Statements Of Cash Flows (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012		Sep. 30, 2011
Operating Activities
Net income (loss)	$ 13,960,049	$ 7,370,996		$ 8,493,912
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation, depletion and amortization	21,945,768	19,061,239		14,712,188
Impairment	530,670	826,508	[1]	1,728,162
Provision for deferred income taxes	4,767,000	1,802,000		1,878,000
Exploration costs	9,795	979,718		1,025,542
Gain from leasing fee mineral acreage	(936,701)	(7,146,299)		(352,642)
Net (gain) loss on sales of assets	(208,750)	(122,504)		2,112
Income from partnerships	(733,372)	(487,070)		(420,465)
Distributions received from partnerships	917,718	601,300		553,382
Common stock contributed to ESOP	308,450	326,942		303,843
Common stock (unissued) to Directors' Deferred Compensation Plan	377,520	417,347		443,456
Restricted stock awards	683,968	330,923		152,482
Cash provided (used) by changes in assets and liabilities:
Oil, NGL and natural gas sales receivables	(5,370,896)	461,539		251,598
Fair value of derivative contracts	(597,469)	388,211		1,404,386
Refundable income taxes	325,715	28,531		(354,246)
Refundable production taxes	294,881	85,926		(124,621)
Other current assets	73,508	(108,098)		317,370
Accounts payable	298,191	585,912		72,119
Other non-current asset		308
Income taxes payable	751,992			(922,136)
Accrued liabilities	4,072	(32,233)		119,487
Total adjustments	23,442,060	18,000,200		20,790,017
Net cash provided by operating activities	37,402,109	25,371,196		29,283,929
Investing Activities
Capital expenditures, including dry hole costs	(26,765,785)	(25,147,306)		(22,739,908)
Acquisition of working interest properties		(17,399,052)		(185,125)
Acquisition of minerals and overrides	(783,750)	(2,745,069)		(4,620,315)
Proceeds from leasing fee mineral acreage	1,023,368	7,265,808		389,807
Investments in partnerships	(724,118)	(481,904)		(46,213)
Proceeds from sales of assets	870,610	134,821		938
Excess tax benefit on stock-based compensation	15,000	83,742
Net cash used in investing activities	(26,364,675)	(38,288,960)		(27,200,816)
Financing Activities
Borrowings under debt agreement	11,569,652	43,475,443
Payments of loan principal	(18,182,381)	(28,600,458)
Purchases of treasury stock	(1,214,638)	(1,158,957)		(1,851,290)
Payments of dividends	(2,326,995)	(2,321,164)		(2,322,082)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	(10,154,362)	11,394,864		(4,173,372)
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	883,072	(1,522,900)		(2,090,259)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year	1,984,099	3,506,999		5,597,258
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year	2,867,171	1,984,099		3,506,999
Supplemental Disclosures of Cash Flow Information
Interest paid (net of capitalized interest)	157,558	127,970
Income taxes paid, net of refunds received	870,295	1,356,706		2,584,172
Supplemental schedule of noncash investing and financing activities:
Additions and revisions, net, to asset retirement obligations	161,065	279,075		113,506
Gross additions to properties and equipment	29,261,285	46,201,308		27,310,016
Net (increase) decrease in accounts payable for properties and equipment additions	(1,711,750)	(909,881)		235,332
Capital expenditures, including dry hole costs	$ 27,549,535	$ 45,291,427		$ 27,545,348

[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 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.