Background

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2012

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

Background and Basis of Presentation

Background

CenterPoint Energy Resources Corp. (CERC Corp., and, together with its subsidiaries, CERC), owns and operates natural gas distribution systems. Subsidiaries of CERC Corp. own interstate natural gas pipelines and gas gathering systems and provide various ancillary services. A wholly owned subsidiary of CERC offers variable and fixed-price physical natural gas supplies primarily to commercial and industrial customers and electric and gas utilities. CERC Corp. is a Delaware corporation.

CERC Corp. is an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of CenterPoint Energy, Inc. (CenterPoint Energy), a public utility holding company.

For a description of CERC's reportable business segments, see Note 14.