Condensed Statements Of Cash Flows (USD $)	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014		Mar. 31, 2013
Operating Activities
Net income (loss)	$ 10,580,891		$ 3,170,785
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation, depletion and amortization	10,247,853		11,897,643
Impairment	430,143	[1]	218,441	[1]
Provision for deferred income taxes	1,453,000		957,000
Exploration costs	63,184		35,179
Gain from leasing fee mineral acreage	(215,704)		(514,326)
Net (gain) loss on sales of assets	152,766		(208,750)
Income from partnerships	(435,402)		(305,956)
Distributions received from partnerships	547,028		389,962
Increase in deferred directors' compensation charged to expense	189,506		201,211
Restricted stock awards	262,174		399,907
Cash provided (used) by changes in assets and liabilities:
Oil, NGL and natural gas sales receivables	(3,384,957)		(2,170,548)
Fair value of derivative contracts	1,717,527		1,087,443
Refundable production taxes	264,048		237,683
Other current assets	(55,727)		37,971
Accounts payable	46,051		426,487
Income taxes receivable			(117,886)
Income taxes payable	113,890
Accrued liabilities	(242,919)		(307,427)
Total adjustments	11,152,461		12,264,034
Net cash provided by operating activities	21,733,352		15,434,819
Investing Activities
Capital expenditures, including dry hole costs	(17,606,988)		(12,719,947)
Acquisition of working interest properties	(1,550,205)
Acquisition of minerals and overrides	(56,250)		(330,000)
Proceeds from leasing fee mineral acreage	237,733		527,570
Investments in partnerships	(201,898)		(418,891)
Proceeds from sales of assets	92,000		870,610
Net cash used in investing activities	(19,085,608)		(12,070,658)
Financing Activities
Borrowings under debt agreement	8,312,545		4,181,199
Payments of loan principal	(10,574,801)		(5,556,184)
Purchases of treasury stock	(122,044)		(507,345)
Payments of dividends	(1,330,215)		(1,164,178)
Excess tax benefit on stock-based compensation	16,000		15,000
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	(3,698,515)		(3,031,508)
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	(1,050,771)		332,653
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year	2,867,171		1,984,099
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year	1,816,400		2,316,752
Supplemental Disclosures of Cash Flow Information
Additions to asset retirement obligations	84,786		78,706
Supplemental schedule of noncash investing and financing activities:
Gross additions to properties and equipment	17,290,125		13,310,629
Net (increase) decrease in accounts payable for properties and equipment additions	1,923,318		(260,682)
Capital expenditures and acquisitions, including dry hole costs	$ 19,213,443		$ 13,049,947

[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.