| **COMMON STOCK Stock based compensation plans (Details) - shares**                                | Dec. 31, 2016 | Dec. 31, 2015 | Jun. 29, 2010 |
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------|---------------|---------------|
| **Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Allocation of Recognized Period Costs [Line Items]** |          |          |          |
| Common Stock, Shares Authorized                                                                   | 150,000,000   | 150,000,000   | 3,000,000     |
| Common stock shares remain avaliable for issuance                                                 | 839,052       |          |          |

| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       |
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Common stock shares which are authorized but remain avaliable for issuance.
+ References
No definition available.
+ Details**Name:**pdce_CommonStockSharesRemainAvaliableForIssuance**Namespace Prefix:**pdce_**Data Type:**xbrli:sharesItemType**Balance Type:**na**Period Type:**instant |
| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
The maximum number of common shares permitted to be issued by an entity's charter and bylaws.
+ References
Reference 1: 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(29)) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682
+ Details**Name:**us-gaap_CommonStockSharesAuthorized**Namespace Prefix:**us-gaap_**Data Type:**xbrli:sharesItemType**Balance Type:**na**Period Type:**instant |
| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.
+ References
No definition available.
+ Details**Name:**us-gaap_EmployeeServiceShareBasedCompensationAllocationOfRecognizedPeriodCostsLineItems**Namespace Prefix:**us-gaap_**Data Type:**xbrli:stringItemType**Balance Type:**na**Period Type:**duration |