Income Taxes - Tax Rate Reconciliation Table (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		12 Months Ended
		Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014		Dec. 31, 2013
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Income (loss) before income taxes		$ (63,166)	$ 416,347	[1]	$ 290,585	[1]
Statutory tax rate		0.00%	0.00%		0.00%
Adjustments resulting from:
Federal taxes on income		$ 0	$ 0		$ 0
State taxes on income (net of federal benefit) and Texas margin tax expense (benefit)	[2]	2,411	2,481		(1,359)
Income tax expense (benefit)		$ 3,380	$ 11,659	[1]	$ 4,611	[1]
Effective tax rate		(5.00%)	3.00%		2.00%
Change in deferred state income taxes		$ 2,200
Change in Texas margin tax rates		0.25%
Western Gas Partners, LP [Member]
Adjustments resulting from:
Federal taxes on income		$ 942	$ 8,988		$ 5,344
State taxes on income (net of federal benefit) and Texas margin tax expense (benefit)		$ 27	$ 190		$ 626

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

[2] Includes a reduction of $2.2 million in deferred state income taxes. Texas House Bill 32, signed into law in June 2015, reduced the Texas margin tax rates by 0.25%. The law became effective January 1, 2016. WGP is required to include the impact of the law change on its deferred state income taxes in the period enacted.