COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES (Details) (USD $)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2012 item	Sep. 30, 2011
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
Rent expense	$ 2,200,000	$ 1,000,000
Approximate future minimum lease payments for all non-cancelable operating leases
2012	1,567,000
2013	6,226,000
2014	5,306,000
2015	5,160,000
2016 and thereafter	23,196,000
Total	41,455,000
Obligation under non-cancelable contracts for drilling rigs and related equipment for the company's drilling operations
2012	22,061,000
2013	20,858,000
2014	10,038,000
2015	4,978,000
Total	57,935,000
Non-cancelable termination penalties	38,500,000
Non-cancelable purchase commitments for pipe, storage tanks and production equipment	$ 5,900,000
Number of long-term natural gas sales contracts to which the entity is committed	1
Number of purchasers to whom the entity has committed substantially all of the natural gas production for the life of its leases	1