Consolidated Statements of Income (USD $) Share data in Thousands, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014		Dec. 31, 2013		Dec. 31, 2012
Revenues
Total revenues	$ 1,273,763,000		$ 1,029,763,000		$ 894,476,000
Equity income, net	57,836,000	[1],[2],[3]	22,948,000	[1],[2],[3]	16,042,000	[1],[2],[3]
Operating expenses
Cost of product	437,956,000	[4]	364,285,000	[4]	336,079,000	[4]
Operation and maintenance	199,305,000	[4]	168,657,000	[4]	140,106,000	[4]
General and administrative	37,458,000	[4]	33,464,000	[4]	99,728,000	[4]
Property and other taxes	25,387,000		23,244,000		19,688,000
Depreciation, amortization and impairments	183,156,000		145,916,000		120,608,000
Total operating expenses	883,262,000		735,566,000		716,209,000
Operating income	448,337,000		317,145,000		194,309,000
Interest income - affiliates	16,900,000	[5]	16,900,000	[5]	16,900,000	[5]
Interest expense	76,769,000	[6]	51,797,000	[6]	42,060,000	[6]
Other income (expense), net	938,000		1,935,000		292,000
Income before income taxes	389,406,000		284,183,000		169,441,000
Income tax (benefit) expense	2,027,000		2,305,000		48,884,000
Net income	387,379,000		281,878,000		120,557,000
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	165,468,000		122,173,000		59,181,000
Net income attributable to Western Gas Equity Partners, LP	221,911,000		159,705,000		61,376,000
Limited partners' interest in net income:
Pre-acquisition net (income) loss allocated to Anadarko	956,000		(4,128,000)		(1,707,000)
Limited partners' interest in net income	222,867,000	[7]	155,528,000	[7]	2,809,000	[7]
IPO [Member]
Limited partners' interest in net income:
Pre-acquisition net (income) loss allocated to Anadarko	0		(49,000)		(56,860,000)
Affiliated Entity [Member]
Revenues
Gathering, processing and transportation of natural gas and natural gas liquids	394,870,000		306,810,000		249,997,000
Natural gas, natural gas liquids and condensate sales	570,047,000		496,848,000		436,423,000
Other	5,078,000		1,868,000		1,606,000
Total revenues	969,995,000	[1]	805,526,000	[1]	688,026,000	[1]
Operating expenses
Cost of product	114,000,000	[1]	129,045,000	[1]	145,250,000	[1]
Operation and maintenance	58,884,000	[8]	56,435,000	[8]	51,237,000	[8]
General and administrative	27,736,000	[9]	24,235,000	[9]	92,887,000	[9]
Total operating expenses	200,620,000		209,715,000		289,374,000
Interest expense	3,000	[10]	0	[10]	2,766,000	[10]
Third Parties [Member]
Revenues
Gathering, processing and transportation of natural gas and natural gas liquids	252,581,000		175,732,000		132,333,000
Natural gas, natural gas liquids and condensate sales	42,807,000		44,396,000		71,916,000
Other	8,380,000		4,109,000		2,201,000
Total revenues	303,768,000		224,237,000		206,450,000
Operating expenses
Interest expense	$ 76,766,000		$ 51,797,000		$ 39,294,000
Limited Partner [Member]
Limited partners' interest in net income:
Net income per common unit - basic and diluted	$ 1.02		$ 0.71		$ 0.01
Weighted-average common units outstanding - basic and diluted	218,910		218,896		218,896

[1] Represents amounts earned or incurred on and subsequent to the date of acquisition of WES assets, as well as amounts earned or incurred by Anadarko on a historical basis related to WES assets prior to the acquisition of such assets by WES, recognized under gathering, treating or processing agreements, and purchase and sale agreements.

[2] Income earned from equity investments is classified as affiliate. See Note 1.

[3] Income earned on, distributions from and contributions to equity investments are classified as affiliate. See Note 1.

[4] Cost of product includes product purchases from Anadarko (as defined in Note 1) of $114.0 million, $129.0 million and $145.3 million for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively. Operation and maintenance includes charges from Anadarko of $58.9 million, $56.4 million and $51.2 million for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively. General and administrative includes charges from Anadarko of $27.7 million, $24.2 million and $92.9 million for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively. See Note 5.

[5] Represents interest income recognized on the note receivable from Anadarko.

[6] Includes affiliate (as defined in Note 1) interest expense of zero for each of the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013, and $2.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2012. See Note 13.

[7] Represents net income earned on and subsequent to the date of acquisition of WES assets (as defined in Note 1). See Note 4.

[8] Represents expenses incurred on and subsequent to the date of the acquisition of WES assets, as well as expenses incurred by Anadarko on a historical basis related to WES assets prior to the acquisition of such assets by WES.

[9] Represents general and administrative expense incurred on and subsequent to the date of WES’s acquisition of WES assets, as well as a management services fee for reimbursement of expenses incurred by Anadarko for periods prior to the acquisition of WES assets by WES. These amounts include equity-based compensation expense allocated to WES and WGP by Anadarko (see Note 6) and amounts charged by Anadarko under the WGP omnibus agreement.

[10] For the year ended December 31, 2014, includes interest expense recognized on the WGP working capital facility (see Note 13). For the year ended December 31, 2012, includes interest expense recognized on the WES note payable to Anadarko (see Note 13) and interest imputed on the reimbursement payable to Anadarko for certain expenditures Anadarko incurred in 2011 related to the construction of the Brasada complex and Lancaster plant. WES repaid the WES note payable to Anadarko in June 2012, and repaid the reimbursement payable to Anadarko associated with the construction of the Brasada complex and Lancaster plant in the fourth quarter of 2012.