Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

SCHEDULE I - PARENT COMPANY FINANCIAL STATEMENT- CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (Details)

v2.4.1.9
SCHEDULE I - PARENT COMPANY FINANCIAL STATEMENT- CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (Details) (USD $)
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Dec. 31, 2012
Dec. 31, 2011
Current assets:        
Cash and cash equivalents $ 69,051us-gaap_CashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue $ 130,529us-gaap_CashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue $ 130,800us-gaap_CashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue $ 137,139us-gaap_CashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue
Restricted cash 1,584us-gaap_RestrictedCashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue 12,366us-gaap_RestrictedCashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue    
Receivables:        
Other, net of allowance of $2.4 million in 2014, and zero in 2013 3,285us-gaap_OtherAssetsCurrent 4,435us-gaap_OtherAssetsCurrent    
Prepayments and other 6,509us-gaap_PrepaidExpenseAndOtherAssets 2,339us-gaap_PrepaidExpenseAndOtherAssets    
Total current assets 113,050us-gaap_AssetsCurrent 167,464us-gaap_AssetsCurrent    
Property and equipment - successful efforts method:        
Equipment and other 11,907us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentOther 6,831us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentOther    
Property, plant and equipment, gross, Total 397,838us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentGross 310,726us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentGross    
Accumulated depreciation, depletion and amortization (289,714)us-gaap_AccumulatedDepreciationDepletionAndAmortizationPropertyPlantAndEquipment (172,202)us-gaap_AccumulatedDepreciationDepletionAndAmortizationPropertyPlantAndEquipment    
Net property and equipment 108,124us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentNet 138,524us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentNet    
Other assets:        
Restricted cash 20,830us-gaap_RestrictedCashAndCashEquivalentsNoncurrent 830us-gaap_RestrictedCashAndCashEquivalentsNoncurrent    
Deferred tax asset 1,349us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsNetNoncurrent 1,349us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsNetNoncurrent    
Total Assets 248,849us-gaap_Assets 308,167us-gaap_Assets 267,956us-gaap_Assets  
Current liabilities:        
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities 38,540us-gaap_AccountsPayableAndAccruedLiabilitiesCurrent 42,561us-gaap_AccountsPayableAndAccruedLiabilitiesCurrent    
Total current liabilities 38,540us-gaap_LiabilitiesCurrent 45,829us-gaap_LiabilitiesCurrent    
Long term debt 15,000us-gaap_LongTermDebtNoncurrent      
Total liabilities 68,386us-gaap_Liabilities 57,293us-gaap_Liabilities    
VAALCO Energy Inc. shareholders’ equity:        
Common stock, $0.10 par value, 100,000,000 authorized shares, 65,194,828 and 64,012,914 shares issued with 7,393,714 and 7,162,573 shares in treasury at Dec. 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively 6,519us-gaap_CommonStockValue 6,408us-gaap_CommonStockValue    
Additional paid-in capital 64,351us-gaap_AdditionalPaidInCapitalCommonStock 55,455us-gaap_AdditionalPaidInCapitalCommonStock    
Retained earnings 146,892us-gaap_RetainedEarningsAccumulatedDeficit 224,442us-gaap_RetainedEarningsAccumulatedDeficit    
Less treasury stock, at cost (37,299)us-gaap_TreasuryStockValue (35,431)us-gaap_TreasuryStockValue    
Total Equity 180,463us-gaap_StockholdersEquityIncludingPortionAttributableToNoncontrollingInterest 250,874us-gaap_StockholdersEquityIncludingPortionAttributableToNoncontrollingInterest 212,525us-gaap_StockholdersEquityIncludingPortionAttributableToNoncontrollingInterest 233,067us-gaap_StockholdersEquityIncludingPortionAttributableToNoncontrollingInterest
Total Liabilities and Equity 248,849us-gaap_LiabilitiesAndStockholdersEquity 308,167us-gaap_LiabilitiesAndStockholdersEquity    
VAALCO ENERGY, INC.        
Current assets:        
Cash and cash equivalents 3,780us-gaap_CashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
8,605us-gaap_CashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
26,801us-gaap_CashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
54,273us-gaap_CashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
Restricted cash   10,000us-gaap_RestrictedCashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
   
Receivables:        
Other, net of allowance of $2.4 million in 2014, and zero in 2013 264us-gaap_OtherAssetsCurrent
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
7us-gaap_OtherAssetsCurrent
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
   
Prepayments and other 505us-gaap_PrepaidExpenseAndOtherAssets
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
89us-gaap_PrepaidExpenseAndOtherAssets
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
   
Total current assets 4,549us-gaap_AssetsCurrent
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
18,701us-gaap_AssetsCurrent
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
   
Property and equipment - successful efforts method:        
Equipment and other 1,316us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentOther
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
500us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentOther
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
   
Property, plant and equipment, gross, Total 1,316us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentGross
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
500us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentGross
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
   
Accumulated depreciation, depletion and amortization (442)us-gaap_AccumulatedDepreciationDepletionAndAmortizationPropertyPlantAndEquipment
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
(348)us-gaap_AccumulatedDepreciationDepletionAndAmortizationPropertyPlantAndEquipment
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
   
Net property and equipment 874us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentNet
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
152us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentNet
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
   
Other assets:        
Restricted cash 10,000us-gaap_RestrictedCashAndCashEquivalentsNoncurrent
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
     
Deferred tax asset 1,349us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsNetNoncurrent
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
1,349us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsNetNoncurrent
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
   
Investment in Subsidiaries 166,232us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestments
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
233,061us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestments
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
   
Total Assets 183,004us-gaap_Assets
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
253,263us-gaap_Assets
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
   
Current liabilities:        
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities 2,541us-gaap_AccountsPayableAndAccruedLiabilitiesCurrent
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
2,389us-gaap_AccountsPayableAndAccruedLiabilitiesCurrent
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
   
Total current liabilities 2,541us-gaap_LiabilitiesCurrent
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
2,389us-gaap_LiabilitiesCurrent
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
   
Total liabilities 2,541us-gaap_Liabilities
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
2,389us-gaap_Liabilities
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
   
VAALCO Energy Inc. shareholders’ equity:        
Common stock, $0.10 par value, 100,000,000 authorized shares, 65,194,828 and 64,012,914 shares issued with 7,393,714 and 7,162,573 shares in treasury at Dec. 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively 6,519us-gaap_CommonStockValue
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
6,408us-gaap_CommonStockValue
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
   
Additional paid-in capital 64,351us-gaap_AdditionalPaidInCapitalCommonStock
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
55,455us-gaap_AdditionalPaidInCapitalCommonStock
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
   
Retained earnings 146,892us-gaap_RetainedEarningsAccumulatedDeficit
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
224,442us-gaap_RetainedEarningsAccumulatedDeficit
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
   
Less treasury stock, at cost (37,299)us-gaap_TreasuryStockValue
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
(35,431)us-gaap_TreasuryStockValue
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
   
Total Equity 180,463us-gaap_StockholdersEquityIncludingPortionAttributableToNoncontrollingInterest
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
250,874us-gaap_StockholdersEquityIncludingPortionAttributableToNoncontrollingInterest
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
   
Total Liabilities and Equity $ 183,004us-gaap_LiabilitiesAndStockholdersEquity
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
$ 253,263us-gaap_LiabilitiesAndStockholdersEquity
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember