Consolidated Statements of Operations - USD ($) shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands		12 Months Ended
		Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Revenues and Other
Total revenues and other		$ 1,804,270	$ 1,752,072	$ 1,533,377
Equity income, net – affiliates	[1]	78,717	71,251	57,836
Operating expenses
Cost of product	[2]	494,194	528,369	458,379
Operation and maintenance	[2]	308,010	331,972	293,710
General and administrative	[2]	49,248	44,428	41,777
Property and other taxes		40,161	33,327	28,923
Depreciation and amortization		272,933	272,611	211,809
Impairments		15,535	515,458	5,125
Total operating expenses		1,180,081	1,726,165	1,039,723
Gain (loss) on divestiture and other, net	[3],[4]	(14,641)	57,024	(9)
Proceeds from business interruption insurance claims		16,270	0	0
Operating income (loss)		704,535	154,182	551,481
Interest income – affiliates	[5]	16,900	16,900	16,900
Interest expense	[6]	(116,628)	(113,874)	(76,769)
Other income (expense), net		545	(578)	938
Income (loss) before income taxes		605,352	56,630	492,550
Income tax (benefit) expense		8,372	45,532	39,061
Net income (loss)		596,980	11,098	453,489
Net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests		251,208	(154,409)	165,468
Net income (loss) attributable to Western Gas Equity Partners, LP		345,772	165,507	288,021
Limited partners' interest in net income (loss):
Pre-acquisition net (income) loss allocated to Anadarko		(11,326)	(79,386)	(65,154)
Limited partners' interest in net income (loss)	[7]	334,446	86,121	222,867
Affiliates [Member]
Revenues and Other
Gathering, processing and transportation		750,087	772,361	615,907
Natural gas and natural gas liquids sales		478,145	447,106	582,989
Other		0	1,172	5,078
Total revenues and other	[1]	1,228,232	1,220,639	1,203,974
Operating expenses
Cost of product	[1]	80,455	167,354	127,930
Operation and maintenance	[8]	72,330	77,061	71,386
General and administrative	[9]	38,873	34,703	32,055
Total operating expenses		191,658	279,118	231,371
Interest expense	[10]	7,747	(14,400)	(3)
Third Parties [Member]
Revenues and Other
Gathering, processing and transportation		477,762	356,477	278,127
Natural gas and natural gas liquids sales		94,168	170,843	42,916
Other		4,108	4,113	8,360
Total revenues and other		576,038	531,433	329,403
Operating expenses
Interest expense		$ (124,375)	$ (99,474)	$ (76,766)
Limited Partner [Member]
Limited partners' interest in net income (loss):
Net income (loss) per common unit - basic and diluted		$ 1.53	$ 0.39	$ 1.02
Weighted-average common units outstanding - basic and diluted		218,922	218,913	218,910

[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] Cost of product includes product purchases from Anadarko (as defined in Note 1) of $80.5 million, $167.4 million and $127.9 million for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014, respectively. Operation and maintenance includes charges from Anadarko of $72.3 million, $77.1 million and $71.4 million for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014, respectively. General and administrative includes charges from Anadarko of $38.9 million, $34.7 million and $32.1 million for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014, respectively. See Note 5.

[3] Includes losses related to an incident at the DBM complex for the year ended December 31, 2015. See Note 1.

[4] Includes losses related to an incident at the DBM complex for the year ended December 31, 2015. See Note 1.

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

[6] Includes affiliate (as defined in Note 1) amounts of $7.7 million, $(14.4) million and zero for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014, respectively. See Note 2 and Note 12.

[7] Represents net income (loss) 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 WES LTIP and WGP LTIP and Anadarko Incentive Plans within this Note 5) and amounts charged by Anadarko under the WGP and WES omnibus agreements.

[10] For the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015, includes amounts related to WES’s Deferred purchase price obligation - Anadarko (see Note 2 and Note 12) and for the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014, includes interest expense recognized on the WGP WCF (see Note 12).