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

Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Crude Oil and Natural Gas Properties and Equipment (Narrative) (Details)

Crude Oil and Natural Gas Properties and Equipment (Narrative) (Details)						1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Jun. 20, 2026	Apr. 12, 2021	Feb. 25, 2021	Sep. 26, 2018 USD ($)	Sep. 17, 2018 USD ($) item	Sep. 30, 2020 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2021 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2020 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2021 USD ($) item	Sep. 30, 2020 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2020 USD ($)	Feb. 24, 2021	Mar. 31, 2020 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2012
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Reduction in VAT receivable									$ (1,339,000)	$ (919,000)
Impairment of proved crude oil and natural gas properties							$ 0	$ 0	0	30,625,000
Property, net							$ 74,102,000		$ 74,102,000		$ 37,036,000
Etame Marine Block [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Working interest ownership, percentage			58.80%									31.10%
Impairment of proved crude oil and natural gas properties								30,600,000
Property, net						$ 15,600,000		$ 15,600,000		$ 15,600,000
Undeveloped acreage													$ 2,300,000
Undeveloped leasehold value													$ 11,500,000
Etame Marine Block [Member] \| VAALCO Gabon S.A. [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Working interest ownership, percentage							63.575%		63.575%
Prior Production Sharing Contract, Through September 17, 2018 [Member] \| Etame Marine Block [Member] \| Consortium [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Working interest ownership, percentage							7.50%		7.50%
Production Sharing Contract, September 17, 2018 Through September 16, 2028 [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Deferred tax assets, basis difference in fixed assets							$ 18,600,000		$ 18,600,000
Estimated costs of technical studies						500,000
Production Sharing Contract, September 17, 2018 Through September 16, 2028 [Member] \| Consortium [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Number of wells drilled \| item									2
Number of wellbores drilled \| item									2
Number of technical studies required \| item									2
Estimated costs of technical studies						$ 1,500,000
Entitled percent for consortium after initial royalty percentage									80.00%
Production Sharing Contract, September 17, 2018 Through September 16, 2028 [Member] \| Signing Bonus [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Contractual obligation					$ 21,800,000
Payment of signing bonus, allocated to proved and unproved property				$ 11,800,000
Reduction in VAT receivable				8,400,000
Other accrued liabilities				1,700,000
Allocated to unproved leasehold cost							6,700,000		$ 6,700,000
Production Sharing Contract, September 17, 2018 Through September 16, 2028 [Member] \| Signing Bonus [Member] \| Consortium [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Contractual obligation					$ 65,000,000.0
Payment of signing bonus, allocated to proved and unproved property				35,000,000.0
Reduction in VAT receivable				25,000,000.0
Other accrued liabilities				$ 5,000,000.0
Production Sharing Contract, September 17, 2018 Through September 16, 2028 [Member] \| Tax Impact [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Allocated to unproved leasehold cost							$ 7,100,000		$ 7,100,000
Production Sharing Contract, September 17, 2018 Through September 16, 2028 [Member] \| Etame Marine Block [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Number of exploitation areas \| item					3
Period of agreement for exploitation areas					10 years				10 years
Number of contract extension periods \| item					2
Production license agreement term extended by government					5 years
Production Sharing Contract, September 17, 2018 Through September 16, 2028 [Member] \| Etame Marine Block [Member] \| Government Of Gabon [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Working interest ownership, percentage							7.50%		7.50%
Production Sharing Contract, September 17, 2018 Through September 16, 2028 [Member] \| Scenario, Forecast [Member] \| Etame Marine Block [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Increase (decrease) in working interest ownership percentage	(1.60%)
Production Sharing Contract, September 17, 2018 Through September 16, 2028 [Member] \| Scenario, Forecast [Member] \| Etame Marine Block [Member] \| Government Of Gabon [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Working interest ownership, percentage	10.00%
Increase (decrease) in working interest ownership percentage	2.50%
Production Sharing Contract, After September 16, 2028 [Member] \| Consortium [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Entitled percent for consortium after initial royalty percentage									70.00%
Sasol Gabon S.A. [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Undeveloped acreage							$ 2,200,000		$ 2,200,000
Sasol Gabon S.A. [Member] \| Etame Marine Block [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Increase (decrease) in working interest ownership percentage			27.80%
Undeveloped leasehold value							13,700,000		13,700,000
Block P Offshore Equatorial Guinea [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Working interest ownership, percentage											43.00%			31.00%
Increase (decrease) in working interest ownership percentage		45.90%									12.00%
Undeveloped acreage							$ 10,000,000.0		$ 10,000,000.0
Potential payment											$ 3,100,000
Period of development									25 years