Item 1A. Risk Factors
Item 1A. Risk Factors.
Except as provided below, there have not
been any material changes from the risk factors previously disclosed in the Trust’s response to Item 1A to Part I of
the Form 10-K.
The COVID-19 pandemic could
materially adversely affect proceeds to the Trust and cash distributions to unitholders.
The recent outbreak
of the novel form of coronavirus known as COVID-19 and its development into a global pandemic is negatively impacting
worldwide economic and commercial activity and financial markets, as well as global demand for crude oil and natural gas. The
West Texas Intermediate spot price of crude oil has declined since the beginning of 2020, from $63.27 per barrel on January 6,
2020 to $41.95 per barrel on August 6, 2020. During this time frame, the monthly average price, which is the base price that
crude oil sales are based on, reached a low of $16.70 per barrel for April 2020. The decline in oil prices is primarily attributable
to the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the dispute over production levels between Russia and the members of the Organization
of Petroleum Exporting Countries (“OPEC”), which resulted in an oversupply of crude oil and exacerbated the decline
in crude oil prices. COVID-19 and the responses by federal, state and local governmental authorities to the pandemic have
also resulted in significant business and operational disruptions, including business closures, supply chain disruptions, travel
restrictions, stay-at-home orders and limitations on the availability of workforces. The full impact of COVID-19 is
unknown and is rapidly evolving. The extent to which COVID-19 negatively impacts the operators of and production from
the underlying properties will depend on the severity, location and duration of the effects and spread of COVID-19, the
actions undertaken by federal, state and local governments and health officials to contain the virus or treat its effects, and
how quickly and to what extent economic conditions improve and normal business and operating conditions resume. A prolonged period
of low crude oil prices will adversely affect the operators of the underlying properties. If commodity prices for crude oil
remain at reduced levels, quarterly cash distributions to unitholders will be substantially lower than historical distributions,
and in certain periods there may be no distribution to unitholders. As a result of the decreased price of crude oil during the
second quarter of 2020, there was no distribution made to unitholders in the third quarter of 2020. Continued
low prices of oil may ultimately reduce the amount of oil that is economic to produce from the underlying properties. As a result,
the operator of the underlying properties could determine, during periods of low commodity prices, to shut in or curtail production
on the underlying properties. In addition, the operator of the underlying properties could determine, during periods of low commodity
prices, to plug and abandon marginal wells that otherwise may have been allowed to continue to produce for a longer period under
conditions of higher prices.
To
the extent COVID-19 adversely affects production from the underlying properties or the business, results of operations and financial
condition of the operators of the underlying properties, it may also have the effect of heightening many of the other risks described
in the Form 10-K.
The ability or willingness of OPEC
and other oil exporting nations to set and maintain production levels has a significant impact on oil and natural gas commodity
prices, which could reduce the amount of cash available for distribution to Trust unitholders.
OPEC is an intergovernmental
organization that seeks to manage the price and supply of oil on the global energy market. Actions taken by OPEC members, including
those taken alongside other oil exporting nations, have a significant impact on global oil supply and pricing. For example, OPEC
and certain other oil exporting nations have previously agreed to take measures, including production cuts, to support crude oil
prices. In March 2020, members of OPEC and Russia considered extending and potentially increasing these oil production cuts. However,
those negotiations were unsuccessful. As a result, Saudi Arabia announced an immediate reduction in export prices and Russia announced
that all previously agreed upon oil production cuts would expire on April 1, 2020. These actions led to an immediate and steep
decrease in oil prices, which reached a closing NYMEX price low of negative $37.63 per barrel of crude oil in April 2020. There
can be no assurance that OPEC members and other oil exporting nations will agree to future production cuts or other actions to
support and stabilize oil prices, nor can there be any assurance that they will not further reduce oil prices or increase production.
Uncertainty regarding future actions to be taken by OPEC members or other oil exporting countries could lead to increased volatility
in the price of oil, which could adversely affect the financial condition and economic performance of the operators of the underlying
properties and may reduce the net proceeds to which the Trust is entitled, which could materially reduce or completely eliminate
the amount of cash available for distribution to Trust unitholders.
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Item 6. Exhibits.
The exhibits listed below are filed or furnished
as part of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.
Exhibit
Number
Description
31
Certification pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
32
Certification pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
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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 thereunto duly authorized.
MV OIL TRUST
By:
The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A., as Trustee
By:
/s/ MICHAEL J. ULRICH
Michael J. Ulrich
Vice President
Date: August 10, 2020
The Registrant, MV Oil Trust, has no principal
executive officer, principal financial officer, board of directors or persons performing similar functions. Accordingly, no additional
signatures are available and none have been provided. In signing the report above, the Trustee does not imply that it has performed
any such function or that such function exists pursuant to the terms of the Trust Agreement under which it serves.
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Text extracted from the filing as submitted to EDGAR. Formatting, tables and exhibits are simplified for reading; the original document is authoritative for anything you rely on.