Capital Resources and Liquidity
As of March 31, 2022, the Company had cash on hand of $2,139,211, compared to $2,408,316 as of December 31, 2021. The Company had net cash provided by operating activities for the three months ended March 31, 2022 of $24,439,765, compared to $15,687,684 for the same period of 2021 due to higher year to date revenues, which resulted in more cash received from customers. The Company used net cash in investing activities of $14,222,711 for the three months ended March 31, 2022, compared to $10,177,370 for the same period of 2021, driven by an increase in capital expenditures to develop oil and natural gas properties. Net cash used in financing activities was $10,486,159 for the three months ended March 31, 2022 during which time $10,000,000 was the net pay down of principal on our credit facility.
We will continue to focus on maximizing free cash flow in 2022 through a combination of cost control measures and prudent capital allocation, which includes prioritizing our capital to projects we believe will provide high rates of return in the current commodity price environment. In response to higher commodity prices, Ring began implementing a continuous drilling program and as such, expects planned capital expenditures for 2022 to be significantly higher than 2021 levels. With the increased level of capital expenditures, we expect that oil and natural gas production will increase throughout 2022. We will continue our pursuit of acquisitions and business combinations, seeking opportunities that we believe will provide high margin properties with attractive returns at current commodity prices.
During 2022, we will remain focused on maximizing free cash flow, reducing our debt level, and maximizing our liquidity which we believe will result in greater stockholder value.
Availability of Capital Resources under Credit Facility
In April 2019, the Company amended and restated its Credit Agreement with SunTrust Bank (now Truist), as lender, issuing bank and administrative agent for several banks and other financial institutions and lenders (the “Administrative Agent”), (as amended and restated, the “Credit Facility”). The amendment and restatement of the Credit Agreement, among other things, increased the maximum borrowing amount to $1 billion, extended the maturity date through April 2024 and made other modifications to the terms of the Credit Facility. This Credit Facility was amended on June 25, 2021, June 10, 2021, December 23, 2020 and June 17, 2020. The June 10, 2021 amendment, among other things, modified the definition for “Fall 2020 Borrowing Base Hedges,” from 4,000 barrels of oil per day to 3,100 barrels of oil per day for calendar year 2022, and reaffirmed the borrowing base at $350 million. The amendment on June 25, 2021 incorporated contractual fallback language for US dollar LIBOR denominated syndicated loans, which language provides for the transition away from LIBOR to an alternative reference rate. The Credit Facility is secured by a first lien on substantially all of the Company’s assets.
The borrowing base is subject to periodic redeterminations, mandatory reductions, and further adjustments from time to time. The borrowing base is redetermined semi-annually each May and November and will be reduced in certain circumstances such as the sale or disposition of certain oil and gas properties of the Company and the cancellation of certain hedging positions.
The Credit Facility allows for Eurodollar Loans and Base Rate Loans (as respectively defined in the Credit Facility). The interest rate on each Eurodollar Loan will be the adjusted LIBOR for the applicable interest period plus a margin between 2.5% and 3.5% per annum (depending on the then-current level of borrowing base usage). The annual interest rate on each Base Rate Loan is (a) the greatest of (i) the Administrative Agent’s prime lending rate, (ii) the Federal Funds Rate (as defined in the Credit Facility) plus 0.5% per annum, (iii) the adjusted LIBOR determined on a daily basis for an interest period of one month, plus 1.00% per annum and (iv) 0.00% per annum, plus (b) a margin between 1.5% and 2.5% (depending on the then-current level of borrowing base usage).
The Credit Facility contains certain covenants, which, among other things, require the maintenance of (i) a total Leverage Ratio (outstanding debt to adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) of not more than 4.0 to 1.0 and (ii) a minimum ratio of Current Assets to Current Liabilities (as such terms are defined in the Credit Facility) of 1.0 to 1.0. The Credit Facility also contains other customary affirmative and negative covenants and events of default. As of March 31, 2022, $280,000,000 was outstanding on the Credit Facility and we were in compliance with all of our covenants.
Derivative Financial Instruments
During February and March of 2020, the Company entered into derivative contracts in the form of costless collars of WTI Crude Oil prices in order to protect the Company’s cash flow from price fluctuation and maintain its capital programs. “Costless collars” are the combination of two options, a put option (floor) and a call option (ceiling) with the options structured so that the premium paid for the