Condensed Consolidating Financial Information (Schedule of Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Net cash flow provided by (used in) operating activities	$ 111,869	$ (4,983)
Purchases of property, plant and equipment	(25,007)	(111,444)
Investment in subsidiaries	0	0
Proceeds from sale of properties and equipment	2,978	1,942
Payments to acquire marketable securities	0	(55,890)
Proceeds from Sale and Maturity of Marketable Securities	0	222,025
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	(22,029)	152,220
Issuance of debt	28,335	243,184
Repayments of debt	(170,660)	(193,689)
Debt issuance costs paid	(80)	(225)
Intercompany note		0
Intercompany financing	0	0
Contribution received		0
Distribution of Fortune Creek Partnership funds	(1,426)	(37,113)
Purchase of treasury stock	(115)	(2,388)
Net cash flow provided (used) by financing activities	(143,946)	9,769
Effect of exchange rates on cash	6,250	2,216
Net increase (decrease) in cash and equivalents	(47,856)	159,222
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	223,529	89,103
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	175,673	248,325
Quicksilver Resources Inc. [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Net cash flow provided by (used in) operating activities	97,516	(39,474)
Purchases of property, plant and equipment	(21,576)	(88,119)
Investment in subsidiaries	(6,920)	(1,246)
Proceeds from sale of properties and equipment	1,504	1,445
Payments to acquire marketable securities		(55,890)
Proceeds from Sale and Maturity of Marketable Securities		222,025
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	(26,992)	173,802
Issuance of debt	2,100	174,000
Repayments of debt	(129,084)	(138,651)
Debt issuance costs paid	(80)	(225)
Intercompany note		(22,558)
Intercompany financing	0	0
Contribution received		0
Distribution of Fortune Creek Partnership funds	0	0
Purchase of treasury stock	(115)	(2,388)
Net cash flow provided (used) by financing activities	(127,179)	10,178
Effect of exchange rates on cash	0	0
Net increase (decrease) in cash and equivalents	(56,655)	144,506
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	211,656	83,893
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	155,001	228,399
Restricted Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Net cash flow provided by (used in) operating activities	(444)	(688)
Purchases of property, plant and equipment	0	(57)
Investment in subsidiaries	0	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 provided by (used in) investing activities	0	(57)
Issuance of debt	0	0
Repayments of debt	0	0
Debt issuance costs paid	0	0
Intercompany note		0
Intercompany financing	444	745
Contribution received		0
Distribution of Fortune Creek Partnership funds	0	0
Purchase of treasury stock	0	0
Net cash flow provided (used) by financing activities	444	745
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 by (used in) operating activities	16,568	28,843
Purchases of property, plant and equipment	(3,431)	(23,247)
Investment in subsidiaries	0	(26,395)
Proceeds from sale of properties and equipment	1,474	497
Payments to acquire marketable securities		0
Proceeds from Sale and Maturity of Marketable Securities		0
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	(1,957)	(49,145)
Issuance of debt	26,235	69,184
Repayments of debt	(41,576)	(55,038)
Debt issuance costs paid	0	0
Intercompany note		22,558
Intercompany financing	6,476	501
Contribution received		0
Distribution of Fortune Creek Partnership funds	0	0
Purchase of treasury stock	0	0
Net cash flow provided (used) by financing activities	(8,865)	37,205
Effect of exchange rates on cash	4,614	(2,718)
Net increase (decrease) in cash and equivalents	10,360	14,185
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	10,182	4,135
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	20,542	18,320
Unrestricted Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Net cash flow provided by (used in) operating activities	(3)	0
Purchases of property, plant and equipment	0	0
Investment in subsidiaries	0	(26,395)
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 provided by (used in) investing activities	0	(26,395)
Issuance of debt	0	0
Repayments of debt	0	0
Debt issuance costs paid	0	0
Intercompany note		0
Intercompany financing	0	0
Contribution received		26,395
Distribution of Fortune Creek Partnership funds	0	0
Purchase of treasury stock	0	0
Net cash flow provided (used) by financing activities	0	26,395
Effect of exchange rates on cash	0	0
Net increase (decrease) in cash and equivalents	(3)	0
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	20	22
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	17	22
Fortune Creek [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Net cash flow provided by (used in) operating activities	(1,768)	6,336
Purchases of property, plant and equipment	0	(21)
Investment in subsidiaries	0	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 provided by (used in) investing activities	0	(21)
Issuance of debt	0	0
Repayments of debt	0	0
Debt issuance costs paid	0	0
Intercompany note		0
Intercompany financing	0	0
Contribution received		26,395
Distribution of Fortune Creek Partnership funds	(1,426)	(37,113)
Purchase of treasury stock	0	0
Net cash flow provided (used) by financing activities	(1,426)	(10,718)
Effect of exchange rates on cash	1,636	4,934
Net increase (decrease) in cash and equivalents	(1,558)	531
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	1,671	1,053
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	113	1,584
Consolidating Eliminations [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Net cash flow provided by (used in) operating activities	0	0
Purchases of property, plant and equipment	0	0
Investment in subsidiaries	6,920	54,036
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 provided by (used in) investing activities	6,920	54,036
Issuance of debt	0	0
Repayments of debt	0	0
Debt issuance costs paid	0	0
Intercompany note		0
Intercompany financing	(6,920)	(1,246)
Contribution received		(52,790)
Distribution of Fortune Creek Partnership funds	0	0
Purchase of treasury stock	0	0
Net cash flow provided (used) by financing activities	(6,920)	(54,036)
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
Sandwash Basin [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Proceeds from Divestiture of Interest in Subsidiaries and Affiliates	$ 0	95,587
Sandwash Basin [Member] | Quicksilver Resources Inc. [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Proceeds from Divestiture of Interest in Subsidiaries and Affiliates		95,587
Sandwash Basin [Member] | Restricted Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Proceeds from Divestiture of Interest in Subsidiaries and Affiliates		0
Sandwash Basin [Member] | Restricted Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Proceeds from Divestiture of Interest in Subsidiaries and Affiliates		0
Sandwash Basin [Member] | Unrestricted Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Proceeds from Divestiture of Interest in Subsidiaries and Affiliates		0
Sandwash Basin [Member] | Fortune Creek [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Proceeds from Divestiture of Interest in Subsidiaries and Affiliates		0
Sandwash Basin [Member] | Consolidating Eliminations [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Proceeds from Divestiture of Interest in Subsidiaries and Affiliates		$ 0