| **Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures (Tables)**                           | 3 Months Ended                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  |
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| **Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]**                                          |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            |
| Schedule of Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis     | Our fixed-price swaps, basis swaps and physical purchases are included in Level 2 and our collars and physical sales are included in Level 3. The following table presents, for each applicable level within the fair value hierarchy, our derivative assets and liabilities, including both current and non-current portions, measured at fair value on a recurring basis: March 31, 2015 December 31, 2014 Significant OtherObservableInputs(Level 2)  SignificantUnobservableInputs(Level 3)  Total Significant OtherObservableInputs(Level 2)  SignificantUnobservableInputs(Level 3)  Total (in thousands)Assets:           Commodity-based derivative contracts$240,670 $74,817 $315,487 $237,939   $62,356   $300,295Basis protection derivative contracts907 — 907 19 — 19Total assets241,577 74,817 316,394 237,958 62,356 300,314Liabilities:               Commodity-based derivative contracts616 — 616 742 —   742Basis protection derivative contracts— — — 25 —   25Total liabilities616 — 616 767 — 767Net asset$240,961 $74,817 $315,778 $237,191 $62,356 $299,547             |
| Fair Value Assets and Liabilities Unobservable Input Reconciliation            | The following table presents a reconciliation of our Level 3 assets measured at fair value:  Three Months Ended March 31,  2015 2014  (in thousands)Fair value, net asset, beginning of period $62,356 $1,111Changes in fair value included in statement of operations line item:    Commodity price risk management gain (loss), net 15,189 (1,343)Sales from natural gas marketing 1 (22)Settlements included in statement of operations line items:    Commodity price risk management gain (loss), net (2,725) 119Sales from natural gas marketing (4) 6Fair value, net asset (liability) end of period $74,817 $(129)     Net change in fair value of unsettled derivatives included in statement of operations line item:    Commodity price risk management gain (loss), net $14,494 $(1,473)Sales from natural gas marketing — (5)Total $14,494 $(1,478)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |
| Concentration of Risk                                                          | The following table presents the counterparties that expose us to credit risk as of March 31, 2015 with regard to our derivative assets: Counterparty Name Fair Value ofDerivative Assets  (in thousands)JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A (1) $93,642Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (1) 68,625Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. (1) 46,899NATIXIS (1) 43,640Bank of Nova Scotia (1) 30,479Key Bank N.A. (1) 24,314Other lenders in our revolving credit facility 8,795Total $316,394   __________(1)Major lender in our revolving credit facility. See Note 7, Long-Term Debt.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     |
| Schedule of Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Table Text Block] | The following table presents information regarding our note receivable outstanding as of March 31, 2015: Amount (in thousands)Note Receivable: Principal outstanding, December 31, 2014$39,707Paid-In-Kind interest794Principal outstanding, March 31, 2015$40,501                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          |

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| - Definition
Tabular disclosure of the fair value measurement of assets and liabilities using significant unobservable inputs (Level 3), a reconciliation of the beginning and ending balances, separately presenting changes attributable to the following: (1) total gains or losses for the period (realized and unrealized), segregating those gains or losses included in earnings (or changes in net assets or net liabilities), and gains or losses recognized in other comprehensive income (loss) and a description of where those gains or losses included in earnings (or changes in net assets) are reported in the statement of income (or activities); (2) purchases, sales, issues, and settlements (each type disclosed separately); and (3) transfers in and transfers out of Level 3 (for example, transfers due to changes in the observability of significant inputs) by class of asset or liability.
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No definition available.
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| - Definition
Tabular disclosure of all significant concentrations of risk, including credit risk and market risk, arising from all financial instruments (as defined), whether from an individual counterparty or groups of counterparties.  The disclosure concerning concentrations of risk may consist of the following information: (1) for concentrations of credit risk disclosure may include: (a) information about the (shared) activity, region, or economic characteristic that identifies the concentration, (b) the maximum amount of loss due to credit risk that, based on the gross fair value of the financial instrument, the entity would incur if parties to the financial instruments that make up the concentration failed completely to perform according to the terms of the contracts and the collateral or other security, if any, for the amount due proved to be of no value to the entity, (c) the policy of requiring collateral or other security to support financial instruments subject to credit risk, information about the entity's access to that collateral or other security, and the nature and a brief description of the collateral or other security supporting those financial instruments, and (d) the policy of entering into master netting arrangements to mitigate the credit risk of financial instruments, information about the arrangements for which the entity is a party, and a brief description of the terms of those arrangements, including the extent to which they would reduce the entity's maximum amount of loss due to credit risk and (2) for disclosure of quantitative information about the market risks of financial instruments that is consistent with the way the company manages or adjusts those risks, disclosure may include: (a) more details about current positions and perhaps activity during the period, (b) the hypothetical effects on comprehensive income (or net assets), or annual income, of several possible changes in market prices, (c) a gap analysis of interest rate re-pricing or maturity dates, (d) the duration of the financial instruments, (e) the entity's value at risk from derivatives and from other positions at the end of the reporting period and the average value at risk during the year, or (f) other ways of reporting quantitative information as internally developed.
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| - Definition
Tabular disclosure of the various types of trade accounts and notes receivable and for each the gross carrying value, allowance, and net carrying value as of the balance sheet date. Presentation is categorized by current, noncurrent and unclassified receivables.
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| - Definition
Tabular disclosure of assets and liabilities, including [financial] instruments measured at fair value that are classified in stockholders' equity, if any, that are measured at fair value on a recurring basis. The disclosures contemplated herein include the fair value measurements at the reporting date by the level within the fair value hierarchy in which the fair value measurements in their entirety fall, segregating fair value measurements using quoted prices in active markets for identical assets (Level 1), significant other observable inputs (Level 2), and significant unobservable inputs (Level 3).
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