SABINE ROYALTY TRUST - Annual Report: 2005 (Form 10-K)
Table of Contents
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
Form 10-K
(Mark One)
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||
x
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ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 | |
For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2005 | ||
o
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TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 | |
For the transition period from to |
Commission File Number: 1-8424
Sabine Royalty Trust
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Texas | 75-6297143 | |
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) |
(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) |
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Trust Division Bank of America, N.A. Bank of America Plaza 17th Floor 901 Main Street Dallas, Texas (Address of principal executive offices) |
75202 (Zip Code) |
Registrants telephone number, including area code:
(214) 209-2400
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Name of Each Exchange | ||
Title of Each Class | on Which Registered | |
Units of Beneficial Interest
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New York Stock Exchange |
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:
None
Indicate by check mark if the
registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in
Rule 405 of the Securities
Act. Yes o No x
Indicate by check mark if the
registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to
Section 13 or Section 15 (d) of the
Act. Yes o No x
Indicate by check mark whether the
registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed
by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter
period that the registrant was required to file such reports),
and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for
the past
90 days. Yes x No o
Indicate by check mark if
disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of
Regulation S-K is
not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of
registrants knowledge, in definitive proxy or information
statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this
Form 10-K or any
amendment to this
Form 10-K.
x
Indicate by check mark whether the
registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer,
or a non-accelerated filer. See definition of accelerated
filer and large accelerated filer in Rule 12b-2 of
the Exchange Act (check one):
Large accelerated
filer o Accelerated
filer x Non-accelerated
filer o
Indicate by check mark whether the
registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule b-2 of
the
Act). Yes o No x
The aggregate market value of
units of beneficial interest of the registrant (based on the
closing sale price on the New York Stock Exchange as of the last
business day of its most recently completed second fiscal
quarter) held by non-affiliates of the registrant was
approximately $617 million.
At March 6, 2006, there were
14,579,345 units of beneficial interest outstanding.
DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE
None
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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PART I
Item 1. Business.
DESCRIPTION OF THE TRUST
Sabine Royalty Trust (the Trust) is an express trust
formed under the laws of the State of Texas by the Sabine
Corporation Royalty Trust Agreement (the Trust
Agreement) made and entered into effective as of
December 31, 1982, between Sabine Corporation, as trustor,
and InterFirst Bank Dallas, N.A. (InterFirst), as
trustee. The current trustee of the Trust is Bank of America,
N.A. (as successor to NationsBank, N.A.) (Bank of
America). In accordance with the successor trustee
provisions of the Trust Agreement, Bank of America, as trustee
of the Trust (the Trustee), is subject to all the
terms and conditions of the Trust Agreement. The principal
office of the Trust (sometimes referred to herein as the
Registrant) is located at Bank of America Plaza,
17th Floor, 901 Main Street, Dallas, Texas 75202. The
telephone number of the Trust is
(214) 209-2400.
The Trust maintains an Internet website, and as a result,
reports such as its annual reports on
Form 10-K,
quarterly reports on
Form 10-Q, current
reports on
Form 8-K, and
amendments to such reports filed or furnished pursuant to
Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934, as amended will now be made available at
http://www.sbr-sabineroyalty.com as soon as reasonably
practicable after such information is electronically filed with
or furnished to the SEC.
On November 12, 1982, the shareholders of Sabine
Corporation approved and authorized Sabine Corporations
transfer of royalty and mineral interests, including
landowners royalties, overriding royalty interests,
minerals (other than executive rights, bonuses and delay
rentals), production payments and any other similar,
nonparticipatory interests, in certain producing and proved
undeveloped oil and gas properties located in Florida,
Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas (the
Royalty Properties) to the Trust. The conveyances of
the Royalty Properties to the Trust were effective with respect
to production as of 7:00 a.m. (local time) on
January 1, 1983.
In order to avoid uncertainty under Louisiana law as to the
legality of the Trustees holding record title to the
Royalty Properties located in that state, title to such
properties has historically been held by a separate trust formed
under the laws of Louisiana, the sole beneficiary of which was
the Trust. Sabine Louisiana Royalty Trust was a passive entity,
with the trustee thereof, Hibernia National Bank in
New Orleans, having only such powers as were necessary for
the collection of and distribution of revenues from and the
protection of the Royalty Properties located in Louisiana and
the payment of liabilities of Sabine Louisiana Royalty Trust. On
December 31, 2001, Bank of America, N.A. assumed the duties
as Trustee of the Sabine Louisiana Royalty Trust, since
Louisiana law now permits an out-of-state bank to act in this
capacity. A separate trust also was established to hold record
title to the Royalty Properties located in Florida. Legislation
was adopted in Florida in 1992 that eliminated the provision of
Florida law that prohibited the Trustee from holding record
title to the Royalty Properties located in that state. In
November 1993, record title to the Royalty Properties held
by the trustee of Sabine Florida Land Trust was transferred to
the Trustee. As used herein, the term Royalty
Properties includes the Royalty Properties held directly
by the Trust and the Royalty Properties located in Louisiana and
Florida that were held indirectly through the Trusts
ownership of 100 percent beneficial interest of Sabine
Louisiana Royalty Trust and Sabine Florida Land Trust. In
discussing the Trust, this report disregards the technical
ownership formalities described in this paragraph, which have no
effect on the tax or accounting treatment of the Royalty
Properties, since the observance thereof would significantly
complicate the information presented herein without any
corresponding benefit to Unit holders.
Certificates evidencing units of beneficial interest (the
Units) in the Trust were mailed on December 31,
1982 to the shareholders of Sabine Corporation of record on
December 23, 1982, on the basis of one Unit for each
outstanding share of common stock of Sabine Corporation. The
Units are listed and traded on the New York Stock Exchange
under the symbol SBR.
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In May 1988, Sabine Corporation was acquired by Pacific
Enterprises, a California corporation. Through a series of
mergers, Sabine Corporation was merged into Pacific Enterprises
Oil Company (USA) (Pacific (USA)), a California
corporation and a wholly owned subsidiary of Pacific
Enterprises, effective January 1, 1990. This acquisition
and the subsequent mergers had no effect on the Units. Pacific
(USA), as successor to Sabine Corporation, assumed by operation
of law all of Sabine Corporations rights and obligations
with respect to the Trust. References herein to Pacific
(USA) shall be deemed to include Sabine Corporation where
appropriate.
In connection with the transfer of the Royalty Properties to the
Trust upon its formation, Sabine Corporation had reserved to
itself all executive rights, including rights to execute leases
and to receive bonuses and delay rentals. In January 1993,
Pacific (USA) completed the sale of substantially all of
Pacific (USA)s producing oil and gas assets to Hunt Oil
Company. The sale did not include the executive rights relating
to the Royalty Properties, and Pacific (USA)s ownership of
such rights was not affected by the sale.
The following summaries of certain provisions of the Trust
Agreement are qualified in their entirety by reference to the
Trust Agreement itself, which is an exhibit to the
Form 10-K and
available upon request from the Trustee. The definitions,
formulas, accounting procedures and other terms governing the
Trust are complex and extensive and no attempt has been made
below to describe all such provisions. Capitalized terms not
otherwise defined herein are used with the meanings ascribed to
them in the Trust Agreement.
Assets of the Trust
The Royalty Properties are the only assets of the Trust, other
than cash being held for the payment of expenses and liabilities
and for distribution to the Unit holders. Pending such payment
of expenses and distribution to Unit holders, cash may be
invested by the Trustee only in certificates of deposit, United
States government securities or repurchase agreements secured by
United States government securities. See Duties and
Limited Powers of Trustee below.
Liabilities of the Trust
Because of the passive nature of the Trusts assets and the
restrictions on the power of the Trustee to incur obligations,
it is anticipated that the only liabilities the Trust will incur
are those for routine administrative expenses, such as insurance
and trustees fees, and accounting, engineering, legal and
other professional fees. The total general and administrative
expenses of the Trust for 2005 were $2,089,547 of which,
pursuant to the terms of the Trust Agreement, $297,187 was paid
to Bank of America, as Trustee, and $891,548 was paid to Bank of
America, as escrow agent.
Duties and Limited Powers of Trustee
The duties of the Trustee are specified in the Trust Agreement
and by the laws of the State of Texas. The basic function of the
Trustee is to collect income from the Trust properties, to pay
out of the Trusts income and assets all expenses, charges
and obligations, and to pay available income to Unit holders.
Since Pacific (USA) has retained the executive rights with
respect to the minerals included in the Royalty Properties and
the right to receive any future bonus payments or delay rentals
resulting from leases with respect to such minerals, the Trustee
is not required to make any investment or operating decision
with respect to the Royalty Properties.
The Trust has no employees. Administrative functions of the
Trust are performed by the Trustee.
The Trustee has the discretion to establish a cash reserve for
the payment of any liability that is contingent or uncertain in
amount or that otherwise is not currently due and payable. The
Trustee has the power to borrow funds required to pay
liabilities of the Trust as they become due and pledge or
otherwise encumber the Trusts properties if it determines
that the cash on hand is insufficient to pay such liabilities.
Borrowings must be repaid in full before any further
distributions are made to Unit holders. All distributable income
of the Trust is distributed on a monthly basis. The Trustee is
required to invest any
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cash being held by it for distribution on the next Distribution
Date or as a reserve for liabilities in certificates of deposit,
United States government securities or repurchase agreements
secured by United States government securities. The Trustee
furnishes Unit holders with periodic reports. See
Item 1 Description of Units
Reports to Unit Holders.
The Trust Agreement grants the Trustee only such rights and
powers as are necessary to achieve the purposes of the Trust.
The Trust Agreement prohibits the Trustee from engaging in any
business, commercial or, with certain exceptions, investment
activity of any kind and from using any portion of the assets of
the Trust to acquire any oil and gas lease, royalty or other
mineral interest other than the Royalty Properties. The Trustee
may sell Trust properties only as authorized by a vote of the
Unit holders, or when necessary to provide for the payment of
specific liabilities of the Trust then due or upon termination
of the Trust. Pledges or other encumbrances to secure borrowings
are permitted without the authorization of Unit holders if the
Trustee determines such action is advisable. Any sale of Trust
properties must be for cash unless otherwise authorized by the
Unit holders or unless the properties are being sold to provide
for the payment of specific liabilities of the Trust then due,
and the Trustee is obligated to distribute the available net
proceeds of any such sale to the Unit holders.
Liabilities of Trustee
The Trustee is to be indemnified out of the assets of the Trust
for any liability, expense, claim, damage or other loss incurred
by it in the performance of its duties unless such loss results
from its negligence, bad faith or fraud or from its expenses in
carrying out such duties exceeding the compensation and
reimbursement it is entitled to under the Trust Agreement. The
Trustee can be reimbursed out of the Trust assets for any
liability imposed upon the Trustee for its failure to ensure
that the Trusts liabilities are satisfiable only out of
Trust assets. In no event will the Trustee be deemed to have
acted negligently, fraudulently or in bad faith if it takes or
suffers action in good faith in reliance upon and in accordance
with the advice of parties considered to be qualified as experts
on the matters submitted to them. The Trustee is not entitled to
indemnification from Unit holders except in certain limited
circumstances related to the replacement of mutilated,
destroyed, lost or stolen certificates. See
Item 1 Description of Units
Liability of Unit Holders.
Duration of Trust
The Trust is irrevocable and Pacific (USA) has no power to
terminate the Trust or, except with respect to certain
corrective amendments, to alter or amend the terms of the Trust
Agreement. The Trust will exist until it is terminated by
(i) two successive fiscal years in which the Trusts
gross revenues from the Royalty Properties are less than
$2,000,000 per year, (ii) a vote of Unit holders as
described below under Voting Rights of Unit Holders
or (iii) operation of provisions of the Trust Agreement
intended to permit compliance by the Trust with the rule
against perpetuities.
Upon the termination of the Trust, the Trustee will continue to
act in such capacity until all the assets of the Trust are
distributed. The Trustee will sell all Trust properties for cash
(unless the Unit holders authorize the sale for a specified
non-cash consideration,
in which event the Trustee may, but is not obligated to,
consummate such
non-cash sale) in one
or more sales and, after satisfying all existing liabilities and
establishing adequate reserves for the payment of contingent
liabilities, will distribute all available proceeds to the Unit
holders.
Voting Rights of Unit Holders
Although Unit holders possess certain voting rights, their
voting rights are not comparable to those of shareholders of a
corporation. For example, there is no requirement for annual
meetings of Unit holders or for annual or other periodic
re-election of the Trustee.
The Trust Agreement may be amended by the affirmative vote of a
majority of the outstanding Units at any duly called meeting of
Unit holders. However, no such amendment may alter the relative
rights of Unit
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holders unless approved by the affirmative vote of
100 percent of the Unit holders and by the Trustee. In
addition, certain special voting requirements can be amended
only if such amendment is approved by the holders of at least
80 percent of the outstanding Units and by the Trustee.
Removal of the Trustee requires the affirmative vote of the
holders of a majority of the Units represented at a duly called
meeting of Unit holders. In the event of a vacancy in the
position of Trustee or if the Trustee has given notice of its
intention to resign, a successor trustee of the Trust may be
appointed by similar voting approval of the Unit holders.
The sale of all or any part of the assets of the Trust must be
authorized by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority
of the outstanding Units. However, the Trustee may, without a
vote of the Unit holders, sell all or any part of the Trust
assets upon termination of the Trust or otherwise if necessary
to provide for the payment of specific liabilities of the Trust
then due. The Trust can be terminated by the Unit holders only
if the termination is approved by the holders of a majority of
the outstanding Units.
Meetings of Unit holders may be called by the Trustee at any
time at its discretion and must be called by the Trustee at the
written request of holders of not less than 10 percent of
the then outstanding Units. The presence of a majority of the
outstanding Units is necessary to constitute a quorum and Unit
holders may vote in person or by proxy.
Notice of any meeting of Unit holders must be given not more
than 60 nor less than 20 days prior to the date of such
meeting. The notice must state the purposes of the meeting and
no other matter may be presented or acted upon at the meeting.
DESCRIPTION OF UNITS
Each Unit represents an equal undivided share of beneficial
interest in the Trust and is evidenced by a transferable
certificate issued by the Trustee. Each Unit entitles its holder
to the same rights as the holder of any other Unit, and the
Trust has no other authorized or outstanding class of equity
security. At March 6, 2006, there were 14,579,345 Units
outstanding.
The Trust may not issue additional Units unless such issuance is
approved by the holders of at least 80 percent of the
outstanding Units and by the Trustee. Under limited
circumstances, Units may be redeemed by the Trust and canceled.
See Possible Divestiture of Units below.
Distributions of Net Income
The identity of Unit holders entitled to receive distributions
of Trust income and the amounts thereof are determined as of
each Monthly Record Date. Unit holders of record as of the
Monthly Record Date (the 15th day of each calendar month
except in limited circumstances) are entitled to have
distributed to them the calculated Monthly Income Amount for the
related Monthly Period no later than 10 business days after the
Monthly Record Date. The Monthly Income Amount is the excess of
(i) revenues from the Trust properties plus any decrease in
cash reserves previously established for contingent liabilities
and any other cash receipts of the Trust over (ii) the
expenses and payments of liabilities of the Trust plus any
increase in cash reserves for contingent liabilities.
Transfer
Units are transferable on the records of the Trustee upon
surrender of any certificate in proper form for transfer and
compliance with such reasonable regulations as the Trustee may
prescribe. No service charge is made to the transferor or
transferee for any transfer of a Unit, but the Trustee may
require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or
governmental charge that may be imposed in relation to such
transfer. Until any such transfer, the Trustee may conclusively
treat the holder of a Unit shown by its records as the owner of
that Unit for all purposes. Any such transfer of a Unit will, as
to the Trustee, vest in the transferee
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all rights of the transferor at the date of transfer, except
that the transfer of a Unit after the Monthly Record Date for a
distribution will not transfer the right of the transferor to
such distribution.
The transfer of Units by gift and the transfer of Units held by
a decedents estate, and distributions from the Trust in
respect thereof, may be restricted under applicable state law.
See Item 1 State Law and Tax
Considerations.
Mellon Investor Services LLC serves as transfer agent and
registrar for the Units.
Reports to Unit Holders
As promptly as practicable following the end of each fiscal
year, the Trustee mails to each person who was a Unit holder on
any Monthly Record Date during such fiscal year, a report
showing in reasonable detail on a cash basis the receipts and
disbursements and income and expenses of the Trust for federal
and state tax purposes for each Monthly Period during such
fiscal year and containing sufficient information to enable Unit
holders to make all calculations necessary for federal and state
tax purposes. As promptly as practicable following the end of
each of the first three fiscal quarters of each year, the
Trustee mails a report for such fiscal quarter showing in
reasonable detail on a cash basis the assets and liabilities,
receipts and disbursements, and income and expenses of the Trust
for such fiscal quarter to Unit holders of record on the last
Monthly Record Date immediately preceding the mailing thereof.
Within 120 days following the end of each fiscal year, or
such shorter period as may be required by the New York
Stock Exchange, the Trustee mails to Unit holders of record on
the last Monthly Record Date immediately preceding the mailing
thereof, an annual report containing audited financial
statements of the Trust and an audited statement of fees and
expenses paid by the Trust to Bank of America, as Trustee and
escrow agent. See Federal Taxation below.
Each Unit holder and his or her duly authorized agent has the
right, during reasonable business hours at his or her own
expense, to examine and make audits of the Trust and the records
of the Trustee, including lists of Unit holders, for any proper
purpose in reference thereto.
Liability of Unit Holders
As regards the Unit holders, the Trustee, in engaging in any
activity or transaction that results or could result in any kind
of liability, will be fully liable if the Trustee fails to take
reasonable steps necessary to ensure that such liability is
satisfiable only out of the Trust assets (even if the assets are
inadequate to satisfy the liability) and in no event out of
amounts distributed to, or other assets owned by, Unit holders.
However, the Trust might be held to constitute a joint
stock company under Texas law, which is unsettled on this
point, and therefore a Unit holder may be jointly and severally
liable for any liability of the Trust if the satisfaction of
such liability was not contractually limited to the assets of
the Trust and the assets of both the Trust and the Trustee are
not adequate to satisfy such liability. In view of the
substantial value and passive nature of the Trust assets, the
restrictions on the power of the Trustee to incur liabilities
and the required financial net worth of any trustee of the
Trust, the imposition of any liability on a Unit holder is
believed to be extremely unlikely.
Possible Divestiture of Units
The Trust Agreement imposes no restrictions based on nationality
or other status of the persons or entities which are eligible to
hold Units. However, the Trust Agreement provides that if at any
time the Trust or the Trustee is named a party in any judicial
or administrative proceeding seeking the cancellation or
forfeiture of any property in which the Trust has an interest
because of the nationality, or any other status, of any one or
more Unit holders, the following procedure will be applicable:
1. The Trustee will give written notice to each holder whose nationality or other status is an issue in the proceeding of the existence of such controversy. The notice will contain a reasonable summary of such controversy and will constitute a demand to each such holder that he or she dispose of his or |
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her Units within 30 days to a party not of the nationality or other status at issue in the proceeding described in the notice. | |
2. If any holder fails to dispose of his or her Units in accordance with such notice, the Trustee shall have the preemptive right to redeem and shall redeem, at any time during the 90-day period following the termination of the 30-day period specified in the notice, any Unit not so transferred for a cash price equal to the closing price of the Units on the stock exchange on which the Units are then listed or, in the absence of any such listing, the mean between the closing bid and asked prices for the Units in the over-the-counter market, as of the last business day prior to the expiration of the 30-day period stated in the notice. | |
3. The Trustee shall cancel any Unit acquired in accordance with the foregoing procedures. | |
4. The Trustee may, in its sole discretion, cause the Trust to borrow any amount required to redeem Units. |
FEDERAL TAXATION
THE TAX CONSEQUENCES TO A UNIT HOLDER OF THE OWNERSHIP AND
SALE OF UNITS WILL DEPEND IN PART ON THE UNIT HOLDERS TAX
CIRCUMSTANCES. EACH UNIT HOLDER SHOULD THEREFORE CONSULT THE
UNIT HOLDERS TAX ADVISOR ABOUT THE FEDERAL, STATE AND
LOCAL TAX CONSEQUENCES TO THE UNIT HOLDER OF THE OWNERSHIP OF
UNITS.
In May 1983, the Internal Revenue Service (the
Service) ruled that the Trust would be classified as
a grantor trust for federal income tax purposes and not as an
association taxable as a corporation. Accordingly, the income
and deductions of the Trust are reportable directly by Unit
holders for federal income tax purposes. The Service also ruled
that Unit holders would be entitled to deduct cost depletion
with respect to their investment in the Trust and that the
transfer of a Unit in the Trust would be considered to be a
transfer of a proportionate part of the properties held by the
Trust.
Transferees of Units transferred after October 11, 1990,
may be eligible to use the percentage depletion deduction on oil
and gas income thereafter attributable to such Units, if the
percentage depletion deduction would exceed cost depletion. A
Unit holder generally would not have claimed percentage
depletion deductions for 1990 or any subsequent year because
cost depletion generally has exceeded percentage depletion.
If a taxpayer disposes of any section 1254
property (certain oil, gas, geothermal or other mineral
property), and if the adjusted basis of such property includes
adjustments for deductions for depletion under section 611 of
the Internal Revenue Code (the Code) (discussed
above), the taxpayer generally must recapture the amount
deducted for depletion in ordinary income (to the extent of gain
realized on the disposition of the property). This depletion
recapture rule applies to any disposition of property that was
placed in service by the taxpayer after December 31, 1986.
Detailed rules set forth in
Sections 1.1254-1
through 1.1254-6
of the United States Treasury regulations govern dispositions of
property after March 13, 1995. The Service will likely take
the position that a Unit holder who purchases a Unit subsequent
to December 31, 1986, must recapture depletion upon the
disposition of that Unit.
In order to facilitate creation of the Trust and to avoid the
administrative expense and inconvenience of daily reporting to
Unit holders by the Trustee, the conveyances by Sabine
Corporation of the Royalty Properties located in five of the six
states (Florida, Mississippi, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas)
provided for the execution of an escrow agreement by Sabine
Corporation and InterFirst (the initial trustee of the Trust),
in its capacities as trustee of the Trust and as escrow agent.
The conveyances by Sabine Corporation of the Royalty Properties
located in Louisiana provided for the execution of a
substantially identical escrow agreement by Sabine Corporation
and Hibernia National Bank in New Orleans, in the
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capacities of escrow agent and of trustee of Sabine Louisiana
Royalty Trust. The Trust now only has one escrow agent, which is
the Trustee, and a single escrow agreement.
Pursuant to the terms of the escrow agreement and the
conveyances of the Royalty Properties, the proceeds of
production from the Royalty Properties for each calendar month,
and interest thereon, are collected by the escrow agent and are
paid to and received by the Trust only on the next Monthly
Record Date. The escrow agent has agreed to endeavor to assure
that it incurs and pays expenses and fees for each calendar
month only on the next Monthly Record Date. The Trust Agreement
also provides that the Trustee is to endeavor to assure that
income of the Trust will be accrued and received and expenses of
the Trust will be incurred and paid only on each Monthly Record
Date.
Assuming that the escrow arrangement is recognized for federal
income tax purposes and that the Trustee, as escrow agent, is
able to control the timing of income and expenses, as stated
above, cash and accrual basis Unit holders should be treated as
realizing income only on each Monthly Record Date. The Trustee,
as escrow agent, may not be able to cause third party expenses
to be incurred on each Monthly Record Date in all instances.
Cash basis Unit holders, however, should be treated as having
paid all expenses and fees only when such expenses and fees are
actually paid. Even if the escrow arrangement is recognized for
federal income tax purposes, however, accrual basis Unit holders
might be considered to have accrued expenses when such expenses
are incurred rather than on each Monthly Record Date when paid.
No ruling was requested from the Service with respect to the
effect of the escrow arrangements when established. Due to the
absence of direct authority and the factual nature of the
characterization of the relationship among the escrow agents,
Pacific (USA) and the Trust, no opinion was expressed by legal
counsel with respect to the tax consequences of the escrow
arrangements. If the escrow arrangement is recognized, the
income from the Royalty Properties for a calendar month and
interest income thereon will be taxed to the holder of the Unit
on the next Monthly Record Date without regard to the ownership
of the Unit prior to that date. The Trustee is treating the
escrow arrangement as effective for tax purposes and furnishes
tax information to Unit holders on that basis.
The Service might take the position that the escrow arrangement
should be ignored for federal tax purposes. In such case, the
Trustee could be required to report the proceeds from production
and interest income thereon to the Unit holders on a daily
basis, in accordance with their method of accounting, as the
proceeds from production and interest thereon were received or
accrued by the escrow agent. Such reporting could impact who is
taxed on the production and interest income and result in a
substantial increase in the administrative expenses of the
Trust. In the event of a transfer of a Unit, the income and the
depletion deduction attributable to the Royalty Properties for
the period up to the date of transfer would be allocated to the
transferor, and the income and depletion deduction attributable
to the Royalty Properties on and after the date of transfer
would be allocated to the transferee. Such allocation would be
required even though the transferee was the holder of the Unit
on the next Monthly Record Date and, therefore, would be
entitled to the monthly income distribution. Thus, if the escrow
arrangement is not recognized, a mismatching of the monthly
income distribution and the Unit holders taxable income
and deductions could occur between a transferor and a transferee
upon the transfer of a Unit.
Unit holders of record on each Monthly Record Date are entitled
to receive monthly distributions. See Description of
Units Distributions of Net Income above. The
terms of the escrow agreement and the Trust Agreement, as
described above, seek to assure that taxable income attributable
to such distributions will be reported by the Unit holder who
receives such distributions, assuming that such holder is the
holder of record on the Monthly Record Date. In certain
circumstances, however, a Unit holder may be required to report
taxable income attributable to his or her Units but the Unit
holder will not receive the distribution attributable to such
income. For example, if the Trustee establishes a reserve or
borrows money to satisfy debts and liabilities of the Trust,
income used to establish such reserve or to repay such loan will
be reported by the Unit holder, even though such income is not
distributed to the Unit holder.
Interest and royalty income attributable to ownership of Units
and any gain on the sale thereof are considered portfolio
income, and not income from a passive activity, to
the extent a Unit holder acquires
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and holds Units as an investment and did not acquire them in the
ordinary course of a trade or business. Therefore, interest and
royalty income attributable to ownership of Units generally may
not be offset by losses from any passive activities.
Individuals may deduct miscellaneous itemized
deductions (including, in general, investment expenses)
only to the extent that such expenses exceed 2 percent of
the individuals adjusted gross income. Although there are
exceptions to the 2 percent limitation, authority suggests
that no exceptions apply to expenses passed through from a
grantor trust, like the Trust. Unit holders itemizing deductions
will also be subject to limitations on taking such deductions if
the Unit holders adjusted gross income exceeds a threshold
amount, which is $145,950 for 2005 and $150,500 for 2006 (if
married, filing jointly).
The foregoing summary is not exhaustive and does not purport to
be complete. Many other provisions of the federal tax laws may
affect individual Unit holders. Each Unit holder should consult
his or her personal tax adviser with respect to the effects of
his or her ownership of Units on his or her personal tax
situation.
STATE TAX CONSIDERATIONS
THE FOLLOWING IS INTENDED AS A BRIEF SUMMARY OF CERTAIN
INFORMATION REGARDING STATE INCOME TAXES AND OTHER STATE TAX
MATTERS AFFECTING THE TRUST AND THE UNIT HOLDERS. UNIT HOLDERS
SHOULD CONSULT THE UNIT HOLDERS TAX ADVISOR REGARDING
STATE INCOME TAX FILING AND COMPLIANCE MATTERS.
Texas. Texas does not impose an income tax. Therefore, no
part of the income produced by the Trust is subject to an income
tax in Texas. However, corporations and limited liability
companies doing business in Texas are subject to the Texas
franchise tax, which includes a calculation based upon the
companys taxable income for federal income tax purposes
(or comparable amounts, in the case of limited liability
companies). It is unlikely that the ownership of Units would be
sufficient to subject a corporate Unit holder to the franchise
tax who is not otherwise doing business in Texas and who does
not have control over the Trust or the Trustee of the Trust.
Under certain circumstances, Texas inheritance tax may be
applicable to property in Texas (including intangible personal
property such as the Units) of both resident and nonresident
decedents.
Louisiana. The Trustee is required to file with Louisiana
a return reflecting the income of the Trust attributable to
mineral interests located in Louisiana. Both Louisiana resident
and non-resident Unit holders may be subject to the Louisiana
personal, corporate and/or franchise tax as certain income and
expenses from the Trust are from sources within Louisiana. Units
held by residents of Louisiana, to the extent that they
represent a proportionate share of mineral royalties from
mineral interests located in Louisiana, are subject to Louisiana
inheritance and other taxes and probate, community property,
forced heirship and other rules. For deaths occurring after
June 30, 2004, no Louisiana inheritance tax is due and no
inheritance tax return is required if certain requirements are
met. Special rules apply for decedents estates located in
areas impacted by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita of 2005. Units
held of record by a person who was not domiciled in Louisiana at
the date of death generally are not subject to Louisiana
inheritance taxes or probate, community property or forced
heirship rules, and Units transferred inter vivos by
non-domiciliaries of Louisiana generally are not subject to
Louisiana gift tax.
Florida, Mississippi, New Mexico and Oklahoma. Florida
does not have a personal income tax. Florida imposes an income
tax on resident and nonresident corporations (except for
S corporations not subject to the built-in gains tax or
passive investment income tax), which will be applicable to
royalty income allocable to a corporate Unit holder from
properties located within Florida. Mississippi, New Mexico and
Oklahoma each impose an income tax applicable to both resident
and nonresident individuals and corporations (subject to certain
exceptions for S corporations and limited liability
companies, depending on their treatment for federal tax
purposes), which will be applicable to royalty income allocable
to a Unit holder
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from properties located within these states. Although the Trust
may be required to file information returns with taxing
authorities in those states and provide copies of such returns
to the Unit holders, the Trust should be considered a grantor
trust for state income tax purposes and the Royalty Properties
that are located in such states should be considered economic
interests in minerals for state income tax purposes.
Generally, the state income tax due by nonresidents in all of
the aforementioned states is computed as a percentage of taxable
income attributable to the particular state. By contrast,
residents are taxed on their taxable income from all sources,
wherever earned. Furthermore, even though state laws vary,
taxable income for state purposes is often computed in a manner
similar to the computation of taxable income for federal income
tax purposes. Some of these states give credit for taxes paid to
other states by their residents on income from sources in those
other states. In certain of these states, a Unit holder is
required to file a state income tax return if income is
attributable to the Unit holder even though no tax is owed.
New Mexico imposes a withholding tax on payments of oil and gas
proceeds derived from royalty interests. To reduce the
administrative burden imposed by these rules, the Trustee has
opted to allow the payors of oil and gas proceeds to withhold on
royalty payments made to the Trust. The Trust will then file a
New Mexico tax return, obtain a refund, and distribute that
refund to Unit holders.
Withholding at the Trust level reduces the amount of cash
available for distribution to Unit holders. Unit holders who
transfer their Units before the New Mexico tax refund is
received by the Trust or after the refund is received but before
the next Monthly Record Date will not receive any portion of the
refund. As a result, such Unit holders may incur a double
tax first through the reduced distribution received
from the Trust and second by the tax payment made directly to
New Mexico with the filing of their New Mexico income tax
returns.
REGULATION AND PRICES
Regulation
General
Exploration for and production and sale of oil and gas are
extensively regulated at the national, state and local levels.
Oil and gas development and production activities are subject to
state law, regulation and orders of regulatory bodies pursuant
thereto. These laws may govern a wide variety of matters,
including allowable rates of production, transportation,
marketing, pricing, prevention of waste, and pollution and
protection of the environment. These laws, regulations and
orders have in the past and may again restrict the rate of oil
and gas production below the rate that would otherwise exist in
the absence of such laws, regulations and orders.
Laws affecting the oil and gas industry and the distribution of
its products are under constant review for amendment or
expansion, frequently increasing the regulatory burden. Numerous
governmental departments and agencies are authorized by statute
to issue and have issued rules and regulations binding on the
oil and gas industry which often are difficult and costly to
comply with and which carry substantial penalties for the
failure to comply.
Natural Gas
Prices for the sale of natural gas, like the sale of other
commodities, are governed by the marketplace and the provisions
of applicable gas sales contracts. The Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission (FERC), which principally is responsible
for regulating interstate transportation and the sale of natural
gas, has taken significant steps in the implementation of a
policy to restructure the natural gas pipeline industry to
promote full competition in the sales of natural gas, so that
all natural gas suppliers, including pipelines, can compete
equally for sales customers. This policy has been implemented
largely through restructuring proceedings and is subject to
continuing refinement. The effects of this policy are now
presumably fully reflected in the natural gas markets. The
current policy of FERC continues to promote
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increased competition among gas industry participants.
Accordingly, Order 636 and various other orders have been
proposed and implemented to encourage nondiscriminatory
open-access transportation by interstate pipelines and to
provide for the unbundling of pipeline services so that such
services may also be furnished by nonpipeline suppliers on a
competitive basis.
There are many other statutes, rules, regulations and orders
that affect the pricing or transportation of natural gas. Some
of the provisions are and will be subject to court or
administrative review. Consequently, uncertainty as to the
ultimate impact of these regulatory provisions on the prices and
production of natural gas from the Royalty Properties is
expected to continue for the foreseeable future.
Prices
Oil
The Trusts average per barrel oil price increased from
$33.78 in 2004 to $40.47 in 2005. The Trustee believes that the
international instability all year coupled with increasing
global demand and supply shortage concerns led to an increase in
the price of oil. This increase was magnified by reduced
production as a result of the tropical storms in the Gulf of
Mexico in late August and early September. Afterwards oil prices
soared to record levels, reaching over $69 per barrel.
Natural Gas
Natural gas prices, which once were determined largely by
governmental regulations, are now being governed by the
marketplace. Substantial competition in the natural gas
marketplace continues. In addition, competition with alternative
fuels persists. The average price received by the Trust in 2005
on natural gas volumes sold of $6.84 per Mcf represented a
significant increase from the $4.80 per Mcf received in
2004, due largely to international instability and the tropical
storms in the Gulf of Mexico in late August and early September.
Environmental Regulation
General. Activities on the Royalty Properties are subject
to existing federal, state and local laws (including case law),
rules and regulations governing health, safety, environmental
quality and pollution control. It is anticipated that, absent
the occurrence of an extraordinary event, compliance with
existing federal, state and local laws, rules and regulations
regulating health, safety, the release of materials into the
environment or otherwise relating to the protection of the
environment will not have a material adverse effect upon the
Trust or Unit holders. The Trustee cannot predict what effect
additional regulation or legislation, enforcement policies
thereunder, and claims for damages to property, employees, other
persons and the environment resulting from operations on the
Royalty Properties could have on the Trust or Unit holders. Even
if the Trust were not directly liable for costs or expenses
related to these matters, increased costs of compliance could
result in wells being plugged and abandoned earlier in their
productive lives, with a resulting loss of reserves and revenues
to the Trust.
Superfund. The Comprehensive Environmental Response,
Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA), also known
as the superfund law, imposes liability, regardless
of fault or the legality of the original conduct, on certain
classes of persons that contributed to the release of a
hazardous substance into the environment. These
persons include the current or previous owner and operator of a
site and companies that disposed, or arranged for the disposal,
of the hazardous substance found at a site. CERCLA also
authorizes the Environmental Protection Agency and, in some
cases, private parties to take actions in response to threats to
the public health or the environment and to seek recovery from
such responsible classes of persons of the costs of such action.
In the course of operations, the working interest owner and/or
the operator of Royalty Properties may have generated and may
generate wastes that may fall within CERCLAs definition of
hazardous substances. The operator of the Royalty
Properties or the working interest owners may be responsible
under CERCLA for all or part of the costs to clean up sites at
which such substances have been disposed. Although the Trust is
not the operator of any Royalty Properties, or
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the owner of any working interest, its ownership of royalty
interests could cause it to be responsible for all or part of
such costs to the extent CERCLA imposes responsibility on
parties as owners.
Solid and Hazardous Waste. The Royalty Properties have
produced oil and/or gas for many years, and, although the Trust
has no knowledge of the procedures followed by the operators of
the Royalty Properties in this regard, hydrocarbons or other
solid or hazardous wastes may have been disposed or released on
or under the Royalty Properties by the current or previous
operators. Federal, state and local laws applicable to oil- and
gas-related wastes and properties have become increasingly more
stringent. Under these laws, removal or remediation of
previously disposed wastes or property contamination could be
required.
New Events
Proxy Solicitation
On January 4, 2006, proxy solicitation materials were
mailed to unitholders of record and unitholders who hold the
units through brokerage accounts. The solicitation received by
unitholders concerns an initiative created by Sabine Production
Partners, LP.
Despite the similarity of the name of Sabine Production
Partners, LP (SPP), it is not an entity that is
affiliated with Sabine Royalty Trust (SRT or the
Trust).
In the proposals SPP sets forth in its proxy solicitation, SPP
seeks to gain control of the assets of Sabine Royalty Trust by
liquidating the Trust in a manner whereby the assets of the
Trust are sold to SPP in exchange for partnership interests in
SPP that would be distributed to unitholders of the Trust upon
its liquidation.
On January 31, 2006, Sabine Production Partners, LP
(SPP) announced that it is suspending indefinitely
its previously-announced solicitation of proxies from
unitholders of Sabine Royalty Trust. SPP is not withdrawing or
abandoning its Registration Statement or Proxy Statement/
Prospectus. No recommencement of the solicitation will occur
without a public announcement to that effect by SPP and the
making of appropriate filings with the SEC. Until such
announcement and filings, SPP has stated that it will not
attempt to call a meeting of SBR unitholders using any proxies
that have been submitted prior to recommencement.
Item 1A. Risk Factors
Crude oil and natural gas prices are volatile and fluctuate
in response to a number of factors; Lower prices could reduce
the net proceeds payable to the Trust and Trust
distributions.
The Trusts monthly distributions are highly dependent upon
the prices realized from the sale of crude oil and natural gas
and a material decrease in such prices could reduce the amount
of cash distributions paid to Unit holders. Crude oil and
natural gas prices can fluctuate widely on a
month-to-month basis in
response to a variety of factors that are beyond the control of
the Trust. Factors that contribute to price fluctuation include,
among others:
| political conditions in major oil producing regions, especially in the Middle East; | |
| worldwide economic conditions; | |
| weather conditions; | |
| the supply and price of domestic and foreign crude oil or natural gas; | |
| the level of consumer demand; | |
| the price and availability of alternative fuels; | |
| the proximity to, and capacity of, transportation facilities; |
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| the effect of worldwide energy conservation measures; and | |
| the nature and extent of governmental regulation and taxation. |
When crude oil and natural gas prices decline, the Trust is
affected in two ways. First, net income from the Royalty
Properties is reduced. Second, exploration and development
activity by operators on the Royalty Properties may decline as
some projects may become uneconomic and are either delayed or
eliminated. It is impossible to predict future crude oil and
natural gas price movements, and this reduces the predictability
of future cash distributions to Unit holders.
Trust reserve estimates depend on many assumptions that may
prove to be inaccurate, which could cause both estimated
reserves and estimated future net revenues to be too high,
leading to write-downs of estimated reserves.
The value of the Units will depend upon, among other things, the
reserves attributable to the Royalty Properties. The
calculations of proved reserves and estimating reserves is
inherently uncertain. In addition, the estimates of future net
revenues are based upon various assumptions regarding future
production levels, prices and costs that may prove to be
incorrect over time.
The accuracy of any reserve estimate is a function of the
quality of available data, engineering interpretation and
judgment, and the assumptions used regarding the quantities of
recoverable crude oil and natural gas and the future prices of
crude oil and natural gas. Petroleum engineers consider many
factors and make many assumptions in estimating reserves. Those
factors and assumptions include:
| historical production from the area compared with production rates from similar producing areas; | |
| the effects of governmental regulation; | |
| assumptions about future commodity prices, production and taxes; | |
| the availability of enhanced recovery techniques; and | |
| relationships with landowners, working interest partners, pipeline companies and others. |
Changes in any of these factors and assumptions can materially
change reserve and future net revenue estimates. The
Trusts estimate of reserves and future net revenues is
further complicated because the Trust holds an interest in net
royalties and overriding royalties and does not own a specific
percentage of the crude oil or natural gas reserves. Ultimately,
actual production, revenues and expenditures for the Royalty
Properties, and therefore actual net proceeds payable to the
Trust, will vary from estimates and those variations could be
material. Results of drilling, testing and production after the
date of those estimates may require substantial downward
revisions or write-downs of reserves.
The assets of the Trust are depleting assets and, if the
operators developing the Royalty Properties do not perform
additional development projects, the assets may deplete faster
than expected. Eventually, the assets of the Trust will cease to
produce in commercial quantities and the Trust will cease to
receive proceeds from such assets. In addition, a reduction in
depletion tax benefits may reduce the market value of the
Units.
The net proceeds payable to the Trust are derived from the sale
of depleting assets. The reduction in proved reserve quantities
is a common measure of depletion. Projects, which are determined
solely by the operator, on the Royalty Properties will affect
the quantity of proved reserves and can offset the reduction in
proved reserves. If the operators developing the Royalty
Properties do not implement additional maintenance and
development projects, the future rate of production decline of
proved reserves may be higher than the rate currently expected
by the Trust.
Because the net proceeds payable to the Trust are derived from
the sale of depleting assets, the portion of distributions to
Unit holders attributable to depletion may be considered a
return of capital as opposed to a return on investment.
Distributions that are a return of capital will ultimately
diminish the depletion tax
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benefits available to the Unit holders, which could reduce the
market value of the Units over time. Eventually, the Royalty
Properties will cease to produce in commercial quantities and
the Trust will, therefore, cease to receive any distributions of
net proceeds therefrom.
The market price for the Units may not reflect the value of
the royalty interests held by the Trust.
The public trading price for the Units tends to be tied to the
recent and expected levels of cash distribution on the Units.
The amounts available for distribution by the Trust vary in
response to numerous factors outside the control of the Trust,
including prevailing prices for crude oil and natural gas
produced from the Royalty Properties. The market price is not
necessarily indicative of the value that the Trust would realize
if it sold those Royalty Properties to a third party buyer. In
addition, such market price is not necessarily reflective of the
fact that since the assets of the Trust are depleting assets, a
portion of each cash distribution paid on the Units should be
considered by investors as a return of capital, with the
remainder being considered as a return on investment. There is
no guarantee that distributions made to a Unit holder over the
life of these depleting assets will equal or exceed the purchase
price paid by the Unit holder.
Terrorism and continued hostilities in the Middle East could
decrease Trust distributions or the market price of the
Units.
Terrorist attacks and the threat of terrorist attacks, whether
domestic or foreign, as well as the military or other actions
taken in response, cause instability in the global financial and
energy markets. Terrorism, the war in Iraq and other sustained
military campaigns could adversely affect Trust distributions or
the market price of the Units in unpredictable ways, including
through the disruption of fuel supplies and markets, increased
volatility in crude oil and natural gas prices, or the
possibility that the infrastructure on which the operators
developing the Royalty Properties rely could be a direct target
or an indirect casualty of an act of terror.
Unit holders and the Trustee have no influence over the
operations on, or future development of, the Royalty
Properties.
Neither the Trustee nor the Unit holders can influence or
control the operations on, or future development of, the Royalty
Properties. The failure of an operator to conduct its
operations, discharge its obligations, deal with regulatory
agencies or comply with laws, rules and regulations, including
environmental laws and regulations, in a proper manner could
have an adverse effect on the net proceeds payable to the Trust.
The current operators developing the Royalty Properties are
under no obligation to continue operations on the Royalty
Properties. Neither the Trustee nor the Unit holders have the
right to replace an operator.
The operator developing any Royalty Property may abandon the
property, thereby terminating the royalties payable to the
Trust.
The operators developing the Royalty Properties, or any
transferee thereof, may abandon any well or property without the
consent of the Trust or the Unit holders if they reasonably
believe that the well or property can no longer produce in
commercially economic quantities. This could result in the
termination of the royalties relating to the abandoned well or
property.
The Royalty Properties can be sold and the Trust would be
terminated.
The Trustee must sell the Royalty Properties if Unit holders
approve the sale or vote to terminate the Trust as described
under Item 1 Description of the
Trust Voting Rights of Unit Holders above. The
Trustee must also sell the Royalty Properties if they fail to
generate net revenue for the Trust of at least
$2,000,000 per year over any consecutive two-year period.
Sale of all of the Royalty Properties will terminate the Trust.
The net proceeds of any sale will be distributed to the Unit
holders.
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Unit holders have limited voting rights and have limited
ability to enforce the Trusts rights against the current
or future operators developing the Royalty Properties.
The voting rights of a Unit holder are more limited than those
of stockholders of most public corporations. For example, there
is no requirement for annual meetings of Unit holders or for an
annual or other periodic re-election of the Trustee.
The Trust Agreement and related trust law permit the Trustee and
the Trust to take appropriate action against the operators
developing the Royalty Properties to compel them to fulfill the
terms of the conveyance of the Royalty Properties. If the
Trustee does not take appropriate action to enforce provisions
of the conveyance, the recourse of the Unit holders would likely
be limited to bringing a lawsuit against the Trustee to compel
the Trustee to take specified actions. Unit holders probably
would not be able to sue any of the operators developing the
Royalty Properties.
Financial information of the Trust is not prepared in
accordance with GAAP.
The financial statements of the Trust are prepared on a modified
cash basis of accounting, which is a comprehensive basis of
accounting other than accounting principles generally accepted
in the United States, or GAAP. Although this basis of accounting
is permitted for royalty trusts by the U.S. Securities and
Exchange Commission, the financial statements of the Trust
differ from GAAP financial statements because revenues are not
accrued in the month of production and cash reserves may be
established for specified contingencies and deducted which could
not be accrued in GAAP financial statements.
The limited liability of the Unit holders in uncertain.
The Unit holders are not protected from the liabilities of the
Trust to the same extent that a shareholder would be protected
from a corporations liabilities. The structure of the
Trust does not include the interposition of a limited liability
entity such as a corporation or limited partnership which would
provide further limited liability protection to Unit holders.
While the Trustee is liable for any excess liabilities incurred
if the Trustee fails to insure that such liabilities are to be
satisfied only out of Trust assets, under the laws of Texas,
which are unsettled on this point, a holder of Units may be
jointly and severally liable for any liability of the Trust if
the satisfaction of such liability was not contractually limited
to the assets of the Trust and the assets of the Trust and the
Trustee are not adequate to satisfy such liability. As a result,
Unit holders may be exposed to personal liability.
Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments
The Trust has not received any written comments from the
Securities and Commission staff regarding its periodic or
current reports under the Act within the 180 days preceding
December 31, 2005.
Item 2. Properties.
The assets of the Registrant consist principally of the Royalty
Properties, which constitute interests in gross production
of oil, gas and other minerals free of the costs of production.
The Royalty Properties consist of royalty and mineral interests,
including landowners royalties, overriding royalty
interests, minerals (other than executive rights, bonuses
and delay rentals), production payments and any other similar,
nonparticipatory interest, in certain producing and proved
undeveloped oil and gas properties located in Florida,
Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas. These
properties are represented by approximately 5,400 tracts of
land. Approximately 2,950 of the tracts are in Oklahoma, 1,750
in Texas, 330 in Louisiana, 200 in New Mexico, 150 in
Mississippi and 12 in Florida.
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The following table summarizes total developed and proved
undeveloped acreage represented by the Royalty Properties at
December 31, 2005.
Mineral and Royalty | |||||||||
State | Gross Acres | Net Acres | |||||||
Florida
|
5,448 | 697 | |||||||
Louisiana
|
244,391 | 23,682 | |||||||
Mississippi
|
75,489 | 9,713 | |||||||
New Mexico
|
112,294 | 9,141 | |||||||
Oklahoma
|
381,538 | 67,558 | |||||||
Texas
|
1,273,132 | 105,760 | |||||||
Total
|
2,092,292 | 216,551 | |||||||
Detailed information concerning the number of wells on royalty
properties is not generally available to the owner of royalty
interests. Consequently, the Registrant does not have
information that would be disclosed by a company with oil and
gas operations, such as an accurate count of the number of wells
located on the Royalty Properties, the number of exploratory or
development wells drilled on the Royalty Properties during the
periods presented by this report, or the number of wells in
process or other present activities on the Royalty Properties,
and the Registrant cannot readily obtain such information.
Title
The conveyances of the Royalty Properties to the Trust covered
the royalty and mineral properties located in the six states
that were vested in Sabine Corporation on the effective date of
the conveyances and that were subject to existing oil, gas and
other mineral leases other than properties specifically excluded
in the conveyances. Since Sabine Corporation may not have had
available to it as a royalty owner information as to whether
specific lands in which it owned a royalty interest were subject
to an existing lease, minimal amounts of nonproducing royalty
properties may also have been conveyed to the Trust. Sabine
Corporation did not warrant title to the Royalty Properties
either expressly or by implication.
Reserves
The Registrant has obtained from DeGolyer and MacNaughton,
independent petroleum engineering consultants, a study of the
proved oil and gas reserves attributable as of January 1,
2006 to the Royalty Properties. The following letter report
summarizes such reserve study and sets forth information as to
the assumptions, qualifications, procedures and other matters
relating to such reserve study. Because the only assets of the
Trust are the Royalty Properties, the Trustee believes the
reserve study provides useful information for Unit holders.
There are many uncertainties inherent in estimating quantities
and values of proved reserves and in projecting future rates of
production. The reserve data set forth herein, although prepared
by independent petroleum engineers in a manner customary in the
industry, are estimates only, and actual quantities and values
of oil and gas are likely to differ from the estimated amounts
set forth herein. In addition, the reserve estimates for the
Royalty Properties will be affected by future changes in sales
prices for oil and gas produced. See Note 8 of the Notes to
Financial Statements in Item 8 hereof for additional
information regarding the proved oil and gas reserves of the
Trust. Other than those filed with the SEC, our estimated
reserves have not been filed with or included in any reports to
any federal agency.
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DeGolyer and
MacNaughton
5001 Spring Valley
Road
Suite 800
East
Dallas, Texas
75244
March 7, 2006
Bank of America, N.A.
P. O. Box 830650
Dallas, Texas 75283-0650
Gentlemen:
Pursuant to your request, we have prepared estimates of the
extent and value of the proved crude oil, condensate, natural
gas liquids (NGL), and natural gas reserves, as of
January 1, 2006, of certain royalty interests owned by
Sabine Royalty Trust (the Trust). The properties appraised
consist of royalties located in Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi,
New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. Bank of America, N.A. (Bank of
America) acts as trustee of the Trust.
Information used in the preparation of this report was obtained
from Bank of America, from records on file with the appropriate
regulatory agencies, and from public sources. Additionally, this
information includes data supplied by Petroleum Information/
Dwights LLC; Copyright 2006 Petroleum Information/ Dwights LLC.
During this investigation, we consulted freely with officers and
employees of Bank of America and were given access to such
accounts, records, geological and engineering reports, and other
data as were desired for examination. In the preparation of this
report we have relied, without independent verification, upon
information furnished by Bank of America with respect to
property interests owned by the Trust, production from such
properties, current prices for production, agreements relating
to current and future operations and sale of production, and
various other information and data that were accepted as
represented. It was not considered necessary to make a field
examination of the physical condition and operation of the
properties in which the Trust owns interests.
Our reserves estimates are based on a detailed study of the
properties and were prepared by the use of standard geological
and engineering methods generally accepted by the petroleum
industry. The method or combination of methods used in the
analysis of each reservoir was tempered by experience with
similar reservoirs, consideration of the stage of development,
and the quality and completeness of basic data. The Trust owns
several thousand royalty interests. In view of the limited
information available to a royalty owner and the small reserves
volumes attributable to many of these interests, certain of the
reserves representing approximately 41 percent of the total
reserves of the properties included herein were summarized by
state or field and estimated in the aggregate rather than on a
property-by-property basis. Historical records of net production
and revenue and experience with similar properties were used in
evaluating these properties.
Reserves estimated in this report are expressed as gross and net
reserves. Gross reserves are defined as the total estimated
petroleum to be produced from these properties after
December 31, 2005. Net reserves are defined as that portion
of the gross reserves attributable to the interests owned by the
Trust after deducting royalties and other interests held by
others. Gas volumes shown herein are sales-gas volumes and are
expressed at a temperature base of 60 degrees Fahrenheit and at
the legal pressure base of the state in which the interest is
located. Sales gas is defined as the total gas to be produced
from the reservoirs, measured at the point of delivery, after
reduction for fuel usage, flare, and shrinkage resulting from
field separation and processing. Condensate reserves estimated
herein are those to be recovered by normal field separation. NGL
reserves are those attributed to the leasehold interests
according to processing agreements.
Petroleum reserves included in this report are classified by
degree of proof as proved and are judged to be economically
producible in future years from known reservoirs under existing
economic and operating
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conditions and assuming continuation of current regulatory
practices using conventional production methods and equipment.
In the analyses of production-decline curves, reserves were
estimated only to the limit of economic rates of production
under existing economic and operating conditions using prices
and expenses as of the date the estimate is made, including
consideration of changes in existing prices provided only by
contractual arrangements but not including escalations based
upon future conditions. Proved reserves classifications used in
this report are in accordance with the reserves definitions of
Rules 4-10(a)
(1)-(13) of
Regulation S-X of
the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) of the United
States. The petroleum reserves are classified as follows:
Proved oil and gas reserves Proved oil and gas reserves are the estimated quantities of crude oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids which geological and engineering data demonstrate with reasonable certainty to be recoverable in future years from known reservoirs under existing economic and operating conditions, i.e., prices and expenses as of the date the estimate is made. Prices include consideration of changes in existing prices provided only by contractual arrangements, but not on escalations based upon future conditions. |
(i) Reservoirs are considered proved if economic producibility is supported by either actual production or conclusive formation test. The area of a reservoir considered proved includes (A) that portion delineated by drilling and defined by gas-oil and/or oil-water contacts, if any; and (B) the immediately adjoining portions not yet drilled, but which can be reasonably judged as economically productive on the basis of available geological and engineering data. In the absence of information on fluid contacts, the lowest known structural occurrence of hydrocarbons controls the lower proved limit of the reservoir. | |
(ii) Reserves which can be produced economically through application of improved recovery techniques (such as fluid injection) are included in the proved classification when successful testing by a pilot project, or the operation of an installed program in the reservoir, provides support for the engineering analysis on which the project or program was based. | |
(iii) Estimates of proved reserves do not include the following: (A) oil that may become available from known reservoirs but is classified separately as indicated additional reserves (B) crude oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids, the recovery of which is subject to reasonable doubt because of uncertainty as to geology, reservoir characteristics, or economic factors; (C) crude oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids, that may occur in undrilled prospects; and (D) crude oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids, that may be recovered from oil shales, coal, gilsonite, and other such sources. |
Proved developed oil and gas reserves Proved developed oil and gas reserves are reserves that can be expected to be recovered through existing wells with existing equipment and operating methods. Additional oil and gas expected to be obtained through the application of fluid injection or other improved recovery techniques for supplementing the natural forces and mechanisms of primary recovery should be included as proved developed reserves only after testing by a pilot project or after the operation of an installed program has confirmed through production response that increased recovery will be achieved. | |
Proved undeveloped reserves Proved undeveloped oil and gas reserves are reserves that are expected to be recovered from new wells on undrilled acreage, or from existing wells where a relatively major expenditure is required for recompletion. Reserves on undrilled acreage shall be limited to those drilling units offsetting productive units that are reasonably certain of production when drilled. Proved reserves for other undrilled units can be claimed only where it can be demonstrated with certainty that there is continuity of production from the existing productive formation. Under no circumstances should estimates for proved undeveloped reserves be attributable to any acreage for which an application of fluid injection or other improved recovery technique is contemplated, unless such techniques have been proved effective by actual tests in the area and in the same reservoir. |
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Table of Contents
The development status shown herein represents the status
applicable on January 1, 2006. In the preparation of this
study, data available from wells drilled on the appraised
properties through October 31, 2005, were used in
estimating gross ultimate recovery. When applicable, gross
production estimated to January 1, 2006, was deducted from
gross ultimate recovery to arrive at the estimates of gross
reserves as of January 1, 2006. In some fields, this
required that the production rates be estimated for up to
4 months, since production data were available only through
August 2005.
Estimated net proved reserves, as of January 1, 2006,
attributable to the Trust from the properties appraised are
summarized in thousands of barrels (Mbbl) or millions of cubic
feet (MMcf) as follows:
Proved Developed Reserves | Proved Undeveloped Reserves | |||||||||||||||
Oil, Condensate, | Oil, Condensate, | |||||||||||||||
and NGL | Sales Gas | and NGL | Sales Gas | |||||||||||||
State | (Mbbl) | (MMcf) | (Mbbl) | (MMcf) | ||||||||||||
Florida
|
153 | 20 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||
Louisiana
|
74 | 505 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||
Mississippi
|
101 | 2,134 | 30 | 228 | ||||||||||||
New Mexico
|
470 | 3,469 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||
Oklahoma
|
559 | 9,969 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||
Texas
|
4,840 | 20,075 | 41 | 2 | ||||||||||||
Total
|
6,197 | 36,172 | 71 | 230 |
Revenue values in this report are expressed in terms of
estimated future net revenue and present worth of future net
revenue. These values are based on the continuation of prices in
effect on January 1, 2006. Future gross revenue is defined
as that revenue to be realized from the production and sale of
the estimated net reserves. Future net revenue is calculated by
deducting estimated severance and ad valorem taxes from the
future gross revenue. Present worth of future net revenue is
calculated by discounting the future net revenue at the
arbitrary rate of 10 percent per year compounded monthly
over the expected period of realization.
Revenue values in this report were estimated using the initial
prices and expenses provided by Bank of America. Future prices
were estimated using guidelines established by the SEC and the
Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB). The initial and
future prices used in this report are adjusted to prices on
January 1, 2006, based on receipts by the Trust in December
2005. The assumptions used for estimating future prices and
expenses are as follows:
Oil, Condensate, NGL, and Natural Gas Prices |
Oil, condensate, NGL, and natural gas prices, based on receipts by the Trust in December 2005, were furnished by Bank of America. These prices were adjusted to the NYMEX posted prices for oil of $60.32 per barrel and for gas of $10.06 per million British thermal units, and were held constant for the lives of the properties. The weighted average prices over the lives of the properties were $53.65 per barrel of oil and $8.64 per thousand cubic feet. |
Expenses |
The properties appraised are royalties. Therefore, no operating expenses or capital costs are incurred. The expenses reported are primarily severance taxes and ad valorem taxes, which are based on historical tax rates furnished by Bank of America. Several properties incur additional expenses related to transportation, marketing, and/or other expenses that are charged to the royalty interests. These expenses are reported as transportation expenses. No escalation has been applied to the expenses. |
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Table of Contents
A projection of the estimated future net revenue from the
properties appraised, as of January 1, 2006, based on the
aforementioned assumptions concerning prices and expenses is
summarized as follows, expressed in thousands of dollars (M$):
Future Net | ||||
Revenue | ||||
Year Ending December 31 | (M$) | |||
2006
|
57,555 | |||
2007
|
50,429 | |||
2008
|
44,812 | |||
Subtotal
|
152,796 | |||
Remaining
|
413,281 | |||
Total
|
566,077 |
The present worth, at a discount rate of 10 percent, of
future net revenue, as of January 1, 2006, is estimated to
be M$287,777.
Estimates of oil, condensate, NGL, and gas reserves and future
net revenue should be regarded only as estimates that may change
as further production history and additional information become
available. Not only are such reserves and revenue estimates
based on that information which is currently available, but such
estimates are also subject to the uncertainties inherent in the
application of judgmental factors in interpreting such
information.
In our opinion, the information relating to estimated proved
reserves, estimated future net revenue from proved reserves, and
present worth of estimated future net revenue from proved
reserves of oil, condensate, natural gas liquids, and gas
contained in this report has been prepared in accordance with
Paragraphs 10-13,
15 and 30(a)-(b) of
Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 69
(November 1982) of the FASB and
Rules 4-10(a)
(1)-(13) of
Regulation S-X and
Rule 302(b) of
Regulation S-K of
the SEC; provided, however, that (i) certain estimated data
have not been provided with respect to changes in reserves
information, (ii) future income tax expenses have not been
taken into account in estimating the future net revenue and
present worth values set forth herein, and (iii) at the
request of Bank of America and because of the limited
availability of data, proved reserves, future net revenue
therefrom, and the present worth thereof for certain royalty
interests accounting for approximately 41 percent of the
Trusts total proved reserves have been estimated in the
aggregate by state or field rather than on a
property-by-property basis using net production and revenue data
and our general knowledge of producing characteristics in the
geographic areas in which such interests are located.
To the extent that the above-enumerated rules, regulations, and
statements require determinations of an accounting or legal
nature or information beyond the scope of our report, we are
necessarily unable to express an opinion as to whether the
above-described information is in accordance therewith or
sufficient therefor.
Submitted, | |
DeGOLYER and MacNAUGHTON | |
/s/ Paul J. Szatkowski, P.E. | |
|
|
Paul J. Szatkowski, P.E. | |
Senior Vice President | |
DeGolyer and MacNaughton |
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Table of Contents
There are numerous uncertainties inherent in estimating
quantities of proved reserves and in projecting the future rates
of production and timing of development. The preceding reserve
data in the letter regarding the study represent estimates only
and should not be construed to be exact. The estimated present
worth of future net revenue amounts shown by the study should
not be construed as the current fair market value of the
estimated oil and gas reserves since a market value
determination would include many additional factors.
Reserve estimates may be adjusted from time to time as more
accurate information on the volume or recoverability of existing
reserves becomes available. Actual reserve quantities do not
change, however, except through production. The Trust continues
to own only the Royalty Properties that were initially
transferred to the Trust at the time of its creation and is
prohibited by the Trust Agreement from acquiring additional oil
and gas interests.
The future net revenue shown by the study has not been reduced
for administrative costs and expenses of the Trust in future
years. The costs and expenses of the Trust may increase in
future years, depending on the amount of income from the Royalty
Properties, increases in the Trustees fees (including
escrow agent fees) and expenses, accounting, engineering, legal
and other professional fees, and other factors. It is expected
that the costs and expenses of the Trust in 2006 will be
approximately $2,280,000.
The present value of future net revenue of the Trusts
proved developed reserves increased from $194,229,373 at
January 1, 2005 to $289,141,236 at January 1, 2006.
This increase resulted primarily from the gas prices used
in the calculation of such amount, from $5.66 per Mcf of
gas at January 1, 2005 to $8.64 per Mcf of gas at
January 1, 2006, as well as an increase in the price of oil
from $39.14 per barrel of oil at January 1, 2005 to
$53.65 per barrel of oil at January 1, 2006.
Subsequent to year end, the price of both oil and gas continued
to fluctuate, giving rise to a correlating adjustment of the
respective standardized measure of discounted future net cash
flows. As of March 6, 2006, the NYMEX posted oil price was
approximately $62.41 per barrel, which compared to the
posted price of $60.32 per barrel, used to calculate the
worth of future net revenue of the Trusts proved developed
reserves, would result in a larger standardized measure of
discounted future net cash flows for oil. As of March 6,
2006, the NYMEX posted gas price was $6.49 per million
British thermal units. The use of such price, as compared to the
posted price of $10.06 per million British thermal units, used
to calculate the future net revenue to the Trusts proved
developed reserves would result in a smaller standardized
measure of discounted future net cash flows for gas.
The volatile nature of the world energy markets makes it
difficult to estimate future prices of oil and gas. The prices
obtained for oil and gas depend upon numerous factors, none of
which is within the Trustees control, including the
domestic and foreign supply of oil and gas and the price of
foreign imports, market demand, the price and availability of
alternative fuels, the availability of pipeline capacity,
instability in oil-producing regions and the effect of
governmental regulations.
Item 3. Legal Proceedings.
There are no material pending legal proceedings to which the
Registrant is a party or of which any of its property is the
subject.
Item 4. Submission of Matters to a Vote of
Security Holders.
Not applicable.
20
Table of Contents
PART II
Item 5. Market for Registrants Common
Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of
Equity Securities.
The Units are listed and traded on the New York Stock Exchange
under the symbol SBR. The following table sets forth
the high and low sales prices for the Units and the aggregate
amount of cash distributions paid by the Trust during the
periods indicated.
Sales Price | ||||||||||||
Distributions | ||||||||||||
2005 | High | Low | per Unit | |||||||||
First Quarter
|
$ | 42.97 | $ | 34.71 | $ | 0.69653 | ||||||
Second Quarter
|
42.86 | 36.70 | 0.83104 | |||||||||
Third Quarter
|
51.99 | 42.35 | 0.90890 | |||||||||
Fourth Quarter
|
52.49 | 40.21 | 0.99533 |
Sales Price | ||||||||||||
Distributions | ||||||||||||
2004 | High | Low | per Unit | |||||||||
First Quarter
|
$ | 32.75 | $ | 26.40 | $ | 0.60479 | ||||||
Second Quarter
|
36.42 | 30.20 | 0.71585 | |||||||||
Third Quarter
|
40.63 | 33.55 | 0.75767 | |||||||||
Fourth Quarter
|
42.49 | 33.60 | 0.70763 |
At March 7, 2006, there were 14,579,345 Units
outstanding and approximately 2,047 Unit holders of record.
The Trust does not maintain any equity compensation plans.
The Trust did not repurchase any Units during the period covered
by this report.
Item 6. Selected Financial Data.
Years Ended December 31 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | |||||||||||||||
Royalty Income
|
$ | 54,594,978 | $ | 42,338,724 | $ | 38,761,739 | $ | 28,134,458 | $ | 44,222,701 | ||||||||||
Distributable Income
|
52,680,811 | 40,587,685 | 37,060,003 | 26,539,751 | 42,805,378 | |||||||||||||||
Distributable Income per Unit
|
3.61 | 2.78 | 2.54 | 1.82 | 2.94 | |||||||||||||||
Total Assets at Year End
|
7,371,124 | 4,912,815 | 5,555,045 | 5,391,280 | 5,855,378 | |||||||||||||||
Distributions per Unit
|
3.43 | 2.79 | 2.52 | 1.88 | 2.86 |
Item 7. Trustees Discussion and Analysis
of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Sabine Royalty Trust (the Trust) makes monthly
distributions to its Unit holders of the excess of the preceding
months revenues received over expenses incurred. Upon
receipt, royalty income is invested in short-term investments
until its subsequent distribution. In accordance with the Trust
Agreement, the Trusts only long-term assets consist of
royalty interests in producing oil and gas properties. Although
the Trust is permitted to borrow funds if necessary to continue
its operations, borrowings are not anticipated in the
foreseeable future. Accordingly the Trust is dependent on its
operations to generate excess cash flows utilized in making
distributions. These operating cash flows are largely dependent
on such factors as oil and gas prices and production volumes,
which are influenced by many factors beyond the control of the
Trust. As a royalty owner, the Trust does not have access to
certain types of information that would be disclosed by
21
Table of Contents
a company with oil and gas operations. See Item 2.
Properties for a discussion of the types of information
not available to the Trust.
The amount to be distributed to Unit holders (Monthly
Income Amount) is determined on a monthly basis. The
Monthly Income Amount is an amount equal to the sum of cash
received by the Trust during a monthly period (the period
commencing on the day after a monthly record date and continuing
through and including the next succeeding monthly record date)
attributable to the Royalty Properties, any reduction in cash
reserves and any other cash receipts of the Trust, including
interest, reduced by the sum of liabilities paid and any
increase in cash reserves. Unit holders of record as of the
monthly record date (the 15th day of each calendar month,
except in limited circumstances) are entitled to have
distributed to them the calculated Monthly Income Amount for
such month on or before 10 business days after the monthly
record date. The Monthly Income Amount per Unit is declared by
the Trust no later than 10 days prior to the monthly record
date. The cash received by the Trust is primarily from
purchasers of the Trusts oil and gas production and
consists of gross sales of production less applicable severance
taxes.
Results of Operations
Distributable income consists of royalty income plus interest
income plus any decrease in cash reserves established by the
Trustee less general and administrative expenses of the Trust
less any increase in cash reserves established by the Trustee.
The Trusts royalty income represents payments received
during a particular time period for oil and gas production from
the Trusts properties. Because of various factors which
influence the timing of the Trusts receipt of payments,
royalty income for any particular time period will usually
include payments for oil and gas produced in prior periods. The
price and volume figures that follow represent the volumes and
prices for which the Trust received payment during 2004 and 2005.
Net royalty income during 2005 increased approximately
$12,256,000, or 28.9 percent, compared to 2004 net royalty
income, which had increased approximately $3,577,000, or
9.2 percent, from 2003 net royalty income.
Revenues generated by sales of oil and gas increased in 2005
from 2004 as a result of higher gas and oil prices along with
increased oil volumes. These increases were tempered by a
decrease in natural gas volumes. Gas volumes decreased from
6,029,402 thousand cubic feet (Mcf) in 2004 to
5,255,624 Mcf in 2005 after decreasing from
6,532,013 Mcf in 2003. The average price per Mcf of gas
received by the Trust increased from $4.80 per Mcf in 2004
to $6.84 per Mcf in 2005, after increasing from
$4.39 per Mcf in 2003. The Trustee believes that normal
market forces, international instability, and the tropical
storms in late August and early September, 2005 resulted in the
higher gas prices.
Oil volumes sold increased to 603,616 barrels in 2005 from
525,862 barrels in 2004, having decreased from
577,087 barrels in 2003. The effect of this volume increase
was enhanced by an increase in the average price per barrel
received by the Trust to $40.47 in 2005 from $33.78 in 2004,
which was an increase from $26.17 in 2003. The Trustee believes
that international instability along with tropical storms in
late August and early September resulted in the increase in
price for 2005.
Interest income increased to $175,000 in 2005 from $51,000 in
2004, which increased from $47,000 in 2003. Changes in interest
income are the result of changes in interest rates and funds
available for investment. General and administrative expenses
increased to $2,090,000 in 2005 compared to $1,802,000 in 2004
due primarily to increases in professional fees for
Sarbanes-Oxley compliance, increased tax reporting to
unitholders, and costs to upgrade the financial reporting of
approximately $67,000, $56,000 and $37,000, respectively. Other
increases included an increase in the trustee/escrow agent fees,
legal fees, auditing expenses and printing fees of $23,000,
$24,000, $13,000, and $27,000, respectively. General and
administrative expenses increased to $1,802,000 in 2004 compared
to $1,749,000 in 2003 due mainly to increases in professional
fees for Sarbanes-Oxley compliance of approximately $91,000.
This increase in professional fees was offset somewhat by
decreases in fees related to unitholder information services and
tax reporting services of approximately $24,000 and $15,000,
respectively.
22
Table of Contents
Contractual Obligations
Less than | More than | |||||||||||||||||||
Contractual Obligations | Total | 1 Year | 1-3 Years | 3-5 Years | 5 Years | |||||||||||||||
Long-Term Debt Obligations
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||||||||
Capital Lease Obligations
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||||||||
Operating Lease Obligations
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||||||||
Purchase Obligations
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||||||||
Other Long-Term Liabilities Reflected on the Trusts Balance Sheet
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||||||||
Total
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||||||||
Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
The Trusts financial statements reflect the selection and
application of accounting policies that require the Trust to
make significant estimates and assumptions. The following are
some of the more critical judgement areas in the application of
accounting policies that currently affect the Trusts
financial condition and results of operations.
1. Basis of Accounting
The financial statements of the Trust are prepared on the
following basis and are not intended to present financial
position and results of operations in conformity with accounting
principles generally accepted in the United States of America:
| Royalty income, net of severance and ad valorem taxes, and interest income are recognized in the month in which amounts are received by either the escrow agent or the Trust. | |
| Trust expenses, consisting principally of routine general and administrative costs, include payments made during the accounting period. Expenses are accrued to the extent of amounts that become payable on the next monthly record date following the end of the accounting period. Reserves for liabilities that are contingent or uncertain in amount may also be established if considered necessary. | |
| Royalties that are producing properties are amortized using the unit-of-production method. This amortization is shown as a reduction of Trust corpus. | |
| Distributions to Unit holders are recognized when declared by the Trustee. |
The financial statements of the Trust differ from financial
statements prepared in conformity with accounting principles
generally accepted in the United States of America because of
the following:
| Royalty income is recognized in the month received rather than in the month of production. | |
| Expenses other than those expected to be paid on the following monthly record date are not accrued. | |
| Amortization of the royalties is shown as a reduction to Trust corpus and not as a charge to operating results. | |
| Reserves may be established for contingencies that would not be recorded under accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. |
This comprehensive basis of accounting other than GAAP
corresponds to the accounting permitted for royalty trusts by
the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, as specified by
Staff Accounting Bulletin Topic 12:E, Financial Statements of
Royalty Trusts.
23
Table of Contents
2. Revenue Recognition
Revenues from royalty interests are recognized in the period in
which amounts are received by the Trust or escrow agent. Royalty
income received by the Trust or escrow agent in a given calendar
year will generally reflect the proceeds, on an entitlements
basis, from natural gas produced for the twelve-month period
ended September 30th in that calendar year and from oil
produced for the twelve-month period ended October 31st in
the same calendar year.
3. Reserve Disclosure
Independent petroleum engineers estimate the net proved reserves
attributable to the royalty interests. In accordance with
Statement of Financial Standards No. 69, Disclosures
About Oil and Gas Producing Activities, estimates of
future net revenues from proved reserves have been prepared
using year-end contractual gas prices and related costs.
Numerous uncertainties are inherent in estimating volumes and
the value of proved reserves and in projecting future production
rates and the timing of development of non-producing reserves.
Such reserve estimates are subject to change as additional
information becomes available. The reserves actually recovered
and the timing of production may be substantially different from
the reserve estimates. See Note 8 of the Notes to Financial
Statements in Item 8 hereof for additional information
regarding the proved oil and gas reserves of the Trust. Other
than those filed with the SEC, our estimated reserves have not
been filed with or included in any reports to any federal agency.
4. Contingencies
Contingencies related to the Royalty Properties that are
unfavorably resolved would generally be reflected by the Trust
as reductions to future royalty income payments to the Trust
with corresponding reductions to cash distributions to Unit
holders. The Trustee is aware of no such items as of
December 31, 2005.
New Accounting Pronouncements
SFAS No. 123R, Accounting for Stock-Based
Compensation was issued in December 2004 and provides
new implementation guidance for stock-based compensation
accounting. This Statement is effective for public entities that
do not file as small business issuers as of the
beginning of the first interim or annual reporting period that
begins after June 15, 2005. The Trust has no options or
other stock-based instruments and accordingly, this new Standard
will have no impact on the financial statements of the Trust.
In May 2005, the FASB issued Statement of Financial Accounting
Standards No. 154, Accounting Changes and Error
Corrections A Replacement of APB Opinion No. 20
and FASB Statement No. 3. SFAS No. 154
requires retrospective application, or application on the latest
practical date, as the preferred method to report a change in
accounting principle or correction of an error.
SFAS No. 154 is effective for accounting changes and
corrections of errors made in fiscal years beginning after
December 15, 2005. This new standard has no impact on the
financial statements of the Trust.
In March 2005, the FASB issued FASB Interpretation No. 47,
Accounting for Conditional Asset Retirement
Obligations, (FIN 47). FIN 47
clarifies the term conditional asset retirement obligation and
requires a liability to be recorded if the fair value of the
obligation can be reasonably estimated. The types of asset
retirement obligations that are covered by FIN 47 are those
for which an entity has a legal obligation to perform an asset
retirement activity; however the timing and/or method of
settling the obligation are conditional on a future event that
may or may not be within the control of the entity. FIN 47
is effective for fiscal years ending after December 15,
2005. This new standard has no impact on the financial
statements of the Trust.
24
Table of Contents
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
As stipulated in the Trust Agreement, the Trust is intended to
be passive in nature and the Trustee does not have any control
over or any responsibility relating to the operation of the
Royalty Properties. The Trustee has powers to collect and
distribute proceeds received by the Trust and to pay Trust
liabilities and expenses, and its actions have been limited to
those activities. Therefore, the Trust has not engaged in any
off-balance sheet arrangements.
Inflation
Prices obtained for oil and gas production depend upon numerous
factors that are beyond the control of the Trust, including the
extent of domestic and foreign production, imports of foreign
oil, market demand, domestic and worldwide economic and
political conditions, storage capacity and government
regulations and tax laws. Prices for both oil and gas have
fluctuated between 2003 and 2005. The following table presents
the weighted average prices received per year by the Trust:
Oil | Gas | |||||||
Per BBL | Per Mcf | |||||||
2005
|
$ | 40.47 | $ | 6.84 | ||||
2004
|
33.78 | 4.80 | ||||||
2003
|
26.17 | 4.39 |
Forward-Looking Statements
This Annual Report includes forward-looking
statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, which are intended to be
covered by the safe harbor created thereby. All statements other
than statements of historical fact included in this Annual
Report are forward-looking statements. Such statements include,
without limitation, factors affecting the price of oil and
natural gas contained in Item 1, Business,
certain reserve information and other statements contained in
Item 2, Properties, and certain statements
regarding the Trusts financial position, industry
conditions and other matters contained in this Item 7.
Although the Trustee believes that the expectations reflected in
such forward-looking statements are reasonable, such
expectations are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties and
the Trustee can give no assurance that they will prove correct.
There are many factors, none of which is within the
Trustees control, that may cause such expectations not to
be realized, including, among other things, factors identified
in this Annual Report affecting oil and gas prices (including,
without limitation, the domestic and foreign supply of oil and
gas and the price of foreign imports, market demand, the price
and availability of alternative fuels, the availability of
pipeline capacity, instability in oil-producing regions and the
effect of governmental regulations), the recoverability of
reserves, general economic conditions, actions and policies of
petroleum-producing nations and other changes in the domestic
and international energy markets and the factors identified in
Item 1A, Risk Factors.
Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures
About Market Risk.
The Trust is a passive entity, and other than the Trusts
ability to periodically borrow money as necessary to pay
expenses, liabilities and obligations of the Trust that cannot
be paid out of cash held by the Trust, the Trust is prohibited
from engaging in borrowing transactions. The amount of any such
borrowings is unlikely to be material to the Trust. The Trust
periodically holds short term investments acquired with funds
held by the Trust pending distribution to Unit holders and funds
held in reserve for the payment of Trust expenses and
liabilities. Because of the short-term nature of these
borrowings and investments and certain limitations upon the
types of such investments which may be held by the Trust, the
Trustee believes that the Trust is not subject to any material
interest rate risk. The Trust does not engage in transactions in
foreign currencies which could expose the Trust or Unit holders
to any foreign currency related market risk. The Trust invests
in no derivative financial instruments and has no foreign
operations or long-term debt instruments.
25
Table of Contents
Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary
Data.
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
Unit Holders of Sabine Royalty Trust and
Bank of America, N.A., Trustee
We have audited the accompanying condensed statement of assets,
liabilities and trust corpus of Sabine Royalty Trust (the
Trust) as of December 31, 2005 and 2004, and
the related statements of distributable income and changes in
trust corpus for each of the three years in the period ended
December 31, 2005. These financial statements are the
responsibility of the Trustee. Our responsibility is to express
an opinion on these financial statements based on our audits.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the
Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those
standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain
reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are
free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a
test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in
the financial statements. An audit also includes assessing the
accounting principles used and significant estimates made by
management, as well as evaluating the overall financial
statement presentation. We believe that our audits provide a
reasonable basis for our opinion.
As described in Note 2 to the financial statements, these
financial statements have been prepared on a modified cash basis
of accounting which is a comprehensive basis of accounting other
than accounting principles generally accepted in the United
States of America.
In our opinion, such consolidated financial statements present
fairly, in all material respects, the assets, liabilities and
trust corpus of the Trust at December 31, 2005 and 2004,
and the distributable income and changes in trust corpus for
each of the three years in the period ended December 31,
2005, on the basis of accounting described in Note 2.
We have also audited, in accordance with the standards of the
Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States), the
effectiveness of the Trusts internal control over
financial reporting as of December 31, 2005, based on the
criteria established in Internal Control
Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring
Organizations of the Treadway Commission and our report dated
March 10, 2006 expressed an unqualified opinion on
Trustees assessment of the effectiveness of the
Trusts internal control over financial reporting and an
unqualified opinion on the effectiveness of the Trusts
internal control over financial reporting.
/s/ DELOITTE & TOUCHE LLP
Dallas, Texas
March 10, 2006
26
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SABINE ROYALTY TRUST
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Trust Corpus
December 31, | ||||||||
2005 | 2004 | |||||||
Assets
|
||||||||
Cash and short-term investments
|
$ | 6,335,822 | $ | 3,753,282 | ||||
Royalty interests in oil and gas properties less accumulated
amortization of $21,359,883 (2005) and $21,235,652 (2004)
|
1,035,302 | 1,159,533 | ||||||
Total
|
$ | 7,371,124 | $ | 4,912,815 | ||||
Liabilities And Trust Corpus
|
||||||||
Trust expenses payable
|
$ | 148,696 | $ | 249,308 | ||||
Other payables (Note 4)
|
176,176 | 140,432 | ||||||
Total liabilities
|
324,872 | 389,740 | ||||||
Trust Corpus (14,579,345 units of beneficial interest
authorized and outstanding)
|
7,046,252 | 4,523,075 | ||||||
Total
|
$ | 7,371,124 | $ | 4,912,815 | ||||
Statements of Distributable Income
Year Ended December 31, | ||||||||||||
2005 | 2004 | 2003 | ||||||||||
Royalty Income
|
$ | 54,594,978 | $ | 42,338,724 | $ | 38,761,739 | ||||||
Interest Income
|
175,380 | 50,785 | 47,417 | |||||||||
Total
|
54,770,358 | 42,389,509 | 38,809,156 | |||||||||
General and administrative expenses (Note 6)
|
2,089,547 | 1,801,824 | 1,749,153 | |||||||||
Distributable income
|
$ | 52,680,811 | $ | 40,587,685 | $ | 37,060,003 | ||||||
Distributable income per unit (Basic and Assuming Dilution)
(14,579,345 units) (Note 1)
|
$ | 3.61 | $ | 2.78 | $ | 2.54 | ||||||
Distributions per unit (Note 3)
|
$ | 3.43 | $ | 2.79 | $ | 2.52 | ||||||
Statements of Changes in Trust Corpus
2005 | 2004 | 2003 | ||||||||||
Trust corpus, beginning of year
|
$ | 4,523,075 | $ | 4,700,993 | $ | 4,603,219 | ||||||
Amortization of royalty interests
|
(124,231 | ) | (148,418 | ) | (184,950 | ) | ||||||
Distributable income
|
52,680,811 | 40,587,685 | 37,060,003 | |||||||||
Distributions to unit holders (Note 3)
|
(50,033,403 | ) | (40,617,185 | ) | (36,777,279 | ) | ||||||
Trust corpus, end of year
|
$ | 7,046,252 | $ | 4,523,075 | $ | 4,700,993 | ||||||
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial
statements.
27
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SABINE ROYALTY TRUST
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
1. Trust Organization and Provisions
Sabine Royalty Trust (the Trust) was established by
the Sabine Corporation Royalty Trust Agreement (the Trust
Agreement), made and entered into effective as of
December 31, 1982, to receive a distribution from Sabine
Corporation (Sabine) of royalty and mineral
interests, including landowners royalties, overriding
royalty interests, minerals (other than executive rights,
bonuses and delay rentals), production payments and any other
similar, nonparticipatory interest, in certain producing and
proved undeveloped oil and gas properties located in Florida,
Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas (the
Royalty Properties).
Certificates evidencing units of beneficial interest (the
Units) in the Trust were mailed on December 31,
1982 to Sabines shareholders of record on
December 23, 1982, on the basis of one Unit for each share
of Sabines outstanding common stock. In May 1988, Sabine
was acquired by Pacific Enterprises, a California corporation.
Through a series of mergers, Sabine was merged into Pacific
Enterprises Oil Company (USA) (Pacific (USA)), a
California corporation and a wholly owned subsidiary of Pacific
Enterprises, effective January 1, 1990. This acquisition
and the subsequent mergers had no effect on the Units. Pacific
(USA), as successor to Sabine, has assumed by operation of law
all of Sabines rights and obligations with respect to the
Trust. The Units are listed and traded on the New York Stock
Exchange.
In connection with the transfer of the Royalty Properties to the
Trust upon its formation, Sabine had reserved to itself all
executive rights, including rights to execute leases and to
receive bonuses and delay rentals. In January 1993, Pacific
(USA) completed the sale of substantially all its producing
oil and gas assets to a third party. The sale did not include
executive rights relating to the Royalty Properties, and Pacific
(USA)s ownership of such rights was not affected by the
sale.
The wells on the properties conveyed to the Trust are operated
by many companies including large, established companies such as
BP Amoco, Chevron, ConocoPhillips and Exxon Mobil. The Trustee
believes these operators utilize the recovery methods best
suited for the particular formations on which the properties are
located.
Bank of America, N.A. (the Trustee), acts as trustee
of the Trust. The terms of the Trust Agreement provide, among
other things, that:
| The Trust shall not engage in any business or commercial activity of any kind or acquire assets other than those initially transferred to the Trust. | |
| The Trustee may not sell all or any part of its assets unless approved by the holders of a majority of the outstanding Units in which case the sale must be for cash and the proceeds, after satisfying all existing liabilities, promptly distributed to Unit holders. | |
| The Trustee may establish a cash reserve for the payment of any liability that is contingent or uncertain in amount or that otherwise is not currently due and payable. | |
| The Trustee will use reasonable efforts to cause the Trust and the Unit holders to recognize income and expenses on monthly record dates. | |
| The Trustee is authorized to borrow funds to pay liabilities of the Trust provided that such borrowings are repaid in full before any further distributions are made to Unit holders. | |
| The Trustee will make monthly cash distributions to Unit holders of record on the monthly record date (see Note 3). |
Because of the passive nature of the Trust and the restrictions
and limitations on the powers and activities of the Trustee
contained in the Trust Agreement, the Trustee does not consider
any of the officers
28
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SABINE ROYALTY TRUST
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
and employees of the Trustee to be officers or
executive officers of the Trust as such terms are
defined under applicable rules and regulations adopted under the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
The proceeds of production from the Royalty Properties are
receivable from hundreds of separate payors. In order to
facilitate creation of the Trust and to avoid the administrative
expense and inconvenience of daily reporting to Unit holders,
the conveyances by Sabine of the Royalty Properties located in
five of the six states (Florida, Mississippi, New Mexico,
Oklahoma, and Texas) provided for the execution of an escrow
agreement by Sabine and the initial trustee of the Trust, in its
capacities as trustee of the Trust and as escrow agent. The
conveyances by Sabine of the Royalty Properties located in
Louisiana provided for the execution of a substantially
identical escrow agreement by Sabine and a Louisiana bank in the
capacities of escrow agent and of trustee under the name of
Sabine Louisiana Royalty Trust. Sabine Louisiana Royalty Trust,
the sole beneficiary of which is the Trust, was established in
order to avoid uncertainty under Louisiana law as to the
legality of the Trustees holding record title to the
Royalty Properties located in Louisiana. On December 31,
2001, Bank of America, N.A. assumed the duties as Trustee of the
Sabine Louisiana Royalty Trust, since Louisiana law now permits
an out-of-state bank to act in this capacity. Therefore, the
trust now only has one escrow agent, which is the Trustee, and a
single escrow agreement.
Pursuant to the terms of the escrow agreement and the
conveyances of the properties by Sabine, the proceeds of
production from the Royalty Properties for each calendar month,
and interest thereon, are collected by the escrow agent and are
paid to and received by the Trust only on the next monthly
record date. The escrow agent has agreed to endeavor to assure
that it incurs and pays expenses and fees for each calendar
month only on the next monthly record date. The Trust Agreement
also provides that the Trustee is to endeavor to assure that
income of the Trust will be accrued and received and expenses of
the Trust will be incurred and paid only on each monthly record
date. Assuming that the escrow agreement is recognized for
Federal income tax purposes and that the Trustee, as escrow
agent is able to control the timing of income and expenses, as
stated above, cash and accrual basis Unit holders should be
treated as realizing income only on each monthly record date.
The Trustee is treating the escrow agreement as effective for
tax purposes. However, for financial reporting purposes, royalty
and interest income are recorded in the calendar month in which
the amounts are received by either the escrow agent or the Trust.
Distributable income as determined for financial reporting
purposes for a given quarter will not usually equal the sum of
distributions made during that quarter. Rather, distributable
income for a given quarter will approximate the sum of the
distributions made during the last two months of such quarter
and the first month of the next quarter.
2. Accounting Policies
Basis of Accounting
The financial statements of the Trust are prepared on the
following basis and are not intended to present financial
position and results of operations in conformity with accounting
principles generally accepted in the United States of America:
| Royalty income, net of severance and ad valorem taxes, and interest income are recognized in the month in which amounts are received by either the escrow agent or the Trust (see Note 1). | |
| Trust expenses, consisting principally of routine general and administrative costs, include payments made during the accounting period. Expenses are accrued to the extent of amounts that become payable on the next monthly record date following the end of the accounting period. Reserves for liabilities that are contingent or uncertain in amount may also be established if considered necessary. | |
| Royalties that are producing properties are amortized using the unit-of-production method. This amortization is shown as a reduction of Trust corpus. |
29
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SABINE ROYALTY TRUST
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
| Distributions to Unit holders are recognized when declared by the Trustee (see Note 3). |
The financial statements of the Trust differ from financial
statements prepared in conformity with accounting principles
generally accepted in the United States of America because of
the following:
| Royalty income is recognized in the month received rather than in the month of production. | |
| Expenses other than those expected to be paid on the following monthly record date are not accrued. | |
| Amortization of the royalties is shown as a reduction to Trust corpus and not as a charge to operating results. | |
| Reserves may be established for contingencies that would not be recorded under accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. |
This comprehensive basis of accounting other than accounting
principles generally accepted in the United States of America
corresponds to the accounting permitted for royalty trusts by
the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, as specified by
Staff Accounting Bulletin Topic 12:E, Financial Statements of
Royalty Trusts.
Use of Estimates
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with the
basis of accounting described above requires management to make
estimates and assumptions that affect reported amounts of
certain assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses as of and for
the reporting periods. Actual results may differ from such
estimates.
Impairment
The Trustee routinely reviews its royalty interests in oil and
gas properties for impairment whenever events or circumstances
indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be
recoverable. If an impairment event occurs and it is determined
that the carrying value of the Trusts royalty interests
may not be recoverable, an impairment will be recognized as
measured by the amount by which the carrying amount of the
royalty interests exceeds the fair value of these assets, which
would likely be measured by discounting projected cash flows.
New Accounting Standards
SFAS No. 123R, Accounting for Stock-Based
Compensation was issued in December 2004 and provides
new implementation guidance for stock-based compensation
accounting. This Statement is effective for public entities that
do not file as small business issuers as of the
beginning of the first interim or annual reporting period that
begins after June 15, 2005. The Trust has no options or
other stock-based instruments and accordingly, this new Standard
will have no impact on the financial statements of the Trust.
In May 2005, the FASB issued Statement of Financial Accounting
Standards No. 154, Accounting Changes and Error
Corrections A Replacement of APB Opinion No. 20
and FASB Statement No. 3. SFAS No. 154
requires retrospective application, or application on the latest
practical date, as the preferred method to report a change in
accounting principle or correction of an error.
SFAS No. 154 is effective for accounting changes and
corrections of errors made in fiscal years beginning after
December 15, 2005. This new standard has no impact on the
financial statements of the Trust.
In March 2005, the FASB issued FASB Interpretation No. 47,
Accounting for Conditional Asset Retirement
Obligations, (FIN 47). FIN 47
clarifies the term conditional asset retirement obligation
30
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SABINE ROYALTY TRUST
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
and requires a liability to be recorded if the fair value of the
obligation can be reasonably estimated. The types of asset
retirement obligations that are covered by FIN 47 are those
for which an entity has a legal obligation to perform an asset
retirement activity; however the timing and/or method of
settling the obligation are conditional on a future event that
may or may not be within the control of the entity. FIN 47
is effective for fiscal years ending after December 15,
2005. This new standard has no impact on the financial
statements of the Trust.
Distributable Income Per Unit
Basic distributable income per Unit is computed by dividing
distributable income by the weighted average Units outstanding.
Distributable income per Unit assuming dilution is computed by
dividing distributable income by the weighted average number of
Units and equivalent Units outstanding. The Trust had no
equivalent Units outstanding for any period presented.
Therefore, basic distributable income per Unit and distributable
income per Unit assuming dilution are the same.
Federal Income Taxes
The Internal Revenue Service has ruled that the Trust is
classified as a grantor trust for Federal income tax purposes
and therefore is not subject to taxation at the trust level. The
Unit holders are considered, for Federal income tax purposes, to
own the Trusts income and principal as though no trust
were in existence. Accordingly, no provision for Federal income
tax expense has been made in these financial statements. The
income of the Trust will be deemed to have been received or
accrued by each Unit holder at the time such income is received
or accrued by the Trust, which is on the record date following
the end of each month, as discussed above in Note 1.
3. Distributions to Unit Holders
The amount to be distributed to Unit holders (Monthly
Income Amount) is determined on a monthly basis. The
Monthly Income Amount is an amount equal to the sum of cash
received by the Trust during a monthly period (the period
commencing on the day after a monthly record date and continuing
through and including the next succeeding monthly record date)
attributable to the Royalty Properties, any reduction in cash
reserves and any other cash receipts of the Trust, including
interest, reduced by the sum of liabilities paid and any
increase in cash reserves. Unit holders of record as of the
monthly record date (the 15th day of each calendar month except
in limited circumstances) are entitled to have distributed to
them the calculated Monthly Income Amount for such month on or
before 10 business days after the monthly record date. The
Monthly Income Amount per Unit is declared by the Trust no later
than 10 days prior to the monthly record date.
The cash received by the Trust is primarily from purchasers of
the Trusts oil and gas production and consists of gross
sales of production less applicable severance taxes. In
September 2004, the Trust received a refund from the State of
Oklahoma in the amount of $510,271. This refund represented
taxes that were withheld from the proceeds of production from
the Royalty Properties and remitted to the State of Oklahoma by
purchasers. Income taxes are not payable by the Trust, but are
the responsibility of the individual Unit holders. Therefore the
State of Oklahoma refunded the withheld taxes, and the refund
was included as royalty income in the Trusts October 2004
distribution.
31
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SABINE ROYALTY TRUST
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
4. Other Payables
Other payables consist of the following:
December 31, | 2005 | 2004 | |||||||
Royalty receipts in suspense pending verification of ownership
interest or title
|
$ | 176,176 | $ | 140,432 | |||||
Total
|
$ | 176,176 | $ | 140,432 | |||||
The Trustee believes that these amounts represent an ordinary
operating condition of the Trust and that they will be paid or
released in the normal course of business.
5. Subsequent Events
Distributions
Subsequent to December 31, 2005, the Trust declared the
following distributions:
Monthly Record Date | Payment Date | Distribution per Unit | ||||
January 17, 2006
|
January 31, 2006 | $ | .41419 | |||
February 15, 2006
|
February 28, 2006 | $ | .43431 | |||
March 15, 2006
|
March 29, 2006 | $ | .28242 |
Proxy Solicitation
On January 4, 2006, proxy solicitation materials were
mailed to unitholders of record and unitholders who hold the
units through brokerage accounts. The solicitation received by
unitholders concerns an initiative created by Sabine Production
Partners, LP.
Despite the similarity of the name of Sabine Production
Partners, LP (SPP), it is not an entity that is
affiliated with Sabine Royalty Trust (SRT or the
Trust).
In the proposals SPP sets forth in its proxy solicitation, SPP
seeks to gain control of the assets of Sabine Royalty Trust by
liquidating the Trust in a manner whereby the assets of the
Trust are sold to SPP in exchange for partnership interests in
SPP that would be distributed to unitholders of the Trust upon
its liquidation.
On January 31, 2006, Sabine Production Partners, LP
(SPP) announced that it is suspending indefinitely
its previously-announced solicitation of proxies from
unitholders of Sabine Royalty Trust. SPP is not withdrawing or
abandoning its Registration Statement or Proxy Statement/
Prospectus. No recommencement of the solicitation will occur
without a public announcement to that effect by SPP and the
making of appropriate filings with the SEC. Until such
announcement and filings, SPP has stated that it will not
attempt to call a meeting of SBR unitholders using any proxies
that have been submitted prior to recommencement.
32
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SABINE ROYALTY TRUST
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
6. General and Administrative Expenses
General and administrative expenses for the years ended
December 31, were as follows:
2005 | 2004 | 2003 | ||||||||||
Trustees fee (Bank of America, N.A.)
|
$ | 297,187 | $ | 291,480 | $ | 288,221 | ||||||
Escrow agents fee (Bank of America, N.A.)
|
891,548 | 874,438 | 864,652 | |||||||||
Professional fees
|
377,214 | 264,216 | 182,745 | |||||||||
Unit holders services fees
|
344,259 | 244,970 | 267,427 | |||||||||
Other
|
179,339 | 126,720 | 146,108 | |||||||||
Total General and Administrative Expenses
|
2,089,547 | 1,801,824 | 1,749,153 | |||||||||
7. Quarterly Financial Data (Unaudited)
The following table sets forth the royalty income, distributable
income and distributable income per Unit of the Trust for each
quarter in the years ended December 31, 2005 and 2004 (in
thousands, except per Unit amounts):
Calender | Royalty | Distributable | Distributable | |||||||||
Quarter | Income | Income | Income per Unit | |||||||||
2005
|
||||||||||||
First Quarter
|
$ | 12,354 | $ | 11,718 | $ | 0.80 | ||||||
Second Quarter
|
11,769 | 11,264 | 0.78 | |||||||||
Third Quarter
|
13,695 | 13,303 | 0.91 | |||||||||
Fourth Quarter
|
16,778 | 16,396 | 1.12 | |||||||||
$ | 54,595 | $ | 52,681 | $ | 3.61 | |||||||
2004
|
||||||||||||
First Quarter
|
$ | 9,709 | $ | 9,233 | $ | 0.63 | ||||||
Second Quarter
|
10,376 | 9,889 | 0.68 | |||||||||
Third Quarter
|
11,984 | 11,612 | 0.80 | |||||||||
Fourth Quarter
|
10,270 | 9,854 | 0.67 | |||||||||
$ | 42,339 | $ | 40,588 | $ | 2.78 | |||||||
8. Supplemental Oil and Gas Information (Unaudited)
Reserve Quantities
Information regarding estimates of the proved oil and gas
reserves attributable to the Trust are based on reports prepared
by DeGolyer and MacNaughton, independent petroleum engineering
consultants. Estimates were prepared in accordance with
Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 69
(SFAS 69) and the guidelines established by the
Securities and Exchange Commission. Certain information required
by SFAS 69 is not presented because that information is not
applicable to the Trust due to its passive nature.
Oil and gas reserve quantities (all located in the
United States) are estimates based on information available
at the time of their preparation. Such estimates are subject to
change as additional information becomes available. Reserves
actually recovered, and the timing of the production of those
reserves, may
33
Table of Contents
SABINE ROYALTY TRUST
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
differ substantially from original estimates. The following
schedule presents changes in the Trusts total proved
reserves (in thousands):
Oil | Gas | ||||||||
(Barrels) | (Mcf) | ||||||||
January 1, 2003
|
5,085 | 36,332 | |||||||
Revisions of previous statements
|
880 | 6,546 | |||||||
Production
|
(481 | ) | (5,929 | ) | |||||
December 31, 2003
|
5,484 | 36,949 | |||||||
Revisions of previous statements
|
664 | 5,586 | |||||||
Production
|
(463 | ) | (4,926 | ) | |||||
December 31, 2004
|
5,685 | 37,609 | |||||||
Revisions of previous statements
|
1,152 | 3,359 | |||||||
Production
|
(569 | ) | (4,566 | ) | |||||
December 31, 2005
|
6,268 | 36,402 |
Estimated quantities of proved developed reserves of oil and gas
as of the dates indicated were as follows (in thousands):
Oil | Gas | ||||||||
(Barrels) | (Mcf) | ||||||||
Proved developed reserves:
|
|||||||||
January 1, 2003
|
5,067 | 36,239 | |||||||
December 31, 2003
|
5,454 | 36,878 | |||||||
December 31, 2004
|
5,642 | 37,550 | |||||||
December 31, 2005
|
6,197 | 36,172 |
Disclosure of a Standardized Measure of Discounted Future Net
Cash Flows
The following is a summary of a standardized measure (in
thousands) of discounted future net cash flows related to the
Trusts total proved oil and gas reserve quantities.
Information presented is based upon a valuation of proved
reserves by using discounted cash flows based upon current (at
year end) oil and gas prices ($53.65 per bbl and
$8.64 per Mcf, respectively) and severance and ad
valorem taxes, if any, and economic conditions, discounted at
the required rate of 10 percent. As the Trust is not
subject to taxation at the trust level, no provision for income
taxes has been made in the following disclosure. The impact of
changes in current prices on reserves could vary significantly
from year to year. Accordingly, the information presented below
should not be viewed as an estimate of the fair market value of
the Trusts oil and gas properties nor should it be viewed
as indicative of any trends.
December 31, | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | |||||||||
Future net cash inflows
|
$ | 566,077 | $ | 382,852 | $ | 324,013 | ||||||
Discount of future net cash flows @ 10%
|
(278,300 | ) | (188,623 | ) | (155,206 | ) | ||||||
Standardized measure of discounted future net cash inflows
|
$ | 287,777 | $ | 194,229 | $ | 168,807 | ||||||
34
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SABINE ROYALTY TRUST
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
The change in the standardized measure of discounted future net
cash flows for the years ended December 31, 2005, 2004 and
2003 is as follows (in thousands):
2005 | 2004 | 2003 | ||||||||||
Standardized measure of discounted future net cash flows,
January 1,
|
$ | 194,229 | $ | 168,807 | $ | 138,455 | ||||||
Royalty income, net of severance and ad valorem taxes
|
(54,595 | ) | (42,339 | ) | (38,762 | ) | ||||||
Changes in prices, net of related costs
|
85,699 | 27,440 | 23,279 | |||||||||
Revisions of previous estimates and other
|
43,021 | 23,440 | 31,989 | |||||||||
Accretion of discount
|
19,423 | 16,881 | 13,846 | |||||||||
Standardized measure of discounted future net cash flows,
December 31,
|
$ | 287,777 | $ | 194,229 | $ | 168,807 | ||||||
Subsequent to year end, the price of both oil and gas continued
to fluctuate, giving rise to a correlating adjustment of the
respective standardized measure of discounted future net cash
flows. As of March 6, 2006, the NYMEX posted oil price was
approximately $62.41 per barrel, which compared to the posted
price of $60.32 per barrel, used to calculate the worth of
future net revenue of the Trusts proved developed
reserves, would result in a larger standardized measure of
discounted future net cash flows for oil. As of March 6,
2006, the NYMEX posted gas price was $6.49 per million British
thermal units. The use of such price, as compared to the posted
price of $10.06 per million British thermal units, used to
calculate the future net revenue of the Trusts proved
developed reserves would result in a smaller standardized
measure of discounted future net cash flows for gas.
35
Table of Contents
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
To the Trustee on Behalf of Unit holders of Sabine Royalty Trust:
We have audited the accompanying Statements of Fees and Expenses
(as defined in Exhibit C to the Sabine Royalty Trust
Agreement) paid by Sabine Royalty Trust to Bank of
America, N.A., (the Trustee), as trustee and
escrow agent, for the years ended December 31, 2005, 2004
and 2003. These statements are the responsibility of the
Trustees management. Our responsibility is to express an
opinion on these statements based on our audits.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the
Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those
standards require that we plan and perform the audits to obtain
reasonable assurance about whether the Statements of Fees and
Expenses are free of material misstatement. An audit includes
examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and
disclosures in the Statements of Fees and Expenses. An audit
also includes assessing the accounting principles used and
significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating
the overall statement presentation. We believe that our audits
provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
As described in Note 3 , the Statements of Fees and
Expenses were prepared on a modified cash basis of accounting,
which is a comprehensive basis of accounting other than
accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of
America.
In our opinion, the Statements of Fees and Expenses referred to
above present fairly, in all material respects, the fees and
expenses paid by Sabine Royalty Trust to Bank of America, N.A.,
as trustee and escrow agent, for the years ended
December 31, 2005, 2004 and 2003, on the basis of
accounting described in Note 3.
/s/ PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS LLP
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
Dallas, Texas
March 10, 2006
36
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STATEMENTS OF FEES AND EXPENSES
PAID BY SABINE ROYALTY TRUST TO
BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS
TRUSTEE AND ESCROW AGENT, FOR EACH OF THE THREE
YEARS IN THE PERIOD ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2005
2005 | 2004 | 2003 | ||||||||||
Trustees fee
|
$ | 297,187 | $ | 291,480 | $ | 288,221 | ||||||
Escrow agents fee
|
891,548 | 874,438 | 864,652 | |||||||||
Total fees and expenses
|
1,188,735 | 1,165,918 | 1,152,873 | |||||||||
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these statements.
Notes
1. Sabine Royalty Trust (the Trust) is
an express trust formed under the laws of Texas by the Sabine
Corporation Royalty Trust Agreement (the Trust
Agreement) made and entered into effective as of
December 31, 1982, between Sabine Corporation
(Sabine), as trustor, and Bank of America, N.A. (the
Bank), as successor trustee (the
Trustee). Contemporaneously with the execution of
the Trust Agreement, Sabine, the Trustee and the predecessor of
the Bank, as escrow agent (the Escrow Agent),
entered into an escrow agreement which establishes an escrow
(the Escrow). Prior to distribution of units of
beneficial interest (the Units) in the Trust to
Sabines shareholders, Sabine transferred to the Trust
royalty and mineral interests, including landowners
royalties, overriding royalty interests, minerals (other than
executive rights, bonuses and delay rentals), production
payments and other similar, non-participatory interests, in
certain producing and proved undeveloped oil and gas properties
in six states (the Royalty Properties).
In May 1988, Sabine was acquired by Pacific Enterprise
(Pacific), a California corporation. Through a
series of mergers, Sabine was merged into Pacific Enterprises
Oil Company (USA) (Pacific (USA)), a California
corporation and a wholly owned subsidiary of Pacific, effective
January 1, 1990. This acquisition and the subsequent
mergers had no effect on the Units. Pacific (USA), as successor
to Sabine, has assumed by operation of law all of Sabines
rights and obligations with respect to the Trust.
The compensation agreement under the Trust Agreement provides
for a cost plus fee payable to the Bank for all
services rendered in its capacities as Trustee and as Escrow
Agent. Generally, the fees payable to the Bank are calculated by
dividing the expenses incurred by the Bank, as Trustee and as
Escrow Agent, solely for services provided by the Bank in the
administration of the Trust and the Escrow by seven-tenths
(0.7). Professional and other noncontributing (out-of-pocket)
expenses incurred by the Bank, as Trustee or as Escrow Agent, as
the case may be, in the performance of its duties in the
foregoing capacities are charged to the Trust or the Escrow, as
the case may be, at cost. These expenses do not contribute to
the fees payable to the Bank described above. Annually, the
Trustee must estimate Trust and Escrow expenses contributing to
the fee for the forthcoming year and publish this amount in the
Trusts first quarterly report to Unit holders. The Trustee
can be penalized by forfeiture of reimbursement for part of its
expenses if such expenses exceed the estimate. The Trustee also
can earn a bonus by administering the Trust for total costs that
are lower than the estimate. The Bank elected to forgo bonuses
earned of $61,261, $34,082 and $22,118 in 2005, 2004 and 2003,
respectively.
2. Escrow Agents fees and Trustees fees
consist of a profit margin plus all fully allocated costs
incurred by the Bank, as Trustee and as Escrow Agent, in
performing administrative services to the Trust as specified in
the Trust Agreement. Allocated costs do not include any
professional and related expenses paid to third parties.
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All costs incurred by the Bank in its capacities as Trustee and
as Escrow Agent are accumulated in one account. Fees based
thereon are allocated between the Trustee function and the
Escrow Agent function according to the actual administrative
services rendered by the Bank in each capacity. Any
determinations by the Bank as to the allocation of the fee
between the Trustee and the Escrow Agent are conclusive and
binding on the Unit holders and Pacific (USA), but in no event
does the Banks allocation affect the aggregate fee payable
to the Bank.
3. The Statements of Fees and Expenses are prepared
on a modified cash basis, which is a comprehensive basis of
accounting other than accounting principles generally accepted
in the United States of America. Trust expenses include payments
made during the accounting period. Expenses are accrued to the
extent of amounts that become payable on the next monthly record
date following the end of the accounting period. These
statements differ from statements prepared in conformity with
accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of
America because expenses other than those expected to be paid on
the following monthly record date are not accrued.
This comprehensive basis of accounting other than accounting
principles generally accepted in the United States of America
corresponds to the accounting permitted for royalty trusts by
the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, as specified by
Staff Accounting Bulletin Topic 12:E, Financial Statements of
Royalty Trusts.
38
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Item 9. | Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure. |
None.
Item 9A. | Controls and Procedures. |
Conclusion Regarding the Effectiveness of Disclosure Controls and Procedures |
The Trustee conducted an evaluation of the Trusts
disclosure controls and procedures, as such term is defined
under
Rule 13a-15(e)
promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended. Based on this evaluation, the Trustee has concluded
that the Trusts disclosure controls and procedures were
effective as of the end of the period covered by this annual
report.
Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting |
There has not been any change in the Trusts internal
control over financial reporting during the fourth quarter of
2004 that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to
materially affect, the Trusts internal control over
financial reporting.
Trustees Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting |
The Trustee is responsible for establishing and maintaining
adequate internal control over financial reporting, as such term
is defined in
Rule 13a-15(f)
promulgated under the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended. The Trustee conducted an evaluation of the
effectiveness of the Trusts internal control over
financial reporting modified cash basis
(internal control over financial reporting) based on
the criteria established in Internal Control
Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring
Organizations of the Treadway Commission. Based on the
Trustees evaluation under the framework in Internal
Control Integrated Framework, the Trustee
concluded that the Trusts internal control over financial
reporting was effective as of December 31, 2004. The
Trustees assessment of the effectiveness of the
Trusts internal control over financial reporting as of
December 31, 2004 has been audited by Deloitte &
Touche LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, as
stated in their report which is included herein.
39
Table of Contents
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
UNIT HOLDERS OF SABINE ROYALTY TRUST AND BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.,
TRUSTEE
We have audited the Trustees assessment, included in the
accompanying trustees report on internal control over
financial reporting, that Sabine Royalty Trust (the
Trust) maintained effective internal control over
financial reporting as of December 31, 2005, based on
criteria established in Internal Control
Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring
Organizations of the Treadway Commission. The Trustee is
responsible for maintaining effective internal control over
financial reporting modified cash basis
(internal control over financial reporting) and for
its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over
financial reporting. Our responsibility is to express an opinion
on the Trustees assessment and an opinion on the
effectiveness of the Trusts internal control over
financial reporting based on our audit.
We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the
Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States).
Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to
obtain reasonable assurance about whether effective internal
control over financial reporting was maintained in all material
respects. Our audit included obtaining an understanding of
internal control over financial reporting, evaluating
managements assessment, testing and evaluating the design
and operating effectiveness of internal control, and performing
such other procedures as we considered necessary in the
circumstances. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable
basis for our opinions.
The Trusts internal control over financial reporting is a
process designed by, or under the supervision of, the Trustee,
or persons performing similar functions, and effected by the
Trustee to provide reasonable assurance regarding the
reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of
financial statements for external purposes in accordance with
the modified cash basis of accounting, which is a comprehensive
basis of accounting other than accounting principles generally
accepted in the United States of America and is described in
Note 3 to the Trusts financial statements. The
Trusts internal control over financial reporting includes
those policies and procedures that (1) pertain to the
maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately
and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the
assets of the Trust; (2) provide reasonable assurance that
transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of
financial statements in accordance with the modified cash basis
of accounting discussed above, and that receipts and
expenditures of the Trust are being made only in accordance with
authorizations of the Trustee; and (3) provide reasonable
assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of
unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the
Trusts assets that could have a material effect on the
financial statements.
Because of the inherent limitations of internal control over
financial reporting, including the possibility of collusion or
improper management override of controls, material misstatements
due to error or fraud may not be prevented or detected on a
timely basis. Also, projections of any evaluation of the
effectiveness of the internal control over financial reporting
to future periods are subject to the risk that the controls may
become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the
degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may
deteriorate.
In our opinion, the Trustees assessment that the Trust
maintained effective internal control over financial reporting
as of December 31, 2005, is fairly stated, in all material
respects, based on the criteria established in Internal
Control Integrated Framework issued by the
Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway
Commission. Also in our opinion, the Trust maintained, in all
material respects, effective internal control over financial
reporting as of December 31, 2005, based on the criteria
established in Internal Control Integrated
Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring
Organizations of the Treadway Commission.
40
Table of Contents
We have also audited, in accordance with the standards of the
Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States), the
statements of assets, liabilities and trust corpus of the Trust
as of December 31, 2005 and 2004, and the related
statements of distributable income and changes in trust corpus
for each of the three years in the period ended
December 31, 2005, which financial statements have been
prepared on the modified cash basis of accounting as described
in Note 2 to such financial statements, and our report
dated March 10, 2006 expressed an unqualified opinion on
those financial statements.
DELOITTE & TOUCHE LLP
Dallas, Texas
March 10, 2006
41
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Item 9B. | Other Information. |
None.
PART III
Item 10. | Directors and Executive Officers of the Registrant. |
Directors and Executive Officers. The Registrant has no
directors or executive officers. The Trustee is a corporate
trustee which may be removed, with or without cause, by the
affirmative vote at a meeting duly called and held of the
holders of a majority of the Units represented at the meeting.
Compliance with Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act. The
Trust has no directors and officers and knows of no Unit holder
that is a beneficial owner of more than ten percent of the
outstanding Units, and is therefore unaware of any person that
failed to report on a timely basis reports required by
Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended.
Code of Ethics. Because the Trust has no employees, it
does not have a code of ethics. Employees of the Trustee, Bank
of America, N.A., must comply with the banks code of
ethics, a copy of which will be made available to Unit holders
without charge, upon request by appointment at Bank of America
Plaza, 17th Floor, 901 Main Street, Dallas, Texas,
75202.
Audit Committee. The Trust has no directors and therefore
has no audit committee or audit committee financial expert.
Nominating Committee. The Trust has no directors and
therefore has no nominating committee.
Item 11. | Executive Compensation. |
Not applicable.
Item 12. | Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management. |
(a) Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners.
As of March 6, 2006 there were no Unit holders known to
the Trustee to be beneficial owners of more that 5% of the
outstanding Units.
(b) Security Ownership of Management. The Trust has
no directors or executive officers. Bank of America, N.A., the
Trustee, held as of February 16, 2006 an aggregate of
202,089 Units in various fiduciary capacities, and it had
shared voting and investment power with respect to 23,359 of
such Units.
(c) Changes in Control. The Trustee knows of no
arrangements the operation of which may at a subsequent date
result in a change in control of the Registrant.
Item 13. | Certain Relationships and Related Transactions. |
Not applicable.
Item 14. | Principal Accounting Fees and Services. |
Fees for services performed by Deloitte & Touche LLP for the
years ended December 31, 2005 and 2004 are:
2005 | 2004 | |||||||
Audit fees
|
$ | 163,825 | $ | 84,000 | ||||
Audit-related fees
|
$ | 0 | $ | 0 | ||||
Tax fees
|
$ | 44,550 | $ | 22,795 | ||||
All other fees
|
$ | 0 | $ | 0 |
42
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As referenced in Item 10, above, the Trust has no audit
committee, and as a result, has no audit committee pre-approval
policy with respect to fees paid to Deloitte & Touche LLP.
PART IV
Item 15. | Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules. |
(a) The following documents are filed as a part of this
report:
1. Financial Statements (included in Item 8 of this
report)
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm | |
Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Trust Corpus at December 31, 2005 and 2004 | |
Statements of Distributable Income for Each of the Three Years in the Period Ended December 31, 2005 | |
Statements of Changes in Trust Corpus for Each of the Three Years in the Period Ended December 31, 2005 | |
Notes to Financial Statements |
2. Financial Statement Schedules
Financial statement schedules are omitted because of the absence
of conditions under which they are required or because the
required information is included in the financial statements and
notes thereto.
3. Exhibits
(4)(a) | * |
Sabine Corporation Royalty Trust Agreement effective
as of December 31, 1982, by and between Sabine Corporation
and InterFirst Bank Dallas, N.A., as trustee.
|
||
(b) | * |
Sabine Corporation Louisiana Royalty Trust Agreement
effective as of December 31, 1982, by and between Sabine
Corporation and Hibernia National Bank in New Orleans, as
trustee, and joined in by InterFirst Bank Dallas, N.A., as
trustee.
|
||
(23) |
Consent of DeGolyer and MacNaughton.
|
|||
31 |
Rule 13a-14(a)(15d-14(a)) Certification.
|
|||
32 |
Certification by Bank of America, Trustee of Sabine
Royalty Trust, dated March 15, 2006 and submitted pursuant
to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (18 U.S.C.
Section 1350).
|
|||
(99) |
Report dated February 10, 2006 of the Trustee
containing interim tax information for each of the
12 months in the year ending December 31, 2005.
|
* | Exhibits 4(a) and 4(b) are incorporated herein by reference to Exhibits 4(a) and 4(b), respectively, of the Registrants Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 1993. |
43
Table of Contents
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly
caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
SABINE ROYALTY TRUST |
BY: | BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., Trustee |
By: | /s/ RON E. HOOPER |
|
|
Ron E. Hooper | |
Senior Vice-President |
Date: March 15, 2006
(The Registrant has no directors or executive officers.)
44
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INDEX TO EXHIBITS
Exhibit | ||||
Number | Description | |||
(4)(a) | * |
Sabine Corporation Royalty Trust Agreement effective
as of December 31, 1982, by and between Sabine Corporation
and InterFirst Bank Dallas, N.A., as trustee.
|
||
(b) | * |
Sabine Corporation Louisiana Royalty Trust Agreement
effective as of December 31, 1982, by and between Sabine
Corporation and Hibernia National Bank in New Orleans, as
trustee, and joined in by InterFirst Bank Dallas, N.A., as
trustee.
|
||
(23) |
Consent of DeGolyer and MacNaughton.
|
|||
31 |
Rule 13a-14(a)(15d-14(a)) Certification.
|
|||
32 |
Certification by Bank of America, Trustee of Sabine
Royalty Trust, dated March 15, 2006 and submitted pursuant
to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (18 U.S.C.
Section 1350).
|
|||
(99) |
Report dated February 10, 2006 of the Trustee
containing interim tax information for each of the
12 months in the year ending December 31, 2005.
|
* | Exhibits 4(a) and 4(b) are incorporated herein by reference to Exhibits 4(a) and 4(b), respectively, of the Registrants Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 1993. |