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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $) | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2014 Well | Dec. 31, 2013 | Dec. 31, 2012
Property Plant And Equipment [Line Items] |  |  |
Company's bank guarantees for customs clearance | $ 1,600,000 egy_BankGuaranteesForCustomsClearance |  |
Company's charter payment escrow | 800,000 us-gaap_EscrowDeposit | 800,000 us-gaap_EscrowDeposit |
Funds restricted to secure the Company's drilling obligation | 10,000,000 egy_FundSecureForDrillingObligations | 10,000,000 egy_FundSecureForDrillingObligations |
Funds secure for well obligations | 10,000,000 egy_FundsSecureForWellObligations |  |
Number of additional well obligations | 2 egy_NumberOfAdditionalWellObligations |  |
Date of maturity of certificates of deposit and commercial paper | not exceeding 90 days |  |
Gains or Loss on foreign currency transactions | (700,000)us-gaap_ForeignCurrencyTransactionGainLossBeforeTax | (100,000)us-gaap_ForeignCurrencyTransactionGainLossBeforeTax | 400,000 us-gaap_ForeignCurrencyTransactionGainLossBeforeTax
Bad debt expenses | 2,400,000 us-gaap_ProvisionForDoubtfulAccounts | 1,562,000 us-gaap_ProvisionForDoubtfulAccounts | 1,621,000 us-gaap_ProvisionForDoubtfulAccounts
Vaalco International |  |  |
Property Plant And Equipment [Line Items] |  |  |
Company acquired the noncontrolling interest amount |  |  | $ 26,200,000 egy_PaymentToAcquireNoncontrollingInterest / us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis = egy_VaalcoInternationalMember
Noncontrolling interest owned issued and outstanding common stock |  |  | 9.99%egy_NoncontrollingInterestOwnershipPercentageBeforeAcquisition / us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis = egy_VaalcoInternationalMember

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- Definition Fund secure for drilling obligations. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Funds secure for well obligations. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Number of additional well obligations. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition The designation of funds furnished by a borrower to a lender to assure future payments of the borrower's real estate taxes and insurance obligations with respect to a mortgaged property. Escrow deposits may be made for a variety of other purposes such as earnest money and contingent payments. This element excludes replacement reserves which are an escrow separately provided for within the US GAAP taxonomy. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 942 -SubTopic 210 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.9-03.10) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6876686&loc=d3e534808-122878 + Details
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- Definition Amount before tax of foreign currency transaction realized and unrealized gain (loss) recognized in the income statement. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 830 -SubTopic 20 -Section 45 -Paragraph 1 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6450189&loc=d3e30690-110894 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 830 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6450222&loc=d3e30840-110895 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 830 -SubTopic 20 -Section 45 -Paragraph 2 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6450189&loc=d3e30700-110894 + Details
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- Definition Amount of expense related to write-down of receivables to the amount expected to be collected. Includes, but is not limited to, accounts receivable and notes receivable. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 230 -SubTopic 10 -Section 45 -Paragraph 28 -Subparagraph (a) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=31042434&loc=d3e3602-108585 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 225 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 2 -Subparagraph (SX 210.5-03.5) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=26872669&loc=d3e20235-122688 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher SEC -Name Regulation S-X (SX) -Number 210 -Section 03 -Paragraph 5 -Article 5 + Details
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