Basis of Presentation (Policies)	9 Months Ended
Basis of Presentation (Policies)	Sep. 30, 2017
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Consolidation Principles	Consolidation Principles The terms “Abraxas,” “Abraxas Petroleum,” “we,” “us,” “our” or the “Company” refer to Abraxas Petroleum Corporation and all of its subsidiaries, including Raven Drilling, LLC (“Raven Drilling”).
Rig Accounting	Rig Accounting In accordance with SEC Regulation S-X, no income is to be recognized in connection with contractual drilling services performed in connection with properties in which the Company or its affiliates hold an ownership, or other economic interest. Any income not recognized as a result of this limitation is to be credited to the full cost pool and recognized through lower amortization as reserves are produced.
Use of Estimates	Use of Estimates The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities as of the date of the financial statements and reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
Recently Adopted and New Accounting Standards and Disclosures	Recently Adopted and New Accounting Standards and Disclosures In January 2017, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2017-01, Business Combinations (Topic 805): Clarifying the Definition of a Business, which changes the definition of a business to assist entities with evaluating when a set of transferred assets and activities is deemed to be a business. Determining whether a transferred asset constitutes a business is important because the accounting for a business combination differs from that of an asset acquisition. The definition of a business also affects the accounting for dispositions. Under the new standard, when substantially all of the fair value of assets acquired is concentrated in a single asset, or a group of similar assets, the assets acquired would not represent a business and business combination accounting would not be required. The new standard may result in more transactions being accounted for as asset acquisitions rather than business combinations. The standard is effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017 and shall be applied prospectively. Early adoption of this standard is permitted. The Company adopted this standard in the third quarter of 2017. The adoption of this standard did not have a material impact on the Company's condensed consolidated financial statements for the three months ended September 30, 2017. In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02 “Leases," which supersedes ASC 840 “Leases” and creates a new topic, ASC 842 "Leases." This update requires lessees to recognize a lease liability and a lease asset for all leases, including operating leases, with a term greater than 12 months on its balance sheet. The update also expands the required quantitative and qualitative disclosures surrounding leases. This update is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018 and interim periods within those fiscal years, with earlier application permitted. This update will be applied using a modified retrospective transition approach for leases existing at, or entered into after, the beginning of the earliest comparative period presented in the financial statements. We are currently evaluating the effect of this update on our consolidated financial statements and related disclosures. In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers. The objective of ASU 2014-09 is greater consistency and comparability across industries by using a five-step model to recognize revenue from customer contracts. ASU 2014-09 also contains some new disclosure requirements under GAAP. In August 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-14, Deferral of the Effective Date. ASU 2015-14 defers the effective date of the new revenue standard by one year, making it effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within that reporting period. In 2016, the FASB issued additional accounting standards updates to clarify the implementation guidance of ASU 2014-09. The Company is currently determining the impacts of the new revenue standard on its contracts. The Company is currently completing a detailed analysis of its revenue streams at the individual contract level to evaluate the impact of the new revenue standard on its consolidated financial statements. Oil sales represent approximately 85% of total revenue, with gas and NGL sales comprising the remainder. The Company has identified and reviewed oil sales contracts that comprised approximately 90% of oil revenue through June 30, 2017. Based on current assessments completed to date, we do not expect the adoption of this standard will have a material impact on net earnings, however, this conclusion is subject to change. The Company has identified and reviewed gas contracts comprising approximately 87% of our gas and NGL sales through June 30, 2017 and we are still in the process of completing our analysis. The Company’s disclosures surrounding revenue recognition will be more substantial upon adoption. The Company will complete its evaluation during the fourth quarter of 2017 and will adopt this new standard on January 1, 2018, using the modified retrospective method with a cumulative adjustment to retained earnings.
Stock Options	Stock Options The Company currently utilizes a standard option-pricing model (i.e., Black-Scholes) to measure the fair value of stock options granted to employees and directors.
Restricted Stock Awards	Restricted Stock Awards Restricted stock awards are awards of common stock that are subject to restrictions on transfer and to a risk of forfeiture if the awardee terminates employment with the Company prior to the lapse of the restrictions. The fair value of such stock was determined using the closing price on the grant date and compensation expense is recorded over the applicable vesting periods.
Oil and Gas properties	Oil and Gas Properties The Company follows the full cost method of accounting for oil and gas properties. Under this method, all direct costs and certain indirect costs associated with acquisition of properties and successful as well as unsuccessful exploration and development activities are capitalized. Depreciation, depletion, and amortization of capitalized oil and gas properties and estimated future development costs, excluding unproved properties, are based on the unit-of-production method based on proved reserves. Net capitalized costs of oil and gas properties, less related deferred taxes, are limited by country, to the lower of unamortized cost or the cost ceiling, defined as the sum of the present value of estimated future net revenues from proved reserves based on unescalated prices discounted at 10%, plus the cost of properties not being amortized, if any, plus the lower of cost or estimated fair value of unproved properties included in the costs being amortized, if any, less related income taxes. Costs in excess of the present value of estimated net revenue from proved reserves discounted at 10% are charged to proved property impairment expense. No gain or loss is recognized upon sale or disposition of oil and gas properties for full cost accounting companies with proceeds accounted for as an adjustment of capitalized cost. An exception to this rule occurs when the adjustment to the full cost pool results in a significant alteration of the relationship between capitalized cost and proved reserves. The Company applies the full cost ceiling test on a quarterly basis on the date of the latest balance sheet presented. At September 30, 2017, our net capitalized costs of oil and gas properties did not exceed the cost ceiling of our estimated proved reserves. At September 30, 2016, our net capitalized costs of oil and gas properties exceeded the present value of our estimated proved reserves by approximately $3.8 million, resulting in the recognition of an impairment for the three months of $3.8 million. For the nine months ended September 30, 2016, proved property impairments of $67.6 million were recognized. Impairment calculations did not consider the impact of our commodity derivative positions as generally accepted accounting principles only allow the inclusion of derivatives designated as cash flow hedges. Further write-downs in subsequent quarters are reasonably likely to occur if the trailing 12-month commodity prices fall as compared to the commodity prices used in prior quarters.
Restoration, Removal and Environmental Liabilities	Restoration, Removal and Environmental Liabilities The Company is subject to extensive federal, state and local environmental laws and regulations. These laws regulate the discharge of materials into the environment and may require the Company to remove or mitigate the environmental effects of the disposal or release of petroleum substances at various sites. Environmental expenditures are expensed or capitalized depending on their future economic benefit. Expenditures that relate to an existing condition caused by past operations and that have no future economic benefit are expensed. Liabilities for expenditures of a non-capital nature are recorded when environmental assessments and/or remediation is probable, and the costs can be reasonably estimated. Such liabilities are generally undiscounted unless the timing of cash payments for the liability or component is fixed or reliably determinable. The Company accounts for future site restoration obligations based on the guidance of ASC 410 which addresses accounting and reporting for obligations associated with the retirement of tangible long-lived assets and the associated asset retirement costs. ASC 410 requires that the fair value of a liability for an asset's retirement obligation be recorded in the period in which it is incurred and the corresponding cost capitalized by increasing the carrying amount of the related long-lived asset. The liability is accreted to its then present value each period, and the capitalized cost is depreciated over the estimated useful life of the related asset. For all periods presented, we have included estimated future costs of abandonment and dismantlement in our full cost amortization base and amortize these costs as a component of our depletion expense in the accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements.

Disclosure of accounting policy for (1) legal obligations associated with the disposal or removal of a long-lived asset from service that result from the acquisition, construction, or development or from the normal operation of a long-lived asset (except obligations of a lessee in connection with leased property that are minimum lease payments or contingent rentals, or obligations that arise solely from a plan to sell or otherwise dispose of a long-lived asset); and (2) certain environmental remediation liabilities that resulted from the improper or other-than-normal operation of a long-lived asset. This accounting policy may address (1) whether the related remediation costs are expensed or capitalized, (2) whether the obligation is measured on a discounted basis, (3) the event, situation, or set of circumstances that generally triggers recognition of loss contingencies arising from the entity's environmental remediation-related obligations, and (4) the timing of recognition of any recoveries.