Derivative Instruments

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2012

Derivative Instruments

7. DERIVATIVE INSTRUMENTS

We use derivative and non-derivative contracts to engage in trading activities and manage risks related to obtaining adequate supplies and the price fluctuations of natural gas, electricity and propane. Our natural gas, electric and propane distribution operations have entered into agreements with suppliers to purchase natural gas, electricity and propane for resale to their customers. Purchases under these contracts either do not meet the definition of derivatives or are considered “normal purchases and sales” and are accounted for on an accrual basis. Our propane distribution operation may also enter into fair value hedges of its inventory in order to mitigate the impact of wholesale price fluctuations. As of December 31, 2012, our natural gas and electric distribution operations did not have any outstanding derivative contracts.

Xeron, our propane wholesale and marketing subsidiary, engages in trading activities using forward and futures contracts. These contracts are considered derivatives and have been accounted for using the mark-to-market method of accounting. Under the mark-to-market method of accounting, the trading contracts are recorded at fair value, and the changes in fair value of those contracts are recognized as unrealized gains or losses in the consolidated statements of income in the period of change. As of December 31, 2012, we had the following outstanding trading contracts, which we accounted for as derivatives:

	Quantity in		Estimated Market		Weighted Average
At December 31, 2012	Gallons		Prices		Contract Prices
Forward Contracts
Sale		1,262,000	$	0.7550 — $1.3650	$	0.9214
Purchase		2,648,000	$	0.7550 — $1.3300	$	0.9291

Estimated market prices and weighted average contract prices are in dollars per gallon.

All contracts expire by the end of the first quarter of 2013.

In May 2012, our propane distribution operation entered into call options to protect against an increase in propane prices associated with 1,260,000 gallons purchased for the propane price cap program for the months of December 2012 through March 2013. The call options are exercised if propane prices rise above the strike prices, which range from $0.905 per gallon to $0.990 per gallon during this four-month period. We will receive the difference between the market price and the strike price during those months. We paid $139,000 to purchase the call options and we accounted for the call options as a fair value hedge. As of December 31, 2012, the call options had a fair value of $28,000. There was no ineffective portion of this fair value hedge in 2012.

In August 2011, our propane distribution operation entered into a put option to protect against the decline in propane prices and related potential inventory losses associated with 630,000 gallons purchased for the propane price cap program for the months of January through March 2012. This put option was exercised as propane prices fell below the strike price of $1.445 per gallon in January through March of 2012. We received $118,000, representing the difference between the market price and the strike price during those months. We had paid $91,000 to purchase the put option, and we accounted for it as a fair value hedge.

The following tables present information about the fair value and related gains and losses of our derivative contracts. We did not have any derivative contracts with a credit-risk-related contingency.

Fair values of the derivative contracts recorded in the consolidated balance sheets as of December 31, 2012 and 2011, are as follows:

	Asset Derivatives
		Fair Value
(in thousands)	Balance Sheet Location	December 31, 2012		December 31, 2011
Derivatives not designated as hedging instruments
Forward contracts	Mark-to-market energy assets	$	182	$	1,686
Derivatives designated as fair value hedges
Put option (1)	Mark-to-market energy assets		—		68
Call option (2)	Mark-to-market energy assets		28		—
Total asset derivatives		$	210	$	1,754
	Liability Derivatives
		Fair Value
(in thousands)	Balance Sheet Location	December 31, 2012		December 31, 2011
Derivatives not designated as hedging instruments
Forward contracts	Mark-to-market energy liabilities	$	331	$	1,496
Total liability derivatives		$	331	$	1,496

(1) We purchased a put option for the propane price cap program in August 2011. The put option was exercised in January through March of 2012 as the propane prices fell below the strike price of $1.445 per gallon during this period.

(2) As a fair value hedge with no ineffective portion, the unrealized gains and losses associated with this call option are recorded in cost of sales, offset by the corresponding change in the value of propane inventory (hedged item), which is also recorded in cost of sales. The amounts in cost of sales offset to zero and the unrealized gains and losses of this call option effectively changed the value of propane inventory.

The effects of gains and losses from derivative instruments are as follows:

	Amount of Gain (Loss) on Derivatives:
	Location of Gain (Loss) on Derivatives	For the Years Ended December 31,
(in thousands)		2012			2011			2010
Derivatives designated as fair value hedges:
Put Option	Cost of Sales	$	27		$	—		$	—
Put/Call Option (1)	Propane Inventory		(40	)		(23	)		—
Derivatives not designated as hedging instruments:
Put Option	Cost of Sales		—			—			(168	)
Unrealized gain (loss) on forward contracts	Revenue		(339	)		41			284
Total			($352	)	$	18		$	116

⁽¹⁾  As a fair value hedge with no ineffective portion, the unrealized gains and losses associated with this put option are recorded in cost of sales, offset by the corresponding change in the value of propane inventory (hedged item), which is also recorded in cost of sales. The amounts in cost of sales offset to zero and the unrealized gains and losses of this put option effectively changed the value of propane inventory.

The effects of trading activities on the consolidated statements of income are as follows:

	Amount of Trading Revenue
	Location of Gain	For the Years Ended December 31,
(in thousands)	(Loss) on Derivatives	2012			2011		2010
Realized gain on forward contracts/put option	Revenue	$	2,695		$	2,215	$	1,540
Unrealized gain (loss) on forward contracts	Revenue		(339	)		41		284
Total		$	2,356		$	2,256	$	1,824