Equity and Partners' Capital - Additional Information (details)			1 Months Ended			6 Months Ended	0 Months Ended		6 Months Ended	0 Months Ended		6 Months Ended	1 Months Ended				6 Months Ended	1 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Jul. 31, 2014 Subsequent Event [Member] Common Units [Member]		Jul. 31, 2014 Option on Securities [Member] Subsequent Event [Member] Common Units [Member]	Jun. 30, 2014 Anadarko [Member]	Aug. 04, 2014 Anadarko [Member] Subsequent Event [Member]	Aug. 04, 2014 Anadarko [Member] Subsequent Event [Member]	Jun. 30, 2014 Public [Member]	Aug. 04, 2014 Public [Member] Subsequent Event [Member]	Aug. 04, 2014 Public [Member] Subsequent Event [Member]	Jun. 30, 2014 Western Gas Partners [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Western Gas Partners [Member] Common Units [Member]		May 31, 2013 Western Gas Partners [Member] Common Units [Member]		Jun. 30, 2014 Western Gas Partners [Member] Incentive Distribution Rights [Member]	Jan. 31, 2014 Western Gas Partners [Member] Option on Securities [Member] Common Units [Member]	May 31, 2013 Western Gas Partners [Member] Option on Securities [Member] Common Units [Member]	Jun. 30, 2014 Western Gas Partners [Member] Public [Member]	Jun. 30, 2014 Western Gas Partners [Member] Other Subsidiaries Of Anadarko [Member]	Jun. 30, 2014 Western Gas Partners [Member]
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Common units owned	218,903,498	218,895,515				199,137,365		193,387,365	19,766,133		25,516,133	49,296,205								68,917,483	757,619
Ownership interest						91.00%	88.30%		9.00%	11.70%		40.60%								56.80%	0.60%
Common units issued			5,750,000	[1]	750,000								4,800,000	[2]	7,015,000	[1]		300,000	915,000
General partner units owned												2,408,699
General partner's interest												2.00%					100.00%					2.00%

[1] Includes the issuance of 915,000 WES common units pursuant to the full exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option granted in connection with the May 2013 equity offering.

[2] Includes the issuance of 300,000 WES common units on January 3, 2014, pursuant to the partial exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option granted in connection with the December 2013 equity offering. Net proceeds from this partial exercise (including WES GP’s proportionate capital contribution) were $18.1 million.