National Fuel Gas (NFG) 10-Q 6 May 22 2022 Q2 Quarterly report Financial data

Document And Entity Information

Document And Entity Information - $ / shares	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2022	Apr. 30, 2022
Cover [Abstract]
Amendment Flag	false
Current Fiscal Year End Date	--09-30
Document Fiscal Period Focus	Q2
Document Fiscal Year Focus	2022
Document Period End Date	Mar. 31, 2022
Document Quarterly Report	true
Document Transition Report	false
Document Type	10-Q
Entity Address, Address Line One	6363 Main Street
Entity Address, City or Town	Williamsville,
Entity Address, State or Province	NY
Entity Address, Postal Zip Code	14221
Entity Central Index Key	0000070145
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding		91,455,696
Entity Current Reporting Status	Yes
Entity Interactive Data Current	Yes
Entity Emerging Growth Company	false
Entity File Number	1-3880
Entity Filer Category	Large Accelerated Filer
Entity Incorporation, State or Country Code	NJ
Entity Registrant Name	NATIONAL FUEL GAS COMPANY
Entity Shell Company	false
Entity Small Business	false
Entity Tax Identification Number	13-1086010
City Area Code	716
Local Phone Number	857-7000
Title of 12(b) Security	Common Stock, par value $1.00 per share
Trading Symbol	NFG
Security Exchange Name	NYSE
Entity Listing, Par Value Per Share	$ 1

Consolidated Statements Of Inco

Consolidated Statements Of Income And Earnings Reinvested In The Business (Unaudited) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2022	Mar. 31, 2021	Mar. 31, 2022	Mar. 31, 2021
INCOME
Operating Revenues	$ 701,720	$ 551,115	$ 1,248,277	$ 992,275
Operating Expenses:
Purchased Gas	199,592	106,661	301,219	158,280
Property, Franchise and Other Taxes	27,717	23,987	52,219	46,768
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization	91,245	84,342	179,823	167,462
Impairment of Oil and Gas Producing Properties	0	0	0	76,152
Total Operating Expenses	455,354	337,076	792,252	685,759
Gain on Sale of Timber Properties	0	0	0	51,066
Operating Income	246,366	214,039	456,025	357,582
Other Income (Expense):
Other Income (Deductions)	10,018	(10,875)	8,940	(13,051)
Interest Expense on Long-Term Debt	(30,079)	(48,820)	(60,209)	(81,076)
Other Interest Expense	(1,519)	(1,698)	(2,680)	(3,618)
Income Before Income Taxes	224,786	152,646	402,076	259,837
Income Tax Expense	57,458	40,210	102,356	69,627
Net Income Available for Common Stock	167,328	112,436	299,720	190,210
EARNINGS REINVESTED IN THE BUSINESS
Balance at Beginning of Period	1,281,963	1,028,844	1,191,175	991,630
Beginning Retained Earnings Unappropriated And Current Period Net Income	1,449,291	1,141,280	1,490,895	1,181,840
Dividends on Common Stock	(41,608)	(40,562)	(83,212)	(81,122)
Balance at March 31	$ 1,407,683	$ 1,100,718	$ 1,407,683	$ 1,100,718
Earnings Per Common Share, Basic:
Net Income Available for Common Stock (in dollars per share)	$ 1.83	$ 1.23	$ 3.28	$ 2.09
Earnings Per Common Share, Diluted:
Net Income Available for Common Stock (in dollars per share)	$ 1.82	$ 1.23	$ 3.26	$ 2.08
Weighted Average Common Shares Outstanding:
Used in Basic Calculation (shares)	91,444,638	91,163,291	91,354,488	91,084,620
Used in Diluted Calculation (shares)	92,064,711	91,645,679	92,047,467	91,581,918
Dividends Per Common Share:
Dividends Declared (in dollars per share)	$ 0.455	$ 0.445	$ 0.910	$ 0.890
Utility and Energy Marketing [Member]
INCOME
Operating Revenues	$ 369,092	$ 270,849	$ 605,776	$ 460,315
Operating Expenses:
Operation and Maintenance	53,476	52,058	100,120	96,944
Exploration and Production and Other [Member]
INCOME
Operating Revenues	261,676	220,281	505,957	412,316
Operating Expenses:
Operation and Maintenance	49,806	41,895	95,425	83,922
Pipeline and Storage and Gathering [Member]
INCOME
Operating Revenues	70,952	59,985	136,544	119,644
Operating Expenses:
Operation and Maintenance	$ 33,518	$ 28,133	$ 63,446	$ 56,231

Consolidated Statements Of Comp

Consolidated Statements Of Comprehensive Income (Unaudited) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2022	Mar. 31, 2021	Mar. 31, 2022	Mar. 31, 2021
Statement of Comprehensive Income [Abstract]
Net Income Available for Common Stock	$ 167,328	$ 112,436	$ 299,720	$ 190,210
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Before Tax:
Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Derivative Financial Instruments Arising During the Period	(641,606)	(34,373)	(478,474)	13,648
Reclassification Adjustment for Realized (Gains) Losses on Derivative Financial Instruments in Net Income	130,221	3,666	292,809	3,977
Other Post-Retirement Adjustment for Regulatory Proceeding	(7,351)	0	(7,351)	0
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Before Tax	(518,736)	(30,707)	(193,016)	17,625
Income Tax Expense (Benefit) Related to Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Derivative Financial Instruments Arising During the Period	(175,605)	(9,470)	(130,956)	3,760
Reclassification Adjustment for Income Tax Benefit (Expense) on Realized Losses (Gains) from Derivative Financial Instruments in Net Income	35,641	1,010	80,141	1,096
Income Tax Expense (Benefit) Related to Other Post-Retirement Adjustment for Regulatory Proceeding	(1,544)	0	(1,544)	0
Income Taxes – Net	(141,508)	(8,460)	(52,359)	4,856
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)	(377,228)	(22,247)	(140,657)	12,769
Comprehensive Income (Loss)	$ (209,900)	$ 90,189	$ 159,063	$ 202,979

Consolidated Balance Sheets (Un

Consolidated Balance Sheets (Unaudited) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		Mar. 31, 2022	Sep. 30, 2021
ASSETS
Property, Plant and Equipment		$ 13,457,342	$ 13,103,639
Less - Accumulated Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization		6,882,961	6,719,356
Property, Plant and Equipment, Net, Total		6,574,381	6,384,283
Current Assets
Cash and Temporary Cash Investments		52,569	31,528
Hedging Collateral Deposits	[1]	102,370	88,610
Receivables - Net of Allowance for Uncollectible Accounts of $41,483 and $31,639, Respectively		339,421	205,294
Unbilled Revenue		49,551	17,000
Gas Stored Underground		6,302	33,669
Materials, Supplies and Emission Allowances		48,887	53,560
Unrecovered Purchased Gas Costs		3,751	33,128
Other Current Assets		68,265	59,660
Total Current Assets		671,116	522,449
Other Assets
Recoverable Future Taxes		123,709	121,992
Unamortized Debt Expense		9,735	10,589
Other Regulatory Assets		57,693	60,145
Deferred Charges		81,646	59,939
Other Investments		103,164	149,632
Goodwill		5,476	5,476
Prepaid Pension and Post-Retirement Benefit Costs		178,102	149,151
Fair Value of Derivative Financial Instruments		1	0
Other		0	1,169
Total Other Assets		559,526	558,093
Total Assets		7,805,023	7,464,825
Capitalization:
Common Stock, $1 Par Value Authorized - 200,000,000 Shares; Issued and Outstanding - 91,449,226 Shares and 91,181,549 Shares, Respectively		91,449	91,182
Paid in Capital		1,018,784	1,017,446
Earnings Reinvested in the Business		1,407,683	1,191,175
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss		(654,254)	(513,597)
Total Comprehensive Shareholders’ Equity		1,863,662	1,786,206
Long-Term Debt, Net of Current Portion and Unamortized Discount and Debt Issuance Costs		2,081,529	2,628,687
Total Capitalization		3,945,191	4,414,893
Current and Accrued Liabilities
Notes Payable to Banks and Commercial Paper		218,000	158,500
Current Portion of Long-Term Debt		549,000	0
Accounts Payable		135,775	171,655
Amounts Payable to Customers		3,422	21
Dividends Payable		41,608	41,487
Interest Payable on Long-Term Debt		17,376	17,376
Customer Advances		0	17,223
Customer Security Deposits		20,766	19,292
Other Accruals and Current Liabilities		218,139	194,169
Fair Value of Derivative Financial Instruments		802,076	616,410
Total Current and Accrued Liabilities		2,006,162	1,236,133
Other Liabilities
Deferred Income Taxes		709,598	660,420
Taxes Refundable to Customers		348,480	354,089
Cost of Removal Regulatory Liability		252,471	245,636
Other Regulatory Liabilities		196,589	200,643
Pension and Other Post-Retirement Liabilities		4,756	7,526
Asset Retirement Obligations		207,047	209,639
Other Liabilities		134,729	135,846
Total Other Liabilities		1,853,670	1,813,799
Commitments and Contingencies (Note 8)		0	0
Total Capitalization and Liabilities		$ 7,805,023	$ 7,464,825
[1]	Netting Adjustments represent the impact of legally-enforceable master netting arrangements that allow the Company to net gain and loss positions held with the same counterparties. The net asset or net liability for each counterparty is recorded as an asset or liability on the Company’s balance sheet.

Consolidated Balance Sheets (Pa

Consolidated Balance Sheets (Parenthetical) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Mar. 31, 2022	Sep. 30, 2021
Statement of Financial Position [Abstract]
Receivables, Allowance for Uncollectible Accounts	$ 41,483	$ 31,639
Common Stock, Par Value	$ 1	$ 1
Common Stock, Shares Authorized	200,000,000	200,000,000
Common Stock, Shares Issued	91,449,226	91,181,549
Common Stock, Shares Outstanding	91,449,226	91,181,549

Consolidated Statements Of Cash

Consolidated Statements Of Cash Flows (Unaudited) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2022	Mar. 31, 2021
OPERATING ACTIVITIES
Net Income Available for Common Stock	$ 299,720	$ 190,210
Adjustments to Reconcile Net Income to Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities:
Gain on Sale of Timber Properties	0	(51,066)
Impairment of Oil and Gas Producing Properties	0	76,152
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization	179,823	167,462
Deferred Income Taxes	94,212	61,408
Premium Paid on Early Redemption of Debt	0	15,715
Stock-Based Compensation	10,631	8,657
Reduction of Other Post-Retirement Regulatory Liability	(18,533)	0
Other	14,494	6,742
Change in:
Receivables and Unbilled Revenue	(166,584)	(101,159)
Gas Stored Underground and Materials, Supplies and Emission Allowances	32,040	27,258
Unrecovered Purchased Gas Costs	29,377	(479)
Other Current Assets	(8,605)	(8,447)
Accounts Payable	2,006	8,613
Amounts Payable to Customers	3,401	8,980
Customer Advances	(17,223)	(15,319)
Customer Security Deposits	1,474	2,304
Other Accruals and Current Liabilities	11,164	9,058
Other Assets	(32,659)	11,039
Other Liabilities	(9,119)	5
Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities	425,619	417,133
INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Capital Expenditures	(415,415)	(338,867)
Net Proceeds from Sale of Oil and Gas Producing Properties	13,525	0
Net Proceeds from Sale of Timber Properties	0	104,582
Sale of Fixed Income Mutual Fund Shares in Grantor Trust	30,000	0
Other	13,689	12,095
Net Cash Used in Investing Activities	(358,201)	(222,190)
Financing Activities
Changes in Notes Payable to Banks and Commercial Paper	59,500	(30,000)
Net Proceeds from Issuance of Long-Term Debt	0	495,267
Reduction of Long-term Debt	0	(515,715)
Dividends Paid on Common Stock	(83,091)	(81,035)
Net Repurchases of Common Stock	(9,026)	(3,534)
Net Cash Used in Financing Activities	(32,617)	(135,017)
Net Increase in Cash, Cash Equivalents, and Restricted Cash	34,801	59,926
Cash, Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash at October 1	120,138	20,541
Cash, Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash at March 31	154,939	80,467
Supplemental Disclosure of Cash Flow Information, Non-Cash Investing Activities:
Non-Cash Capital Expenditures	$ 63,490	$ 68,073

Summary Of Significant Accounti

Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2022
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies	Summary of Significant Accounting Policies Principles of Consolidation. The Company consolidates all entities in which it has a controlling financial interest. All significant intercompany balances and transactions are eliminated. The Company uses proportionate consolidation when accounting for drilling arrangements related to oil and gas producing properties accounted for under the full cost method of accounting. The preparation of the consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Earnings for Interim Periods. The Company, in its opinion, has included all adjustments (which consist of only normally recurring adjustments, unless otherwise disclosed in this Form 10-Q) that are necessary for a fair statement of the results of operations for the reported periods. The consolidated financial statements and notes thereto, included herein, should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and notes for the years ended September 30, 2021, 2020 and 2019 that are included in the Company's 2021 Form 10-K. The consolidated financial statements for the year ended September 30, 2022 will be audited by the Company's independent registered public accounting firm after the end of the fiscal year. The earnings for the six months ended March 31, 2022 should not be taken as a prediction of earnings for the entire fiscal year ending September 30, 2022. Most of the business of the Utility segment is seasonal in nature and is influenced by weather conditions. Due to the seasonal nature of the heating business in the Utility segment, earnings during the winter months normally represent a substantial part of the earnings that this business is expected to achieve for the entire fiscal year. The Company’s business segments are discussed more fully in Note 9 – Business Segment Information. Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows. The components, as reported on the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheets, of the total cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash presented on the Statement of Cash Flows are as follows (in thousands): Six Months Ended Six Months Ended Balance at October 1, 2021 Balance at Balance at October 1, 2020 Balance at Cash and Temporary Cash Investments $ 31,528 $ 52,569 $ 20,541 $ 80,467 Hedging Collateral Deposits 88,610 102,370 — — Cash, Cash Equivalents, and Restricted Cash $ 120,138 $ 154,939 $ 20,541 $ 80,467 The Company considers all highly liquid debt instruments purchased with a maturity date of generally three months or less to be cash equivalents. The Company’s restricted cash is composed entirely of amounts reported as Hedging Collateral Deposits on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. Hedging Collateral Deposits is an account title for cash held in margin accounts funded by the Company to serve as collateral for derivative financial instruments in an unrealized loss position. In accordance with its accounting policy, the Company does not offset hedging collateral deposits paid or received against related derivative financial instruments liability or asset balances. Allowance for Uncollectible Accounts. The allowance for uncollectible accounts is the Company’s best estimate of the amount of probable credit losses in the existing accounts receivable. The allowance is determined based on historical experience, the age of customer accounts, other specific information about customer accounts, and the economic and regulatory environment. Account balances are charged off against the allowance twelve months after the account is final billed or when it is anticipated that the receivable will not be recovered. Activity in the allowance for uncollectible accounts for the six months ended March 31, 2022 and 2021 are as follows (in thousands): Balance at Beginning of Period Additions Charged to Costs and Expenses Discounts on Purchased Receivables Net Accounts Receivable Written-Off Balance at End of Period Six Months Ended March 31, 2022 Allowance for Uncollectible Accounts $ 31,639 $ 9,684 $ 790 $ (630) $ 41,483 Six Months Ended March 31, 2021 Allowance for Uncollectible Accounts $ 22,810 $ 11,074 $ 737 $ (4,493) $ 30,128 Gas Stored Underground. In the Utility segment, gas stored underground is carried at lower of cost or net realizable value, on a LIFO method. Gas stored underground normally declines during the first and second quarters of the year and is replenished during the third and fourth quarters. In the Utility segment, the current cost of replacing gas withdrawn from storage is recorded in the Consolidated Statements of Income and a reserve for gas replacement is recorded in the Consolidated Balance Sheets under the caption “Other Accruals and Current Liabilities.” Such reserve, which amounted to $43.8 million at March 31, 2022, is reduced to zero by September 30 of each year as the inventory is replenished. Materials, Supplies and Emission Allowances. The components of the Company's materials, supplies and emission allowances are as follows (in thousands): At March 31, 2022 At September 30, 2021 Materials and Supplies - at average cost $ 37,769 $ 34,880 Emission Allowances 11,118 18,680 $ 48,887 $ 53,560 Property, Plant and Equipment. In the Company’s Exploration and Production segment, oil and gas property acquisition, exploration and development costs are capitalized under the full cost method of accounting. Under this methodology, all costs associated with property acquisition, exploration and development activities are capitalized, including internal costs directly identified with acquisition, exploration and development activities. The internal costs that are capitalized do not include any costs related to production, general corporate overhead, or similar activities. The Company does not recognize any gain or loss on the sale or other disposition of oil and gas properties unless the gain or loss would significantly alter the relationship between capitalized costs and proved reserves of oil and gas attributable to a cost center. The Company's capitalized costs relating to oil and gas producing activities, net of accumulated depreciation, depletion and amortization, were $2.0 billion and $1.9 billion at March 31, 2022 and September 30, 2021, respectively. Capitalized costs include costs related to unproved properties, which are excluded from amortization until proved reserves are found or it is determined that the unproved properties are impaired. Such costs amounted to $124.2 million and $103.8 million at March 31, 2022 and September 30, 2021, respectively. All costs related to unproved properties are reviewed quarterly to determine if impairment has occurred. The amount of any impairment is transferred to the pool of capitalized costs being amortized. Capitalized costs are subject to the SEC full cost ceiling test. The ceiling test, which is performed each quarter, determines a limit, or ceiling, on the amount of property acquisition, exploration and development costs that can be capitalized. The ceiling under this test represents (a) the present value of estimated future net cash flows, excluding future cash outflows associated with settling asset retirement obligations that have been accrued on the balance sheet, using a discount factor of 10%, which is computed by applying prices of oil and gas (as adjusted for hedging) to estimated future production of proved oil and gas reserves as of the date of the latest balance sheet, less estimated future expenditures, plus (b) the cost of unproved properties not being depleted, less (c) income tax effects related to the differences between the book and tax basis of the properties. The gas and oil prices used to calculate the full cost ceiling are based on an unweighted arithmetic average of the first day of the month oil and gas prices for each month within the twelve-month period prior to the end of the reporting period. If capitalized costs, net of accumulated depreciation, depletion and amortization and related deferred income taxes, exceed the ceiling at the end of any quarter, a permanent non-cash impairment is required to be charged to earnings in that quarter. At March 31, 2022, the ceiling exceeded the book value of the oil and gas properties by approximately $1.8 billion. The estimated future net cash flows were decreased by $452.5 million for hedging under the ceiling test at March 31, 2022 The principal assets of the Utility, Pipeline and Storage and Gathering segments, consisting primarily of gas distribution pipelines, transmission pipelines, storage facilities, gathering lines and compressor stations, are recorded at historical cost. There were no indications of any impairments to property, plant and equipment in the Utility, Pipeline and Storage and Gathering segments at March 31, 2022. Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss. The components of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss and changes for the six months ended March 31, 2022 and 2021, net of related tax effect, are as follows (amounts in parentheses indicate debits) (in thousands): Gains and Losses on Derivative Financial Instruments Funded Status of the Pension and Other Post-Retirement Benefit Plans Total Three Months Ended March 31, 2022 Balance at January 1, 2022 $ (213,391) $ (63,635) $ (277,026) Other Comprehensive Gains and Losses Before Reclassifications (466,001) — (466,001) Amounts Reclassified From Other Comprehensive Loss 94,580 — 94,580 Other Post-Retirement Adjustment for Regulatory Proceeding — (5,807) (5,807) Balance at March 31, 2022 $ (584,812) $ (69,442) $ (654,254) Six Months Ended March 31, 2022 Balance at October 1, 2021 $ (449,962) $ (63,635) $ (513,597) Other Comprehensive Gains and Losses Before Reclassifications (347,518) — (347,518) Amounts Reclassified From Other Comprehensive Loss 212,668 — 212,668 Other Post-Retirement Adjustment for Regulatory Proceeding — (5,807) (5,807) Balance at March 31, 2022 $ (584,812) $ (69,442) $ (654,254) Three Months Ended March 31, 2021 Balance at January 1, 2021 $ 10,151 $ (89,892) $ (79,741) Other Comprehensive Gains and Losses Before Reclassifications (24,903) — (24,903) Amounts Reclassified From Other Comprehensive Loss 2,656 — 2,656 Balance at March 31, 2021 $ (12,096) $ (89,892) $ (101,988) Six Months Ended March 31, 2021 Balance at October 1, 2020 $ (24,865) $ (89,892) $ (114,757) Other Comprehensive Gains and Losses Before Reclassifications 9,888 — 9,888 Amounts Reclassified From Other Comprehensive Income 2,881 — 2,881 Balance at March 31, 2021 $ (12,096) $ (89,892) $ (101,988) During the quarter ended March 31, 2022, the PaPUC concluded a regulatory proceeding that addressed the recovery of other post-employment benefit (“OPEB”) expenses in Distribution Corporation's Pennsylvania service territory. As a result of that proceeding, Distribution Corporation suspended regulatory accounting for OPEB expenses in Pennsylvania and a regulatory deferral of $7.4 million ($5.8 million after tax) related to the funded status of Distribution Corporation’s other post- retirement benefit plans in Pennsylvania was reclassified to accumulated other comprehensive loss. For further discussion of this regulatory proceeding, refer to Note 11 — Regulatory Matters under the heading “Pennsylvania Jurisdiction.” Reclassifications Out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss. The details about the reclassification adjustments out of accumulated other comprehensive loss for the six months ended March 31, 2022 and 2021 are as follows (amounts in parentheses indicate debits to the income statement) (in thousands): Details About Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss Components Amount of Gain or (Loss) Reclassified from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss Affected Line Item in the Statement Where Net Income is Presented Three Months Ended Six Months Ended March 31, 2022 2021 2022 2021 Gains (Losses) on Derivative Financial Instrument Cash Flow Hedges: Commodity Contracts ($130,271) ($3,761) ($292,899) ($4,071) Operating Revenues Foreign Currency Contracts 50 95 90 94 Operating Revenues (130,221) (3,666) (292,809) (3,977) Total Before Income Tax 35,641 1,010 80,141 1,096 Income Tax Expense ($94,580) ($2,656) ($212,668) ($2,881) Net of Tax Other Current Assets . The components of the Company’s Other Current Assets are as follows (in thousands): At March 31, 2022 At September 30, 2021 Prepayments $ 10,242 $ 14,164 Prepaid Property and Other Taxes 24,048 14,788 State Income Taxes Receivable 3,539 1,502 Regulatory Assets 30,436 29,206 $ 68,265 $ 59,660 Other Accruals and Current Liabilities . The components of the Company’s Other Accruals and Current Liabilities are as follows (in thousands): At March 31, 2022 At September 30, 2021 Accrued Capital Expenditures $ 41,216 $ 42,541 Regulatory Liabilities 29,118 60,860 Reserve for Gas Replacement 43,752 — Liability for Royalty and Working Interests 41,143 31,483 Federal Income Taxes Payable 151 154 Non-Qualified Benefit Plan Liability 15,408 15,408 Other 47,351 43,723 $ 218,139 $ 194,169 Earnings Per Common Share. Basic earnings per common share is computed by dividing income or loss by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding for the period. Diluted earnings per common share reflects the potential dilution that could occur if securities or other contracts to issue common stock were exercised or converted into common stock. For purposes of determining earnings per common share, the potentially dilutive securities the Company had outstanding were SARs, restricted stock units and performance shares. For the quarter and six months ended March 31, 2022, the diluted weighted average shares outstanding shown on the Consolidated Statements of Income reflects the potential dilution as a result of these securities as determined using the Treasury Stock Method. SARs, restricted stock units and performance shares that are antidilutive are excluded from the calculation of diluted earnings per common share. There were 13,815 securities and 11,883 securities excluded as being antidilutive for the quarter and six months ended March 31, 2022, respectively. There were 334,945 securities excluded as being antidilutive for both the quarter and six months ended March 31, 2021. Stock-Based Compensation. The Company granted 195,397 performance shares during the six months ended March 31, 2022. The weighted average fair value of such performance shares was $65.39 per share for the six months ended March 31, 2022. Performance shares are an award constituting units denominated in common stock of the Company, the number of which may be adjusted over a performance cycle based upon the extent to which performance goals have been satisfied. Earned performance shares may be distributed in the form of shares of common stock of the Company, an equivalent value in cash or a combination of cash and shares of common stock of the Company, as determined by the Company. The performance shares do not entitle the participant to receive dividends during the vesting period. The performance shares granted during the six months ended March 31, 2022 include awards that must meet a performance goal related to either relative return on capital over a three-year performance cycle ("ROC performance shares"), methane intensity and greenhouse gas emissions reductions over a three-year performance cycle ("ESG performance shares") or relative shareholder return over a three-year performance cycle ("TSR performance shares"). The performance goal related to the ROC performance shares over the three-year performance cycle is the Company’s total return on capital relative to the total return on capital of other companies in a group selected by the Compensation Committee (“Report Group”). Total return on capital for a given company means the average of the Report Group companies’ returns on capital for each twelve-month period corresponding to each of the Company’s fiscal years during the performance cycle, based on data reported for the Report Group companies in the Bloomberg database. The number of these ROC performance shares that will vest and be paid will depend upon the Company’s performance relative to the Report Group and not upon the absolute level of return achieved by the Company. The fair value of the ROC performance shares is calculated by multiplying the expected number of shares that will be issued by the average market price of Company common stock on the date of grant reduced by the present value of forgone dividends over the vesting term of the award. The fair value is recorded as compensation expense over the vesting term of the award. The performance goal related to the ESG performance shares over the three-year performance cycle consists of two parts: reductions in the rates of intensity of methane emissions for each of the Company's operating segments, and reduction of the consolidated Company's total greenhouse gas emissions. The Company's Compensation Committee set specific target levels for methane intensity rates and total greenhouse gas emissions, and the performance goal is intended to incentivize and reward performance that helps position the Company to meet or exceed its 2030 methane intensity and greenhouse gas reduction targets. The number of these ESG performance shares that will vest and be paid out will depend upon the number of methane intensity segment targets achieved and whether the Company meets the total greenhouse gas emissions target. The fair value of these ESG performance shares is calculated by multiplying the expected number of shares that will be issued by the average market price of Company common stock on the date of grant reduced by the present value of forgone dividends over the vesting term of the award. The fair value is recorded as compensation expense over the vesting term of the award. The performance goal related to the TSR performance shares over the three-year performance cycle is the Company’s three-year total shareholder return relative to the three-year total shareholder return of the other companies in the Report Group. Three-year total shareholder return for a given company will be based on the data reported for that company (with the starting and ending stock prices over the performance cycle calculated as the average closing stock price for the prior calendar month and with dividends reinvested in that company’s securities at each ex-dividend date) in the Bloomberg database. The number of these TSR performance shares that will vest and be paid will depend upon the Company’s performance relative to the Report Group and not upon the absolute level of return achieved by the Company. The fair value price at the date of grant for the TSR performance shares is determined using a Monte Carlo simulation technique, which includes a reduction in value for the present value of forgone dividends over the vesting term of the award. This price is multiplied by the number of TSR performance shares awarded, the result of which is recorded as compensation expense over the vesting term of the award.

Asset Acquisitions and Divestit

Asset Acquisitions and Divestitures	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2022
Asset Acquisition [Abstract]
Asset Acquisitions and Divestitures	Asset Acquisitions and Divestitures     On December 10, 2020, the Company completed the sale of substantially all timber properties in Pennsylvania to Lyme Emporium Highlands III LLC and Lyme Allegheny Land Company II LLC for net proceeds of $104.6 million. At September 30, 2020, these assets, amounting to $53.4 million, which previously were recorded as Net Property, Plant and Equipment, were presented as Assets Held for Sale, Net on the Consolidated Balance Sheet. These assets were a component of the Company’s All Other category and did not have a major impact on the Company’s operations or financial results. After purchase price adjustments and transaction costs, a gain of $51.1 million was recognized on the sale of these assets. Since the sale did not represent a strategic shift in focus for the Company, the financial results associated with operating these assets as well as the gain on sale have not been reported as discontinued operations.    The sale of the timber properties completed a reverse like-kind exchange pursuant to Section 1031 of the Internal Revenue Code, as amended (“Reverse 1031 Exchange”). On July 31, 2020, the Company completed its acquisition of certain upstream assets and midstream gathering assets in Pennsylvania from SWEPI LP, a subsidiary of Royal Dutch Shell plc (“Shell”) for total consideration of $506.3 million. The purchase and sale agreement with Shell was structured, in part, as a Reverse 1031 Exchange. In connection with the Reverse 1031 Exchange, the Company, through a subsidiary, assigned the rights to acquire legal title to certain oil and natural gas properties to a Variable Interest Entity ("VIE") formed by an exchange accommodation titleholder. From July 31, 2020 to December 10, 2020, a subsidiary of the Company operated the properties pursuant to a lease agreement with the VIE. As the Company was deemed to be the primary beneficiary of the VIE, the VIE was included in the consolidated financial statements of the Company. Upon completion of the sale of the timber properties on December 10, 2020, the affected properties were conveyed to the Company and the VIE structure was terminated. Refer to Note B – Asset Acquisitions and Divestitures of the Company’s 2021 Form 10-K for additional information concerning the Company’s acquisition of certain upstream assets and midstream gathering assets from Shell.

Revenue from Contracts with Cus

Revenue from Contracts with Customers	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2022
Revenue from Contract with Customer [Abstract]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers	Revenue from Contracts with Customers The following tables provide a disaggregation of the Company's revenues for the quarter and six months ended March 31, 2022 and 2021, presented by type of service from each reportable segment. Quarter Ended March 31, 2022 (Thousands) Revenues By Type of Service Exploration and Production Pipeline and Storage Gathering Utility All Other Corporate and Intersegment Eliminations Total Consolidated Production of Natural Gas $ 335,961 $ — $ — $ — $ — $ — $ 335,961 Production of Crude Oil 49,613 — — — — — 49,613 Natural Gas Processing 985 — — — — — 985 Natural Gas Gathering Service — — 52,604 — — (49,447) 3,157 Natural Gas Transportation Service — 72,671 — 41,483 — (18,233) 95,921 Natural Gas Storage Service — 21,451 — — — (9,253) 12,198 Natural Gas Residential Sales — — — 287,027 — — 287,027 Natural Gas Commercial Sales — — — 43,193 — — 43,193 Natural Gas Industrial Sales — — — 2,193 — — 2,193 Other 5,305 1,275 — (4,147) — (143) 2,290 Total Revenues from Contracts with Customers 391,864 95,397 52,604 369,749 — (77,076) 832,538 Alternative Revenue Programs — — — (547) — — (547) Derivative Financial Instruments (130,271) — — — — — (130,271) Total Revenues $ 261,593 $ 95,397 $ 52,604 $ 369,202 $ — $ (77,076) $ 701,720 Six Months Ended March 31, 2022 (Thousands) Revenues By Type of Service Exploration and Production Pipeline and Storage Gathering Utility All Other Corporate and Intersegment Eliminations Total Consolidated Production of Natural Gas $ 697,242 $ — $ — $ — $ — $ — $ 697,242 Production of Crude Oil 91,984 — — — — — 91,984 Natural Gas Processing 2,013 — — — — — 2,013 Natural Gas Gathering Service — — 104,829 — — (97,627) 7,202 Natural Gas Transportation Service — 138,940 — 69,257 — (35,858) 172,339 Natural Gas Storage Service — 42,251 — — — (18,278) 23,973 Natural Gas Residential Sales — — — 466,038 — — 466,038 Natural Gas Commercial Sales — — — 67,191 — — 67,191 Natural Gas Industrial Sales — — — 3,340 — — 3,340 Other 7,451 2,556 — (6,147) 6 (293) 3,573 Total Revenues from Contracts with Customers 798,690 183,747 104,829 599,679 6 (152,056) 1,534,895 Alternative Revenue Programs — — — 6,281 — — 6,281 Derivative Financial Instruments (292,899) — — — — — (292,899) Total Revenues $ 505,791 $ 183,747 $ 104,829 $ 605,960 $ 6 $ (152,056) $ 1,248,277 Quarter Ended March 31, 2021 (Thousands) Revenues By Type of Service Exploration and Production Pipeline and Storage Gathering Utility All Other Corporate and Intersegment Eliminations Total Consolidated Production of Natural Gas $ 188,769 $ — $ — $ — $ — $ — $ 188,769 Production of Crude Oil 33,589 — — — — — 33,589 Natural Gas Processing 772 — — — — — 772 Natural Gas Gathering Service — — 50,262 — — (49,591) 671 Natural Gas Transportation Service — 64,648 — 39,514 — (18,187) 85,975 Natural Gas Storage Service — 21,231 — — — (9,108) 12,123 Natural Gas Residential Sales — — — 203,768 — — 203,768 Natural Gas Commercial Sales — — — 28,872 — — 28,872 Natural Gas Industrial Sales — — — 1,368 — — 1,368 Natural Gas Marketing — — — — 66 (1) 65 Other 818 825 — (4,519) (1) (97) (2,974) Total Revenues from Contracts with Customers 223,948 86,704 50,262 269,003 65 (76,984) 552,998 Alternative Revenue Programs — — — 1,878 — — 1,878 Derivative Financial Instruments (3,761) — — — — — (3,761) Total Revenues $ 220,187 $ 86,704 $ 50,262 $ 270,881 $ 65 $ (76,984) $ 551,115 Six Months Ended March 31, 2021 (Thousands) Revenues By Type of Service Exploration and Production Pipeline and Storage Gathering Utility All Other Corporate and Intersegment Eliminations Total Consolidated Production of Natural Gas $ 355,212 $ — $ — $ — $ — $ — $ 355,212 Production of Crude Oil 58,088 — — — — — 58,088 Natural Gas Processing 1,324 — — — — — 1,324 Natural Gas Gathering Service — — 97,270 — — (96,249) 1,021 Natural Gas Transportation Service — 129,473 — 68,535 — (37,777) 160,231 Natural Gas Storage Service — 41,748 — — — (17,871) 23,877 Natural Gas Residential Sales — — — 341,649 — — 341,649 Natural Gas Commercial Sales — — — 46,067 — — 46,067 Natural Gas Industrial Sales — — — 2,290 — — 2,290 Natural Gas Marketing — — — — 650 (20) 630 Other 1,029 3,248 — (6,131) 545 (205) (1,514) Total Revenues from Contracts with Customers 415,653 174,469 97,270 452,410 1,195 (152,122) 988,875 Alternative Revenue Programs — — — 7,471 — — 7,471 Derivative Financial Instruments (4,071) — — — — — (4,071) Total Revenues $ 411,582 $ 174,469 $ 97,270 $ 459,881 $ 1,195 $ (152,122) $ 992,275 The Company records revenue related to its derivative financial instruments in the Exploration and Production segment. The Company also records revenue related to alternative revenue programs in its Utility segment. Revenue related to derivative financial instruments and alternative revenue programs are excluded from the scope of the authoritative guidance regarding revenue recognition since they are accounted for under other existing accounting guidance. The Company’s Pipeline and Storage segment expects to recognize the following revenue amounts in future periods related to “fixed” charges associated with remaining performance obligations for transportation and storage contracts: $114.5 million for the remainder of fiscal 2022; $202.8 million for fiscal 2023; $182.2 million for fiscal 2024; $164.1 million for fiscal 2025; $143.1 million for fiscal 2026; and $812.9 million thereafter.

Fair Value Measurements

Fair Value Measurements	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2022
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]
Fair Value Measurements	Fair Value Measurements The FASB authoritative guidance regarding fair value measurements establishes a fair-value hierarchy and prioritizes the inputs used in valuation techniques that measure fair value. Those inputs are prioritized into three levels. Level 1 inputs are unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for assets or liabilities that the Company can access at the measurement date. Level 2 inputs are inputs other than quoted prices included within Level 1 that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly or indirectly at the measurement date. Level 3 inputs are unobservable inputs for the asset or liability at the measurement date. The Company’s assessment of the significance of a particular input to the fair value measurement requires judgment, and may affect the valuation of fair value assets and liabilities and their placement within the fair value hierarchy levels. The following table sets forth, by level within the fair value hierarchy, the Company's financial assets and liabilities (as applicable) that were accounted for at fair value on a recurring basis as of March 31, 2022 and September 30, 2021. Financial assets and liabilities are classified in their entirety based on the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement. The fair value presentation for over-the-counter swaps combines gas and oil swaps because a significant number of the counterparties enter into both gas and oil swap agreements with the Company. Recurring Fair Value Measures At fair value as of March 31, 2022 (Thousands of Dollars) Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Netting Adjustments (1) Total (1) Assets: Cash Equivalents – Money Market Mutual Funds $ 27,725 $ — $ — $ — $ 27,725 Hedging Collateral Deposits 102,370 — — — 102,370 Derivative Financial Instruments: Foreign Currency Contracts — 1,284 — (1,283) 1 Other Investments: Balanced Equity Mutual Fund 23,690 — — — 23,690 Fixed Income Mutual Fund 34,546 — — — 34,546 Total $ 188,331 $ 1,284 $ — $ (1,283) $ 188,332 Liabilities: Derivative Financial Instruments: Over the Counter Swaps – Gas and Oil — 684,306 — — 684,306 Over the Counter No Cost Collars – Gas — 119,044 — — 119,044 Foreign Currency Contracts — 9 — (1,283) (1,274) Total $ — $ 803,359 $ — $ (1,283) $ 802,076 Total Net Assets/(Liabilities) $ 188,331 $ (802,075) $ — $ — $ (613,744) Recurring Fair Value Measures At fair value as of September 30, 2021 (Thousands of Dollars) Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Netting Adjustments (1) Total (1) Assets: Cash Equivalents – Money Market Mutual Funds $ 22,269 $ — $ — $ — $ 22,269 Hedging Collateral Deposits 88,610 — — — 88,610 Derivative Financial Instruments: Over the Counter Swaps – Gas and Oil — 1,802 — (1,802) — Foreign Currency Contracts — 938 — (938) — Other Investments: Balanced Equity Mutual Fund 34,433 — — — 34,433 Fixed Income Mutual Fund 70,639 — — — 70,639 Total $ 215,951 $ 2,740 $ — $ (2,740) $ 215,951 Liabilities: Derivative Financial Instruments: Over the Counter Swaps – Gas and Oil — 601,551 — (1,802) 599,749 Over the Counter No Cost Collars – Gas — 17,385 — — 17,385 Foreign Currency Contracts — 214 — (938) (724) Total $ — $ 619,150 $ — $ (2,740) $ 616,410 Total Net Assets/(Liabilities) $ 215,951 $ (616,410) $ — $ — $ (400,459) (1) Netting Adjustments represent the impact of legally-enforceable master netting arrangements that allow the Company to net gain and loss positions held with the same counterparties. The net asset or net liability for each counterparty is recorded as an asset or liability on the Company’s balance sheet. Derivative Financial Instruments The derivative financial instruments reported in Level 2 at March 31, 2022 and September 30, 2021 consist of natural gas price swap agreements, natural gas no cost collars, crude oil price swap agreements, and foreign currency contracts, all of which are used in the Company’s Exploration and Production segment. Hedging collateral deposits of $102.4 million (at March 31, 2022) and $88.6 million (at September 30, 2021), which were associated with the price swap agreements, no cost collars and foreign currency contracts, have been reported in Level 1. The fair value of the Level 2 price swap agreements and no cost collars is based on an internal, discounted cash flow model that uses observable inputs (i.e. LIBOR based discount rates and basis differential information, if applicable, at active natural gas and crude oil trading markets). The fair value of the Level 2 foreign currency contracts is determined using the market approach based on observable market transactions of forward Canadian currency rates. The authoritative guidance for fair value measurements and disclosures require consideration of the impact of nonperformance risk (including credit risk) from a market participant perspective in the measurement of the fair value of assets and liabilities. At March 31, 2022, the Company determined that nonperformance risk would have no material impact on its financial position or results of operation. To assess nonperformance risk, the Company considered information such as any applicable collateral posted, master netting arrangements, and applied a market-based method by using the counterparty's (assuming the derivative is in a gain position) or the Company’s (assuming the derivative is in a loss position) credit default swaps rates.

Financial Instruments

Financial Instruments	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2022
Financial Instruments, Owned, at Fair Value [Abstract]
Financial Instruments	Financial Instruments Long-Term Debt. The fair market value of the Company’s debt, as presented in the table below, was determined using a discounted cash flow model, which incorporates the Company’s credit ratings and current market conditions in determining the yield, and subsequently, the fair market value of the debt. Based on these criteria, the fair market value of long-term debt, including current portion, was as follows (in thousands): March 31, 2022 September 30, 2021 Carrying Fair Value Carrying Fair Value Long-Term Debt $ 2,630,529 $ 2,666,928 $ 2,628,687 $ 2,898,552 The fair value amounts are not intended to reflect principal amounts that the Company will ultimately be required to pay. Carrying amounts for other financial instruments recorded on the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheets approximate fair value. The fair value of long-term debt was calculated using observable inputs (U.S. Treasuries for the risk free component and company specific credit spread information – generally obtained from recent trade activity in the debt). As such, the Company considers the debt to be Level 2. Any temporary cash investments, notes payable to banks and commercial paper are stated at cost. Temporary cash investments are considered Level 1, while notes payable to banks and commercial paper are considered to be Level 2. Given the short-term nature of the notes payable to banks and commercial paper, the Company believes cost is a reasonable approximation of fair value. Other Investments. The components of the Company's Other Investments are as follows (in thousands): At March 31, 2022 At September 30, 2021 Life Insurance Contracts $ 44,928 $ 44,560 Equity Mutual Fund 23,690 34,433 Fixed Income Mutual Fund 34,546 70,639 $ 103,164 $ 149,632 Investments in life insurance contracts are stated at their cash surrender values or net present value. Investments in an equity mutual fund and a fixed income mutual fund are stated at fair value based on quoted market prices with changes in fair value recognized in net income. The insurance contracts and equity mutual fund are primarily informal funding mechanisms for various benefit obligations the Company has to certain employees. The fixed income mutual fund is primarily an informal funding mechanism for certain regulatory obligations that the Company has to Utility segment customers in its Pennsylvania jurisdiction, as discussed in Note 11 — Regulatory Matters, and for various benefit obligations the Company has to certain employees. Derivative Financial Instruments. The Company uses derivative financial instruments to manage commodity price risk in the Exploration and Production segment. The Company enters into over-the-counter no cost collars and over-the-counter swap agreements for natural gas and crude oil to manage the price risk associated with forecasted sales of gas and oil. In addition, the Company also enters into foreign exchange forward contracts to manage the risk of currency fluctuations associated with transportation costs denominated in Canadian currency in the Exploration and Production segment. These instruments are accounted for as cash flow hedges. The duration of the Company’s cash flow hedges does not typically exceed 5 years while the foreign currency forward contracts do not exceed 9 years. The Company has presented its net derivative assets and liabilities as “Fair Value of Derivative Financial Instruments” on its Consolidated Balance Sheets at March 31, 2022 and September 30, 2021. Substantially all of the derivative financial instruments reported on those line items relate to commodity contracts and a small portion relates to foreign currency forward contracts. Cash Flow Hedges For derivative financial instruments that are designated and qualify as a cash flow hedge, the gain or loss on the derivative is reported as a component of other comprehensive income (loss) and reclassified into earnings in the period or periods during which the hedged transaction affects earnings. As of March 31, 2022, the Company had the following commodity derivative contracts (swaps and no cost collars) outstanding: Commodity Units Natural Gas 468.4 Bcf Crude Oil 1,368,000 Bbls As of March 31, 2022, the Company was hedging a total of $57.5 million of forecasted transportation costs denominated in Canadian dollars with foreign currency forward contracts. As of March 31, 2022, the Company had $802.1 million ($584.8 million after-tax) of net hedging losses included in the accumulated other comprehensive loss balance. It is expected that $550.4 million ($401.3 million after-tax) of such unrealized losses will be reclassified into the Consolidated Statement of Income within the next 12 months as the underlying hedged transactions are recorded in earnings. The Effect of Derivative Financial Instruments on the Statement of Financial Performance for the Three Months Ended March 31, 2022 and 2021 (Thousands of Dollars) Derivatives in Cash Flow Hedging Relationships Amount of Derivative Gain or (Loss) Recognized in Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) on Location of Derivative Gain or (Loss) Reclassified from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) on the Consolidated Balance Sheet into the Consolidated Statement of Income Amount of Derivative Gain or (Loss) Reclassified from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) on the Consolidated Balance Sheet into the Consolidated Statement of Income for the 2022 2021 2022 2021 Commodity Contracts $ (642,240) $ (35,123) Operating Revenue $ (130,271) $ (3,761) Foreign Currency Contracts 634 750 Operating Revenue 50 95 Total $ (641,606) $ (34,373) $ (130,221) $ (3,666) The Effect of Derivative Financial Instruments on the Statement of Financial Performance for the Six Months Ended March 31, 2022 and 2021 (Thousands of Dollars) Derivatives in Cash Flow Hedging Relationships Amount of Derivative Gain or Location of Derivative Gain or (Loss) Reclassified from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) on the Consolidated Balance Sheet into the Consolidated Statement of Income Amount of Derivative Gain or 2022 2021 2022 2021 Commodity Contracts $ (479,114) $ 10,472 Operating Revenue $ (292,899) $ (4,071) Foreign Currency Contracts 640 3,176 Operating Revenue 90 94 Total $ (478,474) $ 13,648 $ (292,809) $ (3,977) Credit Risk The Company may be exposed to credit risk on any of the derivative financial instruments that are in a gain position. Credit risk relates to the risk of loss that the Company would incur as a result of nonperformance by counterparties pursuant to the terms of their contractual obligations. To mitigate such credit risk, management performs a credit check, and then on a quarterly basis monitors counterparty credit exposure. The majority of the Company’s counterparties are financial institutions and energy traders. The Company has over-the-counter swap positions, no cost collars and applicable foreign currency forward contracts with eighteen counterparties of which one is in a net gain position of less than $0.1 million. As of March 31, 2022, no collateral was received from the counterparties by the Company. The Company's gain position on such derivative financial instruments had not exceeded the established thresholds at which the counterparties would be required to post collateral, nor had the counterparties' credit ratings declined to levels at which the counterparties were required to post collateral. As of March 31, 2022, sixteen of the eighteen counterparties to the Company’s outstanding derivative instrument contracts (specifically the over-the-counter swaps, over-the-counter no cost collars and applicable foreign currency forward contracts) had a common credit-risk related contingency feature. In the event the Company’s credit rating increases or falls below a certain threshold (applicable debt ratings), the available credit extended to the Company would either increase or decrease. A decline in the Company’s credit rating, in and of itself, would not cause the Company to be required to increase the level of its hedging collateral deposits (in the form of cash deposits, letters of credit or treasury debt instruments). If the Company’s outstanding derivative instrument contracts were in a liability position (or if the liability were larger) and/or the Company’s credit rating declined, then additional hedging collateral deposits may be required. At March 31, 2022, the fair market value of the derivative financial instrument assets with a credit-risk related contingency feature was less than $0.1 million according to the Company’s internal model (discussed in Note 4 – Fair Value Measurements). At March 31, 2022, the fair market value of the derivative financial instrument liabilities with a credit-risk related contingency feature was $619.3 million according to the Company's internal model. For its over-the-counter swap agreements, no cost collars and foreign currency forward contracts, $102.4 million of hedging collateral deposits were required to be posted by the Company at March 31, 2022.

Income Taxes

Income Taxes	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2022
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Income Taxes	Income Taxes    The effective tax rates for the quarters ended March 31, 2022 and March 31, 2021 were 25.6% and 26.3%, respectively. The effective tax rates for the six months ended March 31, 2022 and March 31, 2021 were 25.5% and 26.8%, respectively. The decrease in the effective tax rate for the quarter ended March 31, 2022 was primarily due to the realization of the Enhanced Oil Recovery credit in fiscal 2022 that was not available during fiscal 2021. The decrease in the effective tax rate for the six months ended March 31, 2022 was primarily due to differences between the book and tax treatment of equity compensation and the realization of the Enhanced Oil Recovery credit in fiscal 2022, as previously noted.

Capitalization

Capitalization	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2022
Capitalization, Long-term Debt and Equity [Abstract]
Capitalization	Capitalization Summary of Changes in Common Stock Equity Common Stock Paid In Earnings Accumulated Shares Amount (Thousands, except per share amounts) Balance at January 1, 2022 91,437 $ 91,437 $ 1,013,821 $ 1,281,963 $ (277,026) Net Income Available for Common Stock 167,328 Dividends Declared on Common Stock ($0.455 Per Share) (41,608) Other Comprehensive Loss, Net of Tax (377,228) Share-Based Payment Expense (1) 4,692 Common Stock Issued Under Stock and Benefit Plans 12 12 271 Balance at March 31, 2022 91,449 $ 91,449 $ 1,018,784 $ 1,407,683 $ (654,254) Balance at October 1, 2021 91,182 $ 91,182 $ 1,017,446 $ 1,191,175 $ (513,597) Net Income Available for Common Stock 299,720 Dividends Declared on Common Stock ($0.91 Per Share) (83,212) Other Comprehensive Loss, Net of Tax (140,657) Share-Based Payment Expense (1) 9,732 Common Stock Issued (Repurchased) Under Stock and Benefit Plans 267 267 (8,394) Balance at March 31, 2022 91,449 $ 91,449 $ 1,018,784 $ 1,407,683 $ (654,254) Balance at January 1, 2021 91,153 $ 91,153 $ 1,004,369 $ 1,028,844 $ (79,741) Net Income Available for Common Stock 112,436 Dividends Declared on Common Stock ($0.445 Per Share) (40,562) Other Comprehensive Loss, Net of Tax (22,247) Share-Based Payment Expense (1) 4,283 Common Stock Issued Under Stock and Benefit Plans 11 11 423 Balance at March 31, 2021 91,164 $ 91,164 $ 1,009,075 $ 1,100,718 $ (101,988) Balance at October 1, 2020 90,955 $ 90,955 $ 1,004,158 $ 991,630 $ (114,757) Net Income Available for Common Stock 190,210 Dividends Declared on Common Stock ($0.89 Per Share) (81,122) Other Comprehensive Income, Net of Tax 12,769 Share-Based Payment Expense (1) 7,779 Common Stock Issued (Repurchased) Under Stock and Benefit Plans 209 209 (2,862) Balance at March 31, 2021 91,164 $ 91,164 $ 1,009,075 $ 1,100,718 $ (101,988) (1) Paid in Capital includes compensation costs associated with performance shares and/or restricted stock awards. The expense is included within Net Income Available For Common Stock, net of tax benefits. Common Stock. During the six months ended March 31, 2022, the Company issued 25,251 original issue shares of common stock as a result of SARs exercises, 110,839 original issue shares of common stock for restricted stock units that vested and 265,607 original issue shares of common stock for performance shares that vested. The Company also issued 15,479 original issue shares of common stock to the non-employee directors of the Company who receive compensation under the Company’s 2009 Non-Employee Director Equity Compensation Plan, including the reinvestment of dividends for certain non-employee directors who elected to defer their shares pursuant to the dividend reinvestment feature of the Company's Deferred Compensation Plan for Directors and Officers during the six months ended March 31, 2022. Holders of stock-based compensation awards will often tender shares of common stock to the Company for payment of applicable withholding taxes. During the six months ended March 31, 2022, 149,499 shares of common stock were tendered to the Company for such purposes. The Company considers all shares tendered as cancelled shares restored to the status of authorized but unissued shares, in accordance with New Jersey law. Current Portion of Long-Term Debt. Current Portion of Long-Term Debt at March 31, 2022 consists of $500.0 million of 3.75% notes and $49.0 million of 7.395% notes that mature in March 2023. None of the Company's long-term debt as of September 30, 2021 had a maturity date within the following twelve-month period. Short-Term Borrowings and Debt Restrictions. On February 28, 2022, the Company entered into a Credit Agreement (the "Credit Agreement") with a syndicate of twelve banks. The Credit Agreement replaces the previous Fourth Amended and Restated Credit Agreement and 364-Day Credit Agreement. The Credit Agreement provides a $1.0 billion unsecured committed revolving credit facility with an initial maturity date of February 26, 2027. On May 3, 2022, the Company entered into an amendment to the Credit Agreement with the same twelve banks under the initial Credit Agreement. This amendment modifies the definition of consolidated capitalization, for purposes of calculating the debt to capitalization ratio under the Credit Agreement, to exclude, beginning with the quarter ending June 30, 2022, all unrealized gains or losses on commodity-related derivative financial instruments and up to $10 million in unrealized gains or losses on other derivative financial instruments included in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) within Total Comprehensive Shareholders' Equity on the Company’s balance sheet.

Commitments And Contingencies

Commitments And Contingencies	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2022
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Commitments And Contingencies	Commitments and Contingencies Environmental Matters. The Company is subject to various federal, state and local laws and regulations relating to the protection of the environment. The Company has established procedures for the ongoing evaluation of its operations to identify potential environmental exposures and to comply with regulatory requirements. It is the Company’s policy to accrue estimated environmental clean-up costs (investigation and remediation) when such amounts can reasonably be estimated and it is probable that the Company will be required to incur such costs. At March 31, 2022, the Company has estimated its remaining clean-up costs related to former manufactured gas plant sites will be approximately $3.8 million. The Company's liability for such clean-up costs has been recorded in Other Liabilities on the Consolidated Balance Sheet at March 31, 2022. The Company expects to recover its environmental clean-up costs through rate recovery over a period of approximately one year and is currently not aware of any material additional exposure to environmental liabilities. However, changes in environmental laws and regulations, new information or other factors could have an adverse financial impact on the Company. Northern Access Project. On February 3, 2017, Supply Corporation and Empire received FERC approval of the Northern Access project described herein. Shortly thereafter, the NYDEC issued a Notice of Denial of the federal Clean Water Act Section 401 Water Quality Certification and other state stream and wetland permits for the New York portion of the project (the Water Quality Certification for the Pennsylvania portion of the project was received in January of 2017). Subsequently, FERC issued an Order finding that the NYDEC exceeded the statutory time frame to take action under the Clean Water Act and, therefore, waived its opportunity to approve or deny the Water Quality Certification. FERC denied rehearing requests associated with its Order and FERC's decisions were appealed. The Second Circuit Court of Appeals issued an order upholding the FERC waiver orders. In addition, in the Company's state court litigation challenging the NYDEC's actions with regard to various state permits, the New York State Supreme Court issued a decision finding these permits to be preempted. The Company remains committed to the project and, on January 28, 2022, filed with FERC a request for an extension of time to construct the project. As of March 31, 2022, the Company has spent approximately $55.8 million on the project, all of which is recorded on the balance sheet. Other. The Company is involved in other litigation and regulatory matters arising in the normal course of business. These other matters may include, for example, negligence claims and tax, regulatory or other governmental audits, inspections, investigations and other proceedings. These matters may involve state and federal taxes, safety, compliance with regulations, rate base, cost of service and purchased gas cost issues, among other things. While these other matters arising in the normal course of business could have a material effect on earnings and cash flows in the period in which they are resolved, an estimate of the possible loss or range of loss, if any, cannot be made at this time.

Business Segment Information

Business Segment Information	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2022
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Business Segment Information	Business Segment Information The Company reports financial results for four segments: Exploration and Production, Pipeline and Storage, Gathering and Utility. The division of the Company’s operations into reportable segments is based upon a combination of factors including differences in products and services, regulatory environment and geographic factors. The data presented in the tables below reflect financial information for the segments and reconcile to consolidated amounts. As stated in the 2021 Form 10-K, the Company evaluates segment performance based on income before discontinued operations (when applicable). When this is not applicable, the Company evaluates performance based on net income. There have not been any changes in the basis of segmentation nor in the basis of measuring segment profit or loss from those used in the Company’s 2021 Form 10-K. A listing of segment assets at March 31, 2022 and September 30, 2021 is shown in the tables below. Quarter Ended March 31, 2022 (Thousands) Exploration and Production Pipeline and Storage Gathering Utility Total Reportable Segments All Other Corporate and Intersegment Eliminations Total Consolidated Revenue from External Customers $261,593 $67,795 $3,157 $369,092 $701,637 $— $83 $701,720 Intersegment Revenues $— $27,602 $49,447 $110 $77,159 $— $(77,159) $— Segment Profit: Net Income (Loss) $71,121 $25,470 $22,092 $53,048 $171,731 $— $(4,403) $167,328 Six Months Ended March 31, 2022 (Thousands) Exploration and Production Pipeline and Storage Gathering Utility Total Reportable Segments All Other Corporate and Intersegment Eliminations Total Consolidated Revenue from External Customers $505,791 $129,342 $7,202 $605,776 $1,248,111 $— $166 $1,248,277 Intersegment Revenues $— $54,405 $97,627 $184 $152,216 $6 $(152,222) $— Segment Profit: Net Income (Loss) $133,490 $50,637 $45,229 $75,178 $304,534 $(7) $(4,807) $299,720 (Thousands) Exploration and Production Pipeline and Storage Gathering Utility Total Reportable Segments All Other Corporate and Intersegment Eliminations Total Consolidated Segment Assets: At March 31, 2022 $2,535,426 $2,330,802 $845,379 $2,247,733 $7,959,340 $235 $(154,552) $7,805,023 At September 30, 2021 $2,286,058 $2,296,030 $837,729 $2,148,267 $7,568,084 $4,146 $(107,405) $7,464,825 Quarter Ended March 31, 2021 (Thousands) Exploration and Production Pipeline and Storage Gathering Utility Total Reportable Segments All Other Corporate and Intersegment Eliminations Total Consolidated Revenue from External Customers $220,187 $59,314 $671 $270,784 $550,956 $64 $95 $551,115 Intersegment Revenues $— $27,390 $49,591 $97 $77,078 $1 $(77,079) $— Segment Profit: Net Income (Loss) $36,822 $24,928 $20,700 $32,044 $114,494 $(983) $(1,075) $112,436 Six Months Ended March 31, 2021 (Thousands) Exploration and Production Pipeline and Storage Gathering Utility Total Reportable Segments All Other Corporate and Intersegment Eliminations Total Consolidated Revenue from External Customers $411,582 $118,623 $1,021 $459,684 $990,910 $1,175 $190 $992,275 Intersegment Revenues $— $55,846 $96,249 $197 $152,292 $20 $(152,312) $— Segment Profit: Net Income $7,199 $49,112 $41,250 $55,081 $152,642 $36,577 $991 $190,210

Retirement Plan And Other Post-

Retirement Plan And Other Post-Retirement Benefits	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2022
Retirement Benefits [Abstract]
Retirement Plan and Other Post-Retirement Benefits	Retirement Plan and Other Post-Retirement Benefits Components of Net Periodic Benefit Cost (in thousands): Retirement Plan Other Post-Retirement Benefits Three Months Ended March 31, 2022 2021 2022 2021 Service Cost $ 2,190 $ 2,466 $ 332 $ 400 Interest Cost 5,707 5,422 2,267 2,326 Expected Return on Plan Assets (13,074) (14,537) (7,340) (7,241) Amortization of Prior Service Cost (Credit) 134 158 (107) (107) Amortization of (Gains) Losses 6,601 9,203 (1,903) 212 Net Amortization and Deferral for Regulatory Purposes (Including Volumetric Adjustments) (1) 8,418 7,710 4,274 9,451 Net Periodic Benefit Cost (Income) $ 9,976 $ 10,422 $ (2,477) $ 5,041 Retirement Plan Other Post-Retirement Benefits Six Months Ended March 31, 2022 2021 2022 2021 Service Cost $ 4,379 $ 4,932 $ 664 $ 801 Interest Cost 11,414 10,843 4,533 4,652 Expected Return on Plan Assets (26,147) (29,074) (14,680) (14,482) Amortization of Prior Service Cost (Credit) 268 316 (214) (214) Amortization of (Gains) Losses 13,202 18,407 (3,805) 424 Net Amortization and Deferral for Regulatory Purposes (Including Volumetric Adjustments) (1) 12,838 11,422 10,519 16,303 Net Periodic Benefit Cost (Income) $ 15,954 $ 16,846 $ (2,983) $ 7,484 (1) The Company’s policy is to record retirement plan and other post-retirement benefit costs in the Utility segment on a volumetric basis to reflect the fact that the Utility segment experiences higher throughput of natural gas in the winter months and lower throughput of natural gas in the summer months. The components of net periodic benefit cost other than service cost are presented in Other Income (Deductions) on the Consolidated Statements of Income.

Regulatory Matters

Regulatory Matters	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2022
Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Other Disclosures [Abstract]
Regulatory Matters	Regulatory Matters New York Jurisdiction Distribution Corporation's current delivery rates in its New York jurisdiction were approved by the NYPSC in an order issued on April 20, 2017 with rates becoming effective May 1, 2017. The order provided for a return on equity of 8.7%, and directed the implementation of an earnings sharing mechanism to be in place beginning on April 1, 2018. On August 13, 2021, the NYPSC issued an order extending the date through which qualified pipeline replacement costs incurred by the Company can be recovered using the existing system modernization tracker for two years (until March 31, 2023). The extension is contingent on the Company not filing a base rate case that would result in new rates becoming effective prior to April 1, 2023. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, various legislative actions and NYPSC Staff requests resulted in the Company suspending service terminations and disconnections for a period of time. All legislative prohibitions have expired and the Company has agreed to refrain from terminating residential customers (1) with a pending application for arrears payments through the Emergency Rental Assistance Program administered by the Office of Temporary Disability and (2) participating in the Company’s Statewide Low Income Program (EAP) through September 1, 2022. Pennsylvania Jurisdiction Distribution Corporation’s current delivery rates in its Pennsylvania jurisdiction were approved by the PaPUC on November 30, 2006 as part of a settlement agreement that became effective January 1, 2007. The rate settlement does not specify any requirement to file a future rate case. On July 22, 2021, Distribution Corporation filed a supplement to its current Pennsylvania tariff proposing to reduce base rates effective October 1, 2021 by $7.7 million in order to stop collecting other post-employment benefit (“OPEB”) expenses from customers, to begin to refund to customers overcollected OPEB expenses in the amount of $50.0 million, to suspend all regulatory accounting for OPEB expenses and record the cumulative amount of OPEB income previously deferred as a regulatory liability, and to make certain other adjustments to further reduce Distribution Corporation’s regulatory liability associated with OPEB expenses. The PaPUC issued an order approving this tariff supplement on September 15, 2021 and new rates went into effect on October 1, 2021. On September 21, 2021, a complaint was filed in the proceeding. While new rates, including associated refunds, went into effect on October 1, 2021, the Company decided to wait for resolution of the complaint before suspending regulatory accounting for OPEB expenses and recording the cumulative amount of OPEB income previously deferred as a regulatory liability in its consolidated financial statements. The PaPUC assigned the matter to an Administrative Law Judge who, on January 6, 2022, issued a Recommended Decision approving a settlement reached by parties to the complaint proceeding. Under the terms of the settlement, customer refunds of overcollected OPEB expenses increased from $50.0 million to $54.0 million. The Recommended Decision was approved by the PaPUC on February 24, 2022. Accordingly, the Company suspended regulatory accounting for OPEB expenses at that time and recorded an $18.5 million adjustment during the quarter ended March 31, 2022 to reduce its regulatory liability for previously deferred OPEB income amounts through September 30, 2021 and to increase Other Income (Deductions) on the consolidated financial statements by a like amount. The refunds specified in the tariff supplement will be funded entirely by grantor trust assets held by the Company, most of which are included in a fixed income mutual fund that is a component of Other Investments on the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheet. With the elimination of OPEB expenses in base rates, Distribution Corporation will no longer fund the grantor trust or its VEBA trusts in its Pennsylvania jurisdiction. FERC Jurisdiction Supply Corporation’s 2020 rate settlement provides that no party may make a rate filing for new rates to be effective before February 1, 2024, except that Supply Corporation may file an NGA general Section 4 rate case to change rates if the corporate federal income tax rate is increased. If no case has been filed, Supply Corporation must file for rates to be effective February 1, 2025. Empire’s 2019 rate settlement provides that Empire must make a rate case filing no later than May 1, 2025.

Leases

Leases	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2022
Leases [Abstract]
Leases	Leases    In October 2021, the Company executed two lease contracts for drilling rig services in Pennsylvania with lease terms of greater than one year. The first of the new lease contracts commenced in December 2021 with estimated lease payments of $8.4 million over the lease term, and the second commenced in January 2022 with estimated lease payments of $11.9 million over the lease term. Both leases have been recognized on the Consolidated Balance Sheet at March 31, 2022. A right-of-use operating lease asset of $16.4 million is recorded in Deferred Charges for both leases with the current portion of the operating lease liability ($14.2 million) recorded in Other Accruals and Current Liabilities and the noncurrent portion of the operating lease liability ($2.2 million) recorded in Other Liabilities.

Subsequent Event

Subsequent Event	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2022
Subsequent Events [Abstract]
Subsequent Event	Subsequent Event    On May 1, 2022, the Company entered into a purchase and sale agreement to sell Seneca’s California oil and gas assets to Sentinel Peak Resources California LLC for total consideration between $280 million and $310 million, depending on oil prices. This consideration consists of $280 million in cash at closing, plus up to three annual contingent payments between calendar 2023 and 2025 that can total $30 million in aggregate. The transaction has an effective date of April 1, 2022 and is expected to close on June 30, 2022, subject to customary closing conditions (including waivers of certain transfer restrictions). The Company pursued this sale given the strong commodity price environment and the Company’s strategic focus in the Appalachian Basin. Under the full cost method of accounting for oil and natural gas properties, it is expected that substantially all of the sale proceeds received at closing will be accounted for as a reduction of capitalized costs since the disposition will not significantly alter the relationship between capitalized costs and proved reserves of oil and gas attributable to the cost center. A portion of the sales proceeds will be applied to assets that are not subject to the full cost method of accounting.

Summary Of Significant Accoun_2

Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies (Policy)	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2022
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Principles of Consolidation	Principles of Consolidation. The Company consolidates all entities in which it has a controlling financial interest. All significant intercompany balances and transactions are eliminated. The Company uses proportionate consolidation when accounting for drilling arrangements related to oil and gas producing properties accounted for under the full cost method of accounting. The preparation of the consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
Earnings For Interim Periods	Earnings for Interim Periods. The Company, in its opinion, has included all adjustments (which consist of only normally recurring adjustments, unless otherwise disclosed in this Form 10-Q) that are necessary for a fair statement of the results of operations for the reported periods. The consolidated financial statements and notes thereto, included herein, should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and notes for the years ended September 30, 2021, 2020 and 2019 that are included in the Company's 2021 Form 10-K. The consolidated financial statements for the year ended September 30, 2022 will be audited by the Company's independent registered public accounting firm after the end of the fiscal year.
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows	Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows. The components, as reported on the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheets, of the total cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash presented on the Statement of Cash Flows are as follows (in thousands): Six Months Ended Six Months Ended Balance at October 1, 2021 Balance at Balance at October 1, 2020 Balance at Cash and Temporary Cash Investments $ 31,528 $ 52,569 $ 20,541 $ 80,467 Hedging Collateral Deposits 88,610 102,370 — — Cash, Cash Equivalents, and Restricted Cash $ 120,138 $ 154,939 $ 20,541 $ 80,467 The Company considers all highly liquid debt instruments purchased with a maturity date of generally three months or less to be cash equivalents. The Company’s restricted cash is composed entirely of amounts reported as Hedging Collateral Deposits on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. Hedging Collateral Deposits is an account title for cash held in margin accounts funded by the Company to serve as collateral for derivative financial instruments in an unrealized loss position. In accordance with its accounting policy, the Company does not offset hedging collateral deposits paid or received against related derivative financial instruments liability or asset balances.
Allowance for Uncollectible Accounts	Allowance for Uncollectible Accounts. The allowance for uncollectible accounts is the Company’s best estimate of the amount of probable credit losses in the existing accounts receivable. The allowance is determined based on historical experience, the age of customer accounts, other specific information about customer accounts, and the economic and regulatory environment. Account balances are charged off against the allowance twelve months after the account is final billed or when it is anticipated that the receivable will not be recovered. Activity in the allowance for uncollectible accounts for the six months ended March 31, 2022 and 2021 are as follows (in thousands): Balance at Beginning of Period Additions Charged to Costs and Expenses Discounts on Purchased Receivables Net Accounts Receivable Written-Off Balance at End of Period Six Months Ended March 31, 2022 Allowance for Uncollectible Accounts $ 31,639 $ 9,684 $ 790 $ (630) $ 41,483 Six Months Ended March 31, 2021 Allowance for Uncollectible Accounts $ 22,810 $ 11,074 $ 737 $ (4,493) $ 30,128
Gas Stored Underground	Gas Stored Underground. In the Utility segment, gas stored underground is carried at lower of cost or net realizable value, on a LIFO method. Gas stored underground normally declines during the first and second quarters of the year and is replenished during the third and fourth quarters. In the Utility segment, the current cost of replacing gas withdrawn from storage is recorded in the Consolidated Statements of Income and a reserve for gas replacement is recorded in the Consolidated Balance Sheets under the caption “Other Accruals and Current Liabilities.” Such reserve, which amounted to $43.8 million at March 31, 2022, is reduced to zero by September 30 of each year as the inventory is replenished.
Materials, Supplies and Emission Allowances	Materials, Supplies and Emission Allowances. The components of the Company's materials, supplies and emission allowances are as follows (in thousands): At March 31, 2022 At September 30, 2021 Materials and Supplies - at average cost $ 37,769 $ 34,880 Emission Allowances 11,118 18,680 $ 48,887 $ 53,560
Property, Plant and Equipment	Property, Plant and Equipment. In the Company’s Exploration and Production segment, oil and gas property acquisition, exploration and development costs are capitalized under the full cost method of accounting. Under this methodology, all costs associated with property acquisition, exploration and development activities are capitalized, including internal costs directly identified with acquisition, exploration and development activities. The internal costs that are capitalized do not include any costs related to production, general corporate overhead, or similar activities. The Company does not recognize any gain or loss on the sale or other disposition of oil and gas properties unless the gain or loss would significantly alter the relationship between capitalized costs and proved reserves of oil and gas attributable to a cost center. The Company's capitalized costs relating to oil and gas producing activities, net of accumulated depreciation, depletion and amortization, were $2.0 billion and $1.9 billion at March 31, 2022 and September 30, 2021, respectively. Capitalized costs include costs related to unproved properties, which are excluded from amortization until proved reserves are found or it is determined that the unproved properties are impaired. Such costs amounted to $124.2 million and $103.8 million at March 31, 2022 and September 30, 2021, respectively. All costs related to unproved properties are reviewed quarterly to determine if impairment has occurred. The amount of any impairment is transferred to the pool of capitalized costs being amortized. Capitalized costs are subject to the SEC full cost ceiling test. The ceiling test, which is performed each quarter, determines a limit, or ceiling, on the amount of property acquisition, exploration and development costs that can be capitalized. The ceiling under this test represents (a) the present value of estimated future net cash flows, excluding future cash outflows associated with settling asset retirement obligations that have been accrued on the balance sheet, using a discount factor of 10%, which is computed by applying prices of oil and gas (as adjusted for hedging) to estimated future production of proved oil and gas reserves as of the date of the latest balance sheet, less estimated future expenditures, plus (b) the cost of unproved properties not being depleted, less (c) income tax effects related to the differences between the book and tax basis of the properties. The gas and oil prices used to calculate the full cost ceiling are based on an unweighted arithmetic average of the first day of the month oil and gas prices for each month within the twelve-month period prior to the end of the reporting period. If capitalized costs, net of accumulated depreciation, depletion and amortization and related deferred income taxes, exceed the ceiling at the end of any quarter, a permanent non-cash impairment is required to be charged to earnings in that quarter. At March 31, 2022, the ceiling exceeded the book value of the oil and gas properties by approximately $1.8 billion. The estimated future net cash flows were decreased by $452.5 million for hedging under the ceiling test at March 31, 2022
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss. The components of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss and changes for the six months ended March 31, 2022 and 2021, net of related tax effect, are as follows (amounts in parentheses indicate debits) (in thousands): Gains and Losses on Derivative Financial Instruments Funded Status of the Pension and Other Post-Retirement Benefit Plans Total Three Months Ended March 31, 2022 Balance at January 1, 2022 $ (213,391) $ (63,635) $ (277,026) Other Comprehensive Gains and Losses Before Reclassifications (466,001) — (466,001) Amounts Reclassified From Other Comprehensive Loss 94,580 — 94,580 Other Post-Retirement Adjustment for Regulatory Proceeding — (5,807) (5,807) Balance at March 31, 2022 $ (584,812) $ (69,442) $ (654,254) Six Months Ended March 31, 2022 Balance at October 1, 2021 $ (449,962) $ (63,635) $ (513,597) Other Comprehensive Gains and Losses Before Reclassifications (347,518) — (347,518) Amounts Reclassified From Other Comprehensive Loss 212,668 — 212,668 Other Post-Retirement Adjustment for Regulatory Proceeding — (5,807) (5,807) Balance at March 31, 2022 $ (584,812) $ (69,442) $ (654,254) Three Months Ended March 31, 2021 Balance at January 1, 2021 $ 10,151 $ (89,892) $ (79,741) Other Comprehensive Gains and Losses Before Reclassifications (24,903) — (24,903) Amounts Reclassified From Other Comprehensive Loss 2,656 — 2,656 Balance at March 31, 2021 $ (12,096) $ (89,892) $ (101,988) Six Months Ended March 31, 2021 Balance at October 1, 2020 $ (24,865) $ (89,892) $ (114,757) Other Comprehensive Gains and Losses Before Reclassifications 9,888 — 9,888 Amounts Reclassified From Other Comprehensive Income 2,881 — 2,881 Balance at March 31, 2021 $ (12,096) $ (89,892) $ (101,988) During the quarter ended March 31, 2022, the PaPUC concluded a regulatory proceeding that addressed the recovery of other post-employment benefit (“OPEB”) expenses in Distribution Corporation's Pennsylvania service territory. As a result of that proceeding, Distribution Corporation suspended regulatory accounting for OPEB expenses in Pennsylvania and a regulatory deferral of $7.4 million ($5.8 million after tax) related to the funded status of Distribution Corporation’s other post-
Reclassifications Out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss	Reclassifications Out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss. The details about the reclassification adjustments out of accumulated other comprehensive loss for the six months ended March 31, 2022 and 2021 are as follows (amounts in parentheses indicate debits to the income statement) (in thousands): Details About Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss Components Amount of Gain or (Loss) Reclassified from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss Affected Line Item in the Statement Where Net Income is Presented Three Months Ended Six Months Ended March 31, 2022 2021 2022 2021 Gains (Losses) on Derivative Financial Instrument Cash Flow Hedges: Commodity Contracts ($130,271) ($3,761) ($292,899) ($4,071) Operating Revenues Foreign Currency Contracts 50 95 90 94 Operating Revenues (130,221) (3,666) (292,809) (3,977) Total Before Income Tax 35,641 1,010 80,141 1,096 Income Tax Expense ($94,580) ($2,656) ($212,668) ($2,881) Net of Tax
Other Current Assets	Other Current Assets . The components of the Company’s Other Current Assets are as follows (in thousands): At March 31, 2022 At September 30, 2021 Prepayments $ 10,242 $ 14,164 Prepaid Property and Other Taxes 24,048 14,788 State Income Taxes Receivable 3,539 1,502 Regulatory Assets 30,436 29,206 $ 68,265 $ 59,660
Other Accruals and Current Liabilities	Other Accruals and Current Liabilities . The components of the Company’s Other Accruals and Current Liabilities are as follows (in thousands): At March 31, 2022 At September 30, 2021 Accrued Capital Expenditures $ 41,216 $ 42,541 Regulatory Liabilities 29,118 60,860 Reserve for Gas Replacement 43,752 — Liability for Royalty and Working Interests 41,143 31,483 Federal Income Taxes Payable 151 154 Non-Qualified Benefit Plan Liability 15,408 15,408 Other 47,351 43,723 $ 218,139 $ 194,169
Earnings Per Common Share	Earnings Per Common Share. Basic earnings per common share is computed by dividing income or loss by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding for the period. Diluted earnings per common share reflects the potential dilution that could occur if securities or other contracts to issue common stock were exercised or converted into common stock. For purposes of determining earnings per common share, the potentially dilutive securities the Company had outstanding were SARs, restricted stock units and performance shares. For the quarter and six months ended March 31, 2022, the diluted weighted average shares outstanding shown on the Consolidated Statements of Income reflects the potential dilution as a result of these securities as determined using the Treasury Stock Method. SARs, restricted stock units and performance shares that
Stock-Based Compensation	Stock-Based Compensation. The Company granted 195,397 performance shares during the six months ended March 31, 2022. The weighted average fair value of such performance shares was $65.39 per share for the six months ended March 31, 2022. Performance shares are an award constituting units denominated in common stock of the Company, the number of which may be adjusted over a performance cycle based upon the extent to which performance goals have been satisfied. Earned performance shares may be distributed in the form of shares of common stock of the Company, an equivalent value in cash or a combination of cash and shares of common stock of the Company, as determined by the Company. The performance shares do not entitle the participant to receive dividends during the vesting period. The performance shares granted during the six months ended March 31, 2022 include awards that must meet a performance goal related to either relative return on capital over a three-year performance cycle ("ROC performance shares"), methane intensity and greenhouse gas emissions reductions over a three-year performance cycle ("ESG performance shares") or relative shareholder return over a three-year performance cycle ("TSR performance shares"). The performance goal related to the ROC performance shares over the three-year performance cycle is the Company’s total return on capital relative to the total return on capital of other companies in a group selected by the Compensation Committee (“Report Group”). Total return on capital for a given company means the average of the Report Group companies’ returns on capital for each twelve-month period corresponding to each of the Company’s fiscal years during the performance cycle, based on data reported for the Report Group companies in the Bloomberg database. The number of these ROC performance shares that will vest and be paid will depend upon the Company’s performance relative to the Report Group and not upon the absolute level of return achieved by the Company. The fair value of the ROC performance shares is calculated by multiplying the expected number of shares that will be issued by the average market price of Company common stock on the date of grant reduced by the present value of forgone dividends over the vesting term of the award. The fair value is recorded as compensation expense over the vesting term of the award. The performance goal related to the ESG performance shares over the three-year performance cycle consists of two parts: reductions in the rates of intensity of methane emissions for each of the Company's operating segments, and reduction of the consolidated Company's total greenhouse gas emissions. The Company's Compensation Committee set specific target levels for methane intensity rates and total greenhouse gas emissions, and the performance goal is intended to incentivize and reward performance that helps position the Company to meet or exceed its 2030 methane intensity and greenhouse gas reduction targets. The number of these ESG performance shares that will vest and be paid out will depend upon the number of methane intensity segment targets achieved and whether the Company meets the total greenhouse gas emissions target. The fair value of these ESG performance shares is calculated by multiplying the expected number of shares that will be issued by the average market price of Company common stock on the date of grant reduced by the present value of forgone dividends over the vesting term of the award. The fair value is recorded as compensation expense over the vesting term of the award. The performance goal related to the TSR performance shares over the three-year performance cycle is the Company’s three-year total shareholder return relative to the three-year total shareholder return of the other companies in the Report Group. Three-year total shareholder return for a given company will be based on the data reported for that company (with the starting and ending stock prices over the performance cycle calculated as the average closing stock price for the prior calendar month and with dividends reinvested in that company’s securities at each ex-dividend date) in the Bloomberg database. The number of these TSR performance shares that will vest and be paid will depend upon the Company’s performance relative to the Report Group and not upon the absolute level of return achieved by the Company. The fair value price at the date of grant for the TSR performance shares is determined using a Monte Carlo simulation technique, which includes a reduction in value for the present value of forgone dividends over the vesting term of the award. This price is multiplied by the number of TSR performance shares awarded, the result of which is recorded as compensation expense over the vesting term of the award.

Summary Of Significant Accoun_3

Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies (Tables)	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2022
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Schedule of Cash, Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash	The components, as reported on the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheets, of the total cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash presented on the Statement of Cash Flows are as follows (in thousands): Six Months Ended Six Months Ended Balance at October 1, 2021 Balance at Balance at October 1, 2020 Balance at Cash and Temporary Cash Investments $ 31,528 $ 52,569 $ 20,541 $ 80,467 Hedging Collateral Deposits 88,610 102,370 — — Cash, Cash Equivalents, and Restricted Cash $ 120,138 $ 154,939 $ 20,541 $ 80,467
Schedule of Allowance for Uncollectible Accounts	Activity in the allowance for uncollectible accounts for the six months ended March 31, 2022 and 2021 are as follows (in thousands): Balance at Beginning of Period Additions Charged to Costs and Expenses Discounts on Purchased Receivables Net Accounts Receivable Written-Off Balance at End of Period Six Months Ended March 31, 2022 Allowance for Uncollectible Accounts $ 31,639 $ 9,684 $ 790 $ (630) $ 41,483 Six Months Ended March 31, 2021 Allowance for Uncollectible Accounts $ 22,810 $ 11,074 $ 737 $ (4,493) $ 30,128
Schedule of Materials, Supplies and Emission Allowances	The components of the Company's materials, supplies and emission allowances are as follows (in thousands): At March 31, 2022 At September 30, 2021 Materials and Supplies - at average cost $ 37,769 $ 34,880 Emission Allowances 11,118 18,680 $ 48,887 $ 53,560
Components of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss	The components of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss and changes for the six months ended March 31, 2022 and 2021, net of related tax effect, are as follows (amounts in parentheses indicate debits) (in thousands): Gains and Losses on Derivative Financial Instruments Funded Status of the Pension and Other Post-Retirement Benefit Plans Total Three Months Ended March 31, 2022 Balance at January 1, 2022 $ (213,391) $ (63,635) $ (277,026) Other Comprehensive Gains and Losses Before Reclassifications (466,001) — (466,001) Amounts Reclassified From Other Comprehensive Loss 94,580 — 94,580 Other Post-Retirement Adjustment for Regulatory Proceeding — (5,807) (5,807) Balance at March 31, 2022 $ (584,812) $ (69,442) $ (654,254) Six Months Ended March 31, 2022 Balance at October 1, 2021 $ (449,962) $ (63,635) $ (513,597) Other Comprehensive Gains and Losses Before Reclassifications (347,518) — (347,518) Amounts Reclassified From Other Comprehensive Loss 212,668 — 212,668 Other Post-Retirement Adjustment for Regulatory Proceeding — (5,807) (5,807) Balance at March 31, 2022 $ (584,812) $ (69,442) $ (654,254) Three Months Ended March 31, 2021 Balance at January 1, 2021 $ 10,151 $ (89,892) $ (79,741) Other Comprehensive Gains and Losses Before Reclassifications (24,903) — (24,903) Amounts Reclassified From Other Comprehensive Loss 2,656 — 2,656 Balance at March 31, 2021 $ (12,096) $ (89,892) $ (101,988) Six Months Ended March 31, 2021 Balance at October 1, 2020 $ (24,865) $ (89,892) $ (114,757) Other Comprehensive Gains and Losses Before Reclassifications 9,888 — 9,888 Amounts Reclassified From Other Comprehensive Income 2,881 — 2,881 Balance at March 31, 2021 $ (12,096) $ (89,892) $ (101,988)
Schedule of Reclassifications Out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss	The details about the reclassification adjustments out of accumulated other comprehensive loss for the six months ended March 31, 2022 and 2021 are as follows (amounts in parentheses indicate debits to the income statement) (in thousands): Details About Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss Components Amount of Gain or (Loss) Reclassified from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss Affected Line Item in the Statement Where Net Income is Presented Three Months Ended Six Months Ended March 31, 2022 2021 2022 2021 Gains (Losses) on Derivative Financial Instrument Cash Flow Hedges: Commodity Contracts ($130,271) ($3,761) ($292,899) ($4,071) Operating Revenues Foreign Currency Contracts 50 95 90 94 Operating Revenues (130,221) (3,666) (292,809) (3,977) Total Before Income Tax 35,641 1,010 80,141 1,096 Income Tax Expense ($94,580) ($2,656) ($212,668) ($2,881) Net of Tax
Schedule of Other Current Assets	The components of the Company’s Other Current Assets are as follows (in thousands): At March 31, 2022 At September 30, 2021 Prepayments $ 10,242 $ 14,164 Prepaid Property and Other Taxes 24,048 14,788 State Income Taxes Receivable 3,539 1,502 Regulatory Assets 30,436 29,206 $ 68,265 $ 59,660
Schedule of Other Accruals and Current Liabilities	The components of the Company’s Other Accruals and Current Liabilities are as follows (in thousands): At March 31, 2022 At September 30, 2021 Accrued Capital Expenditures $ 41,216 $ 42,541 Regulatory Liabilities 29,118 60,860 Reserve for Gas Replacement 43,752 — Liability for Royalty and Working Interests 41,143 31,483 Federal Income Taxes Payable 151 154 Non-Qualified Benefit Plan Liability 15,408 15,408 Other 47,351 43,723 $ 218,139 $ 194,169

Revenue from Contracts with C_2

Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Tables)	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2022
Revenue from Contract with Customer [Abstract]
Disaggregation of Revenue	The following tables provide a disaggregation of the Company's revenues for the quarter and six months ended March 31, 2022 and 2021, presented by type of service from each reportable segment. Quarter Ended March 31, 2022 (Thousands) Revenues By Type of Service Exploration and Production Pipeline and Storage Gathering Utility All Other Corporate and Intersegment Eliminations Total Consolidated Production of Natural Gas $ 335,961 $ — $ — $ — $ — $ — $ 335,961 Production of Crude Oil 49,613 — — — — — 49,613 Natural Gas Processing 985 — — — — — 985 Natural Gas Gathering Service — — 52,604 — — (49,447) 3,157 Natural Gas Transportation Service — 72,671 — 41,483 — (18,233) 95,921 Natural Gas Storage Service — 21,451 — — — (9,253) 12,198 Natural Gas Residential Sales — — — 287,027 — — 287,027 Natural Gas Commercial Sales — — — 43,193 — — 43,193 Natural Gas Industrial Sales — — — 2,193 — — 2,193 Other 5,305 1,275 — (4,147) — (143) 2,290 Total Revenues from Contracts with Customers 391,864 95,397 52,604 369,749 — (77,076) 832,538 Alternative Revenue Programs — — — (547) — — (547) Derivative Financial Instruments (130,271) — — — — — (130,271) Total Revenues $ 261,593 $ 95,397 $ 52,604 $ 369,202 $ — $ (77,076) $ 701,720 Six Months Ended March 31, 2022 (Thousands) Revenues By Type of Service Exploration and Production Pipeline and Storage Gathering Utility All Other Corporate and Intersegment Eliminations Total Consolidated Production of Natural Gas $ 697,242 $ — $ — $ — $ — $ — $ 697,242 Production of Crude Oil 91,984 — — — — — 91,984 Natural Gas Processing 2,013 — — — — — 2,013 Natural Gas Gathering Service — — 104,829 — — (97,627) 7,202 Natural Gas Transportation Service — 138,940 — 69,257 — (35,858) 172,339 Natural Gas Storage Service — 42,251 — — — (18,278) 23,973 Natural Gas Residential Sales — — — 466,038 — — 466,038 Natural Gas Commercial Sales — — — 67,191 — — 67,191 Natural Gas Industrial Sales — — — 3,340 — — 3,340 Other 7,451 2,556 — (6,147) 6 (293) 3,573 Total Revenues from Contracts with Customers 798,690 183,747 104,829 599,679 6 (152,056) 1,534,895 Alternative Revenue Programs — — — 6,281 — — 6,281 Derivative Financial Instruments (292,899) — — — — — (292,899) Total Revenues $ 505,791 $ 183,747 $ 104,829 $ 605,960 $ 6 $ (152,056) $ 1,248,277 Quarter Ended March 31, 2021 (Thousands) Revenues By Type of Service Exploration and Production Pipeline and Storage Gathering Utility All Other Corporate and Intersegment Eliminations Total Consolidated Production of Natural Gas $ 188,769 $ — $ — $ — $ — $ — $ 188,769 Production of Crude Oil 33,589 — — — — — 33,589 Natural Gas Processing 772 — — — — — 772 Natural Gas Gathering Service — — 50,262 — — (49,591) 671 Natural Gas Transportation Service — 64,648 — 39,514 — (18,187) 85,975 Natural Gas Storage Service — 21,231 — — — (9,108) 12,123 Natural Gas Residential Sales — — — 203,768 — — 203,768 Natural Gas Commercial Sales — — — 28,872 — — 28,872 Natural Gas Industrial Sales — — — 1,368 — — 1,368 Natural Gas Marketing — — — — 66 (1) 65 Other 818 825 — (4,519) (1) (97) (2,974) Total Revenues from Contracts with Customers 223,948 86,704 50,262 269,003 65 (76,984) 552,998 Alternative Revenue Programs — — — 1,878 — — 1,878 Derivative Financial Instruments (3,761) — — — — — (3,761) Total Revenues $ 220,187 $ 86,704 $ 50,262 $ 270,881 $ 65 $ (76,984) $ 551,115 Six Months Ended March 31, 2021 (Thousands) Revenues By Type of Service Exploration and Production Pipeline and Storage Gathering Utility All Other Corporate and Intersegment Eliminations Total Consolidated Production of Natural Gas $ 355,212 $ — $ — $ — $ — $ — $ 355,212 Production of Crude Oil 58,088 — — — — — 58,088 Natural Gas Processing 1,324 — — — — — 1,324 Natural Gas Gathering Service — — 97,270 — — (96,249) 1,021 Natural Gas Transportation Service — 129,473 — 68,535 — (37,777) 160,231 Natural Gas Storage Service — 41,748 — — — (17,871) 23,877 Natural Gas Residential Sales — — — 341,649 — — 341,649 Natural Gas Commercial Sales — — — 46,067 — — 46,067 Natural Gas Industrial Sales — — — 2,290 — — 2,290 Natural Gas Marketing — — — — 650 (20) 630 Other 1,029 3,248 — (6,131) 545 (205) (1,514) Total Revenues from Contracts with Customers 415,653 174,469 97,270 452,410 1,195 (152,122) 988,875 Alternative Revenue Programs — — — 7,471 — — 7,471 Derivative Financial Instruments (4,071) — — — — — (4,071) Total Revenues $ 411,582 $ 174,469 $ 97,270 $ 459,881 $ 1,195 $ (152,122) $ 992,275

Fair Value Measurements (Tables

Fair Value Measurements (Tables)	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2022
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]
Schedule of Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis	The following table sets forth, by level within the fair value hierarchy, the Company's financial assets and liabilities (as applicable) that were accounted for at fair value on a recurring basis as of March 31, 2022 and September 30, 2021. Financial assets and liabilities are classified in their entirety based on the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement. The fair value presentation for over-the-counter swaps combines gas and oil swaps because a significant number of the counterparties enter into both gas and oil swap agreements with the Company. Recurring Fair Value Measures At fair value as of March 31, 2022 (Thousands of Dollars) Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Netting Adjustments (1) Total (1) Assets: Cash Equivalents – Money Market Mutual Funds $ 27,725 $ — $ — $ — $ 27,725 Hedging Collateral Deposits 102,370 — — — 102,370 Derivative Financial Instruments: Foreign Currency Contracts — 1,284 — (1,283) 1 Other Investments: Balanced Equity Mutual Fund 23,690 — — — 23,690 Fixed Income Mutual Fund 34,546 — — — 34,546 Total $ 188,331 $ 1,284 $ — $ (1,283) $ 188,332 Liabilities: Derivative Financial Instruments: Over the Counter Swaps – Gas and Oil — 684,306 — — 684,306 Over the Counter No Cost Collars – Gas — 119,044 — — 119,044 Foreign Currency Contracts — 9 — (1,283) (1,274) Total $ — $ 803,359 $ — $ (1,283) $ 802,076 Total Net Assets/(Liabilities) $ 188,331 $ (802,075) $ — $ — $ (613,744) Recurring Fair Value Measures At fair value as of September 30, 2021 (Thousands of Dollars) Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Netting Adjustments (1) Total (1) Assets: Cash Equivalents – Money Market Mutual Funds $ 22,269 $ — $ — $ — $ 22,269 Hedging Collateral Deposits 88,610 — — — 88,610 Derivative Financial Instruments: Over the Counter Swaps – Gas and Oil — 1,802 — (1,802) — Foreign Currency Contracts — 938 — (938) — Other Investments: Balanced Equity Mutual Fund 34,433 — — — 34,433 Fixed Income Mutual Fund 70,639 — — — 70,639 Total $ 215,951 $ 2,740 $ — $ (2,740) $ 215,951 Liabilities: Derivative Financial Instruments: Over the Counter Swaps – Gas and Oil — 601,551 — (1,802) 599,749 Over the Counter No Cost Collars – Gas — 17,385 — — 17,385 Foreign Currency Contracts — 214 — (938) (724) Total $ — $ 619,150 $ — $ (2,740) $ 616,410 Total Net Assets/(Liabilities) $ 215,951 $ (616,410) $ — $ — $ (400,459) (1) Netting Adjustments represent the impact of legally-enforceable master netting arrangements that allow the Company to net gain and loss positions held with the same counterparties. The net asset or net liability for each counterparty is recorded as an asset or liability on the Company’s balance sheet.

Financial Instruments (Tables)

Financial Instruments (Tables)	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2022
Financial Instruments, Owned, at Fair Value [Abstract]
Long-Term Debt	Based on these criteria, the fair market value of long-term debt, including current portion, was as follows (in thousands): March 31, 2022 September 30, 2021 Carrying Fair Value Carrying Fair Value Long-Term Debt $ 2,630,529 $ 2,666,928 $ 2,628,687 $ 2,898,552
Schedule Of Other Investments	The components of the Company's Other Investments are as follows (in thousands): At March 31, 2022 At September 30, 2021 Life Insurance Contracts $ 44,928 $ 44,560 Equity Mutual Fund 23,690 34,433 Fixed Income Mutual Fund 34,546 70,639 $ 103,164 $ 149,632
Schedule of Derivative Financial Instruments Designated And Qualifying As Cash Flow Hedges On The Statement Of Financial Performance	The Effect of Derivative Financial Instruments on the Statement of Financial Performance for the Three Months Ended March 31, 2022 and 2021 (Thousands of Dollars) Derivatives in Cash Flow Hedging Relationships Amount of Derivative Gain or (Loss) Recognized in Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) on Location of Derivative Gain or (Loss) Reclassified from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) on the Consolidated Balance Sheet into the Consolidated Statement of Income Amount of Derivative Gain or (Loss) Reclassified from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) on the Consolidated Balance Sheet into the Consolidated Statement of Income for the 2022 2021 2022 2021 Commodity Contracts $ (642,240) $ (35,123) Operating Revenue $ (130,271) $ (3,761) Foreign Currency Contracts 634 750 Operating Revenue 50 95 Total $ (641,606) $ (34,373) $ (130,221) $ (3,666) The Effect of Derivative Financial Instruments on the Statement of Financial Performance for the Six Months Ended March 31, 2022 and 2021 (Thousands of Dollars) Derivatives in Cash Flow Hedging Relationships Amount of Derivative Gain or Location of Derivative Gain or (Loss) Reclassified from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) on the Consolidated Balance Sheet into the Consolidated Statement of Income Amount of Derivative Gain or 2022 2021 2022 2021 Commodity Contracts $ (479,114) $ 10,472 Operating Revenue $ (292,899) $ (4,071) Foreign Currency Contracts 640 3,176 Operating Revenue 90 94 Total $ (478,474) $ 13,648 $ (292,809) $ (3,977)

Capitalization (Tables)

Capitalization (Tables)	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2022
Capitalization, Long-term Debt and Equity [Abstract]
Summary of Changes in Common Stock Equity	Summary of Changes in Common Stock Equity Common Stock Paid In Earnings Accumulated Shares Amount (Thousands, except per share amounts) Balance at January 1, 2022 91,437 $ 91,437 $ 1,013,821 $ 1,281,963 $ (277,026) Net Income Available for Common Stock 167,328 Dividends Declared on Common Stock ($0.455 Per Share) (41,608) Other Comprehensive Loss, Net of Tax (377,228) Share-Based Payment Expense (1) 4,692 Common Stock Issued Under Stock and Benefit Plans 12 12 271 Balance at March 31, 2022 91,449 $ 91,449 $ 1,018,784 $ 1,407,683 $ (654,254) Balance at October 1, 2021 91,182 $ 91,182 $ 1,017,446 $ 1,191,175 $ (513,597) Net Income Available for Common Stock 299,720 Dividends Declared on Common Stock ($0.91 Per Share) (83,212) Other Comprehensive Loss, Net of Tax (140,657) Share-Based Payment Expense (1) 9,732 Common Stock Issued (Repurchased) Under Stock and Benefit Plans 267 267 (8,394) Balance at March 31, 2022 91,449 $ 91,449 $ 1,018,784 $ 1,407,683 $ (654,254) Balance at January 1, 2021 91,153 $ 91,153 $ 1,004,369 $ 1,028,844 $ (79,741) Net Income Available for Common Stock 112,436 Dividends Declared on Common Stock ($0.445 Per Share) (40,562) Other Comprehensive Loss, Net of Tax (22,247) Share-Based Payment Expense (1) 4,283 Common Stock Issued Under Stock and Benefit Plans 11 11 423 Balance at March 31, 2021 91,164 $ 91,164 $ 1,009,075 $ 1,100,718 $ (101,988) Balance at October 1, 2020 90,955 $ 90,955 $ 1,004,158 $ 991,630 $ (114,757) Net Income Available for Common Stock 190,210 Dividends Declared on Common Stock ($0.89 Per Share) (81,122) Other Comprehensive Income, Net of Tax 12,769 Share-Based Payment Expense (1) 7,779 Common Stock Issued (Repurchased) Under Stock and Benefit Plans 209 209 (2,862) Balance at March 31, 2021 91,164 $ 91,164 $ 1,009,075 $ 1,100,718 $ (101,988) (1) Paid in Capital includes compensation costs associated with performance shares and/or restricted stock awards. The expense is included within Net Income Available For Common Stock, net of tax benefits.

Business Segment Information (T

Business Segment Information (Tables)	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2022
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Financial Segment Information By Segment	Quarter Ended March 31, 2022 (Thousands) Exploration and Production Pipeline and Storage Gathering Utility Total Reportable Segments All Other Corporate and Intersegment Eliminations Total Consolidated Revenue from External Customers $261,593 $67,795 $3,157 $369,092 $701,637 $— $83 $701,720 Intersegment Revenues $— $27,602 $49,447 $110 $77,159 $— $(77,159) $— Segment Profit: Net Income (Loss) $71,121 $25,470 $22,092 $53,048 $171,731 $— $(4,403) $167,328 Six Months Ended March 31, 2022 (Thousands) Exploration and Production Pipeline and Storage Gathering Utility Total Reportable Segments All Other Corporate and Intersegment Eliminations Total Consolidated Revenue from External Customers $505,791 $129,342 $7,202 $605,776 $1,248,111 $— $166 $1,248,277 Intersegment Revenues $— $54,405 $97,627 $184 $152,216 $6 $(152,222) $— Segment Profit: Net Income (Loss) $133,490 $50,637 $45,229 $75,178 $304,534 $(7) $(4,807) $299,720 (Thousands) Exploration and Production Pipeline and Storage Gathering Utility Total Reportable Segments All Other Corporate and Intersegment Eliminations Total Consolidated Segment Assets: At March 31, 2022 $2,535,426 $2,330,802 $845,379 $2,247,733 $7,959,340 $235 $(154,552) $7,805,023 At September 30, 2021 $2,286,058 $2,296,030 $837,729 $2,148,267 $7,568,084 $4,146 $(107,405) $7,464,825 Quarter Ended March 31, 2021 (Thousands) Exploration and Production Pipeline and Storage Gathering Utility Total Reportable Segments All Other Corporate and Intersegment Eliminations Total Consolidated Revenue from External Customers $220,187 $59,314 $671 $270,784 $550,956 $64 $95 $551,115 Intersegment Revenues $— $27,390 $49,591 $97 $77,078 $1 $(77,079) $— Segment Profit: Net Income (Loss) $36,822 $24,928 $20,700 $32,044 $114,494 $(983) $(1,075) $112,436 Six Months Ended March 31, 2021 (Thousands) Exploration and Production Pipeline and Storage Gathering Utility Total Reportable Segments All Other Corporate and Intersegment Eliminations Total Consolidated Revenue from External Customers $411,582 $118,623 $1,021 $459,684 $990,910 $1,175 $190 $992,275 Intersegment Revenues $— $55,846 $96,249 $197 $152,292 $20 $(152,312) $— Segment Profit: Net Income $7,199 $49,112 $41,250 $55,081 $152,642 $36,577 $991 $190,210

Retirement Plan And Other Pos_2

Retirement Plan And Other Post-Retirement Benefits (Tables)	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2022
Retirement Benefits [Abstract]
Components of Net Periodic Benefit Cost	Components of Net Periodic Benefit Cost (in thousands): Retirement Plan Other Post-Retirement Benefits Three Months Ended March 31, 2022 2021 2022 2021 Service Cost $ 2,190 $ 2,466 $ 332 $ 400 Interest Cost 5,707 5,422 2,267 2,326 Expected Return on Plan Assets (13,074) (14,537) (7,340) (7,241) Amortization of Prior Service Cost (Credit) 134 158 (107) (107) Amortization of (Gains) Losses 6,601 9,203 (1,903) 212 Net Amortization and Deferral for Regulatory Purposes (Including Volumetric Adjustments) (1) 8,418 7,710 4,274 9,451 Net Periodic Benefit Cost (Income) $ 9,976 $ 10,422 $ (2,477) $ 5,041 Retirement Plan Other Post-Retirement Benefits Six Months Ended March 31, 2022 2021 2022 2021 Service Cost $ 4,379 $ 4,932 $ 664 $ 801 Interest Cost 11,414 10,843 4,533 4,652 Expected Return on Plan Assets (26,147) (29,074) (14,680) (14,482) Amortization of Prior Service Cost (Credit) 268 316 (214) (214) Amortization of (Gains) Losses 13,202 18,407 (3,805) 424 Net Amortization and Deferral for Regulatory Purposes (Including Volumetric Adjustments) (1) 12,838 11,422 10,519 16,303 Net Periodic Benefit Cost (Income) $ 15,954 $ 16,846 $ (2,983) $ 7,484 (1) The Company’s policy is to record retirement plan and other post-retirement benefit costs in the Utility segment on a volumetric basis to reflect the fact that the Utility segment experiences higher throughput of natural gas in the winter months and lower throughput of natural gas in the summer months.

Summary Of Significant Accoun_4

Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies (Narrative) (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2022	Mar. 31, 2021	Mar. 31, 2022	Mar. 31, 2021	Sep. 30, 2021	Sep. 30, 2022
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Gas Stored Underground	$ 6,302		$ 6,302		$ 33,669
Capitalized Costs Oil and Gas Producing Activities Net	$ 2,000,000		2,000,000		1,900,000
Capitalized costs of unproved properties excluded from amortization			$ 124,200		103,800
Full cost ceiling test discount factor	10.00%		10.00%
Amount Full Cost Ceiling Exceeds Book Value Of Oil And Gas Properties	$ 1,800,000		$ 1,800,000
Decrease estimated future net cash flows	(452,500)
Other Post-Retirement Adjustment for Regulatory Proceeding	(7,351)	$ 0	(7,351)	$ 0
Other Post-Retirement Adjustment for Regulatory Proceeding After Tax	$ (5,807)		$ (5,807)
Antidilutive securities	13,815	334,945	11,883	334,945
Reserve For Gas Replacement [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Gas Stored Underground	$ 43,752		$ 43,752		$ 0
Restricted Stock Units [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Share based compensation other than options grants in period			128,050
Granted in fiscal year, weighted average grant date fair value			$ 54.06
Performance Shares [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Share based compensation other than options grants in period			195,397
Granted in fiscal year, weighted average grant date fair value			$ 65.39
Subsequent Event [Member] | Reserve For Gas Replacement [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Gas Stored Underground						$ 0

Summary Of Significant Accoun_5

Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies (Consolidated Statements Of Cash Flows) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Mar. 31, 2022		Sep. 30, 2021		Mar. 31, 2021	Sep. 30, 2020
Cash and Cash Equivalents [Line Items]
Cash and Temporary Cash Investments	$ 52,569		$ 31,528		$ 80,467	$ 20,541
Hedging Collateral Deposits	102,370	[1]	88,610	[1]	0	0
Cash, Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash	$ 154,939		$ 120,138		$ 80,467	$ 20,541
[1]	Netting Adjustments represent the impact of legally-enforceable master netting arrangements that allow the Company to net gain and loss positions held with the same counterparties. The net asset or net liability for each counterparty is recorded as an asset or liability on the Company’s balance sheet.

Summary Of Significant Accoun_6

Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies (Allowance for Uncollectible Accounts) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2022	Mar. 31, 2021
Allowance for Uncollectible Accounts [Roll Forward]
Balance at Beginning of Period	$ 31,639	$ 22,810
Additions Charged to Costs and Expenses	9,684	11,074
Discounts on Purchased Receivables	790	737
Net Accounts Receivable Written-Off	(630)	(4,493)
Balance at End of Period	$ 41,483	$ 30,128

Summary of Significant Account

Summary of Significant Account Policies (Materials, Supplies and Emission Allowances) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Mar. 31, 2022	Sep. 30, 2021
Materials, Supplies and Emission Allowances [Line Items]
Materials and Supplies - at average cost	$ 37,769	$ 34,880
Emission Allowances	11,118	18,680
Materials, Supplies and Emission Allowances	$ 48,887	$ 53,560

Summary Of Significant Accoun_7

Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies (Components Of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2022	Mar. 31, 2021	Mar. 31, 2022	Mar. 31, 2021
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss [Roll Forward]
Balance at Beginning of Period	$ (277,026)	$ (79,741)	$ (513,597)	$ (114,757)
Other Comprehensive Gains and Losses Before Reclassifications	(466,001)	(24,903)	(347,518)	9,888
Amounts Reclassified From Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)	94,580	2,656	212,668	2,881
Other Post-Retirement Adjustment for Regulatory Proceeding	(5,807)		(5,807)
Balance at End of Period	(654,254)	(101,988)	(654,254)	(101,988)
Gains And Losses On Derivative Financial Instruments [Member]
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss [Roll Forward]
Balance at Beginning of Period	(213,391)	10,151	(449,962)	(24,865)
Other Comprehensive Gains and Losses Before Reclassifications	(466,001)	(24,903)	(347,518)	9,888
Amounts Reclassified From Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)	94,580	2,656	212,668	2,881
Other Post-Retirement Adjustment for Regulatory Proceeding	0		0
Balance at End of Period	(584,812)	(12,096)	(584,812)	(12,096)
Funded Status Of The Pension And Other Post-Retirement Benefit Plans [Member]
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss [Roll Forward]
Balance at Beginning of Period	(63,635)	(89,892)	(63,635)	(89,892)
Other Comprehensive Gains and Losses Before Reclassifications	0	0	0	0
Amounts Reclassified From Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)	0	0	0	0
Other Post-Retirement Adjustment for Regulatory Proceeding	(5,807)		(5,807)
Balance at End of Period	$ (69,442)	$ (89,892)	$ (69,442)	$ (89,892)

Summary Of Significant Accoun_8

Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies (Reclassification Out Of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2022	Mar. 31, 2021	Mar. 31, 2022	Mar. 31, 2021
Reclassification Adjustment out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss [Line Items]
Operating Revenues	$ 701,720	$ 551,115	$ 1,248,277	$ 992,275
Income Before Income Taxes	224,786	152,646	402,076	259,837
Income Tax Expense	(57,458)	(40,210)	(102,356)	(69,627)
Net Income Available for Common Stock	167,328	112,436	299,720	190,210
Amount Of Gain Or (Loss) Reclassified From Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss [Member]
Reclassification Adjustment out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss [Line Items]
Income Before Income Taxes	(130,221)	(3,666)	(292,809)	(3,977)
Income Tax Expense	35,641	1,010	80,141	1,096
Net Income Available for Common Stock	(94,580)	(2,656)	(212,668)	(2,881)
Amount Of Gain Or (Loss) Reclassified From Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss [Member] | Commodity Contracts [Member] | Gains And Losses On Derivative Financial Instruments [Member]
Reclassification Adjustment out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss [Line Items]
Operating Revenues	(130,271)	(3,761)	(292,899)	(4,071)
Foreign Currency Contracts [Member] | Amount Of Gain Or (Loss) Reclassified From Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss [Member] | Gains And Losses On Derivative Financial Instruments [Member]
Reclassification Adjustment out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss [Line Items]
Operating Revenues	$ 50	$ 95	$ 90	$ 94

Summary Of Significant Accoun_9

Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies (Components Of Other Current Assets) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Mar. 31, 2022	Sep. 30, 2021
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Prepayments	$ 10,242	$ 14,164
Prepaid Property and Other Taxes	24,048	14,788
Regulatory Assets	30,436	29,206
Other Current Assets	68,265	59,660
State [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Income Taxes Receivable	$ 3,539	$ 1,502

Summary Of Significant Accou_10

Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies (Schedule Of Other Accruals And Current Liabilities) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Mar. 31, 2022	Sep. 30, 2021
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Regulatory Liabilities	$ 29,118	$ 60,860
Reserve for Gas Replacement	6,302	33,669
Liability for Royalty and Working Interests	41,143	31,483
Other Accruals and Current Liabilities	218,139	194,169
Accrued Capital Expenditures [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Other	41,216	42,541
Reserve For Gas Replacement [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Reserve for Gas Replacement	43,752	0
Other Accruals [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Other	47,351	43,723
Federal [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Income Taxes Payable	151	154
Non-Qualified [Member] | Current [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Non-Qualified Benefit Plan Liability	$ 15,408	$ 15,408

Asset Acquisitions and Divest_2

Asset Acquisitions and Divestitures (Narrative) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2022	Mar. 31, 2021	Mar. 31, 2022	Mar. 31, 2021	Sep. 30, 2020
Asset Acquisition [Abstract]
Total Consideration for Asset Acquisition					$ 506,300
Assets Held for Sale, Net					$ 53,400
Net Proceeds from Sale of Timber Properties			$ 0	$ 104,582
Gain on Sale of Timber Properties	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 51,066

Revenue from Contracts with C_3

Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Narrative) (Details) $ in Millions	Mar. 31, 2022USD ($)
Revenue, Remaining Performance Obligation, Expected Timing of Satisfaction, Start Date [Axis]: 2022-04-01
Revenue, Remaining Performance Obligation, Expected Timing of Satisfaction [Line Items]
Future Revenue Amounts Related to Remaining Performance Obligations	$ 114.5
Remaining Performance Obligation, Expected Timing of Satisfaction	6 months
Revenue, Remaining Performance Obligation, Expected Timing of Satisfaction, Start Date [Axis]: 2022-10-01
Revenue, Remaining Performance Obligation, Expected Timing of Satisfaction [Line Items]
Future Revenue Amounts Related to Remaining Performance Obligations	$ 202.8
Remaining Performance Obligation, Expected Timing of Satisfaction	1 year
Revenue, Remaining Performance Obligation, Expected Timing of Satisfaction, Start Date [Axis]: 2023-10-01
Revenue, Remaining Performance Obligation, Expected Timing of Satisfaction [Line Items]
Future Revenue Amounts Related to Remaining Performance Obligations	$ 182.2
Remaining Performance Obligation, Expected Timing of Satisfaction	1 year
Revenue, Remaining Performance Obligation, Expected Timing of Satisfaction, Start Date [Axis]: 2024-10-01
Revenue, Remaining Performance Obligation, Expected Timing of Satisfaction [Line Items]
Future Revenue Amounts Related to Remaining Performance Obligations	$ 164.1
Remaining Performance Obligation, Expected Timing of Satisfaction	1 year
Revenue, Remaining Performance Obligation, Expected Timing of Satisfaction, Start Date [Axis]: 2025-10-01
Revenue, Remaining Performance Obligation, Expected Timing of Satisfaction [Line Items]
Future Revenue Amounts Related to Remaining Performance Obligations	$ 143.1
Remaining Performance Obligation, Expected Timing of Satisfaction	1 year
Revenue, Remaining Performance Obligation, Expected Timing of Satisfaction, Start Date [Axis]: 2026-10-01
Revenue, Remaining Performance Obligation, Expected Timing of Satisfaction [Line Items]
Future Revenue Amounts Related to Remaining Performance Obligations	$ 812.9
Remaining Performance Obligation, Expected Timing of Satisfaction

Revenue from Contracts with C_4

Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Disaggregation of Revenue) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2022	Mar. 31, 2021	Mar. 31, 2022	Mar. 31, 2021
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue	$ 701,720	$ 551,115	$ 1,248,277	$ 992,275
Exploration And Production [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers	391,864	223,948	798,690	415,653
Alternative Revenue Programs Outside Scope of Authoritative Guidance on Revenue Recognition	0	0	0	0
Derivative Financial Instruments Outside Scope of Authoritative Guidance on Revenue Recognition	(130,271)	(3,761)	(292,899)	(4,071)
Revenue	261,593	220,187	505,791	411,582
Pipeline And Storage [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers	95,397	86,704	183,747	174,469
Alternative Revenue Programs Outside Scope of Authoritative Guidance on Revenue Recognition	0	0	0	0
Derivative Financial Instruments Outside Scope of Authoritative Guidance on Revenue Recognition	0	0	0	0
Revenue	95,397	86,704	183,747	174,469
Gathering [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers	52,604	50,262	104,829	97,270
Alternative Revenue Programs Outside Scope of Authoritative Guidance on Revenue Recognition	0	0	0	0
Derivative Financial Instruments Outside Scope of Authoritative Guidance on Revenue Recognition	0	0	0	0
Revenue	52,604	50,262	104,829	97,270
Utility [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers	369,749	269,003	599,679	452,410
Alternative Revenue Programs Outside Scope of Authoritative Guidance on Revenue Recognition	(547)	1,878	6,281	7,471
Derivative Financial Instruments Outside Scope of Authoritative Guidance on Revenue Recognition	0	0	0	0
Revenue	369,202	270,881	605,960	459,881
All Other [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers	0	65	6	1,195
Alternative Revenue Programs Outside Scope of Authoritative Guidance on Revenue Recognition	0	0	0	0
Derivative Financial Instruments Outside Scope of Authoritative Guidance on Revenue Recognition	0	0	0	0
Revenue	0	65	6	1,195
Corporate And Intersegment Eliminations [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers	(77,076)	(76,984)	(152,056)	(152,122)
Alternative Revenue Programs Outside Scope of Authoritative Guidance on Revenue Recognition	0	0	0	0
Derivative Financial Instruments Outside Scope of Authoritative Guidance on Revenue Recognition	0	0	0	0
Revenue	(77,076)	(76,984)	(152,056)	(152,122)
Total Consolidated [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers	832,538	552,998	1,534,895	988,875
Alternative Revenue Programs Outside Scope of Authoritative Guidance on Revenue Recognition	(547)	1,878	6,281	7,471
Derivative Financial Instruments Outside Scope of Authoritative Guidance on Revenue Recognition	(130,271)	(3,761)	(292,899)	(4,071)
Revenue	701,720	551,115	1,248,277	992,275
Production of Natural Gas [Member] | Exploration And Production [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers	335,961	188,769	697,242	355,212
Production of Natural Gas [Member] | Pipeline And Storage [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers	0	0	0	0
Production of Natural Gas [Member] | Gathering [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers	0	0	0	0
Production of Natural Gas [Member] | Utility [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers	0	0	0	0
Production of Natural Gas [Member] | All Other [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers	0	0	0	0
Production of Natural Gas [Member] | Corporate And Intersegment Eliminations [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers	0	0	0	0
Production of Natural Gas [Member] | Total Consolidated [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers	335,961	188,769	697,242	355,212
Production of Crude Oil [Member] | Exploration And Production [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers	49,613	33,589	91,984	58,088
Production of Crude Oil [Member] | Pipeline And Storage [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers	0	0	0	0
Production of Crude Oil [Member] | Gathering [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers	0	0	0	0
Production of Crude Oil [Member] | Utility [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers	0	0	0	0
Production of Crude Oil [Member] | All Other [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers	0	0	0	0
Production of Crude Oil [Member] | Corporate And Intersegment Eliminations [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers	0	0	0	0
Production of Crude Oil [Member] | Total Consolidated [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers	49,613	33,589	91,984	58,088
Natural Gas Processing [Member] | Exploration And Production [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers	985	772	2,013	1,324
Natural Gas Processing [Member] | Pipeline And Storage [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers	0	0	0	0
Natural Gas Processing [Member] | Gathering [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers	0	0	0	0
Natural Gas Processing [Member] | Utility [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers	0	0	0	0
Natural Gas Processing [Member] | All Other [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers	0	0	0	0
Natural Gas Processing [Member] | Corporate And Intersegment Eliminations [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers	0	0	0	0
Natural Gas Processing [Member] | Total Consolidated [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers	985	772	2,013	1,324
Natural Gas Gathering Service [Member] | Exploration And Production [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers	0	0	0	0
Natural Gas Gathering Service [Member] | Pipeline And Storage [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers	0	0	0	0
Natural Gas Gathering Service [Member] | Gathering [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers	52,604	50,262	104,829	97,270
Natural Gas Gathering Service [Member] | Utility [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers	0	0	0	0
Natural Gas Gathering Service [Member] | All Other [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers	0	0	0	0
Natural Gas Gathering Service [Member] | Corporate And Intersegment Eliminations [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers	(49,447)	(49,591)	(97,627)	(96,249)
Natural Gas Gathering Service [Member] | Total Consolidated [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers	3,157	671	7,202	1,021
Natural Gas Transportation Service [Member] | Exploration And Production [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers	0	0	0	0
Natural Gas Transportation Service [Member] | Pipeline And Storage [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers	72,671	64,648	138,940	129,473
Natural Gas Transportation Service [Member] | Gathering [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers	0	0	0	0
Natural Gas Transportation Service [Member] | Utility [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers	41,483	39,514	69,257	68,535
Natural Gas Transportation Service [Member] | All Other [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers	0	0	0	0
Natural Gas Transportation Service [Member] | Corporate And Intersegment Eliminations [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers	(18,233)	(18,187)	(35,858)	(37,777)
Natural Gas Transportation Service [Member] | Total Consolidated [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers	95,921	85,975	172,339	160,231
Natural Gas Storage Service [Member] | Exploration And Production [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers	0	0	0	0
Natural Gas Storage Service [Member] | Pipeline And Storage [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers	21,451	21,231	42,251	41,748
Natural Gas Storage Service [Member] | Gathering [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers	0	0	0	0
Natural Gas Storage Service [Member] | Utility [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers	0	0	0	0
Natural Gas Storage Service [Member] | All Other [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers	0	0	0	0
Natural Gas Storage Service [Member] | Corporate And Intersegment Eliminations [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers	(9,253)	(9,108)	(18,278)	(17,871)
Natural Gas Storage Service [Member] | Total Consolidated [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers	12,198	12,123	23,973	23,877
Natural Gas Residential Sales [Member] | Exploration And Production [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers	0	0	0	0
Natural Gas Residential Sales [Member] | Pipeline And Storage [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers	0	0	0	0
Natural Gas Residential Sales [Member] | Gathering [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers	0	0	0	0
Natural Gas Residential Sales [Member] | Utility [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers	287,027	203,768	466,038	341,649
Natural Gas Residential Sales [Member] | All Other [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers	0	0	0	0
Natural Gas Residential Sales [Member] | Corporate And Intersegment Eliminations [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers	0	0	0	0
Natural Gas Residential Sales [Member] | Total Consolidated [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers	287,027	203,768	466,038	341,649
Natural Gas Commercial Sales [Member] | Exploration And Production [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers	0	0	0	0
Natural Gas Commercial Sales [Member] | Pipeline And Storage [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers	0	0	0	0
Natural Gas Commercial Sales [Member] | Gathering [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers	0	0	0	0
Natural Gas Commercial Sales [Member] | Utility [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers	43,193	28,872	67,191	46,067
Natural Gas Commercial Sales [Member] | All Other [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers	0	0	0	0
Natural Gas Commercial Sales [Member] | Corporate And Intersegment Eliminations [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers	0	0	0	0
Natural Gas Commercial Sales [Member] | Total Consolidated [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers	43,193	28,872	67,191	46,067
Natural Gas Industrial Sales [Member] | Exploration And Production [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers	0	0	0	0
Natural Gas Industrial Sales [Member] | Pipeline And Storage [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers	0	0	0	0
Natural Gas Industrial Sales [Member] | Gathering [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers	0	0	0	0
Natural Gas Industrial Sales [Member] | Utility [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers	2,193	1,368	3,340	2,290
Natural Gas Industrial Sales [Member] | All Other [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers	0	0	0	0
Natural Gas Industrial Sales [Member] | Corporate And Intersegment Eliminations [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers	0	0	0	0
Natural Gas Industrial Sales [Member] | Total Consolidated [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers	2,193	1,368	3,340	2,290
Natural Gas Marketing [Member] | Exploration And Production [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers		0		0
Natural Gas Marketing [Member] | Pipeline And Storage [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers		0		0
Natural Gas Marketing [Member] | Gathering [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers		0		0
Natural Gas Marketing [Member] | Utility [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers		0		0
Natural Gas Marketing [Member] | All Other [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers		66		650
Natural Gas Marketing [Member] | Corporate And Intersegment Eliminations [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers		(1)		(20)
Natural Gas Marketing [Member] | Total Consolidated [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers		65		630
Other [Member] | Exploration And Production [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers	5,305	818	7,451	1,029
Other [Member] | Pipeline And Storage [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers	1,275	825	2,556	3,248
Other [Member] | Gathering [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers	0	0	0	0
Other [Member] | Utility [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers	(4,147)	(4,519)	(6,147)	(6,131)
Other [Member] | All Other [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers	0	(1)	6	545
Other [Member] | Corporate And Intersegment Eliminations [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers	(143)	(97)	(293)	(205)
Other [Member] | Total Consolidated [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue from Contracts with Customers	$ 2,290	$ (2,974)	$ 3,573	$ (1,514)

Fair Value Measurements (Narrat

Fair Value Measurements (Narrative) (Details) - USD ($)		Mar. 31, 2022		Sep. 30, 2021		Mar. 31, 2021	Sep. 30, 2020
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Hedging Collateral Deposits		$ 102,370,000	[1]	$ 88,610,000	[1]	$ 0	$ 0
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Hedging Collateral Deposits	[1]	102,370,000		$ 88,610,000
Derivative Financial Instruments [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Level 3 Fair Value		$ 0				$ 0
[1]	Netting Adjustments represent the impact of legally-enforceable master netting arrangements that allow the Company to net gain and loss positions held with the same counterparties. The net asset or net liability for each counterparty is recorded as an asset or liability on the Company’s balance sheet.

Fair Value Measurements (Recurr

Fair Value Measurements (Recurring Fair Value Measures Of Assets And Liabilities) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		Mar. 31, 2022		Sep. 30, 2021		Mar. 31, 2021	Sep. 30, 2020
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Cash Equivalents - Money Market Mutual Funds	[1]	$ 27,725		$ 22,269
Hedging Collateral Deposits		102,370	[1]	88,610	[1]	$ 0	$ 0
Total Assets	[1]	188,332		215,951
Total Liabilities	[1]	802,076		616,410
Total Net Assets/(Liabilities)	[1]	(613,744)		(400,459)
Over The Counter Swaps - Gas And Oil [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Derivative Asset	[1]			0
Derivative Liability	[1]	684,306		599,749
Over the Counter No Cost Collars - Gas [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Derivative Liability		119,044	[1]	17,385
Foreign Currency Contracts [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Derivative Asset	[1]	1		0
Derivative Liability	[1]	(1,274)		(724)
Balanced Equity Mutual Fund [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Other Investments	[1]	23,690		34,433
Fixed Income Mutual Fund [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Other Investments	[1]	34,546		70,639
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Cash Equivalents - Money Market Mutual Funds		27,725		22,269
Hedging Collateral Deposits	[1]	102,370		88,610
Total Assets		188,331		215,951
Total Liabilities		0		0
Total Net Assets/(Liabilities)		188,331		215,951
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] | Over The Counter Swaps - Gas And Oil [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Derivative Asset				0
Derivative Liability		0		0
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] | Over the Counter No Cost Collars - Gas [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Derivative Liability		0		0
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] | Foreign Currency Contracts [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Derivative Asset		0		0
Derivative Liability		0		0
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] | Balanced Equity Mutual Fund [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Other Investments		23,690		34,433
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] | Fixed Income Mutual Fund [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Other Investments		34,546		70,639
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Cash Equivalents - Money Market Mutual Funds		0		0
Hedging Collateral Deposits	[1]	0		0
Total Assets		1,284		2,740
Total Liabilities		803,359		619,150
Total Net Assets/(Liabilities)		(802,075)		(616,410)
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member] | Over The Counter Swaps - Gas And Oil [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Derivative Asset				1,802
Derivative Liability		684,306		601,551
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member] | Over the Counter No Cost Collars - Gas [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Derivative Liability		119,044		17,385
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member] | Foreign Currency Contracts [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Derivative Asset		1,284		938
Derivative Liability		9		214
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member] | Balanced Equity Mutual Fund [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Other Investments		0		0
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member] | Fixed Income Mutual Fund [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Other Investments		0		0
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Cash Equivalents - Money Market Mutual Funds		0		0
Hedging Collateral Deposits	[1]	0		0
Total Assets		0		0
Total Liabilities		0		0
Total Net Assets/(Liabilities)		0		0
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member] | Over The Counter Swaps - Gas And Oil [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Derivative Asset				0
Derivative Liability		0		0
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member] | Over the Counter No Cost Collars - Gas [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Derivative Liability		0		0
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member] | Foreign Currency Contracts [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Derivative Asset		0		0
Derivative Liability		0		0
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member] | Balanced Equity Mutual Fund [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Other Investments		0		0
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member] | Fixed Income Mutual Fund [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Other Investments		0		0
Netting Adjustments [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Cash Equivalents - Money Market Mutual Funds	[1]	0		0
Hedging Collateral Deposits	[1]	0		0
Total Assets	[1]	(1,283)		(2,740)
Total Liabilities	[1]	(1,283)		(2,740)
Total Net Assets/(Liabilities)	[1]	0		0
Netting Adjustments [Member] | Over The Counter Swaps - Gas And Oil [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Derivative Asset	[1]			(1,802)
Derivative Liability	[1]	0		(1,802)
Netting Adjustments [Member] | Over the Counter No Cost Collars - Gas [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Derivative Liability		0	[1]	0
Netting Adjustments [Member] | Foreign Currency Contracts [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Derivative Asset	[1]	(1,283)		(938)
Derivative Liability	[1]	(1,283)		(938)
Netting Adjustments [Member] | Balanced Equity Mutual Fund [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Other Investments	[1]	0		0
Netting Adjustments [Member] | Fixed Income Mutual Fund [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Other Investments	[1]	$ 0		$ 0
[1]	Netting Adjustments represent the impact of legally-enforceable master netting arrangements that allow the Company to net gain and loss positions held with the same counterparties. The net asset or net liability for each counterparty is recorded as an asset or liability on the Company’s balance sheet.

Financial Instruments (Narrativ

Financial Instruments (Narrative) (Details) $ in Thousands	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2022USD ($)counterpartyMMcfbbl		Sep. 30, 2021USD ($)	[1]	Mar. 31, 2021USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2020USD ($)
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Foreign Currency Forward Contract Hedge Duration	9 years
Net hedging gains (losses) in accumulated other comprehensive loss	$ (802,100)
After tax net hedging gains (losses) in accumulated other comprehensive loss	(584,800)
Pre-Tax Net Hedging Gains (Losses) Reclassified Within Twelve Months	(550,400)
After Tax Net Hedging Gains (Losses) Reclassified Within Twelve Months	(401,300)
Fair market value of derivative liability with a credit-risk related contingency	619,300
Hedging Collateral Deposits	102,370	[1]	$ 88,610		$ 0	$ 0
Less Than $100,000
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Fair market value of derivative asset with a credit-risk related contingency	$ 100
Cash Flow Hedges [Member]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Hedge Duration	5 years
Over the Counter Swaps, No Cost Collars and Foreign Currency Forward Contracts [Member]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Number of counterparties in which the company holds over-the-counter swap positions | counterparty	18
Number of counterparties in net gain position | counterparty	1
Collateral Received by the Company	$ 0
Hedging Collateral Deposits	102,400
Over the Counter Swaps, No Cost Collars and Foreign Currency Forward Contracts [Member] | Less Than $100,000
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Credit risk exposure per counterparty	$ 100
Natural Gas MMCf [Member] | Cash Flow Hedges [Member]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Nonmonetary notional amount of price risk cash flow hedge derivatives, natural gas | MMcf	468,400
Crude Oil Bbls [Member] | Cash Flow Hedges [Member]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Nonmonetary notional amount of price risk cash flow hedge derivatives, crude oil | bbl	1,368,000
Foreign Currency Contracts [Member]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Derivative, Notional Amount	$ 57,500
Credit Risk Related Contingency Feature [Member] | Over the Counter Swaps, No Cost Collars and Foreign Currency Forward Contracts [Member]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Number of counterparties with a common credit-risk related contingency | counterparty	16
[1]	Netting Adjustments represent the impact of legally-enforceable master netting arrangements that allow the Company to net gain and loss positions held with the same counterparties. The net asset or net liability for each counterparty is recorded as an asset or liability on the Company’s balance sheet.

Financial Instruments (Long-Ter

Financial Instruments (Long-Term Debt) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Mar. 31, 2022	Sep. 30, 2021
Financial Instruments, Owned, at Fair Value [Abstract]
Carrying Amount	$ 2,630,529	$ 2,628,687
Fair Value	$ 2,666,928	$ 2,898,552

Financial Investments (Other In

Financial Investments (Other Investments) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Mar. 31, 2022	Sep. 30, 2021
Investment Holdings [Line Items]
Life Insurance Contracts	$ 44,928	$ 44,560
Other Investments	103,164	149,632
Equity Mutual Fund [Member]
Investment Holdings [Line Items]
Fair Value	23,690	34,433
Fixed Income Mutual Fund [Member]
Investment Holdings [Line Items]
Fair Value	$ 34,546	$ 70,639

Financial Instruments (Schedule

Financial Instruments (Schedule Of Derivative Financial Instruments Designated And Qualifying As Cash Flow Hedges On The Statement Of Financial Performance) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2022	Mar. 31, 2021	Mar. 31, 2022	Mar. 31, 2021
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Amount of Derivative Gain or (Loss) Recognized in Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) on the Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Income (Loss)	$ (641,606)	$ (34,373)	$ (478,474)	$ 13,648
Amount of Derivative Gain or (Loss) Reclassified from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) on the Consolidated Balance Sheet into the Consolidated Statement of Income	(130,221)	(3,666)	(292,809)	(3,977)
Foreign Currency Contracts [Member] | Operating Revenues [Member]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Amount of Derivative Gain or (Loss) Recognized in Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) on the Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Income (Loss)	634	750	640	3,176
Amount of Derivative Gain or (Loss) Reclassified from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) on the Consolidated Balance Sheet into the Consolidated Statement of Income	50	95	90	94
Commodity Contracts [Member] | Operating Revenues [Member]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Amount of Derivative Gain or (Loss) Recognized in Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) on the Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Income (Loss)	(642,240)	(35,123)	(479,114)	10,472
Amount of Derivative Gain or (Loss) Reclassified from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) on the Consolidated Balance Sheet into the Consolidated Statement of Income	$ (130,271)	$ (3,761)	$ (292,899)	$ (4,071)

Income Taxes (Details)

Income Taxes (Details)	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2022	Mar. 31, 2021	Mar. 31, 2022	Mar. 31, 2021
Income Taxes [Line Items]
Effective Tax Rate	25.60%	26.30%	25.50%	26.80%

Capitalization (Narrative) (Det

Capitalization (Narrative) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	May 03, 2022	Mar. 31, 2022	Sep. 30, 2021
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Common stock shares issued due to SARs exercises		25,251
Shares tendered		149,499
Current Portion of Long-Term Debt		$ 549,000	$ 0
Revolving Credit Facility [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity		1,000,000
3.75% Notes Due March 2023 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Current Portion of Long-Term Debt		$ 500,000
Long-term debt, interest rate		3.75%
7.395% Notes Due March 2023 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Current Portion of Long-Term Debt		$ 49,000
Long-term debt, interest rate		7.395%
Subsequent Event [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt to Capitalization Ratio Maximum Excluded Unrealized Gains or Losses on Other Derivative Financial Instruments in AOCI	$ 10,000
Restricted Stock Units [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Common stock issued		110,839
Performance Shares [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Common stock issued		265,607
Board Of Directors [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Common stock issued		15,479

Capitalization and Short-Term B

Capitalization and Short-Term Borrowings (Summary of Changes in Common Stock Equity) (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands		3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
		Mar. 31, 2022	Mar. 31, 2021	Mar. 31, 2022	Mar. 31, 2021
Schedule of Capitalization, Equity [Line Items]
Beginning balance (shares)				91,181,549
Beginning balance				$ 1,017,446
Balance at Beginning of Period		$ 1,281,963	$ 1,028,844	1,191,175	$ 991,630
Balance at Beginning of Period		(277,026)	(79,741)	(513,597)	(114,757)
Net Income Available for Common Stock		167,328	112,436	299,720	190,210
Dividends Declared on Common Stock		(41,608)	(40,562)	(83,212)	(81,122)
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax		$ (377,228)	(22,247)	$ (140,657)	12,769
Ending balance (shares)		91,449,226		91,449,226
Ending balance		$ 1,018,784		$ 1,018,784
Balance at March 31		1,407,683	1,100,718	1,407,683	1,100,718
Balance at End of Period		$ (654,254)	$ (101,988)	$ (654,254)	$ (101,988)
Dividends per share		$ 0.455	$ 0.445	$ 0.91	$ 0.89
Paid-in Capital [Member]
Schedule of Capitalization, Equity [Line Items]
Beginning balance		$ 1,013,821	$ 1,004,369	$ 1,017,446	$ 1,004,158
Share-Based Payment Expense	[1]	4,692	4,283	9,732	7,779
Common Stock Issued Under Stock and Benefit Plans		271	423
Stock Repurchased under Stock and Benefit Plans				(8,394)	(2,862)
Ending balance		1,018,784	1,009,075	1,018,784	1,009,075
Earnings Reinvested in The Business [Member]
Schedule of Capitalization, Equity [Line Items]
Balance at Beginning of Period		1,281,963	1,028,844	1,191,175	991,630
Net Income Available for Common Stock		167,328	112,436	299,720	190,210
Dividends Declared on Common Stock		(41,608)	(40,562)	(83,212)	(81,122)
Balance at March 31		1,407,683	1,100,718	1,407,683	1,100,718
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Member]
Schedule of Capitalization, Equity [Line Items]
Balance at Beginning of Period		(277,026)	(79,741)	(513,597)	(114,757)
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax		(377,228)	(22,247)	(140,657)	12,769
Balance at End of Period		$ (654,254)	$ (101,988)	$ (654,254)	$ (101,988)
Common Stock [Member]
Schedule of Capitalization, Equity [Line Items]
Beginning balance (shares)		91,437,000	91,153,000	91,182,000	90,955,000
Beginning balance (value)		$ 91,437	$ 91,153	$ 91,182	$ 90,955
Common Stock Issued Under Stock and Benefit Plans (Shares)		12,000	11,000	267,000	209,000
Common Stock Issued Under Stock and Benefit Plans		$ 12	$ 11	$ 267	$ 209
Ending balance (shares)		91,449,000	91,164,000	91,449,000	91,164,000
Ending balance (value)		$ 91,449	$ 91,164	$ 91,449	$ 91,164
[1]	Paid in Capital includes compensation costs associated with performance shares and/or restricted stock awards. The expense is included within Net Income Available For Common Stock, net of tax benefits.

Commitments And Contingencies (

Commitments And Contingencies (Details) $ in Millions	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2022USD ($)
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Estimated minimum liability for environmental remediation	$ 3.8
Rate recovery period	1 year
Project Costs	$ 55.8

Business Segment Information (N

Business Segment Information (Narrative) (Details)	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2022segment
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Number of reportable segments	4

Business Segment Information (F

Business Segment Information (Financial Segment Information By Segment) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2022	Mar. 31, 2021	Mar. 31, 2022	Mar. 31, 2021	Sep. 30, 2021
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue	$ 701,720	$ 551,115	$ 1,248,277	$ 992,275
Segment Profit: Net Income (Loss)	167,328	112,436	299,720	190,210
Segment Assets	7,805,023		7,805,023		$ 7,464,825
Revenue from External Customers [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue	701,720	551,115	1,248,277	992,275
Intersegment Revenues [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue	0	0	0	0
Exploration And Production [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue	261,593	220,187	505,791	411,582
Segment Profit: Net Income (Loss)	71,121	36,822	133,490	7,199
Segment Assets	2,535,426		2,535,426		2,286,058
Exploration And Production [Member] | Revenue from External Customers [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue	261,593	220,187	505,791	411,582
Exploration And Production [Member] | Intersegment Revenues [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue	0	0	0	0
Pipeline And Storage [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue	95,397	86,704	183,747	174,469
Segment Profit: Net Income (Loss)	25,470	24,928	50,637	49,112
Segment Assets	2,330,802		2,330,802		2,296,030
Pipeline And Storage [Member] | Revenue from External Customers [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue	67,795	59,314	129,342	118,623
Pipeline And Storage [Member] | Intersegment Revenues [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue	27,602	27,390	54,405	55,846
Gathering [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue	52,604	50,262	104,829	97,270
Segment Profit: Net Income (Loss)	22,092	20,700	45,229	41,250
Segment Assets	845,379		845,379		837,729
Gathering [Member] | Revenue from External Customers [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue	3,157	671	7,202	1,021
Gathering [Member] | Intersegment Revenues [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue	49,447	49,591	97,627	96,249
Utility [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue	369,202	270,881	605,960	459,881
Segment Profit: Net Income (Loss)	53,048	32,044	75,178	55,081
Segment Assets	2,247,733		2,247,733		2,148,267
Utility [Member] | Revenue from External Customers [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue	369,092	270,784	605,776	459,684
Utility [Member] | Intersegment Revenues [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue	110	97	184	197
Total Reportable Segments [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Segment Profit: Net Income (Loss)	171,731	114,494	304,534	152,642
Segment Assets	7,959,340		7,959,340		7,568,084
Total Reportable Segments [Member] | Revenue from External Customers [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue	701,637	550,956	1,248,111	990,910
Total Reportable Segments [Member] | Intersegment Revenues [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue	77,159	77,078	152,216	152,292
All Other [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue	0	65	6	1,195
Segment Profit: Net Income (Loss)	0	(983)	(7)	36,577
Segment Assets	235		235		4,146
All Other [Member] | Revenue from External Customers [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue	0	64	0	1,175
All Other [Member] | Intersegment Revenues [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue	0	1	6	20
Corporate And Intersegment Eliminations [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue	(77,076)	(76,984)	(152,056)	(152,122)
Segment Profit: Net Income (Loss)	(4,403)	(1,075)	(4,807)	991
Segment Assets	(154,552)		(154,552)		$ (107,405)
Corporate And Intersegment Eliminations [Member] | Revenue from External Customers [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue	83	95	166	190
Corporate And Intersegment Eliminations [Member] | Intersegment Revenues [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue	$ (77,159)	$ (77,079)	$ (152,222)	$ (152,312)

Retirement Plan And Other Pos_3

Retirement Plan And Other Post-Retirement Benefits (Narrative) (Details) $ in Millions	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2022USD ($)
Retirement Plan [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Company's contributions	$ 15
VEBA Trusts [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Company's contributions	1.6
Minimum [Member] | Retirement Plan [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Estimated future contributions in remainder of fiscal year	5
Minimum [Member] | VEBA Trusts [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Estimated future contributions in remainder of fiscal year	1
Maximum [Member] | Retirement Plan [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Estimated future contributions in remainder of fiscal year	10
Maximum [Member] | VEBA Trusts [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Estimated future contributions in remainder of fiscal year	$ 1.5

Retirement Plan And Other Pos_4

Retirement Plan And Other Post-Retirement Benefits (Components Of Net Periodic Benefit Cost) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
		Mar. 31, 2022	Mar. 31, 2021	Mar. 31, 2022	Mar. 31, 2021
Retirement Plan [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service Cost		$ 2,190	$ 2,466	$ 4,379	$ 4,932
Interest Cost		5,707	5,422	11,414	10,843
Expected Return on Plan Assets		(13,074)	(14,537)	(26,147)	(29,074)
Amortization of Prior Service Cost (Credit)		134	158	268	316
Amortization of (Gains) Losses		6,601	9,203	13,202	18,407
Net Amortization and Deferral for Regulatory Purposes (Including Volumetric Adjustments)	[1]	8,418	7,710	12,838	11,422
Net Periodic Benefit Cost (Income)		9,976	10,422	15,954	16,846
Other Post-Retirement Benefit Plans [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service Cost		332	400	664	801
Interest Cost		2,267	2,326	4,533	4,652
Expected Return on Plan Assets		(7,340)	(7,241)	(14,680)	(14,482)
Amortization of Prior Service Cost (Credit)		(107)	(107)	(214)	(214)
Amortization of (Gains) Losses		(1,903)	212	(3,805)	424
Net Amortization and Deferral for Regulatory Purposes (Including Volumetric Adjustments)	[1]	4,274	9,451	10,519	16,303
Net Periodic Benefit Cost (Income)		$ (2,477)	$ 5,041	$ (2,983)	$ 7,484
[1]	The Company’s policy is to record retirement plan and other post-retirement benefit costs in the Utility segment on a volumetric basis to reflect the fact that the Utility segment experiences higher throughput of natural gas in the winter months and lower throughput of natural gas in the summer months.

Regulatory Matters (Details)

Regulatory Matters (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2022	Mar. 31, 2021
Regulatory Matters [Line Items]
Reduction of Other Post-Retirement Regulatory Liability	$ (18,533)	$ 0
NEW YORK
Regulatory Matters [Line Items]
Approved Return on Equity	8.70%
PENNSYLVANIA
Regulatory Matters [Line Items]
Base Rate Reduction	$ (7,700)
Proposed Refund to Customers from Over-Collection of OPEB Expenses	50,000
Approved Refund to Customers from Over-Collection of OPEB Expenses	54,000
Reduction of Other Post-Retirement Regulatory Liability	$ (18,500)

Leases (Narrative) (Details)

Leases (Narrative) (Details) - Drilling Rigs [Member] - USD ($) $ in Millions	Mar. 31, 2022	Jan. 31, 2022	Dec. 31, 2021
Lessee, Lease, Description [Line Items]
Estimated Lease Payments		$ 11.9	$ 8.4
Deferred Charges [Member]
Lessee, Lease, Description [Line Items]
Operating Lease Asset	$ 16.4
Other Accruals and Current Liabilities [Member]
Lessee, Lease, Description [Line Items]
Operating Lease Liability - Current	14.2
Other Liabilities [Member]
Lessee, Lease, Description [Line Items]
Operating Lease Liability - Noncurrent	$ 2.2
Minimum [Member]
Lessee, Lease, Description [Line Items]
Lease Term	1 year

Subsequent Event (Details)

Subsequent Event (Details) - Subsequent Event [Member] $ in Millions	May 01, 2022USD ($)
Maximum Contingent Payments [Member]
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Expected Net Proceeds from Sale of Oil and Gas Producing Properties	$ 30
Minimum [Member]
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Expected Net Proceeds from Sale of Oil and Gas Producing Properties	280
Maximum [Member]
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Expected Net Proceeds from Sale of Oil and Gas Producing Properties	$ 310