Equity and Partners' Capital - Additional Information (Details) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands			1 Months Ended				3 Months Ended			12 Months Ended
		Mar. 14, 2016 USD ($) $ / shares shares	Jun. 30, 2016 shares	Apr. 30, 2016 USD ($) shares	Jun. 30, 2015 $ / unit shares	Nov. 30, 2014 USD ($) $ / shares shares	Dec. 31, 2016 $ / shares shares	Jun. 30, 2016 shares	Mar. 31, 2016 shares	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($) $ / shares shares	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($) shares		Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($)	Aug. 31, 2014 USD ($)
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Limited partner units owned							218,928,570			218,928,570	218,919,380
Western Gas Partners, LP [Member]
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
General partner units owned							2,583,068			2,583,068
General partner's interest						2.00%				1.50%
Units issued										946,261	498,009
Price per unit | $ / shares	[1]					$ 70.85
Western Gas Partners, LP [Member] | 500 Million COP [Member]
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Maximum aggregate principal of common units | $														$ 500,000
Private Investor [Member] | Western Gas Partners, LP [Member] | Over-Allotment Option [Member]
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Units issued										7,892,220
Common Units [Member] | Western Gas Partners, LP [Member]
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Limited partner units owned							50,132,046			50,132,046
Ownership interest										29.90%
Common units issued	[1]					8,620,153
Common Units [Member] | Western Gas Partners, LP [Member] | Over-Allotment Option [Member]
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Common units issued						1,120,153
Common Units [Member] | Western Gas Partners, LP [Member] | 500 Million COP [Member]
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Common units issued										0	873,525	[2]
Incentive Distribution Rights [Member] | Western Gas Partners, LP [Member]
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
General partner's interest										100.00%
Class C Units [Member] | Western Gas Partners, LP [Member]
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Units issued							178,977			946,261	498,009
Price per unit | $ / shares						$ 68.72
Proceeds from the issuance of WES units | $						$ 750,000				$ 0	$ 0		$ 750,000
Class C Units [Member] | Western Gas Partners, LP [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Redeemable option on units | $						$ 150,000
Series A Preferred Units [Member] | Western Gas Partners, LP [Member]
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Price per unit | $ / shares		$ 32.00
Proceeds from the issuance of WES units | $		$ 440,000								$ 686,937	$ 0		$ 0
Transaction fee		2.00%
Series A Preferred units, units issued upon conversion							1			1
Minimum common unit closing price for conversion | $ / shares							$ 48.00			$ 48.00
Series A Preferred Units [Member] | Western Gas Partners, LP [Member] | Over-Allotment Option [Member]
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Proceeds from the issuance of WES units | $				$ 246,900
Series A Preferred Units [Member] | Private Investor [Member] | Western Gas Partners, LP [Member]
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Limited partner units owned							21,922,831			21,922,831
Ownership interest										13.10%
Units issued		14,030,611							14,030,611
Series A Preferred Units [Member] | Private Investor [Member] | Western Gas Partners, LP [Member] | Over-Allotment Option [Member]
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Units issued				7,892,220				7,892,220		7,892,220
Anadarko [Member]
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Limited partner units owned							178,587,365			178,587,365
Ownership interest										81.60%
Anadarko [Member] | 7.50% Tangible Equity Units [Member]
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Tangible equity units issued					9,200,000
Tangible equity unit rate					7.50%
Stated amount per tangible equity unit | $ / unit					50.00
Debt instrument, maturity date					Jun. 07, 2018
Anadarko [Member] | 7.50% Tangible Equity Units [Member] | Over-Allotment Option [Member]
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Tangible equity units issued					1,200,000
Anadarko [Member] | Common Units [Member]
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Common units issued			12,500,000		2,300,000
Anadarko [Member] | Common Units [Member] | Over-Allotment Option [Member]
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Common units issued					300,000
Public [Member]
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Limited partner units owned							40,341,205			40,341,205
Ownership interest										18.40%
Public [Member] | Common Units [Member] | Western Gas Partners, LP [Member]
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Limited partner units owned							78,528,544			78,528,544
Ownership interest										46.90%
Other Subsidiaries Of Anadarko [Member] | Common Units [Member] | Western Gas Partners, LP [Member]
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Limited partner units owned							2,011,380			2,011,380
Other Subsidiaries Of Anadarko [Member] | Class C Units [Member] | Western Gas Partners, LP [Member]
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Limited partner units owned							12,358,123			12,358,123
Units issued						10,913,853
Other Subsidiaries Of Anadarko [Member] | Common and Class C Units [Member] | Western Gas Partners, LP [Member]
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Ownership interest										8.60%
Change In Control [Member] | Series A Preferred Units [Member] | Western Gas Partners, LP [Member]
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Redemption price per unit | $ / shares							$ 32.32			$ 32.32

[1] Includes the issuance of 1,120,153 WES common units pursuant to the partial exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option, the net proceeds from which were $77.0 million. Beginning with this partial exercise, WES GP elected not to make a corresponding capital contribution to maintain its 2.0% interest in WES.

[2] Represents common units of WES issued during the year ended December 31, 2015, pursuant to WES’s registration statement filed with the SEC in August 2014 authorizing the issuance of up to an aggregate of $500.0 million of WES common units (the “$500.0 million COP”). Gross proceeds generated during the three months and year ended December 31, 2015, were zero and $58.2 million, respectively. Commissions paid during the three months and year ended December 31, 2015, were zero and $0.6 million, respectively. The price per unit in the table above represents an average price for all issuances under the $500.0 million COP during the year ended December 31, 2015.