Consolidated Statement of Equity and Partners' Capital - 3 months ended Mar. 31, 2018 - USD ($) $ in Thousands		Total	Western Gas Partners, LP [Member]	Chipeta [Member]	Common Units [Member]	Noncontrolling Interests [Member]	Noncontrolling Interests [Member] Western Gas Partners, LP [Member]	Noncontrolling Interests [Member] Chipeta [Member]
Balance at Dec. 31, 2017		$ 3,944,879			$ 1,061,125	$ 2,883,754
Increase (Decrease) in Partners' Capital [Roll Forward]
Net income (loss)		150,488			101,005	49,483
Above-market component of swap agreements with Anadarko	[1]	14,282			14,282
WES equity transactions, net	[2]	0			(2,525)	2,525
Distributions to noncontrolling interest owners			$ (94,272)	$ (3,353)			$ (94,272)	$ (3,353)
Distributions to WGP unitholders		(120,140)			(120,140)
Contributions of equity-based compensation to WES by Anadarko		1,470			1,470
Other		150			58	92
Balance at Mar. 31, 2018		3,849,095			1,041,066	2,808,029
Increase (Decrease) in Partners' Capital [Roll Forward]
Cumulative effect of accounting change	[3]	$ (44,409)			$ (14,209)	$ (30,200)

[1] See Note 6.

[2] Includes the impact of the cumulative effect of accounting change in WES’s consolidated statement of equity and partners’ capital. The $2.5 million decrease to partners’ capital, together with net income (loss) attributable to Western Gas Equity Partners, LP, totaled $98.5 million for the three months ended March 31, 2018.

[3] See Note 1.