Condensed Consolidating Financial Information - Condensed Consolidating Statements of Operations of SandRidge Energy, Inc. and Wholly Owned Subsidiary Guarantors and Non-Guarantors (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions
Total revenues	$ 215,308us-gaap_Revenues	$ 443,056us-gaap_Revenues
Expenses
Direct operating expenses	114,946us-gaap_DirectOperatingCosts	143,125us-gaap_DirectOperatingCosts
General and administrative	36,149us-gaap_GeneralAndAdministrativeExpense	38,538us-gaap_GeneralAndAdministrativeExpense
Depreciation, depletion, amortization and accretion	120,534	136,453
Impairment	1,083,866us-gaap_AssetImpairmentCharges	164,779us-gaap_AssetImpairmentCharges
(Gain) loss on derivative contracts	(49,827)	42,491
Gain on sale of assets	(1,904)	(19)
Total expenses	1,303,764us-gaap_CostsAndExpenses	525,386us-gaap_CostsAndExpenses
Loss from operations	(1,088,456)us-gaap_OperatingIncomeLoss	(82,330)us-gaap_OperatingIncomeLoss
Equity earnings from subsidiaries	0sd_NetIncomeLossFromSubsidiaries	0sd_NetIncomeLossFromSubsidiaries
Interest (expense) income	(62,842)us-gaap_InterestIncomeExpenseNet	(62,043)us-gaap_InterestIncomeExpenseNet
Other (expense) income, net	(536)us-gaap_OtherNonoperatingIncomeExpense	2,094us-gaap_OtherNonoperatingIncomeExpense
Loss before income taxes	(1,151,834)	(142,279)
Income tax expense	40us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit	127us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit
Net loss	(1,151,874)us-gaap_ProfitLoss	(142,406)us-gaap_ProfitLoss
Less: net loss attributable to noncontrolling interest	(116,921)	(6,070)
Net loss attributable to SandRidge Energy, Inc.	(1,034,953)us-gaap_NetIncomeLoss	(136,336)us-gaap_NetIncomeLoss
Parent
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions
Total revenues	0	0
Expenses
Direct operating expenses	0	0
General and administrative	56	148
Depreciation, depletion, amortization and accretion	0	0
Impairment	0	0
(Gain) loss on derivative contracts	0	0
Gain on sale of assets	0
Total expenses	56	148
Loss from operations	(56)	(148)
Equity earnings from subsidiaries	(972,071)	(73,985)
Interest (expense) income	(62,826)	(62,186)
Other (expense) income, net	0	0
Loss before income taxes	(1,034,953)	(136,319)
Income tax expense	0	17
Net loss	(1,034,953)	(136,336)
Less: net loss attributable to noncontrolling interest	0	0
Net loss attributable to SandRidge Energy, Inc.	(1,034,953)	(136,336)
Guarantors
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions
Total revenues	192,520	379,050
Expenses
Direct operating expenses	112,117	138,402
General and administrative	35,219	36,947
Depreciation, depletion, amortization and accretion	109,853	120,577
Impairment	903,235	122,466
(Gain) loss on derivative contracts	(44,109)	34,102
Gain on sale of assets	(1,900)
Total expenses	1,114,415	452,494
Loss from operations	(921,895)	(73,444)
Equity earnings from subsidiaries	(49,621)	(2,777)
Interest (expense) income	(16)	143
Other (expense) income, net	(539)	2,093
Loss before income taxes	(972,071)	(73,985)
Income tax expense	0	0
Net loss	(972,071)	(73,985)
Less: net loss attributable to noncontrolling interest	0	0
Net loss attributable to SandRidge Energy, Inc.	(972,071)	(73,985)
Non-Guarantors
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions
Total revenues	22,796	64,093
Expenses
Direct operating expenses	2,837	4,810
General and administrative	874	1,443
Depreciation, depletion, amortization and accretion	10,681	15,876
Impairment	180,631	42,313
(Gain) loss on derivative contracts	(5,718)	8,389
Gain on sale of assets	(4)
Total expenses	189,301	72,831
Loss from operations	(166,505)	(8,738)
Equity earnings from subsidiaries	0	0
Interest (expense) income	0	0
Other (expense) income, net	3	1
Loss before income taxes	(166,502)	(8,737)
Income tax expense	40	110
Net loss	(166,542)	(8,847)
Less: net loss attributable to noncontrolling interest	0	0
Net loss attributable to SandRidge Energy, Inc.	(166,542)	(8,847)
Eliminations
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions
Total revenues	(8)	(87)
Expenses
Direct operating expenses	(8)	(87)
General and administrative	0	0
Depreciation, depletion, amortization and accretion	0	0
Impairment	0	0
(Gain) loss on derivative contracts	0	0
Gain on sale of assets	0
Total expenses	(8)	(87)
Loss from operations	0	0
Equity earnings from subsidiaries	1,021,692	76,762
Interest (expense) income	0	0
Other (expense) income, net	0	0
Loss before income taxes	1,021,692	76,762
Income tax expense	0	0
Net loss	1,021,692	76,762
Less: net loss attributable to noncontrolling interest	(116,921)	(6,070)
Net loss attributable to SandRidge Energy, Inc.	$ 1,138,613	$ 82,832

Condensed Consolidating Financial Information - Condensed Consolidating Statements of Operations of SandRidge Energy, Inc. and Wholly Owned Subsidiary Guarantors and Non-Guarantors (Details) (USD $)
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified