CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS - USD ($)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2022	Sep. 30, 2021	Sep. 30, 2022	Sep. 30, 2021
Income Statement [Abstract]
Revenues	$ 810,208,000	$ 50,982,000	$ 1,915,423,000	$ 147,807,000
Cost of revenues (exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown separately below)	750,463,000	46,142,000	1,819,757,000	127,986,000
Depreciation and amortization attributable to costs of revenues	4,050,000	1,028,000	9,144,000	3,002,000
Gross profit	55,695,000	3,812,000	86,522,000	16,819,000
Operating expenses:
Selling, general and administrative expenses	36,978,000	8,177,000	89,934,000	21,742,000
Depreciation and amortization attributable to operating expenses	1,120,000	420,000	2,656,000	1,260,000
Total operating expenses	38,098,000	8,597,000	92,590,000	23,002,000
Income (loss) from operations	17,597,000	(4,785,000)	(6,068,000)	(6,183,000)
Other income (expense):
Other income (expenses)	417,000	(3,000)	1,060,000	4,220,000
Gain (loss) on change in value of derivative warrant liability	12,312,000	11,907,000	7,788,000	(11,380,000)
Interest expense	(13,131,000)	(455,000)	(65,083,000)	(919,000)
Total other income (expense)	(402,000)	11,449,000	(56,235,000)	(8,079,000)
Income (loss) from continuing operations before income tax	17,195,000	6,664,000	(62,303,000)	(14,262,000)
Income tax benefit (expense)	0	0	0	0
Income (loss) from continuing operations	17,195,000	6,664,000	(62,303,000)	(14,262,000)
Income from discontinued operations, net of tax	4,975,000	3,981,000	19,882,000	11,915,000
Net income (loss)	22,170,000	10,645,000	(42,421,000)	(2,347,000)
Net income (loss) attributable to non-controlling interest and redeemable non-controlling interest from continuing operations	(64,000)	(115,000)	33,000	511,000
Net income attributable to non-controlling interest and redeemable non-controlling interest from discontinued operations	0	2,400,000	6,829,000	7,183,000
Net income (loss) attributable to Vertex Energy, Inc.	22,234,000	8,360,000	(49,283,000)	(10,041,000)
Accretion of redeemable noncontrolling interest to redemption value from continued operations	0	(415,000)	(428,000)	(1,177,000)
Accretion of discount on Series B and B1 Preferred Stock	0	0	0	(507,000)
Net income (loss) attributable to common shareholders from continuing operations	17,259,000	6,364,000	(62,764,000)	(16,457,000)
Net income attributable to common shareholders from discontinued operations, net of tax	4,975,000	1,581,000	13,053,000	4,732,000
Net income (loss) attributable to common shareholders, basic	22,234,000	7,945,000	(49,711,000)	(11,725,000)
Net income (loss) attributable to common shareholders diluted	$ 22,234,000	$ 7,945,000	$ (49,711,000)	$ (11,725,000)
Basic income (loss) per common share
Continuing operations (in dollars per share)	$ 0.23	$ 0.10	$ (0.91)	$ (0.31)
Discontinued operations, net of tax (in dollars per share)	0.07	0.03	0.19	0.09
Basic income (loss) per common share (in dollars per share)	0.30	0.13	(0.72)	(0.22)
Diluted income (loss) per common share
Continuing operations (in dollars per share)	0.22	0.10	(0.91)	(0.31)
Discontinued operations, net of tax (in dollars per share)	0.06	0.02	0.19	0.09
Diluted income (loss) per share (in dollars per share)	$ 0.28	$ 0.12	$ (0.72)	$ (0.22)
Shares used in computing earnings per share
Basic (in shares)	75,591,000	61,349,000	69,007,000	53,964,000
Diluted (in shares)	79,638,000	64,605,000	69,007,000	53,964,000