Subsidiary Guarantors - Condensed Consolidating Balance Sheet (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Mar. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Current assets
Cash	$ 8,708	$ 34,642
Accounts receivable, net
Oil and gas sales	25,787	26,568
Joint interest owners	6,533	5,267
Other	4,218	6,061
Commodity derivative assets	30,101	24,100
Other current assets	7,278	2,684
Total current assets	82,625	99,322
Oil and gas properties, net, at cost under the successful efforts method	1,764,947	1,743,588
Other property, plant and equipment, net	2,920	2,996
Commodity derivative assets	17,767	34,744
Other assets	5,762	6,050
Total assets	1,874,021	1,886,700
Current liabilities
Trade accounts payable	55,757	36,527
Oil and gas sales payable	28,112	28,339
Accrued liabilities	24,948	25,707
Commodity derivative liabilities	8,717	14,650
Other current liabilities	3,223	2,584
Total current liabilities	120,757	107,807
Long-term debt	701,586	724,009
Deferred revenue	6,591	7,049
Commodity derivative liabilities	178	1,209
Asset retirement obligations	20,035	19,458
Liability under tax receivable agreement	41,720	43,045
Other liabilities	949	792
Deferred tax liabilities	2,926	2,905
Total liabilities	894,742	906,274
Mezzanine equity
Series A preferred stock, $0.001 par value; [0,000,000] shares issued and outstanding at March 31, 2017 and 1,840,000 shares issued and outstanding at December 31, 2016	89,162	88,975
Stockholders' / members' equity
Treasury stock, at cost: 22,602 shares at March 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016	(358)	(358)
Additional paid-in-capital	470,107	447,137
Retained earnings (deficit)	(30,272)	(8,652)
Stockholders' equity	439,570	438,214
Non-controlling interest	450,547	453,237
Total stockholders' equity	890,117	891,451
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	1,874,021	1,886,700
Class A common stock
Stockholders' / members' equity
Common stock	63	57
Class B common stock
Stockholders' / members' equity
Common stock	30	30
Eliminations
Accounts receivable, net
Intercompany receivable	(1,193,464)	(1,196,525)
Total current assets	(1,193,464)	(1,196,525)
Investment in subsidiaries	(548,561)	(531,363)
Total assets	(1,742,025)	(1,727,888)
Current liabilities
Intercompany payable	(1,585,929)	(1,569,737)
Total current liabilities	(1,585,929)	(1,569,737)
Total liabilities	(1,585,929)	(1,569,737)
Stockholders' / members' equity
Members' equity	(606,643)	(611,388)
Stockholders' equity	(606,643)	(611,388)
Non-controlling interest	450,547	453,237
Total stockholders' equity	(156,096)	(158,151)
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	(1,742,025)	(1,727,888)
JEI (Parent)
Current assets
Cash	4,781	27,164
Accounts receivable, net
Other current assets	342
Intercompany receivable	17,581	15,666
Total current assets	22,704	42,830
Investment in subsidiaries	548,561	531,363
Total assets	571,265	574,193
Current liabilities
Trade accounts payable	31
Accrued liabilities	58	3,874
Other current liabilities	639
Total current liabilities	728	3,874
Liability under tax receivable agreement	41,720	43,045
Deferred tax liabilities	85	85
Total liabilities	42,533	47,004
Mezzanine equity
Series A preferred stock, $0.001 par value; [0,000,000] shares issued and outstanding at March 31, 2017 and 1,840,000 shares issued and outstanding at December 31, 2016	89,162	88,975
Stockholders' / members' equity
Treasury stock, at cost: 22,602 shares at March 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016	(358)	(358)
Additional paid-in-capital	470,107	447,137
Retained earnings (deficit)	(30,272)	(8,652)
Stockholders' equity	439,570	438,214
Total stockholders' equity	439,570	438,214
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	571,265	574,193
JEI (Parent) | Class A common stock
Stockholders' / members' equity
Common stock	63	57
JEI (Parent) | Class B common stock
Stockholders' / members' equity
Common stock	30	30
Issuers
Current assets
Cash	239	1,975
Accounts receivable, net
Other	3,907	5,434
Commodity derivative assets	30,101	24,100
Other current assets	224	422
Intercompany receivable	1,175,883	1,180,859
Total current assets	1,210,354	1,212,790
Commodity derivative assets	17,767	34,744
Other assets	4,867	5,265
Total assets	1,232,988	1,252,799
Current liabilities
Trade accounts payable	29	13
Accrued liabilities	14,813	11,227
Commodity derivative liabilities	8,717	14,650
Other current liabilities	1,984	1,984
Total current liabilities	25,543	27,874
Long-term debt	701,586	724,009
Deferred revenue	6,591	7,049
Commodity derivative liabilities	178	1,209
Other liabilities	316	269
Deferred tax liabilities	2,841	2,820
Total liabilities	737,055	763,230
Stockholders' / members' equity
Members' equity	495,933	489,569
Stockholders' equity	495,933	489,569
Total stockholders' equity	495,933	489,569
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	1,232,988	1,252,799
Guarantor Subsidiaries
Current assets
Cash	3,668	5,483
Accounts receivable, net
Oil and gas sales	25,787	26,568
Joint interest owners	6,533	5,267
Other	311	627
Other current assets	6,712	2,262
Total current assets	43,011	40,207
Oil and gas properties, net, at cost under the successful efforts method	1,764,947	1,743,588
Other property, plant and equipment, net	2,325	2,378
Other assets	895	785
Total assets	1,811,178	1,786,958
Current liabilities
Trade accounts payable	55,697	36,514
Oil and gas sales payable	28,112	28,339
Accrued liabilities	10,077	10,597
Other current liabilities	600	600
Intercompany payable	1,583,080	1,566,941
Total current liabilities	1,677,566	1,642,991
Asset retirement obligations	20,035	19,458
Other liabilities	633	523
Total liabilities	1,698,234	1,662,972
Stockholders' / members' equity
Members' equity	112,944	123,986
Stockholders' equity	112,944	123,986
Total stockholders' equity	112,944	123,986
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	1,811,178	1,786,958
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries
Current assets
Cash	20	20
Accounts receivable, net
Total current assets	20	20
Other property, plant and equipment, net	595	618
Total assets	615	638
Current liabilities
Accrued liabilities		9
Intercompany payable	2,849	2,796
Total current liabilities	2,849	2,805
Total liabilities	2,849	2,805
Stockholders' / members' equity
Members' equity	(2,234)	(2,167)
Stockholders' equity	(2,234)	(2,167)
Total stockholders' equity	(2,234)	(2,167)
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	$ 615	$ 638