TAXES (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Reconciliation of the statutory federal income tax [Abstract]
Income (loss) before income taxes	$ (56,540,526)	$ (5,906,190)
Income tax expense (benefit) computed at statutory rates	(19,223,779)	(2,008,105)
Permanent differences, nondeductible expenses	282,547	9,611
Current Colombian tax expense	216,923	10,266
Increase (decrease) in valuation allowance	22,026,880	755,159
Valuation allowance (decrease) related to carryback	(3,345,683)
Change in tax rate		55,795
Return to accrual items	0	0
Foreign tax credit	0	0
Other adjustment	260,035	0
State (net of federal benefit)	0	1,980
Tax provision (benefit)	216,923	(1,175,294)
Total Provision [Abstract]
Current Federal	(3,195,583)	20,211
Current State	0	3,000
Deferred Federal	3,195,583	(1,198,505)
Deferred State		0
Foreign	216,923	0
Tax provision (benefit)	216,923	(1,175,294)
Federal tax loss carry forward	112,964,068
Foreign tax credit carry forward	4,133,956
Non-Current Deferred tax assets [Abstract]
Net operating loss carry forwards	12,964,068	1,016,960
Foreign tax credit carry forwards	4,133,956	110,351
Deferred state tax	66,505	66,505
Stock compensation	3,000,568	2,312,689
Book in excess of tax depreciation, depletion, and capitalization methods on oil and gas properties	(271,419)	805,625
Other	(95,738)	(1,361)
Colombia future tax obligations	0	0
Total Non-Current Deferred tax assets	19,797,940	4,310,769
Non-Current Deferred tax liabilities [Abstract]
Total Non-Current tax liabilities	0	0
Valuation Allowance	(19,797,940)	(1,115,186)
Net deferred tax asset	0	3,195,583
Foreign Income Taxes [Member]
Income Tax Contingency [Line Items]
Colombia's current income tax rate (in hundredths)	33.00%
Colombian tax liability	$ 1,689,039