Organization and Basis of Presentation (Details) (USD $)	0 Months Ended	12 Months Ended	24 Months Ended				6 Months Ended					6 Months Ended		12 Months Ended				12 Months Ended	0 Months Ended		24 Months Ended			12 Months Ended
	Jul. 07, 2005	Dec. 31, 2012 item	Jul. 07, 2007	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009	Apr. 28, 2006 Limited Partners	Dec. 31, 2012 Limited Partners	Dec. 31, 2011 Limited Partners	Dec. 31, 2010 Limited Partners	Dec. 31, 2009 Limited Partners	Apr. 28, 2006 General Partners	Apr. 28, 2006 Reef	Dec. 31, 2012 Reef	Dec. 31, 2011 Reef	Dec. 31, 2010 Reef	Dec. 31, 2009 Reef	Dec. 31, 2012 Investor partners	Jul. 07, 2005 Minimum	Jul. 07, 2005 Maximum	Jul. 07, 2007 Maximum	Jul. 07, 2007 Maximum Limited Partners	Jul. 07, 2007 Maximum General Partners	Dec. 31, 2012 Maximum Reef
Organization and Basis of Presentation
Number of Nevada limited partnerships comprising the Program		4
Number of partnership units required to be sold for formation as a partnership under the Program																			40
Price per unit at which partnership units are required to be sold for formation as a partnership under the Program (in dollars per unit)	25,000
Number of partnership units offered for sale			1,200																			240	960
Number of units offered for sale under the program																			1,000	2,000
Number of limited partner units authorized for sale under the Program																					1,600
Number of general partner units authorized for sale under the Program																					6,400
Value of units offered for sale			$ 30,000,000
Number of units sold to investor partners							182.783					741.001
Number of units sold to managing general partner												48.620
Percentage of ownership interest received as compensation for forming the partnership														10.00%
Percentage of ownership interest held for payment of 1% of all leasehold, drilling and completion costs														1.00%
Percentage of leasehold, drilling and completion costs paid													1.00%	1.00%
Percentage of ownership interest not represented by partnership units														11.00%
Percentage of interest purchased in the remaining 89% interest of the partnership													5.00%	5.00%
Remaining percentage of ownership interest in the Partnership held by the unit holders		89.00%
Percentage of interest represented by the Partnership units														4.45%
Number of units outstanding		972.404		972.404	972.404	972.404		923.784	923.784	923.784	923.784			48.620	48.620	48.620	48.620
Percentage of units obligated to be repurchased per year																								5.00%
Amount at which obligation to repurchase is limited per year																								$ 500,000
Organization and offering costs allocation percentage																		100.00%
Percentage of fee paid for partnership organization and offering costs														15.00%
Percentage of cash distributions to partners														15.45%				84.55%

Reef Global Energy VII, L.P. 10-K