The capitalized costs incurred (excluded from amortization), as of the date of the balance sheet, to purchase, lease or otherwise acquire an unproved property, including costs of lease bonuses and options to purchase or lease properties, the portion of costs applicable to minerals when land including mineral rights is purchased in fee, brokers' fees, recording fees, legal costs, and other costs incurred in acquiring properties.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 932
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.4-10.(c)(7)(ii))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=50486907&loc=d3e511914-122862

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_AcquisitionCostsCumulative
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_CapitalizedCostsOfUnprovedPropertiesExcludedFromAmortizationCumulativeAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Capitalized costs of unproved properties incurred for any combination mineral interests acquisitions and other costs not previously disclosed within this table.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Glossary Properties
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=21914647

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 932
-SubTopic 235
-Section 50
-Paragraph 13
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=68064819&loc=d3e61901-109447

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 932
-Glossary Unproved Properties
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6527831

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_CapitalizedCostsUnprovedProperties
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The capitalized costs incurred (excluded from amortization), as of the date of the balance sheet, to obtain access to proved reserves and to provide facilities for extracting, treating, gathering and storing the oil and gas.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DevelopmentCostsCumulative
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The capitalized costs incurred (excluded from amortization), as of the date of the balance sheet, in identifying areas that may warrant examination and in examining specific areas that are considered to have prospects of containing oil and gas reserves, including costs of drilling exploratory wells and exploratory-type stratigraphic test wells. Exploration costs may be incurred both before acquiring the related property (sometimes referred to in part as prospecting costs) and after acquiring the property. Principal types of exploration costs, which include depreciation and applicable operating costs of support equipment and facilities and other costs of exploration activities, are: costs of topographical, geographical and geophysical studies, rights of access to properties to conduct those studies, and salaries and other expenses of geologists, geophysical crews, and others conducting those studies. Collectively, these are sometimes referred to as geological and geophysical or "G&G" costs. Exploration costs also include costs of carrying and retaining undeveloped properties, such as delay rentals, ad valorem taxes on properties, legal costs for title defense, the maintenance of land and lease records, dry hole contributions and bottom hole contributions, costs of drilling and equipping exploratory wells and costs of drilling exploratory-type stratigraphic test wells.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ExplorationCostsCumulative
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_CapitalizedCostsOfUnprovedPropertiesExcludedFromAmortizationByPropertyOrProjectAxis=mtdr_CurrentYearMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_CapitalizedCostsOfUnprovedPropertiesExcludedFromAmortizationByPropertyOrProjectAxis=mtdr_PriorYearMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_CapitalizedCostsOfUnprovedPropertiesExcludedFromAmortizationByPropertyOrProjectAxis=mtdr_TwoYearsPriorMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_CapitalizedCostsOfUnprovedPropertiesExcludedFromAmortizationByPropertyOrProjectAxis=mtdr_ThreeYearsandPriorMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_CapitalizedCostsOfUnprovedPropertiesExcludedFromAmortizationByPropertyOrProjectAxis=mtdr_ProjectsInceptiontoDateMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Property and Equipment (Details 1) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2011
Breakdown of the Company's unproved and unevaluated property costs not subject to amortization
Total unproved and unevaluated	$ 479,736	$ 387,504
2016
Breakdown of the Company's unproved and unevaluated property costs not subject to amortization
Costs incurred for Property acquisition	126,857
Exploration wells	19,017
Amount for development wells	13,086
Total unproved and unevaluated	158,960
2015
Breakdown of the Company's unproved and unevaluated property costs not subject to amortization
Costs incurred for Property acquisition		236,507
Exploration wells		3,375
Amount for development wells		1,218
Total unproved and unevaluated		$ 241,100
2014
Breakdown of the Company's unproved and unevaluated property costs not subject to amortization
Costs incurred for Property acquisition			$ 55,258
Exploration wells			34
Amount for development wells			730
Total unproved and unevaluated			$ 56,022
2013 and prior
Breakdown of the Company's unproved and unevaluated property costs not subject to amortization
Costs incurred for Property acquisition				$ 23,654
Exploration wells				0
Amount for development wells				0
Total unproved and unevaluated				$ 23,654
Total
Breakdown of the Company's unproved and unevaluated property costs not subject to amortization
Costs incurred for Property acquisition	442,276
Exploration wells	22,426
Amount for development wells	15,034
Total unproved and unevaluated	$ 479,736