Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Unaudited) - USD ($) shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands		3 Months Ended
		Jan. 31, 2016	Jan. 31, 2015
Statement of Comprehensive Income [Abstract]
Operating Revenues (1)	[1]	$ 461,337	$ 607,271
Cost of Gas (1)	[1]	175,088	337,201
Margin		286,249	270,070
Operating Expenses:
Operations and maintenance		71,300	66,150
Depreciation		33,686	31,893
General taxes		9,922	9,997
Utility income taxes		61,909	56,272
Total operating expenses		176,817	164,312
Operating Income		109,432	105,758
Other Income (Expense):
Income from equity method investments		9,202	8,265
Non-operating income		329	630
Non-operating expense		(727)	(700)
Income taxes		(3,378)	(3,264)
Total other income (expense)		5,426	4,931
Utility Interest Charges:
Interest on long-term debt		18,839	17,489
Allowance for borrowed funds used during construction		(2,805)	(2,272)
Other		1,034	2,494
Total utility interest charges		17,068	17,711
Net Income		97,790	92,978
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), net of tax:
Unrealized loss from hedging activities of equity method investments, net of tax of ($91) and ($600) for the three months ended January 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively		(138)	(944)
Reclassification adjustment of realized loss from hedging activities of equity method investments included in net income, net of tax of $327 and $75 for the three months ended January 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively		505	117
Net current period benefit activities of equity method investments, net of tax of $1 for the three months ended January 31, 2016		1	0
Total other comprehensive income (loss)		368	(827)
Comprehensive Income		$ 98,158	$ 92,151
Average Shares of Common Stock:
Basic (in shares)		80,963	78,620
Diluted (in shares)		81,266	78,945
Earnings Per Share of Common Stock:
Basic (usd per share)		$ 1.21	$ 1.18
Diluted (usd per share)		$ 1.20	$ 1.18

[1] See Note 13 for amounts attributable to affiliates.