Additional maximum committed investment under a joint venture agreement.

No definition available.

Name:	crc_AdditionalInvestmentUnderJointVentureMaximum
Namespace Prefix:	crc_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of cash paid to acquire the entities and/or assets.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	crc_CostOfAcquiredBusinessAssets
Namespace Prefix:	crc_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of initial investment in joint venture.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	crc_InitialInvestmentUnderJointVenture
Namespace Prefix:	crc_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Number of business acquisitions during the period.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	crc_NumberOfBusinessAcquisitions
Namespace Prefix:	crc_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
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_BusinessAcquisitionLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of gain (loss) on sale or disposal of assets, including but not limited to property plant and equipment, intangible assets and equity in securities of subsidiaries or equity method investee.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 360
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 5
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=68055307&loc=d3e2443-110228

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_GainLossOnDispositionOfAssets1
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Aggregate cash proceeds received from a combination of transactions that are classified as investing activities in which assets, which may include one or more investments, are sold to third-party buyers. This element can be used by entities to aggregate proceeds from all asset sales that are classified as investing activities.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis=crc_OilAndGasPropertiesInSanJoaquinBasinMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis=crc_ProducingAndNonProducingOilAndGasPropertiesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis=crc_OilAndGasPropertiesInVenturaBasinMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

ACQUISITIONS AND DIVESTITURES (Details) $ in Millions	1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
ACQUISITIONS AND DIVESTITURES (Details) $ in Millions	Feb. 28, 2017 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($) item	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($)
Acquisition
Proceeds from sale of non-core assets	$ 32	$ 20
Initial investment in joint venture	50
Committed maximum additional investment in a joint venture	$ 200
Number of business acquisitions during the period \| item		0
Gain on divestiture of non-core assets		$ 30
Oil and gas properties in San Joaquin Basin
Acquisition
Cash paid on acquisition			$ 140
Producing and non-producing oil and gas properties, all basins
Acquisition
Cash paid on acquisition				$ 290
Oil and gas properties in the Ventura Basin
Acquisition
Cash paid on acquisition				$ 200