Subsidiary Guarantors Condensed Consolidating Balance Sheets (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 2,168	$ 1,809	$ 52,171	$ 1,243
Accounts receivable – trade, net	216,556	471,684
Accounts receivable – affiliates	0	0
Derivative instruments	1,220,230	1,077,142
Other current assets	119,921	155,955
Total current assets	1,558,875	1,706,590
Noncurrent assets:
Oil and natural gas properties (successful efforts method)	18,121,155	18,068,900
Less accumulated depletion and amortization	(11,097,492)	(4,867,682)
Oil and natural gas properties, successful efforts method, net	7,023,663	13,201,218
Other property and equipment	708,711	669,149
Less accumulated depreciation	(195,661)	(144,282)
Other property and equipment, net	513,050	524,867
Derivative instruments	566,401	848,097
Restricted cash	257,363	6,225
Notes receivable – affiliates	0	0
Advance to affiliate		0
Investments in consolidated subsidiaries	0	0
Other noncurrent assets	57,594	136,512
Noncurrent assets, excluding property, total	881,358	990,834
Total noncurrent assets	8,418,071	14,716,919
Total assets	9,976,946	16,423,509
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable and accrued expenses	455,374	814,809
Accounts payable – affiliates	0	0
Advance from affiliate		0
Derivative instruments	2,241	0
Other accrued liabilities	119,593	167,736
Current portion of long-term debt	3,716,508	0
Total current liabilities	4,293,716	982,545
Noncurrent liabilities:
Notes payable – affiliates	0	0
Derivative instruments	857	684
Total long-term debt, net	5,328,235	10,295,809
Other noncurrent liabilities	623,039	600,866
Total noncurrent liabilities	5,952,131	10,897,359
355,017,428 units and 331,974,913 units issued and outstanding at December 31, 2015, and December 31, 2014, respectively	5,343,116	5,395,811
Unitholders’ capital (deficit):
Accumulated income (deficit)	(5,612,017)	(852,206)
Total unitholders' capital (deficit)	(268,901)	4,543,605	5,891,427	4,427,180
Total liabilities and unitholders’ capital (deficit)	9,976,946	16,423,509
Eliminations
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0	0
Accounts receivable – trade, net	0	0
Accounts receivable – affiliates	(2,928,703)	(4,042,095)
Derivative instruments	0	0
Other current assets	(1)	0
Total current assets	(2,928,704)	(4,042,095)
Noncurrent assets:
Oil and natural gas properties (successful efforts method)	0	0
Less accumulated depletion and amortization	55,956	0
Oil and natural gas properties, successful efforts method, net	55,956	0
Other property and equipment	0	0
Less accumulated depreciation	0	0
Other property and equipment, net	0	0
Derivative instruments	0	0
Restricted cash	0	0
Notes receivable – affiliates	(175,100)	(130,500)
Advance to affiliate		(293,627)
Investments in consolidated subsidiaries	(3,940,444)	(8,562,608)
Other noncurrent assets	0	0
Noncurrent assets, excluding property, total	(4,115,544)	(8,986,735)
Total noncurrent assets	(4,059,588)	(8,986,735)
Total assets	(6,988,292)	(13,028,830)
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable and accrued expenses	0	0
Accounts payable – affiliates	(2,928,703)	(4,042,095)
Advance from affiliate		(293,627)
Derivative instruments	0
Other accrued liabilities	(1)	0
Current portion of long-term debt	0
Total current liabilities	(2,928,704)	(4,335,722)
Noncurrent liabilities:
Notes payable – affiliates	(175,100)	(130,500)
Derivative instruments	0	0
Total long-term debt, net	0	0
Other noncurrent liabilities	0	0
Total noncurrent liabilities	(175,100)	(130,500)
355,017,428 units and 331,974,913 units issued and outstanding at December 31, 2015, and December 31, 2014, respectively	(7,621,189)	(7,240,658)
Unitholders’ capital (deficit):
Accumulated income (deficit)	3,736,701	(1,321,950)
Total unitholders' capital (deficit)	(3,884,488)	(8,562,608)
Total liabilities and unitholders’ capital (deficit)	(6,988,292)	(13,028,830)
Linn Energy, LLC | Reportable Legal Entities
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	1,073	38	52	107
Accounts receivable – trade, net	0	0
Accounts receivable – affiliates	2,920,082	4,028,890
Derivative instruments	0	0
Other current assets	26,905	18
Total current assets	2,948,060	4,028,946
Noncurrent assets:
Oil and natural gas properties (successful efforts method)	0	0
Less accumulated depletion and amortization	0	0
Oil and natural gas properties, successful efforts method, net	0	0
Other property and equipment	0	0
Less accumulated depreciation	0	0
Other property and equipment, net	0	0
Derivative instruments	0	0
Restricted cash	0	0
Notes receivable – affiliates	175,100	130,500
Advance to affiliate		0
Investments in consolidated subsidiaries	3,940,444	8,562,608
Other noncurrent assets	35,559	116,637
Noncurrent assets, excluding property, total	4,151,103	8,809,745
Total noncurrent assets	4,151,103	8,809,745
Total assets	7,099,163	12,838,691
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable and accrued expenses	1,285	3,784
Accounts payable – affiliates	0	0
Advance from affiliate		0
Derivative instruments	0
Other accrued liabilities	49,861	89,507
Current portion of long-term debt	2,843,333
Total current liabilities	2,894,479	93,291
Noncurrent liabilities:
Notes payable – affiliates	0	0
Derivative instruments	0	0
Total long-term debt, net	4,482,867	8,208,857
Other noncurrent liabilities	0	0
Total noncurrent liabilities	4,482,867	8,208,857
355,017,428 units and 331,974,913 units issued and outstanding at December 31, 2015, and December 31, 2014, respectively	5,333,834	5,388,749
Unitholders’ capital (deficit):
Accumulated income (deficit)	(5,612,017)	(852,206)
Total unitholders' capital (deficit)	(278,183)	4,536,543
Total liabilities and unitholders’ capital (deficit)	7,099,163	12,838,691
Guarantor Subsidiaries | Reportable Legal Entities
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	72	185	1,078	1,136
Accounts receivable – trade, net	170,503	371,325
Accounts receivable – affiliates	8,621	13,205
Derivative instruments	1,207,012	1,033,448
Other current assets	72,120	96,678
Total current assets	1,458,328	1,514,841
Noncurrent assets:
Oil and natural gas properties (successful efforts method)	13,110,094	13,196,841
Less accumulated depletion and amortization	(9,557,283)	(4,342,675)
Oil and natural gas properties, successful efforts method, net	3,552,811	8,854,166
Other property and equipment	597,216	553,150
Less accumulated depreciation	(183,139)	(135,830)
Other property and equipment, net	414,077	417,320
Derivative instruments	566,401	848,097
Restricted cash	7,004	6,100
Notes receivable – affiliates	0	0
Advance to affiliate		0
Investments in consolidated subsidiaries	0	0
Other noncurrent assets	5,978	5,716
Noncurrent assets, excluding property, total	579,383	859,913
Total noncurrent assets	4,546,271	10,131,399
Total assets	6,004,599	11,646,240
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable and accrued expenses	336,962	581,880
Accounts payable – affiliates	2,920,082	4,028,890
Advance from affiliate		293,627
Derivative instruments	0
Other accrued liabilities	52,997	59,142
Current portion of long-term debt	0
Total current liabilities	3,310,041	4,963,539
Noncurrent liabilities:
Notes payable – affiliates	175,100	130,500
Derivative instruments	857	684
Total long-term debt, net	0	0
Other noncurrent liabilities	410,990	400,851
Total noncurrent liabilities	586,947	532,035
355,017,428 units and 331,974,913 units issued and outstanding at December 31, 2015, and December 31, 2014, respectively	4,831,758	4,831,339
Unitholders’ capital (deficit):
Accumulated income (deficit)	(2,724,147)	1,319,327
Total unitholders' capital (deficit)	2,107,611	6,150,666
Total liabilities and unitholders’ capital (deficit)	6,004,599	11,646,240
Non-Guarantor Subsidiary | Reportable Legal Entities
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	1,023	1,586	$ 51,041	$ 0
Accounts receivable – trade, net	46,053	100,359
Accounts receivable – affiliates	0	0
Derivative instruments	13,218	43,694
Other current assets	20,897	59,259
Total current assets	81,191	204,898
Noncurrent assets:
Oil and natural gas properties (successful efforts method)	5,011,061	4,872,059
Less accumulated depletion and amortization	(1,596,165)	(525,007)
Oil and natural gas properties, successful efforts method, net	3,414,896	4,347,052
Other property and equipment	111,495	115,999
Less accumulated depreciation	(12,522)	(8,452)
Other property and equipment, net	98,973	107,547
Derivative instruments	0	0
Restricted cash	250,359	125
Notes receivable – affiliates	0	0
Advance to affiliate		293,627
Investments in consolidated subsidiaries	0	0
Other noncurrent assets	16,057	14,159
Noncurrent assets, excluding property, total	266,416	307,911
Total noncurrent assets	3,780,285	4,762,510
Total assets	3,861,476	4,967,408
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable and accrued expenses	117,127	229,145
Accounts payable – affiliates	8,621	13,205
Advance from affiliate		0
Derivative instruments	2,241
Other accrued liabilities	16,736	19,087
Current portion of long-term debt	873,175
Total current liabilities	1,017,900	261,437
Noncurrent liabilities:
Notes payable – affiliates	0	0
Derivative instruments	0	0
Total long-term debt, net	845,368	2,086,952
Other noncurrent liabilities	212,049	200,015
Total noncurrent liabilities	1,057,417	2,286,967
355,017,428 units and 331,974,913 units issued and outstanding at December 31, 2015, and December 31, 2014, respectively	2,798,713	2,416,381
Unitholders’ capital (deficit):
Accumulated income (deficit)	(1,012,554)	2,623
Total unitholders' capital (deficit)	1,786,159	2,419,004
Total liabilities and unitholders’ capital (deficit)	$ 3,861,476	$ 4,967,408