) entered into a Revolving Credit and Security Agreement with PNC Bank, National Association (“PNC”), as agent (the “Original Credit Agreement”), which was amended by the First Amendment to Revolving Credit and Security Agreement in August 2015 (the “First Amendment”) and the Second Amendment (as defined below) (the Original Credit Agreement, as amended by the First Amendment, and the Second Amendment, the “Credit Facility”). For a complete discussion of the terms, available credit and security of this Credit Facility, prior to the effectiveness of the Second Amendment, see Footnote 4 to the Financial Statements included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015.

The Credit Facility is available to provide for the Borrowers’ general corporate needs, including working capital requirements, capital expenditures, surety deposits and acquisition financing. The maximum amount of the revolving line of credit under the Credit Facility is the lesser of $40.0 million or a monthly borrowing base (which may be recalculated more frequently under certain circumstances).

On April 28, 2016, the Borrowers and PNC entered into a second amendment (the “Second Amendment”) to the Credit Facility. The Second Amendment, among other things:


•	increases the applicable margin for loans by 0.50% per annum (from 2.50% per annum to 3.00% per annum for alternate base rate loans and from 3.50% per annum to 4.00% per annum for LIBOR-based loans);


•	increases the minimum excess availability threshold to avoid triggering the agent’s rights to exercise dominion over cash and deposit accounts and increases certain of the thresholds upon which such dominion ceases;


•	increases the minimum liquidity threshold to avoid triggering the Company’s obligation to calculate and comply with the existing fixed charge coverage ratio and increases certain of the thresholds upon which such required calculation and compliance cease;


•	establishes a reserve that reduces the amount available to be borrowed by the aggregate amount owing under all Third Lien Notes that remain outstanding (if any) on or after February 14, 2018 (i.e., 90 days prior to the stated maturity of the Third Lien Notes);


•	increases the maximum amount of certain permitted junior indebtedness to $200.0 million (from $175.0 million);


•	incorporates technical and conforming changes to reflect that the Second Lien Notes and the remaining Third Lien Notes (and any permitted refinancing thereof or subsequently incurred replacement indebtedness meeting certain requirements) constitute permitted indebtedness;


•	clarifies the circumstances and mechanics under which the Company may prepay, repurchase or redeem the Second Lien Notes, the remaining Third Lien Notes and certain other junior indebtedness;


•	modifies the cross-default provisions to incorporate defaults under the Second Lien Notes, the remaining Third Lien Notes and certain other junior indebtedness; and


•	eliminates the potential early commitment termination date and early maturity date that would otherwise have occurred ninety (90) days prior the maturity date of the Third Lien Notes if any of the Third Lien Notes then remained outstanding.

The borrowing base under the Credit Facility will increase or decrease monthly using a formula based on certain eligible receivables, eligible inventory and other amounts, including a percentage of the net orderly liquidation value of the Borrowers’ multi-client data library (not to exceed $15.0 million for the multi-client data library data component). As of June 30, 2016, the borrowing base under the Credit Facility was $26.9 million, and there was $15.0 million of indebtedness under the Credit Facility. The Credit Facility is scheduled to mature on August 22, 2019.

The obligations of Borrowers under the Credit Facility are secured by a first-priority security interest in 100% of the stock of the Subsidiary Borrowers and 65% of the equity interest in ION International Holdings L.P. and by substantially all other assets of the Borrowers.

The Credit Facility contains covenants that, among other things, limit or prohibit the Borrowers, subject to certain exceptions and qualifications, from incurring additional indebtedness (including capital lease obligations), repurchasing equity, paying dividends or distributions, granting or incurring additional liens on the Borrowers’ properties, pledging shares of the Borrowers’ subsidiaries, entering into certain merger transactions, entering into transactions with the Company’s affiliates, making certain sales or other dispositions of the Borrowers’ assets, making certain investments, acquiring other businesses and entering into sale-leaseback transactions with respect to the Borrowers’ property.

The Credit Facility, requires that ION and the Subsidiary Borrowers maintain a minimum fixed charge coverage ratio of 1.1 to 1.0 as of the end of each fiscal quarter during the existence of a covenant testing trigger event. The fixed charge coverage ratio is defined as the ratio of (i) ION’s EBITDA, minus unfunded capital expenditures made during the relevant period, minus distributions (including tax distributions) and dividends made during the relevant period, minus cash taxes paid during the relevant period, to (ii) certain debt payments made during the relevant period. A covenant testing trigger event occurs upon (a) the occurrence and continuance of an event of default under the Credit Facility or (b) the failure to maintain a measure of liquidity greater than (i) $7.5 million for five consecutive business days or (ii) $6.5 million on any given business day. Liquidity, as defined in the Credit Facility, is the Company’s excess availability to borrow ($11.9 million at June 30, 2016) plus the aggregate amount of unrestricted cash held by ION, the Subsidiary Borrowers and their domestic subsidiaries.

At June 30, 2016, the Company was in compliance with all of the covenants under the Credit Facility.

The Credit Facility contains customary event of default provisions (including a “change of control” event affecting ION), the occurrence of which could lead to an acceleration of the Company’s obligations under the Credit Facility as amended.

Senior Secured Notes

In May 2013, the Company sold $175.0 million aggregate principal amount of 8.125% Senior Secured Second-Priority Notes due 2018 (the “Third Lien Notes”) in a private offering pursuant to an Indenture dated as of May 13, 2013 (the Third Lien Notes Indenture”). Prior to the completion of the Exchange Offer (as defined below) and Consent Solicitation (as defined below) on April 28, 2016, the Third Lien Notes were senior secured second-priority obligations of the Company. After giving effect to the Exchange Offer and Consent Solicitation, the remaining aggregate principal amount of approximately $28.5 million of outstanding Third Lien Notes became senior secured third-priority obligations of the Company subordinated to the liens securing all senior and second priority indebtedness of the Company, including under the Credit Facility and Second-Priority Lien Notes (defined below).

Pursuant to the Exchange Offer and Consent Solicitation, the Company (i) issued approximately $120.6 million in aggregate principal amount of the Company’s new 9.125% Senior Secured Second Priority Notes due 2021 (the “Second Lien Notes,” and collectively with the Third Lien Notes, the “Notes”) and 1,205,477 shares of the Company’s common stock in exchange for approximately $120.6 million in aggregate principal amount of Third Lien Notes, and (ii) purchased approximately $25.9 million in aggregate principal amount of Third Lien Notes in exchange for aggregate cash consideration totaling approximately $15.0 million, plus accrued and unpaid interest on the Third Lien Notes from the applicable last interest payment date to, but not including, April 28, 2016.

After giving effect to the Exchange Offer and Consent Solicitation, the aggregate principal amount of the Third Lien Notes remaining outstanding was approximately $28.5 million and the aggregate principal amount of Second Lien Notes outstanding was approximately $120.6 million. See “Exchange Offer” below.

The Third Lien Notes are guaranteed by the Company’s material U.S. subsidiaries, GX Technology Corporation, ION Exploration Products (U.S.A.), Inc. and I/O Marine Systems, Inc. (the “Guarantors”), and mature on May 15, 2018. Interest on the Third Lien Notes accrues at the rate of 8.125% per annum and will be payable semiannually in arrears on May 15 and November 15 of each year during their term. In May 2014, the holders of the Third Lien Notes exchanged their Third Lien Notes for a like principal amount of registered Third Lien Notes with the same terms. For a complete discussion of the terms and security the Third Lien Notes in effect prior to the completion of the Exchange Offer and Consent Solicitation on April 28, 2016, see Footnote 4 to the Financial Statements included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015.

Prior to the completion of the Exchange Offer and Consent Solicitation, the Third Lien Notes Indenture contained certain covenants that, among other things, limited or prohibited the Company’s ability and the ability of its restricted subsidiaries to take certain actions or permit certain conditions to exist during the term of the Third Lien Notes, including among other things, incurring additional indebtedness, creating liens, paying dividends and making other distributions in respect of the Company’s capital stock, redeeming the Company’s capital stock, making investments or certain other restricted payments, selling certain kinds of assets, entering into transactions with affiliates, and effecting mergers or consolidations. These and other restrictive covenants contained in the Third Lien Notes Indenture are subject to certain exceptions and qualifications. After giving effect to the Exchange Offer and Consent Solicitation, the Third Lien Notes Indenture was amended to, among other things, provide for the release of the second priority security interest in the collateral securing the remaining Third Lien Notes and the grant of a third priority security interest in the collateral, subordinate to liens securing all senior and second priority indebtedness of the Company, including the Credit Facility and the Second Lien Notes, and eliminate substantially all of the restrictive covenants and certain events of default pertaining to the remaining Third Lien Notes.

As of June 30, 2016, the Company was in compliance with the covenants with respect to the Third Lien Notes.

On or after May 15, 2015, the Company may on one or more occasions redeem all or a part of the Third Lien Notes at the redemption prices set forth below, plus accrued and unpaid interest and special interest, if any, on the Third Lien Notes redeemed during the twelve-month period beginning on May 15th of the years indicated below:



Date		Percentage
2015		104.063%
2016		102.031%
2017 and thereafter		100.000%

The Second Lien Notes are senior secured second-priority obligations guaranteed by the Guarantors. The Second Lien Notes mature on December 15, 2021. Interest on the Second Lien Notes accrues at the rate of 9.125% per annum and is payable semiannually in arrears on June 15 and December 15 of each year during their term, beginning June 15, 2016, except that the interest payment otherwise payable on June 15, 2021 will be payable on December 15, 2021.

The indenture dated April 28, 2016 governing the Second Lien Notes (the “Second Lien Notes Indenture”) contains certain covenants that, among other things, limits or prohibits the Company’s ability and the ability of its restricted subsidiaries to take certain actions or permit certain conditions to exist during the term of the Second Lien Notes, including among other things, incurring additional indebtedness, creating liens, paying dividends and making other distributions in respect of the Company’s capital stock, redeeming the Company’s capital stock, making investments or certain other restricted payments, selling certain kinds of assets, entering into transactions with affiliates, and effecting mergers or consolidations. These and other restrictive covenants contained in the Second Lien Notes Indenture are subject to certain exceptions and qualifications. All of the Company’s subsidiaries are currently restricted subsidiaries.

As of June 30, 2016, the Company was in compliance with the covenants with respect to the Second Lien Notes.

On or after December 15, 2019, the Company may on one or more occasions redeem all or a part of the Second Lien Notes at the redemption prices set forth below, plus accrued and unpaid interest and special interest, if any, on the Second Lien Notes redeemed during the twelve-month period beginning on December 15th of the years indicated below:



Date		Percentage
2019		105.500%
2020		103.500%
2021 and thereafter		100.000%

For additional information regarding the terms and security of the Third Lien Notes and related Third Lien Notes Indenture and intercreditor agreement in effect prior to the completion of the Exchange Offer and Consent Solicitation, see the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on May 13, 2013. For additional information regarding the terms and security of the Third Lien Notes after giving effect to the Exchange Offer and Consent Solicitation, the amendments to the Third Lien Notes Indenture, the terms and security of the Second Lien Notes, the Second Lien Notes Indenture and the related intercreditor agreement, see the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on April 28, 2016.

Exchange Offer

On April 28, 2016, the Company successfully completed the previously announced exchange offer (the “Exchange Offer”) and consent solicitation (the “Consent Solicitation”) related to the Third Lien Notes. The Company did not receive any cash proceeds in connection with the Exchange Offer and Consent Solicitation.

Under the terms of the Exchange Offer, for each $1,000 principal amount of Third Lien Notes validly tendered for exchange and not validly withdrawn by an eligible holder (an “Exchange Participant”) prior to 11:59 P.M., New York City time, on April 25, 2016, and accepted for exchange by the Company, the Company offered the consideration (the “Exchange Consideration”) of (i) $1,000 principal amount of Second Lien Notes plus (ii) either (a) for Third Lien Notes tendered at or prior to 4:59 P.M., New York City time, on April 15, 2016 (the “Extended Early Tender Deadline”), ten (10) shares of the Company’s common stock (the “Early Stock Consideration”), or (b) for Third Lien Notes tendered after the Extended Early Tender Deadline, seven (7) shares of the Company’s common stock (the “Stock Consideration”) (such shares issued as the Early Stock Consideration or the Stock Consideration, together with the Second Lien Notes, the “Exchange Securities”), upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Company’s confidential Offer to Exchange and related Consent and Letter of Transmittal, each dated March 28, 2016 (the “Offer Documents”).

As part of the Exchange Offer, each Exchange Participant had the opportunity to tender all or a portion of its Third Lien Notes for a cash payment in lieu of the Exchange Consideration upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Offer Documents (the “Cash Tender Option”). The aggregate amount of cash consideration that could be paid by the Company for tendered Third Lien Notes accepted for purchase pursuant to the Cash Tender Option was approximately $15.0 million plus accrued and unpaid interest to, but not including, the settlement date of the Exchange Offer (collectively, the “Cash Tender Cap”).

Concurrently with the Exchange Offer, the Company solicited consents from eligible holders to proposed amendments to the Third Lien Notes Indenture (the “Proposed Amendments”). The Proposed Amendments, among other things, provide for the release of the second priority security interest in the collateral securing the Third Lien Notes and the grant of a third priority security interest in the collateral, subordinate to liens securing all the Company’s senior and second priority indebtedness, including the Credit Facility and the Second Lien Notes, and eliminate substantially all of the restrictive covenants and certain events of default pertaining to the Third Lien Notes.

The Exchange Offer, including the Cash Tender Option, and the Consent Solicitation expired at 11:59 P.M., New York City time, on April 28, 2016. In total, the Company accepted for exchange approximately $146.5 million in aggregate principal amount of the Third Lien Notes, or approximately 83.72% of the $175 million outstanding aggregate principal amount of the Third Lien Notes, validly tendered and not withdrawn in the Exchange Offer. The Third Lien Notes validly tendered and not withdrawn in the Exchange Offer were accepted by the Company.

Because the Company received the necessary consents to effect the Proposed Amendments, any Third Lien Notes not validly tendered pursuant to the Exchange Offer remain outstanding and the holders are subject to the terms of the supplemental indenture implementing the Proposed Amendments. No consideration was paid to holders of Third Lien Notes in connection with the Consent Solicitation. After giving effect to the Exchange Offer and Consent Solicitation, the aggregate principal amount of the Third Lien Notes remaining outstanding was approximately $28.5 million as of April 25, 2016, and such Third Lien Notes are secured on a third priority basis subordinated to the liens securing all senior and second priority indebtedness of the Company, including under the Credit Facility and Second Lien Notes.

In exchange for approximately $120.6 million in aggregate principal amount of Third Lien Notes, the Company issued approximately $120.6 million aggregate principal amount of Second Lien Notes and 1,205,477 shares of common stock, including 1,204,980 shares issued as Early Stock Consideration and 497 shares issued as Stock Consideration. The Company utilized 508,464 of treasury shares towards the total 1,205,477 shares issued. The securities issued in the Exchange Offer were issued in reliance on an exemption from registration set forth in Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act. The Company received no cash consideration in exchange for the issuance of the Exchange Securities.

The Cash Tender Option was fully subscribed. Pursuant to the terms of the Exchange Offer, the Company accepted for purchase tendered Third Lien Notes at the lowest bid prices until the Cash Tender Cap was reached, subject to proration. In exchange for aggregate cash consideration totaling approximately $15.0 million, the Company purchased approximately $25.9 million in aggregate principal amount of Third Lien Notes. The Company also paid in cash accrued and unpaid interest on Third Lien Notes accepted for purchase in the Exchange Offer from the applicable last interest payment date to, but not including, April 28, 2016.