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FEES PAID BY THE FUND AND RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2022
FEES PAID BY THE FUND AND RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS  
FEES PAID BY THE FUND AND RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

NOTE 3 — FEES PAID BY THE FUND AND RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

USCF Management Fee

Under the LP Agreement, USCF is responsible for investing the assets of BNO in accordance with the objectives and policies of BNO. In addition, USCF has arranged for one or more third parties to provide administrative, custody, accounting, transfer agency and other necessary services to BNO. For these services, BNO is contractually obligated to pay USCF a fee, which is paid monthly, equal to 0.75% per annum of average daily total net assets.

Ongoing Registration Fees and Other Offering Expenses

BNO pays all costs and expenses associated with the ongoing registration of its shares subsequent to the initial offering. These costs include registration or other fees paid to regulatory agencies in connection with the offer and sale of shares, and all legal, accounting, printing and other expenses associated with such offer and sale. For the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020, BNO incurred $157,620, $259,150 and $234,290, respectively, in registration fees and offering expenses.

Independent Directors’ and Officers’ Expenses

BNO is responsible for paying its portion of the directors’ and officers’ liability insurance for BNO and the other Related Public Funds and the fees and expenses of the independent directors who also serve as audit committee members of BNO and the other Related Public Funds. BNO shares the fees and expenses on a pro rata basis with each other Related Public Fund, as described above, based on the relative assets of each Related Public Fund computed on a daily basis. These fees and expenses for the year ending December 31, 2022 totaled $82,611 for BNO and, in the aggregate for BNO and the other Related Public Funds, $1,258,000. For the year ended December 31, 2021, these fees and expenses were $1,081,963 for BNO and the other Related Public Funds. BNO’s portion of such fees and expenses for the year ended December 31, 2021 was $74,951. For the year ended December 31, 2020, these fees and expenses were $585,896 for BNO and the other Related Public Funds. BNO’s portion of such fees and expenses for the year ended December 31, 2020 was $28,104.

Investor Tax Reporting Cost

The fees and expenses associated with BNO’s audit expenses and tax accounting and reporting requirements are paid by BNO. These costs are estimated to be $239,277 for the year ending December 31, 2022. For the years ending December 31, 2021, and 2020 USL’s investor reporting costs totaled $399,680 and $221,582 respectively. Tax reporting costs fluctuate between years due to the number of shareholders during any given year.

Other Expenses and Fees and Expense Waivers

In addition to the fees described above, BNO pays all brokerage fees and other expenses in connection with the operation of BNO, excluding costs and expenses paid by USCF as outlined in Note 4 - Contracts and Agreements below. USCF previously paid certain expenses typically borne by BNO on a discretionary basis, where expenses exceed 0.15% (15 basis points) of BNO’s NAV, on an annualized basis. USCF terminated such expense waiver as of April 30, 2021. For the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020 USCF waived $0, $202,151 and $660,603, respectively, of BNO’s expenses. This voluntary expense waiver was in addition to those amounts USCF is contractually obligated to pay as described in Note 4 - Contracts and Agreements and terminated on April 30, 2021.