|**Properties and Equipment (Tables)**                                 | 9 Months Ended                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           
|--------------------------------------------------------------------- | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|**Oil and Gas Property [Abstract]**                                   |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          
|Property, Plant and Equipment                                         | The following table presents the components of properties and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation, depletion and amortization:September 30, 2013December 31, 2012(in thousands)Properties and equipment, net:Crude oil and natural gas propertiesProved$1,533,430$2,075,924Unproved315,233319,327Total crude oil and natural gas properties1,848,6632,395,251Pipelines and related facilities15,74947,786Equipment and other28,78034,858Land and buildings13,61214,935Construction in progress146,92167,217Gross properties and equipment2,053,7252,560,047Accumulated depreciation, depletion and amortization(514,024)(943,341)Properties and equipment, net$1,539,701$1,616,706
|                                                                     
|                                                                      |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          
|                                                                      | September 30, 2013                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       
|                                                                      | (in thousands)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           
|Properties and equipment, net:                                        |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          
|Crude oil and natural gas properties                                  |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          
|Proved                                                                | $                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        
|Unproved                                                              | 315,233                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  
|Total crude oil and natural gas properties                            | 1,848,663                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                
|Pipelines and related facilities                                      | 15,749                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   
|Equipment and other                                                   | 28,780                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   
|Land and buildings                                                    | 13,612                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   
|Construction in progress                                              | 146,921                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  
|Gross properties and equipment                                        | 2,053,725                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                
|Accumulated depreciation, depletion and amortization                  | (514,024                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 
|Properties and equipment, net                                         | $                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        
|                                                                      |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          
|Impairment of natural gas and crude oil properties [Table Text Block] | The following table presents impairment charges recorded for crude oil and natural gas properties:Three Months Ended September 30,Nine Months Ended September 30,2013201220132012(in thousands)Continuing operations:Impairment of proved properties$3,750$—$48,750$—Impairment of individually significant unproved properties154154979462Amortization of individually insignificant unproved properties5682342,704870Total continuing operations4,47238852,4331,332Discontinued operations:Amortization of individually insignificant unproved properties—7386Total discontinued operations—7386Total impairment of crude oil and natural gas properties$4,472$395$52,436$1,418        
|                                                                     
|                                                                      |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          
|                                                                      | Three Months Ended September 30,                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         
|                                                                      | 2013                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     
|                                                                      | (in thousands)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           
|Continuing operations:                                                |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          
|Impairment of proved properties                                       | $                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        
|Impairment of individually significant unproved properties            | 154                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      
|Amortization of individually insignificant unproved properties        | 568                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      
|Total continuing operations                                           | 4,472                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    
|Discontinued operations:                                              |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          
|Amortization of individually insignificant unproved properties        | —                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        
|Total discontinued operations                                         | —                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        
|Total impairment of crude oil and natural gas properties              | $                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        
|                                                                      |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

X- Definition[Table Text Block] for Impairment of natural gas and crude oil properties [Table]+ ReferencesNo definition available.+ Details**Name:**
                    pdce_ImpairmentOfNaturalGasAndCrudeOilPropertiesTableTextBlock**Namespace Prefix:**
                    pdce_**Data Type:**
                    nonnum:textBlockItemType**Balance Type:**
                    na**Period Type:**
                    duration X- Details**Name:**
                    us-gaap_OilAndGasPropertyAbstract**Namespace Prefix:**
                    us-gaap_**Data Type:**
                    xbrli:stringItemType**Balance Type:**
                    na**Period Type:**
                    duration X- DefinitionTabular disclosure of physical assets used in the normal conduct of business and not intended for resale. Includes, but is not limited to, balances by class of assets, depreciation and depletion expense and method used, including composite depreciation, and accumulated deprecation.+ ReferencesReference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 360 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6391035&loc=d3e2868-110229Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 210 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.13) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher SEC -Name Regulation S-X (SX) -Number 210 -Section 02 -Paragraph 13 -Subparagraph b -Article 5+ Details**Name:**
                    us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentTextBlock**Namespace Prefix:**
                    us-gaap_**Data Type:**
                    nonnum:textBlockItemType**Balance Type:**
                    na**Period Type:**
                    duration