v3.19.3.a.u2
EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLANS (Tables)
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2019
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, 2019 and 2018 were as follows:
 
Pension Plans
 
Other Postretirement
Benefit Plans
 
2019
 
2018
 
2019
 
2018
 
(Thousands of Dollars)
Change in benefit obligation:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Benefit obligation, January 1
$
141,833

 
$
149,817

 
$
10,908

 
$
12,410

Service cost
9,549

 
9,621

 
431

 
504

Interest cost
5,480

 
4,824

 
453

 
429

Benefits paid
(7,109
)
 
(7,929
)
 
(217
)
 
(255
)
Participant contributions

 

 
62

 
87

Actuarial loss (gain)
17,504

 
(14,500
)
 
1,559

 
(2,267
)
Benefit obligation, December 31
$
167,257

 
$
141,833

 
$
13,196

 
$
10,908

Change in plan assets:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Plan assets at fair value, January 1
$
126,949

 
$
129,878

 
$

 
$

Actual return on plan assets
28,064

 
(6,034
)
 

 

Employer contributions
11,132

 
11,034

 
155

 
168

Benefits paid
(7,109
)
 
(7,929
)
 
(217
)
 
(255
)
Participant contributions

 

 
62

 
87

Plan assets at fair value, December 31
$
159,036

 
$
126,949

 
$

 
$

Reconciliation of funded status:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Fair value of plan assets at December 31
$
159,036

 
$
126,949

 
$

 
$

Less: Benefit obligation at December 31
167,257

 
141,833

 
13,196

 
10,908

Funded status at December 31
$
(8,221
)
 
$
(14,884
)
 
$
(13,196
)
 
$
(10,908
)
Amounts recognized in the consolidated balance sheets (a):
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Accrued liabilities
$
(303
)
 
$
(267
)
 
$
(368
)
 
$
(362
)
Other long-term liabilities
(7,918
)
 
(14,617
)
 
(12,828
)
 
(10,546
)
Net pension liability
$
(8,221
)
 
$
(14,884
)
 
$
(13,196
)
 
$
(10,908
)
(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,
 
2019
 
2018
 
2017
 
2019
 
2018
 
2017
 
(Thousands of Dollars)
Service cost
$
9,549

 
$
9,621

 
$
8,955

 
$
431

 
$
504

 
$
456

Interest cost
5,480

 
4,824

 
4,507

 
453

 
429

 
430

Expected return on plan assets
(8,015
)
 
(7,417
)
 
(6,411
)
 

 

 

Amortization of prior service credit
(2,057
)
 
(2,057
)
 
(2,059
)
 
(1,145
)
 
(1,145
)
 
(1,145
)
Amortization of net actuarial loss
846

 
2,174

 
1,484

 
42

 
214

 
191

Net periodic benefit cost (income)
$
5,803

 
$
7,145

 
$
6,476

 
$
(219
)
 
$
2

 
$
(68
)

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,
 
2019
 
2018
 
2017
 
2019
 
2018
 
2017
 
(Thousands of Dollars)
Net unrecognized gain (loss) arising during the year:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Net actuarial gain (loss)
$
2,545

 
$
1,049

 
$
(4,235
)
 
$
(1,559
)
 
$
2,267

 
$
(590
)
Net (gain) loss reclassified into income:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Amortization of prior service credit
(2,057
)
 
(2,057
)
 
(2,059
)
 
(1,145
)
 
(1,145
)
 
(1,145
)
Amortization of net actuarial loss
846

 
2,174

 
1,484

 
42

 
214

 
191

Net (gain) loss reclassified into income
(1,211
)
 
117

 
(575
)
 
(1,103
)
 
(931
)
 
(954
)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Reclassification of stranded tax effects

 
(74
)
 

 

 

 

Income tax benefit (expense)
14

 
(69
)
 
162

 

 
(25
)
 
22

Total changes to other
comprehensive income (loss)
$
1,348

 
$
1,023

 
$
(4,648
)
 
$
(2,662
)
 
$
1,311

 
$
(1,522
)


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,
 
2019
 
2018
 
2019
 
2018
 
(Thousands of Dollars)
Unrecognized actuarial loss
$
(24,564
)
 
$
(27,955
)
 
$
(3,190
)
 
$
(1,673
)
Prior service credit
12,490

 
14,547

 
7,174

 
8,319

Deferred tax asset
90

 
76

 

 

Accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income,
net of tax
$
(11,984
)
 
$
(13,332
)
 
$
3,984

 
$
6,646


Schedule of pre-tax amounts in accumulated other comprehensive loss to be recognized over next fiscal year
The following pre-tax amounts in AOCI as of December 31, 2019 are expected to be recognized as components of net periodic benefit cost (income) in 2020:
 
Pension Plans
 
Other Postretirement
Benefit Plans
 
(Thousands of Dollars)
Actuarial loss
$
1,845

 
$
137

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, 2019
 
Level 1
 
Level 2
 
Level 3
 
Total
 
(Thousands of Dollars)
Cash equivalent securities
$
160

 
$

 
$

 
$
160

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

 
92,737

 

 
92,737

International stock index fund (b)
17,473

 

 

 
17,473

Fixed income securities:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Bond market index fund (c)
48,666

 

 

 
48,666

Total
$
66,299

 
$
92,737

 
$

 
$
159,036


 
December 31, 2018
 
Level 1
 
Level 2
 
Level 3
 
Total
 
(Thousands of Dollars)
Cash equivalent securities
$
608

 
$

 
$

 
$
608

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

 
70,525

 

 
70,525

International stock index fund (b)
13,391

 

 

 
13,391

Fixed income securities:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Bond market index fund (c)
42,425

 

 

 
42,425

Total
$
56,424

 
$
70,525

 
$

 
$
126,949

(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)
2020
$
9,058

 
$
368

2021
$
9,859

 
$
393

2022
$
9,987

 
$
428

2023
$
10,461

 
$
481

2024
$
10,825

 
$
507

Years 2025-2029
$
59,680

 
$
3,232




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,
 
2019
 
2018
 
2019
 
2018
Discount rate
3.34
%
 
4.40
%
 
3.43
%
 
4.53
%
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,
 
2019
 
2018
 
2017
 
2019
 
2018
 
2017
Discount rate
4.40
%
 
3.72
%
 
4.33
%
 
4.53
%
 
3.82
%
 
4.49
%
Expected long-term rate of
return on plan assets
6.50
%
 
6.50
%
 
6.00
%
 
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,
 
2019
 
2018
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