ICBC Standard Bank contributes to EUR 577 million syndicated loan to help Ivorian Refining Company (SIR) refinance its debts and invest in current operations

In 2017, AFC was appointed by the Government of Cote D’Ivoire — represented by the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Energy, the Ministry of Budget and Société Ivoirienne de Raffinage (SIR) — as Sole Mandated Lead Arranger (MLA) to raise a long term debt facility of approximately EUR 670 million to uniformly extend the tenor and reduce the interest rate of the SIR’s existing liabilities. Then, in December 2018, Société Ivoirienne de Raffinage (SIR) — an oil refinery in Abidjan that is majority-owned by the Government of Cote D’Ivoire and a number of international oil companies — signed an EUR 577 million (CFA 378.5 billion) syndicated loan agreement with six banks. The members of the lending syndicate included Africa Finance Corporation (AFC), Deutsche Bank, ICBC Standard Bank, United Bank for Africa, NSIA Bank, and Bridge Bank. AFC — the sole mandated lead arranger — contributed EUR 192 million. The syndicated loan, which is structured as levy-backed senior secured debt, has a euro tranche with a 9-year maturity and a West African CFA franc tranche with a 7-year maturity. The other borrowing terms of the loan are unknown. However, it is known that the borrower (SIR) was to use the proceeds of the loan to refinance its debts and invest in current operations. The Government of Cote D’Ivoire issued a sovereign guarantee in support of the loan. SIR is the sole oil refinery in Cote d’Ivoire and it is charged with the responsibility for refining crude oil, and sale of resulting products to the local Ivorian market, and for export to West African countries and the international market. It has an annual output of 3.8 million tons of refined crude oil products, making it the largest crude oil refinery in West Africa. It is considered to be one of Cote d'Ivoire's most strategic assets.

Additional details

1. The monetary value of ICBC Standard Bank’s contribution to the EUR 577 million syndicated loan is unknown. However, it is known that AFC contributed EUR 192 million, so for the time being, AidData assumes that the other members of the syndicate (including ICBC Standard Bank) contributed equal amounts (EUR 77 million). 2. This loan is coded as collateralized because it is described by the sole Mandated Lead Arranger as levy-backed senior secured debt. 3. Norton Rose Fullbright and Billé-Aka, Brizoua-Bi & Associés were the counsels for the lenders. 4. One source refers to the purpose of the loan as to ‘repay historical obligations on crude oil supply, provide a long tenured facility and reduce the interest rate of SIR's stock debt.’ 5. ICBC Standard Bank, Plc is majority owned by the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Limited (ICBC).

Number of official sources

7

Number of total sources

14