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Financial Instruments
12 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2020
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]  
Financial Instruments Financial Instruments
We currently use financial instruments to mitigate commodity price risk and to mitigate interest rate risk. Our financial instruments do not contain any credit-risk-related or other contingent features that could cause accelerated payments when our financial instruments are in net liability positions.
As discussed in Note 2, we report our financial instruments as risk management assets and liabilities, each of which is classified as current or noncurrent based upon the anticipated settlement date of the underlying financial instrument. The following table shows the fair values of our risk management assets and liabilities at September 30, 2020 and 2019.
 
September 30
 
2020
 
2019
 
(In thousands)
Assets from risk management activities, current
$
5,687

 
$
1,586

Assets from risk management activities, noncurrent
74,991

 
225

Liabilities from risk management activities, current
(2,015
)
 
(4,552
)
Liabilities from risk management activities, noncurrent

 
(1,249
)
Net assets (liabilities)
$
78,663

 
$
(3,990
)

Commodity Risk Management Activities
Our purchased gas cost adjustment mechanisms essentially insulate our distribution segment from commodity price risk; however, our customers are exposed to the effects of volatile natural gas prices. We manage this exposure through a combination of physical storage, fixed-price forward contracts and financial instruments, primarily over-the-counter swap and option contracts, in an effort to minimize the impact of natural gas price volatility on our customers during the winter heating season.
In jurisdictions where we are permitted to mitigate commodity price risk through financial instruments, the relevant regulatory authorities may establish the level of heating season gas purchases that can be hedged. Our distribution gas supply department is responsible for executing this segment’s commodity risk management activities in conformity with regulatory requirements. Historically, if the regulatory authority does not establish this level, we seek to hedge between 25 and 50 percent of anticipated heating season gas purchases using financial instruments. For the 2019-2020 heating season (generally October through March), in the jurisdictions where we are permitted to utilize financial instruments, we hedged approximately 49 percent, or approximately 19.9 Bcf of the winter flowing gas requirements at a weighted average cost of approximately $2.84 per Mcf. We have not designated these financial instruments as hedges for accounting purposes.
Interest Rate Risk Management Activities
In fiscal 2020, we entered into forward starting interest rate swaps to effectively fix the Treasury yield component associated with $500 million of a planned issuance of unsecured senior notes in fiscal 2021 at 0.69%; these swaps were settled in September 2020 with a net payment of $4.4 million. On October 1, 2020, the notes were issued as planned.
Additionally, in fiscal 2020, we entered into forward starting interest rate swaps to effectively fix the Treasury yield component associated with $450 million of a planned issuance of unsecured senior notes in fiscal 2022 at 1.33%, $300 million of a planned issuance of unsecured senior notes in fiscal 2023 at 1.36% and $300 million of a planned issuance of unsecured senior notes in fiscal 2025 at 1.35%, which we designated as cash flow hedges at the time the agreements were executed.
Quantitative Disclosures Related to Financial Instruments
The following tables present detailed information concerning the impact of financial instruments on our consolidated balance sheet and statements of comprehensive income.
As of September 30, 2020, our financial instruments were comprised of both long and short commodity positions. A long position is a contract to purchase the commodity, while a short position is a contract to sell the commodity. As of September 30, 2020, we had 18,191 MMcf of net long commodity contracts outstanding. These contracts have not been designated as hedges.

Financial Instruments on the Balance Sheet
The following tables present the fair value and balance sheet classification of our financial instruments as of September 30, 2020 and 2019. The gross amounts of recognized assets and liabilities are netted within our consolidated balance sheets to the extent that we have netting arrangements with the counterparties. However, as of September 30, 2020 and 2019, no gross amounts and no cash collateral were netted within our consolidated balance sheet.
 
 
 
 
 
Balance Sheet Location
 
Assets
 
Liabilities
 
 
 
 (In thousands)
September 30, 2020
 
 
 
 
 
Designated As Hedges:
 
 
 
 
 
Interest rate contracts
Deferred charges and other assets /
Deferred credits and other liabilities
 
$
73,055

 
$

Total
 
 
73,055

 

Not Designated As Hedges:
 
 
 
 
 
Commodity contracts
Other current assets /
Other current liabilities
 
5,687

 
(2,015
)
Commodity contracts
Deferred charges and other assets /
Deferred credits and other liabilities
 
1,936

 

Total
 
 
7,623

 
(2,015
)
Gross / Net Financial Instruments
 
 
$
80,678

 
$
(2,015
)

 
 
 
 
 
 
Balance Sheet Location
 
Assets
 
Liabilities
 
 
 
 (In thousands)
September 30, 2019
 
 
 
 
 
Not Designated As Hedges:
 
 
 
 
 
Commodity contracts
Other current assets /
Other current liabilities
 
$
1,586

 
$
(4,552
)
Commodity contracts
Deferred charges and other assets /
Deferred credits and other liabilities
 
225

 
(1,249
)
Total
 
 
1,811

 
(5,801
)
Gross / Net Financial Instruments
 
 
$
1,811

 
$
(5,801
)

Impact of Financial Instruments on the Statement of Comprehensive Income
Cash Flow Hedges
As discussed above, the interest rate agreements we executed in prior years were designated as cash flow hedges when those agreements were executed. The net loss on settled interest rate agreements reclassified from AOCI into interest charges on our consolidated statements of comprehensive income for the years ended September 30, 2020, 2019 and 2018 was $5.5 million, $3.9 million and $2.4 million.
The following table summarizes the gains and losses arising from hedging transactions that were recognized as a component of other comprehensive income (loss), for the years ended September 30, 2020 and 2019. The amounts included in the table below exclude gains and losses arising from ineffectiveness because these amounts are immediately recognized in the statement of comprehensive income as incurred.
 
Fiscal Year Ended
September 30
 
2020
 
2019
 
(In thousands)
Increase (decrease) in fair value:
 
 
 
Interest rate agreements
$
53,241

 
$
(25,966
)
Recognition of losses in earnings due to settlements:
 
 
 
Interest rate agreements
3,647

 
3,022

Total other comprehensive income (loss) from hedging, net of tax
$
56,888

 
$
(22,944
)

Deferred gains (losses) recorded in AOCI associated with our interest rate agreements are recognized in earnings as they are amortized over the terms of the underlying debt instruments. As of September 30, 2020, we had $114.5 million of net realized losses in AOCI associated with our interest rate agreements. The following amounts, net of deferred taxes, represent the expected recognition in earnings of the deferred net losses recorded in AOCI associated with our interest rate agreements, based upon the fair values of these agreements at the date of settlement. The remaining amortization periods for these settled amounts extend through fiscal 2049. However, the table below does not include the expected recognition in earnings of our outstanding interest rate agreements as those financial instruments have not yet settled.
 
Interest Rate
Agreements
 
(In thousands)
2021
$
(4,569
)
2022
(4,569
)
2023
(4,569
)
2024
(4,569
)
2025
(4,569
)
Thereafter
(91,657
)
Total
$
(114,502
)

Financial Instruments Not Designated as Hedges
As discussed above, commodity contracts which are used in our distribution segment are not designated as hedges. However, there is no earnings impact on our distribution segment as a result of the use of these financial instruments because the gains and losses arising from the use of these financial instruments are recognized in the consolidated statements of comprehensive income as a component of purchased gas cost when the related costs are recovered through our rates and recognized in revenue. Accordingly, the impact of these financial instruments is excluded from this presentation.