Debt Obligations (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Notes to Financial Statements [Abstract]

Schedule Of Debt Instruments Text Block

		December 31, 2011				December 31, 2010
		Carrying Amount		Fair Value		Carrying Amount		Fair Value
			(In thousands)
Long-Term Debt Obligations:
Southern Union:
7.60% Senior Notes due 2024		$	359,765	$	417,666	$	359,765	$	392,144
8.25% Senior Notes due 2029			300,000		386,112		300,000		332,922
7.24% to 9.44% First Mortgage Bonds
	due 2020 to 2027		19,500		23,439		19,500		21,473
7.20% Junior Subordinated Notes due 2066 (1)			600,000		546,480		600,000		609,743
Term Loan due 2013			250,000		251,854		250,000		249,915
Note Payable			7,746		7,746		8,297		8,297
			1,537,011		1,633,297		1,537,562		1,614,494
Panhandle:
6.05% Senior Notes due 2013			250,000		265,573		250,000		268,988
6.20% Senior Notes due 2017			300,000		340,494		300,000		322,893
8.125% Senior Notes due 2019			150,000		185,301		150,000		169,671
7.00% Senior Notes due 2029			66,305		75,128		66,305		69,911
7.00% Senior Notes due 2018			400,000		467,072		400,000		442,120
Term Loans due 2012			797,386		794,751		815,391		799,084
Net premiums on long-term debt			2,924		2,924		2,731		2,731
			1,966,615		2,131,243		1,984,427		2,075,398
Total Long-Term Debt Obligations			3,503,626		3,764,540		3,521,989		3,689,892
Credit Facilities			200,000		200,009		297,051		301,312
Total consolidated debt obligations			3,703,626	$	3,964,549		3,819,040	$	3,991,204
	Less current portion of long-term debt (2)		343,254				1,083
	Less short-term debt		200,000				297,051
Total long-term debt		$	3,160,372			$	3,520,906

Schedule of Maturities of Long-term Debt [Table Text Block]

											2017
	2012		2013		2014		2015		2016		and thereafter
		(In thousands)
Southern Union Company	$	868	$	250,797	$	772	$	751	$	708	$	1,283,115
Panhandle		342,386		250,000		-		455,000		-		916,305
Total	$	343,254	$	500,797	$	772	$	455,751	$	708	$	2,199,420