Basis of Presentation, Significant Accounting Policies, and Recently Issued Accounting Standards	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2015
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Basis of Presentation, Significant Accounting Policies, and Recently Issued Accounting Standards	Note 2 - Basis of Presentation, Significant Accounting Policies, and Recently Issued Accounting Standards Basis of Presentation The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements of SM Energy have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”) for interim financial information and the instructions to Form 10-Q and Regulation S-X. These financial statements do not include all information and notes required by GAAP for annual financial statements. However, except as disclosed herein, there has been no material change in the information disclosed in the notes to consolidated financial statements included in SM Energy’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014 (the “2014 Form 10-K”). In the opinion of management, all adjustments, consisting of normal recurring accruals considered necessary for a fair presentation of interim financial information, have been included. Operating results for the periods presented are not necessarily indicative of expected results for the full year. In connection with the preparation of its unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements, the Company evaluated events subsequent to the balance sheet date of September 30, 2015, through the filing date of this report. Certain prior period amounts have been reclassified to conform to the current presentation on the accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements. Significant Accounting Policies The significant accounting policies followed by the Company are set forth in Note 1 to the Company’s consolidated financial statements in its 2014 Form 10-K, and are supplemented by the notes to the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements in this report. These unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes included in the 2014 Form 10-K. Recently Issued Accounting Standards Effective January 1, 2015, the Company adopted, on a prospective basis, Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2015-01, “Income Statement – Extraordinary and Unusual Items.” This ASU simplifies income statement presentation by eliminating the concept of extraordinary items. There was no impact to the Company’s financial statements or disclosures from the adoption of this standard. In April 2015, the FASB issued new authoritative accounting guidance requiring debt issuance costs to be presented on the balance sheet as a direct deduction from the carrying value of the related debt liability. This guidance is to be applied using a retrospective method and is effective for annual periods, and interim periods within those annual periods, beginning after December 15, 2015. Early adoption is permitted. In August 2015, effective upon release, the FASB issued related new authoritative accounting guidance allowing for deferred financing costs associated with line-of-credit arrangements to continue to be presented as assets. The Company is currently evaluating the provisions of this guidance and assessing its impact on the Company’s financial statements and disclosures. In August 2015, the FASB issued new authoritative accounting guidance to defer the effective date of the new revenue recognition standard by one year. The new revenue recognition standard is now effective for annual periods, and interim periods within those annual periods, beginning after December 15, 2017. Early adoption is permitted but only for annual periods, and interim periods within those annual periods, beginning after December 15, 2016. The Company is currently evaluating the provisions of this guidance and assessing its impact on the Company’s financial statements and disclosures. Other than as disclosed above or in the 2014 Form 10-K, there are no other new accounting standards that would have a material effect on the Company’s financial statements and disclosures that have been issued but not yet adopted by the Company as of September 30, 2015, and through the filing date of this report.

Note 2 - Basis of Presentation, Significant Accounting Policies, and Recently Issued Accounting Standards

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements of SM Energy have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”) for interim financial information and the instructions to Form 10-Q and Regulation S-X. These financial statements do not include all information and notes required by GAAP for annual financial statements. However, except as disclosed herein, there has been no material change in the information disclosed in the notes to consolidated financial statements included in SM Energy’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014 (the “2014 Form 10-K”). In the opinion of management, all adjustments, consisting of normal recurring accruals considered necessary for a fair presentation of interim financial information, have been included. Operating results for the periods presented are not necessarily indicative of expected results for the full year. In connection with the preparation of its unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements, the Company evaluated events subsequent to the balance sheet date of September 30, 2015, through the filing date of this report. Certain prior period amounts have been reclassified to conform to the current presentation on the accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements.

Significant Accounting Policies

The significant accounting policies followed by the Company are set forth in Note 1 to the Company’s consolidated financial statements in its 2014 Form 10-K, and are supplemented by the notes to the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements in this report. These unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes included in the 2014 Form 10-K.

Recently Issued Accounting Standards

Effective January 1, 2015, the Company adopted, on a prospective basis, Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2015-01, “Income Statement – Extraordinary and Unusual Items.” This ASU simplifies income statement presentation by eliminating the concept of extraordinary items. There was no impact to the Company’s financial statements or disclosures from the adoption of this standard.

In April 2015, the FASB issued new authoritative accounting guidance requiring debt issuance costs to be presented on the balance sheet as a direct deduction from the carrying value of the related debt liability. This guidance is to be applied using a retrospective method and is effective for annual periods, and interim periods within those annual periods, beginning after December 15, 2015. Early adoption is permitted. In August 2015, effective upon release, the FASB issued related new authoritative accounting guidance allowing for deferred financing costs associated with line-of-credit arrangements to continue to be presented as assets. The Company is currently evaluating the provisions of this guidance and assessing its impact on the Company’s financial statements and disclosures.

In August 2015, the FASB issued new authoritative accounting guidance to defer the effective date of the new revenue recognition standard by one year. The new revenue recognition standard is now effective for annual periods, and interim periods within those annual periods, beginning after December 15, 2017. Early adoption is permitted but only for annual periods, and interim periods within those annual periods, beginning after December 15, 2016. The Company is currently evaluating the provisions of this guidance and assessing its impact on the Company’s financial statements and disclosures.

Other than as disclosed above or in the 2014 Form 10-K, there are no other new accounting standards that would have a material effect on the Company’s financial statements and disclosures that have been issued but not yet adopted by the Company as of September 30, 2015, and through the filing date of this report.