|**Commitments and Contingencies**                       | 9 Months Ended                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                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|**Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]** |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 
|Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure                | COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIESFirm Transportation Agreements.We enter into contracts that provide firm transportation, sales and processing services on pipeline systems through which we transport or sell natural gas. Volumes produced by us, PDCM, our affiliated partnerships and other third-party working interest owners can be used to satisfy volume requirements, as can volumes purchased from third parties. We record in our financial statements only our share of costs based upon our working interest in the wells. These contracts require us to pay these transportation and processing charges whether the required volumes are delivered or not. With the exception of contracts entered into by PDCM, the costs of any volume shortfalls are borne by PDC.The following table presents gross volume information, including our proportionate share of PDCM, related to our long-term firm transportation, sales and processing agreements for pipeline capacity:For the Twelve Months Ending September 30,Area20142015201620172018 andThroughExpirationTotalExpirationDateVolume (MMcf)West Virginia21,42822,86824,87424,862149,603243,635January 31, 2026Utica Shale2,2822,7382,7382,73815,96626,462July 22, 2023Total23,71025,60627,61227,600165,569270,097Dollar commitment (in thousands)$9,601$10,056$10,462$10,294$47,785$88,198In March 2013, we entered into long-term agreements with a subsidiary of MarkWest Energy Partners, LP to provide midstream services, including gas gathering, processing, fractionation and marketing, to support our Utica Shale operations in Guernsey County in Southeast Ohio. The primary term of the agreements commenced in July 2013 when our natural gas began to flow into the gathering system. The gas processing agreement includes minimum volume commitments as shown in the table above, with certain fees assessed for any shortfall.In June 2013, we closed a transaction pursuant to which our Piceance Basin and NECO firm gathering commitments were assumed by the buyer of certain of our oil and natural gas properties. See Note 12,Assets Held for Sale, Divestitures, and Discontinued Operations, for additional information regarding the sale of our non-core Colorado assets.In October 2013, pursuant to a purchase and sale agreement an existing agreement for firm transportation services of approximately34,572MMcf, representing a dollar commitment of$16.5 million, in the Appalachian Basin will be novated to the buyer of PDCM's shallow upper Devonian crude oil and natural gas properties, thereby relieving the Company of all obligations or liabilities arising under the agreement. See Note 15,Subsequent Events, for additional information regarding the potential sale. We expect this sale to close in the fourth quarter of 2013. However, there can be no assurance we will be successful in closing this divestiture.Litigation.The Company is involved in various legal proceedings that it considers normal to its business. The Company reviews the status of these proceedings on an ongoing basis and, from time to time, may settle or otherwise resolve these matters on terms and conditions that management believes are in the best interests of the Company. There is no assurance that settlements can be reached on acceptable terms or that adverse judgments, if any, in the remaining litigation will not exceed the amounts reserved. Although the results cannot be known with certainty, we currently believe that the ultimate results of such proceedings will not have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations or liquidity.Alleged Class Action Filed Regarding 2010 and 2011 Partnership PurchasesOn December 21, 2011 the Company and its wholly-owned merger subsidiary were served with an alleged class action on behalf of certain former partnership unit holders, related to its partnership repurchases completed by mergers in 2010 and 2011. The action was filed in U.S. District Court for the Central District of California and is titledSchulein v. Petroleum Development Corp. The complaint primarily alleges that the disclosures in the proxy statements issued in connection with the mergers were inadequate, and a state law breach of fiduciary duty. On June 15, 2012, the Court denied the Company's motion to dismiss and approved a litigation schedule including a jury trial in May 2014. We have not recorded a liability for claims pending because we believe we have good legal defenses to the asserted claims and because the plaintiffs have not specified damages and it is not possible for management to reasonably estimate what, if any, monetary damages could result from this claim.Environmental.Due to the nature of the natural gas and oil industry, we are exposed to environmental risks. We have various policies and procedures to avoid environmental contamination and mitigate the risks from environmental contamination. We conduct periodic reviews to identify changes in our environmental risk profile. Liabilities are recorded when environmental damages resulting from past events are probable and the costs can be reasonably estimated. As ofSeptember 30, 2013andDecember 31, 2012, we had accrued environmental liabilities in the amount of$5.6 millionand$8.4 million, respectively, included in other accrued expenses on the condensed consolidated balance sheets.We are not aware of any environmental claims existing as of September 30, 2013 which have not been provided for or would otherwise have a material impact on our financial statements. However, there can be no assurance that current regulatory requirements will not change or unknown past non-compliance with environmental laws will not be discovered on our properties.Partnership Repurchase Provision.Substantially all of our drilling programs contain a repurchase provision pursuant to which investing partners may request that we purchase their partnership units at any time beginning with the third anniversary of the first cash distribution. The provision provides that we are obligated to purchase an aggregate of 10% of the initial subscriptions per calendar year (at a minimum price of four times the most recent 12 months' cash distributions from production), if repurchase is requested by investors, subject to our financial ability to do so. As ofSeptember 30, 2013, the maximum annual repurchase obligation, based upon the minimum price described above, was approximately$4.2 million. We believe we have adequate liquidity to meet this potential obligation. For the quarter endedSeptember 30, 2013, amounts paid for the repurchase of partnership units pursuant to this provision were immaterial.Employment Agreements with Executive Officers. Each of our senior executive officers may be entitled to a severance payment and certain other benefits upon the termination of the officer's employment pursuant to the officer's employment agreement and/or the Company's executive severance compensation plan. The nature and amount of such benefits would vary based upon, among other things, whether the termination followed a change of control of the Company.
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|Volume (MMcf)                                           |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 
|West Virginia                                           |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 
|Utica Shale                                             |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 
|Total                                                   |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        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|Dollar commitment (in thousands)                        |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        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