Condensed Statements of Cash Flows (Unaudited) (USD $)	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2012	Mar. 31, 2011
Operating Activities
Net income	$ 4,088,076	$ 3,199,102
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation, depletion and amortization	9,083,374	7,066,196
Impairment	580,809	828,019
Provision for deferred income taxes	358,743	467,000
Exploration costs	355,058	577,457
Net (gain) loss on sale of assets	(2,042,337)	(139,955)
Income from partnerships	(240,317)	(110,316)
Distributions received from partnerships	290,861	175,813
Directors' deferred compensation expense	216,724	235,950
Restricted stock awards	148,793	58,846
Cash provided by changes in assets and liabilities:
Oil and natural gas sales receivables	1,861,278	965,987
Fair value of derivative contracts	(93,718)	1,498,523
Refundable production taxes	72,573	57,958
Other current assets	(48,078)	261,954
Accounts payable	100,827	325,408
Income taxes receivable	354,246	(758,332)
Other non-current assets	308
Income taxes payable	283,863	(922,136)
Accrued liabilities	(309,323)	(206,139)
Total adjustments	10,973,684	10,382,233
Net cash provided by operating activities	15,061,760	13,581,335
Investing Activities
Capital expenditures, including dry hole costs	(12,074,991)	(11,065,925)
Acquisition of working interest properties	(17,399,052)
Acquisition of minerals and overrides	(1,443,893)
Proceeds from leasing of fee mineral acreage	1,978,410	155,908
Investments in partnerships	(206,376)	46,809
Proceeds from sales of assets	131,693	938
Excess tax benefit on stock-based compensation	75,257
Net cash used in investing activities	(28,938,952)	(10,862,270)
Financing Activities
Borrowings under debt agreement	32,458,470
Payments of loan principal	(18,648,969)
Purchase of treasury stock	(1,158,957)	(1,264,965)
Payments of dividends	(1,160,675)	(1,163,329)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	11,489,869	(2,428,294)
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	(2,387,323)	290,771
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	3,506,999	5,597,258
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	1,119,676	5,888,029
Supplemental Schedule of Noncash Investing and Financing Activities
Additions to asset retirement obligations	35,816	13,380
Gross additions to properties and equipment	29,559,055	9,704,758
Net (increase) decrease in accounts payable for properties and equipment additions	1,358,881	1,361,167
Capital expenditures and acquisitions, including dry hole costs	$ 30,917,936	$ 11,065,925