Basis of Presentation (Policies)	9 Months Ended
Basis of Presentation (Policies)	Sep. 30, 2018
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Nature of Business	Nature of Business. SandRidge Energy, Inc. is an oil and natural gas exploration and production company headquartered in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma with its principal focus on developing high-return, growth-oriented projects in the U.S. Mid-Continent and North Park Basin of Colorado.
Principles of Consolidation	Principles of Consolidation. The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its wholly owned or majority owned subsidiaries, including its proportionate share of the Royalty Trusts. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.
Interim Financial Statements	Interim Financial Statements. The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements and notes have been derived from the Company's 2017 Form 10-K and should be read in conjunction with the audited financial statements and notes contained in the Company’s 2017 Form 10-K. Certain information and disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) have been condensed or omitted, although the Company believes that the disclosures contained herein are adequate to make the information presented not misleading. In the opinion of management, the financial statements include all adjustments, which consist of normal recurring adjustments unless otherwise disclosed, necessary to fairly state the Company’s unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements.
Significant Accounting Policies	Significant Accounting Policies. The unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements were prepared in accordance with the accounting policies stated in the 2017 Form 10-K as well as the items noted below.
Reclassifications	Reclassifications. Certain reclassifications have been made to the prior period financial statements to conform to the current period presentation. These reclassifications have no effect on the Company’s previously reported results of operations.
Use of Estimates	Use of Estimates. The preparation of the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. The more significant areas requiring the use of assumptions, judgments and estimates include: oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids (“NGL”) reserves; impairment tests of long-lived assets; depreciation, depletion and amortization; income taxes; valuation of derivative instruments; contingencies; and accrued revenue and related receivables. Although management believes these estimates are reasonable, actual results could differ significantly.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements	Recent Accounting Pronouncements. The Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2014-09, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606),” which outlines a single comprehensive model for entities to use in accounting for revenue arising from contracts with customers. Its objective is to increase the usefulness of information in the financial statements regarding the nature, timing and uncertainty of revenues. In August 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-14, "Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606): Deferral of the Effective Date," which deferred the effective date of ASU 2014-09 to January 1, 2018, for the Company. The ASU required adoption using either the retrospective transition method, which required restating previously reported results or the cumulative effect (modified retrospective) transition method, which utilized a cumulative-effect adjustment to retained earnings in the period of adoption to account for prior period effects rather than restating previously reported results. The Company adopted Topic 606 and all the related amendments (the “new revenue standard”) on January 1, 2018, using the modified retrospective transition method. See Note 2 for further discussion of the adoption of the new revenue standard. The FASB issued ASU 2016-16, “Income Taxes (Topic 740): Intra-Entity Transfers of Assets Other than Inventory,” which removed the prohibition in Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 740 against the immediate recognition of current and deferred income tax effects of intra-entity transfers of assets other than inventory. The amendments in this ASU were effective for the Company on January 1, 2018, with early adoption permitted on January 1, 2017. The ASU required application on a modified retrospective basis through a cumulative-effect adjustment directly to retained earnings as of the beginning of the period of adoption. The Company adopted the ASU on January 1, 2018. There was no impact to the Company’s consolidated financial statements and related disclosures upon adoption. The FASB issued ASU 2017-05, “Other Income - Gains and Losses from the Derecognition of Nonfinancial Assets (Subtopic: 610-20): Clarifying the Scope of Asset Derecognition Guidance and the Accounting for Partial Sales of Nonfinancial Assets,” which helps filers determine the guidance applicable for gain/loss recognition subsequent to the adoption of ASU 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers. The amendments also clarified that the derecognition of all businesses except those related to conveyances of oil and gas rights or contracts with customers should be accounted for in accordance with the derecognition and deconsolidation guidance in Topic 810, Consolidation. The Company adopted the ASU on January 1, 2018, using the modified retrospective transition method. Under this transition method the Company could have elected to apply this guidance retrospectively either to all contracts at the date of initial application or only to contracts that are not completed contracts at the date of initial application. The Company elected to evaluate only contracts that are not completed contracts. As there were no uncompleted contracts at January 1, 2018, there was no impact to the Company’s consolidated financial statements and related disclosures upon adoption. The FASB issued ASU 2018-13, "Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820) - Disclosure Framework - Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Fair Value Measurement," which removes, modifies or adds disclosure requirements regarding fair value measurements. The amendments in this ASU are effective for all entities beginning after December 15, 2019, with amendments on changes in unrealized gains and losses, the range and weighted average of significant unobservable inputs used to develop Level 3 fair value measurements, and the narrative description of measurement uncertainty requiring prospective adoption and all other amendments requiring retrospective adoption. Early adoption is permitted and the Company elected to adopt this ASU during the third quarter of 2018, which resulted in a change to the Company's fair value measurement disclosures on a prospective basis, but had no impact on its consolidated financial statements. Recent Accounting Pronouncements Not Yet Adopted. The FASB issued ASU 2016-02, “Leases (Topic 842),” which requires lessees to recognize the assets and liabilities for the rights and obligations of all leases with a term greater than 12 months (long-term) on the balance sheet. Leases will be classified as financing or operating expenses, with the classification affecting the pattern and classification of expense recognition in the income statement. Leases to explore for or use oil and natural gas are not impacted by this guidance. In January 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-01, “Leases (Topic 842), Land Easement Practical Expedient for Transition to Topic 842.” This ASU permits an entity to continue to apply its current accounting policy for land easements that existed before the effective date of Topic 842. Once an entity adopts Topic 842, it would apply that Topic prospectively to all new (or modified) land easements to determine whether the arrangement contains a lease. ASU 2016-02 required adoption by application of a modified retrospective transition approach. In July 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-11, "Leases (Topic 842)." The amendments in this update provide another transition method whereby entities are allowed to initially apply the new lease standard at the adoption date and recognize a cumulative-effect adjustment to the opening balance of retained earnings in the period of adoption. The amendments further provide lessors with a practical expedient, by class of underlying asset, to not separate nonlease components from the associated lease component, similar to the expedient provided for lessees. The lessor practical expedient is limited to circumstances in which the nonlease component or components otherwise would be accounted for under the new revenue guidance and both (1) the timing and pattern of transfer are the same for the nonlease component(s) and associated lease component and (2) the lease component, if accounted for separately, would be classified as an operating lease. The amendments also clarify whether Topic 842 or Topic 606 applies for combined components. This topic is effective for the Company on January 1, 2019. Early adoption is permitted. Topic 842 provides a number of optional practical expedients in transition. The Company plans to elect the ‘package of practical expedients,’ which means the Company will not have to reassess under the new lease standard its prior conclusions about lease identification, lease classification and initial indirect costs. The Company also plans to elect the land easement practical expedient. The Company does not expect to elect the use-of-hindsight. Upon adoption, the Company anticipates recognizing assets and liabilities for the rights and obligations of its existing long-term operating leases on its consolidated balance sheets and utilizing new systems, processes and internal controls to properly identify, classify, measure and recognize new (or modified) leases after the date of adoption. While the effects of adoption are continuing to be assessed, the Company believes the primary impact of the lease standard relates to (1) recognizing assets and liabilities for the rights and obligations of the Company’s vehicle, drilling rig and equipment leases and, (2) providing new disclosures about the Company’s leasing activities. The Company will complete its evaluation during 2018 and will adopt Topic 842 on January 1, 2019. The Company expects to adopt this Topic using a modified retrospective approach by recognizing a cumulative-effect adjustment to the opening balance of retained earnings in the period of adoption. The new leasing standard also provides practical expedients for an entity’s ongoing accounting. The Company currently plans to elect the short-term lease recognition exemption for leases that qualify, which means the Company will not recognize assets and liabilities for the rights and obligations of qualifying leases, including existing short-term leases of those assets in transition. The Company is also currently evaluating applicability of the practical expedient to avoid separating lease and nonlease components for its leases.
Revenue from Contract with Customer	Oil, natural gas and NGL revenues. A majority of the Company’s revenues come from sales of oil, natural gas and NGLs and are recorded at a point in time when control of the oil, natural gas and NGL production passes to the customer at the inlet of the processing plant or pipeline, or the delivery point for onloading to a delivery truck. As the Company’s customers obtain control of the production prior to selling it to other end customers, the Company presents its revenues on a net basis, rather than on a gross basis. Pricing for the Company’s oil, natural gas and NGL contracts is variable and is based on volumes sold multiplied by either an index price, net of deductions, or a percentage of the sales price obtained by the customer, which is also based on index prices. The transaction price is allocated on a pro-rata basis to each unit of oil, natural gas or NGL sold based on the terms of the contract. Oil, natural gas and NGL revenues are also recorded net of royalties, discounts and allowances, and transportation costs, as applicable. Taxes assessed by governmental authorities on oil, natural gas and NGL sales are presented separately from revenues and are included in production tax expense in the consolidated statements of operations.