(14) Retirement Plans:

The following tables provide the components of net periodic benefit cost:



	Pension Benefits
	For the three months ended
	March 31,

	2014		2013
($ in thousands)
Components of net periodic pension benefit cost
Service cost	$	9,940	$	12,834
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation		19,824		18,880
Expected return on plan assets		(23,512)		(24,590)
Amortization of prior service cost /(credit)		11		2
Amortization of unrecognized loss		4,819		10,072
Net periodic pension benefit cost	$	11,082	$	17,198



	Postretirement Benefits
	Other Than Pensions (OPEB)
	For the three months ended
	March 31,

	2014		2013
($ in thousands)
Components of net periodic postretirement benefit cost
Service cost	$	2,553	$	3,179
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation		4,788		4,440
Expected return on plan assets		(7)		(43)
Amortization of prior service cost/(credit)		(890)		(1,525)
Amortization of unrecognized loss		722		2,228
Net periodic postretirement benefit cost	$	7,166	$	8,279

During the first three months of 2014 and 2013, we capitalized $3.9 million and $4.9 million, respectively, of pension and OPEB expense into the cost of our capital expenditures, as the costs relate to our engineering and plant construction activities. Based on current assumptions and plan asset values, we estimate that our 2014 pension and OPEB expenses will be approximately $65 million to $85 million for our current business operations, excluding amounts capitalized into the cost of capital expenditures, as compared to $97.1 million in 2013, excluding the impact of pension settlement costs and amounts capitalized into the cost of capital expenditures. We made total cash contributions to our pension plan during the three months ended March 31, 2014 of $11.6 million. An additional cash contribution of $19.6 million was made on April 15, 2014. We expect that we will make contributions of cash and/or other assets to our pension plan of approximately $100 million in 2014.

The Company’s pension plan assets have increased from $1,216.5 million at December 31, 2013 to $1,229.5 million at March 31, 2014, an increase of $13.0 million, or 1%. This increase is a result of positive investment returns of $40.3 million and cash contributions of $11.6 million, offset by benefit payments of $38.9 million during the first three months of 2014.