Subsidiary Guarantors Consolidated Income Statement (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2018	Mar. 31, 2017
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Total revenues	$ 191,180	$ 134,814
Total expenses	117,818	80,536
Operating (loss) income	73,362	54,278
Net gain on asset sales and inventory impairment	0	7
Interest expense	(8,491)	(8,455)
Other income	53	70
Earnings in subsidiaries	0	0
Income before income taxes	64,924	45,900
Total income tax provision (benefit)		0
Net income attributable to non-controlling interest in subsidiaries	(5,030)	(1,916)
Net income attributable to Matador Resources Company shareholders	59,894	43,984
Eliminating Entries
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Total revenues	(12,494)	(7,497)
Total expenses	(12,494)	(7,497)
Operating (loss) income	0	0
Net gain on asset sales and inventory impairment		0
Interest expense	0	0
Earnings in subsidiaries	(74,849)	(57,497)
Income before income taxes	(74,849)	(57,497)
Total income tax provision (benefit)		0
Net income attributable to non-controlling interest in subsidiaries	0	0
Net income attributable to Matador Resources Company shareholders	(74,849)	(57,497)
Matador | Reportable Legal Entities
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Total revenues	0
Total expenses	1,234	1,260
Operating (loss) income	(1,234)	(1,260)
Net gain on asset sales and inventory impairment		0
Interest expense	(8,491)	(8,455)
Other income	6	27
Earnings in subsidiaries	69,613	53,672
Income before income taxes	59,894	43,984
Total income tax provision (benefit)		0
Net income attributable to non-controlling interest in subsidiaries	0	0
Net income attributable to Matador Resources Company shareholders	59,894	43,984
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries | Reportable Legal Entities
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Total revenues	17,194	9,663
Total expenses	6,928	3,868
Operating (loss) income	10,266	5,795
Net gain on asset sales and inventory impairment		0
Interest expense	0
Other income	0	0
Earnings in subsidiaries	0	0
Income before income taxes	10,266	5,795
Total income tax provision (benefit)		54
Net income attributable to non-controlling interest in subsidiaries	(5,030)	(1,916)
Net income attributable to Matador Resources Company shareholders	5,236	3,825
Guarantor Subsidiaries | Reportable Legal Entities
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Total revenues	186,480	132,648
Total expenses	122,150	82,905
Operating (loss) income	64,330	49,743
Net gain on asset sales and inventory impairment		7
Interest expense		0
Other income	47	43
Earnings in subsidiaries	5,236	3,825
Income before income taxes	69,613	53,618
Total income tax provision (benefit)		(54)
Net income attributable to non-controlling interest in subsidiaries	0	0
Net income attributable to Matador Resources Company shareholders	$ 69,613	$ 53,672