Asset Retirement Obligations (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Notes to Financial Statements [Abstract]

ARO Assets [Table Text Block]

	In Service
ARO Description	Date	Long-Lived Assets	Amount
			(In thousands)
Retire natural gas storage wells	Various	Natural gas storage wells	$	517
Retire offshore platforms and lines	Various	Offshore lines	$	3,180
Other	Various	Mainlines, compressors and gathering plants	$	4,941

Schedule of Change in Asset Retirement Obligation [Table Text Block]

		Years Ended December 31,
		2011		2010		2009
			(In thousands)
Beginning balance		$	61,280	$	61,667	$	51,641
	Incurred		1,162		29,872		10,770
	Revisions		(412)		(11,395)		(3,246)
	Settled		(16,836)		(19,858)		(1,557)
	Accretion expense		384		994		4,059
Ending balance		$	45,578	$	61,280	$	61,667