Condensed Consolidating Financial Information - Statements of Operations (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2016	Mar. 31, 2015
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Total revenues	$ 90,332	$ 215,308
Expenses
Direct operating expenses	54,342	114,946
General and administrative	74,278	36,149
Depreciation, depletion, amortization and accretion	40,749	120,534
Impairment	110,114	1,083,866
Gain on derivative contracts	(2,808)	(49,827)
Loss on settlement of contract	89,092	0
Gain on sale of assets	(1,880)	(1,904)
Total expenses	363,887	1,303,764
Loss from operations	(273,555)	(1,088,456)
Equity earnings from subsidiaries	0	0
Interest expense	(81,151)	(62,842)
Gain on extinguishment of debt	41,331	0
Other income (expense), net	153	(536)
Loss before income taxes	(313,222)	(1,151,834)
Income tax (benefit) expense	4	40
Net Loss	(313,226)	(1,151,874)
Less: net loss attributable to noncontrolling interest	0	(116,921)
Net loss attributable to SandRidge Energy, Inc.	(313,226)	(1,034,953)
Eliminations
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Total revenues	0	(8)
Expenses
Direct operating expenses	0	(8)
General and administrative	0	0
Depreciation, depletion, amortization and accretion	0	0
Impairment	0	0
Gain on derivative contracts	0	0
Loss on settlement of contract	0
Gain on sale of assets	0	0
Total expenses	0	(8)
Loss from operations	0	0
Equity earnings from subsidiaries	277,416	1,021,692
Interest expense	0	0
Gain on extinguishment of debt	0
Other income (expense), net	0	0
Loss before income taxes	277,416	1,021,692
Income tax (benefit) expense	0	0
Net Loss	277,416	1,021,692
Less: net loss attributable to noncontrolling interest		(116,921)
Net loss attributable to SandRidge Energy, Inc.		1,138,613
Parent
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Total revenues	0	0
Expenses
Direct operating expenses	0	0
General and administrative	50	56
Depreciation, depletion, amortization and accretion	0	0
Impairment	0	0
Gain on derivative contracts	0	0
Loss on settlement of contract	0
Gain on sale of assets	0	0
Total expenses	50	56
Loss from operations	(50)	(56)
Equity earnings from subsidiaries	(273,358)	(972,071)
Interest expense	(81,151)	(62,826)
Gain on extinguishment of debt	41,331
Other income (expense), net	0	0
Loss before income taxes	(313,228)	(1,034,953)
Income tax (benefit) expense	(2)	0
Net Loss	(313,226)	(1,034,953)
Less: net loss attributable to noncontrolling interest		0
Net loss attributable to SandRidge Energy, Inc.		(1,034,953)
Guarantors
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Total revenues	86,665	192,520
Expenses
Direct operating expenses	53,461	112,117
General and administrative	73,788	35,219
Depreciation, depletion, amortization and accretion	39,745	109,853
Impairment	104,717	903,235
Gain on derivative contracts	(2,808)	(44,109)
Loss on settlement of contract	89,092
Gain on sale of assets	(1,880)	(1,900)
Total expenses	356,115	1,114,415
Loss from operations	(269,450)	(921,895)
Equity earnings from subsidiaries	(4,058)	(49,621)
Interest expense	0	(16)
Gain on extinguishment of debt	0
Other income (expense), net	150	(539)
Loss before income taxes	(273,358)	(972,071)
Income tax (benefit) expense	0	0
Net Loss	(273,358)	(972,071)
Less: net loss attributable to noncontrolling interest		0
Net loss attributable to SandRidge Energy, Inc.		(972,071)
Non-Guarantors
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Total revenues	3,667	22,796
Expenses
Direct operating expenses	881	2,837
General and administrative	440	874
Depreciation, depletion, amortization and accretion	1,004	10,681
Impairment	5,397	180,631
Gain on derivative contracts	0	(5,718)
Loss on settlement of contract	0
Gain on sale of assets	0	(4)
Total expenses	7,722	189,301
Loss from operations	(4,055)	(166,505)
Equity earnings from subsidiaries	0	0
Interest expense	0	0
Gain on extinguishment of debt	0
Other income (expense), net	3	3
Loss before income taxes	(4,052)	(166,502)
Income tax (benefit) expense	6	40
Net Loss	$ (4,058)	(166,542)
Less: net loss attributable to noncontrolling interest		0
Net loss attributable to SandRidge Energy, Inc.		$ (166,542)