Debt and Interest Expense - Debt Outstanding Table (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2023	Dec. 31, 2022
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total short-term debt, principal	$ 2,268	$ 215,797
Total short-term debt, carrying value	2,268	215,780
Total long-term debt, carrying value	7,260,051	6,569,582
Valuation, Market Approach [Member] | Level-2 Inputs [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Short-term debt, fair value	2,268	217,482
Long-Term Debt Obligations [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total long-term debt, principal	7,334,089	6,633,271
Total long-term debt, carrying value	7,260,051	6,569,582
Long-Term Debt Obligations [Member] | Valuation, Market Approach [Member] | Level-2 Inputs [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, fair value	6,498,040	5,897,794
WES Operating [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total short-term debt, carrying value	2,268	215,780
Total long-term debt, carrying value	7,260,051	6,569,582
WES Operating [Member] | Finance Lease Liability, Short Term [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Finance leases - short-term debt	2,268	2,659
WES Operating [Member] | Finance Lease Liability, Short Term [Member] | Valuation, Market Approach [Member] | Level-2 Inputs [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Finance leases - short-term debt	2,268	2,659
WES Operating [Member] | RCF [Member] | Revolving Credit Facility [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal	0	375,000
Long-term debt, carrying value	0	375,000
WES Operating [Member] | RCF [Member] | Valuation, Market Approach [Member] | Level-2 Inputs [Member] | Revolving Credit Facility [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, fair value	0	375,000
WES Operating [Member] | Finance Lease Liability, Long Term [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Finance leases - long-term debt	6,666	4,160
WES Operating [Member] | Finance Lease Liability, Long Term [Member] | Valuation, Market Approach [Member] | Level-2 Inputs [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Finance leases - long-term debt	6,666	4,160
WES Operating [Member] | Senior Notes [Member] | Floating-Rate Senior Notes due 2023 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal	0	213,138
Short-term debt, carrying value	0	213,121
WES Operating [Member] | Senior Notes [Member] | Floating-Rate Senior Notes due 2023 [Member] | Valuation, Market Approach [Member] | Level-2 Inputs [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Short-term debt, fair value	$ 0	214,823
WES Operating [Member] | Senior Notes [Member] | 3.100% Senior Notes due 2025 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Senior note, interest rate	3.10%
Principal	$ 666,481	730,706
Long-term debt, carrying value	664,844	727,953
WES Operating [Member] | Senior Notes [Member] | 3.100% Senior Notes due 2025 [Member] | Valuation, Market Approach [Member] | Level-2 Inputs [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, fair value	$ 638,729	692,491
WES Operating [Member] | Senior Notes [Member] | 3.950% Senior Notes due 2025 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Senior note, interest rate	3.95%
Principal	$ 349,163	399,163
Long-term debt, carrying value	347,730	396,825
WES Operating [Member] | Senior Notes [Member] | 3.950% Senior Notes due 2025 [Member] | Valuation, Market Approach [Member] | Level-2 Inputs [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, fair value	$ 335,675	379,107
WES Operating [Member] | Senior Notes [Member] | 4.650% Senior Notes due 2026 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Senior note, interest rate	4.65%
Principal	$ 467,204	474,242
Long-term debt, carrying value	465,566	472,161
WES Operating [Member] | Senior Notes [Member] | 4.650% Senior Notes due 2026 [Member] | Valuation, Market Approach [Member] | Level-2 Inputs [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, fair value	$ 448,890	452,201
WES Operating [Member] | Senior Notes [Member] | 4.500% Senior Notes due 2028 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Senior note, interest rate	4.50%
Principal	$ 357,094	400,000
Long-term debt, carrying value	354,533	396,698
WES Operating [Member] | Senior Notes [Member] | 4.500% Senior Notes due 2028 [Member] | Valuation, Market Approach [Member] | Level-2 Inputs [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, fair value	$ 332,283	368,346
WES Operating [Member] | Senior Notes [Member] | 4.750% Senior Notes due 2028 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Senior note, interest rate	4.75%
Principal	$ 382,888	400,000
Long-term debt, carrying value	380,644	397,340
WES Operating [Member] | Senior Notes [Member] | 4.750% Senior Notes due 2028 [Member] | Valuation, Market Approach [Member] | Level-2 Inputs [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, fair value	$ 358,230	368,141
WES Operating [Member] | Senior Notes [Member] | 6.350% Senior Notes due 2029 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Senior note, interest rate	6.35%
Principal	$ 600,000	0
Long-term debt, carrying value	593,081	0
WES Operating [Member] | Senior Notes [Member] | 6.350% Senior Notes due 2029 [Member] | Valuation, Market Approach [Member] | Level-2 Inputs [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, fair value	$ 601,962	0
WES Operating [Member] | Senior Notes [Member] | 4.050% Senior Notes due 2030 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Senior note, interest rate	4.05%
Principal	$ 1,104,593	1,200,000
Long-term debt, carrying value	1,097,358	1,191,345
WES Operating [Member] | Senior Notes [Member] | 4.050% Senior Notes due 2030 [Member] | Valuation, Market Approach [Member] | Level-2 Inputs [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, fair value	$ 964,553	1,053,038
WES Operating [Member] | Senior Notes [Member] | 6.150% Senior Notes due 2033 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Senior note, interest rate	6.15%
Principal	$ 750,000	0
Long-term debt, carrying value	740,947	0
WES Operating [Member] | Senior Notes [Member] | 6.150% Senior Notes due 2033 [Member] | Valuation, Market Approach [Member] | Level-2 Inputs [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, fair value	$ 724,425	0
WES Operating [Member] | Senior Notes [Member] | 5.450% Senior Notes due 2044 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Senior note, interest rate	5.45%
Principal	$ 600,000	600,000
Long-term debt, carrying value	593,992	593,878
WES Operating [Member] | Senior Notes [Member] | 5.450% Senior Notes due 2044 [Member] | Valuation, Market Approach [Member] | Level-2 Inputs [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, fair value	$ 484,524	503,742
WES Operating [Member] | Senior Notes [Member] | 5.300% Senior Notes due 2048 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Senior note, interest rate	5.30%
Principal	$ 700,000	700,000
Long-term debt, carrying value	687,674	687,494
WES Operating [Member] | Senior Notes [Member] | 5.300% Senior Notes due 2048 [Member] | Valuation, Market Approach [Member] | Level-2 Inputs [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, fair value	$ 548,429	580,570
WES Operating [Member] | Senior Notes [Member] | 5.500% Senior Notes due 2048 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Senior note, interest rate	5.50%
Principal	$ 350,000	350,000
Long-term debt, carrying value	342,880	342,783
WES Operating [Member] | Senior Notes [Member] | 5.500% Senior Notes due 2048 [Member] | Valuation, Market Approach [Member] | Level-2 Inputs [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, fair value	$ 278,674	291,194
WES Operating [Member] | Senior Notes [Member] | 5.250% Senior Notes due 2050 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Senior note, interest rate	5.25%
Principal	$ 1,000,000	1,000,000
Long-term debt, carrying value	984,136	983,945
WES Operating [Member] | Senior Notes [Member] | 5.250% Senior Notes due 2050 [Member] | Valuation, Market Approach [Member] | Level-2 Inputs [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, fair value	$ 775,000	$ 829,804