Notes Payable - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended					9 Months Ended				3 Months Ended						3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended					3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2014	May 21, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	May 21, 2014 Committed [Member]	May 21, 2014 Uncommitted [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 First Anniversary [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 Second Anniversary To Third Anniversary [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 Net Profits Interest Agreement [Member]	May 21, 2014 Payment in Kind (PIK) Note [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 ASD Credit Agreement - Morgan Stanley NPIi [Member] Net Profits Interest Agreement [Member]	Jun. 30, 2014 ASD Credit Agreement - Morgan Stanley NPIi [Member] Net Profits Interest Agreement [Member]	Jun. 30, 2014 ASD Credit Agreement - Morgan Stanley NPIi [Member] Proved Property [Member] Net Profits Interest Agreement [Member]	Jun. 30, 2014 ASD Credit Agreement - Morgan Stanley NPIi [Member] Unproved Property [Member] Net Profits Interest Agreement [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 Minimum [Member] Net Profits Interest Agreement [Member]	May 21, 2014 Maximum [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 ASD Credit Agreement [Member] Well	Sep. 30, 2014 ASD Credit Agreement [Member] acre Well	Sep. 30, 2013 ASD Credit Agreement [Member]	Aug. 20, 2014 ASD Credit Agreement [Member]	Apr. 26, 2012 ASD Credit Agreement [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 ASD Credit Agreement [Member] Minimum [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 A&R Credit Agreement [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 A&R Credit Agreement [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 A&R Credit Agreement [Member]	Feb. 28, 2013 A&R Credit Agreement [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Credit facility, face amount																$ 200,000,000	$ 50,000,000	$ 50,000,000			$ 50,000,000
Number of gas wells in which the company owns working interest gross																	13	13
Number of gas wells in which the company owns working interest net																	7.60	7.60
Marcellus leased properties area																		22,000
Discount related to NPI				(1,235,294)								4,072,410	3,339,376	733,034			3,000,000	3,000,000
Administrative fee										593,750							50,000	50,000
Interest expense on debt	0	1,115,280															1,145,486	1,189,400	794,118
Debt instrument increase borrowing capacity																										75,000,000
Interest rate																								Interest was due monthly at 10% plus the greater of 1% or the 3 month LIBOR rate
Maturity Date																								Feb. 28, 2015
Debt instrument, additional interest rate																		1.00%						1.00%
Debt instrument interest rate																		9.00%						10.00%
Debt instrument LIBOR Rate																								11.00%
Debt instruments increase in principal amount																								25,000,000
Maximum termination fees on prepayment																								12,500,000
Prepayment penalty description																								The Termination Fee was defined as $12.5 million less all interest payments actually made with respect to the $25 million loan prior to such date.
ASD Credit Agreement, closing date		Dec. 31, 2018																						Apr. 26, 2014
Termination fee liability																							6,800,000	6,800,000
Interest																								5,700,000
Amortization expense - Termination Fee Debt Discount				(3,940,659)																			6,800,000	6,800,000
Conversion period - Termination Fee Debt Discount																								Feb. 28, 2015
Termination fee related to repayment of loan																								9,077,778
Amortization of termination fee																							0	3,940,689
Debt instrument percentage of contingent interest on non compliance of debt covenant																								1.00%
Addition to principal balance and interest expense		375,000																						1,149,969	2,030,050
Principal balance of Interest amortization		375,000
Debt financing cost amortization period		3 months
Interest added back to principal		2,186,038
Increase in borrowings																		7,500,000
Initial withdrawal amount	102,500,000	102,500,000	102,500,000
Remaining borrowing capacity	47,500,000	47,500,000			47,500,000	50,000,000
Debt instrument, interest rate description																		Interest at a per annum rate equal to 9% plus the greater of 1% or LIBOR, for a three month interest period.
Additional interest rate upon the occurrence of default																	2.00%	2.00%
Scheduled amortization beginning period		May 01, 2015
Minimum amortization requirement, description		The minimum amortization required each month will be the greater of (i) 0.75% of the then outstanding balance (after May 1, 2016) or (ii) the amortization amount that would be required for American Shale to achieve a predetermined Net Debt Ratio within six months.
Loans, prepayment charge							4.00%	3.00%
Loans, prepayment amount exempt from charges		25,000,000
Minimum percentage of capital expenditures																						50.00%
Payment percentage on outstanding interest, make-wholes and fees																		101.00%
Percentage of net profit									6.50%
Percentage of net profit for subsequent borrowing									2.50%
Accretion of discount related to the NPI											296,175
Minimum amount of NPI earned															1,500,000
Percentage of NPI earned									1.00%
Credit agreement withdrawal																				$ 5,000,000