Defined Pension Benefit Obligations

The following table presents the components of net periodic benefit cost recognized in earnings during the three and nine months ended June 29, 2018 and June 30, 2017 (in thousands):



	Three Months Ended						Nine Months Ended
	June 29, 2018			June 30, 2017			June 29, 2018			June 30, 2017
Component:
Service cost	$	3,720		$	2,349		$	8,685		$	6,749
Interest cost	19,416			9,357			46,987			26,786
Expected return on plan assets	(31,388		)	(16,722		)	(76,406		)	(47,837		)
Amortization of previously unrecognized items	2,814			3,770			7,861			10,858
Settlement loss (gain)	—			51			3,819			135
	$	(5,438	)	$	(1,195	)	$	(9,054	)	$	(3,309	)

In December 2017, the Company incurred a settlement loss of approximately $3.8 million related to its Sverdrup pension plan in the U.S.

In connection with the acquisition of CH2M on December 15, 2017, the Company preliminarily recorded estimates of CH2M’s pension plan assets and liabilities which are reflected in the amounts of $1.1 billion and ($1.2 billion), respectively. CH2M sponsors several defined benefit pension plans primarily in the U.S. and the U.K. In the U.S., CH2M has three noncontributory defined benefit pension plans. Plan benefits are generally based on years of service and compensation during the span of employment.

The following table presents certain information regarding the Company’s cash contributions to our pension plans for fiscal 2018 (in thousands):



Cash contributions made during the first nine months of fiscal 2018	$	18,862
Cash contributions projected for the remainder of fiscal 2018	61,161
Total	$	80,023

During July 2018, the Company made contributions of $55.0 million to our pension plans, primarily for plans acquired as part of the CH2M transaction.