Item 1.01 Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement.
On August 19, 2025, Argent Trust Company, as trustee (“Trustee”) of Permian Basin Royalty Trust (the “Trust”), entered into a settlement agreement and release (the “Settlement Agreement”) in connection with its lawsuit against Blackbeard Operating, LLC (“Blackbeard”), the operator of the of properties in the Waddell Ranch, in Crane County, Texas, in which the Trust holds a 75% net overriding royalty. Pursuant to the lawsuit, the Trustee had sought to recover more than $9 million in damages it alleged resulted from Blackbeard’s failure to properly calculate and pay royalties due and owing to the Trust.
Pursuant to the Settlement Agreement, Blackbeard has agreed to pay the Trust $9,000,000, of which $4,500,000 will be paid to the Trust within 30 days, and the remainder of which will be paid in four equal installments of $1,125,000 quarterly during the 2026 calendar year.
Additionally, the Settlement Agreement established the overhead rate that may be charged to the Trust and permits Blackbeard to pass through third-party charges for salt water disposal and gathering and transportation, and charge technical labor on reservoir engineers using an agreed allocation methodology against the net overriding royalty. The parties also agreed that the Trust would not make future claims for lost volumes in the case of ordinary line loss (as defined by third party purchase agreements with purchasers). The Trust will have the option to conduct annual site audits, at its expense. The Settlement Agreement also set forth agreed reporting that Blackbeard will provide the Trustee going forward.
The foregoing description of the Settlement Agreement does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the Settlement Agreement, a copy of which is attached hereto as Exhibit 10.1 and incorporated herein by reference.
Item 8.01 Other Events.
On August 19, 2025, the Trust issued a press release announcing that the Trustee entered into the Settlement Agreement.
A copy of the press release is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1.
Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits.
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Exhibit No. |
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Description |
10.1 |
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Settlement Agreement and Release dated August 19, 2025, by and between Argent Trust Company, as Trustee of the Permian Basin Royalty Trust, and Blackbeard Operating, LLC |
99.1 |
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Press Release dated August 19, 2025 |