Guarantor Financial Statements - Income Statement (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2015	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Sep. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Revenues:
Oil sales									$ 405,715	$ 449,244	$ 188,753
Natural gas sales									19,592	18,028	6,249
Natural gas liquid sales									21,426	28,446	13,000
Royalty income									0	0	0
Revenues	$ 114,323	$ 111,946	$ 119,063	$ 101,401	$ 131,583	$ 139,127	$ 127,004	$ 98,004	446,733	495,718	208,002
Costs and expenses:
Lease operating expenses									82,625	55,384	21,157
Production and ad valorem taxes									32,990	32,638	12,899
Gathering and transportation									6,091	3,288	918
Depreciation, depletion and amortization									217,697	170,005	66,597
Impairment of oil and natural gas properties									814,798	0	0
General and administrative expenses									31,968	21,266	11,036
Asset retirement obligation accretion expense									833	467	201
Intercompany charges											0
Total costs and expenses									1,187,002	283,048	112,808
Income (loss) from operations	(187,813)	(254,773)	(299,120)	1,437	37,899	63,516	63,192	48,063	(740,269)	212,670	95,194
Other income (expense)
Interest income - intercompany										0	0
Interest expense									(41,510)	(34,514)	(8,058)
Interest expense - intercompany										0
Other income									567	556	0
Other income - intercompany									161	121	1,077
Other expense									0	(1,416)	0
Gain (loss) on derivative instruments, net									31,951	127,539	(1,872)
Total other income (expense), net									(8,831)	92,286	(8,853)
Income before income taxes									(749,100)	304,956	86,341
Provision for (benefit from) income taxes	(6,487)	(81,461)	(116,732)	3,370	56,243	23,978	15,163	13,601	(201,310)	108,985	31,754
Net income (loss)	(186,835)	(156,042)	(211,352)	6,439	99,917	44,641	27,824	23,589	(547,790)	195,971	54,587
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest	574	739	935	590	1,243	902	71	0	2,838	2,216	0
Net income (loss) attributable to Diamondback Energy, Inc.	$ (187,409)	$ (156,781)	$ (212,287)	$ 5,849	$ 98,674	$ 43,739	$ 27,753	$ 23,589	(550,628)	193,755	54,587
Eliminations [Member]
Revenues:
Oil sales									69,609	71,532	13,885
Natural gas sales									2,660	2,788	397
Natural gas liquid sales									2,590	3,901	705
Royalty income									(74,859)	(77,767)	(14,987)
Revenues									0	454	0
Costs and expenses:
Lease operating expenses									0	0	0
Production and ad valorem taxes									0	19	0
Gathering and transportation									0	(6)	0
Depreciation, depletion and amortization									(134)	(1,073)	0
Impairment of oil and natural gas properties									(3,423)
General and administrative expenses									0	(1,174)	0
Asset retirement obligation accretion expense									0	0	0
Intercompany charges											(87)
Total costs and expenses									(3,557)	(2,234)	(87)
Income (loss) from operations									3,557	2,688	87
Other income (expense)
Interest income - intercompany										(10,755)	(5,741)
Interest expense									0	0	5,741
Interest expense - intercompany										10,755
Other income									0	0	(87)
Other income - intercompany									0	(906)	0
Other expense										0
Gain (loss) on derivative instruments, net									0	0	0
Total other income (expense), net									0	(906)	(87)
Income before income taxes									3,557	1,782	0
Provision for (benefit from) income taxes									0	0	0
Net income (loss)									3,557	1,782
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest									2,838	2,216
Net income (loss) attributable to Diamondback Energy, Inc.									719	(434)	0
Parent Company [Member] | Reportable Legal Entities [Member]
Revenues:
Oil sales									0	0	0
Natural gas sales									0	0	0
Natural gas liquid sales									0	0	0
Royalty income									0	0	0
Revenues									0	0	0
Costs and expenses:
Lease operating expenses									0	0	0
Production and ad valorem taxes									0	0	0
Gathering and transportation									0	0	0
Depreciation, depletion and amortization									0	0	0
Impairment of oil and natural gas properties									0
General and administrative expenses									17,077	10,879	3,909
Asset retirement obligation accretion expense									0	0	0
Intercompany charges											0
Total costs and expenses									17,077	10,879	3,909
Income (loss) from operations									(17,077)	(10,879)	(3,909)
Other income (expense)
Interest income - intercompany										10,755	5,741
Interest expense									(35,651)	(30,281)	(591)
Interest expense - intercompany										0
Other income									1	6	0
Other income - intercompany									0	0	0
Other expense										0
Gain (loss) on derivative instruments, net									0	0	0
Total other income (expense), net									(35,650)	(19,520)	5,150
Income before income taxes									(52,727)	(30,399)	1,241
Provision for (benefit from) income taxes									(201,310)	108,985	31,754
Net income (loss)									148,583	(139,384)
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest									0	0
Net income (loss) attributable to Diamondback Energy, Inc.									148,583	(139,384)	(30,513)
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member] | Reportable Legal Entities [Member]
Revenues:
Oil sales									336,106	377,712	174,868
Natural gas sales									16,932	15,240	5,852
Natural gas liquid sales									18,836	24,545	12,295
Royalty income									0	0	0
Revenues									371,874	417,497	193,015
Costs and expenses:
Lease operating expenses									82,625	55,384	21,157
Production and ad valorem taxes									27,459	27,242	11,927
Gathering and transportation									5,832	3,294	918
Depreciation, depletion and amortization									182,395	143,477	61,398
Impairment of oil and natural gas properties									814,798
General and administrative expenses									9,056	7,189	7,127
Asset retirement obligation accretion expense									833	467	201
Intercompany charges											0
Total costs and expenses									1,122,998	237,053	102,728
Income (loss) from operations									(751,124)	180,444	90,287
Other income (expense)
Interest income - intercompany										0	0
Interest expense									(4,749)	(3,746)	(7,467)
Interest expense - intercompany										0
Other income									(588)	91	87
Other income - intercompany									161	1,027	1,077
Other expense										(1,416)
Gain (loss) on derivative instruments, net									31,951	127,539	(1,872)
Total other income (expense), net									26,775	123,495	(8,175)
Income before income taxes									(724,349)	303,939	82,112
Provision for (benefit from) income taxes									0	0	0
Net income (loss)									(724,349)	303,939
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest									0	0
Net income (loss) attributable to Diamondback Energy, Inc.									(724,349)	303,939	82,112
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member] | Reportable Legal Entities [Member]
Revenues:
Oil sales									0	0	0
Natural gas sales									0	0	0
Natural gas liquid sales									0	0	0
Royalty income									74,859	77,767	14,987
Revenues									74,859	77,767	14,987
Costs and expenses:
Lease operating expenses									0	0	0
Production and ad valorem taxes									5,531	5,377	972
Gathering and transportation									259	0	0
Depreciation, depletion and amortization									35,436	27,601	5,199
Impairment of oil and natural gas properties									3,423
General and administrative expenses									5,835	4,372	0
Asset retirement obligation accretion expense									0	0	0
Intercompany charges											87
Total costs and expenses									50,484	37,350	6,258
Income (loss) from operations									24,375	40,417	8,729
Other income (expense)
Interest income - intercompany										0	0
Interest expense									(1,110)	(487)	(5,741)
Interest expense - intercompany										(10,755)
Other income									1,154	459	0
Other income - intercompany									0	0	0
Other expense										0
Gain (loss) on derivative instruments, net									0	0	0
Total other income (expense), net									44	(10,783)	(5,741)
Income before income taxes									24,419	29,634	2,988
Provision for (benefit from) income taxes									0	0	0
Net income (loss)									24,419	29,634
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest									0	0
Net income (loss) attributable to Diamondback Energy, Inc.									$ 24,419	$ 29,634	$ 2,988