For Investors Only: Why One Analyst Would Avoid the 15% Whiting Trust I -- The Bakken, North Dakota, USA

Link here to SeekingAlpha.com:

The Whiting USA Trust 1 will cease operations when the net profit interest has reached 9.11 million barrels of oil equivalent (MMBOE) production and sold from the trust's underlying properties. The 9.11 MMBOE is equivalent to 8.20 MMBOE in respect to the Whiting USA Trust 1's right to receive 90% of the net proceeds.

I recommend avoiding this trust due to the short term potential prior to the trust's termination. As of December 31st, 2010, the trust has produced 3.90 MMBOE of the 8.20 MMBOE maximum.

I was unaware how much more the trust is yet to produce; the trend for the price of oil is ... yup, up.

It's hard to tell, and it's only a snapshot anyway, but it appears the trust is yielding a bit more than 16 percent with interesting and unique tax consequences way beyond my understanding.