Name:	gel_CapitalExpenditures
Namespace Prefix:	gel_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

Amount of revenue from external customers for the reportable segment.

No definition available.

Name:	gel_ExternalCustomerRevenues
Namespace Prefix:	gel_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

Amount of revenues from transactions with other operating segments.

No definition available.

Name:	gel_IntersegmentRevenues
Namespace Prefix:	gel_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

Revenues less product costs, operating expenses (excluding non-cash charges such as depreciation and amortization), and segment general and administrative expenses, plus our equity in distributable cash generated by our equity investees. Also excludes the non-cash effects of our stock appreciation rights compensation plan and includes the non-income portion of payments received under direct financing leases.

No definition available.

Name:	gel_SegmentMargin
Namespace Prefix:	gel_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

Amount of direct costs of the business combination including legal, accounting, and other costs incurred to consummate the business acquisition.

No definition available.

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionCostOfAcquiredEntityTransactionCosts
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

The percentage of ownership of common stock or equity participation in the investee accounted for under the equity method of accounting.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 323
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 3
-Subparagraph (a)(1)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=66011266&loc=d3e33918-111571

Name:	us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentOwnershipPercentage
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

Number of operating segments. An operating segment is a component of an enterprise: (a) that engages in business activities from which it may earn revenues and incur expenses (including revenues and expenses relating to transactions with other components of the same enterprise), (b) whose operating results are regularly reviewed by the enterprise's chief operating decision maker to make decisions about resources to be allocated to the segment and assess its performance, and (c) for which discrete financial information is available. An operating segment may engage in business activities for which it has yet to earn revenues, for example, start-up operations may be operating segments before earning revenues.

No definition available.

Name:	us-gaap_NumberOfOperatingSegments
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

Amount of revenue recognized from goods sold, services rendered, insurance premiums, or other activities that constitute an earning process. Includes, but is not limited to, investment and interest income before deduction of interest expense when recognized as a component of revenue, and sales and trading gain (loss).

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 225
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-03.1)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=63488584&loc=d3e20235-122688

Name:	us-gaap_Revenues
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- References

No definition available.

Name:	us-gaap_SegmentReportingAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

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.

No definition available.

Name:	us-gaap_SegmentReportingInformationLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

Name:	us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis=gel_DeepwaterGatewayLLCMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Name:	us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis=gel_SekcoMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis=gel_EnterpriseOffshoreAcquisitionMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Name:	us-gaap_RelatedPartyTransactionsByRelatedPartyAxis=us-gaap_CoVenturerMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Name:	us-gaap_CounterpartyNameAxis=gel_EnterpriseMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis=gel_AmericanPhoenixAcquisitionMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Name:	us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis=gel_OffshorePipelineTransportationMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Name:	us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis=gel_RefineryServicesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Name:	us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis=gel_MarineTransportationMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Name:	us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis=gel_SupplyAndLogisticsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Name:	us-gaap_ConsolidationItemsAxis=us-gaap_OperatingSegmentsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: