Description of Business	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2011
Notes to Financial Statements [Abstract]
Description of Business	The accompanying unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements of PEPL, a Delaware limited partnership, and its subsidiaries have been prepared pursuant to the rules and regulations of the SEC for quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. These statements do not include all of the information and annual note disclosures required by GAAP, and should be read in conjunction with the Company's financial statements and notes thereto for the year ended December 31, 2010, which are included in the Company's Form 10-K filed with the SEC. The accompanying unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with GAAP and reflect adjustments that are, in the opinion of management, necessary for a fair statement of results for the interim period. The year-end condensed balance sheet data was derived from audited financial statements, but does not include all disclosures required by GAAP. Due to the seasonal nature of the Company's operations, the results of operations and cash flows for any interim period are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the full year. In 1999, the Company discontinued application of regulatory-based accounting policies for its units which had been applying such accounting policies, primarily due to the level of market competition resulting in increased discounting from tariff rates and impacting the Company's prospects for recovering changes in costs levels through future rate cases. The accounting required by the regulatory-based authoritative guidance differs from the accounting required for businesses that do not apply its provisions. Transactions that are generally recorded differently as a result of applying regulatory accounting requirements include, among others, recognition of regulatory assets, the capitalization of an equity component of invested funds on regulated capital projects and depreciation differences. 1. Description of Business Panhandle is primarily engaged in the interstate transportation and storage of natural gas and also provides LNG terminalling and regasification services. The Company is subject to the rules and regulations of the FERC. The Company's entities include the following: PEPL, an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Southern Union Company; Trunkline, a direct wholly-owned subsidiary of PEPL; Sea Robin, an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of PEPL; LNG Holdings, an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of PEPL; Trunkline LNG, a direct wholly-owned subsidiary of LNG Holdings; and Southwest Gas Storage, a direct wholly-owned subsidiary of PEPL. The Company's pipeline assets include approximately 10,000 miles of interstate pipelines that transport natural gas from the Gulf of Mexico, South Texas and the panhandle regions of Texas and Oklahoma to major U.S. markets in the Midwest and Great Lakes region. The pipelines have a combined peak day delivery capacity of 5.5 Bcf/d and approximately 68.1 Bcf of owned underground storage capacity. The Company also owns and operates an LNG import terminal located on Louisiana's Gulf Coast, and has 9.0 Bcf of above ground LNG storage capacity. Southern Union Panhandle, LLC, a direct wholly-owned subsidiary of Southern Union Company, serves as the general partner of PEPL and owns a one percent general partnership interest in PEPL. Southern Union Company owns a ninety-nine percent limited partnership interest in PEPL. See Note 3 – ETE Merger for information related to the potential merger of Southern Union, including PEPL and its subsidiaries, with ETE.

Description of Business

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2011

Notes to Financial Statements [Abstract]

The accompanying unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements of PEPL, a Delaware limited partnership, and its subsidiaries have been prepared pursuant to the rules and regulations of the SEC for quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. These statements do not include all of the information and annual note disclosures required by GAAP, and should be read in conjunction with the Company's financial statements and notes thereto for the year ended December 31, 2010, which are included in the Company's Form 10-K filed with the SEC. The accompanying unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with GAAP and reflect adjustments that are, in the opinion of management, necessary for a fair statement of results for the interim period. The year-end condensed balance sheet data was derived from audited financial statements, but does not include all disclosures required by GAAP. Due to the seasonal nature of the Company's operations, the results of operations and cash flows for any interim period are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the full year.

In 1999, the Company discontinued application of regulatory-based accounting policies for its units which had been applying such accounting policies, primarily due to the level of market competition resulting in increased discounting from tariff rates and impacting the Company's prospects for recovering changes in costs levels through future rate cases. The accounting required by the regulatory-based authoritative guidance differs from the accounting required for businesses that do not apply its provisions. Transactions that are generally recorded differently as a result of applying regulatory accounting requirements include, among others, recognition of regulatory assets, the capitalization of an equity component of invested funds on regulated capital projects and depreciation differences.

1. Description of Business

Panhandle is primarily engaged in the interstate transportation and storage of natural gas and also provides LNG terminalling and regasification services. The Company is subject to the rules and regulations of the FERC. The Company's entities include the following:

PEPL, an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Southern Union Company;
Trunkline, a direct wholly-owned subsidiary of PEPL;
Sea Robin, an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of PEPL;
LNG Holdings, an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of PEPL;
Trunkline LNG, a direct wholly-owned subsidiary of LNG Holdings; and
Southwest Gas Storage, a direct wholly-owned subsidiary of PEPL.

The Company's pipeline assets include approximately 10,000 miles of interstate pipelines that transport natural gas from the Gulf of Mexico, South Texas and the panhandle regions of Texas and Oklahoma to major U.S. markets in the Midwest and Great Lakes region. The pipelines have a combined peak day delivery capacity of 5.5 Bcf/d and approximately 68.1 Bcf of owned underground storage capacity. The Company also owns and operates an LNG import terminal located on Louisiana's Gulf Coast, and has 9.0 Bcf of above ground LNG storage capacity.

Southern Union Panhandle, LLC, a direct wholly-owned subsidiary of Southern Union Company, serves as the general partner of PEPL and owns a one percent general partnership interest in PEPL. Southern Union Company owns a ninety-nine percent limited partnership interest in PEPL.

See Note 3 – ETE Merger for information related to the potential merger of Southern Union, including PEPL and its subsidiaries, with ETE.