Long-Term Debt (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2014	Aug. 30, 2013	Mar. 24, 2015	Oct. 01, 2012	May 31, 2013
Long-Term Debt
Total long-term debt	$ 1,735,150,000		$ 1,735,150,000
Leverage ratio	3.7
Actual current ratio	1.0
Amount of current assets exceeded its current liabilities	1,500,000
Midstates Sub
Long-Term Debt
Ownership interest (as a percent)				100.00%
Credit Facility Amendment - September 26, 2013 | Fiscal quarter ending March 31, 2016 and each fiscal quarter thereafter
Long-Term Debt
Leverage ratio	4.0
Maximum | Credit Facility Amendment - September 26, 2013 | Fiscal quarter ending December 31, 2015
Long-Term Debt
Leverage ratio	4.5
Senior Revolving Credit Facility, due 2018
Long-Term Debt
Long-term debt	435,150,000		435,150,000
Maximum borrowing capacity	750,000,000
Borrowing base					525,000,000
Outstanding letters of credit amount	1,400,000
Interest rate, description	LIBOR
Weighted-average interest rate (as a percent)	3.00%	2.70%
Commitment fee, option one (as a percent)	0.375%
Commitment fee, option two (as a percent)	0.50%
Period during which Company may request additional redetermination of borrowing base	6 months
Number of equal successive monthly payments to make repayment on reduction of borrowing base	6
Period for commencement of repayment of equal successive monthly payments following the administrative agent's notice regarding borrowing base reduction	30 days
Actual current ratio	1.0
Actual Debt to EBITDA	3.7
Amount of current assets exceeded its current liabilities	1,500,000
Senior Revolving Credit Facility, due 2018 | Minimum
Long-Term Debt
Interest rate added to base rate (as a percent)	2.00%
Percentage of outstanding loans and other obligations held by lenders, on whose behalf the administrative agent may request for redetermination of borrowing base	67.00%
Current ratio	1.0
Senior Revolving Credit Facility, due 2018 | Maximum
Long-Term Debt
Interest rate added to base rate (as a percent)	3.00%
Additional borrowing base redeterminations at company request per 6 month period following each scheduled borrowing base redetermination	1
2020 Senior Notes
Long-Term Debt
Long-term debt	600,000,000		600,000,000
Interest rate (as a percent)						10.75%
Estimated fair value of the Notes	302,300,000
Aggregate principal amount borrowed						600,000,000
Effective annual interest rate (as a percent)	11.10%	11.10%
2021 Senior Notes
Long-Term Debt
Long-term debt	700,000,000		700,000,000
Interest rate (as a percent)							9.25%
Estimated fair value of the Notes	339,500,000
Aggregate principal amount borrowed							$ 700,000,000
Effective annual interest rate (as a percent)	9.60%	9.60%