CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING FINANCIAL INFORMATION (Details 3) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
Revenues:
Oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids sales	$ 118,028	$ 156,014	$ 352,856	$ 450,609
Interest and other	166	54	326	123
Equity earnings in subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
Total revenues	118,194	156,068	353,182	450,732
Costs, expenses, and other:
Lease operating expenses	19,245	27,426	59,616	82,167
Other production expenses	7,457	12,422	21,080	38,102
General and administrative	9,765	13,416	42,893	45,221
Depreciation, depletion, and amortization	43,973	73,845	136,320	213,802
Ceiling test write-down of oil and natural gas properties	0	329,957	0	713,750
Impairment of properties	0	79,529	0	79,529
Interest expense	29,519	36,223	95,039	103,932
Realized and unrealized losses (gains) on derivative instruments, net	5,533	22,795	(497)	(40,744)
Other, net	1,075	11,727	31,488	42,102
Total costs, expenses, and other	116,567	607,340	385,939	1,277,861
Earnings (loss) before income taxes	1,627	(451,272)	(32,757)	(827,129)
Income tax (benefit) expense	(587)	7,280	(462)	175,269
Net earnings (loss)	2,214	(458,552)	(32,295)	(1,002,398)
Comprehensive income (loss)	2,557	(458,367)	(31,265)	(1,001,840)
Parent Company
Revenues:
Oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids sales	89,584	119,588	274,245	326,209
Interest and other	239	1,694	595	3,381
Equity earnings in subsidiaries	12,871	(73,712)	31,179	(81,311)
Total revenues	102,694	47,570	306,019	248,279
Costs, expenses, and other:
Lease operating expenses	16,244	23,115	50,026	69,087
Other production expenses	7,633	12,546	21,027	36,937
General and administrative	9,193	12,341	40,886	42,300
Depreciation, depletion, and amortization	33,218	55,978	103,896	157,381
Ceiling test write-down of oil and natural gas properties	0	324,155	0	673,131
Impairment of properties	0	0	0	0
Interest expense	29,520	36,224	95,039	103,932
Realized and unrealized losses (gains) on derivative instruments, net	4,477	17,883	(392)	(33,044)
Other, net	1,044	8,692	28,719	35,259
Total costs, expenses, and other	101,329	490,934	339,201	1,084,983
Earnings (loss) before income taxes	1,365	(443,364)	(33,182)	(836,704)
Income tax (benefit) expense	(849)	15,188	(887)	165,694
Net earnings (loss)	2,214	(458,552)	(32,295)	(1,002,398)
Comprehensive income (loss)	2,557	(458,367)	(31,265)	(1,001,840)
Guarantor Subsidiary
Revenues:
Oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids sales	28,444	36,002	78,209	123,093
Interest and other	733	1,278	1,568	1,850
Equity earnings in subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
Total revenues	29,177	37,280	79,777	124,943
Costs, expenses, and other:
Lease operating expenses	3,001	4,195	9,502	12,774
Other production expenses	(176)	(165)	15	1,026
General and administrative	615	689	1,509	2,040
Depreciation, depletion, and amortization	10,197	17,433	30,605	55,116
Ceiling test write-down of oil and natural gas properties	0	0	0	0
Impairment of properties	0	0	0	0
Interest expense	(7)	706	61	894
Realized and unrealized losses (gains) on derivative instruments, net	1,048	4,848	(104)	(7,603)
Other, net	100	96	312	293
Total costs, expenses, and other	14,778	27,802	41,900	64,540
Earnings (loss) before income taxes	14,399	9,478	37,877	60,403
Income tax (benefit) expense	319	(842)	526	19,075
Net earnings (loss)	14,080	10,320	37,351	41,328
Comprehensive income (loss)	14,080	10,320	37,351	41,328
Combined Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries
Revenues:
Oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids sales	0	424	402	1,307
Interest and other	0	0	1	0
Equity earnings in subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
Total revenues	0	424	403	1,307
Costs, expenses, and other:
Lease operating expenses	0	116	88	306
Other production expenses	0	41	38	139
General and administrative	(43)	386	498	881
Depreciation, depletion, and amortization	558	434	1,819	1,305
Ceiling test write-down of oil and natural gas properties	0	5,802	0	40,619
Impairment of properties	0	79,529	0	79,529
Interest expense	812	2,211	1,777	4,214
Realized and unrealized losses (gains) on derivative instruments, net	8	64	(1)	(97)
Other, net	(69)	2,939	2,457	6,550
Total costs, expenses, and other	1,266	91,522	6,676	133,446
Earnings (loss) before income taxes	(1,266)	(91,098)	(6,273)	(132,139)
Income tax (benefit) expense	(57)	(7,066)	(101)	(9,500)
Net earnings (loss)	(1,209)	(84,032)	(6,172)	(122,639)
Comprehensive income (loss)	(1,209)	(84,032)	(6,172)	(122,639)
Eliminations
Revenues:
Oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids sales	0	0	0	0
Interest and other	(806)	(2,918)	(1,838)	(5,108)
Equity earnings in subsidiaries	(12,871)	73,712	(31,179)	81,311
Total revenues	(13,677)	70,794	(33,017)	76,203
Costs, expenses, and other:
Lease operating expenses	0	0	0	0
Other production expenses	0	0	0	0
General and administrative	0	0	0	0
Depreciation, depletion, and amortization	0	0	0	0
Ceiling test write-down of oil and natural gas properties	0	0	0	0
Impairment of properties	0	0	0	0
Interest expense	(806)	(2,918)	(1,838)	(5,108)
Realized and unrealized losses (gains) on derivative instruments, net	0	0	0	0
Other, net	0	0	0	0
Total costs, expenses, and other	(806)	(2,918)	(1,838)	(5,108)
Earnings (loss) before income taxes	(12,871)	73,712	(31,179)	81,311
Income tax (benefit) expense	0	0	0	0
Net earnings (loss)	(12,871)	73,712	(31,179)	81,311
Comprehensive income (loss)	$ (12,871)	$ 73,712	$ (31,179)	$ 81,311