|**ASSET RETIREMENT OBLIGATIONS Asset Retirement Obligations (Tables)**       | 12 Months Ended                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             
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|**Asset Retirement Obligation Disclosure [Abstract]**                        |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             
|Schedule of Change in Asset Retirement Obligation [Table Text Block]         | The following table presents the changes in carrying amounts of the asset retirement obligations associated with our working interest in crude oil and natural gas properties:20142013(in thousands)Balance at beginning of period, January 1, 2014$41,030$62,563Revisions in estimated cash flows31,945612Obligations incurred with development activities1,1702,389Accretion expense3,4554,747Obligations discharged with divestitures of properties and asset retirements(3,745)(29,281)Balance end of period, December 31, 201473,85541,030Less: Liabilities held for sale (1)—(2,234)Less: Current portion(1,863)(1,158)Long-term portion$71,992$37,638
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|                                                                             | 2014                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        
|                                                                             | (in thousands)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              
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|Balance at beginning of period, January 1, 2014                              | $                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           
|Revisions in estimated cash flows                                            | 31,945                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      
|Obligations incurred with development activities                             | 1,170                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       
|Accretion expense                                                            | 3,455                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       
|Obligations discharged with divestitures of properties and asset retirements | (3,745                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      
|Balance end of period, December 31, 2014                                     | 73,855                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      
|Less: Liabilities held for sale (1)                                          | —                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           
|Less: Current portion                                                        | (1,863                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      
|Long-term portion                                                            | $                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           
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                    duration X- DefinitionTabular disclosure of the changes in carrying amount of a liability for asset retirement obligations, for changes such as new obligations, changes in estimates of existing obligations, spending on existing obligations, property dispositions, and foreign currency translation.+ ReferencesReference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 410 -SubTopic 30 -Section 50 -Paragraph 5 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6393242&loc=d3e13201-110859+ Details**Name:**
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