Related Party Activities - Additional Information (Details)			1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 22, 2016 USD ($) shares	Aug. 02, 2016 USD ($) a shares	Jul. 31, 2016 shares	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($) shares	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($) shares	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Oct. 26, 2016 Director	Aug. 01, 2016 a	Apr. 30, 2014 USD ($)
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Registration rights agreement description					The Company entered into a Registration Rights Agreement with EF Realisation, pursuant to which we agreed to register for resale Class A common stock held by EF Realisation. We have agreed to file a registration statement providing for the resale of Class A common stock held by EF Realisation no later than the earlier of (i) October 26, 2017, and (ii) 30 days after the date we first become eligible to file a registration statement on Form S-3. We have also granted EF Realisation certain piggyback and demand registration rights.
Common Class A
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Warrants to purchase common stock | shares				760,000	760,000
Class B Non-Voting Common Stock
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Common stock, shares issued | shares			2,500
Securities Purchase Agreement | Common Class A
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Shares of common stock for exchange | shares		500,227
Carter Lake - Wildcat Area
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Percentage of interest through swap		50.00%
Net mineral acres | a								1,110
Leucadia
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Equity offering cost					$ 1,000,000
Leucadia | Class A Voting Common Stock
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Number of common shares issued | shares	3,478,261
Common shares issued, Value	$ 20,000,000
Leucadia | Class A Voting Common Stock | Maximum
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Commitment amount					$ 20,000,000
Leucadia | Class A Voting Common Stock | Minimum
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Percentage of common stock		10.00%
Leucadia | Securities Purchase Agreement | Maximum
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Debt instrument face amount		$ 49,900,000
Warrants to purchase common stock | shares		998,000
Juneau Energy, LLC
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Percentage of investment in assets		50.00%
Net mineral acres | a		1,300
Juneau Energy, LLC | Securities Purchase Agreement
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Debt instrument face amount		$ 13,000,000
Warrants to purchase common stock | shares		500,000
Sale of stock, description of transaction					(i) up to $49,900,000 aggregate principal amount of Second Lien Notes and (ii) Warrants to purchase up to an aggregate 998,000 shares of the Company’s Class A common stock. Pursuant to the Purchase Agreement Juneau purchased $13,000,000 aggregate principal amount of Second Lien Notes and Warrants to purchase 500,000 shares of Class A common stock. On August 2, 2016, the Company also issued 500,227 shares of Class A common stock to Juneau pursuant in exchange for interests in certain oil and gas assets pursuant to a purchase and sale agreement (the “Purchase and Sale Agreement”). As part of the Purchase and Sale Agreement, the Company entered into a swap of assets of 50% of its interest in the Carter Lake - Wildcat area for 50% of the assets owned by Juneau in the 1,300 net mineral acres. The Company owned 1,110 net mineral acres (“Swap Assets”) in the Carter Lake - Wildcat area on August 1, 2016. As further part of the Purchase and Sale Agreement, the Company agreed to commence operations on drilling one (1) Eagle Ford Shale well by December 31, 2016 on Juneau Energy, LLC’s assets or the Swap Assets; and, another Eagle Ford Shale well on Juneau Energy LLC’s assets or the Swap Assets by December 31, 2017. As of December 31, 2016, the Company had commenced drilling operations of two (2) Eagle Ford Shale wells satisfying the drilling commitment provision under the Purchase and Sale Agreement.
EF Realisation | Class A Voting Common Stock | Board Representation Agreement
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Minimum ownership percentage on common stock issued and outstanding required for nominating two directors							15.00%
Minimum ownership percentage on common stock issued and outstanding required for nominating one director							10.00%
EF Realisation | Class A Voting Common Stock | Maximum
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Number of directors to be nominated | Director							2
EF Realisation | Class A Voting Common Stock | Minimum
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Number of directors to be nominated | Director							1
Frank D. Bracken, III and Thomas H. Olle
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Total loan amount to related parties									$ 539,000
Butterfly Flaps, Ltd
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Cost of consultancy services				$ 25,000
New Tech Global Ventures, LLC
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Cost of consultancy services					$ 665,000	$ 938,000
BlueSkye Pty Ltd
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Cost of consultancy services					$ 95,000	$ 142,500