Edgar Filing: United States Oil Fund, LP

Unassociated Document

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K

x	Annual report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2009.

¨	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: 001-32834

United States Oil Fund, LP

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Delaware	20-2830691
(State or other jurisdiction of	(I.R.S. Employer
incorporation or organization)	Identification No.)

1320 Harbor Bay Parkway, Suite 145

Alameda, California 94502

(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip code)

(510) 522-9600

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Units	NYSE Arca, Inc.
(Title of each class)	(Name of exchange on which registered)

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 x No

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 x No

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 has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files). ¨ Yes ¨ No

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K (§229.405 of this chapter) is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of registrant’s 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. ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

Large accelerated filer x	Accelerated filer ¨

Non-accelerated filer ¨	Smaller reporting company ¨
(Do not check if a smaller reporting company)

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).

¨ Yes x No

The aggregate market value of the registrant’s units held by non-affiliates of the registrant as of June 30, 2009 was: $2,309,937,000.

The registrant had 47,800,000 outstanding units as of February 26, 2010.

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE:

None.

UNITED STATES OIL FUND, LP

Table of Contents

	Page
Part I.
Item 1. Business.	1

Item 1A. Risk Factors.	50

Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments.	66

Item 2. Properties.	66

Item 3. Legal Proceedings.	66

Item 4. Reserved.	66

Part II.
Item 5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities.	67

Item 6. Selected Financial Data.	67

Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.	68

Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk.	87

Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.	88

Item 9. Changes in and Disagreements With Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure.	105

Item 9A. Controls and Procedures.	105

Item 9B. Other Information.	106

Part III.
Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance.	106

Item 11. Executive Compensation.	111

Item 12. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters.	112

Item 13. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence.	112

Item 14. Principal Accountant Fees and Services.	113

Part IV.
Item 15. Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules.	113

Exhibit Index.	114

Signatures	115

Part I

Item 1. Business.

What is USOF?

The United States Oil Fund, LP (“USOF”) is a Delaware limited partnership organized on May 12, 2005. USOF maintains its main business office at 1320 Harbor Bay Parkway, Suite 145, Alameda, California 94502. USOF is a commodity pool that issues limited partnership interests (“units”) traded on the NYSE Arca, Inc. (the “NYSE Arca”). It operates pursuant to the terms of the Fifth Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership dated as of October 13, 2008 (the “LP Agreement”), which grants full management control to United States Commodity Funds LLC (the “General Partner”).

The investment objective of USOF is for the changes in percentage terms of its units’ net asset value (“NAV”) to reflect the changes in percentage terms of the spot price of light, sweet crude oil delivered to Cushing, Oklahoma, as measured by the changes in the price of the futures contract on light, sweet crude oil traded on the New York Mercantile Exchange (the “NYMEX”), less USOF’s expenses. USOF’s units began trading on April 10, 2006. The General Partner is the general partner of USOF and is responsible for the management of USOF.

Who is the General Partner?

The General Partner is a single member limited liability company that was formed in the state of Delaware on May 10, 2005. Prior to June 13, 2008, the General Partner was known as Victoria Bay Asset Management, LLC. It maintains its main business office at 1320 Harbor Bay Parkway, Suite 145, Alameda, California 94502. The General Partner is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Wainwright Holdings, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Wainwright”). Mr. Nicholas Gerber (discussed below) controls Wainwright by virtue of his ownership of Wainwright’s shares. Wainwright is a holding company. Wainwright previously owned an insurance company organized under Bermuda law, which has been liquidated, and a registered investment adviser firm named Ameristock Corporation, which has been distributed to the Wainwright shareholders. The General Partner is a member of the National Futures Association (the “NFA”) and registered as a commodity pool operator (“CPO”) with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (the “CFTC”) on December 1, 2005.

On September 11, 2006, the General Partner formed the United States Natural Gas Fund, LP (“USNG”), another limited partnership that is a commodity pool and issues units traded on the NYSE Arca. The investment objective of USNG is for the changes in percentage terms of its units’ NAV 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 traded on the NYMEX, less USNG’s expenses. USNG’s units began trading on April 18, 2007. The General Partner is the general partner of USNG and is responsible for the management of USNG.

On June 27, 2007, the General Partner formed the United States 12 Month Oil Fund, LP (“US12OF”), also a limited partnership that is a commodity pool and issues units traded on the NYSE Arca. The investment objective of US12OF is for the changes in percentage terms of its units’ NAV to reflect the changes in percentage terms of the price of light, sweet crude oil delivered to Cushing, Oklahoma, as measured by the changes in the average of the prices of 12 futures contracts on light, sweet crude oil traded on the NYMEX, consisting of the near month contract to expire and the contracts for the following 11 months, for a total of 12 consecutive months’ contracts, less US12OF’s expenses. US12OF’s units began trading on December 6, 2007. The General Partner is the general partner of US12OF and is responsible for the management of US12OF.

On April 12, 2007, the General Partner formed the United States Gasoline Fund, LP (“UGA”), also a limited partnership that is a commodity pool and issues units traded on the NYSE Arca. The investment objective of UGA is for the changes in percentage terms of its units’ NAV to reflect the changes in spot percentage terms of the price of unleaded gasoline delivered to the New York harbor, as measured by the changes in the price of the futures contract on gasoline traded on the NYMEX, less UGA’s expenses. UGA’s units began trading on February 26, 2008. The General Partner is the general partner of UGA and is responsible for the management of UGA.

On April 13, 2007, the General Partner formed the United States Heating Oil Fund, LP (“USHO”), also a limited partnership that is a commodity pool and issues units traded on the NYSE Arca. The investment objective of USHO is for the changes in percentage terms of its units’ NAV to reflect the changes in percentage terms of the spot price of heating oil (also known as No. 2 fuel oil) delivered to the New York harbor, as measured by the changes in the price of the futures contract on heating oil traded on the NYMEX, less USHO’s expenses. USHO’s units began trading on April 9, 2008. The General Partner is the general partner of USHO and is responsible for the management of USHO.

On June 30, 2008, the General Partner formed the United States Short Oil Fund, LP (“USSO”), also a limited partnership that is a commodity pool and issues units traded on the NYSE Arca. The investment objective of USSO is for the changes in percentage terms of its units’ NAV to inversely reflect the changes in percentage terms of the spot price of light, sweet crude oil delivered to Cushing, Oklahoma, as measured by the changes in the price of the futures contract on light, sweet crude oil as traded on the NYMEX, less USSO’s expenses. USSO’s units began trading on September 24, 2009. The General Partner is the general partner of USSO and is responsible for the management of USSO.

On June 27, 2007, the General Partner formed the United States 12 Month Natural Gas Fund, LP (“US12NG”), also a limited partnership that is a commodity pool and issues units traded on the NYSE Arca. The investment objective of US12NG is for the changes in percentage terms of its units’ NAV to reflect the changes in percentage terms of the spot price of natural gas delivered at the Henry Hub, Louisiana, as measured by the changes in the average of the prices of 12 futures contracts on natural gas traded on the NYMEX, consisting of the near month contract to expire and the contracts for the following 11 months, for a total of 12 consecutive months’ contracts, less US12NG’s expenses. US12NG’s units began trading on November 18, 2009. The General Partner is the general partner of US12NG and is responsible for the management of US12NG.

USNG, US12OF, UGA, USHO, USSO and US12NG are collectively referred to herein as the “Related Public Funds”. For more information about each of the Related Public Funds, investors in USOF may call 1-800-920-0259 or go online to www.unitedstatescommodityfunds.com.

The General Partner has filed a registration statement for two other exchange traded security funds, the United States Brent Oil Fund, LP (“USBO”) and the United States Commodity Index Funds Trust (“USCI”). The investment objective of USBO will be for the daily changes in percentage terms of its units’ NAV to reflect the daily changes in percentage terms of the spot price of Brent crude oil, as measured by the changes in the price of the futures contract on Brent crude oil traded on the ICE Futures, less USBO’s expenses. The investment objective of USCI will be for the daily changes in percentage terms of its units’ NAV to reflect the daily changes in percentage terms of the SummerHaven Dynamic Commodity Index (“SDCI”) Total Return, less USCI’s expenses.

The General Partner is required to evaluate the credit risk of USOF to the futures commission merchant, oversee the purchase and sale of USOF’s units by certain authorized purchasers (“Authorized Purchasers”), review daily positions and margin requirements of USOF and manage USOF’s investments. The General Partner also pays the fees of ALPS Distributors, Inc., which acts as the marketing agent for USOF (the “Marketing Agent”), and Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. (“BBH&Co.”), which acts as the administrator (the “Administrator”) and the custodian (the “Custodian”) for USOF.

Limited partners have no right to elect the General Partner on an annual or any other continuing basis. If the General Partner voluntarily withdraws, however, the holders of a majority of USOF’s outstanding units (excluding for purposes of such determination units owned, if any, by the withdrawing General Partner and its affiliates) may elect its successor. The General Partner may not be removed as general partner except upon approval by the affirmative vote of the holders of at least 66 and 2/3 percent of USOF’s outstanding units (excluding units owned, if any, by the General Partner and its affiliates), subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions set forth in the LP Agreement.

The business and affairs of the General Partner are managed by a board of directors (the “Board”), which is comprised of four management directors, some of whom are also its executive officers (the “Management Directors”), and three independent directors who meet the independent director requirements established by the NYSE Arca and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Management Directors have the authority to manage the General Partner pursuant to its limited liability company agreement. Through its Management Directors, the General Partner manages the day-to-day operations of USOF. The Board has an audit committee which is made up of the three independent directors (Peter M. Robinson, Gordon L. Ellis and Malcolm R. Fobes III). For additional information relating to the audit committee, please see “Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance – Audit Committee” in this annual report on Form 10-K.

How Does USOF Operate?

The net assets of USOF consist primarily of investments in futures contracts for light, sweet crude oil, but may also consist of investment contracts for other types of crude oil, heating oil, gasoline, natural gas and other petroleum-based fuels that are traded on the NYMEX, ICE Futures or other U.S. and foreign exchanges (collectively, “Oil Futures Contracts”) and other oil interests such as cash-settled options on Oil Futures Contracts, forward contracts for oil, and over-the-counter transactions that are based on the price of oil, other petroleum-based fuels, Oil Futures Contracts and indices based on the foregoing (collectively, “Other Oil Interests”). For convenience and unless otherwise specified, Oil Futures Contracts and Other Oil Interests collectively are referred to as “oil interests” in this annual report on Form 10-K.

USOF invests in oil interests to the fullest extent possible without being leveraged or unable to satisfy its current or potential margin or collateral obligations with respect to its investments in Oil Futures Contracts and Other Oil Interests. In pursuing this objective, the primary focus of the General Partner is the investment in Oil Futures Contracts and the management of USOF’s investments in short-term obligations of the United States of two years or less (“Treasuries”), cash and/or cash equivalents for margining purposes and as collateral.

The investment objective of USOF is for the changes in percentage terms of its units’ NAV to reflect the changes in percentage terms of the spot price of light, sweet crude oil delivered to Cushing, Oklahoma, as measured by the changes in the price of the futures contract on light, sweet crude oil as traded on the NYMEX that is the near month contract to expire, except when the near month contract is within two weeks of expiration, in which case the futures contract will be the next month contract to expire, less USOF’s expenses. It is not the intent of USOF to be operated in a fashion such that its NAV will equal, in dollar terms, the spot price of light, sweet crude oil or any particular futures contract based on light, sweet crude oil.

USOF seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing in a mix of Oil Futures Contracts and Other Oil Interests such that the changes in its NAV will closely track the changes in the price of the NYMEX futures contract for light, sweet crude oil delivered to Cushing, Oklahoma (the “Benchmark Oil Futures Contract”). The General Partner believes changes in the price of the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract have historically exhibited a close correlation with the changes in the spot price of light, sweet crude oil. On any valuation day (a valuation day is any NYSE Arca trading day as of which USOF calculates its NAV as described herein), the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract is the near month contract for light, sweet crude oil traded on the NYMEX unless the near month contract will expire within two weeks of the valuation day, in which case the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract is the next month contract for light, sweet crude oil traded on the NYMEX.

As a specific benchmark, the General Partner endeavors to place USOF’s trades in Oil Futures Contracts and Other Oil Interests and otherwise manage USOF’s investments so that A will be within plus/minus 10 percent of B, where:

A is the average daily change in USOF’s NAV for any period of 30 successive valuation days; i.e., any NYSE Arca trading day as of which USOF calculates its NAV, and

B is the average daily change in the price of the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract over the same period.

The General Partner believes that market arbitrage opportunities cause daily changes in USOF’s unit price on the NYSE Arca to closely track daily changes in USOF’s NAV per unit. The General Partner further believes that the daily changes in prices of the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract have historically closely tracked the daily changes in the spot price of light, sweet crude oil. The General Partner believes that the net effect of these two relationships and the expected relationship described above between USOF’s NAV and the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract will be that the daily changes in the price of USOF’s units on the NYSE Arca will continue to closely track the daily changes in the spot price of a barrel of light, sweet crude oil, less USOF’s expenses. The following two graphs demonstrate the correlation between the daily changes in the NAV of USOF and the daily changes in the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract both since the initial public offering of USOF’s units on April 10, 2006 through December 31, 2009 and during the last thirty valuation days ended December 31, 2009.

*PAST PERFORMANCE IS NOT NECESSARILY INDICATIVE OF FUTURE RESULTS

An investment in the units provides a means for diversifying an investor’s portfolio or hedging exposure to changes in oil prices. An investment in the units allows both retail and institutional investors to easily gain this exposure to the crude oil market in a transparent, cost-effective manner.

The expected correlation of the price of USOF’s units, USOF’s NAV and the price of the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract and the spot price of light, sweet crude oil is illustrated in the following diagram:

The General Partner employs a “neutral” investment strategy intended to track changes in the price of the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract regardless of whether the price goes up or goes down. USOF’s “neutral” investment strategy is designed to permit investors generally to purchase and sell USOF’s units for the purpose of investing indirectly in crude oil in a cost-effective manner, and/or to permit participants in the oil or other industries to hedge the risk of losses in their crude oil-related transactions. Accordingly, depending on the investment objective of an individual investor, the risks generally associated with investing in crude oil and/or the risks involved in hedging may exist. In addition, an investment in USOF involves the risk that the changes in the price of USOF’s units will not accurately track the changes in the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract.

From inception to March 2009, the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract of USOF was changed from the near month contract to expire to the next month contract to expire, starting on the date two weeks prior to the expiration of the near month contract. The change in the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract occurred in its entirety from one day until the next day.

Since March 2009, the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract has changed each month from the near month contract to the next month contract over a four-day period. The Benchmark Oil Futures Contract changes starting at the end of the day on the date two weeks prior to expiration of the near month contract for that month. During the first three days of the period, the applicable value of the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract is based on a combination of the near month contract and the next month contract as follows: (1) day 1 consists of 75% of the then near month contract’s price plus 25% of the price of the next month contract, divided by 75% of the near month contract’s prior day’s price plus 25% of the price of the next month contract, (2) day 2 consists of 50% of the then near month contract’s price plus 50% of the price of the next month contract, divided by 50% of the near month contract’s prior day’s price plus 50% of the price of the next month contract, and (3) day 3 consists of 25% of the then near month contract’s price plus 75% of the price of the next month contract, divided by 25% of the near month contract’s prior day’s price plus 75% of the price of the next month contract. On day 4, the Benchmark Futures Contract is the next month contract to expire at that time and that contract remains the Benchmark Futures Contract until the beginning of the following month’s change in the Benchmark Futures Contract over a four-day period.

On each day during the four-day period, the General Partner “rolls” USOF’s positions in oil interests by closing, or selling, a percentage of USOF’s positions in oil interests and reinvesting the proceeds from closing those positions in new oil interests that reflect the change in the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract.

The anticipated dates that the monthly four-day roll period will commence for 2010 will be posted on USOF’s website at www.unitedstatesoilfund.com, and are subject to change without notice.

USOF’s total portfolio composition is disclosed on its website each day that the NYSE Arca is open for trading. The website disclosure of portfolio holdings is made daily and includes, as applicable, the name and value of each oil interest, the specific types of Other Oil Interests and characteristics of such Other Oil Interests, Treasuries, and amount of the cash and/or cash equivalents held in USOF’s portfolio. USOF’s website is publicly accessible at no charge. USOF’s assets are held in segregated accounts pursuant to the Commodity Exchange Act (the “CEA”) and CFTC regulations.

The units issued by USOF may only be purchased by Authorized Purchasers and only in blocks of 100,000 units called Creation Baskets. The amount of the purchase payment for a Creation Basket is equal to the aggregate NAV of units in the Creation Basket. Similarly, only Authorized Purchasers may redeem units and only in blocks of 100,000 units called Redemption Baskets. The purchase price for Creation Baskets, and the redemption price for Redemption Baskets is the actual NAV of the units purchased or redeemed calculated at the end of the business day when notice for a purchase or redemption is received by USOF. In addition, Authorized Purchasers pay USOF a $1,000 fee for each order placed to create one or more Creation Baskets or redeem one or more Redemption Baskets. The NYSE Arca publishes an approximate NAV intra-day based on the prior day’s NAV and the current price of the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract, but the basket price is determined based on the actual NAV at the end of the day.

While USOF issues units only in Creation Baskets, units may also be purchased and sold in much smaller increments on the NYSE Arca. These transactions, however, are effected at the bid and ask prices established by specialist firm(s). Like any listed security, units can be purchased and sold at any time a secondary market is open.

What is USOF’s Investment Strategy?

In managing USOF’s assets, the General Partner does not use a technical trading system that issues buy and sell orders. The General Partner instead employs a quantitative methodology whereby each time a Creation Basket is sold, the General Partner purchases oil interests, such as the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract, that have an aggregate market value that approximates the amount of Treasuries and/or cash received upon the issuance of the Creation Basket.

As an example, assume that a Creation Basket is sold by USOF, and that USOF’s closing NAV per unit is $50.00. In that case, USOF would receive $5,000,000 in proceeds from the sale of the Creation Basket ($50.00 NAV per unit multiplied by 100,000 units, and excluding the Creation Basket fee of $1,000). If one were to assume further that the General Partner wants to invest the entire proceeds from the Creation Basket in the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract and that the market value of the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract is $59,950, USOF would be unable to buy the exact number of Benchmark Oil Futures Contracts with an aggregate market value equal to $5,000,000. Instead, USOF would be able to purchase 83 Benchmark Oil Futures Contracts with an aggregate market value of $4,975,850. Assuming a margin requirement equal to 10% of the value of the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract, USOF would be required to deposit $497,585 in Treasuries and cash with the futures commission merchant through which the Benchmark Oil Futures Contracts were purchased. The remainder of the proceeds from the sale of the Creation Basket, $4,502,415, would remain invested in cash, cash equivalents, and Treasuries as determined by the General Partner from time to time based on factors such as potential calls for margin or anticipated redemptions.

The specific Oil Futures Contracts purchased depends on various factors, including a judgment by the General Partner as to the appropriate diversification of USOF’s investments in futures contracts with respect to the month of expiration, and the prevailing price volatility of particular contracts. While the General Partner has made significant investments in NYMEX Oil Futures Contracts, as USOF reaches certain accountability levels or position limits on the NYMEX, or for other reasons, it may invest in Oil Futures Contracts traded on other exchanges or may invest in Other Oil Interests such as contracts in the “over-the-counter” market.

The General Partner does not anticipate letting USOF’s Oil Futures Contracts expire and taking delivery of the underlying commodity. Instead, the General Partner closes existing positions, e.g., when it changes the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract or it otherwise determines it would be appropriate to do so and reinvests the proceeds in new Oil Futures Contracts or Other Oil Interests. Positions may also be closed out to meet orders for Redemption Baskets and in such case proceeds for such baskets will not be reinvested.

By remaining invested as fully as possible in Oil Futures Contracts or Other Oil Interests, the General Partner believes that the changes in percentage terms in USOF’s NAV will continue to closely track the changes in percentage terms in the prices of the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract. The General Partner believes that certain arbitrage opportunities result in the price of the units traded on the NYSE Arca closely tracking the NAV of USOF. Additionally, oil futures contracts traded on the NYMEX have closely tracked the spot price of light, sweet crude oil. Based on these expected interrelationships, the General Partner believes that the changes in the price of USOF’s units as traded on the NYSE Arca have closely tracked and will continue to closely track the changes in the spot price of light, sweet crude oil. For performance data relating to USOF’s ability to track its benchmark, see “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations – Tracking USOF’s Benchmark”.

What are Oil Futures Contracts?

Oil Futures Contracts are agreements between two parties. One party agrees to buy crude oil from the other party at a later date at a price and quantity agreed-upon when the contract is made. Oil Futures Contracts are traded on futures exchanges, including the NYMEX. For example, the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract is traded on the NYMEX in units of 1,000 barrels. The price of crude oil futures contracts on the NYMEX are priced by floor brokers and other exchange members both through an “open outcry” of offers to purchase or sell the contracts and through an electronic, screen-based system that determines the price by matching electronically offers to purchase and sell.

Certain typical and significant characteristics of Oil Futures Contracts are discussed below. Additional risks of investing in Oil Futures Contracts are included in “What are the Risk Factors Involved with an Investment in USOF?”

Impact of Accountability Levels, Position Limits and Price Fluctuation Limits. Oil Futures Contracts include typical and significant characteristics. Most significantly, the CFTC and U.S. designated contract markets such as the NYMEX have established accountability levels and position limits on the maximum net long or net short futures contracts in commodity interests that any person or group of persons under common trading control (other than as a hedge, which an investment by USOF is not) may hold, own or control. The net position is the difference between an individual or firm’s open long contracts and open short contracts in any one commodity. In addition, most U.S. futures exchanges, such as the NYMEX, limit the daily price fluctuation for Oil Futures Contracts. Currently, the ICE Futures imposes position and accountability limits that are similar to those imposed by the NYMEX but does not limit the maximum daily price fluctuation.

The accountability levels for the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract and other Oil Futures Contracts traded on the NYMEX are not a fixed ceiling, but rather a threshold above which the NYMEX may exercise greater scrutiny and control over an investor’s positions. The current accountability level for any one month in the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract is 10,000 net contracts. In addition, the NYMEX imposes an accountability level for all months of 20,000 net futures contracts for investments in futures contracts for light, sweet crude oil. If USOF and the Related Public Funds exceed these accountability levels for investments in the futures contract for light, sweet crude oil, the NYMEX will monitor USOF’s and the Related Public Funds’ exposure and ask for further information on their activities including the total size of all positions, investment and trading strategy, and the extent of liquidity resources of USOF and the Related Public Funds. If deemed necessary by the NYMEX, it could also order USOF and the Related Public Funds to reduce their aggregate net position back to the accountability level. In addition, the ICE Futures maintains the same accountability levels, position limits and monitoring authority for its light, sweet crude oil contract as the NYMEX. As of December 31, 2009, USOF and the Related Public Funds held a net of 13,409 NYMEX Crude Oil Futures CL contracts, 2,000 NYMEX Crude Oil Financial Futures WS contracts, 17,747 ICE WTI Crude Oil Futures contracts and short positions in 166 NYMEX Crude Oil Futures CL contracts.

If the NYMEX or the ICE Futures orders USOF to reduce its position back to the accountability level, or to an accountability level that the NYMEX or the ICE Futures deems appropriate for USOF, such an accountability level may impact the mix of investments in oil interests made by USOF. To illustrate, assume that the price of the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract and the unit price of USOF are each $10, and that the NYMEX has determined that USOF may not own more than 10,000 Benchmark Oil Futures Contracts. In such case, USOF could invest up to $1 billion of its daily net assets in the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract (i.e., $10 per contract multiplied by 1,000 (a Benchmark Oil Futures Contract is a contract for 1,000 barrels of oil multiplied by 10,000 contracts)) before reaching the accountability level imposed by the NYMEX. Once the daily net assets of the portfolio exceed $1 billion in the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract, the portfolio may not be able to make any further investments in the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract. If the NYMEX were to impose limits at the $1 billion level (or another level), USOF anticipates that it would invest the majority of its assets above that level in a mix of other Oil Futures Contracts or Other Oil Interests in order to meet its investment objective.

See “Risk Factors—Risks Associated With Investing Directly or Indirectly in Crude Oil—Regulation of the commodity interests and energy markets is extensive and constantly changing; future regulatory developments are impossible to predict but may significantly and adversely affect USOF.”

In addition to accountability levels, the NYMEX and the ICE Futures impose position limits on contracts held in the last few days of trading in the near month contract to expire. It is unlikely that USOF will run up against such position limits because USOF’s investment strategy is to close out its positions and “roll” from the near month contract to expire to the next month contract during a four-day period beginning two weeks from expiration of the contract.

U.S. futures exchanges, including the NYMEX, also limit the amount of price fluctuation for Oil Futures Contracts. For example, the NYMEX imposes a $10.00 per barrel ($10,000 per contract) price fluctuation limit for Oil Futures Contracts. This limit is initially based off the previous trading day’s settlement price. If any Oil Futures Contract is traded, bid, or offered at the limit for five minutes, trading is halted for five minutes. When trading resumes it begins at the point where the limit was imposed and the limit is reset to be $10.00 per barrel in either direction of that point. If another halt were triggered, the market would continue to be expanded by $10.00 per barrel in either direction after each successive five-minute trading halt. There is no maximum price fluctuation limit during any one trading session.

U.S. futures exchanges, including the NYMEX, currently do not implement fixed position limits for Futures Contracts held outside of the last few days of trading in the near month contract to expire. However, on January 26, 2010, the CFTC published a proposed rule that, if implemented, would set fixed position limits on energy Futures Contracts, including the NYMEX Light Sweet crude oil futures contract, NYMEX Henry Hub natural gas futures contract, NYMEX New York Harbor No. 2 heating oil futures contract, and NYMEX New York Harbor gasoline blendstock (“RBOB”) gasoline futures contract, along with any contract based upon these contracts. The proposed position limits would be set as a percentage of the open interest in these contracts for the spot month, any single month, and all months combined. Additionally, the proposed rule would aggregate positions in the enumerated contracts and those based upon such contracts, including contracts listed on separate exchanges. This proposal is currently undergoing a 90-day public comment period.

USOF anticipates that to the extent it invests in Futures Contracts other than light, sweet crude oil contracts (such as futures contracts for Brent crude oil, natural gas, heating oil, and gasoline) and Other Oil Interests, it will enter into various non-exchange-traded derivative contracts to hedge the short-term price movements of such Oil Futures Contracts and Other Oil Interests against the current Benchmark Oil Futures Contract.

Examples of the position and price limits imposed are as follows:

Futures Contract	Position Accountability Levels and Limits	Maximum Daily Price Fluctuation
NYMEX Light, Sweet Crude Oil (physically settled)	Any one month: 10,000 net futures / all months: 20,000 net futures, but not to exceed 3,000 contracts in the last three days of trading in the spot month.	$10.00 per barrel ($10,000 per contract) for all months. If any contract is traded, bid, or offered at the limit for five minutes, trading is halted for five minutes. When trading resumes, the limit is expanded by $10.00 per barrel in either direction. If another halt were triggered, the market would continue to be expanded by $10.00 per barrel in either direction after each successive five-minute trading halt. There will be no maximum price fluctuation limits during any one trading session.
NYMEX Light, Sweet Crude Oil (financially settled)	Any one month: 20,000 net futures / all months: 20,000 net futures, but not to exceed 2,000 contracts in the last three days of trading in the spot month.	There is no maximum daily price fluctuation limit.
ICE West Texas Intermediate (“WTI”) Crude Futures (financially settled)	Any one month: 10,000 net futures / all months: 20,000 net futures, but not to exceed 3,000 contracts in the last three days of trading in the spot month.	There is no maximum daily price fluctuation limit.
ICE Brent Crude Futures (physically settled)	There are no position limits.	There is no maximum daily price fluctuation limit.
NYMEX Heating Oil (physically settled)	Any one month: 5,000 net futures / all months: 7,000 net futures, but not to exceed 1,000 contracts in the last three days of trading in the spot month.	$0.25 per gallon ($10,500 per contract) for all months. If any contract is traded, bid, or offered at the limit for five minutes, trading is halted for five minutes. When trading resumes, the limit is expanded by $0.25 per gallon in either direction. If another halt were triggered, the market would continue to be expanded by $0.25 per gallon in either direction after each successive five-minute trading halt. There will be no maximum price fluctuation limits during any one trading session.

NYMEX Gasoline (physically settled)		Any one month: 5,000 net futures / all months: 7,000 net futures, but not to exceed 1,000 contracts in the last three days of trading in the spot month.		$0.25 per gallon ($10,500 per contract) for all months. If any contract is traded, bid, or offered at the limit for five minutes, trading is halted for five minutes. When trading resumes, the limit is expanded by $0.25 per gallon in either direction. If another halt were triggered, the market would continue to be expanded by $0.25 per gallon in either direction after each successive five-minute trading halt. There will be no maximum price fluctuation limits during any one trading session.
NYMEX Natural Gas (physically settled)		Any one month: 6,000 net futures / all months: 12,000 net futures, but not to exceed 1,000 contracts in the last three days of trading in the spot month.		$3.00 per million British thermal units (“mmBtu”) ($30,000 per contract) for all months. If any contract is traded, bid, or offered at the limit for five minutes, trading is halted for five minutes. When trading resumes, the limit is expanded by $3.00 per mmBtu in either direction. If another halt were triggered, the market would continue to be expanded by $3.00 per mmBtu in either direction after each successive five-minute trading halt. There will be no maximum price fluctuation limits during any one trading session.

Price Volatility. Despite daily price limits, the price volatility of Oil Futures Contracts generally has been historically greater than that for traditional securities such as stocks and bonds. Price volatility often is greater day-to-day as opposed to intra-day. Oil Futures Contracts tend to be more volatile than stocks and bonds because price movements for crude oil are more currently and directly influenced by economic factors for which current data is available and are traded by crude oil futures traders throughout the day. These economic factors include changes in interest rates; governmental, agricultural, trade, fiscal, monetary and exchange control programs and policies; weather and climate conditions; changing supply and demand relationships; changes in balances of payments and trade; U.S. and international rates of inflation; currency devaluations and revaluations; U.S. and international political and economic events; and changes in philosophies and emotions of market participants. Because USOF invests a significant portion of its assets in Oil Futures Contracts, the assets of USOF, and therefore the prices of USOF units, may be subject to greater volatility than traditional securities.

Marking-to-Market Futures Positions. Oil Futures Contracts are marked to market at the end of each trading day and the margin required with respect to such contracts is adjusted accordingly. This process of marking-to-market is designed to prevent losses from accumulating in any futures account. Therefore, if USOF’s futures positions have declined in value, USOF may be required to post additional variation margin to cover this decline. Alternatively, if USOF’s futures positions have increased in value, this increase will be credited to USOF’s account.

What is the Crude Oil Market and the Petroleum-Based Fuel Market?

USOF may purchase Oil Futures Contracts traded on the NYMEX that are based on light, sweet crude oil. It may also purchase contracts on other exchanges, including the ICE Futures and the Singapore Exchange. The NYMEX contract provides for delivery of several grades of domestic and internationally traded foreign crudes, and, among other things, serves the diverse needs of the physical market. In Europe, Brent crude oil is the standard for futures contracts and is primarily traded on the ICE Futures. Brent crude oil is the price reference for two-thirds of the world’s traded oil. The ICE Brent Futures is a deliverable contract with an option to cash settle which trades in units of 1,000 barrels (42,000 U.S. gallons). The ICE Futures also offers a WTI Futures contract which trades in units of 1,000 barrels. The WTI Contract is cash settled against the prevailing market price for U.S. light sweet crude oil.

Light, Sweet Crude Oil. Light, sweet crudes are preferred by refiners because of their low sulfur content and relatively high yields of high-value products such as gasoline, diesel fuel, heating oil, and jet fuel. The price of light, sweet crude oil has historically exhibited periods of significant volatility.

Demand for petroleum products by consumers, as well as agricultural, manufacturing and transportation industries, determines demand for crude oil by refiners. Since the precursors of product demand are linked to economic activity, crude oil demand will tend to reflect economic conditions. However, other factors such as weather also influence product and crude oil demand.

Crude oil supply is determined by both economic and political factors. Oil prices (along with drilling costs, availability of attractive prospects for drilling, taxes and technology, among other factors) determine exploration and development spending, which influence output capacity with a lag. In the short run, production decisions by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (“OPEC”) also affect supply and prices. Oil export embargoes and the current conflict in Iraq represent other routes through which political developments move the market. It is not possible to predict the aggregate effect of all or any combination of these factors.

Heating Oil. Heating oil, also known as No. 2 fuel oil, accounts for about 25% of the yield of a barrel of crude oil, the second largest “cut” from oil after gasoline. The heating oil futures contract listed and traded on the NYMEX trades in units of 42,000 gallons (1,000 barrels) and is based on delivery in the New York harbor, the principal cash market trading center. The price of heating oil has historically been volatile.

Gasoline. Gasoline is the largest single volume refined product sold in the U.S. and accounts for almost half of national oil consumption. The gasoline futures contract listed and traded on the NYMEX trades in units of 42,000 gallons (1,000 barrels) and is based on delivery at petroleum products terminals in the New York harbor, the major East Coast trading center for imports and domestic shipments from refineries in the New York harbor area or from the Gulf Coast refining centers. The price of gasoline has historically been volatile.

Natural Gas. Natural gas accounts for almost a quarter of U.S. energy consumption. The natural gas futures contract listed and traded on the NYMEX trades in units of 10,000 mmBtu and is based on delivery at the Henry Hub in Louisiana, the nexus of 16 intra- and interstate natural gas pipeline systems that draw supplies from the region’s prolific gas deposits. The pipelines serve markets throughout the U.S. East Coast, the Gulf Coast, the Midwest, and up to the Canadian border. The price of natural gas has historically been volatile.

Why Does USOF Purchase and Sell Oil Futures Contracts?

USOF’s investment objective is for the changes in percentage terms of its units’ NAV to reflect the changes in percentage terms of the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract, less USOF’s expenses. USOF invests primarily in Oil Futures Contracts. USOF seeks to have its aggregate NAV approximate at all times the aggregate market value of the Oil Futures Contracts (or Other Oil Interests) it holds.

Other than investing in Oil Futures Contracts and Other Oil Interests, USOF only invests in assets to support these investments in oil interests. At any given time, most of USOF’s investments are in Treasuries, cash and/or cash equivalents that serve as segregated assets supporting USOF’s positions in Oil Futures Contracts and Other Oil Interests. For example, the purchase of an Oil Futures Contract with a stated value of $10 million would not require USOF to pay $10 million upon entering into the contract; rather, only a margin deposit, generally of 10% to 30% of the stated value of the Oil Futures Contract, would be required. To secure its Oil Futures Contract obligations, USOF would deposit the required margin with the futures commission merchant and would separately hold, through its Custodian, Treasuries, cash and/or cash equivalents in an amount equal to the balance of the current market value of the contract, which at the contract’s inception would be $10 million minus the amount of the margin deposit, or $9 million (assuming a 10% margin).

As a result of the foregoing, typically 10% to 30% of USOF’s assets are held as margin in segregated accounts with a futures commission merchant. In addition to the Treasuries or cash it posts with the futures commission merchant for the Oil Futures Contracts it owns, USOF holds, through the Custodian, Treasuries, cash and/or cash equivalents that can be posted as margin or as collateral to support its over-the-counter contracts. USOF earns interest income from the Treasuries and/or cash equivalents that it purchases, and on the cash it holds through the Custodian. USOF anticipates that the earned interest income will increase the NAV and limited partners’ capital contribution accounts. USOF reinvests the earned interest income, holds it in cash, or uses it to pay its expenses. If USOF reinvests the earned interest income, it makes investments that are consistent with its investment objectives.

What is the Flow of Units?

What are the Trading Policies of USOF?

Liquidity

USOF invests only in Oil Futures Contracts and Other Oil Interests that are traded in sufficient volume to permit, in the opinion of the General Partner, ease of taking and liquidating positions in these financial interests.

Spot Commodities

While the Oil Futures Contracts traded on the NYMEX can be physically settled, USOF does not intend to take or make physical delivery. USOF may from time to time trade in Other Oil Interests, including contracts based on the spot price of crude oil.

Leverage

While USOF’s historical ratio of initial margin to total assets has generally ranged from 10% to 30%, the General Partner endeavors to have the value of USOF’s Treasuries, cash and cash equivalents, whether held by USOF or posted as margin or collateral, at all times approximate the aggregate market value of its obligations under USOF’s Oil Futures Contracts and Other Oil Interests. While the General Partner does not intend to leverage USOF’s assets, it is not prohibited from doing so under the LP Agreement.

Borrowings

Borrowings are not used by USOF unless USOF is required to borrow money in the event of physical delivery, USOF trades in cash commodities, or for short-term needs created by unexpected redemptions. USOF maintains the value of its Treasuries, cash and/or cash equivalents, whether held by USOF or posted as margin or collateral, to at all times approximate the aggregate market value of its obligations under its Oil Futures Contracts and Other Oil Interests. USOF has not established and does not plan to establish credit lines.

Over-the-Counter Derivatives (Including Spreads and Straddles)

In addition to Oil Futures Contracts, there are also a number of listed options on the Oil Futures Contracts on the principal futures exchanges. These contracts offer investors and hedgers another set of financial vehicles to use in managing exposure to the crude oil market. Consequently, USOF may purchase options on crude oil futures contracts on these exchanges in pursuing its investment objective.

In addition to the Oil Futures Contracts and options on the Oil Futures Contracts, there also exists an active non-exchange-traded market in derivatives tied to crude oil. These derivatives transactions (also known as over-the-counter contracts) are usually entered into between two parties. Unlike most of the exchange-traded Oil Futures Contracts or exchange-traded options on the Oil Futures Contracts, each party to such contract bears the credit risk that the other party may not be able to perform its obligations under its contract.

Some crude oil-based derivatives transactions contain fairly generic terms and conditions and are available from a wide range of participants. Other crude oil-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 crude oil- or petroleum-based fuels that have terms similar to the Oil Futures Contracts. Others take the form of “swaps” in which the two parties exchange cash flows based on pre-determined formulas tied to the crude oil spot price, forward crude oil price, the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract price, or other crude oil futures contract price. For example, USOF may enter into over-the-counter derivative contracts whose value will be tied to changes in the difference between the crude oil spot price, the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract price, or some other futures contract price traded on the NYMEX or ICE Futures and the price of other Oil Futures Contracts that may be invested in by USOF.

To protect itself from the credit risk that arises in connection with such contracts, USOF 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. USOF also may require that the counterparty be highly rated and/or provide collateral or other credit support to address USOF’s exposure to the counterparty.

The General Partner assesses or reviews, as appropriate, the creditworthiness of each potential or existing counterparty to an over-the-counter contract pursuant to guidelines approved by the General Partner's Board of Directors. Furthermore, the General Partner, on behalf of USOF, only enters into over-the-counter contracts with counterparties who are, or are affiliates of, (a) banks regulated by a United States federal bank regulator, (b) broker-dealers regulated by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), (c) insurance companies domiciled in the United States, or (d) producers, users or traders of energy, whether or not regulated by the CFTC. Any entity acting as a counterparty shall be regulated in either the United States or the United Kingdom unless otherwise approved by the General Partner’s Board of Directors after consultation with its legal counsel. Existing counterparties are also reviewed periodically by the General Partner.

USOF 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 Oil Futures Contract. USOF 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 USOF to changes in the price relationship between futures contracts which will expire sooner and those that will expire later. USOF 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 USOF, or if the General Partner felt it would lead to an overall lower cost of trading to achieve a given level of economic exposure to movements in crude oil prices. USOF 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. USOF 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 USOF or if it would lead to an overall lower cost of trading to achieve a given level of economic exposure to movements in crude oil prices.

USOF has not employed any hedging methods since all of its investments have been made over an exchange. Therefore, USOF has not been exposed to counterparty risk.

Pyramiding

USOF has not and will not employ the technique, commonly known as pyramiding, in which the speculator uses unrealized profits on existing positions as variation margin for the purchase or sale of additional positions in the same or another commodity interest.

Who are the Service Providers?

BBH&Co. is the registrar and transfer agent for the units. BBH&Co. is also the Custodian for USOF. In this capacity, BBH&Co. holds USOF’s Treasuries, cash and/or cash equivalents pursuant to a custodial agreement. In addition, in its capacity as Administrator for USOF, BBH&Co. performs certain administrative and accounting services for USOF and prepares certain SEC and CFTC reports on behalf of USOF. The General Partner pays BBH&Co.’s fees for these services.

BBH&Co.’s principal business address is 50 Milk Street, Boston, MA 02109-3661. BBH&Co., a private bank founded in 1818, is not a publicly held company nor is it insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. BBH&Co. is authorized to conduct a commercial banking business in accordance with the provisions of Article IV of the New York State Banking Law, New York Banking Law §§160–181, and is subject to regulation, supervision, and examination by the New York State Banking Department. BBH&Co. is also licensed to conduct a commercial banking business by the Commonwealths of Massachusetts and Pennsylvania and is subject to supervision and examination by the banking supervisors of those states.

USOF also employs ALPS Distributors, Inc. as a Marketing Agent. The General Partner pays the Marketing Agent an annual fee plus an incentive fee. In no event may the aggregate compensation paid to the Marketing Agent and any affiliate of the General Partner for distribution-related services in connection with the offering of units exceed ten percent (10%) of the gross proceeds of the offering.

ALPS’s principal business address is 1290 Broadway, Suite 1100, Denver, CO 80203. ALPS is the marketing agent for USOF. ALPS is a broker-dealer registered with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) and a member of the Securities Investor Protection Corporation.

UBS Securities LLC (“UBS Securities”) is USOF’s futures commission merchant. USOF and UBS Securities have entered into an Institutional Futures Client Account Agreement. This Agreement requires UBS Securities to provide services to USOF in connection with the purchase and sale of oil interests that may be purchased or sold by or through UBS Securities for USOF’s account. USOF pays the fees of UBS Securities.

UBS Securities’s principal business address is 677 Washington Blvd, Stamford, CT 06901. UBS Securities is a futures clearing broker for USOF. UBS Securities is registered in the U.S. with FINRA as a broker-dealer and with the CFTC as a futures commission merchant. UBS Securities is a member of the NFA and of various U.S. futures and securities exchanges.

UBS Securities is the defendant in two purported securities class actions pending in District Court of the Northern District of Alabama, brought by holders of stocks and bonds of HealthSouth, captioned In re HealthSouth Corporation Stockholder, No. CV-03-BE-1501-S and In re HealthSouth Corporation Bondholder Litigation, No. CV-03-BE-1502-S. Both complaints assert liability under the Exchange Act.

On June 27, 2007, the Securities Division of the Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts (“Massachusetts Securities Division”) filed an administrative complaint (the “Complaint”) and notice of adjudicatory proceeding against UBS Securities LLC, captioned In The Matter of UBS Securities, LLC, Docket No. E-2007-0049, which alleges, in sum and substance, that UBS Securities has been violating the Massachusetts Uniform Securities Act (the “Act”) and related regulations by providing the advisers for certain hedge funds with gifts and gratuities in the form of below market office rents, personal loans with below market interest rates, event tickets, and other perks, in order to induce those hedge fund advisers to increase or retain their level of prime brokerage fees paid to UBS Securities. The Complaint seeks a cease and desist order from conduct that violates the Act and regulations, to censure UBS Securities, to require UBS Securities to pay an administrative fine of an unspecified amount, and to find as fact the allegations of the Complaint.

On June 26, 2008, the Massachusetts Securities Division filed an administrative complaint and notice of adjudicatory proceeding against UBS Securities and UBS Financial Services, Inc. (“UBS Financial”), captioned In the Matter of UBS Securities, LLC and UBS Financial Services, Inc., Docket No. 2008-0045, which alleged that UBS Securities and UBS Financial violated the Act in connection with the marketing and sale of auction rate securities.

On July 22, 2008, the Texas State Securities board filed an administrative proceeding against UBS Securities and UBS Financial captioned the Matter of the Dealer Registrations of UBS Financial Services, Inc. and UBS Securities LLC, SOAH Docket No. ###-##-####, SSB Docket No. 08-IC04, alleging violations of the anti-fraud provision of the Texas Securities Act in connection with the marketing and sale of auction rate securities.

On July 24, 2008 the New York Attorney General (“NYAG”) filed a complaint in Supreme Court of the State of New York against UBS Securities and UBS Financial captioned State of New York v. UBS Securities LLC and UBS Financial Services, Inc., No. 650262/2008, in connection with UBS’s marketing and sale of auction rate securities. The complaint alleges violations of the anti-fraud provisions of New York state statutes and seeks a judgment ordering that the firm buy back auction rate securities from investors at par, disgorgement, restitution and other remedies.

On August 8, 2008, UBS Securities and UBS Financial reached agreements in principle with the SEC, the NYAG, the Massachusetts Securities Division and other state regulatory agencies represented by the North American Securities Administrators Association (“NASAA”) to restore liquidity to all remaining client’s holdings of auction rate securities by June 30, 2012. On August 20, 2008, the Texas proceeding was dismissed and withdrawn. On October 2, 2008, UBS Securities and UBS Financial entered into a final consent agreement with the Massachusetts Securities Division settling all allegations in the Massachusetts Securities Division’s administrative proceeding against UBS Securities and UBS Financial with regards to the auction rate securities matter. On December 11, 2008, UBS Securities and UBS Financial executed an Assurance of Discontinuance in the auction rate securities settlement with the NYAG. On the same day, UBS Securities and UBS Financial finalized settlements with the SEC.

On August 14, 2008, the New Hampshire Bureau of Securities Regulation filed an administrative action against UBS Securities relating to a student loan issuer, the New Hampshire Higher Education Loan Corp. (“NHHELCO”). The complaint alleges fraudulent and unethical conduct in violation of New Hampshire state statues. The complaint seeks an administrative fine, a cease and desist order, and restitution to NHHELCO. The claim does not impact the global settlement with the SEC, NYAG and NASAA relating to the marketing and sale of auction rate securities to investors.

Further, UBS Securities, like most full service investment banks and broker-dealers, receives inquiries and is sometimes involved in investigations by the SEC, FINRA, the New York Stock Exchange (the “NYSE”) and various other regulatory organizations, exchanges and government agencies. UBS Securities fully cooperates with the authorities in all such requests. UBS Securities regularly discloses to the FINRA arbitration awards, disciplinary action and regulatory events. These disclosures are publicly available on the FINRA’s website at www.finra.org. Actions with respect to UBS Securities’ futures commission merchant business are publicly available on the website of the National Futures Association (http://www.nfa.futures.org/).

UBS Securities will act only as clearing broker for USOF and as such will be paid commissions for executing and clearing trades on behalf of USOF. UBS Securities has not passed upon the adequacy or accuracy of this annual report on Form 10-K. UBS Securities neither will act in any supervisory capacity with respect to the General Partner nor participate in the management of USOF.

UBS Securities is not affiliated with USOF or the General Partner. Therefore, USOF does not believe that USOF has any conflicts of interest with UBS Securities or their trading principals arising from their acting as USOF’s futures commission merchant.

Currently, the General Partner does not employ commodity trading advisors. If, in the future, the General Partner does employ commodity trading advisors, it will choose each advisor based on arm’s-length negotiations and will consider the advisor’s experience, fees and reputation.

Fees of USOF

Fees and Compensation Arrangements with the General Partner and Non-Affiliated Service Providers*

Service Provider		Compensation Paid by the General Partner
Brown Brothers Harriman & Co., Custodian and Administrator		Minimum amount of $75,000 annually* for its custody, fund accounting and fund administration services rendered to all funds, as well as a $20,000 annual fee for its transfer agency services. In addition, an asset-based charge of (a) 0.06% for the first $500 million of USOF’s and the Related Public Funds’ combined net assets, (b) 0.0465% for USOF’s and the Related Public Funds’ combined net assets greater than $500 million but less than $1 billion, and (c) 0.035% once USOF’s and the Related Public Funds’ combined net assets exceed $1 billion.**
ALPS Distributors, Inc., Marketing Agent		$425,000 per annum plus an incentive fee as follows: 0.0% on USOF’s assets from $0-500 million; 0.04% on USOF’s assets from $500 million-$4 billion; 0.03% on USOF’s assets in excess of $4 billion.

* The General Partner pays this compensation.

**	The annual minimum amount will not apply if the asset-based charge for all accounts in the aggregate exceeds $75,000. The General Partner also will pay transaction charge fees to BBH&Co., ranging from $7.00 to $15.00 per transaction for the funds.

Compensation to the General Partner

Assets		Management Fee
All assets		0.45% of NAV

Fees are calculated on a daily basis (accrued at 1/365 of the applicable percentage of NAV on that day) and paid on a monthly basis. NAV is calculated by taking the current market value of USOF’s total assets and subtracting any liabilities.

Fees and Compensation Arrangements between USOF and Non-Affiliated Service Providers***

Service Provider		Compensation Paid by USOF
UBS Securities LLC, Futures Commission Merchant		Approximately $3.50 per buy or sell; charges may vary
Non-Affiliated Brokers		Approximately 0.16% of assets

***	USOF pays this compensation.

New York Mercantile Exchange Licensing Fee****

Assets		Licensing Fee
First $1,000,000,000		0.04% of NAV
After the first $1,000,000,000		0.02% of NAV

****	Fees are calculated on a daily basis (accrued at 1/365 of the applicable percentage of NAV on that day) and paid on a monthly basis. USOF is responsible for its pro rata share of the assets held by USOF and the Related Public Funds.

Expenses Paid by USOF through December 31, 2009 in dollar terms:

Expenses:	Amount in Dollar Terms
Amount Paid to General Partner:	$	20,842,027
Amount Paid in Portfolio Brokerage Commissions:	$	7,159,498
Other Amounts Paid*****:	$	8,770,873
Total Expenses Paid:	$	36,772,398

*****

Includes expenses relating to the registration of additional units, legal fees, auditing fees, printing expenses, licensing fees and tax reporting fees and fees paid to the independent directors of the General Partner.

Expenses Paid by USOF through December 31, 2009 as a Percentage of Average Daily Net Assets:

Expenses:		Amount as a Percentage of Average Daily Net Assets
Amount Paid to General Partner:		0.46% annualized
Amount Paid in Portfolio Brokerage Commissions:		0.16% annualized
Other Amounts Paid:		0.19% annualized
Total Expenses Paid:		0.81% annualized

Other Fees. USOF also pays the fees and expenses associated with its tax accounting and reporting requirements with the exception of certain initial implementation service fees and base service fees which are paid by the General Partner. These fees are estimated to be $1.8 million for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2009. In addition, USOF is responsible for the fees and expenses, which may include director and officers’ liability insurance, of the independent directors of the General Partner in connection with their activities with respect to USOF. These director fees and expenses may be shared with other funds managed by the General Partner. These fees and expenses for 2009 were $433,046, and USOF’s portion of such fees was $254,952.

Form of Units

Registered Form. Units are issued in registered form in accordance with the LP Agreement. The Administrator has been appointed registrar and transfer agent for the purpose of transferring units in certificated form. The Administrator keeps a record of all limited partners and holders of the units in certificated form in the registry (the “Register”). The General Partner recognizes transfers of units in certificated form only if done in accordance with the LP Agreement. The beneficial interests in such units are held in book-entry form through participants and/or accountholders in the Depository Trust Company (“DTC”).

Book Entry. Individual certificates are not issued for the units. Instead, units are represented by one or more global certificates, which are deposited by the Administrator with DTC and registered in the name of Cede & Co., as nominee for DTC. The global certificates evidence all of the units outstanding at any time. Unitholders are limited to (1) participants in DTC such as banks, brokers, dealers and trust companies (“DTC Participants”), (2) those who maintain, either directly or indirectly, a custodial relationship with a DTC Participant (“Indirect Participants”), and (3) those banks, brokers, dealers, trust companies and others who hold interests in the units through DTC Participants or Indirect Participants, in each case who satisfy the requirements for transfers of units. DTC Participants acting on behalf of investors holding units through such participants’ accounts in DTC will follow the delivery practice applicable to securities eligible for DTC’s Same-Day Funds Settlement System. Units are credited to DTC Participants’ securities accounts following confirmation of receipt of payment.

DTC. DTC is a limited purpose trust company organized under the laws of the State of New York and is a member of the Federal Reserve System, a “clearing corporation” within the meaning of the New York Uniform Commercial Code and a “clearing agency” registered pursuant to the provisions of Section 17A of the Exchange Act. DTC holds securities for DTC Participants and facilitates the clearance and settlement of transactions between DTC Participants through electronic book-entry changes in accounts of DTC Participants.

Transfer of Units

Transfers of Units Only Through DTC. The units are only transferable through the book-entry system of DTC. Limited partners who are not DTC Participants may transfer their units through DTC by instructing the DTC Participant holding their units (or by instructing the Indirect Participant or other entity through which their units are held) to transfer the units. Transfers are made in accordance with standard securities industry practice.

Transfers of interests in units with DTC are made in accordance with the usual rules and operating procedures of DTC and the nature of the transfer. DTC has established procedures to facilitate transfers among the participants and/or accountholders of DTC. Because DTC can only act on behalf of DTC Participants, who in turn act on behalf of Indirect Participants, the ability of a person or entity having an interest in a global certificate to pledge such interest to persons or entities that do not participate in DTC, or otherwise take actions in respect of such interest, may be affected by the lack of a definitive security in respect of such interest.

DTC has advised USOF that it will take any action permitted to be taken by a unitholder (including, without limitation, the presentation of a global certificate for exchange) only at the direction of one or more DTC Participants in whose account with DTC interests in global certificates are credited and only in respect of such portion of the aggregate principal amount of the global certificate as to which such DTC Participant or Participants has or have given such direction.

Transfer/Application Requirements.

All purchasers of USOF’s units, and potentially any purchasers of units in the future, who wish to become limited partners or other record holders and receive cash distributions, if any, or have certain other rights, must deliver an executed transfer application in which the purchaser or transferee must certify that, among other things, he, she or it agrees to be bound by USOF’s LP Agreement and is eligible to purchase USOF’s securities. Each purchaser of units must execute a transfer application and certification. The obligation to provide the form of transfer application is imposed on the seller of units or, if a purchase of units is made through an exchange, the form may be obtained directly through USOF. Further, the General Partner may request each record holder to furnish certain information, including that holder’s nationality, citizenship or other related status. A record holder is a unitholder that is, or has applied to be, a limited partner. An investor who is not a U.S. resident may not be eligible to become a record holder or one of USOF’s limited partners if that investor’s ownership would subject USOF to the risk of cancellation or forfeiture of any of USOF’s assets under any federal, state or local law or regulation. If the record holder fails to furnish the information or if the General Partner determines, on the basis of the information furnished by the holder in response to the request, that such holder is not qualified to become one of USOF’s limited partners, the General Partner may be substituted as a holder for the record holder, who will then be treated as a non-citizen assignee, and USOF will have the right to redeem those securities held by the record holder.

A transferee’s broker, agent or nominee may complete, execute and deliver a transfer application and certification. USOF may, at its discretion, treat the nominee holder of a unit as the absolute owner. In that case, the beneficial holder’s rights are limited solely to those that it has against the nominee holder as a result of any agreement between the beneficial owner and the nominee holder.

A person purchasing USOF’s existing units, who does not execute a transfer application and certify that the purchaser is eligible to purchase those securities acquires no rights in those securities other than the right to resell those securities. Whether or not a transfer application is received or the consent of the General Partner obtained, USOF’s units are securities and are transferable according to the laws governing transfers of securities.

Any transfer of units will not be recorded by the transfer agent or recognized by the General Partner unless a completed transfer application is delivered to the General Partner or the Administrator. When acquiring units, the transferee of such units that completes a transfer application will:

be an assignee until admitted as a substituted limited partner upon the consent and sole discretion of the General Partner and the recording of the assignment on the books and records of the partnership;

automatically request admission as a substituted limited partner;

agree to be bound by the terms and conditions of, and execute, USOF’s LP Agreement;

represent that such transferee has the capacity and authority to enter into USOF’s LP Agreement;

grant powers of attorney to USOF’s General Partner and any liquidator of USOF; and

make the consents and waivers contained in USOF’s LP Agreement.

An assignee will become a limited partner in respect of the transferred units upon the consent of USOF’s General Partner and the recordation of the name of the assignee on USOF’s books and records. Such consent may be withheld in the sole discretion of USOF’s General Partner.

If consent of the General Partner is withheld, such transferee shall be an assignee. An assignee shall have an interest in the partnership equivalent to that of a limited partner with respect to allocations and distributions, including, without limitation, liquidating distributions, of the partnership. With respect to voting rights attributable to units that are held by assignees, the General Partner shall be deemed to be the limited partner with respect thereto and shall, in exercising the voting rights in respect of such units on any matter, vote such units at the written direction of the assignee who is the record holder of such units. If no such written direction is received, such units will not be voted. An assignee shall have no other rights of a limited partner.

Until a unit has been transferred on USOF’s books, USOF and the transfer agent may treat the record holder of the unit as the absolute owner for all purposes, except as otherwise required by law or stock exchange regulations.

Withdrawal of Limited Partners

As discussed in the LP Agreement, if the General Partner gives at least fifteen (15) days’ written notice to a limited partner, then the General Partner may for any reason, in its sole discretion, require any such limited partner to withdraw entirely from the partnership or to withdraw a portion of its partner capital account. If the General Partner does not give at least fifteen (15) days’ written notice to a limited partner, then it may only require withdrawal of all or any portion of the capital account of any limited partner in the following circumstances: (i) the unitholder made a misrepresentation to the General Partner in connection with its purchase of units; or (ii) the limited partner’s ownership of units would result in the violation of any law or regulations applicable to the partnership or a partner. In these circumstances, the General Partner without notice may require the withdrawal at any time, or retroactively. The limited partner thus designated shall withdraw from the partnership or withdraw that portion of its partner capital account specified, as the case may be, as of the close of business on such date as determined by the General Partner. The limited partner thus designated shall be deemed to have withdrawn from the partnership or to have made a partial withdrawal from its partner capital account, as the case may be, without further action on the part of the limited partner and the provisions of the LP Agreement shall apply.

Calculating NAV

USOF’s NAV is calculated by:

Taking the current market value of its total assets; and

Subtracting any liabilities

BBH&Co., the Administrator, calculates the NAV of USOF once each NYSE Arca trading day. The NAV for a particular trading day is released after 4:00 p.m. New York time. Trading during the core trading session on the NYSE Arca typically closes at 4:00 p.m. New York time. The Administrator uses the NYMEX closing price (determined at the earlier of the close of the NYMEX or 2:30 p.m. New York time) for the contracts traded on the NYMEX, but calculates or determines the value of all other USOF investments as of the earlier of the close of the NYSE Arca or 4:00 p.m. New York time in accordance with the current Administrative Agency Agreement among BBH&Co., USOF and the General Partner which is incorporated by reference into this annual report on Form 10-K.

In addition, in order to provide updated information relating to USOF for use by investors and market professionals, the NYSE Arca calculates and disseminates throughout the core trading session on each trading day an updated indicative fund value. The indicative fund value is calculated by using the prior day’s closing NAV per unit of USOF as a base and updating that value throughout the trading day to reflect changes in the most recently reported trade price for the active light, sweet Oil Futures Contracts on the NYMEX. The prices reported for those Oil Futures Contract months are adjusted based on the prior day’s spread differential between settlement values for the relevant contract and the spot month contract. In the event that the spot month contract is also the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract, the last sale price for that contract is not adjusted. The indicative fund value unit basis disseminated during NYSE Arca core trading session hours should not be viewed as an actual real time update of the NAV, because the NAV is calculated only once at the end of each trading day based upon the relevant end of day values of USOF’s investments.

The indicative fund value is disseminated on a per unit basis every 15 seconds during regular NYSE Arca core trading session hours of 9:30 a.m. New York time to 4:00 p.m. New York time. The normal trading hours of the NYMEX are 10:00 a.m. New York time to 2:30 p.m. New York time. This means that there is a gap in time at the beginning and the end of each day during which USOF’s units are traded on the NYSE Arca, but real-time NYMEX trading prices for oil futures contracts traded on the NYMEX are not available. As a result, during those gaps there will be no update to the indicative fund value.

The NYSE Arca disseminates the indicative fund value through the facilities of CTA/CQ High Speed Lines. In addition, the indicative fund value is published on the NYSE Arca’s website and is available through on-line information services such as Bloomberg and Reuters.

Dissemination of the indicative fund value provides additional information that is not otherwise available to the public and is useful to investors and market professionals in connection with the trading of USOF units on the NYSE Arca. Investors and market professionals are able throughout the trading day to compare the market price of USOF and the indicative fund value. If the market price of USOF units diverges significantly from the indicative fund value, market professionals will have an incentive to execute arbitrage trades. For example, if USOF appears to be trading at a discount compared to the indicative fund value, a market professional could buy USOF units on the NYSE Arca and sell short oil futures contracts. Such arbitrage trades can tighten the tracking between the market price of USOF and the indicative fund value and thus can be beneficial to all market participants.

In addition, other Oil Futures Contracts, Other Oil Interests and Treasuries held by USOF are valued by the Administrator, using rates and points received from client-approved third party vendors (such as Reuters and WM Company) and advisor quotes. These investments are not included in the indicative value. The indicative fund value is based on the prior day’s NAV and moves up and down solely according to changes in near month Oil Futures Contracts for light, sweet oil crude traded on the NYMEX.

Creation and Redemption of Units

USOF creates and redeems units from time to time, but only in one or more Creation Baskets or Redemption Baskets. The creation and redemption of baskets are only made in exchange for delivery to USOF or the distribution by USOF of the amount of Treasuries and any cash represented by the baskets being created or redeemed, the amount of which is based on the combined NAV of the number of units included in the baskets being created or redeemed determined after 4:00 p.m. New York time on the day the order to create or redeem baskets is properly received.

Authorized Purchasers are the only persons that may place orders to create and redeem baskets. Authorized Purchasers must be (1) registered broker-dealers or other securities market participants, such as banks and other financial institutions, that are not required to register as broker-dealers to engage in securities transactions as described below, and (2) DTC Participants. To become an Authorized Purchaser, a person must enter into an Authorized Purchaser Agreement with the General Partner. The Authorized Purchaser Agreement provides the procedures for the creation and redemption of baskets and for the delivery of the Treasuries and any cash required for such creations and redemptions. The Authorized Purchaser Agreement and the related procedures attached thereto may be amended by USOF, without the consent of any limited partner or unitholder or Authorized Purchaser. Authorized Purchasers pay a transaction fee of $1,000 to USOF for each order they place to create or redeem one or more baskets. Authorized Purchasers who make deposits with USOF in exchange for baskets receive no fees, commissions or other form of compensation or inducement of any kind from either USOF or the General Partner, and no such person will have any obligation or responsibility to the General Partner or USOF to effect any sale or resale of units. As of December 31, 2009, 17 Authorized Purchasers had entered into agreements with USOF. During the year ended December 31, 2009, USOF issued 4,752 Creation Baskets and redeemed 4,121 Redemption Baskets.

Certain Authorized Purchasers are expected to have the facility to participate directly in the physical crude oil market and the crude oil futures market. In some cases, an Authorized Purchaser or its affiliates may from time to time acquire crude oil or sell crude oil and may profit in these instances. The General Partner believes that the size and operation of the crude oil market make it unlikely that an Authorized Purchaser’s direct activities in the crude oil or securities markets will impact the price of crude oil, Oil Futures Contracts, or the price of the units.

Each Authorized Purchaser is required to be registered as a broker-dealer under the Exchange Act and is a member in good standing with FINRA, or exempt from being or otherwise not required to be licensed as a broker-dealer or a member of FINRA, and qualified to act as a broker or dealer in the states or other jurisdictions where the nature of its business so requires. Certain Authorized Purchasers may also be regulated under federal and state banking laws and regulations. Each Authorized Purchaser has its own set of rules and procedures, internal controls and information barriers as it determines is appropriate in light of its own regulatory regime.

Under the Authorized Purchaser Agreement, the General Partner has agreed to indemnify the Authorized Purchasers against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and to contribute to the payments the Authorized Purchasers may be required to make in respect of those liabilities.

The following description of the procedures for the creation and redemption of baskets is only a summary and an investor should refer to the relevant provisions of the LP Agreement and the form of Authorized Purchaser Agreement for more detail, each of which is incorporated by reference into this annual report on Form 10-K.

Creation Procedures

On any business day, an Authorized Purchaser may place an order with the Marketing Agent to create one or more baskets. For purposes of processing purchase and redemption orders, a “business day” means any day other than a day when any of the NYSE Arca, the NYMEX or the NYSE is closed for regular trading. Purchase orders must be placed by 12:00 p.m. New York time or the close of regular trading on the NYSE Arca, whichever is earlier. The day on which the Marketing Agent receives a valid purchase order is the purchase order date.

By placing a purchase order, an Authorized Purchaser agrees to deposit Treasuries, cash, or a combination of Treasuries and cash with USOF, as described below. Prior to the delivery of baskets for a purchase order, the Authorized Purchaser must also have wired to the Custodian the non-refundable transaction fee due for the purchase order. Authorized Purchasers may not withdraw a creation request.

Determination of Required Deposits

The total deposit required to create each basket (“Creation Basket Deposit”) is the amount of Treasuries and/or cash that is in the same proportion to the total assets of USOF (net of estimated accrued but unpaid fees, expenses and other liabilities) on the date the order to purchase is accepted as the number of units to be created under the purchase order is in proportion to the total number of units outstanding on the date the order is received. The General Partner determines, directly in its sole discretion or in consultation with the Administrator, the requirements for Treasuries and the amount of cash, including the maximum permitted remaining maturity of a Treasury and proportions of Treasury and cash that may be included in deposits to create baskets. The Marketing Agent will publish such requirements at the beginning of each business day. The amount of cash deposit required is the difference between the aggregate market value of the Treasuries required to be included in a Creation Basket Deposit as of 4:00 p.m. New York time on the date the order to purchase is properly received and the total required deposit.

Delivery of Required Deposits

An Authorized Purchaser who places a purchase order is responsible for transferring to USOF’s account with the Custodian the required amount of Treasuries and cash by the end of the third business day following the purchase order date. Upon receipt of the deposit amount, the Administrator directs DTC to credit the number of baskets ordered to the Authorized Purchaser’s DTC account on the third business day following the purchase order date. The expense and risk of delivery and ownership of Treasuries until such Treasuries have been received by the Custodian on behalf of USOF is borne solely by the Authorized Purchaser.

Because orders to purchase baskets must be placed by 12:00 p.m., New York time, but the total payment required to create a basket during the continuous offering period will not be determined until after 4:00 p.m. New York time on the date the purchase order is received, Authorized Purchasers will not know the total amount of the payment required to create a basket at the time they submit an irrevocable purchase order for the basket. USOF’s NAV and the total amount of the payment required to create a basket could rise or fall substantially between the time an irrevocable purchase order is submitted and the time the amount of the purchase price in respect thereof is determined.

Rejection of Purchase Orders

The General Partner acting by itself or through the Marketing Agent may reject a purchase order or a Creation Basket Deposit if:

it determines that the investment alternative available to USOF at that time will not enable it to meet its investment objective;

it determines that the purchase order or the Creation Basket Deposit is not in proper form;

it believes that the purchase order or the Creation Basket Deposit would have adverse tax consequences to USOF or its unitholders;

the acceptance or receipt of the Creation Basket Deposit would, in the opinion of counsel to the General Partner, be unlawful; or

circumstances outside the control of the General Partner, Marketing Agent or Custodian make it, for all practical purposes, not feasible to process creations of baskets.

None of the General Partner, Marketing Agent or Custodian will be liable for the rejection of any purchase order or Creation Basket Deposit.

Redemption Procedures

The procedures by which an Authorized Purchaser can redeem one or more baskets mirror the procedures for the creation of baskets. On any business day, an Authorized Purchaser may place an order with the Marketing Agent to redeem one or more baskets. Redemption orders must be placed by 12:00 p.m. New York time or the close of regular trading on the NYSE, whichever is earlier. A redemption order so received will be effective on the date it is received in satisfactory form by the Marketing Agent. The redemption procedures allow Authorized Purchasers to redeem baskets and do not entitle an individual unitholder to redeem any units in an amount less than a Redemption Basket, or to redeem baskets other than through an Authorized Purchaser. By placing a redemption order, an Authorized Purchaser agrees to deliver the baskets to be redeemed through DTC’s book-entry system to USOF not later than 3:00 p.m. New York time on the third business day following the effective date of the redemption order. Prior to the delivery of the redemption distribution for a redemption order, the Authorized Purchaser must also have wired to USOF’s account at the Custodian the non-refundable transaction fee due for the redemption order. Authorized Purchasers may not withdraw a redemption request.

Determination of Redemption Distribution

The redemption distribution from USOF consists of a transfer to the redeeming Authorized Purchaser of an amount of Treasuries and cash that is in the same proportion to the total assets of USOF (net of estimated accrued but unpaid fees, expenses and other liabilities) on the date the order to redeem is properly received as the number of units to be redeemed under the redemption order is in proportion to the total number of units outstanding on the date the order is received. The General Partner, directly or in consultation with the Administrator, determines the requirements for Treasuries and the amounts of cash, including the maximum permitted remaining maturity of a Treasury, and the proportions of Treasuries and cash that may be included in distributions to redeem baskets. The Marketing Agent will publish such requirements as of 4:00 p.m. New York time on the redemption order date.

Delivery of Redemption Distribution

The redemption distribution due from USOF will be delivered to the Authorized Purchaser by 3:00 p.m. New York time on the third business day following the redemption order date if, by 3:00 p.m. New York time on such third business day, USOF’s DTC account has been credited with the baskets to be redeemed. If USOF’s DTC account has not been credited with all of the baskets to be redeemed by such time, the redemption distribution will be delivered to the extent of whole baskets received. Any remainder of the redemption distribution will be delivered on the next business day to the extent of remaining whole baskets received if USOF receives the fee applicable to the extension of the redemption distribution date which the General Partner may, from time to time, determine and the remaining baskets to be redeemed are credited to USOF’s DTC account by 3:00 p.m. New York time on such next business day. Any further outstanding amount of the redemption order shall be cancelled. Pursuant to information from the General Partner, the Custodian will also be authorized to deliver the redemption distribution notwithstanding that the baskets to be redeemed are not credited to USOF’s DTC account by 3:00 p.m. New York time on the third business day following the redemption order date if the Authorized Purchaser has collateralized its obligation to deliver the baskets through DTC’s book entry-system on such terms as the General Partner may from time to time determine.

Suspension or Rejection of Redemption Orders

The General Partner may, in its discretion, suspend the right of redemption, or postpone the redemption settlement date, (1) for any period during which the NYSE Arca or the NYMEX is closed other than customary weekend or holiday closings, or trading on the NYSE Arca or the NYMEX is suspended or restricted, (2) for any period during which an emergency exists as a result of which delivery, disposal or evaluation of Treasuries is not reasonably practicable, or (3) for such other period as the General Partner determines to be necessary for the protection of the limited partners. For example, the General Partner may determine that it is necessary to suspend redemptions to allow for the orderly liquidation of USOF’s assets at an appropriate value to fund a redemption. If the General Partner has difficulty liquidating its positions, e.g., because of a market disruption event in the futures markets, a suspension of trading by the exchange where the futures contracts are listed or an unanticipated delay in the liquidation of a position in an over the counter contract, it may be appropriate to suspend redemptions until such time as such circumstances are rectified. None of the General Partner, the Marketing Agent, the Administrator, or the Custodian will be liable to any person or in any way for any loss or damages that may result from any such suspension or postponement.

Redemption orders must be made in whole baskets. The General Partner will reject a redemption order if the order is not in proper form as described in the Authorized Purchaser Agreement or if the fulfillment of the order, in the opinion of its counsel, might be unlawful. The General Partner may also reject a redemption order if the number of units being redeemed would reduce the remaining outstanding units to 100,000 units (i.e., one basket) or less, unless the General Partner has reason to believe that the placer of the redemption order does in fact possess all the outstanding units and can deliver them.

Creation and Redemption Transaction Fee

To compensate USOF for its expenses in connection with the creation and redemption of baskets, an Authorized Purchaser is required to pay a transaction fee to USOF of $1,000 per order to create or redeem baskets. An order may include multiple baskets. The transaction fee may be reduced, increased or otherwise changed by the General Partner. The General Partner shall notify DTC of any change in the transaction fee and will not implement any increase in the fee for the redemption of baskets until 30 days after the date of the notice.

Tax Responsibility

Authorized Purchasers are responsible for any transfer tax, sales or use tax, stamp tax, recording tax, value added tax or similar tax or governmental charge applicable to the creation or redemption of baskets, regardless of whether or not such tax or charge is imposed directly on the Authorized Purchaser, and agree to indemnify the General Partner and USOF if they are required by law to pay any such tax, together with any applicable penalties, additions to tax or interest thereon.

Secondary Market Transactions

As noted, USOF creates and redeems units from time to time, but only in one or more Creation Baskets or Redemption Baskets. The creation and redemption of baskets are only made in exchange for delivery to USOF or the distribution by USOF of the amount of Treasuries and cash represented by the baskets being created or redeemed, the amount of which will be based on the aggregate NAV of the number of units included in the baskets being created or redeemed determined on the day the order to create or redeem baskets is properly received.

As discussed above, Authorized Purchasers are the only persons that may place orders to create and redeem baskets. Authorized Purchasers must be registered broker-dealers or other securities market participants, such as banks and other financial institutions that are not required to register as broker-dealers to engage in securities transactions. An Authorized Purchaser is under no obligation to create or redeem baskets, and an Authorized Purchaser is under no obligation to offer to the public units of any baskets it does create. Authorized Purchasers that do offer to the public units from the baskets they create will do so at per-unit offering prices that are expected to reflect, among other factors, the trading price of the units on the NYSE Arca, the NAV of USOF at the time the Authorized Purchaser purchased the Creation Baskets and the NAV of the units at the time of the offer of the units to the public, the supply of and demand for units at the time of sale, and the liquidity of the Oil Futures Contract market and the market for Other Oil Interests. The prices of units offered by Authorized Purchasers are expected to fall between USOF’s NAV and the trading price of the units on the NYSE Arca at the time of sale. Units initially comprising the same basket but offered by Authorized Purchasers to the public at different times may have different offering prices. An order for one or more baskets may be placed by an Authorized Purchaser on behalf of multiple clients. Authorized Purchasers who make deposits with USOF in exchange for baskets receive no fees, commissions or other form of compensation or inducement of any kind from either USOF or the General Partner, and no such person has any obligation or responsibility to the General Partner or USOF to effect any sale or resale of units. Units trade in the secondary market on the NYSE Arca. Units may trade in the secondary market at prices that are lower or higher relative to their NAV per unit. The amount of the discount or premium in the trading price relative to the NAV per unit may be influenced by various factors, including the number of investors who seek to purchase or sell units in the secondary market and the liquidity of the Oil Futures Contracts market and the market for Other Oil Interests. While the units trade during the core trading session on the NYSE Arca until 4:00 p.m. New York time, liquidity in the market for Oil Futures Contracts and Other Oil Interests may be reduced after the close of the NYMEX at 2:30 p.m. New York time. As a result, during this time, trading spreads, and the resulting premium or discount, on the units may widen.

Prior Performance of USOF

USOF’s units began trading on the American Stock Exchange (the “AMEX”) on April 10, 2006 and are offered on a continuous basis. As a result of the acquisition of the AMEX by NYSE Euronext, USOF’s units commenced trading on the NYSE Arca on November 25, 2008. As of December 31, 2009, the total amount of money raised by USOF from Authorized Purchasers was $24,257,292,570; the total number of Authorized Purchasers was 17; the number of baskets purchased by Authorized Purchasers was 4,752; the number of baskets redeemed by Authorized Purchasers was 4,121; and the aggregate amount of units purchased was 475,200,000. For more information on the performance of USOF, see the Performance Tables below.

Since its initial offering of 17,000,000 units, USOF has made seven subsequent offerings of its units: 30,000,000 units which were registered with the SEC on October 18, 2006, 50,000,000 units which were registered with the SEC on January 30, 2007, 30,000,000 units which were registered with the SEC on December 4, 2007, 100,000,000 units which were registered with the SEC on February 7, 2008, 100,000,000 units which were registered with the SEC on September 29, 2008, 300,000,000 units which were registered with the SEC on January 16, 2009 and 1,000,000,000 units which were registered with the SEC on June 29, 2009. Units offered by USOF in subsequent offerings were sold by it for cash at the units’ NAV as described in the applicable prospectus. As of December 31, 2009, USOF had issued 475,200,000 units, 63,100,000 of which were outstanding. As of December 31, 2009, there were 1,151,800,000 units registered but not yet issued.

Since the offering of USOF units to the public on April 10, 2006 to December 31, 2009, the simple average daily change in its Benchmark Oil Futures contract was -0.027%, while the simple average daily change in the NAV of USOF over the same time period was -0.022%. The average daily difference was 0.005% (or 0.5 basis points, where 1 basis point equals 1/100 of 1%). As a percentage of the daily movement of the benchmark oil futures contract, the average error in daily tracking by the NAV was 1.56%, meaning that over this time period USOF’s tracking error was within the plus or minus 10% range established as its benchmark tracking goal.

Experience in Raising and Investing in Funds through December 31, 2009

PAST PERFORMANCE IS NOT NECESSARILY INDICATIVE OF FUTURE RESULTS

Dollar Amount Offered*:	$	71,257,630,000

Dollar Amount Raised:	$	24,257,292,570

Organizational and Offering Expenses**:
SEC registration fee:	$	2,480,174
FINRA registration fee:	$	603,500
Listing fee:	$	5,000
Auditor’s fees and expenses:	$	495,850
Legal fees and expenses:	$	2,040,875
Printing expenses:	$	285,230

Length of USOF Offering:	Continuous

*	Reflects the offering price per unit set forth on the cover page of the registration statement registering such units filed with the SEC.

**	Through December 31, 2006, these expenses were paid for by an affiliate of the General Partner in connection with the initial public offering. Following December 31, 2006, USOF has recorded these expenses.

Compensation to the General Partner and Other Compensation USOF:

Expenses paid by USOF through December 31, 2009 in dollar terms:

Expense:	Amount in Dollar Terms
Amount Paid to General Partner:	$	20,842,027
Amount Paid in Portfolio Brokerage Commissions:	$	7,159,498
Other Amounts Paid*:	$	8,770,873
Total Expenses Paid:	$	36,772,398

*	Includes expenses relating to the registration of additional units, legal fees, auditing fees, printing expenses, licensing fees and tax reporting fees and fees paid to the independent directors of the General Partner.

Expenses paid by USOF through December 31, 2009 as a Percentage of Average Daily Net Assets:

Expenses:		Amount as a Percentage of Average Daily Net Assets
Amount Paid to General Partner:		0.46% annualized
Amount Paid in Portfolio Brokerage Commissions:		0.16% annualized
Other Amounts Paid:		0.19% annualized
Total Expenses Paid:		0.81% annualized

USOF Performance:
Name of Commodity Pool:		USOF
Type of Commodity Pool:		Exchange traded security
Inception of Trading:		April 10, 2006
Aggregate Subscriptions (from inception through December 31, 2009):		$24,257,292,570
Total Net Assets as of December 31, 2009:		$2,471,252,817
Initial NAV Per Unit as of Inception:		$67.39
NAV per Unit as of December 31, 2009:		$39.16
Worst Monthly Percentage Draw-down:		October 2008 (31.57)%
Worst Peak-to-Valley Draw-down:		June 2008 – February 2009 (75.84)%
Number of Unitholders (as of December 31, 2009)		84,835

COMPOSITE PERFORMANCE DATA FOR USOF

PAST PERFORMANCE IS NOT NECESSARILY INDICATIVE OF FUTURE RESULTS

	Rates of return*
Month	2006			2007			2008			2009
January		–			(6.55	) %		(4.00	) %		(14.60	) %
February		–			5.63	%		11.03	%		(6.55	) %
March		–			4.61	%		0.63	%		7.23	%
April		3.47	%**		(4.26	) %		12.38	%		(2.38	) %
May		(2.91	) %		(4.91	) %		12.80	%		26.69	%
June		3.16	%		9.06	%		9.90	%		4.16	%
July		(0.50	) %		10.57	%		(11.72	) %		(2.30	) %
August		(6.97	) %		(4.95	) %		(6.75	) %		(1.98	) %
September		(11.72	) %		12.11	%		(12.97	) %		0.25	%
October		(8.45	) %		16.98	%		(31.57	) %		8.43	%
November		4.73	%		(4.82	) %		(20.65	) %		(0.51	) %
December		(5.21	) %		8.67	%		(22.16	) %		(0.03	) %
Annual Rate of Return		(23.03	) %**		46.17	%		(54.75	) %		14.14	%

*	The monthly rate of return is calculated by dividing the ending NAV of a given month by the ending NAV of the previous month, subtracting 1 and multiplying this number by 100 to arrive at a percentage increase or decrease.

**	Partial from April 10, 2006.

Terms Used in Performance Tables

Draw-down: Losses experienced over a specified period. Draw-down is measured on the basis of monthly returns only and does not reflect intra-month figures.

Worst Monthly Percentage Draw-down: The largest single month loss sustained since inception of trading.

Worst Peak-to-Valley Draw-down: The largest percentage decline in the NAV per unit over the history of the fund. This need not be a continuous decline, but can be a series of positive and negative returns where the negative returns are larger than the positive returns. Worst Peak-to-Valley Draw-down represents the greatest percentage decline from any month-end NAV per unit that occurs without such month-end NAV per unit being equaled or exceeded as of a subsequent month-end. For example, if the NAV per unit declined by $1 in each of January and February, increased by $1 in March and declined again by $2 in April, a “peak-to-trough drawdown” analysis conducted as of the end of April would consider that “drawdown” to be still continuing and to be $3 in amount, whereas if the NAV per unit had increased by $2 in March, the January-February drawdown would have ended as of the end of February at the $2 level.

Prior Performance of the Related Public Funds

The General Partner is also currently the general partner of the Related Public Funds. Each of the General Partner and the Related Public Funds is located in California.

USNG is a commodity pool and issues units traded on the NYSE Arca. The investment objective of USNG is for the changes in percentage terms of its units’ NAV 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 for natural gas traded on the NYMEX, less USNG’s expenses. USNG’s units began trading on April 18, 2007 and are offered on a continuous basis. USNG may invest in a mixture of listed natural gas futures contracts, other non-listed natural gas related investments, Treasuries, cash and cash equivalents. As of December 31, 2009, the total amount of money raised by USNG from its authorized purchasers was $10,435,093,775; the total number of authorized purchasers of USNG was 14; the number of baskets purchased by authorized purchasers of USNG was 5,821; the number of baskets redeemed by authorized purchasers of USNG was 1,326; and the aggregate amount of units purchased was 582,100,000. USNG employs an investment strategy in its operations that is similar to the investment strategy of USOF, except its benchmark is the near month contract for natural gas delivered at the Henry Hub, Louisiana.

Since the offering of USNG units to the public on April 18, 2007 to December 31, 2009, the simple average daily change in its benchmark futures contract was -0.181%, while the simple average daily change in the NAV of USNG over the same time period was -0.179%. The average daily difference was 0.002% (or 0.2 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 0.392%, meaning that over this time period USNG’s tracking error was within the plus or minus 10% range established as its benchmark tracking goal.

US12OF is a commodity pool and issues units traded on the NYSE Arca. The investment objective of US12OF is for the changes in percentage terms of its units’ NAV to reflect the changes in percentage terms of the spot price of light, sweet crude oil delivered to Cushing, Oklahoma, as measured by the changes in the average of the prices of 12 futures contracts on light, sweet crude oil traded on the NYMEX, consisting of the near month contract to expire and the contracts for the following 11 months, for a total of 12 consecutive months’ contracts, less US12OF’s expenses. US12OF’s units began trading on December 6, 2007 and are offered on a continuous basis. US12OF invests in a mixture of listed crude oil futures contracts, other non-listed oil related investments, Treasuries, cash and cash equivalents. As of December 31, 2009, the total amount of money raised by US12OF from its authorized purchasers was $224,069,815; the total number of authorized purchasers of US12OF was 4; the number of baskets purchased by authorized purchasers of US12OF was 75; the number of baskets redeemed by authorized purchasers of US12OF was 34; and the aggregate amount of units purchased was 7,500,000. US12OF employs an investment strategy in its operations that is similar to the investment strategy of USOF, except that its benchmark is the average of the prices of the near month contract to expire and the following eleven months contracts for light, sweet crude oil delivered to Cushing, Oklahoma.

Since the offering of US12OF units to the public on December 6, 2007 to December 31, 2009, the simple average daily change in its Benchmark Futures Contracts was -0.004%, while the simple average daily change in the NAV of US12OF over the same time period was -0.003%. The average daily difference was 0.001% (or 0.1 basis points, where 1 basis point equals 1/100 of 1%). As a percentage of the daily movement of the Benchmark Futures Contracts, the average error in daily tracking by the NAV was -0.107%, meaning that over this time period US12OF’s tracking error was within the plus or minus 10% range established as its benchmark tracking goal.

UGA is a commodity pool and issues units traded on the NYSE Arca. The investment objective of UGA is for the changes in percentage terms of its units’ NAV to reflect the changes in percentage terms in the spot price of unleaded gasoline for delivery to the New York harbor, as measured by the changes in the price of the futures contract on gasoline traded on the NYMEX, less UGA’s expenses. UGA may invest in a mixture of listed gasoline futures contracts, other non-listed gasoline related investments, Treasuries, cash and cash equivalents. UGA’s units began trading on February 26, 2008 and are offered on a continuous basis. As of December 31, 2009, the total amount of money raised by UGA from its authorized purchasers was $126,264,653; the total number of authorized purchasers of UGA was 6; the number of baskets purchased by authorized purchasers of UGA was 42; the number of baskets redeemed by authorized purchasers of UGA was 23; and the aggregate amount of units purchased was 4,200,000. UGA employs an investment strategy in its operations that is similar to the investment strategy of USOF, except that its benchmark is the near month contract for unleaded gasoline delivered to the New York harbor.

Since the offering of UGA units to the public on February 26, 2008 to December 31, 2009, the simple average daily change in its benchmark futures contract was -0.011%, while the simple average daily change in the NAV of UGA over the same time period was -0.012%. The average daily difference was -0.001% (or -0.1 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 -0.674%, meaning that over this time period UGA’s tracking error was within the plus or minus 10% range established as its benchmark tracking goal.

USHO is a commodity pool and issues units traded on the NYSE Arca. The investment objective of USHO is for the changes in percentage terms of its units’ NAV to reflect the changes in percentage terms of the price of spot heating oil for delivery to the New York harbor, as measured by the changes in the price of the futures contract on heating oil traded on the NYMEX, less USHO’s expenses. USHO may invest in a mixture of listed heating oil futures contracts, other non-listed heating oil-related investments, Treasuries, cash and cash equivalents. USHO’s units began trading on April 9, 2008 and are offered on a continuous basis. As of December 31, 2009, the total amount of money raised by USHO from its authorized purchasers was $27,750,399; the total number of authorized purchasers of USHO was 6; the number of baskets purchased by authorized purchasers of USHO was 8; the number of baskets redeemed by authorized purchasers of USHO was 2; and the aggregate amount of units purchased was 800,000. USHO employs an investment strategy in its operations that is similar to the investment strategy of US12OF, except that its benchmark is the near month contract for heating oil delivered to the New York harbor.

Since the offering of USHO units to the public on April 9, 2008 to December 31, 2009, the simple average daily change in its benchmark futures contract was -0.093%, while the simple average daily change in the NAV of USHO over the same time period was -0.093%. The average daily difference was 0%. As a percentage of the daily movement of the benchmark futures contract, the average error in daily tracking by the NAV was -0.696%, meaning that over this time period USHO’s tracking error was within the plus or minus 10% range established as its benchmark tracking goal.

USSO is a commodity pool and issues units traded on the NYSE Arca. The investment objective of USSO is for the changes in percentage terms of its units’ NAV to inversely reflect the changes in percentage terms of the price of light, sweet crude oil delivered to Cushing, Oklahoma as measured by the changes in the price of the futures contract for light, sweet crude oil traded on the NYMEX, less USSO’s expenses. USSO’s units began trading on September 24, 2009 and are offered on a continuous basis. USSO invests in short positions in listed crude oil futures contracts, other non-listed oil related investments, Treasuries, cash and cash equivalents. As of December 31, 2009, the total amount of money raised by USSO from its authorized purchasers was $14,290,534; the total number of authorized purchasers of USSO was 7; the number of baskets purchased by authorized purchasers of USSO was 3; no baskets were redeemed by authorized purchasers of USSO; and the aggregate amount of units purchased was 300,000. USSO employs an investment strategy in its operations that is similar to the investment strategy of USOF, except that its benchmark is the inverse of the near month contract for light, sweet crude oil delivered to Cushing, Oklahoma.

Since the offering of USSO units to the public on September 24, 2009 to December 31, 2009, the inverse of the simple average daily change in its benchmark futures contract was -0.164%, while the simple average daily change in the NAV of USSO over the same time period was -0.167%. The average daily difference was -0.003% (or -0.3 basis points, where 1 basis point equals 1/100 of 1%). As a percentage of the inverse of the daily movement of the benchmark futures contract, the average error in daily tracking by the NAV was -0.179%, meaning that over this time period USSO’s tracking error was within the plus or minus 10% range established as its benchmark tracking goal.

US12NG is a commodity pool and issues units traded on the NYSE Arca. The investment objective of US12NG is for the changes in percentage terms of its units’ NAV 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 average of the prices of 12 futures contracts on natural gas traded on the NYMEX, consisting of the near month contract to expire and the contracts for the following 11 months, for a total of 12 consecutive months’ contracts, less US12NG’s expenses. US12NG’s units began trading on November 18, 2009 and are offered on a continuous basis. US12NG invests in a mixture of listed natural gas futures contracts, other non-listed natural gas related investments, Treasuries, cash and cash equivalents. As of December 31, 2009, the total amount of money raised by US12NG from its authorized purchasers was $40,652,357; the total number of authorized purchasers of US12NG was 8; the number of baskets purchased by authorized purchasers of US12NG was 2; the number of baskets redeemed by authorized purchasers of US12NG was 1; and the aggregate amount of units purchased was 800,000. US12NG employs an investment strategy in its operations that is similar to the investment strategy of USOF, except that its benchmark is the average of the prices of the near month contract to expire and the following eleven months contracts for natural gas delivered at the Henry Hub, Louisiana.

Since the offering of US12NG units to the public on November 18, 2009 to December 31, 2009, the simple average daily change in its benchmark futures contract was 0.291%, while the simple average daily change in the NAV of US12NG over the same time period was 0.287%. The average daily difference was -0.004 % (or -0.4 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 0.089%, meaning that over this time period US12NG’s tracking error was within the plus or minus 10% range established as its benchmark tracking goal.

The General Partner has filed a registration statement for two other exchange traded security funds, USBO and USCI. The investment objective of USBO would be to have the daily changes in percentage terms of its units’ NAV to reflect the changes in percentage terms of the spot price of Brent crude oil, as measured by the changes in the price of the futures contract on Brent crude oil traded on the ICE Futures, less USNG’s expenses. The investment objective of USCI will be for the daily changes in percentage terms of its units’ NAV to reflect the daily changes in percentage terms of the SDCI Total Return, less USCI’s expenses.

There are significant differences between investing in USOF and the Related Public Funds and investing directly in the futures market. The General Partner’s results with USOF and the Related Public Funds may not be representative of results that may be experienced with a fund directly investing in futures contracts or other managed funds investing in futures contracts. Moreover, given the different investment objectives of USOF and the Related Public Funds, the performance of USOF may not be representative of results that may be experienced by the other Related Public Funds. For more information on the performance of the Related Public Funds, see the Performance Tables below.

USNG:

Experience in Raising and Investing in Funds through December 31, 2009

PAST PERFORMANCE IS NOT NECESSARILY INDICATIVE OF FUTURE RESULTS

Dollar Amount Offered*:	$	24,056,500,000
Dollar Amount Raised:	$	10,435,093,775
Organizational and Offering Expenses**:
SEC registration fee:	$	1,361,084
FINRA registration fee:	$	377,500
Listing fee:	$	5000
Auditor’s fees and expenses:	$	274,350
Legal fees and expenses:	$	1,614,956
Printing expenses:	$	73,270

Length of USNG Offering:	Continuous

*	Reflects the offering price per unit set forth on the cover page of the registration statement registering such units filed with the SEC.

**	Through April 18, 2007, these expenses were paid for by the General Partner. Following April 18, 2007, USNG has recorded these expenses.

Compensation to the General Partner and Other Compensation USNG:

Expenses paid by USNG through December 31, 2009 in dollar terms:

Expenses:	Amount in Dollar Terms
Amount Paid to General Partner:	$	19,802,761
Amount Paid in Portfolio Brokerage Commissions:	$	12,603,078
Other Amounts Paid *:	$	8,074,997
Total Expenses Paid:	$	40,480,836

*	Includes expenses relating to the registration of additional units, legal fees, auditing fees, printing expenses, licensing fees and tax reporting fees and fees paid to the independent directors of the General Partner.

Expenses paid by USNG through December 31, 2009 as a Percentage of Average Daily Net Assets:

Expenses:		Amount as a Percentage of Average Daily Net Assets
Amount Paid to General Partner:		0.55% annualized
Amount Paid in Portfolio Brokerage Commissions:		0.35% annualized
Other Amounts Paid:		0.23% annualized
Total Expenses Paid:		1.13% annualized

USNG Performance:
Name of Commodity Pool:		USNG
Type of Commodity Pool:		Exchange traded security
Inception of Trading:		April 18, 2007
Aggregate Subscriptions (from inception through December 31, 2009):		$10,435,093,775
Total Net Assets as of December 31, 2009:		$4,525,107,163
Initial NAV per Unit as of Inception:		$50.00
NAV per Unit as of December 31, 2009:		$10.07
Worst Monthly Percentage Draw-down:		July 2008 (32.13)%
Worst Peak-to-Valley Draw-down:		June 2008 – November 2009 (85.89)%
Number of Unitholders (as of December 31, 2009)		203,277

COMPOSITE PERFORMANCE DATA FOR USNG

PAST PERFORMANCE IS NOT NECESSARILY INDICATIVE OF FUTURE RESULTS

	Rates of return*
Month	2007			2008			2009
January		–			8.87	%		(21.49	) %
February		–			15.87	%		(5.47	) %
March		–			6.90	%		(11.81	) %
April		4.30	%**		6.42	%		(13.92	) %
May		(0.84	) %		6.53	%		10.37	%
June		(15.90	) %		13.29	%		(4.63	) %
July		(9.68	) %		(32.13	) %		(8.70	) %
August		(13.37	) %		(13.92	) %		(27.14	) %
September		12.28	%		(9.67	) %		26.03	%
October		12.09	%		(12.34	) %		(13.31	) %
November		(16.16	) %		(6.31	) %		(11.86	) %
December		0.75	%		(14.32	) %		13.91	%
Annual Rate of Return		(27.64	) %**		(35.68	) %		(56.73	) %

*	The monthly rate of return is calculated by dividing the ending NAV of a given month by the ending NAV of the previous month, subtracting 1 and multiplying this number by 100 to arrive at a percentage increase or decrease.

**	Partial from April 18, 2007.

For a definition of draw-down, please see text below “Composite Performance Data for USOF”.

US12OF:

Experience in Raising and Investing in Funds through December 31, 2009

PAST PERFORMANCE IS NOT NECESSARILY INDICATIVE OF FUTURE RESULTS

Dollar Amount Offered*:	$	3,718,000,000
Dollar Amount Raised:	$	224,069,815
Organizational and Offering Expenses**:
SEC registration fee:	$	129,248
FINRA registration fee:	$	151,000
Listing fee:	$	5,000
Auditor’s fees and expenses:	$	60,700
Legal fees and expenses:	$	301,279
Printing expenses:	$	44,402

Length of US12OF Offering:	Continuous

*	Reflects the offering price per unit set forth on the cover page of the registration statement registering such units filed with the SEC.

**	Through March 31, 2009, a portion of these expenses were paid for by an affiliate of the General Partner in connection with the initial public offering. Following March 31, 2009, US12OF has recorded these expenses.

Compensation to the General Partner and Other Compensation US12OF:

Expenses paid by US12OF through December 31, 2009 in dollar terms:

Expense:	Amount in Dollar Terms
Amount Paid to General Partner:	$	922,534
Amount Paid in Portfolio Brokerage Commissions:	$	52,790
Other Amounts Paid*:	$	798,777
Total Expenses Paid or Accrued:	$	1,774,101
Expenses Waived**:	$	(108,246	)
Total Expenses Paid or Accrued Including Expenses Waived:	$	1,665,855

*	Includes expenses relating to the registration of additional units, legal fees, auditing fees, printing expenses, licensing fees and tax reporting fees and fees paid to the independent directors of the General Partner.

The General Partner, though under no obligation to do so, agreed to pay certain expenses, to the extent that such expenses exceeded 0.15% (15 basis points) of US12OF’s NAV, on an annualized basis through March 31, 2009, after which date such payments were no longer necessary. The General Partner has no obligation to pay such expenses in subsequent periods.

Expenses paid by US12OF through December 31, 2009 as a Percentage of Average Daily Net Assets:

Expenses:		Amount as a Percentage of Average Daily Net Assets
Amount Paid to General Partner:		0.60% annualized
Amount Paid in Portfolio Brokerage Commissions:		0.03% annualized
Other Amounts Paid:		0.52% annualized
Total Expenses Paid or Accrued:		1.15% annualized
Expenses Waived:		(0.07)% annualized
Total Expenses Paid or Accrued Including Expenses Waived:		1.08% annualized

US12OF Performance:
Name of Commodity Pool:		US12OF
Type of Commodity Pool:		Exchange traded security
Inception of Trading:		December 6, 2007
Aggregate Subscriptions (from inception through December 31, 2009):		$224,069,815
Total Net Assets as of December 31, 2009:		$165,523,309
Initial NAV per Unit as of Inception:		$50.00
NAV per Unit as of December 31, 2009:		$40.37
Worst Monthly Percentage Draw-down:		October 2008 (29.59)%
Worst Peak-to-Valley Draw-down:		June 2008 –February 2009 (66.97)%
Number of Unitholders (as of December 31, 2009)		6,875

COMPOSITE PERFORMANCE DATA FOR US12OF

PAST PERFORMANCE IS NOT NECESSARILY INDICATIVE OF FUTURE RESULTS

	Rates of return*
Month	2007			2008			2009
January		–			(2.03	) %		(7.11	) %
February		–			10.48	%		(4.34	) %
March		–			(0.66	) %		9.22	%
April		–			11.87	%		(1.06	) %
May		–			15.47	%		20.40	%
June		–			11.59	%		4.51	%
July		–			(11.39	) %		1.22	%
August		–			(6.35	) %		(2.85	) %
September		–			(13.12	) %		(0.92	) %
October		–			(29.59	) %		8.48	%
November		–			(16.17	) %		2.31	%
December		8.46	%**		(12.66	) %		(1.10	) %
Annual Rate of Return		8.46	%**		(42.39	) %		29.23	%

*	The monthly rate of return is calculated by dividing the ending NAV of a given month by the ending NAV of the previous month, subtracting 1 and multiplying this number by 100 to arrive at a percentage increase or decrease.

**	Partial from December 6, 2007.

For a definition of draw-down, please see text below “Composite Performance Data for USOF”.

UGA:

Experience in Raising and Investing in Funds through December 31, 2009

PAST PERFORMANCE IS NOT NECESSARILY INDICATIVE OF FUTURE RESULTS

Dollar Amount Offered*:	$	1,500,000,000
Dollar Amount Raised:	$	126,264,653
Organizational and Offering Expenses**:
SEC registration fee:	$	184,224
FINRA registration fee:	$	151,000
Listing fee:	$	5,000
Auditor’s fees and expenses:	$	27,500
Legal fees and expenses:	$	217,078
Printing expenses:	$	162,901

Length of UGA Offering:	Continuous

*	Reflects the offering price per unit set forth on the cover page of the registration statement registering such units filed with the SEC.

**	Through August 31, 2009, initial offering costs and a portion of ongoing expenses were paid for by the General Partner. Following August 31, 2009, UGA has recorded these expenses.

Compensation to the General Partner and Other Compensation UGA:

Expenses paid by UGA through December 31, 2009 in dollar terms:

Expenses:	Amount in Dollar Terms
Amount Paid to General Partner:	$	474,543
Amount Paid in Portfolio Brokerage Commissions:	$	90,757
Other Amounts Paid*:	$	529,839
Total Expenses Paid:	$	1,095,139
Expenses Waived**:	$	(382,703	)
Total Expenses Paid or Accrued Including Expenses Waived:	$	712,436

*	Includes expenses relating to the registration of additional units, legal fees, auditing fees, printing expenses, licensing fees and tax reporting fees and fees paid to the independent directors of the General Partner.

**	The General Partner, though under no obligation to do so, agreed to pay certain expenses, to the extent that such expenses exceeded 0.15% (15 basis points) of UGA’s NAV, on an annualized basis. The General Partner has no obligation to continue such payment into subsequent periods.

Expenses paid by UGA through December 31, 2009 as a Percentage of Average Daily Net Assets:

Expenses:		Amount as a Percentage of Average Daily Net Assets
Amount Paid to General Partner:		0.60% annualized
Amount Paid in Portfolio Brokerage Commissions:		0.11% annualized
Other Amounts Paid:		0.67% annualized
Total Expenses Paid:		1.38% annualized
Expenses Waived:		(0.48)% annualized
Total Expenses Paid or Accrued Including Expenses Waived:		0.90% annualized

UGA Performance:
Name of Commodity Pool:		UGA
Type of Commodity Pool:		Exchange traded security
Inception of Trading:		February 26, 2008
Aggregate Subscriptions (from inception through December 31, 2009):		$126,263,653
Total Net Assets as of December 31, 2009:		$69,185,740
Initial NAV per Unit as of Inception:		$50.00
NAV per Unit as of December 31, 2009:		$36.41
Worst Monthly Percentage Draw-down:		October 2008 (38.48%)
Worst Peak-to-Valley Draw-down:		June 2008 – December 2008 (69.02%)
Number of Unitholders (as of December 31, 2009)		5,131

COMPOSITE PERFORMANCE DATA FOR UGA

PAST PERFORMANCE IS NOT NECESSARILY INDICATIVE OF FUTURE RESULTS

	Rates of return*
Month	2008			2009
January		–			16.23	%
February		(0.56	) %**		0.26	%
March		(2.39	) %		2.59	%
April		10.94	%		2.07	%
May		15.60	%		30.41	%
June		4.80	%		1.65	%
July		(12.79	) %		6.24	%
August		(3.88	) %		(3.71	) %
September		(9.36	) %		(3.38	) %
October		(38.48	) %		10.96	%
November		(21.35	) %		1.00	%
December		(15.72	) %		0.55	%
Annual Rate of Return		(59.58	) %**		80.16	%

*	The monthly rate of return is calculated by dividing the ending NAV of a given month by the ending NAV of the previous month, subtracting 1 and multiplying this number by 100 to arrive at a percentage increase or decrease.

**	Partial from February 26, 2008.

For a definition of draw-down, please see text below “Composite Performance Data for USOF”.

USHO:

Experience in Raising and Investing in Funds through December 31, 2009

PAST PERFORMANCE IS NOT NECESSARILY INDICATIVE OF FUTURE RESULTS

Dollar Amount Offered*:	$	500,000,000
Dollar Amount Raised:	$	27,750,399
Organizational and Offering Expenses**:
SEC registration fee:	$	142,234
FINRA registration fee:	$	151,000
Listing fee:	$	5,000
Auditor’s fees and expenses:	$	27,500
Legal fees and expenses:	$	121,321
Printing expenses:	$	106,584

Length of USHO Offering:	Continuous

*	Reflects the offering price per unit set forth on the cover page of the registration statement registering such units filed with the SEC.

**	Through August 31, 2009, initial offering costs and a portion of ongoing expenses were paid for by the General Partner. Following August 31, 2009, USHO has recorded these expenses.

Compensation to the General Partner and Other Compensation USHO:

Expenses paid by USHO through December 31, 2009 in dollar terms:

Expenses:	Amount in Dollar Terms
Amount Paid to General Partner:	$	109,681
Amount Paid in Portfolio Brokerage Commissions:	$	18,418
Other Amounts Paid*:	$	333,904
Total Expenses Paid:	$	462,003
Expenses Waived**:	$	(299,225	)
Total Expenses Paid or Accrued Including Expenses Waived:	$	162,778

*	Includes expenses relating to the registration of additional units, legal fees, auditing fees, printing expenses, licensing fees and tax reporting fees and fees paid to the independent directors of the General Partner.

**	The General Partner, though under no obligation to do so, agreed to pay certain expenses, to the extent that such expenses exceeded 0.15% (15 basis points) of USHO’s NAV, on an annualized basis. The General Partner has no obligation to continue such payment into subsequent periods.

Expenses paid by USHO through December 31, 2009 as a Percentage of Average Daily Net Assets:

Expenses:		Amount as a Percentage of Average Daily Net Assets
Amount Paid to General Partner:		0.60% annualized
Amount Paid in Portfolio Brokerage Commissions:		0.10% annualized
Other Amounts Paid:		1.83% annualized
Total Expenses Paid:		2.53% annualized
Expenses Waived:		(1.64)% annualized
Total Expenses Paid or Accrued Including Expenses Waived:		0.89% annualized

USHO Performance:
Name of Commodity Pool:		USHO
Type of Commodity Pool:		Exchange traded security
Inception of Trading:		April 9, 2008
Aggregate Subscriptions (from inception through December 31, 2009):		$27,750,399
Total Net Assets as of December 31, 2009:		$16,525,095
Initial NAV per Unit as of Inception:		$50.00
NAV per Unit as of December 31, 2009:		$27.54
Worst Monthly Percentage Draw-down:		October 2008 (28.63)%
Worst Peak-to-Valley Draw-down:		June 2008 – February 2009 (69.17)%
Number of Unitholders (as of December 31, 2009)		1,154

COMPOSITE PERFORMANCE DATA FOR USHO

PAST PERFORMANCE IS NOT NECESSARILY INDICATIVE OF FUTURE RESULTS

	Rates of return*
Month	2008			2009
January		–			0.05	%
February		–			(11.34	) %
March		–			6.73	%
April		2.84	%**		(3.85	) %
May		15.93	%		23.13	%
June		5.91	%		4.55	%
July		(12.18	) %		0.39	%
August		(8.41	) %		(2.71	) %
September		(9.77	) %		(0.48	) %
October		(28.63	) %		7.60	%
November		(18.38	) %		0.19	%
December		(17.80	) %		2.23	%
Annual Rate of Return		(56.12	) %**		25.52	%

*	The monthly rate of return is calculated by dividing the ending NAV of a given month by the ending NAV of the previous month, subtracting 1 and multiplying this number by 100 to arrive at a percentage increase or decrease.

**	Partial from April 9, 2008.

For a definition of draw-down, please see text below “Composite Performance Data for USOF”.

USSO:

Experience in Raising and Investing in Funds through December 31, 2009

PAST PERFORMANCE IS NOT NECESSARILY INDICATIVE OF FUTURE RESULTS

Dollar Amount Offered*:	$	1,500,000,000
Dollar Amount Raised:	$	14,290,534
Organizational and Offering Expenses**:
SEC registration fee:	$	49,125
FINRA registration fee:	$	75,500
Listing fee:	$	5,000
Auditor’s fees and expenses:	$	0
Legal fees and expenses:	$	512,460
Printing expenses:	$	23,945

Length of USSO Offering:	Continuous

*	Reflects the offering price per unit set forth on the cover page of the registration statement registering such units filed with the SEC.

**	These expenses were paid for by the General Partner.

Compensation to the General Partner and Other Compensation USSO:

Expenses paid by USSO through December 31, 2009 in dollar terms:

Expenses:	Amount in Dollar Terms
Amount Paid to General Partner:	$	20,150
Amount Paid in Portfolio Brokerage Commissions:	$	4,695
Other Amounts Paid*:	$	212,443
Total Expenses Paid:	$	237,288
Expenses Waived**:	$	(206,444	)
Total Expenses Paid or Accrued Including Expenses Waived:	$	30,844

*	Includes expenses relating to legal fees, auditing fees, printing expenses, licensing fees and tax reporting fees and fees paid to the independent directors of the General Partner.

**	The General Partner, though under no obligation to do so, agreed to pay certain expenses, to the extent that such expenses exceeded 0.15% (15 basis points) of USSO’s NAV, on an annualized basis. The General Partner has no obligation to continue such payment into subsequent periods.

Expenses paid by USSO through December 31, 2009 as a Percentage of Average Daily Net Assets:

Expenses:		Amount as a Percentage of Average Daily Net Assets
Amount Paid to General Partner:		0.60% annualized
Amount Paid in Portfolio Brokerage Commissions:		0.14% annualized
Other Amounts Paid:		6.33% annualized
Total Expenses Paid:		7.07% annualized
Expenses Waived:		(6.15)% annualized
Total Expenses Paid or Accrued Including Expenses Waived:		0.92% annualized

USSO Performance:
Name of Commodity Pool:		USSO
Type of Commodity Pool:		Exchange traded security
Inception of Trading:		September 24, 2009
Aggregate Subscriptions (from inception through December 31, 2009):		$14,290,534
Total Net Assets as of December 31, 2009:		$13,196,305
Initial NAV per Unit as of Inception:		$50.00
NAV per Unit as of December 31, 2009:		$43.99
Worst Monthly Percentage Draw-down:		October 2009 (8.65)%
Worst Peak-to-Valley Draw-down:		September 2009-December 2009 (12.02)%
Number of Unitholders (as of December 31, 2009)		185

COMPOSITE PERFORMANCE DATA FOR USSO

PAST PERFORMANCE IS NOT NECESSARILY INDICATIVE OF FUTURE RESULTS

	Rates of return*
Month	2009
January		–
February		–
March		–
April		–
May		–
June		–
July		–
August		–
September		(2.90	)%**
October		(8.65	)%
November		(0.25	)%
December		(0.57	)%
Annual Rate of Return		(12.02	)%**

*	The monthly rate of return is calculated by dividing the ending NAV of a given month by the ending NAV of the previous month, subtracting 1 and multiplying this number by 100 to arrive at a percentage increase or decrease.

**	Partial from September 24, 2009.

For a definition of draw-down, please see text below “Composite Performance Data for USOF”.

US12NG:

Experience in Raising and Investing in Funds through December 31, 2009

PAST PERFORMANCE IS NOT NECESSARILY INDICATIVE OF FUTURE RESULTS

Dollar Amount Offered*:	$	1,500,000,000
Dollar Amount Raised:	$	40,652,357
Organizational and Offering Expenses**:
SEC registration fee:	$	82,445
FINRA registration fee:	$	75,500
Listing fee:	$	5,000
Auditor’s fees and expenses:	$	2,500
Legal fees and expenses:	$	202,252
Printing expenses:	$	31,588

Length of US12NG Offering:	Continuous

*	Reflects the offering price per unit set forth on the cover page of the registration statement registering such units filed with the SEC.

**	These expenses were paid for by the General Partner.

Compensation to the General Partner and Other Compensation US12NG:

Expenses paid by US12NG through December 31, 2009 in dollar terms:

Expenses:	Amount in Dollar Terms
Amount Paid to General Partner:	$	16,490
Amount Paid in Portfolio Brokerage Commissions:	$	9,284
Other Amounts Paid*:	$	141,553
Total Expenses Paid:	$	167,327
Expenses Waived**:	$	(136,678	)
Total Expenses Paid or Accrued Including Expenses Waived:	$	30,649

*	Includes expenses relating to legal fees, auditing fees, printing expenses, licensing fees and tax reporting fees and fees paid to the independent directors of the General Partner.

**	The General Partner, though under no obligation to do so, agreed to pay certain expenses, to the extent that such expenses exceeded 0.15% (15 basis points) of US12NG’s NAV, on an annualized basis. The General Partner has no obligation to continue such payment into subsequent periods.

Expenses paid by US12NG through December 31, 2009 as a Percentage of Average Daily Net Assets:

Expenses:		Amount as a Percentage of Average Daily Net Assets
Amount Paid to General Partner:		0.60% annualized
Amount Paid in Portfolio Brokerage Commissions:		0.34% annualized
Other Amounts Paid:		5.15% annualized
Total Expenses Paid:		6.09% annualized
Expenses Waived:		(4.97)% annualized
Total Expenses Paid or Accrued Including Expenses Waived:		1.12% annualized

US12NG Performance:
Name of Commodity Pool:		US12NG
Type of Commodity Pool:		Exchange traded security
Inception of Trading:		November 18, 2009
Aggregate Subscriptions (from inception through December 31, 2009):		$40,652,357
Total Net Assets as of December 31, 2009:		$37,637,148
Initial NAV per Unit as of Inception:		$50.00
NAV per Unit as of December 31, 2009:		$53.77
Worst Monthly Percentage Draw-down:		November 2009 (0.02)%
Worst Peak-to-Valley Draw-down:		November 2009 (0.02)%
Number of Unitholders (as of December 31, 2009)		1,276

COMPOSITE PERFORMANCE DATA FOR US12NG

PAST PERFORMANCE IS NOT NECESSARILY INDICATIVE OF FUTURE RESULTS

	Rates of return*
Month	2009
January		-
February		-
March		-
April		-
May		-
June		-
July		-
August		-
September		-
October		-
November		(0.02	) %**
December		7.56	%
Annual Rate of Return		7.54	%**

*	The monthly rate of return is calculated by dividing the ending NAV of a given month by the ending NAV of the previous month, subtracting 1 and multiplying this number by 100 to arrive at a percentage increase or decrease.

**	Partial from November 18, 2009.

For a definition of draw-down, please see text below “Composite Performance Data for USOF”.

Other Related Commodity Trading and Investment Management Experience

Until December 31, 2009, Ameristock Corporation was an affiliate of the General Partner, Ameristock Corporation is California-based registered investment advisor registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended, that has been sponsoring and providing portfolio management services to mutual funds since 1995. Ameristock Corporation is the investment adviser to the Ameristock Mutual Fund, Inc., a mutual fund registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), that focuses on large cap U.S. equities that has $219,616,809 in assets as of December 31, 2009. Ameristock Corporation was also the investment advisor to the Ameristock ETF Trust, an open-end management investment company registered under the 1940 Act that consisted of five separate investment portfolios, each of which sought investment results, before fees and expenses, that corresponded generally to the price and yield performance of a particular U.S. Treasury securities index owned and compiled by Ryan Holdings LLC and Ryan ALM, Inc. The Ameristock ETF Trust has liquidated each of its investment portfolios and has wound up its affairs.

Investments

The General Partner applies substantially all of USOF’s assets toward trading in Oil Futures Contracts and Other Oil Interests, Treasuries, cash and/or cash equivalents. The General Partner has sole authority to determine the percentage of assets that are:

held on deposit with the futures commission merchant or other custodian,

used for other investments, and

held in bank accounts to pay current obligations and as reserves.

The General Partner deposits substantially all of USOF’s net assets with the Custodian or other custodian. When USOF purchases an Oil Futures Contract and certain exchange traded Other Oil Interests, USOF is required to deposit with the selling futures commission merchant on behalf of the exchange a portion of the value of the contract or other interest as security to ensure payment for the obligation under oil interests at maturity. This deposit is known as “margin.” USOF invests the remainder of its assets equal to the difference between the margin deposited and the market value of the futures contract in Treasuries, cash and/or cash equivalents.

USOF’s assets are held in segregated accounts pursuant to the CEA and CFTC regulations. The General Partner believes that all entities that hold or trade USOF’s assets are based in the United States and are subject to United States regulations.

Approximately 10% to 30% of USOF’s assets have normally been committed as margin for commodity Oil Futures Contracts. However, from time to time, the percentage of assets committed as margin may be substantially more, or less, than such range. The General Partner invests the balance of USOF’s assets not invested in oil interests or held in margin as reserves to be available for changes in margin. All interest income is used for USOF’s benefit.

The futures commission merchant, a government agency or a commodity exchange could increase margins applicable to USOF to hold trading positions at any time. Moreover, margin is merely a security deposit and has no bearing on the profit or loss potential for any positions taken.

The Commodity Interest Markets

General

The CEA governs the regulation of commodity interest transactions, markets and intermediaries. In December 2000, the CEA was amended by the Commodity Futures Modernization Act of 2000 (the “CFMA”), which substantially revised the regulatory framework governing certain commodity interest transactions and the markets on which they trade. The CEA, as amended by the CFMA, now provides for varying degrees of regulation of commodity interest transactions depending upon the variables of the transaction. In general, these variables include (1) the type of instrument being traded (e.g., contracts for future delivery, options, swaps or spot contracts), (2) the type of commodity underlying the instrument (distinctions are made between instruments based on agricultural commodities, energy and metals commodities and financial commodities), (3) the nature of the parties to the transaction (retail, eligible contract participant, or eligible commercial entity), (4) whether the transaction is entered into on a principal-to-principal or intermediated basis, (5) the type of market on which the transaction occurs, and (6) whether the transaction is subject to clearing through a clearing organization. Information regarding commodity interest transactions, markets and intermediaries, and their associated regulatory environment, is provided below.

Futures Contracts

A futures contract is a standardized contract traded on, or subject to the rules of, an exchange that calls for the future delivery of a specified quantity and type of a commodity at a specified time and place. Futures contracts are traded on a wide variety of commodities, including agricultural products, bonds, stock indices, interest rates, currencies, energy and metals. The size and terms of futures contracts on a particular commodity are identical and are not subject to any negotiation, other than with respect to price and the number of contracts traded between the buyer and seller.

The contractual obligations of a buyer or seller may generally be satisfied by taking or making physical delivery of the underlying of 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 difference between the price at which the futures contract is purchased or sold and the price paid for the offsetting sale or purchase, after allowance for brokerage commissions, constitutes the profit or loss to the trader. Some futures contracts, such as stock index contracts, settle in cash (reflecting the difference between the contract purchase/sale price and the contract settlement price) rather than by delivery of the underlying commodity.

In market terminology, a trader who purchases a futures contract is long in the market and a trader who sells a futures contract is short in the market. Before a trader closes out his long or short position by an offsetting sale or purchase, his outstanding contracts are known as open trades or open positions. The aggregate amount of open positions held by traders in a particular contract is referred to as the open interest in such contract.

Forward Contracts

A forward contract is a contractual obligation to purchase or sell a specified quantity of a commodity at or before a specified date in the future at a specified price and, therefore, is economically similar to a futures contract. Unlike futures contracts, however, forward contracts are typically traded in the over-the-counter markets and are not standardized contracts. Forward contracts for a given commodity are generally available for various amounts and maturities and are subject to individual negotiation between the parties involved. Moreover, generally there is no direct means of offsetting or closing out a forward contract by taking an offsetting position as one would a futures contract on a U.S. exchange. If a trader desires to close out a forward contract position, he generally will establish an opposite position in the contract but will settle and recognize the profit or loss on both positions simultaneously on the delivery date. Thus, unlike in the futures contract market where a trader who has offset positions will recognize profit or loss immediately, in the forward market a trader with a position that has been offset at a profit will generally not receive such profit until the delivery date, and likewise a trader with a position that has been offset at a loss will generally not have to pay money until the delivery date. In recent years, however, the terms of forward contracts have become more standardized, and in some instances such contracts now provide a right of offset or cash settlement as an alternative to making or taking delivery of the underlying commodity.

The forward markets provide what has typically been a highly liquid market for foreign exchange trading, and in certain cases the prices quoted for foreign exchange forward contracts may be more favorable than the prices for foreign exchange futures contracts traded on U.S. exchanges. The forward markets are largely unregulated. Forward contracts are, in general, not cleared or guaranteed by a third party. Commercial banks participating in trading foreign exchange forward contracts often do not require margin deposits, but rely upon internal credit limitations and their judgments regarding the creditworthiness of their counterparties. In recent years, however, many over-the-counter market participants in foreign exchange trading have begun to require that their counterparties post margin.

Further, as the result of the CFMA, over-the-counter derivative instruments such as forward contracts and swap agreements (and options on forwards and physical commodities) may begin to be traded on lightly-regulated exchanges or electronic trading platforms that may, but are not required to, provide for clearing facilities. Exchanges and electronic trading platforms on which over-the-counter instruments may be traded and the regulation and criteria for that trading are more fully described below under “Futures Exchanges and Clearing Organizations.” Nonetheless, absent a clearing facility, USOF’s trading in foreign exchange and other forward contracts is exposed to the creditworthiness of the counterparties on the other side of the trade.

Options on Futures Contracts

Options on futures contracts are standardized contracts traded on an exchange. An option on a futures contract gives the buyer of the option the right, but not the obligation, to take a position at a specified price (the striking, strike, or exercise price) in the underlying futures contract or underlying interest. The buyer of a call option acquires the right, but not the obligation, to purchase or take a long position in the underlying interest, and the buyer of a put option acquires the right, but not the obligation, to sell or take a short position in the underlying interest.

The seller, or writer, of an option is obligated to take a position in the underlying interest at a specified price opposite to the option buyer if the option is exercised. Thus, the seller of a call option must stand ready to take a short position in the underlying interest at the strike price if the buyer should exercise the option. The seller of a put option, on the other hand, must stand ready to take a long position in the underlying interest at the strike price.

A call option is said to be in-the-money if the strike price is below current market levels and out-of-the-money if the strike price is above current market levels. Conversely, a put option is said to be in-the-money if the strike price is above the current market levels and out-of-the-money if the strike price is below current market levels.

Options have limited life spans, usually tied to the delivery or settlement date of the underlying interest. Some options, however, expire significantly in advance of such date. The purchase price of an option is referred to as its premium, which consists of its intrinsic value (which is related to the underlying market value) plus its time value. As an option nears its expiration date, the time value shrinks and the market and intrinsic values move into parity. An option that is out-of-the-money and not offset by the time it expires becomes worthless. On certain exchanges, in-the-money options are automatically exercised on their expiration date, but on others unexercised options simply become worthless after their expiration date.

Regardless of how much the market swings, the most an option buyer can lose is the option premium. The option buyer deposits his premium with his broker, and the money goes to the option seller. Option sellers, on the other hand, face risks similar to participants in the futures markets. For example, since the seller of a call option is assigned a short futures position if the option is exercised, his risk is the same as someone who initially sold a futures contract. Because no one can predict exactly how the market will move, the option seller posts margin to demonstrate his ability to meet any potential contractual obligations.

Options on Forward Contracts or Commodities

Options on forward contracts or commodities operate in a manner similar to options on futures contracts. An option on a forward contract or commodity gives the buyer of the option the right, but not the obligation, to take a position at a specified price in the underlying forward contract or commodity. However, similar to forward contracts, options on forward contracts or on commodities are individually negotiated contracts between counterparties and are typically traded in the over-the-counter market. Therefore, options on forward contracts and physical commodities possess many of the same characteristics of forward contracts with respect to offsetting positions and credit risk that are described above.

Swap Contracts

Swap transactions generally involve contracts between two parties to exchange a stream of payments computed by reference to a notional amount and the price of the asset that is the subject of the swap. Swap contracts are principally traded off-exchange, although recently, as a result of regulatory changes enacted as part of the CFMA, certain swap contracts are now being traded in electronic trading facilities and cleared through clearing organizations.

Swaps are usually entered into on a net basis, that is, the two payment streams are netted out in a cash settlement on the payment date or dates specified in the agreement, with the parties receiving or paying, as the case may be, only the net amount of the two payments. Swaps do not generally involve the delivery of underlying assets or principal. Accordingly, the risk of loss with respect to swaps is generally limited to the net amount of payments that the party is contractually obligated to make. In some swap transactions one or both parties may require collateral deposits from the counterparty to support that counterparty’s obligation under the swap agreement. If the counterparty to such a swap defaults, the risk of loss consists of the net amount of payments that the party is contractually entitled to receive less any collateral deposits it is holding.

Some swap transactions are cleared through central counterparties. These transactions, known as cleared swaps, involve two counterparties first agreeing to the terms of a swap transaction, then submitting the transaction to a clearing house that acts as the central counterparty. Once submitted to the clearing house, the original swap transaction is novated and the central counterparty becomes the counterparty to a trade with each of the original parties based upon the trade terms determined in the original transaction. In this manner each individual swap counterparty reduces its risk of loss due to counterparty nonperformance because the clearing house acts as the counterparty to each transaction.

Participants

The two broad classes of persons who trade commodities are hedgers and speculators. Hedgers include financial institutions that manage or deal in interest rate-sensitive instruments, foreign currencies or stock portfolios, and commercial market participants, such as farmers and manufacturers, that market or process commodities. Hedging is a protective procedure designed to effectively lock in prices that would otherwise change due to an adverse movement in the price of the underlying commodity, for example, the adverse price movement between the time a merchandiser or processor enters into a contract to buy or sell a raw or processed commodity at a certain price and the time he must perform the contract. In such a case, at the time the hedger contracts to physically sell the commodity at a future date he will simultaneously buy a futures or forward contract for the necessary equivalent quantity of the commodity. At the time for performance of the contract, the hedger may accept delivery under his futures contract and sell the commodity quantity as required by his physical contract or he may buy the actual commodity, sell it under the physical contract and close out his position by making an offsetting sale of a futures contract.

The commodity interest markets enable the hedger to shift the risk of price fluctuations. The usual objective of the hedger is to protect the profit that he expects to earn from farming, merchandising, or processing operations rather than to profit from his trading. However, at times the impetus for a hedge transaction may result in part from speculative objectives and hedgers can end up paying higher prices than they would have, for example, if current market prices are lower than the locked in price.

Unlike the hedger, the speculator generally expects neither to make nor take delivery of the underlying commodity. Instead, the speculator risks his capital with the hope of making profits from price fluctuations in the commodities. The speculator is, in effect, the risk bearer who assumes the risks that the hedger seeks to avoid. Speculators rarely make or take delivery of the underlying commodity; rather they attempt to close out their positions prior to the delivery date. Because the speculator may take either a long or short position in commodities, it is possible for him to make profits or incur losses regardless of whether prices go up or down.

Futures Exchanges and Clearing Organizations

Futures exchanges provide centralized market facilities in which multiple persons have the ability to execute or trade contracts by accepting bids and offers from multiple participants. Futures exchanges may provide for execution of trades at a physical location utilizing trading pits and/or may provide for trading to be done electronically through computerized matching of bids and offers pursuant to various algorithms. Members of a particular exchange and the trades executed on such exchange are subject to the rules of that exchange. Futures exchanges and clearing organizations are given reasonable latitude in promulgating rules and regulations to control and regulate their members. Examples of regulations by exchanges and clearing organizations include the establishment of initial margin levels, rules regarding trading practices, contract specifications, speculative position limits, daily price fluctuation limits, and execution and clearing fees.

Clearing organizations provide services designed to mutualize or transfer the credit risk arising from the trading of contracts on an exchange or other electronic trading facility. Once trades made between members of an exchange or electronic trading facility have been confirmed, the clearing organization becomes substituted for the clearing member acting on behalf of each buyer and each seller of contracts traded on the exchange or trading platform and in effect becomes the other party to the trade. Thereafter, each clearing member party to the trade looks only to the clearing organization for performance. The clearing organization generally establishes some sort of security or guarantee fund to which all clearing members of the exchange must contribute; this fund acts as an emergency buffer that is intended to enable the clearing organization to meet its obligations with regard to the other side of an insolvent clearing member’s contracts. Furthermore, the clearing organization requires margin deposits and continuously marks positions to market to provide some assurance that its members will be able to fulfill their contractual obligations. Thus, a central function of the clearing organization is to ensure the integrity of trades, and members effecting transactions on an exchange need not concern themselves with the solvency of the party on the opposite side of the trade; their only remaining concerns are the respective solvencies of their own customers, their clearing broker and the clearing organization. The clearing organizations do not deal with customers, but only with their member firms and the guarantee of performance for open positions provided by the clearing organization does not run to customers.

U.S. Futures Exchanges

Futures exchanges in the United States are subject to varying degrees of regulation by the CFTC based on their designation as one of the following: a designated contract market, a derivatives transaction execution facility, an exempt board of trade or an electronic trading facility.

A designated contract market is the most highly regulated level of futures exchange. Designated contract markets may offer products to retail customers on an unrestricted basis. To be designated as a contract market, the exchange must demonstrate that it satisfies specified general criteria for designation, such as having the ability to prevent market manipulation, rules and procedures to ensure fair and equitable trading, position limits, dispute resolution procedures, minimization of conflicts of interest and protection of market participants. Among the principal designated contract markets in the United States are the Chicago Board of Trade, the Chicago Mercantile Exchange and the NYMEX. Each of the designated contract markets in the United States must provide for the clearance and settlement of transactions with a CFTC-registered derivatives clearing organization.

A derivatives transaction execution facility (a “DTEF”) is a new type of exchange that is subject to fewer regulatory requirements than a designated contract market but is subject to both commodity interest and participant limitations. DTEFs limit access to eligible traders that qualify as either eligible contract participants or eligible commercial entities for futures and option contracts on commodities that have a nearly inexhaustible deliverable supply, are highly unlikely to be susceptible to the threat of manipulation, or have no cash market, security futures products, and futures and option contracts on commodities that the CFTC may determine, on a case-by-case basis, are highly unlikely to be susceptible to the threat of manipulation. In addition, certain commodity interests excluded or exempt from the CEA, such as swaps, etc. may be traded on a DTEF. There is no requirement that a DTEF use a clearing organization, except with respect to trading in security futures contracts, in which case the clearing organization must be a securities clearing agency. However, if futures contracts and options on futures contracts on a DTEF are cleared, then it must be through a CFTC-registered derivatives clearing organization, except that some excluded or exempt commodities traded on a DTEF may be cleared through a clearing organization other than one registered with the CFTC.

An exempt board of trade is also a newly designated form of exchange. An exempt board of trade is substantially unregulated, subject only to CFTC anti-fraud and anti-manipulation authority. An exempt board of trade is permitted to trade futures contracts and options on futures contracts provided that the underlying commodity is not a security or securities index and has an inexhaustible deliverable supply or no cash market. All traders on an exempt board of trade must qualify as eligible contract participants. Contracts deemed eligible to be traded on an exempt board of trade include contracts on interest rates, exchange rates, currencies, credit risks or measures, debt instruments, measures of inflation, or other macroeconomic indices or measures. There is no requirement that an exempt board of trade use a clearing organization. However, if contracts on an exempt board of trade are cleared, then it must be through a CFTC-registered derivatives clearing organization. A board of trade electing to operate as an exempt board of trade must file a written notification with the CFTC.

An electronic trading facility is a new form of trading platform that operates by means of an electronic or telecommunications network and maintains an automated audit trail of bids, offers, and the matching of orders or the execution of transactions on the electronic trading facility. The CEA does not apply to, and the CFTC has no jurisdiction over, transactions on an electronic trading facility in certain excluded commodities that are entered into between principals that qualify as eligible contract participants, subject only to CFTC anti-fraud and anti-manipulation authority. In general, excluded commodities include interest rates, currencies, securities, securities indices or other financial, economic or commercial indices or measures.

The General Partner intends to monitor the development of and opportunities and risks presented by the new less-regulated exchanges and exempt boards as well as other trading platforms currently in place or that are being considered by regulators and may, in the future, allocate a percentage of USOF’s assets to trading in products on these exchanges. Provided USOF maintains assets exceeding $5 million, USOF would qualify as an eligible contract participant and thus would be able to trade on such exchanges.

Non-U.S. Futures Exchanges

Non-U.S. futures exchanges differ in certain respects from their U.S. counterparts. Importantly, non-U.S. futures exchanges are not subject to regulation by the CFTC, but rather are regulated by their home country regulator. In contrast to U.S. designated contract markets, some non-U.S. exchanges are principals’ markets, where trades remain the liability of the traders involved, and the exchange or an affiliated clearing organization, if any, does not become substituted for any party. Due to the absence of a clearing system, such exchanges are significantly more susceptible to disruptions. Further, participants in such markets must often satisfy themselves as to the individual creditworthiness of each entity with which they enter into a trade. Trading on non-U.S. exchanges is often in the currency of the exchange’s home jurisdiction. Consequently, USOF is subject to the additional risk of fluctuations in the exchange rate between such currencies and U.S. dollars and the possibility that exchange controls could be imposed in the future. Trading on non-U.S. exchanges may differ from trading on U.S. exchanges in a variety of ways and, accordingly, may subject USOF to additional risks.

Accountability Levels and Position Limits

The CFTC and U.S. designated contract markets have established accountability levels and position limits on the maximum net long or net short futures contracts in commodity interests that any person or group of persons under common trading control (other than a hedger, which USOF is not) may hold, own or control. Among the purposes of accountability levels and position limits is to prevent a corner or squeeze on a market or undue influence on prices by any single trader or group of traders. The position limits currently established by the CFTC apply to certain agricultural commodity interests, such as grains (oats, barley, and flaxseed), soybeans, corn, wheat, cotton, eggs, rye, and potatoes, but not to interests in energy products. In addition, U.S. exchanges may set accountability levels and position limits for all commodity interests traded on that exchange. For example, the current accountability level for investments at any one time in Oil Futures Contracts for light, sweet crude oil (including investments in the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract) on the NYMEX is 10,000 contracts for one month and 20,000 contracts for all months. The NYMEX also imposes position limits on contracts held in the last few days of trading in the near month contract to expire. The ICE Futures has recently adopted similar accountability levels and position limits for certain of its Oil Futures Contracts that are traded on the ICE Futures and settled against the price of a contract listed for trading on a U.S. designated contract market such as NYMEX. Certain exchanges or clearing organizations also set limits on the total net positions that may be held by a clearing broker. In general, no position limits are in effect in forward or other over-the-counter contract trading or in trading on non-U.S. futures exchanges, although the principals with which USOF and the clearing brokers may trade in such markets may impose such limits as a matter of credit policy. For purposes of determining accountability levels and position limits, USOF’s commodity interest positions will not be attributable to investors in their own commodity interest trading.

On January 26, 2010, the CFTC published a proposed rule that, if implemented, would set fixed position limits on certain energy Futures Contracts, including the NYMEX Light Sweet crude oil futures contract, NYMEX Henry Hub natural gas futures contract, NYMEX New York Harbor No. 2 heating oil futures contract, and NYMEX RBOB gasoline futures contract, along with any contract based upon these contracts. The proposed position limits would be set as a percentage of the open interest in these contracts for the spot month, any single month, and all months combined. Additionally, the proposed rule would aggregate positions in the enumerated contracts and those based upon such contracts, including contracts listed on separate exchanges. This proposal is currently undergoing a 90-day public comment period.

Daily Price Limits

Most U.S. futures exchanges (but generally not non-U.S. exchanges) may limit the amount of fluctuation in some futures contract or options on a futures contract prices during a single trading day by regulations. These regulations specify what are referred to as daily price fluctuation limits or, more commonly, daily limits. The daily limits establish the maximum amount that the price of a futures or options on futures contract may vary either up or down from the previous day’s settlement price. Once the daily limit has been reached in a particular futures or options on futures contract, no trades may be made at a price beyond the limit. Positions in the futures or options contract may then be taken or liquidated, if at all, only at inordinate expense or if traders are willing to effect trades at or within the limit during the period for trading on such day. Because the daily limit rule governs price movement only for a particular trading day, it does not limit losses and may in fact substantially increase losses because it may prevent the liquidation of unfavorable positions. Futures contract prices have occasionally moved to the daily limit for several consecutive trading days, thus preventing prompt liquidation of positions and subjecting the trader to substantial losses for those days. The concept of daily price limits is not relevant to over-the-counter contracts, including forwards and swaps, and thus such limits are not imposed by banks and others who deal in those markets.

In contrast, the NYMEX does not impose daily limits but rather limits the amount of price fluctuation for Oil Futures Contracts. For example, the NYMEX imposes a $10.00 per barrel ($10,000 per contract) price fluctuation limit for the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract. This limit is initially based off the previous trading day’s settlement price. If any Benchmark Oil Futures Contract is traded, bid, or offered at the limit for five minutes, trading is halted for five minutes. When trading resumes it begins at the point where the limit was imposed and the limit is reset to be $10.00 per barrel in either direction of that point. If another halt were triggered, the market would continue to be expanded by $10.00 per barrel in either direction after each successive five-minute trading halt. There is no maximum price fluctuation limit during any one trading session.

Commodity Prices

Commodity prices are volatile and, although ultimately determined by the interaction of supply and demand, are subject to many other influences, including the psychology of the marketplace and speculative assessments of future world and economic events. Political climate, interest rates, treaties, balance of payments, exchange controls and other governmental interventions as well as numerous other variables affect the commodity markets, and even with comparatively complete information it is impossible for any trader to predict reliably commodity prices.

Regulation

Futures exchanges in the United States are subject to varying degrees of regulation under the CEA depending on whether such exchange is a designated contract market, DTEF, exempt board of trade or electronic trading facility. Derivatives clearing organizations are also subject to the CEA and CFTC regulation. The CFTC is the governmental agency charged with responsibility for regulation of futures exchanges and commodity interest trading conducted on those exchanges. The CFTC’s function is to implement the CEA’s objectives of preventing price manipulation and excessive speculation and promoting orderly and efficient commodity interest markets. In addition, the various exchanges and clearing organizations themselves exercise regulatory and supervisory authority over their member firms.

The CFTC possesses exclusive jurisdiction to regulate the activities of CPOs and commodity trading advisors and has adopted regulations with respect to the activities of those persons and/or entities. Under the CEA, a registered CPO, such as the General Partner, is required to make annual filings with the CFTC describing its organization, capital structure, management and controlling persons. In addition, the CEA authorizes the CFTC to require and review books and records of, and documents prepared by, registered CPOs. Pursuant to this authority, the CFTC requires CPOs to keep accurate, current and orderly records for each pool that they operate. The CFTC may suspend the registration of a CPO (1) if the CFTC finds that the operator’s trading practices tend to disrupt orderly market conditions, (2) if any controlling person of the operator is subject to an order of the CFTC denying such person trading privileges on any exchange, and (3) in certain other circumstances. Suspension, restriction or termination of the General Partner’s registration as a CPO would prevent it, until that registration were to be reinstated, from managing USOF, and might result in the termination of USOF. USOF itself is not required to be registered with the CFTC in any capacity.

The CEA gives the CFTC similar authority with respect to the activities of commodity trading advisors. If a trading advisor’s commodity trading advisor registration were to be terminated, restricted or suspended, the trading advisor would be unable, until the registration were to be reinstated, to render trading advice to USOF.

The CEA requires all futures commission merchants, such as USOF’s clearing brokers, to meet and maintain specified fitness and financial requirements, to segregate customer funds from proprietary funds and account separately for all customers’ funds and positions, and to maintain specified books and records open to inspection by the staff of the CFTC. The CFTC has similar authority over introducing brokers, or persons who solicit or accept orders for commodity interest trades but who do not accept margin deposits for the execution of trades. The CEA authorizes the CFTC to regulate trading by futures commission merchants and by their officers and directors, permits the CFTC to require action by exchanges in the event of market emergencies, and establishes an administrative procedure under which customers may institute complaints for damages arising from alleged violations of the CEA. The CEA also gives the states powers to enforce its provisions and the regulations of the CFTC.

USOF’s investors are afforded prescribed rights for reparations under the CEA. Investors may also be able to maintain a private right of action for violations of the CEA. The CFTC has adopted rules implementing the reparation provisions of the CEA, which provide that any person may file a complaint for a reparations award with the CFTC for violation of the CEA against a floor broker or a futures commission merchant, introducing broker, commodity trading advisor, CPO, and their respective associated persons.

Pursuant to authority in the CEA, the NFA has been formed and registered with the CFTC as a registered futures association. At the present time, the NFA is the only self-regulatory organization for commodity interest professionals, other than futures exchanges. The CFTC has delegated to the NFA responsibility for the registration of commodity trading advisors, CPOs, futures commission merchants, introducing brokers, and their respective associated persons and floor brokers. The General Partner, each trading advisor, the selling agents and the clearing brokers are members of the NFA. As such, they are subject to NFA standards relating to fair trade practices, financial condition and consumer protection. USOF itself is not required to become a member of the NFA. As the self-regulatory body of the commodity interest industry, the NFA promulgates rules governing the conduct of professionals and disciplines those professionals that do not comply with these rules. The NFA also arbitrates disputes between members and their customers and conducts registration and fitness screening of applicants for membership and audits of its existing members.

The regulations of the CFTC and the NFA prohibit any representation by a person registered with the CFTC or by any member of the NFA, that registration with the CFTC, or membership in the NFA, in any respect indicates that the CFTC or the NFA, as the case may be, has approved or endorsed that person or that person’s trading program or objectives. The registrations and memberships of the parties described in this summary must not be considered as constituting any such approval or endorsement. Likewise, no futures exchange has given or will give any similar approval or endorsement.

The regulation of commodity interest trading in the United States and other countries is an evolving area of the law. The various statements made in this summary are subject to modification by legislative action and changes in the rules and regulations of the CFTC, the NFA, the futures exchanges, clearing organizations and other regulatory bodies.

The function of the CFTC is to implement the objectives of the CEA of preventing price manipulation and other disruptions to market integrity, avoiding systemic risk, preventing fraud and promoting innovation, competition and financial integrity of transactions. As mentioned above, this regulation, among other things, provides that the trading of commodity interest contracts generally must be upon exchanges designated as contract markets or DTEFs and that all trading on those exchanges must be done by or through exchange members. Under the CFMA, commodity interest trading in some commodities between sophisticated persons may be traded on a trading facility not regulated by the CFTC. As a general matter, trading in spot contracts, forward contracts, options on forward contracts or commodities, or swap contracts between eligible contract participants is not within the jurisdiction of the CFTC and may therefore be effectively unregulated. The trading advisors may engage in those transactions on behalf of USOF in reliance on this exclusion from regulation. However, legislation currently under consideration by the U.S. Congress would remove the exclusion provided to these transactions and place them under federal regulation. The proposed legislation would subject these contracts to new capital, margin, recordkeeping, and reporting requirements.

In general, the CFTC does not regulate the interbank and forward foreign currency markets with respect to transactions in contracts between certain sophisticated counterparties such as USOF or between certain regulated institutions and retail investors. Although U.S. banks are regulated in various ways by the Federal Reserve Board, the Comptroller of the Currency and other U.S. federal and state banking officials, banking authorities do not regulate the forward markets.

While the U.S. government does not currently impose any restrictions on the movements of currencies, it could choose to do so. The imposition or relaxation of exchange controls in various jurisdictions could significantly affect the market for that and other jurisdictions’ currencies. Trading in the interbank market also exposes USOF to a risk of default since failure of a bank with which USOF had entered into a forward contract would likely result in a default and thus possibly substantial losses to USOF.

The CFTC is prohibited by statute from regulating trading on non-U.S. futures exchanges and markets. The CFTC, however, has adopted regulations relating to the marketing of non-U.S. futures contracts in the United States. These regulations permit certain contracts traded on non-U.S. exchanges to be offered and sold in the United States.

Commodity Margin

Original or initial margin is the minimum amount of funds that must be deposited by a commodity interest trader with the trader’s broker to initiate and maintain an open position in futures contracts. Maintenance margin is the amount (generally less than the original margin) to which a trader’s account may decline before he must deliver additional margin. A margin deposit is like a cash performance bond. It helps assure the trader’s performance of the futures contracts that he or she purchases or sells. Futures contracts are customarily bought and sold on initial margin that represents a very small percentage (ranging upward from less than 2%) of the aggregate purchase or sales price of the contract. Because of such low margin requirements, price fluctuations occurring in the futures markets may create profits and losses that, in relation to the amount invested, are greater than are customary in other forms of investment or speculation. As discussed below, adverse price changes in the futures contract may result in margin requirements that greatly exceed the initial margin. In addition, the amount of margin required in connection with a particular futures contract is set from time to time by the exchange on which the contract is traded and may be modified from time to time by the exchange during the term of the contract.

Brokerage firms, such as USOF’s clearing brokers, carrying accounts for traders in commodity interest contracts may not accept lower, and generally require higher, amounts of margin as a matter of policy to further protect themselves. The clearing brokers require USOF to make margin deposits equal to exchange minimum levels for all commodity interest contracts. This requirement may be altered from time to time in the clearing brokers’ discretion.

Trading in the over-the-counter markets where no clearing facility is provided generally does not require margin but generally does require the extension of credit between counterparties. This extension of credit generally takes the form of transfers of collateral and/or independent amounts. Collateral is transferred between counterparties during the term of an over-the-counter transaction based upon the changing value of the transaction, while independent amounts are fixed amounts posted by one or both counterparties at the start of an over-the-counter transaction.

When a trader purchases an option, there is no margin requirement; however, the option premium must be paid in full. When a trader sells an option, on the other hand, he or she is required to deposit margin in an amount determined by the margin requirements established for the underlying interest and, in addition, an amount substantially equal to the current premium for the option. The margin requirements imposed on the selling of options, although adjusted to reflect the probability that out-of-the-money options will not be exercised, can in fact be higher than those imposed in dealing in the futures markets directly. Complicated margin requirements apply to spreads and conversions, which are complex trading strategies in which a trader acquires a mixture of options positions and positions in the underlying interest.

Margin requirements are computed each day by a trader’s clearing broker. When the market value of a particular open commodity interest position changes to a point where the margin on deposit does not satisfy maintenance margin requirements, a margin call is made by the broker. If the margin call is not met within a reasonable time, the broker may close out the trader’s position. With respect to USOF’s trading, USOF (and not its investors personally) is subject to margin calls.

Finally, many major U.S. exchanges have passed certain cross margining arrangements involving procedures pursuant to which the futures and options positions held in an account would, in the case of some accounts, be aggregated and margin requirements would be assessed on a portfolio basis, measuring the total risk of the combined positions.

SEC Reports

USOF makes available, free of charge, on its website, its annual reports on Form 10-K, its quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, its current reports on Form 8-K and amendments to these reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act as soon as reasonably practicable after these forms are filed with, or furnished to, the SEC. These reports are also available from the SEC though its website at: www.sec.gov.

CFTC Reports

USOF also makes available its monthly reports and its annual reports required to be prepared and filed with the NFA under the CFTC regulations.

Intellectual Property

The General Partner owns trademark registrations for UNITED STATES OIL FUND (U.S. Reg. No. 3240929) for “investment services in the field of oil futures contracts and other oil interests,” in use since April 30, 2006, and UNITED STATES OIL FUND LP (and Oil Rig Design) (U.S. Reg. No. 3447665) for “fund investment services in the field of oil futures contracts, cash-settled options on oil futures contracts, forward contracts for oil, over-the-counter transactions based on the price of oil, and indices based on the foregoing,” in use since April 10, 2006. USO relies upon these trademarks through which it markets its services and strives to build and maintain brand recognition in the market and among current and potential investors. So long as USO continues to use these trademarks to identify its services, without challenge from any third party, and properly maintains and renews the trademark registrations under applicable laws, rules and regulations, it will continue to have indefinite protection for these trademarks under current laws, rules and regulations.

A patent application by the General Partner directed to the creation and operation of USOF and one or more of the Related Public Funds is pending and the General Partner’s registration of USOF’s trademarks is in process at the United States Patent and Trademark Office. The patent application pertains to the structure of USOF and one or more of the Related Public Funds managed by the General Partner. The General Partner does not believe that rejection or modification of the patent application will have a material adverse effect on the operations of USOF or the Related Public Funds.

Item 1A. Risk Factors.

The risk factors should be read in connection with the other information included in this annual report on Form 10-K, including Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations and USOF’s financial statements and the related notes.

Risks Associated With Investing Directly or Indirectly in Crude Oil

Investing in oil interests subjects USOF to the risks of the crude oil industry and this could result in large fluctuations in the price of USOF’s units.

USOF is subject to the risks and hazards of the crude oil industry because it intends to invest in oil interests. The risks and hazards that are inherent in the crude oil industry may cause the price of crude oil to widely fluctuate. If USOF’s units accurately track the percentage changes in the terms of the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract or the spot price of crude oil, then the price of its units may also fluctuate. The exploration and production of crude oil are uncertain processes with many risks. The cost of drilling, completing and operating wells for crude oil is often uncertain, and a number of factors can delay or prevent drilling operations or production of crude oil, including:

unexpected drilling conditions;

pressure or irregularities in formations;

equipment failures or repairs;

fires or other accidents;

adverse weather conditions;

pipeline ruptures, spills or other supply disruptions; and

shortages or delays in the availability of drilling rigs and the delivery of equipment.

Crude oil transmission, distribution, gathering, and processing activities involve numerous risks that may affect the price of crude oil.

There are a variety of hazards inherent in crude oil transmission, distribution, gathering, and processing, such as leaks, explosions, pollution, release of toxic substances, adverse weather conditions (such as hurricanes and flooding), pipeline failure, abnormal pressures, uncontrollable flows of crude oil, scheduled and unscheduled maintenance, physical damage to the gathering or transportation system, and other hazards which could affect the price of crude oil. To the extent these hazards limit the supply or delivery of crude oil, crude oil prices will increase.

Changes in the political climate could have negative consequences for crude oil prices.

Tensions with Iran, the world’s fourth largest oil exporter, could put oil exports in jeopardy. Other global concerns include civil unrest and sabotage affecting the flow of oil from Nigeria, a large oil exporter. Meanwhile, friction continues between the governments of the United States and Venezuela, a major exporter of oil to the United States. Additionally, a series of production cuts by members of OPEC followed by a refusal to subsequently increase oil production have tightened world oil markets.

Fluctuations in the reserve capacity of crude oil could impact future prices.

In the past, a supply disruption in one area of the world was softened by the ability of major oil-producing nations such as Saudi Arabia to increase output to make up the difference. In recent years, much of that spare capacity has been absorbed by increased demand. The current global economic downturn, however, has led to a decrease in the demand for oil that lasted through 2009 and a corresponding increase in spare capacities. According to the United States Government’s Energy Information Administration, global oil demand is expected to rise by 0.7 million barrels a day in 2010, compared with a decrease in demand of 1.8 million barrels a day in 2009 and largely unchanged demand in 2008. Consumption of oil products continues to increase in certain parts of the world, especially in rapidly growing countries such as India and China, which is now the world’s second-largest energy user. The volatility of demand in the oil market makes it difficult to predict the availability of spare capacities.

The price of USOF’s units may be influenced by factors such as the short-term supply and demand for crude oil and the short-term supply and demand for USOF’s units. This may cause the units to trade at a price that is above or below USOF’s NAV per unit. Accordingly, changes in the price of units may substantially vary from the changes in the spot price of light, sweet crude oil. If this variation occurs, then investors may not be able to effectively use USOF as a way to hedge against crude oil-related losses or as a way to indirectly invest in crude oil.

While it is expected that the trading prices of the units will fluctuate in accordance with changes in USOF’s NAV, the prices of units may also be influenced by other factors, including the short-term supply and demand for crude oil and the units. There is no guarantee that the units will not trade at appreciable discounts from, and/or premiums to, USOF’s NAV. This could cause changes in the price of the units to substantially vary from changes in the spot price of light, sweet crude oil. This may be harmful to investors because if changes in the price of units vary substantially from changes in the spot price of light, sweet crude oil, then investors may not be able to effectively use USOF as a way to hedge the risk of losses in their crude oil-related transactions or as a way to indirectly invest in crude oil.

Changes in USOF’s NAV may not correlate with changes in the price of the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract. If this were to occur, investors may not be able to effectively use USOF as a way to hedge against crude oil-related losses or as a way to indirectly invest in crude oil.

The General Partner endeavors to invest USOF’s assets as fully as possible in short-term Oil Futures Contracts and Other Oil Interests so that the changes in percentage terms of the NAV closely correlate with the changes in percentage terms in the price of the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract. However, changes in USOF’s NAV may not correlate with the changes in the price of the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract for several reasons as set forth below:

USOF (i) may not be able to buy/sell the exact amount of Oil Futures Contracts and Other Oil Interests to have a perfect correlation with NAV; (ii) may not always be able to buy and sell Oil Futures Contracts or Other Oil Interests at the market price; (iii) may not experience a perfect correlation between the spot price of light, sweet crude oil and the underlying investments in Oil Futures Contracts, Other Oil Interests and Treasuries, cash and/or cash equivalents; and (iv) is required to pay fees, including brokerage fees and the management fee, which will have an effect on the correlation.

Short-term supply and demand for light, sweet crude oil may cause the changes in the market price of the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract to vary from the changes in USOF’s NAV if USOF has fully invested in Oil Futures Contracts that do not reflect such supply and demand and it is unable to replace such contracts with Oil Futures Contracts that do reflect such supply and demand. In addition, there are also technical differences between the two markets, e.g., one is a physical market while the other is a futures market traded on exchanges, that may cause variations between the spot price of crude oil and the prices of related futures contracts.

USOF plans to sell and buy only as many Oil Futures Contracts and Other Oil Interests that it can to get the changes in percentage terms of the NAV as close as possible to the changes in percentage terms in the price of the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract. The remainder of its assets will be invested in Treasuries, cash and/or cash equivalents and will be used to satisfy initial margin and additional margin requirements, if any, and to otherwise support its investments in oil interests. Investments in Treasuries, cash and/or cash equivalents, both directly and as margin, will provide rates of return that will vary from changes in the value of the spot price of light, sweet crude oil and the price of the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract.

In addition, because USOF incurs certain expenses in connection with its investment activities, and holds most of its assets in more liquid short-term securities for margin and other liquidity purposes and for redemptions that may be necessary on an ongoing basis, the General Partner is generally not able to fully invest USOF’s assets in Oil Futures Contracts or Other Oil Interests and there cannot be perfect correlation between changes in USOF’s NAV and changes in the price of the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract.

As USOF grows, there may be more or less correlation. For example, if USOF only has enough money to buy three Benchmark Oil Futures Contracts and it needs to buy four contracts to track the price of oil then the correlation will be lower, but if it buys 20,000 Benchmark Oil Futures Contracts and it needs to buy 20,001 contracts then the correlation will be higher. At certain asset levels, USOF may be limited in its ability to purchase the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract or other Oil Futures Contracts due to accountability levels imposed by the relevant exchanges. To the extent that USOF invests in these other Oil Futures Contracts or Other Oil Interests, the correlation with the Benchmark Oil Futures Contracts may be lower. If USOF is required to invest in other Oil Futures Contracts and Other Oil Interests that are less correlated with the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract, USOF would likely invest in over-the-counter contracts to increase the level of correlation of USOF’s assets. Over-the-counter contracts entail certain risks described below under “Over-the-Counter Contract Risk.”

USOF may not be able to buy the exact number of Oil Futures Contracts and Other Oil Interests to have a perfect correlation with the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract if the purchase price of Oil Futures Contracts required to be fully invested in such contracts is higher than the proceeds received for the sale of a Creation Basket on the day the basket was sold. In such case, USOF could not invest the entire proceeds from the purchase of the Creation Basket in such futures contracts (for example, assume USOF receives $4,679,000 for the sale of a Creation Basket and assume that the price of an Oil Futures Contract for light, sweet crude oil is $46,800, then USOF could only invest in 99 Oil Futures Contracts with an aggregate value of $4,633,200). USOF would be required to invest a percentage of the proceeds in cash, Treasuries or other liquid securities to be deposited as margin with the futures commission merchant through which the contract was purchased. The remainder of the purchase price for the Creation Basket would remain invested in Treasuries, cash and/or cash equivalents or other liquid securities as determined by the General Partner from time to time based on factors such as potential calls for margin or anticipated redemptions. If the trading market for Oil Futures Contracts is suspended or closed, USOF may not be able to purchase these investments at the last reported price for such investments.

If changes in USOF’s NAV do not correlate with changes in the price of the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract, then investing in USOF may not be an effective way to hedge against oil-related losses or indirectly invest in oil.

The Benchmark Oil Futures Contract may not correlate with the spot price of light, sweet crude oil and this could cause changes in the price of the units to substantially vary from the changes in the spot price of light, sweet crude oil. If this were to occur, then investors may not be able to effectively use USOF as a way to hedge against crude oil-related losses or as a way to indirectly invest in crude oil.

When using the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract as a strategy to track the spot price of light, sweet crude oil, at best the correlation between changes in prices of such oil interests and the spot price of crude oil can be only approximate. The degree of imperfection of correlation depends upon circumstances such as variations in the speculative oil market, supply of and demand for such oil interests and technical influences in oil futures trading. If there is a weak correlation between the oil interests and the spot price of light, sweet crude oil, then the price of units may not accurately track the spot price of light, sweet crude oil and investors may not be able to effectively use USOF as a way to hedge the risk of losses in their oil-related transactions or as a way to indirectly invest in crude oil.

USOF may experience a loss if it is required to sell Treasuries at a price lower than the price at which they were acquired.

The value of Treasuries generally moves inversely with movements in interest rates. If USOF is required to sell Treasuries at a price lower than the price at which they were acquired, USOF will experience a loss. This loss may adversely impact the price of the units and may decrease the correlation between the price of the units, the price of the Benchmark Oil Futures Contracts and Other Oil Interests, and the spot price of light, sweet crude oil.

Certain of USOF’s investments could be illiquid which could cause large losses to investors at any time or from time to time.

USOF may not always be able to liquidate its positions in its investments at the desired price. It is difficult to execute a trade at a specific price when there is a relatively small volume of buy and sell orders in a market. A market disruption, such as a foreign government taking political actions that disrupt the market in its currency, its crude oil production or exports, or in another major export, can also make it difficult to liquidate a position. Alternatively, limits imposed by futures exchanges or other regulatory organizations, such as accountability levels, position limits and daily price fluctuation limits, may contribute to a lack of liquidity with respect to some commodity interests.

Unexpected market illiquidity may cause major losses to investors at any time or from time to time. In addition, USOF has not and does not intend at this time to establish a credit facility, which would provide an additional source of liquidity and instead will rely only on the Treasuries, cash and/or cash equivalents that it holds. The anticipated large value of the positions in Oil Futures Contracts that the General Partner will acquire or enter into for USOF increases the risk of illiquidity. The Other Oil Interests that USOF invests in, such as negotiated over-the-counter contracts, may have a greater likelihood of being illiquid since they are contracts between two parties that take into account not only market risk, but also the relative credit, tax, and settlement risks under such contracts. Such contracts also have limited transferability that results from such risks and the contract’s express limitations.

Because both Oil Futures Contracts and Other Oil Interests may be illiquid, USOF’s oil interests may be more difficult to liquidate at favorable prices in periods of illiquid markets and losses may be incurred during the period in which positions are being liquidated.

If the nature of hedgers and speculators in futures markets has shifted such that crude oil purchasers are the predominant hedgers in the market, USOF might have to reinvest at higher futures prices or choose Other Oil Interests.

The changing nature of the hedgers and speculators in the crude oil market influences whether futures prices are above or below the expected future spot price. In order to induce speculators to take the corresponding long side of the same futures contract, crude oil producers must generally be willing to sell futures contracts at prices that are below expected future spot prices. Conversely, if the predominant hedgers in the futures market are the purchasers of the crude oil who purchase futures contracts to hedge against a rise in prices, then speculators will only take the short side of the futures contract if the futures price is greater than the expected future spot price of crude oil. This can have significant implications for USOF when it is time to reinvest the proceeds from a maturing Oil Futures Contract into a new Oil Futures Contract.

While USOF does not intend to take physical delivery of oil under its Oil Futures Contracts, physical delivery under such contracts impacts the value of the contracts.

While it is not the current intention of USOF to take physical delivery of crude oil under its Oil Futures Contracts, futures contracts are not required to be cash-settled and it is possible to take delivery under some of these contracts. Storage costs associated with purchasing crude oil could result in costs and other liabilities that could impact the value of Oil Futures Contracts or Other Oil Interests. Storage costs include the time value of money invested in crude oil as a physical commodity plus the actual costs of storing the crude oil less any benefits from ownership of crude oil that are not obtained by the holder of a futures contract. In general, Oil Futures Contracts have a one-month delay for contract delivery and the back month (the back month is any future delivery month other than the spot month) includes storage costs. To the extent that these storage costs change for crude oil while USOF holds Oil Futures Contracts or Other Oil Interests, the value of the Oil Futures Contracts or Other Oil Interests, and therefore USOF’s NAV, may change as well.

The price relationship between the near month contract and the next month contract that compose the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract will vary and may impact both the total return over time of USOF’s NAV, as well as the degree to which its total return tracks other crude oil price indices’ total returns.

The design of USOF’s Benchmark Oil Futures Contract is such that every month it begins by using the near month contract to expire until the near month contract is within two weeks of expiration, when, over a four day period, it transitions to the next month contract to expire as its benchmark contract and keeps that contract as its benchmark until it becomes the near month contract and close to expiration. In the event of a crude oil futures market where near month contracts trade at a higher price than next month to expire contracts, a situation described as “backwardation” in the futures market, then absent the impact of the overall movement in crude oil prices the value of the benchmark contract would tend to rise as it approaches expiration. As a result, the total return of the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract would tend to track higher. Conversely, in the event of a crude oil futures market where near month contracts trade at a lower price than next month contracts, a situation described as “contango” in the futures market, then absent the impact of the overall movement in crude oil prices the value of the benchmark contract would tend to decline as it approaches expiration. As a result the total return of the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract would tend to track lower. When compared to total return of other price indices, such as the spot price of crude oil, the impact of backwardation and contango may lead the total return of USOF’s NAV to vary significantly. In the event of a prolonged period of contango, and absent the impact of rising or falling oil prices, this could have a significant negative impact on USOF’s NAV and total return.

Regulation of the commodity interests and energy markets is extensive and constantly changing; future regulatory developments are impossible to predict but may significantly and adversely affect USOF.

The futures markets are subject to comprehensive statutes, regulations, and margin requirements. In addition, the CFTC and the exchanges are authorized to take extraordinary actions in the event of a market emergency, including, for example, the retroactive implementation of speculative position limits or higher margin requirements, the establishment of daily price limits and the suspension of trading. The regulation of futures transactions in the United States is a rapidly changing area of law and is subject to modification by government and judicial action.

The regulation of commodity interest transactions in the United States is a rapidly changing area of law and is subject to ongoing modification by governmental and judicial action. Considerable regulatory attention has been focused on non-traditional investment pools which are publicly distributed in the United States. There is a possibility of future regulatory changes altering, perhaps to a material extent, the nature of an investment in USOF or the ability of USOF to continue to implement its investment strategy. In addition, various national governments have expressed concern regarding the disruptive effects of speculative trading in the energy markets and the need to regulate the derivatives markets in general. The effect of any future regulatory change on USOF is impossible to predict, but could be substantial and adverse.

In the wake of the economic crisis of 2008 and 2009, the Administration, federal regulators and Congress are revisiting the regulation of the financial sector, including securities and commodities markets. These efforts are likely to result in significant changes in the regulation of these markets.

Currently, a number of proposals that would alter the regulation of Oil Interests are being considered by federal regulators and Congress. These proposals include the imposition of fixed position limits on energy-based commodity futures contracts, extension of position and accountability limits to futures contracts on non-U.S. exchanges previously exempt from such limits, and the forced use of clearinghouse mechanisms for all over-the-counter transactions. Certain proposals would aggregate and limit all positions in energy futures held by a single entity, whether such positions exist on U.S. futures exchanges, non-U.S. futures exchanges, or in over-the-counter contracts. While it cannot be predicted at this time what reforms will eventually be made or how they will impact USOF, if any of the aforementioned proposals are implemented, USOF’s ability to meet its investment objective may be negatively impacted and investors could be adversely affected.

Additionally, on January 26, 2010, the CFTC published a proposed rule that, if implemented, would set fixed position limits on certain energy Futures Contracts including the NYMEX Light Sweet crude oil futures contract, NYMEX Henry Hub natural gas futures contract, NYMEX New York Harbor No. 2 heating oil futures contract, and NYMEX RBOB gasoline futures contract, along with any contract based upon these contracts. The proposed position limits would be set as a percentage of the open interest in these contracts for the spot month, any single month, and all months combined. Additionally, the proposed rule would aggregate positions in the enumerated contracts and those based upon such contracts, including contracts listed on separate exchanges. This proposal is currently undergoing a 90-day public comment period.

Investing in USOF for purposes of hedging may be subject to several risks including the possibility of losing the benefit of favorable market movement.

Participants in the crude oil or in other industries may use USOF as a vehicle to hedge the risk of losses in their crude oil-related transactions. There are several risks in connection with using USOF as a hedging device. While hedging can provide protection against an adverse movement in market prices, it can also preclude a hedger’s opportunity to benefit from a favorable market movement. In a hedging transaction, the hedger may be concerned that the hedged item will increase in price, but must recognize the risk that the price may instead decline and if this happens he will have lost his opportunity to profit from the change in price because the hedging transaction will result in a loss rather than a gain. Thus, the hedger foregoes the opportunity to profit from favorable price movements.

In addition, if the hedge is not a perfect one, the hedger can lose on the hedging transaction and not realize an offsetting gain in the value of the underlying item being hedged.

When using futures contracts as a hedging technique, at best, the correlation between changes in prices of futures contracts and of the items being hedged can be only approximate. The degree of imperfection of correlation depends upon circumstances such as: variations in speculative markets, demand for futures and for crude oil products, technical influences in futures trading, and differences between anticipated energy costs being hedged and the instruments underlying the standard futures contracts available for trading. Even a well-conceived hedge may be unsuccessful to some degree because of unexpected market behavior as well as the expenses associated with creating the hedge.

In addition, using an investment in USOF as a hedge for changes in energy costs (e.g., investing in crude oil, heating oil, gasoline, natural gas or other fuels, or electricity) may not correlate because changes in the spot price of crude oil may vary from changes in energy costs because the spot price may not be at the same rate as changes in the price of other energy products, and, in any case, the price of crude oil does not reflect the refining, transportation, and other costs that may impact the hedger’s energy costs.

An investment in USOF may provide little or no diversification benefits. Thus, in a declining market, USOF may have no gains to offset losses from other investments, and an investor may suffer losses on an investment in USOF while incurring losses with respect to other asset classes.

Historically, Oil Futures Contracts and Other Oil Interests have generally been non-correlated to the performance of other asset classes such as stocks and bonds. Non-correlation means that there is a low statistically valid relationship between the performance of futures and other commodity interest transactions, on the one hand, and stocks or bonds, on the other hand. However, there can be no assurance that such non-correlation will continue during future periods. If, contrary to historic patterns, USOF’s performance were to move in the same general direction as the financial markets, investors will obtain little or no diversification benefits from an investment in the units. In such a case, USOF may have no gains to offset losses from other investments, and investors may suffer losses on their investment in USOF at the same time they incur losses with respect to other investments.

Variables such as drought, floods, weather, embargoes, tariffs and other political events may have a larger impact on crude oil prices and crude oil-linked instruments, including Oil Futures Contracts and Other Oil Interests, than on traditional securities. These additional variables may create additional investment risks that subject USOF’s investments to greater volatility than investments in traditional securities.

Non-correlation should not be confused with negative correlation, where the performance of two asset classes would be opposite of each other. There is no historic evidence that the spot price of crude oil and prices of other financial assets, such as stocks and bonds, are negatively correlated. In the absence of negative correlation, USOF cannot be expected to be automatically profitable during unfavorable periods for the stock market, or vice versa.

USOF’s Operating Risks

USOF is not a registered investment company so unitholders do not have the protections of the 1940 Act.

USOF is not an investment company subject to the 1940 Act. Accordingly, investors do not have the protections afforded by that statute which, for example, requires investment companies to have a majority of disinterested directors and regulates the relationship between the investment company and its investment manager.

The General Partner is leanly staffed and relies heavily on key personnel to manage trading activities.

In managing and directing the day-to-day activities and affairs of USOF, the General Partner relies heavily on Messrs. Howard Mah and John Hyland. If Messrs. Mah or Hyland were to leave or be unable to carry out their present responsibilities, it may have an adverse effect on the management of USOF. Furthermore, Messrs. Mah and Hyland are currently involved in the management of the Related Public Funds, and the General Partner has filed a registration statement for two other exchange traded security funds, USBO and USCI. Mr. Mah is also employed by Ameristock Corporation, a registered investment adviser that manages a public mutual fund. It is estimated that Mr. Mah will spend approximately 90% of his time on USOF and Related Public Fund matters. Mr. Hyland will spend approximately 85% of his time on USOF and Related Public Fund matters. To the extent that the General Partner establishes additional funds, even greater demands will be placed on Messrs. Gerber, Mah and Hyland, as well as the other officers of the General Partner and its Board of Directors.

Accountability levels, position limits, and daily price fluctuation limits set by the exchanges have the potential to cause a tracking error, which could cause the price of units to substantially vary from the price of the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract and prevent investors from being able to effectively use USOF as a way to hedge against crude oil-related losses or as a way to indirectly invest in crude oil.

U.S. designated contract markets such as the NYMEX have established accountability levels and position limits on the maximum net long or net short futures contracts in commodity interests that any person or group of persons under common trading control (other than as a hedge, which an investment by USOF is not) may hold, own or control. For example, the current accountability level for investments at any one time in the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract is 20,000. While this is not a fixed ceiling, it is a threshold above which the NYMEX may exercise greater scrutiny and control over an investor, including limiting an investor to holding no more than 20,000 Benchmark Oil Futures Contracts. With regard to position limits, the NYMEX limits an investor from holding more than 3,000 net futures in the last 3 days of trading in the near month contract to expire.

In addition to accountability levels and position limits, the NYMEX also sets daily price fluctuation limits on futures contracts. The daily price fluctuation limit establishes the maximum amount that the price of a futures contract may vary either up or down from the previous day’s settlement price. Once the daily price fluctuation limit has been reached in a particular futures contract, no trades may be made at a price beyond that limit.

For example, the NYMEX imposes a $10.00 per barrel ($10,000 per contract) price fluctuation limit for the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract. This limit is initially based off of the previous trading day’s settlement price. If any Benchmark Oil Futures Contract is traded, bid, or offered at the limit for five minutes, trading is halted for five minutes. When trading resumes it begins at the point where the limit was imposed and the limit is reset to be $10.00 per barrel in either direction of that point. If another halt were triggered, the market would continue to be expanded by $10.00 per barrel in either direction after each successive five-minute trading halt. There is no maximum price fluctuation limit during any one trading session.

U.S. futures exchanges, including the NYMEX, currently do not implement fixed position limits for Futures Contracts held outside of the last few days of trading in the near month contract to expire. However, on January 26, 2010, the CFTC published a proposed rule that, if implemented, would set fixed position limits on energy Futures Contracts, including the NYMEX Light Sweet crude oil futures contract, NYMEX Henry Hub natural gas futures contract, NYMEX New York Harbor No. 2 heating oil futures contract, and NYMEX RBOB gasoline futures contract, along with any contract based upon these contracts. The proposed position limits would be set as a percentage of the open interest in these contracts for the spot month, any single month, and all months combined. Additionally, the proposed rule would aggregate positions in the enumerated contracts and those based upon such contracts, including contracts listed on separate exchanges. This proposal is currently undergoing a 90-day public comment period.

All of these limits may potentially cause a tracking error between the price of the units and the price of the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract. This may in turn prevent investors from being able to effectively use USOF as a way to hedge against crude oil-related losses or as a way to indirectly invest in crude oil.

USOF has not limited the size of its offering and is committed to utilizing substantially all of its proceeds to purchase Oil Futures Contracts and Other Oil Interests. If USOF encounters accountability levels, position limits, or price fluctuation limits for Oil Futures Contracts on the NYMEX, it may then, if permitted under applicable regulatory requirements, purchase Oil Futures Contracts on the ICE Futures or other exchanges that trade listed crude oil futures. The Oil Futures Contracts available on the ICE Futures are comparable to the contracts on the NYMEX, but they may have different underlying commodities, sizes, deliveries, and prices. In addition, certain of the Oil Futures Contracts available on the ICE Futures are subject to accountability levels and position limits.

There are technical and fundamental risks inherent in the trading system the General Partner intends to employ.

The General Partner’s trading system is quantitative in nature and it is possible that the General Partner might make a mathematical error. In addition, it is also possible that a computer or software program may malfunction and cause an error in computation.

To the extent that the General Partner uses spreads and straddles as part of its trading strategy, there is the risk that the NAV may not closely track the changes in the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract.

Spreads combine simultaneous long and short positions in related futures contracts that differ by commodity (e.g., long crude oil and short gasoline), by market (e.g., long WTI crude futures, short Brent crude futures), or by delivery month (e.g., long December, short November). Spreads gain or lose value as a result of relative changes in price between the long and short positions. Spreads often reduce risk to investors, because the contracts tend to move up or down together. However, both legs of the spread could move against an investor simultaneously, in which case the spread would lose value. Certain types of spreads may face unlimited risk, e.g., because the price of a futures contract underlying a short position can increase by an unlimited amount and the investor would have to take delivery or offset at that price.

A commodity straddle takes both long and short option positions in the same commodity in the same market and delivery month simultaneously. The buyer of a straddle profits if either the long or the short leg of the straddle moves further than the combined cost of both options. The seller of a straddle profits if both the long and short positions do not trade beyond a range equal to the combined premium for selling both options.

If the General Partner were to utilize a spread or straddle position and the spread performed differently than expected, the results could impact USOF’s tracking error. This could affect USOF’s investment objective of having its NAV closely track the changes in the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract. Additionally, a loss on a spread position would negatively impact USOF’s absolute return.

USOF and the General Partner may have conflicts of interest, which may permit them to favor their own interests to the detriment of unitholders.

USOF and the General Partner may have inherent conflicts to the extent the General Partner attempts to maintain USOF’s asset size in order to preserve its fee income and this may not always be consistent with USOF’s objective of having the value of its units’ NAV track changes in the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract. The General Partner’s officers, directors and employees do not devote their time exclusively to USOF. These persons are directors, officers or employees of other entities that may compete with USOF for their services. They could have a conflict between their responsibilities to USOF and to those other entities.

In addition, the General Partner’s principals, officers, directors or employees may trade futures and related contracts for their own account. A conflict of interest may exist if their trades are in the same markets and at the same time as USOF trades using the clearing broker to be used by USOF. A potential conflict also may occur if the General Partner’s principals, officers, directors or employees trade their accounts more aggressively or take positions in their accounts which are opposite, or ahead of, the positions taken by USOF.

The General Partner has sole current authority to manage the investments and operations of USOF, and this may allow it to act in a way that furthers its own interests which may create a conflict with the best interests of investors. Limited partners have limited voting control, which will limit the ability to influence matters such as amendment of the LP Agreement, change in USOF’s basic investment policy, dissolution of this fund, or the sale or distribution of USOF’s assets.

The General Partner serves as the general partner to each of USOF and the Related Public Funds and will serve as the general partner for USBO and the sponsor for USCI, if such funds offer their securities to the public or begin operations. The General Partner may have a conflict to the extent that its trading decisions for USOF may be influenced by the effect they would have on the other funds it manages. These trading decisions may be influenced since the General Partner also serves as the general partner for all of the funds and is required to meet all of the funds’ investment objectives as well as USOF’s. If the General Partner believes that a trading decision it made on behalf of USOF might (i) impede its other funds from reaching their investment objectives, or (ii) improve the likelihood of meeting its other funds’ objectives, then the General Partner may choose to change its trading decision for USOF, which could either impede or improve the opportunity for USOF to meet its investment objective. In addition, the General Partner is required to indemnify the officers and directors of its other funds if the need for indemnification arises. This potential indemnification will cause the General Partner’s assets to decrease. If the General Partner’s other sources of income are not sufficient to compensate for the indemnification, then the General Partner may terminate and investors could lose their investment.

Unitholders may only vote on the removal of the General Partner and limited partners have only limited voting rights. Unitholders and limited partners will not participate in the management of USOF and do not control the General Partner so they will not have influence over basic matters that affect USOF.

Unitholders that have not applied to become limited partners have no voting rights, other than to remove the General Partner. Limited partners will have limited voting rights with respect to USOF’s affairs. Unitholders may remove the General Partner only if 66 2/3% of the unitholders elect to do so. Unitholders and limited partners will not be permitted to participate in the management or control of USOF or the conduct of its business. Unitholders and limited partners must therefore rely upon the duties and judgment of the General Partner to manage USOF’s affairs.

The General Partner may manage a large amount of assets and this could affect USOF’s ability to trade profitably.

Increases in assets under management may affect trading decisions. In general, the General Partner does not intend to limit the amount of assets of USOF that it may manage. The more assets the General Partner manages, the more difficult it may be for it to trade profitably because of the difficulty of trading larger positions without adversely affecting prices and performance and of managing risk associated with larger positions.

USOF could terminate at any time and cause the liquidation and potential loss of an investor’s investment and could upset the overall maturity and timing of an investor’s investment portfolio.

USOF may terminate at any time, regardless of whether USOF has incurred losses, subject to the terms of the LP Agreement. In particular, unforeseen circumstances, including the death, adjudication of incompetence, bankruptcy, dissolution, or removal of the General Partner could cause USOF to terminate unless a majority interest of the limited partners within 90 days of the event elects to continue the partnership and appoints a successor general partner, or the affirmative vote of a majority in interest of the limited partners subject to certain conditions. However, no level of losses will require the General Partner to terminate USOF. USOF’s termination would cause the liquidation and potential loss of an investor’s investment. Termination could also negatively affect the overall maturity and timing of an investor’s investment portfolio.

Limited partners may not have limited liability in certain circumstances, including potentially having liability for the return of wrongful distributions.

Under Delaware law, a limited partner might be held liable for USOF’s obligations as if it were a General Partner if the limited partner participates in the control of the partnership’s business and the persons who transact business with the partnership think the limited partner is the General Partner.

A limited partner will not be liable for assessments in addition to its initial capital investment in any of USOF’s capital securities representing units. However, a limited partner may be required to repay to USOF any amounts wrongfully returned or distributed to it under some circumstances. Under Delaware law, USOF may not make a distribution to limited partners if the distribution causes USOF’s liabilities (other than liabilities to partners on account of their partnership interests and nonrecourse liabilities) to exceed the fair value of USOF’s assets. Delaware law provides that a limited partner who receives such a distribution and knew at the time of the distribution that the distribution violated the law will be liable to the limited partnership for the amount of the distribution for three years from the date of the distribution.

With adequate notice, a limited partner may be required to withdraw from the partnership for any reason.

If the General Partner gives at least fifteen (15) days’ written notice to a limited partner, then the General Partner may for any reason, in its sole discretion, require any such limited partner to withdraw entirely from the partnership or to withdraw a portion of its partner capital account. The General Partner may require withdrawal even in situations where the limited partner has complied completely with the provisions of the LP Agreement.

USOF’s existing units are, and any units USOF issues in the future will be, subject to restrictions on transfer. Failure to satisfy these requirements will preclude a transferee from being able to have all the rights of a limited partner.

No transfer of any unit or interest therein may be made if such transfer would (a) violate the then applicable federal or state securities laws or rules and regulations of the SEC, any state securities commission, the CFTC or any other governmental authority with jurisdiction over such transfer, or (b) cause USOF to be taxable as a corporation or affect USOF’s existence or qualification as a limited partnership. In addition, investors may only become limited partners if they transfer their units to purchasers that meet certain conditions outlined in the LP Agreement, which provides that each record holder or limited partner or unitholder applying to become a limited partner (each a record holder) may be required by the General Partner to furnish certain information, including that holder’s nationality, citizenship or other related status. A transferee who is not a U.S. resident may not be eligible to become a record holder or a limited partner if its ownership would subject USOF to the risk of cancellation or forfeiture of any of its assets under any federal, state or local law or regulation. All purchasers of USOF’s units, who wish to become limited partners or record holders, and receive cash distributions, if any, or have certain other rights, must deliver an executed transfer application in which the purchaser or transferee must certify that, among other things, he, she or it agrees to be bound by USOF’s LP Agreement and is eligible to purchase USOF’s securities. Any transfer of units will not be recorded by the transfer agent or recognized by USOF unless a completed transfer application is delivered to the General Partner or the Administrator. A person purchasing USOF’s existing units, who does not execute a transfer application and certify that the purchaser is eligible to purchase those securities acquires no rights in those securities other than the right to resell those securities. Whether or not a transfer application is received or the consent of the General Partner obtained, USOF’s units will be securities and will be transferable according to the laws governing transfers of securities. See “Transfer of Units.”

USOF does not expect to make cash distributions.

The General Partner has not previously made any cash distributions and intends to re-invest any realized gains in additional oil interests rather than distributing cash to limited partners. Therefore, unlike mutual funds, commodity pools or other investment pools that actively manage their investments in an attempt to realize income and gains from their investing activities and distribute such income and gains to their investors, USOF generally does not expect to distribute cash to limited partners. An investor should not invest in USOF if it will need cash distributions from USOF to pay taxes on its share of income and gains of USOF, if any, or for any other reason. Although USOF does not intend to make cash distributions, the income earned from its investments held directly or posted as margin may reach levels that merit distribution, e.g., at levels where such income is not necessary to support its underlying investments in oil interests and investors adversely react to being taxed on such income without receiving distributions that could be used to pay such tax. If this income becomes significant then cash distributions may be made.

There is a risk that USOF will not earn trading gains sufficient to compensate for the fees and expenses that it must pay and as such USOF may not earn any profit.

USOF pays brokerage charges of approximately 0.15% based on futures commission merchant fees of $3.50 per buy or sell, management fees of 0.45% of NAV on its average net assets, and over-the-counter spreads and extraordinary expenses (e.g., subsequent offering expenses, other expenses not in the ordinary course of business, including the indemnification of any person against liabilities and obligations to the extent permitted by law and required under the LP Agreement and under agreements entered into by the General Partner on USOF’s behalf and the bringing and defending of actions at law or in equity and otherwise engaging in the conduct of litigation and the incurring of legal expenses and the settlement of claims and litigation) that can not be quantified. These fees and expenses must be paid in all cases regardless of whether USOF’s activities are profitable. Accordingly, USOF must earn trading gains sufficient to compensate for these fees and expenses before it can earn any profit.

If offerings of the units do not raise sufficient funds to pay USOF’s future expenses and no other source of funding of expenses is found, USOF may be forced to terminate and investors may lose all or part of their investment.

Prior to the offering of units that commenced on April 10, 2006, all of USOF’s expenses were funded by the General Partner and its affiliates. These payments by the General Partner and its affiliates were designed to allow USOF the ability to commence the public offering of its units. USOF now directly pays certain of these fees and expenses. The General Partner will continue to pay other fees and expenses, as set forth in the LP Agreement. If the General Partner and USOF are unable to raise sufficient funds to cover their expenses or locate any other source of funding, USOF may be forced to terminate and investors may lose all or part of their investment.

USOF may incur higher fees and expenses upon renewing existing or entering into new contractual relationships.

The clearing arrangements between the clearing brokers and USOF generally are terminable by the clearing brokers once the clearing broker has given USOF notice. Upon termination, the General Partner may be required to renegotiate or make other arrangements for obtaining similar services if USOF intends to continue trading in Oil Futures Contracts or Other Oil Interest contracts at its present level of capacity. The services of any clearing broker may not be available, or even if available, these services may not be available on the terms as favorable as those of the expired or terminated clearing arrangements.

USOF may miss certain trading opportunities because it will not receive the benefit of the expertise of independent trading advisors.

The General Partner does not employ trading advisors for USOF; however, it reserves the right to employ them in the future. The only advisor to USOF is the General Partner. A lack of independent trading advisors may be disadvantageous to USOF because it will not receive the benefit of a trading advisor’s expertise.

An unanticipated number of redemption requests during a short period of time could have an adverse effect on the NAV of USOF.

If a substantial number of requests for redemption of Redemption Baskets are received by USOF during a relatively short period of time, USOF may not be able to satisfy the requests from USOF’s assets not committed to trading. As a consequence, it could be necessary to liquidate positions in USOF’s trading positions before the time that the trading strategies would otherwise dictate liquidation.

The financial markets are currently in a period of disruption and USOF does not expect these conditions to improve in the near future.

Currently and throughout 2008 and 2009, the financial markets have experienced very difficult conditions and volatility as well as significant adverse trends. The conditions in these markets have resulted in a decrease in availability of corporate credit and liquidity and have led indirectly to the insolvency, closure or acquisition of a number of major financial institutions and have contributed to further consolidation within the financial services industry. A continued recession or a depression could adversely affect the financial condition and results of operations of USOF’s service providers and Authorized Purchasers which would impact the ability of the General Partner to achieve USOF’s investment objective.

The failure or bankruptcy of a clearing broker could result in a substantial loss of USOF’s assets; the clearing broker could be subject to proceedings that impair its ability to execute USOF’s trades