Derivative Instruments

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2015

Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]

Derivative Instruments

Derivative Instruments

The Company’s primary market risk exposure is the volatility of future prices for natural gas and NGLs, which can affect the operating results of the Company primarily at EQT Production. The Company’s overall objective in its hedging program is to protect cash flows from undue exposure to the risk of changing commodity prices.

The Company uses over the counter (OTC) derivative commodity instruments, primarily swap and collar agreements, that are primarily placed with financial institutions and the creditworthiness of all counterparties is regularly monitored. The Company also uses exchange traded futures contracts that obligate the Company to buy or sell a designated commodity at a future date for a specified price and quantity at a specified location. Swap agreements involve payments to or receipts from counterparties based on the differential between two prices for the commodity. Collar agreements require the counterparty to pay the Company if the index price falls below the floor price and the Company to pay the counterparty if the index price rises above the cap price. The Company also engages in basis swaps to protect earnings from undue exposure to the risk of geographic disparities in commodity prices and interest rate swaps to hedge exposure to interest rate fluctuations on potential debt issuances. The Company has also engaged in a limited number of swaptions and call options.

The Company recognizes all derivative instruments as either assets or liabilities at fair value on a gross basis. These assets and liabilities are reported in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets as derivative instruments at fair value. These derivative instruments are reported as either current assets or current liabilities due to their highly liquid nature. The Company can net settle its derivative instruments at any time.

The accounting for the changes in fair value of the Company’s derivative instruments depends on the use of the derivative instruments.  To the extent that a derivative instrument had been designated and qualified as a cash flow hedge, the effective portion of the change in fair value of the derivative instrument is reported as a component of accumulated other comprehensive income (OCI), net of tax, and is subsequently reclassified into the Statements of Consolidated Income in the same period or periods during which the forecasted transaction affects earnings.  In conjunction with the exchange of assets with Range Resources Corporation that closed on June 16, 2014 (see Note L), the Company de-designated certain derivative instruments that were previously designated as cash flow hedges because it was probable that the forecasted transactions would not occur, resulting in a pre-tax gain of $28.0 million recorded within gain on sale / exchange of assets in the Statements of Consolidated Income for the three and six months ended June 30, 2014. Any subsequent changes in fair value of these derivative instruments are recognized within operating revenues in the Statements of Consolidated Income each period.

Historically, derivative commodity instruments used by the Company to hedge its exposure to variability in expected future cash flows associated with the fluctuations in the price of natural gas related to the Company’s forecasted sale of equity production and forecasted natural gas purchases and sales were designated and qualified as cash flow hedges. As of June 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, the Company deferred net gains of $133.8 million and $217.1 million, respectively, in accumulated OCI, net of tax, related to the effective portion of the change in fair value of its derivative commodity instruments designated as cash flow hedges. Effective December 31, 2014, the Company elected to de-designate all cash flows hedges and discontinue the use of cash flow hedge accounting. As of June 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, the forecasted transactions remained probable of occurring and as such, the amounts in accumulated OCI will continue to be reported in accumulated OCI and will be reclassified into earnings in future periods when the underlying hedged transactions occur. The Company estimates that approximately $98.3 million and $153.2 million of net gains on its derivative commodity instruments reflected in accumulated OCI, net of tax, as of June 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, respectively, will be recognized in earnings during the next twelve months due to the settlement of hedged transactions. As a result of the discontinuance of cash flow hedge accounting, all changes in fair value of the Company’s derivative instruments were recognized in the Statements of Consolidated Income in the first half of 2015 and changes in their value will continue to be recognized in the Statements of Consolidated Income each future period.

The Company also enters into fixed price natural gas sales agreements that are satisfied by physical delivery.  These physical commodity contracts qualify for the normal purchases and sales exception and are not subject to derivative instrument accounting.

Exchange-traded instruments are generally settled with offsetting positions. OTC arrangements require settlement in cash. Settlements of derivative commodity instruments are reported as a component of cash flows from operations in the accompanying Statements of Condensed Consolidated Cash Flows. 

	Three Months Ended June 30,						Six Months Ended June 30,
	2015			2014			2015			2014
Commodity derivatives designated as cash flow hedges	(Thousands)
Amount of loss recognized in OCI (effective portion), net of tax	$	—		$	(13,455	)	$	—		$	(52,649	)
Amount of gain reclassified from accumulated OCI, net of tax, into gain on sale / exchange of assets due to forecasted transactions probable to not occur	—			16,735			—			16,735
Amount of gain (loss) reclassified from accumulated OCI, net of tax, into operating revenues (effective portion)	42,581			(10,883		)	83,332			(28,146		)
Amount of gain (loss) recognized in operating revenues (ineffective portion) (a)	—			987			—			(21,273		)
Interest rate derivatives designated as cash flow hedges
Amount of loss reclassified from accumulated OCI, net of tax, into interest expense (effective portion)	$	(36	)	$	(36	)	$	(72	)	$	(72	)
Derivatives not designated as hedging instruments
Amount of gain (loss) recognized in gain (loss) on derivatives not designated as hedges	$	4,259		$	(8,525	)	$	47,851		$	(17,879	)

(a)   No amounts were excluded from effectiveness testing of cash flow hedges.

The absolute quantities of the Company’s derivative commodity instruments totaled 616 Bcf and 624 Bcf as of June 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, respectively, and were primarily related to natural gas swaps and collars. The open positions at June 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014 had maturities extending through December 2018.

The Company recognizes all derivative instruments as either assets or liabilities at fair value on a gross basis. Margin deposits remitted to financial counterparties or received from financial counterparties related to OTC natural gas swap agreements and options and any funds remitted to or deposits received from the Company’s brokers are recorded on a gross basis.  The Company has netting agreements with financial institutions and its brokers that permit net settlement of gross commodity derivative assets against gross commodity derivative liabilities. The table below reflects the impact of netting agreements and margin deposits on gross derivative assets and liabilities as of June 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014. 

As of June 30, 2015	Derivative instruments, recorded in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet, gross		Derivative instruments subject to master netting agreements			Margin deposits remitted to counterparties		Derivative instruments, net
	(Thousands)
Asset derivatives:
Derivative instruments, at fair value	$	349,152	$	(27,724	)	$	—	$	321,428
Liability derivatives:
Derivative instruments, at fair value	$	43,696	$	(27,724	)	$	—	$	15,972

As of December 31, 2014	Derivative instruments, recorded in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet, gross		Derivative instruments subject to  master netting agreements			Margin deposits remitted to counterparties			Derivative instruments, net
	(Thousands)
Asset derivatives:
Derivative instruments, at fair value	$	458,460	$	(22,810	)	$	—		$	435,650
Liability derivatives:
Derivative instruments, at fair value	$	22,942	$	(22,810	)	$	(132	)	$	—

Certain of the Company’s derivative instrument contracts provide that if the Company’s credit ratings by Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services (S&P) or Moody’s Investors Services (Moody’s) are lowered below investment grade, additional collateral may be required to be deposited with the counterparty.  The additional collateral can be up to 100% of the derivative liability.  As of June 30, 2015, the aggregate fair value of all derivative instruments with credit risk-related contingent features that were in a net liability position was $24.7 million, for which the Company had no collateral posted on June 30, 2015.  If the Company’s credit rating by S&P or Moody’s had been downgraded below investment grade on June 30, 2015, the Company would not have been required to post any additional collateral under the agreements with the respective counterparties.  Investment grade refers to the quality of the Company’s credit as assessed by one or more credit rating agencies. The Company’s senior unsecured debt was rated BBB by S&P and Baa3 by Moody’s at June 30, 2015.  In order to be considered investment grade, the Company must be rated BBB- or higher by S&P and Baa3 or higher by Moody’s.  Anything below these ratings is considered non-investment grade. Having a non-investment grade rating may result in greater borrowing costs and collateral requirements than would be available if all credit ratings were investment grade.