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Nature Of Operations	6 Months Ended
Nature Of Operations	Jun. 30, 2012
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Nature Of Operations	NATURE OF OPERATIONS Carrizo Oil & Gas, Inc. is a Houston-based energy company which, together with its subsidiaries (collectively, the "Company"), is actively engaged in the exploration, development, and production of oil and gas in the United States (the "U.S.") and United Kingdom (the "U.K."). The Company's current operations are principally focused in proven, producing oil and gas plays primarily in the Eagle Ford Shale in South Texas, the Niobrara Formation in Colorado, the Barnett Shale in North Texas, the Marcellus Shale in Pennsylvania and West Virginia, and the U.K. North Sea where the Huntington Field project is currently under development.