VAALCO Energy, Inc. Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Commitments and Contingencies - Additional Information (Detail)

Commitments and Contingencies - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	0 Months Ended		12 Months Ended			3 Months Ended		1 Months Ended			3 Months Ended	48 Months Ended
	Oct. 31, 2014	Jul. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2014 Rigs	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2010	Nov. 30, 2006 Well	Jan. 31, 2007 sqkm	Dec. 31, 2008 sqkm	Nov. 01, 2010 sqkm
Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
Period of Charter					2 years
Company s share of the charter payment					28.10%egy_PercentageOfShareInCharterPayment
Liabilities, guarantees' fair value			$ 1,000,000	$ 1,100,000
Charter fee for production up to 20,000 BOPD			0.93	0.25
Charter fee for those bbls produced in excess of 20,000 BOPD			2.50
Company's share of charter expense			11,800,000egy_CharterExpenses	10,400,000egy_CharterExpenses	9,700,000egy_CharterExpenses
Number of drilling rigs contracts			2egy_NumberOfDrillingRigsContracts
Drilling rig commitment period	2016-07
Drilling rig cost day rate	168,000egy_DrillingRigDailyRate	338,000egy_DrillingRigDailyRate	25,800,000egy_DrillingRigDailyRate
Second drilling rig contract expected well drilling period			The second drilling rig contract was signed in July 2014 for a semi-submersible rig to drill the exploration well on the Kindele prospect, a post-salt objective. The well began drilling in the first quarter of 2015. The drilling rig provides a forty-five day commitment at a day rate of approximately $338,000. The total commitment related to this rig is $15.2 million
Second drilling rig contract commitment period		45 days
Rent expense, operating leases			4,000,000us-gaap_LeaseOperatingExpense	4,100,000us-gaap_LeaseOperatingExpense	4,400,000us-gaap_LeaseOperatingExpense
Scenario, Forecast
Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
Drilling rig cost day rate						15,200,000
Subsequent Exploration Phase
Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of exploration wells	4
Recorded restricted cash			20,000,000
Subsequent Exploration Phase \| Well One
Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
Total assessment of the exploration			10,000,000
Assessment net to VAALCO			5,000,000
Subsequent Exploration Phase \| Well Two
Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
Total assessment of the exploration			10,000,000
Assessment net to VAALCO			5,000,000
Subsequent Exploration Phase \| Well Three
Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
Total assessment of the exploration			10,000,000
Assessment net to VAALCO			5,000,000
Subsequent Exploration Phase \| Well Four
Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
Total assessment of the exploration			10,000,000
Assessment net to VAALCO			5,000,000
Gabon
Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
Discount			25.00%
Contractual Obligation Company Share			3,300,000	3,000,000	3,700,000
Contractual Obligation accrued amount			2,700,000
Offshore Gabon
Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
Annual funding related to production license, term							7 years
Percentage of annual funding over seven years							12.14%
Percentage of annual funding over last three years							5.00%
Cash funding arrangement for abandonment of the offshore wells, platforms and facilities			8,400,000
Cash funding arrangement for abandonment of the offshore wells, platforms and facilities net			2,300,000
Abandonment cost related to annual funding			10,100,000
Offshore Gabon \| Scenario, Forecast
Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
Cash funding arrangement for abandonment of the offshore wells, platforms and facilities						4,200,000
Cash funding arrangement for abandonment of the offshore wells, platforms and facilities net						1,200,000
Angola
Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of exploration wells									2
Cost related to drilling									29,500,000
Area under acquire property exploration rights agreement term				1,400,000
Joint operation agreement related to third party in working interest percentage									40.00%
Additional joint operation agreement related to third party in working interest percentage									10.00%
Production license agreement term									4 years
Production license agreement term extended by government									3 years
Drilling cost to company									14,800,000
Extended drilling period								1 year
Percentage of working interest for amounts owned				40.00%
Exploration activities new expiry date	Nov. 30, 2017
Number of additional exploration wells due to exploration period extension	2
Recorded restricted cash			20,000,000
Number of well satisfying well obligation			1
Decrease in restricted cash			5,000,000
Angola \| Seismic Obligation
Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
Length of acquired property										1,175	524	1,000
Seismic obligation cost to company										3,750,000	3,000,000
Cost related to seismic obligation, gross										7,500,000	6,000,000
Angola \| Subsequent Exploration Phase \| Two New Commitments
Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
Recorded restricted cash			$ 10,000,000