LinnCo, LLC Merger (Notes)	6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2013
LinnCo, LLC Merger [Abstract]
Merger [Table Text Block]	LinnCo, LLC Merger On February 20, 2013, the Company, Linn Energy, LLC (Linn), LinnCo, LLC (LinnCo), Linn Acquisition Company, LLC, a direct wholly owned subsidiary of LinnCo (LinnCo Merger Sub), Bacchus HoldCo, Inc., a direct wholly owned subsidiary of the Company (HoldCo), and Bacchus Merger Sub, Inc., a direct wholly owned subsidiary of HoldCo (Bacchus Merger Sub), entered into a definitive Agreement and Plan of Merger (the “Merger Agreement”), pursuant to which LinnCo agreed to acquire the Company in an all-stock transaction in which the Company's stockholders would receive 1.25 shares representing limited liability company interests in LinnCo (LinnCo Shares) for each share of the Company's common stock. The transaction will occur through multiple steps. First, the Company will engage in a holding company merger (the HoldCo Merger) involving HoldCo and Bacchus Merger Sub. In the HoldCo Merger, Bacchus Merger Sub will merge with and into the Company, with the Company surviving as a wholly owned subsidiary of HoldCo, and each issued and outstanding share of the Company's Class A common stock and Class B common stock will convert into the right to receive one equivalent share of Class A common stock and one equivalent share of Class B common stock, respectively, of HoldCo. Second, promptly after the HoldCo Merger, the Company will be converted into a limited liability company. Third, promptly following such conversion, HoldCo will be merged with and into LinnCo Merger Sub, with LinnCo Merger Sub surviving as the surviving company (the LinnCo Merger). In the LinnCo Merger, each share of Holdco's Class A common stock and each share of Holdco's Class B common stock will be converted into 1.25 LinnCo Shares. Finally, promptly following the LinnCo Merger, LinnCo will contribute all of the outstanding equity interests in LinnCo Merger Sub (and therefore also its indirect ownership interest in the Company) to Linn (the “Contribution”) in exchange for the issuance to LinnCo (the “Issuance”) of newly issued Linn common units. The number of Linn common units to be issued to LinnCo in the Issuance will be equal to the greater of (i) the aggregate number of LinnCo Shares issued in the LinnCo Merger and (ii) the number of Linn common units required to cause LinnCo to own no less than one-third of all of the outstanding Linn common units following the Contribution. In addition, for three years following the closing, Linn will pay to LinnCo additional cash distributions in the amount of $6 million per year. The closing of the transactions is subject to customary closing conditions, including approval of the Merger Agreement and the transactions contemplated thereby by the stockholders of the Company and the holders of the shares or units of LinnCo and Linn, respectively, receipt of certain opinions by the parties with respect to the tax-free nature of the transactions, and other customary conditions. On March 1, 2013, a purported stockholder class action captioned Nancy P. Assad Trust v. Berry Petroleum Company, et al. was filed in the United States District Court for the District of Colorado. The case was dismissed by the Court on March 20, 2013 for lack of subject matter jurisdiction, and refiled in the District Court for the City and County of Denver, Colorado on March 21, 2013, Case No. 2013CV031365. On April 5, 2013, the plaintiff filed an amended complaint alleging that the individual Company director defendants breached their fiduciary duties in connection with the proposed merger transaction with Linn and LinnCo by engaging in an unfair sales process that resulted in an unfair price for the Company, and that the entity defendants aided and abetted those breaches of fiduciary duty. The amended complaint seeks a declaration that the proposed merger transactions are unlawful and unenforceable, an order directing the individual director defendants to comply with their fiduciary duties, an injunction against consummation of the merger transactions or, in the event they are so completed, rescission of the transactions, an award of fees and costs, including attorneys' and experts' fees and expenses, and other relief. On April 12, 2013, a second purported stockholder class action captioned David S. Hall v. Berry Petroleum Company, et al. was filed in the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware, C.A. No. 8476-VCG. The plaintiff in this case makes allegations, and seeks relief similar to the allegations made and relief sought in the Assad case. In response to a motion filed by the defendants, on May 20, 2013, after conferring with the Delaware judge in the Hall case, the Colorado judge stayed the Assad case, allowing the parties to proceed with one case, the Hall case, in one jurisdiction, Delaware. On July 19, 2013, the plaintiffs in the Assad case voluntarily dismissed the case without prejudice. After expedited discovery, the plaintiffs in the Hall case made a settlement proposal and the parties are currently engaged in settlement discussions. The Company believes the claims relating to the merger are without merit, and intends to defend such actions vigorously.

LinnCo, LLC Merger

On February 20, 2013, the Company, Linn Energy, LLC (Linn), LinnCo, LLC (LinnCo), Linn Acquisition Company, LLC, a direct wholly owned subsidiary of LinnCo (LinnCo Merger Sub), Bacchus HoldCo, Inc., a direct wholly owned subsidiary of the Company (HoldCo), and Bacchus Merger Sub, Inc., a direct wholly owned subsidiary of HoldCo (Bacchus Merger Sub), entered into a definitive Agreement and Plan of Merger (the “Merger Agreement”), pursuant to which LinnCo agreed to acquire the Company in an all-stock transaction in which the Company's stockholders would receive 1.25 shares representing limited liability company interests in LinnCo (LinnCo Shares) for each share of the Company's common stock.

The transaction will occur through multiple steps. First, the Company will engage in a holding company merger (the HoldCo Merger) involving HoldCo and Bacchus Merger Sub. In the HoldCo Merger, Bacchus Merger Sub will merge with and into the Company, with the Company surviving as a wholly owned subsidiary of HoldCo, and each issued and outstanding share of the Company's Class A common stock and Class B common stock will convert into the right to receive one equivalent share of Class A common stock and one equivalent share of Class B common stock, respectively, of HoldCo.

Second, promptly after the HoldCo Merger, the Company will be converted into a limited liability company. Third, promptly following such conversion, HoldCo will be merged with and into LinnCo Merger Sub, with LinnCo Merger Sub surviving as the surviving company (the LinnCo Merger). In the LinnCo Merger, each share of Holdco's Class A common stock and each share of Holdco's Class B common stock will be converted into 1.25 LinnCo Shares.

Finally, promptly following the LinnCo Merger, LinnCo will contribute all of the outstanding equity interests in LinnCo Merger Sub (and therefore also its indirect ownership interest in the Company) to Linn (the “Contribution”) in exchange for the issuance to LinnCo (the “Issuance”) of newly issued Linn common units. The number of Linn common units to be issued to LinnCo in the Issuance will be equal to the greater of (i) the aggregate number of LinnCo Shares issued in the LinnCo Merger and (ii) the number of Linn common units required to cause LinnCo to own no less than one-third of all of the outstanding Linn common units following the Contribution. In addition, for three years following the closing, Linn will pay to LinnCo additional cash distributions in the amount of $6 million per year.

The closing of the transactions is subject to customary closing conditions, including approval of the Merger Agreement and the transactions contemplated thereby by the stockholders of the Company and the holders of the shares or units of LinnCo and Linn, respectively, receipt of certain opinions by the parties with respect to the tax-free nature of the transactions, and other customary conditions.

On March 1, 2013, a purported stockholder class action captioned Nancy P. Assad Trust v. Berry Petroleum Company, et al. was filed in the United States District Court for the District of Colorado. The case was dismissed by the Court on March 20, 2013 for lack of subject matter jurisdiction, and refiled in the District Court for the City and County of Denver, Colorado on March 21, 2013, Case No. 2013CV031365. On April 5, 2013, the plaintiff filed an amended complaint alleging that the individual Company director defendants breached their fiduciary duties in connection with the proposed merger transaction with Linn and LinnCo by engaging in an unfair sales process that resulted in an unfair price for the Company, and that the entity defendants aided and abetted those breaches of fiduciary duty. The amended complaint seeks a declaration that the proposed merger transactions are unlawful and unenforceable, an order directing the individual director defendants to comply with their fiduciary duties, an injunction against consummation of the merger transactions or, in the event they are so completed, rescission of the transactions, an award of fees and costs, including attorneys' and experts' fees and expenses, and other relief.

On April 12, 2013, a second purported stockholder class action captioned David S. Hall v. Berry Petroleum Company, et al. was filed in the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware, C.A. No. 8476-VCG. The plaintiff in this case makes allegations, and seeks relief similar to the allegations made and relief sought in the Assad case.

In response to a motion filed by the defendants, on May 20, 2013, after conferring with the Delaware judge in the Hall case, the Colorado judge stayed the Assad case, allowing the parties to proceed with one case, the Hall case, in one jurisdiction, Delaware. On July 19, 2013, the plaintiffs in the Assad case voluntarily dismissed the case without prejudice. After expedited discovery, the plaintiffs in the Hall case made a settlement proposal and the parties are currently engaged in settlement discussions. The Company believes the claims relating to the merger are without merit, and intends to defend such actions vigorously.