Derivative Instruments

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2017

Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]

Derivative Instruments

Derivative Instruments

The Company’s primary market risk exposure is the volatility of future prices for natural gas and NGLs, which can affect the operating results of the Company primarily at EQT Production. The Company’s overall objective in its hedging program is to protect cash flows from undue exposure to the risk of changing commodity prices.

The Company uses over the counter (OTC) derivative commodity instruments, primarily swap and collar agreements that are typically placed with financial institutions. The creditworthiness of all counterparties is regularly monitored. Swap agreements involve payments to or receipts from counterparties based on the differential between two prices for the commodity. Collar agreements require the counterparty to pay the Company if the index price falls below the floor price and the Company to pay the counterparty if the index price rises above the cap price. The Company also sells call options that require the Company to pay the counterparty if the index price rises above the strike price. The Company engages in basis swaps to protect earnings from undue exposure to the risk of geographic disparities in commodity prices and interest rate swaps to hedge exposure to interest rate fluctuations on potential debt issuances. The Company has also engaged in a limited number of swaptions and power-indexed natural gas sales and swaps that are accounted for as derivative commodity instruments.

The Company recognizes all derivative instruments as either assets or liabilities at fair value on a gross basis. These derivative instruments are reported as either current assets or current liabilities due to their highly liquid nature. The Company can net settle its derivative instruments at any time.

The Company discontinued cash flow hedge accounting in 2014; therefore, all changes in fair value of the Company’s derivative instruments are recognized within operating revenues in the Statements of Consolidated Operations.

In prior periods, derivative commodity instruments used by the Company to hedge its exposure to variability in expected future cash flows associated with the fluctuations in the price of natural gas related to the Company’s forecasted sale of EQT Production's produced volumes and forecasted natural gas purchases and sales were designated and qualified as cash flow hedges. As of March 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016, the forecasted transactions that were hedged as of December 31, 2014 remained probable of occurring and as such, the amounts in accumulated other comprehensive income (OCI) will continue to be reported in accumulated OCI and will be reclassified into earnings in future periods when the underlying hedged transactions occur. The forecasted transactions extend through December 2018. As of March 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016, the Company deferred net gains of $8.7 million and $9.6 million, respectively, in accumulated OCI, net of tax, related to the effective portion of the change in fair value of its derivative commodity instruments designated as cash flow hedges. The Company estimates that approximately $4.3 million of net gains on its derivative commodity instruments reflected in accumulated OCI, net of tax, as of March 31, 2017 will be recognized in earnings during the next twelve months due to the settlement of hedged transactions.

Contracts which result in physical delivery of a commodity expected to be used or sold by the Company in the normal course of business are designated as normal purchases and sales and are exempt from derivative accounting.

OTC arrangements require settlement in cash. Settlements of derivative commodity instruments are reported as a component of cash flows from operations in the accompanying Statements of Condensed Consolidated Cash Flows. 

	Three Months Ended March 31,
	2017			2016
	(Thousands)
Commodity derivatives designated as cash flow hedges
Amount of gain reclassified from accumulated OCI, net of tax, into operating revenues (effective portion)	$	888		$	12,424
Interest rate derivatives designated as cash flow hedges
Amount of loss reclassified from accumulated OCI, net of tax, into interest expense (effective portion)	$	(36	)	$	(36	)
Derivatives not designated as hedging instruments
Amount of gain recognized in operating revenues	$	140,742		$	108,995

The absolute quantities of the Company’s derivative commodity instruments totaled 805 Bcf and 703 Bcf as of March 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016, respectively, and were primarily related to natural gas swaps, collars, and basis swaps. The open positions at March 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016 had maturities extending through December 2020. The Company also had 1,008 Mbbls and 1,095 Mbbls of propane swaps as of March 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016, respectively, which had maturities extending through December 2018.

The Company has netting agreements with financial institutions and its brokers that permit net settlement of gross commodity derivative assets against gross commodity derivative liabilities. The table below reflects the impact of netting agreements and margin deposits on gross derivative assets and liabilities as of March 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016. 

As of March 31, 2017	Derivative instruments, recorded in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet, gross		Derivative instruments subject to master netting agreements			Margin deposits remitted to counterparties		Derivative instruments, net
	(Thousands)
Asset derivatives:
Derivative instruments, at fair value	$	59,391	$	(45,200	)	$	—	$	14,191
Liability derivatives:
Derivative instruments, at fair value	$	136,462	$	(45,200	)	$	—	$	91,262

As of December 31, 2016	Derivative instruments, recorded in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet, gross		Derivative instruments subject to  master netting agreements			Margin deposits remitted to counterparties		Derivative instruments, net
	(Thousands)
Asset derivatives:
Derivative instruments, at fair value	$	33,053	$	(23,373	)	$	—	$	9,680
Liability derivatives:
Derivative instruments, at fair value	$	257,943	$	(23,373	)	$	—	$	234,570

Certain of the Company’s derivative instrument contracts provide that if the Company’s credit ratings by Standard & Poor’s Rating Service (S&P) or Moody’s Investors Service (Moody’s) are lowered below investment grade, additional collateral must be deposited with the counterparty if the amounts outstanding on those contracts exceed certain thresholds.  The additional collateral can be up to 100% of the derivative liability.  As of March 31, 2017, the aggregate fair value of all derivative instruments with credit risk-related contingent features that were in a net liability position was $91.2 million, for which the Company had no collateral posted on March 31, 2017.  If the Company’s credit rating by S&P or Moody’s had been downgraded below investment grade on March 31, 2017, the Company would not have been required to post any additional collateral under the agreements with the respective counterparties. The required margin on the Company’s derivative instruments is subject to significant change as a result of factors other than credit rating, such as gas prices and credit thresholds set forth in agreements between the hedging counterparties and the Company. Investment grade refers to the quality of the Company’s credit as assessed by one or more credit rating agencies. The Company’s senior unsecured debt was rated BBB by S&P and Baa3 by Moody’s at March 31, 2017.  In order to be considered investment grade, the Company must be rated BBB- or higher by S&P and Baa3 or higher by Moody’s. Anything below these ratings is considered non-investment grade. See also "Security Ratings and Financing Triggers" under Part I, Item 2, "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations."