Employee Benefit Plans (Details Texual) (USD $) In Thousands, except Share data, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009	Dec. 31, 2007	Dec. 31, 2011 Employees [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Non - Employee Directors [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Restricted stock grants [Member]	May 20, 2011 2009 plan [Member]
Employee Benefit Plans (Additional Textual) [Abstract]
Number of years stock options vested ratably					Five-years	Three-years	One to Three years
Number of expiry years subsequent to award					Ten years	Ten years
Additional number of common stock to be issued under incentive stock options								2,800,000
Employee Benefit Plans (Textual) [Abstract]
Aggregate death benefit of split-dollar life insurance policy	$ 446
Aggregate death benefit of policy payable to officer or his beneficiary	325
Aggregate death benefit of policy payable to the Company	121
Total cash surrender value of policy recorded in other assets	26
Liability of vested benefits recorded in other long term liabilities	1,009
Expenses related to incentive compensation bonus	11,600	5,888	6,402
Additional shares available for issuance pursuant to the 2009 Plan	3,305,141
Percentage of vesting of an employee in matching contributions for each year of service	20.00%
Number of years required for vesting of contribution	5 years
Amount of contribution by the company to Stone Energy 401 (k) Profit Sharing Plan	1,435	1,301	1,161
Maximum Percentage of Deferred Compensation plan	100.00%
Plan assets included in other assets	6,410	6,314
Number of times of severance payments relating to annual pay and any target bonus at one hundred percent level	2.99
Percentage of target bonus for severance payment	100.00%
Percentage of excise tax rate under Section 4999 of the Internal Revenue Code	20.00%
Percentage of employer matching contribution under 401(k) plan	50.00%
Amount of one week's pay of each full of annual pay under Employee severance Plan				$ 10,000
Minimum period of sum of payments and benefits under Employee Severance Plan				12 weeks
Maximum period of sum of payments and benefits under Employee Severance Plan				52 weeks
Period of involuntary termination of employment				6 months