Document and Entity Information - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Mar. 31, 2017
Document And Entity Information
Entity Registrant Name	Citadel Exploration, Inc.
Entity Central Index Key	0001482075
Document Type	10-K
Document Period End Date	Dec. 31, 2016
Amendment Flag	false
Current Fiscal Year End Date	--12-31
Is Entity a Well-known Seasoned Issuer?	No
Is Entity a Voluntary Filer?	No
Is Entity's Reporting Status Current?	Yes
Entity Filer Category	Smaller Reporting Company
Entity Public Float	$ 9,042,220
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding		41,348,002
Document Fiscal Period Focus	FY
Document Fiscal Year Focus	2016