Income Taxes	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2016
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Income Taxes	Note 9. Income Taxes For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016, the Company recorded $0.2 million and $0.4 million, respectively of income tax expense related to its Lynden subsidiaries which includes Lynden USA, Inc., a company with taxable income in the United States and its Canadian parent company, Lynden Energy, Inc. (collectively the “Lynden subsidiaries”). The Company’s corporate structure requires the filing of two separate consolidated U.S. Federal income tax returns. Taxable income of Earthstone, excluding the Lynden subsidiaries cannot be offset by tax attributes, including net operating losses of the Lynden subsidiaries, nor can taxable income of the Lynden subsidiaries be offset by tax attributes of Earthstone, excluding the Lynden subsidiaries. The effective tax rate for both the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016 for the income attributable to the United States Lynden subsidiary was 34.5%, which included approximately 0.5% for the estimated portion of the subsidiary’s income subject to state income tax. The Company, excluding the Lynden subsidiaries, recorded no income tax expense or benefit because property impairments recorded during the year ended December 31, 2015 reduced the book value of the Company’s properties below their tax basis requiring the Company to record a net deferred tax asset. Because the future realization of this deferred tax asset could not be assured, the Company recorded a 100% valuation allowance against its deferred tax asset. The pre-tax loss recorded for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016, increased the Company’s net deferred tax asset but did not result in a recognized tax benefit because the realization of the Company’s net tax asset still cannot be assured, therefore, the valuation allowance also was increased and offset the tax benefit that would have resulted from the net operating loss. For the three months ended September 30, 2015, the Company recorded an income tax expense of $0.8 million and for the nine months ended September 30, 2015 the company recorded an income tax benefit $69,000; in both cases all of which was deferred. The effective tax rate for both the three and nine month ended September 30, 2015 was 32% which included approximately 0.9% of the estimated portion of the Company’s income subject to income tax in the states in which the Company operates. The Company provides for deferred income taxes on the difference between the tax basis of an asset or liability and its carrying amount in the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 740, Income Taxes. This difference will result in taxable income or deductions in future years when the reported amount of the asset or liability is recovered or settled, respectively. In recording deferred tax assets, the Company considers whether it is more likely than not that some portion or all of the deferred income tax asset will be realized. The ultimate realization of deferred income tax assets, if any, is dependent upon the generation of future taxable income during the periods in which those deferred income tax assets would be deductible.

Note 9. Income Taxes

For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016, the Company recorded $0.2 million and $0.4 million, respectively of income tax expense related to its Lynden subsidiaries which includes Lynden USA, Inc., a company with taxable income in the United States and its Canadian parent company, Lynden Energy, Inc. (collectively the “Lynden subsidiaries”). The Company’s corporate structure requires the filing of two separate consolidated U.S. Federal income tax returns. Taxable income of Earthstone, excluding the Lynden subsidiaries cannot be offset by tax attributes, including net operating losses of the Lynden subsidiaries, nor can taxable income of the Lynden subsidiaries be offset by tax attributes of Earthstone, excluding the Lynden subsidiaries. The effective tax rate for both the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016 for the income attributable to the United States Lynden subsidiary was 34.5%, which included approximately 0.5% for the estimated portion of the subsidiary’s income subject to state income tax. The Company, excluding the Lynden subsidiaries, recorded no income tax expense or benefit because property impairments recorded during the year ended December 31, 2015 reduced the book value of the Company’s properties below their tax basis requiring the Company to record a net deferred tax asset. Because the future realization of this deferred tax asset could not be assured, the Company recorded a 100% valuation allowance against its deferred tax asset. The pre-tax loss recorded for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016, increased the Company’s net deferred tax asset but did not result in a recognized tax benefit because the realization of the Company’s net tax asset still cannot be assured, therefore, the valuation allowance also was increased and offset the tax benefit that would have resulted from the net operating loss. For the three months ended September 30, 2015, the Company recorded an income tax expense of $0.8 million and for the nine months ended September 30, 2015 the company recorded an income tax benefit $69,000; in both cases all of which was deferred. The effective tax rate for both the three and nine month ended September 30, 2015 was 32% which included approximately 0.9% of the estimated portion of the Company’s income subject to income tax in the states in which the Company operates.

The Company provides for deferred income taxes on the difference between the tax basis of an asset or liability and its carrying amount in the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 740, Income Taxes. This difference will result in taxable income or deductions in future years when the reported amount of the asset or liability is recovered or settled, respectively. In recording deferred tax assets, the Company considers whether it is more likely than not that some portion or all of the deferred income tax asset will be realized. The ultimate realization of deferred income tax assets, if any, is dependent upon the generation of future taxable income during the periods in which those deferred income tax assets would be deductible.