United States Oil Fund, LP 10-K

Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations. The following discussion should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and the notes thereto of USO included elsewhere in this annual report on Form 10-K. Forward-Looking Information This annual report on Form 10-K, including this “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” contains forward-looking statements regarding the plans and objectives of management for future operations. This information may involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause USO’s actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by any forward-looking statements. USO believes these factors include, but are not limited to, the following: changes in inflation in the United States, movements in U.S. and foreign currencies, market volatility in the crude oil markets and futures markets in part attributable to the COVID-19 pandemic, related supply chain disruption, ongoing disputes among oil-producing countries, uncertainties associated with the impact from the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, including: its impact on the global and U.S. capital markets and the global and U.S. economy, the length and duration of the COVID-19 outbreak in the United States as well as worldwide and the magnitude of the economic impact of that outbreak, the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on USO’s business prospects, including its ability to achieve its objectives, and the effect of the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic on our ability to continue to effectively manage our business. Forward-looking statements, which involve assumptions and describe USO’s future plans, strategies and expectations, are generally identifiable by use of the words “may,” “will,” “should,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “believe,” “intend” or “project,” the negative of these words, other variations on these words or comparable terminology. These forward-looking statements are based on assumptions that may be incorrect, and USO cannot assure investors that the projections included in these forward-looking statements will come to pass. USO’s actual results could differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors. 52 Table of Contents USO has based the forward-looking statements included in this annual report on Form 10-K on information available to it on the date of this annual report on Form 10-K, and USO assumes no obligation to update any such forward-looking statements. Although USO undertakes no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, investors are advised to consult any additional disclosures that USO may make directly to them or through reports that USO files in the future with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), including annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K. Introduction USO, a Delaware limited partnership, is a commodity pool that issues shares that may be purchased and sold on the NYSE Arca. The investment objective of USO is for the daily changes in percentage terms of its shares’ per share NAV to reflect the daily changes in percentage terms of the spot price of light, sweet crude oil delivered to Cushing, Oklahoma, as measured by the daily changes in the price of the futures contract for light, sweet crude oil traded on the NYMEX that is the near month contract to expire, except when the near month contract is within two weeks of expiration, in which case it will be measured by the futures contract that is the next month contract to expire (the “Benchmark Oil Futures Contract”), plus interest earned on USO’s collateral holdings, less USO’s expenses. “Near month contract” means the next contract traded on the NYMEX due to expire. “Next month contract” means the first contract traded on the NYMEX due to expire after the near month contract. USO seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing so that the average daily percentage change in USO’s NAV for any period of 30 successive valuation days will be within plus/minus ten percent (10%) of the average daily percentage change in the price of the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract over the same period. As described below, USO is currently unable to pursue its investment objective with the same high degree of success that it has in the past due to its limited ability to invest in the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract and certain other Oil Futures Contracts, as defined below, to the same extent it was able to before the market conditions and regulatory limitations imposed on USO, which occurred in the Spring of 2020, and risk mitigation measures taken by USO’s FCMs as a result, as described herein, arose. As a result of such market conditions, the regulatory conditions that were and could again be imposed, and the risk mitigation measures imposed by its FCMs, there is still uncertainty as to whether USO will be able to achieve its investment objective within as narrow a percentage change difference in its NAV for any period of 30 successive valuation days and the average daily percentage change in the price of the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract as it typically had prior to the Spring of 2020 due to the foregoing factors. USO’s investment objective is not for its NAV or market price of shares to equal, in dollar terms, the spot price of light, sweet crude oil or any particular futures contract based on light, sweet crude oil, nor is USO’s investment objective for the percentage change in its NAV to reflect the percentage change of the price of any particular futures contract as measured over a time period greater than one day . The general partner of USO, United States Commodity Funds, LLC (“USCF”), believes that it is not practical to manage the portfolio to achieve such an investment goal when investing in Oil Futures Contracts and Other Oil-Related Investments. USO invests primarily in futures contracts for light, sweet crude oil, other types of crude oil, heating oil, gasoline, natural gas and other petroleum-based fuels that are traded on the NYMEX, ICE Futures or other U.S. and foreign exchanges (collectively, “Oil Futures Contracts”) and to a lesser extent, in order to comply with regulatory requirements, risk mitigation measures, liquidity requirements, or in view of market conditions, other oil-related investments such as cash-settled options on Oil Futures Contracts, forward contracts for oil, cleared swap contracts and OTC swaps that are based on the price of oil, other petroleum-based fuels, Oil Futures Contracts and indices based on the foregoing (collectively, “Other Oil-Related Investments”). For convenience and unless otherwise specified, Oil Futures Contracts and Other Oil-Related Investments collectively are referred to as “Oil Interests” in this annual report on Form 10-K. USCF believes that market arbitrage opportunities will cause daily changes in USO’s share price on the NYSE Arca on a percentage basis to closely track daily changes in USO’s per share NAV on a percentage basis but there can be no assurance of that. USCF further believes that daily changes in prices of the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract have historically closely tracked the daily changes in spot prices of light, sweet crude oil. USCF believes that the net effect of these relationships will be that the daily changes in the price of USO’s shares on the NYSE Arca on a percentage basis will closely track the daily changes in the spot price of a barrel of light, sweet crude oil on a percentage basis, plus interest earned on USO’s collateral holdings, less USO’s expenses. As noted above, USO seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing so that the average daily percentage change in USO’s NAV for any period of 30 successive valuation days will be within plus/minus ten percent (10%) of the average daily percentage change in the price of the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract over the same period. Historically, USO has achieved its investment objective by primarily investing in the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract and Oil Futures Contracts for light, sweet crude oil traded on NYMEX and ICE Futures with the same maturity month as the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract Certain circumstances could cause and have caused, as discussed below, USO to invest in Oil Futures Contracts other than the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract and may cause USO to invest in Other Oil-Related Investments, including OTC swaps. Such circumstances include: the need to comply with regulatory requirements (including, but not limited to, exchange accountability levels and position limits imposed by NYMEX discussed below); market conditions (including but not limited to those allowing USO to obtain greater liquidity or to execute transactions with more favorable 53 Table of Contents pricing); and risk mitigation measures taken by USO’s FCM, RBC Capital, and other FCMs that limit USO and other market participants from investing in particular crude oil futures contracts. As a result of market and regulatory conditions, including significant market volatility, large numbers of USO shares purchased during a short period of time, and applicable regulatory accountability levels and position limits on oil futures contracts that were imposed on USO in 2020, including as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the state of crude oil markets, USO has invested in Oil Futures Contracts (as defined above) in months other than the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract. The foregoing has impacted the performance of USO and its ability meet its investment objective within as narrow a percentage difference between the average daily percentage change in USO’s NAV for any period of 30 successive valuation days and the average daily percentage change in the price of the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract as it typically had prior to the Spring of 2020. USO’s investment in Oil Futures Contracts in months other than the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract, other Oil Futures Contracts and Other-Oil Related Interests (as defined below), is intended to be temporary but may continue indefinitely if the aforementioned market and regulatory conditions do not abate. Until such time as USO is able to return to investing in the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract, its performance and ability to meet its investment objective will continue to be impacted. The following chart shows, for the period ending December 31, 2021, the rolling 30-day average difference between USO’s NAV and the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract. This is measured by subtracting the return of the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract from the return on USO’s NAV for each of the last thirty business days, and then averaging those thirty differences. The calculation is repeated daily. In 2020, significant market volatility occurred in the crude oil markets and the oil futures markets. Such volatility was attributable to the COVID-19 pandemic, related supply chain disruptions and ongoing disputes among oil-producing countries. These conditions, together with the prospect that such conditions could reoccur, severely limited and continue to significantly limit USO’s ability to have a substantial portion of its assets invested in the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract and certain other Oil Futures Contracts of the same month, such as cash-settled, but substantially similar, oil futures contracts traded on ICE Futures (the “ICE WTI Contract”). Specifically: ● In 2020, NYMEX and ICE Futures imposed accountability levels and position limits on USO’s investments in the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract and the ICE WTI Contract, respectively. As described in more detail below, the NYMEX ordered USCF, USO and the Related Public Funds (as defined herein) not to assume a position in the light sweet crude oil futures contract for June 2020 in excess of 15,000 long futures contracts, for July 2020 in excess of 78,000 long futures contracts, for August 2020 in excess of 50,000 long futures contracts, and for September 2020 in excess of 35,000 long futures contracts. While these limits no longer apply, NYMEX’s current accountability levels for any one month in the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract is 10,000 contracts, and accountability levels for all months which is 20,000 net futures contracts for light sweet crude oil, do 54 Table of Contents apply. In addition, the ICE WTI Contract is subject to spot month and all-months-combined position limits established under the European Union’s Market in Financial Instruments Directive, as implemented by the Financial Conduct Authority in the United Kingdom. ICE Futures also imposes accountability levels and position limits on the ICE WTI Contract. Investors should note that the foregoing accountability levels and position limits are subject to change and could change the amount and type of permitted investments in which USO invests. See “Accountability Levels, Position Limits and Position Limits and Price Fluctuation Limits” below. ● In 2020, RBC imposed risk mitigation measures that constrained USO’s ability to invest in the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract and other Oil Futures Contracts. RBC, which at the time was USO’s only FCM, expressly informed USO that USO may not hold positions in the June Benchmark Oil Futures Contract expiring on May 19, 2020. At the time it imposed this restriction, RBC continued to trade and clear other Oil Futures Contracts for USO, including in connection with rolls and rebalances of its portfolio. RBC also advised USO at that time, that, going forward, it may only purchase additional Benchmark Oil Futures Contracts and other Oil Futures Contracts through RBC for rolls and rebalances of USO’s portfolio and not as investments for the proceeds of new Creation Baskets. The limits on positions imposed by RBC on holdings in USO’s portfolio applied regardless of whether the Oil Futures Contracts purchased would be within the accountability levels and position limits permitted by NYMEX and ICE. RBC has since informed USO that USO may resume repurchasing Oil Futures Contracts for investment of the proceeds from Creation Baskets. ● Subsequent to RBC’s imposition of risk mitigation measures in 2020, USO entered into agreements with RCG, MCM and MFUSA to become additional FCMs for USO. These FCMs have not precluded USO from purchasing, holding, or reinvesting the proceeds from the purchases of Creation Baskets in Oil Futures Contracts, including the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract. However, limits could be imposed by any FCM that, coupled with the risk measures already taken by RBC, would continue to limit USO’s ability to have a substantial portion of its assets invested in the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract. USO cannot predict with any certainty when and whether RBC will remove its limitations on holding certain positions in Oil Future Contracts, or whether, or to what extent, any such limits may be imposed by any other FCM in the future. USO may enter into agreements with other FCMs and it cannot predict whether or when it will enter into such agreements. ● A large number of USO shares were purchased during a relatively short period of time in March and April 2020. These events significantly limited USO’s current ability to have a substantial portion of its assets invested in the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract and, during the Spring of 2020, in other Oil Futures Contracts. Accordingly, and because such factors have continued to evolve, USO has invested in other permitted Oil Futures Contracts and had to more frequently rebalance and adjust the types of holdings in its portfolio than it has in the past. In addition, the limitations imposed by the exchanges and FCMs, especially during the Spring of 2020, limited USO’s ability to invest in certain Oil Futures Contracts. As a result, USO was and will be limited in its ability to invest in Oil Futures Contracts, including the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract, and may be required to invest in other permitted investments including Other Oil-Related Interests, such as OTC swaps, and may hold larger amounts of Treasuries, cash and cash equivalents, which will further impair USO’s ability to meet its investment objective. USO has had the ability to invest in Oil Futures Contracts beyond the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract and in Other Oil-Related Investments but, until recently, USO’s need to exercise its discretion in making such investments has been limited. Certain circumstances including market conditions, applicable regulatory requirements and risk mitigation measures imposed by FCMs, counterparties or other market participants, have required USO to exercise greater discretion in investing than in the past. USO has established parameters for the decision-making regarding the permitted investments USO will hold and the intended order of priority it will consider in selecting investments to be held in USO’s portfolio as set forth and discussed in greater detail below. The application of the below parameters requires USO to exercise its discretion. If, due to regulatory requirements, risk mitigation measures, market conditions, liquidity requirements or other factors, USO is not able to invest in accordance with such parameters and the intended order of priority, such methodology may change. The type and percentages of investments to be held by USO at the end of the monthly roll period as well as for any rebalances are published on USO’s website at www.uscfinvestments.com. Accordingly, for the foreseeable future, to address and comply with the market conditions, regulatory requirements or other factors that have influenced, and may continue to influence, its investment decisions, USO intends to buy or sell the following permitted investments taking into account the order, or waterfall, set forth below when USO increases or decreases either its portfolio overall or its holdings of particular investments: 1. The current or front month (“first month”) Oil Futures Contracts based on the price of the light, sweet crude oil known as West Texas Intermediate (“WTI”) or, which are priced off of the oil futures contracts based on WTI as traded on the NYMEX including the Benchmark Oil Futures Contracts and the ICE WTI Contract (“WTI Oil Futures Contracts”); then 55 Table of Contents 2. The first month, the next or following month (“second month”, with months thereafter being numerically designated, i.e., the third month, the fourth month, the fifth month, etc.) and the third month WTI Oil Futures Contracts; then 3. The first through the sixth month WTI Oil Futures Contracts, plus the next nearest June WTI Oil Futures Contracts or the next nearest December WTI Oil Futures Contracts that is not included in the first through sixth months; then 4. The first through the twelfth month WTI Oil Futures Contracts; then 5. The first through the twelfth month WTI Oil Futures Contracts plus the second through thirteenth month Oil Futures Contracts based on Brent Crude Oil traded on ICE Futures (“Brent Oil Futures Contracts”); then 6. The first through the twelfth month WTI Oil Futures Contracts plus the second through thirteenth month Brent Oil Futures Contracts plus the first through the twelfth month Oil Futures Contracts based on Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel Oil Futures Contract traded on NYMEX (“USDL Oil Futures Contract”); then 7. The first through the twelfth month WTI Oil Futures Contracts plus the second through thirteenth month Brent Oil Futures Contracts plus the first through the twelfth month USDL Oil Futures Contracts plus the first through the twelfth month RBOB Gasoline Oil Futures Contracts (“Gasoline Futures Contract”); then 8. USO may also utilize the Oil Futures Contracts based on WTI, WTI Oil Futures Contacts or other types of crude oil traded on the Dubai, Singapore, and Houston exchanges, if and when these contracts reach sufficient scale and liquidity to meaningfully contribute to USO’s investment objective, in addition to the foregoing investments; then, finally, 9. Other Oil-Related Investments, in addition to the foregoing investments. USO will progress through the stages of the above-described waterfall of permitted investments as it approaches regulatory or other limits or as necessary to address market conditions, liquidity requirements or other factors, including additional investments in USO, requiring consideration of particular levels of the waterfall. Generally, USO will invest in each stage of the waterfall in the order described above. However, USO, in its sole discretion, may proceed to invest in a further stage of the waterfall (i.e., skipping over a particular stage) if it determines it may exceed position limits in the immediately following stage of the above waterfall within the next month or due to other regulatory requirements, risk mitigation measures, market conditions, liquidity requirements or other factors. If, due to regulatory requirements, risk mitigation measures, market conditions, liquidity requirements or other factors, USO is not able to invest in a particular month contract described above, then it will adjust the methodology incrementally beginning from the nearest month contract available to it that it is reasonable or feasible to hold in light of such factors. If USO uses OTC swaps or other instruments, those OTC swaps or instruments would also provide exposure to one or more of the same above-described permitted investments in varying months or contracts. USO also anticipates that to the extent it invests in Oil Futures Contracts other than WTI Oil Futures Contacts and Other Oil- Related Investments, it may enter into various non-exchange-traded derivative contracts to hedge the short-term price movements of such Oil Futures Contracts and Other Oil-Related Investments against the current Benchmark Oil Futures Contract. The progression from one stage of permitted investments described in the above waterfall to the next stage, including the specific target weights for the particular portfolio investments to be held by USO, will take into account, to the extent applicable, the relative levels of open interest, position limits, and other factors. The specific permitted investments and the identified target weights for such investments, consistent with progression from one stage of the above-described waterfall to the next stage, will be published on the website the day before the start of (i) any monthly roll/rebalance period for the end of such roll/rebalance period, and (ii) any rebalancing to be done outside of the monthly roll period due to market conditions, regulatory requirements or other factors described herein. In extreme circumstances, changes may need to be made intraday. In such circumstances, the changes will be published on the website at the end of the day. USO will attempt to execute rebalances required over several days to minimize market impact. However, it may be necessary to execute these risk measures rapidly and with minimal notice. Published portfolio changes will be implemented by USO over the course of the roll/rebalance period as indicated on the website or over the course of another day or period with respect to a particular change outside of the roll. The investment intention announced by USO could change as a result of any or all of the following: evolving market conditions, liquidity requirements, a change in regulator accountability levels and position limits imposed on USO with respect to its investment in Oil Futures Contracts, additional or different risk mitigation measures taken by market participants, generally, including USO, with respect to USO acquiring additional Oil Futures contracts, or USO selling additional shares USO’s ability to invest in the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract could be limited by any of these occurrences. In addition, while determining the appropriate investments for USO’s portfolio 56 Table of Contents in accordance with its current intention, or to address the foregoing changes in market conditions, liquidity requirements, regulatory requirements or risk mitigation measures, USO may need to hold significant portions of its portfolio in cash beyond what it has historically held in order to satisfy potential margin requirements. USCF may not be able to fully invest USO’s assets in Benchmark Oil Futures Contracts having an aggregate notional amount exactly equal to USO’s NAV. For example, as standardized contracts, the Benchmark Oil Futures Contracts are for a specified amount of a particular commodity, and USO’s NAV and the proceeds from the sale of a Creation Basket are unlikely to be an exact multiple of the amounts of those contracts. As a result, in such circumstances, USO may be better able to achieve the exact amount of exposure to changes in price of the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract through the use of Other Oil-Related Investments, such as OTC contracts (e.g., swaps) that have better correlation with changes in price of the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract. USCF does not anticipate letting USO’s Oil Futures Contracts expire and taking delivery of the underlying commodity. Instead, USCF will close existing positions, e.g., when it changes the Benchmark Oil Futures Contracts or Other Oil-Related Investments or it otherwise determines it would be appropriate to do so and reinvests the proceeds in new Oil Futures Contracts or Other Oil-Related Investments. Positions may also be closed out to meet orders for Redemption Baskets and in such case proceeds for such baskets will not be reinvested. While it is USO’s expectation that at some point in the future it will be able to return to primarily investing in the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract, there can be no guarantee of when, if ever, that will occur. In addition, because of the limitations imposed on USO, for example, by its regulators and its FCMs, USO may be limited in investing in other Oil Futures Contracts in addition to the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract. Limitations on USO may negatively impact the ability of USO (i) to reallocate its investments to more favorably meet its investment objective or (ii) in connection with the purchase of Creation Baskets, to invest the proceeds of such purchases in Oil Futures Contracts. As a result, investors in USO should expect USO’s ability to invest in the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract and other Oil Futures Contracts will continue to be limited and USO may be required to invest in Other Oil-Related Interests. As a result of market and regulatory conditions, including significant market volatility, large numbers of USO shares purchased during a short period of time, and applicable regulatory accountability levels and position limits on oil futures contracts that were imposed on USO in 2020, including as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the state of crude oil markets, USO has invested in Oil Futures Contracts in months other than the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract. The foregoing has impacted the performance of USO and its ability meet its investment objective within as narrow a percentage difference between the average daily percentage change in USO’s NAV for any period of 30 successive valuation days and the average daily percentage change in the price of the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract as it typically has prior to the Spring of 2020. [USO’s investment in Oil Futures Contracts in months other than the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract, other Oil Futures Contracts and Other-Oil Related Interests, is intended to be temporary but may continue indefinitely if the aforementioned market and regulatory conditions do not abate. Until such time as USO is able to return to investing in the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract, its performance and ability to meet its investment objective will continue to be impacted.] USO has not leveraged, and does not intend to leverage, its assets through borrowings or otherwise, and makes its investments accordingly. Consistent with the foregoing, USO’s announced investment intentions, and any changes thereto, will take into account the need for USO to make permitted investments that also allow it to maintain adequate liquidity to meet its margin and collateral requirements and to avoid, to the extent reasonably possible, USO becoming leveraged. If market conditions require it, these risk reduction procedures may occur on short notice if they occur other than during a roll or rebalance period. Regulatory Disclosure Accountability Levels, Position Limits and Price Fluctuation Limits . Designated contract markets (“DCMs”), such as the NYMEX and ICE Futures, have established accountability levels and position limits on the maximum net long or net short futures contracts in commodity interests that any person or group of persons under common trading control (other than as a hedge, which an investment by USO is not) may hold, own or control. These levels and position limits apply to the futures contracts that USO invests in to meet its investment objective. In addition to accountability levels and position limits, the NYMEX and ICE Futures also set daily price fluctuation limits on futures contracts. The daily price fluctuation limit establishes the maximum amount that the price of a futures contract may vary either up or down from the previous day’s settlement price. Once the daily price fluctuation limit has been reached in a particular futures contract, no trades may be made at a price beyond that limit. The accountability levels for the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract and other Oil Futures Contracts traded on U.S.-based futures exchanges, such as the NYMEX, are not a fixed ceiling, but rather a threshold above which the NYMEX may exercise greater scrutiny and control over an investor’s positions. The current accountability level for investments for any one month in the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract is 10,000 contracts. In addition, the NYMEX imposes an accountability level for all months of 20,000 net futures contracts for light, sweet crude oil. In addition, the ICE Futures maintains the same accountability levels, position limits and monitoring 57 Table of Contents authority for its light, sweet crude oil contract as the NYMEX. If USO and the Related Public Funds exceed these accountability levels for investments in the futures contracts for light, sweet crude oil, the NYMEX and ICE Futures will monitor such exposure and may ask for further information on their activities including the total size of all positions, investment and trading strategy, and the extent of liquidity resources of USO and the Related Public Funds. If deemed necessary by the NYMEX and/or ICE Futures, USO could be ordered to reduce its Crude Oil Futures CL contracts to below the 10,000 single month and/or 20,000 all month accountability level. USCF received letters from the CME on behalf of the NYMEX Market Regulation Department on April 16, 2020 (the “April 16 CME Letter”) and on April 23, 2020 (the “April 23 CME Letter”, and together with the April 16 CME Letter, the “CME Letters”). The CME Letters ordered USCF, USO and the Related Public Funds not to exceed accountability levels in specified light, sweet crude oil futures contracts and not to assume any positions in the specified light, sweet crude oil futures contract in excess of the exchange established position limits. The accountability levels and position limits are set forth in the April 23 CME Letter which superseded the April 16 CME Letter. The April 23 CME Letter ordered USCF, USO and the Related Public Funds not to exceed accountability levels in excess of 10,000 futures contracts in the light, sweet crude oil futures contract for June 2020. While these limits no longer apply, NYMEX current accountability levels for any one month in Benchmark Oil Futures Contracts, which is 10,000 contracts, and an accountability level for all months, which is 20,000 net futures contracts for light sweet crude oil do, apply. As of December 31, 2021, USO held 32,136 NYMEX WTI Crude Oil Futures CL contracts and did not hold any ICE WTI Crude Oil Futures contracts. USO exceeded accountability levels of the NYMEX during the year ended December 31, 2021, including when it held a maximum of 73,956 Crude Oil Futures CL contracts on the NYMEX, exceeding the “any” month accountability limit. Position limits differ from accountability levels in that they represent fixed limits on the maximum number of futures contracts that any person may hold and cannot allow such limits to be exceeded without express CFTC authority to do so. In addition to accountability levels and position limits that may apply at any time, the NYMEX and ICE Futures impose position limits on contracts held in the last few days of trading in the near month contract to expire. Commencing with the monthly roll that occurred in May 2020, USO’s positions in Oil Futures Contracts and Other Oil Related Investments roll over a ten-day period, whereas previously USO’s positions would roll over a four-day period. As of May 1, 2020, the type and percentages of investments to be held by USO at the end of the monthly roll period as well as for any rebalances are published on its website www.uscfinvestments.com. For the year ended December 31, 2021, USO did not exceed any position limits imposed by the NYMEX and ICE Futures. The April 23 CME Letter, discussed above, ordered USCF, USO and the Related Public Funds not to assume a position in the light, sweet crude oil futures contract for June 2020 in excess of 15,000 long futures contracts, for July 2020 in 78,000 long futures contracts, for August 2020 in 50,000 long futures contracts, for September 2020 in 35,000 long futures contracts. The foregoing accountability levels and position limits are subject to change. Due to evolving market conditions, a change in regulator accountability levels and position limits imposed on USO with respect to its investment in Oil Futures Contracts as discussed in the CME Letters, remaining within relevant accountability levels and position limits, and, additional or different risk mitigation measures taken by USO’s FCM with respect to USO acquiring additional Oil Futures contracts, USO has invested and intends to invest in other permitted investments, beyond the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract. Futures Contracts and Position Limits The CFTC is generally prohibited by statute from regulating trading on non-U.S. futures exchanges and markets. The CFTC, however, has adopted regulations relating to the marketing of non-U.S. futures contracts in the United States. These regulations permit certain contracts on non-U.S. exchanges to be offered and sold in the United States. On October 15, 2020, the CFTC approved the Position Limits Rule. The Position Limits Rule establishes federal position limits for 25 core referenced futures contracts (comprised of agricultural, energy and metals futures contracts), futures and options linked to the core referenced futures contracts, and swaps that are economically equivalent to the core referenced futures contracts. The Benchmark Oil Futures Contract will be subject to position limits under the Position Limits Rule, and USO’s trading does not qualify for an exemption therefrom. Accordingly, the Position Limits Rule could negatively impact the ability of USO to meet its investment objective by inhibiting USCF’s ability to effectively invest the proceeds from sales of Creation Baskets of USO in particular amounts and types of its permitted investments. 58 Table of Contents OTC Swaps If USO engages in OTC swaps, the following may apply. Margin requirements In October 2015, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, the FDIC, the Farm Credit Administration, and the Federal Housing Finance Agency (each an “Agency” and, collectively, the “Agencies”) jointly adopted final rules to establish minimum margin and capital requirements for registered swap dealers, major swap participants, security-based swap dealers, and major security-based swap participants (“Swap Entities”) that are subject to the jurisdiction of one of the Agencies (such entities, “Covered Swap Entities”, and the joint final rules, the “Final Margin Rules”). The Final Margin Rules will subject non-cleared swaps and non-cleared security-based swaps between Covered Swap Entities and Swap Entities, and between Covered Swap Entities and financial end users that have material swaps exposure (i.e., an average daily aggregate notional of $8 billion or more in non-cleared swaps calculated in accordance with the Final Margin Rules), to a mandatory two-way minimum initial margin requirement. The minimum amount of the initial margin required to be posted or collected would be either the amount calculated by the Covered Swap Entity using a standardized schedule set forth as an appendix to the Final Margin Rules, which provides the gross initial margin (as a percentage of total notional exposure) for certain asset classes, or an internal margin model of the Covered Swap Entity conforming to the requirements of the Final Margin Rules that is approved by the Agency having jurisdiction over the particular Covered Swap Entity. The Final Margin Rules specify the types of collateral that may be posted or collected as initial margin for non-cleared swaps and non-cleared security-based swaps with financial end users (generally cash, certain government, government-sponsored enterprise securities, certain liquid debt, certain equity securities, certain eligible publicly traded debt, and gold); and sets forth haircuts for certain collateral asset classes. The Final Margin Rules require minimum variation margin to be exchanged daily for non-cleared swaps and non-cleared security-based swaps between Covered Swap Entities and Swap Entities and between Covered Swap Entities and all financial end-users (without regard to the swaps exposure of the particular financial end-user). The minimum variation margin amount is the daily mark-to-market change in the value of the swap to the Covered Swap Entity, taking into account variation margin previously posted or collected. For non-cleared swaps and security-based swaps between Covered Swap Entities and financial end-users, variation margin may be posted or collected in cash or non-cash collateral that is considered eligible for initial margin purposes. Variation margin is not subject to segregation with an independent, third-party custodian, and may, if permitted by contract, be rehypothecated. The initial margin requirements of the Final Margin Rules are being phased in over time, and the variation margin requirements of the Final Margin Rules are currently in effect. USO is not a Covered Swap Entity under the Final Margin Rules, but it is a financial end-user. Accordingly, USO is currently subject to the variation margin requirements of the Final Margin Rules. However, USO does not have material swaps exposure and, accordingly, USO will not be subject to the initial margin requirements of the Final Margin Rules. The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the “Dodd-Frank Act”) required the CFTC and the SEC to adopt their own margin rules to apply to a limited number of registered swap dealers, security-based swap dealers, major swap participants, and major security-based swap participants that are not subject to the jurisdiction of one of the Agencies. On December 16, 2015 the CFTC finalized its margin rules, which are substantially the same as the Final Margin Rules and have the same implementation timeline. The SEC adopted margin rules for security-based swap dealers and major security-based swap participants on June 21, 2019. The SEC’s margin rules are generally aligned with the Final Margin Rules and the CFTC’s margin rules, but they differ in a few key respects relating to timing for compliance and the manner in which initial margin must be segregated. USO does not currently engage in security-based swap transactions and, therefore, the SEC’s margin rules are not expected to apply to USO. Mandatory Trading and Clearing of Swaps CFTC regulations require that certain swap transactions be executed on organized exchanges or “swap execution facilities” and cleared through regulated clearing organizations (“derivative clearing organizations” (“DCOs”)), if the CFTC mandates the central clearing of a particular class of swap and such swap is “made available to trade” on a swap execution facility. Currently, swap dealers, major swap participants, commodity pools, certain private funds and entities predominantly engaged in activities that are financial in nature are required to execute on a swap execution facility, and clear, certain interest rate swaps and index-based credit default swaps. As a result, if USO enters into an interest rate or index-based credit default swap that is subject to these requirements, such swap will be required to be executed on a swap execution facility and centrally cleared. Mandatory clearing and “made available to trade” determinations with respect to additional types of swaps may be issued in the future, and, when finalized, could require USO to electronically execute and centrally clear certain OTC instruments presently entered into and settled on a bi-lateral basis. If a swap is required to be cleared, initial 59 Table of Contents and variation margin requirements are set by the relevant clearing organization, subject to certain regulatory requirements and guidelines. Additional margin may be required and held by USO’s FCM. Other Requirements for Swaps In addition to the margin requirements described above, swaps that are not required to be cleared and executed on a SEF but that are executed bilaterally are also subject to various requirements pursuant to CFTC regulations, including, among other things, reporting and recordkeeping requirements and, depending on the status of the counterparties, trading documentation requirements and dispute resolution requirements. Derivatives Regulations in Non-U.S. Jurisdictions In addition to U.S. laws and regulations, USO may be subject to non-U.S. derivatives laws and regulations if it engages in futures and/or swap transactions with non-U.S. persons. For example, USO may be impacted by European laws and regulations to the extent that it engages in futures transactions on European exchanges or derivatives transactions with European entities. Other jurisdictions impose requirements applicable to futures and derivatives that are similar to those imposed by the U.S., including position limits, margin, clearing and trade execution requirements. The CFTC is generally prohibited by statute from regulating trading on non-U.S. futures exchanges and markets. The CFTC, however, has adopted regulations relating to the marketing of non-U.S. futures contracts in the United States. These regulations permit certain contracts on non-U.S. exchanges to be offered and sold in the United States. Money Market Funds The SEC adopted amendments to Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (“1940 Act”) which became effective in 2016, to reform money market funds (“MMFs”). While the rule applies only to MMFs, it may indirectly affect institutional investors such as USO. A portion of USO’s assets that are not used for margin or collateral in the Futures Contracts currently are invested in government MMFs. USO does not hold any non-government MMFs and does not anticipate investing in any non-government MMFs. However, if USO invests in other types of MMFs besides government MMFs in the future, USO could be negatively impacted by investing in an MMF that does not maintain a stable $1.00 NAV or that has the potential to impose redemption fees and gates (temporary suspension of redemptions). Although such government MMFs seek to preserve the value of an investment at $1.00 per share, there is no guarantee that they will be able to do so and USO may lose money by investing in a government MMF. An investment in a government MMF is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (the “FDIC”) or any other government agency. The share price of a government MMF can fall below the $1.00 share price. USO cannot rely on or expect a government MMF’s adviser or its affiliates to enter into support agreements or take other actions to maintain the government MMF’s $1.00 share price. The credit quality of a government MMF’s holdings can change rapidly in certain markets, and the default of a single holding could have an adverse impact on the government MMF’s share price. Due to fluctuations in interest rates, the market value of securities held by a government MMF may vary. A government MMF’s share price can also be negatively affected during periods of high redemption pressures and/or illiquid markets. Price Movements Crude oil futures prices were volatile during the year ended December 31, 2021. The price of the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract started the year at $48.52 per barrel. The high of the year was on October 26, 2021 when the price reached $84.65 per barrel. The low for the year was on January 4, 2021, which was $47.62 per barrel. The year ended with the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract at $75.21 per barrel, an increase of approximately 55.01% over the year. USO’s per share NAV began the year at $33.07 and ended the year at $54.18 on December 31, 2021, an increase of approximately 63.83% over the year. The Benchmark Oil Futures Contract prices listed above began with the February 2021 contracts and ended with the February 2022 contracts. The increase of approximately 55.01% on the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract listed above is a hypothetical return only and could not actually be achieved by an investor holding Oil Futures Contracts. An investment in Oil Futures Contracts would need to be rolled forward during the time period described in order to simulate such a result. Furthermore, the change in the nominal price of these differing Oil Futures Contracts, measured from the start of the year to the end of the year, does not represent the actual benchmark results that USO seeks to track, which are more fully described below in the section titled “Tracking USO’s Benchmark.” During the year ended December 31, 2021, the crude oil futures market alternated between conditions of contango and backwardation. On days when the market was in contango the price of the near month crude Oil Futures Contract was lower than the price of the next 60 Table of Contents month crude Oil Futures Contract, or contracts further away from expiration. On days when the market was in backwardation, the price of the near month crude Oil Futures Contract was higher than the price of the next month crude Oil Futures Contract or contracts further away from expiration. For a discussion of the impact of backwardation and contango on total returns, see “Term Structure of Crude Oil Prices and the Impact on Total Returns” below. Valuation of Oil Futures Contracts and the Computation of the Per Share NAV The per share NAV of USO’s shares is calculated once each NYSE Arca trading day. The per share NAV for a particular trading day is released after 4:00 p.m. New York time. Trading during the core trading session on the NYSE Arca typically closes at 4:00 p.m. New York time. USO’s Administrator uses the settlement price determined by NYMEX at 2:30 p.m. Eastern time for the Oil Futures Contracts held on the NYMEX and the settlement price determined by ICE Futures at 2:30 p.m. Eastern time for the Oil Futures Contracts held on ICE Futures, but calculates or determines the value of all other USO investments, other futures contracts, as of the earlier of the close of the NYSE Arca or 4:00 p.m. New York time. Results of Operations and the Crude Oil Market Results of Operations. On April 10, 2006, USO listed its shares on the AMEX under the ticker symbol “USO.” On that day, USO established its initial offering price at $67.39 per share and issued 200,000 shares to the initial Authorized Participant, KV Execution Services, LLC, in exchange for $13,479,000 in cash. As a result of the acquisition of the AMEX by NYSE Euronext, USO’s shares ceased trading on the AMEX and commenced trading on the NYSE Arca on November 25, 2008. As of December 31, 2021, USO had issued 4,670,200,000 shares, 43,823,603 of which were outstanding. As of December 31, 2021, there were 956,800,000 shares registered but not yet issued. USO has registered 5,627,000,000 shares since inception. On April 28, 2020, after the close of trading on the NYSE Arca, USO effected a 1-for-8 reverse share split and post-split shares of USO began trading on April 29, 2020. As a result of the reverse share split, every eight pre-split shares of USO were automatically exchanged for one post-split share. Immediately prior to the reverse split, there were 1,482,900,000 shares of USO issued and outstanding, representing a per share NAV of $2.04. Immediately after the effect of the reverse share split, the number of issued and outstanding shares of USO decreased to 185,362,500, not accounting for fractional shares, and the per share NAV increased to $16.35. In connection with the reverse share split, the CUSIP number for USO’s shares changed to 91232N207. USO’s ticker symbol, “USO,” remained the same. The accompanying unaudited financial statements have been adjusted to reflect the effect of the reverse share split on a retroactive basis. More shares may have been issued by USO than are outstanding due to the redemption of shares. Unlike funds that are registered under the 1940 Act, shares that have been redeemed by USO cannot be resold by USO. As a result, USO contemplates that additional offerings of its shares will be registered with the SEC in the future in anticipation of additional issuances and redemptions. As of December 31, 2021, USO had the following Authorized Participants: ABN Amro, BNP Paribas Securities Corp., Citadel Securities LLC, Citigroup Global Markets Inc., Credit Suisse Securities USA LLC, Goldman Sachs & Company, JP Morgan Securities LLC, Merrill Lynch Professional Clearing Corp., Morgan Stanley & Company Inc., RBC Capital Markets LLC, SG Americas Securities LLC, UBS Securities LLC and Virtu Financial BD LLC. 61 Table of Contents For the Year Ended December 31, 2021 Compared to the Year Ended December 31, 2020 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Year ended Year ended ​ ​ December 31, 2021 ​ December 31, 2020 ​ Per share net asset value, end of year ​ $ 54.18 ​ $ 33.07 ​ Average daily total net assets ​ $ 2,974,068,031 ​ $ 3,419,675,764 ​ Dividend and interest income earned on Treasuries, cash and/or cash equivalents ​ $ 1,301,816 ​ $ 10,478,152 ​ Annualized yield based on average daily total net assets ​ ​ 0.04 % 0.31 % Management fee ​ $ 13,383,302 ​ $ 15,388,313 ​ Total fees and other expenses excluding management fees ​ $ 10,570,119 ​ $ 12,908,095 ​ Fees and expenses related the registration or offering of additional shares ​ $ 1,260,041 ​ $ 3,203,939 ​ Total commissions accrued to brokers ​ $ 1,123,971 ​ $ 6,104,865 ​ Total commissions as annualized percentage of average total net assets ​ 0.04 % 0.18 % Commissions accrued as a result of rebalancing ​ $ 858,171 ​ $ 5,072,915 ​ Percentage of commissions accrued as a result of rebalancing ​ 76.35 % 83.10 % Commissions accrued as a result of creation and redemption activity ​ $ 265,800 ​ $ 1,031,950 ​ Percentage of commissions accrued as a result of creation and redemption activity ​ 23.65 % 16.90 % ​ Portfolio Expenses. USO’s expenses consist of investment management fees, brokerage fees and commissions, certain offering costs, licensing fees, registration fees, the fees and expenses of the independent directors of USCF and expenses relating to tax accounting and reporting requirements. The management fee that USO pays to USCF is calculated as a percentage of the total net assets of USO. The fee is accrued daily and paid monthly. The increase in the per share NAV for the year ended December 31, 2021, compared to the year ended December 31, 2020, was due primarily to higher prices for WTI crude oil and the related increase in the value of the Oil Futures Contracts in which USO held and traded. Average interest rates earned on short-term investments held by USO, including cash, cash equivalents and Treasuries, were lower during the year ended December 31, 2021, compared to the year ended December 31, 2020. As a result, the amount of income earned by USO as a percentage of average daily total net assets was lower during the year ended December 31, 2021, compared to the year ended December 31, 2020. To the degree that the aggregate yield is lower, the net expense ratio, inclusive of income, will be higher. The increase in total fees and other expenses excluding management fees for the year ended December 31, 2021, compared to the year ended December 31, 2020 was due primarily to an increase in tax reporting and professional fees. The decrease in total commissions accrued to brokers for the year ended December 31, 2021, compared to the year ended December 31, 2020, was due primarily to a lower number of Oil Futures Contracts being held and traded. Tracking USO’s Benchmark USCF seeks to manage USO’s portfolio such that changes in its average daily per share NAV, on a percentage basis, closely track the daily changes in the average price of the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract, also on a percentage basis. Specifically, USCF seeks to manage the portfolio such that over any rolling period of 30-valuation days, the average daily change in USO’s per share NAV is within a range of 90% to 110% (0.9 to 1.1) of the average daily change in the price of the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract. As an example, if the average daily movement of the price of the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract for a particular 30-valuation day time period was 0.50% per day, USCF would attempt to manage the portfolio such that the average daily movement of the per share NAV during that same time period fell between 0.45% and 0.55% (i.e., between 0.9 and 1.1 of the benchmark’s results). USO’s portfolio management goals do not include trying to make the nominal price of USO’s per share NAV equal to the nominal price of the current Benchmark Oil Futures Contract or the spot price for light, sweet crude oil. USCF believes that it is not practical to manage the portfolio to achieve such an investment goal when investing in Oil Futures Contracts and Other Oil-Related Investments. For the 30-valuation days ended December 31, 2021, the average daily change in the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract was (0.037)%, while the average daily change in the per share NAV of USO over the same time period was 0.012 %. The average daily difference was 0.049% (or 4.9 basis points, where 1 basis point equals 1/100 of 1%), meaning that over this time period USO’s NAV performed within the plus or minus 10% range established as its benchmark tracking goal. 62 Table of Contents Since the commencement of the offering of USO’s shares to the public on April 10, 2006 to December 31, 2021, the average daily change in the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract was (0.007)%, while the average daily change in the per share NAV of USO over the same time period was (0.025)%. The average daily difference was (0.018)% (or (1.8)% basis points, where 1 basis point equals 1/100 of 1%), meaning that over this time period USO’s NAV performed within the plus or minus 10% range established as its benchmark tracking goal. The following two graphs demonstrate the correlation between the changes in USO‘s NAV and the changes in the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract. The first graph exhibits the daily changes in the last 30 valuation days ended December 31, 2021. The second graph measures monthly changes since December 31, 2016 through December 31, 2021. ​ *PAST PERFORMANCE IS NOT NECESSARILY INDICATIVE OF FUTURE RESULTS ​ 63 Table of Contents *PAST PERFORMANCE IS NOT NECESSARILY INDICATIVE OF FUTURE RESULTS ​ An alternative tracking measurement of the return performance of USO versus the return of its Benchmark Oil Futures Contract can be calculated by comparing the actual return of USO, measured by changes in its per share NAV, versus the expected changes in its per share NAV under the assumption that USO’s returns had been exactly the same as the daily changes in its Benchmark Oil Futures Contract. For the year ended December 31, 2021, the actual total return of USO as measured by changes in its per share NAV was 63.83%. This is based on an initial per share NAV of $33.07 as of December 31, 2020 and an ending per share NAV as of December 31, 2021 of $54.18. During this time period, USO made no distributions to its shareholders. However, if USO’s daily changes in its per share NAV had instead exactly tracked the changes in the daily total return of the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract, USO would have had an estimated per share NAV of $53.75 as of December 31, 2021, for a total return over the relevant time period of 62.53%. The difference between the actual per share NAV total return of USO of 63.83% and the expected total return based on the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract of 62.53% was a difference over the time period of 1.30%, which is to say that USO’s actual total return outperformed its benchmark by that percentage. USO incurs expenses primarily composed of the management fee, brokerage commissions for the buying and selling of futures contracts, and other expenses. The impact of these expenses, offset by interest and dividend income, and net of positive or negative execution, tended to cause daily changes in the per share NAV of USO to track slightly lower than daily changes in the price of the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract. By comparison, for the year ended December 31, 2020, the actual total return of USO as measured by changes in its per share NAV was (67.66)%. This was based on an initial per share NAV of 102.27* as of December 31, 2019 and an ending per share NAV as of December 31, 2020 of $33.07. During this time period, USO made no distributions to its shareholders. However, if USO’s daily changes in its per share NAV had instead exactly tracked the changes in the daily total return of the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract, USO would have had an estimated per share NAV of $58.31 as of December 31, 2020, for a total return over the relevant time period of (42.98)%. The difference between the actual per share NAV total return of USO of (67.66)% and the expected total return based on the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract of (42.98)% was a difference over the time period of (24.68)%, which is to say that USO’s actual total return underperformed its benchmark by that percentage. USO incurred expenses primarily composed of the management fee, brokerage commissions for the buying and selling of futures contracts, and other expenses. The impact of these expenses, offset by interest and dividend income, and net of positive or negative execution, tended to cause daily changes in the per share NAV of USO to track slightly lower than daily changes in the price of the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract. * Adjusted to give effect to the reverse share split of 1-for-8 effected on April 28, 2020. 64 Table of Contents As a result of market conditions and the regulatory response that occurred in March 2020 and thereafter, large numbers of USO shares that were purchased during a short period of time, and regulatory accountability levels and position limits on oil futures contracts that were imposed on USO, and risk mitigation measures imposed by its FCMs, USO invested in Oil Futures Contracts in months other than the Benchmark Oil Futures Contracts. While it is USO’s expectation that at some point in the future it will return to primarily investing in the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract and related ICE Futures contracts or other similar futures contracts of the same tenor based on light, sweet crude oil, there can be no guarantee of when, if ever, that will occur. As a result, investors in USO should expect that there will be continued wider deviations between the performance of USO’s investments and the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract than prior to the Spring of 2020, and changes in USO’s share price may not be able to track changes in the price of Benchmark Oil Futures Contract within as narrow a percentage change difference for any period of successive valuation days as it typically has prior to the Spring of 2020. That said, in the third quarter of 2021 the average daily difference between the return of USO’s NAV and the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract was 0.023% (or 2.3 basis points). There are three factors that typically have impacted or are most likely to impact USO’s ability to accurately track Benchmark Oil Futures Contract in addition to the foregoing. First, USO may buy or sell its holdings in the then current Benchmark Oil Futures Contract at a price other than the settlement price of that contract on the day during which USO executes the trade. In that case, USO may pay a price that is higher, or lower, than the closing settlement price of the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract, which could cause the changes in the daily per share NAV of USO to either be too high or too low relative to the daily changes in the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract. During the year ended December 31, 2021, USCF attempted to minimize the effect of these transactions by seeking to execute its purchase or sale of Oil Futures Contracts at, or as close as possible to, the end of the day settlement price. However, it may not always be possible for USO to obtain the settlement price and there is no assurance that failure to obtain the closing settlement price in the future will not adversely impact USO’s attempt to track the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract. Second, USO incurs expenses primarily composed of the management fee, brokerage commissions for the buying and selling of futures contracts, and other expenses. The impact of these expenses tends to cause daily changes in the per share NAV of USO to track slightly lower than daily changes in the price of the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract. At the same time, USO earns dividend and interest income on its cash, cash equivalents and Treasuries. USO is not required to distribute any portion of its income to its shareholders and did not make any distributions to shareholders during the year ended December 31, 2021. Interest payments, and any other income, were retained within the portfolio and added to USO’s NAV. When this income exceeds the level of USO’s expenses for its management fee, brokerage commissions and other expenses (including ongoing registration fees, licensing fees and the fees and expenses of the independent directors of USCF), USO will realize a net yield that will tend to cause daily changes in the per share NAV of USO to track slightly higher than daily changes in the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract. If short-term interest rates rise above these levels, the level of deviation created by the yield would increase. Conversely, if short-term interest rates were to decline, the amount of error created by the yield would decrease. When short-term yields drop to a level lower than the combined expenses of the management fee and the brokerage commissions, then the tracking error becomes a negative number and would tend to cause the daily returns of the per share NAV to underperform the daily returns of the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract. USCF anticipates that interest rates may begin to rise over the near future. It is anticipated that fees and expenses paid by USO may continue to be higher than interest earned by USO. As such, USCF anticipates that USO could possibly underperform its benchmark so long as interest earned is less than the fees and expenses paid by USO. Third, USO may hold Other Oil-Related Investments in its portfolio that may fail to closely track the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract’s total return movements. In that case, the error in tracking the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract could result in daily changes in the per share NAV of USO that are either too high, or too low, relative to the daily changes in the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract. During the year ended December 31, 2021, USO did not hold any Other Oil-Related Investments. If USO increases in size, and due to its obligations to comply with market conditions, regulatory limits, and risk mitigation measures imposed by its FCMs, USO may invest in Other Oil-Related Investments, such as OTC swaps, which may have the effect of increasing transaction related expenses and may result in increased tracking error. OTC swaps increase transaction-related expenses due to the fact that USO must pay to the swap counterparty certain fees that USO does not have to pay for transactions executed on an exchange. Term Structure of Crude Oil Futures Prices and the Impact on Total Returns. Several factors determine the total return from investing in futures contracts. One factor arises from “rolling” futures contracts that will expire at the end of the current month (the “near” or “front” month contract) forward each month prior to expiration. For a strategy that entails holding the near month contract, the price relationship between that futures contract and the next month futures contract will impact returns. For example, if the price of the near month futures contract is higher than the next futures month contract (a situation referred to as “backwardation”), then absent any other change, the price of a next month futures contract tends to rise in value as it becomes the near month futures contract and approaches 65 Table of Contents expiration. Conversely, if the price of a near month futures contract is lower than the next month futures contract (a situation referred to as “contango”), then absent any other change, the price of a next month futures contract tends to decline in value as it becomes the near month futures contract and approaches expiration. As an example, assume that the price of crude oil for immediate delivery, is $50 per barrel, and the value of a position in the near month futures contract is also $50. Over time, the price of crude oil will fluctuate based on a number of market factors, including demand for oil relative to supply. The value of the near month futures contract will likewise fluctuate in reaction to a number of market factors. If an investor seeks to maintain a position in a near month futures contract and not take delivery of physical barrels of crude oil, the investor must sell the current near month futures contract as it approaches expiration and invest in the next month futures contract. In order to continue holding a position in the current near month futures contract, this “roll” forward of the futures contract must be executed every month. Contango and backwardation are natural market forces that have impacted the total return on an investment in USO’s shares during the past year relative to a hypothetical direct investment in crude oil. In the future, it is likely that the relationship between the market price of USO’s shares and changes in the spot prices of light, sweet crude oil will continue to be impacted by contango and backwardation. It is important to note that this comparison ignores the potential costs associated with physically owning and storing crude oil, which could be substantial. If the futures market is in backwardation, e.g., when the price of the near month futures contract is higher than the price of the next month futures contract, the investor would buy a next month futures contract for a lower price than the current near month futures contract. Assuming the price of the next month futures contract was $49 per barrel, or 2% cheaper than the $50 near month futures contract, then, hypothetically, and assuming no other changes (e.g., to either prevailing crude oil prices or the price relationship between the spot price, the near month contract and the next month contract, and, ignoring the impact of commission costs and the income earned on cash and/or cash equivalents), the value of the $49 next month futures contract would rise to $50 as it approaches expiration. In this example, the value of an investment in the next month futures contract would tend to outperform the spot price of crude oil. As a result, it would be possible for the new near month futures contract to rise 12% while the spot price of crude oil may have risen a lower amount, e.g., only 10%. Similarly, the spot price of crude oil could have fallen 10% while the value of an investment in the futures contract might have fallen another amount, e.g., only 8%. Over time, if backwardation remained constant, this difference between the spot price and the futures contract price would continue to increase. If the futures market is in contango, an investor would be buying a next month futures contract for a higher price than the current near month futures contract. Again, assuming the near month futures contract is $50 per barrel, the price of the next month futures contract might be $51 per barrel, or 2% more expensive than the front month futures contract. Hypothetically, and assuming no other changes, the value of the $51 next month futures contract would fall to $50 as it approaches expiration. In this example, the value of an investment in the second month would tend to underperform the spot price of crude oil. As a result, it would be possible for the new near month futures contract to rise only 10% while the spot price of crude oil may have risen a higher amount, e.g., 12%. Similarly, the spot price of crude oil could have fallen 10% while the value of an investment in the second month futures contract might have fallen another amount, e.g., 12%. Over time, if contango remained constant, this difference between the spot price and the futures contract price would continue to increase. The chart below compares the daily price of the near month crude oil futures contract to the price of 13 th month crude oil futures contract (i.e., a contract one year forward) over the last 10 years. When the price of the near month futures contract is higher than the price of the 13 th month futures contract, the market would be described as being in backwardation. When the price of the near month futures contract is lower than the 13 th month futures contract, the market would be described as being in contango. Although the price of the near month futures contract and the price of the 13 th month futures contract tend to move together, it can be seen that at times the near month futures contract prices are higher than the 13 th month futures contract prices (backwardation) and, at other times, the near month futures contract prices are lower than the 13 th month futures contract prices (contango). ​ 66 Table of Contents * PAST PERFORMANCE IS NOT NECESSARILY INDICATIVE OF FUTURE RESULTS An alternative way to view the same data is to subtract the dollar price of the 13 th month crude oil futures contract from the dollar price of the near month crude oil futures contract, as shown in the chart below. When the difference is positive, the market is in backwardation. When the difference is negative, the market is in contango. The crude oil market spent time in both backwardation and contango during the last ten years. 67 Table of Contents *PAST PERFORMANCE IS NOT NECESSARILY INDICATIVE OF FUTURE RESULTS An investment in a portfolio that owned only the near month crude oil futures contract would likely produce a different result than an investment in a portfolio that owned an equal number of each of the near 12 months’ of crude oil futures contracts. Generally speaking, when the crude oil futures market is in backwardation, a portfolio of only the near month crude oil futures contract may tend to have a higher total return than a portfolio of 12 months’ of the crude oil futures contract. Conversely, if the crude oil futures market was in contango, the portfolio containing only 12 months’ of crude oil futures contracts may tend to outperform the portfolio holding only the near month crude oil futures contract. Historically, the crude oil futures markets have experienced periods of contango and backwardation, with backwardation being in place somewhat less often than contango since oil futures trading started in 1983. Following the global financial crisis in the fourth quarter of 2008, the crude oil market moved into contango and remained in contango for a period of several years. During parts of 2009, the level of contango was unusually steep as a combination of slack U.S. and global demand for crude oil and issues involving the physical transportation and storage of crude oil at Cushing, Oklahoma, the primary pricing point for oil traded in the U.S., led to unusually high inventories of crude oil. A combination of improved transportation and storage capacity, along with growing demand for crude oil 68 Table of Contents globally, moderated the inventory build-up and led to reduced levels of contango by 2011. However, at the end of November 2014, global crude oil inventories grew rapidly after OPEC voted to defend its market share against U.S. shale-oil producers, resulting in another period during which the crude oil market remained primarily in contango. This period of contango continued through December 31, 2017. Declining global crude oil inventories caused the market to flip into backwardation at the beginning of 2018 through late October 2018, at which point ongoing supply growth in the U.S., combined with increased OPEC production, once again led market participants to fear another global glut of crude oil. The crude oil market was primarily in contango the first half of 2019 and in backwardation during the second half of 2019. Crude oil flipped back into contango in January 2020 and remained predominantly in contango throughout 2020. In March 2020, contango dramatically increased and reached historic levels during the economic crisis arising from the COVID-19 pandemic, related supply chain disruptions and ongoing disputes among oil producing countries. This level of contango was due to significant market volatility that occurred in crude oil markets as well as oil futures markets. Crude oil prices collapsed in the wake of the COVID-19 demand shock, which reduced global petroleum consumption, and the price war launched by Saudi Arabia at the beginning of March 2020 in response to Russia’s unwillingness to participate in extending previously agreed upon supply cuts. An estimated twenty million barrels a day of crude demand evaporated as a result of quarantines and massive drops in industrial and manufacturing activity. Eventually, the United States, OPEC, Russia, and other oil producers around the world agreed to a historic 9.7 million barrel per day cut to crude supply. The supply cut along with the partial reopening of economies during the third quarter of 2020 reduced some of the unprecedented volatility oil markets experienced in the spring of 2020. Likewise, contango returned to moderate levels in May 2020. During the twelve months ended December 31, 2021, the crude oil futures market was primarily in a state of backwardation as measured by the difference between the front month and the second month contract. As a result of market and regulatory conditions, including significant market volatility, large numbers of USO shares purchased during a short period of time, applicable regulatory accountability levels and position limits on oil futures contracts, and FCM risk mitigation measures that were imposed on USO, in 2020, USO invested in Oil Futures Contracts in months other than the Benchmark Oil Futures Contracts and was limited in its investments in the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract. In order to continue to meet its investment objective, USO has chosen from its permitted investments types and amounts of Oil Futures Contracts allowed by its current regulatory requirements and under the risk mitigation efforts of its FCMs and other market participants, including those Oil Futures Contracts with expiration dates for months later than that of the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract. Continued holdings in these later month contracts may allow USO to experience lesser effects from contango than would be the case if USO’s holdings were primarily in Oil Futures Contracts in the first month or second month. Likewise, continued holdings in these later month contracts also could cause USO to experience lesser effects from backwardation than would be the case if USO’s holdings were primarily in Oil Futures Contracts in the first month or second month. While USO continues to invest in later month contracts, there is no assurance that this will continue and if USO returns to primarily investing in the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract it will be subject to greater effects of contango and backwardation. Crude Oil Market . During the year ended December 31, 2021, the price of the front month WTI crude oil futures contract traded in a range between $47.62 to $84.65. Prices increased 55.01% from December 31, 2020 through December 31, 2021, finishing the year at $75.21. The simultaneous demand and supply shocks from the COVID-19 pandemic and Saudi-Russia price war precipitated unparalleled risk and volatility in crude oil markets during the first half of 2020. Global demand for crude oil plummeted by as much as 30% in the spring of 2020 as workers around the world stopped driving, airlines cut flight schedules, and companies suspended operations. Meanwhile, U.S. crude oil supply reached 13 million barrels per day (mbd), capping a period of almost continuous growth since 2016. To offset the seemingly unstoppable U.S. production juggernaut, OPEC+ (a loose coalition between OPEC and non-member nations such as Russia and Mexico) had maintained an uneasy series of agreements to curtail their crude oil output in order to support crude oil prices. However, in early March of 2020, Russia refused Saudi Arabia’s proposal to extend cuts in response to the COVID-19 demand shock. The kingdom retaliated with a massive production increase, launching an all-out price war in the middle of a pandemic. Although the members of OPEC+ reached a record-shattering agreement in mid-April of 2020, the implementation of new supply cuts came too late to prevent crude oil prices from plummeting to historic lows, culminating in a drop into negative territory for the May WTI crude oil futures contract on April 20, 2020. During the second quarter of 2020, the International Energy Agency (IEA) reported that crude oil demand fell an average of 16.4 mbd while global crude oil supply declined by an average of 13.7 mbd. Demand evaporated as a result of quarantines and massive drops in industrial and manufacturing activity. Supply declined largely due to the historic agreement in April of 2020 between the United States, OPEC, Russia, and other oil producers. The bulk of the supply decline came from voluntary OPEC+ cuts while 2.8 mbd resulted from market driven cuts in the United States. As of June 30, 2020, U.S. production had dropped over 15%, rapidly falling back to 11 mbd. Oil producing rigs in the United States fell to 180 from over 670 at the start of the year, a massive decline that will likely see U.S. supply 69 Table of Contents fall further. Finally, in late June of 2020 storage in the U.S. spiked to 541 million barrels while global storage reached 3.351 billion barrels. The unprecedented twin crises described above caused unparalleled effects on oil futures markets during 2020. First, front month WTI Oil Futures Contract prices dipped below $20 for the first time since 2002 and hit an all-time closing low of $(37.63). Multiple record-breaking returns occurred between March and May of 2020. The price of the front month WTI Oil Futures Contract averaged $28 during the second quarter of 2020 compared to $46 during the first quarter of 2020 and $57 during calendar year 2019. Second, crude oil price volatility went off-the-charts. For example, the 30-day annualized volatility of front month WTI crude oil futures prices reached 984% in May 2020 after averaging 35% in 2019 and 25% in the first two months of 2020. (If May crude oil futures had not gone negative on April 20, 2020, volatility would “only” have reached 416%.) Third, futures curves, which can exhibit conditions known as “contango” and “backwardation” as discussed above, moved into a condition that some market experts referred to as “super contango.” This was a result of extreme bearishness at the front of the futures curve due to rapidly filling storage facilities in the U.S. and around the world. Specifically, the price of the front month WTI Oil Futures Contract detached from the rest of the futures curve and fell to an extreme position relative to futures contracts with expiration dates in later months. On a percentage basis, the difference in price between the front month WTI Oil Futures Contract and the second month WTI Oil Futures Contract was more than double the previous record. This divergence caused the price of WTI Oil Futures Contracts with different expiration dates to move in different directions. For example, the price of the front month WTI Oil Futures Contract and second month WTI Oil Futures Contract typically move together (i.e., increase or decrease) about 99% of the time. However, in late April of 2020, the correlation of the price of the front and second month WTI Oil Futures Contracts was (24)%, meaning that these contracts were moving in opposite directions. Fourth, USO, among other market participants, diversified its portfolio away from the front of the futures curve in favor of deferred contract months, as discussed in this Form 10-Q. The move by USO and other market participants to deferred contract months caused a historic change during 2020 to relative levels of open interest among the different futures contracts. For example, open interest in the front month futures contract fell an average of 40% during April, May, and June of 2020 compared to the average level of open interest during those same calendar months during the previous five years. As economies reopened and OPEC+ supply cuts were absorbed by the market, WTI crude oil prices rose from all-time lows in the spring of 2020 to an average of $68.00 per barrel during calendar year 2021. WTI crude oil inventories in the United States fell from a modern record of 541 mb in June 2020 to 418 mb by the end of the fourth quarter of 2021. Crude oil production in the United States fell below 10 mbd twice in 2020 and once in early 2021 after peaking at 13.1 mbd in March of 2020. U.S. Production rose to 11.8 mbd by December 31, 2021. Similarly, OPEC production declined from over 30 mbd pre-COVID-19 to a pandemic low of 22.5 mbd before gradually recovering to 28.1 mbd by December 31, 2021. It is uncertain how quickly OPEC, Russia, or the U.S. can or will return to pre-pandemic 2019 production levels. Meanwhile, U.S. vehicle miles traveled and jet fuel use have nearly recovered to pre-pandemic levels. The ongoing demand recovery for crude oil has resulted in higher prices. Supply constraints, worker shortages, infrastructure and manufacturing energy usage, and geopolitical tensions, all suggest potential further upside for crude oil. However, elevated risk remains in the oil markets until the full impact of past, current, and future COVID-19 pandemic mitigation measures is known. Crude Oil Price Movements in Comparison to Other Energy Commodities and Investment Categories. USCF believes that investors frequently measure the degree to which prices or total returns of one investment or asset class move up or down in value in concert with another investment or asset class. Statistically, such a measure is usually done by measuring the correlation of the price movements of the two different investments or asset classes over some period of time. The correlation is scaled between 1 and -1, where 1 indicates that the two investment options move up or down in price or value together, known as “positive correlation,” and -1 indicates that they move in completely opposite directions, known as “negative correlation.” A correlation of 0 would mean that the movements of the two are neither positively nor negatively correlated, known as “non-correlation.” That is, the investment options sometimes move up and down together and other times move in opposite directions. For the ten-year time period between December 31, 2011 and December 31, 2021, the table below compares the monthly movements of crude oil prices versus the monthly movements of the prices of several other energy commodities, such as natural gas, diesel-heating oil, and unleaded gasoline, as well as several major non-commodity investment asset classes, such as large cap U.S. equities, U.S. government bonds and global equities. It can be seen that over this particular time period, the movement of crude oil on a monthly basis 70 Table of Contents exhibited strong correlation with unleaded gasoline and diesel-heating oil, moderate correlation with the movements of large cap U.S. equities, U.S. government bonds and global equities, and limited correlation with natural gas. *PAST PERFORMANCE IS NOT NECESSARILY INDICATIVE OF FUTURE RESULTS ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Large Cap US ​ US Gov’t Bonds ​ Global Equities ​ Unleaded ​ Heating ​ Natural ​ Crude Correlation Matrix 10 Years Equities (S&P 500) (BEUSG4 Index) (FTSE World Index) Gasoline Oil Gas Oil Large Cap US Equities (S&P 500) ​ 1.000 ​ 0.895 ​ 0.995 ​ 0.716 ​ 0.717 ​ 0.584 ​ 0.669 US Gov’t Bonds (BEUSG4 Index) ​ ​ ​ 1.000 ​ 0.893 ​ 0.540 ​ 0.616 ​ 0.585 ​ 0.521 Global Equities (FTSE World Index) ​ ​ ​ ​ 1.000 0.729 0.737 0.577 0.686 Unleaded Gasoline ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 1.000 0.807 0.403 0.837 Heating Oil ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 1.000 0.419 0.867 Natural Gas ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 1.000 0.350 Crude Oil ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 1.000 ​ Source: Bloomberg, NYMEX The table below covers a more recent, but much shorter, range of dates than the above table. Over the one year period ended December 31, 2021, movements of crude oil displayed strong correlation with unleaded gasoline, diesel- heating oil, large cap U.S. equities, U.S. Government bonds, global equities and natural gas. *PAST PERFORMANCE IS NOT NECESSARILY INDICATIVE OF FUTURE RESULTS ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Large Cap US ​ US Gov’t Bonds ​ Global Equities ​ Unleaded ​ Heating ​ Natural ​ Crude Correlation Matrix 1 Year Equities (S&P 500) (BEUSG4 Index) (FTSE World Index) Gasoline Oil Gas Oil Large Cap US Equities (S&P 500) ​ 1.000 ​ 0.993 ​ 1.000 ​ 0.959 ​ 0.956 ​ 0.868 ​ 0.944 US Gov’t Bonds (BEUSG4 Index) ​ ​ 1.000 ​ 0.994 ​ 0.945 ​ 0.953 ​ 0.891 ​ 0.937 Global Equities (FTSE World Index) ​ ​ ​ ​ 1.000 0.963 0.962 0.873 0.949 Unleaded Gasoline ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 1.000 0.989 0.857 0.988 Heating Oil ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 1.000 0.896 0.995 Natural Gas ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 1.000 0.887 Crude Oil ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 1.000 ​ Source: Bloomberg, NYMEX Investors are cautioned that the historical price relationships between crude oil and various other energy commodities, as well as other investment asset classes, as measured by correlation may not be reliable predictors of future price movements and correlation results. The results pictured above would have been different if a different range of dates had been selected. USCF believes that crude oil has historically not demonstrated a strong correlation with equities or bonds over long periods of time. However, USCF also believes that in the future it is possible that crude oil could have long term correlation results that indicate prices of crude oil more closely track the movements of equities or bonds. In addition, USCF believes that, when measured over time periods shorter than ten years, there will always be some periods where the correlation of crude oil to equities and bonds will be either more strongly positively correlated or more strongly negatively correlated than the long term historical results suggest. The correlations between crude oil, natural gas, diesel-heating oil and gasoline are relevant because USCF endeavors to invest USO’s assets in Oil Futures Contracts and Other Oil-Related Investments so that daily changes in percentage terms in USO’s per share NAV correlate as closely as possible with daily changes in percentage terms in the price of the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract. If certain other fuel-based commodity futures contracts do not closely correlate with the crude-oil futures contract, then their use could lead to greater tracking error. As noted above, USCF also believes that the changes in percentage terms in the price of the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract will closely correlate with changes in percentage terms in the spot price of light, sweet crude oil. 71 Table of Contents For the Year Ended December 31, 2020 Compared to the Year Ended December 31, 2019 The comparison of the fiscal years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 can be found in USO’s annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020 located within Part II, Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, which is incorporated by reference herein. Critical Accounting Policies Preparation of the financial statements and related disclosures in compliance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires the application of appropriate accounting rules and guidance, as well as the use of estimates. USO’s application of these policies involves judgments and actual results may differ from the estimates used. USCF has evaluated the nature and types of estimates that it makes in preparing USO’s financial statements and related disclosures and has determined that the valuation of its investments, which are not traded on a United States or internationally recognized futures exchange (such as forward contracts and OTC swaps) involves a critical accounting policy. The values which are used by USO for its Oil Futures Contracts are provided by its commodity broker who uses market prices when available, while OTC swaps are valued based on the present value of estimated future cash flows that would be received from or paid to a third party in settlement of these derivative contracts prior to their delivery date and valued on a daily basis. In addition, USO estimates interest and dividend income on a daily basis using prevailing rates earned on its cash and cash equivalents. These estimates are adjusted to the actual amount received on a monthly basis and the difference, if any, is not considered material. Liquidity and Capital Resources USO has not made, and does not anticipate making, use of borrowings or other lines of credit to meet its obligations. USO has met, and it is anticipated that USO will continue to meet, its liquidity needs in the normal course of business from the proceeds of the sale of its investments, or from the Treasuries, cash and/or cash equivalents that it intends to hold at all times. USO’s liquidity needs include: redeeming shares, providing margin deposits for its existing Oil Futures Contracts or the purchase of additional Oil Futures Contracts and posting collateral for its OTC swaps, if applicable, and payment of its expenses, summarized below under “Contractual Obligations.” USO currently generates cash primarily from: (i) the sale of baskets consisting of 100,000 shares (“Creation Baskets”) and (ii) income earned on Treasuries, cash and/or cash equivalents. USO has allocated substantially all of its net assets to trading in Oil Interests. USO invests in Oil Interests to the fullest extent possible without being leveraged or unable to satisfy its current or potential margin or collateral obligations with respect to its investments in Oil Futures Contracts and Other Oil-Related Investments. A significant portion of USO’s NAV is held in cash and cash equivalents that are used as margin and as collateral for its trading in Oil Interests. The balance of the assets is held in USO’s account at its custodian bank and in investments in money market funds and Treasuries at the FCMs. Income received from USO’s investments in money market funds and Treasuries is paid to USO. During the year ended December 31, 2021, USO’s expenses exceeded the income USO earned and the cash earned from the sale of Creation Baskets and the redemption of Redemption Baskets. During the year ended December 31, 2020, USO’s expenses exceeded the income USO earned and the cash earned from the sale of Creation Baskets and the redemption of Redemption Baskets. To the extent expenses exceed income, USO’s NAV will be negatively impacted. USCF endeavors to have the value of USO’s Treasuries, cash and cash equivalents, whether held by USO or posted as margin or other collateral, at all times approximate the aggregate market value of its obligations for its investments in Oil Interests. Commodity pools’ trading positions in futures contracts or other related investments are typically required to be secured by the deposit of margin funds that represent only a small percentage of a futures contract’s (or other commodity interest’s) entire market value. While USCF has not and does not intend to leverage USO’s assets, it is not prohibited from doing so under the LP Agreement. USO has not and does not intend to leverage its assets and makes its investments accordingly. Consistent with the foregoing, USO’s investments will take into account the need for USO to make permitted investments that also allow it to maintain adequate liquidity to meet its margin and collateral requirements and to avoid, to the extent reasonably possible, USO becoming leveraged. If market conditions require it, these risk reduction procedures may occur on short notice if they occur other than during a roll or rebalance period. USO’s investments in Oil Interests may be subject to periods of illiquidity because of market conditions, regulatory considerations and other reasons. For example, most commodity exchanges limit the fluctuations in futures contracts prices during a single day by regulations referred to as “daily limits.” During a single day, no trades may be executed at prices beyond the daily limit. Once the price of a futures contract has increased or decreased by an amount equal to the daily limit, positions in the contracts can neither be taken nor liquidated unless the traders are willing to effect trades at or within the specified daily limit. Such market conditions could prevent USO from promptly liquidating its positions in Futures Contracts. During the year ended December 31, 2021, USO did not purchase or 72 Table of Contents liquidate any of its positions while daily limits were in effect; however, USO cannot predict whether such an event may occur in the future. Since March 23, 2007, USO has been responsible for expenses relating to: (i) management fees, (ii) brokerage fees and commissions, (iii) licensing fees for the use of intellectual property, (iv) ongoing registration expenses in connection with offers and sales of its shares subsequent to the initial offering, (v) other expenses, including tax reporting costs, (vi) fees and expenses of the independent directors of USCF and (vii) other extraordinary expenses not in the ordinary course of business. USO may terminate at any time, regardless of whether USO has incurred losses, subject to the terms of the LP Agreement. In particular, unforeseen circumstances, including, but not limited to, (i) market conditions, regulatory requirements, risk mitigation measures taken by USO or third parties or otherwise that would lead USO to determine that it could no longer foreseeably meet its investment objective or that USO’s aggregate net assets in relation to its operating expenses or its margin or collateral requirements make the continued operation of USO unreasonable or imprudent, or (ii) adjudication of incompetence, bankruptcy, dissolution, withdrawal or removal of USCF as the general partner of USO could cause USO to terminate unless a majority interest of the limited partners within 90 days of the event elects to continue the partnership and appoints a successor general partner, or the affirmative vote of a majority in interest of the limited partners subject to certain conditions. However, no level of losses will require USO to terminate USO. USO’s termination would cause the liquidation and potential loss of an investor’s investment. Termination could also negatively affect the overall maturity and timing of an investor’s investment portfolio. Market Risk Trading in Oil Futures Contracts and Other Oil-Related Investments, such as forwards, involves USO entering into contractual commitments to purchase or sell oil at a specified date in the future. The aggregate market value of the contracts will significantly exceed USO’s future cash requirements since USO intends to close out its open positions prior to settlement. As a result, USO is generally only subject to the risk of loss arising from the change in value of the contracts. USO considers the “fair value” of its derivative instruments to be the unrealized gain or loss on the contracts. The market risk associated with USO’s commitments to purchase oil is limited to the aggregate market value of the contracts held. However, should USO enter into a contractual commitment to sell oil, it would be required to make delivery of the oil at the contract price, repurchase the contract at prevailing prices or settle in cash. Since there are no limits on the future price of oil, the market risk to USO could be unlimited. USO’s exposure to market risk depends on a number of factors, including the markets for oil, the volatility of interest rates and foreign exchange rates, the liquidity of the Oil Futures Contracts and Other Oil-Related Investments markets and the relationships among the contracts held by USO. Drastic market occurrences could ultimately lead to the loss of all or substantially all of an investor’s capital. Credit Risk When USO enters into Oil Futures Contracts and Other Oil-Related Investments, it is exposed to the credit risk that the counterparty will not be able to meet its obligations. The counterparty for the Oil Futures Contracts traded on the NYMEX and on most other futures exchanges is the clearinghouse associated with the particular exchange. In general, in addition to margin required to be posted by the clearinghouse in connection with cleared trades, clearinghouses are backed by their members who may be required to share in the financial burden resulting from the nonperformance of one of their members and, therefore, this additional member support should significantly reduce credit risk. USO is not currently a member of any clearinghouse. Some foreign exchanges are not backed by their clearinghouse members but may be backed by a consortium of banks or other financial institutions. There can be no assurance that any counterparty, clearinghouse, or their members or their financial backers will satisfy their obligations to USO in such circumstances. USCF attempts to manage the credit risk of USO by following various trading limitations and policies. In particular, USO generally posts margin and/or holds liquid assets that are approximately equal to the market value of its obligations to counterparties under the Oil Futures Contracts and Other Oil-Related Investments it holds. USCF has implemented procedures that include, but are not limited to, executing and clearing trades only with creditworthy parties and/or requiring the posting of collateral or margin by such parties for the benefit of USO to limit its credit exposure. An FCM, when acting on behalf of USO in accepting orders to purchase or sell Oil Futures Contracts on United States exchanges, is required by CFTC regulations to separately account for and segregate as belonging to USO, all assets of USO relating to domestic Oil Futures Contracts trading. These FCMs are not allowed to commingle USO’s assets with their other assets. In addition, the CFTC requires FCMs to hold in a secure account USO’s assets related to foreign Oil Futures Contracts and, in some cases, to cleared swaps executed through the FCMs. Similarly, under its current OTC agreements, USO requires that collateral it posts or receives be posted with its custodian, and under agreements among the custodian, USO and its counterparties, such collateral is segregated. 73 Table of Contents USO may purchase OTC swaps, see “Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk” in this annual report on Form 10-K for a discussion of OTC swaps. As of December 31, 2021, USO held cash deposits and investments in Treasuries and money market funds in the amount of $2,264,418,396 with the custodian and FCMs. Some or all of these amounts held by a custodian or an FCM, as applicable, may be subject to loss should USO’s custodian or FCMs, as applicable, cease operations. Off Balance Sheet Financing As of December 31, 2021, USO had no loan guarantee, credit support or other off-balance sheet arrangements of any kind other than agreements entered into in the normal course of business, which may include indemnification provisions relating to certain risks that service providers undertake in performing services which are in the best interests of USO. While USO’s exposure under these indemnification provisions cannot be estimated, they are not expected to have a material impact on USO’s financial position. Redemption Basket Obligation In order to meet its investment objective and pay its contractual obligations described below, USO requires liquidity to redeem shares, which redemptions must be in blocks of 100,000 shares called “Redemption Baskets.” USO has to date satisfied this obligation by paying from the cash or cash equivalents it holds or through the sale of its Treasuries in an amount proportionate to the number of shares being redeemed. Contractual Obligations USO’s primary contractual obligations are with USCF. In return for its services, USCF is entitled to a management fee calculated daily and paid monthly as a fixed percentage of USO’s NAV, currently 0.45% of NAV on its average daily total net assets. USCF agreed to pay the start-up costs associated with the formation of USO, primarily its legal, accounting and other costs in connection with USCF’s registration with the CFTC as a CPO and the registration and listing of USO and its shares with the SEC, FINRA and NYSE Arca (formerly, AMEX), respectively. However, since USO’s initial offering of shares, offering costs incurred in connection with registering and listing additional shares of USO have been directly borne on an ongoing basis by USO, and not by USCF. USCF pays the fees of the Marketing Agent as well as BNY Mellon’s fees for performing administrative, custodial, and transfer agency services. BNY Mellon’s fees for performing administrative services include those in connection with the preparation of USO’s financial statements and its SEC, NFA and CFTC reports. USCF and USO have also entered into a licensing agreement with the NYMEX pursuant to which USO and the Related Public Funds, other than BNO, USCI and CPER, pay a licensing fee to the NYMEX. USO also pays the fees and expenses associated with its tax accounting and reporting requirements. USCF paid BBH&Co.’s fees for performing administrative services, including those in connection with the preparation of USO’s financial statements and its SEC, NFA and CFTC reports through May 31, 2020. In addition to USCF’s management fee, USO pays its brokerage fees (including fees to FCMs), OTC dealer spreads, any licensing fees for the use of intellectual property, and, subsequent to the initial offering, registration and other fees paid to the SEC, FINRA, or other regulatory agencies in connection with the offer and sale of shares, as well as legal, printing, accounting and other expenses associated therewith, and extraordinary expenses. The latter are expenses not incurred in the ordinary course of USO’s business, including expenses relating to the indemnification of any person against liabilities and obligations to the extent permitted by law and under the LP Agreement, the bringing or defending of actions in law or in equity or otherwise conducting litigation and incurring legal expenses and the settlement of claims and litigation. Commission payments to FCMs are on a contract-by-contract, or round turn, basis. USO also pays a portion of the fees and expenses of the independent directors of USCF. See Note 3 to the Notes to Financial Statements in Item 8 of this annual report on Form 10-K. The parties cannot anticipate the amount of payments that will be required under these arrangements for future periods, as USO’s per share NAVs and trading levels to meet its investment objective will not be known until a future date. These agreements are effective for a specific term agreed upon by the parties with an option to renew, or, in some cases, are in effect for the duration of USO’s existence. Either party may terminate these agreements earlier for certain reasons described in the agreements. As of December 31, 2021, USO’s portfolio held 32,136 Oil Futures Contracts traded on the NYMEX. As of December 31, 2021 USO did not hold any Oil Futures Contracts traded on the ICE Futures. For a list of USO’s current holdings, please see USO’s website at www.uscfinvestments.com. ​ 74 Table of Contents