UNITED
STATES
SECURITIES
AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington,
D.C. 20549
Form
6-K
REPORT
OF FOREIGN ISSUER PURSUANT TO RULE 13A-16 OR 15D-16 OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE
ACT OF 1934
For the
month of: May 2005
Commission
File Number: 00-115124
PETROFUND
ENERGY TRUST
(Name of
Registrant)
Barclay
Centre
600
444 7Avenue SW
Calgary,
Alberta
Canada
T2P 0X8
(Address
of Principal Executive Offices)
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual reports under
cover of Form 20-F or Form 40-F:
Form 20-F
_____ Form 40-F
__X_
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant by furnishing the information contained in
this Form is also thereby furnishing the information to the Commission pursuant
to Rule 12g3-2(b) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934:
Yes
______ No
__X_
If “Yes”
is marked, indicate below the file number assigned to the registrant in
connection with Rule 12g3-2(b): N/A
SIGNATURES
Pursuant
to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has
duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto
duly authorized.
PETROFUND
ENERGY TRUST
Date: May
12, 2005
By: ____________________________
Hugo StJ. A.
Potts, Esq.
Corporate
Secretary
EXHIBIT
Exhibit |
Description
of Exhibit |
1. |
Notice
of Annual Meeting of Unitholders and Information Circular dated February
28, 2005. |
EXHIBIT
1
NOTICE
OF ANNUAL MEETING OF
UNITHOLDERS
OF
PETROFUND
ENERGY TRUST
NOTICE IS
HEREBY GIVEN that an Annual Meeting (the “Meeting”) of the
holders (the “Unitholders”) of
trust units (“Units”) of
PETROFUND ENERGY TRUST (“Petrofund” or the
“Trust”) will
be held at the Marriott Hotel, 110-9th Avenue
SE, Calgary, Alberta on Wednesday, April 13, 2005, at the hour of 2:00 p.m.
(Calgary time) for the following purposes:
1. |
to
receive and consider the consolidated financial statements of Petrofund
for the year ended December 31, 2004, together with the auditors report
thereon; |
2. |
to
consider, and if thought fit, to pass a resolution appointing the nominees
to be elected to serve as directors of Petrofund Corp.
(“PC”)
for the ensuing year or until their successors are duly elected or
appointed; |
3. |
to
appoint the auditors of Petrofund for the ensuing year;
and |
4. |
to
transact any other business which may properly come before the Meeting or
any adjournment thereof. |
The
specific details of the matters proposed to be put before the Meeting are set
forth in the Information Circular which accompanies this Notice.
Every
registered holder of Units on February 28, 2005 is entitled to receive notice of
the Meeting and to vote such Units at the Meeting. No person acquiring Units
after such date shall be entitled to vote at the Meeting or any adjournment
thereof.
The
quorum for the Meeting is two or more individuals present in person either
holding personally or representing as proxies, in aggregate, not less than 10%
of the outstanding Units entitled to be voted at the
Meeting.
Unitholders
are requested to complete, sign, date, and return the accompanying form of proxy
in the envelope provided for that purpose, if they cannot attend the
Meeting. To be
used at the Meeting, the form of proxy must be received by Computershare Trust
Company of Canada, 9th Floor 100 University Avenue, Toronto, Ontario
M5J 2Y1, at least 24 hours prior to the commencement of the Meeting or any
adjournment thereof.
Dated at
Calgary, Alberta, this 28th day of
February, 2005.
By order
of the Board of Directors of Petrofund Corp.
(signed)
Jeffery E. Errico
President
and Chief Executive Officer
GLOSSARY
OF TERMS
The
following terms used in this Information Circular shall have the meanings set
out below:
“affiliate” and
“associate” have
the respective meanings ascribed thereto in the Securities
Act
(Ontario);
“Aggregate
Equivalent Vote Amount” means,
with respect to any matter, proposition or question on which Unitholders are
entitled to vote, consent or otherwise act at a meeting of Unitholders, the
number of votes that the holder of a Special Voting Unit would be entitled to
had the holder exchanged all of the PC Exchangeable Shares then held by the
holder for Units immediately prior to the record date set for such
meeting;
“AMEX” means
the American Stock Exchange;
“Board
of Directors” or
“Board” means
the Board of Directors of PC;
“Information
Circular” means
this Information Circular, together with all schedules hereto and information
incorporated by reference herein;
“HR&C
Committee” means
the Human Resources and Compensation Committee of the Board of
Directors;
“LTIP” means
Petrofund’s long term incentive plan approved by the Board on February 17,
2004;
“LTIP
Restricted Units” means
Units granted to a participant pursuant to the terms of the LTIP;
“Meeting” means
the annual meeting of Unitholders to be held on Wednesday, April 13, 2005 at
2:00 p.m. (Calgary time), and any adjournment thereof;
“Ordinary
Resolution” means a
resolution approved in writing by Unitholders holding not less than 50% of the
outstanding Units or a resolution passed at a meeting of Unitholders (including
an adjourned meeting) duly convened for the purpose and held in accordance with
the provisions of the Trust Indenture and passed by the affirmative votes either
in person or by proxy of the holders of not less than 50% of the Units
represented at the meeting;
“PC
Exchangeable Shares” means
non-voting exchangeable shares in the capital of PC;
“PC” or the
“Corporation” means
Petrofund Corp.;
“Petrofund” or the
“Trust” means
Petrofund Energy Trust;
“Petrofund
Incentive Plan” means
the incentive plan established on May 3, 1996, authorizing the issuance of
options to acquire Units to directors, senior officers, employees and
consultants of PC and certain related parties;
“Petrofund
Unit Rights Incentive Plan” means
the incentive plan established on January 30, 2001, authorizing the issuance of
options to acquire Units to directors, senior officers, employees and
consultants of PC and certain related parties;
“Restricted
Units” means
Units granted to a participant pursuant to the terms of the RUP;
“RUP” means
the Corporation’s restricted unit plan approved by the Board on February 17,
2004, and by the Unitholders on April 14, 2004;
“Special
Voting Unit” means a
special voting unit of Petrofund, which entitles the holder of record of the PC
Exchangeable Shares to a number of votes at each meeting of Unitholders equal to
the Aggregate Equivalent Vote Amount;
“STIP” means
the Corporation’s short term incentive plan approved by the Board on February
17, 2004;
“Trust
Indenture” or
“Indenture” means
the amended and restated trust indenture governing Petrofund dated as of
November 16, 2004 between PC and the Trustee;
“Trustee” means
Computershare Trust Company of Canada, the trustee of Petrofund;
“TSX” means
the Toronto Stock Exchange;
“Unitholders” means
the holders of Units and for the purpose of the definition of Ordinary
Resolution as used herein and other matters herein related to voting, unless the
context otherwise requires, “Unitholders” also includes the holders of the
Special Voting Units;
“Units” or
“Trust
Units” means,
collectively, the trust units of Petrofund as constituted on the date hereof and
for the purposes of the definition of Ordinary Resolution as used herein and
other matters herein related to voting, unless the context otherwise requires,
“Units” or
“Trust
Units” also
includes the Special Voting Units unless the context otherwise
requires;
“Unit
Incentive Rights” means
the options to acquire Units granted to participants pursuant to the terms of
the Petrofund Incentive Plan or the Petrofund Unit Rights Incentive Plan;
and
“Voting
Shareholder Agreement” means
the voting shareholder agreement made as of April 29, 2003, and amended as
of April 12, 2004, between PC and Petrofund relating to, among other
things, election of the Board of Directors.
PETROFUND
ENERGY TRUST
INFORMATION
CIRCULAR FOR THE
ANNUAL
MEETING TO BE HELD
ON
Wednesday, April 13, 2005
SOLICITATION
OF PROXIES
This
Information Circular is furnished in connection with the solicitation of proxies
by the management of PC on behalf of Petrofund for use
at the Meeting of Unitholders to be held at the Marriott Hotel,
110-9th Avenue
SE, Calgary, Alberta, on Wednesday, April 13, 2005 commencing at 2:00 p.m.
(Calgary time) for the purposes set forth in the Notice of Meeting accompanying
this Information Circular.
Petrofund
has outstanding two types of securities that entitle holders to vote generally
at meetings of Unitholders; Units and Special Voting Units. The Units and the
Special Voting Units vote together as a single class on all matters. Each Unit
outstanding on February 28, 2005 (the “Record
Date”) is
entitled to one vote. Each Special Voting Unit outstanding on the Record Date is
entitled to a number of votes at the Meeting equal to the Aggregate Equivalent
Vote Amount in respect of such Special Voting Unit.
In
addition to solicitation by mail, proxies for use at the Meeting may be
solicited by personal interviews, telephone or other means of communication by
directors, officers and employees of Petrofund, who will not be specifically
remunerated therefore.
Petrofund
may pay the reasonable costs incurred by persons who are the registered but not
beneficial owners of Units or the Special Voting Units (such as brokers,
dealers, other registrants under applicable securities laws, nominees and/or
custodians) sending or delivering copies of this Information Circular, the
Notice of Meeting and form of proxy to the beneficial owners of such Units or
the Special Voting Units. Petrofund will provide, without cost to such persons,
upon request to the Secretary of PC, additional copies of the foregoing
documents required for this purpose.
APPOINTMENT
AND REVOCATION OF PROXIES
A form of
proxy accompanies the Notice of Meeting and Information Circular being sent to
Unitholders. The persons named in such form of proxy are directors and officers
of PC. A
Unitholder submitting the proxy has the right to appoint a person (who need not
be a Unitholder) to be their representative at the Meeting, other than the
persons designated in the form of proxy furnished by PC. Such appointment may be
exercised by inserting the name of the appointed representative in the blank
space provided for that purpose and striking out the names of the management
nominees or by submitting another appropriate proxy. A form
of proxy will not be valid unless it is completed and delivered so it is
received by Computershare Trust Company of Canada, 9th Floor
100 University Avenue, Toronto, Ontario M5J 2Y1, at least 24 hours prior to the
commencement of the Meeting or any adjournment thereof.
A
Unitholder who has given a proxy may revoke it prior to the exercise thereof by
depositing an instrument in writing executed by such Unitholder (or by an
attorney duly authorized in writing) or, if such Unitholder is a corporation, by
an officer or attorney thereof duly
authorized, either with the Trustee or at the head office of Petrofund at 600,
444 7th Avenue
SW, Calgary, Alberta T2P 0X8 at any time up to and including the close of
business on the last day preceding the Meeting or any adjournment(s) thereof, or
with the Chairman of the Meeting on the day thereof or any adjournment(s)
thereof.
EXERCISE
OF DISCRETION BY PROXIES
The
representatives of Petrofund named in the enclosed form of proxy will vote the
Units represented thereby in accordance with the instructions of the Unitholder
who has given such proxy. If a Unitholder specifies a choice with respect to any
matter to be acted upon, the Units represented by the proxy shall be voted, or
withheld from voting, accordingly.
WHERE
NO CHOICE IS SPECIFIED, SUCH UNITS WILL BE VOTED BY THE REPRESENTATIVES OF
PETROFUND NAMED IN SUCH FORM OF PROXY IN FAVOUR OF ANY MATTER TO BE ACTED UPON,
AS DESCRIBED BELOW, AND WILL BE VOTED BY SUCH REPRESENTATIVES IN THEIR
DISCRETION ON ANY OTHER MATTERS THAT MAY PROPERLY COME BEFORE THE
MEETING.
The
enclosed form of proxy confers discretionary authority on the persons appointed
with respect to amendments or variations of matters identified in the Notice of
Meeting or other matters that may properly come before the Meeting. At the time
of printing this Information Circular, management of Petrofund are not aware of
any such amendments, variations or other matters.
NON-REGISTERED
HOLDERS
The
information set forth in this section is of significant importance to many
Unitholders, as a substantial number of the Unitholders hold Trust Units through
a broker, investment advisor or other intermediary. Unitholders who do not hold
their Trust Units in their own name (referred to herein as “Beneficial
Unitholders”) should
note that only proxies deposited by Unitholders whose names appear on the
records of the Trust as the registered holders of Trust Units can be recognized
and acted upon at the Meeting. If Trust Units are listed in an account statement
provided to a Unitholder by a broker, then in almost all cases those Trust Units
will not be registered in the Unitholder's name on the records of the Trust.
Such Trust Units will more likely be registered under the name of the
Unitholder's broker or an agent of that broker. In Canada, the vast majority of
such Trust Units are registered under the name of CDS & Co. (the
registration name for the Canadian Depository for Securities Limited, which acts
as nominee for many Canadian brokerage firms). Trust Units held by brokers or
their nominees can only be voted (for or against resolutions) upon the
instructions of the Beneficial Unitholder. Without specific instructions, the
broker/nominees are prohibited from voting Trust Units for their
clients.
Applicable
regulatory policy requires intermediaries/brokers to seek voting instructions
from Beneficial Unitholders in advance of unitholders' meetings. Every
intermediary/broker has its own mailing procedures and provides its own return
instructions, which should be carefully followed by Beneficial Unitholders in
order to ensure that their Trust Units are voted at the Meeting. Often, the form
of proxy supplied to a Beneficial Unitholder by its broker is identical to the
form of proxy provided to registered Unitholders; however, its purpose is
limited to instructing the registered Unitholder how to vote on behalf of the
Beneficial Unitholder.
The majority of brokers now delegate responsibility for obtaining instructions
from clients to ADP Investor Communications (“ADP”). ADP
typically mails a scannable voting instruction form in lieu of the form of
proxy. The Beneficial Unitholder is requested to complete and return the voting
instruction form to ADP by mail or facsimile. Alternatively the Beneficial
Unitholder can call a toll-free telephone number to vote the Trust Units held by
the Beneficial Unitholder. ADP then tabulates the results of all instructions
received and provides appropriate instructions respecting the voting of Trust
Units to be represented at the Meeting. A
Beneficial Unitholder receiving a voting instruction form cannot use that voting
instruction form to vote Trust Units directly at the Meeting as the voting
instruction form must be returned as directed by ADP well in advance of the
Meeting in order to have the Trust Units represented thereby
voted.
4
VOTING
UNITS AND PRINCIPAL HOLDERS THEREOF
As at the
Record Date, there were 99,784,458 Units (other than Special Voting Units)
issued and outstanding to which are attached voting rights and the registered
holders thereof, at the close of business on the Record Date, are entitled to
attend and vote at the Meeting on the basis of one vote for each Unit held.
Each
Special Voting Unit is entitled to a number of votes at the Meeting equal to the
Aggregate Equivalent Vote Amount in respect of such Special Voting Unit. At the
Record Date one Special Voting Unit is issued and outstanding which entitles the
registered holder to an aggregate of 939,147 votes at the Meeting.
No person
acquiring Units after the Record Date is entitled to vote at the Meeting or any
adjournment thereof.
To the
best of the knowledge of the directors and senior officers of PC, no person
beneficially owns, directly or indirectly, or exercises control or direction
over, Units and Special Voting Units carrying more than 10% of the voting rights
attached to the issued and outstanding Units and Special Voting Units which may
be voted at the Meeting.
MATTERS
TO BE ACTED UPON AT THE MEETING
CONSIDERATION
OF FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
The
consolidated financial statements of Petrofund for the year ended December 31,
2004, together with the auditors' report thereon, have been mailed to all those
Unitholders that requested that they receive copies of the financial statements
and auditors report thereon.
ELECTION
OF DIRECTORS
Pursuant
to the Voting Shareholder Agreement and the Trust Indenture, the number of
members of the Board of Directors to be nominated by Unitholders at the Meeting
has been fixed at eight members. Pursuant to the Voting Shareholder Agreement,
Unitholders are entitled to designate the individuals to be elected or appointed
as directors of PC by resolution of Unitholders and, following such designation,
the Trust will take all action necessary to elect or appoint the nominees so
designated as directors of PC. At the Meeting, Unitholders will be asked to
nominate eight persons as directors of PC to hold office until the next annual
meeting of Unitholders, or until their successors are elected or appointed.
There are currently
nine directors of PC, each of whom retires from office at the Meeting. Mr. Peter
N. Thomson, a current director of PC, is not standing for re-election at the
Meeting.
5
The
following table and the notes thereto sets forth the names of the persons
proposed to be nominated for election to the Board of Directors, all other
positions and offices with PC now held by them, their principal occupations or
employment, the period or periods of service as directors of PC and the
approximate number of Units beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, or over
which control or direction is exercised by each of them as of February 17,
2005.
Name(1) |
PC
Director Since |
Number
of Units Owned, Controlled or
Directed
as at February 17, 2005(2) |
James
E. Allard(3)(6)
Calgary,
Alberta |
April
16, 2003 |
4,482 |
Sandra
S. Cowan(4)(5)
Toronto,
Ontario |
January
17, 2002 |
26,482 |
John
F. Driscoll
Toronto,
Ontario |
July
15, 1988 |
939,147(7) |
Arthur
E. Dumont(4)(6)
Calgary,
Alberta |
July
28, 2004 |
50,437 |
Jeffery
E. Errico
Calgary,
Alberta |
April
16, 2003 |
189,041 |
Gary
L. Lee(3)
Calgary,
Alberta |
July
28, 2004 |
491 |
Wayne
M. Newhouse(5)(6)
Calgary
Alberta |
April
16, 2003 |
7,457 |
Frank
Potter(3)(5)
Toronto,
Ontario |
November
1, 2000 |
63,561 |
Notes:
(1) |
The
following describes the principal occupations of the each of the nominees
during the past five years: |
James E.
Allard received a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from the
University of Connecticut and completed the Advanced Management Program at
Harvard University. Mr. Allard has focused his career in international finance
and the petroleum industry for the past 40 years serving as CEO, CFO and
director of a number of publicly traded and private companies during that
period. During the past five years he has continued to serve on the board of the
Alberta Securities Commission, acts as the sole external trustee and advisor to
a mid-sized pension plan, and serves as a director and advisor to several
companies. From 1981 to 1995, he served as a senior executive officer of Amoco
Corporation as well as a director of Amoco Canada, then Canada's largest natural
gas producer.
Sandra S.
Cowan has been Partner and General Counsel of EdgeStone Capital Partners since
January 15, 2002. From August 1999 to January 15, 2002, Ms. Cowan was a partner
in the law firm of Goodman and Carr LLP in Toronto and, prior to August 1999,
Ms. Cowan was a partner in the law firm of Aird & Berlis LLP in
Toronto.
John F.
Driscoll is the
founding President, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Sentry Select
Capital Corp. He also founded and has been Chairman of NCE Resources Group
since 1984, and Chairman and founder of Petrofund Energy Trust since 1988.
He has been Chairman of Inter Pipeline Fund, Strategic Energy Fund, and Endev
Energy Inc. since October 2002, May 2002, and August 2002 respectively.
Mr. Driscoll has been President, since 1981, of J.F. Driscoll Investment Corp.,
a company specializing in investment management and related advisory and
consulting services. Mr. Driscoll received his Bachelor of Science degree
from the Boston College Business School and attended the New York Institute of
Finance for advanced business studies. He has more than 30 years of
diversified business experience. He is a member of the CFA Institute
(formerly the Association for Investment Management and Research) and also
attained the professional manager designation with the Canadian Institute of
Management. He has founded numerous public partnerships as well as public
and private energy and investment related companies. During the last 20
years, issuers of which Mr. Driscoll was chairman or chief executive officer
have invested or managed the investment of more than $6 billion. He is
Vice-Chair of the Royal Ontario Museum Foundation Board of Directors.
6
Arthur E.
Dumont is a Professional Engineer with a Bachelor of Science degree in
Mechanical Engineering from the University of Saskatchewan. Mr. Dumont has
over 36 years of professional experience in oil and gas, serving as president of
several Calgary based companies. He is currently President and C.E.O. of
Technicoil Corporation and serves on a number of boards and volunteer
committees. Mr. Dumont is based in Calgary and was a director of Ultima
Energy Trust prior to its recent acquisition by Petrofund.
Jeffery
E. Errico is a Professional Engineer with a Bachelor of Applied Science Degree
in Chemical Engineering from the University of British Columbia. Prior to
joining Petrofund he gained extensive experience in the areas of economic
evaluations, reservoir and operations engineering having served as a senior
executive for several oil and gas companies. Mr. Errico joined Petrofund
Energy Trust in 1995 and has played a key role in its growth. He was
appointed President in 2002 and CEO in 2003.
Gary L.
Lee is a director and principal of North West Capital Inc., a private merchant
banking firm based in Calgary. Prior to joining North West Capital he was
a lawyer with extensive experience in energy related transactions and
financings. He has been actively involved as a principal and adviser in
organizing and financing several oil and gas companies and oilfield service
companies. Mr. Lee was a director of Ultima Energy Trust until it was
acquired by Petrofund in June 2004.
Wayne M.
Newhouse is a Professional Engineer and oil and gas executive with over 40 years
of broad industry experience. Since 1995, Mr. Newhouse has served as President
of Newhouse Resource Management Ltd. and subsequently Morgas Ltd., both private
oil and gas production companies, as well as a director of several publicly
traded companies. From 1989 to 1994, Mr. Newhouse served as Senior Vice
President, Production and Senior Vice President, Exploration and International
Development of Norcen Energy Resources Ltd.
Frank
Potter attended Royal Military College of Science, and is a Fellow of the
Institute of Canadian Bankers. Mr. Potter has been
the Chairman since 1995 of Emerging Markets Advisors, Inc., a Toronto-based
consultancy that assists corporations in making and managing direct investments
internationally. Prior thereto, Mr. Potter was executive director of The World
Bank Group in Washington, and was subsequently senior advisor at the federal
Department of Finance. Mr. Potter is a director of a number of public and
private corporations and public service organizations.
(2) |
The
information as to Units beneficially owned, controlled or directed, not
being within the knowledge of Petrofund or PC, has been furnished by the
respective nominees individually. |
(3) |
Member
of the Audit Committee. In addition, Peter N. Thomson, a current director
of PC who is not standing for re-election, currently serves on the Audit
Committee. |
(4) |
Member
of the Governance Committee. Peter N. Thomson also serves on the
Governance Committee. |
(5) |
Member
of the Human Resources and Compensation
Committee. |
(6) |
Member
of the Reserves Audit Committee. |
(7) |
The
Units held or controlled by Mr. Driscoll include Units which Mr. Driscoll
is entitled to acquire in accordance with PC Exchangeable Shares held or
controlled by Mr. Driscoll as at the Record
Date. |
(8) |
Following
the Meeting, the Board of Directors may consider reconstitution of certain
of the committees of the Board, in light of Mr. Thomson, a current
director of PC, not standing for
re-election. |
The term
of office of each above nominee for director will be from the date of the
meeting at which he or she is elected until the next annual meeting, or until
his or her successor is elected or appointed.
In order
to implement the elections to the Board of Directors, the Trustee, in its
capacity as trustee of Petrofund will sign a resolution in writing confirming
those individuals designated by the Unitholders to serve as directors
immediately following the Meeting.
PROXIES
RECEIVED IN FAVOUR OF PC WILL BE VOTED FOR THE ELECTION OF THE ABOVE-NAMED
NOMINEES, UNLESS THE UNITHOLDER HAS SPECIFIED IN THE PROXY THAT HIS OR HER UNITS
ARE TO BE WITHHELD FROM VOTING IN RESPECT THEREOF. PC HAS NO REASON TO BELIEVE
THAT ANY OF THE NOMINEES WILL BE UNABLE TO SERVE AS A DIRECTOR BUT, IF A NOMINEE
IS FOR ANY REASON UNAVAILABLE TO SERVE AS A DIRECTOR, PROXIES IN FAVOUR OF PC
WILL BE VOTED IN FAVOUR OF THE REMAINING NOMINEES AND MAY BE VOTED FOR A
SUBSTITUTE NOMINEE UNLESS THE UNITHOLDER HAS SPECIFIED IN THE PROXY THAT HIS OR
HER UNITS ARE TO BE WITHHELD FROM VOTING IN RESPECT OF THE ELECTION OF
DIRECTORS.
APPOINTMENT
OF AUDITORS
PROXIES
RECEIVED IN FAVOUR OF PC WILL BE VOTED IN FAVOUR OF THE APPOINTMENT OF DELOITTE
& TOUCHE LLP, CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS, AS AUDITORS OF PETROFUND TO HOLD OFFICE
UNTIL THE NEXT ANNUAL MEETING OF UNITHOLDERS, UNLESS THE UNITHOLDER HAS
SPECIFIED IN THE PROXY THAT HIS OR
HER UNITS ARE TO BE WITHHELD FROM VOTING IN RESPECT
THEREOF.
7
Deloitte
& Touche LLP have been auditors of Petrofund since June 3, 2002. Prior to
June 3, 2002 Arthur Andersen LLP had been auditors of Petrofund since its
inception. Arthur Andersen LLP ceased practicing public accounting effective
June 3, 2002.
INFORMATION
CONCERNING PETROFUND
COMPOSITION
AND ROLE OF THE COMPENSATION COMMITTEE
The
HR&C Committee is comprised of Frank Potter, as Chairman of the committee,
Sandra S. Cowan and Wayne M. Newhouse. None of these directors are officers or
employees or former officers of Petrofund, PC, or any of their subsidiaries and
all are “unrelated” for the purposes of the TSX Guidelines, as described under
“Corporate Governance”. The HR&C Committee's mandate is focused on overall
human resource policies and procedures, including recruitment, compensation,
benefit programs, training and development of personnel and succession
planning.
REPORT
ON EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
The
Trust's compensation plan for its executive officers, including the CEO,
consists of a combination of base salary, the payment of awards under the STIP,
the grant of LTIP Restricted Units under the LTIP, and the grant of Restricted
Units under the RUP. The HR&C Committee when making such salary, bonus and
other incentive determinations, takes into consideration individual salaries,
bonuses, and benefits paid to executives and CEO’s of certain
comparable Canadian
conventional oil and gas trusts and mid-sized oil and gas companies with a
view to ensuring that the overall compensation packages for each of the
executive officers, including the CEO, are competitive. In considering the grant
of Restricted Units or the award of LTIP Restricted Units, the criteria in each
of the RUP and LTIP, as applicable, apply, and the number of Restricted Units or
LTIP Restricted Units then held by the participant is therefore not a relevant
consideration. The same competitive standards were applied to all components of
the compensation packages of the executive officers, including the CEO, and the
compensation package of the executive officers is generally in the median range
of its peer group. The HR&C Committee applies the same competitive standards
in determining all components of the compensation packages of the executive
officers, including the CEO. Such information is obtained from the independent
consultants who regularly review compensation practices in Canada.
The
Trust’s compensation plan is intended, as noted above, to be competitive with
industry, so as to act as a retention tool, while at the same time encouraging
performance excellence. The HR&C Committee when making their salary, bonus,
and incentive determinations, places equal emphasis on each component, to
maintain an equilibrium and not overemphasize any single component to the
detriment of the others. The terms of the STIP, LTIP, and RUP are set forth in
greater detail below, which descriptions include the performance measures for
the executive officers, including the CEO, and the award levels. Subject to the
discretion and judgement of the HR&C Committee, the performance measures are
weighted equally. The HR&C Committee may, however, change the weighting of
such measures from time to time in order to achieve the objectives of the STIP
and LTIP. In addition, the HR&C Committee will take into account in certain
circumstances the individual performance of the participants in determining the
awards.
The
foregoing report is respectfully submitted to Unitholders by the HR&C
Committee:
Frank
Potter - Chairman
Sandra S.
Cowan
Wayne M.
Newhouse
8
EXECUTIVE
COMPENSATION
Summary
Compensation Table
The
following table provides summary compensation information for the chief
executive officer, the chief financial officer and the next four most highly
compensated executive officers of PC whose total annual salary and bonus in the
last completed financial year exceeded $150,000 (collectively, the “Named
Executive Officers”).
|
|
|
|
|
Long-Term
Comp |
|
|
|
Annual
Compensation (“Comp”) |
Awards |
Payout |
|
Named
Executive Officer
Name
and Principal Position |
Year |
Salary(1)
($) |
Bonus(2)
($) |
Other
Annual Comp
($) |
Securities
Under Options/ SARs Granted (#) |
Shares
or Units Subject to Resale Restrictions ($) |
LTIP
Payout ($) |
All
Other Comp ($) |
Jeffery
E. Errico
President
& CEO |
2004
2003 |
$318,000
$305,000 |
(3)
$195,000 |
(4)
(4) |
-
- |
(5)
$610,000(6)(7) |
|
-
- |
Jeffrey
D. Newcommon
Executive
Vice President |
2004
2003 |
$235,000
$218,333 |
(3)
$156,000 |
(4)
(4) |
-
- |
(5)
$327,500(6)(7) |
|
-
- |
Vince
P. Moyer, CA
Senior
Vice President, Finance & CFO |
2004
2003 |
$215,000
$205,000 |
(3)
$149,500 |
(4)
(4) |
-
- |
(5)
$266,500(6)(7) |
|
-
- |
Glen
C. Fischer
Senior
Vice President, Operations |
2004
2003 |
$198,000
$185,000 |
(3)
$149,500 |
(4)
(4) |
-
- |
(5)
$240,500(6)(7) |
|
-
- |
Noel
F. Cronin
Vice
President, Production |
2004
2003 |
$165,000
$158,000 |
(3)
$40,000 |
(4)
(4) |
-
- |
$65,562(6)(8)
$56,370(6)(8) |
|
-
- |
Larry
B. Strong
Vice
President, Geosciences |
2004
2003 |
$151,250(9) |
(3)
- |
(4)
_ |
- |
$65,562
(6)(9)
- |
- |
-
- |
Notes:
(1) |
Amounts
prior to April 29, 2003 were paid by the previous manager of
Petrofund and reimbursed by PC. |
(2) |
See
“Short Term Incentive Plan”. |
(3) |
Awards
under the STIP in respect of 2004 have not yet been
determined. |
(4) |
The
value of perquisites and other personal benefits received by the Named
Executive Officers was not greater than $50,000 or 10% of the total salary
and bonus for the period. |
(5) |
Awards
under the LTIP in respect of 2004 have not yet been
determined. |
(6) |
In
the table, the dollar value of LTIP Restricted Units or Restricted Units,
as the case may be, are calculated by multiplying the number of LTIP
Restricted Units or Restricted Units awarded by the closing market price
of the Units on the date of the grant. The number of LTIP Restricted Units
or Restricted Units awarded is calculated on a different basis. See “Long
Term Incentive Plan” and “Restricted Unit
Plan”. |
(7) |
Messrs.
Errico, Newcommon, Moyer and Fischer were awarded, respectively, 24,232,
13,010, 10,587, 9,554 LTIP Restricted Units before tax, equating to
14,782, 7,936, 6,458, and 5,828 LTIP Restricted Units after tax , in
respect of 2003 and, subject to the grant of LTIP Restricted Units in
respect of 2004 (which awards have not yet been made), represent all of
the LTIP Restricted Units held by each of them. The LTIP Restricted Units
held vested as to two-thirds on December 31, 2003 and one-third on
December 31, 2004. Distributions in respect of LTIP Restricted Units
are credited and notionally reinvested, as described under “Restricted
Unit Plan” and “Long Term Incentive Plan”, as
applicable. |
(8) |
Mr.
Cronin received 3,000 Restricted Units awarded under the RUP in respect of
2003 and 4,200 Restricted Units in respect of 2004; these represent all of
the Restricted Units held by him. The 2003 Restricted Units held vested as
to one-third on January 1, 2004, one-third on January 1, 2005,
and the last one third will vest January 1, 2006, and the 2004
Restricted Units will vest as to one-third on January 1, 2006,
one-third on January 1, 2007, and one third on January 1,
2008. |
(9) |
Mr.
Strong joined PC in February 2004 and the salary shown represents the
amounts paid in respect of the period from February 1, 2004 to
December 31, 2004. Mr. Strong received 4,200 Restricted Units in
respect of 2004; these represent all
of the Restricted Units held by him. These 2004 Restricted Units will vest
as to one-third on January 1, 2006, one-third on January 1,
2007, and one third on January 1,
2008. |
9
Unit
Incentive Rights Granted
There
were no Unit Incentive Rights granted to the Named Executive Officers during the
most recently completed financial year.
AGGREGATE
UNIT INCENTIVE RIGHTS EXERCISED AND YEAR END VALUES
The
following table sets forth, with respect to the Named Executive Officers, the
number of Unit Incentive Rights exercised during the most recently completed
financial year and the value of the “in-the-money” unexercised Unit Incentive
Rights at December 31, 2004.
Aggregate
Unit Incentive Rights Exercised During the Most Recently Completed
Financial
Year and Financial Year End Unit Incentive Rights Values
Name |
Securities
Acquired on Exercise (#) |
Aggregate
Value Realized ($) |
Unexercised
Unit Incentive Rights at FY-End (#)
Exercisable/Un-exercisable |
Value
of Unexercised In-the-Money Unit Incentive Rights at FY-End ($)
Exercisable |
J.
E. Errico |
50,000 |
241,000 |
41,667
/ - |
3,333
/ - |
J.
D. Newcommon |
10,000 |
50,000 |
68,333
/ - |
225,967
/ - |
V.
P. Moyer |
35,000 |
156,119 |
- /
- |
- /
- |
G.
C. Fischer |
35,000 |
154,926 |
- /
- |
- /
- |
N.
F. Cronin |
- |
- |
9,000
/ - |
57,420
/ - |
L.
B. Strong |
- |
- |
- |
- /
- |
The value
of unexercised Unit Incentive Rights (market value of Units less exercise price)
at December 31, 2004, was based upon the closing price of $15.61 for the Units
on December 31, 2004, being the last day of trading of the Units in 2004, as
quoted by the Toronto Stock Exchange.
SECURITIES
AUTHORIZED FOR ISSUANCE UNDER EQUITY COMPENSATION PLANS
The
following table sets forth information with respect to compensation plans under
which equity securities are authorized for issuance as at December 31, 2004,
aggregated for all compensation plans previously approved by security holders
and all compensation plans not previously approved by security
holders.
10
Plan
Category |
Number
of Securities to be issued upon exercise of outstanding options, warrants
and rights
(a) |
Weighted
average exercise price of outstanding options, warrants and
rights
(b) |
Number
of securities remaining available for future issuance under equity
compensation plans (excluding securities reflected in column
(a))
(c) |
Equity
compensation plans approved by securityholders |
200,701 |
$13.79 |
1,963,201 |
Equity
compensation plans not approved by securityholders |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
Total |
200,701 |
$13.79 |
1,963,201 |
UNIT
INCENTIVE PLANS
The
Petrofund Incentive Plan authorized the issuance of options to acquire Units to
directors, senior officers, employees and consultants of PC and certain related
parties. As of February 16, 2005, all remaining options to acquire Units,
pursuant to the Petrofund Incentive Plan, had been exercised.
No options have been granted under the Petrofund Incentive Plan since May 8,
2000, and no further options will be granted thereunder. The
Petrofund Incentive Plan has now terminated as all options outstanding
thereunder have been exercised.
The
Petrofund Unit Rights Incentive Plan authorized the issuance of options to
acquire Units to the directors, senior officers, employees and consultants of PC
and personal holding corporations controlled by, or a registered saving plan of,
any such persons. As of the Record Date options to acquire 200,701 Units were
outstanding pursuant to the Petrofund Unit Rights Incentive Plan. No
options have been granted under the Petrofund Unit Rights Incentive Plan since
July 25, 2002, and no further rights will be issued thereunder. The Petrofund
Unit Rights Incentive Plan will be terminated once all rights outstanding
thereunder are exercised or expire on exercise.
RESTRICTED
UNIT PLAN
On
February 17, 2004, the Board of Directors approved the adoption of the RUP which
authorizes the Trust to grant Restricted Units to directors, officers, employees
or consultants of the Trust or any of its subsidiaries which will vest over time
and which, upon vesting, may be redeemed by the holder, at the election of PC,
for cash or Units.
At the
Annual and Special Meeting of Unitholders held April 14, 2004, Unitholders
approved a resolution authorizing the issuance of up to 1,200,000 Units from
treasury pursuant to the terms of the RUP.
Under the
terms of the RUP, any director, officer, employee or consultant of the Trust, or
any of its subsidiaries who, in each case, in the opinion of the directors of
PC, holds an appropriate position with the Trust, or any of its subsidiaries, to
warrant participation in the RUP (collectively, the “Participants”) may be
granted Restricted Units which vest over time and, upon vesting, can be redeemed
by the holder, at the election of PC and subject to certain restrictions, for
cash or Units. The RUP is administered by the HR&C Committee.
The RUP
replaced the Petrofund Unit Rights Incentive Plan. The RUP operates
independently of the LTIP and STIP made available to the senior executives,
including the CEO, (see “Long Term Incentive Plan” below); however, such persons
are eligible to participate in the RUP.
The RUP
authorizes the issuance of up to 1,200,000 Restricted Units (less than 1% of the
outstanding Trust Units as at February 28, 2005) (subject to adjustments,
including adjustments resulting from cash distributions
paid to holder of Units) of which no greater than 200,000 Restricted Units
(subject to adjustments, including adjustments resulting from cash distributions
paid to holders of Units) may be granted to the directors of the Trust or its
subsidiaries who are not officers or employees of the Trust or its
subsidiaries.
11
The
purpose of the RUP is to provide incentive compensation to Participants which is
calculated based on a grant of Restricted Units and the appreciation in value of
the Units (including distributions payable in respect thereof) from the date of
the grant to the date of redemption by the Participant. In this way,
Participants will be rewarded for their efforts in the year in which the
Restricted Units are granted and are also provided with additional incentive for
their continued efforts in promoting the growth and success of the business of
the Trust.
The
number of Restricted Units granted to a Participant will be increased on the
second Business Day following each date on which a cash distribution is paid to
holder of Units by an amount equal to the product of the number of Restricted
Units granted to the Participant which have not been redeemed and the fraction
which has as its numerator the cash distribution paid, expressed as an amount
per Trust Unit and which has as its denominator the price at which the Units
traded on the TSX on the record date for such distribution.
Essentially,
the RUP provides for the granting of Restricted Units to Participants at the
discretion of the Board of Directors, based on recommendations received from the
HR&C Committee. Unless otherwise determined by the Board of Directors at the
time of a particular grant of Restricted Units, Restricted Units will vest and
become available for redemption as to 33⅓% on each of the first, second and
third anniversaries of the grant date. The number of Restricted Units which can
be granted from time to time and which have a vesting date which occurs earlier
than the foregoing vesting schedule is limited to 5% of the number of Restricted
Units which are authorized for issuance pursuant to the RUP; provided, however,
that the initial grant by the Board of Directors of up to 65,000 Restricted
Units to employees and consultants of PC, which have vested or will vest as to
33⅓% on each of January 1, 2004, January 1, 2005, and January 1, 2006, is
considered to have been granted in accordance with the normal vesting schedule
set forth above.
The RUP
provides that any grant of Restricted Units to a Participant who is a director
of the Trust or a subsidiary of the Trust will be subject to the restrictions
that: (i) the Restricted Units will not vest and, accordingly, will not become
available for redemption until the third anniversary of the date of grant; and
(ii) upon redemption of the Restricted Units the Payout Amount (as defined
below) will only be satisfied by PC delivering Units issued from treasury.
The RUP
also provides that at the time of a grant of Restricted Units to a Participant
who is an officer, employee or consultant of the Trust or a subsidiary of the
Trust the Participant has the right to elect that the grant of Restricted Units
will be subject to the restrictions that: (i) the Restricted Units will not vest
and, accordingly, will not become available for redemption until the third
anniversary of the date of grant; and (ii) upon redemption of the Restricted
Units the Payout Amount will only be satisfied by PC delivering Units issued
from treasury.
Upon
redemption of Restricted Units which have vested, Participants will be required
to pay $0.10 in cash for each Restricted Unit which is redeemed. Upon
redemption, the Trust is required to pay to the Participant the fair market
value of the redeemed Restricted Units based on the weighted average of the
price at which the Units traded on the TSX for the 20 trading days immediately
preceding the redemption date (the “Payout
Amount”).
Subject to the restrictions noted above, the Payout Amount shall be satisfied at
the discretion of the Board of Directors by making a cash payment, purchasing
Units in the market and delivering such Units to the Participant or by issuing
Units from treasury up to the maximum number approved by the Unitholders.
12
The RUP
provides that no Units may be issued to a Participant under the RUP if such
issuance, together with issuances under any other share compensation
arrangements, could result, at any time, in (i) the number of Units reserved for
issuance pursuant to issuances under the RUP in respect of Restricted Units
granted to insiders of the Trust exceeding 3% of the aggregate issued and
outstanding Units (including Units issued on the exercise of outstanding PC
Exchangeable Shares), (ii) the issuance to insiders of the Trust under the RUP,
within a one-year period, of a number of Units exceeding 3% of the aggregate
issued and outstanding Units (including Units issued on the exercise of
outstanding PC Exchangeable Shares), or (iii) the issuance under the RUP to any
one insider of the Trust, or such insider's associates, within a one year
period, of a number of Units exceeding 0.5% of the aggregate issued and
outstanding Units (including Units issued on the exercise of outstanding PC
Exchangeable Shares). In addition, no Restricted Units may be granted to a
participant if the total number of Units issueable on behalf of such participant
under the RUP, together with any Units reserved for issuance under Restricted
Units, options to purchase Units for services or any other share compensation
arrangement of the Trust would exceed 1% of the aggregate issued and outstanding
Units (including Units issueable on exercise of any outstanding PC Exchangeable
Shares).
In the
event of a change in control of the Trust, as defined in the RUP, the vesting
provisions attaching to the Restricted Units shall be accelerated and all
unexercised Restricted Units shall become available for redemption by the
Participant for a period of 30 days following the effective date of such change
of control.
The RUP
also provides for the vesting and/or termination of Restricted Units in the
event of the cessation of employment or death of a Participant. In the event of
the resignation or retirement of a Participant as an employee of PC, or the
termination of the employment of a Participant for any reason other than for
just cause, including death, as the case may be, where such Participant does not
otherwise continue to qualify as a Participant, any Restricted Units granted to
such Participant hereunder which have not yet vested as at the Participant's
last day actively at work (the “Termination
Date”)
terminate and become null and void from and after the Termination Date, and such
Participant has a period of 60 days from the Termination Date, or until the
expiry date for any vested Restricted Units if earlier, to redeem any vested
Restricted Units held by such Participant. In the case of termination for just
cause all Restricted Units granted to such Participant hereunder which have not
yet vested terminate and become null and void immediately upon termination.
Further, Restricted Units are not assignable or transferable by a Participant in
whole or in part, either directly, by operation of law or otherwise, except
through devolution by death or incompetency, and no right or interest of any
Participant under the RUP or to receive cash or Trust Units thereunder may be,
by way of security for future indebtedness, or otherwise, made liable for or
subject to any obligation or liability of such Participant.
To date,
167,667 Restricted Units (less than 1% of the outstanding Trust Units as at
February 28, 2005) have been granted to employees, consultants, and directors of
PC, under the terms of the RUP, of which 72,661 Restricted Units were granted in
respect of 2003 and 95,000 Restricted Units were granted in respect of
2004.
Subject
to any necessary regulatory approval, the Board of Directors may make amendments
to the Restricted Unit Plan but may not, without the approval of Unitholders,
make any amendment which would increase the maximum number of Trust Units which
may be issued by the Trust from treasury under the Plan or which would amend the
amount payable in cash or Trust Units on redemption of vested Restricted
Units.
LONG
TERM INCENTIVE PLAN
On
February 17, 2004, the Board of Directors approved the LTIP for the President
and Chief Executive Officer, the Executive Vice President, the Senior Vice
President, Finance and Chief Financial Officer and the
Senior Vice President, Operations of Petrofund (collectively, the “Senior
Executives”) and
other employees of Petrofund who may, in the future, be designated as
participants under the LTIP.
13
At the
Annual and Special Meeting of Unitholders held April 14, 2004, Unitholders
approved a resolution authorizing the issuance of up to 800,000 Units (less than
1% of the outstanding Trust Units as at February 28, 2005) from treasury,
pursuant to the terms of the LTIP.
The LTIP
is intended to encourage and reward outstanding performance by participants, and
if certain performance measures are met, participants may receive a significant
portion of their annual cash compensation through the LTIP. As awards under the
LTIP are paid out to the participants over time, the LTIP is also designed to
act as a participant retention tool as well as encouraging outstanding
performance.
The LTIP
is administered by the HR&C Committee. From time to time the HR&C
Committee will review the objectives of the LTIP to ensure that the LTIP
continues to properly encourage outstanding participant performance and
retention, and to help achieve PC’s and the Trust’s strategies and value
creation. After such review, reasonable adjustments and amendments may be made
to the LTIP in the sole discretion of the HR&C Committee, provided that the
HR&C Committee acts in a reasonable manner.
Subject
to the discretion of the HR&C Committee and future changes to the roles of
the participants, the LTIP establishes threshold, target, and maximum
opportunities for each of the participants. The amount of the award for any
given year which is given to a participant under the LTIP depends upon the
degree to which performance levels, as described below, and individual
performance, where applicable, have been met in that year. The size of the LTIP
award for any given year is expressed as a percentage of the participant’s base
salary (not including any bonus, incentive or LTIP compensation, or the value of
benefits or perquisites).
The LTIP
presently has two financial and operational performance measures: (i) total
unitholder return (“TUR”); and
(ii) reserve life index (“RLI”). TUR
is measured relative to the total unitholder return of certain comparable
Canadian conventional oil and gas trusts. RLI is measured relative to the prior
year’s RLI of the Trust. It is considered at the present time by the HR&C
Committee and the Board, that it is important for the Trust to maintain an RLI
of 10.0 years or greater. A RLI of 10.0 years is presently considered the
“Optimum RLI” under the LTIP. The HR&C Committee may, in its discretion, but
only after consultation with the Senior Executives, review from time to time
what the Optimum RLI should be and may change the performance milestones for the
RLI based on such review and consultation.
Subject
to the discretion and judgement of the HR&C Committee, the two performance
measures are weighted equally. The HR&C Committee may, however, change the
weighting of such measures from time to time in order to achieve the objectives
of the LTIP. In addition to the above two performance measures, the HR&C
Committee will take into account in certain circumstances the individual
performance of the LTIP participants in determining the LTIP award.
As at the
date hereof, and subject to individual performance considerations, the two
performance measures at the following percentiles would result in the following
calculation multiples under the LTIP.
TUR
Component:
· |
a
TUR that equals or exceeds the 25th percentile, but is less than the 50th
percentile, of the certain comparable Canadian conventional oil and gas
trusts total unitholder return would result in a threshold LTIP
calculation multiple equal to 50% of the target incentive for this
component; |
14
· |
a
TUR that equals or exceeds the 50th percentile (median), but is less than
the 75th percentile, of the certain comparable Canadian conventional oil
and gas trusts total unitholder return would result in a LTIP calculation
multiple equal to the target incentive for this component;
and |
· |
a
TUR that is at or above the 75th percentile of the certain comparable
Canadian conventional oil and gas trusts total unitholder return would
result in a maximum LTIP calculation multiple equal to 200% of the target
incentive for this component. |
RLI
Component:
Should
the RLI equal or exceed the Optimum RLI, the calculation multiple will be 200%
of the target incentive.
Where the
RLI falls below the Optimum RLI:
· |
a
change in the RLI at or above the 25th percentile, but less than the 50th
percentile, would result in a threshold LTIP calculation multiple equal to
50% of the target incentive for this
component; |
· |
a
change in the RLI at or above the 50th percentile, but less than the 75th
percentile, would result in a LTIP calculation multiple equal to the
target incentive for this component; and |
· |
a
change in the RLI at or above the 75th percentile would result in a
maximum LTIP calculation multiple equal to 200% of the target incentive
for this component. |
Subject
to the discretion of the HR&C Committee and future changes to the roles of
the participants, the following are the present threshold, target and maximum
opportunities for each of the Senior Executive participants in the following
positions:
Level 1 -
President and Chief Executive Officer
Level 2 -
Executive Vice President
Level 3 -
Senior Vice Presidents
|
Annual
Long Term Incentive (as a % of base salary) |
Participation
Level |
Threshold
(50%
of Target) |
Target |
Maximum
(200%
of Target) |
1 |
50% |
100% |
200% |
2 |
37.5% |
75% |
150% |
3 |
32.5% |
65% |
130% |
As an
example, for a participant at participation level 1 whose base salary is equal
to $100,000, where the target incentive of the participant is 100% of the
participant’s base salary (which amount is equal to $100,000) then, subject to
individual performance considerations, the payment under the LTIP to the
participant would be: nil if the Trust did not meet the threshold performance
measures; $50,000 (50% of $100,000) if the Trust met but did not exceed the
threshold performance measures; $100,000 (100% of $100,000) if the Trust met but
did not exceed the target performance measures; and $200,000 (200% of $100,000)
if the Trust met or exceeded the maximum performance measures.
The
awards under the LTIP are based on the participant’s base salary earned during
the LTIP year with respect to which the award was made. LTIP awards are made in
the form of a grant of LTIP Restricted Units. The number of LTIP Restricted
Units awarded under the LTIP is calculated as follows:
15
· |
as
determined by the HR&C Committee, the percentage of base salary to be
awarded to the specific participant is applied to the base salary for the
LTIP year to arrive at a dollar value for the LTIP
award; |
· |
the
dollar value for the LTIP award is divided by the average of the closing
price of Units on the TSX during the 20 days immediately preceding the
award date to arrive at the number of LTIP Restricted Units to be awarded
to the participant; |
· |
the
LTIP Restricted Units vest one-third on January 1 of the year following
the LTIP year with respect to which the award was made and one-third on
January 1 of each of the two subsequent years (notwithstanding the
foregoing, however, in the existing employment agreements for each of the
Senior Executives, it has been agreed that the vesting schedule for the
distribution of awards to such persons under the LTIP shall be, for any
LTIP award for 2004 or 2005 performance, one-third of the LTIP award vests
on the grant date, one-third of the LTIP award vests on the first
anniversary of the grant date and the remaining one-third of the LTIP
award will vest on the second anniversary of the grant
date); |
· |
prior
to vesting, distributions on the account balance are credited and
notionally reinvested; and |
· |
on
vesting, the balance of the account representing the vested portion of the
LTIP award is issued in Units from treasury to the credit of the
participant. |
The
dollar value of the Units which will be issued from treasury pursuant to the
LTIP to each of the Senior Executives will depend on each executive meeting the
individual and corporate performance targets. The actual number of Units which
are issued is determined by dividing each dollar amount by an amount equal to
the average closing market price of the Units over the 20 trading days preceding
the date of the award. The LTIP and the initial grant of LTIP Restricted Units
under the LTIP, was approved by the Board of Directors on February 17, 2004, and
the issuance of up to 800,000 LTIP Restricted Units was approved by the
Unitholders on April 14, 2004.
The
Senior Executives exceeded their performance targets for the year 2003, and the
dollar value of the Units issued from treasury, pursuant to the LTIP, to each of
the Senior Executives was at the maximum for 2003 of: $610,000 for the President
and Chief Executive Officer; $337,500 for the Executive Vice President; $266,500
for the Senior Vice President, Finance and Chief Financial Officer; and $240,000
for the Senior Vice President, Operations. An aggregate of 57,383 LTIP
Restricted Units have been issued in respect of such awards (less than 1% of the
outstanding Trust Units as at February 28, 2005) leaving a balance of 742,617
LTIP Restricted Units available for issuance (less than 1% of those outstanding
as at February 28, 2005). Vesting of the initial grant of LTIP Restricted Units
under the LTIP was two-thirds of the LTIP award on December 31, 2003, and the
remaining one-third of the LTIP award on December 31, 2004.
Grants of
LTIP Restricted Units in respect of 2004 have not yet been made.
Subject
to any employment agreement that is in place with the Senior Executives, PC and
the HR&C Committee have the right and discretion, provided they act
reasonably, to amend the LTIP, in whole or in part, or to terminate the LTIP at
any time. Upon termination of the LTIP, all rights to the participants under the
LTIP shall cease as of the date of termination, except with respect to LTIP
awards that have been declared by the HR&C Committee but not yet paid to the
participants.
16
The LTIP
also provides for the vesting and/or termination of LTIP Restricted Units in the
event of the cessation of employment or death of a Participant, subject always,
and subservient, to the terms of any written employment agreement between the
Participant and Petrofund or PC. In the event of the resignation, the
termination for just cause, or absence on leave for part of a plan year, as the
case may be, the
Participant shall not be entitled to receive any award under the LTIP for that
plan year, and any unvested awards shall not vest and shall be null and void. In
the event of retirement or the termination of the employment of a Participant
for any reason other than for just cause, all unvested previously awarded awards
shall vest and be distributed to the Participant or their estate, as the case
may be, however there shall be no entitlement to any pro rata award for the part
of that plan year worked. Further, LTIP Restricted Units are not assignable or
transferable by a Participant in whole or in part, either directly, by operation
of law or otherwise, except through devolution by death or incompetency, and no
right or interest of any Participant under the LTIP to receive LTIP Restricted
Units may be, by way of security for future indebtedness, or otherwise, made
liable for or subject to any obligation or liability of such
Participant.
SHORT
TERM INCENTIVE PLAN
The STIP
is intended to encourage and reward outstanding performance by participants, and
if certain financial, operational and individual performance measures are met,
participants may receive a significant portion of their annual cash compensation
through the STIP. While the STIP is intended to reward outstanding performance,
it is also intended to insulate the participants from the fluctuation of
commodity prices as the participants should neither be rewarded nor penalized
solely due to increases or decreases in commodity prices for reasons completely
beyond their control. Rather, it is the intention of PC that participants be
rewarded based on their ability to manage the Trust’s business better than other
similar businesses which are subject to the same market and economic forces.
Those administrating the STIP have the discretion, acting reasonably, to adjust
awards and performance measures, and to look at individual performance, to
ensure that the decision-making of the participants continues to be in the best
interests of PC, the Trust, and its Unitholders.
The first
year for consideration of compensation under the STIP was in respect of fiscal
year 2003. Awards under the STIP for the fiscal year 2004 are expected to be
made by the end of the first quarter of 2005.
The STIP
is administered by the HR&C Committee. From time to time the HR&C
Committee will review the STIP, and the objectives of the STIP, to ensure that
the STIP continues to properly encourage outstanding participant performance,
and to help achieve PC’s and the Trust’s strategies and value creation. After
such review, reasonable adjustments and amendments may be made to the STIP in
the discretion of the HR&C Committee.
Subject
to the discretion of the HR&C Committee and future changes to the roles of
the participants, the STIP establishes threshold, target and maximum
opportunities for each of the participants. The amount of the award for any
given year which is given to a participant under the STIP depends upon the
degree to which performance levels as described below (and individual
performance, where applicable) have been met in that year. The size of the STIP
award for any given year is expressed on a percentage of the participant’s base
salary (not including any bonus, incentive or STIP compensation, or the value of
benefit or perquisites).
The STIP
presently has five financial and operational performance measures (the
“Performance
Measures”): (i)
total unitholder return; (ii) production per Trust Unit; (iii) operating and
general and administrative costs; (iv) established reserves per Trust Unit; and
(v) acquisition and development costs.
Subject
to the discretion and judgement of the HR&C Committee, the Performance
Measures are weighted equally. The HR&C Committee may, however, change the
weighting of such measures from time to time in order to achieve the objectives
of the STIP. In addition to the above Performance Measures, the HR&C
Committee will take into account in certain circumstances the individual
performance of the STIP participants in determining the STIP award.
17
As at the
date hereof, and subject to individual performance considerations, applying the
Performance Measures, corporate performance at the following percentiles, would
result in the awards under the STIP set forth in the following
table:
· |
performance
within the 25th percentile of the certain comparable Canadian conventional
oil and gas trusts, based on absolute and relative performance, as
applicable, would result in a threshold STIP payment equal to 50% of the
target incentive for each component; |
· |
performance
within the 50th percentile (median) of the certain comparable Canadian
conventional oil and gas trusts, based on absolute and relative
performance, as applicable, would result in a STIP payment equal to the
target incentive for each component; and |
· |
performance
at or above the 75th percentile of the certain comparable Canadian
conventional oil and gas trusts, based on absolute and relative
performance, as applicable, would result in a maximum STIP payment equal
to 200% of the target incentive for each
component. |
Subject
to the discretion of the HR&C Committee and future changes to the roles of
the participants, the following are the present threshold, target, and maximum
opportunities for each of the Senior Executive participants in the following
positions:
Level 1 -
President and Chief Executive Officer
Level 2 -
Executive Vice President
Level 3 -
Senior Vice Presidents
|
Annual
Short Term Incentive (as a % of base salary) |
Participation
Level |
Threshold
(50%
of Target) |
Target |
Maximum
(200%
of Target) |
1 |
25% |
50% |
100% |
2 |
22.5% |
45% |
90% |
3 |
20% |
40% |
80% |
The
awards under the STIP are determined following the conclusion of the STIP year
and are based on performance of the participants and the Trust during the STIP
year. The amount of any STIP award is based on the participant’s base salary
earned during the fiscal year under which the STIP award was granted. Awards
under the STIP are in cash and subject to appropriate withholding
taxes.
Subject
to any employment agreement that is in place with the Senior Executives, PC, and
the HR&C Committee have the right and discretion, provided they act
reasonably, to amend the STIP, in whole or in part, or to terminate the STIP at
any time. Upon termination of the STIP, all rights to the participants under the
STIP shall cease as of the date of termination, except with respect to STIP
awards that have been declared by the HR&C Committee but not yet paid to the
participants.
As the
STIP is intended to encourage and reward outstanding performance by certain key
employees, rights under the STIP, subject to any employment agreement that is in
place with the Senior Executives, generally cease upon the cessation of such
employment.
EMPLOYMENT
CONTRACTS
The
President and Chief Executive Officer and the other Senior Executives of PC are
each a party to an employment agreement with PC, which continues indefinitely
until terminated in accordance with its terms, and provides for payment of the
executive's annual base salary and participation in benefits provided by PC as
provided in the agreement. Each agreement provided for a bonus for the year
2003, and each
provides for the participation by the executive in the LTIP commencing January
1, 2003, and participation in the STIP commencing January 1, 2004, as provided
in the agreement. The agreements may be terminated by PC without cause upon
payment of the following amounts: (i) a lump sum payment equal to the annual
base salary multiplied by a range of 2.5 times to 1.75 times (the “Multiplier”)
depending on the executive's position; (ii) 20% of the amount calculated
pursuant to (i) above as compensation for loss of benefits; (iii) depending on
the termination date, a distribution under the LTIP consisting of a distribution
of Units equal to the executive's target LTIP bonus for the year in which the
termination occurs times the above Multiplier if the termination occurs before
January 2004, reducing to 0.5 for the President and Chief Executive Officer and
zero for the other executives in the event the termination occurs after January
1, 2009; and (iv) a lump sum payment equal to the Multiplier times the average
of the STIP bonus awarded to the executive over the preceding three years. In
addition, in the event of termination, any unvested but previously awarded LTIP
grants shall be distributed to the executive and, subject to regulatory
approval, any unvested rights to purchase Units of the Trust pursuant to the
Unit Rights Incentive Plan of the Trust that would have vested over a specified
period from the termination date shall vest. Furthermore, in the event that the
agreements are terminated by PC without cause, PC shall pay to the executive a
payment in lieu of continued participation in the STIP equal to the
proportionate share of the amount that the executive would have received
pursuant to the STIP for that year had the agreement not been terminated. In
addition, in the event of a change of control (as defined in the agreements),
the executive has the right, for a period of six months following the event
causing the change of control, to terminate the agreement and be entitled to the
foregoing payments.
18
COMPENSATION
OF DIRECTORS
Each
director of PC, other than the Chairman of the Board, receives an annual
retainer of $30,000. The committee chairs also receive an annual retainer of
$10,000, except for the chair of the Audit Committee who receives an annual
retainer of $15,000. In addition each director of PC, other than the Chairman of
the Board, also receives Restricted Units valued at $15,000 on an annual basis,
which vest, at the election of the individual directors, over a maximum period
of ten years, and a fee of $1,750 for each board of directors, unitholders, or
committee meeting attended. John F. Driscoll, the Chairman of the Board of
Directors, receives a fixed amount of $125,000 a year in lieu of retainer and
meeting fees. All amounts paid to the directors of PC are paid by
Petrofund.
For
Petrofund's fiscal year ended December 31, 2004, the directors were paid an
aggregate of $313,584, including the deemed value of Restricted Units issued,
for retainer fees, committee chair fees, and fees for attending regularly
scheduled meetings of the Board of Directors, and an aggregate of $171,500 for
attending special meetings of the Board and meetings of the various committees.
In addition John F. Driscoll, the Chairman of the Board of Directors, was paid
$125,000.
INDEBTEDNESS
OF DIRECTORS AND EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
No
director, executive officer, employee or former executive officer, director or
employee of Petrofund or its subsidiaries or any associate of any such director,
officer or employee is, or has been at any time since the beginning of the most
recently completed financial year of Petrofund, indebted to Petrofund or any of
its subsidiaries in respect of any indebtedness that is still outstanding, nor,
at any time since the beginning of the most recently completed financial year of
Petrofund, has any indebtedness of any such person been the subject of a
guarantee, support agreement, letter of credit or other similar arrangement or
understanding provided by Petrofund or any of its subsidiaries.
PERFORMANCE
GRAPH
The
following graph illustrates the changes in cumulative Unitholder return,
assuming an initial investment of $100 in Trust Units with all cash
distributions reinvested, for the period from December 31, 1999 to December 31,
2004, compared to the S&P/TSX Composite Index(1), the
S&P/TSX Oil & Gas Producers
Index, the S&P/TSX Canadian Energy Trust Total Return Index, and the
S&P/TSX Total Return Index, with all dividends and distributions
reinvested.(2)
|
|
31-Dec-99 |
31-Dec-00 |
31-Dec-01 |
31-Dec-02 |
31-Dec-03 |
31-Dec-04 |
PTF(2) |
-h -h |
$100 |
$202 |
$173 |
$187 |
$377 |
$352 |
TSX
O&G Producers Index(1) |
.
. . |
$100 |
$146 |
$149 |
$164 |
$184 |
$222 |
S&P/TSX
Canadian Energy Trust Total Return Index |
-hh- |
$100 |
$154 |
$167 |
$186 |
$232 |
$263 |
TSX
Composite Index |
- -
- |
$100 |
$106 |
$92 |
$78 |
$103 |
$115 |
Notes:
(1) |
The
S&P/TSX Composite Index was previously called the TSE 300 Composite
Index |
(2) |
The
Petrofund Energy Trust Unitholder Total Return incorporates the actual
cash distributions which represent an average annual return of 35% per
annum to December 31, 2004 for an initial investment on January 1,
2000. |
STATEMENT
OF CORPORATE GOVERNANCE PRACTICES
The TSX
requires that each listed company disclose on an annual basis its approach to
corporate governance with reference to the guidelines for effective corporate
governance of the TSX (the “TSX
Guidelines”).
The
Ontario Securities Commission has published proposals on corporate governance
that are intended to replace the TSX Guidelines when they come into force. While
comments have been received on such proposals, they are not yet in force and
Petrofund is not aware whether they will be adopted in their current form or
whether changes will be made to them prior to adoption and therefore such
proposals have not been reflected in the disclosure on the TSX Guidelines
provided herein.
The
corporate governance structure of Petrofund is not the same as for a
corporation. The Board of Directors is responsible for the overall governance of
Petrofund. PC is, in turn, managed by the Board of Directors. The Board of
Directors is, in effect, responsible for the overall stewardship and governance
of Petrofund, and has put in place standards and benchmarks by which that
responsibility can be measured. Set out below is a description of Petrofund’s
current corporate governance practices, relative to the TSX Guidelines (which
are set out below in italics).
20
Peter N.
Thomson is currently a director of PC but is not standing for re-election. The
description below includes Mr. Thomson as he is currently a director of PC but
will not be serving as a director after the Meeting. Following the Meeting, the
Board of Directors will consider whether any of the committees of the Board need
to be reconstituted.
Guideline
1
The
board of directors should explicitly assume responsibility for stewardship of
the corporation.
The Board
is responsible for the strategic planning process, identifying the principal
risks of the business and implementing appropriate systems to manage these
risks, the communication policy, the integrity of the internal controls and
management information systems, and monitoring of senior
management.
Guideline
2
The
majority of the directors should be “unrelated” directors. The TSX Guidelines
defines an “unrelated” director as a director who is independent of management
and is free from any interest and any business or other relationship which
could, or could reasonably be perceived to materially interfere with the
director’s ability to act with a view to the best interests of the corporation,
other than interests and relationships arising from shareholdings.
The Board
is currently comprised of nine members, all of whom are elected by the
Unitholders, and seven of whom are “unrelated” directors within the meaning of
the TSX Guidelines. Mr. Allard, Ms. Cowan, Mr. Dumont, Mr. Lee, Mr. Newhouse,
Mr. Potter, and Mr. Thomson are unrelated directors, all are independent of
management and none has any business dealings, or has had in the past any
business dealings, or any other relationship with the Petrofund or PC, other
than by virtue of the ownership of Units as described herein.
Guideline
3
Since
the majority of the directors should be “unrelated” directors, a determination
should be made annually that individual directors are, or continue to be,
unrelated directors within the meaning of the definition.
Currently,
Mr. Allard, Ms. Cowan, Mr. Dumont, Mr. Lee, Mr. Newhouse, Mr. Potter, and Mr.
Thomson are, and continue to be, “unrelated” directors, and two, Mr. Driscoll
and Mr. Errico, are related. Mr. Driscoll is related by virtue of that Retainer
Agreement dated April 29, 2003, and made among Petrofund, PC, and John F.
Driscoll, pursuant to which Mr. Driscoll agreed to serve as a director of PC and
Chairman of the Board, if elected to those positions, and to avail the
Corporation of his expertise and knowledge while acting in these capacities. Mr.
Errico is related by virtue of being President and CEO of PC.
The
responsibility for ensuring that individual directors are unrelated rests with
the Board which ensures that Petrofund discloses on an annual basis whether the
Board continues to be comprised of a majority of unrelated directors and will
disclose the analysis used to come to that conclusion.
Guideline
4
The
board of directors should appoint a nominating committee composed exclusively of
outside directors with responsibility for proposing new nominees to the board
and assessing directors on an ongoing basis.
The
responsibility for proposing new nominees to the Board and assessing directors
on an ongoing basis falls within the mandate of the Governance Committee, which
is comprised of three unrelated directors.
21
Guideline
5
The
board should implement a process for assessing the effectiveness of the board as
a whole, its committees and the contribution of individual
directors.
The
responsibility for reviewing, on an ongoing basis, the effectiveness of the
Board as a whole and its committees and the contribution and effectiveness of
individual directors falls within the mandate of the Governance Committee. The
Governance Committee has, with the approval of the Board, instituted an annual
self-evaluation process for each committee and the Board, whereby each director
appraises their own performance, the performance of the committees they sit on,
and the Board. The self-evaluations are reviewed by the Governance Committee and
the results are presented to the Board as a whole for its review.
Guideline
6
The
company should provide an education and orientation program for new members of
the board of directors.
PC has
instituted, under the auspices of the Governance Committee, a formal orientation
and education program for new Board members in order to ensure that new
directors are familiarized with Petrofund's business, including Petrofund's
field operations, management, administration, policies and plans, and the
procedures of the Board.
Guideline
7
The
board of directors should examine its size to ensure that it facilitates
effective decision-making.
The
responsibility for reviewing, on an ongoing basis, the Board's size, composition
and working processes and proposing changes to the Board for its consideration
falls within the mandate of the Governance Committee. The Board believes its
current size and composition facilitates effective decision-making.
Guideline
8
The
board should review the adequacy and form of compensation of directors to ensure
that it reflects the responsibilities and risks involved in being an effective
director.
The
responsibility for reviewing, on an annual basis, the directors' compensation
and other terms of service, to ensure that the amount of compensation adequately
reflects the responsibilities and risks of being a director, and proposing
adjustments, as appropriate, to the Board for its approval falls within the
mandate of the Governance Committee.
Guideline
9
Committees
of the board should be composed of outside directors, a majority of whom are
unrelated.
Currently,
the Board has four board committees: the Audit Committee, the HR&C
Committee, the Governance Committee, and the Reserves Audit Committee. The
chairmanship and membership of each of the board committees is comprised of
unrelated directors.
22
The Audit
Committee is comprised of James E. Allard (Chairman), Gary L. Lee, Frank Potter,
and Peter N. Thomson. All committee members possess the requisite financial
skills necessary to qualify them as committee members. Additionally, Mr. Allard
fulfills the requirement for financial sophistication, having served as Chief
Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer for several private and publicly
traded companies
throughout a lengthy career. The Audit Committee is responsible to the Board for
overseeing the integrity of Petrofund's financial reporting and disclosure
ensuring that Petrofund complies with all applicable laws, regulations, rules,
policies and other requirements of governments, regulatory agencies and stock
exchanges relating to financial reporting and disclosure; that the accounting
principles, significant judgments and disclosures that underlie or are
incorporated in the financial statements are the most appropriate in the
prevailing circumstances; that the quarterly and annual financial statements are
accurate and present fairly the financial position of Petrofund in accordance
with Canadian (and if applicable, the United States of America) generally
accepted accounting principles; and that appropriate information concerning the
financial position and performance of Petrofund is disseminated to the public in
a timely manner. It is also responsible for ensuring that all accounting
functions are performed in accordance with a system of internal financial
controls designed to capture and record properly and accurately all financial
transactions; that the internal financial controls are regularly assessed for
effectiveness and efficiency; the quarterly and annual financial statements are
properly prepared by management; the quarterly financial statements are reviewed
by an independent external auditor appointed by the Petrofund unitholders (the
“external
auditors”) and
the annual financial statements are reported on by the external auditors; and
that the disclosure policy, in particular the financial components of such
disclosure policy, is complied with by management and the Board. Please also
refer to the Renewal Annual Information Form of Petrofund for the year ended
December 31, 2004 for further information in respect of the Audit Committee, its
charter, composition and other information required to be included in the annual
information form.
The
Governance Committee is comprised of Sandra S. Cowan (Chairman), Arthur E.
Dumont, and Peter N. Thomson. The committee has the responsibility of reviewing
the Board’s size, composition and working processes and proposing changes to the
Board for its consideration. It has the responsibility for assessing the
performance of the Board, its committees, and individual directors. It
recommends to the Board at least annually and at such other times as it sees
fit, the composition of board committees and the chairmanship of such
committees. A component of the committee’s mandate is the responsibility for
considering and proposing nominations to the Board, should such nominations be
required. It reviews director compensation at least annually, and recommends
changes as it sees fit to the Board for its approval.
The
HR&C Committee is comprised of Frank Potter (Chairman), Sandra S. Cowan, and
Wayne M. Newhouse. The committee is responsible to the Board for overseeing the
development and administration of competitive policies designed to attract,
develop, and retain employees of the highest standards at all levels. It
recommends to the Board appropriate policies dealing with recruitment,
compensation, benefits, and training, and oversees the administration of
succession planning. It is responsible for recommending to the Board the
compensation arrangements for individual senior officers, in consultation with
the Chief Executive Officer.
The
Reserves Audit Committee is comprised of Wayne M. Newhouse (Chairman), James E.
Allard, and Arthur E. Dumont. The committee oversees the integrity of
Petrofund’s reserve estimates. Contained within the committee mandate is the
responsibility to ascertain those procedures and policies which minimize
environmental, occupational, and safety risks to asset value thereby mitigating
any potential damage to or deterioration of asset value. It meets at least
annually, and such other times as it sees fit. It meets at least once per year,
or as often as it sees fit, with Petrofund’s independent engineering
consultants, and does so at least once annually in camera.
Guideline
10
The
board of directors should expressly assume responsibility for, or assign to a
committee of directors the general responsibility for, developing the
corporation's approach to governance issues.
The
Governance Committee is responsible to the Board for the development of
governance guidelines, and reviews on an ongoing basis its approach to
governance issues to ensure its effectiveness, as more particularly described
above.
Guideline
11
The
board of directors and the chief executive officer together should develop
position descriptions for the board of directors and the chief executive
officer, involving the definition of the limits to management’s
responsibilities. In addition, the board of directors should approve or develop
the corporate objectives which the chief executive officer is responsible for
meeting.
23
The Board
in conjunction with the chief executive officer have developed position
descriptions for the Board and the chief executive officer of PC, including
those more particularly described above. In addition to those matters which must
be approved by the Board by law, significant business activities and actions
proposed to be undertaken by Petrofund are subject to Board approval. The Board
responds to and, if it considers appropriate, approves, with such revisions as
it may require, corporate objectives and recommended courses of action which
have been brought forward by the Chief Executive Officer and
management.
Guideline
12
The
board of directors should have appropriate structures and procedures to ensure
that it can function independently of management.
The Board
reviews its procedures on an ongoing basis to ensure that it can function
independently of management, and through the mechanism of the four board
committees has established clear lines of authority over management. The
Chairmanship of the Board and the Chief Executive Officer positions have been
separated and the respective position descriptions make clear the relationship
of one to the other.
Guideline
13
The
audit committee of the board of directors should be composed only of outside
directors. The role and responsibilities of the audit committee should be
specifically defined. The audit committee should have direct communication
channels with external auditors.
The Audit
Committee is composed entirely of outside unrelated directors. The Audit
Committee has adopted a mandate approved by the Board, with the advice of
outside advisors. The Audit Committee reviews its mandate and work processes at
least annually; taking into account changes in regulatory and other appropriate
requirements or practices, and will propose changes, as appropriate, to the
Board for its approval.
Guideline
14
The
board should enable directors to engage outside advisors at the company’s
expense, when appropriate, subject to the approval of a committee of the
board.
The
Board, its committees and individual directors may, when appropriate, engage
outside advisors at the expense of PC, subject to the approval of the
Board.
INTERESTS
OF INFORMED PERSONS IN MATERIAL TRANSACTIONS
There
were no material interests, direct or indirect, of directors or executive
officers of PC, any shareholder who beneficially owns, directly or indirectly,
or exercise control or
direction over more than 10% of the outstanding Trust Units, or any other
Informed Person (as defined in National Instrument 51-102) or any known
associate or affiliate of such persons, in any transaction since the
commencement of the last completed financial year of Petrofund or in any
proposed transaction which has materially affected or would materially affect
the Trust or any of its subsidiaries.
24
INTEREST
OF CERTAIN PERSONS OR COMPANIES IN MATTERS TO BE ACTED
UPON
Management
of Petrofund is not aware of any material interest of any director or nominee
for director or executive officer of Petrofund or anyone who has held office as
such since the beginning of Petrofund's last financial year or of any associate
or affiliate of any of the foregoing in any matter to be acted on at the Meeting
other than the election of directors.
ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION
Additional
information relating to Petrofund is available on the SEDAR website at
www.sedar.com. Financial information is provided in Petrofund's comparative
financial statements and management's discussion and analysis for the year ended
December 31, 2004. Any Unitholder may obtain a copy of Petrofund's financial
statements and related management's discussion and analysis by contacting the
Corporate Secretary of Petrofund at Petrofund Corp., 600, 444 - 7th Avenue SW,
Calgary, Alberta T2P 0X8, Telephone (403) 218-8625.
OTHER
MATTERS
As of the
date of this Information Circular, the Board of Directors does not know of any
amendment, variation or other matter to come before the Meeting other than the
matters referred to in the Notice of Meeting. If any other matter properly comes
before the Meeting, however, the accompanying proxies will be voted on such
matter in accordance with the best judgment of the person or persons voting the
proxies.DIRECTORS'
APPROVAL AND CERTIFICATE
25
The
foregoing contains no untrue statement of a material fact and does not omit to
state a material fact that is required to be stated or that is necessary to make
a statement not misleading in the light of the circumstances in which it was
made. The contents and distribution of this Information Circular to Unitholders
have been approved by the Board of Directors.
DATED at
Calgary, Alberta this 28th day of
February, 2005.
ON
BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF PETROFUND CORP.
“signed” “signed”
John
F. Driscoll
Chairman |
James
E. Allard
Director |
PETROFUND
ENERGY TRUST
By:
Petrofund Corp.
Jeffery
E. Errico
President
and
Chief
Executive Officer |
Vince
P. Moyer
Senior
Vice-President, Finance and
Chief
Financial Officer |
26
PETROFUND
ENERGY TRUST
600 444
7TH Avenue
SW
Calgary
Alberta T2P 0X8
PROXY
FOR USE BY UNITHOLDERS AT THE ANNUAL MEETING OF UNITHOLDERS OF PETROFUND ENERGY
TRUST TO BE HELD ON WEDNESDAY APRIL 13, 2005, SOLICITED ON BEHALF OF THE
MANAGEMENT OF PETROFUND CORP.
The
undersigned unitholder (the “Unitholder”) of PETROFUND ENERGY TRUST
(“Petrofund”) hereby appoints John F. Driscoll, Chairman of the Board of
Petrofund Corp. (“PC”), or failing him. Jeffery E. Errico, President and Chief
Executive Officer of PC, or instead of either of them,
…………………………………………………………….., as proxy for the Unitholder, with the power of
substitution, to attend, vote, and act for and on behalf of the Unitholder at
the annual meeting (the “Meeting”) of the unitholders of Petrofund to be held at
the Marriott Hotel, 110-9th Avenue
SE, Calgary, Alberta on Wednesday, April 13, 2005, at the hour of 2:00 p.m.
(Calgary time), and at any adjournments or postponements thereof, and without
limiting the general authority and power hereby given to such proxy, the units
represented by this proxy are specifically directed to be voted, or withheld
from being voted, as indicated below.
(SEE
REVERSE SIDE HEREOF FOR FURTHER INFORMATION WITH RESPECT TO THIS
PROXY.)
(a) |
VOTE
FOR o or
WITHHOLD FROM VOTING o on
the election of the eight nominees to be elected to serve as directors of
PC for the ensuing year, or until their successors are duly elected or
appointed, as specified in the Information Circular of Petrofund under the
heading “Annual Meeting Matters - Election of
Directors”; |
(b) |
VOTE
FOR o or
WITHHOLD FROM VOTING o on
the appointment of Deloitte & Touche LLP as auditors of Petrofund
until the next annual meeting of
unitholders; |
(c) |
In
his discretion, in accordance with his best judgement, with respect to
amendments to or variations of matters identified in the accompanying
notice of Meeting and with respect to other matters which may properly
come before the Meeting, and any adjournments or postponements
thereof. |
If this
is not dated, it will be deemed to be dated on the date upon which it is mailed
to unitholders of Petrofund.
DATED
this day of , 2005.
________________________________________________________
Unitholder’s
Signature
________________________________________________________
Unitholder’s
Name (please print)
Note: If
the Unitholder is an individual please sign exactly as your Units are
registered. If the Unitholder is a corporation, this proxy must be executed by a
duly authorized officer or attorney of the corporation, and if the corporation
has a corporate seal, its corporate seal should be affixed. If Units are
registered in the name of an executor, administrator or trustee, please sign
exactly as the Units are registered. If the Units are registered in the name of
a deceased Unitholder, the Unitholder’s name must be printed in the space
provided, the proxy must be signed by the legal representative with his name
printed below his signature and evidence of authority to sign on behalf of the
Unitholder must be attached to the proxy.
The proxy
named overleaf will vote or withhold from voting the units represented by this
proxy in respect of each matter identified in the Notice of Annual Meeting of
Unitholders of Petrofund in accordance with the direction indicated overleaf.
In
the absence of such direction, this proxy shall be deemed to grant authority to
vote FOR the matters referred to in (a) and (b).
The
Unitholder hereby ratifies and confirms all that the said proxy may do by virtue
hereof, granting to the said proxy full power and authority for and in the name
of the Unitholder at the Meeting, and at any adjournments or postponements
thereof, to vote, attend or act with respect to the units of Petrofund which the
Unitholder would be entitled to vote if personally present at the Meeting, and
hereby revokes any proxy or proxies heretofore given.
This
proxy is solicited on behalf of the management of PC. The Unitholder has the
right to appoint a person to attend and act for him and on his behalf at the
Meeting, and at any adjournments or postponements thereof, other than the
persons named above. Such right may be exercised by striking out the names of
the management nominees and inserting the name of the person to be appointed,
who need not be a unitholder of Petrofund, in the blank space provided above or
by completing another proper form of proxy.
Unitholders
should refer to the accompanying Information Circular for further information
regarding completion and use of this proxy and other information pertaining to
the Meeting.
Whether
or not you anticipate attending the Meeting in person, kindly fill in and sign
this form of proxy and return it in the envelope provided. This form of proxy
will not be valid unless completed and delivered to Computershare Trust Company
of Canada, 9th Floor
100 University Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, M5J 2Y1, so it is received at least 24
hours prior to commencement of the Meeting or any adjournment
thereof.
The
Unitholder hereby acknowledges receipt of the Notice of Annual Meeting of
Unitholders of Petrofund and the Information Circular, each dated February 28,
2005, and furnished herewith.
IMPORTANT
PLEASE
DO NOT DELAY
If you
have any questions or need assistance in
completing
this proxy, please contact:
Computershare
Trust Company of Canada at:
Toll-free:
1-800-564-6253 (in Canada and US)
Fax:
1-888-453-0330 (in Canada and US)
e-mail:
service@computershare.com