Derivatives

We utilize derivative financial instruments to hedge certain interest rate risks associated with our long-term debt, commodity price risks associated with forecasted future natural gas requirements and foreign exchange rate risks associated with transactions denominated in a currency other than the U.S. dollar. Most of these derivatives, except for the foreign currency contracts, qualify for hedge accounting since the hedges are highly effective, and we have designated and documented contemporaneously the hedging relationships involving these derivative instruments. While we intend to continue to meet the conditions for hedge accounting, if hedges do not qualify as highly effective or if we do not believe that forecasted transactions would occur, the changes in the fair value of the derivatives used as hedges would be reflected in our earnings. All of these contracts were accounted for under FASB ASC 815 “Derivatives and Hedging.”

Fair Values

The following table provides the fair values of our derivative financial instruments for the periods presented:



	Asset Derivatives:
(dollars in thousands)	March 31, 2013			December 31, 2012
Derivatives designated as hedging instruments under FASB ASC 815:	Balance Sheet Location	Fair Value		Balance Sheet Location	Fair Value
Interest rate contract	Derivative asset	$	—	Derivative asset	$	298
Natural gas contracts	Prepaid and other current assets	793			—
Total designated		793			298
Derivatives not designated as hedging instruments under FASB ASC 815:
Currency contracts	Prepaid and other current assets	292		Prepaid and other current assets	41
Total undesignated		292			41
Total		$	1,085		$	339

	Liability Derivatives:
(dollars in thousands)	March 31, 2013			December 31, 2012
Derivatives designated as hedging instruments under FASB ASC 815:	Balance Sheet Location	Fair Value		Balance Sheet Location	Fair Value
Natural gas contracts		$	—	Derivative liability	$	420
Interest rate contract	Other long-term liabilities	58			—
Total designated		58			420
Total		$	58		$	420

Interest Rate Swaps as Fair Value Hedges

On June 18, 2012, we entered into an interest rate swap agreement (New Rate Agreement) with a notional amount of $45.0 million that is to mature in 2020. The New Rate Agreement was executed in order to convert a portion of the Senior Secured Notes fixed rate debt into floating rate debt and maintain a capital structure containing fixed and floating rate debt.

Our fixed-to-floating interest rate swaps are designated and qualify as a fair value hedges. The change in the fair value of the derivative instrument related to the future cash flows (gain or loss on the derivative), as well as the offsetting change in the fair value of the hedged long-term debt attributable to the hedged risk, are recognized in current earnings. We include the gain or loss on the hedged long-term debt in other income (expense), along with the offsetting loss or gain on the related interest rate swap on the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations.

The following table provides a summary of the gain (loss) recognized on the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations:



	Three months ended March 31,
(dollars in thousands)	2013			2012
Interest rate swap	$	(356	)	$	13
Related long-term debt	134			406
Net impact	$	(222	)	$	419

Commodity Futures Contracts Designated as Cash Flow Hedges

We use commodity futures contracts related to forecasted future North American natural gas requirements. The objective of these futures contracts and other derivatives is to limit the fluctuations in prices paid due to price movements in the underlying commodity. We consider our forecasted natural gas requirements in determining the quantity of natural gas to hedge. We combine the forecasts with historical observations to establish the percentage of forecast eligible to be hedged, typically ranging from 40 percent to 70 percent of our anticipated requirements, up to eighteen months in the future. The fair values of these instruments are determined from market quotes. As of March 31, 2013, we had commodity contracts for 1,720,000 million British Thermal Units (BTUs) of natural gas. At December 31, 2012, we had commodity contracts for 2,400,000 million BTUs of natural gas.

All of our natural gas derivatives qualify and are designated as cash flow hedges at March 31, 2013. Hedge accounting is applied only when the derivative is deemed to be highly effective at offsetting changes in fair values or anticipated cash flows of the hedged item or transaction. For hedged forecasted transactions, hedge accounting is discontinued if the forecasted transaction is no longer probable to occur, and any previously deferred gains or losses would be recorded to earnings immediately. Changes in the effective portion of the fair value of these hedges are recorded in other comprehensive income (loss). The ineffective portion of the change in the fair value of a derivative designated as a cash flow hedge is recognized in current earnings. As the natural gas contracts mature, the accumulated gains (losses) for the respective contracts are reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive loss to current expense in cost of sales in our Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations. We paid additional cash of $0.2 million and $1.5 million in the three months ended March 31, 2013 and 2012, respectively, due to the difference between the fixed unit rate of our natural gas contracts and the variable unit rate of our natural gas cost from suppliers. Based on our current valuation, we estimate that accumulated losses currently carried in accumulated other comprehensive gain that will be reclassified into earnings over the next twelve months will result in $0.8 million of income in our Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations.

The following table provides a summary of the effective portion of derivative gain (loss) recognized in other comprehensive income (loss):



	Three months ended March 31,
(dollars in thousands)	2013		2012
Derivatives in Cash Flow Hedging relationships:
Natural gas contracts	$	967	$	(2,104	)
Total	$	967	$	(2,104	)

The following table provides a summary of the effective portion of derivative gain (loss) reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive loss to the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations:



		Three months ended March 31,
(dollars in thousands)		2013			2012
Derivative:	Location:
Natural gas contracts	Cost of sales	$	(246	)	$	(1,460	)
Total impact on net income (loss)		$	(246	)	$	(1,460	)

Currency Contracts

Our foreign currency exposure arises from transactions denominated in a currency other than the U.S. dollar primarily associated with our Canadian dollar denominated accounts receivable. We enter into a series of foreign currency contracts to sell Canadian dollars. As of March 31, 2013 and December 31, 2012, we had contracts for C$11.7 million and C$14.8 million, respectively. The fair values of these instruments are determined from market quotes. The values of these derivatives will change over time as cash receipts and payments are made and as market conditions change.

Gains (losses) for derivatives that were not designated as hedging instruments are recorded in current earnings as follows:



		Three months ended March 31,
(dollars in thousands)		2013		2012
Derivative:	Location:
Currency contracts	Other income (expense)	$	251	$	(162	)
Total		$	251	$	(162	)

We do not believe we are exposed to more than a nominal amount of credit risk in our interest rate swap, natural gas hedges and currency contracts as the counterparties are established financial institutions. The counterparty for the New Rate Agreement is rated A+ and the counterparties for the other derivative agreements are rated BBB+ or better as of March 31, 2013, by Standard and Poor’s.