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FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS, OFF-BALANCE SHEET RISKS AND CONTINGENCIES | 6 Months Ended
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Jun. 30, 2011
FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS, OFF-BALANCE SHEET RISKS AND CONTINGENCIES | NOTE 5 – FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS, OFF-BALANCE SHEET RISKS AND CONTINGENCIES USBO engages in the trading of futures contracts and options on futures contracts and may engage in cleared swaps (collectively, “derivatives”). USBO 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. USBO may enter into futures contracts, options on futures contracts and cleared swaps to gain exposure to changes in the value of an underlying commodity. A futures contract obligates the seller to deliver (and the purchaser to accept) the future delivery of a specified quantity and type of a commodity at a specified time and place. Some futures contracts may call for physical delivery of the asset, while others are settled in cash. The contractual obligations of a buyer or seller may generally be satisfied by taking or making physical delivery of the underlying commodity or by making an offsetting sale or purchase of an identical futures contract on the same or linked exchange before the designated date of delivery. The purchase and sale of futures contracts, options on futures contracts and cleared swaps require 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. Futures contracts and cleared swaps involve, to varying degrees, elements of market risk (specifically commodity price risk) and exposure to loss in excess of the amount of variation margin. The face or contract amounts reflect the extent of the total exposure USBO has in the particular classes of instruments. Additional risks associated with the use of futures contracts are an imperfect correlation between movements in the price of the futures contracts and the market value of the underlying securities and the possibility of an illiquid market for a futures contract. Through June 30, 2011, all of the futures contracts held by USBO were 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, a party must rely solely on the credit of its respective individual counterparties. However, in the future, if USBO 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, on the transaction. USBO has credit risk under its futures contracts since the sole counterparty to all domestic and foreign futures contracts is the clearinghouse for the exchange on which the relevant contracts are traded. In addition, USBO bears the risk of financial failure by the clearing broker. USBO’s cash and other property, such as U.S. Treasuries, 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. The insolvency of a futures commission merchant could result in the complete loss of USBO’s assets posted with that futures commission merchant; however, the vast majority of USBO’s assets are held in U.S. Treasuries, cash and/or cash equivalents with USBO’s custodian and would not be impacted by the insolvency of a futures commission merchant. Also, the failure or insolvency of USBO’s custodian could result in a substantial loss of USBO’s assets. USCF invests a portion of USBO’s cash in money market funds that seek to maintain a stable net asset value. USBO is exposed to any risk of loss associated with an investment in these money market funds. As of June 30, 2011 and December 31, 2010, USBO had deposits in domestic and foreign financial institutions, including cash investments in money market funds, in the amounts of $53,218,007 and $12,309,694, respectively. This amount is subject to loss should these institutions cease operations. For derivatives, risks arise from changes in the market value of the contracts. Theoretically, USBO 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, USBO 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. USBO’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, USBO has a policy of requiring review of the credit standing of each broker or counterparty with which it conducts business. The financial instruments held by USBO are reported in its condensed 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.

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