Description of Business and Basis of Presentation - Restatement Table - Consolidated Statement of Income (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands		3 Months Ended				9 Months Ended
		Sep. 30, 2015		Sep. 30, 2014		Sep. 30, 2015		Sep. 30, 2014
Error Corrections and Prior Period Adjustments Restatement [Line Items]
Depreciation and amortization		$ 60,160	[1]	$ 46,379	[2]	$ 183,715	[1],[3]	$ 132,236	[2]
Impairments		2,337	[1]	898	[2]	276,229	[1],[3]	2,431	[2]
Operating income (loss)		195,056		132,692	[2]	176,974		358,321	[2]
Income (loss) before income taxes		167,604		116,157	[2]	107,566		316,142	[2]
Income tax (benefit) expense		1,869		3,891	[2]	3,575		8,199	[2]
Net income (loss)		165,735		112,266	[2]	103,991		307,943	[2]
Net income (loss) attributable to Western Gas Equity Partners, LP		89,371		66,434	[2]	118,634		178,985	[2]
Limited partners' interest in net income (loss)	[4]	89,371		59,952	[2]	116,892		165,703	[2]
As Reported [Member]
Error Corrections and Prior Period Adjustments Restatement [Line Items]
Depreciation and amortization	[1]	63,351				190,114	[3]
Impairments	[1]	2,337				11,827	[3]
Operating income (loss)		191,865				434,977
Income (loss) before income taxes		164,413				365,569
Income tax (benefit) expense		1,661				4,305
Net income (loss)		162,752		$ 105,784	[5]	361,264		$ 293,705	[5]
Net income (loss) attributable to Western Gas Equity Partners, LP		88,284				213,108
Limited partners' interest in net income (loss)	[4]	88,284				211,366
Adjustments [Member]
Error Corrections and Prior Period Adjustments Restatement [Line Items]
Depreciation and amortization	[1]	(3,191)				(6,399)	[3]
Impairments	[1]	0				264,402	[3]
Operating income (loss)		3,191				(258,003)
Income (loss) before income taxes		3,191				(258,003)
Income tax (benefit) expense		208				(730)
Net income (loss)		2,983				(257,273)
Net income (loss) attributable to Western Gas Equity Partners, LP		1,087				(94,474)
Limited partners' interest in net income (loss)	[4]	$ 1,087				$ (94,474)
Limited Partner [Member]
Error Corrections and Prior Period Adjustments Restatement [Line Items]
Net income (loss) per common unit - basic and diluted		$ 0.41		$ 0.27	[2]	$ 0.53		$ 0.76	[2]
Limited Partner [Member] | As Reported [Member]
Error Corrections and Prior Period Adjustments Restatement [Line Items]
Net income (loss) per common unit - basic and diluted		0.40				0.97
Limited Partner [Member] | Adjustments [Member]
Error Corrections and Prior Period Adjustments Restatement [Line Items]
Net income (loss) per common unit - basic and diluted		$ 0.01				$ (0.44)

[1] “As Reported” amounts previously included as a component of Depreciation, amortization and impairments in WGP’s Original Filing.

[2] Financial information has been recast to include the financial position and results attributable to the DBJV system. See Note 1 and Note 2.

[3] “As Reported” amounts previously included as a component of Depreciation, amortization and impairments in WGP’s Original Filing.

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

[5] See Adjustments to Previously Issued Financial Statements in Note 1.