Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)	9 Months Ended
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)	Sep. 30, 2017
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Interim Financial Statements, Basis of Presentation, Consolidation and Significant Estimates	Interim Financial Statements, Basis of Presentation, Consolidation and Significant Estimates The interim unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements of the Company have been prepared in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) but do not include all of the information and footnotes required by generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”) for complete financial statements and should be read in conjunction with the Company’s audited consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016 (the “Annual Report”) filed with the SEC. The Company consolidates certain subsidiaries and joint ventures that are less than wholly owned and are not involved in oil and natural gas exploration, including San Mateo, and the net income and equity attributable to the non-controlling interest in these subsidiaries have been reported separately as required by Accounting Standards Codification 810. The Company proportionately consolidates certain joint ventures that are less than wholly owned and are involved in oil and natural gas exploration. All intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. In management’s opinion, these interim unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements include all adjustments, consisting only of normal, recurring adjustments, which are necessary for a fair presentation of the Company’s interim unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements as of September 30, 2017. Amounts as of December 31, 2016 are derived from the Company’s audited consolidated financial statements included in the Annual Report. The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the financial statements and accompanying notes. These estimates and assumptions may also affect 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 Company’s interim unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements are based on a number of significant estimates, including accruals for oil and natural gas revenues, accrued assets and liabilities primarily related to oil and natural gas operations, stock-based compensation, valuation of derivative instruments and oil and natural gas reserves. The estimates of oil and natural gas reserves quantities and future net cash flows are the basis for the calculations of depletion and impairment of oil and natural gas properties, as well as estimates of asset retirement obligations and certain tax accruals. While the Company believes its estimates are reasonable, changes in facts and assumptions or the discovery of new information may result in revised estimates. Actual results could differ from these estimates.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements	Recent Accounting Pronouncements Revenue from Contracts with Customers. In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606), which specifies how and when to recognize revenue. This standard requires expanded disclosures surrounding revenue recognition and is intended to improve, and converge with international standards, the financial reporting requirements for revenue from contracts with customers. In August 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-14, which defers the effective date of ASU 2014-09 for one year to fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017. Early adoption is permitted for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016. In May 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-11, which rescinds guidance from the SEC on accounting for gas balancing arrangements and will eliminate the use of the entitlements method. Entities have the option of using either a full retrospective or modified approach to adopt the new standards. In December 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-20, which clarifies disclosure requirements in ASU 2014-09. The Company expects to adopt the new guidance effective January 1, 2018 using the modified approach. The Company has reviewed the new guidance, including (i) identification of revenue streams and (ii) review of contracts and procedures currently in place, and is finalizing its evaluation of the impact, if any, on its consolidated financial statements. Leases. In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842), which requires the recognition of lease assets and lease liabilities by lessees for those leases classified as operating leases under previous U.S. GAAP. This ASU will become effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018 with early adoption permitted. Entities are required to recognize and measure leases at the beginning of the earliest period presented using a modified retrospective approach. The modified retrospective approach includes a number of optional practical expedients that entities may elect to apply. These practical expedients relate to the identification and classification of leases that commenced before the effective date, initial direct costs for leases that commenced before the effective date and the ability to use hindsight in evaluating lessee options to extend or terminate a lease or to purchase the underlying asset. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of the adoption of this ASU on its consolidated financial statements. Statement of Cash Flows. In November 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-18, Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230), which specifies that a statement of cash flows explain the change during the period in the total of cash, cash equivalents and amounts generally described as restricted cash or restricted cash equivalents. This ASU will become effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, and interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted, including adoption in an interim period. The update should be applied using a retrospective transition method to each period presented. The Company believes that the impact of the adoption of this ASU will change the presentation of its beginning and ending cash balances on its Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows and eliminate the presentation of changes in restricted cash balances from investing activities on its Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows. Clarifying the Definition of a Business. In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-01, Business Combinations (Topic 805), which specifies the minimum inputs and processes required for an integrated set of assets and activities to meet the definition of a business. This ASU will become effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017 with early adoption permitted. Entities are required to apply guidance prospectively upon adoption. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of the adoption of this ASU on its consolidated financial statements.
Property and Equipment	Property and Equipment The Company uses the full-cost method of accounting for its investments in oil and natural gas properties. Under this method, the Company is required to perform a ceiling test each quarter that determines a limit, or ceiling, on the capitalized costs of oil and natural gas properties based primarily on the after-tax estimated future net cash flows from oil and natural gas properties using a 10% discount rate and the arithmetic average of first-day-of-the-month oil and natural gas prices for the prior 12-month period. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017, the cost center ceiling was higher than the capitalized costs of oil and natural gas properties, and, as a result, no impairment charge was necessary. For the three months ended September 30, 2016, the cost center ceiling was higher than the capitalized costs of oil and natural gas properties, and, as a result, no impairment charge was necessary. However, due primarily to declines in oil and natural gas prices in early 2016, the capitalized costs of oil and natural gas properties exceeded the cost center ceiling for the nine months ended September 30, 2016, and as a result, the Company recorded impairment charges to its net capitalized costs of $158.6 million in its interim unaudited condensed consolidated statement of operations.
Earnings (Loss) Per Common Share	Earnings (Loss) Per Common Share The Company reports basic earnings (loss) attributable to Matador Resources Company shareholders per common share, which excludes the effect of potentially dilutive securities, and diluted earnings (loss) attributable to Matador Resources Company shareholders per common share, which includes the effect of all potentially dilutive securities unless their impact is anti-dilutive.