Condensed Consolidating Financial Information (Condensed Consolidating Statements of Cash Flow) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash provided by operating activities	$ 298,338	$ 289,536	$ 291,054
Payments to acquire fixed and intangible assets	(463,100)	(495,774)	(443,482)
Cash distributions received from equity investees - return of investment	21,353	25,645	18,363
Investments in equity investees	0	(3,045)	(40,926)
Acquisitions	(25,394)	(1,520,299)	(157,000)
Intercompany transfers	0	0	0
Repayments on loan to non-guarantor subsidiary	0	0	0
Contributions in aid of construction costs	13,374	3,179	0
Proceeds from asset sales	3,609	2,811	272
Other, net	(151)	(1,976)	(1,214)
Net cash used in investing activities	(450,309)	(1,989,459)	(623,987)
Borrowings on senior secured credit facility	1,115,800	1,525,050	1,839,900
Repayments on senior secured credit facility	(952,600)	(960,450)	(1,872,300)
Proceeds from issuance of senior unsecured notes, including discount	0	1,139,718	350,000
Repayment of senior unsecured notes	0	(350,000)	0
Debt issuance costs	(1,578)	(28,901)	(11,896)
Issuance of common units for cash, net	298,020	633,759	225,725
Intercompany transfers	0	0	0
Distributions to partners/owners	(310,039)	(256,389)	(200,461)
Distributions to noncontrolling interests	236	(960)
Other, net	(1,734)	(471)	2,561
Net cash provided by financing activities	148,105	1,701,356	333,529
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents	(3,866)	1,433	596
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	10,895	9,462	8,866
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	7,029	10,895	9,462
Eliminations
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash provided by operating activities	(289,421)	(49,651)	(157,665)
Payments to acquire fixed and intangible assets	0	0	0
Cash distributions received from equity investees - return of investment	0	(186,026)	(42,755)
Investments in equity investees	298,020	633,761	225,725
Acquisitions	0	0	0
Intercompany transfers	31,436	1,240,973	244,876
Repayments on loan to non-guarantor subsidiary	(6,113)	(5,524)	(4,993)
Contributions in aid of construction costs	0	0
Proceeds from asset sales	0	0	0
Other, net	0	0	0
Net cash used in investing activities	323,343	1,683,184	422,853
Borrowings on senior secured credit facility	0	0	0
Repayments on senior secured credit facility	0	0	0
Proceeds from issuance of senior unsecured notes, including discount		0	0
Repayment of senior unsecured notes		0
Debt issuance costs	0	0	0
Issuance of common units for cash, net	(298,020)	(633,759)	(225,725)
Intercompany transfers	(31,437)	(1,240,973)	(244,876)
Distributions to partners/owners	310,039	256,389	200,463
Distributions to noncontrolling interests	0	0
Other, net	(14,504)	(15,190)	4,950
Net cash provided by financing activities	(33,922)	(1,633,533)	(265,188)
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	0	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	0	0	0
Genesis Energy, L.P. (Parent and Co-Issuer) | Reportable Legal Entities
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash provided by operating activities	179,853	(14,082)	96,868
Payments to acquire fixed and intangible assets	0	0	0
Cash distributions received from equity investees - return of investment	0	186,026	42,755
Investments in equity investees	(298,020)	(633,761)	(225,725)
Acquisitions	0	0	0
Intercompany transfers	(31,436)	(1,240,973)	(244,876)
Repayments on loan to non-guarantor subsidiary	0	0	0
Contributions in aid of construction costs	0	0
Proceeds from asset sales	0	0	0
Other, net	0	0	0
Net cash used in investing activities	(329,456)	(1,688,708)	(427,846)
Borrowings on senior secured credit facility	1,115,800	1,525,050	1,839,900
Repayments on senior secured credit facility	(952,600)	(960,450)	(1,872,300)
Proceeds from issuance of senior unsecured notes, including discount		1,139,718	350,000
Repayment of senior unsecured notes		(350,000)
Debt issuance costs	(1,578)	(28,901)	(11,896)
Issuance of common units for cash, net	298,020	633,759	225,725
Intercompany transfers	0	0	0
Distributions to partners/owners	(310,039)	(256,389)	(200,462)
Distributions to noncontrolling interests	0	0
Other, net	0	0	0
Net cash provided by financing activities	149,603	1,702,787	330,967
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents	0	(3)	(11)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	6	9	20
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	6	6	9
Genesis Energy Finance Corporation (Co-Issuer) | Reportable Legal Entities
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash provided by operating activities	0	0	0
Payments to acquire fixed and intangible assets	0	0	0
Cash distributions received from equity investees - return of investment	0	0	0
Investments in equity investees	0	0	0
Acquisitions	0	0	0
Intercompany transfers	0	0	0
Repayments on loan to non-guarantor subsidiary	0	0	0
Contributions in aid of construction costs	0	0
Proceeds from asset sales	0	0	0
Other, net	0	0	0
Net cash used in investing activities	0	0	0
Borrowings on senior secured credit facility	0	0	0
Repayments on senior secured credit facility	0	0	0
Proceeds from issuance of senior unsecured notes, including discount		0	0
Repayment of senior unsecured notes		0
Debt issuance costs	0	0	0
Issuance of common units for cash, net	0	0	0
Intercompany transfers	0	0	0
Distributions to partners/owners	0	0	0
Distributions to noncontrolling interests	0	0
Other, net	0	0	0
Net cash provided by financing activities	0	0	0
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	0	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	0	0	0
Guarantor Subsidiaries | Reportable Legal Entities
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash provided by operating activities	398,320	308,144	317,520
Payments to acquire fixed and intangible assets	(463,100)	(495,774)	(443,482)
Cash distributions received from equity investees - return of investment	21,353	25,645	18,363
Investments in equity investees	0	(3,045)	(40,926)
Acquisitions	(25,394)	(1,520,299)	(157,000)
Intercompany transfers	0	0	0
Repayments on loan to non-guarantor subsidiary	6,113	5,524	4,993
Contributions in aid of construction costs	13,374	3,179
Proceeds from asset sales	3,609	2,811	272
Other, net	(151)	(1,976)	(1,214)
Net cash used in investing activities	(444,196)	(1,983,935)	(618,994)
Borrowings on senior secured credit facility	0	0	0
Repayments on senior secured credit facility	0	0	0
Proceeds from issuance of senior unsecured notes, including discount		0	0
Repayment of senior unsecured notes		0
Debt issuance costs	0	0	0
Issuance of common units for cash, net	298,020	633,759	225,725
Intercompany transfers	57,701	1,299,830	273,911
Distributions to partners/owners	(310,039)	(256,389)	(200,462)
Distributions to noncontrolling interests	0	(960)
Other, net	(1,734)	(471)	2,560
Net cash provided by financing activities	43,948	1,675,769	301,734
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents	(1,928)	(22)	260
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	8,288	8,310	8,050
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	6,360	8,288	8,310
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries | Reportable Legal Entities
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash provided by operating activities	9,586	45,125	34,331
Payments to acquire fixed and intangible assets	0	0	0
Cash distributions received from equity investees - return of investment	0	0	0
Investments in equity investees	0	0	0
Acquisitions	0	0	0
Intercompany transfers	0	0	0
Repayments on loan to non-guarantor subsidiary	0	0	0
Contributions in aid of construction costs	0	0
Proceeds from asset sales	0	0	0
Other, net	0	0	0
Net cash used in investing activities	0	0	0
Borrowings on senior secured credit facility	0	0	0
Repayments on senior secured credit facility	0	0	0
Proceeds from issuance of senior unsecured notes, including discount		0	0
Repayment of senior unsecured notes		0
Debt issuance costs	0	0	0
Issuance of common units for cash, net	0	0	0
Intercompany transfers	(26,264)	(58,857)	(29,035)
Distributions to partners/owners	0	0	0
Distributions to noncontrolling interests	236	0
Other, net	14,504	15,190	(4,949)
Net cash provided by financing activities	(11,524)	(43,667)	(33,984)
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents	(1,938)	1,458	347
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	2,601	1,143	796
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	$ 663	$ 2,601	$ 1,143