Derivative Instruments

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2017

Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]

Derivative Instruments

DERIVATIVE INSTRUMENTS

We enter into financial derivative contracts to hedge a portion of our utility’s natural gas sales requirements. These contracts include swaps, options and combinations of option contracts. We primarily use these derivative financial instruments to manage commodity price variability. A small portion of our derivative hedging strategy involves foreign currency exchange contracts.

We enter into these financial derivatives, up to prescribed limits, primarily to hedge price variability related to our physical gas supply contracts as well as to hedge spot purchases of natural gas. The foreign currency forward contracts are used to hedge the fluctuation in foreign currency exchange rates for pipeline demand charges paid in Canadian dollars.

In the normal course of business, we also enter into indexed-price physical forward natural gas commodity purchase contracts and options to meet the requirements of utility customers. These contracts qualify for regulatory deferral accounting treatment.

We also enter into exchange contracts related to the third-party asset management of our gas portfolio, some of which are derivatives that do not qualify for hedge accounting or regulatory deferral, but are subject to our regulatory sharing agreement. These derivatives are recognized in operating revenues in our gas storage segment, net of amounts shared with utility customers.

Notional Amounts

The following table presents the absolute notional amounts related to open positions on our derivative instruments:

	September 30,				December 31,
In thousands	2017		2016		2016
Natural gas (in therms):
Financial	521,080		537,100		477,430
Physical	750,650		621,230		535,450
Foreign exchange	$	6,933	$	8,404	$	7,497

Purchased Gas Adjustment (PGA)

Derivatives entered into by the utility for the procurement or hedging of natural gas for future gas years generally

receive regulatory deferral accounting treatment. In general, our commodity hedging for the current gas year is completed prior to the start of the gas year, and hedge prices are reflected in our weighted-average cost of gas in the PGA filing. Hedge contracts entered into after the start of the PGA period are subject to our PGA incentive sharing mechanism in Oregon. As of November 1, 2016 and 2015, we reached our target hedge percentage of approximately 75% for the 2016-17 and 2015-16 gas years. Hedge contracts entered into prior to our PGA filing, in September 2016, were included in the PGA for the 2016-17 gas year. Hedge contracts entered into after our PGA filing, and related to subsequent gas years, may be included in future PGA filings and qualify for regulatory deferral.

Unrealized and Realized Gain/Loss

The following table reflects the income statement presentation for the unrealized gains and losses from our derivative instruments:

	Three Months Ended September 30,
	2017						2016
In thousands	Natural gas commodity			Foreign exchange			Natural gas commodity			Foreign exchange
Benefit (expense) to cost of gas	$	(2,566	)	$	51		$	(8,045	)	$	(52	)
Operating gain (loss)	28			—			(110		)	—
Amounts deferred to regulatory accounts on balance sheet	2,548			(51		)	8,118			52
Total gain (loss) in pre-tax earnings	$	10		$	—		$	(37	)	$	—

	Nine Months Ended September 30,
	2017						2016
In thousands	Natural gas commodity			Foreign exchange			Natural gas commodity			Foreign exchange
Benefit (expense) to cost of gas	$	(19,081	)	$	275		$	5,562		$	5
Operating loss	(1,249		)	—			(266		)	—
Amounts deferred to regulatory accounts on balance sheet	19,895			(275		)	(5,385		)	(5		)
Total loss in pre-tax earnings	$	(435	)	$	—		$	(89	)	$	—

UNREALIZED GAIN/LOSS. Outstanding derivative instruments related to regulated utility operations are deferred in accordance with regulatory accounting standards. The cost of foreign currency forward and natural gas derivative contracts are recognized immediately in the cost of gas; however, costs above or below the amount embedded in the current year PGA are subject to a regulatory deferral tariff and therefore, are recorded as a regulatory asset or liability.

REALIZED GAIN/LOSS. We realized net gains of $1.0 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017 from the settlement of natural gas financial derivative contracts. Whereas, we realized net losses of $1.0 million and $24.1 million for the three and nine months endedSeptember 30, 2016, respectively. Realized gains and losses are recorded in cost of gas, deferred through our regulatory accounts, and amortized through customer rates in the following year.

Credit Risk Management of Financial Derivatives Instruments

No collateral was posted with or by our counterparties as of September 30, 2017 or 2016. We attempt to minimize the potential exposure to collateral calls by counterparties to manage our liquidity risk. Counterparties generally allow a certain credit limit threshold before requiring us to post collateral against loss positions. Given our counterparty credit limits and portfolio diversification, we were not subject to collateral calls in 2017 or 2016. Our collateral call exposure is set forth under credit support agreements, which generally contain credit limits. We could also be subject to collateral call exposure where we have agreed to provide adequate assurance, which is not specific as to the amount of credit limit allowed, but could potentially require additional collateral in the event of a material adverse change.

Based upon current commodity financial swap and option contracts outstanding, which reflect unrealized losses of $12.0 million at September 30, 2017, we have estimated the level of collateral demands, with and without potential adequate assurance calls, using current gas prices and various credit downgrade rating scenarios for NW Natural as follows:

			Credit Rating Downgrade Scenarios
In thousands	(Current Ratings) A+/A3		BBB+/Baa1		BBB/Baa2		BBB-/Baa3			Speculative
With Adequate Assurance Calls	$	—	$	—	$	—	$	(3,138	)	$	(9,146	)
Without Adequate Assurance Calls	—		—		—		(3,138		)	(7,113		)

Our financial derivative instruments are subject to master netting arrangements; however, they are presented on a gross basis in our consolidated balance sheets. We and our counterparties have the ability to set-off obligations to each other under specified circumstances. Such circumstances may include a defaulting party, a credit change due to a merger affecting either party, or any other termination event.

If netted by counterparty, our derivative position would result in an asset of $3.3 million and a liability of $12.6 million as of September 30, 2017. As of September 30, 2016, our derivative position would have resulted in an asset of $4.1 million and a liability of $5.1 million. As of December 31, 2016, our derivative position would have resulted in an asset of $18.8 million and a liability of $0.7 million.

We are exposed to derivative credit and liquidity risk primarily through securing fixed price natural gas commodity swaps to hedge the risk of price increases for our natural gas purchases made on behalf of customers. See Note 13 in our 2016 Form 10-K for additional information.

Fair Value

In accordance with fair value accounting, we include non-performance risk in calculating fair value adjustments. This includes a credit risk adjustment based on the credit spreads of our counterparties when we are in an unrealized gain position, or on our own credit spread when we are in an unrealized loss position. The inputs in our valuation models include natural gas futures, volatility, credit default swap spreads and interest rates. Additionally, our assessment of non-performance risk is generally derived from the credit default swap market and from bond market credit spreads. The impact of the credit risk adjustments for all outstanding derivatives was immaterial to the fair value calculation at September 30, 2017. As of September 30, 2017 and 2016, and December 31, 2016, the net fair value was a liability of $9.3 million, a liability of $1.0 million, and an asset $18.1 million, respectively, using significant other observable, or level 2, inputs. No level 3 inputs were used in our derivative valuations, and there were no transfers between level 1 or level 2 during the nine months ended September 30, 2017 and 2016. See Note 2 in the 2016 Form 10-K.