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COMMITMENTS, CONTINGENCIES AND OTHER (Details) (USD $) | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2013 Employee Executive | Dec. 31, 2012 | Dec. 31, 2011
Water Rights Litigation Mt. Emmons Project [Abstract] |  |  |
Period for proposal submission | 6 years |  |
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 | 46,000 | 54,000 | 57,000
Assumptions [Line Items] |  |  |
Number of executives included in the plan | 2 |  |
Mandatory retirement age | 70 years |  |
Number of employees with agreements for payment of severance in event of change of control | 1 |  |
Leases, Operating [Abstract] |  |  |
Operating Leases, Minimum Payments Receivable, Monthly | 8,000 |  |
Rental income under the agreements | 96,000 | 170,000 | 101,000
Future minimum receipts for non-cancelable operating leases | 101,000 |  |
Executive Officers [Member] |  |  |
Assumptions [Line Items] |  |  |
Shares authorized under the plan per each officer (in shares) | 20,000 |  |
Shares issued under the plan (in shares) | 30,000 | 60,000 | 75,000
Period used to compute supplemental retirement salary | 5 years |  |
Minimum years of service for eligibility in plan (in years) | 15 years |  |
Minimum age requirement | 60 years |  |
Value of executive retirement account funded | 1,200,000 |  |
Compensation expense | 99,000 | 80,000 | 72,000
Accrued liability for executive retirement | 865,000 | 903,000 | 947,000
Surviving spouse of the former Chairman and Founder [Member] |  |  |
Assumptions [Line Items] |  |  |
Number of years salary to be paid under the plan | 1 year |  |
Percentage of final salary of wages to be paid in supplemental board approved plan | 50.00% |  |
Number of years the plan covers a portion of salary | 4 years |  |
Distributions paid | 0 | 0 | 57,000
Former General Counsel [Member] |  |  |
Assumptions [Line Items] |  |  |
Annual payment | 85,000 |  |
Former CFO/Treasurer/V.P. Finance [Member] |  |  |
Assumptions [Line Items] |  |  |
Distributions paid | $ 122,000 | $ 122,000 |
Brigham Oil & Gas, LP [Member] |  |  |
Gas and Oil Acreage [Line Items] |  |  |
Working interest percentage (in hundredths) | 47.20% |  |
Dimmit Wood Properties Ltd [Member] |  |  |
Gas and Oil Acreage [Line Items] |  |  |
Working interest percentage (in hundredths) | 30.00% |  |
Gross acres acquired in acquisition (in acres) | 800.77 |  |

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