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Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies (Policy)
 6 Months Ended
Jan. 31, 2012
Nature Of Operations

(1) Nature of operations: Ferrellgas Partners is a holding entity that conducts no operations and has two subsidiaries, Ferrellgas Partners Finance Corp. and the operating partnership. Ferrellgas Partners owns a 100% equity interest in Ferrellgas Partners Finance Corp., whose only business activity is to act as the co-issuer and co-obligor of any debt issued by Ferrellgas Partners. The operating partnership is the only operating subsidiary of Ferrellgas Partners. Ferrellgas is a single reportable operating segment.

The operating partnership is engaged primarily in the distribution of propane and related equipment and supplies in the United States. The propane distribution market is seasonal because propane is used primarily for heating in residential and commercial buildings. Therefore, the results of operations for the six months ended January 31, 2012 and 2011 are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for a full fiscal year. The operating partnership serves approximately one million residential, industrial/commercial, portable tank exchange, agricultural, wholesale and other customers in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
Accounting Estimates
(2) Accounting estimates: The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("GAAP") requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reported period. Actual results could differ from these estimates. Significant estimates impacting the condensed consolidated financial statements include accruals that have been established for contingent liabilities, pending claims and legal actions arising in the normal course of business, useful lives of property, plant and equipment assets, residual values of tanks, capitalization of customer tank installation costs, amortization methods of intangible assets, valuation methods used to value sales returns and allowances, allowance for doubtful accounts, fair value of reporting units, fair values of derivative contracts and stock and unit-based compensation calculations.
Supplemental Cash Flow Information

(3) Supplemental cash flow information: For purposes of the condensed consolidated statements of cash flows, Ferrellgas considers cash equivalents to include all highly liquid debt instruments purchased with an original maturity of three months or less. Certain cash flow and significant non-cash activities are presented below:

  For the six months
ended January 31,
 
  2012 2011
CASH PAID FOR:        
Interest $ 44,799 $ 50,065
Income taxes $ 90 $ 0
NON-CASH INVESTING ACTIVITIES:        
Issuance of common units in connection with acquisitions $ 1,300 $ 1,625
Issuance of liabilities in connection with acquisitions $ 2,321 $ 1,664
Property, plant and equipment additions $ 979 $ 374

 
New Accounting Standards

(4) New accounting standards:

FASB Accounting Standard Update No. 2010-28

In December 2010, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued FASB Accounting Standard Update No. 2010-28 (ASU 2011-05), which modifies Step 1 of the goodwill impairment test for reporting units with zero or negative carrying amounts. For those reporting units, an entity is required to perform Step 2 of the goodwill impairment test if it is more likely than not that a goodwill impairment exists. This guidance is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2011. Ferrellgas' adoption of this guidance in fiscal 2012 did not have a significant impact on its financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

FASB Accounting Standard Update No. 2011-05

In June 2011, the FASB issued ASU 2011-05, which revises the presentation of comprehensive income in the financial statements. The new guidance requires entities to report components of comprehensive income in either a continuous statement of comprehensive income or two separate but consecutive statements. This guidance is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2011. Ferrellgas does not expect the adoption of this guidance in fiscal 2013 to have a significant impact on its financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

FASB Accounting Standard Update No. 2011-08

In September 2011, the FASB issued ASU 2011-08, which amends the existing guidance on goodwill impairment testing. Under the new guidance, entities testing goodwill for impairment have the option of performing a qualitative assessment before calculating the fair value of the reporting unit. If an entity determines, on the basis of qualitative factors, that the fair value of the reporting unit is more likely than not less than the carrying amount, the two-step impairment test would be required. This guidance is effective for annual and interim goodwill impairment tests performed for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2011. Ferrellgas does not expect the adoption of this guidance in fiscal 2013 to have a significant impact on its financial position, results of operations or cash flows.
Goodwill

(5) Goodwill:

Ferrellgas records goodwill as the excess of the cost of acquisitions over the fair value of the related net assets at the date of acquisition. Based on the guidance in ASC280 – "Segment Reporting" and ASC 350 – "Intangibles – Goodwill and other," Ferrellgas has determined that it has three reporting units for goodwill impairment testing purposes. Two of these reporting units contain goodwill that is subject to at least an annual assessment for impairment by applying a fair-value-based test. Under this test, the carrying value of each reporting unit is determined by assigning the assets and liabilities, including the existing goodwill and intangible assets, to those reporting units as of the date of the evaluation on a specific identification basis. To the extent a reporting unit's carrying value exceeds its fair value, an indication exists that the reporting unit's goodwill may be impaired and the second step of the impairment test must be performed. In the second step, the implied fair value of the goodwill is determined by allocating the fair value of all of its assets (recognized and unrecognized) and liabilities to it carrying amount. Ferrellgas has completed the impairment test for each of its reporting units and believes that estimated fair values exceed the carrying values of our reporting units as of January 31, 2012.
Ferrellgas, L.P. [Member]
  
Nature Of Operations

(1) Nature of operations: Ferrellgas, L.P. is a single reportable operating segment engaged primarily in the distribution of propane and related equipment and supplies in the United States. The propane distribution market is seasonal because propane is used primarily for heating in residential and commercial buildings. Therefore, the results of operations for the six months ended January 31, 2012 and 2011 are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for a full fiscal year. Ferrellgas, L.P. serves approximately one million residential, industrial/commercial, portable tank exchange, agricultural, wholesale and other customers in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
Accounting Estimates

(2) Accounting estimates: The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("GAAP") requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reported period. Actual results could differ from these estimates. Significant estimates impacting the condensed consolidated financial statements include accruals that have been established for contingent liabilities, pending claims and legal actions arising in the normal course of business, useful lives of property, plant and equipment assets, residual values of tanks, capitalization of customer tank installation costs, amortization methods of intangible assets, valuation methods used to value sales returns and allowances, allowance for doubtful accounts, fair value of reporting units, fair values of derivative contracts and stock and unit-based compensation calculations.
Supplemental Cash Flow Information

(3) Supplemental cash flow information: For purposes of the condensed consolidated statements of cash flows, Ferrellgas, L.P. considers cash equivalents to include all highly liquid debt instruments purchased with an original maturity of three months or less. Certain cash flow and significant non-cash activities are presented below:

 

  For the six months
ended January 31,
 
  2012 2011
CASH PAID FOR:        
Interest $ 36,951 $ 37,990
Income taxes $ 89 $ 0
NON-CASH INVESTING ACTIVITIES:        
Assets contributed from Ferrellgas Partners in connection with
acquisitions 		$ 1,300 $ 1,625
Issuance of liabilities in connection with acquisitions $ 2,321 $ 1,664
Property, plant and equipment additions $ 979 $ 374

 
New Accounting Standards

(4) New accounting standards:

FASB Accounting Standard Update No. 2010-28

In December 2010, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued FASB Accounting Standard Update No. 2010-28 (ASU 2011-05), which modifies Step 1 of the goodwill impairment test for reporting units with zero or negative carrying amounts. For those reporting units, an entity is required to perform Step 2 of the goodwill impairment test if it is more likely than not that a goodwill impairment exists. This guidance is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2011. Ferrellgas, L.P.'s adoption of this guidance in fiscal 2012 did not have a significant impact on its financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

FASB Accounting Standard Update No. 2011-05

In June 2011, the FASB issued ASU 2011-05, which revises the presentation of comprehensive income in the financial statements. The new guidance requires entities to report components of comprehensive income in either a continuous statement of comprehensive income or two separate but consecutive statements. This guidance is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2011. Ferrellgas, L.P. does not expect the adoption of this guidance in fiscal 2013 to have a significant impact on its financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

FASB Accounting Standard Update No. 2011-08

In September 2011, the FASB issued ASU 2011-08, which amends the existing guidance on goodwill impairment testing. Under the new guidance, entities testing goodwill for impairment have the option of performing a qualitative assessment before calculating the fair value of the reporting unit. If an entity determines, on the basis of qualitative factors, that the fair value of the reporting unit is more likely than not less than the carrying amount, the two-step impairment test would be required. This guidance is effective for annual and interim goodwill impairment tests performed for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2011. Ferrellgas, L.P. does not expect the adoption of this guidance in fiscal 2013 to have a significant impact on its financial position, results of operations or cash flows.
Goodwill

(5) Goodwill:

Ferrellgas, L.P. records goodwill as the excess of the cost of acquisitions over the fair value of the related net assets at the date of acquisition. Based on the guidance in ASC280 – "Segment Reporting" and ASC 350 – "Intangibles – Goodwill and other," Ferrellgas, L.P. has determined that it has three reporting units for goodwill impairment testing purposes. Two of these reporting units contain goodwill that is subject to at least an annual assessment for impairment by applying a fair-value-based test. Under this test, the carrying value of each reporting unit is determined by assigning the assets and liabilities, including the existing goodwill and intangible assets, to those reporting units as of the date of the evaluation on a specific identification basis. To the extent a reporting unit's carrying value exceeds its fair value, an indication exists that the reporting unit's goodwill may be impaired and the second step of the impairment test must be performed. In the second step, the implied fair value of the goodwill is determined by allocating the fair value of all of its assets (recognized and unrecognized) and liabilities to it carrying amount. Ferrellgas, L.P. completed the impairment test for each of its reporting units and believes that estimated fair values exceed the carrying values of our reporting units as of January 31, 2012.