Long Term Debt (Textuals) (USD $)	1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended			3 Months Ended			2 Months Ended	3 Months Ended		2 Months Ended	3 Months Ended	1 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2010	Mar. 31, 2012	Mar. 31, 2011	Apr. 30, 2012	Mar. 31, 2012 Minimum [Member]	Mar. 31, 2012 Maximum [Member]	Feb. 03, 2011 7.5% Senior Subordinated Notes due 2013 [Member]	Mar. 03, 2011 7.5% Senior Subordinated Notes due 2013 [Member] Extinguishment One [Member]	Apr. 01, 2011 7.5% Senior Subordinated Notes due 2013 [Member] Extinguishment Two [Member]	Feb. 03, 2011 7.5% Senior Subordinated Notes due 2015 [Member]	Mar. 03, 2011 7.5% Senior Subordinated Notes due 2015 [Member] Extinguishment One [Member]	Mar. 21, 2011 7.5% Senior Subordinated Notes due 2015 [Member] Extinguishment Two [Member]	Feb. 28, 2011 6 3/8% Senior Subordinated Notes Due 2021 [Member]
$1.6 Billion Revolving Credit Facility [Abstract]
Initiation date of Bank Credit Facility	March 2010
Borrowing Base of Denbury credit facility	$ 1,600,000,000			$ 1,600,000,000
Maturity date of Denbury Credit Facility		May 2016
Commitment fee on Bank Credit Facility		We incur a commitment fee on the unused portion of the Bank Credit Facility of either 0.375% or 0.5%, based on the ratio of outstanding borrowings under the Bank Credit Facility to the borrowing base.
Weighted average interest rate on Bank Credit Facility		2.00%
Line of Credit Facility, Unused Capacity, Commitment Fee Percentage					0.375%	0.50%
Permissable amount of additional subordinated debt		300,000,000		650,000,000
Long Term Debt (Textuals) [Abstract]
Interest in guarantor subsidiaries		100.00%
Face Value of Notes Issued							225,000,000			300,000,000			400,000,000
Selling Price Of Debt Instrument													100.00%
Proceeds from issuance of subordinated long term debt, net of commissions and fees													393,000,000
Principal amount of notes for which cash tender offers commenced							225,000,000			300,000,000			400,000,000
Extinguishment of Debt [Line Items]
Amount of debt repaid or repurchased								169,600,000	55,400,000		220,900,000	79,100,000
Percentage of par at which debt was repurchased								100.625%	100.00%		104.125%	103.75%
Loss on early extinguishment of debt		$ 0	$ 15,783,000