Commitments and Contingencies - Additional Information (Detail) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($)
Long-term Purchase Commitment [Line Items]
Total future drilling commitments at balance sheet date	$ 104
Drilling commitments 2018	73
Drilling commitments 2019	30
Drilling commitments 2020	$ 1
Future Drilling Commitments End Date	2020-02
Pipeline Transportation and Processing Commitments [Member]
Long-term Purchase Commitment [Line Items]
Future commitment, end date	2028
Future commitment, total	$ 1,430
Future commitment, due in 2018	197
Future commitment, due in 2019	216
Future commitment, due in 2020	186
Future commitment, due in 2021	168
Future commitment, due in 2022	166
Future commitments, thereafter	$ 497

Drilling commitments year one

No definition available.

Name:	clr_DrillingCommitmentsYearOne
Namespace Prefix:	clr_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Drilling Commitments Year Three

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	clr_DrillingCommitmentsYearThree
Namespace Prefix:	clr_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Drilling Commitments Year Two

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	clr_DrillingCommitmentsYearTwo
Namespace Prefix:	clr_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Total future drilling commitments at balance sheet date

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	clr_FutureDrillingCommitmentsAtBalanceSheetDate
Namespace Prefix:	clr_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Future Drilling Commitments End Date

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	clr_FutureDrillingCommitmentsEndDate
Namespace Prefix:	clr_
Data Type:	xbrli:gYearMonthItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Purchase Obligation Agreement Expiration Date

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	clr_PurchaseObligationAgreementExpirationDate
Namespace Prefix:	clr_
Data Type:	xbrli:gYearItemType
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_LongTermPurchaseCommitmentLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Minimum amount of purchase arrangement in which the entity has agreed to expend funds to procure goods or services from a supplier.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_PurchaseObligation
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Minimum amount of purchase arrangement maturing after the fifth fiscal year following the latest fiscal year. Includes, but not limited to, recorded and unrecorded purchase obligations, long-term purchase commitments, and short-term purchase commitments.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_PurchaseObligationDueAfterFifthYear
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Minimum amount of purchase arrangement maturing in the fifth fiscal year following the latest fiscal year. Includes, but not limited to, recorded and unrecorded purchase obligations, long-term purchase commitments, and short-term purchase commitments.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_PurchaseObligationDueInFifthYear
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Minimum amount of purchase arrangement maturing in the fourth fiscal year following the latest fiscal year. Includes, but not limited to, recorded and unrecorded purchase obligations, long-term purchase commitments, and short-term purchase commitments.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_PurchaseObligationDueInFourthYear
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Minimum amount of purchase arrangement maturing in the next fiscal year following the latest fiscal year. Includes, but not limited to, recorded and unrecorded purchase obligations, long-term purchase commitments, and short-term purchase commitments.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_PurchaseObligationDueInNextTwelveMonths
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Minimum amount of purchase arrangement maturing in the second fiscal year following the latest fiscal year. Includes, but not limited to, recorded and unrecorded purchase obligations, long-term purchase commitments, and short-term purchase commitments.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_PurchaseObligationDueInSecondYear
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Minimum amount of purchase arrangement maturing in the third fiscal year following the latest fiscal year. Includes, but not limited to, recorded and unrecorded purchase obligations, long-term purchase commitments, and short-term purchase commitments.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_PurchaseObligationDueInThirdYear
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_LongTermPurchaseCommitmentByCategoryOfItemPurchasedAxis=clr_PipelineTransportationCommitmentsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: