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Business segment data | 9 Months Ended
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Sep. 30, 2011
Business segment data [Abstract] |
Business segment data |
15. | Business segment data
| The Company's reportable segments are those that are based on the Company's method of internal reporting, which generally segregates the strategic business units due to differences in products, services and regulation. The vast majority of the Company's operations are located within the United States. The Company also has investments in foreign countries, which largely consist of Centennial Resources' equity method investment in ECTE.
| The electric segment generates, transmits and distributes electricity in Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming. The natural gas distribution segment distributes natural gas in those states as well as in Idaho, Minnesota, Oregon and Washington. These operations also supply related value-added services.
| The construction services segment specializes in constructing and maintaining electric and communication lines, gas pipelines, fire suppression systems, and external lighting and traffic signalization equipment. This segment also provides utility excavation services and inside electrical wiring, cabling and mechanical services, sells and distributes electrical materials, and manufactures and distributes specialty equipment.
| The pipeline and energy services segment provides natural gas transportation, underground storage and gathering services through regulated and nonregulated pipeline systems primarily in the Rocky Mountain and northern Great Plains regions of the United States. This segment also provides cathodic protection and other energy-related services.
| The natural gas and oil production segment is engaged in natural gas and oil acquisition, exploration, development and production activities in the Rocky Mountain and Mid-Continent regions of the United States and in and around the Gulf of Mexico.
| The construction materials and contracting segment mines aggregates and markets crushed stone, sand, gravel and related construction materials, including ready-mixed concrete, cement, asphalt, liquid asphalt and other value-added products. It also performs integrated contracting services. This segment operates in the central, southern and western United States and Alaska and Hawaii.
| The Other category includes the activities of Centennial Capital, which insures various types of risks as a captive insurer for certain of the Company's subsidiaries. The function of the captive insurer is to fund the deductible layers of the insured companies' general liability and automobile liability coverages. Centennial Capital also owns certain real and personal property. The Other category also includes Centennial Resources' equity method investment in ECTE.
| The information below follows the same accounting policies as described in Note 1 of the Company's Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in the 2010 Annual Report. Information on the Company's businesses was as follows:
Three Months Ended September 30, 2011 |  | External Operating Revenues |  |  | Inter- segment Operating Revenues |  |  | Earnings on Common Stock |
|  | (In thousands) |
Electric |  | $ | 61,949 |  |  | $ | — |  |  | $ | 8,312 |
Natural gas distribution |  |  | 92,440 |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | (11,183 | )
Pipeline and energy services |  |  | 58,459 |  |  |  | 10,591 |  |  |  | 5,221 |
|  |  | 212,848 |  |  |  | 10,591 |  |  |  | 2,350 |
Construction services |  |  | 222,822 |  |  |  | 3,344 |  |  |  | 5,044 |
Natural gas and oil production |  |  | 96,803 |  |  |  | 23,956 |  |  |  | 22,497 |
Construction materials and contracting |  |  | 619,134 |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | 33,103 |
Other |  |  | 574 |  |  |  | 2,025 |  |  |  | 809 |
|  |  | 939,333 |  |  |  | 29,325 |  |  |  | 61,453 |
Intersegment eliminations |  |  | — |  |  |  | (39,916 | ) |  |  | — |
Total |  | $ | 1,152,181 |  |  | $ | — |  |  | $ | 63,803 |
Three Months Ended September 30, 2010 |  | External Operating Revenues |  |  | Inter- segment Operating Revenues |  |  | Earnings on Common Stock |
|  | (In thousands) |
Electric |  | $ | 59,966 |  |  | $ | — |  |  | $ | 11,259 |
Natural gas distribution |  |  | 94,336 |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | (10,054 | )
Pipeline and energy services |  |  | 69,300 |  |  |  | 11,940 |  |  |  | (7,370 | )
|  |  | 223,602 |  |  |  | 11,940 |  |  |  | (6,165 | )
Construction services |  |  | 210,362 |  |  |  | 137 |  |  |  | 5,990 |
Natural gas and oil production |  |  | 79,276 |  |  |  | 27,739 |  |  |  | 18,717 |
Construction materials and contracting |  |  | 612,654 |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | 40,257 |
Other |  |  | 29 |  |  |  | 2,263 |  |  |  | 2,039 |
|  |  | 902,321 |  |  |  | 30,139 |  |  |  | 67,003 |
Intersegment eliminations |  |  | — |  |  |  | (42,079 | ) |  |  | — |
Total |  | $ | 1,125,923 |  |  | $ | — |  |  | $ | 60,838 |
Nine Months Ended September 30, 2011 |  | External Operating Revenues |  |  | Inter- segment Operating Revenues |  |  | Earnings on Common Stock |
|  | (In thousands) |
Electric |  | $ | 169,780 |  |  | $ | — |  |  | $ | 21,642 |
Natural gas distribution |  |  | 627,450 |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | 18,235 |
Pipeline and energy services |  |  | 167,636 |  |  |  | 47,836 |  |  |  | 16,913 |
|  |  | 964,866 |  |  |  | 47,836 |  |  |  | 56,790 |
Construction services |  |  | 617,699 |  |  |  | 9,940 |  |  |  | 15,815 |
Natural gas and oil production |  |  | 262,604 |  |  |  | 74,889 |  |  |  | 60,093 |
Construction materials and contracting |  |  | 1,138,280 |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | 16,680 |
Other |  |  | 1,294 |  |  |  | 6,614 |  |  |  | 2,127 |
|  |  | 2,019,877 |  |  |  | 91,443 |  |  |  | 94,715 |
Intersegment eliminations |  |  | — |  |  |  | (139,279 | ) |  |  | — |
Total |  | $ | 2,984,743 |  |  | $ | — |  |  | $ | 151,505 |
Nine Months Ended September 30, 2010 |  | External Operating Revenues |  |  | Inter- segment Operating Revenues |  |  | Earnings on Common Stock |
|  | (In thousands) |
Electric |  | $ | 155,345 |  |  | $ | — |  |  | $ | 22,091 |
Natural gas distribution |  |  | 603,499 |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | 13,362 |
Pipeline and energy services |  |  | 197,181 |  |  |  | 53,168 |  |  |  | 10,963 |
|  |  | 956,025 |  |  |  | 53,168 |  |  |  | 46,416 |
Construction services |  |  | 551,608 |  |  |  | 170 |  |  |  | 9,041 |
Natural gas and oil production |  |  | 235,342 |  |  |  | 90,066 |  |  |  | 64,963 |
Construction materials and contracting |  |  | 1,124,086 |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | 25,779 |
Other |  |  | 83 |  |  |  | 6,714 |  |  |  | 5,007 |
|  |  | 1,911,119 |  |  |  | 96,950 |  |  |  | 104,790 |
Intersegment eliminations |  |  | — |  |  |  | (150,118 | ) |  |  | — |
Total |  | $ | 2,867,144 |  |  | $ | — |  |  | $ | 151,206 |
| The Other category recognized a loss of $126,000 and income of $154,000, from discontinued operations, net of tax, for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2011, respectively. Excluding the natural gas gathering arbitration charge of $16.5 million (after tax) in 2010, as discussed in Note 18, earnings from electric, natural gas distribution and pipeline and energy services are substantially all from regulated operations. Earnings from construction services, natural gas and oil production, construction materials and contracting, and other are all from nonregulated operations.

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- Definition The entire disclosure for reporting segments including data and tables. Reportable segments include those that meet any of the following quantitative thresholds a) it's reported revenue, including sales to external customers and intersegment sales or transfers is 10 percent or more of the combined revenue, internal and external, of all operating segments b) the absolute amount of its reported profit or loss is 10 percent or more of the greater, in absolute amount of 1) the combined reported profit of all operating segments that did not report a loss or 2) the combined reported loss of all operating segments that did report a loss c) its assets are 10 percent or more of the combined assets of all operating segments. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 280 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 12 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6534315&loc=d3e8595-108599 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 280 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 10 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6534315&loc=d3e8538-108599 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 280 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 33 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6534315&loc=d3e8971-108599 Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 280 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 34 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6534315&loc=d3e8981-108599 Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 280 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 29 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6534315&loc=d3e8864-108599 Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 280 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6534315&loc=d3e8380-108599 Reference 7: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 280 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 35 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6534315&loc=d3e8984-108599 Reference 8: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 280 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 41 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6534315&loc=d3e9038-108599 Reference 9: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 280 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 32 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6534315&loc=d3e8933-108599 Reference 10: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) -Number 131 -LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy. Reference 11: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 280 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 30 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6534315&loc=d3e8906-108599 Reference 12: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 280 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 26 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6534315&loc=d3e8844-108599 Reference 13: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 280 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 40 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6534315&loc=d3e9031-108599 Reference 14: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 280 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 42 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6534315&loc=d3e9054-108599 Reference 15: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 280 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 31 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6534315&loc=d3e8924-108599 + Details
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