Whiting USA Trust II is a statutory perpetual trust formed by Whiting Petroleum Corporation to hold overriding royalty interests in certain oil and gas properties in the Williston Basin. The trust owns a fixed 2.5% overriding royalty interest in production from approximately 267,000 gross acres in the Bakken and Three Forks formations of North Dakota and eastern Montana. Rather than engaging in exploration or drilling activities itself, the trust’s primary function is to collect and distribute cash proceeds generated by oil and natural gas production on the underlying properties.
Production from the trust’s acreage is operated by Whiting Petroleum and other third-party companies under long-term leases and joint-venture agreements. As wells are brought online and existing wells continue to produce hydrocarbons, revenue is aggregated by the trust and paid out to unit holders on a quarterly basis. This structure offers investors exposure to Bakken-region oil and gas output without the direct operational risks or capital requirements associated with exploration and development activities.
Established in December 2013 alongside its sister entity Whiting USA Trust I, Whiting USA Trust II has a defined portfolio of legacy assets that benefit from the technical expertise and infrastructure investments carried out by its operators over the past decade. The trust is administered by an independent trustee under the terms of its trust agreement, which governs all aspects of royalty collection, distribution procedures and reporting obligations. Although the trust does not employ its own executive management team, it relies on the corporate oversight, operational know-how and marketing channels of Whiting Petroleum and other contract operators to sustain production levels and optimize cash flows.
Serving as a vehicle for passive income from North Dakota’s unconventional oil and gas plays, Whiting USA Trust II provides a transparent revenue stream tied to established producing wells. Unit holders can track production updates and trust distributions through official filings and reports, while technical guidance and field operations remain the responsibility of experienced upstream operators in the region. This combination of stable asset backing, geographic focus and streamlined administration positions the trust as a distinct instrument for investors seeking exposure to Bakken production without direct equity ownership in an exploration and production company.
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