BUSINESS SEGMENTS Business segments (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Segment Reporting Information, Revenue for Reportable Segment	$ 356,133	$ 395,960	$ 343,021
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations before Equity Method Investments, Income Taxes, Extraordinary Items, Noncontrolling Interest	(233,621)	2,895	6,690
Segment Reporting Information, Expenditures for Additions to Long-Lived Assets	659,952	480,390	320,774
Assets	1,826,848	1,698,005
Assets held for sale	0	148,249
Oil and Gas Properties [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Segment Reporting Information, Revenue for Reportable Segment	309,054	329,541	273,950
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations before Equity Method Investments, Income Taxes, Extraordinary Items, Noncontrolling Interest	(96,293)	106,832	84,387
Segment Reporting Information, Expenditures for Additions to Long-Lived Assets	656,443	479,027	319,268
Assets	1,723,011	1,461,130
Marketing [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Segment Reporting Information, Revenue for Reportable Segment	47,079	66,419	69,071
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations before Equity Method Investments, Income Taxes, Extraordinary Items, Noncontrolling Interest	528	954	1,063
Assets	11,090	14,713
Corporate and Other [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations before Equity Method Investments, Income Taxes, Extraordinary Items, Noncontrolling Interest	(137,856)	(104,891)	(78,760)
Segment Reporting Information, Expenditures for Additions to Long-Lived Assets	3,509	1,363	1,506
Assets	92,747	73,913
Assets Held-for-sale [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Assets held for sale	$ 0	$ 148,249

Total expenditures for additions to long-lived assets other than financial instruments, long-term customer relationships of a financial institution, mortgage and other servicing rights, deferred policy acquisition costs, and deferred tax assets of the reportable segment; if the amount: (a) is included in the determination of segment assets reviewed by the chief operating decision maker or (b) is otherwise regularly provided to the chief operating decision maker, even if not included in the determination of segment assets.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)

-Number 131

-Paragraph 28

-Subparagraph b

-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

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Sum of the carrying amounts as of the balance sheet date of all assets that are recognized. Assets are probable future economic benefits obtained or controlled by an entity as a result of past transactions or events.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 03

-Paragraph 12

-Article 7

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Concepts (CON)

-Number 6

-Paragraph 25

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-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 02

-Paragraph 18

-Article 5

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

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-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 210

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.18)

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Property, plant and equipment that is held for sale apart from normal operations and anticipated to be sold in less than one year.

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-Name Accounting Standards Codification

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-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6892542&loc=d3e1107-107759

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Sum of operating profit and nonoperating income or expense before Income or Loss from equity method investments, income taxes, extraordinary items, and noncontrolling interest.

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-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 235

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

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Amount of total revenue for the reportable segments, including revenue from external customers, transactions with other operating segments of the same entity, and (gross) interest revenue. All considered to be "operating revenue" for purposes of the taxonomy.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

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