Industry Segment Information (Industry Segment Information) (Details) $ in Thousands	1 Months Ended		2 Months Ended		3 Months Ended		8 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020 USD ($)		Aug. 31, 2020 USD ($)		Sep. 30, 2019 USD ($)		Aug. 31, 2020 USD ($)		Sep. 30, 2020 segment	Sep. 30, 2019 USD ($)
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Number of operating segments | segment									3
Revenues:
Revenues	$ 32,846	[1]	$ 65,574	[1]	$ 155,439	[1]	$ 276,957	[1]		$ 510,276
Operating costs:
Operating costs	19,515		38,720		92,653		237,546			294,164
Depreciation, depletion, and amortization	7,467		17,919		70,214		115,496			198,632
Impairments	13,237		16,572		234,880		867,814			234,880
Total expenses	40,219		73,211		397,747		1,220,856			727,676
Loss on abandonment of assets	0		1,179		0		18,733			0
General and administrative	1,582		5,399		10,094		42,766			29,899
(Gain) loss on disposition of assets	(222)		(1,356)		231		(89)			1,424
Income (loss) from operations	(8,733)		(12,859)		(252,633)		(1,005,309)			(248,723)
Gain (loss) on derivatives	3,939		(4,250)		4,237		(10,704)			5,232
Write off of debt issuance cost	0		0				(2,426)			0
Reorganization Items	(1,155)		141,002		0		133,975			0
Interest, net	(826)		(1,959)		(9,534)		(22,824)			(27,067)
Other	39		1,931		(622)		2,034			(611)
Income (loss) before income taxes	(6,736)		123,865		(258,552)		(905,254)			(271,169)
Oil and Natural Gas [Member]
Revenues:
Revenues	13,644	[1]	27,962	[1]	78,045	[1]	103,443	[1]		241,955
Operating costs:
Operating costs	6,892		15,895		36,621		119,664			108,148
Depreciation, depletion, and amortization	4,199		9,975		43,587		68,762			118,105
Impairments	13,237		16,572		169,806		393,726			169,806
Total expenses	24,328		42,442		250,014		582,152			396,059
Loss on abandonment of assets			87				17,641
General and administrative	0		0		0		0			0
(Gain) loss on disposition of assets	(10)		(102)		(28)		(160)			(166)
Income (loss) from operations	(10,674)		(14,465)		(171,941)		(496,190)			(153,938)
Gain (loss) on derivatives	0		0		0		0			0
Write off of debt issuance cost							0
Reorganization Items	0		15,504				15,504
Interest, net	0		0		0		0			0
Other	29		428		0		458			0
Income (loss) before income taxes	(10,645)		1,467		(171,941)		(480,228)			(153,938)
Contract drilling [Member]
Revenues:
Revenues	4,414	[1]	7,685	[1]	38,626	[1]	73,519	[1]		147,598
Operating costs:
Operating costs	2,989		5,410		29,913		51,811			103,688
Depreciation, depletion, and amortization	526		853		12,845		15,544			39,048
Impairments	0		0		62,809		410,126			62,809
Total expenses	3,515		6,263		105,567		477,481			205,545
Loss on abandonment of assets			1,092				1,092
General and administrative	0		0		0		0			0
(Gain) loss on disposition of assets	(212)		(1,251)		288		(1,390)			1,737
Income (loss) from operations	1,111		1,581		(67,229)		(403,664)			(59,684)
Gain (loss) on derivatives	0		0		0		0			0
Write off of debt issuance cost							0
Reorganization Items	0		(183,664)				(183,664)
Interest, net	0		0		0		0			0
Other	1		1,426		(627)		1,449			(627)
Income (loss) before income taxes	1,112		(180,657)		(67,856)		(585,879)			(60,311)
Mid-Stream [Member]
Revenues:
Revenues	17,284	[1]	34,132	[1]	48,585	[1]	114,531	[1]		173,724
Operating costs:
Operating costs	12,130		21,620		36,023		80,607			133,702
Depreciation, depletion, and amortization	2,658		6,750		11,847		29,371			35,675
Impairments	0		0		2,265		63,962			2,265
Total expenses	14,788		28,370		50,135		173,940			171,642
Loss on abandonment of assets			0				0
General and administrative	0		0		0		0			0
(Gain) loss on disposition of assets	0		(3)		(28)		(18)			(136)
Income (loss) from operations	2,496		5,765		(1,522)		(59,391)			2,218
Gain (loss) on derivatives	0		0		0		0			0
Write off of debt issuance cost							0
Reorganization Items	0		(71,016)				(71,016)
Interest, net	(137)		(828)		(448)		(1,888)			(1,129)
Other	8		11		0		50			0
Income (loss) before income taxes	2,367		(66,068)		(1,970)		(132,245)			1,089
Corporate and Other
Revenues:
Revenues	0	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]		0
Operating costs:
Operating costs	0		0		0		0			0
Depreciation, depletion, and amortization	84		341		1,935		1,819			5,804
Impairments	0		0		0		0			0
Total expenses	84		341		1,935		1,819			5,804
Loss on abandonment of assets			0				0
General and administrative	1,582		5,399		10,094		42,766			29,899
(Gain) loss on disposition of assets	0		0		(1)		1,479			(11)
Income (loss) from operations	(1,666)		(5,740)		(12,028)		(46,064)			(35,692)
Gain (loss) on derivatives	3,939		(4,250)		4,237		(10,704)			5,232
Write off of debt issuance cost							(2,426)
Reorganization Items	(1,155)		380,178				373,151
Interest, net	(689)		(1,131)		(9,086)		(20,936)			(25,938)
Other	1		66		5		77			16
Income (loss) before income taxes	430		369,123		(16,872)		293,098			(56,382)
Intersegment Eliminations
Revenues:
Revenues	(2,496)	[1]	(4,205)	[1]	(9,817)	[1]	(14,536)	[1]		(53,001)
Operating costs:
Operating costs	(2,496)		(4,205)		(9,904)		(14,536)			(51,374)
Depreciation, depletion, and amortization	0		0		0		0			0
Impairments	0		0		0		0			0
Total expenses	(2,496)		(4,205)		(9,904)		(14,536)			(51,374)
Loss on abandonment of assets			0				0
General and administrative	0		0		0		0			0
(Gain) loss on disposition of assets	0		0		0		0			0
Income (loss) from operations	0		0		87		0			(1,627)
Gain (loss) on derivatives	0		0		0		0			0
Write off of debt issuance cost							0
Reorganization Items	0		0				0
Interest, net	0		0		0		0			0
Other	0		0		0		0			0
Income (loss) before income taxes	0		0		87		0			(1,627)
Oil and natural gas
Revenues:
Revenues	13,643	[1]	27,961	[1]	78,045	[1]	103,439	[1]		241,955
Operating costs:
Operating costs	6,674		15,488		35,364		117,691			104,320
Oil and natural gas | Oil and Natural Gas [Member]
Revenues:
Revenues	13,644	[1]	27,962	[1]	78,045	[1]	103,443	[1]		241,955
Operating costs:
Operating costs	6,892		15,895		36,621		119,664			108,148
Oil and natural gas | Contract drilling [Member]
Revenues:
Revenues	0	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]		0
Operating costs:
Operating costs	0		0		0		0			0
Oil and natural gas | Mid-Stream [Member]
Revenues:
Revenues	0	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]		0
Operating costs:
Operating costs	0		0		0		0			0
Oil and natural gas | Corporate and Other
Revenues:
Revenues	0	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]		0
Operating costs:
Operating costs	0		0		0		0			0
Oil and natural gas | Intersegment Eliminations
Revenues:
Revenues	(1)	[1]	(1)	[1]	0	[1]	(4)	[1]		0
Operating costs:
Operating costs	(218)		(407)		(1,257)		(1,973)			(3,828)
Contract drilling
Revenues:
Revenues	4,414	[1]	7,685	[1]	37,596	[1]	73,519	[1]		131,788
Operating costs:
Operating costs	2,989		5,410		28,796		51,810			89,505
Contract drilling | Oil and Natural Gas [Member]
Revenues:
Revenues	0	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]		0
Operating costs:
Operating costs	0		0		0		0			0
Contract drilling | Contract drilling [Member]
Revenues:
Revenues	4,414	[1]	7,685	[1]	38,626	[1]	73,519	[1]		147,598
Operating costs:
Operating costs	2,989		5,410		29,913		51,811			103,688
Contract drilling | Mid-Stream [Member]
Revenues:
Revenues	0	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]		0
Operating costs:
Operating costs	0		0		0		0			0
Contract drilling | Corporate and Other
Revenues:
Revenues	0	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]		0
Operating costs:
Operating costs	0		0		0		0			0
Contract drilling | Intersegment Eliminations
Revenues:
Revenues	0	[1]	0	[1]	(1,030)	[1]	0	[1]		(15,810)
Operating costs:
Operating costs	0		0		(1,117)		(1)			(14,183)
Gas gathering and processing
Revenues:
Revenues	14,789	[1]	29,928	[1]	39,798	[1]	99,999	[1]		136,533
Operating costs:
Operating costs	9,852		17,822		28,493		68,045			100,339
Gas gathering and processing | Oil and Natural Gas [Member]
Revenues:
Revenues	0	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]		0
Operating costs:
Operating costs	0		0		0		0			0
Gas gathering and processing | Contract drilling [Member]
Revenues:
Revenues	0	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]		0
Operating costs:
Operating costs	0		0		0		0			0
Gas gathering and processing | Mid-Stream [Member]
Revenues:
Revenues	17,284	[1]	34,132	[1]	48,585	[1]	114,531	[1]		173,724
Operating costs:
Operating costs	12,130		21,620		36,023		80,607			133,702
Gas gathering and processing | Corporate and Other
Revenues:
Revenues	0	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]		0
Operating costs:
Operating costs	0		0		0		0			0
Gas gathering and processing | Intersegment Eliminations
Revenues:
Revenues	(2,495)	[1]	(4,204)	[1]	(8,787)	[1]	(14,532)	[1]		(37,191)
Operating costs:
Operating costs	$ (2,278)		$ (3,798)		$ (7,530)		$ (12,562)			$ (33,363)

[1] The revenues for oil and natural gas occur at a point in time. The revenues for contract drilling and gas gathering and processing occur over time.