|**CONCENTRATION OF RISK Accounts Receivable, net of Allowance for Doubtful Accounts (Tables)** | 12 Months Ended                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               
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|**Concentration Risks, Types, No Concentration Percentage [Abstract]**                         |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               
|Accounts Receivable [Table Text Block]                                                         | Accounts Receivable.The following table presents the components of accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts:As of December 31,20152014(in thousands)Crude oil, natural gas and NGLs sales$41,873$49,531Joint interest billings35,01752,841Derivative counterparties24,43712,582Insurance reimbursement87911,212Other4,0775,524Allowance for doubtful accounts(2,009)(486)Accounts receivable, net$104,274$131,204                                                                                                                                                          
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|                                                                                               | As of December 31,                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            
|                                                                                               | 2015                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          
|                                                                                               | (in thousands)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                
|                                                                                               |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               
|Crude oil, natural gas and NGLs sales                                                          | $                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             
|Joint interest billings                                                                        | 35,017                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        
|Derivative counterparties                                                                      | 24,437                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        
|Insurance reimbursement                                                                        | 879                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           
|Other                                                                                          | 4,077                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         
|Allowance for doubtful accounts                                                                | (2,009                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        
|Accounts receivable, net                                                                       | $                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             
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|Individual Customers Constituting 10% or more of Total Revenue [Table Text Block]              | Major Customers.The following table presents the individual customers constituting 10% or more of total revenues:Year Ended December 31,Customer201520142013Concord Energy23.2%18.3%—%Suncor Energy Marketing, Inc.14.3%19.7%35.9%Shell Trading Company13.8%—%—%DCP Midstream, LP13.2%15.1%13.9%Teppco Crude Oil, LLC—%12.9%8.0%                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              
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|Customer                                                                                       |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               
|                                                                                               |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               
|Concord Energy                                                                                 |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               
|Suncor Energy Marketing, Inc.                                                                  |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               
|Shell Trading Company                                                                          |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               
|DCP Midstream, LP                                                                              |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               
|Teppco Crude Oil, LLC                                                                          |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               
|Fair Value, Concentration of Risk [Table Text Block]                                           | The following table presents the counterparties that expose us to credit risk as ofDecember 31, 2015, with regard to our derivative assets:Fair Value ofDerivative AssetsCounterparty NameAs of December 31, 2015(in thousands)Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (1)$78,102JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A (1)71,012Bank of Nova Scotia (1)49,758Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. (1)32,474NATIXIS (1)29,754Other lenders in our revolving credit facility4,856Other (2)90Total$266,046____________(1)Major lender in our revolving credit facility. See Note 8, Long-Term Debt.(2)Representsonecounterparty.
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|Counterparty Name                                                                              |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               
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|Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (1)                                                         |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               
|JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A (1)                                                                  |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               
|Bank of Nova Scotia (1)                                                                        |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               
|Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. (1)                                                                     |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               
|NATIXIS (1)                                                                                    |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               
|Other lenders in our revolving credit facility                                                 |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               
|Other (2)                                                                                      |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               
|Total                                                                                          |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               
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|Notes Receivable [Table Text Block]                                                            | The following table presents information regarding our note receivable outstanding as ofDecember 31, 2015:Amount(in thousands)Note receivable:Principal outstanding, December 31, 2014$39,707Paid-in-kind interest3,362Principal outstanding, December 31, 2015$43,069                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        
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|                                                                                               | Amount                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        
|                                                                                               | (in thousands)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                
|Note receivable:                                                                               |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               
|Principal outstanding, December 31, 2014                                                       | $                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             
|Paid-in-kind interest                                                                          | 3,362                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         
|Principal outstanding, December 31, 2015                                                       | $                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

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