Condensed Consolidating Financial Information (Schedule of Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows) (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Net cash flow provided (used) by operating activities	$ (81,103)	$ 141,376
Purchases of property, plant and equipment	(78,549)	(437,172)
Proceeds from Divestiture of Interest in Subs & Affiliates		41,097
Proceeds from sale of properties and equipment	2,994	3,843
Payments to acquire marketable securities	(142,823)	0
Proceeds from Sale and Maturity of Marketable Securities	13,178
Net cash used by investing activities	300,515	(392,232)
Issuance of debt	1,173,306	367,646
Repayments of debt	(1,308,382)	(111,115)
Debt issuance costs	(25,868)	(3,048)
Intercompany note	0
Distribution of Fortune Creek Partnership funds	(8,079)	(6,520)
Proceeds from exercise of stock options	0	(11)
Excess Tax Benefit from Share-based Compensation, Financing Activities	0	(1,089)
Purchase of treasury stock	(1,472)	(2,810)
Net cash flow provided (used) by financing activities	(170,495)	245,253
Effect of exchange rates on cash	2,610	(107)
Net increase (decrease) in cash and equivalents	51,527	(5,710)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	4,951	13,146
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	56,478	7,436
Quicksilver Resources Inc. [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Net cash flow provided (used) by operating activities	(113,029)	74,952
Purchases of property, plant and equipment	(53,291)	(199,136)
Proceeds from Divestiture of Interest in Subs & Affiliates		41,097
Proceeds from sale of properties and equipment	2,977	3,489
Payments to acquire marketable securities	(142,823)
Proceeds from Sale and Maturity of Marketable Securities	13,178
Net cash used by investing activities	325,756	(154,550)
Issuance of debt	1,170,266	177,500
Repayments of debt	(1,157,969)	(98,018)
Debt issuance costs	(25,868)	(1,998)
Intercompany note	(147,103)
Distribution of Fortune Creek Partnership funds	0	0
Proceeds from exercise of stock options		(11)
Excess Tax Benefit from Share-based Compensation, Financing Activities		(1,089)
Purchase of treasury stock	(1,472)	(2,810)
Net cash flow provided (used) by financing activities	(162,146)	75,774
Effect of exchange rates on cash	0	0
Net increase (decrease) in cash and equivalents	50,581	(3,824)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	4,618	363
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	55,199	(3,461)
Restricted Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Net cash flow provided (used) by operating activities	(19)	655
Purchases of property, plant and equipment	19	(655)
Proceeds from Divestiture of Interest in Subs & Affiliates		0
Proceeds from sale of properties and equipment	0	0
Payments to acquire marketable securities	0
Proceeds from Sale and Maturity of Marketable Securities	0
Net cash used by investing activities	19	(655)
Issuance of debt	0	0
Repayments of debt	0	0
Debt issuance costs	0	0
Intercompany note	0
Distribution of Fortune Creek Partnership funds	0	0
Proceeds from exercise of stock options		0
Excess Tax Benefit from Share-based Compensation, Financing Activities		0
Purchase of treasury stock	0	0
Net cash flow provided (used) by financing activities	0	0
Effect of exchange rates on cash	0	0
Net increase (decrease) in cash and equivalents	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	0	0
Restricted Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Net cash flow provided (used) by operating activities	25,517	48,301
Purchases of property, plant and equipment	(24,752)	(227,509)
Proceeds from Divestiture of Interest in Subs & Affiliates		0
Proceeds from sale of properties and equipment	17	354
Payments to acquire marketable securities	0
Proceeds from Sale and Maturity of Marketable Securities	0
Net cash used by investing activities	(24,735)	(227,155)
Issuance of debt	3,040	190,146
Repayments of debt	(150,413)	(13,097)
Debt issuance costs	0	(1,050)
Intercompany note	147,103
Distribution of Fortune Creek Partnership funds	0	0
Proceeds from exercise of stock options		0
Excess Tax Benefit from Share-based Compensation, Financing Activities		0
Purchase of treasury stock	0	0
Net cash flow provided (used) by financing activities	(270)	175,999
Effect of exchange rates on cash	(512)	2,855
Net increase (decrease) in cash and equivalents	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	0	0
Quicksilver And Restricted Subsidiaries [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Net cash flow provided (used) by operating activities	(87,531)	123,908
Purchases of property, plant and equipment	(78,024)	(427,300)
Proceeds from Divestiture of Interest in Subs & Affiliates		41,097
Proceeds from sale of properties and equipment	2,994	3,843
Payments to acquire marketable securities	(142,823)
Proceeds from Sale and Maturity of Marketable Securities	13,178
Net cash used by investing activities	301,040	(382,360)
Issuance of debt	1,173,306	367,646
Repayments of debt	(1,308,382)	(111,115)
Debt issuance costs	(25,868)	(3,048)
Intercompany note	0
Distribution of Fortune Creek Partnership funds	0	0
Proceeds from exercise of stock options		(11)
Excess Tax Benefit from Share-based Compensation, Financing Activities		(1,089)
Purchase of treasury stock	(1,472)	(2,810)
Net cash flow provided (used) by financing activities	(162,416)	251,773
Effect of exchange rates on cash	(512)	2,855
Net increase (decrease) in cash and equivalents	50,581	(3,824)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	4,618	363
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	55,199	(3,461)
Unrestricted Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Net cash flow provided (used) by operating activities	0	0
Purchases of property, plant and equipment	0	0
Proceeds from Divestiture of Interest in Subs & Affiliates		0
Proceeds from sale of properties and equipment	0	0
Payments to acquire marketable securities	0
Proceeds from Sale and Maturity of Marketable Securities	0
Net cash used by investing activities	0	0
Issuance of debt	0	0
Repayments of debt	0	0
Debt issuance costs	0	0
Intercompany note	0
Distribution of Fortune Creek Partnership funds	0	0
Proceeds from exercise of stock options		0
Excess Tax Benefit from Share-based Compensation, Financing Activities		0
Purchase of treasury stock	0	0
Net cash flow provided (used) by financing activities	0	0
Effect of exchange rates on cash	0	0
Net increase (decrease) in cash and equivalents	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	0	0
Fortune Creek [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Net cash flow provided (used) by operating activities	6,428	17,468
Purchases of property, plant and equipment	(525)	(9,872)
Proceeds from Divestiture of Interest in Subs & Affiliates		0
Proceeds from sale of properties and equipment	0	0
Payments to acquire marketable securities	0
Proceeds from Sale and Maturity of Marketable Securities	0
Net cash used by investing activities	(525)	(9,872)
Issuance of debt	0	0
Repayments of debt	0	0
Debt issuance costs	0	0
Intercompany note	0
Distribution of Fortune Creek Partnership funds	(8,079)	(6,520)
Proceeds from exercise of stock options		0
Excess Tax Benefit from Share-based Compensation, Financing Activities		0
Purchase of treasury stock	0	0
Net cash flow provided (used) by financing activities	(8,079)	(6,520)
Effect of exchange rates on cash	3,122	(2,962)
Net increase (decrease) in cash and equivalents	946	(1,886)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	333	12,783
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	1,279	10,897
Tokyo Gas [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Proceeds from Divestiture of Interest in Subs & Affiliates	463,418	0
Tokyo Gas [Member] | Quicksilver Resources Inc. [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Proceeds from Divestiture of Interest in Subs & Affiliates	463,418
Tokyo Gas [Member] | Restricted Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Proceeds from Divestiture of Interest in Subs & Affiliates	0
Tokyo Gas [Member] | Restricted Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Proceeds from Divestiture of Interest in Subs & Affiliates	0
Tokyo Gas [Member] | Quicksilver And Restricted Subsidiaries [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Proceeds from Divestiture of Interest in Subs & Affiliates	463,418
Tokyo Gas [Member] | Unrestricted Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Proceeds from Divestiture of Interest in Subs & Affiliates	0
Tokyo Gas [Member] | Fortune Creek [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Proceeds from Divestiture of Interest in Subs & Affiliates	0
Synergy [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Proceeds from Divestiture of Interest in Subs & Affiliates	42,297	0
Synergy [Member] | Quicksilver Resources Inc. [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Proceeds from Divestiture of Interest in Subs & Affiliates	42,297
Synergy [Member] | Restricted Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Proceeds from Divestiture of Interest in Subs & Affiliates	0
Synergy [Member] | Restricted Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Proceeds from Divestiture of Interest in Subs & Affiliates	0
Synergy [Member] | Quicksilver And Restricted Subsidiaries [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Proceeds from Divestiture of Interest in Subs & Affiliates	42,297
Synergy [Member] | Unrestricted Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Proceeds from Divestiture of Interest in Subs & Affiliates	0
Synergy [Member] | Fortune Creek [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Proceeds from Divestiture of Interest in Subs & Affiliates	$ 0