Represents the number of specified areas in which awards are granted under the plan by the entity.

No definition available.

Name:	cwei_AwardsGrantedNumberOfSpecifiedAreas
Namespace Prefix:	cwei_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The compensation expense recognized during the period pertaining to the non-equity award plans.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	cwei_CompensationArrangementOtherThanShareBasedCompensationAwardCompensationExpense
Namespace Prefix:	cwei_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Represents the vesting period over which the estimated compensation expense applicable to the non-equity award plan is recognized.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	cwei_CompensationArrangementOtherThanShareBasedCompensationAwardVestingPeriod
Namespace Prefix:	cwei_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Represents the percentage of economic interests in specified wells drilled or acquired by the entity subjected to the non-equity award plans.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	cwei_PercentageOfEconomicInterestsInSpecifiedWellsDrilledOrAcquiredSubjectedToPlan
Namespace Prefix:	cwei_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Represents the percentage of subsequent expenses payable by the participants under the non-equity award plans at payout.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	cwei_PercentageOfSubsequentExpensesPaidByParticipants
Namespace Prefix:	cwei_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Represents the percentage of all subsequent quarterly bonus amounts after the full vesting date, payable to participants.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	cwei_PercentageOfSubsequentQuarterlyBonusAmountsAfterFullVestingDatePayableToParticipants
Namespace Prefix:	cwei_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Represents the percentage of subsequent revenues received by the participants under the non-equity award plans at payout.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	cwei_PercentageOfSubsequentRevenuesReceivedByParticipants
Namespace Prefix:	cwei_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Represents the percentage of working interest in well used for establishing quarterly bonus amount.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	cwei_PercentageOfWorkingInterestInWell
Namespace Prefix:	cwei_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Represents the established quarterly bonus amount equal to specified percentage of after-payout cash flow from wells drilled or recompleted in the respective areas, one.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	cwei_QuarterlyBonusAmountPercentageOfAfterPayoutCashFlowFromWellsDrilledOrRecompletedInSpecifiedAreasOne
Namespace Prefix:	cwei_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Represents the established quarterly bonus amount equal to specified percentage of after-payout cash flow from wells drilled or recompleted in the respective areas, two.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	cwei_QuarterlyBonusAmountPercentageOfAfterPayoutCashFlowFromWellsDrilledOrRecompletedInSpecifiedAreasTwo
Namespace Prefix:	cwei_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Represents the number of wells in which the company has working interest.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	cwei_WorkingInterestNumberOfWells
Namespace Prefix:	cwei_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Aggregate carrying value as of the balance sheet date of the liabilities for all deferred compensation arrangements payable beyond one year (or the operating cycle, if longer).

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DeferredCompensationLiabilityClassifiedNoncurrent
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Aggregate carrying value as of the balance sheet date of the liabilities for all deferred compensation arrangements payable within one year (or the operating cycle, if longer). Represents currently earned compensation under compensation arrangements that is not actually paid until a later date.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 710
-SubTopic 10
-Section 30
-Paragraph 2
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6409875&loc=d3e20028-108363

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 710
-SubTopic 10
-Section 25
-Paragraph 9
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6409733&loc=d3e19512-108361

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DeferredCompensationLiabilityCurrent
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Aggregate carrying value as of the balance sheet date of the liabilities for all deferred compensation arrangements. Represents currently earned compensation under compensation arrangements that is not actually paid until a later date.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DeferredCompensationLiabilityCurrentAndNoncurrent
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LiabilitiesCurrentAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LiabilitiesNoncurrentAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RangeAxis=us-gaap_MinimumMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RangeAxis=us-gaap_MaximumMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	cwei_CompensationArrangementOtherThanShareBasedCompensationByPlanNameAxis=cwei_AfterPayoutIncentivePlanMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	cwei_CompensationArrangementOtherThanShareBasedCompensationByPlanNameAxis=cwei_AfterPayoutRewardPlanMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	cwei_CompensationArrangementOtherThanShareBasedCompensationByPlanNameAxis=cwei_SouthwestRoyaltiesRewardPlanMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	cwei_FullVestingByDateAxis=cwei_FullVestingDate25October2011Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Compensation Plans - Non-Equity Award Plans (Details) $ in Thousands	1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Jan. 31, 2007 well	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($) area	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($)
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Compensation expense recorded			$ (7,900)	$ (30)	$ 4,600
Current liabilities:
Accrued liabilities and other		$ 1,087	1,087	1,251
Non-current liabilities:
Accrued compensation under non-equity award plans		4,655	4,655	16,254
Total accrued compensation under non-equity award plans		$ 5,742	$ 5,742	$ 17,505
Minimum
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Vesting period			2 years
Maximum
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Vesting period			5 years
APO Incentive Plan \| Minimum
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Subsequent revenues received by participants (as a percent)			99.00%
Subsequent expenses paid by participants (as a percent)			99.00%
Economic interests in specified wells drilled or acquired as part of the plan (as a percent)			5.00%
APO Incentive Plan \| Maximum
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Subsequent revenues received by participants (as a percent)			100.00%
Subsequent expenses paid by participants (as a percent)			100.00%
Economic interests in specified wells drilled or acquired as part of the plan (as a percent)			7.50%
APO Reward Plan
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Number of specified areas in which awards granted \| area		8
Quarterly bonus amount, percentage of after-payout cash flow from wells drilled or recompleted, one		7.00%
Quarterly bonus amount, percentage of after-payout cash flow from wells drilled or recompleted, two		10.00%
SWR Reward Plan
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Percentage of working interest in well	22.50%
Number of wells, working interest \| well	1
SWR Reward Plan \| Full Vesting Date 25 October 2011 [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Percentage of subsequent quarterly bonus amounts payable	100.00%