Equity and Partners' Capital - Partnership Interests Table (Details) - Western Gas Partners, LP [Member] - shares				3 Months Ended
		Mar. 14, 2016		Mar. 31, 2016
Capital Unit [Line Items]
Balance				142,571,895
Units issued				323,584
Balance				159,015,692
Springfield Pipeline LLC [Member]
Capital Unit [Line Items]
Acquisition				16,120,213
Common Units [Member]
Capital Unit [Line Items]
Balance				128,576,965
Balance				130,666,567
Common Units [Member] | Springfield Pipeline LLC [Member]
Capital Unit [Line Items]
Units issued		2,089,602	[1]	835,841
Acquisition				2,089,602
Class C Units [Member]
Capital Unit [Line Items]
Balance				11,411,862
Units issued				323,584
Balance				11,735,446
Series A Preferred Units [Member]
Capital Unit [Line Items]
Balance				0
Balance				14,030,611
Series A Preferred Units [Member] | Springfield Pipeline LLC [Member]
Capital Unit [Line Items]
Units issued	[1]	14,030,611
Acquisition				14,030,611
General Partner [Member]
Capital Unit [Line Items]
Balance				2,583,068
Balance				2,583,068

[1] WES acquired Springfield Pipeline LLC (“Springfield”) from Anadarko for $750.0 million, consisting of $712.5 million in cash and the issuance of 1,253,761 of WES common units. Springfield owns a 50.1% interest in an oil gathering system and a gas gathering system, such interest being referred to in this report as the “Springfield system.” The Springfield oil and gas gathering systems are located in Dimmit, La Salle, Maverick and Webb Counties in South Texas. WES financed the cash portion of the acquisition through: (i) borrowings of $247.5 million on the WES RCF, (ii) the issuance of 835,841 of WES common units to WGP and (iii) the issuance of WES Series A Preferred units noted above to private investors (the “initial issuance”). See Note 4 for further information regarding the WES Series A Preferred units, including the full exercise of an option granted in connection with the initial issuance. WGP financed the purchase of the WES common units by borrowing $25.0 million on the WGP RCF. See Note 9.