Molycorp, Inc. received approval from the U.S. Bankruptcy Court on $22 million in interim debtor-in-possession (DIP) financing provided by an affiliate of Oaktree Capital Management. The new funds will support operations going forward for an interim period while the company continues to negotiate with Oaktree and a group representing the secured 10% noteholders, both of which represent secured creditors that have presented competing DIP lending proposals.
The Court acknowledged that the DIP financing was essential to the entire company’s operations, and it approved the interim order and the accompanying lending facility. The Court approved the facility solely on an interim basis, and scheduled a final hearing regarding DIP financing for July 20, 2015. Between now and the July 20, 2015 hearing, parties may provide improved and competing proposals for the financing, and both groups of lenders expressed their desire to provide financing on a final basis.
The company now has the funds to continue its operations and to move forward on releasing funds to pay post-petition suppliers and some pre-petition essential suppliers, as previously approved by the Court. Employees will continue to work their usual schedules, and purchasing of goods and services can move forward to ensure Molycorp’s customers can be serviced. Between now and the final hearing, the Mountain Pass facility will continue to run in an orderly and controlled way.
Molycorp filed its voluntary petitions under Chapter 11 on June 25, 2015. The company is being advised by the investment banking firm of Miller Buckfire & Co. and is receiving financial advice from AlixPartners, LLP. Jones Day and Young, Conaway, Stargatt & Taylor LLP act as legal counsel to the company in this process.
Molycorp is the only advanced material manufacturer in the world that both controls a world-class rare earth resource and can produce high-purity, custom engineered rare earth products to meet increasingly demanding customer specifications. With production facilities on three continents, the Company produces a wide variety of specialized products from rare earth elements and five rare metals (Gallium, Indium, Rhenium, Tantalum and Niobium).