Condensed Statements Of Cash Flows (USD $)	3 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Operating Activities
Net income (loss)	$ 4,926,318	$ 2,148,298
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation, depletion and amortization	5,308,019	5,639,020
Impairment	202,991	154,965	[1]
Provision for deferred income taxes	326,000	338,000
Exploration costs	38,755	19,767
Gain from leasing fee mineral acreage	(196,133)	(373,440)
Income from partnerships	(224,346)	(154,396)
Distributions received from partnerships	279,363	194,147
Increase in deferred directors' compensation charged to expense	114,069	114,164
Restricted stock awards	127,976	257,877
Cash provided (used) by changes in assets and liabilities:
Oil, NGL and natural gas sales receivables	(956,975)	115,645
Fair value of derivative contracts	891,970	(936,914)
Refundable production taxes	53,824	212,834
Other current assets	(35,813)	47,528
Accounts payable	414,267	(361,777)
Income taxes receivable		319,735
Income taxes payable	1,088,350
Accrued liabilities	(472,288)	(577,210)
Total adjustments	6,960,029	5,009,945
Net cash provided by operating activities	11,886,347	7,158,243
Investing Activities
Capital expenditures, including dry hole costs	(9,892,262)	(6,864,399)
Acquisition of working interest properties	(1,550,205)
Acquisition of minerals and overrides	(56,250)	(330,000)
Proceeds from leasing fee mineral acreage	216,773	384,790
Investments in partnerships	(143,695)	(243,519)
Net cash used in investing activities	(11,425,639)	(7,053,128)
Financing Activities
Borrowings under debt agreement	2,280,280	4,171,662
Payments of loan principal	(4,542,536)	(4,591,890)
Purchases of treasury stock	(122,044)	(116,632)
Payments of dividends	(664,618)	(580,991)
Excess tax benefit on stock-based compensation	16,000	15,000
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	(3,032,918)	(1,102,851)
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	(2,572,210)	(997,736)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year	2,867,171	1,984,099
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year	294,961	986,363
Supplemental Disclosures of Cash Flow Information
Dividends declared and unpaid	663,654	583,438
Additions to asset retirement obligations	53,653	42,156
Supplemental schedule of noncash investing and financing activities:
Gross additions to properties and equipment	9,843,214	5,218,194
Net (increase) decrease in accounts payable for properties and equipment additions	1,655,503	1,976,205
Capital expenditures and acquisitions, including dry hole costs	$ 11,498,717	$ 7,194,399

[1] At the end of each quarter, the Company assesses the carrying value of its producing properties for impairment. This assessment utilizes estimates of future cash flows. Significant judgments and assumptions in these assessments include estimates of future oil and natural gas prices using a forward NYMEX curve adjusted for locational basis differentials, drilling plans, expected capital costs and an applicable discount rate commensurate with risk of the underlying cash flow estimates. These assessments identified certain properties with carrying value in excess of their calculated fair values.