- Definition

The capitalized costs incurred during the period (excluded from amortization) in identifying areas that may warrant examination and in examining specific areas that are considered to have prospects of containing oil and gas reserves, including costs of drilling exploratory wells and exploratory-type stratigraphic test wells. Exploration costs may be incurred both before acquiring the related property (sometimes referred to in part as prospecting costs) and after acquiring the property. Principal types of exploration costs, which include depreciation and applicable operating costs of support equipment and facilities and other costs of exploration activities, are: costs of topographical, geographical and geophysical studies, rights of access to properties to conduct those studies, and salaries and other expenses of geologists, geophysical crews, and others conducting those studies. Collectively, these are sometimes referred to as geological and geophysical or "G&G" costs. Exploration costs also include costs of carrying and retaining undeveloped properties, such as delay rentals, ad valorem taxes on properties, legal costs for title defense, the maintenance of land and lease records, dry hole contributions and bottom hole contributions, costs of drilling and equipping exploratory wells and costs of drilling exploratory-type stratigraphic test wells.

+ References + Details

Supplementary Information For Oil And Gas Producing Activities (Summary Of Capitalized Costs Of Unproved Properties Excluded From Amortization) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014
Capitalized Costs of Unproved Properties Excluded from Amortization [Line Items]
Acquisition Costs	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0
Development Costs	4,388	6,707	416
Exploration Costs	2,376	7,593	3,419
Capitalized Interest	235	149	88
Capitalized Costs of Unproved Properties Excluded from Amortization, Total	6,999	$ 14,449	$ 3,923
Capitalized Costs Of Unproved Properties Cumulative Balance [Member]
Capitalized Costs of Unproved Properties Excluded from Amortization [Line Items]
Acquisition Costs	55,193
Development Costs	11,879
Exploration Costs	13,388
Capitalized Interest	472
Capitalized Costs of Unproved Properties Excluded from Amortization, Total	$ 80,932
Costs Incurred Prior To Fiscal 2015 [Member]
Capitalized Costs of Unproved Properties Excluded from Amortization [Line Items]
Acquisition Costs				$ 55,193
Development Costs				368
Exploration Costs				0
Capitalized Interest				0
Capitalized Costs of Unproved Properties Excluded from Amortization, Total				$ 55,561