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Property, Plant and Equipment - Historical Cost Table (details) (USD $)
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
 3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2015
Dec. 31, 2014
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]    
Property, plant and equipment 5,814,914us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentGross $ 5,626,650us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentGross [1]
Accumulated depreciation 1,103,643us-gaap_AccumulatedDepreciationDepletionAndAmortizationPropertyPlantAndEquipment 1,055,207us-gaap_AccumulatedDepreciationDepletionAndAmortizationPropertyPlantAndEquipment [1]
Net property, plant and equipment 4,711,271us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentNet 4,571,443us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentNet [1]
Western Gas Partners [Member] | Land [Member]    
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]    
Property, plant and equipment 3,260us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentGross
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= wgp_WesternGasPartnersMember
/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
= us-gaap_LandMember		 2,884us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentGross
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= wgp_WesternGasPartnersMember
/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
= us-gaap_LandMember
Western Gas Partners [Member] | Gathering Systems [Member]    
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]    
Property, plant and equipment 5,232,882us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentGross
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= wgp_WesternGasPartnersMember
/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
= us-gaap_GasGatheringAndProcessingEquipmentMember		 4,972,892us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentGross
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= wgp_WesternGasPartnersMember
/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
= us-gaap_GasGatheringAndProcessingEquipmentMember
Western Gas Partners [Member] | Gathering Systems [Member] | Minimum [Member]    
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]    
Estimated useful life 3 years  
Western Gas Partners [Member] | Gathering Systems [Member] | Maximum [Member]    
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]    
Estimated useful life 47 years  
Western Gas Partners [Member] | Pipelines And Equipment [Member]    
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]    
Property, plant and equipment 135,916us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentGross
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= wgp_WesternGasPartnersMember
/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
= wgp_PipelinesAndEquipmentMember		 151,107us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentGross
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= wgp_WesternGasPartnersMember
/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
= wgp_PipelinesAndEquipmentMember
Western Gas Partners [Member] | Pipelines And Equipment [Member] | Minimum [Member]    
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]    
Estimated useful life 15 years  
Western Gas Partners [Member] | Pipelines And Equipment [Member] | Maximum [Member]    
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]    
Estimated useful life 45 years  
Western Gas Partners [Member] | Assets Under Construction [Member]    
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]    
Property, plant and equipment 424,779us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentGross
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= wgp_WesternGasPartnersMember
/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
= us-gaap_AssetUnderConstructionMember		 483,347us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentGross
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= wgp_WesternGasPartnersMember
/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
= us-gaap_AssetUnderConstructionMember
Western Gas Partners [Member] | Other [Member]    
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]    
Property, plant and equipment 18,077us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentGross
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= wgp_WesternGasPartnersMember
/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
= us-gaap_OtherCapitalizedPropertyPlantAndEquipmentMember		 $ 16,420us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentGross
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= wgp_WesternGasPartnersMember
/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
= us-gaap_OtherCapitalizedPropertyPlantAndEquipmentMember
Western Gas Partners [Member] | Other [Member] | Minimum [Member]    
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]    
Estimated useful life 3 years  
Western Gas Partners [Member] | Other [Member] | Maximum [Member]    
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]    
Estimated useful life 40 years  
[1] Financial information has been recast to include the financial position and results attributable to the DBJV system. See Note 1 and Note 2.