Condensed Consolidating Financial Information - Condensed Consolidating Statements of Cash Flows of SandRidge Energy, Inc. and Wholly Owned Subsidiary Guarantors and Non-Guarantors' (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities	$ 373,537	$ 621,114	$ 868,630
Cash flows from investing activities
Capital expenditures for property, plant and equipment	(879,201)	(1,553,332)	(1,496,731)
Acquisition of assets	(216,943)	(18,384)	(17,028)
Proceeds from sale of assets	56,504	714,475	2,584,115
Other	56,504	(18,384)	(17,028)
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	(1,039,640)	(857,241)	1,070,356
Cash flows from financing activities
Proceeds from borrowings	2,065,000	0	0
Repayments of borrowings	(939,466)	0	(1,115,500)
Premium on debt redemption	0	0	(61,997)
Distributions to unitholders	(138,305)	(193,807)	(206,470)
Repurchase of common stock	0	(111,827)	0
Dividends paid—preferred	(11,262)	(55,525)	(55,525)
Intercompany borrowings (advances) , net	0	0	0
Other	(66,791)	(91,649)	5,403
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	920,438	(397,283)	(1,434,089)
NET INCREASE (DECREASE) IN CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS	254,335	(633,410)	504,897
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, beginning of year	181,253	814,663	309,766
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, end of year	435,588	181,253	814,663
Eliminations
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities	51,272	8,438	907
Cash flows from investing activities
Capital expenditures for property, plant and equipment	0	0	0
Acquisition of assets	0
Proceeds from sale of assets		0	0
Other	(18,543)	(47,780)	(109,831)
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	(18,543)	(47,780)	(109,831)
Cash flows from financing activities
Proceeds from borrowings	0
Repayments of borrowings	0		0
Premium on debt redemption			0
Distributions to unitholders	20,324	40,520	93,205
Repurchase of common stock		0
Dividends paid—preferred			0
Intercompany borrowings (advances) , net	0	0	0
Other	(53,053)	(1,178)	15,719
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	(32,729)	39,342	108,924
NET INCREASE (DECREASE) IN CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS	0	0	0
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, beginning of year	0	0	0
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, end of year	0	0	0
Parent
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities	(326,674)	(240,932)	(239,026)
Cash flows from investing activities
Capital expenditures for property, plant and equipment	0	0	0
Acquisition of assets	0
Proceeds from sale of assets		0	0
Other	0	0	0
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	0	0	0
Cash flows from financing activities
Proceeds from borrowings	2,065,000
Repayments of borrowings	(939,466)		(1,115,500)
Premium on debt redemption			(61,997)
Distributions to unitholders	0	0	0
Repurchase of common stock		(111,827)
Dividends paid—preferred			(55,525)
Intercompany borrowings (advances) , net	(475,618)	(215,368)	2,009,146
Other	(66,793)	(66,910)	(31,821)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	583,123	(394,105)	744,303
NET INCREASE (DECREASE) IN CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS	256,449	(635,037)	505,277
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, beginning of year	170,468	805,505	300,228
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, end of year	426,917	170,468	805,505
Guarantors
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities	524,313	641,181	852,026
Cash flows from investing activities
Capital expenditures for property, plant and equipment	(879,201)	(1,553,332)	(1,496,731)
Acquisition of assets	(216,943)
Proceeds from sale of assets		711,728	2,566,742
Other	74,140	28,256	89,606
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	(1,022,004)	(813,348)	1,159,617
Cash flows from financing activities
Proceeds from borrowings	0
Repayments of borrowings	0		0
Premium on debt redemption			0
Distributions to unitholders	0	0	0
Repurchase of common stock		0
Dividends paid—preferred			0
Intercompany borrowings (advances) , net	497,140	215,373	(2,018,212)
Other	0	(42,821)	6,660
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	497,140	172,552	(2,011,552)
NET INCREASE (DECREASE) IN CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS	(551)	385	91
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, beginning of year	1,398	1,013	922
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, end of year	847	1,398	1,013
Non-Guarantors
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities	124,626	212,427	254,723
Cash flows from investing activities
Capital expenditures for property, plant and equipment	0	0	0
Acquisition of assets	0
Proceeds from sale of assets		2,747	17,373
Other	907	1,140	3,197
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	907	3,887	20,570
Cash flows from financing activities
Proceeds from borrowings	0
Repayments of borrowings	0		0
Premium on debt redemption			0
Distributions to unitholders	(158,629)	(234,327)	(299,675)
Repurchase of common stock		0
Dividends paid—preferred			0
Intercompany borrowings (advances) , net	(21,522)	(5)	9,066
Other	53,055	19,260	14,845
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	(127,096)	(215,072)	(275,764)
NET INCREASE (DECREASE) IN CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS	(1,563)	1,242	(471)
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, beginning of year	9,387	8,145	8,616
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, end of year	$ 7,824	$ 9,387	$ 8,145