v3.20.4
EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLANS (Tables)
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2020
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, 2020 and 2019 were as follows:
 Pension PlansOther Postretirement
Benefit Plans
 2020201920202019
(Thousands of Dollars)
Change in benefit obligation:
Benefit obligation, January 1$167,257 $141,833 $13,196 $10,908 
Service cost9,174 9,549 529 431 
Interest cost4,693 5,480 399 453 
Benefits paid(9,520)(7,109)(281)(217)
Participant contributions— — 44 62 
Actuarial loss15,081 17,504 793 1,559 
Benefit obligation, December 31$186,685 $167,257 $14,680 $13,196 
Change in plan assets:
Plan assets at fair value, January 1$159,036 $126,949 $— $— 
Actual return on plan assets21,758 28,064 — — 
Employer contributions11,453 11,132 237 155 
Benefits paid(9,520)(7,109)(281)(217)
Participant contributions— — 44 62 
Plan assets at fair value, December 31$182,727 $159,036 $— $— 
Reconciliation of funded status:
Fair value of plan assets at December 31$182,727 $159,036 $— $— 
Less: Benefit obligation at December 31186,685 167,257 14,680 13,196 
Funded status at December 31$(3,958)$(8,221)$(14,680)$(13,196)
Amounts recognized in the consolidated balance sheets (a):
Accrued liabilities$(382)$(303)$(352)$(368)
Other long-term liabilities(3,576)(7,918)(14,328)(12,828)
Net pension liability$(3,958)$(8,221)$(14,680)$(13,196)
Accumulated benefit obligation$181,263 $164,183 $14,680 $13,196 
(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 PlansOther Postretirement Benefit Plans
Year Ended December 31,Year Ended December 31,
 202020192018202020192018
 (Thousands of Dollars)
Service cost$9,174 $9,549 $9,621 $529 $431 $504 
Interest cost4,693 5,480 4,824 399 453 429 
Expected return on plan assets(8,972)(8,015)(7,417)— — — 
Amortization of prior service credit(2,057)(2,057)(2,057)(1,145)(1,145)(1,145)
Amortization of net actuarial loss1,845 846 2,174 137 42 214 
Excess Pension Plan settlement136 — — — — — 
Net periodic benefit cost (income)$4,819 $5,803 $7,145 $(80)$(219)$
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 PlansOther Postretirement Benefit Plans
Year Ended December 31,Year Ended December 31,
 202020192018202020192018
 (Thousands of Dollars)
Net unrecognized (loss) gain arising during the year:
Net actuarial (loss) gain$(2,159)$2,545 $1,049 $(793)$(1,559)$2,267 
Net (gain) loss reclassified into income:
Amortization of prior service credit(2,057)(2,057)(2,057)(1,145)(1,145)(1,145)
Amortization of net actuarial loss1,845 846 2,174 137 42 214 
Net (gain) loss reclassified into income
(212)(1,211)117 (1,008)(1,103)(931)
Reclassification of stranded tax effects— — (74)— — — 
Income tax benefit (expense)28 14 (69)— — (25)
Total changes to other comprehensive (loss) income$(2,343)$1,348 $1,023 $(1,801)$(2,662)$1,311 
The amounts recorded as a component of accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income
The amounts recorded as a component of “Accumulated other comprehensive loss” on the consolidated balance sheets related to our Pension Plans and other postretirement benefit plans were as follows:
 Pension PlansOther Postretirement
Benefit Plans
December 31,December 31,
 2020201920202019
 (Thousands of Dollars)
Unrecognized actuarial loss$(24,878)$(24,564)$(3,846)$(3,190)
Prior service credit10,433 12,490 6,029 7,174 
Deferred tax asset118 90 — — 
Accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income,
net of tax
$(14,327)$(11,984)$2,183 $3,984 
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, 2020
 Level 1Level 2Level 3Total
 (Thousands of Dollars)
Cash equivalent securities$2,125 $— $— $2,125 
Equity securities:
U.S. large cap equity fund (a)— 104,857 — 104,857 
International stock index fund (b)20,732 — — 20,732 
Fixed income securities:
Bond market index fund (c)55,013 — — 55,013 
Total$77,870 $104,857 $— $182,727 

 December 31, 2019
 Level 1Level 2Level 3Total
(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 
(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 PlansOther Postretirement Benefit Plans
 (Thousands of Dollars)
2021$9,771 $352 
2022$10,030 $397 
2023$10,329 $451 
2024$10,846 $483 
2025$11,558 $529 
2026-2030$61,321 $3,355 
Assumptions used to determine the benefit obligations
The weighted-average assumptions used to determine the benefit obligations were as follows:
 Pension PlansOther Postretirement Benefit Plans
December 31,December 31,
 2020201920202019
Discount rate2.84 %3.34 %2.83 %3.43 %
Rate of compensation increase3.51 %3.51 %n/an/a
Cash balance interest crediting rate2.00 %2.00 %n/an/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 PlansOther Postretirement Benefit Plans
Year Ended December 31,Year Ended December 31,
 202020192018202020192018
Discount rate3.34 %4.40 %3.72 %3.43 %4.53 %3.82 %
Expected long-term rate of
return on plan assets
6.50 %6.50 %6.50 %n/an/an/a
Rate of compensation increase3.51 %3.51 %3.51 %n/an/an/a
Cash balance interest crediting rate2.00 %2.90 %2.00 %n/an/an/a
Schedule of assumed health care cost trend rates
The assumed health care cost trend rates were as follows:
 December 31,
 20202019
Health care cost trend rate assumed for next year6.84 %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 rate20282028