Condensed Statements of Cash Flows (Unaudited) (USD $)	9 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2012	Jun. 30, 2011
Operating Activities
Net income	$ 7,188,375	$ 5,849,531
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation, depletion and amortization	13,680,737	10,782,656
Assessment of impairment	786,724	830,946
Provision for deferred income taxes	1,261,257	1,348,000
Exploration costs	384,199	995,512
Net (gain) loss on sale of assets and lease bonuses	(7,049,445)	(223,587)
Income from partnerships	(355,898)	(179,910)
Distributions received from partnerships	436,489	278,865
Directors' deferred compensation expense	314,655	330,332
Restricted stock awards	239,858	105,664
Cash provided by changes in assets and liabilities:
Oil and natural gas sales receivables	2,645,853	653,278
Fair value of derivative contracts	46,468	1,348,877
Refundable production taxes	78,978	(40,806)
Other current assets	13,727	334,933
Accounts payable	374,076	36,593
Income taxes receivable	354,246	(878,860)
Other non-current assets	308
Income taxes payable	690,951	(922,136)
Accrued liabilities	(104,279)	41,801
Total adjustments	13,798,904	14,842,158
Net cash provided by operating activities	20,987,279	20,691,689
Investing Activities
Capital expenditures, including dry hole costs	(16,026,416)	(17,059,135)
Acquisition of working interest properties	(17,399,052)
Acquisition of minerals and overrides	(2,625,569)	(299,755)
Proceeds from leasing of fee mineral acreage	7,042,364	256,583
Investments in partnerships	(321,640)	29,912
Proceeds from sales of assets	131,843	938
Excess tax benefit on stock-based compensation	83,743
Net cash used in investing activities	(29,114,727)	(17,071,457)
Financing Activities
Borrowings under debt agreement	33,385,738
Payments of loan principal	(25,385,738)
Purchase of treasury stock	(1,158,957)	(1,851,290)
Payments of dividends	(1,740,920)	(1,743,075)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	5,100,123	(3,594,365)
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	(3,027,325)	25,867
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	3,506,999	5,597,258
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	479,674	5,623,125
Supplemental Schedule of Noncash Investing and Financing Activities
Additions to asset retirement obligations	45,702	20,569
Gross additions to properties and equipment	35,945,287	17,818,134
Net (increase) decrease in accounts payable for properties and equipment additions	105,750	(459,244)
Capital expenditures and acquisitions, including dry hole costs	$ 36,051,037	$ 17,358,890