Stockholders' Equity (Details) (USD $)				9 Months Ended	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended		9 Months Ended	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		12 Months Ended		3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended	9 Months Ended	1 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Sep. 30, 2013 Equity Plans Prior To Merger [Member] Stock Options [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Equity Plans Prior To Merger [Member] Warrant [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Nytis Llc Restricted Plan [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Nytis Llc Restricted Plan [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Carbon Stock Incentive Plan [Member] Officer [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Common Stock [Member] Equity Plans Prior To Merger [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Carbon Natural Gas Company [Member] Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Carbon Natural Gas Company [Member] Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Carbon Natural Gas Company [Member] Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Carbon Natural Gas Company [Member] Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Carbon Natural Gas Company [Member] Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) [Member] Employee [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Carbon Natural Gas Company [Member] Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) [Member] Non Employee [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Carbon Natural Gas Company [Member] Restricted Performance Units [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Carbon Natural Gas Company [Member] Restricted Performance Units [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Carbon Natural Gas Company [Member] Restricted Performance Units [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Carbon Natural Gas Company [Member] Restricted Performance Units One [Member]	Jun. 25, 2013 Nytis USA Plan [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Nytis USA Plan [Member]
Stockholders' Equity (Textual)
Preferred stock, shares authorized	1,000,000	1,000,000
Preferred stock, par value (in dollars per share)	$ 0.01	$ 0.01
Number of shares outstanding			163,076
Number of Shares Exercisable				2,696,133
Number of options granted in period								1,956,907			1,600,000					1,920,000
Number of additional options granted in period													1,610,000				1,290,000
Number of options vested in period											430,000
Number of warrants granted by SLSC				250,000
Number of shares outstanding, forfeited																3,086,160
Restricted shares, issued																				1,956,907
Vesting, percentage																			25.00%
Compensation costs for restricted stock grants					$ 84,000	$ 84,000
Common stock authorized for issuance to officers							12,600,000
Options vesting period														3 years
Amortization period of recognized compensation expense													3 years	7 years				2 years 6 months
Compensation cost recognized									150,000	112,000	376,000	328,000			91,000	182,000
Unrecognized compensation cost					$ 1,100,000	$ 1,100,000			$ 1,300,000		$ 1,300,000				$ 933,000	$ 933,000		$ 908,000
Number of company common stock receive from contractual right																1
Expected period of recognition of unrecognized compensation costs											6 years 6 months							3 years 3 months 18 days
Common stock, shares authorized	200,000,000	200,000,000
Common stock, par value (in dollars per share)	$ 0.01	$ 0.01
Common stock, shares issued	114,470,223	115,795,405
Common stock, shares outstanding	114,470,223	115,795,405
Preferred stock, shares issued
Preferred stock, shares outstanding