Incentive Plans (Narrative) (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended																							12 Months Ended													12 Months Ended				12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2013 PSE Ltip Phantom Units [Member]		Dec. 31, 2012 PSE Ltip Phantom Units [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 PSE Ltip Phantom Units [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Deferred Compensation Retirement Plan [Member] Rate	Dec. 31, 2012 Deferred Compensation Retirement Plan [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Deferred Compensation Retirement Plan [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Deferred Compensation Retirement Plan [Member] Bonus [Member] Rate	Dec. 31, 2013 Deferred Compensation Retirement Plan [Member] Base Salary [Member] Rate	Dec. 31, 2013 401(k) Plan [Member] Rate	Dec. 31, 2012 401(k) Plan [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 401(k) Plan [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Restricted Stock Equity Awards [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Restricted Stock Equity Awards [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Restricted Stock Equity Awards [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Restricted Stock Liability Awards [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Restricted Stock Liability Awards [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Restricted Stock Liability Awards [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Restricted Stock [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Pioneer Long-Term Incentive Plan [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Stock Options [Member]		Dec. 31, 2012 Stock Options [Member]		Dec. 31, 2011 Stock Options [Member]		Dec. 31, 2013 Performance Unit Awards [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Performance Unit Awards [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Performance Unit Awards [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Pioneer Southwest LTIP [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Pioneer Southwest LTIP [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Pioneer Southwest LTIP [Member]	Dec. 17, 2013 Pioneer Southwest LTIP [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Pioneer Southwest Employee Long Term Incentive Plan [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Pioneer Southwest Employee Long Term Incentive Plan [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Pioneer Southwest Employee Long Term Incentive Plan [Member]	Dec. 17, 2013 Pioneer Southwest Employee Long Term Incentive Plan [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Sendero B Units [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Sendero B Units [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Sendero B Units [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Sendero B Units [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Employee Stock [Member] Rate	Dec. 31, 2012 Employee Stock [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Employee Stock [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Participants annual salary contributions to 401(k) Plan, percentage											100.00%	25.00%	80.00%
Matching contributions percent								100.00%					200.00%
Defined Contribution Plan, Employer Matching Contribution, Percent of Employees' Gross Pay											8.00%	10.00%	5.00%
Matching contributions								$ 2,700,000	$ 2,400,000	$ 2,200,000
Matching contributions vesting period in years	4
Deferred Compensation Arrangement with Individual, Compensation Expense	112,432,000	86,084,000	53,085,000										29,700,000	24,700,000	18,300,000	56,165,000	48,876,000	32,861,000	40,404,000	22,419,000	10,882,000			2,952,000	[1]	4,110,000	[1]	2,936,000	[1]												1,020,000	982,000	1,020,000		1,731,000	2,437,000	125,000
Unrecognized share-based compensation expense	146,300,000																		44,800,000
Restricted Units Vesting Schedule	3 years 0 months 0 days
Approved and authorized awards																							9,100,000													3,000,000									1,250,000
Number of Units granted				7,492	[2]											433,311			250,641			683,952																						1,000
Grant Date Fair Value																																												5,100,000
Number of unvested shares																197,340
Weighted Average Grant-Date Fair Value, Shares granted				$ 110.32		$ 120.43	$ 138.32									$ 134.58	$ 113.02	$ 97.52								$ 56.29		$ 49.61		$ 189.23	$ 172.57	$ 134.68					$ 114.75	$ 126.24
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Equity Instruments Other than Options, Vested in Period, Fair Value				799,000												67,700,000	137,200,000	98,600,000	26,100,000	14,200,000	6,700,000									18,900,000	18,800,000	44,700,000	200,000	200,000	342,000
Amount of liabilities attributable to liability awards included in accounts payable																			33,000,000	18,800,000
Option awards contract life																								10
Average dividend yield																								7
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Exercised, Intrinsic Value																								20,500,000		17,200,000		1,500,000
Service period for the performance unit awards, years																														34
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Number of Shares Available for Grant																							2,593,429													2,900,000			654,842	678,034					515,028
Restricted units to directors																																		7,496	6,812		1,743	1,584
Number of key employees participated in restricted unit agreements																																												2
Employee stock purchase plan contribution limit																																													15.00%
Employee stock purchase plan participants purchase price percent																																													15.00%
Unfunded accumulated postretirement benefit obligations determined by actuaries	$ 7,600,000	$ 9,700,000

[1] (a)Cash proceeds received from stock option exercises during 2013, 2012 and 2011 amounted to $5.0 million, $3.1 million and $619 thousand, respectively.

[2] (a)Reflects the number of awards in Pioneer common stock after the Pioneer Southwest merger based upon the Conversion Ratio.