PENSION AND OTHER POSTRETIREMENT BENEFIT PLANS

The Company sponsors several defined benefit pension plans covering U.S. salaried employees and certain foreign and other employee groups. These plans provide retirement benefits based primarily on employee compensation and years of service. The Company also sponsors defined benefit plans that provide postretirement health and life insurance benefits for eligible U.S. employees attaining specific age and service levels, although postretirement life insurance is no longer provided for active employees.

The components of the Company’s net periodic benefit cost were as follows:



	Pension Benefits						Other Postretirement Benefits
	Three Months Ended December 31,						Three Months Ended December 31,
(in thousands of dollars)	2017			2016			2017			2016

Service cost	$	1,314		$	1,343		$	64		$	73
Interest cost	2,436			2,453			381			378
Expected return on plan assets	(3,717		)	(3,584		)	(22		)	(11		)
Net amortization and deferral	815			843			(71		)	(100		)
Net periodic benefit cost	$	848		$	1,055		$	352		$	340



	Pension Benefits						Other Postretirement Benefits
	Nine Months Ended December 31,						Nine Months Ended December 31,
(in thousands of dollars)	2017			2016			2017			2016

Service cost	$	3,943		$	4,063		$	193		$	220
Interest cost	7,309			7,389			1,150			1,136
Expected return on plan assets	(11,151		)	(10,762		)	(66		)	(33		)
Net amortization and deferral	2,445			2,519			(213		)	(300		)
Net periodic benefit cost	$	2,546		$	3,209		$	1,064		$	1,023

During the nine months ended December 31, 2017, the Company made contributions of approximately $7.6 million to its pension plans. Additional contributions of approximately $0.4 million are expected during the remaining three months of fiscal year 2018.