Derivative instruments

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2012

Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]

Derivative instruments

Derivative Instruments

Derivative instruments, including certain derivative instruments embedded in other contracts, are required to be recorded on the balance sheet as either an asset or liability measured at fair value. The Company's policy is to not offset fair value amounts for derivative instruments and, as a result, the Company's derivative assets and liabilities are presented gross on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. Changes in the derivative instrument's fair value are recognized currently in earnings unless specific hedge accounting criteria are met. Accounting for qualifying hedges allows derivative gains and losses to offset the related results on the hedged item in the income statement and requires that a company must formally document, designate and assess the effectiveness of transactions that receive hedge accounting treatment.

In the event a derivative instrument being accounted for as a cash flow hedge does not qualify for hedge accounting because it is no longer highly effective in offsetting changes in cash flows of a hedged item; if the derivative instrument expires or is sold, terminated or exercised; or if management determines that designation of the derivative instrument as a hedge instrument is no longer appropriate, hedge accounting would be discontinued and the derivative instrument would continue to be carried at fair value with changes in its fair value recognized in earnings. In these circumstances, the net gain or loss at the time of discontinuance of hedge accounting would remain in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) until the period or periods during which the hedged forecasted transaction affects earnings, at which time the net gain or loss would be reclassified into earnings. In the event a cash flow hedge is discontinued because it is unlikely that a forecasted transaction will occur, the derivative instrument would continue to be carried on the balance sheet at its fair value, and gains and losses that had accumulated in other comprehensive income (loss) would be recognized immediately in earnings. In the event of a sale, termination or extinguishment of a foreign currency derivative, the resulting gain or loss would be recognized immediately in earnings. The Company's policy requires approval to terminate a derivative instrument prior to its original maturity. As of December 31, 2012, the Company had no outstanding foreign currency hedges.

The Company evaluates counterparty credit risk on its derivative assets and the Company's credit risk on its derivative liabilities. As of December 31, 2012 and 2011, credit risk was not material.

Cascade

Cascade has historically utilized natural gas swap agreements to manage a portion of their regulated natural gas supply portfolio in order to manage fluctuations in the price of natural gas related to core customers in accordance with authority granted by the WUTC and OPUC. Core customers consist of residential, commercial and smaller industrial customers. As of December 31, 2012, Cascade had no outstanding swap agreements. The fair value of derivative instruments must be estimated as of the end of each reporting period and recorded on the Consolidated Balance Sheets as an asset or a liability. Periodic changes in the fair market value of derivative instruments are recorded on the Consolidated Balance Sheets as a regulatory asset or a regulatory liability, and settlements of these arrangements are expected to be recovered through the purchased gas cost adjustment mechanism. Gains and losses on the settlements of derivative instruments are recorded as a component of purchased natural gas sold on the Consolidated Statements of Income as they are recovered through the purchased gas cost adjustment mechanism. Under the terms of these arrangements, Cascade either pays or receives settlement payments based on the difference between the fixed strike price and the monthly index price applicable to each contract. For the years ended December 31, 2012 and 2011, the change in the fair market value of the derivative instruments of $437,000 and $8.9 million, respectively, were recorded as a decrease to regulatory assets.

Fidelity

At December 31, 2012, Fidelity held oil swap and collar agreements with total forward notional volumes of 2.6 million Bbl and natural gas swap agreements with total forward notional volumes of 11.0 million MMBtu, a majority of which were designated as cash flow hedging instruments. Fidelity utilizes these derivative instruments to manage a portion of the market risk associated with fluctuations in the price of oil and natural gas and basis differentials on its forecasted sales of oil and natural gas production.

Centennial

At December 31, 2012, Centennial held interest rate swap agreements with a total notional amount of $50.0 million, which were designated as cash flow hedging instruments. Centennial entered into these interest rate derivative instruments to manage a portion of its interest rate exposure on the forecasted issuance of long-term debt. Centennial's interest rate swap agreements have mandatory termination dates ranging from January through June 2013.

Fidelity and Centennial

The fair value of the derivative instruments must be estimated as of the end of each reporting period and is recorded on the Consolidated Balance Sheets as an asset or liability. Changes in the fair value attributable to the effective portion of hedging instruments, net of tax, are recorded in stockholders' equity as a component of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss). To the extent that the hedges are not effective, the ineffective portion of the changes in fair market value is recorded directly in earnings.

There were no components of the derivative instruments' gain or loss excluded from the assessment of hedge effectiveness. Gains and losses must be reclassified into earnings as a result of the discontinuance of cash flow hedges if it is probable that the original forecasted transactions will not occur, and there were no such reclassifications.

Gains and losses on the oil and natural gas derivative instruments are reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) into operating revenues on the Consolidated Statements of Income at the date the oil and natural gas quantities are settled. The proceeds received for oil and natural gas production are generally based on market prices. Gains and losses on the interest rate derivatives are reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) into interest expense on the Consolidated Statements of Income in the same period the hedged item affects earnings. The gains and losses on derivative instruments for the years ended December 31 were as follows:

	2012			2011			2010
	(In thousands)
Commodity derivatives designated as cash flow hedges:
Amount of gain (loss) recognized in accumulated other comprehensive loss (effective portion), net of tax	$	10,209		$	10,806		$	(3,077	)
Amount of gain (loss) reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive loss into operating revenues (effective portion), net of tax	8,788			—			(3,720		)
Amount of gain (loss) recognized in operating revenues (ineffective portion), before tax	(730		)	1,827			—
Interest rate derivatives designated as cash flow hedges:
Amount of loss recognized in accumulated other comprehensive loss (effective portion), net of tax	(1,712		)	(2,906		)	—
Amount of loss reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive loss into interest expense (effective portion), net of tax	(34		)	—			(30		)
Amount of gain (loss) recognized in interest expense (ineffective portion), before tax	—			—			—
Commodity derivatives not designated as hedging instruments:
Amount of gain recognized in operating revenues, before tax	106			—			—

As of December 31, 2012, the maximum term of the derivative instruments, in which the exposure to the variability in future cash flows for forecasted transactions is being hedged, is 12 months.

Based on December 31, 2012, fair values, over the next 12 months net gains of approximately $10.4 million (after tax) are estimated to be reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) into earnings, subject to changes in oil and natural gas market prices and interest rates, as the hedged transactions affect earnings.

Certain of Fidelity's and Centennial's derivative instruments contain cross-default provisions that state if Fidelity or any of its affiliates or Centennial fails to make payment with respect to certain indebtedness, in excess of specified amounts, the counterparties could require early settlement or termination of derivative instruments in liability positions. The aggregate fair value of Fidelity's and Centennial's derivative instruments with credit-risk-related contingent features that are in a liability position at December 31, 2012, was $6.3 million. The aggregate fair value of assets that would have been needed to settle the instruments immediately if the credit-risk-related contingent features were triggered on December 31, 2012, was $6.3 million.

The location and fair value of the Company's derivative instruments on the Consolidated Balance Sheets were as follows:

Asset Derivatives	Location on Consolidated Balance Sheets	Fair Value at December 31, 2012		Fair Value at December 31, 2011
		(In thousands)
Designated as hedges:
Commodity derivatives	Commodity derivative instruments	$	18,084	$	27,687
	Other assets - noncurrent	—		2,768
		18,084		30,455
Not designated as hedges:
Commodity derivatives	Commodity derivative instruments	220		—
		220		—
Total asset derivatives		$	18,304	$	30,455

Liability Derivatives	Location on Consolidated Balance Sheets	Fair Value at December 31, 2012		Fair Value at December 31, 2011
		(In thousands)
Designated as hedges:
Commodity derivatives	Commodity derivative instruments	$	—	$	12,727
	Other liabilities - noncurrent	—		937
Interest rate derivatives	Other accrued liabilities	6,255		827
	Other liabilities - noncurrent	—		3,935
		6,255		18,426
Not designated as hedges:
Commodity derivatives	Commodity derivative instruments	—		437
		—		437
Total liability derivatives		$	6,255	$	18,863