CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (USD $)	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Cash flows from operating activities
Net income	$ (5,871,642)us-gaap_ProfitLoss	$ 8,311,432us-gaap_ProfitLoss	$ 3,658,267us-gaap_ProfitLoss
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to cash provided by (used in) operating activities:
Stock-based compensation expense	332,266us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensation	175,152us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensation	178,968us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensation
Depreciation and amortization	4,277,843	2,320,735	711,555
Bargain purchase gain	(6,948,686)	0	0
Deferred federal income tax		(1,944,000)us-gaap_DeferredIncomeTaxExpenseBenefit	(1,432,000)us-gaap_DeferredIncomeTaxExpenseBenefit
Inventory impairment charge	467,911us-gaap_InventoryWriteDown	0us-gaap_InventoryWriteDown	0us-gaap_InventoryWriteDown
Reduction of contingent consideration	(5,248,588)	(2,238,750)	0
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable	714,698	(3,468,033)	128,184
Accounts receivable- related parties			2,459
Bad debt expense	2,013,167us-gaap_ProvisionForDoubtfulAccounts	0us-gaap_ProvisionForDoubtfulAccounts	0us-gaap_ProvisionForDoubtfulAccounts
Inventory	1,891,932us-gaap_IncreaseDecreaseInInventories	(2,670,338)us-gaap_IncreaseDecreaseInInventories	551,438us-gaap_IncreaseDecreaseInInventories
Prepaid expenses	(12,586)	(571,254)	(247,337)
Costs in excess of billings	(779,285)	0	0
Accounts payable and accrued expenses	7,255,722	4,220,957	304,861
Deferred revenue	463,210	0	0
Accounts payable-related parties			(620,724)
Other deposits	(81,450)us-gaap_IncreaseDecreaseInDeposits	256,729us-gaap_IncreaseDecreaseInDeposits	(235,557)us-gaap_IncreaseDecreaseInDeposits
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	(1,525,488)	4,392,630	3,000,114
Cash flows from investing activities
Bango note receivable	(3,150,000)vtnr_PaymentsforLoantoAcquiree
Refund of asset acquisition	0	675,558	0
Acquisition, net	(31,114,140)	(539,325)	(2,013,450)
Purchase of fixed assets	(5,940,890)	(2,603,369)	(1,134,575)
Net cash used in investing activities	(40,205,030)	(2,467,136)	(3,148,025)
Cash flows from financing activities
Line of credit (payments) proceeds, net		(6,750,000)	750,000
Proceeds from exercise of common stock options and warrants	370,337	60,936	112,625
Proceeds from primary stock offering	17,315,143	8,628,346
Payments on contingent consideration	(136,662)us-gaap_PaymentsForPreviousAcquisition
Proceeds from notes payable	41,309,433us-gaap_ProceedsFromNotesPayable
Payments made on notes payable	(11,337,128)	(1,994,088)	(581,962)
Debt issuance cost	(2,452,157)us-gaap_PaymentsOfDebtIssuanceCosts
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	45,068,966	(54,806)	280,663
Net change in cash and cash equivalents	3,338,448	1,870,688	132,752
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of the period	2,678,628	807,940	675,188
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	6,017,076	2,678,628	807,940
SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION
Cash paid for interest during the year	2,636,690us-gaap_InterestPaid	396,440us-gaap_InterestPaid	128,838us-gaap_InterestPaid
Cash paid for income taxes during the year	122,763us-gaap_IncomeTaxesPaid	136,334us-gaap_IncomeTaxesPaid	23,359us-gaap_IncomeTaxesPaid
NON-CASH TRANSACTIONS
Conversion of Series A Preferred Stock into common stock	689	194	2,914
Heartland Group Holdings, LLC and Omega Refining
NON-CASH TRANSACTIONS
Stock issued as part of business acquisition	$ 9,004,000	$ 0	$ 0

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In a business combination in which the amount of net identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed exceeds the aggregate consideration transferred or to be transferred (as defined), this element represents the amount of gain recognized by the entity.