Segment Reporting (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended			1 Months Ended		3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended													3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011	Sep. 30, 2011	Jun. 30, 2011	Mar. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Sep. 30, 2010	Jun. 30, 2010	Mar. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2011 segment	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009	Jun. 30, 2011 Ross Smith Energy Group Ltd. ("RSEG")	Oct. 31, 2010 Majestic	Jun. 30, 2011 U.S. Operations	Dec. 31, 2011 U.S. Operations	Dec. 31, 2010 U.S. Operations	Dec. 31, 2009 U.S. Operations	Dec. 31, 2010 U.S. Operations Majestic	Dec. 31, 2011 Canadian Operations	Dec. 31, 2010 Canadian Operations	Dec. 31, 2009 Canadian Operations	Dec. 31, 2011 European Operations	Dec. 31, 2010 European Operations	Dec. 31, 2009 European Operations	Dec. 31, 2011 Asia Pacific Operations	Dec. 31, 2010 Asia Pacific Operations	Dec. 31, 2009 Asia Pacific Operations	Jun. 30, 2010 Australia	Dec. 31, 2011 Australia	Dec. 31, 2010 Japan
Segment Reporting
Number of operating segments									4
Segment Reporting information
Total revenues	$ 129,923,000	$ 149,419,000	$ 142,617,000	$ 150,078,000	$ 138,346,000	$ 130,396,000	$ 155,322,000	$ 146,690,000	$ 572,037,000	$ 570,754,000	$ 633,069,000				$ 375,521,000	$ 385,690,000	$ 457,414,000		$ 85,550,000	$ 78,479,000	$ 70,767,000	$ 70,670,000	$ 73,277,000	$ 75,443,000	$ 40,296,000	$ 33,308,000	$ 29,445,000
(Loss) income before income tax expense	(6,358,000)	17,190,000	(234,591,000)	17,131,000	3,148,000	11,376,000	19,368,000	15,441,000	(206,628,000)	49,333,000	76,451,000				(222,337,000)	45,000,000	74,102,000		20,035,000	21,119,000	16,617,000	2,263,000	4,043,000	4,662,000	(6,589,000)	(20,829,000)	(18,930,000)
Identifiable assets	2,178,069,000				2,530,853,000				2,178,069,000	2,530,853,000	1,703,103,000				1,351,062,000	1,486,022,000	951,015,000		83,453,000	113,356,000	199,875,000	336,454,000	404,789,000	334,667,000	407,100,000	526,686,000	217,546,000
Capital purchases									22,857,000	19,280,000	15,231,000				18,684,000	15,472,000	9,570,000		1,525,000	1,724,000	1,822,000	1,448,000	1,660,000	2,948,000	1,200,000	424,000	891,000
Depreciation and amortization									59,057,000	62,373,000	60,746,000				47,004,000	50,089,000	50,256,000		2,882,000	2,425,000	1,898,000	7,636,000	8,169,000	6,720,000	1,535,000	1,690,000	1,872,000
Share-based compensation									20,156,000	18,006,000	15,983,000				16,436,000	14,336,000	13,327,000		1,076,000	1,344,000	695,000	1,509,000	1,380,000	1,562,000	1,135,000	946,000	399,000
Impairment charge on goodwill included in loss before income tax expense	4,282,000		225,035,000				5,375,000		229,317,000	5,375,000				225,035,000	225,035,000											5,375,000		5,375,000	5,375,000
Restructuring charges included in loss before income tax expense	6,754,000		17,678,000		1,812,000		2,337,000	(87,000)	24,432,000	4,062,000	25,444,000					2,300,000	21,300,000		600,000		2,600,000	1,000,000		100,000	300,000		1,400,000			2,100,000
Acquisition related costs												700,000	2,400,000					2,400,000
Write-off of additional capitalized development initiatives										6,091,000						6,091,000
Long-lived Assets	$ 410,396,000				$ 607,369,000				$ 410,396,000	$ 607,369,000	$ 563,052,000				$ 360,309,000	$ 554,879,000	$ 502,612,000		$ 6,873,000	$ 7,237,000	$ 6,576,000	$ 40,052,000	$ 42,121,000	$ 43,581,000	$ 3,162,000	$ 3,132,000	$ 10,283,000