SilverBow Resources (SBOW) 10-Q 7 May 15 2015 Q1 Quarterly report Financial data

Document_and_Entity_Informatio

Document and Entity Information	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015	Apr. 30, 2015
Document and Entity Information [Abstract]
Entity Registrant Name	SWIFT ENERGY CO
Entity Central Index Key	351817
Document Type	10-Q
Current Fiscal Year End Date	-19
Document Period End Date	31-Mar-15
Amendment Flag	FALSE
Document Fiscal Year Focus	2015
Document Fiscal Period Focus	Q1
Entity Filer Category	Large Accelerated Filer
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding		44,488,507

Condensed_Consolidated_Balance

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2015		Dec. 31, 2014
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$311		$406
Accounts receivable	49,640		48,451
Deferred tax asset	2,979		6,243
Other current assets	8,006		9,569
Total Current Assets	60,936		64,669
Property and Equipment:
Property and Equipment	5,958,840		5,934,155
Less - Accumulated depreciation, depletion, and amortization	-4,402,460		-3,839,118
Property and Equipment, Net	1,556,380		2,095,037
Other Long-Term Assets	13,039		13,641
Total Assets	1,630,355		2,173,347
Current Liabilities:
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	73,549		68,244
Accrued capital costs	13,266		41,461
Accrued interest	13,069		21,389
Undistributed oil and gas revenues	10,402		17,825
Total Current Liabilities	110,286		148,919
Long-Term Debt	1,124,201	[1]	1,074,534	[1]
Deferred Tax Liabilities	3,621		86,376
Asset Retirement Obligation	63,632		62,122
Other Long-Term Liabilities	9,181		7,018
Commitments and Contingencies	0		0
Stockholders' Equity:
Preferred stock, $0.01 par value	0		0
Common stock, $0.01 par value	446		444
Additional paid-in capital	771,624		771,972
Treasury stock held, at cost	-2,491		-9,855
Retained earnings	-450,145		31,817
Total Stockholders' Equity	319,434	[2]	794,378
Total Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity	$1,630,355		$2,173,347
[1]	Amounts are shown net of any debt discount or premium
[2]	Unaudited

Condensed_Consolidated_Balance1

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (Parenthetical) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
In Thousands, except Share data, unless otherwise specified
Statement of Financial Position [Abstract]
Capitalized Costs, Unproved Properties	$64,577	$64,903
Preferred stock, par value (in dollars per share)	$0.01	$0.01
Preferred stock, shares authorized	5,000,000	5,000,000
Preferred stock, shares outstanding	0	0
Common stock, par value per share (in dollars per share)	$0.01	$0.01
Common stock, shares authorized	150,000,000	150,000,000
Common stock, shares issued	44,644,710	44,379,463
Common stock, shares outstanding	44,486,441	43,918,029
Treasury stock shares held, at cost	158,269	461,434

Condensed_Consolidated_Stateme

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations (Unaudited) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Revenues:
Oil and gas sales	$67,358	$149,057
Price-risk management and other, net	979	-4,877
Total Revenues	68,337	144,180
Costs and Expenses:
General and administrative, net	12,556	10,526
Depreciation, depletion, and amortization	60,698	62,651
Accretion of asset retirement obligation	1,365	1,386
Lease operating cost	19,034	24,967
Transportation and gas processing	5,323	5,292
Severance and other taxes	5,132	9,202
Interest expense, net	18,228	18,449
Write-down of oil and gas properties	502,569	0
Total Costs and Expenses	624,905	132,473
Income Before Income Taxes	-556,568	11,707
Provision for Income Taxes	-79,491	6,265
Net Income	($477,077)	$5,442
Per Share Amounts-
Earnings Per Share (Basic)	($10.79)	$0.12
Earnings Per Share (Diluted)	($10.79)	$0.12
Weighted Average Shares Outstanding - Basic	44,232	43,628
Weighted Average Shares Outstanding - Diluted	44,232	44,118

Condensed_Consolidated_Stateme1

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Stockholders' Equity (USD $)		Total	Common Stock	Additional Paid-in Capital	Treasury Stock	Retained Earnings
In Thousands
Beginning Balance at Dec. 31, 2013		$1,065,350	$439	$762,242	($12,575)	$315,244
Stock issued for benefit plans		1,909	0	-1,876	3,785	0
Purchase of treasury shares		-1,065	0	0	-1,065	0
Employee stock purchase plan		824	1	823	0	0
Issuance of restricted stock		0	4	-4	0	0
Amortization of share-based compensation		10,787	0	10,787	0	0
Net Income		-283,427	0	0	0	-283,427
Ending Balance at Dec. 31, 2014		794,378	444	771,972	-9,855	31,817
Stock issued for benefit plans		919	0	-1,714	7,518	-4,885
Purchase of treasury shares		-154	0	0	-154	0
Employee stock purchase plan		302	1	301	0	0
Issuance of restricted stock		0	1	-1	0	0
Amortization of share-based compensation		1,066	0	1,066	0	0
Net Income		-477,077	0	0	0	-477,077
Ending Balance at Mar. 31, 2015	[1]	$319,434	$446	$771,624	($2,491)	($450,145)
[1]	Unaudited

Condensed_Consolidated_Stateme2

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Stockholders' Equity (Parenthetical)	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Statement of Stockholders' Equity [Abstract]
Stock issued for benefit plans (shares)	352,476	154,665
Purchase of treasury stock (shares)	49,311	102,673
Employee stock purchase plan (shares)	87,629	71,825
Issuance of restricted stock (shares)	177,618	392,292

Condensed_Consolidated_Stateme3

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (Unaudited) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Cash Flows from Operating Activities:
Net Income	($477,077)	$5,442
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operation activities -
Depreciation, depletion, and amortization	60,698	62,651
Write-down of oil and gas properties	502,569	0
Accretion of asset retirement obligation	1,365	1,386
Deferred income taxes	-79,491	6,265
Stock-based compensation expenses	879	1,784
Other Noncash Income (Expense)	373	-2,862
(Increase) Decrease in accounts receivable	7,880	-2,834
Increase (decrease) in accounts payable and accrued liabilities	-9,646	6,288
Increase (decrease) in accrued interest	-8,320	-8,421
Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities	-770	69,699
Cash Flows from Investing Activities:
Additions to property and equipment	-49,173	-105,589
Proceeds from the sale of property and equipment	0	35
Net Cash Used in Investing Activities	-49,173	-105,554
Cash Flows from Financing Activities:
Proceeds from bank borrowings	103,400	115,300
Payments of bank borrowings	-53,700	-82,600
Net proceeds from issuances of common stock	302	824
Purchase of treasury shares	-154	-855
Net Cash Used in Financing Activities	49,848	32,669
Net Increase (Decrease) in Cash and Cash Equivalents	-95	-3,186
Cash and Cash Equivalents at Beginning of Period	406	3,277
Cash and Cash Equivalents at End of Period	311	91
Supplemental Disclosures of Cash Flows Information:
Cash paid during period for interest, net of amounts capitalized	$25,979	$26,310

General_Information

General Information	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
General Information	(1)           General Information
	The condensed consolidated financial statements included herein have been prepared by Swift Energy Company (“Swift Energy,” the “Company,” or “we”) and reflect necessary adjustments, all of which were of a recurring nature unless otherwise disclosed herein, and are in the opinion of our management necessary for a fair presentation. Certain information and note disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States have been omitted pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission. We believe that the disclosures presented are adequate to allow the information presented not to be misleading. The condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited financial statements and the notes thereto included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2014 as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 2, 2015.

Summary_of_Significant_Account

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies	(2)           Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
	Principles of Consolidation. The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Swift Energy and its wholly owned subsidiaries, which are engaged in the exploration, development, acquisition, and operation of oil and gas properties, with a focus on inland waters and onshore oil and natural gas reserves in Louisiana and Texas. Our undivided interests in oil and gas properties are accounted for using the proportionate consolidation method, whereby our proportionate share of each entity’s assets, liabilities, revenues, and expenses are included in the appropriate classifications in the accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements. Intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in preparing the accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements.
	Subsequent Events. On May 1, 2015, we executed an amendment to our credit facility lowering our borrowing base and commitment amount on our credit facility and changing our financial covenant ratios. Refer to Note 5 of these condensed consolidated financial statements for further discussion of the changes. There were no other material subsequent events requiring additional disclosure in these financial statements.
	Use of Estimates. The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”) requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of certain assets and liabilities and the reported amounts of certain revenues and expenses during each reporting period. We believe our estimates and assumptions are reasonable; however, such estimates and assumptions are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from such estimates. Significant estimates and assumptions underlying these financial statements include:
	•	the estimated quantities of proved oil and natural gas reserves used to compute depletion of oil and natural gas properties , the related present value of estimated future net cash flows there-from, and the ceiling test impairment calculation,
	•	estimates related to the collectability of accounts receivable and the credit worthiness of our customers,
	•	estimates of the counterparty bank risk related to letters of credit that our customers may have issued on our behalf,
	•	estimates of future costs to develop and produce reserves,
	•	accruals related to oil and gas sales, capital expenditures and lease operating expenses,
	•	estimates of insurance recoveries related to property damage, and the solvency of insurance providers,
	•	estimates in the calculation of share-based compensation expense,
	•	estimates of our ownership in properties prior to final division of interest determination,
	•	the estimated future cost and timing of asset retirement obligations,
	•	estimates made in our income tax calculations,
	•	estimates in the calculation of the fair value of hedging assets and liabilities, and
	•	estimates in the assessment of current litigation claims against the company.
	While we are not aware of any material revisions to any of our estimates, there will likely be future revisions to our estimates resulting from matters such as new accounting pronouncements, changes in ownership interests, payouts, joint venture audits, re-allocations by purchasers or pipelines, or other corrections and adjustments common in the oil and gas industry, many of which require retroactive application. These types of adjustments cannot be currently estimated and will be recorded in the period during which the adjustments occur.
	We are subject to legal proceedings, claims, liabilities and environmental matters that arise in the ordinary course of business. We accrue for losses when such losses are considered probable and the amounts can be reasonably estimated.
	Property and Equipment. We follow the “full-cost” method of accounting for oil and natural gas property and equipment costs. Under this method of accounting, all productive and nonproductive costs incurred in the exploration, development, and acquisition of oil and natural gas reserves are capitalized. Such costs may be incurred both prior to and after the acquisition of a property and include lease acquisitions, geological and geophysical services, drilling, completion, and equipment. Internal costs incurred that are directly identified with exploration, development, and acquisition activities undertaken by us for our own account, and which are not related to production, general corporate overhead, or similar activities, are also capitalized. For the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, such internal costs capitalized totaled $3.7 million and $7.1 million, respectively. Interest costs are also capitalized to unproved oil and natural gas properties (refer to Note 5 of these consolidated financial statements for further discussion on capitalized interest costs).
	The “Property and Equipment” balances on the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets are summarized for presentation purposes. The following is a detailed breakout of our “Property and Equipment” balances:
	(in thousands)	March 31,			December 31,
		2015			2014
	Property and Equipment
	Proved oil and gas properties	$	5,850,175		$	5,826,995
	Unproved oil and gas properties	64,577			64,903
	Furniture, fixtures, and other equipment	44,088			42,257
	Less – Accumulated depreciation, depletion, and amortization	(4,402,460		)	(3,839,118		)
	Property and Equipment, Net	$	1,556,380		$	2,095,037
	No gains or losses are recognized upon the sale or disposition of oil and natural gas properties, except in transactions involving a significant amount of reserves or where the proceeds from the sale of oil and natural gas properties would significantly alter the relationship between capitalized costs and proved reserves of oil and natural gas attributable to a cost center. Internal costs associated with selling properties are expensed as incurred.
	Future development costs are estimated property-by-property based on current economic conditions and are amortized to expense as our capitalized oil and gas property costs are amortized.
	We compute the provision for depreciation, depletion, and amortization (“DD&A”) of oil and natural gas properties using the unit-of-production method. Under this method, we compute the provision by multiplying the total unamortized costs of oil and gas properties-including future development costs, gas processing facilities, and both capitalized asset retirement obligations and undiscounted abandonment costs of wells to be drilled, net of salvage values, but excluding costs of unproved properties-by an overall rate determined by dividing the physical units of oil and natural gas produced (which excludes natural gas consumed in operations) during the period by the total estimated units of proved oil and natural gas reserves (which excludes natural gas consumed in operations) at the beginning of the period. This calculation is done on a country-by-country basis and the period over which we will amortize these properties is dependent on our production from these properties in future years. Furniture, fixtures, and other equipment are recorded at cost and are depreciated by the straight-line method at rates based on the estimated useful lives of the property, which range between two and 20 years. Repairs and maintenance are charged to expense as incurred.
	Geological and geophysical (“G&G”) costs incurred on developed properties are recorded in “Proved properties” and therefore subject to amortization. G&G costs incurred that are directly associated with specific unproved properties are capitalized in “Unproved properties” and evaluated as part of the total capitalized costs associated with a prospect. The cost of unproved properties not being amortized is assessed quarterly, on a property-by-property basis, to determine whether such properties have been impaired. In determining whether such costs should be impaired, we evaluate current drilling results, lease expiration dates, current oil and gas industry conditions, international economic conditions, capital availability, and available geological and geophysical information. Any impairment assessed is added to the cost of proved properties being amortized.
	Full-Cost Ceiling Test. At the end of each quarterly reporting period, the unamortized cost of oil and natural gas properties (including natural gas processing facilities, capitalized asset retirement obligations, net of related salvage values and deferred income taxes, and excluding the recognized asset retirement obligation liability) is limited to the sum of the estimated future net revenues from proved properties (excluding cash outflows from recognized asset retirement obligations, including future development and abandonment costs of wells to be drilled, using the preceding 12-months’ average price based on closing prices on the first day of each month, adjusted for price differentials, discounted at 10%, and the lower of cost or fair value of unproved properties) adjusted for related income tax effects (“Ceiling Test”).
	The calculations of the Ceiling Test and provision for DD&A are based on estimates of proved reserves. There are numerous uncertainties inherent in estimating quantities of proved reserves and in projecting the future rates of production, timing, and plan of development. The accuracy of any reserves estimate is a function of the quality of available data and of engineering and geological interpretation and judgment. Results of drilling, testing, and production subsequent to the date of the estimate may justify revision of such estimates. Accordingly, reserves estimates are often different from the quantities of oil and natural gas that are ultimately recovered.
	Due to the effects of pricing, timing of projects and changes in our reserves product mix, for the three months ended March 31, 2015, we reported a non-cash impairment write-down, on a before-tax basis, of $502.6 million on our oil and natural gas properties.
	If future capital expenditures out pace future discounted net cash flows in our reserve calculations, if we have significant declines in our oil and natural gas reserves volumes (which also reduces our estimate of discounted future net cash flows from proved oil and natural gas reserves) or if oil or natural gas prices decline or remain at levels prevalent in the current period, non-cash write-downs of our oil and natural gas properties could occur in the future. We cannot control and cannot predict what future prices for oil and natural gas will be, thus we cannot estimate the amount or timing of any potential future non-cash write-down of our oil and natural gas properties due to decreases in oil or natural gas prices. However, it is reasonably possible that we will record additional ceiling test write-downs in future periods.
	Revenue Recognition. Oil and gas revenues are recognized when production is sold to a purchaser at a fixed or determinable price, when delivery has occurred and title has transferred, and if collectability of the revenue is probable. Swift Energy uses the entitlement method of accounting in which we recognize our ownership interest in production as revenue. If our sales exceed our ownership share of production, the natural gas balancing payables are reported in “Accounts payable and accrued liabilities” on the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets. Natural gas balancing receivables are reported in “Other current assets” on the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets when our ownership share of production exceeds sales. As of March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, we did not have any material natural gas imbalances.
	Reclassification of Prior Period Balances. Certain reclassifications have been made to prior period amounts to conform to the current-year presentation.
	Accounts Receivable. We assess the collectability of accounts receivable, and based on our judgment, we accrue a reserve when we believe a receivable may not be collected. At March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, we had an allowance for doubtful accounts of approximately $0.1 million. The allowance for doubtful accounts has been deducted from the total “Accounts receivable” balance on the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets.
	At March 31, 2015, our “Accounts receivable” balance included $24.7 million for oil and gas sales, $17.4 million for joint interest owners, $4.8 million for severance tax credit receivables and $2.8 million for other receivables. At December 31, 2014, our “Accounts receivable” balance included $34.8 million for oil and gas sales, $8.4 million for joint interest owners, $3.1 million for severance tax credit receivables and $2.2 million for other receivables.
	Supervision Fees. Consistent with industry practice, we charge a supervision fee to the wells we operate including our wells in which we own up to a 100% working interest. Supervision fees are recorded as a reduction to “General and administrative, net”, on the accompanying condensed consolidated statements of operations. Our supervision fees are allocated to each well based on general and administrative costs incurred for well maintenance and support. The amount of supervision fees charged for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014 did not exceed our actual costs incurred. The total amount of supervision fees charged to the wells we operated were $2.7 million and $2.8 million for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively.
	Other Current Assets. Included in "Other current assets" on the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets are inventories which consist primarily of tubulars and other equipment and supplies that we expect to place in service in production operations. Our inventories are recorded at cost (weighted average method) and totaled $3.1 million at March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014.
	Also included in "Other current assets" on the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets are prepaid expenses totaling $4.7 million and $3.9 million at March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, respectively. These prepaid amounts cover well insurance, drilling contracts and various other prepaid expenses.
	Income Taxes. Under guidance contained in FASB ASC 740-10, deferred taxes are determined based on the estimated future tax effects of differences between the financial statement and tax basis of assets and liabilities, given the provisions of the enacted tax laws.
	We follow the recognition and disclosure provisions under guidance contained in FASB ASC 740-10-25. Under this guidance, tax positions are evaluated for recognition using a more-likely-than-not threshold, and those tax positions requiring recognition are measured as the largest amount of tax benefit that is greater than fifty percent likely of being realized upon ultimate settlement with a taxing authority that has full knowledge of all relevant information. Our policy is to record interest and penalties relating to uncertain tax positions in income tax expense. At March 31, 2015, we did not have any accrued liability for uncertain tax positions and do not anticipate recognition of any significant liabilities for uncertain tax positions during the next 12 months.
	Our U.S. Federal income tax returns for 2007 forward, our Louisiana income tax returns from 1999 forward and our Texas franchise tax returns after 2009 remain subject to examination by the taxing authorities. There are no material unresolved items related to periods previously audited by these taxing authorities. No other jurisdiction returns are significant to our financial position.
	For the three months ended March 31, 2015, the Company recorded a partial valuation allowance against its deferred income tax assets. As a result of this valuation allowance, the effective tax rate for the quarter, which was a net benefit offsetting the Company's net loss, was 14.3%.
	Accounts Payable and Accrued Liabilities. The “Accounts payable and accrued liabilities” balances on the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets are summarized below (in thousands):
		March 31,			December 31,
		2015			2014
	Trade accounts payable (1)	$	43,912		$	31,153
	Accrued operating expenses	7,699			10,784
	Accrued compensation costs	6,080			8,715
	Asset retirement obligation – current portion	6,879			10,709
	Accrued taxes	3,897			2,957
	Other payables	5,082			3,926
	Total accounts payable and accrued liabilities	$	73,549		$	68,244
	(1) Included in “trade accounts payable” are liabilities of approximately $35.7 million and $13.7 million at March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, respectively, for outstanding checks.
	Cash and Cash Equivalents. We consider all highly liquid instruments with an initial maturity of three months or less to be cash equivalents. These amounts do not include cash balances that are contractually restricted.
	Long-term Restricted Cash. Long-term restricted cash includes amounts held in escrow accounts to satisfy plugging and abandonment obligations. As of March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, these assets were approximately $1.0 million. These amounts are restricted as to their current use and will be released when we have satisfied all plugging and abandonment obligations in certain fields. These restricted cash balances are reported in “Other Long-Term Assets” on the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets.
	Treasury Stock. Our treasury stock repurchases are reported at cost and are included “Treasury stock held, at cost" on the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets. When the Company reissues treasury stock the gains are recorded in "Additional paid-in capital" ("APIC") on the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets, while the losses are recorded to APIC to the extent that previous net gains on the reissuance of treasury stock are available to offset the losses. If the loss is larger than the previous gains available then the loss is recorded to "Retained earnings (Accumulated deficit)" on the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets. During the three months ended March 31, 2015, the Company recorded losses of $4.9 million to "Retained earnings (Accumulated deficit)" as a result of treasury stock transactions.
	New Accounting Pronouncements. In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-09, providing a comprehensive revenue recognition standard for contracts with customers that supersedes current revenue recognition guidance. The guidance is effective for annual and interim reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016 and upon adoption, entities are required to recognize revenue using the following five-step model: identify the contract with a customer, identify the performance obligations in the contract, determine the transaction price, allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract, and recognize revenue as the entity satisfies each performance obligation. Adoption of this standard could result in retrospective application, either in the form of recasting all prior periods presented or a cumulative adjustment to equity in the period of adoption. We are currently reviewing the new requirements to determine the impact of this guidance on our financial statements. On April 29, 2015, the FASB issued a proposal to defer the effective date until December 15, 2017.
	In April 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-03, providing guidance on the presentation of debt issuance costs. The guidance requires debt issuance costs related to our long-term debt to be presented on the balance sheet as a reduction of the carrying amount of the long-term debt. This guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2015 and for interim periods within those fiscal years, with early adoption permitted. It requires retrospective application and we plan to adopt this guidance beginning with the first quarter of 2016. We are currently reviewing the new requirements to determine the impact of this guidance on our financial statements.

ShareBased_Compensation

Share-Based Compensation	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Abstract]
Share-Based Compensation	(3)           Share-Based Compensation
	We have various types of share-based compensation plans. Refer to our definitive proxy statement for our annual meeting of shareholders filed with the SEC on April 2, 2015, as well as Note 6 of our consolidated financial statements in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2014, for additional information related to these share-based compensation plans. We follow guidance contained in FASB ASC 718 to account for share-based compensation.
	We receive a tax deduction for certain stock option exercises during the period the stock options are exercised, generally for the excess of the market value on the exercise date over the exercise price of the stock option awards. We receive an additional tax deduction when restricted stock awards vest at a higher value than the value used to recognize compensation expense at the date of grant. We are required to report excess tax benefits from the award of equity instruments as financing cash flows. For the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, we recognized an income tax shortfall in earnings of $1.2 million and $1.7 million, respectively, primarily related to restricted stock awards that vested at a price lower than the grant date fair value.
	Share-based compensation expense for awards issued to both employees and non-employees, which was recorded in “General and administrative, net” in the accompanying condensed consolidated statements of operations, was $0.8 million and $1.6 million for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively. Share-based compensation recorded in lease operating cost was less than $0.1 million for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively. We also capitalized $0.3 million and $1.1 million of share-based compensation for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively. We view stock option awards and restricted stock awards with graded vesting as single awards with an expected life equal to the average expected life of component awards and amortize the awards on a straight-line basis over the life of the awards.
	Stock Option Awards
	We use the Black-Scholes-Merton option pricing model to estimate the fair value of stock option awards. During the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014 we did not grant any stock option awards and there were no exercises.
	Our stock option awards outstanding and exercisable at March 31, 2015 had no aggregate intrinsic value since all outstanding stock option awards were out of the money and we did not have any remaining unrecognized compensation cost related to stock option awards. At March 31, 2015, the weighted average contract life of stock option awards outstanding and exercisable was 4.5 years.
	Restricted Stock Awards
	The plans, as described in Note 6 of our consolidated financial statements in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2014, allow for the issuance of restricted stock awards that generally may not be sold or otherwise transferred until certain restrictions have lapsed. The unrecognized compensation cost related to these awards is expected to be expensed over the period the restrictions lapse (generally one to three years).
	The compensation expense for these awards was determined based on the closing market price of our stock at the date of grant applied to the total number of shares that were anticipated to fully vest. As of March 31, 2015, we had unrecognized compensation expense of $7.3 million related to restricted stock awards which is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 1.7 years. The grant date fair value of shares vested during the three months ended March 31, 2015 was $4.3 million.
	The following table represents restricted stock award activity for the three months ended March 31, 2015:
		Shares		Wtd. Avg.
				Grant Price
	Restricted shares outstanding, beginning of period	1,414,012		$	14.81
	Restricted shares granted	313,600		$	3.05
	Restricted shares canceled	(177,556	)	$	14.63
	Restricted shares vested	(177,618	)	$	24.2
	Restricted shares outstanding, end of period	1,372,438		$	10.93
	Performance-Based Restricted Stock Units
	For the three months ended March 31, 2015, the Company granted 216,450 units of performance-based restricted stock units containing market conditions that require the price of our common stock to increase to $5.22 per share by December 31, 2017, the end of the performance period, before any payout is achieved. These units were granted at 100% of the target payout level with conditions of the grants allowing for a payout ranging between no payout and 200% of target. The compensation expense for these awards is based on the per unit grant date valuation using a Monte-Carlo simulation multiplied by the target payout level. The payout level is calculated based on actual stock price performance achieved during the performance period. The awards have a cliff vesting period of 3.0 years.
	As of March 31, 2015, we had unrecognized compensation expense of $1.3 million related to our restricted stock units, which is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 2.1 years. For the three months ended March 31, 2015, no restricted stock units vested while the weighted average grant date fair value for the restricted stock units granted during the same period was $1.98 per unit.
	The following table represents restricted stock unit activity for the three months ended March 31, 2015:
		Shares		Wtd. Avg.
				Grant Price
	Restricted stock units outstanding, beginning of period	374,950		$	13.36
	Restricted stock units granted	216,450		$	1.98
	Restricted stock units canceled	—		$	—
	Restricted stock units vested	—		$	—
	Restricted stock units outstanding, end of period	591,400		$	9.2

Earnings_Per_Share

Earnings Per Share	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Earnings Per Share	(4)           Earnings Per Share
	The Company computes earnings per share in accordance with FASB ASC 260-10. Basic earnings per share (“Basic EPS”) has been computed using the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during each period. Diluted earnings per share ("Diluted EPS") assumes, as of the beginning of the period, exercise of stock options and restricted stock grants using the treasury stock method. Diluted EPS also assumes conversion of performance-based restricted stock units to common shares based on the number of shares (if any) that would be issuable, according to predetermined performance and market goals, if the end of the reporting period was the end of the performance period. As we recognized a net loss for the three months ended March 31, 2015, the unvested share-based payments and stock options were not recognized in diluted earnings per share (“Diluted EPS”) calculations as they would be antidilutive. Certain of our stock options and restricted stock grants that would potentially dilute Basic EPS in the future were also antidilutive for the three months ended March 31, 2014, and are discussed below.
	The following is a reconciliation of the numerators and denominators used in the calculation of Basic and Diluted EPS for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014 (in thousands, except per share amounts):
		Three Months Ended March 31, 2015							Three Months Ended March 31, 2014
		Net Loss			Shares	Per Share			Net Income		Shares	Per Share
						Amount						Amount
	Basic EPS:
	Net Income and Share Amounts	$	(477,077	)	44,232	$	(10.79	)	$	5,442	43,628	$	0.12
	Dilutive Securities:
	Restricted Stock Awards				—						420
	Restricted Stock Units				—						70
	Diluted EPS:
	Net Income (Loss) and Assumed Share Conversions	$	(477,077	)	44,232	$	(10.79	)	$	5,442	44,118	$	0.12
	Approximately 1.3 million stock options to purchase shares were not included in the computation of Diluted EPS for the three months ended March 31, 2015 because they were antidilutive due to the net loss, while 1.5 million stock options to purchase shares were not included in the computation of Diluted EPS for the three months ended March 31, 2014, because these stock options were antidilutive.
	Approximately 0.7 million restricted stock awards were not included in the computation of Diluted EPS for the three months ended March 31, 2015, because they were antidilutive due to the net loss, while approximately 0.4 million restricted stock awards were not included in the computation of Diluted EPS for the three months ended March 31, 2014, because they were antidilutive.
	Approximately 1.2 million and 0.7 million shares for three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively, related to performance-based restricted stock units that could be converted to common shares based on predetermined performance and market goals were not included in the computation of Diluted EPS because the performance and market conditions had not been met, assuming the end of the reporting period was the end of the performance period.

LongTerm_Debt

Long-Term Debt	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
Long-Term Debt	(5)           Long-Term Debt
	Our long-term debt as of March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, was as follows (in thousands):
		March 31, 2015		December 31, 2014
	7.125% senior notes due in 2017	$	250,000	$	250,000
	8.875% senior notes due in 2020 (1)	222,863		222,775
	7.875% senior notes due in 2022 (1)	404,338		404,459
	Bank Borrowings due in 2017	247,000		197,300
	Long-Term Debt (1)	$	1,124,201	$	1,074,534
	(1) Amounts are shown net of any debt discount or premium
	As of March 31, 2015, we had $247.0 million of outstanding bank borrowings on our credit facility which has a maturity date of November 1, 2017. The maturities on our senior notes are $250.0 million in 2017, $225.0 million in 2020 and $400.0 million in 2022.
	We have capitalized interest on our unproved properties in the amount of $1.2 million and $1.3 million for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively.
	Debt Issuance Costs. Legal fees, accounting fees, underwriting fees, printing costs, and other direct expenses associated with extensions of our bank credit facility and public debt offerings were capitalized and are amortized on an effective interest basis over the life of each of the respective senior note offerings and credit facility.
	The 7.125% senior notes due in 2017 mature on June 1, 2017, and the balance of their issuance costs at March 31, 2015, was $1.2 million. The 8.875% senior notes due in 2020 mature on January 15, 2020, and the balance of their issuance costs at March 31, 2015, was $3.0 million. The 7.875% senior notes due in 2022 mature on March 1, 2022, and the balance of their issuance costs at March 31, 2015, was $5.8 million. The balance of revolving credit facility issuance costs at March 31, 2015, was $2.1 million.
	Bank Borrowings. Effective May 1, 2015, we executed an amendment to our credit facility agreement lowering our borrowing base and commitment amount and changing our financial covenant ratios as noted below. Our syndicate of 11 banks decreased the borrowing base and commitment amount under our credit facility from $417.6 million to $375.0 million while the maturity date of November 1, 2017 remained unchanged.
	Effective May 1, 2015, two new financial covenant ratios were added and one was changed. The amendment added a new liquidity requirement (as defined in the Credit Agreement) effective July 1, 2015, which requires that at the date of any payment of interest in respect to the existing senior notes or any new debt (after giving effect to such interest payment), the unused borrowing base may not be less than 15% of the commitment amount then in effect. The amendment also created a new senior secured leverage ratio (as defined in the Credit Agreement) requiring that the ratio of senior secured liabilities on the last day of the quarter to EBITDAX, calculated on a trailing twelve month basis, not be greater than 3.0 to 1.0 through the end of the second quarter of 2016, nor greater than 2.5 to 1.0 for the last two quarters of 2016. The interest coverage ratio (calculated on a trailing twelve month basis of EBITDAX to interest expense) was also changed to require that such ratio at the end of each fiscal quarter be not less than 1.5 to 1.0 for each quarter through the end of 2016, returning to the original ratio of 2.75 to 1.0 in 2017 and later periods.
	Effective May 1, 2015, the interest rate on our credit facility was increased to either (a) the lead bank’s prime rate plus an applicable margin or (b) the Eurodollar rate plus an applicable margin. However with respect to (a), if the lead bank’s prime rate was not higher than each of the federal funds rate plus 0.5%, and the adjusted London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”) plus 1%, the greatest of these three rates then applied. The applicable margins vary depending on the level of outstanding debt with escalating rates of 75 to 175 basis points above the Alternative Base Rate and escalating rates of 175 to 275 basis points for Eurodollar rate loans. The commitment fee terms associated with the credit facility remained unchanged.
	We had $247.0 million and $197.3 million in outstanding borrowings under our credit facility at March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, respectively. As of March 31, 2015, the interest rate on our credit facility was either (a) the lead bank’s prime rate plus an applicable margin or (b) the Eurodollar rate plus an applicable margin. However with respect to (a), if the lead bank’s prime rate was not higher than each of the federal funds rate plus 0.5%, and the adjusted London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”) plus 1%, the greatest of these three rates then applied. The applicable margins varied depending on the level of outstanding debt with escalating rates of 50 to 150 basis points above the Alternative Base Rate and escalating rates of 150 to 250 basis points for Eurodollar rate loans. At March 31, 2015, the lead bank’s prime rate was 3.25%. The commitment fee associated with the credit facility fluctuated between 0.375% and 0.50% for the three months ended March 31, 2015.
	At March 31, 2015, the terms of our credit facility included, among other restrictions, a limitation on the level of cash dividends (not to exceed $15.0 million in any fiscal year), a remaining aggregate limitation on purchases of our stock of $50.0 million, and limitations on incurring other debt. At March 31, 2015, our bank credit agreement contained financial covenants detailing certain minimum financial ratios that must be maintained. The first (which was not amended on May 1, 2015) was an adjusted working capital ratio of adjusted current assets to current liabilities (as defined in the Credit Agreement) of not less than 1.0 to 1.0, which was met, as the Company's March 31, 2015 ratio was 2.1 to 1.0. There was also an interest coverage ratio (which was amended on May 1, 2015, as discussed above), calculated on a trailing twelve month basis of EBITDAX to interest expense (as defined in the Credit Agreement), of no less than 2.75 to 1.0, which was met, as the Company's March 31, 2015 ratio was 4.1 to 1.0.
	Since inception, no cash dividends have been declared on our common stock. The terms of the credit facility also require us to secure the facility with collateral equal to at least 75% of our oil and natural gas properties. Under the terms of the credit facility, the commitment amount can be less than or equal to the total amount of the borrowing base with unanimous consent of the bank group as it might change from time to time. As of March 31, 2015, we were in compliance with the provisions of this agreement, both before and after the amendments discussed above, and expect to remain in compliance throughout the rest of 2015.
	Interest expense on the credit facility, including commitment fees and amortization of debt issuance costs, totaled $1.7 million and $2.1 million for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively. The amount of commitment fees included in interest expense, net was $0.2 million for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014.
	Senior Notes Due In 2022. These notes consist of $400.0 million of 7.875% senior notes that will mature on March 1, 2022. On November 30, 2011, we issued $250.0 million of these senior notes at a discount of $2.1 million or 99.156% of par, which equates to an effective yield to maturity of 8%. The original discount of $2.1 million is recorded in “Long-Term Debt” on our condensed consolidated balance sheets and will be amortized over the life of the notes using the effective interest method. On October 3, 2012, we issued an additional $150.0 million of these senior notes at 105% of par, which equates to a yield to worst of 6.993%. The premium of $7.5 million is recorded in “Long-Term Debt” on our condensed consolidated balance sheets and will be amortized over the life of the notes using the effective interest method. The notes are senior unsecured obligations that rank equally with all of our existing and future senior unsecured indebtedness, are effectively subordinated to all our existing and future secured indebtedness to the extent of the value of the collateral securing such indebtedness, including borrowing under our bank credit facility, and will rank senior to any future subordinated indebtedness of Swift Energy. Interest on these notes is payable semi-annually on March 1 and September 1 and commenced on March 1, 2012. On or after March 1, 2017, we may redeem some or all of these notes, with certain restrictions, at a redemption price, plus accrued and unpaid interest, of 103.938% of principal, declining in twelve-month intervals to 100% in 2020 and thereafter. In addition, we may redeem up to 35% of the principal amount of the notes with the net proceeds of qualified offerings of our equity at a redemption price of 107.875% of the principal amount of the notes, plus accrued and unpaid interest. We incurred approximately $7.5 million of debt issuance costs related to these notes, which is included in “Other Long–Term Assets” on the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets and will be amortized to interest expense, net over the life of the notes using the effective interest method. In the event of certain changes in control of Swift Energy, each holder of notes will have the right to require us to repurchase all or any part of the notes at a purchase price in cash equal to 101% of the principal amount, plus accrued and unpaid interest to the date of purchase. The terms of these notes include, among other restrictions, limitations on our ability to repurchase shares, incur debt, create liens, make investments, transfer or sell assets, enter into transactions with affiliates and consolidate, merge or transfer all or substantially all of our assets. We were in compliance with the provisions of the indenture governing these senior notes as of March 31, 2015.
	Interest expense on the senior notes due in 2022, including amortization of debt issuance costs and debt premium, totaled $7.9 million for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014.
	Senior Notes Due In 2020. These notes consist of $225.0 million of 8.875% senior notes issued at 98.389% of par, which equates to an effective yield to maturity of 9.125%. The notes were issued on November 25, 2009 with an original discount of $3.6 million and will mature on January 15, 2020. The original discount of $3.6 million is recorded in “Long-Term Debt” on our condensed consolidated balance sheets and will be amortized over the life of the notes using the effective interest method. The notes are senior unsecured obligations that rank equally with all of our existing and future senior unsecured indebtedness, are effectively subordinated to all our existing and future secured indebtedness to the extent of the value of the collateral securing such indebtedness, including borrowing under our bank credit facility, and will rank senior to any future subordinated indebtedness of Swift Energy. Interest on these notes is payable semi-annually on January 15 and July 15 and commenced on January 15, 2010. We may redeem some or all of these notes, with certain restrictions, at a redemption price, plus accrued and unpaid interest,  of 104.438% of principal, declining  in twelve-month intervals to 100% in 2018 and thereafter. We incurred approximately $5.0 million of debt issuance costs related to these notes, which is included in “Other Long–Term Assets” on the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets and will be amortized to interest expense, net over the life of the notes using the effective interest method. In the event of certain changes in control of Swift Energy, each holder of notes will have the right to require us to repurchase all or any part of the notes at a purchase price in cash equal to 101% of the principal amount, plus accrued and unpaid interest to the date of purchase. The terms of these notes include, among other restrictions, limitations on our ability to repurchase shares, incur debt, create liens, make investments, transfer or sell assets, enter into transactions with affiliates and consolidate, merge or transfer all or substantially all of our assets. We were in compliance with the provisions of the indenture governing these senior notes as of March 31, 2015.
	Interest expense on the senior notes due in 2020, including amortization of debt issuance costs and debt discount, totaled $5.2 million for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014.
	Senior Notes Due In 2017. These notes consist of $250.0 million of 7.125% senior notes due in 2017, which were issued on June 1, 2007 at 100% of the principal amount and will mature on June 1, 2017. The notes are senior unsecured obligations that rank equally with all of our existing and future senior unsecured indebtedness, are effectively subordinated to all our existing and future secured indebtedness to the extent of the value of the collateral securing such indebtedness, including borrowing under our bank credit facility, and will rank senior to any future subordinated indebtedness of Swift Energy. Interest on these notes is payable semi-annually on June 1 and December 1, and commenced on December 1, 2007. We may redeem some or all of these notes, with certain restrictions, starting at a redemption price of 101.188% of the principal, plus accrued and unpaid interest, declining in twelve-month intervals to 100% on June 1, 2015 and thereafter. We incurred approximately $4.2 million of debt issuance costs related to these notes, which is included in “Other Long-Term Assets” on the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets and will be amortized to interest expense, net over the life of the notes using the effective interest method. In the event of certain changes in control of Swift Energy, each holder of notes will have the right to require us to repurchase all or any part of the notes at a purchase price in cash equal to 101% of the principal amount, plus accrued and unpaid interest to the date of purchase. The terms of these notes include, among other restrictions, limitations on our ability to repurchase shares, incur debt, create liens, make investments, transfer or sell assets, enter into transactions with affiliates and consolidate, merge or transfer all or substantially all of our assets. We were in compliance with the provisions of the indenture governing these senior notes as of March 31, 2015.
	Interest expense on the senior notes due in 2017, including amortization of debt issuance costs, totaled $4.6 million for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014.

Acquisitions_and_Dispositions

Acquisitions and Dispositions	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Business Combinations [Abstract]
Acquisitions and Dispositions	(6)           Acquisitions and Dispositions
	There were no material acquisitions or dispositions in the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014.

PriceRisk_Management_PriceRisk

Price-Risk Management Price-Risk Management (Notes)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]
Derivatives and Fair Value	(7)           Price-Risk Management Activities
	The Company follows FASB ASC 815-10, which requires that changes in the derivative’s fair value are recognized in earnings. The changes in the fair value of our derivatives are recognized in "Price-risk management and other, net” on the accompanying condensed consolidated statements of operations. We have a price-risk management policy to use derivative instruments to protect against declines in oil and natural gas prices, mainly through the purchase of price swaps, floors, calls, collars and participating collars.
	During the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, we recorded a net gain of $0.3 million and a net loss of $5.1 million, respectively, relating to our derivative activities. The effects of our derivatives are included in the "Other" section of our operating activities on the accompanying condensed consolidated statements of cash flows.
	The fair values of our derivatives are computed using commonly accepted industry-standard models and are periodically verified against quotes from brokers. The fair value of our current unsettled derivative assets at March 31, 2015 was $0.2 million which was recognized on the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheet in “Other current assets.” There were no unsettled derivative liabilities as of March 31, 2015.
	At March 31, 2015, we also had less than $0.1 million in payables for settled derivatives which were recognized on the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheet in "Accounts payable and accrued liabilities" and were subsequently paid in April 2015.
	The Company uses an International Swap and Derivatives Association "ISDA" master agreement for our derivative contracts. This is an industry standardized contract containing the general conditions of our derivative transactions including provisions relating to netting derivative settlement payments under certain circumstances (such as default). For reporting purposes, the Company has elected to not offset the asset and liability fair value amounts of its derivatives on the accompanying balance sheets. If all counterparties were in a default situation, the Company, under the right of set-off, would have shown a net derivative fair value asset of $0.2 million at March 31, 2015. For further discussion related to the fair value of the Company's derivatives, refer to Note 8 of these condensed consolidated financial statements.
	The following tables summarize the weighted average prices and future production volumes for our unsettled derivative contracts in place as of March 31, 2015:
	Natural Gas Basis Derivatives	Total Volumes (MMBtu)	Swap Fixed Price
	(East Texas Houston Ship Channel Settlements)
	2015 Contracts
	Swaps	4,900,000	$	(0.02	)

Fair_Value_Measurements

Fair Value Measurements	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]
Fair Value Measurements	(8)           Fair Value Measurements
	FASB ASC 820-10 defines fair value, establishes guidelines for measuring fair value and expands disclosure about fair value measurements. Our financial instruments consist of cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash, accounts receivable, accounts payable, bank borrowings, and senior notes. The carrying amounts of cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash, accounts receivable, and accounts payable approximate fair value due to the highly liquid or short-term nature of these instruments.
	Based upon quoted market prices as of March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, the fair value and carrying value of our senior notes was as follows (in millions):
		March 31, 2015				December 31, 2014
		Fair Value		Carrying Value		Fair Value		Carrying Value
	7.125% senior notes due in 2017	$	151.3	$	250	$	153	$	250
	8.875% senior notes due in 2020	$	92.2	$	222.9	$	133.1	$	222.8
	7.875% senior notes due in 2022	$	164	$	404.3	$	198	$	404.5
	Our senior notes due in 2017, 2020 and 2022 are stated at carrying value on our accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets, net of any discount or premium. If we recorded these notes at fair value they would be Level 1 in our fair value hierarchy as they are traded in an active market with quoted prices for identical instruments.
	The following table presents our assets and liabilities that are measured at fair value as of March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, and are categorized using the fair value hierarchy. For additional discussion related to the fair value of the Company's derivatives, refer to Note 7 of these condensed consolidated financial statements. The fair value hierarchy has three levels based on the reliability of the inputs used to determine the fair value (in millions):
		Fair Value Measurements at
		Total Assets / (Liabilities)		Quoted Prices in		Significant Other		Significant
				Active markets for		Observable Inputs		Unobservable
				Identical Assets		(Level 2)		Inputs
				(Level 1)				(Level 3)
	March 31, 2015
	Assets:
	Natural Gas Basis Derivatives	$	0.2	$	—	$	0.2	$	—
	December 31, 2014
	Assets:
	Natural Gas Derivatives	2.4		—		2.4		—
	Natural Gas Basis Derivatives	0.1		—		0.1		—
	Liabilities:
	Natural Gas Basis Derivatives	0.1		—		0.1		—
	Our unsettled derivative assets and liabilities in the table above are measured at gross fair value and are shown on the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets in “Other current assets” and "Accounts payable and accrued liabilities", respectively.
	Level 1 – Uses quoted prices in active markets for identical, unrestricted assets or liabilities. Instruments in this category have comparable fair values for identical instruments in active markets.
	Level 2 – Uses quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets or observable inputs for assets or liabilities in non-active markets. Instruments in this category are periodically verified against quotes from brokers and include our commodity derivatives that we value using commonly accepted industry-standard models which contain inputs such as contract prices, risk-free rates, volatility measurements and other observable market data that are obtained from independent third-party sources.
	Level 3 – Uses unobservable inputs for assets or liabilities that are in non-active markets. We do not have any assets or liabilities in this category that are not supported by market activity and have significant unobservable inputs.

Asset_Retirement_Obligations_A

Asset Retirement Obligations Asset Retirement Obligations (Notes)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Asset Retirement Obligation Disclosure [Abstract]
Asset Retirement Obligation Disclosure	(9)           Asset Retirement Obligations
	We record these obligations in accordance with the guidance contained in FASB ASC 410-20. This guidance requires entities to record the fair value of a liability for legal obligations associated with the retirement obligations of tangible long-lived assets in the period in which it is incurred. When the liability is initially recorded, the carrying amount of the related long-lived asset is increased. The liability is discounted from the expected date of abandonment. Over time, accretion of the liability is recognized each period, and the capitalized cost is depreciated on a unit-of-production basis as part of depreciation, depletion, and amortization expense for our oil and gas properties. Upon settlement of the liability, the Company either settles the obligation for its recorded amount or incurs a gain or loss upon settlement which is included in the “Property and Equipment” balance on our accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets. This guidance requires us to record a liability for the fair value of our dismantlement and abandonment costs, excluding salvage values.
	The following provides a roll-forward of our asset retirement obligation (in thousands):
		2015
	Asset Retirement Obligations recorded as of January 1	$	72,831
	Accretion expense	1,365
	Liabilities incurred for new wells and facilities construction	43
	Reductions due to sold and abandoned wells and facilities	(3,514		)
	Revisions in estimates	(215		)
	Asset Retirement Obligations as of March 31	$	70,510
	At March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, approximately $6.9 million and $10.7 million of our asset retirement obligations were classified as a current liability in “Accounts payable and accrued liabilities” on the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets.

Condensed_Consolidating_Financ

Condensed Consolidating Financial Information	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Guarantees [Abstract]
Condensed Consolidating Financial Information	(10)           Condensed Consolidating Financial Information
	Swift Energy Company (the parent) is the issuer and Swift Energy Operating, LLC (a wholly owned indirect subsidiary of Swift Energy Company) is the sole guarantor of our senior notes due in 2017, 2020 and 2022. Swift Energy Company does not have any independent assets or operations. The guarantees on our senior notes due in 2017, 2020 and 2022 are full and unconditional. All subsidiaries of Swift Energy Company, other than Swift Energy Operating, LLC, are minor.

Commitments_and_Contingencies_

Commitments and Contingencies Commitments and Contingencies	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure	(11)           Commitments and Contingencies
	In January of 2015 the Company entered into a new eleven year lease agreement for office space in Houston, Texas. The operating lease commenced on March 1, 2015 and may be terminated after seven years. As of March 31, 2015, the minimum contractual obligations are approximately $25 million in the aggregate. We will amortize the total payments under the lease agreement on a straight-line basis over the term of the lease.
	We had no other material changes from amounts referenced under Note 5 in our Notes to consolidated financial statements from our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ending December 31, 2014.

Summary_of_Significant_Account1

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Principles of Consolidation	Principles of Consolidation. The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Swift Energy and its wholly owned subsidiaries, which are engaged in the exploration, development, acquisition, and operation of oil and gas properties, with a focus on inland waters and onshore oil and natural gas reserves in Louisiana and Texas. Our undivided interests in oil and gas properties are accounted for using the proportionate consolidation method, whereby our proportionate share of each entity’s assets, liabilities, revenues, and expenses are included in the appropriate classifications in the accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements. Intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in preparing the accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements.
Subsequent Events	Subsequent Events. On May 1, 2015, we executed an amendment to our credit facility lowering our borrowing base and commitment amount on our credit facility and changing our financial covenant ratios. Refer to Note 5 of these condensed consolidated financial statements for further discussion of the changes. There were no other material subsequent events requiring additional disclosure in these financial statements.
Use of Estimates	Use of Estimates. The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”) requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of certain assets and liabilities and the reported amounts of certain revenues and expenses during each reporting period. We believe our estimates and assumptions are reasonable; however, such estimates and assumptions are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from such estimates. Significant estimates and assumptions underlying these financial statements include:
	•	the estimated quantities of proved oil and natural gas reserves used to compute depletion of oil and natural gas properties , the related present value of estimated future net cash flows there-from, and the ceiling test impairment calculation,
	•	estimates related to the collectability of accounts receivable and the credit worthiness of our customers,
	•	estimates of the counterparty bank risk related to letters of credit that our customers may have issued on our behalf,
	•	estimates of future costs to develop and produce reserves,
	•	accruals related to oil and gas sales, capital expenditures and lease operating expenses,
	•	estimates of insurance recoveries related to property damage, and the solvency of insurance providers,
	•	estimates in the calculation of share-based compensation expense,
	•	estimates of our ownership in properties prior to final division of interest determination,
	•	the estimated future cost and timing of asset retirement obligations,
	•	estimates made in our income tax calculations,
	•	estimates in the calculation of the fair value of hedging assets and liabilities, and
	•	estimates in the assessment of current litigation claims against the company.
	While we are not aware of any material revisions to any of our estimates, there will likely be future revisions to our estimates resulting from matters such as new accounting pronouncements, changes in ownership interests, payouts, joint venture audits, re-allocations by purchasers or pipelines, or other corrections and adjustments common in the oil and gas industry, many of which require retroactive application. These types of adjustments cannot be currently estimated and will be recorded in the period during which the adjustments occur.
	We are subject to legal proceedings, claims, liabilities and environmental matters that arise in the ordinary course of business. We accrue for losses when such losses are considered probable and the amounts can be reasonably estimated.
Property and Equipment	Property and Equipment. We follow the “full-cost” method of accounting for oil and natural gas property and equipment costs. Under this method of accounting, all productive and nonproductive costs incurred in the exploration, development, and acquisition of oil and natural gas reserves are capitalized. Such costs may be incurred both prior to and after the acquisition of a property and include lease acquisitions, geological and geophysical services, drilling, completion, and equipment. Internal costs incurred that are directly identified with exploration, development, and acquisition activities undertaken by us for our own account, and which are not related to production, general corporate overhead, or similar activities, are also capitalized. For the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, such internal costs capitalized totaled $3.7 million and $7.1 million, respectively. Interest costs are also capitalized to unproved oil and natural gas properties (refer to Note 5 of these consolidated financial statements for further discussion on capitalized interest costs).
	The “Property and Equipment” balances on the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets are summarized for presentation purposes. The following is a detailed breakout of our “Property and Equipment” balances:
	(in thousands)	March 31,			December 31,
		2015			2014
	Property and Equipment
	Proved oil and gas properties	$	5,850,175		$	5,826,995
	Unproved oil and gas properties	64,577			64,903
	Furniture, fixtures, and other equipment	44,088			42,257
	Less – Accumulated depreciation, depletion, and amortization	(4,402,460		)	(3,839,118		)
	Property and Equipment, Net	$	1,556,380		$	2,095,037
	No gains or losses are recognized upon the sale or disposition of oil and natural gas properties, except in transactions involving a significant amount of reserves or where the proceeds from the sale of oil and natural gas properties would significantly alter the relationship between capitalized costs and proved reserves of oil and natural gas attributable to a cost center. Internal costs associated with selling properties are expensed as incurred.
	Future development costs are estimated property-by-property based on current economic conditions and are amortized to expense as our capitalized oil and gas property costs are amortized.
	We compute the provision for depreciation, depletion, and amortization (“DD&A”) of oil and natural gas properties using the unit-of-production method. Under this method, we compute the provision by multiplying the total unamortized costs of oil and gas properties-including future development costs, gas processing facilities, and both capitalized asset retirement obligations and undiscounted abandonment costs of wells to be drilled, net of salvage values, but excluding costs of unproved properties-by an overall rate determined by dividing the physical units of oil and natural gas produced (which excludes natural gas consumed in operations) during the period by the total estimated units of proved oil and natural gas reserves (which excludes natural gas consumed in operations) at the beginning of the period. This calculation is done on a country-by-country basis and the period over which we will amortize these properties is dependent on our production from these properties in future years. Furniture, fixtures, and other equipment are recorded at cost and are depreciated by the straight-line method at rates based on the estimated useful lives of the property, which range between two and 20 years. Repairs and maintenance are charged to expense as incurred.
	Geological and geophysical (“G&G”) costs incurred on developed properties are recorded in “Proved properties” and therefore subject to amortization. G&G costs incurred that are directly associated with specific unproved properties are capitalized in “Unproved properties” and evaluated as part of the total capitalized costs associated with a prospect. The cost of unproved properties not being amortized is assessed quarterly, on a property-by-property basis, to determine whether such properties have been impaired. In determining whether such costs should be impaired, we evaluate current drilling results, lease expiration dates, current oil and gas industry conditions, international economic conditions, capital availability, and available geological and geophysical information. Any impairment assessed is added to the cost of proved properties being amortized.
Full-Cost Ceiling Test	Full-Cost Ceiling Test. At the end of each quarterly reporting period, the unamortized cost of oil and natural gas properties (including natural gas processing facilities, capitalized asset retirement obligations, net of related salvage values and deferred income taxes, and excluding the recognized asset retirement obligation liability) is limited to the sum of the estimated future net revenues from proved properties (excluding cash outflows from recognized asset retirement obligations, including future development and abandonment costs of wells to be drilled, using the preceding 12-months’ average price based on closing prices on the first day of each month, adjusted for price differentials, discounted at 10%, and the lower of cost or fair value of unproved properties) adjusted for related income tax effects (“Ceiling Test”).
	The calculations of the Ceiling Test and provision for DD&A are based on estimates of proved reserves. There are numerous uncertainties inherent in estimating quantities of proved reserves and in projecting the future rates of production, timing, and plan of development. The accuracy of any reserves estimate is a function of the quality of available data and of engineering and geological interpretation and judgment. Results of drilling, testing, and production subsequent to the date of the estimate may justify revision of such estimates. Accordingly, reserves estimates are often different from the quantities of oil and natural gas that are ultimately recovered.
	Due to the effects of pricing, timing of projects and changes in our reserves product mix, for the three months ended March 31, 2015, we reported a non-cash impairment write-down, on a before-tax basis, of $502.6 million on our oil and natural gas properties.
Revenue Recognition	Revenue Recognition. Oil and gas revenues are recognized when production is sold to a purchaser at a fixed or determinable price, when delivery has occurred and title has transferred, and if collectability of the revenue is probable. Swift Energy uses the entitlement method of accounting in which we recognize our ownership interest in production as revenue. If our sales exceed our ownership share of production, the natural gas balancing payables are reported in “Accounts payable and accrued liabilities” on the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets. Natural gas balancing receivables are reported in “Other current assets” on the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets when our ownership share of production exceeds sales. As of March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, we did not have any material natural gas imbalances.
Reclassification of Prior Period Balances	Reclassification of Prior Period Balances. Certain reclassifications have been made to prior period amounts to conform to the current-year presentation.
Accounts Receivable	Accounts Receivable. We assess the collectability of accounts receivable, and based on our judgment, we accrue a reserve when we believe a receivable may not be collected. At March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, we had an allowance for doubtful accounts of approximately $0.1 million. The allowance for doubtful accounts has been deducted from the total “Accounts receivable” balance on the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets.
Supervision Fees	Supervision Fees. Consistent with industry practice, we charge a supervision fee to the wells we operate including our wells in which we own up to a 100% working interest. Supervision fees are recorded as a reduction to “General and administrative, net”, on the accompanying condensed consolidated statements of operations. Our supervision fees are allocated to each well based on general and administrative costs incurred for well maintenance and support. The amount of supervision fees charged for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014 did not exceed our actual costs incurred. The total amount of supervision fees charged to the wells we operated were $2.7 million and $2.8 million for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively
Inventories	. Included in "Other current assets" on the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets are inventories which consist primarily of tubulars and other equipment and supplies that we expect to place in service in production operations.
Income Taxes	Income Taxes. Under guidance contained in FASB ASC 740-10, deferred taxes are determined based on the estimated future tax effects of differences between the financial statement and tax basis of assets and liabilities, given the provisions of the enacted tax laws.
	We follow the recognition and disclosure provisions under guidance contained in FASB ASC 740-10-25. Under this guidance, tax positions are evaluated for recognition using a more-likely-than-not threshold, and those tax positions requiring recognition are measured as the largest amount of tax benefit that is greater than fifty percent likely of being realized upon ultimate settlement with a taxing authority that has full knowledge of all relevant information. Our policy is to record interest and penalties relating to uncertain tax positions in income tax expense.
Accounts Payable and Accrued Liabilities	Accounts Payable and Accrued Liabilities. The “Accounts payable and accrued liabilities” balances on the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets are summarized below
Cash and Cash Equivalents	Cash and Cash Equivalents. We consider all highly liquid instruments with an initial maturity of three months or less to be cash equivalents. These amounts do not include cash balances that are contractually restricted.
Long-term Restricted Cash	Long-term Restricted Cash. Long-term restricted cash includes amounts held in escrow accounts to satisfy plugging and abandonment obligations. As of March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, these assets were approximately $1.0 million. These amounts are restricted as to their current use and will be released when we have satisfied all plugging and abandonment obligations in certain fields. These restricted cash balances are reported in “Other Long-Term Assets” on the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets.
Treasury Stock	Treasury Stock. Our treasury stock repurchases are reported at cost and are included “Treasury stock held, at cost" on the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets. When the Company reissues treasury stock the gains are recorded in "Additional paid-in capital" ("APIC") on the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets, while the losses are recorded to APIC to the extent that previous net gains on the reissuance of treasury stock are available to offset the losses. If the loss is larger than the previous gains available then the loss is recorded to "Retained earnings (Accumulated deficit)" on the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets.
New Accounting Pronouncements	New Accounting Pronouncements. In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-09, providing a comprehensive revenue recognition standard for contracts with customers that supersedes current revenue recognition guidance. The guidance is effective for annual and interim reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016 and upon adoption, entities are required to recognize revenue using the following five-step model: identify the contract with a customer, identify the performance obligations in the contract, determine the transaction price, allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract, and recognize revenue as the entity satisfies each performance obligation. Adoption of this standard could result in retrospective application, either in the form of recasting all prior periods presented or a cumulative adjustment to equity in the period of adoption. We are currently reviewing the new requirements to determine the impact of this guidance on our financial statements. On April 29, 2015, the FASB issued a proposal to defer the effective date until December 15, 2017.
	In April 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-03, providing guidance on the presentation of debt issuance costs. The guidance requires debt issuance costs related to our long-term debt to be presented on the balance sheet as a reduction of the carrying amount of the long-term debt. This guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2015 and for interim periods within those fiscal years, with early adoption permitted. It requires retrospective application and we plan to adopt this guidance beginning with the first quarter of 2016. We are currently reviewing the new requirements to determine the impact of this guidance on our financial statements.

ShareBased_Compensation_ShareB

Share-Based Compensation Share-Based Compensation (Policies)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Abstract]
Share-based Compensation, Option and Incentive Plans Policy	Share-Based Compensation
	We have various types of share-based compensation plans. Refer to our definitive proxy statement for our annual meeting of shareholders filed with the SEC on April 2, 2015, as well as Note 6 of our consolidated financial statements in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2014, for additional information related to these share-based compensation plans. We follow guidance contained in FASB ASC 718 to account for share-based compensation.
	We receive a tax deduction for certain stock option exercises during the period the stock options are exercised, generally for the excess of the market value on the exercise date over the exercise price of the stock option awards. We receive an additional tax deduction when restricted stock awards vest at a higher value than the value used to recognize compensation expense at the date of grant. We are required to report excess tax benefits from the award of equity instruments as financing cash flows.

Earnings_Per_Share_Earnings_Pe

Earnings Per Share Earnings Per Share (Policies)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Earnings Per Share, Policy	Earnings Per Share
	The Company computes earnings per share in accordance with FASB ASC 260-10. Basic earnings per share (“Basic EPS”) has been computed using the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during each period. Diluted earnings per share ("Diluted EPS") assumes, as of the beginning of the period, exercise of stock options and restricted stock grants using the treasury stock method. Diluted EPS also assumes conversion of performance-based restricted stock units to common shares based on the number of shares (if any) that would be issuable, according to predetermined performance and market goals, if the end of the reporting period was the end of the performance period. As we recognized a net loss for the three months ended March 31, 2015, the unvested share-based payments and stock options were not recognized in diluted earnings per share (“Diluted EPS”) calculations as they would be antidilutive. Certain of our stock options and restricted stock grants that would potentially dilute Basic EPS in the future were also antidilutive for the three months ended March 31, 2014, and are discussed below.

LongTerm_Debt_LongTerm_Debt_Po

Long-Term Debt Long-Term Debt (Policies)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
Debt Issuance Costs	Legal fees, accounting fees, underwriting fees, printing costs, and other direct expenses associated with extensions of our bank credit facility and public debt offerings were capitalized and are amortized on an effective interest basis over the life of each of the respective senior note offerings and credit facility.

PriceRisk_Management_PriceRisk1

Price-Risk Management Price-Risk Management (Policies)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]
Price-Risk Management Activities	The Company follows FASB ASC 815-10, which requires that changes in the derivative’s fair value are recognized in earnings. The changes in the fair value of our derivatives are recognized in "Price-risk management and other, net” on the accompanying condensed consolidated statements of operations. We have a price-risk management policy to use derivative instruments to protect against declines in oil and natural gas prices, mainly through the purchase of price swaps, floors, calls, collars and participating collars.

Fair_Value_Measurements_Fair_V

Fair Value Measurements Fair Value Disclosures (Policies)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]
Fair Value of Financial Instruments, Policy	Fair Value Measurements
	FASB ASC 820-10 defines fair value, establishes guidelines for measuring fair value and expands disclosure about fair value measurements. Our financial instruments consist of cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash, accounts receivable, accounts payable, bank borrowings, and senior notes. The carrying amounts of cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash, accounts receivable, and accounts payable approximate fair value due to the highly liquid or short-term nature of these instruments.

Asset_Retirement_Obligations_A1

Asset Retirement Obligations Asset Retirement Obligations (Policies)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Asset Retirement Obligation Disclosure [Abstract]
Asset Retirement Obligation	We record these obligations in accordance with the guidance contained in FASB ASC 410-20. This guidance requires entities to record the fair value of a liability for legal obligations associated with the retirement obligations of tangible long-lived assets in the period in which it is incurred. When the liability is initially recorded, the carrying amount of the related long-lived asset is increased. The liability is discounted from the expected date of abandonment. Over time, accretion of the liability is recognized each period, and the capitalized cost is depreciated on a unit-of-production basis as part of depreciation, depletion, and amortization expense for our oil and gas properties. Upon settlement of the liability, the Company either settles the obligation for its recorded amount or incurs a gain or loss upon settlement which is included in the “Property and Equipment” balance on our accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets. This guidance requires us to record a liability for the fair value of our dismantlement and abandonment costs, excluding salvage values.

Commitments_and_Contingencies_1

Commitments and Contingencies Commitments and Contingencies (Policies)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Commitments and Contingencies, Policy [Policy Text Block]	(11)           Commitments and Contingencies
	In January of 2015 the Company entered into a new eleven year lease agreement for office space in Houston, Texas. The operating lease commenced on March 1, 2015 and may be terminated after seven years. As of March 31, 2015, the minimum contractual obligations are approximately $25 million in the aggregate. We will amortize the total payments under the lease agreement on a straight-line basis over the term of the lease.
	We had no other material changes from amounts referenced under Note 5 in our Notes to consolidated financial statements from our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ending December 31, 2014.

Summary_of_Significant_Account2

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Property and Equipment	The following is a detailed breakout of our “Property and Equipment” balances:
	(in thousands)	March 31,			December 31,
		2015			2014
	Property and Equipment
	Proved oil and gas properties	$	5,850,175		$	5,826,995
	Unproved oil and gas properties	64,577			64,903
	Furniture, fixtures, and other equipment	44,088			42,257
	Less – Accumulated depreciation, depletion, and amortization	(4,402,460		)	(3,839,118		)
	Property and Equipment, Net	$	1,556,380		$	2,095,037
Accounts Payable and Accrued Liabilities	The “Accounts payable and accrued liabilities” balances on the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets are summarized below (in thousands):
		March 31,			December 31,
		2015			2014
	Trade accounts payable (1)	$	43,912		$	31,153
	Accrued operating expenses	7,699			10,784
	Accrued compensation costs	6,080			8,715
	Asset retirement obligation – current portion	6,879			10,709
	Accrued taxes	3,897			2,957
	Other payables	5,082			3,926
	Total accounts payable and accrued liabilities	$	73,549		$	68,244
	(1) Included in “trade accounts payable” are liabilities of approximately $35.7 million and $13.7 million at March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, respectively, for outstanding checks.

ShareBased_Compensation_Tables

Share-Based Compensation (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Abstract]
Restricted stock activity	The following table represents restricted stock award activity for the three months ended March 31, 2015:
		Shares		Wtd. Avg.
				Grant Price
	Restricted shares outstanding, beginning of period	1,414,012		$	14.81
	Restricted shares granted	313,600		$	3.05
	Restricted shares canceled	(177,556	)	$	14.63
	Restricted shares vested	(177,618	)	$	24.2
	Restricted shares outstanding, end of period	1,372,438		$	10.93
Restricted Stock Units Activity	The following table represents restricted stock unit activity for the three months ended March 31, 2015:
		Shares		Wtd. Avg.
				Grant Price
	Restricted stock units outstanding, beginning of period	374,950		$	13.36
	Restricted stock units granted	216,450		$	1.98
	Restricted stock units canceled	—		$	—
	Restricted stock units vested	—		$	—
	Restricted stock units outstanding, end of period	591,400		$	9.2

Earnings_Per_Share_Tables

Earnings Per Share (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Reconciliation of the numerators and denominators used in the calculation of Basic and Diluted EPS	The following is a reconciliation of the numerators and denominators used in the calculation of Basic and Diluted EPS for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014 (in thousands, except per share amounts):
		Three Months Ended March 31, 2015							Three Months Ended March 31, 2014
		Net Loss			Shares	Per Share			Net Income		Shares	Per Share
						Amount						Amount
	Basic EPS:
	Net Income and Share Amounts	$	(477,077	)	44,232	$	(10.79	)	$	5,442	43,628	$	0.12
	Dilutive Securities:
	Restricted Stock Awards				—						420
	Restricted Stock Units				—						70
	Diluted EPS:
	Net Income (Loss) and Assumed Share Conversions	$	(477,077	)	44,232	$	(10.79	)	$	5,442	44,118	$	0.12

LongTerm_Debt_Tables

Long-Term Debt (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
Long-term debt	Our long-term debt as of March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, was as follows (in thousands):
		March 31, 2015		December 31, 2014
	7.125% senior notes due in 2017	$	250,000	$	250,000
	8.875% senior notes due in 2020 (1)	222,863		222,775
	7.875% senior notes due in 2022 (1)	404,338		404,459
	Bank Borrowings due in 2017	247,000		197,300
	Long-Term Debt (1)	$	1,124,201	$	1,074,534
	(1) Amounts are shown net of any debt discount or premium

PriceRisk_Management_PriceRisk2

Price-Risk Management Price-Risk Management (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]
Schedule of Derivative Instruments	The following tables summarize the weighted average prices and future production volumes for our unsettled derivative contracts in place as of March 31, 2015:
	Natural Gas Basis Derivatives	Total Volumes (MMBtu)	Swap Fixed Price
	(East Texas Houston Ship Channel Settlements)
	2015 Contracts
	Swaps	4,900,000	$	(0.02	)

Fair_Value_Measurements_Tables

Fair Value Measurements (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]
Fair value of senior notes	Based upon quoted market prices as of March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, the fair value and carrying value of our senior notes was as follows (in millions):
		March 31, 2015				December 31, 2014
		Fair Value		Carrying Value		Fair Value		Carrying Value
	7.125% senior notes due in 2017	$	151.3	$	250	$	153	$	250
	8.875% senior notes due in 2020	$	92.2	$	222.9	$	133.1	$	222.8
	7.875% senior notes due in 2022	$	164	$	404.3	$	198	$	404.5
Fair value of plan assets	The following table presents our assets and liabilities that are measured at fair value as of March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, and are categorized using the fair value hierarchy. For additional discussion related to the fair value of the Company's derivatives, refer to Note 7 of these condensed consolidated financial statements. The fair value hierarchy has three levels based on the reliability of the inputs used to determine the fair value (in millions):
		Fair Value Measurements at
		Total Assets / (Liabilities)		Quoted Prices in		Significant Other		Significant
				Active markets for		Observable Inputs		Unobservable
				Identical Assets		(Level 2)		Inputs
				(Level 1)				(Level 3)
	March 31, 2015
	Assets:
	Natural Gas Basis Derivatives	$	0.2	$	—	$	0.2	$	—
	December 31, 2014
	Assets:
	Natural Gas Derivatives	2.4		—		2.4		—
	Natural Gas Basis Derivatives	0.1		—		0.1		—
	Liabilities:
	Natural Gas Basis Derivatives	0.1		—		0.1		—

Asset_Retirement_Obligations_A2

Asset Retirement Obligations Asset Retirement Obligations (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Asset Retirement Obligation Disclosure [Abstract]
Roll-forward of our asset retirement obligations	The following provides a roll-forward of our asset retirement obligation (in thousands):
		2015
	Asset Retirement Obligations recorded as of January 1	$	72,831
	Accretion expense	1,365
	Liabilities incurred for new wells and facilities construction	43
	Reductions due to sold and abandoned wells and facilities	(3,514		)
	Revisions in estimates	(215		)
	Asset Retirement Obligations as of March 31	$	70,510

Summary_of_Significant_Account3

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Details) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2015		Dec. 31, 2014
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Property and Equipment
Proved oil and gas properties	$5,850,175		$5,826,995
Unproved oil and gas properties	64,577		64,903
Furniture, fixtures, and other equipment	44,088		42,257
Less - Accumulated depreciation, depletion, and amortization	-4,402,460		-3,839,118
Property and Equipment, Net	1,556,380		2,095,037
Accounts Payable and Accrued Liabilities
Trade accounts payable	43,912	[1]	31,153	[1]
Accrued operating expenses	7,699		10,784
Accrued payroll costs	6,080		8,715
Asset retirement obligation - current portion	6,879		10,709
Accrued taxes	3,897		2,957
Other payables	5,082		3,926
Total accounts payable and accrued liabilities	$73,549		$68,244
[1]	Included in btrade accounts payableb are liabilities of approximately $35.7 million and $13.7 million at MarchB 31, 2015 and DecemberB 31, 2014, respectively, for outstanding checks.

Summary_of_Significant_Account4

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Details Textual) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2014
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Textual) [Abstract]
Total capitalized internal costs	$3,700,000	$7,100,000
Discount rate for estimated future net revenues from proved properties	10.00%
Write-down of oil and gas properties	502,569,000	0
Allowance for doubtful accounts receivable, current	100,000		100,000
Trade Accounts Receivable, Gross	24,700,000		34,800,000
Accounts receivable related to joint interest owners	17,400,000		8,400,000
Severance Tax Receivable	4,800,000		3,100,000
Other Receivables	2,800,000		2,200,000
Percentage of working interest in wells	100.00%
Total amount of supervision fees charged to wells	2,700,000	2,800,000
Inventories carried at cost	3,100,000		3,100,000
Prepaid Expense	4,700,000		3,900,000
Effective Income Tax Rate	14.30%
Outstanding checks included in trade accounts payable	35,700,000		13,700,000
Restricted cash and cash equivalents included in other long term assets	1,000,000		1,000,000
Treasury Stock Reissued at Lower than Repurchase Price	$4,900,000
Minimum [Member]
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Textual) [Abstract]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life	2 years
Maximum [Member]
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Textual) [Abstract]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life	20 years

ShareBased_Compensation_Detail

Share-Based Compensation (Details Textual) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Share-Based Compensation (Details Textual)
Tax shortfall in earnings related to share-based compensation	$1,200,000	$1,700,000
Stock-based compensation expenses	879,000	1,784,000
Share-based compensation (capitalized)	300,000	1,100,000
Remaining contract life of outstanding stock options.	4 years 6 months
Remaining contract life of exercisable stock option	4 years 6 months
Required stock price for payout on performance based restricted stock units	$5.22
Percent of payout for performance based restricted stock unit grants	100.00%
Restricted Stock Awards [Member]
Restricted stock activity
Restricted shares outstanding, beginning of period, shares	1,414,012
Restricted shares outstanding, beginning of period, weighted average price	$14.81
Restricted shares granted, shares	313,600
Restricted shares granted, weighted average price	$3.05
Restricted shares canceled, shares	-177,556
Restricted shares canceled, weighted average price	$14.63
Restricted shares vested, shares	-177,618
Restricted shares vested, weighted average price	$24.20
Restricted shares outstanding, end of period, shares	1,372,438
Restricted shares outstanding, end of period, weighted average price	$10.93
Share-Based Compensation (Details Textual)
Unrecognized compensation cost for stock grants	7,300,000
Weighted average remaining recognition period of cost for stock grants	1 year 8 months
Grant date fair value of shares vested	4,300,000
Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) [Member]
Restricted stock activity
Restricted shares outstanding, beginning of period, shares	374,950
Restricted shares outstanding, beginning of period, weighted average price	$13.36
Restricted shares granted, shares	216,450
Restricted shares granted, weighted average price	$1.98
Restricted shares canceled, shares	0
Restricted shares canceled, weighted average price	$0
Restricted shares vested, shares	0
Restricted shares vested, weighted average price	$0
Restricted shares outstanding, end of period, shares	591,400
Restricted shares outstanding, end of period, weighted average price	$9.20
Share-Based Compensation (Details Textual)
Unrecognized compensation cost for stock grants	1,300,000
Weighted average remaining recognition period of cost for stock grants	2 years 1 month
Restricted Stock Awards Vesting Term	3 years 0 months
Minimum [Member]
Share-Based Compensation (Details Textual)
Percent of payout for performance based restricted stock unit grants	0.00%
Restricted Stock Awards Vesting Term	1 year
Maximum Payout [Member]
Share-Based Compensation (Details Textual)
Percent of payout for performance based restricted stock unit grants	200.00%
Restricted Stock Awards Vesting Term	3 years
General and Administrative Expense [Member]
Share-Based Compensation (Details Textual)
Stock-based compensation expenses	800,000	1,600,000
Lease Operating Cost [Member]
Share-Based Compensation (Details Textual)
Stock-based compensation expenses	$100,000	$100,000

Earnings_Per_Share_Details

Earnings Per Share (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
In Thousands, except Share data, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2014
Basic EPS Two Class Method:
Net Income	($477,077)	$5,442	($283,427)
Income, share amounts	44,232,000	43,628,000
Earnings Per Share, Basic	($10.79)	$0.12
Dilutive Securities:
Dilutive RSA's, Shares	0	420,000
Dilutive RSU's, Shares	0	70,000
Diluted EPS:
Net Income (Loss) Available to Common Stockholders, Diluted	($477,077)	$5,442
Weighted Average Number of Shares Outstanding, Diluted	44,232,000	44,118,000
Earnings Per Share, Diluted	($10.79)	$0.12
Stock Options [Member]
Earnings Per Share (Textual)
Antidilutive shares excluded from EPS, shares	1,300,000	1,500,000
Restricted Stock [Member]
Earnings Per Share (Textual)
Antidilutive shares excluded from EPS, shares	700,000	400,000
Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) [Member]
Earnings Per Share (Textual)
Contingently Issuable Shares Not Included in Diluted EPS	1,200,000	700,000

LongTerm_Debt_Details

Long-Term Debt (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended			0 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015		Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2015		Jun. 01, 2007	Nov. 25, 2009	Oct. 03, 2012	1-May-15	Dec. 31, 2014		Nov. 30, 2011	Oct. 27, 2014
Bank Borrowings
Long-Term Debt	$1,124,201,000	[1]		$1,124,201,000	[1]					$1,074,534,000	[1]
Capitalized interest on our unproved properties	1,200,000		1,300,000
Interest expense including amortization of debt issuance costs	18,228,000		18,449,000
Senior Notes [Member] | Senior Notes Due 2017 [Member]
Bank Borrowings
Long-Term Debt	250,000,000			250,000,000						250,000,000
Long-term Debt, Maturities, Repayments of Principal in Year Three	250,000,000			250,000,000
Interest expense including amortization of debt issuance costs	4,600,000		4,600,000
Senior Notes
Senior notes, issued						250,000,000
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage						7.13%
Percentage at which senior notes are issued, of par value						100.00%
Debt Issuance Cost				1,200,000		4,200,000
Holder right to require company to repurchase notes at purchase price in cash						101.00%
Senior Notes [Member] | Senior Notes Due 2020 [Member]
Bank Borrowings
Long-Term Debt	222,863,000	[1]		222,863,000	[1]					222,775,000	[1]
Long-term Debt, Maturities, Repayments of Principal after Year Five	225,000,000			225,000,000
Interest expense including amortization of debt issuance costs	5,200,000		5,200,000
Senior Notes
Senior notes, issued							225,000,000
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage							8.88%
Original unamortized issuance discount on senior notes							3,600,000
Percentage at which senior notes are issued, of par value							98.39%
Effective Interest Rate On Senior Notes Including Discount							9.13%
Debt Issuance Cost				3,000,000			5,000,000
Holder right to require company to repurchase notes at purchase price in cash							101.00%
Senior Notes [Member] | Senior Notes Due 2022 [Member]
Bank Borrowings
Long-Term Debt	404,338,000	[1]		404,338,000	[1]					404,459,000	[1]
Long-term Debt, Maturities, Repayments of Principal after Year Five	400,000,000			400,000,000
Interest expense including amortization of debt issuance costs	7,900,000		7,900,000
Senior Notes
Senior notes, issued								400,000,000				250,000,000
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage								7.88%
Original unamortized issuance discount on senior notes												2,100,000
Percentage at which senior notes are issued, of par value												99.16%
Effective Interest Rate On Senior Notes Including Discount												8.00%
Percentage of maximum redemption of principal amount of notes								35.00%
Redemption of Debts with Net Proceeds of Qualifying Offerings at Price Above Principle Amount of Debts								107.88%
Debt Issuance Cost				5,800,000				7,500,000
Holder right to require company to repurchase notes at purchase price in cash								101.00%
Senior Notes [Member] | Additional Senior Notes Due 2022 [Member]
Senior Notes
Senior notes, issued								150,000,000
Percentage at which senior notes are issued, of par value								105.00%
Effective Interest Rate On Senior Notes Including Discount								6.99%
Debt Instrument, Unamortized Premium								7,500,000
Line of Credit [Member]
Bank Borrowings
Long-Term Debt	247,000,000			247,000,000						197,300,000
Line of Credit Facility, Current Borrowing Capacity													417,600,000
Line of Credit, Current Commitment Amount													417,600,000
Percentage of applicable margin with federal fund rate	0.50%
Percentage of applicable margin with LIBOR	1.00%
Lead bank's prime rate	3.25%
Maximum level of cash dividends in any fiscal year	15,000,000			15,000,000
Equity Restrictions	50,000,000			50,000,000
Line of Credit, Covenant, Working Capital Ratio, Minimum				1
Debt Instrument, Covenant, Working Capital Ratio, Company Actual				2.1
Debt Instrument, Covenant, Interest Coverage Ratio, Minimum				2.75
Debt Instrument, Covenant, Interest Coverage Ratio, Company Actual				4.1
Line of Credit, Required Security Interest on Oil and Gas Properties	75.00%
Interest expense including amortization of debt issuance costs	1,700,000		2,100,000
Commitment fees included in interest expense, net	200,000		200,000
Senior Notes
Debt Issuance Cost				2,100,000
Line of Credit [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Bank Borrowings
Commitment Fee Basis Points For The Credit Facility	0.38%
Line of Credit [Member] | Minimum [Member] | Alternative Base Interest Rate [Member]
Bank Borrowings
Debt instrument escalating basis spread on base rate	50
Line of Credit [Member] | Minimum [Member] | Eurodollar Interest Rate [Member]
Bank Borrowings
Debt Instrument Escalating Rates for Eurodollar Rate Loans	150
Line of Credit [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Bank Borrowings
Commitment Fee Basis Points For The Credit Facility	0.50%
Line of Credit [Member] | Maximum [Member] | Alternative Base Interest Rate [Member]
Bank Borrowings
Debt instrument escalating basis spread on base rate	150
Line of Credit [Member] | Maximum [Member] | Eurodollar Interest Rate [Member]
Bank Borrowings
Debt Instrument Escalating Rates for Eurodollar Rate Loans	250
Debt Instrument, Redemption, Period One [Member] | Senior Notes [Member] | Senior Notes Due 2017 [Member]
Senior Notes
Debt Instrument, Redemption Price, Percentage						101.19%
Debt Instrument, Redemption, Period One [Member] | Senior Notes [Member] | Senior Notes Due 2020 [Member]
Senior Notes
Debt Instrument, Redemption Price, Percentage							104.44%
Debt Instrument, Redemption, Period One [Member] | Senior Notes [Member] | Senior Notes Due 2022 [Member]
Senior Notes
Debt Instrument, Redemption Price, Percentage								103.94%
Debt Instrument, Redemption, Period Two [Member] | Senior Notes [Member] | Senior Notes Due 2017 [Member]
Senior Notes
Debt Instrument, Redemption Price, Percentage						100.00%
Debt Instrument, Redemption, Period Two [Member] | Senior Notes [Member] | Senior Notes Due 2020 [Member]
Senior Notes
Debt Instrument, Redemption Price, Percentage							100.00%
Debt Instrument, Redemption, Period Two [Member] | Senior Notes [Member] | Senior Notes Due 2022 [Member]
Senior Notes
Debt Instrument, Redemption Price, Percentage								100.00%
Subsequent Event [Member] | Line of Credit [Member]
Bank Borrowings
Number of syndicated banks									11
Line of Credit Facility, Current Borrowing Capacity									375,000,000
Line of Credit, Current Commitment Amount									$375,000,000
Line of Credit, Covenant, Liquidity Requirement									15.00%
Line of Credit, Covenant, Senior Secured Leverage Ratio, Minimum									3
Line of Credit, Covenant, Future Senior Secured Leverage Ratio, Minimum									2.5
Percentage of applicable margin with federal fund rate									0.50%
Percentage of applicable margin with LIBOR									1.00%
Debt Instrument, Covenant, Interest Coverage Ratio, Minimum									1.5
Subsequent Event [Member] | Line of Credit [Member] | Minimum [Member] | Alternative Base Interest Rate [Member]
Bank Borrowings
Debt instrument escalating basis spread on base rate									75
Subsequent Event [Member] | Line of Credit [Member] | Minimum [Member] | Eurodollar Interest Rate [Member]
Bank Borrowings
Debt Instrument Escalating Rates for Eurodollar Rate Loans									175
Subsequent Event [Member] | Line of Credit [Member] | Maximum [Member] | Alternative Base Interest Rate [Member]
Bank Borrowings
Debt instrument escalating basis spread on base rate									175
Subsequent Event [Member] | Line of Credit [Member] | Maximum [Member] | Eurodollar Interest Rate [Member]
Bank Borrowings
Debt Instrument Escalating Rates for Eurodollar Rate Loans									275
[1]	Amounts are shown net of any debt discount or premium

PriceRisk_Management_PriceRisk3

Price-Risk Management Price-Risk Management (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosures [Line Items]
Gain (Loss) on Price Risk Derivatives, Net	$0.30	($5.10)
Financial and Nonfinancial Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure	0.1
Derivative, Fair Value, Net	0.2
Year 2015 [Member] | Natural Gas Basis Derivative Contract [Member] | Basis Swap [Member]
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosures [Line Items]
Future Gas Production Hedged in MMBTU (Energy Item Type)	4,900,000
Derivative, Swap Type, Average Fixed Price	-0.02
Other Current Assets [Member]
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosures [Line Items]
Derivative Asset, Fair Value, Gross Asset	$0.20

Fair_Value_Measurements_Detail

Fair Value Measurements (Details) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2015	Jun. 01, 2007	Nov. 25, 2009	Oct. 03, 2012
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] | Natural Gas Derivative Contract [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Fair Value of Derivative Assets	$0
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] | Natural Gas Basis Derivative Contract [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Fair Value of Derivative Assets	0	0
Fair Value of Derivative Liabilities	0
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member] | Natural Gas Derivative Contract [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Fair Value of Derivative Assets	2.4
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member] | Natural Gas Basis Derivative Contract [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Fair Value of Derivative Assets	0.1	0.2
Fair Value of Derivative Liabilities	0.1
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member] | Natural Gas Derivative Contract [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Fair Value of Derivative Assets	0
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member] | Natural Gas Basis Derivative Contract [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Fair Value of Derivative Assets	0	0
Fair Value of Derivative Liabilities	0
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Estimate of Fair Value Measurement [Member] | Natural Gas Derivative Contract [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Fair Value of Derivative Assets	2.4
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Estimate of Fair Value Measurement [Member] | Natural Gas Basis Derivative Contract [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Fair Value of Derivative Assets	0.1	0.2
Fair Value of Derivative Liabilities	0.1
Senior Notes [Member] | Senior Notes Due 2017 [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Fair value of senior notes	153	151.3
Carrying value of senior notes	250	250
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage			7.13%
Senior Notes [Member] | Senior Notes Due 2020 [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Fair value of senior notes	133.1	92.2
Carrying value of senior notes	222.8	222.9
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage				8.88%
Senior Notes [Member] | Senior Notes Due 2022 [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Fair value of senior notes	198	164
Carrying value of senior notes	$404.50	$404.30
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage					7.88%

Asset_Retirement_Obligations_A3

Asset Retirement Obligations Asset Retirement Obligations (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Asset Retirement Obligation Disclosure [Abstract]
Asset Retirement Obligation recorded as of January 1	$72,831		$70,510
Accretion expense	1,365	1,386
Liabilities incurred for new wells and facilities construction	43
Reductions due to sold and abandoned wells	-3,514
Revisions in estimates	-215
Asset retirement obligation - current portion	$6,879			$10,709

Commitments_and_Contingencies_2

Commitments and Contingencies Commitments and Contingencies (Details Textual) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Lessee Leasing Arrangements, Operating Leases, Term of Contract	11 years
Operating Lease, Early Termination Option	7 years
Operating Leases, Future Minimum Payments Due	$25