Fair Value Measurements, Guarantees, and Concentration of Credit Risk

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2023

Fair Value Measurements, Guarantees, and Concentration of Credit Risk [Text Block]

Note 15 – Fair Value Measurements, Guarantees, and Concentration of Credit Risk

The following table presents, by level within the fair value hierarchy, certain of our significant financial assets and liabilities. The carrying values of cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, accounts payable, and commercial paper approximate fair value because of the short-term nature of these instruments. Therefore, these assets and liabilities are not presented in the following table.


					Fair Value Measurements Using
	Carrying Amount		Fair Value		Quoted Prices In Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1)		Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2)		Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)
	(Millions)
Assets (liabilities) at December 31, 2023:
Measured on a recurring basis:
ARO Trust investments	$	269	$	269	$	269	$	—	$	—
Commodity derivative assets (1)	310		310		141		112		57
Commodity derivative liabilities (1)	(285)		(285)		(3)		(278)		(4)
Interest rate derivatives	6		6		—		6		—

Additional disclosures:


Long-term debt, including current portion	(25,713)		(25,553)		—		(25,553)		—
Guarantees	(37)		(28)		—		(12)		(16)

Assets (liabilities) at December 31, 2022:
Measured on a recurring basis:
ARO Trust investments	$	230	$	230	$	230	$	—	$	—
Commodity derivative assets (2)	166		166		20		132		14
Commodity derivative liabilities (2)	(810)		(810)		(22)		(718)		(70)
Other financial assets (liabilities) - net	(5)		(5)		—		(5)		—
Additional disclosures:

Long-term debt, including current portion	(22,554)		(21,569)		—		(21,569)		—
Guarantees	(38)		(25)		—		(9)		(16)

(1)Commodity derivative assets and liabilities exclude $2 million of net cash collateral in Level 1.

(2)Commodity derivative assets and liabilities exclude $202 million of net cash collateral in Level 1.

Fair Value Methods

We use the following methods and assumptions in estimating the fair value of our financial instruments:

Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis

ARO Trust investments: Transco deposits a portion of its collected rates, pursuant to its rate case settlement, into an external trust that is specifically designated to fund future AROs. The ARO Trust invests in a portfolio of actively traded mutual funds that are measured at fair value on a recurring basis based on quoted prices in an active market and is reported in Regulatory assets, deferred charges, and other in our Consolidated Balance Sheet. Both realized and unrealized gains and losses are ultimately recorded as regulatory assets or liabilities.

Commodity derivatives: Commodity derivatives include exchange-traded contracts and OTC contracts, which consist of physical forwards, futures, and swaps that are measured at fair value on a recurring basis. We also have other derivatives related to asset management agreements and other contracts that require physical delivery. Derivatives classified as Level 1 are valued using New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX) futures prices. Derivatives classified as Level 2 are valued using basis transactions that represent the cost to transport natural gas from a NYMEX delivery point to the contract delivery point. These transactions are based on quotes obtained either through electronic trading platforms or directly from brokers. Derivatives classified as Level 3 are valued using a combination of observable and unobservable inputs. The fair value amounts are presented on a net basis and reflect the netting of asset and liability positions permitted under the terms of our master netting arrangements and cash held on deposit in margin accounts that we have received or remitted to collateralize certain derivative positions. Commodity derivative assets are reported in Derivative assets and Regulatory assets, deferred charges, and other in our Consolidated Balance Sheet. Commodity derivative liabilities are reported in Derivative liabilities and Regulatory liabilities, deferred income, and other in our Consolidated Balance Sheet. Changes in the fair value of our derivative assets and liabilities are recorded in Net gain (loss) from commodity derivatives and Net processing commodity expenses in our Consolidated Statement of Income. See Note 16 – Commodity Derivatives for additional information on our derivatives.

The following table presents a reconciliation of changes in fair value of our net commodity derivatives classified as Level 3 in the fair value hierarchy.


	Year Ended December 31,
	2023		2022
	(Millions)
Balance at beginning of period	$	(56)	$	(15)
Gains (losses) included in our Consolidated Statement of Income	91		(31)
Purchases, issuances, and settlements	20		(5)
Transfers into Level 3	—		(24)
Transfers out of Level 3	(2)		19
Balance at end of period	$	53	$	(56)

A substantial portion of the carrying value of our Level 3 derivatives at December 31, 2023, relates to a long-term physical natural gas purchase contract associated with an ongoing pipeline expansion project. The valuation of this contract reflects the extrapolation of forward natural gas prices for periods beyond observable price curves, which is considered a significant unobservable input.

Interest rate derivatives: At December 31, 2023, we held forward starting interest rate swap agreements with notional amounts totaling $1.15 billion. During January 2024 we terminated certain of these agreements totaling $750 million of notional value coinciding with the issuance of long-term debt (see Note 12 – Debt and Banking Arrangements). The fair value of these derivatives is determined using discounted cash flows considering forward interest rates and the terms of the agreements, corroborated by counterparty valuations, and is classified as a Level 2 measurement. We designated these derivatives as cash flow hedges to reduce interest rate exposure on future debt issuances. Gains and losses on these derivative instruments are reflected as a component of AOCI and will be amortized to earnings as a component of Interest expense in our Consolidated Statement of Income. These forward starting interest rate swaps are reported in Derivative assets and Derivative liabilities in our Consolidated Balance Sheet.

Additional fair value disclosures

Long-term debt, including current portion: The disclosed fair value of our long-term debt is determined primarily by a market approach using broker quoted indicative period-end bond prices. The quoted prices are based on observable transactions in less active markets for our debt or similar instruments. The fair values of the financing obligations associated with our Dalton, Leidy South, and Atlantic Sunrise projects, as well as the deferred

consideration obligation associated with the RMM Acquisition (see Note 3 – Acquisitions and Divestitures), all included within long-term debt, were determined using an income approach (see Note 12 – Debt and Banking Arrangements).

Guarantees: Guarantees primarily consist of a guarantee we have provided in the event of nonpayment by our previously owned communications subsidiary, Williams Communications Group, Inc., (WilTel), on a lease performance obligation that extends through 2042. Guarantees also include an indemnification related to a disposed operation.

To estimate the fair value of the WilTel guarantee, an estimated default rate is applied to the sum of the future contractual lease payments using an income approach. The estimated default rate is determined by obtaining the average cumulative issuer-weighted default rate based on the credit rating of WilTel’s current owner and the term of the underlying obligation. The default rate is published by Moody’s Investors Service. The carrying value of the WilTel guarantee is reported in Accrued and other current liabilities in our Consolidated Balance Sheet. The maximum potential undiscounted liquidity exposure is approximately $23 million at December 31, 2023. Our exposure declines systematically through the remaining term of WilTel’s obligation.

The fair value of the guarantee associated with the indemnification related to a disposed operation was estimated using an income approach that considered probability-weighted scenarios of potential levels of future performance. The terms of the indemnification do not limit the maximum potential future payments associated with the guarantee. The carrying value of this guarantee is reported in Regulatory liabilities, deferred income, and other in our Consolidated Balance Sheet.

We are required by our revolving credit agreement to indemnify lenders for certain taxes required to be withheld from payments due to the lenders and for certain tax payments made by the lenders. The maximum potential amount of future payments under these indemnifications is based on the related borrowings and such future payments cannot currently be determined. These indemnifications generally continue indefinitely unless limited by the underlying tax regulations and have no carrying value. We have never been called upon to perform under these indemnifications and have no current expectation of a future claim.

Concentration of Credit Risk

Accounts receivable

The following table summarizes concentration of receivables, net of allowances:


	December 31,
	2023		2022
	(Millions)
NGLs, natural gas, and related products and services	$	589	$	505
Regulated interstate natural gas transportation and storage	310		311
Marketing of natural gas and NGLs	321		858
Upstream activities	72		97
Accounts Receivable related to revenues from contracts with customers	1,292		1,771
Receivables from derivatives	311		889
Other accounts receivable	52		63
Trade accounts and other receivables - net	$	1,655	$	2,723

Customers include producers, distribution companies, industrial users, gas marketers, and pipelines primarily located in the continental United States. As a general policy, collateral is not required for receivables with the exception of the marketing receivables discussed below. Customers’ financial condition and credit worthiness are evaluated regularly and, based upon this evaluation, we may obtain collateral to support receivables.

We use established credit policies to determine and monitor the creditworthiness of gas marketing and trading counterparties, including requirements to post collateral or other credit security, as well as the quality of pledged collateral. Collateral or credit security is most often in the form of cash or letters of credit from an investment-grade financial institution, but may also include U.S. government securities. We also utilize netting agreements whenever possible to mitigate exposure to gas marketing and trading counterparty credit risk. When more than one derivative transaction with the same counterparty is outstanding and a legally enforceable netting agreement exists with that counterparty, the “net” mark-to-market exposure represents a reasonable measure of our credit risk with that counterparty.

- Definition

The entire disclosure for the fair value of financial instruments (as defined), including financial assets and financial liabilities (collectively, as defined), and the measurements of those instruments as well as disclosures related to the fair value of non-financial assets and liabilities. Such disclosures about the financial instruments, assets, and liabilities would include: (1) the fair value of the required items together with their carrying amounts (as appropriate); (2) for items for which it is not practicable to estimate fair value, disclosure would include: (a) information pertinent to estimating fair value (including, carrying amount, effective interest rate, and maturity, and (b) the reasons why it is not practicable to estimate fair value; (3) significant concentrations of credit risk including: (a) information about the activity, region, or economic characteristics identifying a concentration, (b) the maximum amount of loss the entity is exposed to based on the gross fair value of the related item, (c) policy for requiring collateral or other security and information as to accessing such collateral or security, and (d) the nature and brief description of such collateral or security; (4) quantitative information about market risks and how such risks are managed; (5) for items measured on both a recurring and nonrecurring basis information regarding the inputs used to develop the fair value measurement; and (6) for items presented in the financial statement for which fair value measurement is elected: (a) information necessary to understand the reasons for the election, (b) discussion of the effect of fair value changes on earnings, (c) a description of [similar groups] items for which the election is made and the relation thereof to the balance sheet, the aggregate carrying value of items included in the balance sheet that are not eligible for the election; (7) all other required (as defined) and desired information.

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