VAALCO Energy, Inc. Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Commitments and Contingencies - Additional Information (Detail)

Commitments and Contingencies - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	0 Months Ended		3 Months Ended		12 Months Ended	0 Months Ended	1 Months Ended
	Oct. 31, 2014	Jul. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2014 Rigs	Apr. 30, 2014 Well	Dec. 31, 2010	Nov. 30, 2006 acre Well	Dec. 31, 2013	Apr. 19, 2015
Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of drilling rigs contracts					2egy_NumberOfDrillingRigsContracts
Drilling rig commitment period	2016-07
Drilling rig cost day rate	$ 168,000egy_DrillingRigDailyRate	$ 338,000egy_DrillingRigDailyRate	$ 7,600,000egy_DrillingRigDailyRate		$ 25,800,000egy_DrillingRigDailyRate
Remaining commitment of drilling activity			21,200,000
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 an exploration well on the Kindele prospect, a post-salt objective on Block 5, offshore Angola. The drilling rig provided a forty-five day commitment at a day rate of approximately $338,000 on a gross basis. The Company’s share of the initial total commitment related to this rig is $7.6 million. The well began drilling in the first quarter of 2015.
Second drilling rig contract commitment period		45 days
Allowance for accounts with partners			7,600,000		7,600,000
Recorded restricted cash			15,830,000		20,830,000
Exploration expense			27,459,000us-gaap_ExplorationExpense	11,323,000us-gaap_ExplorationExpense
Dry hole costs and impairment loss on unproved leasehold			27,222,000	10,505,000
Asset retirement obligations			15,290,000		14,846,000
Subsequent Exploration Phase
Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of exploration wells			4
Well One \| Subsequent Exploration Phase
Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
Total assessment of the exploration			10,000,000
Assessment net to VAALCO			5,000,000
Well Two \| Subsequent Exploration Phase
Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
Total assessment of the exploration			10,000,000
Assessment net to VAALCO			5,000,000
Well Three \| Subsequent Exploration Phase
Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
Total assessment of the exploration			10,000,000
Assessment net to VAALCO			5,000,000
Well Four \| Subsequent Exploration Phase
Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
Total assessment of the exploration			10,000,000
Assessment net to VAALCO			5,000,000
Offshore Gabon
Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
Annual funding related to production license, term				10 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		4,200,000
Cash funding arrangement for abandonment of the offshore wells, platforms and facilities net	2,300,000		1,200,000
Abandonment cost related to annual funding			10,100,000
Angola
Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
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
Number of exploration wells								2
Extended drilling period							1 year
Allowance for accounts with partners						7,600,000
Uncertainty of collection partners interest									7,600,000
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
Production license agreement term extended by government	3 years
Recorded restricted cash			15,000,000
Decrease in restricted cash			5,000,000
Exploration expense			24,500,000
Dry hole costs and impairment loss on unproved leasehold			2,700,000
Angola \| Seismic Obligation
Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
Length of acquired property	600
Angola \| Two New Commitments \| Subsequent Exploration Phase
Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
Recorded restricted cash					10,000,000
Subsequent Event
Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
Remaining commitment of drilling activity										$ 0