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Pension And Other Postretirement Benefit Plans
 9 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Defined Benefit Pension Plans and Defined Benefit Postretirement Plans Disclosure [Abstract]  
Pension and Other Postretirement Benefits Disclosure
PENSION AND OTHER POSTRETIREMENT BENEFIT PLANS

The Company sponsors several defined benefit pension plans covering U.S. salaried employees and certain foreign and other employee groups. These plans provide retirement benefits based primarily on employee compensation and years of service. The Company also sponsors defined benefit plans that provide postretirement health and life insurance benefits for eligible U.S. employees attaining specific age and service levels.

The components of the Company’s net periodic benefit cost were as follows:
 
 
Pension Benefits
 
Other Postretirement Benefits
 
 
Three Months Ended December 31,
 
Three Months Ended December 31,
(in thousands of dollars)
 
2014
 
2013
 
2014
 
2013
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Service cost
 
$
1,296

  
$
1,115

 
$
108

  
$
137

Interest cost
 
2,629

  
2,883

 
458

  
521

Expected return on plan assets
 
(3,677
)
  
(3,517
)
 
(26
)
  
(29
)
Net amortization and deferral
 
783

  
1,022

 
(133
)
  
(16
)
Net periodic benefit cost
 
$
1,031

 
$
1,503

 
$
407

 
$
613

 
 
Pension Benefits
 
Other Postretirement Benefits
 
 
Nine Months Ended December 31,
 
Nine Months Ended December 31,
(in thousands of dollars)
 
2014
 
2013
 
2014
 
2013
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Service cost
 
$
3,957

  
$
3,507

 
$
336

  
$
406

Interest cost
 
7,954

  
8,605

 
1,423

  
1,561

Expected return on plan assets
 
(10,904
)
  
(10,602
)
 
(78
)
  
(89
)
Curtailment gain
 
—

 
—

 
(1,503
)
 
—

Net amortization and deferral
 
2,343

  
5,916

 
(399
)
  
(50
)
Net periodic benefit cost
 
$
3,350

 
$
7,426

 
$
(221
)
 
$
1,828

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

The net periodic benefit cost for the Company's pension and other postretirement benefit plans has declined from the prior fiscal year, primarily reflecting actuarial gains arising from higher market discount rates applicable to the most recent actuarial measurement of benefit liabilities, from the favorable performance of plan assets, and from recent plan amendments that reduced benefits earned by active employees under certain plans. The curtailment gain reflected in the above table for the nine months ended December 31, 2014 was attributable to the elimination of postretirement life insurance coverage for active U.S. employees. During the nine months ended December 31, 2014, the Company made contributions of approximately $6.0 million to its pension plans. Additional contributions of approximately $1.7 million are expected during the remaining three months of fiscal year 2015, including $1.4 million to the Company's ERISA-regulated U.S. plan and $0.3 million to its non-ERISA regulated and other plans.