BASIS OF PRESENTATION (Policies)	9 Months Ended
BASIS OF PRESENTATION (Policies)	Sep. 30, 2017
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies	Significant Accounting Policies The significant accounting policies followed by the Company were set forth in Note 1 to the 2016 Form 10-K and are supplemented by the notes throughout this report. These unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the 2016 Form 10-K. BASIS OF PRESENTATION These statements have been prepared in accordance with the Securities and Exchange Commission and accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) for interim financial information with the condensed consolidated balance sheets (“balance sheets”) and the condensed consolidated statements of cash flows (“statements of cash flows”) as of and for the period ended December 31, 2016, being derived from audited financial statements. The quarterly financial statements included herein do not necessarily include all of the disclosures as may be required under generally accepted accounting principles for complete financial statements. Except as disclosed herein, and with the exception of information in this report related to our emergence from Chapter 11 and fresh-start accounting, there has been no material change in the information disclosed in the notes to the consolidated financial statements included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016 (the “2016 Form 10-K”). These consolidated financial statements include all of the adjustments, which, in the opinion of management, are necessary for a fair presentation of the financial position and results of operations. All such adjustments are of a normal recurring nature only. As described below, however, such prior financial statements are not comparable to our interim financial statements due to the adoption of fresh-start accounting. The results of operations for the quarter are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the full fiscal year. The Company evaluated events subsequent to the balance sheet date of September 30, 2017, and through the filing date of this report.
Principles of Consolidation	Principles of Consolidation The balance sheets include the accounts of the Company and its wholly owned subsidiaries, Bonanza Creek Energy Operating Company, LLC, Bonanza Creek Energy Resources, LLC, Bonanza Creek Energy Upstream LLC, Bonanza Creek Energy Midstream, LLC, Holmes Eastern Company, LLC and Rocky Mountain Infrastructure, LLC. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated.
Recently Issued Accounting Standards	Recently Issued Accounting Standards Effective January 1, 2017, the Company adopted Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Update (“Update”) No. 2016-09, Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting. The objective of this update is to simplify the current guidance for stock compensation. The areas for simplification involve several aspects of the accounting for share-based payment transactions, including the income tax consequences, classification of awards as either equity or liabilities and classification on the statement of cash flows. This update is effective for the annual periods beginning after December 15, 2016, and interim periods within those annual periods. As of January 1, 2017, and thereafter, the Company did not have excess tax benefits associated with its stock compensation, and therefore, there was no tax impact upon adoption of this standard. In addition, the employee taxes paid on the statement of cash flows when shares were withheld for taxes have already been classified as a financing activity, therefore, there was no cash flow statement impact upon adoption of this standard. This standard allowed Company's to elect to account for forfeitures as they occurred or estimate the number of awards that will vest. The Company elected to account for forfeitures as they occur, resulting in a minimal impact upon adoption of this standard. In January 2017, the FASB issued Update No. 2017-01, Business Combinations (Topic 805): Clarifying the Definition of a Business. This update clarifies the definition of a business with the objective of adding guidance to assist entities with evaluating whether transactions should be accounted for as acquisitions (or disposals) of assets or businesses. This guidance is to be applied using a prospective method and is effective for annual periods, and interim periods within those annual periods, beginning after December 15, 2017. Early adoption is permitted. The Company will apply this guidance to any future acquisitions or disposals of assets or business. In February 2017, the FASB issued Update No. 2017-05, Other Income-Gains and Losses from the Derecognition of Nonfinancial Assets (Subtopic 610-20): Clarifying the Scope of Asset Derecognition Guidance and Accounting for Partial Sales of Nonfinancial Assets. This update is meant to clarify existing guidance and to add guidance for partial sales of nonfinancial assets. This guidance is to be applied using a full retrospective method or a modified retrospective method as outlined in the guidance and is effective at the same time as Update 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606), which is effective for annual periods, and interim periods within those annual periods, beginning after December 15, 2017. The Company is currently evaluating the provisions of this guidance and assessing its potential impact on the Company’s financial statements and disclosures. In November 2016, the FASB issued Update No. 2016-18, Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230): Restricted Cash. This update clarifies how entities should present restricted cash and restricted cash equivalents in the statement of cash flows. This guidance is to be applied using a retrospective method and is effective for annual periods, and interim periods within those annual periods, beginning after December 15, 2017. Early adoption is permitted. The Company has evaluated the provisions of this guidance and has determined that it will not have a material effect on the Company’s financial statements or disclosures. In August 2016, the FASB issued Update No. 2016-15 – Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments, which clarifies the presentation of specific cash receipts and cash payments within the statement of cash flows. This authoritative accounting guidance is effective for annual periods, and interim periods within those annual periods, beginning after December 15, 2017. The Company has evaluated the provisions of this guidance and has determined that it will not have a material effect on the Company’s financial statements or disclosures. In February 2016, the FASB issued Update No. 2016-02 – Leases to increase transparency and comparability among organizations by recognizing lease assets and lease liabilities on the balance sheet and disclosing key information about leasing arrangements. This authoritative guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018 and interim periods within those fiscal years. The Company has begun the identification process of all leases and is evaluating the provisions of this guidance and assessing its impact. In May 2014, the FASB issued Update No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606) for the recognition of revenue from contracts with customers. Several additional related updates have been issued. Based on assessments performed to date, the standard is not expected to have a material effect on the timing of the Company's revenue recognition or its financial position, net income, or cash flows, but is expected to have an impact on the Company's revenue-related disclosures. The Company has assessed all of its revenue contracts and is in the process of implementing appropriate changes to its business processes, systems and controls to support the recognition and disclosure requirements of this guidance. This guidance also includes provisions regarding future revenues and expenses under a gross-versus-net presentation. Currently, the Company presents the majority of its revenues and expenses impacted by this guidance on a net basis. Upon adoption of this guidance, the Company will present its revenues and expenses covered under this guidance on a gross basis. This guidance is required to be adopted using either the full retrospective approach, with all prior periods presented adjusted, or the modified retrospective approach, with a cumulative adjustment to retained earnings on the opening balance sheet. The Company will adopt this guidance on January 1, 2018, using the modified retrospective approach with a cumulative adjustment to retained earnings as necessary.
Fair Value Measurements	The Company follows fair value measurement authoritative guidance, which defines fair value, establishes a framework for using fair value to measure assets and liabilities, and expands disclosures about fair value measurements. The authoritative accounting guidance defines fair value as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. The statement establishes a hierarchy for inputs used in measuring fair value that maximizes the use of observable inputs and minimizes the use of unobservable inputs by requiring that the most observable inputs be used when available. Observable inputs are inputs that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability developed based on market data obtained from sources independent of the Company. Unobservable inputs are inputs that reflect the Company’s assumptions of what market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability developed based on the best information available in the circumstances. The hierarchy is broken down into three levels based on the reliability of the inputs as follows: Level 1: Quoted prices are available in active markets for identical assets or liabilities Level 2: Quoted prices in active markets for similar assets and liabilities, quoted prices for identical or similar instruments in markets that are not active, and model-derived valuations whose inputs are observable or whose significant value drivers are observable Level 3: Significant inputs to the valuation model are unobservable Financial and non-financial assets and liabilities are to be classified based on the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement. The Company’s assessment of the significance of a particular input to the fair value measurement requires judgment and may affect the valuation of the fair value of assets and liabilities and their placement within the fair value hierarchy levels.