|**Properties and Equipment (Tables)**                          | 6 Months Ended                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            
|-------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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|**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 ("DD&A"):June 30, 2017December 31, 2016(in thousands)Properties and equipment, net:Crude oil and natural gas propertiesProved$3,842,942$3,499,718Unproved1,841,5891,874,671Total crude oil and natural gas properties5,684,5315,374,389Infrastructure, pipeline, and other94,65462,093Land and buildings15,27412,165Construction in progress171,600122,591Properties and equipment, at cost5,966,0595,571,238Accumulated DD&A(1,800,487)(1,562,972)Properties and equipment, net$4,165,572$4,008,266
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|                                                               |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           
|                                                               | June 30, 2017                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             
|                                                               | (in thousands)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            
|Properties and equipment, net:                                 |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           
|Crude oil and natural gas properties                           |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           
|Proved                                                         | $                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         
|Unproved                                                       | 1,841,589                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 
|Total crude oil and natural gas properties                     | 5,684,531                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 
|Infrastructure, pipeline, and other                            | 94,654                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    
|Land and buildings                                             | 15,274                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    
|Construction in progress                                       | 171,600                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   
|Properties and equipment, at cost                              | 5,966,059                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 
|Accumulated DD&A                                               | (1,800,487                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                
|Properties and equipment, net                                  | $                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         
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|Impairment of natural gas and crude oil properties             | The following table presents impairment charges recorded for crude oil and natural gas properties:Three Months Ended June 30,Six Months Ended June 30,2017201620172016(in thousands)Impairment of unproved properties$27,463$1,084$29,565$2,053Amortization of individually insignificant unproved properties1035419486Impairment of crude oil and natural gas properties27,5661,13829,7592,139Land and buildings—3,032—3,032Total impairment of properties and equipment$27,566$4,170$29,759$5,171                                                                                                                                       
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|                                                               |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           
|                                                               | Three Months Ended June 30,                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               
|                                                               | 2017                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      
|                                                               | (in thousands)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            
|                                                               |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           
|Impairment of unproved properties                              | $                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         
|Amortization of individually insignificant unproved properties | 103                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       
|Impairment of crude oil and natural gas properties             | 27,566                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    
|Land and buildings                                             | —                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         
|Total impairment of properties and equipment                   | $                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

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