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COMMITMENTS, CONTINGENCIES AND OTHER (Details) (USD $) | 12 Months Ended |  |
--- | --- | --- | ---
Dec. 31, 2014 | Dec. 31, 2013 | Dec. 31, 2012 | Jan. 21, 2014 acre | May 07, 2014 acre
Water Rights Litigation Mt. Emmons Project [Abstract] |  |  |  |  |
Period for proposal submission | 6 years |  |  |  |
Gas and Oil Acreage [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Gross acres acquired in acquisition (in acres) |  |  |  | 160 us-gaap_GasAndOilAreaDevelopedGross |
Working interest percentage (in hundredths) |  |  |  | 50.00%useg_WorkingInterest |
401(K) Plan [Abstract] |  |  |  |  |
Matching percentage on an employee's salary deferrals (in hundredths) | 50.00%us-gaap_DefinedContributionPlanMaximumAnnualContributionsPerEmployeePercent |  |  |  |
Maximum matching on an employee's salary deferrals | $ 4,000 us-gaap_DefinedContributionPlanMaximumAnnualContributionsPerEmployeeAmount |  |  |  |
401 (k) expense | 48,000 us-gaap_DefinedContributionPlanCostRecognized | 46,000 us-gaap_DefinedContributionPlanCostRecognized | 54,000 us-gaap_DefinedContributionPlanCostRecognized |  |
Assumptions [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Health insurance pay period for executive and his spouse | 18 months |  |  |  |
Leases, Operating [Abstract] |  |  |  |  |
Operating leases minimum payments receivable monthly | 5,000 useg_OperatingLeasesMinimumPaymentsReceivableMonthly |  |  |  |
Rental income under the agreements | 95,000 us-gaap_OperatingLeasesIncomeStatementLeaseRevenue | 96,000 us-gaap_OperatingLeasesIncomeStatementLeaseRevenue | 170,000 us-gaap_OperatingLeasesIncomeStatementLeaseRevenue |  |
Future minimum receipts for non-cancelable operating leases | 76,000 us-gaap_OperatingLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsReceivableCurrent |  |  |  |
Executive Officers [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Assumptions [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Percentage of payment as received by executive under Retirement Plan conditions (in hundredths) | 50.00%useg_PercentageOfPaymentAsReceivedByExecutiveUnderRetirementPlanConditions / us-gaap_TitleOfIndividualAxis = us-gaap_ExecutiveOfficerMember |  |  |  |
Period used to compute supplemental retirement salary | 5 years |  |  |  |
Minimum years of service for eligibility in plan | 15 years |  |  |  |
Minimum age requirement | 60 years |  |  |  |
Value of executive retirement account funded | 1,300,000 us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanAssetsForPlanBenefitsCurrentAndNoncurrent / us-gaap_TitleOfIndividualAxis = us-gaap_ExecutiveOfficerMember |  |  |  |
Compensation expense | 599,000 us-gaap_DeferredCompensationArrangementWithIndividualCompensationExpense / us-gaap_TitleOfIndividualAxis = us-gaap_ExecutiveOfficerMember | 99,000 us-gaap_DeferredCompensationArrangementWithIndividualCompensationExpense / us-gaap_TitleOfIndividualAxis = us-gaap_ExecutiveOfficerMember | 80,000 us-gaap_DeferredCompensationArrangementWithIndividualCompensationExpense / us-gaap_TitleOfIndividualAxis = us-gaap_ExecutiveOfficerMember |  |
Accrued liability for executive retirement | 1,300,000 us-gaap_DeferredCompensationArrangementWithIndividualRecordedLiability / us-gaap_TitleOfIndividualAxis = us-gaap_ExecutiveOfficerMember | 865,000 us-gaap_DeferredCompensationArrangementWithIndividualRecordedLiability / us-gaap_TitleOfIndividualAxis = us-gaap_ExecutiveOfficerMember | 903,000 us-gaap_DeferredCompensationArrangementWithIndividualRecordedLiability / us-gaap_TitleOfIndividualAxis = us-gaap_ExecutiveOfficerMember |  |
Shares authorized under the plan per each officer (in shares) |  | 20,000 us-gaap_DeferredCompensationArrangementWithIndividualSharesAuthorizedForIssuance / us-gaap_TitleOfIndividualAxis = us-gaap_ExecutiveOfficerMember |  |  |
Shares issued under the plan (in shares) |  | 30,000 us-gaap_DeferredCompensationArrangementWithIndividualSharesIssued / us-gaap_TitleOfIndividualAxis = us-gaap_ExecutiveOfficerMember | 60,000 us-gaap_DeferredCompensationArrangementWithIndividualSharesIssued / us-gaap_TitleOfIndividualAxis = us-gaap_ExecutiveOfficerMember |  |
Former CFO/Treasurer/V.P. Finance [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Assumptions [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Distributions paid | 122,000 us-gaap_DeferredCompensationArrangementWithIndividualDistributionsPaid / us-gaap_TitleOfIndividualAxis = useg_FormerCfoTreasurerVPFinanceMember | 122,000 us-gaap_DeferredCompensationArrangementWithIndividualDistributionsPaid / us-gaap_TitleOfIndividualAxis = useg_FormerCfoTreasurerVPFinanceMember | 122,000 us-gaap_DeferredCompensationArrangementWithIndividualDistributionsPaid / us-gaap_TitleOfIndividualAxis = useg_FormerCfoTreasurerVPFinanceMember |  |
Former President/COO [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Assumptions [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Annual payment | $ 152,000 useg_DeferredCompensationArrangementWithIndividualAnnualPayment / us-gaap_TitleOfIndividualAxis = useg_FormerPresidentCOOMember |  |  |  |
Dimmit Wood Properties Ltd [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Gas and Oil Acreage [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Gross acres acquired in acquisition (in acres) | 800.77 us-gaap_GasAndOilAreaDevelopedGross / dei_LegalEntityAxis = useg_DimmitWoodPropertiesLtdMember |  |  |  | 12,100 us-gaap_GasAndOilAreaDevelopedGross / dei_LegalEntityAxis = useg_DimmitWoodPropertiesLtdMember
Working interest percentage (in hundredths) | 30.00%useg_WorkingInterest / dei_LegalEntityAxis = useg_DimmitWoodPropertiesLtdMember |  |  |  |

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- Definition A percentage of ownership in an oil and gas lease granting its owner the right to explore, drill and produce oil and gas from a tract of property. Working interest owners are obligated to pay a corresponding percentage of the cost of leasing, drilling, producing and operating a well or unit. After royalties are paid, the working interest also entitles its owner to share in production revenues with other working interest owners, based on the percentage of working interest owned. + References No definition available. + Details
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