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Critical Accounting Policies
6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2013
Critical Accounting Policies

6.    Critical Accounting Policies:

Use of Estimates. The preparation of financial statements and accompanying notes in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, income and expenses, and related disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities in the financial statements and accompanying notes. As a result, actual results could differ from these estimates.

Partnership’s Investments. The Partnership values its investment in the Master at its net asset value per unit as calculated by the Master. The Master values its investments as described in Note 2 of the Master’s notes to the annual financial statements as of December 31, 2012.

Partnership’s and the Master’s Fair Value Measurements. Fair value is defined as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date under current market conditions. The fair value hierarchy gives the highest priority to unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities (Level 1) and the lowest priority to fair values derived from unobservable inputs (Level 3). The level in the fair value hierarchy within which the fair value measurement falls in its entirety shall be determined based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement in its entirety. Management has concluded that based on available information in the marketplace, the Master’s Level 1 assets and liabilities are actively traded.

GAAP also requires the use of judgment in determining if a formerly active market has become inactive and in determining fair values when the market has become inactive. Management has concluded that based on available information in the marketplace, there has not been a significant decrease in the volume and level of activity in the Partnership’s Level 2 assets and liabilities.

The Partnership and the Master will separately present purchases, sales, issuances and settlements in its reconciliation of Level 3 fair value measurements (i.e., to present such items on a gross basis rather than on a net basis), and make disclosures regarding the level of disaggregation and the inputs and valuation techniques used to measure fair value for measurements that fall within either Level 2 or Level 3 of the fair value hierarchy as required under GAAP.

The Partnership values its investment in the Master where there are no other rights or obligations inherent within the ownership interest held by the Partnership based on the end of the day net asset value of the Master (Level 2). The value of the Partnership’s investment in the Master reflects its proportional interest in the Master. As of and for the periods ended June 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012, the Partnership did not hold any derivative instruments that were based on unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets (Level 1) or priced at fair value using unobservable inputs through the application of management’s assumptions and internal valuation pricing models (Level 3). During the six months ended June 30, 2013 and for the year ended December 31, 2012, there were no transfers of assets and liabilities between Level 1 and Level 2.

The Master considers prices for exchange-traded commodity futures and options contracts to be based on unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets and liabilities (Level 1). The values of non–exchange-traded swaps and certain options contracts for which market quotations are not readily available are priced by broker-dealers who derive fair values for those assets and liabilities from observable inputs (Level 2). As of and for the periods ended June 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012, the Master did not hold any derivative instruments for which market quotations are not readily available, and are priced by broker-dealers who derive fair values for those assets and liabilities from observable inputs (Level 2) or that were priced at fair value using unobservable inputs through the application of management’s assumptions and internal valuation pricing models (Level 3). During the six months ended June 30, 2013 and for the year ended December 31, 2012, there were no transfers of assets and liabilities between Level 1 and Level 2.

Futures Contracts. The Master trades futures contracts and exchange-cleared swaps. Exchange-cleared swaps are swaps that are traded as futures. A futures contract is a firm commitment to buy or sell a specified quantity of investments, currency or a standardized amount of a deliverable grade commodity, at a specified price on a specified future date, unless the contract is closed before the delivery date or if the delivery quantity is something where physical delivery cannot occur (such as the S&P 500 Index), whereby such contract is settled in cash. Payments (“variation margin”) may be made or received by the Master each business day, depending on the daily fluctuations in the value of the underlying contracts, and are recorded as unrealized gains or losses by the Master. When the contract is closed, the Master records a realized gain or loss equal to the difference between the value of the contract at the time it was opened and the value at the time it was closed. Transactions in futures contracts require participants to make both initial margin deposits of cash or other assets and variation margin deposits, through the futures broker, directly with the exchange on which the contracts are traded. Net realized gains (losses) and changes in net unrealized gains (losses) on futures contracts are included in the Statements of Income and Expenses and Changes in Members’ Capital.

 

Options. The Master may purchase and write (sell), both exchange-listed and OTC options on commodities or financial instruments. An option is a contract allowing, but not requiring, its holder to buy (call) or sell (put) a specific or standard commodity or financial instrument at a specified price during a specified time period. The option premium is the total price paid or received for the option contract. When the Master writes an option, the premium received is recorded as a liability in the Statements of Financial Condition and marked to market daily. When the Master purchases an option, the premium paid is recorded as an asset in the Statements of Financial Condition and marked to market daily. Net realized gains (losses) and changes in net unrealized gains (losses) on option contracts are included in the Statements of Income and Expenses and Changes in Members’ Capital.

Brokerage Commissions. Commission charges to open and close futures and exchange-traded swap contracts are expensed at the time the positions are opened. Commission charges on option contracts are expensed at the time the positions are established and when the option contracts are closed.

Income Taxes. Income taxes have not been provided as each partner is individually liable for the taxes, if any, on its share of the Partnership’s income and expenses.

GAAP provides guidance for how uncertain tax positions should be recognized, measured, presented and disclosed in the financial statements and requires the evaluation of tax positions taken or expected to be taken in the course of preparing the Partnership’s financial statements to determine whether the tax positions are “more-likely-than-not” to be sustained by the applicable tax authority. Tax positions with respect to tax at the Partnership level not deemed to meet the “more-likely-than-not” threshold would be recorded as a tax benefit or expense in the current year. The General Partner concluded that no provision for income tax is required in the Partnership’s financial statements.

The Partnership files U.S. federal and various state and local tax returns. No income tax returns are currently under examination. The 2009 through 2012 tax years remain subject to examination by U.S. federal and most state tax authorities. The General Partner does not believe that there are any uncertain tax positions that require recognition of a tax liability.

Subsequent Events. The General Partner evaluates events that occur after the balance sheet date but before financial statements are issued. The General Partner has assessed the subsequent events through the date of issuance and has determined that, other than that described in Note 3 to the financial statements, there were no subsequent events requiring adjustment of or disclosure in the financial statements.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements. In June 2013, the FASB issued ASU 2013-08, “Financial Services — Investments Companies (Topic 946): Amendments to the Scope, Measurement and Disclosure Requirements”. ASU 2013-08 changes the approach to the investment company assessment, requires non-controlling ownership interests in other investment companies to be measured at fair value, and requires additional disclosures about the investment company’s status as an investment company. The amendments are effective for interim and annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2013. The Partnership is currently evaluating the impact this pronouncement would have on the financial statements.

Net Income (Loss) per unit. Net income (loss) per unit is calculated in accordance with investment company guidance. See Note 2, “Financial Highlights.”