Table of Contents

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

Form 10-K

(Mark One)

x      ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015

OR

o         TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the transition period from            to            

Commission File Number: 001-35274

SANDRIDGE PERMIAN TRUST

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

(512) 236-6531

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:

None

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.  Yes o  No x

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act.  Yes o  No x

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.  Yes x  No o

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate website, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files).  Yes o  No o

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K.  x

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).  Yes o  No x

The aggregate market value of Common Units of Beneficial Interest of the Trust held by non-affiliates on June 30, 2015 (the last business day of its most recently completed second quarter) was approximately $294.5 million based on the closing price as quoted on the New York Stock Exchange.  As of March 8, 2016, 52,500,000 Common Units of Beneficial Interest in SandRidge Permian Trust were outstanding.

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE: None

Table of Contents

SANDRIDGE PERMIAN TRUST

2015

ANNUAL REPORT ON FORM 10-K

TABLE OF CONTENTS

All references to “we,” “us,” “our,” or the “Trust” refer to SandRidge Permian Trust. References to “SandRidge” refer to SandRidge Energy, Inc., and where the context requires, its subsidiaries. The royalty interests conveyed by SandRidge from its interests in certain properties in the Permian Basin in Andrews County, Texas and held by the Trust are referred to as the “Royalty Interests.” This report includes terms commonly used in the oil and natural gas industry, which are defined in the Glossary of Oil and Natural Gas Terms beginning on page 20.

Table of Contents

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This Annual Report on Form 10-K includes “forward-looking statements” about the Trust, SandRidge and other matters discussed herein that are subject to risks and uncertainties within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, (the “Securities Act”), and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this document, including, without limitation, statements under “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in Item 7 and “Risk Factors” in Item 1A and elsewhere herein regarding the proved oil, natural gas and NGL reserves associated with the properties underlying the Royalty Interests, the Trust’s or SandRidge’s future financial position, business strategy, project costs and plans and objectives for future operations, information regarding costs and information regarding production and reserve growth, are forward-looking statements. Actual outcomes and results may differ materially from those projected. Forward-looking statements are generally accompanied by words such as “estimate,” “target,” “project,” “predict,” “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “potential,” “could,” “may,” “foresee,” “plan,” “goal,” “should,” “intend” or other words that convey the uncertainty of future events or outcomes. We have based these forward-looking statements on our current expectations and assumptions about future events. These statements are based on certain assumptions made by us in light of our experience and our perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments as well as other factors we believe are appropriate under the circumstances. The actual results or developments anticipated may not be realized or, even if substantially realized, they may not have the expected consequences to or effects on SandRidge’s business or the Trust’s results. Such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in such forward-looking statements. The Trust undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements. Whether actual results and developments will conform to expectations and predictions is subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including the risk factors discussed in Item 1A of this report.

Table of Contents

PART I

Item 1. Business

General

SandRidge Permian Trust is a statutory trust formed under the Delaware Statutory Trust Act pursuant to a trust agreement by and among SandRidge, as Trustor, The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A., as Trustee (the “Trustee”), and The Corporation Trust Company, as Delaware Trustee (the “Delaware Trustee”). The Trust’s affairs are administered by the Trustee, which maintains its offices at 919 Congress Avenue, Austin, Texas 78701. The Trust does not have any employees.

Copies of reports filed by the Trust under the Exchange Act are made available as soon as reasonably practicable after such materials are filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). Certain information concerning the Trust and Trust units as well as a link to the Trust’s filings with the SEC may be obtained at the following website location: www.businesswire.com/cnn/per.htm. Any materials filed with the SEC may be read and copied at the SEC’s Public Reference Room at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549 or accessed via the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. The Trust will also provide electronic or paper copies of its filings free of charge upon request to the Trustee.

Formation and Structure. The Trust holds Royalty Interests in specified oil and natural gas properties in the Permian Basin located in Andrews County, Texas (the “Underlying Properties”). The Royalty Interests were conveyed by SandRidge to the Trust concurrent with the initial public offering of the Trust’s common units in August 2011. As consideration for conveyance of the Royalty Interests, the Trust remitted the proceeds of the offering, along with 4,875,000 Trust common units and 13,125,000 Trust subordinated units, to certain wholly owned subsidiaries of SandRidge. At December 31, 2015 SandRidge owned 13,125,000 Trust subordinated units, or 25% of all Trust units.

The Royalty Interests entitle the Trust to receive 80% of the proceeds (after deducting post-production costs and any applicable taxes) from the sale of oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids (“NGL”) production attributable to SandRidge’s net revenue interest in 517 oil and natural gas wells developed as of April 1, 2011, including 21 wells awaiting completion at that time (the “Initial Wells”) and 70% of the proceeds (after deducting post-production costs and any applicable taxes) from the sale of oil, natural gas and NGL production attributable to SandRidge’s net revenue interest in 888 development wells drilled (the “Trust Development Wells”) within an area of mutual interest (“AMI”). Pursuant to a development agreement entered into between the Trust and SandRidge, SandRidge was obligated to drill, or cause to be drilled, the Trust Development Wells by March 31, 2016. SandRidge fulfilled this obligation in November 2014.

Under the terms of conveyances pursuant to which the Royalty Interests were granted to the Trust, SandRidge is obligated to act as a reasonably prudent operator under the same or similar circumstances as it would if it were acting with respect to its own properties, disregarding the existence of the Royalty Interests as burdens affecting such properties. The conveyances generally permit SandRidge to sell all or any part of its interest in the Underlying Properties, if the Underlying Properties are sold subject to and burdened by the Royalty Interests.

The Trust is passive in nature and neither the Trust nor the Trustee has any control over, or responsibility for, any operating or capital costs related to the Underlying Properties. The business and affairs of the Trust are administered by the Trustee. However, the Trustee has no authority over or responsibility for, and no involvement with, any aspect of the oil and natural gas operations or other activities on the Underlying Properties. The trust agreement generally limits the Trust’s business activities to owning the Royalty Interests and entering into derivative contracts on a limited basis and activities reasonably related thereto, including activities required or permitted by the terms of the conveyances related to the Royalty Interests.

The Trust will dissolve and begin to liquidate on March 31, 2031 (the “Termination Date”) and will soon thereafter wind up its affairs and terminate. At the Termination Date, 50% of the Royalty Interests will revert automatically to SandRidge. The remaining 50% of the Royalty Interests will be sold at that time, and the net proceeds of the sale, as well as any remaining Trust cash reserves, will be distributed to the unitholders on a pro rata basis. SandRidge has a right of first refusal to purchase the Royalty Interests retained by the Trust at the Termination Date. The Trust will not dissolve until the Termination Date unless any of the following occurs: (a) the Trust sells all of the Royalty Interests; (b) cash available for distribution for any four consecutive quarters, on a cumulative basis, is less than $5.0 million; (c) Trust unitholders approve an earlier dissolution of the Trust; or (d) the Trust is judicially dissolved. In the case of any of the foregoing, the Trustee would then sell all of the Trust’s assets, either by private sale or public auction, and distribute the net proceeds of the sale to the Trust unitholders after payment, or reasonable provision for payment, of all Trust liabilities.

The Trust is highly dependent on its Trustor, SandRidge, for multiple services, including the operation of the Trust development wells, remittance of net proceeds from the sale of associated production to the Trust, administrative services such as accounting, tax preparation, bookkeeping and informational services performed on behalf of the Trust. The ability to operate the

1

Table of Contents

properties depends on the Trustor’s future financial condition and economic performance, access to capital, and other factors, many of which are out of the control of the Trustor.  The Trustor has identified uncertainties that raise substantial doubt about its ability to continue as a going concern.  In the event of bankruptcy of our Trustor, other working interest owners in Trust wells may seek to replace the Trustor as operator of such wells, and this could result in reduced production of reserves and decreased distributions to Trust unitholders.  Currently, our Trustor has been de-listed from the New York Stock Exchange and is considering strategic alternatives.

Income Tax Considerations. The Trust is treated as a partnership for federal and applicable state income tax purposes. Trust unitholders are treated as partners in that partnership. For United States (“U.S.”) federal income tax purposes, a partnership is not a taxable entity and incurs no U.S. federal income tax liability. With respect to state taxation, a partnership is typically treated in the same manner as it is for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Each partner is required to take into account his or her share of items of income, gain, loss, deduction and credit of the partnership in computing his or her federal income tax liability, regardless of whether cash distributions are made to him or her by the partnership. Distributions by a partnership to a partner are generally not taxable to the partner (but instead reduce tax basis but not below zero) unless the amount of cash distributed to such partner is in excess of the partner’s adjusted tax basis in his or her partnership interest. The Trust’s activities result in the Trust having nexus in Texas and, therefore, make it subject to Texas franchise tax. The Trust is required to pay Texas franchise tax each year at a maximum effective rate (subject to changes in the statutory rate) of 0.525% of its gross income apportioned to Texas for 2015 and future years and  0.7% of its gross income apportioned to Texas for 2014  and  prior years.

Agreements with SandRidge

In conjunction with the conveyance of the Royalty Interests to the Trust, the Trust entered into the following agreements with SandRidge and/or one of its wholly owned subsidiaries.

Development Agreement. The Trust entered into a development agreement with SandRidge that obligated SandRidge to drill, or cause to be drilled, the Trust Development Wells by March 31, 2016. Additionally, SandRidge agreed not to drill and complete, or allow another person within its control to drill and complete, any other well in the AMI other than (a) Trust Development Wells, (b) up to five horizontal wells to test the results of horizontal drilling in the AMI and (c) wells that were spud and temporarily abandoned on or before March 31, 2011, until SandRidge fulfilled its drilling obligation, which it did in the fourth quarter of 2014. The Trust was not responsible for any costs related to the drilling of the Trust Development Wells and is not responsible for any other operating or capital costs associated with the wells. A wholly owned subsidiary of SandRidge granted to the Trust a lien (the “Drilling Support Lien”) covering its interest in the AMI (except its interest in the Initial Wells) in order to secure the estimated amount of the drilling costs for the Trust’s interests in the undeveloped Underlying Properties.  The Trust released the Drilling Support Lien during 2014 subsequent to SandRidge’s fulfillment of its drilling obligation.

Administrative Services Agreement. The Trust entered into an administrative services agreement with SandRidge, effective April 1, 2011, that obligates the Trust to pay SandRidge an annual administrative services fee for accounting, tax preparation, bookkeeping and informational services to be performed by SandRidge on behalf of the Trust. Additionally, the administrative services agreement designates SandRidge as the Trust’s hedge manager, pursuant to which SandRidge has authority to administer the derivative contracts underlying the derivatives agreement (described below), and, on behalf of the Trust, to administer the Trust’s derivative contracts with unaffiliated third parties. For its services under the administrative services agreement, SandRidge receives an annual fee of $300,000, which is payable in equal quarterly installments and will remain fixed for the life of the Trust. SandRidge is also entitled to receive reimbursement for its out-of-pocket fees, costs and expenses incurred in connection with the provision of any of the services under this agreement. The administrative services agreement will terminate on the earliest to occur of: (i) the date the Trust shall have dissolved and commenced winding up in accordance with the trust agreement, (ii) the date that all of the Royalty Interests have been terminated or are no longer held by the Trust, (iii) pertaining to services to be provided with respect to any Underlying Properties transferred by SandRidge, the date that either SandRidge or the Trustee may designate by delivering 90-days’ prior written notice, provided the transferee of such Underlying Properties assumes responsibility to perform the services in place of SandRidge and (iv) a date mutually agreed to by SandRidge and the Trustee.

Derivatives Agreement and Other Hedging Arrangements. The Trust entered into a derivatives agreement with SandRidge that provided the Trust with the economic effect of certain derivative contracts for production through March 31, 2015 that were entered into between SandRidge and a third party. Under the derivatives agreement, SandRidge paid the Trust amounts it received from its counterparty, and the Trust paid SandRidge any amounts that SandRidge was required to pay such counterparty. The Trust did not bear any costs related to the establishment of the underlying contracts and, except in limited circumstances involving the restructuring of an existing hedge or the novation of a hedge from SandRidge, does not have the ability to enter into its own derivative contracts. Substantially concurrent with the execution of the derivatives agreement, and also in 2012 and 2013, SandRidge novated certain of the derivative contracts underlying the derivatives agreement to the Trust. As a party to these contracts, the Trust received payment directly from the counterparty and paid any amounts owed directly to the counterparty. To secure its obligations under these novated

2

Table of Contents

contracts, the Trust entered into a collateral agency agreement and granted the counterparty a lien on the Royalty Interests. Under the collateral agency agreement, the Trust paid a $15,000 annual fee to the collateral agent through 2015. The Trust’s derivative contracts consisted of fixed price swaps, which terminated on March 31, 2015.

Registration Rights Agreement. The Trust entered into a registration rights agreement for the benefit of SandRidge and certain of its affiliates and transferees, pursuant to which the Trust agreed to register the offering of the Trust units held by SandRidge and certain of its affiliates and permitted transferees upon request by SandRidge. Specifically, the Trust agreed:

·to use its reasonable best efforts to file a registration statement, including, if so requested, a shelf registration statement, with the SEC as promptly as practicable following receipt of a notice requesting the filing of a registration statement from holders representing a majority of the then outstanding registrable Trust units;

·to use its reasonable best efforts to cause the registration statement or shelf registration statement to be declared effective under the Securities Act as promptly as practicable after the filing thereof; and

·to continuously maintain the effectiveness of the registration statement under the Securities Act for 90 days (or continuously if a shelf registration statement is requested) after the effectiveness thereof or until the Trust units covered by the registration statement have been sold pursuant to such registration statement or until all registrable Trust units:

·have been sold pursuant to Rule 144 under the Securities Act if the transferee thereof does not receive “restricted securities”;

·have been sold in a private transaction in which the transferor’s rights under the registration rights agreement are not assigned to the transferee of the Trust units; or

·become eligible for resale pursuant to Rule 144 (or any similar rule then in effect under the Securities Act).

The holders will have the right to require the Trust to file no more than five registration statements in aggregate, one of which has been filed to date. The Trust does not bear any expenses associated with such transactions.

Trust Agreement

The trust agreement provides that the Trust’s business activities are generally limited to owning the Royalty Interests and entering into hedging arrangements at the inception of the Trust and activities reasonably related thereto, including activities required or permitted by the terms of the conveyances related to the Royalty Interests.  As a result, the Trust is not permitted to acquire other oil and natural gas properties or royalty interests and is not able to issue any additional Trust units.

The beneficial interest in the Trust is divided into 52,500,000 Trust units.  Each Trust unit represents an equal undivided beneficial interest in the property of the Trust.

Amendment of the trust agreement generally requires the vote of holders of a majority of the Trust units and a majority of the common units (excluding common units owned by SandRidge and its affiliates) voting in person or by proxy at a meeting of such unitholders at which a quorum is present.  At any time that SandRidge and its affiliates collectively own less than 10% of the total Trust units outstanding, however, the standard for approval will be the vote of a majority of the Trust units, including units owned by SandRidge, voting in person or by proxy at a meeting of the unitholders at which a quorum is present.  Abstentions and broker non-votes shall not be deemed to be a vote cast.  However, no amendment may:

·increase the power of the Trustee to engage in business or investment activities;

·decrease the incentive threshold or increase the subordination threshold or change the portion of the quarterly cash distributions payable as an incentive distribution;

·alter the rights of the Trust unitholders as among themselves; or

·permit the Trustee to distribute the Royalty Interests in kind.

Amendments to the trust agreement’s provisions addressing the following matters may not be made without SandRidge’s consent:

3

Table of Contents

·dispositions of the Trust’s assets;

·indemnification of the Trustee;

·reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses of SandRidge when acting as the Trust’s agent;

·termination of the Trust; and

·amendments of the trust agreement.

Certain amendments to the trust agreement do not require the vote of the Trust unitholders. See “Permitted Amendments.”

The business and affairs of the Trust are managed by the Trustee.  The Trustee has no ability to manage or influence the operations of the Underlying Properties.  SandRidge operates all of the Initial Wells and Trust Development Wells, but has no ability to manage or influence the management of the Trust, except through its limited voting rights as a holder of Trust units and its limited ability to manage the hedging program.

Duties and Powers of the Trustee  The duties and powers of the Trustee are specified in the trust agreement and by the laws of the State of Delaware, except as modified by the trust agreement.  The trust agreement provides that the Trustee does not have any duties or liabilities, including fiduciary duties, except as expressly set forth in the trust agreement, and the duties and liabilities of the Trustee as set forth in the trust agreement replace any other duties and liabilities, including fiduciary duties, to which the Trustee might otherwise be subject.

The Trustee’s principal duties consist of:

·collecting cash proceeds attributable to the Royalty Interests;

·paying expenses, charges and obligations of the Trust from the Trust’s assets;

·receiving and making payments under the derivatives agreement with SandRidge and hedge contracts with the unaffiliated hedge counterparties during the terms of such contracts;

·determining whether cash distributions exceed subordination or incentive thresholds during the subordination period, and making cash distributions to the unitholders and SandRidge (with respect to incentive distributions) in accordance with the trust agreement;

·causing to be prepared and distributed a Schedule K-1 for each Trust unitholder and preparing and filing tax returns on behalf of the Trust; and

·causing to be prepared and filed reports required to be filed under the Exchange Act and under the rules of any securities exchange or quotation system on which the Trust units are listed or admitted to trading.

SandRidge provides administrative and other services to the Trust in fulfillment of certain of the foregoing duties, pursuant to the administrative services agreement.

Except as set forth below, cash held by the Trustee as a reserve against future liabilities must be invested in:

·interest-bearing obligations of the United States government;

·money market funds that invest only in United States government securities;

·repurchase agreements secured by interest-bearing obligations of the United States government; or

·bank certificates of deposit.

Alternatively, cash held for distribution at the next distribution date may be held in a non-interest-bearing account.

4

Table of Contents

The Trust may not acquire any asset except the Royalty Interests and cash and temporary cash investments, and it may not engage in any investment activity except investing cash on hand.

The trust agreement provides that the Trustee will not make business decisions affecting the assets of the Trust.  However, the Trustee may:

·prosecute or defend, and settle, claims of or against the Trust or its agents;

·retain professionals and other third parties to provide services to the Trust;

·charge for its services as Trustee;

·retain funds to pay for future expenses and deposit them with one or more banks or financial institutions (which may include the Trustee to the extent permitted by law);

·lend funds at commercial rates to the Trust to pay the Trust’s expenses; and

·seek reimbursement from the Trust for its out-of-pocket expenses.

In discharging its duty to Trust unitholders, the Trustee may act in its discretion and will be liable to the Trust unitholders only for willful misconduct, bad faith or gross negligence. The Trustee will not be liable for any act or omission of its agents or employees unless the Trustee acted with willful misconduct, bad faith or gross negligence in its selection and retention. The Trustee will be indemnified individually or as the Trustee for any liability or cost that it incurs in the administration of the Trust, except in cases of willful misconduct, bad faith or gross negligence. The Trustee has a lien on the assets of the Trust as security for this indemnification and its compensation earned as Trustee. Trust unitholders will not be liable to the Trustee for any indemnification.  The Trustee ensures that all contractual liabilities of the Trust are limited to the assets of the Trust. The Trustee does not intend to lend funds to the Trust.

Merger or Consolidation of Trust.  The Trust may merge or consolidate with or into, or convert into, one or more limited partnerships, general partnerships, corporations, business trusts, limited liability companies, or associations or unincorporated businesses if such transaction is agreed to by the Trustee and approved by the vote of the holders of a majority of the Trust units and a majority of the common units (excluding common units owned by SandRidge and its affiliates), in each case voting in person or by proxy at a meeting of such holders at which a quorum is present and such transaction is permitted under the Delaware Statutory Trust Act and any other applicable law. At any time that SandRidge and its affiliates collectively own less than 10% of the total Trust units outstanding, however, the standard for approval will be the vote of a majority of the Trust units, including units owned by SandRidge, voting in person or by proxy at a meeting of such holders at which a quorum is present.

Trustee’s Power to Sell Royalty Interests.  The Trustee may sell the Royalty Interests under any of the following circumstances:

·the sale is requested by SandRidge in accordance with the provisions of the trust agreement; or

·the sale is approved by the vote of holders representing a majority of the Trust units and a majority of the common units (excluding common units owned by SandRidge and its affiliates) in each case voting in person or by proxy at a meeting of such holders at which a quorum is present; except that at any time that SandRidge and its affiliates collectively own less than 10% of the total Trust units outstanding, the standard for approval will be the vote of a majority of the Trust units, including units owned by SandRidge, voting in person or by proxy at a meeting of such holders at which a quorum is present.

Upon dissolution of the Trust, the Trustee must sell the Royalty Interests.  No Trust unitholder approval is required in this event.

The Trustee will distribute the net proceeds from any sale of the Royalty Interests and other assets to the Trust unitholders after payment or reasonable provision for payment of the liabilities of the Trust.

Permitted Amendments.  The Trustee may amend or supplement the trust agreement, the conveyances, the administrative services agreement, or the registration rights agreement, without the approval of the Trust unitholders, to cure ambiguities, to correct or supplement defective or inconsistent provisions, to grant any benefit to all Trust unitholders, to evidence or implement any changes

5

Table of Contents

required by applicable law or to change the name of the Trust, provided, however, that any such supplement or amendment does not adversely affect the interests of the Trust unitholders. Furthermore, the Trustee, acting alone, may amend the administrative services agreement without the approval of Trust unitholders if such amendment would not increase the cost or expense of the Trust or create an adverse economic impact on the Trust unitholders.

All other permitted amendments to the trust agreement and other agreements listed above may only be made by the vote of a majority of the Trust units and a majority of the common units (excluding common units owned by SandRidge and its affiliates) in each case voting in person or by proxy at a meeting of such holders at which a quorum is present; except that at any time that SandRidge and its affiliates collectively own less than 10% of the total Trust units outstanding, the standard for approval will be the vote of a majority of the Trust units, including units owned by SandRidge, voting in person or by proxy at a meeting of such holders at which a quorum is present.  Abstentions and broker non-votes shall not be deemed to be a vote cast.

Miscellaneous.  The Trustee may consult with counsel (which may include counsel to SandRidge), accountants, tax advisors, geologists and engineers and other parties the Trustee believes to be qualified as experts on the matters for which advice is sought. The Trustee will be protected for any action it takes in good faith reliance upon the opinion of the expert.

The Delaware Trustee and the Trustee may resign at any time or be removed with or without cause at any time by the vote of a majority of the common units (excluding common units owned by SandRidge and its affiliates) voting in person or by proxy at a meeting of such holders at which a quorum is present; except that at any time that SandRidge and its affiliates collectively own less than 10% of the outstanding Trust units, the standard for approval will be the vote of a majority of the Trust units, including units owned by SandRidge, voting in person or by proxy at a meeting of such holders at which a quorum is present. Abstentions and broker non-votes shall not be deemed to be a vote cast. Any successor must be a bank or trust company meeting certain requirements including having combined capital, surplus and undivided profits of at least $20 million, in the case of the Delaware Trustee, and $100 million, in the case of the Trustee.

Distributions

The Trust makes quarterly cash distributions of substantially all of its cash receipts, after deducting amounts for the Trust’s administrative expenses, property tax and Texas franchise tax, and cash reserves withheld by the Trustee, on or about the 60th day following the completion of each quarter. Each distribution covers production for a three-month period. The amount of Trust revenues and cash distributions to Trust unitholders depends on:

·oil, natural gas and NGL prices received;

·volume of oil, natural gas and NGL produced and sold;

·amounts realized and paid under derivative arrangements;

·post-production costs and any applicable taxes; and

·the Trust’s general and administrative expenses.

The amount of the quarterly distributions will fluctuate from quarter to quarter, depending on the factors discussed above. There is no minimum required distribution. However, in order to provide support for cash distributions on the common units, SandRidge agreed to subordinate 13,125,000 of the Trust units it received in exchange for conveyance of the Royalty Interests, which constituted 25% of the Trust units issued and outstanding prior to their conversion into common units on January 1, 2016 as described below.  The subordinated units are entitled to receive pro rata distributions from the Trust each quarter, up to and including the February 2016 distribution if and to the extent there is sufficient cash to provide a cash distribution on the common units that is at least equal to 80% of the target distribution for the corresponding quarter (“Subordination Threshold”). If there is not sufficient cash to fund such a distribution on all of the common units, the distribution to be made with respect to the subordinated units is reduced or eliminated for such quarter in order to make a distribution, to the extent possible, to all of the common units up to the Subordination Threshold amount. However, there is no minimum distribution. In exchange for agreeing to subordinate a portion of its Trust units, and in order to provide additional financial incentive to SandRidge to satisfy its drilling obligation, SandRidge, as holder of the subordinated units is entitled to receive incentive distributions equal to 50% of the amount by which the cash available for distribution on all of the Trust units in any quarter exceeds 120% of the target distribution for such quarter (“Incentive Threshold”). On January 1, 2016, the day following the end of the fourth full calendar quarter following SandRidge’s satisfaction of its drilling obligation with respect to the Trust Development Wells, the subordinated units automatically converted into common units on a one-for-one basis and SandRidge’s right to receive incentive distributions terminated. Distributions made on common units in respect of subsequent periods will no

6

Table of Contents

longer have the benefit of the Subordination Threshold nor will the common units be subject to the Incentive Threshold, and all Trust unitholders will share on a pro rata basis in the Trust’s distributions.

The following table sets forth the Subordination Threshold and Incentive Threshold for each remaining quarterly distribution through the end of the subordination period, as set out in the trust agreement.

(1) Due to the timing of the payment of production proceeds to the Trust, each distribution covers production from a three-month period consisting of the first two months of the most recently ended quarter and the final month of the quarter preceding it.

(2) Each of the Subordination Threshold and Incentive Threshold terminates after the fourth full calendar quarter following SandRidge’s completion of its drilling obligation. Amounts have been rounded to two decimal places and are presented as set forth in the trust agreement. Actual distributions are declared and paid based upon a calculation carried out to three decimal places.

(3) A distribution of $0.192 per common unit was declared on January 28, 2016 and paid on February 26, 2016. No distribution was paid on the subordinated units for the period. See Note 8 to the financial statements contained in Item 8 of this report for further discussion.

If at any time the Trust’s cash on hand (including available cash reserves) is not sufficient to pay the Trust’s ordinary course administrative expenses as they become due, the Trust may borrow funds from the Trustee or other lenders, including SandRidge, to pay such expenses. The Trustee does not intend to lend funds to the Trust. If such funds are borrowed, no further distributions will be made to unitholders (except in respect of any previously determined quarterly distribution amount) until the borrowed funds have been repaid, except that if SandRidge loans such funds, SandRidge may permit the Trust to make distributions prior to SandRidge being repaid. SandRidge has agreed that, if at any time the Trust’s cash on hand (including available cash reserves) is not sufficient to pay the Trust’s ordinary course administrative expenses as they become due, SandRidge will, at the Trustee’s request, loan funds to the Trust necessary to pay such expenses. Any such loan will be on an unsecured basis, and the terms of such loan will be substantially the same as those which would be obtained in an arms’ length transaction between SandRidge and an unaffiliated third party. If SandRidge provides such funds to the Trust, it would become a creditor of the Trust and its interests as a creditor could conflict with the interests of unitholders.

Properties

As of December 31, 2015, the Trust’s properties consisted of Royalty Interests in (a) the Initial Wells and (b) 856 additional wells (equivalent to 888 Trust Development Wells under the development agreement) that were drilled and perforated for completion between April 1, 2011 and December 31, 2014. The following table presents the number of Initial Wells, Trust Development Wells drilled and Trust Development Wells to be drilled at the dates shown.

(1) SandRidge was credited for having drilled one full Trust Development Well if a well was drilled and perforated for completion to the Grayburg/San Andres formation and SandRidge’s net revenue interest in the well was equal to 69.3%. For wells in which SandRidge had a net revenue interest greater or less than 69.3%, SandRidge received proportionate credit for such well.

The Royalty Interests are in properties located in the greater Fuhrman-Mascho field, a field in Andrews County, Texas that produces primarily oil from the Grayburg/San Andres formation in the Permian Basin. The Permian Basin extends throughout southwestern Texas and southeastern New Mexico over an area approximately 250 miles wide and 300 miles long. It is one of the largest, most active and longest-producing oil basins in the United States. The Permian Basin has been producing oil for over 80 years resulting in cumulative production of more than 29 billion barrels.

7

Table of Contents

Proved Reserves. The following estimates of net proved oil, natural gas and NGL reserves are based on reserve reports prepared by independent petroleum engineers. The PV-10 and Standardized Measure shown in the table below are not intended to represent the current value of estimated oil, natural gas and NGL reserves attributable to the Royalty Interests as of the dates shown. The reserve reports as of December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013 were based on the average price during the 12-month periods ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013, using first-day-of-the-month prices for each month. Refer to “Risk Factors” in Item 1A of this report and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in Item 7 of this report in evaluating the reserve information presented below.

All of the oil, natural gas and NGL reserves in these reports were estimated by independent petroleum engineers. The process to review and estimate the reserves begins with a staff reservoir engineer collecting and verifying all pertinent data, including but not limited to well test data, production data, historical pricing, cost information, property ownership interests, reservoir data, and geosciences data. This data was reviewed by members of SandRidge’s Reservoir Engineering Department and various levels of SandRidge management for accuracy, before consultation with the independent petroleum engineers. Members of SandRidge’s Reservoir Engineering Department consulted regularly with the independent petroleum engineers during the reserve estimation process to review properties, assumptions, and any new data available. SandRidge’s internal reserve estimates and methodologies were compared to the independent petroleum engineers’ estimates and conclusions before the reserve estimates were included in the independent petroleum engineers’ reports. Additionally, SandRidge’s senior management reviewed and approved the reserve reports contained herein.

Internal Controls. SandRidge’s Senior Vice President — Corporate Reservoir Engineering is the technical person primarily responsible for overseeing the preparation of the Trust’s reserve estimates. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Petroleum Engineering with over 30 years of practical industry experience, including over 30 years of estimating and evaluating reserve information. In addition, SandRidge’s Senior Vice President — Corporate Reservoir Engineering has been a certified professional engineer in the state of Oklahoma since 2007 and a member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers since 1980.

SandRidge’s Reservoir Engineering Department continually monitors asset performance, making reserves estimate adjustments, as necessary, to ensure the most current reservoir information is reflected in reserves estimates. Reserve information includes production histories as well as other geologic, economic, ownership and engineering data. The corporate Reservoir department currently has a total of 20 full-time employees, consisting of 11 degreed engineers and 9 engineering and business analysts with a minimum of a four-year degree in mathematics, finance or other business or science field.

SandRidge maintains a continuous education program for engineers and analysts on new technologies and industry advancements and also offers refresher training on basic skill sets.

In order to ensure the reliability of reserves estimates, SandRidge’s internal controls observed within the reserve estimation process include:

·No employee’s compensation is tied to the amount of reserves booked.

·Reserves estimates are prepared by experienced reservoir engineers or under their direct supervision.

·The Reservoir Engineering Department reports directly to SandRidge’s Chief Operating Officer.

·The Reservoir Engineering Department follows comprehensive SEC-compliant internal policies to determine and report proved reserves including:

·confirming that reserve estimates include all properties owned and are based upon proper working and net revenue interests;

·reviewing and using in the estimation process data provided by other departments within SandRidge such as Accounting; and

·comparing and reconciling internally generated reserve estimates to those prepared by third parties.

Independent petroleum engineers estimated all of the proved reserve information in these reports in accordance with the definitions and guidelines of the SEC and in conformity with the Accounting Standards Codification Topic 932, Extractive Activities—Oil and Gas. They are independent petroleum engineers, geologists, geophysicists, and petrophysicists; and do not own an interest in these properties and are not employed on a contingent basis. The qualifications of the independent petroleum engineer’s technical personnel primarily responsible for overseeing the preparation of the Trust’s reserves estimates included in this report are set forth below. These qualifications meet or exceed the Society of Petroleum Engineers’ standard requirements to be a professionally qualified Reserve Estimator and Auditor.

8

Table of Contents

Netherland, Sewell & Associates, Inc. (“Netherland Sewell”).

·practicing consulting petroleum engineering since 2013 and over 15 years of prior industry experience;

·licensed professional engineers in the state of Texas; and

·a Bachelor of Science Degree in Chemical Engineering.

Reporting of Natural Gas Liquids. Natural gas liquids, or NGL, are produced as a result of the processing of a portion of the Trust’s natural gas production stream. At December 31, 2015, NGL constituted approximately 10% of the Trust’s total proved reserves on a barrel equivalent basis and represented volumes to be produced from properties where contracts are in place for the extraction and separate sale of NGL. NGL are products sold by the gallon. In reporting proved reserves and production of NGL, production and reserves have been included in barrels. The extraction of NGL in the processing of natural gas reduces the volume of natural gas available for sale. All production information related to natural gas is reported net of the effect of any reduction in natural gas volumes resulting from the processing and extraction of NGL.

A summary of the Trust’s proved oil, natural gas and NGL reserves, all of which are located in the continental United States, is presented below:

(1)         Determined using a 12-month average of the first-day-of-the-month index prices without giving effect to derivative transactions. The prices used in the reserve report yield weighted average wellhead prices, which are based on first-day-of-the-month index prices and adjusted for transportation and regional price differentials. The index prices and the equivalent weighted average wellhead prices are shown in the table below.

9

Table of Contents

(2)                  Barrel of oil equivalent, determined using the ratio of six Mcf of natural gas to one Bbl of oil, which approximates the relative energy content of oil as compared to natural gas.

(3)                  PV-10 is the present value of estimated future net revenue to be generated from the production of proved reserves, discounted at 10% per annum to reflect timing of future cash flows and calculated without deducting future income taxes. PV-10 is a non-GAAP financial measure and generally differs from standardized measure of discounted net cash flows, or Standardized Measure, the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure, because it does not include the effects of income taxes on future net revenues. Neither PV-10 nor Standardized Measure are intended to represent an estimate of fair market value of the Royalty Interests. PV-10 is used by the industry as an arbitrary reserve asset value measure to compare the relative size and value of the proved reserves held by companies without regard to the specific tax characteristics of such entities. The following table provides a reconciliation of Standardized Measure to PV-10:

(4)              Standardized Measure represents the present value of estimated future cash inflows from proved oil, natural gas and NGL reserves, less future development and production costs, and income tax expenses, discounted at 10% per annum to reflect timing of future cash flows and using the same pricing assumptions as are used to calculate PV-10. Standardized Measure differs from PV-10 as Standardized Measure includes the effect of future income taxes.

Proved reserves are those quantities of oil, natural gas and NGL that, by analysis of geoscience and engineering data, can be estimated with reasonable certainty to be economically producible from a given date forward, from known reservoirs, and under existing economic conditions, operating methods and government regulations, prior to the time at which contracts providing the right to operate expire, unless evidence indicates that renewal is reasonably certain, regardless of whether deterministic or probabilistic methods are used for estimation. To be classified as proved reserves, the project to extract the oil or natural gas must have commenced or the operator must be reasonably certain that it will commence the project within a reasonable period of time.

The area of a reservoir considered proved includes (i) the area identified by drilling and limited by fluid contacts, if any, and (ii) adjacent undrilled portions of the reservoir that can, with reasonable certainty, be judged to be continuous with it and to contain economically producible oil or natural gas on the basis of available geoscience and engineering data. In the absence of data on fluid contacts, proved quantities in a reservoir are limited by the lowest known hydrocarbons as seen in a well penetration unless geoscience, engineering or performance data and reliable technology establish a lower contact with reasonable certainty.

Where direct observation from well penetrations has defined a highest known oil elevation and the potential exists for an associated gas cap, proved oil reserves may be assigned in the structurally higher portions of the reservoir only if geoscience, engineering or performance data and reliable technology establish the higher contact with reasonable certainty.

Reserves that can be produced economically through application of improved recovery techniques (such as fluid injection) are included in the proved classification when (i) successful testing by a pilot project in an area of the reservoir with properties no more favorable than in the reservoir as a whole, the operation of an installed program in the reservoir, or an analogous reservoir, or other evidence using reliable technology establishes the reasonable certainty of the engineering analysis on which the project or program was based and (ii) the project has been approved for development by all necessary parties and entities, including governmental entities.

Existing economic conditions include prices and costs at which economic producibility from a reservoir is to be determined. In determining the amount of proved reserves, the price used must be the average price during the 12-month period prior to the ending date of the period covered by the reserve report, determined as an unweighted arithmetic average of the first-day-of-the-month price for each month within such period, unless prices are defined by contractual arrangements, excluding escalations based upon future conditions.

10

Table of Contents

Proved Undeveloped Reserves.

Under the terms of the development agreement, SandRidge was obligated to drill, or cause to be drilled, the Trust Development Wells by March 31, 2016. SandRidge fulfilled its drilling obligations to the Trust in November 2014. Accordingly, the Trust did not have any proved undeveloped reserves at either December 31, 2015 or December 31, 2014 and no Trust Development Wells were drilled during the year ended December 31, 2015.

During 2014, SandRidge drilled 19 Trust Development Wells, resulting in the conversion of approximately 0.3 MMBoe of proved undeveloped reserves to proved developed reserves. At December 31, 2014, all of these wells were classified as proved developed producing properties. SandRidge is not required to drill Trust Development Wells on locations with respect to which proved undeveloped reserves have previously been identified for the Trust. In this regard, Trust Development Wells were drilled during 2014 on locations different than those included in the reserve report prepared as of December 31, 2013. As a result, and because no more than 888 Trust Development Wells were to be drilled for the Trust, certain locations with proved undeveloped reserves were removed from the drilling plan developed for the Trust, resulting in downward revisions of 2.8 MMBoe during the period.

During 2013, SandRidge drilled 107 Trust Development Wells, resulting in the conversion of approximately 1.1 MMBoe of proved undeveloped reserves to proved developed reserves. At December 31, 2013, all of these wells were classified as proved developed producing properties. Additionally, proved undeveloped reserves decreased by approximately 1.2 MMBoe as a result of downward revisions due to well performance and pricing. During 2013, certain locations with proved undeveloped reserves were removed from the drilling plan developed for the Trust, resulting in downward revisions of 1.7 MMBoe during the period.

Production and Price History

The following tables set forth information regarding the net oil, natural gas and NGL production attributable to the Royalty Interests and certain price and cost information for each of the periods indicated.

(1) Production volumes and related revenues and expenses for the year ended December 31, 2015 (included in SandRidge’s 2015 net revenue distributions to the Trust) represent production from September 1, 2014 to August 31, 2015.

(2) Production volumes and related revenues and expenses for the year ended December 31, 2014 (included in SandRidge’s 2014 net revenue distributions to the Trust) represent production from September 1, 2013 to August 31, 2014.

11

Table of Contents

(3) Production volumes and related revenues and expenses for the year ended December 31, 2013 (included in SandRidge’s 2013 net revenue distributions to the Trust) represent production from September 1, 2012 to August 31, 2013.

(4) Barrel of oil equivalent, determined using the ratio of six Mcf of natural gas to one Bbl of oil, which approximates the relative energy content of oil as compared to natural gas.

(5) Includes impact of derivative settlements attributable to production from September 1, 2014 to March 31, 2015 for the year ended December 31, 2015, from September 1, 2013 to August 31, 2014 for the year ended December 31, 2014 and from September 1, 2012 to August 31, 2013 for the year ended December 31, 2013.

Productive Wells

The following table sets forth as of December 31, 2015 the number of productive wells subject to the Royalty Interests. Productive wells consist of producing wells and wells capable of producing, including oil wells awaiting connection to production facilities and natural gas wells awaiting pipeline connections to commence deliveries. Gross wells are the total number of producing wells subject to the Royalty Interests and net wells are the sum of the Trust’s fractional royalty interests owned in gross wells.

Developed and Undeveloped Acreage

As of December 2014, SandRidge had drilled and perforated for completion 888 equivalent Trust Development Wells, thus fulfilling its drilling obligation. Accordingly, the AMI terminated effective December 2014, and no additional wells have been or will be drilled for the Trust.

Drilling Activity

The following table sets forth information with respect to wells completed within the AMI and subject to the Royalty Interests during each of the periods indicated. The information presented is not necessarily indicative of future performance, and should not be interpreted to present any correlation between the number of productive wells drilled and quantities or economic value of reserves found. Productive wells are those that produce commercial quantities of hydrocarbons, regardless of whether they produce a reasonable rate of return. Gross wells refer to the total number of wells in which the Trust had a royalty interest and net wells refer to gross wells multiplied by the Trust’s weighted average royalty interest percentage. SandRidge completed its drilling obligation to the Trust during the fourth quarter of 2014. Accordingly, no wells were drilled or completed during 2015, and there were no wells subject to the Royalty Interests drilling or awaiting completion at December 31, 2015 or 2014.

Marketing and Customers

Pursuant to the terms of the conveyance creating the Royalty Interests, SandRidge has the responsibility to market, or cause to be marketed, the oil, natural gas and NGL production attributable to the Underlying Properties. The terms of the conveyance creating the Royalty Interests do not permit SandRidge to charge any marketing fees when determining the net proceeds upon which the royalty payments are calculated, except for marketing fees and costs of non-affiliates. As a result, the net proceeds to the Trust from

12

Table of Contents

the sales of oil, natural gas and NGL production from the Underlying Properties are determined based on the same price (net of post-production costs) that SandRidge receives for oil, natural gas and NGL production attributable to SandRidge’s remaining interest in the Underlying Properties.

SandRidge sells oil, natural gas and NGL from the Underlying Properties to a variety of customers, including oil and natural gas companies and trading and energy marketing companies. During 2015, 2014 and 2013, two customers individually accounted for more than 10% of total revenue attributable to the Royalty Interests. The Trust is not committed under any existing contracts or agreements to provide fixed and determinable quantities of oil, NGL or natural gas in the future. See below for additional information on the Trust’s major customers.

Title to Properties

The Underlying Properties are subject to certain burdens that are described in more detail below. To the extent that these burdens and obligations affect SandRidge’s rights to production and the value of production from the Underlying Properties, they have been taken into account in calculating the Trust’s interest and in estimating the size and value of the reserves attributable to the Royalty Interests. SandRidge’s interests in the oil and natural gas properties composing the Underlying Properties are typically subject, in one degree or another, to one or more of the following:

·royalties and other burdens, express and implied, under oil and natural gas leases;

·production payments and similar interests and other burdens created by SandRidge or its predecessors in title;

·a variety of contractual obligations arising under operating agreements, farmout agreements, production sales contracts and other agreements that may affect the properties or their titles;

·liens that arise in the normal course of operations, such as those for unpaid taxes, statutory liens securing unpaid suppliers and contractors and contractual liens under operating agreements that are not yet delinquent or, if delinquent, are being contested in good faith;

·pooling, unitization and communitization agreements, declarations and orders;

·easements, restrictions, rights-of-way and other matters that commonly affect real property;

·conventional rights of reassignment that obligate SandRidge to reassign all or part of a property to a third party if SandRidge intends to release or abandon such property; and

·rights reserved to or vested in the appropriate governmental agency or authority to control or regulate the Underlying Properties.

SandRidge believes that its title to the Underlying Properties and the Trust’s title to the Royalty Interest are good and defensible in accordance with standards generally accepted in the oil and natural gas industry, subject to such exceptions as are not so material as to detract substantially from the use or value of such properties or Royalty Interests.

13

Table of Contents

Competition and Markets

The production and sale of oil, natural gas and NGL is highly competitive. Competitors in the Permian Basin include major oil and gas companies, independent oil and gas companies, and individual producers and operators. There are numerous producers in the Permian Basin, and competitive position in this area is affected by price, contract terms and quality of service.

Oil, natural gas and NGL compete with other forms of energy available to customers, primarily based on price. These alternate forms of energy include electricity, coal and fuel oils. Changes in the availability or price of oil, natural gas or other forms of energy, as well as business conditions, conservation, legislation, regulations and the ability to convert to alternate fuels and other forms of energy may affect the demand for oil, natural gas and NGL.

Future price fluctuations for oil, natural gas and NGL will directly impact Trust distributions, estimates of reserves attributable to the Royalty Interests and estimated and actual future net revenues to the Trust. Due to the many uncertainties that affect the supply and demand for oil, natural gas and NGL, reliable predictions of future oil, natural gas and NGL supply and demand, future product prices or the effect of future product prices on Trust distributions cannot be made. Lower product prices will adversely affect Trust distributions.

Seasonal Nature of Business

Generally, demand for oil, natural gas and NGL decreases during the summer months and increases during the winter months. Certain natural gas users utilize natural gas storage facilities and purchase some of their anticipated winter requirements during the summer, which can lessen seasonal demand fluctuations. Seasonal weather conditions and lease stipulations can limit drilling and producing activities and other oil and natural gas operations. These seasonal anomalies can pose challenges for meeting well drilling objectives and can increase competition for equipment, supplies and personnel during the spring and summer months, which could lead to shortages and increased costs or delay operations.

Insurance

Insurance is maintained by the operators of the Underlying Properties, in accordance with industry practice, against some, but not all, of the operating risks to which the operators are exposed. Generally, insurance policies include coverage for general liability (including sudden and accidental pollution), physical damage to certain oil and natural gas properties, auto liability, worker’s compensation and employer’s liability, among other things.

SandRidge maintains general liability insurance coverage up to $1 million per occurrence, which includes sudden and accidental environmental liability coverage for the effects of pollution on third parties, arising from operations. General liability insurance policies contain aggregate policy limits and are subject to certain customary exclusions and limitations and deductibles that must be met prior to recovery. SandRidge maintains $100 million in excess liability coverage, which is in addition to and triggered if the general liability per occurrence limit is reached, and may be subject to a deductible that must be met prior to recovery. In addition, SandRidge maintains control of well/operators extra expense coverage with a limit of $15 million for any one occurrence.

All of SandRidge’s third-party contractors are required to sign master services agreements in which they agree to indemnify SandRidge for injuries and deaths of the service provider’s employees as well as contractors and subcontractors hired by the service provider. Similarly, SandRidge generally agrees to indemnify each third-party contractor against claims made by employees of SandRidge and SandRidge’s other contractors. Additionally, each party generally is responsible for damage to its own property.

The third-party contractors that perform hydraulic fracturing operations sign the master services agreements containing the indemnification provisions noted above. Currently there are no insurance policies in effect intended to provide coverage for losses solely related to hydraulic fracturing operations.

The purchase of insurance, coverage limits and deductibles is re-evaluated annually by SandRidge. Future insurance coverage for the oil and natural gas industry could increase in cost and may include higher deductibles or retentions. In addition, some forms of insurance may become unavailable in the future or unavailable on terms that are economically acceptable. No assurance can be given that insurance may be maintained in the future at rates considered reasonable. Self-insurance or only catastrophic coverage may be elected for certain risks in the future. The Trust does not maintain any insurance policies or coverage.

14

Table of Contents

Regulation

Oil and Natural Gas Regulations. The oil and natural gas industry is extensively regulated by numerous federal, state, local and regional authorities, as well as Native American tribes.  Legislation affecting the oil and natural gas industry is under constant review for amendment or expansion, frequently increasing the regulatory burden.  Also, numerous departments and agencies, both federal and state, and Native American tribes are authorized by statute to issue rules and regulations affecting the oil and natural gas industry and its individual members, some of which carry substantial penalties for noncompliance.  Although the regulatory burden on the oil and natural gas industry increases the cost of doing business and, consequently, affects its profitability, these burdens generally do not affect SandRidge any differently or to any greater or lesser extent than they affect other companies in the industry with similar types, quantities and locations of production. The availability, terms and cost of transportation significantly affect sales of oil, natural gas and NGL. The interstate transportation and sale for resale of oil, natural gas and NGL is subject to federal regulation, including regulation of the terms, conditions and rates for interstate transportation, storage and various other matters, primarily by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (“FERC”). Federal and state regulations govern the price and terms for access to oil and natural gas pipeline transportation. FERC’s regulations for interstate oil and natural gas transmission in some circumstances may also affect the intrastate transportation of oil and natural gas.

Sales of oil, natural gas and NGL are not currently regulated and are transacted at market prices. Although oil, natural gas and NGL prices are currently unregulated, Congress historically has been active in the area of oil and natural gas regulation. Whether new legislation to regulate oil, natural gas and NGL prices might be proposed, what proposals, if any, might actually be enacted by Congress or the various state legislatures, and what effect, if any, the proposals might have on the operations of the Underlying Properties cannot be predicted.

Drilling and Production.  Operations are subject to various types of regulation at federal, state, local and Native American tribal levels.  These types of regulation include requiring permits for the drilling of wells, drilling bonds and reports concerning operations.  Most states, and some counties, municipalities and Native American tribal areas also regulate one or more of the following activities:  the location of wells, the method of drilling and casing wells, the timing of construction or drilling activities, the rates of production, or “allowables”, the use of surface or subsurface waters, the surface use and restoration of properties upon which wells are drilled, the plugging and abandoning of wells, and the notice to surface owners and other third parties.

State laws regulate the size and shape of drilling and spacing units or proration units governing the pooling of oil and natural gas properties.  Some states allow forced pooling or integration of tracts to facilitate exploration while other states rely on voluntary pooling of lands and leases.  In some instances, forced pooling or unitization may be implemented by third parties and may reduce SandRidge’s interest in the unitized properties.  In addition, state conservation laws establish maximum rates of production from oil and natural gas wells, generally prohibit the venting or flaring of natural gas and impose requirements regarding the ratability of production.  These laws and regulations may limit the amount of oil, natural gas and NGL production from its wells or limit the number of wells or the locations which can be drilled. Moreover, each state generally imposes a production or severance tax with respect to the production and sale of oil, natural gas and NGL within its jurisdiction.

Federal, state and local regulations provide detailed requirements for the abandonment of wells, closure or decommissioning of production facilities and pipelines, and for site restorations, in areas where the Underlying Properties are located.  For example, the Railroad Commission of Texas imposes financial assurance requirements on operators, with additional financial security required for offshore wells and the United States Army Corps of Engineers and many other state and local authorities also have regulations for plugging and abandonment, decommissioning and site restoration.

Natural Gas Sales and Transportation.  Historically, federal legislation and regulatory controls have affected the price of the natural gas SandRidge produces and the manner in which SandRidge markets its production.  FERC has jurisdiction over the transportation and sale for resale of natural gas in interstate commerce by natural gas companies under the Natural Gas Act of 1938 and the Natural Gas Policy Act of 1978.  Various federal laws enacted since 1978 have resulted in the removal of all price and non-price controls for sale of domestic natural gas sold in first sales, which include all of SandRidge’s sales of its own production.  Under the Energy Policy Act of 2005, FERC has substantial enforcement authority to prohibit the manipulation of natural gas markets and enforce its rules and orders, including the ability to assess substantial civil penalties.

FERC also regulates interstate natural gas transportation rates and service conditions and establishes the terms under which SandRidge may use interstate natural gas pipeline capacity, which affects the marketing of natural gas that SandRidge produces, as well as the revenues it receives for sales of its natural gas and release of its natural gas pipeline capacity.  Commencing in 1985, FERC promulgated a series of orders, regulations and rule makings that significantly fostered competition in the business of transporting and marketing gas.  Today, interstate pipeline companies are required to provide nondiscriminatory transportation services to producers, marketers and other shippers, regardless of whether such shippers are affiliated with an interstate pipeline company.  FERC’s initiatives have led to the development of a competitive, open access market for natural gas purchases and sales that permits all

15

Table of Contents

purchasers of natural gas to buy gas directly from third-party sellers other than pipelines.  However, the natural gas industry historically has been very heavily regulated; therefore, SandRidge cannot guarantee that the less stringent regulatory approach currently pursued by FERC and Congress will continue indefinitely into the future nor can SandRidge determine what effect, if any, future regulatory changes might have on SandRidge’s natural gas related activities.

Under FERC’s current regulatory regime, transmission services must be provided on an open-access, nondiscriminatory basis at cost-based rates or at market-based rates if the transportation market at issue is sufficiently competitive. Gathering service, which occurs upstream of jurisdictional transmission services, is regulated by the states onshore and in-state waters. Although its policy is still in flux, in the past FERC has reclassified certain jurisdictional transmission facilities as non-jurisdictional gathering facilities, which has the tendency to increase the cost of transporting gas to point-of-sale locations.

Environmental and Occupational Safety and Health Regulation. The exploration, development and production of oil, natural gas and NGL are subject to stringent federal, state, tribal, regional and local laws and regulations governing worker safety and health, the discharge of materials into the environment and environmental protection. Numerous governmental entities, including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) and analogous state agencies have the power to enforce compliance with these laws and regulations and the permits issued under them, which may cause SandRidge and other operators of the Underlying Properties to incur significant capital and operating expenditures or costly actions to achieve and maintain compliance.  These laws and regulations may, among other things, require permits to conduct drilling, water withdrawal and other regulated activities; govern the types, quantities and concentrations of substances that may be disposed or released into the environment and the manner of any such disposal or release; limit or prohibit construction or drilling activities or require formal mitigation measures in sensitive areas such as wetlands, wilderness areas or areas inhabited by endangered or threatened species; require investigatory and remedial actions to mitigate pollution conditions arising from SandRidge’s operations or attributable to former operations; impose safety and health restrictions designed to protect employees from exposure to hazardous or dangerous substances; and impose obligations to reclaim and abandon well sites and pits. Failure to comply with these laws and regulations may result in the assessment of sanctions, including administrative, civil and criminal penalties, the imposition of investigatory, remedial or corrective action obligations, the occurrence of delays or restrictions in permitting or performance of projects and the issuance of orders enjoining operations in affected areas.

The trend in environmental regulation is to place more restrictions and limitations on activities that may affect the environment, and thus any changes or enhanced enforcement of these laws and regulations that result in delays or restrictions in permitting or development of projects or more stringent or costly construction, drilling, water management or completion activities or waste handling, storage, transport, remediation, or disposal, emission or discharge requirements could have a material adverse effect on the Trust’s revenues.  Moreover, accidental releases, including spills, may occur in the course of operations on the Underlying Properties, and significant costs could be incurred as a result of such releases or spills, including third-party claims for damage to property and natural resources or personal injury.  SandRidge may be unable to pass on such increased compliance costs to customers.

The following is a summary of the more significant existing environmental and occupational safety and health laws and regulations, as amended from time to time, applicable to the oil and natural gas industry and for which compliance may have a material adverse impact on the Trust or operation of the Underlying Properties.

Hazardous Substances and Wastes. The federal Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (“CERCLA”) and comparable state laws may impose strict, joint and several liability, without regard to fault or legality of conduct on certain persons who are responsible for the release of a “hazardous substance” into the environment. These persons include current and prior owners or operators of the site where the release of a hazardous substance occurred as well as entities that disposed or arranged for the disposal of the hazardous substance released at the site. Under CERCLA, these “responsible parties” may be liable for the costs of cleaning up sites where hazardous substances have been released into the environment, for damages to natural resources resulting from the release and for the costs of certain environmental and health studies. Additionally, landowners and other third parties may file claims for personal injury and natural resource and property damage allegedly caused by the release of hazardous substances into the environment. CERCLA also authorizes the EPA and, in some instances, third parties to act in response to threats to the public health or the environment from a hazardous substance release and to pursue steps to recover costs incurred for those actions from responsible parties. Certain products used by SandRidge in the course of operations at the Underlying Properties may be regulated as CERCLA hazardous substances. To date, none of the Underlying Properties have been subject to CERCLA response actions.

The federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (“RCRA”) and comparable state statutes and implementing regulations imposes strict “cradle-to-grave” requirements on the generation, transportation, treatment, storage and disposal and cleanup of hazardous and non- hazardous wastes. SandRidge and other operators of the Underlying Properties generate wastes that are subject to the requirements of RCRA and comparable state statutes. Drilling fluids, produced waters and other wastes associated with the exploration, production and/or development of oil and natural gas are currently excluded from regulation as hazardous wastes under RCRA and, instead, are regulated under RCRA’s less stringent non-hazardous waste requirements. However, it is possible that these

16

Table of Contents

wastes could be classified as hazardous wastes in the future.  For example, in August 2015, several non-governmental organizations filed notice of intent to sue the EPA under RCRA for, among other things, the agency’s alleged failure to reconsider whether such exclusion should continue to apply. Any change in the exclusion for such wastes could potentially result in an increase in SandRidge’s costs to manage and dispose of those wastes, which could have a material adverse effect on the cash distributions to the Trust unitholders.

Air Emissions. The federal Clean Air Act and comparable state laws and regulations restrict the emission of air pollutants from many sources and also impose various permitting, monitoring and reporting requirements. These laws and regulations may require pre-approval for the construction or modification of certain projects or facilities expected to produce or significantly increase air emissions, strict compliance with air permit requirements or the utilization of specific equipment or technologies to control emissions. The need to acquire such permits has the potential to delay or limit the development of oil and natural gas projects. Over the next several years,  SandRidge may be required to incur certain capital expenditures for air pollution control equipment or other air emissions-related issues.  For example, in October 2015, the EPA issued a final rule under the Clean Air Act, lowering the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (“NAAQS”) for ground-level ozone to 70 parts per billion under both the primary and secondary standards to provide requisite protection of public health and welfare, respectively.  The EPA is required to make attainment and non-attainment designations for specific geographic locations under the revised standards by October 1, 2017.  With the EPA lowering the ground-level ozone standard, states may be required to implement more stringent regulations, which could apply to SandRidge’s operations and result in the need to install new emissions controls, longer permitting timelines and significant increases in SandRidge’s capital or operating expenditures, which could adversely impact the Trust’s ability to make cash distributions to unitholders.. Additionally, violations of lease conditions or regulations related to air emissions can result in civil and criminal penalties, as well as potential court injunctions curtailing operations and canceling leases. Such enforcement liabilities can result from either governmental or citizen prosecution.

Water Discharges. The Federal Clean Water Pollution Control Act, also known as the Clean Water Act (“CWA”), and analogous state laws and implementing regulations impose restrictions and strict controls regarding the discharge of pollutants into waters of the United States as well as state waters. Pursuant to these laws and regulations, the discharge of pollutants to regulated waters is prohibited unless it is permitted by the EPA or an analogous state agency. SandRidge does not presently discharge pollutants associated with the exploration, development and production of oil, natural gas and NGL on the Underlying Properties into federal or state waters. The CWA, including analogous state laws and regulations, also imposes restrictions and controls regarding the discharge of sediment via storm water run-off to waters of the United States and state waters from a wide variety of construction activities. Such activities are generally prohibited from discharging sediment unless it is permitted by the EPA or an analogous state agency. However, pursuant to the Federal Energy Policy Act of 2005, storm water discharges related to oil and gas exploration, development and production and meeting certain conditions are exempt from the permitting provisions of the CWA.  SandRidge employs certain controls with respect to construction activities at the Underlying Properties to address the discharge of sediment into nearby waterbodies. The CWA also prohibits the discharge of dredge and fill material in regulated waters, including wetlands, unless authorized by permit.  The EPA issued a final rule in May 2015 that attempts to clarify the federal jurisdictional reach over waters of the United States but this rule has been stayed nationwide by the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals as that appellate court and numerous district courts ponder lawsuits opposing implementation of the rule.

Finally, the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (“OPA”), which amends the CWA, establishes standards for prevention, containment and cleanup of oil spills into waters of the United States.  The OPA requires measures to be taken to prevent the accidental discharge of oil into waters of the United States from onshore production facilities.  Measures under the OPA and/or CWA include inspection and maintenance programs to minimize spills from oil storage and conveyance systems; the use of secondary containment systems to prevent spills from reaching nearby waterbodies; and the development and implementation of spill prevention, control and countermeasure (“SPCC”) plans to prevent and respond to oil spills. SandRidge has developed and implemented SPCC plans for the Underlying Properties as required under the CWA.

Subsurface Injections. Underground injection operations performed by SandRidge are subject to the Safe Drinking Water Act (“SDWA”), as well as analogous state laws and regulations. Under the SDWA, the EPA established the Underground Injection Control (“UIC”) program, which established the minimum program requirements for state and local programs regulating underground injection activities. The UIC program includes requirements for permitting, testing, monitoring, record keeping and reporting of injection well activities, as well as a prohibition against the migration of fluid containing any contaminant into underground sources of drinking water. State regulations require a permit from the applicable regulatory agencies to operate underground injection wells. Although SandRidge monitors the injection process of its wells, any leakage from the subsurface portions of the injection wells could cause degradation of fresh groundwater resources, potentially resulting in suspension of SandRidge’s UIC permit, issuance of fines and penalties from governmental agencies, incurrence of expenditures for remediation of the affected resource and imposition of liability by third-parties claiming damages for alternative water supplies, property damages and personal injuries. Additionally, some states, have considered laws mandating the recycling of flowback and produced water. If such laws are adopted in areas where SandRidge conducts operations, SandRidge’s operating costs may increase significantly.

17

Table of Contents

Climate Change. The EPA has published its findings that emissions of carbon dioxide, methane and certain other greenhouse gases (collectively, “GHGs”) present an endangerment to public health and the environment because emissions of such gases are, according to the EPA, contributing to warming of the earth’s atmosphere and other climatic changes. Based on its findings, the EPA has adopted and implemented regulations under existing provisions of the Clean Air Act that, among other things, establish Prevention of Significant Deterioration (“PSD”) construction and Title V operating permit reviews for GHG emissions from certain large stationary sources that already are potential major sources of certain principal, or criteria, pollutant emissions.  Facilities required to obtain PSD permits for their GHG emissions also will be required to meet “best available control technology” standards that typically are established by the states.  This rule could adversely affect SandRidge’s operations upon the Underlying Properties and restrict or delay its ability to obtain air permits for new or modified facilities that exceed GHG emission thresholds.  In addition, the EPA has adopted rules requiring the reporting of GHG emissions from oil, natural gas and NGL production and processing facilities in the United States on an annual basis. SandRidge is monitoring and reporting on GHG emissions from certain of its operations upon the Underlying Properties.

While Congress has from time to time considered legislation to reduce emissions of GHGs, there has not been significant activity in the form of adopted legislation to reduce GHG emissions at the federal level.  As a result, a number of state and regional efforts have emerged that are aimed at tracking and./or reducing GHG emissions by means of cap and trade programs that typically require major sources of GHG emissions to acquire and surrender emission allowances in return for emitting those GHGs.  The adoption of any legislation or regulations imposing reporting obligations on, or limiting emissions of GHGs from, equipment and operations related to the Underlying Properties could require costs to be incurred by SandRidge or other operators of the Underlying Properties to reduce emissions of GHGs associated with operations or could adversely affect demand for the oil, natural gas and NGL production attributable to the Royalty Interests.  For example, in August 2015, the EPA announced proposed rules, expected to be finalized in 2016, that would establish new controls for methane emissions from certain new, modified or reconstructed equipment and processes in the oil and natural gas source category, including production activities, as part of an overall effort to reduce methane emissions by up to 45 percent in 2025.  On an international level, the United States is one of almost 200 nations that agreed in December 2015 to an international climate change agreement in Paris, France that calls for countries to set their own GHG emissions targets and be transparent about the measures each country will use to achieve its GHG emissions targets.  It is not possible at this time to predict how or when the United States might impose restrictions on GHGs as a result of the international climate change agreement.  Any such legislation or regulatory programs could also increase the cost to the consumer, and thereby reduce demand for the oil, natural gas and NGL production attributable to the Royalty Interests, and thus possibly have a material adverse effect on the Trust’s revenues.

Finally, to the extent increasing concentrations of GHGs in the Earth’s atmosphere may produce climate changes that have significant physical effects, such as increased frequency and severity of storms, droughts, and floods and other climatic events, such events could have an adverse effect on assets and operations related to the Underlying Properties.

Endangered Species. The Endangered Species Act ( “ESA”) restricts activities that may affect endangered or threatened species or their habitats. Similar protections are offered to migratory birds under the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act.  If endangered species are located in areas of the Underlying Properties where seismic surveys, development activities or abandonment operations may be conducted, the work could be prohibited or delayed or expensive mitigation may be required. Moreover, as a result of a settlement approved by the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia in 2011, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (“FWS”) is required to consider listing numerous species as endangered under the ESA by the end of the agency’s 2017 fiscal year. For example, in March 2014, the FWS announced the listing of the lesser prairie chicken, whose habitat is over a five-state region, including Oklahoma, where the Underlying Properties are located, as a threatened species under the ESA.  However, on September 1, 2015, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas vacated the FWS’ rule listing the lesser prairie chicken in its entirety, concluding that the decision to list the species was arbitrary and capricious.  As a result of the 2014 listing of the lesser prairie chicken, we had entered into a range-wide conservation planning agreement, pursuant to which we agreed to take measures to protect the lesser prairie chicken’s habitat and to pay a mitigation fee if our actions harmed the lesser prairie chicken’s habitat.  Notwithstanding the 2015 District Court decision, SandRidge has continued its participation in the conservation planning agreement with respect to the Underlying Properties.  Whether the lesser prairie chicken or other species will be listed in the future under the ESA is currently unknown but the designation of the lesser prairie chicken or any other previously unprotected species as threatened or endangered in areas where the Underlying Properties operations are located could cause SandRidge to incur increased costs arising from species protection measures or could result in limitations on exploration and production activities that could have an adverse impact on the ability to develop and produce reserves from the Underlying Properties. SandRidge is an active participant on various agency and industry committees that are developing or addressing various ESA and other federal and state agency programs to minimize potential impacts to its business and the Underlying Properties.

Employee Health and Safety. The operations of SandRidge are subject to a number of federal and state laws and regulations, including the federal Occupational Safety and Health Act (“OSHA”) and comparable state statutes, whose purpose is to protect the

18

Table of Contents

health and safety of workers. In addition, the OSHA Hazardous Communication Standard requires that information be maintained concerning hazardous materials used or produced in SandRidge’s operations and that this information be provided to employees. Pursuant to the Federal Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act, also known as Title III of the Federal Superfund Amendment and Reauthorization Act, facilities that store hazardous chemicals that are subject to OSHA’s Hazardous Communication Standard above certain threshold quantities must submit information regarding those chemicals by March 1 of each year to state and local authorities in order to facilitate emergency planning and response. SandRidge has been and will continue to submit this information to these authorities for the Underlying Properties each year.

State and Local Regulation. The Underlying Properties are subject to state and other local regulations applicable to the drilling for, and the production and gathering of, oil, natural gas and NGL, including requirements relating to drilling permits, the location, spacing and density of wells, unitization and pooling of interests, the method of drilling, casing and equipping of wells, the protection of fresh water sources, the orderly development of common sources of supply of oil, natural gas and NGL, the operation of wells, allowable rates of production, the use of fresh water in oil and natural gas operations, saltwater injection and disposal operations, the plugging and abandonment of wells and the restoration of surface properties, the prevention of waste of oil and natural gas resources, the protection of the correlative rights of oil and natural gas owners and, where necessary to avoid unfair, unjust or discriminatory service, the fees, terms and conditions for the gathering of natural gas. These regulations may affect the number and location of Trust Development Wells and the amounts of oil, natural gas and NGL that may be produced from the Underlying Properties. Realized prices for the first sale of oil, natural gas and NGL are not subject to state regulation in Texas.

Hydraulic Fracturing. Oil, natural gas and NGL may be recovered from the Underlying Properties through the use of hydraulic fracturing, combined with sophisticated drilling. Hydraulic fracturing, which involves the injection of water, sand and chemicals under pressure into formations to fracture the surrounding rock and stimulate production, is typically regulated by state oil and gas commissions. However, several federal agencies have asserted federal regulatory authority over certain aspects of the hydraulic fracturing process.  For example, the EPA issued Clean Air Act final regulations in 2012 and proposed additional Clean Air Act regulations in August 2015 governing performance standards for the oil and natural gas industry; proposed in April 2015 effluent limitations guidelines that waste water from shale natural gas extraction operations must meet before discharging to a treatment plant; and issued in 2014 a prepublication of its Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking regarding Toxic Substances Control Act reporting of the chemical substances and mixtures used in hydraulic fracturing.  Also, the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (“BLM”) published a final rule in March 2015 that establishes new or more stringent standards for performing hydraulic fracturing on federal and Indian lands but, in September 2015, the U.S. District Court of Wyoming issued a preliminary injunction barring implementation of this rule, which order the BLM could appeal and is being separately appealed by certain environmental groups.

The BLM also proposed new rules in January 2016 which seek to limit methane emissions from new and existing oil and gas operations on federal lands.  The proposal would limit venting and flaring of gas, impose leak detection and repair requirements on wellsite equipment and compressors, and also require the installation of new controls on pneumatic pumps, and other activities at the wellsite such as downhole well maintenance and liquids unloading and drilling workovers and completions to reduce leaks of methane.

Congress has from time to time considered legislation to provide for federal regulation of hydraulic fracturing and to require disclosure of the chemicals used in the hydraulic fracturing process.  At the state level, some states, including Texas, have adopted, and other states are considering adopting, legal requirements that could impose more stringent permitting, disclosure, or well construction requirements on hydraulic fracturing operations. For example, in December 2011, the Railroad Commission of Texas finalized regulations requiring public disclosure of all chemicals in fluids used in the hydraulic fracturing process. Local government may also seek to adopt ordinances within their jurisdictions regulating the time, place and manner of drilling activities in general or hydraulic fracturing activities in particular.  If new laws or regulations that significantly restrict or regulate hydraulic fracturing are adopted at  the local, state or federal level, fracturing activities with respect to the Underlying Properties could become subject to additional permit requirements, reporting requirements or operational restrictions and also to associated permitting delays and potential increases in costs. These delays or additional costs could adversely affect the determination of whether a well is commercially viable. Restrictions on hydraulic fracturing could also reduce the amount of oil, NGL or natural gas that is ultimately produced in commercial quantities from the Underlying Properties.

In addition to asserting regulatory authority, certain government reviews are underway that focus on environmental issues associated with hydraulic fracturing practices. For example, the White House Council on Environmental Quality is coordinating an administration-wide review of hydraulic fracturing practices.  Also, the EPA released its draft report on the potential impacts of hydraulic fracturing on drinking water resources in June 2015, which report concluded that hydraulic fracturing activities have not led to widespread, systemic impacts on drinking water sources in the United States, although there are above and below ground mechanisms by which hydraulic fracturing activities have the potential to impact drinking water sources.  However, in January 2016, the EPA’s Science Advisory Board provided its comments on the draft study, indicating its concern that EPA’s conclusion of no

19

Table of Contents

widespread, systemic impacts on drinking water sources arising from fracturing activities did not reflect the uncertainties and data limitations associated with such impacts, as described in the body of the draft report.  The final version of this EPA report remains pending and is expected to be completed in 2016.  Such EPA final report, when issued, as well as any future studies, depending on their degree of pursuit and any meaningful results obtained, could spur efforts to further regulate hydraulic fracturing.

Glossary of Oil and Natural Gas Terms

The following is a description of the meanings of some of the oil and natural gas industry terms used in this report.

Bbl. One stock tank barrel, or 42 U.S. gallons liquid volume, used in this report in reference to oil or other liquid hydrocarbons.

Boe. Barrels of oil equivalent, with six thousand cubic feet of natural gas being equivalent to one barrel of oil. Although an equivalent barrel of condensate or natural gas may be equivalent to a barrel of oil on an energy basis, it is not equivalent on a value basis as there may be a large difference in value between an equivalent barrel and a barrel of oil. For example, based on the commodity prices used to prepare the estimate of the Trust’s reserves at year-end 2015 of $46.79/ Bbl for oil and $2.59 / Mcf for natural gas, the ratio of economic value of oil to natural gas was approximately18 to 1, even though the ratio for determining energy equivalency is 6 to 1.

Boe/d. Barrels of oil equivalent per day.

Btu or British thermal unit. The quantity of heat required to raise the temperature of one pound of water by one degree Fahrenheit.

Completion. The process of treating a drilled well followed by the installation of permanent equipment for the production of oil or natural gas, or in the case of a dry well, the reporting to the appropriate authority that the well has been abandoned.

Developed acreage. The number of acres that are assignable to productive wells.

Developed oil and natural gas reserves. Reserves of any category that can be expected to be recovered (i) through existing wells with existing equipment and operating methods or in which the cost of the required equipment is relatively minor compared to the cost of a new well and (ii) through installed extraction equipment and infrastructure operational at the time of the reserves estimate if the extraction is by means not involving a well.

Development costs. Costs incurred to obtain access to proved reserves and to provide facilities for extracting, treating, gathering and storing the oil, natural gas and NGL. More specifically, development costs, including depreciation and applicable operating costs of support equipment and facilities and other costs of development activities, are costs incurred to (i) gain access to and prepare well locations for drilling, including surveying well locations for the purpose of determining specific development drilling sites, clearing ground, draining, road building and relocating public roads, gas lines and power lines, to the extent necessary in developing the proved reserves, (ii) drill and equip development wells, development-type stratigraphic test wells and service wells, including the costs of platforms and of well equipment such as casing, tubing, pumping equipment, and the wellhead assembly, (iii) acquire, construct and install, production facilities such as leases, flow lines, separators, treaters, heaters, manifolds, measuring devices and production storage tanks, natural gas cycling and processing plants, and central utility and waste disposal systems, and (iv) provide improved recovery systems.

Development well. A well drilled within the proved area of an oil or natural gas reservoir to the depth of a stratigraphic horizon known to be productive.

Dry well. An exploratory, development or extension well that proves to be incapable of producing either oil or natural gas in sufficient quantities to justify completion as an oil or natural gas well.

Exploratory well. A well drilled to find a new field or to find a new reservoir in a field previously found to be productive of natural gas or oil in another reservoir.

Field. An area consisting of a single reservoir or multiple reservoirs all grouped on or related to the same individual geological structural feature and/or stratigraphic condition. There may be two or more reservoirs in a field which are separated vertically by intervening impervious strata, or laterally by local geological barriers, or both. Reservoirs that are associated by being in overlapping or adjacent fields may be treated as a single or common operational field. The geological terms “structural feature” and “stratigraphic condition” are intended to identify localized geological features as opposed to the broader terms of basins, trends, provinces, plays, areas of interest, etc.

20

Table of Contents

Fixed price swaps. The Trust receives a fixed price for the contract and pays a floating market price over a specified period for a contracted volume.

Gross wells. The total wells in which a working interest is owned.

MBbls. Thousand barrels of oil or other liquid hydrocarbons.

MBoe. Thousand barrels of oil equivalent.

MBoe/d. Thousand barrels of oil equivalent per day.

Mcf. Thousand cubic feet of natural gas.

MMBoe. Million barrels of oil equivalent.

MMBtu. Million British Thermal Units.

MMcf. Million cubic feet of natural gas.

Net wells. The sum of the fractional working interest owned in gross wells, as the case may be.

Net revenue interests. A share of production after all burdens, such as royalty and overriding royalty interest, have been deducted from the working interest.

NGL. Natural gas liquids, such as ethane, propane, butanes and natural gasolines that are extracted from natural gas production streams.

Plugging and abandonment. Refers to the sealing off of fluids in the strata penetrated by a well so that the fluids from one stratum will not escape into another or to the surface. Texas regulations require plugging of abandoned wells.

Present value of future net revenues (“PV-10”). The present value of estimated future revenues to be generated from the production of proved reserves, before income taxes, calculated in accordance with SEC guidelines, net of estimated production and future development costs, using prices and costs as of the date of estimation without future escalation and without giving effect to hedging activities, non-property related expenses such as general and administrative expenses, debt service and depreciation, depletion and amortization. PV-10 is calculated using an annual discount rate of 10%.

Production costs. Costs incurred to operate and maintain wells and related equipment and facilities, including depreciation and applicable operating costs of support equipment and facilities and other costs of operating and maintaining those wells and related equipment and facilities that become part of the cost of oil, natural gas and NGL produced.

Productive well. A well that is found to be capable of producing oil or natural gas in sufficient quantities to justify completion as an oil or natural gas well.

Proved developed reserves. Reserves that are both proved and developed.

Proved oil, natural gas and NGL reserves. Those quantities of oil, natural gas and NGL that, by analysis of geoscience and engineering data, can be estimated with reasonable certainty to be economically producible from a given date forward, from known reservoirs, and under existing economic conditions, operating methods, and government regulations, prior to the time at which contracts providing the right to operate expire, unless evidence indicates that renewal is reasonably certain, regardless of whether deterministic or probabilistic methods are used for estimation. The project to extract the hydrocarbons must have commenced or the operator must be reasonably certain that it will commence the project within a reasonable time.

The area of a reservoir considered proved includes (i) the area identified by drilling and limited by fluid contacts, if any, and (ii) adjacent undrilled portions of the reservoir that can, with reasonable certainty, be judged to be continuous with it and to contain economically producible oil or natural gas on the basis of available geoscience and engineering data. In the absence of data on fluid contacts, proved quantities in a reservoir are limited by the lowest known hydrocarbons as seen in a well penetration unless geoscience, engineering or performance data and reliable technology establish a lower contact with reasonable certainty.

21

Table of Contents

Where direct observation from well penetrations has defined a highest known oil elevation and the potential exists for an associated gas cap, proved oil reserves may be assigned in the structurally higher portions of the reservoir only if geoscience, engineering or performance data and reliable technology establish the higher contact with reasonable certainty.

Reserves that can be produced economically through application of improved recovery techniques (including, but not limited to, fluid injection) are included in the proved classification when (i) successful testing by a pilot project in an area of the reservoir with properties no more favorable than in the reservoir as a whole, the operation of an installed program in the reservoir, or an analogous reservoir, or other evidence using reliable technology establishes the reasonable certainty of the engineering analysis on which the project or program was based and (ii) the project has been approved for development by all necessary parties and entities, including governmental entities.

Existing economic conditions include prices and costs at which economic producibility from a reservoir is to be determined. The price shall be the average price during the 12-month period prior to the ending date of the period covered by the report, determined as an unweighted arithmetic average of the first-day-of-the-month price for each month within such period, unless prices are defined by contractual arrangements, excluding escalations based upon future conditions.

Proved undeveloped reserves. Reserves that are both proved and undeveloped.

PV-10. See “Present value of future net revenues” above.

Reserves. Estimated remaining quantities of oil, natural gas and NGL and related substances anticipated to be economically producible by application of development projects to known accumulations. In addition, there must exist, or there must be a reasonable expectation that there will exist, the legal right to produce or a revenue interest in the production, installed means of delivering oil, natural gas and NGL or related substances to market, and all permits and financing required to implement the project.

Reserves should not be assigned to adjacent reservoirs isolated by major, potentially sealing, faults until those reservoirs are penetrated and evaluated as economically producible. Reserves should not be assigned to areas that are clearly separated from a known accumulation by a non-productive reservoir (i.e. absence of reservoir, structurally low reservoir, or negative test results). Such areas may contain prospective resources (i.e. potentially recoverable resources from undiscovered accumulations).

Reservoir. A porous and permeable underground formation containing a natural accumulation of producible oil and/or natural gas that is confined by impermeable rock or water barriers and is individual and separate from other reservoirs.

Standardized measure or standardized measure of discounted future net cash flows. The present value of estimated future cash inflows from proved oil, natural gas and NGL reserves, less future development and production costs and future income tax expenses, discounted at 10% per annum to reflect timing of future cash flows and using the same pricing assumptions as were used to calculate PV-10. Standardized Measure differs from PV-10 because Standardized Measure includes the effect of future income taxes on future net revenues.

Undeveloped acreage. Lease acreage on which wells have not been drilled or completed to a point that would permit the production of economic quantities of oil or natural gas regardless of whether such acreage contains proved reserves.

Undeveloped oil, natural gas and NGL reserves. Reserves of any category that are expected to be recovered from new wells on undrilled acreage, or from existing wells where a relatively major expenditure is required for recompletion.

(i) Reserves on undrilled acreage are limited to those directly offsetting development spacing areas that are reasonably certain of production when drilled, unless evidence using reliable technology exists that establishes reasonable certainty of economic producibility at greater distances.

(ii) Undrilled locations are classified as having undeveloped reserves only if a development plan has been adopted indicating that they are scheduled to be drilled within five years, unless the specific circumstances justify a longer time.

(iii) Under no circumstances shall estimates for undeveloped reserves be attributable to any acreage for which an application of fluid injection or other improved recovery technique is contemplated, unless such techniques have been proved effective by actual projects in the same reservoir or an analogous reservoir or by other evidence using reliable technology establishing reasonable certainty.

Working interest. The operating interest that gives the owner the right to drill, produce and conduct operating activities on the property and receive a share of production and requires the owner to pay a share of the costs of drilling and production operations.

22

Table of Contents

Item 1A. Risk Factors

Risks Related to the Units

Producing oil, natural gas and NGL from the Underlying Properties is a high risk activity with many uncertainties that could adversely affect future production from the Underlying Properties. Any such reductions in production could decrease cash that is available for distribution to unitholders.

Production operations on the Underlying Properties may be curtailed, delayed or canceled as a result of various factors, including the following:

·reductions in oil, natural gas and NGL prices;

·unusual or unexpected geological formations and miscalculations;

·equipment malfunctions, failures or accidents;

·lack of available gathering facilities or delays in construction of gathering facilities;

·lack of available capacity on interconnecting transmission pipelines;

·unexpected operational events;

·pipe or cement failures and casing collapses;

·pressures, fires, blowouts and explosions;

·uncontrollable flows of oil, NGL, natural gas, brine, water or drilling fluids;

·natural disasters;

·environmental hazards, such as oil spills, natural gas and NGL  leaks, pipeline or tank ruptures, encountering naturally occurring radioactive materials,  and unauthorized discharges of brine, well stimulation and completion fluids, toxic gases or other pollutants into the surface and subsurface environment;

·high costs, shortages or delivery delays of equipment, labor or other services, or water used in hydraulic fracturing;

·compliance with environmental and other governmental requirements;

·adverse weather conditions, such as extreme cold, fires caused by extreme heat or lack of rain and severe storms or tornadoes; and

·market limitations for oil, natural gas and NGL.

If production from the Trust Development Wells is lower than anticipated due to one or more of the foregoing factors or for any other reason, cash distributions to unitholders may be reduced.

Oil, natural gas and NGL prices can fluctuate widely due to a number of factors that are beyond the control of the Trust and SandRidge. Continued depressed or further declining oil, natural gas or NGL prices would reduce proceeds to the Trust and cash distributions to unitholders.

The Trust’s reserves and quarterly cash distributions are highly dependent upon the prices realized from the sale of oil, natural gas and NGL. The markets for these commodities are very volatile and have experienced significant declines during the latter half of 2014 and continuing throughout 2015. Oil, natural gas and NGL prices can move quickly and fluctuate widely in response to a variety of factors that are beyond the control of the Trust and SandRidge. These factors include, among others:

23

Table of Contents

·changes in regional, domestic and foreign supply of, and demand for, oil, natural gas and NGL, as well as perceptions of supply of, and demand for, oil, natural gas and NGL;

·the price of foreign imports;

·U.S. and worldwide political and economic conditions;

·the level of demand, and perceptions of demand, for oil, natural gas and NGL;

·weather conditions and seasonal trends;

·anticipated future prices of oil, natural gas and NGL, alternative fuels and other commodities;

·technological advances affecting energy consumption and energy supply;

·the proximity, capacity, cost and availability of pipeline infrastructure, treating, transportation and refining capacity;

·natural disasters and other acts of force majeure;

·domestic and foreign governmental regulations and taxation;

·energy conservation and environmental measures; and

·the price and availability of alternative fuels.

For oil, from January 2012 through December 2015, the highest month end settled price on the New York Mercantile Exchange (“NYMEX”) was $107.65 per Bbl and the lowest was $37.04 per Bbl. For natural gas, from January 2012 through December 2015, the highest month end NYMEX settled price was $5.56 per MMBtu (one million British Thermal Units) and the lowest was $2.03 per MMBtu. In addition, the market price of oil and natural gas is generally lower in the summer months than during the winter months of the year due to decreased demand for oil and natural gas for heating purposes during the summer season.

Oil prices dropped sharply during the latter half of 2014 and have continued through early 2016, and settled as low as $26.21 per Bbl in February 2016.  Continued low oil, natural gas and NGL  prices will reduce proceeds to which the Trust is entitled and may ultimately reduce the amount of oil, natural gas and NGL that is economic to produce from the Underlying Properties causing the Trust to make substantial downward adjustments to its estimated proved reserves. As a result, SandRidge or any third-party operator of any of the Underlying Properties could determine during periods of low oil, natural gas and NGL prices to shut in or curtail production from wells on the Underlying Properties. In addition, the operator of the Underlying Properties could determine during periods of low oil, natural gas and NGL prices to plug and abandon marginal wells that otherwise may have been allowed to continue to produce for a longer period under conditions of higher prices. Specifically, SandRidge or any third-party operator may abandon, at its cost, any well or property if it reasonably believes that the well or property can no longer produce oil, natural gas and NGL in commercially economic quantities. This could result in termination of the portion of the Royalty Interest relating to the abandoned well or property, and SandRidge would have no obligation to drill a replacement well.

Actual reserves and future production may be less than current estimates, which could reduce cash distributions by the Trust and the value of the Trust units.

The value of the Trust units and the amount of future cash distributions to the Trust unitholders will depend upon, among other things, the accuracy of the reserves estimated to be attributable to the Royalty Interests. It is not possible to accurately measure underground accumulations of oil, natural gas and NGL in an exact way and estimating reserves is inherently uncertain. As discussed below, the process of estimating oil, natural gas and NGL reserves requires interpretations of available technical data and many assumptions. Any significant inaccuracies in these interpretations or assumptions could materially affect the estimated quantities and present value of the Trust’s reserves. This could result in actual production and revenues for the Underlying Properties being materially less than estimated amounts.

In order to prepare the estimates of reserves attributable to the Underlying Properties and the Trust, production rates must be projected. In so doing, available geological, geophysical, production and engineering data must be analyzed. The extent, quality and reliability of this data can vary.

24

Table of Contents

In addition, petroleum engineers are required to make subjective estimates of underground accumulations of oil, natural gas and NGL based on factors and assumptions that include:

·historical production from the area compared with production rates from other producing areas;

·oil, natural gas and NGL  prices, production levels, Btu content, production expenses, transportation costs, severance and excise taxes and capital expenditures; and

·the assumed effect of governmental regulation.

Changes in these assumptions or actual production costs incurred could materially decrease reserve estimates. Estimates of reserves are also continually subject to revisions based on production history, price changes, and other factors.

Production of oil, natural gas and NGL on the Underlying Properties could be materially and adversely affected by severe or unseasonable weather.

Production of oil, natural gas and NGL on the Underlying Properties could be materially and adversely affected by severe weather. Repercussions of severe weather conditions may include:

· evacuation of personnel and curtailment of operations;

· weather-related damage to facilities, resulting in suspension of operations;

· inability to deliver materials to worksites; and

· weather-related damage to pipelines and other transportation facilities.

Due to the Trust’s lack of industry and geographic diversification, adverse developments in the Trust’s existing area of operation could adversely impact its financial condition, results of operations and cash flows and reduce its ability to make distributions to the unitholders.

The Underlying Properties are being and will be operated for oil, natural gas and NGL production only and are focused exclusively in the Permian Basin in Andrews County, Texas. This concentration could disproportionately expose the Trust’s interests to operational and regulatory risk in that area. Due to the lack of diversification in industry type and location of the Trust’s interests, adverse developments in the oil and natural gas market or the area of the Underlying Properties, including, for example, transportation or treatment capacity constraints, curtailment of production or treatment plant closures for scheduled maintenance, could have a significantly greater impact on the Trust’s financial condition, results of operations and cash flows than if the Royalty Interests were more diversified.

The generation of proceeds for distribution by the Trust depends in part on access to and the operation of gathering, transportation and processing facilities. Limitations in the availability of those facilities could interfere with sales of oil, natural gas and NGL production from the Underlying Properties.

The amount of oil, natural gas and NGL that may be produced and sold from any well to which the Underlying Properties relate is subject to curtailment in certain circumstances, such as by reason of weather conditions, pipeline interruptions due to scheduled and unscheduled maintenance, failure of tendered oil, natural gas and NGL to meet quality specifications of gathering lines or downstream transporters, excessive line pressure which prevents delivery, physical damage to the gathering system or transportation system or lack of contracted capacity on such systems. The curtailments may vary from a few days to several months. In many cases, SandRidge is provided limited notice, if any, as to when production will be curtailed and the duration of such curtailments. If SandRidge is forced to reduce production due to such a curtailment, the revenues of the Trust and the amount of cash distributions to the Trust unitholders would similarly be reduced due to the reduction of proceeds from the sale of production.

The Trust is passive in nature and has no voting rights in SandRidge, managerial, contractual or other ability to influence SandRidge, or control over the field operations of, or sale of oil, natural gas and NGL from the Underlying Properties.

Trust unitholders have no voting rights with respect to SandRidge and, therefore, have no managerial, contractual or other ability to influence SandRidge’s activities or operations of the Underlying Properties. In addition, some of the Underlying Properties may, in the future, be operated by third parties unrelated to SandRidge. Such third-party operators may not have the operational

25

Table of Contents

expertise of SandRidge. Oil and natural gas properties are typically managed pursuant to an operating agreement among the working interest owners in the properties. The typical operating agreement contains procedures whereby the owners of the aggregate working interest in the property designate one of the interest owners to be the operator of the property. Under these arrangements, the operator is typically responsible for making all decisions relating to drilling activities, sale of production, compliance with regulatory requirements and other matters that affect the property. The failure of an operator to adequately perform operations could reduce production from the Underlying Properties and cash available for distribution to unitholders. Neither the Trustee nor the Trust unitholders has any contractual or other ability to influence or control the field operations of, sale of oil, natural gas and NGL from, or future development of, the Underlying Properties.

The oil, natural gas and NGL reserves estimated to be attributable to the Royalty Interests are depleting assets and production from those reserves will diminish over time. Furthermore, the Trust is precluded from acquiring other oil and natural gas properties or royalty interests to replace the depleting assets and production.

The proceeds payable to the Trust from the Royalty Interests are derived from the sale of the production of oil, natural gas and NGL from the Underlying Properties. The oil, natural gas and NGL reserves attributable to the Royalty Interests are depleting assets, which means that the reserves of oil, natural gas and NGL attributable to the Royalty Interests will decline over time as will the quantity of oil, natural gas and NGL produced from the Underlying Properties.

Future maintenance may affect the quantity of proved reserves that can be economically produced from the Underlying Properties to which the wells relate. The timing and size of these projects will depend on, among other factors, the market prices of oil, natural gas and NGL. SandRidge has no contractual obligation to make capital expenditures on the Underlying Properties in the future. Furthermore, for properties on which SandRidge is not designated as the operator, SandRidge has no control over the timing or amount of those capital expenditures. SandRidge also has the right to non-consent and not participate in the capital expenditures on properties for which it is not the operator, in which case SandRidge and the Trust will not receive the production resulting from such capital expenditures. If SandRidge or other operators of the wells to which the Underlying Properties relate do not implement maintenance projects when warranted, the future rate of production decline of proved reserves may be higher than the rate currently expected by SandRidge or estimated in the Trust’s reserve report.

The trust agreement provides that the Trust’s business activities are generally limited to owning the Royalty Interests and entering into the hedging arrangements and activities reasonably related thereto, including activities required or permitted by the terms of the conveyances related to the Royalty Interests. As a result, the Trust is not permitted to acquire other oil and natural gas properties or royalty interests to replace the depleting assets and production attributable to the Trust.

An increase in the differential between the price realized by SandRidge for oil and natural gas produced from the Underlying Properties and the NYMEX or other benchmark price of oil or natural gas could reduce the proceeds to the Trust and therefore the cash distributions by the Trust and the value of Trust units.

The prices received for oil and natural gas production usually fall below benchmark prices such as NYMEX. The difference between the price received and the benchmark price is called a differential. The amount of the differential depends on a variety of factors, including discounts based on the quality and location of hydrocarbons produced, Btu content and post-production costs. These factors can cause differentials to be volatile from period to period. Sellers of production have little or no control over the factors that determine the amount of the differential, and cannot accurately predict differentials for natural gas or crude oil. Increases in the differential between the realized price of oil or natural gas and the benchmark price for oil or natural gas could reduce the proceeds to the Trust and therefore the cash distributions made by the Trust and the value of the Trust units. The target distributions were prepared (a) for natural gas using an assumed negative differential of 28% from NYMEX futures prices for natural gas, and (b) for oil using an assumed negative differential of $4.27 per barrel from NYMEX futures prices for oil.

The amount of cash available for distribution by the Trust is reduced by Trust expenses,  post-production costs and applicable taxes associated with the Royalty Interests.

The Royalty Interests and the Trust bear certain costs and expenses that reduce the amount of cash received by or available for distribution by the Trust to the holders of the Trust units. These costs and expenses include the following:

·the Trust’s share of the costs incurred by SandRidge to gather, store, compress, transport, process, treat, dehydrate and market the oil, natural gas and NGL (excluding costs of marketing services provided by SandRidge);

·the Trust’s share of applicable taxes, including property taxes and taxes on the production of oil, natural gas and NGL;

·the Trust’s liability for Texas franchise tax; and

26

Table of Contents

·Trust administrative expenses, including fees paid to the Trustee and the Delaware Trustee, the annual administrative services fee payable to SandRidge, tax return and Schedule K-1 preparation and mailing costs, independent auditor fees and registrar and transfer agent fees, and costs associated with annual and quarterly reports to unitholders.

In addition, the amount of funds available for distribution to unitholders is reduced by the amount of any cash reserves maintained by the Trustee in respect of anticipated future Trust administrative expenses.

Further, during the subordination period, SandRidge is entitled to receive a quarterly incentive distribution from the Trust equal to 50% of the amount by which cash available to be paid to all unitholders exceeds the Incentive Threshold for the applicable quarter.

The amount of post-production costs, taxes and expenses borne by the Trust and incentive distributions payable to SandRidge may vary materially from quarter-to-quarter. The extent by which the costs and expenses of the Trust are higher or lower in any quarter will directly decrease or increase the amount received by the Trust and available for distribution to the unitholders. Historical post-production costs and taxes, however, may not be indicative of future post-production costs and taxes.

The Trust has no hedges in place to protect against the price risk inherent in holding interests in oil, a commodity that is frequently characterized by significant price volatility.

The Trust entered into a derivatives agreement with SandRidge that provided the Trust with the economic effect of certain derivative contracts for production through March 31, 2016 that were entered into between SandRidge and a third party. From inception through the termination of the hedging arrangements, the Trust received approximately $47.5 million that it would not have received without the hedging arrangements. The last of the hedging arrangements expired March 31, 2015. Consequently, unitholders no longer have the benefit of any hedging arrangements, and all production after March 31, 2015 is subject to the price risks inherent in holding interests in oil, a commodity that is frequently characterized by significant price volatility.

The Trust is administered by a Trustee who cannot be replaced except at a special meeting of Trust unitholders.

The business and affairs of the Trust are administered by the Trustee. A unitholder’s voting rights are more limited than those of stockholders of most public corporations. For example, there is no requirement for annual meetings of Trust unitholders or for an annual or other periodic re-election of the Trustee. The trust agreement provides that the Trustee may only be removed and replaced by the holders of a majority of the outstanding Trust units, excluding Trust units held by SandRidge, voting in person or by proxy at a special meeting of Trust unitholders at which a quorum is present called by either the Trustee or the holders of not less than 10% of the outstanding Trust units. As a result, it may be difficult for public unitholders to remove or replace the Trustee without the cooperation of holders of a substantial percentage of the outstanding Trust units.

Trust unitholders have limited ability to enforce provisions of the Royalty Interests, and SandRidge’s liability to the Trust is limited.

The trust agreement permits the Trustee and the Trust to sue SandRidge or any other future owner of the Underlying Properties to enforce the terms of the conveyances creating the Royalty Interests. If the Trustee does not take appropriate action to enforce provisions of these conveyances, a Trust unitholder’s recourse would be limited to bringing a lawsuit against the Trustee to compel the Trustee to take specified actions. The trust agreement expressly limits a Trust unitholder’s ability to directly sue SandRidge or any other party other than the Trustee. As a result, Trust unitholders will not be able to sue SandRidge or any future owner of the Underlying Properties to enforce the Trust’s rights under the conveyances. Furthermore, the Royalty Interest conveyances provide that, except as set forth in the conveyances, SandRidge will not be liable to the Trust for the manner in which it performs its duties in operating the Underlying Properties as long as it acts in good faith and, to the fullest extent permitted by law, will owe no fiduciary duties to the Trust or the unitholders.

Courts outside of Delaware may not recognize the limited liability of the Trust unitholders provided under Delaware law.

Under the Delaware Statutory Trust Act, Trust unitholders are entitled to the same limitation of personal liability extended to stockholders of private corporations for profit under the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware. However, courts in jurisdictions outside of Delaware may not give effect to such limitation.

27

Table of Contents

The sale of Trust units by SandRidge could have an adverse impact on the trading price of the common units.

As of March 8, 2016, SandRidge, through SandRidge Exploration and Production, LLC (“SandRidge E&P”), owned 13,125,000 common units. SandRidge may sell Trust units in the public or private markets, and any such sales could have an adverse impact on the price of the common units. On March 14, 2012, September 9, 2013 and January 9, 2014, SandRidge E&P sold 2,000,000, 1,050,000 and 1,825,000 respectively of its common units in transactions pursuant to Rule 144 under the Securities Act.

SandRidge could have interests that conflict with the interests of the Trust and Trust unitholders.

As a working interest owner in the Underlying Properties, SandRidge could have interests that conflict with the interests of the Trust and the Trust unitholders. For example:

·Notwithstanding its fulfillment of its drilling obligation to the Trust, SandRidge’s interests may conflict with those of the Trust and the Trust unitholders in situations involving the maintenance, operation or abandonment of the Underlying Properties. Additionally, SandRidge may, consistent with its obligation to act as a reasonably prudent operator, abandon a well that is uneconomic or not generating revenues from production in excess of its operating costs, even though such well is still generating revenue for the Trust unitholders. SandRidge may make decisions with respect to expenditures and decisions to allocate resources on projects in other areas that adversely affect the Underlying Properties, including reducing expenditures on these properties, which could cause oil, natural gas and NGL  production to decline at a faster rate and thereby result in lower cash distributions by the Trust in the future.

·SandRidge may, without the consent or approval of the Trust unitholders, sell all or any part of its retained interest in the Underlying Properties, if the Underlying Properties are sold subject to and burdened by the Royalty Interests. Such sale may not be in the best interests of the Trust and Trust unitholders. For example, any purchaser may lack SandRidge’s experience in the Permian Basin or its creditworthiness.

·SandRidge may, without the consent or approval of the Trust unitholders, require the Trust to release Royalty Interests with an aggregate value of up to $5.0 million during any 12-month period in connection with a sale by SandRidge of a portion of its retained interest in the Underlying Properties. The fair value received by the Trust for such Royalty Interests may not fully compensate the Trust for the value of future production attributable to the Royalty Interests disposed of.

·SandRidge is permitted under the conveyance agreements creating the Royalty Interests to enter into new processing and transportation contracts without obtaining bids from or otherwise negotiating with any independent third parties, and SandRidge will deduct from the Trust’s proceeds any charges under such contracts attributable to production from the Trust properties.

·SandRidge can sell its Trust units regardless of the effects such sale may have on common unit prices or on the Trust itself. Additionally, SandRidge can vote its Trust units in its sole discretion.

In addition, SandRidge has agreed that, if at any time the Trust’s cash on hand (including available cash reserves) is not sufficient to pay the Trust’s ordinary course administrative expenses as they become due, SandRidge will, at the Trustee’s request, loan funds to the Trust necessary to pay such expenses. Any such loan will be on an unsecured basis, and the terms of such loan will be substantially the same as those which would be obtained in an arms’ length transaction between SandRidge and an unaffiliated third party. If SandRidge provides such funds to the Trust, it would become a creditor of the Trust and its interests as a creditor could conflict with the interests of unitholders.

SandRidge may sell all or a portion of the Underlying Properties, subject to and burdened by the Royalty Interests; any such purchaser could have a weaker financial position and/or be less experienced in oil and natural gas development and production than SandRidge.

Unitholders will not be entitled to vote on any sale of the Underlying Properties if the Underlying Properties are sold subject to and burdened by the Royalty Interests and the Trust will not receive any proceeds from any such sale. The purchaser would be responsible for all of SandRidge’s obligations relating to the Royalty Interests on the portion of the Underlying Properties sold, and SandRidge would have no continuing obligation to the Trust for those properties. Additionally, SandRidge may enter into farmout or joint venture arrangements with respect to the wells burdened by the Trust’s Royalty Interest. Any purchaser, farmout counterparty or joint venture partner could have a weaker financial position and/or be less experienced in oil and natural gas development and production than SandRidge.

28

Table of Contents

SandRidge’s ability to satisfy its obligations to the Trust depends on its financial position, and in the event of SandRidge’s bankruptcy, it would be expensive and time-consuming for the Trust to exercise its remedies.

As of December 31, 2015, SandRidge is the operator of all of the Initial Wells together with the wells drilled as Trust Development Wells through December 31, 2014. The conveyances provide that SandRidge is obligated to market, or cause to be marketed, the oil and natural gas production related to the Underlying Properties. If SandRidge defaults on its obligation the cash distributions to the Trust unitholders may be materially reduced. The Trust is highly dependent on its Trustor, SandRidge, for multiple services, including the operation of the Trust development wells, remittance of net proceeds from the sale of associated production to the Trust, administrative services such as accounting, tax preparation, bookkeeping and informational services performed on behalf of the Trust. Due to the Trust’s reliance on SandRidge to fulfill these obligations, the value of the Royalty Interests and its ultimate cash available for distribution is highly dependent on SandRidge’s performance. SandRidge has identified uncertainties that raise substantial doubt about its ability to continue as a going concern.  In the event of bankruptcy of SandRidge, other working interest owners in Trust wells may seek to replace SandRidge as operator of such wells, and this could result in reduced production of reserves and decreased distributions to Trust unitholders.  Currently, SandRidge has been de-listed from the New York Stock Exchange and is considering strategic alternatives.

The bankruptcy of operators could impede the operation of wells.

The value of the Royalty Interests and the Trust’s ultimate cash available for distribution is highly dependent on the financial condition of the operator of the wells. SandRidge has not agreed with the Trust to maintain a certain net worth or to be restricted by other similar covenants.

The ability to operate the Underlying Properties depends on all operators’ future financial condition and economic performance and access to capital, which in turn will depend upon the supply and demand for oil, natural gas and NGL, prevailing economic conditions and financial, business and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of such operators.

In the event of the bankruptcy of SandRidge or any other future operator of the Underlying Properties, the working interest owners in the affected properties, creditors or the debtor-in-possession would have to seek a new party to perform the operations of the affected wells. SandRidge or the other working interest owners may not be able to find a replacement operator, and they may not be able to enter into a new agreement with such replacement party on favorable terms or within a reasonable period of time. As a result, such a bankruptcy may result in reduced production of reserves and decreased distributions to Trust unitholders. SandRidge has identified uncertainties that raise substantial doubt about its ability to continue as a going concern.  In the event of bankruptcy of SandRidge, other working interest owners in Trust wells may seek to replace SandRidge as operator of such wells, and this could result in reduced production of reserves and decreased distributions to Trust unitholders.  Currently, SandRidge has been de-listed from the New York Stock Exchange and is considering strategic alternatives

Oil and natural gas wells are subject to operational hazards that can cause substantial losses. SandRidge maintains insurance; however, SandRidge may not be adequately insured for all such hazards.

There are a variety of operating risks inherent in oil, natural gas and NGL production and associated activities, such as fires, leaks, explosions, mechanical problems, major equipment failures, blowouts, uncontrollable flow of oil, NGL, natural gas, water or drilling fluids, casing collapses, abnormally pressurized formations and natural disasters. The occurrence of any of these or similar accidents that temporarily or permanently halt the production and sale of oil, natural gas and NGL at any of the Underlying Properties will reduce Trust distributions by reducing the amount of proceeds available for distribution.

Additionally, if any of such risks or similar accidents occur, SandRidge could incur substantial losses as a result of injury or loss of life, severe damage or destruction of property, natural resources and equipment, regulatory investigation and penalties and environmental damage and clean-up responsibility. If SandRidge experiences any of these problems, its ability to conduct operations and perform its obligations to the Trust could be adversely affected. While SandRidge maintains insurance coverage it deems appropriate for these risks with respect to the Underlying Properties, SandRidge’s operations may result in liabilities exceeding such insurance coverage or liabilities not covered by insurance. If a well is damaged, SandRidge would have no obligation to drill a replacement well or make the Trust whole for the loss.

The operation of the Underlying Properties is subject to complex federal, state, local and other laws and regulations that could adversely affect the cost, manner and feasibility of conducting operations on the properties, which in turn could negatively impact trust distributions, estimated and actual future net revenues to the trust and estimates of reserves attributable to the Trust’s interests.

29

Table of Contents

Oil, natural gas and NGL production, transportation and treatment operations are subject to complex and stringent laws and regulations. In order to conduct operations in compliance with these laws and regulations, numerous permits, approvals and certificates are required from various federal, state and local governmental authorities. Compliance with these existing laws and regulations may require the incurrence of substantial costs by SandRidge or other operators of the Underlying Properties. Additionally, there has been a variety of regulatory initiatives at the federal and state levels to further regulate oil and natural gas operations in certain locations. Any increased regulation or suspension of oil and natural gas operations, or revision or reinterpretation of existing laws and regulation, could result in delays and higher operating costs. Such costs or significant delays could have a material adverse effect on the operation of the Underlying Properties, which in turn could negatively impact Trust distributions, estimated and actual future net revenues to the Trust and estimates of reserves attributable to the Trust’s interests.

Laws and regulations governing oil and natural gas exploration and production may also affect production levels. SandRidge is required to comply with federal and state laws and regulations governing conservation matters, including provisions related to the unitization or pooling of the oil and natural gas properties; the establishment of maximum rates of production from wells; the spacing of wells; and the plugging and abandonment of wells. These and other laws and regulations can limit the amount of oil, natural gas and NGL SandRidge can produce from its wells, which in turn could negatively impact Trust distributions, estimated and actual future net revenues to the Trust and estimates of reserves attributable to the Trust’s interests.

New laws or regulations, or changes to existing laws or regulations may unfavorably impact SandRidge, could result in increased operating costs and could have a material adverse effect on SandRidge’s financial condition and results of operations.

Additionally, federal and state regulatory authorities may expand or alter applicable pipeline safety laws and regulations, compliance with which may require increased capital costs on the part of SandRidge and third-party downstream oil, natural gas and NGL transporters. These and other potential regulations could increase SandRidge’s operating costs, reduce SandRidge’s liquidity, delay SandRidge’s operations, increase direct and third-party post production costs associated with the Trust’s interests or otherwise alter the way SandRidge conducts its business, which could have a material adverse effect on SandRidge’s financial condition, results of operations and cash flows and which could reduce cash received by or available for distribution, including any amounts paid by SandRidge for transportation on downstream interstate pipelines.

The operation of the Underlying Properties is subject to environmental and occupational safety and health laws and regulations that could adversely affect the cost, manner or feasibility of conducting operations or result in significant costs and liabilities.

The oil, natural gas and NGL production operations on the Underlying Properties are subject to stringent federal, state, regional and local laws and regulations governing worker safety and health, the discharge of materials into the environment or otherwise relating to environmental protection. These laws and regulations may impose numerous obligations that are applicable to operations of the Underlying Properties, including the acquisition of permits to conduct drilling and the performance of other regulated activities; the restriction of types, quantities and concentrations of materials that can be released into the environment; the imposition of safety and health regulations designed to protect employees from exposure to hazardous substances; and the imposition of substantial liabilities for pollution resulting from operations. Numerous governmental authorities, such as the EPA and analogous state agencies have the power to enforce compliance with these laws and regulations and the permits issued under them, often requiring difficult and costly actions. Failure to comply with these laws and regulations may result in litigation; the assessment of sanctions, including administrative, civil and criminal penalties; the imposition of investigatory, remedial or corrective action obligations; the occurrence of delays or restrictions in permitting or performance of projects; and the issuance of injunctions limiting or preventing some or all operations relating to the Underlying Properties in affected areas.

There is inherent risk of incurring significant environmental costs and liabilities in the performance of operations at the Underlying Properties due to the handling of petroleum hydrocarbons and wastes, because of air emissions and wastewater discharges related to operations, and as a result of historical industry operations and waste disposal practices. Under certain environmental laws and regulations, an operator could be subject to strict, joint and several strict liability for the investigation, removal or remediation of previously released materials or property contamination regardless of whether the operator was responsible for the release or contamination or whether the operations were in compliance with all applicable laws at the time the release or contamination occurred. Private parties, including the owners of properties upon which wells are drilled and facilities where petroleum hydrocarbons or wastes are taken for reclamation or disposal may also have the right to pursue legal actions to enforce compliance, as well as to seek damages for contamination even in the absence of non-compliance, with environmental laws and regulations or for personal injury or property damage.

In addition, the risk of accidental spills or releases could expose an operator to significant liabilities that could have a material adverse effect on its financial condition or results of operations. Certain laws related to oil spills impose strict, joint and several strict liability, without regard to fault, for all containment and oil removal costs and a variety of public and private damages including, but

30

Table of Contents

not limited to, the costs of responding to a release of oil, natural resource damages, and economic damages suffered by persons adversely affected by an oil spill. Although defenses exist to the liability imposed by those laws, they are limited. If an oil discharge or substantial threat of discharge were to occur, an operator may be liable for costs and damages, which costs and damages could be material to its results of operations and financial position.

Changes in environmental laws and regulations occur frequently, and any changes that result in delays or restrictions in permitting or development of projects or more stringent or costly construction, drilling, water management, or completion activities or waste handling, storage, transport, remediation or disposal , emission or discharge requirements could require significant expenditures by SandRidge to attain and maintain compliance and may otherwise have a material adverse effect on the results of operations, competitive position or financial condition of SandRidge. For example, in October 2015, the EPA issued a final rule under the Clean Air Act, lowering the NAAQS for ground-level ozone to 70 parts per billion under both the primary and secondary standards to provide requisite protection of public health and welfare, respectively. SandRidge may not be able to recover some or any of these costs from insurance. The occurrence of any of these matters could have a material adverse effect on the Trust.

Climate change laws and regulations restricting emissions of GHGs could result in increased operating costs and reduced demand for the oil, natural gas and NGL produced from the Underlying Properties while the physical effects of climate change could disrupt production and cause SandRidge to incur significant costs in preparing for or responding to those effects.

The EPA has published its findings that emissions of GHGs present a danger to public health and the environment because emissions of such gases are contributing to warming of the Earth’s atmosphere and other climatic changes. Based on these findings, the EPA has adopted rules that, among other things, establish PSD construction and Title V operating permit reviews for GHG emissions from certain large stationary sources that already are potential major sources of certain principal, or criteria, pollutant emissions.  Facilities required to obtain PSD permits for their GHG emissions also will be required to meet “best available control technology” standards.  In addition, the EPA has adopted rules requiring the reporting of GHG emissions from oil, natural gas and NGL production and processing facilities in the United States on an annual basis. However, the adoption and implementation of any regulations imposing reporting obligations on, or limiting emissions of GHGs from, SandRidge’s equipment and operations could require SandRidge to incur additional costs to reduce emissions of GHGs associated with its operations or could adversely affect demand for the oil, natural gas and NGL that it produces. Finally, to the extent increasing concentrations of GHGs in the Earth’s atmosphere may produce climate changes that have significant physical effects, such as increased frequency and severity of storms, droughts, and floods and other climatic events, such events could have a material adverse effect on the Underlying Properties, and potentially subject SandRidge to greater regulation.

While Congress has from time to time considered legislation to reduce emissions of GHGs, there has not been significant activity in the form of adopted legislation to reduce GHG emissions at the federal level.  As a result, a number of state and regional efforts have emerged that are aimed at tracking and/or reducing GHG emissions by means of cap and trade programs that typically require major sources of GHG emissions to acquire and surrender emission allowances in return for emitting those GHGs.  The adoption of any legislation or regulations imposing reporting obligations on, or limiting emissions of GHGs from, equipment and operations related to the Underlying Properties could require costs to be incurred by SandRidge or other operators of the Underlying Properties to reduce emissions of GHGs associated with operations or could adversely affect demand for the oil, natural gas and NGL production attributable to the Royalty Interests.  For example, in August 2015, the EPA announced proposed rules, expected to be finalized in 2016, that would establish new controls for methane emissions from certain new, modified or reconstructed equipment and processes in the oil and natural gas source category, including production activities, as part of an overall effort to reduce methane emissions by up to 45 percent in 2025.  On an international level, the United States is one of almost 200 nations that agreed in December 2015 to an international climate change agreement in Paris, France that calls for countries to set their own GHG emissions targets and be transparent about the measures each country will use to achieve its GHG emissions targets.  It is not possible at this time to predict how or when the United States might impose restrictions on GHGs as a result of the international climate change agreement.  Any such legislation or regulatory programs could also increase the cost to the consumer, and thereby reduce demand for the oil, natural gas and NGL produced from the Underlying Properties. SandRidge may, consistent with its obligation to act as a reasonably prudent operator, abandon a well that is uneconomic or not generating revenues from production in excess of its operating costs, even though such well is still generating revenue for the Trust unitholders.

The Trust is subject to the requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, which may impose cost and operating challenges on it.

The Trust is subject to certain of the requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 which requires, among other things, maintenance by the Trust of, and reports regarding the effectiveness of, a system of internal control over financial reporting. Complying with these requirements may pose operational challenges and may cause the Trust to incur unanticipated expenses. Any failure by the Trust to comply with these requirements could lead to a loss of public confidence in the Trust’s internal controls and in the accuracy of the Trust’s publicly reported results.

31

Table of Contents

Cyber-attacks or other failures in telecommunications or IT systems could result in information theft, data corruption and significant disruption of SandRidge’s business operations.

In recent years, SandRidge has increasingly relied on information technology (“IT”) systems and networks in connection with its business activities, including certain of its exploration, development and production activities.  SandRidge relies on digital technology, including information systems and related infrastructure, as well as cloud applications and services, to, among other things, estimate quantities of oil, natural gas and NGL reserves, analyze seismic and drilling information, process and record financial and operating data and communicate with employees and third parties.  As SandRidge’s dependence on digital technologies has increased, cyber incidents, including deliberate attacks and attempts to gain unauthorized access to computer systems and networks, have increased in frequency and sophistication.  These threats pose a risk to the security of SandRidge’s systems and networks, the confidentiality, availability and integrity of its data and the physical security of its employees and assets.  SandRidge has experienced, and expects to continue to experience, attempts from hackers and other third parties to gain unauthorized access to its IT systems and networks.  Although prior cyber-attacks have not had a material adverse impact on SandRidge’s operations or financial performance, there can be no assurance that SandRidge will be successful in preventing cyber-attacks or mitigating their effect.  Any cyber-attack could have a material adverse effect on SandRidge’s reputation, competitive position, business, financial condition and results of operations, and could have a material adverse effect on the Trust.  Cyber-attacks or security breaches also could result in litigation or regulatory action, as well as significant additional expense to SandRidge to implement further data protection measures.

In addition to the risks presented to SandRidge’s systems and networks, cyber-attacks affecting oil and natural gas distribution systems maintained by third parties, or the networks and infrastructure on which they rely, could delay or prevent delivery to markets. A cyber-attack of this nature would be outside SandRidge’s ability to control, but could have a material adverse effect on SandRidge’s business, financial condition and results of operations, and could have a material adverse effect on the Trust.

Cyber-attacks or other failures in telecommunications or IT systems could result in information theft, data corruption and significant disruption of the Trustee’s operations.

The Trustee depends heavily upon IT systems and networks in connection with its business activities. Despite a variety of security measures implemented by the Trustee, events such as the loss or theft of back-up tapes or other data storage media could occur, and the Trustee’s computer systems could be subject to physical and electronic break-ins, cyber-attacks and similar disruptions from unauthorized tampering, including threats that may come from external factors, such as governments, organized crime, hackers and third parties to whom certain functions are outsourced, or may originate internally from within the respective companies.

If a cyber-attack were to occur, it could potentially jeopardize the confidential, proprietary and other information processed and stored in, and transmitted through, the Trustee’s computer systems and networks, or otherwise cause interruptions or malfunctions in the operations of the Trust, which could result in litigation, increased costs and regulatory penalties. Although steps are taken to prevent and detect such attacks, it is possible that a cyber incident will not be discovered for some time after it occurs, which could increase exposure to these consequences.

Legislation or regulatory initiatives intended to address seismic activity are restricting and could further restrict SandRidge’s ability and the ability of the operators of wells in which SandRidge owns an interest to dispose of saltwater produced alongside hydrocarbons.

Large volumes of saltwater produced alongside SandRidge’s oil, natural gas and NGL in connection with drilling and production operations are disposed of pursuant to permits issued by governmental authorities overseeing such disposal activities. While these permits are issued pursuant to existing laws and regulations, these legal requirements are subject to change, which could result in the imposition of more stringent operating constraints or new monitoring and reporting requirements, owing to, among other things, concerns of the public or governmental authorities regarding such gathering or disposal activities.

Furthermore, in response to recent seismic events near underground disposal wells used for the disposal by injection of produced water resulting from oil and natural gas activities, federal and some state agencies are investigating whether such wells have caused increased seismic activity, and some states have restricted, suspended or shut down the use of such disposal wells. For example, on October 28, 2014, the Texas Railroad Commission, or TRC, published a new rule governing permitting or re-permitting of disposal wells that would require, among other things, the submission of information on seismic events occurring within a specified radius of the disposal well location, as well as logs, geologic cross sections and structure maps relating to the disposal area in question. If the permittee or an applicant of a disposal well permit fails to demonstrate that the saltwater or other fluids are confined to the disposal zone or if scientific data indicates such a disposal well is likely to be or determined to be contributing to seismic activity, then the TRC may deny, modify, suspend or terminate the permit application or existing operating permit for that well. Evaluation of seismic incidents and whether or to what extent those events are induced by the injection of saltwater into disposal wells continues to

32

Table of Contents

evolve, as governmental authorities consider new and/or past seismic incidents in areas where salt water disposal activities occur or are proposed to be performed.  The adoption of any new laws, regulations, or directives that restrict SandRidge’s ability to dispose of saltwater generated by production and development activities on the Underlying Properties, whether by plugging back the depths of disposal wells, reducing the volume of salt water disposed in such wells, restricting disposal well locations or otherwise, or by requiring SandRidge to shut down disposal wells, which could negatively affect the economic lives of the Underlying Properties.

The adoption and implementation of any new laws, regulations or legal directives that restrict SandRidge’s ability to dispose of saltwater, by limiting volumes, disposal rates, disposal well locations or otherwise, or requiring SandRidge to shut down disposal wells, could require SandRidge or the operators of wells in which SandRidge or the Trust have interests to shut in a substantial number of such wells and, accordingly, could materially and adversely affect SandRidge’s business, financial condition and results of operations, and could have a material adverse effect on the Trust.

Federal, state and local legislative and regulatory initiatives relating to hydraulic fracturing, as well as governmental reviews of such activities, could result in increased costs and additional operating restrictions or delays and adversely affect the Company’s production.

Hydraulic fracturing is a common practice that is used to stimulate production of hydrocarbons from tight formations. SandRidge routinely utilizes hydraulic fracturing techniques in the majority of its drilling and completion programs. The process involves the injection of water, sand and additives under pressure into targeted subsurface formations to stimulate oil and gas production. The process is typically regulated by state oil and gas commissions, but several federal agencies have asserted regulatory authority over certain aspects of the process. For example, the EPA issued Clean Air Act final regulations in 2012 and proposed additional Clean Air Act regulations in August 2015 governing performance standards for the oil and natural gas industry; proposed in April 2015 effluent limitations guidelines that waste water from shale natural gas extraction operations must meet before discharging to a treatment plant; and issued in 2014 a prepublication of its Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking regarding Toxic Substances Control Act reporting of the chemical substances and mixtures used in hydraulic fracturing.  Also, the BLM published a final rule in March 2015 that establishes new or more stringent standards for performing hydraulic fracturing on federal and Indian lands but, in September 2015, the U.S. District Court of Wyoming issued a preliminary injunction barring implementation of this rule, which order the BLM could appeal and is being separately appealed by certain environmental groups.  The BLM also proposed new rules in January 2016 which seek to limit methane emissions from new and existing oil and gas operations on federal lands.  The proposal would limit venting and flaring of gas, impose leak detection and repair requirements on wellsite equipment and compressors, and also require the installation of new controls on pneumatic pumps, and other activities at the wellsite such as downhole well maintenance and liquids unloading and drilling workovers and completions to reduce leaks of methane.  From time to time, the U.S. Congress has considered adopting legislation intended to provide for federal regulation of hydraulic fracturing and to require disclosure of the chemicals used in the hydraulic fracturing process. In addition, certain states, including Oklahoma, have adopted regulations that could impose new or more stringent permitting, disclosure, and well-construction requirements on hydraulic-fracturing operations. States could elect to prohibit hydraulic fracturing altogether, following the approach of the State of New York in 2015.  Also, local land use restrictions, such as city ordinances, may restrict or prohibit drilling in general or hydraulic fracturing in particular. If new laws or regulations that significantly restrict or regulate hydraulic fracturing are adopted at the local, state or federal level, fracturing activities with respect to the Underlying Properties could become subject to additional permit requirements, reporting requirements or operational restrictions and also to associated permitting delays and potential increases in costs. These delays or additional costs could adversely affect the determination of whether a well is commercially viable. Restrictions on hydraulic fracturing could also reduce the amount of oil, NGL or natural gas that is ultimately produced in commercial quantities from the Underlying Properties.

In addition to asserting regulatory authority, certain government reviews are underway that focus on environmental issues associated with hydraulic fracturing practices. For example, the White House Council on Environmental Quality is coordinating an administration-wide review of hydraulic fracturing practices.  Also, the EPA released its draft report on the potential impacts of hydraulic fracturing on drinking water resources in June 2015, which report concluded that hydraulic fracturing activities have not led to widespread, systemic impacts on drinking water sources in the United States, although there are above and below ground mechanisms by which hydraulic fracturing activities have the potential to impact drinking water sources.  However, in January 2016, the EPA’s Science Advisory Board provided its comments on the draft study, indicating its concern that the EPA’s conclusion of no widespread, systemic impacts on drinking water sources arising from fracturing activities did not reflect the uncertainties and data limitations associated with such impacts, as described in the body of the draft report.  The final version of this EPA report remains pending and is expected to be completed in 2016.  Such EPA final report, when issued, as well as any future studies, depending on their degree of pursuit and any meaningful results obtained, could spur initiatives to further regulate hydraulic fracturing.

33

Table of Contents

Tax Risks Related to the Units

The Trust’s tax treatment depends on its status as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes. If the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) were to treat the Trust as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes, then its cash available for distribution to unitholders would be substantially reduced.

The anticipated after-tax economic benefit of an investment in the Trust units depends largely on the Trust being treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes. The Trust has not requested, and does not plan to request, a ruling from the IRS, on this or any other tax matter affecting it.

It is possible in certain circumstances for a publicly traded trust otherwise treated as a partnership, such as the Trust, to be treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes. In addition, a change in current law could cause the Trust to be treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes or otherwise subject it to federal taxation as an entity.

If the Trust were treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes, it would pay federal income tax on its taxable income at the corporate tax rate, which is currently a maximum of 35%, and would likely be required to also pay state income tax on its taxable income at the corporate tax rate of such state. Distributions to unitholders would generally be taxed again as corporate distributions, and no income, gains, losses, deductions or credits would flow through to unitholders without first being subjected to taxation at the entity level. Because additional tax would be imposed upon the Trust as a corporation, its cash available for distribution to unitholders would be substantially reduced. Therefore, treatment of the Trust as a corporation would result in a material reduction in the anticipated cash flow and after-tax return to the Trust unitholders, likely causing a substantial reduction in the value of the Trust units.

The trust agreement provides that if a law is enacted or existing law is modified or interpreted in a manner that subjects the Trust to additional amounts of entity-level taxation for state or local income tax purposes, the Subordination Threshold amounts, Incentive Threshold amounts and target distribution amounts may be adjusted to reflect the impact of that law on the Trust.

If the Trust were subjected to a material amount of additional entity-level taxation by individual states, it would reduce the Trust’s cash available for distribution to unitholders.

The Trust is required to pay Texas franchise tax each year at a maximum effective rate (subject to changes in the statutory rate) of 0.525% of its gross income apportioned to Texas for 2015 and future years and 0.7% of its gross income apportioned to Texas for 2014 and prior years. This rate of tax is subject to change by new legislation at any time.

Changes in current state law may subject the Trust to additional entity-level taxation by individual states. Because of widespread state budget deficits and other reasons, several states are evaluating ways to subject partnerships to entity-level taxation through the imposition of state income, franchise and other forms of taxation.

Additional imposition of such taxes may substantially reduce the cash available for distribution to unitholders and, therefore, negatively impact the value of an investment in Trust units. The trust agreement provides that if a law is enacted or existing law is modified or interpreted in a manner that subjects the Trust to additional amounts of entity-level taxation for state or local income tax purposes, the Subordination Threshold amounts, Incentive Threshold amounts and target distribution amounts may be adjusted to reflect the impact of that law on the Trust.

The tax treatment of an investment in Trust units could be affected by recent and potential legislative changes, possibly on a retroactive basis.

The Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 includes a provision that, in taxable years beginning after December 31, 2012, subjects an individual having adjusted gross income in excess of $200,000 (or $250,000 for married taxpayers filing joint returns) to an additional “Medicare tax” equal to 3.8% of the lesser of such excess or the individual’s net investment income. For this purpose, net investment income generally includes interest income and royalty income derived from investments such as the Trust units as well as any net gain from the disposition of Trust units. Under current law, the highest marginal U.S. federal income tax rate applicable to ordinary income and long-term capital gains of individuals is 39.6% and 20%, respectively. Moreover, these rates are subject to change by new legislation at any time.

Current law may change so as to cause the Trust to be treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes or otherwise subject the Trust to entity-level taxation. Specifically, the present U.S. federal income tax treatment of publicly traded partnerships, including the Trust, or an investment in the Trust units may be modified by administrative, legislative or judicial interpretation at any time. For example, the Obama administration’s budget proposal for fiscal year 2017 recommends that certain publicly traded

34

Table of Contents

partnerships earning qualifying income from activities related to fossil fuels be taxed as corporations beginning in 2022.  The Obama administration’s budget proposal or other similar proposals, if successful, would eliminate the qualifying income exception for publicly traded partnerships deriving qualifying income from activities relating to fossil fuels thus treating such partnerships as corporations. We currently rely upon this qualifying income exemption for our treatment of the Trust as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

Any modification to the U.S. federal income tax laws may be applied retroactively and could make it more difficult or impossible for us to meet the exception for certain publicly traded partnerships to be treated as partnerships for U.S. federal income tax purposes.  We are unable to predict whether any of these changes or other proposals will ultimately be enacted.  Any such changes could have a material adverse effect on the value of the Trust units.

The Trust has adopted and may continue to adopt positions that may not conform to all aspects of existing Treasury Regulations. If the IRS contests the tax positions the Trust takes, the value of the Trust units may be adversely affected, the cost of any IRS contest will reduce the Trust’s cash available for distribution and income, gains, losses and deductions may be reallocated among Trust unitholders. Recently enacted federal legislation alters the procedures for assessing and collecting income taxes due for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017, in a manner that could substantially reduce cash available for distribution to Trust unitholders.

If the IRS contests any of the U.S. federal income tax positions the Trust takes or has taken, the value of the Trust units may be adversely affected because the cost of any IRS contest will reduce the Trust’s cash available for distribution and income, gain, loss and deduction may be reallocated among Trust unitholders. For example, the Trust generally prorates its items of income, gain, loss and deduction between transferors and transferees of the Trust units each quarter based upon the record ownership of the Trust units on the quarterly record date in such quarter, instead of on the basis of the date a particular Trust unit is transferred. Although simplifying conventions are contemplated by the Internal Revenue Code, and most publicly traded partnerships use similar simplifying conventions, the use of these methods may not be permitted under existing Treasury Regulations.

The Trust has not requested a ruling from the IRS with respect to its treatment as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes or any other matter affecting the Trust. The IRS may adopt positions that differ from the conclusions of SandRidge’s counsel or from the positions the Trust takes. It may be necessary to resort to administrative or court proceedings to attempt to sustain some or all of the conclusions of SandRidge’s counsel or the positions the Trust takes. A court may not agree with some or all of the conclusions of SandRidge’s counsel or positions the Trust takes. Any contest with the IRS may materially and adversely impact the market for the Trust units and the price at which they trade. In addition, the Trust’s costs of any contest with the IRS will be borne indirectly by the Trust unitholders because the costs will reduce the Trust’s cash available for distribution.

Recently enacted federal legislation applicable to the Trust for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017 alters the procedures for auditing large partnerships and also alters the procedures for assessing and collecting income taxes due (including applicable penalties and interest) as a result of an audit. Unless the Trust is eligible to (and chooses to) elect to issue revised Schedules K-1 to our partners with respect to an audited and adjusted return, the IRS may assess and collect income taxes (including any applicable penalties and interest) directly from the Trust in the year in which the audit is completed under the new rules. If the Trust is required to pay income taxes, penalties and interest as the result of audit adjustments, cash available for distribution to Trust unitholders may be substantially reduced. In addition, because payment would be due for the taxable year in which the audit is completed, Trust unitholders during that taxable year would bear the expense of the adjustment even if they were not Trust unitholders during the audited taxable year.

Each unitholder is required to pay taxes on the unitholder’s share of the Trust’s income even if a unitholder does not receive cash distributions from the Trust equal to the unitholder’s share of the Trust’s taxable income.

Because the Trust unitholders are treated as partners to whom the Trust allocates taxable income that could be different in amount than the cash the Trust distributes, each unitholder may be required to pay any federal income taxes and, in some cases, state and local income taxes on the unitholder’s share of the Trust’s taxable income even if a unitholder may not receive cash distributions from the Trust equal to the unitholder’s share of the Trust’s taxable income or even equal to the actual tax liability that results from that income.

Tax gain or loss on the disposition of the Trust units could be more or less than expected.

If a unitholder sells its Trust units, the unitholder will recognize a gain or loss equal to the difference between the amount realized and the unitholder’s tax basis in those Trust units. Because distributions in excess of a unitholder’s allocable share of the Trust’s net taxable income decrease the unitholder’s tax basis in its Trust units, the amount, if any, of such prior excess distributions

35

Table of Contents

with respect to the Trust units unitholders sell will, in effect, become taxable income to unitholders if unitholders sell such Trust units at a price greater than the unitholder’s tax basis in those Trust units, even if the price the unitholder receives is less than the unitholder’s original cost. Furthermore, a substantial portion of the amount realized, whether or not representing gain, may be taxed as ordinary income due to potential recapture items, including depletion recapture.

The ownership and disposition of Trust units by tax-exempt organizations and non-U.S. persons may result in adverse tax consequences to them.

Tax-Exempt Organizations.  Employee benefit plans and most other organizations exempt from U.S. federal income tax including individual retirement accounts (known as IRAs) and other retirement plans are subject to U.S. federal income tax on unrelated business taxable income. Because all of the income of the Trust is expected to be royalty income, interest income, hedging income and gain from the sale of real property, none of which is expected to be unrelated business taxable income, any such organization exempt from U.S. federal income tax is not expected to be taxable on income generated by ownership of Trust units so long as neither the property held by the Trust nor the Trust units are debt-financed property within the meaning of Section 514(b) of the Internal Revenue Code. However, investors should consult their own tax advisors.

Non-U.S. Persons.  Distributions to non-U.S. persons will be reduced by withholding taxes at the highest applicable effective tax rate, and non-U.S. persons may be required to file U.S. federal income tax returns and pay tax on their share of the Trust’s taxable income or proceeds from the sale of trust units.

The Trust treats each purchaser of Trust units as having the same economic attributes without regard to the actual Trust units purchased. The IRS may challenge this treatment, which could adversely affect the value of the Trust units.

Due to a number of factors, including the Trust’s inability to match transferors and transferees of Trust units, the Trust may adopt positions that may not conform to all aspects of existing Treasury Regulations. A successful IRS challenge to those positions could adversely alter the tax effects of an investment in Trust units. It also could affect the timing of tax benefits or the amount of gain from a unitholder’s sale of Trust units and could have a negative impact on the value of the Trust units or result in audit adjustments to a unitholder’s tax returns.

The Trust prorates its items of income, gain, loss and deduction between transferors and transferees of the Trust units each quarter based upon the record ownership of the Trust units on the quarterly record date, in such quarter, instead of on the basis of the date a particular Trust unit is transferred. The IRS may challenge this treatment, which could change the allocation of items of income, gain, loss and deduction among the Trust unitholders.

The Trust generally prorates its items of income, gain, loss and deduction between transferors and transferees of the Trust units based upon the record ownership of the Trust units on the quarterly record date in such quarter instead of on the basis of the date a particular Trust unit is transferred. The use of this proration method may not be permitted under existing Treasury Regulations, and, accordingly, SandRidge’s counsel is unable to opine as to the validity of this method. If the IRS were to challenge the Trust’s proration method, the Trust may be required to change its allocation of items of income, gain, loss and deduction among the Trust unitholders and the costs to the Trust of implementing and reporting under any such changed method may be significant.

A Trust unitholder whose Trust units are loaned to a “short seller” to cover a short sale of Trust units may be considered as having disposed of those Trust units. If so, he would no longer be treated for tax purposes as a partner with respect to those Trust units during the period of the loan and may recognize gain or loss from the disposition.

Because a Trust unitholder whose Trust units are loaned to a “short seller” to cover a short sale of Trust units may be considered as having disposed of the loaned Trust units, he may no longer be treated for tax purposes as a partner with respect to those Trust units during the period of the loan to the short seller and the unitholder may recognize gain or loss from such disposition. Moreover, during the period of the loan to the short seller, any of the Trust’s income, gains, losses or deductions with respect to those Trust units may not be reportable by the unitholder and any cash distributions received by the unitholder as to those Trust units could be fully taxable as ordinary income. Trust unitholders desiring to assure their status as partners and avoid the risk of gain recognition from a loan to a short seller are urged to modify any applicable brokerage account agreements to prohibit their brokers from loaning their Trust units.

The Trust may adopt certain valuation methodologies that may affect the income, gain, loss and deduction allocable to the Trust unitholders. The IRS may challenge this treatment, which could adversely affect the value of the Trust units.

The U.S. federal income tax consequences of the ownership and disposition of Trust units will depend in part on the Trust’s estimates of the relative fair market values, and the initial tax bases of the Trust’s assets. Although the Trust may from time to time consult with professional appraisers regarding valuation matters, the Trust will make many of the relative fair market value estimates itself. These estimates and determinations of basis are subject to challenge and will not be binding on the IRS or the courts. If the

36

Table of Contents

estimates of fair market value or basis are later found to be incorrect, the character and amount of items of income, gain, loss or deductions previously reported by Trust unitholders might change, and Trust unitholders might be required to adjust their tax liability for prior years and incur interest and penalties with respect to those adjustments.

The sale or exchange of 50% or more of the Trust’s capital and profits interests during any 12-month period will result in the termination of the Trust’s partnership status for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

The Trust will be considered to have technically terminated for U.S. federal income tax purposes if there is a sale or exchange of 50% or more of the total interests in its capital and profits within a 12-month period. For purposes of determining whether the 50% threshold has been met, multiple sales of the same Trust unit within any 12-month period will be counted only once. The Trust’s termination would, among other things, result in the closing of its taxable year for all Trust unitholders, which would result in the Trust filing two tax returns (and the Trust unitholders would receive two Schedules K-1) for one calendar year. However, the IRS announced a relief procedure whereby if a publicly traded partnership that has technically terminated requests and the IRS grants special relief, among other things, the partnership will be required to provide only a single Schedule K-1 to unitholders for the short taxable years that result from the technical termination. In the case of a unitholder reporting on a taxable year other than a calendar year ending December 31, the closing of the Trust’s taxable year as a result of any technical termination may also result in more than twelve months of the Trust’s taxable income being includable in his or her taxable income for the year of termination. A technical termination would not affect the Trust’s classification as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes, but instead, the Trust would be treated as a new partnership for tax purposes. If treated as a new partnership, the Trust must make new tax elections and could be subject to penalties if the Trust is unable to determine that a technical termination occurred.

Certain U.S. federal income tax preferences currently available with respect to oil, natural gas and NGL production may be eliminated as a result of future legislation.

The Obama administration’s budget proposals in recent years, including the budget proposal for fiscal year 2017, have included provisions eliminating certain key U.S. federal income tax preferences currently available to oil and gas exploration and production activities. Specifically, the 2017 budget proposes to repeal the percentage depletion allowance for oil and gas properties, including the Royalty Interests that are perpetual, in which case only cost depletion would be available. If this proposal were enacted into law, it could negatively impact the value of the Trust units.

Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments

None.

Item 2. Properties

Information regarding the Trust’s properties is included in Item 1 of this report. Also, refer to Note 9 to the financial statements included in Item 8 of this report.

Item 3. Legal Proceedings

None.

Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures

Not applicable.

37

Table of Contents

PART II

Item 5. Market for Common Units of the Trust, Related Unitholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Common Units.

The Trust units are listed on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) under the symbol “PER.” The range of high and low sales prices for the Trust’s common units for the periods indicated, as reported by the NYSE, and distributions per unit made by the Trust during the corresponding periods, are as follows:

On March 8, 2016, there were eight record unitholders of the Trust’s common units.

Distributions

The Trust makes quarterly cash distributions of substantially all of its cash receipts, after deducting amounts for the Trust’s administrative expenses, property tax and Texas franchise tax and cash reserves withheld by the Trustee, on or about the 60th day following the completion of each quarter.

Equity Compensation Plans

The Trust does not have any employees and, therefore, does not maintain any equity compensation plans.

Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities

None.

Purchases of Securities

There were no purchases of Trust units by the Trust or any affiliated purchaser during the fourth quarter of 2015.

38

Table of Contents

Item 6. Selected Financial Data

The information presented below should be read in conjunction with “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in Item 7 of this report and the financial statements and notes thereto contained in “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” in Item 8 of this report. The following information is not necessarily indicative of future results. The following tables set forth financial information regarding the Trust (in thousands, except per unit data).

Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

Introduction

The following discussion and analysis is intended to help the reader understand the Trust’s business, financial condition, results of operations, liquidity and capital resources. This discussion and analysis should be read in conjunction with other sections of this report, including: “Business” in Item 1, “Selected Financial Data” in Item 6 and “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” in Item 8. The discussion and analysis relate to the following subjects:

·Recent Developments

·Results of Trust Operations

·Liquidity and Capital Resources

·Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

·Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

Recent Developments

The following is a brief overview of certain matters discussed more thoroughly elsewhere in this report.

The Trust’s reserves and quarterly cash distributions are highly dependent upon the prices realized from the sale of oil, natural gas and NGL. The markets for these commodities are volatile and have experienced significant pricing declines beginning in the latter half of 2014 which continued throughout 2015 and into 2016, and settled as low as $26.21 per Bbl in February 2016. Because of the time lag between production and the related payments to the Trust (for example, payments to the Trust for 2015 were based on production from September 1, 2014 to August 31, 2015), the effects of recent lower prices have not yet been fully reflected in the payments to the Trust or in distributions to Trust unitholders.

Further, although distributions relating to production through March 31, 2015 were partially supported by hedging arrangements, no such arrangements are in place for production attributable to periods thereafter, and consequently distributions made in respect of periods subsequent to March 31, 2015 should be expected to be lower than distributions for periods prior to that time. The Trust received net settlement proceeds of approximately $26.6 million, $3.3 million and $8.9 million related to the hedging arrangements during the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013, respectively.

39

Table of Contents

SandRidge fulfilled its drilling obligation to the Trust in November 2014. Accordingly, on January 1, 2016, the day following the end of the fourth full quarter subsequent to SandRidge’s fulfillment of its drilling obligation, the subordinated units automatically converted into common units, and distributions made on common units in respect of subsequent periods no longer have the benefit of the Subordination Threshold.

Results of Trust Operations

Results of the Trust for the Years Ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013

The primary factors affecting the Trust’s revenues and costs are the quantity of oil, natural gas and NGL production attributable to the Royalty Interests, the prices received for such production and amounts paid or received as net settlements under the derivatives agreement during its term. Royalty income, post-production expenses, certain taxes and derivative settlements are recorded on a cash basis when net revenue distributions are received by the Trust from SandRidge and net derivative settlements are received from the Trust’s derivative counterparties. Information regarding the Trust’s revenues, expenses, production and pricing for the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013 is presented below.

40

Table of Contents