Subsidiary Guarantors Consolidated Income Statement (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2017
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Prepayment premium on extinguishment of debt	$ (31,226)	$ 0	$ (31,226)	$ 0
Total revenues	207,178	126,279	609,725	390,703
Total expenses	139,325	99,730	394,517	270,887
Operating (loss) income	67,853	26,549	215,208	119,816
Net gain on asset sales and inventory impairment	(196)	16	(196)	23
Interest expense	(10,340)	(8,550)	(26,835)	(26,229)
Other (expense) income	(976)	(36)	(1,275)	1,956
Earnings in subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
Income before income taxes	25,115	17,979	155,676	95,566
Total income tax provision (benefit)		0		0
Net income attributable to non-controlling interest in subsidiaries	(7,321)	(2,940)	(18,182)	(8,034)
Net income attributable to Matador Resources Company shareholders	17,794	15,039	137,494	87,532
Eliminating Entries
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Total revenues	(17,848)	(7,638)	(46,550)	(23,996)
Total expenses	(17,848)	(7,638)	(46,550)	(23,996)
Operating (loss) income	0	0	0	0
Net gain on asset sales and inventory impairment	0	0	0	0
Interest expense	0	0	0	0
Earnings in subsidiaries	(68,169)	(27,671)	(218,076)	(127,640)
Income before income taxes	(68,169)	(27,671)	(218,076)	(127,640)
Total income tax provision (benefit)		0		0
Net income attributable to non-controlling interest in subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
Net income attributable to Matador Resources Company shareholders	(68,169)	(27,671)	(218,076)	(127,640)
Matador | Reportable Legal Entities
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Prepayment premium on extinguishment of debt	(31,226)		(31,226)
Total revenues	0		0
Total expenses	1,184	1,175	3,596	4,021
Operating (loss) income	(1,184)	(1,175)	(3,596)	(4,021)
Net gain on asset sales and inventory impairment	0	0	0	0
Interest expense	(10,340)	(8,550)	(26,835)	(26,229)
Other (expense) income	(6)	27		27
Earnings in subsidiaries	60,550	24,674	199,151	117,574
Income before income taxes	17,794	14,976	137,494	87,351
Total income tax provision (benefit)		(63)		(181)
Net income attributable to non-controlling interest in subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
Net income attributable to Matador Resources Company shareholders	17,794	15,039	137,494	87,532
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries | Reportable Legal Entities
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Prepayment premium on extinguishment of debt	0		0
Total revenues	25,640	11,242	64,190	32,179
Total expenses	10,708	5,253	27,102	13,935
Operating (loss) income	14,932	5,989	37,088	18,244
Net gain on asset sales and inventory impairment	0	0	0	0
Interest expense	0		0
Other (expense) income	8	11	19	37
Earnings in subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
Income before income taxes	14,940	6,000	37,107	18,281
Total income tax provision (benefit)		63		181
Net income attributable to non-controlling interest in subsidiaries	(7,321)	(2,940)	(18,182)	(8,034)
Net income attributable to Matador Resources Company shareholders	7,619	2,997	18,925	10,066
Guarantor Subsidiaries | Reportable Legal Entities
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Total revenues	199,386	122,675	592,085	382,520
Total expenses	145,281	100,940	410,369	276,927
Operating (loss) income	54,105	21,735	181,716	105,593
Net gain on asset sales and inventory impairment	(196)	16	(196)	23
Interest expense		0		0
Other (expense) income	(978)	(74)	(1,294)	1,892
Earnings in subsidiaries	7,619	2,997	18,925	10,066
Income before income taxes	60,550	24,674	199,151	117,574
Total income tax provision (benefit)		0		0
Net income attributable to non-controlling interest in subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
Net income attributable to Matador Resources Company shareholders	$ 60,550	$ 24,674	$ 199,151	$ 117,574