Condensed Statements Of Cash Flows (USD $)	9 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2014		Jun. 30, 2013
Operating Activities
Net income (loss)	$ 15,703,476		$ 8,240,953
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation, depletion and amortization	15,562,630		17,090,187
Impairment	430,143	[1]	225,841	[1]
Provision for deferred income taxes	5,964,000		2,651,000
Exploration costs	70,140		60,827
Gain from leasing fee mineral acreage	(352,930)		(538,133)
Net (gain) loss on sales of assets	152,766		(208,750)
Income from partnerships	(565,523)		(470,286)
Distributions received from partnerships	734,825		603,249
Directors' deferred compensation expense	269,608		288,759
Restricted stock awards	499,791		541,937
Cash provided (used) by changes in assets and liabilities:
Oil, NGL and natural gas sales receivables	(1,349,892)		(3,885,005)
Fair value of derivative contracts	2,431,427		(987,249)
Refundable production taxes	281,741		253,048
Other current assets	(25,098)		78,889
Accounts payable	443,438		(48,038)
Income taxes receivable	(3,160,243)		325,715
Income taxes payable	(751,992)		50,854
Accrued liabilities	100,229		(80,584)
Total adjustments	20,735,060		15,952,261
Net cash provided by operating activities	36,438,536		24,193,214
Investing Activities
Capital expenditures, including dry hole costs	(26,693,851)		(20,576,359)
Acquisition of working interest properties	(86,759,445)
Acquisition of minerals and overrides	(56,250)		(783,750)
Proceeds from leasing fee mineral acreage	381,280		557,196
Investments in partnerships	(248,066)		(607,702)
Proceeds from sales of assets	92,000		870,610
Net cash used in investing activities	(113,284,332)		(20,540,005)
Financing Activities
Borrowings under debt agreement	95,112,044		9,353,651
Payments of loan principal	(17,521,506)		(10,663,399)
Purchases of treasury stock	(122,044)		(1,214,638)
Payments of dividends	(1,995,812)		(1,746,217)
Excess tax benefit on stock-based compensation	17,000		15,000
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	75,489,682		(4,255,603)
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	(1,356,114)		(602,394)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	2,867,171		1,984,099
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	1,511,057		1,381,705
Supplemental Schedule of Noncash Investing and Financing Activities:
Additions to asset retirement obligations	370,536		119,166
Gross additions to properties and equipment	109,182,119		21,660,852
Net (increase) decrease in accounts payable for properties and equipment additions	4,327,427		(300,743)
Capital expenditures and acquisitions, including dry hole costs	$ 113,509,546		$ 21,360,109

[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.