Employee Benefits

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2013

Compensation and Retirement Disclosure [Abstract]

Employee Benefits

Employee Benefits

The Company maintains closed, defined-benefit pension and postretirement medical plans. QEP's pension plans include a qualified and a nonqualified retirement plan. The Company's postretirement medical plan is unfunded and provides certain health care and life insurance benefits for certain retired employees. During the nine months endedSeptember 30, 2013, the Company made contributions of $8.1 million to its funded pension plan, and $2.7 million to its unfunded pension plan. Contributions to funded plans increase plan assets while contributions to unfunded plans are used to fund current benefit payments. During the remainder of 2013, the Company expects to contribute approximately $0.4 million to its unfunded pension plans and approximately $0.1 million for retiree health care and life insurance benefits. No additional contributions are planned for the funded pension plan during the remainder of 2013.

The following table sets forth the Company’s pension and postretirement benefits net periodic benefit costs:

	Pension
	Three Months Ended						Nine Months Ended
	September 30,						September 30,
	2013			2012			2013			2012
	(in millions)
Service cost	$	0.7		$	1.1		$	2.6		$	3.0
Interest cost	1.2			1.3			3.7			3.7
Expected return on plan assets	(0.9		)	(0.9		)	(2.9		)	(2.7		)
Amortization of prior service costs	1.2			1.3			3.7			3.9
Amortization of actuarial loss	0.5			0.6			1.7			1.0
Periodic expense	$	2.7		$	3.4		$	8.8		$	8.9

	Postretirement Benefits
	Three Months Ended				Nine Months Ended
	September 30,				September 30,
	2013		2012		2013		2012
	(in millions)
Service cost	$	0.1	$	0.1	$	0.1	$	0.1
Interest cost	—		—		0.2		0.2
Amortization of prior service costs	0.1		0.1		0.3		0.3
Recognized net actuarial loss	0.1		—		0.1		—
Periodic expense	$	0.3	$	0.2	$	0.7	$	0.6