Condensed Statements of Cash Flows (Unaudited) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Operating Activities
Net income	$ 3,412,110	$ 1,426,849
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation, depletion and amortization	4,142,413	3,434,811
Impairment	363,547
Provision for deferred income taxes	231,000	339,000
Exploration costs	313,370	287,104
Net (gain) loss on sale of assets	(1,871,861)	(111,478)
Income from partnerships	(126,944)	(78,048)
Distributions received from partnerships	150,404	110,743
Directors' deferred compensation expense	119,876	141,313
Restricted stock awards	57,729	12,028
Cash provided by changes in assets and liabilities:
Oil and natural gas sales receivables	338,124	2,138,525
Fair value of derivative contracts	536,014	1,597,939
Refundable production taxes	65,919	159,708
Other current assets	(40,662)	240,951
Accounts payable	(95,148)	83,242
Income taxes receivable	354,246
Other non-current assets	308
Income taxes payable	264,786	(725,070)
Accrued liabilities	(469,579)	(477,953)
Total adjustments	4,333,542	7,152,815
Net cash provided by operating activities	7,745,652	8,579,664
Investing Activities
Capital expenditures, including dry hole costs	(6,344,006)	(6,570,808)
Acquisition of working interest properties	(17,399,052)
Acquisition of minerals and overrides	(1,384,897)
Proceeds from leasing of fee mineral acreage	1,802,892	122,678
Investments in partnerships	(63,242)	50,936
Proceeds from sales of assets	128,925	938
Net cash used in investing activities	(23,259,380)	(6,396,256)
Financing Activities
Borrowings under debt agreement	25,726,136
Payments of loan principal	(11,203,765)
Purchase of treasury stock		(576,813)
Payments of dividends	(579,756)	(581,675)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	13,942,615	(1,158,488)
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	(1,571,113)	1,024,920
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	3,506,999	5,597,258
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	1,935,886	6,622,178
Supplemental Schedule of Noncash Investing and Financing Activities
Dividends declared and unpaid	581,319	581,654
Additions to asset retirement obligations	16,246	3,436
Gross additions to properties and equipment	23,483,505	5,092,496
Net (increase) decrease in accounts payable for properties and equipment additions	1,644,450	1,478,312
Capital expenditures and acquisitions, including dry hole costs	$ 25,127,955	$ 6,570,808