Acquisitions (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended			0 Months Ended	1 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Jul. 03, 2013	Jun. 30, 2014 sqmi acre
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Payments of financing costs	$ 253,000	$ 320,000	$ 42,000
Accrued acquisition costs	17,690,000	0
10% Senior Notes
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Principal amount	150,000,000
Interest rate of Senior Notes (as a percent)	10.00%
Payments of financing costs				5,000,000
Acquisition-related costs				4,000,000
Gulf of Mexico Acquisition
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Number of wells acquired				16
Number of platforms purchased				7
Gulf of Mexico Acquisition | 10% Senior Notes
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Principal amount				200,000,000
Interest rate of Senior Notes (as a percent)	10.00%			10.00%
Gulf of Mexico Acquisition | General and Administrative Expense | Bridge Loan
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Acquisition-related costs				2,600,000
10% Senior Notes | Gulf of Mexico Acquisition
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Purchase price				188,800,000
Louisiana | Fleetwood Joint Venture
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Purchase price					10,000,000
Aggregate purchase price					24,000,000
Working interest (as a percent)					37.00%
Number of acres acquired					30,000
Number of square miles					200
Cash funding for future drilling					14,000,000
Accrued acquisition costs, cash	7,000,000
Accrued acquisition costs, funding for drilling	10,700,000
Accrued acquisition costs	$ 17,700,000