| **PROPERTIES AND EQUIPMENT Impairment of Natural Gas and Crude Oil Properties (Details) (USD $)In Thousands, unless otherwise specified** | 3 Months Ended                                                    | 12 Months Ended                                                 |
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| **Continuing Operations:**                                                                                                                |                                                              |                                                            |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
| Impairment of proved properties                                                                                                           |                                                              |                                                            |   |   |   |   |   |   | $ 112,557pdce_ImpairmentOfProvedPropertiesFromContinuingOperations | $ 48,750pdce_ImpairmentOfProvedPropertiesFromContinuingOperations | $ 0pdce_ImpairmentOfProvedPropertiesFromContinuingOperations |
| Impairment of significantly unproved properties                                                                                           |                                                              |                                                            |   |   |   |   |   |   | 45,732pdce_ImpairmentOfSignificantlyUnprovedPropertiesFromContinuingOperations | 517pdce_ImpairmentOfSignificantlyUnprovedPropertiesFromContinuingOperations | 1,011pdce_ImpairmentOfSignificantlyUnprovedPropertiesFromContinuingOperations |
| Amortization of Individually Insignificant Unproved Properties                                                                            |                                                              |                                                            |   |   |   |   |   |   | 4,465pdce_AmortizationOfIndividuallyInsignificantUnprovedProperties | 3,242pdce_AmortizationOfIndividuallyInsignificantUnprovedProperties | 4,009pdce_AmortizationOfIndividuallyInsignificantUnprovedProperties |
| Other                                                                                                                                     |                                                              |                                                            |   |   |   |   |   |   | 778pdce_Impairmentofotherproperties | 0pdce_Impairmentofotherproperties | 0pdce_Impairmentofotherproperties |
| Total continuing operations                                                                                                               | 159,911us-gaap_ResultsOfOperationsImpairmentOfOilAndGasProperties | 1,863us-gaap_ResultsOfOperationsImpairmentOfOilAndGasProperties | 848us-gaap_ResultsOfOperationsImpairmentOfOilAndGasProperties | 910us-gaap_ResultsOfOperationsImpairmentOfOilAndGasProperties | 715us-gaap_ResultsOfOperationsImpairmentOfOilAndGasProperties | 4,236us-gaap_ResultsOfOperationsImpairmentOfOilAndGasProperties | 1,298us-gaap_ResultsOfOperationsImpairmentOfOilAndGasProperties | 46,260us-gaap_ResultsOfOperationsImpairmentOfOilAndGasProperties | 163,532us-gaap_ResultsOfOperationsImpairmentOfOilAndGasProperties | 52,509us-gaap_ResultsOfOperationsImpairmentOfOilAndGasProperties | 5,020us-gaap_ResultsOfOperationsImpairmentOfOilAndGasProperties |
| **Discontinued operations:**                                                                                                              |                                                              |                                                            |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
| Impairment of proved properties                                                                                                           |                                                              |                                                            |   |   |   |   |   |   | 0pdce_ImpairmentOfProvedPropertiesFromDiscontinuedOperations | 0pdce_ImpairmentOfProvedPropertiesFromDiscontinuedOperations | 161,185pdce_ImpairmentOfProvedPropertiesFromDiscontinuedOperations |
| Impairment of individually significant unproved properties from discontinued operations                                                   |                                                              |                                                            |   |   |   |   |   |   | 433pdce_Impairmentofindividuallysignificantunprovedpropertiesfromdiscontinuedoperations | 566pdce_Impairmentofindividuallysignificantunprovedpropertiesfromdiscontinuedoperations | 931pdce_Impairmentofindividuallysignificantunprovedpropertiesfromdiscontinuedoperations |
| Amortization of Individually Insignificant Unproved Properties, discontinued operations                                                   |                                                              |                                                            |   |   |   |   |   |   | 0pdce_AmortizationofIndividuallyInsignificantUnprovedPropertiesdiscontinuedoperations | 363pdce_AmortizationofIndividuallyInsignificantUnprovedPropertiesdiscontinuedoperations | 1,013pdce_AmortizationofIndividuallyInsignificantUnprovedPropertiesdiscontinuedoperations |
| Total discontinued operations                                                                                                             |                                                              |                                                            |   |   |   |   |   |   | 433pdce_DiscontinuedOperationsImpairmentOfNaturalGasAndCrudeOilProperties | 929pdce_DiscontinuedOperationsImpairmentOfNaturalGasAndCrudeOilProperties | 163,129pdce_DiscontinuedOperationsImpairmentOfNaturalGasAndCrudeOilProperties |
| Total impairment of natural gas and crude oil properties                                                                                  |                                                              |                                                            |   |   |   |   |   |   | 163,965us-gaap_ImpairmentOfOilAndGasProperties | 53,438us-gaap_ImpairmentOfOilAndGasProperties | 168,149us-gaap_ImpairmentOfOilAndGasProperties |
| Shallow Upper Devonian properties                                                                                                         |                                                              |                                                            |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
| **Continuing Operations:**                                                                                                                |                                                              |                                                            |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
| Impairment of proved properties                                                                                                           |                                                              |                                                            |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | 48,800pdce_ImpairmentOfProvedPropertiesFromContinuingOperations/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis= pdce_ShallowUpperDevonianpropertiesMember |   |
| Unproved Properties                                                                                                                       |                                                              |                                                            |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
| **Continuing Operations:**                                                                                                                |                                                              |                                                            |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
| Total continuing operations                                                                                                               |                                                              |                                                            |   |   |   |   |   |   | 45,700us-gaap_ResultsOfOperationsImpairmentOfOilAndGasProperties/ us-gaap_MajorPropertyClassAxis= pdce_UnprovedPropertiesMember |   |   |
| Proved Properties                                                                                                                         |                                                              |                                                            |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
| **Continuing Operations:**                                                                                                                |                                                              |                                                            |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
| Total continuing operations                                                                                                               |                                                              |                                                            |   |   |   |   |   |   | 112,600us-gaap_ResultsOfOperationsImpairmentOfOilAndGasProperties/ us-gaap_MajorPropertyClassAxis= pdce_ProvedPropertiesMember |   |   |
| Proved and unproved properties                                                                                                            |                                                              |                                                            |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
| **Continuing Operations:**                                                                                                                |                                                              |                                                            |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
| Total continuing operations                                                                                                               |                                                              |                                                            |   |   |   |   |   |   | $ 158,300us-gaap_ResultsOfOperationsImpairmentOfOilAndGasProperties/ us-gaap_MajorPropertyClassAxis= pdce_ProvedandUnprovedPropertiesMember |   |   |

| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Amortization of Individually Insignificant Unproved Properties
+ References
No definition available.
+ Details**Name:**pdce_AmortizationOfIndividuallyInsignificantUnprovedProperties**Namespace Prefix:**pdce_**Data Type:**xbrli:monetaryItemType**Balance Type:**debit**Period Type:**duration |
| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             |
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Amortization of Individually Insignificant Unproved Properties, discontinued operations
+ References
No definition available.
+ Details**Name:**pdce_AmortizationofIndividuallyInsignificantUnprovedPropertiesdiscontinuedoperations**Namespace Prefix:**pdce_**Data Type:**xbrli:monetaryItemType**Balance Type:**debit**Period Type:**duration |
| X                                                                                                                                                          |
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| X                                                                                                                                                            |
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| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     |
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Costs related to the impairment of discontinued crude oil and gas properties.
+ References
No definition available.
+ Details**Name:**pdce_DiscontinuedOperationsImpairmentOfNaturalGasAndCrudeOilProperties**Namespace Prefix:**pdce_**Data Type:**xbrli:monetaryItemType**Balance Type:**debit**Period Type:**duration |
| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             |
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Impairment of individually significant unproved properties from discontinued operations
+ References
No definition available.
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| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                |
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Impairment of other properties
+ References
No definition available.
+ Details**Name:**pdce_Impairmentofotherproperties**Namespace Prefix:**pdce_**Data Type:**xbrli:monetaryItemType**Balance Type:**debit**Period Type:**duration |
| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Impairment of proved properties from continuing operations
+ References
No definition available.
+ Details**Name:**pdce_ImpairmentOfProvedPropertiesFromContinuingOperations**Namespace Prefix:**pdce_**Data Type:**xbrli:monetaryItemType**Balance Type:**debit**Period Type:**duration |
| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Impairment of proved properties from discontinued operations
+ References
No definition available.
+ Details**Name:**pdce_ImpairmentOfProvedPropertiesFromDiscontinuedOperations**Namespace Prefix:**pdce_**Data Type:**xbrli:monetaryItemType**Balance Type:**debit**Period Type:**duration |
| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Impairment of Significantly Unproved Properties
+ References
No definition available.
+ Details**Name:**pdce_ImpairmentOfSignificantlyUnprovedPropertiesFromContinuingOperations**Namespace Prefix:**pdce_**Data Type:**xbrli:monetaryItemType**Balance Type:**debit**Period Type:**duration |
| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
The expense recorded to reduce the value of oil and gas assets consisting of proved properties and unproved properties as the estimate of future successful production from these properties is reduced.
+ References
Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 230 -SubTopic 10 -Section 45 -Paragraph 28 -Subparagraph (b) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=31042434&loc=d3e3602-108585Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 932 -SubTopic 360 -Section 35 -Paragraph 11 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=28370743&loc=d3e66150-109466Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 360 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 2 -Subparagraph (b) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6391110&loc=d3e2921-110230
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| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Costs related to the impairment of oil and gas properties.
+ References
Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 932 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.4-10.(c)(3)(ii)(A)(1)) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=27015464&loc=d3e511914-122862
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| X                                                                                                                                                             |
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Details**Name:**us-gaap_MajorPropertyClassAxis=pdce_ProvedandUnprovedPropertiesMember**Namespace Prefix:****Data Type:**na**Balance Type:****Period Type:** |
| X                                                                                                                                                  |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Details**Name:**us-gaap_MajorPropertyClassAxis=pdce_ProvedPropertiesMember**Namespace Prefix:****Data Type:**na**Balance Type:****Period Type:** |
| X                                                                                                                                                    |
|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Details**Name:**us-gaap_MajorPropertyClassAxis=pdce_UnprovedPropertiesMember**Namespace Prefix:****Data Type:**na**Balance Type:****Period Type:** |
| X                                                                                                                                                                             |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Details**Name:**us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis=pdce_ShallowUpperDevonianpropertiesMember**Namespace Prefix:****Data Type:**na**Balance Type:****Period Type:** |