Condensed Consolidating Financial Information - Condensed Consolidating Balance Sheets of SandRidge Energy, Inc. and Wholly Owned Subsidiary Guarantors and Non-Guarantors' (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 435,588	$ 181,253	$ 814,663	$ 309,766
Accounts receivable, net	127,387	330,077
Intercompany accounts receivable	0	0
Derivative contracts	84,349	291,414
Prepaid expenses	6,833	7,981
Other current assets	19,931	21,193
Total current assets	674,088	831,918
Property, plant and equipment, net	2,234,702	6,215,057
Investment in subsidiaries	0	0
Derivative contracts	0	47,003
Other assets	82,365	165,247
Total assets	2,991,155	7,259,225
Current liabilities
Accounts payable and accrued expenses	428,417	683,392
Intercompany accounts payable	0	0
Derivative contracts	573	0
Deferred tax liability	0	95,843
Other current liabilities	0	5,216
Asset retirement obligations	8,399	0	87,063
Total current liabilities	437,389	784,451
Investment in subsidiaries	0	0
Long-term debt	3,631,506	3,195,436
Asset retirement obligations	95,179	54,402	337,054
Other long-term obligations	14,814	15,116
Total liabilities	4,178,888	4,049,405
Equity
SandRidge Energy, Inc. stockholders’ (deficit) equity	(1,697,917)	1,937,825
Noncontrolling interest	510,184	1,271,995
Total stockholders’ (deficit) equity	(1,187,733)	3,209,820	3,175,627	3,862,455
Total liabilities and stockholders’ (deficit) equity	2,991,155	7,259,225
Eliminations
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0	0
Accounts receivable, net	0	(7)
Intercompany accounts receivable	(2,563,250)	(2,132,207)
Derivative contracts	0	(38,454)
Prepaid expenses	0	0
Other current assets	0	0
Total current assets	(2,563,250)	(2,170,668)
Property, plant and equipment, net	0	0
Investment in subsidiaries	(2,758,045)	(6,632,142)
Derivative contracts		0
Other assets	(5,902)	(5,902)
Total assets	(5,327,197)	(8,808,712)
Current liabilities
Accounts payable and accrued expenses	0	(7)
Intercompany accounts payable	(2,563,250)	(2,132,207)
Derivative contracts	0	(38,454)
Deferred tax liability		0
Other current liabilities		0
Asset retirement obligations	0
Total current liabilities	(2,563,250)	(2,170,668)
Investment in subsidiaries	(1,439,074)	(1,062,230)
Long-term debt	(5,902)	(5,902)
Asset retirement obligations	0	0
Other long-term obligations	0	0
Total liabilities	(4,008,226)	(3,238,800)
Equity
SandRidge Energy, Inc. stockholders’ (deficit) equity	(1,829,155)	(6,841,907)
Noncontrolling interest	510,184	1,271,995
Total stockholders’ (deficit) equity	(1,318,971)	(5,569,912)
Total liabilities and stockholders’ (deficit) equity	(5,327,197)	(8,808,712)
Parent
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents	426,917	170,468	805,505	300,228
Accounts receivable, net	0	7
Intercompany accounts receivable	1,226,994	751,376
Derivative contracts	0	0
Prepaid expenses	0	0
Other current assets	0	0
Total current assets	1,653,911	921,851
Property, plant and equipment, net	0	0
Investment in subsidiaries	2,749,514	6,606,198
Derivative contracts		0
Other assets	72,259	152,286
Total assets	4,475,684	7,680,335
Current liabilities
Accounts payable and accrued expenses	160,122	151,825
Intercompany accounts payable	1,337,688	1,365,210
Derivative contracts	0	0
Deferred tax liability		95,843
Other current liabilities		0
Asset retirement obligations	0
Total current liabilities	1,497,810	1,612,878
Investment in subsidiaries	1,038,303	928,217
Long-term debt	3,637,408	3,201,338
Asset retirement obligations	0	0
Other long-term obligations	80	77
Total liabilities	6,173,601	5,742,510
Equity
SandRidge Energy, Inc. stockholders’ (deficit) equity	(1,697,917)	1,937,825
Noncontrolling interest	0	0
Total stockholders’ (deficit) equity	(1,697,917)	1,937,825
Total liabilities and stockholders’ (deficit) equity	4,475,684	7,680,335
Guarantors
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents	847	1,398	1,013	922
Accounts receivable, net	122,606	299,764
Intercompany accounts receivable	1,305,573	1,339,152
Derivative contracts	84,349	284,825
Prepaid expenses	6,826	7,971
Other current assets	19,931	21,193
Total current assets	1,540,132	1,954,303
Property, plant and equipment, net	2,124,532	5,137,702
Investment in subsidiaries	8,531	25,944
Derivative contracts		47,003
Other assets	16,008	18,197
Total assets	3,689,203	7,183,149
Current liabilities
Accounts payable and accrued expenses	265,767	526,941
Intercompany accounts payable	1,192,569	731,103
Derivative contracts	573	38,454
Deferred tax liability		0
Other current liabilities		5,216
Asset retirement obligations	8,399
Total current liabilities	1,467,308	1,301,714
Investment in subsidiaries	400,771	134,013
Long-term debt	0	0
Asset retirement obligations	95,179	54,402
Other long-term obligations	14,734	15,039
Total liabilities	1,977,992	1,505,168
Equity
SandRidge Energy, Inc. stockholders’ (deficit) equity	1,711,211	5,677,981
Noncontrolling interest	0	0
Total stockholders’ (deficit) equity	1,711,211	5,677,981
Total liabilities and stockholders’ (deficit) equity	3,689,203	7,183,149
Non-Guarantors
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents	7,824	9,387	$ 8,145	$ 8,616
Accounts receivable, net	4,781	30,313
Intercompany accounts receivable	30,683	41,679
Derivative contracts	0	45,043
Prepaid expenses	7	10
Other current assets	0	0
Total current assets	43,295	126,432
Property, plant and equipment, net	110,170	1,077,355
Investment in subsidiaries	0	0
Derivative contracts		0
Other assets	0	666
Total assets	153,465	1,204,453
Current liabilities
Accounts payable and accrued expenses	2,528	4,633
Intercompany accounts payable	32,993	35,894
Derivative contracts	0	0
Deferred tax liability		0
Other current liabilities		0
Asset retirement obligations	0
Total current liabilities	35,521	40,527
Investment in subsidiaries	0	0
Long-term debt	0	0
Asset retirement obligations	0	0
Other long-term obligations	0	0
Total liabilities	35,521	40,527
Equity
SandRidge Energy, Inc. stockholders’ (deficit) equity	117,944	1,163,926
Noncontrolling interest	0	0
Total stockholders’ (deficit) equity	117,944	1,163,926
Total liabilities and stockholders’ (deficit) equity	$ 153,465	$ 1,204,453