Statements Of Cash Flows - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2015		Sep. 30, 2014		Sep. 30, 2013
Operating Activities
Net income (loss)	$ 9,321,341		$ 25,001,462		$ 13,960,049
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation, depletion and amortization	23,821,139		21,896,902		21,945,768
Impairment	5,009,191	[1]	1,096,076	[1]	530,670
Provision for deferred income taxes	2,672,000		6,610,000		4,767,000
Exploration costs	48,404		86,017		9,795
Gain from leasing fee mineral acreage	(2,007,993)		(422,818)		(936,701)
Net (gain) loss on sales of assets			149,062		(208,750)
Income from partnerships	(515,278)		(893,954)		(733,372)
Distributions received from partnerships	736,280		1,129,324		917,718
Common stock contributed to ESOP	185,113		341,125		308,450
Common stock (unissued) to Directors' Deferred Compensation Plan	302,353		353,825		377,520
Restricted stock awards	895,127		659,320		683,968
Bad debt expense (recovery)	180,499		0
Cash provided (used) by changes in assets and liabilities:
Oil, NGL and natural gas sales receivables	8,151,379		(2,506,708)		(5,370,896)
Fair value of derivative contracts	(2,308,922)		(1,476,644)		(597,469)
Refundable income taxes	(345,897)				325,715
Refundable production taxes	149,995		576,537		294,881
Other current assets	102,812		(224,830)		73,508
Accounts payable	(343,186)		252,860		298,191
Income taxes payable	(523,843)		(284,149)		751,992
Accrued liabilities	40,500		279,195		4,072
Total adjustments	36,249,673		27,621,140		23,442,060
Net cash provided by operating activities	45,571,014		52,622,602		37,402,109
Investing Activities
Capital expenditures, including dry hole costs	(30,800,625)		(38,612,788)		(26,765,785)
Acquisition of working interest properties	(308,180)		(83,253,952)
Acquisition of minerals and overrides			(56,250)		(783,750)
Proceeds from leasing fee mineral acreage	2,053,900		477,144		1,023,368
Investments in partnerships	(533,580)		(597,149)		(724,118)
Proceeds from sales of assets			92,000		870,610
Net cash used in investing activities	(29,588,485)		(121,950,995)		(26,379,675)
Financing Activities
Borrowings under debt agreement	25,833,116		99,846,333		11,569,652
Payments of loan principal	(38,833,116)		(30,108,589)		(18,182,381)
Purchases of treasury stock	(242,313)		(122,044)		(1,214,638)
Payments of dividends	(2,669,056)		(2,661,723)		(2,326,995)
Excess tax benefit on stock-based compensation	23,000		17,000		15,000
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	(15,888,369)		66,970,977		(10,139,362)
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	94,160		(2,357,416)		883,072
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year	509,755		2,867,171		1,984,099
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year	603,915		509,755		2,867,171
Supplemental Disclosures of Cash Flow Information
Interest paid (net of capitalized interest)	1,558,885		380,451		157,558
Income taxes paid, net of refunds received	3,009,939		5,477,147		870,295
Supplemental schedule of noncash investing and financing activities:
Additions and revisions, net, to asset retirement obligations	70,529		225,453		161,065
Gross additions to properties and equipment	26,183,115		120,284,639		29,261,285
Net (increase) decrease in accounts payable for properties and equipment additions	4,925,690		1,638,351		(1,711,750)
Capital expenditures, including dry hole costs	$ 31,108,805		$ 121,922,990		$ 27,549,535

[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 projected inflation, 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.