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Employee Benefits
 9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2017
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]  
Employee Benefits [Text Block]
Pension and Other Postretirement Benefits
The Company provides pension and other postretirement benefits to certain employees through three retirement benefit plans: the QEP Resources, Inc. Retirement Plan (the Pension Plan), the Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan (the SERP), and a postretirement medical plan (the Medical Plan).

The Pension Plan is a closed, qualified, defined-benefit pension plan that is funded and provides pension benefits to certain QEP employees. During the nine months ended September 30, 2017, the Company made contributions of $4.0 million to the Pension Plan and does not expect to make additional contributions to the Pension Plan during the remainder of 2017. Contributions to the Pension Plan increase plan assets. The Pension Plan was amended in June 2015 and was frozen effective January 1, 2016, such that employees do not earn additional defined benefits for future services.

The SERP is a nonqualified retirement plan that is unfunded and provides pension benefits to certain QEP employees. During the nine months ended September 30, 2017, the Company made contributions of $1.9 million to its SERP and expects to contribute an additional $0.1 million to its SERP during the remainder of 2017. Contributions to the SERP are used to fund current benefit payments. The SERP was amended and restated in June 2015 and was closed to new participants effective January 1, 2016.

During the nine months ended September 30, 2017, the Company recognized a $0.7 million loss on curtailment related to the SERP in connection with the Pinedale Divestiture, which was recorded on the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations within "Net gain (loss) from asset sales".

The Medical Plan is unfunded and provides other postretirement benefits including certain health care and life insurance benefits for certain retired QEP employees. During the nine months ended September 30, 2017, the Company made contributions of $0.2 million to its Medical Plan and expects to contribute an additional $0.1 million to its Medical Plan during the remainder of 2017. Contributions to the Medical Plan are used to fund current benefit payments.

In February 2017, the Company changed the eligibility requirements for active employees eligible for the Medical Plan, as well as retirees currently enrolled. Effective July 1, 2017, the Company no longer offers the Medical Plan to retirees and/or spouses that are Medicare eligible. In addition, the Company no longer offers life insurance to individuals retiring on or after July 1, 2017.

In accordance with the adoption of ASU No. 2017-07, Compensation – Retirement Benefits (Topic 715): Improving the presentation of net periodic pension cost and net periodic postretirement benefit cost, the Company recognizes service costs related to SERP and Medical Plan benefits within "General and administrative" expense on the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations. All other expenses related to the Pension Plan, SERP and Medical Plan are recognized within "Interest and other income (expense)" on the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations.

The following table sets forth the Company’s net periodic benefit costs related to its Pension Plan, SERP and Medical Plan:
 
Three Months Ended
 
Nine Months Ended
 
September 30,
 
September 30,
 
2017
 
2016
 
2017
 
2016
Pension Plan and SERP benefits
(in millions)
Service cost
$
0.2

 
$
0.3

 
$
0.6

 
$
0.9

Interest cost
1.2

 
1.3

 
3.6

 
3.9

Expected return on plan assets
(1.3
)
 
(1.4
)
 
(4.0
)
 
(4.2
)
Amortization of prior service costs(1)
0.3

 
0.3

 
0.9

 
0.9

Amortization of actuarial losses(1)
0.1

 
0.2

 
0.3

 
0.6

Curtailment loss(2)
0.7

 
—

 
0.7

 
—

Periodic expense
$
1.2

 
$
0.7

 
$
2.1

 
$
2.1

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Medical Plan benefits
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Interest cost
$
—

 
$
0.1

 
$
0.1

 
$
0.2

Amortization of prior service costs(1)
(0.1
)
 
—

 
(0.2
)
 
0.1

Periodic expense
$
(0.1
)
 
$
0.1

 
$
(0.1
)
 
$
0.3


____________________________
(1) 
Amortization of prior service costs and actuarial losses out of accumulated other comprehensive income are recognized on the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations within "Interest and other income (expense)".
(2) 
A curtailment is recognized immediately when there is a significant reduction in, or an elimination of, defined benefit accruals for current employees' future services. These expenses relate to the Pinedale Divestiture and are recognized on the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations within "Gain (loss) from asset sales" for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017.