This article summarizes the restructuring, identifies the filings to pull, explains what they mean for stakeholders, and separates court-record facts from company projections.
Publication note: Chapter 11 dockets change often. Docket entries cited here were last checked October 20, 2026. Confirm current status through the court record and the claims agent's site before relying on anything below.
Key Takeaways
- Nine Energy and nine affiliates filed in the Southern District of Texas, Houston Division, Case No. 26-90295.
- The plan was confirmed March 4, 2026 and took effect March 5, far inside the 45 days the company projected.
- Senior secured noteholders received the new equity; general unsecured claims were unimpaired.
- A motion to close certain cases (Dkt. 339) was filed June 18, 2026; an entered closing decree is not readily available on the docket.
What the Nine Energy Chapter 11 Docket Shows
Case identity and scope
The lead case is In re Nine Energy Service, Inc., et al., Case No. 26-90295 (CML), before Judge Christopher M. Lopez. The petitions were filed February 1, 2026. The filing covered Nine and certain U.S. and Canadian subsidiaries, and excluded operations outside those two countries.
Ten debtor cases were filed, numbered 26-90295 through 26-90304:
- Nine Energy Service, Inc. (lead)
- CDK Perforating, LLC
- Crest Pumping Technologies, LLC
- Magnum Oil Tools GP, LLC
- Magnum Oil Tools International, LTD
- MOTI Holdco, LLC
- Nine Downhole Technologies, LLC
- Nine Energy Canada Inc.
- Nine Energy Service, LLC
- RedZone Coil Tubing, LLC
The claims agent's case pages may show MOTI Holdco, LLC (26-90300) in the header. The court caption still identifies Nine Energy Service, Inc. as the lead.
What "prepackaged" means
In a prepackaged case, the debtor negotiates plan terms and solicits creditor votes before filing. Bankruptcy Code §1126(b) recognizes those prepetition votes when statutory conditions are met. Court approval is still required, and here it came on March 4.
Nine said holders of more than 70% of the Class 4 senior secured notes, the only voting class, committed to vote for the plan. The company said the deal would eliminate roughly $320 million of senior secured notes and cut annual interest expense by about $40 million. Those figures are the company's own.
Reading docket documents correctly
Not every filing creates rights. A quick guide:
- Petition: starts the case
- Motion: asks for relief
- Declaration: supplies supporting facts
- Proposed order: a draft, not a ruling
- Entered order: records the court's action
- Plan and disclosure statement: set out proposed treatment and the information used for voting
- Claims notice: communicates procedures, but sets a bar date only if the court has set one
Material docket entries
| Docket item | Date and status |
|---|---|
| Dkt. 1, Voluntary Petition | Filed Feb. 1, 2026 |
| Dkt. 2, joint-administration motion | Filed Feb. 1, 2026; request |
| Dkt. 4, Guy Sirkes first-day declaration | Filed Feb. 1, 2026 |
| Dkt. 28, joint-administration order | Entered Feb. 2, 2026 |
| Dkt. 173, Amended Joint Prepackaged Plan | Filed Mar. 3, 2026 |
| Dkt. 189, order approving disclosure statement and confirming plan | Entered Mar. 4, 2026 |
| Dkt. 197, notice of confirmation and effective date | Filed Mar. 5, 2026 |
| Dkt. 339, motion for final decree closing certain cases | Filed Jun. 18, 2026; motion only |
Dkt. 339 includes proposed decree language. Until an entered decree is confirmed on the docket, do not describe it as an order.
Why Nine Energy Filed for Chapter 11
Stated business pressures
The first-day declaration points to weak oilfield activity, including a 30% drop in Haynesville operating rigs from 2023 to 2024. It also cites higher costs for raw materials and components after 2025 tariff actions, including steel. These are the debtor's explanations, not independent findings.
Leverage and liquidity
The declaration reports about $388.0 million in funded debt at filing:
- Roughly $68.5 million under the ABL
- $319.5 million in senior secured notes
The notes carried a 13.000% coupon and a February 1, 2028 maturity. Nine said the 2023 and 2025 refinancings, high rates, and tighter financing terms constrained liquidity, and that it evaluated out-of-court options first.
Nine's FY2025 Form 10-K shows $18.4 million in cash and $21.0 million in ABL availability at December 31, 2025. It also states the company lacked enough liquidity to repay its debt. Those are year-end figures, not petition-date figures.
What a recapitalization does
A Chapter 11 recapitalization can cut debt service, preserve liquidity, and keep operations running while an agreed deal is implemented. Statements about future operations are management expectations, and historical figures come from filings. Other outcomes depended on court approval.
Key Filings and Expected Case Timeline
First-day relief and the all-trade request
The declaration identifies requests covering wages and benefits, insurance, taxes, utilities, and an All Trade Motion to pay certain prepetition trade claims in the ordinary course. Nine's release said vendors would be unimpaired and paid in full. That is a company statement, not an order.
Specific eligibility conditions, caps, and the terms of any interim or final order should be confirmed from the entered order before quoting any limit. The same applies to cash management: confirm the motion number and approval status on the docket.
DIP and exit financing
Nine announced a $125 million DIP ABL commitment from its existing ABL lender. A February 6 SEC filing names White Oak ABL 3, LLC and White Oak Europe ABL Limited as DIP lenders and reports interim approval on February 3. The facility was described as senior secured and superpriority, with requested adequate protection including replacement liens for prepetition ABL interests.
Final-order status, full pricing, fees, and priming provisions should be confirmed from the DIP orders on the docket.
The existing ABL lender also committed to a $135 million exit ABL facility, which Nine said it received on emergence.
Plan milestones
- Feb. 1: petitions filed; votes already solicited
- Mar. 2: voting deadline
- Mar. 4: confirmation hearing and order
- Mar. 5: plan effective
The RSA and DIP milestones called for a confirmation order by March 16 and an effective date by March 31. Those were transaction targets. The actual dates beat them.
The 45-day emergence estimate was likewise an expectation, not a court deadline.
Claims bar date
The claims agent's case page stated that the Bankruptcy Court had not yet established a proof-of-claim deadline. As of October 20, 2026, no bar-date order was readily available on the docket.
Implications for Creditors, Lenders, Vendors, and Other Stakeholders
Plan treatment by class
Under the confirmed plan:
- Class 3 (prepetition ABL): unimpaired, deemed to accept
- Class 4 (senior secured notes): impaired, entitled to vote, receive new equity subject to management-incentive dilution
- Class 5 (general unsecured): unimpaired, deemed to accept
- Class 8 (existing equity): impaired, canceled without distribution
The confirmation notice states the court approved the plan's discharge, release, exculpation, and injunction provisions. Read the plan for their exact scope.
Vendors
General unsecured claims are unimpaired, and Nine said vendors would be paid in full. Still, vendors should:
- Check whether they appear in the schedules and global notes
- Separate prepetition invoices from postpetition ones
- Review any entered all-trade or ordinary-course order
- Consider whether goods delivered within 20 days before filing qualify under §503(b)(9)
Employees, contracts, and deadlines
The declaration reports about 1,070 full-time employees across the U.S. and Canada and identifies a wages-and-benefits motion.
The confirmed plan includes lists of assumed and rejected contracts and cure procedures. Under §365, assumption generally requires curing defaults. Individual assumption or rejection notices are not readily available on the docket, so review the plan exhibits for the full lists.
Under Bankruptcy Rule 3003, the court sets the proof-of-claim deadline, and a creditor whose claim is unscheduled or scheduled as disputed, contingent, or unliquidated must file to be treated as a creditor. Qualified bankruptcy counsel can advise on case-specific rights.
Docket items to watch
Watch the docket for disputed claims, schedule amendments, adversary proceedings, financing amendments, and the outcome of the Dkt. 339 closing motion.
How to Monitor and Research the Nine Energy Docket
Source hierarchy
- The Southern District of Texas docket and entered orders, through PACER at $0.10 per page, capped at $3 per document
- The Epiq case site and claims portal, plus Nine's investor releases and SEC filings (CIK 1532286)
- Reputable legal and financial reporting, for context only
Research checklist
Collect these documents, in this order of priority:
- Petition, creditor matrix, and first-day declaration
- DIP motion and interim and final orders
- Cash-management and all-trade motions and orders
- Schedules, statements, and global notes
- Claims bar-date notice, if issued
- Plan, disclosure statement, ballots, and objections
- Confirmation order, effective-date notice, and closing filings
Tracking method
For each filing, log:
- Docket number and filing date
- Title and filer
- Status (proposed, pending, approved, or completed)
- Affected stakeholders and next deadline
Never record a proposed or pending filing as approved.
Pair this primary-source review with BankruptcyData, which tracks first-day motions, DIP financing, plans, voting, confirmation activity, and case timelines across U.S. Chapter 11 cases.
Last reviewed: October 20, 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did Nine Energy Service file for Chapter 11?
Nine filed voluntary petitions on February 1, 2026, and announced the restructuring the same day. Verify against the petition (Dkt. 1).
Where was Nine Energy Service's Chapter 11 case filed?
In the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas, Houston Division, Case No. 26-90295, before Judge Christopher M. Lopez.
Is Nine Energy Service still operating?
Nine said it would keep operating during the case, and its March 5 release reported emergence from Chapter 11. Confirm current status through later notices.
What is debtor-in-possession financing in the Nine Energy case?
DIP financing funds a debtor's operations during Chapter 11. Nine announced a $125 million DIP ABL commitment, with interim approval reported February 3. Check the final order for terms.
How can creditors find Nine Energy Service docket filings?
Use the court docket through PACER, the Epiq case site, and SEC filings. Restructuring-intelligence tools help, but verify against primary sources.
What should vendors and creditors do after the filing?
Review invoices and contracts, watch for notices and bar dates, file proofs of claim when required, and consult qualified bankruptcy counsel.
