The amount of additional payment required to redeem preferred interest in joint venture.

No definition available.

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Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Represents the initial investment commitment in the joint venture.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Discount of cumulative amount contribution to joint venture

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
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- Definition

Represents investment period for the initial commitment in a joint venture, in 'PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents the reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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- Definition

Percentage of funding provided to a joint venture to achieve its goals per agreement.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Data Type:	num:percentItemType
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- Definition

Working interest in exchange for an investment in a joint venture.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The working interest that reverts to the entity when the targeted rate of return of the counterparty is achieved.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Data Type:	num:percentItemType
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Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Percentage of working interest retained in certain properties in a joint venture agreement with another property to develop certain properties owned by the entity.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	crc_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Number of commitments funded

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Represents the total maximum investment commitment in the joint venture.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- 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

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Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
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- 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

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Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of Net Income (Loss) attributable to noncontrolling interest.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 810
-SubTopic 10
-Section 55
-Paragraph 4J
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=65897068&loc=SL4591551-111686

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-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
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-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1A
-Subparagraph (a)(2)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=64809438&loc=SL4573702-111684

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Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
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- Definition

Amount of cash outflow in the form of ordinary dividends provided by the non-wholly owned subsidiary to noncontrolling interests.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Glossary Financing Activities
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6513228

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 230
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 15
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=66902209&loc=d3e3291-108585

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Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The cash outflow associated with the investment in or advances to an entity in which the reporting entity shares control of the entity with another party or group.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 230
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 13
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=66902209&loc=d3e3213-108585

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Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of cash inflow from a noncontrolling interest. Includes, but is not limited to, purchase of additional shares or other increase in noncontrolling interest ownership.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Glossary Financing Activities
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6513228

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 230
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 14
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=66902209&loc=d3e3255-108585

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Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
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

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

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- Details

Name:	dei_LegalEntityAxis=crc_JointVentureWithBenefitStreetPartnersMember
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- Details

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- Details

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- Details

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ACQUISITIONS, DIVESTITURES AND OTHER (Details) $ in Millions	1 Months Ended				3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
	Jul. 31, 2017 USD ($) item	Apr. 30, 2017 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2017 USD ($) item	Feb. 28, 2017 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2017 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2017 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2016 USD ($)
Acquisition
Proceeds from sale of non-core assets				$ 32
Gains on asset divestitures				21		$ 21	$ 31
Contributions						98
Distributions						6
Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interest					$ 1	1
Noncontrolling Interest \| Joint venture with BSP
Acquisition
Contributions						98
Contribution issuance discounts						2
Distributions						6
Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interest						1
Joint venture with BSP \| BSP
Acquisition
Maximum commitment contribution				250
Number of $50 commitments funded \| item	1		1
Additional payment to redeem preferred interest				$ 0
Commitment contributed	$ 50		$ 50
Joint venture with MIRA
Acquisition
Working interest retained by CRC (as a percent)		10.00%
CRC's working interest after MIRA achieves it rate of return (as a percent)		75.00%
Joint venture with MIRA \| MIRA
Acquisition
Maximum commitment contribution		$ 300
Commitment contributed						$ 38
Working interest acquired by MIRA		90.00%
Funding provided by MIRA for development of properties (as a percent)		100.00%
Initial commitment		$ 160
Investment period of initial commitment		2 years