Industry Segment Information (Industry Segment Information) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended						6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2016		Mar. 31, 2016	Jun. 30, 2015		Mar. 31, 2015	Jun. 30, 2016		Jun. 30, 2015
Revenues:
Oil and natural gas	$ 69,190			$ 107,256			$ 127,464		$ 213,325
Contract drilling	24,257			55,015			62,967		150,092
Gas gathering and processing	44,858			52,176			84,058		106,129
Total revenues	138,305			214,447			274,489		469,546
Oil and natural gas:
Operating costs	33,331			45,972			66,677		91,183
Depreciation, depletion, and amortization	30,411			68,101			62,243		145,219
Impairment of oil and natural gas properties	74,291		$ 37,800	410,536		$ 400,600	112,120		811,129
Contract drilling:
Operating costs	19,254			36,485			47,352		88,231
Depreciation	10,918			13,265			23,113		28,278
Impairment of contract drilling equipment	0			8,314			0		8,314
Gas gathering and processing:
Operating costs	32,381			40,592			63,447		84,767
Depreciation and amortization	11,515			10,848			22,974		21,542
Total expenses	212,101			634,113			397,926		1,278,663
Total operating income (loss)	(73,796)	[1]		(419,666)	[2]		(123,437)	[3]	(809,117)	[4]
General and administrative expense	(8,382)			(9,624)			(17,097)		(18,994)
Gain (loss) on disposition of assets	477			415			669		960
Gain (loss) on derivatives	(22,672)			(1,919)			(11,743)		4,667
Interest expense, net	(10,606)			(7,956)			(20,223)		(15,196)
Other	1			24			(14)		22
Income (loss) before income taxes	(114,978)			(438,726)			(171,845)		(837,658)
Oil and Natural Gas [Member]
Revenues:
Oil and natural gas	69,190			107,256			127,464		213,325
Contract drilling	0			0			0		0
Gas gathering and processing	0			0			0		0
Total revenues	69,190			107,256			127,464		213,325
Oil and natural gas:
Operating costs	35,555			47,179			70,361		93,560
Depreciation, depletion, and amortization	30,411			68,101			62,243		145,219
Impairment of oil and natural gas properties	74,291			410,536			112,120		811,129
Contract drilling:
Operating costs	0			0			0		0
Depreciation	0			0			0		0
Impairment of contract drilling equipment				0					0
Gas gathering and processing:
Operating costs	0			0			0		0
Depreciation and amortization	0			0			0		0
Total expenses	140,257			525,816			244,724		1,049,908
Total operating income (loss)	(71,067)	[1]		(418,560)	[2]		(117,260)	[3]	(836,583)	[4]
General and administrative expense	0			0			0		0
Gain (loss) on disposition of assets	(324)			0			(324)		0
Gain (loss) on derivatives	0			0			0		0
Interest expense, net	0			0			0		0
Other	0			0			0		0
Income (loss) before income taxes	(71,391)			(418,560)			(117,584)		(836,583)
Drilling [Member]
Revenues:
Oil and natural gas	0			0			0		0
Contract drilling	24,257			60,813			62,967		165,751
Gas gathering and processing	0			0			0		0
Total revenues	24,257			60,813			62,967		165,751
Oil and natural gas:
Operating costs	0			0			0		0
Depreciation, depletion, and amortization	0			0			0		0
Impairment of oil and natural gas properties	0			0			0		0
Contract drilling:
Operating costs	19,254			41,746			47,352		100,443
Depreciation	10,918			13,265			23,113		28,278
Impairment of contract drilling equipment				8,314					8,314
Gas gathering and processing:
Operating costs	0			0			0		0
Depreciation and amortization	0			0			0		0
Total expenses	30,172			63,325			70,465		137,035
Total operating income (loss)	(5,915)	[1]		(2,512)	[2]		(7,498)	[3]	28,716	[4]
General and administrative expense	0			0			0		0
Gain (loss) on disposition of assets	815			(50)			1,316		495
Gain (loss) on derivatives	0			0			0		0
Interest expense, net	0			0			0		0
Other	0			0			0		0
Income (loss) before income taxes	(5,100)			(2,562)			(6,182)		29,211
Mid-Stream [Member]
Revenues:
Oil and natural gas	0			0			0		0
Contract drilling	0			0			0		0
Gas gathering and processing	56,533			69,163			105,578		142,967
Total revenues	56,533			69,163			105,578		142,967
Oil and natural gas:
Operating costs	0			0			0		0
Depreciation, depletion, and amortization	0			0			0		0
Impairment of oil and natural gas properties	0			0			0		0
Contract drilling:
Operating costs	0			0			0		0
Depreciation	0			0			0		0
Impairment of contract drilling equipment				0					0
Gas gathering and processing:
Operating costs	41,832			56,372			81,283		119,228
Depreciation and amortization	11,515			10,848			22,974		21,542
Total expenses	53,347			67,220			104,257		140,770
Total operating income (loss)	3,186	[1]		1,943	[2]		1,321	[3]	2,197	[4]
General and administrative expense	0			0			0		0
Gain (loss) on disposition of assets	0			465			(302)		465
Gain (loss) on derivatives	0			0			0		0
Interest expense, net	0			0			0		0
Other	0			0			0		0
Income (loss) before income taxes	3,186			2,408			1,019		2,662
Other Segments [Member]
Revenues:
Oil and natural gas	0			0			0		0
Contract drilling	0			0			0		0
Gas gathering and processing	0			0			0		0
Total revenues	0			0			0		0
Oil and natural gas:
Operating costs	0			0			0		0
Depreciation, depletion, and amortization	0			0			0		0
Impairment of oil and natural gas properties	0			0			0		0
Contract drilling:
Operating costs	0			0			0		0
Depreciation	0			0			0		0
Impairment of contract drilling equipment				0					0
Gas gathering and processing:
Operating costs	0			0			0		0
Depreciation and amortization	0			0			0		0
Total expenses	0			0			0		0
Total operating income (loss)	0	[1]		0	[2]		0	[3]	0	[4]
General and administrative expense	(8,382)			(9,624)			(17,097)		(18,994)
Gain (loss) on disposition of assets	(14)			0			(21)		0
Gain (loss) on derivatives	(22,672)			(1,919)			(11,743)		4,667
Interest expense, net	(10,606)			(7,956)			(20,223)		(15,196)
Other	1			24			(14)		22
Income (loss) before income taxes	(41,673)			(19,475)			(49,098)		(29,501)
Intersubsegment Eliminations [Member]
Revenues:
Oil and natural gas	0			0			0		0
Contract drilling	0			(5,798)			0		(15,659)
Gas gathering and processing	(11,675)			(16,987)			(21,520)		(36,838)
Total revenues	(11,675)			(22,785)			(21,520)		(52,497)
Oil and natural gas:
Operating costs	(2,224)			(1,207)			(3,684)		(2,377)
Depreciation, depletion, and amortization	0			0			0		0
Impairment of oil and natural gas properties	0			0			0		0
Contract drilling:
Operating costs	0			(5,261)			0		(12,212)
Depreciation	0			0			0		0
Impairment of contract drilling equipment				0					0
Gas gathering and processing:
Operating costs	(9,451)			(15,780)			(17,836)		(34,461)
Depreciation and amortization	0			0			0		0
Total expenses	(11,675)			(22,248)			(21,520)		(49,050)
Total operating income (loss)	0	[1]		(537)	[2]		0	[3]	(3,447)	[4]
General and administrative expense	0			0			0		0
Gain (loss) on disposition of assets	0			0			0		0
Gain (loss) on derivatives	0			0			0		0
Interest expense, net	0			0			0		0
Other	0			0			0		0
Income (loss) before income taxes	$ 0			$ (537)			$ 0		$ (3,447)

[1] Operating income (loss) is total operating revenues less operating expenses, depreciation, depletion, amortization, and impairment and does not include general corporate expenses, (gain) loss on disposition of assets, loss on derivatives, interest expense, other income (loss), or income taxes.

[2] Operating income (loss) is total operating revenues less operating expenses, depreciation, depletion, amortization, and impairment and does not include general corporate expenses, gain (loss) on disposition of assets, loss on derivatives, interest expense, other income (loss), or income taxes.

[3] Operating income (loss) is total operating revenues less operating expenses, depreciation, depletion, amortization, and impairment and does not include general corporate expenses, gain (loss) on disposition of assets, loss on derivatives, interest expense, other income (loss), or income taxes.

[4] Operating income (loss) is total operating revenues less operating expenses, depreciation, depletion, amortization, and impairment and does not include general corporate expenses, gain on disposition of assets, gain on derivatives, interest expense, other income (loss), or income taxes.