Variable Interest Entities (Details) (Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member], USD $)	Apr. 30, 2014	Oct. 31, 2013
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Total equity method investments in non-utility activities	$ 147,457,000	$ 128,469,000
Cardinal Pipeline Company [Member]
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Total equity method investments in non-utility activities	16,573,000	18,207,000
Pine Needle Company [Member]
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Total equity method investments in non-utility activities	19,278,000	20,270,000
South Star Energy Services [Member]
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Total equity method investments in non-utility activities	39,796,000	38,372,000
Hardy Storage [Member]
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Total equity method investments in non-utility activities	35,584,000	34,681,000
Constitution Pipeline Company [Member]
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Total equity method investments in non-utility activities	$ 36,226,000	$ 16,939,000