Equity and Partners' Capital - Limited Partner and General Partner Units (details) (Western Gas Partners [Member])	6 Months Ended				1 Months Ended				6 Months Ended						12 Months Ended		1 Months Ended				6 Months Ended					12 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2014 December 2013 Equity Offering [Member]	Jun. 30, 2014 Texas Express And Front Range [Member]	Jun. 30, 2014 Continuous Offering Program [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Common Units [Member]		May 31, 2013 Common Units [Member]		Jun. 30, 2014 Common Units [Member]	Jun. 30, 2014 Common Units [Member] December 2013 Equity Offering [Member]	Jun. 30, 2014 Common Units [Member] Texas Express And Front Range [Member]		Jun. 30, 2014 Common Units [Member] Continuous Offering Program [Member]		Dec. 31, 2013 Common Units [Member] Continuous Offering Program [Member]		Dec. 31, 2013 General Partner [Member]		May 31, 2013 General Partner [Member]		Jun. 30, 2014 General Partner [Member]	Jun. 30, 2014 General Partner [Member] December 2013 Equity Offering [Member]	Jun. 30, 2014 General Partner [Member] Texas Express And Front Range [Member]	Jun. 30, 2014 General Partner [Member] Continuous Offering Program [Member]		Dec. 31, 2013 General Partner [Member] Continuous Offering Program [Member]
Capital Unit [Line Items]
Balance	119,717,157								117,322,812												2,394,345
Common units issued					4,800,000	[1]	7,015,000	[2]		300,000			1,034,587	[3]	685,735	[4]
Offering		306,122		1,036,411													97,959	[1],[5]	143,163	[2],[5]		6,122		1,824	[3],[5]	13,996	[4],[5]
Long-term incentive plan awards	5,530								5,418												112
Acquisition			314,786								308,490	[6]											6,296
Balance	121,380,006				117,322,812				118,971,307								2,394,345				2,408,699

[1] Includes the issuance of 300,000 WES common units on January 3, 2014, pursuant to the partial exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option granted in connection with the December 2013 equity offering. Net proceeds from this partial exercise (including WES GP’s proportionate capital contribution) were $18.1 million.

[2] Includes the issuance of 915,000 WES common units pursuant to the full exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option granted in connection with the May 2013 equity offering.

[3] Represents common and general partner units of WES issued during the three and six months ended June 30, 2014, under the Continuous Offering Program. Gross proceeds generated (including WES GP’s proportionate capital contributions) were $75.9 million. The price per unit in the table above represents an average price for all issuances under the Continuous Offering Program during the six months ended June 30, 2014. Does not include the issuance of 98,797 WES common units that were sold in June 2014, but settled in July 2014, or the issuance of 21,308 general partner units of WES to WES GP in exchange for WES GP’s proportionate capital contribution to maintain its 2.0% general partner interest in WES.

[4] Represents common and general partner units of WES issued during the year ended December 31, 2013, pursuant to WES’s registration statement filed with the SEC in August 2012 authorizing the issuance of up to an aggregate of $125.0 million of common units (the “Continuous Offering Program”). Gross proceeds generated (including WES GP’s proportionate capital contributions) were $42.6 million. The price per unit in the table above represents an average price for all issuances under the Continuous Offering Program during 2013.

[5] Represents general partner units of WES issued to WES GP in exchange for WES GP’s proportionate capital contribution to maintain its 2.0% general partner interest in WES.

[6] WES acquired a 20% interest in each of TEG and TEP and a 33.33% interest in FRP from Anadarko. These assets gather and transport NGLs primarily from the Anadarko and Denver-Julesburg Basins. The interests in these entities are accounted for under the equity method of accounting. In connection with the issuance of WES common units, WES GP purchased 6,296 general partner units for consideration of $0.4 million to maintain its 2.0% general partner interest in WES.