Commitments and Contingencies (Details 2) (USD $)	12 Months Ended		12 Months Ended			1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2012	Jan. 14, 2011 Carry and Earning Agreement acre	Dec. 31, 2011 Bureau of Land Management	Dec. 31, 2011 Royalty payment disputes	Dec. 31, 2012 Other Royalty Disputes	Jul. 31, 2011 Cash Settlement Order of Violation from Colorado Oil and Gas Conservative Commission	Dec. 31, 2011 Cash Settlement Order of Violation from Colorado Oil and Gas Conservative Commission	Dec. 31, 2012 Mutually Acceptable Project Order of Violation from Colorado Oil and Gas Conservative Commission	Dec. 31, 2011 Mutually Acceptable Project Order of Violation from Colorado Oil and Gas Conservative Commission	Dec. 31, 2012 Recorded in Interest Expense in 2012 Royalty payment disputes	Dec. 31, 2011 Recorded in Operating Expense in 2011 Royalty payment disputes	Dec. 31, 2012 Recorded in Operating Expense in 2012 Royalty payment disputes
Commitments
Amount of penalty waived for each well not spud		$ 200,000
Number of acres within each tract party to the earning and carrying agreement		160
Construction expenditure otherwise payable by third party		4,500,000
Penalty payable as a percentage of difference between specified amount and actual expended (as a percent)		50.00%
Specified amount for penalty calculation		12,000,000
Period of potential debarment	3 years
Litigation settlement expense			2,100,000				100,000		73,000
Contractual Obligation, Contingent Construction Expense per January 2011 Amendment		9,000,000
Third Party Share of Construction Costs, Percentage		50.00%
Payments for Legal Settlements				4,100,000		100,000		73,000
Estimated Litigation Liability										700,000	1,300,000	2,100,000
Loss Contingency, Range of Possible Loss, Maximum					$ 3,900,000