v3.8.0.1
EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLANS (Tables)
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2017
Retirement Benefits [Abstract]  
Disclosures for our Pension Plans and other postretirement benefit plans
The changes in the benefit obligation, the changes in fair value of plan assets, the funded status and the amounts recognized in the consolidated balance sheets for our Pension Plans and other postretirement benefit plans as of and for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016 were as follows:
 
Pension Plans
 
Other Postretirement
Benefit Plans
 
2017
 
2016
 
2017
 
2016
 
(Thousands of Dollars)
Change in benefit obligation:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Benefit obligation, January 1
$
127,402

 
$
109,202

 
$
11,061

 
$
10,042

Service cost
8,955

 
7,703

 
456

 
419

Interest cost
4,507

 
4,023

 
430

 
401

Benefits paid
(5,941
)
 
(2,554
)
 
(342
)
 
(422
)
Participant contributions

 

 
215

 
253

Actuarial loss
14,894

 
9,028

 
590

 
368

Benefit obligation, December 31
$
149,817

 
$
127,402

 
$
12,410

 
$
11,061

Change in plan assets:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Plan assets at fair value, January 1
$
107,644

 
$
87,706

 
$

 
$

Actual return on plan assets
17,070

 
6,891

 

 

Employer contributions
11,105

 
15,601

 
127

 
169

Benefits paid
(5,941
)
 
(2,554
)
 
(342
)
 
(422
)
Participant contributions

 

 
215

 
253

Plan assets at fair value, December 31
$
129,878

 
$
107,644

 
$

 
$

Reconciliation of funded status:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Fair value of plan assets at December 31
$
129,878

 
$
107,644

 
$

 
$

Less: Benefit obligation at December 31
149,817

 
127,402

 
12,410

 
11,061

Funded status at December 31
$
(19,939
)
 
$
(19,758
)
 
$
(12,410
)
 
$
(11,061
)
Amounts recognized in the consolidated balance sheets (a):
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Accrued liabilities
$
(210
)
 
$
(162
)
 
$
(376
)
 
$
(321
)
Other long-term liabilities
(19,729
)
 
(19,596
)
 
(12,034
)
 
(10,740
)
Net pension liability
$
(19,939
)
 
$
(19,758
)
 
$
(12,410
)
 
$
(11,061
)
(a)
For the Pension Plan, since assets exceed the present value of expected benefit payments for the next 12 months, all of the liability is noncurrent. For the Excess Pension Plan and the other postretirement benefit plans, since there are no assets, the current liability is the present value of expected benefit payments for the next 12 months; the remainder is noncurrent.
The components of net periodic benefit cost (income)
The components of net periodic benefit cost (income) related to our Pension Plans and other postretirement benefit plans were as follows:
 
Pension Plans
 
Other Postretirement
Benefit Plans
 
Year Ended December 31,
 
Year Ended December 31,
 
2017
 
2016
 
2015
 
2017
 
2016
 
2015
 
(Thousands of Dollars)
Service cost
$
8,955

 
$
7,703

 
$
7,676

 
$
456

 
$
419

 
$
470

Interest cost
4,507

 
4,023

 
4,389

 
430

 
401

 
448

Expected return on plan assets
(6,411
)
 
(5,407
)
 
(5,018
)
 

 

 

Amortization of prior service credit
(2,059
)
 
(2,063
)
 
(2,063
)
 
(1,145
)
 
(1,145
)
 
(1,145
)
Amortization of net actuarial loss
1,484

 
1,091

 
1,845

 
191

 
181

 
269

Net periodic benefit cost (income)
$
6,476

 
$
5,347

 
$
6,829

 
$
(68
)
 
$
(144
)
 
$
42


Adjustments recognized in other comprehensive (loss) income
Adjustments to other comprehensive (loss) income related to our Pension Plans and other postretirement benefit plans were as follows:
 
Pension Plans
 
Other Postretirement
Benefit Plans
 
Year Ended December 31,
 
Year Ended December 31,
 
2017
 
2016
 
2015
 
2017
 
2016
 
2015
 
(Thousands of Dollars)
Net unrecognized (loss) gain arising during the year:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Net actuarial (loss) gain
$
(4,235
)
 
$
(7,544
)
 
$
1,000

 
$
(590
)
 
$
(368
)
 
$
1,056

Net (gain) loss reclassified into income:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Amortization of prior service credit
(2,059
)
 
(2,063
)
 
(2,063
)
 
(1,145
)
 
(1,145
)
 
(1,145
)
Amortization of net actuarial loss
1,484

 
1,091

 
1,845

 
191

 
181

 
269

Net gain reclassified into income
(575
)
 
(972
)
 
(218
)
 
(954
)
 
(964
)
 
(876
)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Income tax benefit (expense)
162

 
57

 
(362
)
 
22

 
3

 
(382
)
Total changes to other
comprehensive (loss) income
$
(4,648
)
 
$
(8,459
)
 
$
420

 
$
(1,522
)
 
$
(1,329
)
 
$
(202
)

The amounts recorded as a component of accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income
The amounts recorded as a component of “Accumulated other comprehensive loss” on the consolidated balance sheets related to our Pension Plans and other postretirement benefit plans were as follows:
 
Pension Plans
 
Other Postretirement
Benefit Plans
 
December 31,
 
December 31,
 
2017
 
2016
 
2017
 
2016
 
(Thousands of Dollars)
Unrecognized actuarial loss
$
(31,178
)
 
$
(28,427
)
 
$
(4,154
)
 
$
(3,755
)
Prior service credit
16,604

 
18,663

 
9,464

 
10,609

Deferred tax asset
219

 
57

 
25

 
3

Accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income,
net of tax
$
(14,355
)
 
$
(9,707
)
 
$
5,335

 
$
6,857


Schedule of pre-tax amounts in accumulated other comprehensive loss to be recognized over next fiscal year
The following pre-tax amounts in accumulated other comprehensive loss as of December 31, 2017 are expected to be recognized as components of net periodic benefit cost (income) in 2018:
 
Pension Plans
 
Other
Postretirement
Benefit Plans
 
(Thousands of Dollars)
Actuarial loss
$
2,174

 
$
214

Prior service credit
$
(2,057
)
 
$
(1,145
)
Schedule of fair value of plan assets
The major classes of plan assets measured at fair value for the Pension Plan were as follows:
 
December 31, 2017
 
Level 1
 
Level 2
 
Level 3
 
Total
 
(Thousands of Dollars)
Cash equivalent securities
$
381

 
$

 
$

 
$
381

Equity securities:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
U.S. large cap equity fund (a)

 
75,353

 

 
75,353

International stock index fund (b)
14,480

 

 

 
14,480

Fixed income securities:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Bond market index fund (c)
39,664

 

 

 
39,664

Total
$
54,525

 
$
75,353

 
$

 
$
129,878


 
December 31, 2016
 
Level 1
 
Level 2
 
Level 3
 
Total
 
(Thousands of Dollars)
Cash equivalent securities
$
738

 
$

 
$

 
$
738

Equity securities:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
U.S. large cap equity fund (a)

 
64,813

 

 
64,813

International stock index fund (b)
10,459

 

 

 
10,459

Fixed income securities:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Bond market index fund (c)
31,634

 

 

 
31,634

Total
$
42,831

 
$
64,813

 
$

 
$
107,644

(a)
This fund is a low-cost equity index fund not actively managed that tracks the S&P 500. Fair values were estimated using pricing models, quoted prices of securities with similar characteristics or discounted cash flows.
(b)
This fund tracks the performance of the Total International Composite Index.
(c)
This fund tracks the performance of the Barclays Capital U.S. Aggregate Bond Index.
Schedule of expected benefit payments
The following benefit payments, which reflect expected future service, as appropriate, are expected to be paid for the years ending December 31:
 
Pension Plans
 
Other
Postretirement
Benefit Plans
 
(Thousands of Dollars)
2018
$
8,823

 
$
376

2019
$
9,699

 
$
416

2020
$
10,432

 
$
434

2021
$
11,050

 
$
464

2022
$
11,650

 
$
497

Years 2023-2027
$
64,799

 
$
3,090

Assumptions used to determine the benefit obligations
The weighted-average assumptions used to determine the benefit obligations were as follows:
 
Pension Plans
 
Other
Postretirement
Benefit Plans
 
December 31,
 
December 31,
 
2017
 
2016
 
2017
 
2016
Discount rate
3.72
%
 
4.33
%
 
3.82
%
 
4.49
%
Rate of compensation increase
3.51
%
 
3.51
%
 
n/a  

 
n/a  

Assumptions used to determine the net periodic benefit cost (income)
The weighted-average assumptions used to determine the net periodic benefit cost (income) were as follows:
 
Pension Plans
 
Other Postretirement
Benefit Plans
 
Year Ended December 31,
 
Year Ended December 31,
 
2017
 
2016
 
2015
 
2017
 
2016
 
2015
Discount rate
4.33
%
 
4.61
%
 
4.22
%
 
4.49
%
 
4.75
%
 
4.34
%
Expected long-term rate of
return on plan assets
6.00
%
 
6.25
%
 
6.50
%
 
n/a  

 
n/a  

 
n/a  

Rate of compensation increase
3.51
%
 
3.51
%
 
3.51
%
 
n/a  

 
n/a  

 
n/a  

Schedule of assumed health care cost trend rates
The assumed health care cost trend rates were as follows:
 
December 31,
 
2017
 
2016
Health care cost trend rate assumed for next year
6.84
%
 
6.84
%
Rate to which the cost trend rate was assumed to decrease (the ultimate trend rate)
5.00
%
 
5.00
%
Year that the rate reaches the ultimate trend rate
2028

 
2028