United States Natural Gas Fund, LP - Quarter Report: 2007 June (Form 10-Q)
UNITED
STATES
SECURITIES
AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington,
D.C. 20549
FORM
10-Q
x
|
Quarterly
report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act
of 1934 for the quarterly period ended June 30, 2007.
|
¨
|
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: 001-33096
United
States Natural Gas Fund, LP
(Exact
name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Delaware
|
|
20-5576760
|
(State
or other jurisdiction of
incorporation
or organization)
|
|
(I.R.S.
Employer
Identification
No.)
|
1320
Harbor Bay Parkway, Suite 145
Alameda,
California 94502
(Address
of principal executive offices)
(510)
522-3336
(Registrant’s
telephone number, including area code)
N/A
(Former
name, former address and former fiscal year, if changed since last report)
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.
x
Yes ¨
No
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 ¨ Accelerated
filer ¨ Non-accelerated
filer x
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule
12b-2 of the Exchange Act.):
¨
Yes x
No
FINANCIAL
INFORMATION
|
Financial
Statements
|
1
United
States Natural Gas Fund, LP
|
|||||||
Statements
of Financial Condition
|
|||||||
At
June 30, 2007 (Unaudited) and December 31,
2006
|
|||||||
|
|||||||
June
30, 2007
|
December
31, 2006
|
||||||
Assets
|
|||||||
Cash
and cash equivalents
|
$
|
39,958,869
|
$
|
1,000
|
|||
Equity
in UBS Securities LLC trading accounts:
|
|||||||
Cash
|
15,795,873
|
-
|
|||||
Unrealized
gain (loss) on open commodity futures contracts
|
(8,354,270
|
)
|
-
|
|
|||
Receivable
for units sold
|
13,483,089
|
-
|
|||||
Interest
receivable
|
24,072
|
-
|
|||||
Total
assets
|
$
|
60,907,633
|
$
|
1,000
|
|||
Liabilities
and Partners' Capital
|
|||||||
General
Partner management fees (Note 3)
|
$
|
14,901
|
$
|
-
|
|||
Brokerage
commissions payable
|
2,000 | - | |||||
Independent
Directors' fees and expenses payable
|
1,349
|
-
|
|||||
NYMEX
license fee payable
|
3,891
|
-
|
|||||
Total
liabilities
|
22,141
|
-
|
|||||
Commitments
and Contingencies (Notes 3,
4 and 5)
|
|||||||
Partners'
Capital
|
|||||||
General
Partner
|
-
|
20
|
|||||
Limited
Partners
|
60,885,492
|
980
|
|||||
Total
Partners' Capital
|
60,885,492
|
1,000
|
|||||
Total
liabilities and partners' capital
|
$
|
60,907,633
|
$
|
1,000
|
|||
Limited
Partners' units outstanding
|
1,400,000
|
|
|||||
Net
asset value per unit
|
$
|
43.49
|
|
|
|||
Market
value per unit
|
$
|
44.25
|
|
|
|||
See
accompanying notes to financial statements.
|
2
United
States Natural Gas Fund, LP
|
||||||||||
Schedule
of Investments (Unaudited)
|
||||||||||
At
June 30, 2007
|
||||||||||
Open
Futures Contracts
|
||||||||||
Loss
on Open
|
||||||||||
Number
of
|
Commodity
|
%
of Partners'
|
||||||||
|
Contracts
|
Contracts
|
Capital
|
|||||||
United
States Contracts
|
||||||||||
Natural
Gas Futures contracts, expires August 2007
|
898
|
$
|
(8,354,270
|
)
|
(13.72
|
)
|
||||
Cash |
39,958,869
|
65.63
|
|||||
Cash
on deposit with broker
|
|
15,795,873
|
25.94
|
||||
Other
receivables in excess of liabilities
|
13,485,020
|
22.15
|
|||||
Total
Partners' Capital
|
$
|
60,885,492
|
100.00
|
||||
See
accompanying notes to financial statements.
|
3
Statement
of Operations (Unaudited)
|
||||
For
the period from April 18, 2007 (commencement
of operations) to June 30,
2007
|
||||
Income
|
||||
Gains
(losses) on trading of commodity futures contracts:
|
||||
Realized
gains on closed positions
|
$
|
267,120
|
|
|
Change
in unrealized gains (losses) on open commodity
futures
contracts
|
(8,354,270
|
) | ||
Interest
income
|
414,182
|
|||
Other
income
|
14,000
|
|||
Total
loss
|
(7,658,968
|
) | ||
Expenses
|
||||
General
Partner management fees (Note 3)
|
58,363
|
|||
Brokerage
commissions
|
15,854
|
|||
Other
expenses
|
5,240
|
|||
Total
expenses
|
79,457
|
|||
Net
loss
|
$
|
(7,738,425
|
) | |
Net
loss per limited partnership unit
|
$
|
(6.51
|
) | |
Net
loss per weighted average limited partnership
unit
|
$
|
(8.13
|
) | |
Weighted
average limited partnership units outstanding
|
951,351
|
|||
See
accompanying notes to financial statements.
|
4
Statement
of Changes in Partners' Capital (Unaudited)
|
||||||||||
For
the period from April 18, 2007 (commencement of
operations) to June 30,
2007
|
||||||||||
General
Partner
|
Limited
Partners
|
Total
|
||||||||
Balances,
at April 18, 2007
|
$ |
20
|
$ |
980
|
$
|
1,000
|
||||
Addition
of 2,400,000 partnership units
|
-
|
120,599,841
|
120,599,841
|
|||||||
Redemption
of 1,000,000 partnership units
|
(20
|
)
|
(51,976,904
|
)
|
(51,976,924
|
)
|
||||
Net
loss
|
-
|
(7,738,425
|
)
|
(7,738,425
|
)
|
|||||
Balances,
at June 30, 2007
|
$
|
-
|
$
|
60,885,492
|
$
|
60,885,492
|
||||
Net
Asset Value Per Unit
|
||||||||||
At April 18, 2007 (commencement of operations) | $ | 50.00 | ||||||||
At
June 30, 2007
|
$
|
43.49
|
||||||||
See
accompanying notes to financial statements.
|
5
United
States Natural Gas Fund, LP
|
||||
Statement
of Cash Flows (Unaudited)
|
||||
For
the period from April 18, 2007 (commencement of operations)
to June 30,
2007
|
||||
Cash
Flows from Operating Activities:
|
||||
Net
income (loss)
|
$
|
(7,738,425
|
)
|
|
Adjustments
to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash used in
operating
activities:
|
||||
Increase
in commodity futures trading account - cash
|
(15,795,873
|
) | ||
Increase
in unrealized loss on futures contracts
|
8,354,270
|
|||
Increase
in interest receivable and other assets
|
(24,072
|
) | ||
Increase
in management fees payable
|
14,901
|
|||
Increase
in commissions payable
|
2,000
|
|||
Increase
in directors' fees payable
|
1,349 | |||
Increase
in other liabilities
|
3,891
|
|||
Net
cash used in operating activities
|
(15,181,959
|
)
|
||
Cash
Flows from Financing Activities:
|
||||
Subscription
of partnership units
|
107,116,752
|
|||
Redemption
of partnership units
|
(51,976,924
|
)
|
||
Net
cash provided by financing activities
|
55,139,828
|
|||
Net
Increase in Cash and Cash Equivalents
|
39,957,869
|
|||
Cash
and Cash Equivalents,
beginning of period
|
1,000
|
|||
Cash
and Cash Equivalents,
end of period
|
$
|
39,958,869
|
||
See
accompanying notes to financial statements.
|
6
United
States Natural Gas Fund, LP
Notes
to Financial Statements
June
30, 2007 (Unaudited)
NOTE
1 - ORGANIZATION AND BUSINESS
United
States Natural Gas Fund, LP (“USNG” or the “Fund”) is organized as a limited
partnership under the laws of the state of Delaware. The Fund is a commodity
pool that issues units that may be purchased and sold on the American Stock
Exchange (the "AMEX"). The Fund will continue in perpetuity, unless terminated
sooner upon the occurrence of one or more events as described in its Amended
and
Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership (the “Limited Partnership
Agreement”). The investment objective of the Fund is for the changes in
percentage terms of its net asset value to reflect the changes in percentage
terms of the price of natural gas delivered at the Henry Hub, Louisiana as
measured by the
changes in the price of the futures contract on natural gas (the “Benchmark
Futures Contract”) traded on the New York Mercantile Exchange (the "NYMEX") that
is the near month contract to expire, except when the near month contract
is
within two weeks of expiration, in which case it will be measured by the
futures
contract that is the next month contract to expire, less the Fund’s
expenses. The
Fund
will accomplish its objective through investments in futures contracts for
natural gas traded on the NYMEX or other regulated commodity exchanges. The
Fund may also invest in crude oil, heating oil, gasoline and other
petroleum-based fuels that are traded on the NYMEX, ICE Futures or other
U.S.
and foreign exchanges (collectively, “Futures Contracts”) and other natural gas
interests such as cash-settled options on Futures Contracts, forward
contracts for natural gas and over-the-counter transactions that are based
on
the price of natural gas, oil and other petroleum-based fuels, Futures
Contracts and indices based on the foregoing (collectively, “Other Natural
Gas-Related Interests”), if in the opinion of the General Partner such
investments will allow the Fund to achieve its investment objective.
The
Fund
commenced operations on April 18, 2007 and has a fiscal year ending on December
31. Victoria Bay Asset Management, LLC is the general partner of the Fund
(the
“General Partner”) and is also responsible for the management of the Fund.
The General Partner is a member of the National Futures Association (the
“NFA”)
and became a commodity pool operator effective December 1,
2005. Victoria
Bay Asset Management, LLC is also the general partner of United States Oil
Fund,
LP (“USOF”) which listed its Units on the AMEX under the ticker symbol “USO” on
April 10, 2006.
The
accompanying unaudited financial statements have been prepared in accordance
with Rule 10-01 of Regulation S-X promulgated by the U.S. Securities and
Exchange Commission (the "SEC") and, therefore, do not include all information
and footnote disclosure required under accounting principles generally accepted
in the United States of America. The financial information included herein
is
unaudited, however, such information reflects all adjustments which are,
in the
opinion of management, necessary for the fair presentation of the financial
statements for the interim period.
The
Fund issues limited partnership interests (“Units”) to authorized
purchasers by offering creation baskets consisting of 100,000 Units (“Creation
Baskets”) through a marketing agent. The purchase price for a Creation Basket is
based upon the net asset value of a Fund Unit. In addition, authorized
purchasers pay the Fund a $1,000 fee for each order to create one or more
Creation Baskets. Subsequent to the sale of the initial Creation Basket,
Units
can be purchased or sold on a nationally recognized securities exchange in
smaller increments. Units purchased or sold on a nationally
recognized securities exchange will not be made at the net asset value of
the
Fund but rather at market prices quoted on such exchange.
In
April
2007, the Fund initially registered 30,000,000 Units on Form S-1 with the
SEC.
On April 18, 2007, the Fund listed its Units on the AMEX under the ticker
symbol
"UNG." On that day, the Fund established its initial net asset value by setting
the price at $50.00 per Unit and issued 200,000 Units to the initial authorized
purchaser, Merrill Lynch Professional Clearing Corp., in exchange for
$10,001,000 in cash. To date, the Fund has registered a total of 30,000,000
Units. The Fund commenced investment operations on April 18, 2007 by
purchasing Benchmark Futures Contracts traded on the NYMEX.
NOTE
2 - SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
Revenue
Recognition
Commodity
futures contracts, forward contracts, physical commodities and related options
are recorded on the trade date. All such transactions are recorded on the
identified cost basis and marked to market daily. Unrealized gains or losses
on
open contracts are reflected in the statement of financial condition and
in the
difference between the original contract amount and the market value (as
determined by exchange settlement prices for futures contracts and related
options and cash dealer prices at a predetermined time for forward contracts,
physical commodities and their related options) as of the last business day
of
the year or as of the last date of the financial statements. Changes in the
unrealized gains or losses between periods are reflected in the statement
of
operations. The Fund earns interest on assets denominated in U.S.
dollars on deposit with the futures commission merchant at the 90-day
Treasury bill rate less fifty basis points.
Brokerage
Commissions
Brokerage
commissions on all open commodity futures contracts are accrued on a full-turn
basis.
Income
Taxes
The
Fund
is not subject to federal income taxes; each partner reports his/her
allocable
share of income, gain, loss deductions or credits on his/her own income
tax
return.
Redemptions
Authorized
purchasers may redeem Units from the Fund only in blocks of 100,000 Units
called
“Redemption Baskets”. The amount of the redemption proceeds for a Redemption
Basket will be equal to the net asset value of the Fund Units in the
Redemption
Basket.
Partnership
Capital and Allocation of Partnership Income and Losses
Profit
or loss is allocated among the partners of the Fund in proportion
to the number
of Units each partner holds as of the close of each month. The General
Partner
may revise, alter or otherwise modify this method of allocation as
described in
the Limited Partnership Agreement.
7
Calculation
of Net Asset Value
The
Fund calculates its net asset value on each trading day by taking the
current market value of its total assets, subtracting any liabilities
and
dividing the amount by the total number of Units issued and outstanding.
The
Fund uses the NYMEX closing price on that day to determine the value of
contracts held on the NYMEX.
Net
Income (Loss) per Limited Partnership Unit
Net
income (loss) per Unit is the difference between the net asset value per
Unit at the beginning of each period and at the end of each period.
The weighted
average number of Units outstanding was computed for purposes of
disclosing net
loss per weighted average Unit. The weighted average Units are equal to the
number of Units outstanding at the end of the period, adjusted proportionately
for Units redeemed based on the amount of time the Units were outstanding
during
such period. There were no Units held by the General Partner at June 30,
2007.
Offering
Costs
Offering
costs incurred in connection with the registration of additional Units
after the
initial registration of Units will be borne by the Fund. These costs
include
registration fees paid to regulatory agencies and all legal, accounting,
printing and other expenses associated therewith. These costs will
be accounted
for as a deferred charge and thereafter amortized to expense over twelve
months
on a straight line basis or a shorter period if
warranted.
Cash
Equivalents
As
of June 30, 2007, cash and cash equivalents included money market
portfolios and overnight time deposits with original maturity dates of
three months or less.
Use
of Estimates
The
preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles
generally accepted in the United States of America requires the Fund’s
management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported
amount of
assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities
at
the date of the financial statements, and the reported amounts of the
revenue
and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ
from those
estimates and assumptions.
NOTE
3 - FEES PAID BY THE FUND AND RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
General
Partner Management Fee
Under
the Limited Partnership Agreement, the General Partner is responsible
for
investing the assets of the Fund in accordance with the objectives and
policies
of the Fund. In addition, the General Partner has arranged for one or
more third
parties to provide administrative, custody, accounting, transfer agency
and
other necessary services to the Fund. For these services, the Fund is
contractually obligated to pay the General Partner a fee, which is paid
monthly and based on average daily net assets, that is equal to 0.60%
per annum
on average daily net assets of $1,000,000,000 or less and 0.50% per annum
on
average daily net assets that are greater than $1,000,000,000.
For
the period from April 18, 2007 through June 30, 2007, the Fund incurred
offering
and organizational costs in the amount of $670,764, all of which were
funded by the General Partner. The Fund does not have any obligation or
intention to reimburse such payments.
Ongoing
Registration Fees
The
Fund pays all costs and expenses associated with the ongoing registration
of Units subsequent to the intial offering. These costs and expenses
include,
but are not limited to, registration fees paid to the SEC, the National
Association of Securities Dealers or any other regulatory agency in connection
with the offer and sale of Units, and all legal, accounting, printing,
and other
expenses associated therewith. For the period from April 18, 2007 through
June
30, 2007, the Fund did not incur ongoing registration fees as stated
above.
Directors’
Fees
The
Fund is responsible for paying the fees and expenses including directors'
and
officers' liability insurance, of the independent directors who are also
audit
committee members. The Fund will share these fees with USOF based on
the
relative assets of each Fund, computed on a daily basis. These fees for
calendar
year 2007 are estimated to be a total of $276,000 for both funds.
Licensing
Fees
As
discussed in Note 4, the Fund entered into a licensing agreement with
the NYMEX
on May 30, 2007. The agreement has an effective date of April 10, 2006.
Pursuant
to the agreement, the Fund and the affiliated funds managed by the General
Partner pay a licensing fee that is equal to 0.04% for the first
$1,000,000,000 of combined assets of the funds and 0.02% for combined
assets above $1,000,000,000. For the period from April 18, 2007
through June 30, 2007, the Fund accrued $3,891 under this
arrangement.
Other
Expenses and Fees
In
addition to the fees described above, the Fund pays all brokerage fees,
taxes and other expenses in connection with the operation of the Fund,
excluding
costs and expenses paid by the General Partner as outlined in Note
4.
8
NOTE
4 - CONTRACTS AND AGREEMENTS
The
Fund is party to a marketing agent agreement, dated as of April
17, 2007, with
ALPS Distributors Inc. (“ALPS”), a Colorado corporation, whereby ALPS provides
certain marketing services for the Fund as outlined in the agreement.
The fees
of the marketing agent, which are borne by the General Partner,
are equal to
0.06% on Fund assets up to $3 billion and 0.04% on Fund assets
in excess of $3
billion.
The
above fees do not include the following expenses, which are also
borne by the
General Partner: the cost of placing advertisements in various
periodicals; web
construction and development; and the printing and production of
various
marketing materials.
The
Fund
is also party to a custodian agreement, dated January 12, 2007, with Brown
Brothers Harriman & Co. (“Brown Brothers”), whereby Brown
Brothers holds investments on behalf of the Fund. The General
Partner pays the fees of the custodian, which shall be determined by the
parties from time to time. In addition, the Fund is party to an administrative
agency agreement, dated March 5, 2007, with the General Partner and Brown
Brothers, whereby Brown Brothers acts as the administrative agent, transfer
agent and registrar for the Fund. The General Partner also pays the
fees of
Brown Brothers for its services under this agreement and such fees
will be
determined by the parties from time to time.
Currently,
the General Partner pays Brown Brothers for its services, in the foregoing
capacities, the greater of a minimum amount of $125,000 annually or an
asset charge of (a) 0.06% for the first $500 million of USOF and
USNG’s combined
net assets, (b) 0.0465% for USOF and USNG’s combined net assets greater
than $500 million but less than $1 billion, and (c) 0.035% for USOF and
USNG’s combined net assets in excess of $1 billion. The General Partner
also pays a $50,000 annual fee for transfer agency services and transaction
fees
ranging from $7.00 to $15.00 per transaction.
The
Fund invests primarily in Futures Contracts traded on the NYMEX. On
May 30, 2007, the Fund and the NYMEX entered into a licensing agreement
whereby the Fund was granted a non-exclusive license to use certain
of the
NYMEX’s settlement prices and service marks. The agreement has an effective
date
of April 10, 2006. Under the licensing agreement, the Fund and the
affiliated funds managed by the General Partner pay the NYMEX an
asset-based fee for the license, the terms of which are described in
Note
3.
The
Fund
expressly disclaims any association with the NYMEX or endorsement of
the Fund by
the NYMEX and acknowledges that “NYMEX” and “New York Mercantile Exchange” are
registered trademarks of the NYMEX.
The
Fund
has entered into a brokerage agreement with UBS Securities LLC (the
"Futures Commission Merchant"). The agreement requires the Futures Commission
Merchant to provide services to the Fund in connection with the purchase
and
sale of Futures Contracts and Other Natural Gas-Related Interests that may
be purchased and sold by or through the Futures Commission Merchant for
the
Fund’s account. The agreement provides that the Futures Commission
Merchant charge the Fund commissions of approximately $8 per round-turn
trade, plus applicable exchange and NFA fees for Futures Contracts and
options
on Futures Contracts.
NOTE
5 - FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS, OFF-BALANCE SHEET RISKS AND
CONTINGENCIES
The
Fund engages in the speculative trading of Futures Contracts and
options on Futures Contracts (collectively, “derivatives”). The
Fund is exposed to both market risk, which is the risk arising from changes
in the market value of the contracts, and credit risk, which is the risk
of
failure by another party to perform according to the terms of a
contract.
All
of
the contracts currently traded by the Fund are exchange-traded. The risks
associated with exchange-traded contracts are generally perceived to
be less
than those associated with over-the-counter transactions since, in
over-the-counter transactions, the Fund must rely solely on the credit
of its
respective individual counterparties. However, in the future, if the
Fund were
to enter into non-exchange traded contracts, it would be subject to the
credit
risk associated with counterparty non-performance. The credit risk from
counterparty non-performance associated with such instruments is the
net
unrealized gain, if any. The Fund also has credit risk since the sole
counterparty to all domestic futures contracts is the exchange clearing
corporation. In addition, the Fund bears the risk of financial failure
by the
clearing broker.
The
purchase and sale of futures and options on Futures Contracts requires
margin
deposits with a futures commission merchant. Additional deposits may be
necessary for any loss on contract value. The Commodity Exchange Act
requires a
futures commission merchant to segregate all customer transactions and
assets
from the futures commission merchant’s proprietary activities.
The
Fund’s cash and other property, such as U.S. Treasury Bills, deposited with
a
futures commission merchant are considered commingled with all other
customer
funds subject to the futures commission merchant’s segregation requirements. In
the event of a futures commission merchant’s insolvency, recovery may be limited
to a pro rata share of segregated funds available. It is possible that
the
recovered amount could be less than the total of cash and other property
deposited.
USNG
may invest its cash in money market fund that
seek to maintain a stable net asset value. USNG may be exposed to any risk
of loss associated with an investment in these money market
funds.
9
For
derivatives, risks arise from changes in the market value of the contracts.
Theoretically, the Fund is exposed to market risk equal to the value
of Futures Contracts purchased and unlimited liability on such contracts
sold
short. As both a buyer and a seller of options, the Fund pays or receives
a
premium at the outset and then bears the risk of unfavorable changes in
the
price of the contract underlying the option.
The
Fund’s policy is to continuously monitor its exposure to market and counterparty
risk through the use of a variety of financial, position and credit exposure
reporting controls and procedures. In addition, the Fund has a policy of
reviewing the credit standing of each broker or counterparty with which
it
conducts business.
The
financial instruments held by the Fund are reported in its statement of
financial condition at market or fair value, or at carrying amounts that
approximate fair value, because of their highly liquid nature and short-term
maturity.
On
March
17, 2006, USOF received a letter from Goldman, Sachs & Co. (“Goldman
Sachs”) providing it with notice under 35 U.S.C. Section 154(d) of two
pending United States patent applications, Publication Nos. 2004/0225593A1
and
2006/0036533A1. USOF is currently reviewing the Goldman Sachs published
patent
applications, and has engaged in discussions with Goldman Sachs regarding
its
pending applications and USOF’s own pending patent application. USNG and USOF
are similarly structured and USNG is a commodity pool that is administered
like
USOF. USNG and USOF are unable to determine the outcome of this
matter at this time, due in part to the fact that the Goldman Sachs patent
applications are pending and have not been issued as U.S.
Patents.
NOTE 6
- FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
The
following table presents per Unit performance data and other supplemental
financial data for the period from April 18, 2007 (commencement of operations)
to June 30, 2007 for the limited partners. This information has been
derived
from information presented in the financial statements.
For
the period from
|
||||
April
18, 2007 to
|
||||
June
30, 2007 (Unaudited)
|
||||
Per
Unit Operating Performance:
|
||||
Net
asset value, beginning of period
|
$
|
50.00
|
||
Total
income (loss)
|
(6.43
|
) | ||
Total
expenses
|
(0.08
|
)
|
||
Net
increase (decrease) in net asset value
|
(6.51
|
) | ||
Net
asset value, end of period
|
$
|
43.49
|
||
|
||||
Total
Return
|
(13.02
|
)%
|
||
Ratios
to Average Net Assets (annualized)
|
||||
Total
income (loss)
|
(78.74
|
)%
|
||
Expenses
excluding management fees
|
(0.22
|
)%
|
||
Management
fee
|
(0.60
|
)%
|
||
Net
income (loss)
|
(79.56
|
)%
|
Total
returns are calculated based on the change in value during the period.
An
individual limited partner's total return and ratio may vary from the above
total returns and ratios based on the timing of contributions to and withdrawals
from the Fund.
10
Management's
Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of
Operations
|
The
following discussion should be read in conjunction with the financial
statements
and the notes thereto of United States Natural Gas Fund, LP (“USNG”) included
elsewhere in this quarterly report on Form 10-Q.
Forward-Looking
Information
This
quarterly report on Form 10-Q, including this “Management’s Discussion and
Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” contains
forward-looking statements regarding the plans and objectives of management
for
future operations. This information may involve known and unknown risks,
uncertainties and other factors that may cause USNG’s actual results,
performance or achievements to be materially different from future
results,
performance or achievements expressed or implied by any forward-looking
statements. Forward-looking statements, which involve assumptions and
describe
USNG’s future plans, strategies and expectations, are generally identifiable
by
use of the words “may,” “will,” “should,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,”
“believe,” “intend” or “project,” the negative of these words, other
variations on these words or comparable terminology. These forward-looking
statements are based on assumptions that may be incorrect, and USNG
cannot
assure investors that the projections included in these forward-looking
statements will come to pass. USNG’s actual results could differ materially from
those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements as a result
of
various factors.
USNG
has
based the forward-looking statements included in this quarterly report
on Form
10-Q on information available to it on the date of this quarterly report
on Form
10-Q, and USNG assumes no obligation to update any such forward-looking
statements. Although USNG undertakes no obligation to revise or update
any
forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information,
future
events or otherwise, investors are advised to consult any additional
disclosures
that USNG may make directly to them or through reports that USNG in
the
future files with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the
"SEC"), including annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on
Form 10-Q
and current reports on Form 8-K.
Introduction
USNG,
a
Delaware limited partnership, is a commodity pool that issues units
that may be
purchased and sold on the American Stock Exchange ("AMEX"). The investment
objective of USNG is for changes in percentage terms of the units’ net
asset value ("NAV") on a daily basis to reflect the changes in percentage
terms in the price of natural gas delivered at the Henry Hub, Louisiana
as
measured by the “Benchmark Futures Contract,” also on a daily basis, less USNG’s
expenses.
USNG
seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing in a combination
of
natural gas futures contracts and other natural gas interests such
that changes
in USNG’s NAV, measured in percentage terms, will closely track the changes
in the price of a specified natural gas futures contract (the
“Benchmark Futures Contract”), also measured in percentage terms. USNG’s
General Partner believes the Benchmark Futures Contract historically has
exhibited a close correlation with the spot price of natural gas. It
is not the
intent of USNG to be operated in a fashion such that its NAV will equal,
in
dollar terms, the spot price of natural gas or any particular futures
contract
based on natural gas. Management believes that it is not practical
to manage the
portfolio to achieve such an investment goal when investing in listed
natural
gas futures contracts.
At
present, on any valuation day the Benchmark Futures Contract is the near
month contract for natural gas traded on the New York Mercantile
Exchange ("NYMEX") unless the near month contract will expire within
two weeks
of the valuation day, in which case the Benchmark Futures Contract is the
next month contract for natural gas traded on the NYMEX. “Near month
contract” means the next contract traded on the NYMEX due to expire. “Next month
contract” means the first contract traded on the NYMEX due to expire after the
near month contract.
USNG
invests in futures contracts for natural gas, other types of crude
oil, heating
oil, gasoline and other petroleum-based fuels that are traded on the
NYMEX, ICE
Futures or other U.S. and
foreign exchanges (collectively, “Futures Contracts”) and other natural
gas-related investments such as cash-settled options on Futures Contracts,
forward contracts for natural gas and over-the-counter transactions
that are
based on the price of natural gas, oil and other petroleum-based fuels,
Futures
Contracts and indices based on the foregoing (collectively, “Other Natural
Gas-Related Investments”). The general partner of USNG, Victoria Bay Asset
Management, LLC (the "General Partner"), which is registered as a commodity
pool
operator, is authorized by the Limited Partnership Agreement of
USNG to manage USNG. The General Partner is authorized by USNG in its sole
judgment to employ, establish the terms of employment for and terminate
commodity trading advisors or futures commission merchants.
Valuation
of Natural Gas Futures Contracts and the Computation of the
NAV
The
NAV
of USNG units is calculated once each trading day as of the earlier
of the close
of the New York Stock Exchange (the "NYSE") or 4:00 p.m. New York time.
The
NAV for a particular trading day is released after 4:15 p.m. New York time.
Trading on the AMEX typically closes at 4:15 p.m. New York time. USNG uses
the NYMEX closing price (determined at the earlier of the close of
that exchange
or 2:30 p.m. New York time) for the contracts held on the NYMEX, but
calculates or determines the value of all other USNG investments
as of the
earlier of the close of the NYSE or 4:00 p.m. New York time.
Management’s
Discussion of Results of Operations and the Natural Gas
Market
Results
of Operations. On
April
18, 2007, USNG listed its units on the AMEX under the ticker symbol
“UNG”. On
that day, USNG established its initial NAV by setting the price at
$50.00 per
unit and issued 200,000 units to the initial authorized purchaser,
Merrill Lynch
Professional Clearing Corp., in exchange for $10,001,000 in cash.
USNG also
commenced investment operations on that day by purchasing Futures
Contracts
traded on the NYMEX that are based on natural gas. The total market
value of the
Futures Contracts purchased on that day was $9,958,080 at the time
of purchase.
USNG established cash deposits equal to $10,001,000 at the time of
the initial
sale of units. The majority of those cash assets were held at USNG’s custodian
bank while less than 20% of the cash balance was held as margin deposits
with
UBS Securities LLC, USNG’s commodity broker (the "Futures Commission Merchant"),
relating to the Futures Contracts purchased.
11
Portfolio
Expenses.
USNG’s
expenses consist of management fees, brokerage fees and
commissions, certain
offering costs, licensing fees and the fees and expenses of the independent
directors. The management fee that USNG pays to the General Partner
is calculated as a percentage of the total net assets of USNG. For total
net assets of up to $1 billion, the management fee is 0.60%, and for
total net
assets over $1 billion, the management fee is 0.50% on the incremental
amount of
assets. During
the period from April 18, 2007 through June 30, 2007, the daily average
total
net assets of USNG were approximately $47,978,347.
At no
time during the period from April 18, 2007 to June 30, 2007, did the
total net
assets of USNG exceed $1 billion. The management fee paid by USNG amounted
to
$58,363,
which
was calculated at the 0.60% rate and accrued daily.
USNG pays
for all brokerage fees, taxes and other expenses, including licensing
fees for
the use of intellectual property, ongoing registration or other fees
paid to the
SEC, the National Association of Securities Dealers (the "NASD")
and any other
regulatory agency in connection with subsequent offers and sales
of its units
and all legal, accounting, printing and other expenses associated
therewith. For
the period from April 18, 2007 through June 30, 2007, USNG incurred
$0 in
ongoing registration fees. USNG is responsible for paying the fees and
expenses, including directors' and officers' liability insurance,
of the
independent directors who are also audit committee members. USNG
will share
these fees with USOF based on the relative assets of each fund, computed
on a
daily basis. These fees for calendar year 2007 are estimated to be
a total of
$276,000 for both funds.
USNG also
incurs commissions to brokers for the purchase and sale of Futures
Contracts,
Other Natural Gas-Related Investments or short-term obligations of the
United States of two years or less ("Treasuries"). During the period
from April
18, 2007 through June 30, 2007, total commissions paid to brokers amounted
to $15,854. Prior to the initial offering, USNG had estimated that
the annual
level of such commissions for USNG was expected to be 0.13% of total
net assets.
As an annualized percentage of total net assets, the figures for the
period from
April 18, 2007 through June 30, 2007 represent approximately 0.16%
of total net
assets. However, there can be no assurance that commission costs and
portfolio
turnover will not cause commission expense to rise further in future
quarters.
Expenses
incurred from April 18, 2007 through June 30, 2007 in connection
with organizing
USNG and the initial offering costs of the units were borne by the
General
Partner, and are not subject to reimbursement by USNG.
Interest
Income.
USNG
seeks to invest its assets such that it holds Futures Contracts and Other
Natural Gas-Related Investments in an amount equal to the total net
assets of
the portfolio. Typically, such investments do not require USNG to pay
the full
amount of the contract value at the time of purchase, but rather require
USNG to
post an amount as a margin deposit against the eventual settlement
of the
contract. As a result, USNG retains an amount that is approximately equal
to its total net assets, which USNG invests in cash deposits or in
Treasuries.
This includes both the amount on deposit with the futures commission
merchant as
margin, as well as unrestricted cash held with USNG’s custodian bank. The cash
or Treasuries earn interest that accrues on a daily basis. For
the
period from April 18, 2007 through June 30, 2007, USNG earned
$414,182
in
interest income in such cash holdings. Based on USNG’s average daily total net
assets, this is equivalent to an annualized yield of 4.26%.
USNG
did not purchase Treasuries during the period from April 18, 2007 through
June 30, 2007 and held all of its funds in cash or cash equivalents
during this
period.
Tracking
USNG’s Benchmark.
USNG
seeks to manage its portfolio such that changes in its average daily
NAV, on a
percentage basis, closely track changes in the average daily price
of the
Benchmark Futures Contract, also on a percentage basis. Specifically, USNG
seeks to manage the portfolio such that over any rolling period of 30
valuation days, the average daily change in the NAV is within a range
of 90% to
110% (0.9 to 1.1) of the average daily change of the Benchmark Futures
Contract. As an example, if the average daily movement of the
Benchmark Futures Contract for a particular 30-day time period was 0.50%
per day, USNG management would attempt to manage the portfolio such
that the
average daily movement of the NAV during that same time period fell
between
0.45% and 0.55% (i.e.,
between 0.9 and 1.1 of the benchmark’s results). USNG’s portfolio management
goals do not include trying to make the nominal price of USNG’s NAV equal to the
nominal price of the current Benchmark Futures Contract or the spot price
for natural gas. Management believes that it is not practical to manage
the
portfolio to achieve such an investment goal when investing in listed
natural
gas futures contracts.
For
the
30 valuation days ended June 30, 2007, the simple average daily change
in the
Benchmark Futures Contract was -0.692%, while the simple average daily
change in the NAV of USNG over the same time period was -0.679%. The
average
daily difference was 0.013% (or 1.3 basis points, where 1 basis point
equals
1/100 of 1%). As a percentage of the daily movement of the
Benchmark Futures Contract, the average error in daily tracking by the NAV
was 2.25%, meaning that over this time period USNG’s tracking error was within
the plus or minus 10% range established as its benchmark tracking
goal.
12
From
the commencement of the offering of USNG units to the public on April
18, 2007 to June 30, 2007, the simple average daily change in
the
Benchmark Futures Contract was -.262%, while the simple average daily
change in the NAV of USNG over the same time period was -0.250%.
The average
daily difference was 0.012% (or 1.2 basis points, where 1 basis
point equals
1/100 of 1%). As a percentage of the daily movement of the Benchmark Futures
Contract, the average error in daily tracking by the NAV was
2%, meaning that
over this time period USNG’s tracking error was within the plus or minus 10%
range established as its benchmark tracking goal.
An
alternative tracking measurement of the return performance
of USNG versus the
return of its Benchmark Futures Contract can be calculated
by comparing the
actual return of USNG, measured by changes in its NAV, versus the
expected
changes
in its NAV under the assumption that USNG’s returns had been exactly the same as
the daily changes in its Benchmark Futures Contract.
For
the
period from April 18, 2007 through June 30, 2007, the actual
total return of
USNG as measured by changes in its NAV was -13.02%. This is
based on an initial
NAV of $50.00 on April 18, 2007 and an ending NAV as of June 29,
2007 of $43.49. During this time period, USNG made no distributions
to its
unitholders. However, if USNG’s daily changes in its NAV had instead exactly
tracked the changes in the daily return of the Benchmark Futures Contracts,
USNG would have ended the second quarter of 2007 with an estimated
NAV of
$43.21, for a total return over the relevant time period of
-13.58%. The
difference between the actual NAV total return of USNG of -13.02%
and the
expected total return based on the Benchmark Futures Contracts of -13.58
was an error over the time period of +0.56, which is to say
that USNG’s actual
total return exceeded the benchmark result by that percentage.
Management
believes that a portion of the difference between the actual
return and the
expected benchmark return can be attributed to the impact of
the interest that
USNG collects on its cash and cash equivalent holdings. In
addition, during the
period, USNG also collected fees from brokerage firms creating
or redeeming
baskets of units. This income also contributed to USNG’s actual return exceeding
the benchmark results. However, if the total assets of USNG
continue to
increase, management believes that the impact on total returns
of these fees
from creations and redemptions will diminish as a percentage
of the total
return.
There
are
currently three factors that have, during the latest period,
or are most likely
to impact USNG’s ability to accurately track its Benchmark Futures
Contract.
First,
USNG may buy or sell its holdings in the then current Benchmark Futures
Contract at a price other than the closing settlement price of
that contract on
the day in which USNG executes the trade. In that case, USNG may
get a price
that is higher, or lower, than that of the Benchmark Futures Contract,
which could cause the changes in the daily NAV of USNG to either be too
high or too low relative to the changes in the daily benchmark.
In the second
quarter of 2007, management attempted to minimize the effect of
these
transactions by seeking to execute its purchase or sales of the
Benchmark Futures Contracts at, or as close as possible to, the end of the
day settlement price. However, it is not always possible for USNG
to obtain the
closing settlement price and there is no assurance that failure
to obtain the
closing settlement price in the future will not adversely impact
USNG’s attempt
to track its benchmark over time.
Second,
USNG earns interest on its cash and Treasury holdings. USNG is not
required to distribute any portion of its income to its unitholders
and did not
make any distribution to unitholders in the second quarter of 2007.
Interest
payments, and any other income, were retained within the portfolio
and added to
USNG’s NAV. When this income exceeds the level of USNG’s expenses for its
management fee, brokerage commissions and other expenses (including ongoing
registration fees, licensing fees and the fees and expenses of the
independent directors), USNG will realize a net yield that will tend
to cause
daily changes in the NAV of USNG to track slightly higher than daily
changes in
the Benchmark Futures Contracts. During the second quarter of 2007, USNG
earned on an annualized basis approximately 4.26% on its cash holdings.
It also
incurred cash expenses on an annualized basis of 0.60% for management
fees and
approximately 0.16% in brokerage commission costs related to the
purchase and
sale of futures contracts, and 0.06% for other expenses. The foregoing
fees and
expenses resulted in a net yield on an annualized basis of approximately
3.52%
and affected USNG’s ability to track its benchmark. If short-term interest rates
rise above the current levels, the level of deviation created by
the yield would
increase. Conversely, if short-term interest rates
were to decline, the amount of error created by the yield would decrease.
If
short-term yields drop to a level lower than the combined expenses
of the
management fee and the brokerage commissions, then the tracking error
would
become a negative number and would tend to cause the daily returns
of the NAV to
underperform the daily returns of the Benchmark Futures
Contracts.
Third,
USNG may hold Other Natural Gas-Related Interests in its portfolios that
may fail to closely track the Benchmark Futures Contract's total return
movements. In that case, the error in tracking the benchmark can
result in daily
changes in the NAV of USNG that are either too high, or too low,
relative to the
daily changes in the benchmark. During the second quarter of 2007,
USNG did not
hold any Other Natural Gas-Related Interests. However, there can
be no assurance
that in future quarters USNG will not make use of such Other Natural
Gas-Related
Interests.
Term
Structure of Natural Gas Futures Prices and the Impact on Total Returns.
Several
factors determine the total return from investing in a futures contract
position. One factor that impacts the total return that will result
in investing
in near month Benchmark Futures Contracts and “rolling” those contracts
forward each month is the price relationship between the current near
month
contract and the next month contract. If the price of near month contract
is
higher than the next month contract (a situation referred to as “backwardation”
in the futures market), then absent any other change there is a tendency
for the
price of a next month contract to rise in value as it becomes the near
month
contract and approaches expiration. Conversely, if the price of a near
month
contract is lower than the next month contract (a situation referred
to as
“contango” in the futures market), then absent any other change there is a
tendency for the price of a next month contract to decline in value
as it
becomes the near month contract and approaches expiration.
As
an
example, assume that the price of natural gas for immediate delivery
(the “spot”
price), was $7 per 10,000 million British thermal units (MMBtu),
and the value
of a position in the near month futures contract was also $7. Over
time, the
price of 10,000 MMBtu of natural gas will fluctuate based on a number of
market factors, including demand for natural gas relative to its
supply. The
value of the near month contract will likewise fluctuate in reaction to a
number of market factors. If investors seek to maintain their holding
in a near
month contract position and not take delivery of the natural gas,
every month
they must sell their current near month contract as it approaches
expiration and
invest in the next month contract.
If
the
futures market is in backwardation, e.g., when the expected price
of natural gas
in the future would be less, the investor would be buying a next
month contract
for a lower price than the current near month contract. Hypothetically,
and
assuming no other changes to either prevailing natural gas prices
or the price
relationship between the spot price, the near month contract and
the next month
contract (and ignoring the impact
of
commission costs and the interest earned on cash), the value of
the next month
contract would rise as it approaches expiration and becomes the
new near month
contract. In this example, the value of the $7 investment would
tend to rise
faster than the spot price of natural gas, or fall slower. As a
result, it would
be possible in this hypothetical example for the price of spot
natural gas to
have risen to $9 after some period of time, while the value of
the investment in
the futures contract would have risen to $10, assuming backwardation
is large
enough or enough time has elapsed. Similarly, the spot price of
natural gas
could have fallen to $5 while the value of an investment in the
futures contract
could have fallen to only $6. Over time, if backwardation remained
constant, the
difference would continue to increase.
If
the
futures market is in contango, the investor would be buying a
next month
contract for a higher price than the current near month contract.
Hypothetically, and assuming no other changes to either prevailing
natural gas
prices or the price relationship between the spot price, the
near month contract
and the next month contract (and ignoring the impact of commission
costs and the
interest earned on cash), the value of the next month contract
would fall as it
approaches expiration and becomes the new near month contract.
In this example,
it would mean that the value of the $7 investment would tend
to rise slower than
the spot price of natural gas, or fall faster. As a result, it
would be possible
in this hypothetical example for the spot price of natural gas to have
risen to $9 after some period of time, while the value of the
investment in the
futures contract will have risen to only $8, assuming contango
is large enough
or enough time has elapsed. Similarly, the spot price of natural
gas could have
fallen to $6 while the value of an investment in the futures
contract could have
fallen to $7. Over time, if contango remained constant, the difference
would
continue to increase.
13
Historically,
the natural gas futures markets have experienced periods of contango
and backwardation. Because natural gas demand is seasonal, it
is possible for
the price of natural gas futures contracts for delivery within
one or two months
to rapidly move from backwardation into contango and back again
within a
relatively short period of time of less than one year. While
the investment
objective of USNG is not to have the market price of its units
match, dollar for
dollar, changes in the spot price of natural gas, contango has
impacted the
total return on an investment in USNG units during the past quarter
relative
to a hypothetical direct investment in natural gas. For example,
an
investment made in USNG units on April 18, 2007 and held to June
30, 2007
decreased, based upon the changes in the closing market prices
for USNG units on
those days, by -13.02%, while the spot price of natural gas for
immediate
delivery during the same period decreased -11.24% (note: this
comparison ignores
the potential costs associated with physically owning and storing
natural
gas). This period of contango did not meaningfully impact USNG’s investment
objective of having percentage changes in its per unit price
track percentage
changes in the price of the Benchmark Futures Contract since the impact of
backwardation and contango tended to equally impact the percentage
changes in
price of both USNG’s units and the Benchmark Futures Contract. It is
impossible to predict with any degree of certainty whether backwardation
or
contango will occur in the future. It is likely that both conditions
will occur
during different periods and, because of the seasonal nature
of natural gas
demand, both may occur within a single year’s time.
Natural
Gas Market.
During
the second quarter of 2007, natural gas prices in the United
States were
impacted by several factors. At the beginning of the quarter,
the amount of
natural gas in storage was at higher than average levels versus
the previous
five years. The spring weather in the United States was moderate
through much of
the quarter. A major use of natural gas in spring months is the
production of
electricity for residential and commercial buildings. The mild
weather had the
effect of reducing the rate at which the storage levels of natural
gas fell.
During the entire quarter, the seasonally adjusted inventory
levels of stored
natural gas remained above five-year averages. Finally, crude
oil prices were
stable to down moderately during most of the quarter. As crude
oil is used in
the production of various alternatives to natural gas for both
the heating of
buildings and the production of electricity, the moderate decline
in the price
of crude oil early in the quarter tended to hold down natural
gas prices as
well. As a result of all the factors mentioned above, the natural
gas market in
the United States remained reasonably well supplied. The price
of natural gas
did not experience any significant jumps; rather, the price remained
fairly
range-bound for most of the quarter in the $7.50 to $8.00 level.
Prices ranged
from a low of $6.65 to a high of $8.24 per MMbtu with an average price of
$7.72. However, prices fell at the very end of the quarter due
to weak demand
resulting from relatively cool weather across much of the
U.S.
Critical
Accounting Policies
Preparation
of the financial statements and related disclosures in compliance with
accounting principles
generally accepted in the United States of America requires the application
of
appropriate accounting rules and guidance, as well as the use of estimates.
USNG's application of these policies involves judgments and actual
results may
differ from the estimates used.
The
General Partner has evaluated the nature and types of estimates that
it makes in preparing USNG's financial statements and related
disclosures and has determined that the valuation of its investments which
are not traded on a United States or internationally recognized futures
exchange
(such as forward contracts and over-the-counter contracts) involves
a critical
accounting policy. This is not currently applicable as USNG did
not invest in futures contracts other than those traded on a United States
futures exchange during the time period covered by this report. To
the
extent USNG makes such investments in the future, the values used by
USNG for its forward contracts will be provided by its commodity broker
who values over-the-counter contracts based on the present value of
estimated future cash flows that would be received from or paid to
a third party
in settlement of these derivative contracts prior to their delivery
date
and valued on a daily basis.
Liquidity
and Capital Resources
USNG
does
not anticipate making use of borrowings or other lines of credit to
meet its
obligations. USNG has met, and it is anticipated that USNG will
continue to meet, its liquidity needs in the normal course of business from
the proceeds of the sale of its investments, or from cash, cash
equivalents and/or short-term Treasuries that it intends to hold at
all times. USNG’s liquidity needs include: redeeming units, providing margin
deposits for its existing natural gas futures contracts or the purchase
of
additional natural gas futures contracts and posting collateral for
its
over-the-counter contracts and payment of its expenses, summarized
below under
“Contractual Obligations.”
USNG
currently generates cash primarily from (i) the sale of Creation Baskets
and
(ii) interest earned on cash and its investments in Treasuries. USNG
has
allocated substantially all of its net assets to trading in natural
gas interests. A significant portion of the NAV was held in Treasuries
and cash
that was used as margin for USNG's trading in natural gas interests.
The
percentage that Treasuries will bear to the total net assets will vary
from
period to period as the market values of the natural gas interests
change. The
balance of the net assets is held in USNG's Futures Contracts and Other
Natural Gas-Related Investments trading account. Interest earned on
USNG's
interest bearing-funds is paid to USNG.
USNG's
investment in natural gas interests may be subject to periods of illiquidity
because of market conditions,
regulatory considerations and other reasons. For example, commodity
exchanges
limit the fluctuations in Futures Contracts prices during a single day by
regulations referred to as “daily limits.” During a single day, no trades may be
executed at prices beyond the daily limit. Once the price of a natural
gas
futures contract has increased or decreased by an amount equal to the
daily
limit, positions in the contracts can neither be taken nor liquidated
unless the
traders are willing to effect trades at or within the specified
daily limit. Such market conditions could prevent USNG from promptly
liquidating its positions in Futures Contracts.
Through
April 10, 2006, all of the expenses of USOF, which is also managed by the
General Partner, and of the General Partner, were funded by its affiliates.
Since April 10, 2006, these expenses have largely been borne by the General
Partner and USOF.
To
date,
all of USNG’s expenses, including its organization and offering expenses
relating to the initial offering of its units, have been paid by the
General
Partner. Fees and expenses associated with the registration of units
with the
SEC subsequent to the initial offering will be borne by USNG. In addition,
fees
and expenses (including directors and officers' liability insurance)
of the
independent directors, the management fee to the General Partner, brokerage
fees
and licensing fees will be paid directly by USNG. If the General Partner
and
USNG are unsuccessful in raising sufficient funds to cover USNG's expenses
or in
locating any other source of funding, USNG will terminate and investors
may lose
all or part of their investment.
14
Market
Risk
Trading
in Futures Contracts and Other Natural Gas-Related Investments, such
as
forwards, involves USNG entering into contractual commitments to purchase
or sell natural gas at a specified date in the future. The gross
or face amount
of the contracts will significantly exceed USNG's future cash requirements
since
USNG intends to close out its open positions prior to settlement.
As a result,
USNG is generally only subject to the risk of loss arising from the change
in value of the contracts. USNG considers the "fair value'' of its
derivative
instruments to be the unrealized gain or loss on the contracts. The
market risk
associated with USNG's commitments to purchase natural gas is limited
to the
gross face amount of the contracts held. However, should USNG enter
into a
contractual commitment to sell natural gas, it would be required
to make
delivery of the natural gas at the contract price, repurchase the
contract at
prevailing prices or settle in cash. Since there are no limits on
the future
price of natural gas, the market risk to USNG could be unlimited.
USNG's
exposure to market risk depends on a number of factors, including the
markets for natural gas, the volatility of interest rates and foreign
exchange
rates, the liquidity of the Futures Contracts and Other Natural Gas-Related
Investments markets and the relationships among the contracts held
by USNG. The
limited experience that USNG has had in utilizing its model to trade
in natural
gas interests in a manner intended to track the spot price of natural
gas, as
well as drastic market occurrences, could ultimately lead to the
loss of all or
substantially all of an investor's capital.
Credit
Risk
When
USNG
enters into Futures Contracts and Other Natural Gas-Related Investments, it
is exposed to the credit risk that its counterparty will not be able
to meet its
obligations. The counterparty for the Futures Contracts traded on the NYMEX
and on most other foreign futures exchanges is the clearinghouse associated
with
the particular exchange. In general, clearinghouses are backed by their
members
who may be required to share in the financial burden resulting from
the
nonperformance of one of their members and, therefore, this additional
member
support should significantly reduce credit risk. Some foreign exchanges
are not
backed by their clearinghouse members but may be backed by a consortium
of banks
or other financial institutions.
There
can
be no assurance that any counterparty, clearinghouse, or their members
or their
financial backers will satisfy their obligations to USNG in such circumstances.
The General Partner attempts to manage the credit risk of USNG by following
various trading limitations and policies. In particular, USNG posts margin
and/or holds liquid assets that are approximately equal to the face
amount of
its obligations to counterparties under the Futures Contracts and Other
Natural Gas-Related Investments it holds. The General Partner has implemented
procedures that include, but are not limited to, executing and
clearing trades only with creditworthy parties and/or requiring the
posting of
collateral or margin by such parties for the benefit of USNG to limit
its credit
exposure. The Futures Commission Merchant or any other broker that
may be
retained by USNG in the future, when acting as USNG's futures commission
merchant in accepting orders to purchase or sell Futures Contracts on
United States exchanges, is required by U.S. Commodity Futures Trading
Commission (“CFTC”) regulations to separately account for and segregate as
belonging to USNG, all assets of USNG relating to domestic Futures
Contracts trading. A futures commission merchant is not allowed to
commingle USNG's assets with their other assets. In addition, the CFTC
requires
commodity brokers to hold in a secure account the USNG assets related
to
foreign Futures Contract trading.
At
June 30, 2007, USNG had deposits in domestic and
foreign financial institutions in the amount of $39,958,869. This amount
is
subject to loss should these institutions cease operations.
Off
Balance Sheet Financing
As
of
June 30, 2007, USNG has no loan guarantee, credit support or other
off-balance
sheet arrangements of any kind other than agreements entered into in
the normal
course of business, which may include indemnification provisions relating
to
certain risks that service providers undertake in performing services
which are
in the best interests of USNG. While USNG's exposure under these indemnification
provisions cannot be estimated, they are not expected to have a material
impact
on USNG's financial position.
Redemption
Basket Obligation
In
order
to meet its investment objective and pay its contractual obligations
described
below, USNG requires liquidity to redeem units, which redemptions must be
in blocks of 100,000 units called Redemption Baskets. USNG has to
date satisfied this obligation by paying from the cash or cash equivalents
it holds or through the sale of its Treasuries in an amount
proportionate to the number of units being redeemed.
Contractual
Obligations
USNG’s
primary contractual obligations are with the General Partner. In
return for its
services, the General Partner is entitled to a management fee calculated
as a
fixed percentage of USNG’s NAV, currently 0.60% for a NAV of $1 billion or less,
and thereafter 0.50% for a NAV above $1 billion. The General Partner
agreed to
pay the start-up costs associated with the formation of USNG, primarily
its
legal, accounting and other costs in connection with its contracts
with service
providers, its registration with the SEC and other regulatory filings
in
connection with the initial public offering of the units, and the
registration
fees paid to the SEC, the NASD and the AMEX in connection with such
offering.
The
General Partner pays the fees of the custodian and transfer agent, Brown
Brothers Harriman & Co., as well as Brown Brothers Harriman & Co.’s fees
for performing administrative services, including in connection with
the
preparation of USNG's financial statements and its SEC and CFTC reports.
The
General Partner also pays the fees of USNG’s accountants in connection with
USNG's SEC and CFTC reporting, as well as those of its marketing
agent. The
General Partner and USNG also have entered into a licensing agreement
with the
NYMEX pursuant to which USNG and the affiliated funds managed by
the General
Partner pay a licensing fee to the NYMEX.
In
addition to the General Partner’s management fee, USNG pays its brokerage fees
(including fees to a futures commission merchant), over-the-counter
dealer
spreads, any licensing fees for the use of intellectual property,
registration
and, subsequent to the initial offering, the fees paid to the SEC,
NASD or any
other regulatory agency in connection with the offer and sale of
the units, as
well as the legal, printing, accounting and other expenses associated
therewith,
and extraordinary expenses. The latter are expenses not incurred
in the ordinary
course of USNG's business, including expenses relating to the indemnification
of
any person against liabilities and obligations to the extent permitted
by law
and under the LP Agreement, the bringing or defending of actions
in law or in
equity or otherwise conducting litigation and incurring legal expenses
and the
settlement of claims and litigation. Commission payments to a futures
commission
merchant are on a contract-by-contract, or round turn, basis. USNG
also pays a
portion of the fees and expenses of the independent directors. See
Note 3 to the
Notes to Financial Statements (Unaudited).
The
parties cannot anticipate the amount of payments that will be required
under
these arrangements for future periods, as USNG’s NAVs and trading levels to meet
its investment objectives will not be known until a future date.
These
agreements are effective for a specific term agreed upon by the parties
and have
an option to renew, or, in some cases, are in effect for the duration
of USNG’s
existence. Either party may terminate these agreements earlier for
certain
reasons described in the agreements.
15
Quantitative
and Qualitative Disclosures About Market
Risk
|
Over-the-Counter
Derivatives (Including Spreads and Straddles)
In
the
future, USNG may purchase over-the-counter contracts. Unlike
most of the
exchange-traded natural gas futures contracts or exchange-traded
options on such
futures, each party to over-the-counter contracts bears the credit
risk that the
other party may not be able to perform its obligations under
its
contract.
Some
natural gas-based derivatives transactions contain fairly generic
terms and
conditions and are available from a wide range of participants.
Other natural
gas-based derivatives have highly customized terms and conditions
and are not as
widely available. Many of these over-the-counter contracts are
cash-settled
forwards for the future delivery of natural gas- or petroleum-based
fuels that
have terms similar to the Futures Contracts. Others take the form of
“swaps” in which the two parties exchange cash flows based on pre-determined
formulas tied to the spot price of natural gas, forward natural gas
prices or natural gas futures prices. For example, USNG may enter
into
over-the-counter derivative contracts whose value will be tied
to changes in the
difference between the spot price of natural gas, the price of Futures
Contracts traded on the NYMEX and the prices of other Futures Contracts
that may be invested in by USNG.
To
protect itself from the credit risk that arises in connection
with such
contracts, USNG may enter into agreements with each counterparty
that provide
for the netting of its overall exposure to its counterparty, such as the
agreements published by the International Swaps and Derivatives
Association,
Inc. USNG also may require that the counterparty be highly rated and/or
provide collateral or other credit support to address USNG’s exposure to the
counterparty.
USNG
may
employ spreads or straddles in its trading to mitigate the differences
in its
investment portfolio and its goal of tracking the price of the
Benchmark Futures Contract. USNG would use a spread when it chooses to
take
simultaneous long and short positions in futures written on the
same underlying
asset, but with different delivery months. The effect of holding
such combined
positions is to adjust the sensitivity of USNG to changes in
the price
relationship between futures contracts which will expire sooner
and those that
will expire later. USNG would use such a spread if the General
Partner felt that
taking such long and short positions, when combined with the
rest of its
holdings, would more closely track the investment goals of USNG,
or if the
General Partner felt that it would lead to an overall lower cost
of trading to
achieve a given level of economic exposure to movements in natural
gas prices.
USNG would enter into a straddle when it chooses to take an option
position
consisting of a long (or short) position in both a call option
and put option.
The economic effect of holding certain combinations of put options
and call
options can be very similar to that of owning the underlying
futures contracts.
USNG would make use of such a straddle approach if, in the opinion
of the
General Partner, the resulting combination would more closely
track the
investment goals of USNG or if it would lead to an overall lower
cost of trading
to achieve a given level of economic exposure to movements in
natural gas
prices.
During
the period from April 18, 2007 through June 30, 2007, USNG did
not employ any
hedging arrangements since all of its investments were made over
an exchange.
Therefore, USNG was not exposed to counterparty risk.
Controls
and Procedures
|
Disclosure
Controls and Procedures.
USNG
maintains disclosure controls and procedures that are designed
to ensure that
material information required to be disclosed in USNG’s periodic reports filed
or submitted under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended, is recorded,
processed, summarized and reported within the time period specified
in the SEC’s
rules and forms.
The
duly
appointed officers of the General Partner, including its chief
executive officer
and chief financial officer, who perform functions equivalent to those
of a principal executive officer and principal financial officer
of
USNG if USNG had any officers, have evaluated the effectiveness
of USNG’s
disclosure controls and procedures and have concluded that the
disclosure controls and procedures of USNG have been effective
as of the end of
the period covered by this quarterly report.
Change
in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting.
There
were no changes in USNG’s internal control over financial reporting during
USNG’s last fiscal quarter that have materially affected, or are
reasonably
likely to materially affect, USNG’s internal control over financial
reporting.
16
Part
II.
|
OTHER
INFORMATION
|
Risk
Factors
|
There
has
not been a material change from the risk factors previously
disclosed in USNG's
Registration Statement on Form S-1, which was declared effective
on April
18, 2007.
Other
Information
|
Monthly
Account Statements
Pursuant
to the requirement under part 4.22 of the Commodities Exchange
Act, each month
USNG publishes an account statement for its unitholders, which
includes a
statement of income (loss) and a statement of changes in NAV.
The account
statement is filed with the SEC on a current report on Form
8-K pursuant to
Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act and posted each month on USNG’s
website at www.unitedstatesnaturalgasfund.com.
Exhibits
|
Listed
below are the exhibits which are filed or furnished as part
of this quarterly
report on Form 10-Q (according to the number assigned to them in Item 601
of Regulation S-K):
Exhibit Number | Description
of Document
|
|
10.1# | License Agreement among United States Natural Gas Fund, LP, Victoria Bay Asset Management, LLC, certain other funds which are managed by Victoria Bay Asset Management, LLC and the New York Mercantile Exchange, Inc. dated as of April 10, 2006. | |
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*
Filed herewith
**
Furnished herewith
#
Incorporated
by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to USNG's quarterly report on
Form 10-Q for the
quarter ended March 31, 2007 which was filed on June 1, 2007.
Confidential
treatment has been requested for portions of this document.
The confidential
portions have been omitted and filed separately with the
SEC.
SIGNATURES
Pursuant
to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
the registrant has
duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned
thereunto
duly authorized.
United
States Natural Gas Fund, LP (Registrant)
By:
Victoria Bay Asset Management, LLC, its general partner
|
By:
/s/ Nicholas D. Gerber
|
Nicholas
D. Gerber
|
Chief
Executive Officer
|
DateDate: August
8, 2007
|
By:
/s/ Howard Mah
|
Howard
Mah
|
Chief
Financial Officer
|
DateDate: August
8, 2007
|
17