Acquisitions and Divestitures	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2013
Acquisitions and Divestitures [Abstract]
Acquisition and Divestitures	Acquisitions and Divestitures Premier Silica Business Combination On April 2, 2012, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company acquired an industrial sand mining business that is now called Premier Silica LLC ("Premier Silica"). Premier Silica's primary mine operations are in Brady, Texas. The Brady mine facilities primarily produce, process and provide sand to the Company for use as proppant in its fracture stimulation of oil and gas wells in Texas. Excess sand and sand not useable for fracture stimulation is sold to third parties for use as proppant or other industrial and recreational purposes. The aggregate purchase price of Premier Silica was $297.1 million, including closing adjustments. Divestitures Recorded in Continuing Operations Sales of unproved oil and gas properties. For the three months ended March 31, 2013, the Company's pretax gain on disposition of assets from continuing operations of $24.4 million was primarily associated with the sale of its interest in unproved oil and gas properties adjacent to the Company's West Panhandle field operations to an unaffiliated third party for cash proceeds of $37.4 million, which resulted in a pretax gain of $21.7 million. For the three months ended March 31, 2012, the Company's pretax gain on disposition of assets of $43.6 million was primarily associated with the sale of a portion of its interest in an unproved oil and gas property in the Eagle Ford Shale field to unaffiliated third parties for cash proceeds of $54.7 million, which resulted in a pretax gain of $42.6 million. Divestitures Recorded as Discontinued Operations South Africa. During the first quarter of 2012, the Company agreed to sell its net assets in South Africa ("Pioneer South Africa") to an unaffiliated third party, effective January 1, 2012, for $60.0 million of cash proceeds before normal closing and other adjustments, and the buyer's assumption of certain liabilities of the Company's South Africa subsidiaries. In August 2012, the Company completed the sale of Pioneer South Africa for net cash proceeds of $15.9 million, including normal closing adjustments for cash revenues and costs and expenses from the effective date through the date of the sale, resulting in a third quarter 2012 pretax gain of $28.6 million. The Company classified Pioneer South Africa's results of operations as income from discontinued operations, net of tax, in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations. For the three months ended March 31, 2012, the Company recognized revenues and other income and pretax earnings of $19.6 million and $17.4 million, respectively, associated with discontinued operations, principally related to the results of operations of Pioneer South Africa prior to its divestiture in August 2012. Pending Divestitures Southern Wolfcamp. In January 2013, the Company signed an agreement with Sinochem Petroleum USA LLC ("Sinochem"), a U.S. subsidiary of the Sinochem Group, an unaffiliated third party, to sell 40 percent of Pioneer's interest in 207,000 net acres leased by the Company in the horizontal Wolfcamp Shale play in the southern portion of the Spraberry field in West Texas for total consideration of $1.7 billion. Sinochem will pay $522.0 million in cash to Pioneer at closing, before normal closing adjustments, and will pay the remaining $1.2 billion by carrying 75 percent of Pioneer's portion of future drilling and facilities costs attributable to the horizontal Wolfcamp Shale play. This transaction is expected to close during the second quarter of 2013, subject to governmental approvals.

Acquisitions and Divestitures

Premier Silica Business Combination

On April 2, 2012, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company acquired an industrial sand mining business that is now called Premier Silica LLC ("Premier Silica"). Premier Silica's primary mine operations are in Brady, Texas. The Brady mine facilities primarily produce, process and provide sand to the Company for use as proppant in its fracture stimulation of oil and gas wells in Texas. Excess sand and sand not useable for fracture stimulation is sold to third parties for use as proppant or other industrial and recreational purposes. The aggregate purchase price of Premier Silica was $297.1 million, including closing adjustments.

Divestitures Recorded in Continuing Operations

Sales of unproved oil and gas properties. For the three months ended March 31, 2013, the Company's pretax gain on disposition of assets from continuing operations of $24.4 million was primarily associated with the sale of its interest in unproved oil and gas properties adjacent to the Company's West Panhandle field operations to an unaffiliated third party for cash proceeds of $37.4 million, which resulted in a pretax gain of $21.7 million. For the three months ended March 31, 2012, the Company's pretax gain on disposition of assets of $43.6 million was primarily associated with the sale of a portion of its interest in an unproved oil and gas property in the Eagle Ford Shale field to unaffiliated third parties for cash proceeds of $54.7 million, which resulted in a pretax gain of $42.6 million.

Divestitures Recorded as Discontinued Operations

South Africa. During the first quarter of 2012, the Company agreed to sell its net assets in South Africa ("Pioneer South Africa") to an unaffiliated third party, effective January 1, 2012, for $60.0 million of cash proceeds before normal closing and other adjustments, and the buyer's assumption of certain liabilities of the Company's South Africa subsidiaries. In August 2012, the Company completed the sale of Pioneer South Africa for net cash proceeds of $15.9 million, including normal closing adjustments for cash revenues and costs and expenses from the effective date through the date of the sale, resulting in a third quarter 2012 pretax gain of $28.6 million. The Company classified Pioneer South Africa's results of operations as income from discontinued operations, net of tax, in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations.

For the three months ended March 31, 2012, the Company recognized revenues and other income and pretax earnings of $19.6 million and $17.4 million, respectively, associated with discontinued operations, principally related to the results of operations of Pioneer South Africa prior to its divestiture in August 2012.

Pending Divestitures

Southern Wolfcamp. In January 2013, the Company signed an agreement with Sinochem Petroleum USA LLC ("Sinochem"), a U.S. subsidiary of the Sinochem Group, an unaffiliated third party, to sell 40 percent of Pioneer's interest in 207,000 net acres leased by the Company in the horizontal Wolfcamp Shale play in the southern portion of the Spraberry field in West Texas for total consideration of $1.7 billion. Sinochem will pay $522.0 million in cash to Pioneer at closing, before normal closing adjustments, and will pay the remaining $1.2 billion by carrying 75 percent of Pioneer's portion of future drilling and facilities costs attributable to the horizontal Wolfcamp Shale play. This transaction is expected to close during the second quarter of 2013, subject to governmental approvals.