| **Divestitures and Discontinued Operations Additional Information (Details) (USD $)** | 9 Months Ended |
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------|
||
| Piceance and NECO Asset Group                                                         |           |
| **Additional Disclosures**                                                            |           |
| Proceeds from Sale of Oil and Gas Property and Equipment ($ in millions)              | $ 177,600,000  |
| Proceeds To Non-Affiliated Investor Partners ($ in millions)                          | 17,000,000     |
| Pre-tax loss on sale of crude oil and gas properties ($ in millions)                  | (2,300,000)    |
| Permian Basin Asset Group                                                             |           |
| **Additional Disclosures**                                                            |           |
| Oil and gas assets sale price before adjustments ($ in millions)                      | 173,900,000    |
| Proceeds from Sale of Oil and Gas Property and Equipment ($ in millions)              | $ 189,200,000  |
| Shallow Upper Devonian Assets                                                         |           |
| **Additional Disclosures**                                                            |           |
| Appalachian Basin Wells Held for Sale (Number of wells)                               | 3,500          |

| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       |
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Appalachian Basin Wells Held for Sale
+ References
No definition available.
+ Details**Name:**pdce_AppalachianBasinWellsHeldForSale**Namespace Prefix:**pdce_**Data Type:**xbrli:decimalItemType**Balance Type:**na**Period Type:**instant |
| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Oil and gas assets sale price before adjustments
+ References
No definition available.
+ Details**Name:**pdce_OilAndGasAssetsSalePriceBeforeAdjustments**Namespace Prefix:**pdce_**Data Type:**xbrli:monetaryItemType**Balance Type:**debit**Period Type:**duration |
| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Proceeds To non-Affiliated Investor Partners as a result of the disposal of long-lived, physical assets and mineral interests in oil and gas properties used for normal oil and gas operations.
+ References
No definition available.
+ Details**Name:**pdce_ProceedsToNonAffiliatedInvestorPartners**Namespace Prefix:**pdce_**Data Type:**xbrli:monetaryItemType**Balance Type:**debit**Period Type:**duration |
| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                |
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Amount of gain (loss), before tax expense or benefit and not previously recognized, resulting from the sale of a business component.
+ References
Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 205 -SubTopic 20 -Section 45 -Paragraph 3 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6892542&loc=d3e957-107759Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 205 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (b) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6360339&loc=d3e1361-107760
+ Details**Name:**us-gaap_DiscontinuedOperationGainLossFromDisposalOfDiscontinuedOperationBeforeIncomeTax**Namespace Prefix:**us-gaap_**Data Type:**xbrli:monetaryItemType**Balance Type:**credit**Period Type:**duration |
| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Details**Name:**us-gaap_IncomeStatementBalanceSheetAndAdditionalDisclosuresByDisposalGroupsIncludingDiscontinuedOperationsLineItems**Namespace Prefix:**us-gaap_**Data Type:**xbrli:stringItemType**Balance Type:**na**Period Type:**duration |
| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
The cash inflow to dispose of long-lived, physical assets and mineral interests in oil and gas properties used for normal oil and gas operations.
+ References
Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Glossary Investing Activities -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6516133Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 230 -SubTopic 10 -Section 45 -Paragraph 12 -Subparagraph (c) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=31042434&loc=d3e3179-108585
+ Details**Name:**us-gaap_ProceedsFromSaleOfOilAndGasPropertyAndEquipment**Namespace Prefix:**us-gaap_**Data Type:**xbrli:monetaryItemType**Balance Type:**debit**Period Type:**duration |