Acquisition and Development Agreement	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2012
Acquisition and Development Agreement [Abstract]
Acquisition and Development Agreement	Note 12 - Acquisition and Development Agreement In June 2011, the Company entered into an Acquisition and Development Agreement with Mitsui E&P Texas LP (“Mitsui”), an indirect subsidiary of Mitsui & Co., Ltd. (the “Acquisition and Development Agreement”). Pursuant to the Acquisition and Development Agreement, the Company agreed to transfer to Mitsui a 12.5 percent working interest in certain non-operated oil and gas assets representing approximately 39,000 net acres in Dimmit, LaSalle, Maverick, and Webb Counties, Texas. As consideration for the oil and gas interests transferred, Mitsui agreed to pay, or carry, 90 percent of certain drilling and completion costs attributable to the Company’s remaining interest in these assets following the closing of the transaction, until Mitsui has expended an aggregate $680.0 million on behalf of the Company. Based on the Company’s forecast of the operator’s drilling plans, it will take three to four years to fully utilize the carry. Mitsui also reimbursed the Company for capital expenditures and other costs, net of revenues, that the Company paid that were attributable to the transferred interest during the period between the effective date and the closing date. The Company will apply these reimbursed costs to the remaining ten percent of the Company’s drilling and completion costs for the affected acreage. As of March 31, 2012, the Company held $114.3 million of contractually restricted cash payments from Mitsui, which will be used solely for development operations and accordingly are classified as non-current assets in the accompanying balance sheets. The Company has recorded a corresponding liability equal to the restricted cash balance. The portion of the liability related to development operations expected to occur within the next year is recorded in accounts payable and accrued expenses within the accompanying balance sheets. The portion of the liability related to development operations expected to occur more than one year in the future is recorded in other noncurrent liabilities within the accompanying balance sheets as of March 31, 2012. There was no net impact on the accompanying condensed consolidated statement of cash flows as restricted cash was offset against the corresponding liability in investing activities. Of the $680.0 million carry amount, the Company has spent $61.9 million as of March 31, 2012.

Note 12 - Acquisition and Development Agreement

In June 2011, the Company entered into an Acquisition and Development Agreement with Mitsui E&P Texas LP (“Mitsui”), an indirect subsidiary of Mitsui & Co., Ltd. (the “Acquisition and Development Agreement”). Pursuant to the Acquisition and Development Agreement, the Company agreed to transfer to Mitsui a 12.5 percent working interest in certain non-operated oil and gas assets representing approximately 39,000 net acres in Dimmit, LaSalle, Maverick, and Webb Counties, Texas. As consideration for the oil and gas interests transferred, Mitsui agreed to pay, or carry, 90 percent of certain drilling and completion costs attributable to the Company’s remaining interest in these assets following the closing of the transaction, until Mitsui has expended an aggregate $680.0 million on behalf of the Company. Based on the Company’s forecast of the operator’s drilling plans, it will take three to four years to fully utilize the carry. Mitsui also reimbursed the Company for capital expenditures and other costs, net of revenues, that the Company paid that were attributable to the transferred interest during the period between the effective date and the closing date. The Company will apply these reimbursed costs to the remaining ten percent of the Company’s drilling and completion costs for the affected acreage.

As of March 31, 2012, the Company held $114.3 million of contractually restricted cash payments from Mitsui, which will be used solely for development operations and accordingly are classified as non-current assets in the accompanying balance sheets. The Company has recorded a corresponding liability equal to the restricted cash balance. The portion of the liability related to development operations expected to occur within the next year is recorded in accounts payable and accrued expenses within the accompanying balance sheets. The portion of the liability related to development operations expected to occur more than one year in the future is recorded in other noncurrent liabilities within the accompanying balance sheets as of March 31, 2012. There was no net impact on the accompanying condensed consolidated statement of cash flows as restricted cash was offset against the corresponding liability in investing activities. Of the $680.0 million carry amount, the Company has spent $61.9 million as of March 31, 2012.