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Derivative and hedging instruments
 3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2012
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]  
Derivative and hedging instruments
Derivative and hedging instruments

The following table provides the fair value and balance sheet classification of our derivatives:

Fair Value of Derivative Assets and Liabilities
 
Balance sheet location
March 31, 2012
December 31, 2011
DERIVATIVE ASSETS:
 
 
 
Primary aluminum put option contracts
Due from affiliates
$
1,801

$
5,439

Primary aluminum put option contracts
Prepaid and other current assets
1,180

3,892

Power contract
Prepaid and other current assets
53

106

TOTAL
 
$
3,034

$
9,437

DERIVATIVE LIABILITIES:
 
 
 
E.ON contingent obligation
Other liabilities
$
14,310

$
13,958

Aluminum sales premium contracts – current portion
Accrued and other current liabilities
819

607

Natural gas forward financial contracts
Accrued and other current liabilities
236

281

Aluminum sales premium contracts – less current portion
Other liabilities
350

301

TOTAL
 
$
15,715

$
15,147



Natural gas forward financial contracts
To mitigate the volatility of our natural gas cost due to the natural gas markets, we have entered into fixed-price forward financial purchase contracts which settle in cash in the period corresponding to the intended usage of natural gas. These forward contracts are designated as cash flow hedges and qualify for hedge accounting under ASC 815. The critical terms of the contracts essentially match those of the underlying exposure.
The natural gas forward financial contracts are derivatives that qualified for cash flow hedge treatment. During the three months ended March 31, 2012 and 2011, the changes in our accumulated other comprehensive loss resulting from realized and unrealized gains and losses on these derivatives were not significant to our financial statements. There were no losses recognized for ineffective portions of these derivatives during the periods.
Foreign currency forward contracts
As of March 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011, we had no foreign currency forward contracts outstanding. We are exposed to foreign currency risk due to fluctuations in the value of the U.S. dollar as compared to the euro, the Icelandic krona (“ISK”) and the Chinese yuan. The labor costs, maintenance costs and other local services at our facility in Grundartangi, Iceland (“Grundartangi”) are denominated in ISK and a portion of its anode costs are denominated in euros. As a result, an increase or decrease in the value of those currencies relative to the U.S. dollar would affect Grundartangi’s operating margins.
We manage our foreign currency exposure by entering into foreign currency forward contracts when management deems such transactions appropriate. We had foreign currency forward contracts to manage the currency risk associated with activities at our Icelandic facilities. These contracts were designated as cash flow hedges and qualified for hedge accounting under ASC 815.
The realized gain or loss for our cash flow hedges for the Grundartangi expansion and Helguvik project capital expenditures was recognized in accumulated other comprehensive loss and is reclassified to earnings as part of the depreciation expense of the capital assets (for the Helguvik project this would occur when Helguvik is put into service).
Power contract
We are party to a power supply agreement at our facility in Ravenswood, West Virginia (“Ravenswood”) that contains LME-based pricing provisions that are an embedded derivative. The embedded derivative does not qualify for cash flow hedge treatment and is marked to market quarterly. We estimate the fair value of the embedded derivative based on our expected power usage over the remaining term of the contract, gains and losses associated with the embedded derivative are recorded in net gain (loss) on forward contracts in the consolidated statements of operations.
Primary aluminum put option contracts
We have entered into primary aluminum put option contracts that settle monthly based on LME prices through June 2012. The option contract volumes account for a portion of our domestic production, with a strike price around our domestic facilities’ average cash basis break-even price. These options were purchased to partially mitigate the risk of a future decline in aluminum prices.
Our counterparties include two non-related third parties and Glencore, a related party. We paid cash premiums to enter into the put option contracts and recorded an asset on the consolidated balance sheets. We determined the fair value of the put option contracts using a Black-Scholes model with market data provided by an independent vendor and account for the contracts as derivative financial instruments with gains and losses in the fair value of the contracts recorded on the consolidated statements of operations in net loss on forward contracts.
Aluminum sales premium contracts
The Glencore Metal Agreement is a physical delivery contract for 20,400 metric tons per year (“mtpy”) of primary aluminum through December 31, 2013 with variable, LME-based pricing. Under the Glencore Metal Agreement, pricing is based on market prices, adjusted by a negotiated U.S. Midwest premium with a cap and a floor as applied to the current U.S. Midwest premium. We account for the Glencore Metal Agreement as a derivative instrument under ASC 815. Gains and losses on the derivative are based on the difference between the contracted U.S. Midwest premium and actual and forecasted U.S. Midwest premiums. Settlements are recorded in related party sales. Unrealized gains (losses) based on forecasted U.S. Midwest premiums are recorded in net loss on forward contracts on the consolidated statements of operations.

Derivatives not designated as hedging instruments:
 
Gain (loss) recognized in income from derivatives
 
 
Three months ended March 31,
 
 
2012
2011
Primary aluminum put option contracts
Net loss on forward contracts
$
(4,695
)
$
(4,606
)
E.ON contingent obligation
Interest expense – third party
353

364

Aluminum sales premium contracts
Related party sales
204

94

Power contract
Net loss on forward contracts
1

(5
)
Aluminum sales premium contracts
Net loss on forward contracts
(465
)
(198
)

We had the following outstanding forward contracts that were entered into that were not designated as hedging instruments:

 
March 31, 2012
December 31, 2011
Power contracts (in megawatt hours (“MWH”)) (1)
1,886

3,772

Primary aluminum sales contract premium (metric tons) (2)
35,700

40,870

Primary aluminum put option contracts (metric tons)
7,500

15,000

Primary aluminum put option contracts (metric tons) – related party
9,000

18,000

(1)
Represents our expected usage during the remaining term of the Ravenswood power contract. In June 2011, the West Virginia PSC extended the term of this contract for an additional year.
(2)
Represents the remaining physical deliveries under our 2013 Glencore Metal Agreement.
Counterparty credit risk. The primary aluminum put option contracts are subject to counterparty credit risk. However, we only enter into forward financial contracts with counterparties we determine to be creditworthy at the time of entering into the contract. If any counterparty failed to perform according to the terms of the contract, the impact would be limited to the difference between the contract price and the market price applied to the contract volume on the date of settlement.
As of March 31, 2012, income of $170 is expected to be reclassified out of accumulated other comprehensive loss into earnings over the next 12-month period for derivative instruments that have been designated and have qualified as cash flow hedging instruments and for the related hedged transactions.