Item 9A. Controls and Procedures
Item 9A. Controls and Procedures.
Evaluation
of Disclosure Controls and Procedures. The Trustee conducted an evaluation of the Trust’s disclosure controls and procedures
(as defined in Rules 13a-15 and 15d-15 under the Exchange Act). Based on this evaluation, the Trustee has concluded that the disclosure
controls and procedures of the Trust were effective, as of the end of the period covered by this report, in ensuring that information
required to be disclosed by the Trust in the reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act is accumulated and communicated
to the Trustee to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.
Due to the nature of the Trust as a passive entity
and in light of the contractual arrangements pursuant to which the Trust was created, including the provisions of (i) the Trust
Agreement and (ii) the Conveyance, the Trustee’s disclosure controls and procedures related to the Trust necessarily rely
on (A) information provided by COERT, including information relating to results of operations, the costs and revenues attributable
to the Trust’s interest under the Conveyance and other operating and historical data, plans for future operating and capital expenditures,
reserve information, information relating to projected production, and other information relating to the status and results of operations
of the Underlying Properties and the Net Profits Interest, and (B) conclusions and reports regarding reserves by the Trust’s
independent reserve engineers.
Changes
in Internal Control over Financial Reporting. During the quarter ended December 31, 2023, there were no changes in the
Trust’s internal control over financial reporting that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect,
the Trust’s internal control over financial reporting. The Trustee notes for purposes of clarification that it has no authority
over, and makes no statement concerning, the internal control over financial reporting of COERT.
TRUSTEE’S REPORT ON INTERNAL CONTROL
OVER FINANCIAL REPORTING
The Trustee is responsible for establishing and
maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting, as such term is defined in Rule 13a-15(f) promulgated under
the Exchange Act. Internal control over financial reporting is a process to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of
financial reporting for external purposes in accordance with the modified cash basis of accounting. The Trustee conducted an evaluation
of the effectiveness of the Trust’s internal control over financial reporting based on the criteria established in Internal
Control—Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission. Based on
the Trustee’s evaluation under the framework in Internal Control—Integrated Framework (2013) , the Trustee concluded
that the Trust’s internal control over financial reporting was effective as of December 31, 2023.
Item 9B. Other Information.
Rule 10b5-1
Trading Plans. During the three months ended December 31, 2023, no officer or employee of the Trustee who performs policy-making
functions for the Trust adopted, modified, or terminated any Rule 10b5-1 trading arrangement or non-Rule 10b5-1 trading
arrangement, as such terms are defined in Item 408(a) of Regulation S-K.
Item 9C. Disclosure Regarding Foreign Jurisdictions
that Prevent Inspections.
Not applicable.
72
PART III
Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers
and Corporate Governance.
The Trust has no directors or executive officers.
The Trustee is a corporate trustee that may be removed by the affirmative vote of the holders of not less than a majority of the outstanding
Trust Units at a meeting at which a quorum is present.
Audit Committee and Nominating Committee
Because the Trust does not have a board of directors,
it does not have an audit committee, an audit committee financial expert or a nominating committee.
Code of Ethics
The Trust does not have a principal executive
officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer or controller and has not adopted a code of ethics applicable to such
persons.
Item 11. Executive Compensation.
Pursuant to the Trust Agreement, the Trust pays
an annual administrative fee of $200,000 to the Trustee. During the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, the Trustee received
$200,000, respectively, in administrative fees and reimbursable expenses from the Trust. The Trust does not have any executive officers,
directors or employees. The Trust does not have a board of directors, and it does not have a compensation committee.
Item 12. Security Ownership of Certain
Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Unitholder Matters.
(a) Security
Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners.
Based on filings with the SEC, the Trustee is
not aware of any holders of 5% or more of the Trust Units as of March 22, 2024 except as set forth below. The following information
has been obtained from public filings with the SEC.
Beneficial Owner
Trust
Units
Beneficially
Owned
Percent of
Class
Permianville Holdings LLC
7,363,961 (1)
22.3 %
Jerry Roger Kent
1,722,300 (2)
5.2 %
(1) Based on a Form 4 dated August 17, 2023 filed by Permianville
Holdings LLC (“Holdings”). The principal business office address for Holdings
is 60 Arch Street, 3 rd Floor, Greenwich, CT 06830.
(2) Based on a Schedule 13G/A filed with the SEC on June 23, 2023 by
Jerry Roger Kent. The principal business office address for the reporting person is 4695
Preston Park Blvd., Suite 170 East, Plano, Texas 75093-5180. According to the filing,
the reporting person has sole voting power with respect to 1,507,300 Trust Units, shared
voting power with respect to 215,000 Trust Units, sole dispositive power with respect to
1,507,300 Trust Units, and shared dispositive power with respect to 215,000 Trust Units.
(b) Security Ownership of Management.
Not applicable.
73
(c) Changes in Control.
The registrant knows of no arrangement, including
any pledge by any person of securities of the registrant or any of its parents, the operation of which may at a subsequent date result
in a change of control of the registrant. See “Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence—Registration
Rights Agreement” in Part III, Item 13 of this Form 10-K.
Item 13. Certain Relationships and
Related Transactions, and Director Independence.
Trustee
Administrative Fee. Under the terms of the Trust Agreement, the Trust pays an annual administrative fee of $200,000 to the
Trustee and $2,000 to the Delaware Trustee.
Registration
Rights Agreement. The Trust and COERT (as the assignee of Enduro in connection with the Sale Transaction) are parties to a
Registration Rights Agreement, as amended, whereby COERT, its affiliates and certain permitted transferees holding registrable Trust
Units are entitled, upon receipt by the Trustee of written notice from holders of a majority of the then outstanding registrable Trust
Units, to demand that the Trust effect the registration of the registrable Trust Units. The holders of the registrable Trust Units are
entitled to demand a maximum of five such registrations. In connection with the preparation and filing of any registration statement,
COERT will bear all costs and expenses incidental to any registration statement, excluding certain internal expenses of the Trust, which
will be borne by the Trust. Any underwriting discounts and commissions will be borne by the seller of the Trust Units. The foregoing
description of the Registration Rights Agreement is qualified in its entirety by the terms of the Registration Rights Agreement, and
Amendment No. 1 thereto, copies of which are incorporated by reference as exhibits to this Form 10-K.
On June 22, 2022, pursuant to the Registration
Rights Agreement, the Trust filed a registration statement on Form S-3 registering the offering by COERT of 8,600,000 Trust Units. The
registration statement was declared effective on July 7, 2022.
Director Independence
The Trust does not have a board of directors.
Item 14. Principal Accountant Fees
and Services.
The
Trust does not have an audit committee. Any pre-approval and approval of all services performed by the principal auditor or any other
professional service firms and related fees are granted by the Trustee. The Trustee has appointed Weaver and Tidwell, LLP as the
independent registered public accounting firm to audit the Trust’s financial statements for the fiscal year ending December 31,
2024. During the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, Weaver and Tidwell, LLP served as the Trust’s independent registered
public accounting firm.
The following table presents the aggregate fees
paid by the Trust for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 by Weaver and Tidwell, LLP:
2023
2022
Audit
fees (1)
$ 71,535
$ 98,365
Audit-related fees
—
—
Tax fees
—
—
All other fees
—
—
Total fees
$ 71,535
$ 98,365
(1) Fees billed for professional services rendered for the audit of the Trust’s
financial statements and reviews of the financial statements included in the Trust’s
quarterly reports and annual financial statements.
74
PART IV
Item 15. Exhibit and Financial
Statement Schedules.
(a)(1) Financial Statements
The following financial statements are set forth
under “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” in Part II, Item 8 of this Form 10-K on the pages indicated:
Page in this
Form 10-K
Report
of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm (PCAOB Identification No. 410)
58
Statements
of Assets, Liabilities and Trust Corpus
59
Statements
of Distributable Income
60
Statements
of Changes in Trust Corpus
61
Notes
to Financial Statements
62
Unaudited
Supplementary Information
70
(a)(2) Schedules
Schedules have been omitted because they are not
required, not applicable or the information required has been included elsewhere herein.
(a)(3) Exhibits
See Index to Exhibits.
Item 16. Form 10-K Summary.
None.
75
INDEX TO EXHIBITS
Exhibit
Number
Description
2.1*
Agreement
and Plan of Merger of Enduro Royalty Trust and Enduro Texas LLC, dated as of November 3, 2011 by and between the Bank of New
York Mellon Trust Company, N.A., as Trustee of Enduro Royalty Trust, and Enduro Texas LLC. (Incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 1.2
to the Trust’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on November 8, 2011 (File No. 1-35333))
3.1*
Certificate
of Trust of Enduro Royalty Trust. (Incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 3.3 to the Registration Statement on Form S-1,
filed on May 16, 2011 (Registration No. 333-174225))
3.2*
Certificate
of Amendment to Certificate of Trust. (Incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Trust’s Current Report on
Form 8-K filed on September 5, 2018 (File No. 1-35333))
3.3*
Amended
and Restated Trust Agreement of Enduro Royalty Trust, dated as of November 3, 2011, among Enduro Resource Partners LLC, The
Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A., as Trustee of Enduro Royalty Trust, and Wilmington Trust Company, as Delaware Trustee
of Enduro Royalty Trust. (Incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Trust’s Current Report on Form 8-K
filed on November 8, 2011 (File No. 1-35333))
3.4*
First
Amendment to Amended and Restated Trust Agreement, dated September 6, 2017 but effective as of August 30, 2017, among Enduro
Resource Partners LLC, Wilmington Trust Company, as Delaware Trustee, and The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A., as Trustee.
(Incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Trust’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on September 12,
2017 (File No. 1-35333))
3.5*
Second
Amendment to Amended and Restated Trust Agreement of Enduro Royalty Trust, dated September 14, 2018, among COERT Holdings 1
LLC, Wilmington Trust Company, as Delaware trustee, and The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A., as trustee. (Incorporated
herein by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Trust’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on September 14, 2018
(File No. 1-35333))
4.1*
Registration
Rights Agreement, dated as of November 8, 2011, by and between Enduro Resource Partners LLC and Enduro Royalty Trust. (Incorporated
herein by reference to Exhibit 10.3 to the Trust’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on November 8, 2011 (File
No. 1-35333))
4.2*
Amendment
No. 1 to Registration Rights Agreement, dated as of November 8, 2012, by and between Enduro Resource Partners LLC and Permianville
Royalty Trust. (Incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 4.2 to the Trust’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the
year ended December 31, 2012 (File no. 1-35333))
4.3*
Description
of Securities Registered Pursuant to Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. (Incorporated herein by reference
to Exhibit 4.3 to the Trust’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019 (File no. 1-35333))
10.1*
Conveyance
of Net Profits Interest, dated November 8, 2011, by and between Enduro Operating LLC and Enduro Texas LLC. (Incorporated herein
by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Trust’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on November 8, 2011 (File No. 1-35333))
10.2*
Supplement
to Conveyance of Net Profits Interest, dated November 8, 2011, from Enduro Operating LLC, Enduro Texas LLC and The Bank of New
York Mellon Trust Company, N.A. as Trustee of Enduro Royalty Trust. (Incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the
Trust’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on November 8, 2011 (File No. 1-35333))
10.3*
First
Amendment to Conveyance of Net Profits Interest, dated September 6, 2017, among Enduro Operating LLC and The Bank of New York
Mellon Trust Company, N.A., as Trustee of Enduro Royalty Trust. (Incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Trust’s
Current Report on Form 8-K filed on September 12, 2017 (File No. 1-35333))
10.4*
Partial
Release, Reconveyance and Termination Agreement, dated September 6, 2017, by and between The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company,
N.A., as Trustee of Enduro Royalty Trust, and Enduro Operating LLC. (Incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the
Trust’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on September 12, 2017 (File No. 1-35333))
76
23.1
Consent
of Cawley, Gillespie & Associates, Inc.
23.2
Consent of Weaver and
Tidwell, L.L.P.
31.1
Certification
pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
32.1
Certification
pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
97.1
Permianville Royalty
Trust Clawback Policy
99.1
Report
of Cawley, Gillespie & Associates, Inc.
* Asterisk indicates exhibit previously filed with the SEC and
incorporated herein by reference.
77
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13
or 15(d) 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.
Date: March 22, 2024
PERMIANVILLE ROYALTY TRUST
By:
THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY,
N.A., AS TRUSTEE
By:
/s/
SARAH NEWELL
Name: Sarah Newell
Title: Vice President
The Registrant, Permianville Royalty 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.
78