Commitments and Contingencies (Details 2) (USD $)		12 Months Ended
Jan. 14, 2011 Carry and Earning Agreement acre	Dec. 31, 2011 Bureau of Land Management
Commitments
Amount of penalty waived for each well not spud	$ 200,000.0
Number of acres within each tract party to the earning and carrying agreement (in acres)	160
Cumulative contingent construction expenditure	9,000,000
Third party share of construction costs (as a percent)	50.00%
Penalty payable as a percentage of difference between specified amount and actual expended (as a percent)	50.00%
Specified amount for penalty calculation	12,000,000
Litigation Settlement, Expense		$ 2,100,000

Represents the acres of tracts in which the Company's ability to acquire interest was extended by the January 2011 amendment

No definition available.

Name:	bry_ContractualObligationAcreOfTractsInWhichCompanysAbilityToAcquireInterestWasExtendedByJanuary2011Amendment
Namespace Prefix:	bry_
Data Type:	num:areaItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

Represents the amount of penalty, for each well, that is not required to be paid as a result of amendment to certain contractual obligations.

No definition available.

Name:	bry_ContractualObligationAmountPenaltyWaivedPerWell
Namespace Prefix:	bry_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

Represents the expenditure that is required to be made by the entity related to a construction obligation as a result of the January 2011 amendment.

No definition available.

Name:	bry_ContractualObligationContingentConstructionExpensePerJanuary2011Amendment
Namespace Prefix:	bry_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

Represents the penalty as a percentage of difference between the specified amount and the actual amount expended.

No definition available.

Name:	bry_ContractualObligationPenaltyAsPercentageOfDifferenceBetweenSpecifiedAmountAndActualExpended
Namespace Prefix:	bry_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

Represents the specified amount for penalty calculation in connection with construction per the January 2011 amendment.

No definition available.

Name:	bry_ContractualObligationSpecifiedAmountForPenaltyCalculation
Namespace Prefix:	bry_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

Represents the third party's share of the construction costs, on a percentage basis.

No definition available.

Name:	bry_ThirdPartyShareOfConstructionCostsPercentage
Namespace Prefix:	bry_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

Amount of litigation expense, including but not limited to legal, forensic, accounting, and investigative fees.

No definition available.

Name:	us-gaap_LitigationSettlementExpense
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

Name:	us-gaap_LossContingenciesLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration