Acquisitions	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2018
Text Block [Abstract]
Acquisitions	ACQUISITIONS Acquisitions in 2018 Marlin Gas Services and Ohl Fuel Oil Acquisitions In December 2018, Marlin Gas Services, LLC (“Marlin Gas Services”), our newly created subsidiary, acquired certain operating assets of Marlin Gas Transport, Inc. (“Marlin Gas Transport”), a supplier of mobile compressed natural gas utility and pipeline solutions. The acquisition will enable Chesapeake Utilities to offer solutions to address supply interruption scenarios and tailor other alternatives where pipeline supplies are not available or cannot meet customer requirements. In December 2018, Sharp acquired certain propane operating assets and customers of R. F. Ohl Fuel Oil, Inc. ("Ohl"), which provided propane distribution service to approximately 2,500 residential and commercial customers in Pennsylvania. We accounted for the purchases of the operating assets of Marlin Gas Transport and Ohl, which totaled approximately $18.4 million, as business combinations within our Unregulated Energy segment. Goodwill of $4.8 million, related to the Marlin Gas Transport acquisition, and $1.5 million, associated with the Ohl acquisition, were initially recorded at the close of these transactions. The amounts recorded in conjunction with these acquisitions are preliminary and subject to adjustment based on additional valuations performed during the measurement period. Due to the timing of these acquisitions, the revenue and net income from these acquisitions in 2018 were immaterial. Acquisitions in 2017 ARM, Chipola and Central Gas Acquisitions In August 2017, PESCO acquired certain natural gas marketing assets of ARM Energy Management, LLC ("ARM"). The acquired assets complemented PESCO’s existing asset portfolio and expanded our regional footprint and retail demand in a market where we had existing pipeline capacity and wholesale liquidity. We accounted for the purchase of these assets as a business combination and initially recorded goodwill of $4.3 million within our Unregulated Energy segment. In connection with the acquisition, we initially recorded a contingent consideration liability of $2.5 million, based on a projection that the acquired business would achieve a gross margin target in 2018. During the second quarter of 2018, we identified certain known information as of the acquisition date that was not considered in our original analysis and would have resulted in no contingent consideration liability being initially recorded. Therefore, we reversed the originally-recorded contingent liability and reduced goodwill by $2.5 million. We similarly revised the consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2017. These revisions are considered immaterial to our consolidated financial statements. Based on actual gross margin results in 2018, we were not required to make additional payments under the contingent consideration provisions of the purchase agreement. In August and December of 2017, Flo-gas acquired certain operating assets of Chipola Propane Gas Company ("Chipola") and Central Gas Company of Okeechobee, Incorporated ("Central Gas"), adding approximately 1,125 residential and commercial propane delivery service customers in Florida. The acquisition accounting amounts recorded in conjunction with the above transactions are final. The revenue and net income from these acquisitions included in our consolidated statements of income were not material.

ACQUISITIONS

Acquisitions in 2018

Marlin Gas Services and Ohl Fuel Oil Acquisitions

In December 2018, Marlin Gas Services, LLC (“Marlin Gas Services”), our newly created subsidiary, acquired certain operating assets of Marlin Gas Transport, Inc. (“Marlin Gas Transport”), a supplier of mobile compressed natural gas utility and pipeline solutions. The acquisition will enable Chesapeake Utilities to offer solutions to address supply interruption scenarios and tailor other alternatives where pipeline supplies are not available or cannot meet customer requirements.

In December 2018, Sharp acquired certain propane operating assets and customers of R. F. Ohl Fuel Oil, Inc. ("Ohl"), which provided propane distribution service to approximately 2,500 residential and commercial customers in Pennsylvania.

We accounted for the purchases of the operating assets of Marlin Gas Transport and Ohl, which totaled approximately $18.4 million, as business combinations within our Unregulated Energy segment. Goodwill of $4.8 million, related to the Marlin Gas Transport acquisition, and $1.5 million, associated with the Ohl acquisition, were initially recorded at the close of these transactions. The amounts recorded in conjunction with these acquisitions are preliminary and subject to adjustment based on additional valuations performed during the measurement period. Due to the timing of these acquisitions, the revenue and net income from these acquisitions in 2018 were immaterial.

Acquisitions in 2017

ARM, Chipola and Central Gas Acquisitions

In August 2017, PESCO acquired certain natural gas marketing assets of ARM Energy Management, LLC ("ARM"). The acquired assets complemented PESCO’s existing asset portfolio and expanded our regional footprint and retail demand in a market where we had existing pipeline capacity and wholesale liquidity. We accounted for the purchase of these assets as a business combination and initially recorded goodwill of $4.3 million within our Unregulated Energy segment. In connection with the acquisition, we initially recorded a contingent consideration liability of $2.5 million, based on a projection that the acquired business would achieve a gross margin target in 2018. During the second quarter of 2018, we identified certain known information as of the acquisition date that was not considered in our original analysis and would have resulted in no contingent consideration liability being initially recorded. Therefore, we reversed the originally-recorded contingent liability and reduced goodwill by $2.5 million. We similarly revised the consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2017. These revisions are considered immaterial to our consolidated financial statements. Based on actual gross margin results in 2018, we were not required to make additional payments under the contingent consideration provisions of the purchase agreement.

In August and December of 2017, Flo-gas acquired certain operating assets of Chipola Propane Gas Company ("Chipola") and Central Gas Company of Okeechobee, Incorporated ("Central Gas"), adding approximately 1,125 residential and commercial propane delivery service customers in Florida.

The acquisition accounting amounts recorded in conjunction with the above transactions are final. The revenue and net income from these acquisitions included in our consolidated statements of income were not material.