|**CONCENTRATION OF RISK Accounts Receivable, net of Allowance for Doubtful Accounts (Tables)** | 12 Months Ended                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|**Concentration Risks, Types, No Concentration Percentage [Abstract]**                         |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              
|Account Receivable, net of Allowance for Doubtful Accounts [Table Text Block]                  | Accounts Receivable.The following table presents the components of accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts:As of December 31,20122011(in thousands)Natural gas, NGLs and crude oil sales$39,837$42,388Natural gas marketing8,2096,225Reimbursements for title defects7,579—Joint interest billings6,8967,465Other3,3854,766Allowance for doubtful accounts(1,026)(921)Accounts receivable, net$64,880$59,923                                                                                                             
|                                                                                              
|                                                                                               |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              
|                                                                                               | As of December 31,                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           
|                                                                                               | 2012                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         
|                                                                                               | (in thousands)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               
|                                                                                               |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              
|Natural gas, NGLs and crude oil sales                                                          | $                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            
|Natural gas marketing                                                                          | 8,209                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        
|Reimbursements for title defects                                                               | 7,579                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        
|Joint interest billings                                                                        | 6,896                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        
|Other                                                                                          | 3,385                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        
|Allowance for doubtful accounts                                                                | (1,026                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       
|Accounts receivable, net                                                                       | $                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            
|                                                                                               |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              
|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,Customer201220112010Suncor Energy Marketing, Inc.29.8%25.7%19.6%DCP Midstream, LP12.2%11.5%9.6%WPX Energy Rocky Mountain, LLC5.6%9.9%12.5%                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           
|                                                                                              
|                                                                                               |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              
|                                                                                               |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              
|Customer                                                                                       |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              
|                                                                                               |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              
|Suncor Energy Marketing, Inc.                                                                  |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              
|DCP Midstream, LP                                                                              |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              
|WPX Energy Rocky Mountain, LLC                                                                 |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              
|Fair Value, Concentration of Risk [Table Text Block]                                           | The following table presents the counterparties that expose us to credit risk as ofDecember 31, 2012, with regard to our derivative assets:Fair Value ofDerivative AssetsCounterparty NameAs of December 31, 2012(in thousands)JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. (1)$41,323Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. (1)4,782Bank of Nova Scotia (1)4,315Other lenders in our revolving credit facility8,146Various (2)359Total$58,925____________(1)Major lender in our revolving credit facility. See Note 8, Long-Term Debt.(2)Represents a total of28counterparties.
|                                                                                              
|                                                                                               |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              
|                                                                                               |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              
|Counterparty Name                                                                              |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              
|                                                                                               |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              
|                                                                                               |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              
|JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. (1)                                                                  |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              
|Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. (1)                                                                     |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              
|Bank of Nova Scotia (1)                                                                        |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              
|Other lenders in our revolving credit facility                                                 |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              
|Various (2)                                                                                    |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              
|Total                                                                                          |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              
|                                                                                               |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              

X- DefinitionIndividual Customers Constituting 10% or more of Total Revenue [Table Text Block]+ ReferencesNo definition available.+ Details**Name:**
                    pdce_IndividualCustomersConstituting10OrMoreOfTotalRevenueTableTextBlock**Namespace Prefix:**
                    pdce_**Data Type:**
                    nonnum:textBlockItemType**Balance Type:**
                    na**Period Type:**
                    duration X- Details**Name:**
                    us-gaap_ConcentrationRisksTypesNoConcentrationPercentageAbstract**Namespace Prefix:**
                    us-gaap_**Data Type:**
                    xbrli:stringItemType**Balance Type:**
                    na**Period Type:**
                    duration X- DefinitionTabular disclosure of all significant concentrations of risk, including credit risk and market risk, arising from all financial instruments (as defined), whether from an individual counterparty or groups of counterparties.  The disclosure concerning concentrations of risk may consist of the following information: (1) for concentrations of credit risk disclosure may include: (a) information about the (shared) activity, region, or economic characteristic that identifies the concentration, (b) the maximum amount of loss due to credit risk that, based on the gross fair value of the financial instrument, the entity would incur if parties to the financial instruments that make up the concentration failed completely to perform according to the terms of the contracts and the collateral or other security, if any, for the amount due proved to be of no value to the entity, (c) the policy of requiring collateral or other security to support financial instruments subject to credit risk, information about the entity's access to that collateral or other security, and the nature and a brief description of the collateral or other security supporting those financial instruments, and (d) the policy of entering into master netting arrangements to mitigate the credit risk of financial instruments, information about the arrangements for which the entity is a party, and a brief description of the terms of those arrangements, including the extent to which they would reduce the entity's maximum amount of loss due to credit risk and (2) for disclosure of quantitative information about the market risks of financial instruments that is consistent with the way the company manages or adjusts those risks, disclosure may include: (a) more details about current positions and perhaps activity during the period, (b) the hypothetical effects on comprehensive income (or net assets), or annual income, of several possible changes in market prices, (c) a gap analysis of interest rate re-pricing or maturity dates, (d) the duration of the financial instruments, (e) the entity's value at risk from derivatives and from other positions at the end of the reporting period and the average value at risk during the year, or (f) other ways of reporting quantitative information as internally developed.+ ReferencesReference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 825 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 20 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=7491637&loc=d3e13531-108611Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 825 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 21 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=7491637&loc=d3e13537-108611Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 825 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 22 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=7491637&loc=d3e13572-108611Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 825 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 23 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=7491637&loc=d3e13587-108611Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) -Number 107 -Paragraph 15A, 15B, 15C, 15D -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.+ Details**Name:**
                    us-gaap_FairValueConcentrationOfRiskTextBlock**Namespace Prefix:**
                    us-gaap_**Data Type:**
                    nonnum:textBlockItemType**Balance Type:**
                    na**Period Type:**
                    duration X- DefinitionTabular disclosure of the various types of trade accounts and notes receivable and for each the gross carrying value, allowance, and net carrying value as of the balance sheet date. Presentation is categorized by current, noncurrent and unclassified receivables.+ ReferencesReference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 210 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.3,4) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher SEC -Name Regulation S-X (SX) -Number 210 -Section 02 -Paragraph 3, 4 -Article 5+ Details**Name:**
                    us-gaap_ScheduleOfAccountsNotesLoansAndFinancingReceivableTextBlock**Namespace Prefix:**
                    us-gaap_**Data Type:**
                    nonnum:textBlockItemType**Balance Type:**
                    na**Period Type:**
                    duration