Contingencies and Commitments - Additional Information (Details)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($) Drilling_Rig	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($) Drilling_Rig
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Operating leases, rent expense	$ 375,000	$ 404,000
Drilling Rig
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of drilling rigs under contract | Drilling_Rig	1	1
Daily drilling rate	$ 15,000	$ 19,000
Leased acreage expiration date	Jul. 08, 2017	Jul. 20, 2016
Early termination fee percentage	80.00%	75.00%
Drilling rig termination fee description	As of December 31, 2016, The early termination fee is equal to 80% of the daily drilling rate times the number of days remaining on the contract term. Using the $15,000 daily rate, as of December 31, 2016 the minimum remaining commitment per the terms of the agreement was approximately $2.7 million. As of December 31, 2015, The early termination fee is equal to 75% of the highest month operating rate earned during the 2016 contract period times the number of days remaining on the contract term. Using the $19,000 daily rate, as of December 31, 2015 the minimum remaining commitment per the terms of the agreement was approximately $3.8 million.
Drilling Rig | Minimum
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Drilling rig remaining commitment	$ 2,700,000	$ 3,800,000