| **ASSET RETIREMENT OBLIGATIONS Asset Retirement Obligations (Details) (USD $)In Thousands, unless otherwise specified**                                                              | 12 Months Ended                                            |
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| **Asset Retirement Obligation, Roll Forward Analysis [Roll Forward]**                                                                                                                |                                                       |  |   |  |   |
| Balance beginning of year, January 1                                                                                                                                                 | $ 41,030us-gaap_AssetRetirementObligation                  |  | $ 62,563us-gaap_AssetRetirementObligation |  |   |
| Obligations incurred with development activities and assumed with acquisitions                                                                                                       | 1,170us-gaap_AssetRetirementObligationLiabilitiesIncurred  |  | 2,389us-gaap_AssetRetirementObligationLiabilitiesIncurred |  |   |
| Accretion of asset retirement obligation                                                                                                                                             | 3,455us-gaap_AssetRetirementObligationAccretionExpense     |  | 4,747us-gaap_AssetRetirementObligationAccretionExpense |  | 4,060us-gaap_AssetRetirementObligationAccretionExpense |
| Obligations discharged with disposal of properties and asset retirements                                                                                                             | (3,745)us-gaap_AssetRetirementObligationLiabilitiesSettled |  | (29,281)us-gaap_AssetRetirementObligationLiabilitiesSettled |  |   |
| Revisions in estimated cash flows                                                                                                                                                    | 31,945us-gaap_AssetRetirementObligationRevisionOfEstimate  |  | 612us-gaap_AssetRetirementObligationRevisionOfEstimate |  |   |
| Balance end of year, December 31                                                                                                                                                     | 73,855us-gaap_AssetRetirementObligation                    |  | 41,030us-gaap_AssetRetirementObligation |  | 62,563us-gaap_AssetRetirementObligation |
| Less: Liabilities held for sale                                                                                                                                                      | 0pdce_Assetretirementobligationheldforsale                 | [1] | (2,234)pdce_Assetretirementobligationheldforsale | [1] |   |
| Less: Current portion                                                                                                                                                                | (1,863)us-gaap_AssetRetirementObligationCurrent            |  | (1,158)us-gaap_AssetRetirementObligationCurrent |  |   |
| Long-term portion                                                                                                                                                                    | $ 71,992us-gaap_AssetRetirementObligationsNoncurrent       |  | $ 37,638us-gaap_AssetRetirementObligationsNoncurrent |  |   |
|                                                                                                                                                                                      |
| [1]Represents asset retirement obligations related to assets held for sale. See Note 14, Assets Held for Sale, Divestitures and Discontinued Operations, for additional information. |

| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Asset retirement obligation held for sale
+ References
No definition available.
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| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    |
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
The carrying amount of a liability for an asset retirement obligation. An asset retirement obligation is a legal obligation associated with the disposal or retirement of a tangible long-lived asset that results from the acquisition, construction or development, or the normal operations of a long-lived asset, except for certain obligations of lessees.
+ References
Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 410 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (c) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6392692&loc=d3e7535-110849Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Glossary Asset Retirement Obligation -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6505190
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| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   |
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Amount of accretion expense recognized during the period that is associated with an asset retirement obligation. Accretion expense measures and incorporates changes due to the passage of time into the carrying amount of the liability.
+ References
Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 410 -SubTopic 20 -Section 45 -Paragraph 1 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6392676&loc=d3e7480-110848Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 410 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (c)(3) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6392692&loc=d3e7535-110849
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| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Current portion of the carrying amount of a liability for an asset retirement obligation. An asset retirement obligation is a legal obligation associated with the disposal or retirement of a tangible long-lived asset that results from the acquisition, construction or development, or the normal operations of a long-lived asset, except for certain obligations of lessees.
+ References
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| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    |
|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Amount of asset retirement obligations incurred during the period.
+ References
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| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       |
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Amount of asset retirement obligations settled, or otherwise disposed of, during the period. This may include asset retirement obligations transferred to third parties associated with the sale of a long-lived asset.
+ References
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| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                |
|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Amount of the Increase or Decrease in the amount of the asset retirement obligation during the current period for changes in the amount or timing of the estimated cash flows associated with the settlement of the obligation.
+ References
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| X                                                                                                                                                                                           |
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| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            |
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Noncurrent portion of the carrying amount of a liability for an asset retirement obligation. An asset retirement obligation is a legal obligation associated with the disposal or retirement of a tangible long-lived asset that results from the acquisition, construction or development, or the normal operations of a long-lived asset, except for certain obligations of lessees.
+ References
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