Successor Company Share-Based Compensation Expense and Cash Flows (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
Apr. 01, 2017	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Share-Based Compensation Expense and Cash Flows (Line Items)
Share-based compensation expense		$ 21.8	$ 38.3	$ 34.9
Total share-based compensation expense	$ 1.9	21.8	38.3	34.9
Tax benefit	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Share-based compensation expense, net of tax benefit	1.9	21.8	38.3	34.9
Cash received upon the exercise of stock options	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Write-off tax benefits related to share-based compensation	$ 0.0	$ 0.0	$ 0.0	$ 0.0

Share Based Compensation Expense Net of Tax.

No definition available.

Name:	btu_ShareBasedCompensationExpenseNetOfTax
Namespace Prefix:	btu_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The aggregate amount of noncash, equity- and liability- based employee renumeration.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	btu_SharebasedCompensationTotal
Namespace Prefix:	btu_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of increase in additional paid in capital (APIC) resulting from a tax benefit associated with share-based compensation plan other than an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP). Includes, but is not limited to, excess tax benefit.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 505
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109259400&loc=d3e21463-112644

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 505
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.3-04)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=27012166&loc=d3e187085-122770

Reference 3: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 718
-SubTopic 740
-Section 45
-Paragraph 2
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=116859624&loc=d3e23524-113945

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_AdjustmentsToAdditionalPaidInCapitalTaxEffectFromShareBasedCompensation
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of tax benefit for recognition of expense of award under share-based payment arrangement.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 718
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (h)(1)(i)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=116856206&loc=d3e5070-113901

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_EmployeeServiceShareBasedCompensationTaxBenefitFromCompensationExpense
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of cash inflow from exercise of option under share-based payment arrangement.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 718
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2A
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=116856206&loc=SL79508275-113901

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 230
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 14
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=118932676&loc=d3e3255-108585

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ProceedsFromStockOptionsExercised
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of noncash expense for share-based payment arrangement.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 230
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 28
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=118932676&loc=d3e3602-108585

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensation
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration