COMMITMENTS, CONTINGENCIES AND OTHER (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013 Employee Executive	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Water Rights Litigation Mt. Emmons Project [Abstract]
Period for proposal submission	6 years
401(K) Plan [Abstract]
Matching percentage on an employee's salary deferrals (in hundredths)	50.00%
Maximum matching on an employee's salary deferrals	$ 4,000
401 (k) expense	46,000	54,000	57,000
Assumptions [Line Items]
Number of executives included in the plan	2
Mandatory retirement age	70 years
Number of employees with agreements for payment of severance in event of change of control	1
Leases, Operating [Abstract]
Operating Leases, Minimum Payments Receivable, Monthly	8,000
Rental income under the agreements	96,000	170,000	101,000
Future minimum receipts for non-cancelable operating leases	101,000
Executive Officers [Member]
Assumptions [Line Items]
Shares authorized under the plan per each officer (in shares)	20,000
Shares issued under the plan (in shares)	30,000	60,000	75,000
Period used to compute supplemental retirement salary	5 years
Minimum years of service for eligibility in plan (in years)	15 years
Minimum age requirement	60 years
Value of executive retirement account funded	1,200,000
Compensation expense	99,000	80,000	72,000
Accrued liability for executive retirement	865,000	903,000	947,000
Surviving spouse of the former Chairman and Founder [Member]
Assumptions [Line Items]
Number of years salary to be paid under the plan	1 year
Percentage of final salary of wages to be paid in supplemental board approved plan	50.00%
Number of years the plan covers a portion of salary	4 years
Distributions paid	0	0	57,000
Former General Counsel [Member]
Assumptions [Line Items]
Annual payment	85,000
Former CFO/Treasurer/V.P. Finance [Member]
Assumptions [Line Items]
Distributions paid	$ 122,000	$ 122,000
Brigham Oil & Gas, LP [Member]
Gas and Oil Acreage [Line Items]
Working interest percentage (in hundredths)	47.20%
Dimmit Wood Properties Ltd [Member]
Gas and Oil Acreage [Line Items]
Working interest percentage (in hundredths)	30.00%
Gross acres acquired in acquisition (in acres)	800.77