| **COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES Long-term fIrm transportation costs (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands** | 12 Months Ended |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------|
||
| **Loss Contingencies [Line Items]**                                                                      |            |   |   |
| Transportation, gathering and processing expenses                                                        | $ 37,403        | $ 33,220 | $ 18,415 |
| Utica Shale natural gas and Wattenberg Field crude oil [Member]                                          |            |   |   |
| **Loss Contingencies [Line Items]**                                                                      |            |   |   |
| Transportation, gathering and processing expenses                                                        | $ 10,000        |   |   |

| 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_LossContingenciesLineItems**Namespace Prefix:**us-gaap_**Data Type:**xbrli:stringItemType**Balance Type:**na**Period Type:**duration |
| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Includes the cost to prepare and move liquid hydrocarbons and natural gas to their points of sale.
+ References
Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 932 -SubTopic 235 -Section 50 -Paragraph 23 -Subparagraph (b) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=68064819&loc=d3e62136-109447
+ Details**Name:**us-gaap_ResultsOfOperationsTransportationCosts**Namespace Prefix:**us-gaap_**Data Type:**xbrli:monetaryItemType**Balance Type:**debit**Period Type:**duration |
| X                                                                                                                                                                               |
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Details**Name:**srt_StatementGeographicalAxis=pdce_UticaShalenaturalgasandWattenbergFieldcrudeoilMember**Namespace Prefix:****Data Type:**na**Balance Type:****Period Type:** |