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

Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Commitments and Contingencies (Narrative) (Details)

Commitments and Contingencies (Narrative) (Details) $ in Thousands	1 Months Ended			12 Months Ended
	Oct. 31, 2019 USD ($)	Jan. 31, 2019 USD ($)	Apr. 30, 2018 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2019 USD ($) $ / d $ / Boe item bbl	Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($)	Mar. 09, 2020 item	Jul. 31, 2019 USD ($)	Sep. 25, 2018 USD ($)
Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
Liabilities, guarantees' fair value				$ 400	$ 300
Production license agreement term extended by government				5 years
Abandonment Funding				$ 11,371	11,571
Charter fee for production up to 20,000 BOPD \| $ / Boe				0.93
Charter fee amount threshold \| bbl				20,000
Charter fee for those bbls produced in excess of 20,000 BOPD \| $ / Boe				2.50
Company's share of charter expense				$ 12,100	10,800	$ 12,800
Estimated costs of technical studies				1,300
Estimated costs of technical studies, net				400
Loss contingency								$ 4,400
Accrued liabilities and other				$ 29,773	14,138
Payment of other taxes		$ 1,300
Gabon Tax Authority [Member]
Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
Tax examination settlement payment			$ 200
Tax penalties			$ 200
Potential Fees From Customs Audits [Member]
Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
Accrued liabilities and other					1,300
Gabon [Member]
Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
Discount				15.00%
Contractual obligation				$ 1,200	$ 1,100	$ 1,200			$ 21,800
Number of drilled wells required by agreement \| item				2
Number of appraisal wells required by agreement \| item				2
Accrued liabilities, end of drilling activities, gross amount				$ 5,000
Accrued liabilities, end of drilling activities				$ 1,700
Number of technical studies required \| item				2
Payment of joint venture audit settlement	$ 1,100			$ 4,400
Additional percent of revenue for provisions				1.00%
Percent of investment cost which are cost recoverable					75.00%
Gabon [Member] \| Gabon DMO [Member]
Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
Contractual obligation				$ 1,100	$ 1,200
Gabon [Member] \| PID And PIH [Member]
Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
Contractual obligation				$ 2,200	$ 1,900
Etame Field [Member]
Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
Production license agreement term extended by government				5 years
Number of drilled wells required by agreement \| item				2
Number of appraisal wells required by agreement \| item				2
Number of optional wells to drill \| item				4
Number of optional well workovers \| item				3
Day rate of drilling rig contract \| $ / d				75,000
Number of contract extension periods \| item				2
Etame Field [Member] \| Subsequent Event [Member]
Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of remaining well workovers \| item							2
Full Charter Payment [Member]
Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
Contractual obligation				$ 56,275
Abandonment cost related to annual funding				61,800
Full Charter Payment [Member] \| Offshore Gabon [Member]
Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
Abandonment funding				36,700
VAALCO ENERGY, INC. [Member]
Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
Contractual obligation				17,477
VAALCO ENERGY, INC. [Member] \| Offshore Gabon [Member]
Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
Abandonment funding				11,400
VAALCO ENERGY, INC. [Member] \| Full Charter Payment [Member]
Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
Abandonment cost related to annual funding				$ 19,200
Maximum [Member] \| Etame Field [Member]
Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
Drilling commitment period				1 year