CROSS TIMBERS ROYALTY TRUST
For the period ended Mar 31, 2024. Filed May 14, 2024.
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A company's report for each of its first three quarters. The financial statements are not audited. It shows how the business has moved since the last annual report, and what management says changed.
Mar 31, 2024 · Filed May 14, 2024
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Notes to Condensed Financial Statements
Notes to Cond ensed Financial Statements(Unaudited)
Basis of Accounting
The financial statements of Cross Timbers Royalty Trust (the “Trust”) are prepared on the following basis and are not intended to present financial position and results of operations in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“U.S. GAAP”):
| - | Net profits income recorded for a month is the amount computed and paid by XTO Energy Inc. (“XTO Energy”), the owner of the underlying properties, to Argent Trust Company, as trustee (the “Trustee”) for the Trust. XTO Energy is a wholly owned subsidiary of Exxon Mobil Corporation. Net profits income consists of net proceeds received by XTO Energy from the underlying properties in the prior month, multiplied by a net profits percentage of 90% for the 90% net profits interests, and 75% for the 75% net profits interests. |
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| - | Costs deducted in the calculation of net proceeds for the 90% net profits interests generally include applicable taxes, transportation, marketing and legal costs. In addition to those costs, the 75% net profits interests include deductions for production expense, development costs, operating charges and other costs. |
| - | Net profits income is computed separately for each of the five conveyances under which the net profits interests were conveyed to the Trust. If monthly costs exceed revenues for any conveyance, such excess costs must be recovered, with accrued interest, from future net proceeds of that conveyance and cannot reduce net proceeds from the other conveyances. |
| - | Interest income and distribution payable to unitholders include interest earned on the previous month’s investment. |
| - | Trust expenses are recorded based on liabilities paid and cash reserves established by the Trustee for liabilities and contingencies. |
| - | Distributions to unitholders are recorded when declared by the Trustee. |
The Trust’s financial statements differ from those prepared in conformity with U.S. GAAP because revenues are recognized when received rather than accrued in the month of production, expenses are recognized when paid rather than when incurred, and certain cash reserves may be established by the Trustee for contingencies which would not be recorded under U.S. GAAP. This comprehensive basis of accounting other than U.S. GAAP corresponds to the accounting permitted for royalty trusts by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, as specified by Staff Accounting Bulletin Topic 12:E, Financial Statements of Royalty Trusts.
Most accounting pronouncements apply to entities whose financial statements are prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP, directing such entities to accrue or defer revenues and expenses in a period other than when such revenues were received or expenses were paid. Because the Trust’s financial statements are prepared on the modified cash basis, as described above, most accounting pronouncements are not applicable to the Trust’s financial statements.
Impairment of Net Profits Interests
The Trustee reviews the Trust’s net profits interests (“NPI”) in oil and gas properties for impairment whenever events or circumstances indicate that the carrying value of the NPI may not be recoverable. In general, the Trustee does not view temporarily low prices as an indication of impairment. The markets for crude oil and natural gas have a history of significant price volatility and though prices will occasionally drop significantly, industry prices over the long term will continue to be driven by market supply and demand. If events and circumstances indicate the carrying value may not be recoverable, the Trustee would use the estimated undiscounted future net cash flows from the NPI to evaluate the recoverability of the Trust assets. If the undiscounted future net cash flows from the NPI are less than the NPI carrying value, the Trust would recognize an impairment loss for the difference between the NPI carrying value and the estimated fair value of the NPI. The determination as to whether the NPI is impaired requires a significant amount of judgment by the Trustee and is based on the best information available to the Trustee at the time of the evaluation, including commodity pricing and other information provided by XTO Energy such as estimates of future production and development and operating expenses.
During the first quarter of 2024, no trigger event occurred that would indicate a need for an impairment assessment. Accordingly, there was no impairment of the NPI as of March 31, 2024. Any impairment recorded for book purposes would not result in a loss for tax purposes for the unitholders until the loss is recognized.
Net profits interests in oil and gas properties
The initial carrying value of the net profits interests of $61,100,449 represents XTO Energy’s historical net book value for the interests on February 12, 1991, the creation date of the Trust. Amortization of the net profits interests is calculated on a unit‑of-production basis using proved reserves and is charged directly to trust corpus. Accumulated amortization was $58,479,932 as of March 31, 2024, and $58,428,866 as of December 31, 2023. Amortization of the NPI does not impact unitholder distributions.
Income Taxes
For federal income tax purposes, the Trust constitutes a fixed investment trust that is taxed as a grantor trust. A grantor trust is not subject to tax at the trust level. Accordingly, no provision for income taxes has been made in the financial statements. The unitholders are considered to own the Trust’s income and principal as though no trust were in existence. The income of the Trust is deemed to have been received or accrued by each unitholder at the time such income is received or accrued by the Trust and not when distributed by the Trust. Impairments recorded for book purposes will not result in a deductible loss by the unitholders for tax purposes until the loss is recognized.
All revenues from the Trust are from sources within Texas, Oklahoma or New Mexico. Because it distributes all of its net income to unitholders, the Trust has not been taxed at the trust level in New Mexico or Oklahoma. While the Trust has not owed tax, the Trustee is required to file an Oklahoma income tax return reflecting the income and deductions of the Trust attributable to properties located in that state, along with a schedule that includes information regarding distributions to unitholders. Oklahoma and New Mexico tax the income of nonresidents from real property located within those states, and the Trust has been advised by counsel that such states will tax nonresidents on income from the net profits interests located in those states. Oklahoma and New Mexico also impose a corporate income tax that may apply to unitholders organized as corporations (subject to certain exceptions for S corporations and limited liability companies, depending on their treatment for federal income tax purposes).
Texas imposes a franchise tax at a rate of 0.75 percent on gross revenues less certain deductions, as specifically set forth in the Texas franchise tax statutes. Entities subject to tax generally include trusts and most other types of entities that provide limited liability protection, unless otherwise exempt. Trusts that receive at least 90 percent of their federal gross income from certain passive sources, including royalties from mineral properties and other non-operated mineral interest income, and do not receive more than 10 percent of their income from operating an active trade or business, generally are exempt from the Texas franchise tax as “passive entities.” The Trust has been and expects to continue to be exempt from Texas franchise tax as a passive entity. Because the Trust should be exempt from Texas franchise tax at the trust level as a passive entity, each unitholder that is a taxable entity under the Texas franchise tax will generally be required to include its Texas portion of Trust revenues in its own Texas franchise tax computation. This revenue is sourced to Texas under provisions of the Texas Administrative Code providing that such income is sourced according to the principal place of business of the Trust, which is Texas.
The Trust may be required to bear a portion of the settlement costs arising from the Chieftain royalty class action settlement. For information on contingencies, see Note 3 to Condensed Financial Statements. In the event that the Trust is determined to be responsible for such costs, XTO Energy will deduct the costs in its calculation of the net profits income payable to the Trust from the applicable net profits interests. Thus, for unitholders, the portion of the settlement payment to the Chieftain royalty owner class for which the Trust is determined to be responsible will be reflected through a reduction in net profits income received from the Trust and thus in a reduction in the gross royalty income reported by and taxable to the unitholders. In the event that the Trustee objects to such claimed reductions, the Trustee may also incur legal fees in representing the Trust’s interests. For unitholders, such costs would be reflected through an increase in the Trust’s administrative expenses, which would be deductible by unitholders in determining the net royalty income from the Trust.
Each unitholder should consult their own tax advisor regarding income tax requirements, if any, applicable to such person’s ownership of Trust units.
Unitholders should consult the Trust’s latest Annual Report on Form 10-K for a more detailed discussion of federal and state tax matters.
Contingencies
Litigation
A federal district court approved the settlement of a royalty class action lawsuit against XTO Energy Inc. (Chieftain Royalty Company v. XTO Energy Inc.) in March 2018. In July 2018, the class plaintiffs submitted their plan to allocate the settlement funds among members of the class. After that plan of allocation was approved, XTO Energy advised the Trustee that, based upon that plan, approximately $40,000 should be allocated to the Trust as additional production costs.
The Trustee has objected to similar claims relating to the Chieftain settlement with respect to another trust for which it serves as trustee (the Hugoton Royalty Trust) in an arbitration styled Simmons Bank (successor to Southwest Bank and Bank of America, N.A.) vs. XTO Energy Inc. through the American Arbitration Association. In that arbitration, the Trustee requested a declaratory judgment that the Chieftain settlement is not a production cost and that XTO Energy is prohibited from charging the settlement as a production cost under the conveyance or otherwise reducing the Hugoton Royalty Trust’s payments now or in the future as a result of the Chieftain litigation. Similar issues have arisen as between XTO Energy and the Trust, but it was agreed those issues would be considered once the Panel issued its decisions with respect to the Hugoton Royalty Trust. On January 20, 2021, the Panel issued its Corrected Interim Final Award (i) “reject[ing] the Trust’s contention that XTO has no right under the Conveyance to charge the [Hugoton Royalty] Trust with amounts XTO paid under section 1.18(a)(i) as royalty obligations to settle the Chieftain litigation” and (ii) stating “[t]he next phase will determine how much of the Chieftain settlement can be so charged, if any of it can be, in the exercise of the right found by the Panel.” Following briefing by both parties, on May 18, 2021, the Panel issued its second interim final award over the amount of XTO Energy’s settlement in the Chieftain class action lawsuit that can be charged to the Hugoton Royalty Trust as a production cost. The allocation of a portion of the Chieftain settlement to the Trust will be considered once all issues in the arbitration have been fully resolved. Although the arbitration is not terminated, the final hearing, previously scheduled on November 8, 2023, was cancelled.
Other
Several states have enacted legislation requiring state income tax withholding from payments made to nonresident recipients of oil and gas proceeds. After consultation with its tax counsel, the Trustee believes that it is not required to withhold on payments made to the unitholders. However, regulations are subject to change by the various states, which could change this conclusion. Should amounts be withheld on payments made to the Trust or the unitholders, distributions to the unitholders would be reduced by the required amount, subject to the filing of a claim for refund by the Trust or unitholders for such amount.
Excess Costs
If monthly costs exceed revenues for any conveyance, such excess costs must be recovered, with accrued interest, from future net proceeds of that conveyance and cannot reduce net proceeds from other conveyances.
The following summarizes excess costs activity, cumulative excess costs balances and accrued interest to be recovered by conveyance as calculated by XTO Energy:
| Underlying | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TX WI · OK WI · Total | ||||
| Cumulative excess costs remaining at 12/31/23 | $2,276,069 | $ | - | $2,276,069 |
| Net excess costs (recovery) for the quarter ended 3/31/24 | 216,456 | 724,327 | 940,783 | |
| Cumulative excess costs remaining at 3/31/24 | 2,492,525 | 724,327 | 3,216,852 | |
| Accrued interest at 3/31/24 | 882,623 | 113 | 882,736 | |
| Total remaining to be recovered at 3/31/24 | $3,375,148 | $724,440 | $4,099,588 | |
| NPI | ||||
| TX WI · OK WI · Total | ||||
| Cumulative excess costs remaining at 12/31/23 | $1,707,053 | $ | - | $1,707,053 |
| Net excess costs (recovery) for the quarter ended 3/31/24 | 162,341 | 543,245 | 705,586 | |
| Cumulative excess costs remaining at 3/31/24 | 1,869,394 | 543,245 | 2,412,639 | |
| Accrued interest at 3/31/24 | 661,967 | 85 | 662,052 | |
| Total remaining to be recovered at 3/31/24 | $2,531,361 | $543,330 | $3,074,691 | |
For the quarter ended March 31, 2024, excess costs were $216,456 ($162,341 net to the Trust) on properties underlying the Texas working interest net profits interests.
For the quarter ended March 31, 2024, excess costs were $724,327 ($543,245 net to the Trust) on properties underlying the Oklahoma working interest net profits interests.
Underlying cumulative excess costs for the Texas and Oklahoma working interest conveyances remaining as of March 31, 2024, totaled $4.1 million ($3.1 million net to the Trust), including accrued interest of $0.9 million ($0.7 million net to the Trust).
Related Party Transactions
In computing net proceeds for the 75% net profits interests, XTO Energy deducts an overhead charge as reimbursement for costs associated with monitoring these interests. This monthly overhead charge as of March 31, 2024, was $48,224 ($36,168 net to the Trust) and is subject to annual adjustment based on an oil and gas industry index.
XTO Energy deducts a monthly overhead charge for reimbursement of administrative expenses as operator of the Hewitt Unit, which is one of the properties underlying the Oklahoma 75% net profits interests. As of March 31, 2024, this monthly charge was approximately $33,820 ($25,365 net to the Trust) and is subject to annual adjustment based on an oil and gas industry index. Other than this property, XTO Energy and ExxonMobil do not operate or control any of the properties underlying the 75% net profits interests.
Administration Expense
Administrative expenses are incurred so that the Trustee may meet its reporting obligations to the unitholders and regulatory entities and otherwise manage the administrative functions of the Trust. These obligations include, but are not limited to, all expenses, taxes, compensation to the Trustee for managing the Trust, fees to consultants, accountants, attorneys, transfer agents, other professional and expert persons, expenses for clerical and other administrative assistance, and fees and expenses for all other services.
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