Condensed Statements Of Cash Flows - USD ($)		9 Months Ended
		Jun. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2015
Operating Activities
Net income (loss)		$ (11,024,074)	$ 10,209,022
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation, depletion and amortization		18,963,017	17,680,069
Impairment	[1]	11,849,064	3,532,760
Provision for deferred income taxes		(10,344,000)	2,854,000
Exploration costs		30,106	48,368
Gain from leasing fee mineral acreage		(7,187,377)	(1,973,773)
Net (gain) loss on sales of assets		(271,080)
Income from partnerships		(8,996)	(373,555)
Distributions received from partnerships		33,201	535,400
Directors' deferred compensation expense		247,835	232,088
Restricted stock awards		644,783	740,043
Bad debt expense (recovery)		19,216
Cash provided (used) by changes in assets and liabilities:
Oil, NGL and natural gas sales receivables		3,472,291	6,771,690
Fair value of derivative contracts		5,901,280	(3,500,264)
Refundable production taxes		476,001	40,035
Other current assets		69,237	158,431
Accounts payable		(698,593)	148,384
Income taxes receivable		345,897
Income taxes payable		659,319	518,003
Accrued liabilities		(118,403)	(272,899)
Total adjustments		24,082,798	27,138,780
Net cash provided by operating activities		13,058,724	37,347,802
Investing Activities
Capital expenditures, including dry hole costs		(3,359,518)	(23,613,349)
Acquisition of working interest properties			(308,180)
Proceeds from leasing fee mineral acreage		7,494,570	2,018,707
Investments in partnerships		50,126	(313,053)
Proceeds from sales of assets		627,547
Net cash provided (used) by investing activities		4,812,725	(22,215,875)
Financing Activities
Borrowings under debt agreement		8,560,234	23,013,234
Payments of loan principal		(24,360,234)	(35,513,234)
Purchases of treasury stock		(117,165)	(242,313)
Payments of dividends		(2,007,658)	(2,001,150)
Excess tax benefit on stock-based compensation		(44,000)	27,000
Net cash provided (used) by financing activities		(17,968,823)	(14,716,463)
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents		(97,374)	415,464
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period		603,915	509,755
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period		506,541	925,219
Supplemental Schedule of Noncash Investing and Financing Activities:
Additions to asset retirement obligations		8,156	52,017
Gross additions to properties and equipment		3,529,104	22,686,530
Net (increase) decrease in accounts payable for properties and equipment additions		(169,586)	1,234,999
Capital expenditures and acquisitions, including dry hole costs		$ 3,359,518	$ 23,921,529

[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.