Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies (Policy)

9 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2011

Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies

Principles of Consolidation. The Company consolidates all entities in which it has a controlling financial interest. The equity method is used to account for entities in which the Company has a non-controlling financial interest. All significant intercompany balances and transactions are eliminated.

The preparation of the consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Reclassification

Reclassification. Certain prior year amounts have been reclassified to conform with current year presentation. This includes the reclassification of accrued capital expenditures of $55.5 million from Accounts Payable to Other Accruals and Current Liabilities on the Consolidated Balance Sheet at September 30, 2010. This reclassification did not impact the Consolidated Statement of Income or the Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows for any of the periods presented.

Earnings For Interim Periods

Earnings for Interim Periods. The Company, in its opinion, has included all adjustments that are necessary for a fair statement of the results of operations for the reported periods. The consolidated financial statements and notes thereto, included herein, should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and notes for the years ended September 30, 2010, 2009 and 2008 that are included in the Company's 2010 Form 10-K. The consolidated financial statements for the year ended September 30, 2011 will be audited by the Company's independent registered public accounting firm after the end of the fiscal year.

The earnings for the nine months ended June 30, 2011 should not be taken as a prediction of earnings for the entire fiscal year ending September 30, 2011. Most of the business of the Utility and Energy Marketing segments is seasonal in nature and is influenced by weather conditions. Due to the seasonal nature of the heating business in the Utility and Energy Marketing segments, earnings during the winter months normally represent a substantial part of the earnings that those segments are expected to achieve for the entire fiscal year. The Company's business segments are discussed more fully in Note 8 ' Business Segment Information.

Consolidated Statement Of Cash Flows

Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows. For purposes of the Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows, the Company considers all highly liquid debt instruments purchased with a maturity of generally three months or less to be cash equivalents.

At June 30, 2011, the Company accrued $60.7 million of capital expenditures in the Exploration and Production segment, the majority of which was in the Appalachian region. The Company also accrued $5.9 million of capital expenditures in the Pipeline and Storage segment at June 30, 2011. These amounts were excluded from the Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows at June 30, 2011 since they represent non-cash investing activities at that date. Accrued capital expenditures at June 30, 2011 are included in Other Accruals and Current Liabilities on the Consolidated Balance Sheet.

At September 30, 2010, the Company accrued $55.5 million of capital expenditures in the Exploration and Production segment, the majority of which was in the Appalachian region. This amount was excluded from the Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows at September 30, 2010 since it represented a non-cash investing activity at that date. These capital expenditures were paid during the quarter ended December 31, 2010 and have been included in the Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows for the nine months ended June 30, 2011. Accrued capital expenditures at September 30, 2010 are included in Other Accruals and Current Liabilities on the Consolidated Balance Sheet.

At June 30, 2010, the Company accrued $24.3 million of capital expenditures in the Exploration and Production segment, the majority of which was in the Appalachian region. This amount was excluded from the Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows at June 30, 2010 since it represented a non-cash investing activity at that date.

At September 30, 2009, the Company accrued $9.1 million of capital expenditures in the Exploration and Production segment, the majority of which was in the Appalachian region. The Company also accrued $0.7 million of capital expenditures in the All Other category related to the construction of the Midstream Covington Gathering System. These amounts were excluded from the Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows at September 30, 2009 since they represented non-cash investing activities at that date. These capital expenditures were paid during the quarter ended December 31, 2009 and have been included in the Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows for the nine months ended June 30, 2010.

Hedging Collateral Deposits

Hedging Collateral Deposits. This is an account title for cash held in margin accounts funded by the Company to serve as collateral for hedging positions. At June 30, 2011, the Company had hedging collateral deposits of $5.6 million related to its exchange-traded futures contracts and $32.4 million related to its over-the-counter crude oil swap agreements. At September 30, 2010, the Company had hedging collateral deposits of $10.1 million related to its exchange-traded futures contracts and $1.0 million related to its over-the-counter crude oil swap agreements. In accordance with its accounting policy, the Company does not offset hedging collateral deposits paid or received against related derivative financial instrument liability or asset balances.

Gas Stored Underground - Current

Gas Stored Underground ' Current. In the Utility segment, gas stored underground ' current is carried at lower of cost or market, on a LIFO method. Gas stored underground ' current normally declines during the first and second quarters of the year and is replenished during the third and fourth quarters. In the Utility segment, the current cost of replacing gas withdrawn from storage is recorded in the Consolidated Statements of Income and a reserve for gas replacement is recorded in the Consolidated Balance Sheets under the caption 'Other Accruals and Current Liabilities.' Such reserve, which amounted to $45.0 million at June 30, 2011, is reduced to zero by September 30 of each year as the inventory is replenished.

Property, Plant And Equipment

Property, Plant and Equipment. In the Company's Exploration and Production segment, oil and gas property acquisition, exploration and development costs are capitalized under the full cost method of accounting. Under this methodology, all costs associated with property acquisition, exploration and development activities are capitalized, including internal costs directly identified with acquisition, exploration and development activities. The internal costs that are capitalized do not include any costs related to production, general corporate overhead, or similar activities. The Company does not recognize any gain or loss on the sale or other disposition of oil and gas properties unless the gain or loss would significantly alter the relationship between capitalized costs and proved reserves of oil and gas attributable to a cost center.

Capitalized costs include costs related to unproved properties, which are excluded from amortization until proved reserves are found or it is determined that the unproved properties are impaired. Such costs amounted to $193.9 million and $151.2 million at June 30, 2011 and September 30, 2010, respectively. All costs related to unproved properties are reviewed quarterly to determine if impairment has occurred. The amount of any impairment is transferred to the pool of capitalized costs being amortized.

In March 2011, the Company entered into a purchase and sale agreement to sell its off-shore oil and natural gas properties effective as of January 1, 2011 in the Gulf of Mexico for approximately $70 million and received a deposit of $7.0 million from the purchaser. The Company completed the sale in April 2011, receiving an additional $54.8 million. The difference between the total proceeds received of $61.8 million and the sale price of $70.0 million represents a purchase price adjustment for the operating cash flow that the Company recorded from January 1, 2011 to the closing date of the sale. Under the full cost method of accounting for oil and natural gas properties, the sale proceeds were accounted for as a reduction of capitalized costs in April 2011. The Company also eliminated the asset retirement obligation associated with its off-shore oil and gas properties. This obligation amounted to $37.5 million and was accounted for as a reduction of capitalized costs under the full cost method of accounting for oil and natural gas properties as well as a reduction of the asset retirement obligation.

Capitalized costs are subject to the SEC full cost ceiling test. The ceiling test, which is performed each quarter, determines a limit, or ceiling, on the amount of property acquisition, exploration and development costs that can be capitalized. The ceiling under this test represents (a) the present value of estimated future net cash flows, excluding future cash outflows associated with settling asset retirement obligations that have been accrued on the balance sheet, using a discount factor of 10%, which is computed by applying prices of oil and gas (as adjusted for hedging) to estimated future production of proved oil and gas reserves as of the date of the latest balance sheet, less estimated future expenditures, plus (b) the cost of unevaluated properties not being depleted, less (c) income tax effects related to the differences between the book and tax basis of the properties. In accordance with the SEC final rule on Modernization of Oil and Gas Reporting, the natural gas and oil prices used to calculate the full cost ceiling (as of June 30, 2011) are based on an unweighted arithmetic average of the first day of the month oil and gas prices for each month within the twelve-month period prior to the end of the reporting period. If capitalized costs, net of accumulated depreciation, depletion and amortization and related deferred income taxes, exceed the ceiling at the end of any quarter, a permanent impairment is required to be charged to earnings in that quarter. At June 30, 2011, the Company's capitalized costs were below the full cost ceiling for the Company's oil and gas properties. As a result, an impairment charge was not required at June 30, 2011.

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss. The components of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss, net of related tax effect, are as follows (in thousands):


	At June 30, 2011			At September 30, 2010
Funded Status of the Pension and Other Post-Retirement Benefit Plans	$	(79,465	)	$	(79,465	)
Cumulative Foreign Currency Translation Adjustment		'			(51	)
Net Unrealized Gain on Derivative Financial Instruments		557			32,876
Net Unrealized Gain on Securities Available for Sale		3,810			1,655

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss	$	(75,098	)	$	(44,985	)

Other Current Assets

Other Current Assets. The components of the Company's Other Current Assets are as follows (in thousands):


	At June 30, 2011		At September 30, 2010
Prepayments	$	12,645	$	13,884
Prepaid Property and Other Taxes		10,653		12,413
Federal Income Taxes Receivable		9,514		56,334
State Income Taxes Receivable		7,902		18,007
Fair Values of Firm Commitments		4,072		15,331

	$	44,786	$	115,969

Earnings Per Common Share

Earnings Per Common Share. Basic earnings per common share is computed by dividing net income available for common stock by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding for the period. Diluted earnings per common share reflects the potential dilution that could occur if securities or other contracts to issue common stock were exercised or converted into common stock. For purposes of determining earnings per common share, the only potentially dilutive securities the Company has outstanding are stock options, SARs and restricted stock units. The diluted weighted average shares outstanding shown on the Consolidated Statements of Income reflects the potential dilution as a result of these securities as determined using the Treasury Stock Method. Stock options, SARs and restricted stock units that are antidilutive are excluded from the calculation of diluted earnings per common share. There were 6,512 antidilutive securities for the quarter ended June 30, 2011. There were no antidilutive securities for the nine months ended June 30, 2011. There were 544,500 and 237,538 antidilutive securities for the quarter and nine months ended June 30, 2010, respectively.

Stock-Based Compensation

Stock-Based Compensation. During the nine months ended June 30, 2011, the Company granted 180,000 non-performance based SARs having a weighted average exercise price of $63.87 per share. The weighted average grant date fair value of these SARs was $15.33 per share. These SARs may be settled in cash, in shares of common stock of the Company, or in a combination of cash and shares of common stock of the Company, as determined by the Company. These SARs are considered equity awards under the current authoritative guidance for stock-based compensation. The accounting for those SARs is the same as the accounting for stock options. There were no SARs granted during the quarter ended June 30, 2011. The non-performance based SARs granted during the nine months ended June 30, 2011 vest and become exercisable annually in one-third increments. The weighted average grant date fair value of these non-performance based SARs granted during the nine months ended June 30, 2011 was estimated on the date of grant using the same accounting treatment that is applied for stock options.

There were no stock options granted during the quarter or nine months ended June 30, 2011. The Company did not recognize a tax benefit related to the exercise of stock options for the calendar year ended December 31, 2010 due to tax loss carryforwards. The Company expects to recognize a tax benefit of $18.1 million in Paid in Capital related to calendar 2010 stock option exercises in future years as the tax loss carryforward is utilized.

The Company granted 47,250 restricted share awards (non-vested stock as defined by the current accounting literature) during the nine months ended June 30, 2011. The weighted average fair value of such restricted shares was $63.98 per share. There were no restricted share awards granted during the quarter ended June 30, 2011. In addition, the Company granted 8,100 and 37,000 restricted stock units during the quarter and nine months ended June 30, 2011, respectively. The weighted average fair value of such restricted stock units was $65.50 per share and $59.82 per share for the quarter and nine months ended June 30, 2011, respectively. Restricted stock units represent the right to receive shares of common stock of the Company (or the equivalent value in cash or a combination of cash and shares of common stock of the Company, as determined by the Company) at the end of a specified time period. These restricted stock units do not entitle the participant to receive dividends during the vesting period. The accounting for these restricted stock units is the same as the accounting for restricted share awards, except that the fair value at the date of grant of the restricted stock units must be reduced by the present value of forgone dividends over the vesting term of the award.

New Authoritative Accounting And Financial Reporting Guidance

New Authoritative Accounting and Financial Reporting Guidance.In May 2011, the FASB issued authoritative guidance regarding fair value measurement as a joint project with the IASB. The objective of the guidance was to bring together as closely as possible the fair value measurement and disclosure guidance issued by the two boards. The guidance includes a few updates to measurement guidance and some enhanced disclosure requirements. For all Level 3 fair value measurements, the guidance requires quantitative information about significant unobservable inputs used and a description of the valuation processes in place. The guidance also requires a qualitative discussion about the sensitivity of recurring Level 3 fair value measurements and information about any transfers between Level 1 and Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy. The new guidance also contains a requirement that all fair value measurements, whether they are recorded on the balance sheet or disclosed in the footnotes, be classified as Level 1, Level 2 or Level 3 within the fair value hierarchy. This authoritative guidance will be effective as of the Company's second quarter of fiscal 2012. The Company is currently evaluating the impact that adoption of this authoritative guidance will have on its consolidated financial statement disclosures.

In June 2011, the FASB issued authoritative guidance regarding the presentation of comprehensive income. The new guidance allows companies only two choices for presenting net income and other comprehensive income: in a single continuous statement, or in two separate, but consecutive, statements. The guidance eliminates the current option to report other comprehensive income and its components in the statement of changes in equity. This authoritative guidance will be effective as of the Company's first quarter of fiscal 2013 and is not expected to have a significant impact to the Company's financial statements.