Note 4 - Long-Term Debt and Interest Expense (Details) - USD ($)							9 Months Ended
	Oct. 05, 2016	Jul. 01, 2016	Apr. 01, 2016	Jan. 01, 2016	Jun. 30, 2015	May 18, 2015	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2015	Aug. 18, 2016	Jun. 30, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Jul. 01, 2015
Note 4 - Long-Term Debt and Interest Expense (Details) [Line Items]
Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents, Noncurrent							$ 7,174,000				$ 7,080,000
Repayments of Short-term Debt							935,000
Extinguishment of Debt, Amount							487,000
Proceeds from (Repayments of) Bank Overdrafts							(349,000)	$ 328,000
Notes Payable to Banks [Member]
Note 4 - Long-Term Debt and Interest Expense (Details) [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Face Amount						$ 120,000,000
Debt Instrument, Collateral						secured by, among other things, an overriding royalty interest in the Tamar Field, a natural gas field in the Mediterranean Sea, equal to 1.5375%, but is subject to increase to 2.7375% upon the Tamar project payout
Debt Instrument, Term						8 years
Debt Instrument, Covenant Description						So long as any amounts remain outstanding to the Lenders under the DB Facility, Tamar Royalties must, from and after the end of the Availability Period (as defined in the DB Facility), have a Historical Debt Service Coverage Ratio (as defined in the DB Facility) of not less than 1.00:1.00, a Loan Life Coverage Ratio (as defined in the DB Facility) of at least 1.1:1.00, and maintain a Required Reserve Amount (as defined in the DB Facility). The initial Required Reserve Amount was $4,680,000. In addition, Tamar Royalties is required under the DB Facility to hedge against fluctuations in LIBOR
Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents, Noncurrent						$ 4,680,000
Repayments of Debt	$ 3,400,000	$ 3,362,000	$ 3,347,000	$ 2,750,000
Debt Issuance Costs, Net												$ 2,011,000
Debt Instrument, Unamortized Discount												2,959,000
Debt Instrument, Unamortized Discount and Deferred Finance Costs							3,951,000				4,568,000	$ 4,970,000
Amortization of Debt Issuance Costs and Discounts							$ 617,000
Notes Payable to Banks [Member] | London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) [Member]
Note 4 - Long-Term Debt and Interest Expense (Details) [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Description of Variable Rate Basis						LIBOR for a three-month interest period
Debt Instrument, Basis Spread on Variable Rate						2.75%
Minimum [Member] | Notes Payable to Banks [Member]
Note 4 - Long-Term Debt and Interest Expense (Details) [Line Items]
Repayments of Debt	2,400,000
Debtor-in-Possession Financing, Fee on Unused Borrowings					0.38%
Maximum [Member] | Notes Payable to Banks [Member]
Note 4 - Long-Term Debt and Interest Expense (Details) [Line Items]
Repayments of Debt	$ 1,000,000
Debtor-in-Possession Financing, Fee on Unused Borrowings					0.50%
Secured Debt [Member]
Note 4 - Long-Term Debt and Interest Expense (Details) [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Term					4 years
Debt Instrument, Covenant Description							Isramco Onshore has various financial and operating covenants required by the SG Facility, including, among other things, the requirement that, during the term of the SG Facility, Isramco Onshore must have a Minimum Current Ratio (as defined in the SG Facility) of not less than 1.00:1.00, a Maximum Leverage Ratio (as defined in the SG Facility) of not less than 4.00:1.00 and a Minimum Interest Coverage Ratio (as defined in the SG Facility) of at least 2.50:1.00.
Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity					$ 150,000,000				$ 0
Line of Credit Facility, Description					subject to an initial borrowing base of $40,000,000
Derivative, Description of Hedged Item					The SG Facility requires that Isramco Onshore hedge at least seventy-five percent (75%) of its crude oil production before borrowing under the SG Facility.
Debt Issuance Costs, Gross										$ 478,000
Amortization of Debt Discount (Premium)							$ 90,000
Secured Debt [Member] | Minimum [Member] | Eurodollar [Member]
Note 4 - Long-Term Debt and Interest Expense (Details) [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Basis Spread on Variable Rate					1.75%
Secured Debt [Member] | Minimum [Member] | Reference Rate [Member]
Note 4 - Long-Term Debt and Interest Expense (Details) [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Basis Spread on Variable Rate					0.75%
Secured Debt [Member] | Maximum [Member] | Eurodollar [Member]
Note 4 - Long-Term Debt and Interest Expense (Details) [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Basis Spread on Variable Rate					2.75%
Secured Debt [Member] | Maximum [Member] | Reference Rate [Member]
Note 4 - Long-Term Debt and Interest Expense (Details) [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Basis Spread on Variable Rate					1.75%
Principal [Member] | Notes Payable to Banks [Member]
Note 4 - Long-Term Debt and Interest Expense (Details) [Line Items]
Repayments of Debt		2,400,000	2,400,000	1,800,000
Interest [Member] | Notes Payable to Banks [Member]
Note 4 - Long-Term Debt and Interest Expense (Details) [Line Items]
Repayments of Debt		$ 962,000	$ 947,000	$ 950,000
Insurance Premiums Financed Through Short Term Debt [Member]
Note 4 - Long-Term Debt and Interest Expense (Details) [Line Items]
Short-term Debt							$ 0				$ 1,422,000