Fair Value Measurements

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2016

Assets and Liabilities Measured at Fair Value on a Recurring Basis

The following table presents assets and liabilities included in our consolidated balance sheets that are recognized at fair value on a recurring basis, and indicates the fair value hierarchy utilized to determine such fair value as of September 30, 2016 and December 31, 2015:



	September 30, 2016
	Total			Quoted Market Prices in Active Markets (Level 1)		Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2)			Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)
	(in millions)
Cash and cash equivalents	$	48.7		$	48.7	$	—		$	—
Unrealized gains on natural gas derivatives	0.8			—		0.8			—
Total assets at fair value	$	49.5		$	48.7	$	0.8		$	—
Unrealized losses on natural gas derivatives	$	(7.0	)	$	—	$	(7.0	)	$	—
Total liabilities at fair value	$	(7.0	)	$	—	$	(7.0	)	$	—



	December 31, 2015
	Total			Quoted Market Prices in Active Markets (Level 1)		Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2)			Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)
	(in millions)
Cash and cash equivalents	$	106.4		$	106.4	$	—		$	—
Total assets at fair value	$	106.4		$	106.4	$	—		$	—
Unrealized losses on natural gas derivatives	$	(27.9	)	$	—	$	(27.9	)	$	—
Total liabilities at fair value	$	(27.9	)	$	—	$	(27.9	)	$	—

Cash and Cash Equivalents

As of September 30, 2016 and December 31, 2015, our cash and cash equivalents consisted primarily of money market mutual funds that invest in U.S. treasuries and government obligations or direct investments in U.S. and Canadian treasury bills.

Natural Gas Derivatives

The derivative instruments that we use are primarily natural gas fixed price swaps and options traded in the OTC markets with multi-national commercial banks, other major financial institutions and large energy companies. The derivatives are traded in months forward and settlements are scheduled to coincide with anticipated gas purchases during those future periods. These contracts settle using NYMEX futures prices and accordingly, to determine the fair value of these instruments, we use quoted market prices from NYMEX and standard pricing models with inputs derived from or corroborated by observable market data such as forward curves supplied by an industry-recognized unrelated third party. See Note 6—Derivative Financial Instruments for additional information.

Assets Measured at Fair Value on a Nonrecurring Basis

We also have assets that may be measured at fair value on a nonrecurring basis; that is, the assets are not measured at fair value on an ongoing basis, but are subject to fair value adjustments in certain circumstances, such as when there is evidence of impairment. These include long-lived assets that may be written down to fair value as a result of impairment. We determined that these fair value measurements rely primarily on Partnership-specific inputs and the Partnership's assumptions about the use of the assets. Since certain of the assumptions would involve inputs that are not observable, these fair values would reside within Level 3 of the fair value hierarchy.

- Definition

The entire disclosure for the fair value of financial instruments (as defined), including financial assets and financial liabilities (collectively, as defined), and the measurements of those instruments as well as disclosures related to the fair value of non-financial assets and liabilities. Such disclosures about the financial instruments, assets, and liabilities would include: (1) the fair value of the required items together with their carrying amounts (as appropriate); (2) for items for which it is not practicable to estimate fair value, disclosure would include: (a) information pertinent to estimating fair value (including, carrying amount, effective interest rate, and maturity, and (b) the reasons why it is not practicable to estimate fair value; (3) significant concentrations of credit risk including: (a) information about the activity, region, or economic characteristics identifying a concentration, (b) the maximum amount of loss the entity is exposed to based on the gross fair value of the related item, (c) policy for requiring collateral or other security and information as to accessing such collateral or security, and (d) the nature and brief description of such collateral or security; (4) quantitative information about market risks and how such risks are managed; (5) for items measured on both a recurring and nonrecurring basis information regarding the inputs used to develop the fair value measurement; and (6) for items presented in the financial statement for which fair value measurement is elected: (a) information necessary to understand the reasons for the election, (b) discussion of the effect of fair value changes on earnings, (c) a description of [similar groups] items for which the election is made and the relation thereof to the balance sheet, the aggregate carrying value of items included in the balance sheet that are not eligible for the election; (7) all other required (as defined) and desired information.

+ References + Details