Natural Gas And Oil Properties	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2014
Natural Gas And Oil Properties [Abstract]
Natural Gas And Oil Properties	(5) NATURAL GAS AND OIL PROPERTIES The Company utilizes the full cost method of accounting for costs related to the exploration, development and acquisition of natural gas and oil reserves. Under this method, all such costs (productive and nonproductive), including salaries, benefits and other internal costs directly attributable to these activities are capitalized on a country by country basis and amortized over the estimated lives of the properties using the units-of-production method. These capitalized costs, less accumulated amortization and related deferred income taxes, are subject to a ceiling test that limits such pooled costs to the aggregate of the present value of future net revenues attributable to proved natural gas and oil reserves, net of taxes, discounted at 10 percent plus the lower of cost or market value of unproved properties. Any costs in excess of the ceiling are written off as a non-cash expense. The expense may not be reversed in future periods, even though higher natural gas and oil prices may subsequently increase the ceiling. Full cost companies must use the average quoted price from the first day of each month from the previous 12 months, including the impact of derivatives qualifying as cash flow hedges, to calculate the ceiling value of their reserves. Using the average quoted price from the first day of each month from the previous 12 months for Henry Hub natural gas of $3.99 per MMBtu and $94.92 per barrel for West Texas Intermediate oil, adjusted for market differentials, the Company’s net book value of its United States natural gas and oil properties did not exceed the ceiling amount and did not result in a ceiling test impairment at March 31, 2014. Cash flow hedges of natural gas production in place increased the ceiling value by $40.2 million, net of tax, at March 31, 2014. Decreases in average quoted prices from March 31, 2014 levels as well as changes in production rates, levels of reserves, capitalized costs, the evaluation of costs excluded from amortization, future development costs, service costs and taxes could result in future ceiling test impairments. Using the average quoted price from the first day of each month from the previous 12 months for Henry Hub natural gas of $2.95 per MMBtu and $89.17 per barrel for West Texas Intermediate oil, adjusted for market differentials, the Company’s net book value of its United States natural gas and oil properties did not exceed the ceiling amount and did not result in a ceiling test impairment at March 31, 2013. Cash flow hedges of natural gas production in place increased the ceiling by $185.8 million at March 31, 2013. All of the Company’s costs directly associated with the acquisition and evaluation of properties in Canada relating to its exploration program at March 31, 2014 were unproved and did not exceed the ceiling amount. If the exploration program in Canada is unsuccessful on all or a portion of these properties, a ceiling test impairment may result in the future.

(5) NATURAL GAS AND OIL PROPERTIES

The Company utilizes the full cost method of accounting for costs related to the exploration, development and acquisition of natural gas and oil reserves. Under this method, all such costs (productive and nonproductive), including salaries, benefits and other internal costs directly attributable to these activities are capitalized on a country by country basis and amortized over the estimated lives of the properties using the units-of-production method. These capitalized costs, less accumulated amortization and related deferred income taxes, are subject to a ceiling test that limits such pooled costs to the aggregate of the present value of future net revenues attributable to proved natural gas and oil reserves, net of taxes, discounted at 10 percent plus the lower of cost or market value of unproved properties. Any costs in excess of the ceiling are written off as a non-cash expense. The expense may not be reversed in future periods, even though higher natural gas and oil prices may subsequently increase the ceiling. Full cost companies must use the average quoted price from the first day of each month from the previous 12 months, including the impact of derivatives qualifying as cash flow hedges, to calculate the ceiling value of their reserves.

Using the average quoted price from the first day of each month from the previous 12 months for Henry Hub natural gas of $3.99 per MMBtu and $94.92 per barrel for West Texas Intermediate oil, adjusted for market differentials, the Company’s net book value of its United States natural gas and oil properties did not exceed the ceiling amount and did not result in a ceiling test impairment at March 31, 2014. Cash flow hedges of natural gas production in place increased the ceiling value by $40.2 million, net of tax, at March 31, 2014. Decreases in average quoted prices from March 31, 2014 levels as well as changes in production rates, levels of reserves, capitalized costs, the evaluation of costs excluded from amortization, future development costs, service costs and taxes could result in future ceiling test impairments.

Using the average quoted price from the first day of each month from the previous 12 months for Henry Hub natural gas of $2.95 per MMBtu and $89.17 per barrel for West Texas Intermediate oil, adjusted for market differentials, the Company’s net book value of its United States natural gas and oil properties did not exceed the ceiling amount and did not result in a ceiling test impairment at March 31, 2013. Cash flow hedges of natural gas production in place increased the ceiling by $185.8 million at March 31, 2013.

All of the Company’s costs directly associated with the acquisition and evaluation of properties in Canada relating to its exploration program at March 31, 2014 were unproved and did not exceed the ceiling amount. If the exploration program in Canada is unsuccessful on all or a portion of these properties, a ceiling test impairment may result in the future.