Statements Of Cash Flows (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014		Sep. 30, 2013		Sep. 30, 2012
Operating Activities
Net income (loss)	$ 25,001,462		$ 13,960,049		$ 7,370,996
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation, depletion and amortization	21,896,902		21,945,768		19,061,239
Impairment	1,096,076	[1]	530,670	[1]	826,508
Provision for deferred income taxes	6,610,000		4,767,000		1,802,000
Exploration costs	86,017		9,795		979,718
Gain from leasing fee mineral acreage	(422,818)		(936,701)		(7,146,299)
Net (gain) loss on sales of assets	149,062		(208,750)		(122,504)
Income from partnerships	(893,954)		(733,372)		(487,070)
Distributions received from partnerships	1,129,324		917,718		601,300
Common stock contributed to ESOP	341,125		308,450		326,942
Common stock (unissued) to Directors' Deferred Compensation Plan	353,825		377,520		417,347
Restricted stock awards	659,320		683,968		330,923
Cash provided (used) by changes in assets and liabilities:
Oil, NGL and natural gas sales receivables	(2,506,708)		(5,370,896)		461,539
Fair value of derivative contracts	(1,476,644)		(597,469)		388,211
Refundable income taxes			325,715		28,531
Refundable production taxes	576,537		294,881		85,926
Other current assets	(224,830)		73,508		(108,098)
Accounts payable	252,860		298,191		585,912
Other non-current assets					308
Income taxes payable	(284,149)		751,992
Accrued liabilities	279,195		4,072		(32,233)
Total adjustments	27,621,140		23,442,060		18,000,200
Net cash provided by operating activities	52,622,602		37,402,109		25,371,196
Investing Activities
Capital expenditures, including dry hole costs	(38,612,788)		(26,765,785)		(25,147,306)
Acquisition of working interest properties	(83,253,952)				(17,399,052)
Acquisition of minerals and overrides	(56,250)		(783,750)		(2,745,069)
Proceeds from leasing fee mineral acreage	477,144		1,023,368		7,265,808
Investments in partnerships	(597,149)		(724,118)		(481,904)
Proceeds from sales of assets	92,000		870,610		134,821
Net cash used in investing activities	(121,950,995)		(26,379,675)		(38,372,702)
Financing Activities
Borrowings under debt agreement	99,846,333		11,569,652		43,475,443
Payments of loan principal	(30,108,589)		(18,182,381)		(28,600,458)
Purchases of treasury stock	(122,044)		(1,214,638)		(1,158,957)
Payments of dividends	(2,661,723)		(2,326,995)		(2,321,164)
Excess tax benefit on stock-based compensation	17,000		15,000		83,742
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	66,970,977		(10,139,362)		11,478,606
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	(2,357,416)		883,072		(1,522,900)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year	2,867,171		1,984,099		3,506,999
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year	509,755		2,867,171		1,984,099
Supplemental Disclosures of Cash Flow Information
Interest paid (net of capitalized interest)	380,451		157,558		127,970
Income taxes paid, net of refunds received	5,477,147		870,295		1,356,706
Supplemental schedule of noncash investing and financing activities:
Additions and revisions, net, to asset retirement obligations	225,453		161,065		279,075
Gross additions to properties and equipment	120,284,639		29,261,285		46,201,308
Net (increase) decrease in accounts payable for properties and equipment additions	1,638,351		(1,711,750)		(909,881)
Capital expenditures, including dry hole costs	$ 121,922,990		$ 27,549,535		$ 45,291,427

[1] At the end of each quarter, the Company assessed the carrying value of its producing properties for impairment. This assessment utilized estimates of future cash flows. Significant judgments and assumptions in these assessments include estimates of future oil, NGL 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.