Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (USD $)	10 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2009	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net loss	$ (29,911,381)	$ (18,829,224)	$ (19,739,033)
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash provided by operating activities:
Impairment of equipment	2,750,000	0	0
Impairment of evaluated properties	0	2,821,176	0
Debt inducement and warrant modification expense	0	2,800,000	2,953,450
Common stock issued for convertible note interest	0	559,873	0
Bad debt expense	0	0	400,000
Common stock for services and compensation	884,778	6,566,152	8,701,263
Fair value of warrants issued	3,329,106	0	0
Non-cash restructuring costs	17,500,000	0	0
Loss on aborted property acquisitions	5,075,000	0	0
Changes in the fair value of commodity price derivatives	0	(549,434)	398,840
Compensation expense recognized for assignment of overrides	0	0	1,578,080
Amortization of deferred financing costs	0	4,446,911	3,989,649
Change in fair value of convertible notes conversion derivative		(3,821,792)	0
Depreciation, depletion, and amortization and accretion of asset retirement obligation	0	4,347,117	5,036,648
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable	(100,000)	73,940	(757,554)
Restricted cash	(20,876)	218,376	(1,129,665)
Other assets	15,627	39,451	(34,066)
Accounts payable and other accrued expenses	96,507	757,207	2,361,082
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	(381,239)	(570,247)	3,758,694
Cash flows from investing activities:
Additions of evaluated properties and equipment (net of purchase price adjustment)	0	0	(25,580,793)
Acquisition of unevaluated properties	0	(9,433,073)	(18,560,412)
Drilling capital expenditures	0	(7,017,523)	(4,637,111)
Sale of unevaluated property interests	1,500,000	3,000,000	2,000,000
Sale of drilling rigs	0	0	100,000
Additions of office equipment	(750,470)	(83,727)	(55,767)
Proceeds from hedge settlement	0	226,203	0
Investment in operating bonds	(109,891)	(348)	(75,675)
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	639,639	(13,308,468)	(46,809,758)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from sale of common stock, units and exercise of warrants	500,000	2,129,870	28,132,727
Proceeds from debt	0	9,411,597	28,500,000
Common stock reacquired in attempted Church acquisition	(750,000)	0	0
Common stock issuable	100,000	0	(100,000)
Payment of debt	0	(483,774)	(8,061,319)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	(150,000)	11,057,693	48,471,408
Net increase in cash and cash equivalents	108,400	(2,821,022)	5,420,344
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period	0	5,528,744	108,400
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	108,400	2,707,722	5,528,744
Supplemental disclosure of non-cash investing and financing activities:
Cash paid for interest	0	3,201,312	2,655,131
Cash paid for income taxes	0	0	0
Non-cash transactions:
Purchase of rigs for note payable	3,250,000	0	0
Sale of property for receivable	0	1,443,852	0
Debt issuance cost	0	400,000	0
Purchase of properties for common stock	8,025,000	10,895,893	15,787,500
Stock and warrants issued for deferred financing costs	0	1,611,832	6,867,735
Stock and warrants issued for prepaid financial advisory fees	0	0	1,234,510
Stock and warrants issued for prepaid financial office rent	0	81,997	0
Default on note in property acquisition	(2,200,000)	0	0
Property additions for asset retirement obligation	0	61,469	479,238
Stock issued for payment on long-term debt	$ 0	$ 559,872	$ 0