Consolidated Statement of Stockholders' Equity - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Total	Common Stock [Member]	Additional Paid-in Capital [Member]	Retained Earnings (Accumulated Deficit) [Member]	AOCI Attributable to Parent [Member]	Noncontrolling Interest [Member]	Brigham [Member]	Brigham [Member] Common Stock [Member]	Brigham [Member] Additional Paid-in Capital [Member]	Brigham [Member] Retained Earnings (Accumulated Deficit) [Member]	Brigham [Member] AOCI Attributable to Parent [Member]	Brigham [Member] Noncontrolling Interest [Member]	Energen Corporation Acquisition [Member]	Energen Corporation Acquisition [Member] Common Stock [Member]	Energen Corporation Acquisition [Member] Additional Paid-in Capital [Member]	Energen Corporation Acquisition [Member] Retained Earnings (Accumulated Deficit) [Member]	Energen Corporation Acquisition [Member] AOCI Attributable to Parent [Member]	Energen Corporation Acquisition [Member] Noncontrolling Interest [Member]	Ajax Acquisition [Member]	Ajax Acquisition [Member] Common Stock [Member]	Ajax Acquisition [Member] Additional Paid-in Capital [Member]	Ajax Acquisition [Member] Retained Earnings (Accumulated Deficit) [Member]	Ajax Acquisition [Member] AOCI Attributable to Parent [Member]	Ajax Acquisition [Member] Noncontrolling Interest [Member]
Balance at beginning of period at Dec. 31, 2015	$ 2,108,973	$ 668	$ 2,229,664	$ (354,360)	$ 0	$ 233,001
Balance at beginning of period, shares at Dec. 31, 2015		66,797,000
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity
Net proceeds from issuance of common units - Viper Energy Partners LP	93,462	$ 0	0	0	0	93,462
Unit-based compensation	3,815	0	0	0	0	3,815
Distribution to non-controlling interest	(9,574)	0	0	0	0	(9,574)
Stock-based compensation	29,717	$ 0	29,717	0	0	0
Common shares issued in public offering, net of offering costs, shares		23,000,000
Common shares issued for acquisition	1,956,308	$ 229	1,956,079	0	0	0
Change in ownership of consolidated subsidiaries, net	499	$ 4	495	0	0	0
Exercise of stock options and awards of restricted stock, shares		347,000
Other comprehensive income, net of tax	0
Net income (loss)	(164,908)	$ 0	0	(165,034)	0	126
Balance at end of period at Dec. 31, 2016	4,018,292	$ 901	4,215,955	(519,394)	0	320,830
Balance at end of period, shares at Dec. 31, 2016		90,144,000
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity
Net proceeds from issuance of common units - Viper Energy Partners LP	369,896	$ 0	0	0	0	369,896
Unit-based compensation	2,395	0	0	0	0	2,395
Common units issued for acquisition	0	0	3,050	0		3,050
Distribution to non-controlling interest	41,367	0	0	0	0	41,367
Stock-based compensation	(31,783)	0	(31,783)	0	0	0
Common shares issued in public offering, net of offering costs, shares								7,686,000
Common shares issued for acquisition	0	0	0	14		14	$ 809,173	$ 77	$ 809,096	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0
Change in ownership of consolidated subsidiaries, net	359	$ 4	355	0	0	0
Exercise of stock options and awards of restricted stock, shares		337,000
Other comprehensive income, net of tax	0
Change in ownership of consolidated subsidiaries, net	(128,615)	$ 0	233,808	0	0	(362,423)
Net income (loss)	516,757	0	0	482,261	0	34,496
Balance at end of period at Dec. 31, 2017	$ 5,581,737	$ 982	5,291,011	(37,133)	0	326,877
Balance at end of period, shares at Dec. 31, 2017	98,167,289	98,167,000
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity
Net proceeds from issuance of common units - Viper Energy Partners LP	$ 303,121	$ 0	0	0	0	303,121
Unit-based compensation	2,763	0	0	0	0	2,763
Distribution to non-controlling interest	(98,345)	0	0	0		(98,345)
Stock-based compensation	34,035	0	34,035	0	0	0
Restricted stock units assumed in business combinations	$ 51,829	0	51,829	0	0	0
Common shares issued for acquisition, shares	7,070,120,000													63,126,000	7,069,489,000					2,584,000
Common shares issued for acquisition													$ 7,070,120	$ 631		$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 340,000	$ 25	$ 339,975	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0
Stock option assumed in business combination	$ 14,088	$ 0	14,088	0	0	0
Shares Paid for Tax Withholding for Share Based Compensation		(140,000)
Adjustments Related to Tax Withholding for Share-based Compensation	(14,460)	$ 0	(14,460)	0	0	0
Dividends, Common Stock, Cash	(37,313)	0	0	(37,313)	0	0
Change in ownership of consolidated subsidiaries, net	140	$ 5	(5)	0	0	140
Exercise of stock options and awards of restricted stock, shares		536,000
Other comprehensive income, net of tax	(74)	$ 0	0	0	(74)	0
Change in ownership of consolidated subsidiaries, net	(10,210)	0	149,923	0	0	(160,133)
Net income (loss)	944,895	0	0	845,672	0	99,223
Balance at end of period at Dec. 31, 2018	$ 14,166,262	$ 1,643	12,935,885	761,833	(74)	466,975
Balance at end of period, shares at Dec. 31, 2018	164,273,447	164,273,000
Cumulative Effect of New Accounting Principle in Period of Adoption	$ (16,064)	$ 0	$ 0	$ (9,393)	$ 0	$ (6,671)