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Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2012
Basis Of Presentation

(a) Basis of Presentation

The financial statements of the Fund have been prepared using U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.

Use Of Estimates

(b) Use of Estimates

The preparation of the financial statements in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, revenues and expenses and related disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities during the reporting period of the financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Financial Instruments And Fair Value

(c) Financial Instruments and Fair Value

United States Treasury Obligations and commodity futures contracts are recorded in the statements of financial condition on a trade date basis at fair value with changes in fair value recognized in earnings in each period. The fair value of a financial instrument is the amount 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 (the exit price).

Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) fair value measurement and disclosure guidance requires a fair value hierarchy that prioritizes the inputs to valuation techniques used to measure fair value. The hierarchy gives the highest priority to unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets and liabilities (Level 1 measurements) and the lowest priority to unobservable inputs (Level 3 measurements). The three levels of the fair value hierarchy are described below:

Basis of Fair Value Measurement

Level 1: Unadjusted quoted prices in active markets that are accessible at the measurement date for identical, unrestricted assets or liabilities;

Level 2: Quoted prices in markets that are not active or financial instruments for which all significant inputs are observable, either directly or indirectly;

Level 3: Prices or valuations that require inputs that are both significant to the fair value measurement and unobservable.

A financial instrument’s level within the fair value hierarchy is based on the lowest level of any input that is significant to the fair value measurement.

In determining fair value of United States Treasury Obligations and commodity futures contracts, the Fund uses unadjusted quoted market prices in active markets. United States Treasury Obligations and commodity futures contracts are classified within Level 1 of the fair value hierarchy. The Fund does not adjust the quoted prices for United States Treasury Obligations and commodity futures contracts.

In May 2011, the FASB issued ASU No. 2011-04, Amendments to Achieve Common Fair Value Measurement and Disclosure Requirements in U.S. GAAP and IFRSs. ASU No. 2011-04 requires additional disclosures regarding fair value measurements. Effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2011 and for interim periods within those fiscal years, entities will need to disclose the following:

 

  1) The amounts of any transfers between Level 1 and Level 2 and the reasons for those transfers, and

 

  2) For Level 3 fair value measurements, quantitative information about the significant unobservable inputs used, a description of the entity’s valuation processes, and a narrative description of the sensitivity of the fair value measurement to changes in the unobservable inputs and the interrelationship between inputs.

There were no Level 2 or Level 3 holdings as of September 30, 2012 and December 31, 2011.

Deposits With Broker

(d) Deposits with Broker

The Fund deposits cash and United States Treasury Obligations with its Commodity Broker subject to CFTC regulations and various exchange and broker requirements. The combination of the Fund’s deposits with its Commodity Broker of cash and United States Treasury Obligations and the unrealized profit or loss on open futures contracts (variation margin) represents the Fund’s overall equity in its broker trading account. To meet the Fund’s initial margin requirements, the Fund holds United States Treasury Obligations. The Fund uses its cash held by the Commodity Broker to satisfy variation margin requirements. The Fund earns interest on its cash deposited with the Commodity Broker.

United States Treasury Obligations

(e) United States Treasury Obligations

The Fund records purchases and sales of United States Treasury Obligations on a trade date basis. These holdings are marked to market based on quoted market closing prices. The Fund holds United States Treasury Obligations for deposit with the Fund’s Commodity Broker to meet margin requirements and for trading purposes. Interest income is recognized on an accrual basis when earned. Premiums and discounts are amortized or accreted over the life of the United States Treasury Obligations. Included in the United States Treasury Obligations as of September 30, 2012 and December 31, 2011 were holdings of $118,417,674 and $148,081,288, respectively, which were restricted and held against initial margin of the open futures contracts. As of September 30, 2012, the Fund did not have an amount receivable for securities sold. As of December 31, 2011, the Fund sold $12,000,000 notional amount of United States Treasury Obligations which was unpaid. As a result, a receivable for securities sold is reported for $11,999,926.

Cash Held By Broker

(f) Cash Held by Broker

The Fund’s arrangement with the Commodity Broker requires the Fund to meet its variation margin requirement related to the price movements, both positive and negative, on futures contracts held by the Fund by keeping cash on deposit with the Commodity Broker. The Fund defines cash and cash equivalents to be highly liquid investments, with original maturities of three months or less when purchased. As of September 30, 2012, the Fund had cash held by the Commodity Broker of $114,201,676. As of December 31, 2011 the Fund had cash held by the Commodity Broker of $210,907,413, of which $135,420,844 was on deposit to satisfy the Fund’s negative variation margin on open futures contracts. There were no cash equivalents held by the Fund as of September 30, 2012 and December 31, 2011.

Income Taxes

(g) Income Taxes

The Fund is classified as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Accordingly, the Fund will not incur U.S. federal income taxes. No provision for federal, state, and local income taxes has been made in the accompanying financial statements, as investors are individually liable for income taxes, if any, on their allocable share of the Fund’s income, gain, loss, deductions and other items.

The major tax jurisdiction for the Fund and the earliest tax year subject to examination: United States 2009.

Futures Contracts

(h) Futures Contracts

All commodity futures contracts are held and used for trading purposes. The commodity futures are recorded on a trade date basis and open contracts are recorded in the statement of financial condition at fair value on the last business day of the period, which represents market value for those commodity futures for which market quotes are readily available. However, when market closing prices are not available, the Managing Owner may value an asset of the Fund pursuant to policies the Managing Owner has adopted, which are consistent with normal industry standards. Realized gains (losses) and changes in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on open positions are determined on a specific identification basis and recognized in the statement of income and expenses in the period in which the contract is closed or the changes occur, respectively. As of September 30, 2012 and December 31, 2011, the futures contracts held by the Fund were in a net unrealized appreciation position of $175,469,983 and a net unrealized depreciation position of $135,420,844, respectively.

Management Fee

(i) Management Fee

The Fund pays the Managing Owner a management fee (the “Management Fee”), monthly in arrears, in an amount equal to 0.85% per annum of the daily net asset value of the Fund. The Management Fee is paid in consideration of the Managing Owner’s commodity futures trading advisory services.

Brokerage Commissions And Fees

(j) Brokerage Commissions and Fees

The Fund incurs all brokerage commissions, including applicable exchange fees, National Futures Association (“NFA”) fees, give-up fees, pit brokerage fees and other transaction related fees and expenses charged in connection with trading activities by the Commodity Broker. These costs are recorded as brokerage commissions and fees in the statement of income and expenses as incurred. The Commodity Broker’s brokerage commissions and trading fees are determined on a contract-by-contract basis. On average, total charges paid to the Commodity Broker were less than $10.00 per round-turn trade for the Three Months Ended September 30, 2012 and 2011 and the Nine Months Ended September 30, 2012 and 2011.

Routine Operational, Administrative And Other Ordinary Expenses

(k) Routine Operational, Administrative and Other Ordinary Expenses

The Managing Owner assumes all routine operational, administrative and other ordinary expenses of the Fund, including, but not limited to, computer services, the fees and expenses of the Trustee, legal and accounting fees and expenses, tax preparation expenses, filing fees and printing, mailing and duplication costs. Accordingly, all such expenses are not reflected in the statement of income and expenses of the Fund.

Organizational And Offering Costs

(l) Organizational and Offering Costs

All organizational and offering expenses of the Fund are incurred and assumed by the Managing Owner. The Fund is not responsible to the Managing Owner for the reimbursement of organizational and offering costs. Expenses incurred in connection with the continuous offering of Shares also will be paid by the Managing Owner.

Non-Recurring And Unusual Fees And Expenses

(m) Non-Recurring and Unusual Fees and Expenses

The Fund pays all fees and expenses which are non-recurring and unusual in nature. Such expenses include legal claims and liabilities, litigation costs or indemnification or other unanticipated expenses. Such fees and expenses, by their nature, are unpredictable in terms of timing and amount. For the Three Months Ended September 30, 2012 and 2011 and the Nine Months Ended September 30, 2012 and 2011, the Fund did not incur such expenses.