Condensed Statements Of Cash Flows (USD $)	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015		Mar. 31, 2014
Operating Activities
Net income (loss)	$ 10,937,968		$ 10,580,891
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation, depletion and amortization	11,950,609		10,247,853
Impairment	3,400,642	[1]	430,143	[1]
Provision for deferred income taxes	2,698,000		1,453,000
Exploration costs	28,457		63,184
Gain from leasing fee mineral acreage	(281,124)		(215,704)
Net (gain) loss on sales of assets			152,766
Income from partnerships	(288,187)		(435,402)
Distributions received from partnerships	395,852		547,028
Directors' deferred compensation expense	169,464		189,506
Restricted stock awards	531,243		262,174
Cash provided (used) by changes in assets and liabilities:
Oil, NGL and natural gas sales receivables	6,588,410		(3,384,957)
Fair value of derivative contracts	(8,588,328)		1,717,527
Refundable production taxes	26,625		264,048
Other current assets	26,579		(55,727)
Accounts payable	(41,635)		46,051
Income taxes payable	503,394		113,890
Accrued liabilities	(404,053)		(242,919)
Total adjustments	16,715,948		11,152,461
Net cash provided by operating activities	27,653,916		21,733,352
Investing Activities
Capital expenditures, including dry hole costs	(19,797,996)		(17,606,988)
Acquisition of working interest properties	(308,180)		(1,550,205)
Acquisition of minerals and overrides			(56,250)
Proceeds from leasing fee mineral acreage	286,844		237,733
Investments in partnerships	(208,312)		(201,898)
Proceeds from sales of assets			92,000
Net cash used in investing activities	(20,027,644)		(19,085,608)
Financing Activities
Borrowings under debt agreement	18,894,612		8,312,545
Payments of loan principal	(24,971,023)		(10,574,801)
Purchases of treasury stock	(120,611)		(122,044)
Payments of dividends	(1,333,023)		(1,330,215)
Excess tax benefit on stock-based compensation	(19,000)		16,000
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	(7,549,045)		(3,698,515)
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	77,227		(1,050,771)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	509,755		2,867,171
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	586,982		1,816,400
Supplemental Schedule of Noncash Investing and Financing Activities:
Additions to asset retirement obligations	32,728		84,786
Gross additions to properties and equipment	18,207,598		17,290,125
Net (increase) decrease in accounts payable for properties and equipment additions	1,898,578		1,923,318
Capital expenditures and acquisitions, including dry hole costs	$ 20,106,176		$ 19,213,443

[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.