DERIVATIVE INSTRUMENTS AND HEDGING ACTIVITIES

9 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2011

Notes to Financial Statements [Abstract]

DERIVATIVE INSTRUMENTS AND HEDGING ACTIVITIES

5. DERIVATIVE INSTRUMENTS AND HEDGING ACTIVITIES

Laclede Gas has a risk management policy that allows for the purchase of natural gas derivative instruments with the goal of managing price risk associated with purchasing natural gas on behalf of its customers. This policy prohibits speculation and permits the Utility to hedge up to 70% of its normal volumes purchased for up to a 36-month period. Costs and cost reductions, including carrying costs, associated with the Utility’s use of natural gas derivative instruments are allowed to be passed on to the Utility’s customers through the operation of its Purchased Gas Adjustment (PGA) Clause, through which the MoPSC allows the Utility to recover gas supply costs, subject to prudence review. Accordingly, Laclede Gas does not expect any adverse earnings impact as a result of the use of these derivative instruments. The Utility does not designate these instruments as hedging instruments for financial reporting purposes because gains or losses associated with the use of these derivative instruments are deferred and recorded as regulatory assets or regulatory liabilities pursuant to ASC Topic 980, “Regulated Operations,” and, as a result, have no direct impact on the Statements of Income. The timing of the operation of the PGA Clause may cause interim variations in short-term cash flows, because the Utility is subject to cash margin requirements associated with changes in the values of these instruments. Nevertheless, carrying costs associated with such requirements are recovered through the PGA Clause.

From time to time, Laclede Gas purchases NYMEX futures contracts to help stabilize operating costs associated with forecasted purchases of gasoline and diesel fuels used to power vehicles and equipment used in the course of its business. At June 30, 2011, Laclede Gas held 0.3 million gallons of gasoline futures contracts at an average price of $2.45 per gallon and 0.1 million gallons of heating oil futures contracts (to hedge diesel fuel purchases) at an average price of $2.58 per gallon. Most of these futures contracts, the longest of which extends to February 2012, are designated as cash flow hedges of forecasted transactions pursuant to ASC Topic 815, “Derivatives and Hedging.” The gains or losses on these derivative instruments are not subject to the Utility’s PGA Clause.

Derivative instruments designated as cash flow hedges of forecasted transactions are recognized on the Balance Sheets at fair value and the change in the fair value of the effective portion of these hedge instruments is recorded, net of tax, in other comprehensive income (OCI). Accumulated other comprehensive income (AOCI) is a component of Total Common Stock Equity. Amounts are reclassified from AOCI into earnings when the hedged items affect net income, using the same revenue or expense category that the hedged item impacts. Based on market prices at June 30, 2011, it is expected that approximately $0.2 million of pre-tax unrealized gains will be reclassified into the Statements of Income during the next twelve months. Cash flows from hedging transactions are classified in the same category as the cash flows from the items that are being hedged in the Statements of Cash Flows.

The Utility’s derivative instruments consist primarily of NYMEX positions. The NYMEX is the primary national commodities exchange on which natural gas derivatives are traded. NYMEX-traded contracts are supported by the financial and credit quality of the clearing members of the NYMEX and have nominal credit risk. Open NYMEX natural gas futures positions at June 30, 2011 were as follows:

	MMBtu (millions)	Avg. Price Per MMBtu
Open long futures positions
Fiscal 2011	1.69	$	7.34
Fiscal 2012	13.07		5.17
Fiscal 2013	0.47		4.80

  At June 30, 2011, Laclede Gas also had 15.63 million MMBtu of other price mitigation in place through the use of NYMEX natural gas option-based strategies.

The Effect of Derivative Instruments on the Statements of Income and Statements of Comprehensive Income
			Three Months Ended						Nine Months Ended
		Location of Gain (Loss)	June 30,						June 30,
(Thousands)		Recorded in Income		2011			2010			2011		2010
Derivatives in Cash Flow Hedging Relationships
NYMEX gasoline and heating oil contracts:
Effective portion of gain (loss) recognized         in OCI on derivatives			$	9		$	(148	)	$	449	$	78
Effective portion of gain reclassified         from AOCI to income		Utility – Other Operation Expenses		196			77			317		213
Ineffective portion of gain (loss) on         derivatives recognized in income		Utility – Other Operation Expenses		(13	)		19			35		(60	)
Derivatives Not Designated as Hedging Instruments *
NYMEX gasoline and heating oil contracts:
(Loss) gain recognized in income on         derivative		Other Income and (Income Deductions) – Net	$	(19	)	$	(11	)	$	44	$	(9	)
*	Gains and losses on Laclede Gas’ NYMEX natural gas derivative instruments, which are not designated as hedging instruments for financial reporting purposes, are deferred pursuant to the Utility’s PGA Clause and recorded as regulatory assets or regulatory liabilities. These gains and losses are excluded from the table above because they have no direct impact on the Statements of Income.

Fair Value of Derivative Instruments in the Balance Sheet at June 30, 2011
		Asset Derivatives				Liability Derivatives
(Thousands)		Balance Sheet Location		Fair Value	*	Balance Sheet Location		Fair Value	*
Derivatives designated as hedging instruments
NYMEX gasoline and heating oil contracts		Derivative Instrument Assets	$	133		Derivative Instrument Assets	$	3
Derivatives not designated as hedging instruments
NYMEX natural gas contracts		Derivative Instrument Assets		1,835		Derivative Instrument Assets		12,379
		Other Deferred Charges		90		Other Deferred Charges		—
NYMEX gasoline and heating oil contracts		Derivative Instrument Assets		10		Derivative Instrument Assets		1
Sub-total				1,935				12,380
Total derivatives			$	2,068			$	12,383
Fair Value of Derivative Instruments in the Balance Sheet at September 30, 2010
		Asset Derivatives				Liability Derivatives
(Thousands)		Balance Sheet Location		Fair Value	*	Balance Sheet Location		Fair Value	*
Derivatives designated as hedging instruments
NYMEX gasoline and heating oil contracts		Derivative Instrument Assets	$	56		Derivative Instrument Assets	$	34
Derivatives not designated as hedging instruments
NYMEX natural gas contracts		Derivative Instrument Assets		1,401		Derivative Instrument Assets		37,457
		Other Deferred Charges		508		Other Deferred Charges		3,080
NYMEX gasoline and heating oil contracts		Derivative Instrument Assets		3		Derivative Instrument Assets		3
Sub-total				1,912				40,540
Total derivatives			$	1,968			$	40,574
Fair Value of Derivative Instruments in the Balance Sheet at June 30, 2010
		Asset Derivatives				Liability Derivatives
(Thousands)		Balance Sheet Location		Fair Value	*	Balance Sheet Location		Fair Value	*
Derivatives designated as hedging instruments
NYMEX gasoline and heating oil contracts		Derivative Instrument Assets	$	95		Derivative Instrument Assets	$	79
Derivatives not designated as hedging instruments
NYMEX natural gas contracts		Derivative Instrument Assets		3,905		Derivative Instrument Assets		44,174
NYMEX gasoline and heating oil contracts		Derivative Instrument Assets		1		Derivative Instrument Assets		9
Sub-total				3,906				44,183
Total derivatives			$	4,001			$	44,262
*	The fair values of Asset Derivatives and Liability Derivatives exclude the fair value of cash margin receivables or payables with counterparties subject to netting arrangements. Fair value amounts of derivative contracts (including the fair value amounts of cash margin receivables and payables) for which there is a legal right to set off are presented net on the Balance Sheets. As such, the gross balances presented in the table above are not indicative of the Utility’s net economic exposure. Refer to Note 4, Fair Value Measurements, for information on the valuation of derivative instruments.

Following is a reconciliation of the amounts in the tables above to the amounts presented in the Balance Sheets:

		June 30,			Sept. 30,			June 30,
	(Thousands)	2011			2010			2010
	Fair value of asset derivatives presented above	$	2,068		$	1,968		$	4,001
	Fair value of cash margin receivables		17,228			49,580			50,972
	Netting of assets and liabilities with the same counterparty		(12,383	)		(40,574	)		(44,262	)
	Total	$	6,913		$	10,974		$	10,711
	Derivative Instrument Assets, per Balance Sheets:
	Derivative instrument assets	$	6,432		$	9,288		$	10,711
	Other deferred charges		481			1,686			—
	Total	$	6,913		$	10,974		$	10,711
	Fair value of liability derivatives presented above	$	12,383		$	40,574		$	44,262
	Netting of assets and liabilities with the same counterparty		(12,383	)		(40,574	)		(44,262	)
	Derivative instrument liabilities, per Balance Sheet*	$	—		$	—		$	—
*	Included in the Other line of the Current Liabilities section