COMMITMENTS, CONTINGENCIES AND OTHER (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Jan. 21, 2014 acre	May 07, 2014 acre
Water Rights Litigation Mt. Emmons Project [Abstract]
Period for proposal submission	6 years
Gas and Oil Acreage [Line Items]
Gross acres acquired in acquisition (in acres)				160
Working interest percentage (in hundredths)				50.00%
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	48,000	46,000	54,000
Assumptions [Line Items]
Health insurance pay period for executive and his spouse	18 months
Leases, Operating [Abstract]
Operating leases minimum payments receivable monthly	5,000
Rental income under the agreements	95,000	96,000	170,000
Future minimum receipts for non-cancelable operating leases	76,000
Executive Officers [Member]
Assumptions [Line Items]
Percentage of payment as received by executive under Retirement Plan conditions (in hundredths)	50.00%
Period used to compute supplemental retirement salary	5 years
Minimum years of service for eligibility in plan	15 years
Minimum age requirement	60 years
Value of executive retirement account funded	1,300,000
Compensation expense	599,000	99,000	80,000
Accrued liability for executive retirement	1,300,000	865,000	903,000
Shares authorized under the plan per each officer (in shares)		20,000
Shares issued under the plan (in shares)		30,000	60,000
Former CFO/Treasurer/V.P. Finance [Member]
Assumptions [Line Items]
Distributions paid	122,000	122,000	122,000
Former President/COO [Member]
Assumptions [Line Items]
Annual payment	$ 152,000
Dimmit Wood Properties Ltd [Member]
Gas and Oil Acreage [Line Items]
Gross acres acquired in acquisition (in acres)	800.77				12,100
Working interest percentage (in hundredths)	30.00%