Financial Instruments and Risk Management

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]

Financial Instruments and Risk Management

FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS AND RISK MANAGEMENT

Financial Instruments: The stated value of cash and cash equivalents, short-term investments, trade receivables (net of allowance), and short-term debt approximates fair value due to the short maturity of the instruments. The fair value of Energen's long-term debt, including the current portion, approximates $1,214.9 million and has a carrying value of $1,155.2 million at December 31, 2011. The fair value of Alagasco's fixed-rate long-term debt, including the current portion, approximates $274.9 million and has a carrying value of $250.2 million at December 31, 2011. The fair values were based on market prices of similar issues having the same remaining maturities, redemption terms and credit rating.

Alagasco purchases gas as an agent for certain of its large commercial and industrial customers. Alagasco has, in certain instances, provided commodity-related guarantees to counterparties in order to facilitate these agency purchases. Liabilities existing for gas delivered to customers subject to these guarantees are included in the balance sheet. In the event the customer for whom the guarantee was entered fails to take delivery of the gas, Alagasco can sell such gas for the customer, with the customer liable for any resulting loss. Although the substantial majority of purchases under these guarantees are for the customers' current monthly consumption and are at current market prices, in some instances, the purchases are for an extended term at a fixed price. At December 31, 2011, the fixed price purchases under these guarantees had a maximum term outstanding through October 2012 with an aggregate purchase price of $3.1 million and a market value of $2.2 million.

Finance Receivables: Alagasco finances third-party contractor sales of merchandise including gas furnaces and appliances. At December 31, 2011 and 2010, Alagasco’s finance receivable totaled approximately $10.5 million and $8.8 million, respectively. These finance receivables currently have an average balance of approximately $3,000 and with terms of up to 60 months. Financing is available only to qualified customers who meet credit worthiness thresholds for customer payment history and external agency credit reports. Alagasco relies upon ongoing payments as the primary indicator of credit quality during the term of each contract. The allowance for credit losses is recognized using an estimate of write-off percentages based on historical experience applied to an aging of the finance receivable balance. Delinquent accounts are evaluated on a case-by-case basis and, absent evidence of debt repayment after 90 days, are due in full and assigned to a third-party collection agency. The remaining finance receivable is written off approximately 12 months after being assigned to the third-party collection agency. Alagasco had finance receivables past due 90 days or more of $0.4 million as of December 31, 2011.

The following table sets forth a summary of changes in the allowance for credit losses as follows:

(in thousands)
Allowance for credit losses as of December 31, 2010	$	447
Provision	(26		)
Allowance for credit losses as of December 31, 2011	$	421

Risk Management: At December 31, 2011, the counterparty agreements under which the Company had active positions did not include collateral posting requirements. The Company is at risk for economic loss based upon the creditworthiness of its counterparties. Energen Resources was in a net gain position with eight of its active counterparties and in a net loss position with the remaining five at December 31, 2011. The four largest counterparty positions at December 31, 2011, Morgan Stanley Capital Group, Inc, Macquarie Bank Limited, Shell Energy North American (US), L.P., and Barclays Bank PLC, constituted a $55.3 million loss, a $13.8 million gain, a $10.3 million gain and a $9.9 million gain, respectively, of Energen Resources' net loss on its fair value of derivatives.

The following table details the fair values of commodity contracts by business segment on the balance sheets:

(in thousands)	December 31, 2011
	Oil and Gas Operations				Natural Gas Distribution			Total
Derivative assets or (liabilities) designated as hedging instruments
Accounts receivable	$	73,636			$	—		$	73,636
Long-term asset derivative instruments	75,982				—			75,982
Total derivative assets	149,618				—			149,618
Accounts receivable	(48,174		)	*	—			(48,174		)
Long-term asset derivative instruments	(36,341		)	*	—			(36,341		)
Accounts payable	(37,070		)		—			(37,070		)
Long-term liability derivative instruments	(20,386		)		—			(20,386		)
Total derivative liabilities	(141,971		)		—			(141,971		)
Total derivatives designated	7,647				—			7,647
Derivative assets or (liabilities) not designated as hedging instruments
Accounts receivable	(3,670		)	*	—			(3,670		)
Long-term asset derivative instruments	(8,585		)	*	—			(8,585		)
Total derivative assets	(12,255		)		—			(12,255		)
Accounts payable	(13,416		)		(56,804		)	(70,220		)
Long-term liability derivative instruments	(10,922		)		(3,070		)	(13,992		)
Total derivative liabilities	(24,338		)		(59,874		)	(84,212		)
Total derivatives not designated	(36,593		)		(59,874		)	(96,467		)
Total derivatives	$	(28,946	)		$	(59,874	)	$	(88,820	)

(in thousands)	December 31, 2010
	Oil and Gas Operations				Natural Gas Distribution			Total
Derivative assets or (liabilities) designated as hedging instruments
Accounts receivable	$	85,867			$	—		$	85,867
Long-term derivative instruments	3,156			*	—			3,156
Total derivative assets	89,023				—			89,023
Accounts receivable	(25,315		)	*	—			(25,315		)
Accounts payable	(50,508		)		—			(50,508		)
Long-term liability derivative instruments	(83,631		)		—			(83,631		)
Total derivative liabilities	(159,454		)		—			(159,454		)
Total derivatives designated	(70,431		)		—			(70,431		)
Derivative assets or (liabilities) not designated as hedging instruments
Accounts payable	(110		)		(27,906		)	(28,016		)
Long-term liability derivative instruments	—				(32,461		)	(32,461		)
Total derivative liabilities	(110		)		(60,367		)	(60,477		)
Total derivatives not designated	(110		)		(60,367		)	(60,477		)
Total derivatives	$	(70,541	)		$	(60,367	)	$	(130,908	)

* Amounts classified in accordance with accounting guidance which permits offsetting fair value amounts recognized for multiple derivative instruments executed with the same counterparty under a master netting arrangement.

The Company had a net $5.7 million deferred tax liability and a net $26.8 million deferred tax asset included in current and noncurrent deferred income taxes on the consolidated balance sheets related to derivative items included in other comprehensive income as of December 31, 2011 and 2010, respectively.

The following table details the effect of derivative commodity instruments designated as hedging instruments on the financial statements:

Years ended December 31, (in thousands)	Location on Income Statement	2011			2010
Net gain recognized in OCI on derivative (effective portion), net of tax of $41.4 million and $19.5 million	—	$	67,546		$	31,801
Gain reclassified from accumulated OCI into income (effective portion)	Operating revenues	$	26,326		$	200,324
Gain (loss) recognized in income on derivative (ineffective portion and amount excluded from effectiveness testing)	Operating revenues	$	(2,767	)	$	1,082

The following table details the effect of derivative commodity instruments not designated as hedging instruments on the income statements:

Years ended December 31, (in thousands)	Location on Income Statement	2011			2010
Loss recognized in income on derivative	Operating revenues	$	(37,587	)	$	(3	)

As of December 31, 2011, $2.5 million of deferred net losses on derivative instruments recorded in accumulated other comprehensive income, net of tax, are expected to be reclassified and reported in earnings as operating revenues during the next twelve-month period. The actual amount that will be reclassified to earnings over the next year could vary materially from this amount due to changes in market conditions. As of December 31, 2011, the Company had 4.2 million, 5.8 million and 2.4 million barrels (MMBbl) of oil and oil basis hedges which expire during 2012, 2013 and 2014, respectively, that did not meet the definition of a cash flow hedge but are considered by the Company to be economic hedges. The Company had 15.1 million and 1.6 million gallons (MMgal) of natural gas liquid hedges which expire during 2012 and 2013, respectively, that did not meet the definition of a cash flow hedge but are considered by the Company to be economic hedges. During 2011, the Company discontinued hedge accounting and reclassified losses of $0.2 million after-tax from other comprehensive income into operating revenues when Energen Resources determined it was probable certain forecasted volumes would not occur.

As of December 31, 2011, Energen Resources entered into the following transactions for 2012 and subsequent years:

Production Period	Total Hedged Volumes		Average Contract Price	Description
Natural Gas
2012	11.0	Bcf	$5.07 Mcf	NYMEX Swaps
	29.5	Bcf	$4.60 Mcf	Basin Specific Swaps
2013	8.8	Bcf	$5.30 Mcf	NYMEX Swaps
	25.1	Bcf	$4.88 Mcf	Basin Specific Swaps
2014	3.0	Bcf	$5.72 Mcf	NYMEX Swaps
	16.8	Bcf	$5.16 Mcf	Basin Specific Swaps
Oil
2012	6,762	MBbl	$88.29 Bbl	NYMEX Swaps
2013	7,643	MBbl	$90.03 Bbl	NYMEX Swaps
2014	5,612	MBbl	$90.56 Bbl	NYMEX Swaps
Oil Basis Differential
2012	3,124	MBbl	*	Basis Swaps
2013	2,768	MBbl	*	Basis Swaps
Natural Gas Liquids
2012	58.5	MMGal	$0.98 Gal	Liquids Swaps
2013	44.5	MMGal	$1.02 Gal	Liquids Swaps
* Average contract prices not meaningful due to the varying nature of each contract

Alagasco entered into the following natural gas transactions for 2012 and subsequent years:

Production Period	Total Hedged Volumes		Description
2012	17.2	Bcf	NYMEX Swaps
2013	1.5	Bcf	NYMEX Swaps

As of December 31, 2011, the maximum term over which Energen Resources and Alagasco has hedged exposures to the variability of cash flows is through December 31, 2014 and March 31, 2013, respectively.

The following sets forth derivative assets and liabilities that were measured at fair value on a recurring basis:

	December 31, 2011
(in thousands)	Level 2*			Level 3*			Total
Current assets	$	(14,843	)	$	36,635		$	21,792
Noncurrent assets	(8,382		)	39,438			31,056
Current liabilities	(98,468		)	(8,822		)	(107,290		)
Noncurrent liabilities	(32,928		)	(1,450		)	(34,378		)
Net derivative asset (liability)	$	(154,621	)	$	65,801		$	(88,820	)

	December 31, 2010
(in thousands)	Level 2*			Level 3*			Total
Current assets	$	10,316		$	50,236		$	60,552
Current liabilities	(76,527		)	(1,997		)	(78,524		)
Noncurrent liabilities	(107,452		)	(5,484		)	(112,936		)
Net derivative asset (liability)	$	(173,663	)	$	42,755		$	(130,908	)

* Amounts classified in accordance with accounting guidance which permits offsetting fair value amounts recognized for multiple derivative instruments executed with the same counterparty under a master netting arrangement.

As of December 31, 2011, Alagasco had $56.8 million and $3.1 million of derivative instruments which are classified as Level 2 fair values and are included in the above table as current and noncurrent liabilities, respectively. As of December 31, 2010, Alagasco had $27.9 million and $32.5 million of derivative instruments which are classified as Level 2 fair values and are included in the above table as current and noncurrent liabilities, respectively. Alagasco had no derivative instruments classified as Level 3 fair values as of December 31, 2011 and 2010.

The table below sets forth a summary of changes in the fair value of the Company’s Level 3 derivative commodity instruments as follows:

Years ended December 31, (in thousands)	2011			2010			2009
Balance at beginning of period	$	42,755		$	64,517		$	154,094
Realized gains (losses)	(6,180		)	(241		)	13
Unrealized gains relating to instruments held at the reporting date	79,882			90,580			65,015
Purchases and settlements during period	(50,656		)	(112,101		)	(154,605		)
Balance at end of period	$	65,801		$	42,755		$	64,517

Concentration of Credit Risk:Revenues and related accounts receivable from oil and gas operations primarily are generated from the sale of produced natural gas and oil to natural gas and oil marketing companies. Such sales are typically made on an unsecured credit basis with payment due the month following delivery. This concentration of sales to the energy marketing industry has the potential to affect the Company's overall exposure to credit risk, either positively or negatively, in that the Company's oil and gas purchasers may be affected similarly by changes in economic, industry or other conditions. Energen Resources considers the credit quality of its purchasers and, in certain instances, may require credit assurances such as a deposit, letter of credit or parent guarantee. The four largest oil and gas purchasers accounted for approximately 23 percent, 15 percent, 14 percent and 10 percent of Energen Resources’ accounts receivable for commodity sales as of December 31, 2011. Energen Resources’ other purchasers each accounted for less than 7 percent of these accounts receivable as of December 31, 2011. During the year ended December 31, 2011, the two largest oil and gas purchasers accounted for approximately 15 percent and 14 percent of Energen Resources’ total operating revenues.

Natural gas distribution operating revenues and related accounts receivable are generated from state-regulated utility natural gas sales and transportation to approximately 428,000 residential, commercial and industrial customers located in central and north Alabama. A change in economic conditions may affect the ability of customers to meet their obligations; however, the Company believes that its provision for possible losses on uncollectible accounts receivable is adequate for its credit loss exposure.