PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT AND ASSET RETIREMENT OBLIGATION (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2015
Property and equipment
Gross Property and Equipment	$ 76,868	$ 75,953
Accumulated Depletion, Depreciation, and Amortization	(69,966)	(66,485)
Net Property and Equipment	6,902	9,468
Change in the asset retirement obligation
Balance at the beginning of the year	6,936	9,163
Obligations incurred on new wells drilled or acquired	167	316
Liabilities associated with properties sold	0	(2,013)
Revision of estimated obligation	(68)	918
Accretion expense	464	632
Payments	(459)	(655)
Foreign currency translation adjustment	154	(1,425)
Balance at the end of the year	7,194	6,936
Less current portion	(1,017)	(506)
Asset retirement obligation, long-term	6,177	6,430
Land
Property and equipment
Gross Property and Equipment	365	863
Net Property and Equipment	365	863
Oil and natural gas properties
Property and equipment
Gross Property and Equipment	66,265	63,105
Accumulated Depletion, Depreciation, and Amortization	(61,060)	(57,460)
Net Property and Equipment	5,205	5,645
Drilling rigs and equipment
Property and equipment
Gross Property and Equipment	6,379	6,598
Accumulated Depletion, Depreciation, and Amortization	(5,770)	(5,825)
Net Property and Equipment	$ 609	$ 773
Drilling rigs and equipment \| Minimum
Property and equipment
Estimated useful lives	3 years	3 years
Drilling rigs and equipment \| Maximum
Property and equipment
Estimated useful lives	10 years	10 years
Offices
Property and equipment
Estimated useful lives	40 years	40 years
Gross Property and Equipment	$ 857	$ 2,420
Accumulated Depletion, Depreciation, and Amortization	(274)	(445)
Net Property and Equipment	583	1,975
Other property and equipment
Property and equipment
Gross Property and Equipment	3,002	2,967
Accumulated Depletion, Depreciation, and Amortization	(2,862)	(2,755)
Net Property and Equipment	$ 140	$ 212
Other property and equipment \| Minimum
Property and equipment
Estimated useful lives	3 years	3 years
Other property and equipment \| Maximum
Property and equipment
Estimated useful lives	17 years	17 years

Amount of asset retirement obligations divested during the period.

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Amount of accumulated depreciation, depletion and amortization for physical assets used in the normal conduct of business to produce goods and services.

+ References

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-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
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The carrying amount of a liability for an asset retirement obligation. An asset retirement obligation is a legal obligation associated with the disposal or retirement of a tangible long-lived asset that results from the acquisition, construction or development, or the normal operations of a long-lived asset, except for certain obligations of lessees.

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Amount of accretion expense recognized during the period that is associated with an asset retirement obligation. Accretion expense measures and incorporates changes due to the passage of time into the carrying amount of the liability.

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Current portion of the carrying amount of a liability for an asset retirement obligation. An asset retirement obligation is a legal obligation associated with the disposal or retirement of a tangible long-lived asset that results from the acquisition, construction or development, or the normal operations of a long-lived asset, except for certain obligations of lessees.

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Amount of foreign currency translation gain (loss) which decreases (increases) asset retirement obligations.

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Amount of asset retirement obligations incurred during the period.

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Amount of asset retirement obligations settled, or otherwise disposed of, during the period. This may include asset retirement obligations transferred to third parties associated with the sale of a long-lived asset.

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Amount of increase (decrease) in the asset retirement obligation from changes in the amount or timing of the estimated cash flows associated with the settlement of the obligation.

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A roll forward is a reconciliation of a concept from the beginning of a period to the end of a period.

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Noncurrent portion of the carrying amount of a liability for an asset retirement obligation. An asset retirement obligation is a legal obligation associated with the disposal or retirement of a tangible long-lived asset that results from the acquisition, construction or development, or the normal operations of a long-lived asset, except for certain obligations of lessees.

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Amount before accumulated depreciation, depletion and amortization of physical assets used in the normal conduct of business and not intended for resale. Examples include, but are not limited to, land, buildings, machinery and equipment, office equipment, and furniture and fixtures.

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Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

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Amount after accumulated depreciation, depletion and amortization of physical assets used in the normal conduct of business to produce goods and services and not intended for resale. Examples include, but are not limited to, land, buildings, machinery and equipment, office equipment, and furniture and fixtures.

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Useful life of long lived, physical assets used in the normal conduct of business and not intended for resale, in 'PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents the reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days. Examples include, but not limited to, land, buildings, machinery and equipment, office equipment, furniture and fixtures, and computer equipment.

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