Acquisitions - (Details Textual) $ in Thousands, gal in Millions									3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended			211 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($) gal	Aug. 19, 2015 USD ($) shares gal	Dec. 24, 2014 USD ($) shares	Jul. 25, 2014 USD ($)	Jun. 06, 2014 USD ($)	Jun. 03, 2014 USD ($) shares gal	Jan. 22, 2014 USD ($) shares	Jul. 30, 2013 USD ($) gal	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($) gal	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($) gal	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2013 USD ($)	Jul. 24, 2014
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Production capacity per year | gal	432								432	432
Contingent consideration	$ 26,949								$ 26,949	$ 26,949	$ 30,091
Contingent consideration, current portion	14,762								14,762	14,762	9,228
Bargain purchase gain										5,358	0	$ 0
Goodwill	16,080								16,080	16,080	188,275	84,864
Cash										41,409	19,369	10,933
Debt assumed in acquisition	5,225								5,225	5,225	129,745
Issuance of note payable for acquisition												$ 5,135
Tyson Foods
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Contingent consideration					$ 35,000
Imperium Renewables, Inc.
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Production capacity per year | gal		100
Class A Common Stock (in shares) | shares		1,675,000
Contingent consideration	4,913								4,913	4,913
Earnout payment period		2 years
Contingent consideration, current portion	3,534								3,534	$ 3,534
Bargain purchase gain		$ 5,358
Cash		36,748
Total purchase price		57,058
Cash		168
Other current assets		87
Property, plant and equipment		46,476
In-process research & development intangible assets		2,900
Other current liabilities		942
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Deferred Tax Liabilities Noncurrent		3,483
Debt assumed in acquisition		$ 5,225
Risk adjusted discount rate										10.00%
LS9, Inc
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Class A Common Stock (in shares) | shares							2,230,559
Contingent consideration	7,590						$ 17,050		7,590	$ 7,590	8,624
Contingent consideration, current portion	3,958								3,958	$ 3,958	$ 0
Goodwill							34,846
Fair value of consideration transferred							26,254
Cash							15,275
Total purchase price							58,579
Property, plant and equipment							8,215
In-process research & development intangible assets							15,956
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Noncurrent Liabilities, Other							438
Risk adjusted discount rate										8.00%
Earnout Payments							$ 21,500
Earnout payment period							5 years
Syntroleum Corporation
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Class A Common Stock (in shares) | shares						3,493,613
Contingent consideration	29,209								29,209	$ 29,209
Contingent consideration, current portion	$ 7,270								7,270	$ 7,270
Fair value of consideration transferred						$ 34,831
Risk adjusted discount rate					5.80%
Syntroleum Corporation | Dynamic Fuels, LLC
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Production capacity per year | gal						75
Interest acquired					50.00%	50.00%
Dynamic Fuels, LLC
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Contingent consideration					$ 28,900
Cash					16,447
Total purchase price					45,347
Increase in goodwill					3,202
Risk adjusted discount rate										5.80%
Syntroleum Corporation and Dynamic Fuels, LLC
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Goodwill					71,398
Cash					253
Other current assets					4,666
Property, plant and equipment					121,567
In-process research & development intangible assets					8,900
Other noncurrent assets					10,281
Other current liabilities					1,024
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Deferred Tax Liabilities Noncurrent					8,310
Debt assumed in acquisition					113,553
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Noncurrent Liabilities, Other					14,000
Syntroleum Corporation and Dynamic Fuels, LLC | Tyson Foods
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Repayments of Debt					$ 13,553
416 S. Bell, LLC
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Cash				$ 1,423
Ownership percentage				50.00%									50.00%
Petrotec AG
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Class A Common Stock (in shares) | shares			2,070,538
Interest acquired	87.49%		69.08%
Noncontrolling interest percent			30.92%
Fair value of noncontrolling interest			$ 8,962
Acquisition related costs									$ 1,289
Payments to Acquire Additional Interest in Subsidiaries										$ 4,828
Fair value of consideration transferred			20,022
Cash			13,523
Other current assets			3,583
Property, plant and equipment			25,026
In-process research & development intangible assets			369
Other current liabilities			2,151
Debt assumed in acquisition			16,192
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Noncurrent Liabilities, Other			$ 1,462
Soy Energy, LLC
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Production capacity per year | gal								30
Cash								$ 10,933
Property, plant and equipment								16,085
Other current liabilities								17
Issuance of note payable for acquisition								$ 5,135