UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, DC 20549
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT PURSUANT
TO SECTION 13 OR 15(D) OF
THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
Date of report (Date of earliest event reported): April 19, 2013
HUGOTON ROYALTY TRUST
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)
Texas | 1-10476 | 58-6379215 | ||
(State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation) |
(Commission File Number) |
(IRS Employer Identification No.) |
U.S. Trust, Bank of America Private Wealth Management Trustee P.O. Box 830650 Dallas, Texas |
75283-0650 | |
(Address of Principal Executive Offices) | (Zip Code) |
(877) 228-5083
(Registrants Telephone Number, Including Area Code)
NONE
(Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report)
Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):
¨ | Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425) |
¨ | Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12) |
¨ | Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b)) |
¨ | Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c)) |
Item 2.02. Results of Operations and Financial Condition.
On April 19, 2013, the Registrant issued a news release announcing its monthly cash distribution to unitholders of record on April 30, 2013. A copy of the news release is furnished as Exhibit 99.1.
The information in this Current Report, including the news release attached hereto, is being furnished pursuant to Item 2.02 of Form 8-K and shall not be deemed filed for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or otherwise subject to liabilities of that Section.
Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits.
(c) | Exhibits. |
99.1 | News Release dated April 19, 2013 |
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SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
HUGOTON ROYALTY TRUST | ||||||
By: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., TRUSTEE | ||||||
Date: April 19, 2013 | By: | /S/ NANCY G. WILLIS | ||||
Nancy G. Willis | ||||||
Vice President | ||||||
EXXON MOBIL CORPORATION | ||||||
By: | /s/ BETH E. CASTEEL | |||||
Beth E. Casteel | ||||||
Vice President Upstream Business Services |
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EXHIBIT INDEX
Exhibit Number and Description
99.1 | News Release dated April 19, 2013 |
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EXHIBIT 99.1
[NEWS RELEASE LETTERHEAD OF HUGOTON ROYALTY TRUST APPEARS HERE]
HUGOTON ROYALTY TRUST
DECLARES APRIL CASH DISTRIBUTION
Dallas, Texas, April 19, 2013 U.S. Trust, Bank of America Private Wealth Management, as Trustee of the Hugoton Royalty Trust (NYSE HGT), today declared a cash distribution to the holders of its units of beneficial interest of $0.063863 per unit, payable on May 14, 2013, to unitholders of record on April 30, 2013. The following table shows underlying gas sales and average prices attributable to the net overriding royalty payments made by XTO Energy Inc. (XTO Energy) to the Trust for both the current month and prior month distributions. Underlying gas sales volumes attributable to the current month distribution were primarily produced in February.
Underlying Gas Sales | ||||||||||||
Volumes (Mcf) (a) | Average Gas | |||||||||||
Total | Daily | Price per Mcf | ||||||||||
Current Month Distribution |
1,504,000 | 54,000 | $ | 3.80 | ||||||||
Prior Month Distribution |
1,570,000 | 51,000 | $ | 3.68 |
(a) | Sales volumes are recorded in the month the trust receives the related net profits income. Because of this, sales volumes may fluctuate from month to month based on the timing of cash receipts. |
XTO Energy has advised the trustee that it has deducted budgeted development costs of $500,000, production expense of $1,807,000 and overhead of $938,000 in determining the royalty payment to the Trust for the current month.
Other / Excess Costs
Regarding the $37 million settlement reached by XTO Energy on the Fankhouser v. XTO Energy, Inc. litigation, XTO Energy notified the trustee with the September 2012 distribution that it charged the trust $28.5 million of the settlement, of which $23.4 million affected the net proceeds from Oklahoma and $5.1 million affected the net proceeds from Kansas. Based on recent revenue and expense levels, XTO Energy has advised the trustee that it expects the settlement deductions to cause costs to exceed revenues for approximately 12 months on properties underlying the Oklahoma net profits interests and approximately 7 years on properties underlying the Kansas net profits interests; however, changes in oil or natural gas prices or expenses could cause the time period to increase or decrease, correspondingly.
As mentioned in the 2012 Form 10-K filed on March 8, 2013, the trustee disagrees with XTO Energy that all or any portion of the settlement should be deducted from Trust revenues, and the dispute is being arbitrated. The three member panel of arbitrators (the Tribunal) has been named and pleadings have been filed by both parties. The arbitration hearing is tentatively scheduled to begin November 12, 2013 in Fort Worth, Texas if not sooner disposed of by the parties by agreement or by the Tribunal on motion. The trustee requested that the Tribunal enjoin XTO Energy from continuing to deduct the Fankhouser settlement amount while the arbitration is pending. A hearing on the injunction was held on October 27, 2012. The Tribunal ordered that pending the issuance of a final award or further order of the Tribunal, XTO Energy should not treat any costs or expenses associated with the Fankhouser settlement as chargeable against the trusts net profit interest under the conveyances. The Tribunal denied the trusts request for an interim order directing XTO Energy to pay the trust the amounts offset against the trusts September and October 2012 distributions on the basis of the Fankhouser litigation. Based on this decision, deductions associated with the Fankhouser settlement were suspended starting in November 2012.
For more information on the Trust, please visit our web site at www.hugotontrust.com.
Statements made in this press release regarding future events or conditions are forward looking statements. Actual future results, including development costs, the outcome of litigation, and future net profits, could differ materially due to changes in natural gas prices and other economic conditions affecting the gas industry and other factors described in Part I, Item 1A of the trusts Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2012.
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Contact: | Nancy G. Willis Vice President U.S. Trust, Bank of America Private Wealth Management, Trustee (Toll Free) 877-228-5083 |