CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (USD $) In Thousands, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
REVENUES :
Oil sales	$ 59,257mpo_OilSalesRevenue	$ 116,222mpo_OilSalesRevenue
Natural gas liquid sales	11,010us-gaap_NaturalGasMidstreamRevenue	25,519us-gaap_NaturalGasMidstreamRevenue
Natural gas sales	19,172us-gaap_NaturalGasProductionRevenue	25,385us-gaap_NaturalGasProductionRevenue
Gains (losses) on commodity derivative contracts - net	21,372	(22,673)
Other	387us-gaap_OtherSalesRevenueNet	209us-gaap_OtherSalesRevenueNet
Total revenues	111,198us-gaap_SalesRevenueNet	144,662us-gaap_SalesRevenueNet
EXPENSES :
Lease operating and workover	23,262	20,127
Gathering and transportation	3,438	2,855
Severance and other taxes	3,565mpo_SeveranceAndOtherTaxes	7,647mpo_SeveranceAndOtherTaxes
Asset retirement accretion	445	497
Depreciation, depletion, and amortization	58,428	66,901
Impairment in carrying value of oil and gas properties	174,667us-gaap_ImpairmentOfOilAndGasProperties	86,471us-gaap_ImpairmentOfOilAndGasProperties
General and administrative	11,654us-gaap_GeneralAndAdministrativeExpense	11,684us-gaap_GeneralAndAdministrativeExpense
Acquisition and transaction costs		128
Advisory fees	1,743mpo_AdvisoryFees
Other	97us-gaap_OtherExpenses	330us-gaap_OtherExpenses
Total expenses	277,299us-gaap_OperatingExpenses	196,640us-gaap_OperatingExpenses
OPERATING INCOME (LOSS)	(166,101)us-gaap_OperatingIncomeLoss	(51,978)us-gaap_OperatingIncomeLoss
OTHER INCOME (EXPENSE):
Interest income	9us-gaap_OtherNonoperatingIncome	10us-gaap_OtherNonoperatingIncome
Interest expense - net of amounts capitalized	(36,503)us-gaap_InterestExpense	(33,947)us-gaap_InterestExpense
Total other income (expense)	(36,494)us-gaap_NonoperatingIncomeExpense	(33,937)us-gaap_NonoperatingIncomeExpense
LOSS BEFORE TAXES	(202,595)	(85,915)
Income tax benefit	9,041us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit	2,270us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit
NET LOSS	(193,554)us-gaap_NetIncomeLoss	(83,645)us-gaap_NetIncomeLoss
Preferred stock dividend	(131)	(2,620)
NET LOSS ATTRIBUTABLE TO COMMON SHAREHOLDERS	$ (193,685)	$ (86,265)
Basic and diluted net loss per share attributable to common shareholders	$ (2.88)us-gaap_EarningsPerShareBasicAndDiluted	$ (1.31)us-gaap_EarningsPerShareBasicAndDiluted
Basic and diluted weighted average number of common shares outstanding	67,261	65,987

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Includes lease expense related to property used in oil and gas production. Also includes cost incurred related to well drilled or completed for the purpose of supporting production.

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Revenue from the sale of oil during the period.

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Taxes assessed on oil and gas production and other taxes not otherwise specified.

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Amount of accretion expense recognized during the period that is associated with an asset retirement obligation. Accretion expense measures and incorporates changes due to the passage of time into the carrying amount of the liability.

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Amount of realized and unrealized gain (loss) of derivative instruments not designated or qualifying as hedging instruments.

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The amount of net income or loss for the period per each share in instances when basic and diluted earnings per share are the same amount and reported as a single line item on the face of the financial statements. Basic earnings per share is the amount of net income or loss for the period per each share of common stock or unit outstanding during the reporting period. Diluted earnings per share includes the amount of net income or loss for the period available to each share of common stock or common unit outstanding during the reporting period and to each share or unit that would have been outstanding assuming the issuance of common shares or units for all dilutive potential common shares or units outstanding during the reporting period.

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Cost incurred related to the gas activities, such as transportation, marketing and processing crude oil, natural gas and refined petroleum products.

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The expense recorded to reduce the value of oil and gas assets consisting of proved properties and unproved properties as the estimate of future successful production from these properties is reduced.

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Amount of current income tax expense (benefit) and deferred income tax expense (benefit) pertaining to continuing operations.

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Amount of the cost of borrowed funds accounted for as interest expense.

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Midstream refers to those gas industry activities that fall between exploration and production (upstream) and refining and marketing (downstream). It may be applied to the gathering, processing, transmission and storage of natural gas; including the treating of natural gas to remove impurities, along with the sale of by-products such as residue gas, natural gas liquids and condensate.

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Revenue from natural gas production during the reporting period. Natural gas consists largely of the hydrocarbon methane, and is found in underground formations either by itself or with crude oil.

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The portion of profit or loss for the period, net of income taxes, which is attributable to the parent.

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Net income after adjustments for dividends on preferred stock (declared in the period) and/or cumulative preferred stock (accumulated for the period).

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The aggregate amount of income or expense from ancillary business-related activities (that is to say, excluding major activities considered part of the normal operations of the business).

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Generally recurring costs associated with normal operations except for the portion of these expenses which can be clearly related to production and included in cost of sales or services. Includes selling, general and administrative expense.

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The net result for the period of deducting operating expenses from operating revenues.

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This element represents a sum total of expenses not separately reflected on the income statement for the period.

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Revenues from the sale of other goods or rendering of other services, not elsewhere specified in the taxonomy; net of (reduced by) sales adjustments, returns, allowances, and discounts.

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The amount of preferred stock dividends that is an adjustment to net income apportioned to common stockholders.

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Total revenue from sale of goods and services rendered during the reporting period, in the normal course of business, reduced by sales returns and allowances, and sales discounts.

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Average number of shares or units issued and outstanding that are used in calculating basic and diluted earnings per share (EPS).

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