XML 114 R88.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT v2.4.1.9
Stock-Based Compensation (Narrative) (Details) (USD $)
In Millions, except Share data, unless otherwise specified
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Dec. 31, 2012
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]      
Expiration period from date of grant 10 years    
Period of service for immediate vesting upon death, disability or retirement 3 years    
Unrecognized compensation cost related to unvested stock option and restricted stock grants $ 13swn_UnrecognizedCompensationCostRelatedToUnvestedStockOptionAndRestrictedStockGrants    
Weighted average period over which cost is recognized, years 2 years    
2004 Plan [Member]      
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]      
Maximum shares 16,800,000us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardNumberOfSharesAuthorized
/ us-gaap_PlanNameAxis
= swn_StockBasedCompensation2004PlanMember
   
Expiration period from date of grant 7 years    
2002 Plan [Member]      
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]      
Maximum shares 300,000us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardNumberOfSharesAuthorized
/ us-gaap_PlanNameAxis
= swn_StockBasedCompensation2002PlanMember
   
2000 Plan [Member]      
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]      
Maximum shares 1,250,000us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardNumberOfSharesAuthorized
/ us-gaap_PlanNameAxis
= swn_SouthwesternEnergy2000PlanMember
   
Stock Options [Member]      
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]      
Vesting period for stock awards from grant date 3 years    
Deferred tax benefit (liability) recorded 3us-gaap_EmployeeServiceShareBasedCompensationTaxBenefitRealizedFromExerciseOfStockOptions
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_EmployeeStockOptionMember
4us-gaap_EmployeeServiceShareBasedCompensationTaxBenefitRealizedFromExerciseOfStockOptions
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_EmployeeStockOptionMember
2us-gaap_EmployeeServiceShareBasedCompensationTaxBenefitRealizedFromExerciseOfStockOptions
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_EmployeeStockOptionMember
Weighted-average grant-date fair value of options granted $ 10.16us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsGrantsInPeriodWeightedAverageGrantDateFairValue
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_EmployeeStockOptionMember
$ 13.39us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsGrantsInPeriodWeightedAverageGrantDateFairValue
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_EmployeeStockOptionMember
$ 16.91us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsGrantsInPeriodWeightedAverageGrantDateFairValue
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_EmployeeStockOptionMember
Intrinsic value 4us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardOptionsExercisesInPeriodTotalIntrinsicValue
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_EmployeeStockOptionMember
22us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardOptionsExercisesInPeriodTotalIntrinsicValue
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_EmployeeStockOptionMember
44us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardOptionsExercisesInPeriodTotalIntrinsicValue
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_EmployeeStockOptionMember
Stock-based compensation costs - expensed 5us-gaap_AllocatedShareBasedCompensationExpense
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_EmployeeStockOptionMember
5us-gaap_AllocatedShareBasedCompensationExpense
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_EmployeeStockOptionMember
5us-gaap_AllocatedShareBasedCompensationExpense
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_EmployeeStockOptionMember
Restricted Stock [Member]      
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]      
Vesting period for stock awards from grant date 4 years    
Deferred tax benefit (liability) recorded (10)us-gaap_EmployeeServiceShareBasedCompensationTaxBenefitRealizedFromExerciseOfStockOptions
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_RestrictedStockMember
(15)us-gaap_EmployeeServiceShareBasedCompensationTaxBenefitRealizedFromExerciseOfStockOptions
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_RestrictedStockMember
(1)us-gaap_EmployeeServiceShareBasedCompensationTaxBenefitRealizedFromExerciseOfStockOptions
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_RestrictedStockMember
Unrecognized compensation cost related to the Company's unvested stock option grants, restricted stock grants, and performance units 75us-gaap_EmployeeServiceShareBasedCompensationNonvestedAwardsTotalCompensationCostNotYetRecognized
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_RestrictedStockMember
   
Weighted-average grant-date fair value of options granted $ 30.89us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsGrantsInPeriodWeightedAverageGrantDateFairValue
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_RestrictedStockMember
$ 38.92us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsGrantsInPeriodWeightedAverageGrantDateFairValue
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_RestrictedStockMember
$ 34.39us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsGrantsInPeriodWeightedAverageGrantDateFairValue
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_RestrictedStockMember
Weighted average period over which cost is recognized, restricted stock (years) 3 years 1 month 6 days    
Total fair value of restricted stock grants 40swn_TotalFairValueOfRestrictedStockGrants
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_RestrictedStockMember
43swn_TotalFairValueOfRestrictedStockGrants
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_RestrictedStockMember
19swn_TotalFairValueOfRestrictedStockGrants
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_RestrictedStockMember
Total fair value of shares vested 20us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsVestedInPeriodTotalFairValue
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_RestrictedStockMember
14us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsVestedInPeriodTotalFairValue
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_RestrictedStockMember
13us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsVestedInPeriodTotalFairValue
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_RestrictedStockMember
Stock-based compensation costs - expensed 10us-gaap_AllocatedShareBasedCompensationExpense
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_RestrictedStockMember
7us-gaap_AllocatedShareBasedCompensationExpense
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_RestrictedStockMember
6us-gaap_AllocatedShareBasedCompensationExpense
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_RestrictedStockMember
Performance Units [Member]      
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]      
Vesting period for stock awards from grant date 3 years    
Deferred tax benefit (liability) recorded 51us-gaap_EmployeeServiceShareBasedCompensationTaxBenefitRealizedFromExerciseOfStockOptions
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_PerformanceSharesMember
45us-gaap_EmployeeServiceShareBasedCompensationTaxBenefitRealizedFromExerciseOfStockOptions
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_PerformanceSharesMember
 
Stock-based compensation costs - expensed 25us-gaap_AllocatedShareBasedCompensationExpense
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_PerformanceSharesMember
3us-gaap_AllocatedShareBasedCompensationExpense
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_PerformanceSharesMember
19us-gaap_AllocatedShareBasedCompensationExpense
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_PerformanceSharesMember
Equity-Classified Performance Units [Member]      
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]      
Deferred tax benefit (liability) recorded 2us-gaap_EmployeeServiceShareBasedCompensationTaxBenefitRealizedFromExerciseOfStockOptions
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= swn_EquityClassifiedPerformanceUnitsMember
   
Unrecognized compensation cost related to the Company's unvested stock option grants, restricted stock grants, and performance units 24us-gaap_EmployeeServiceShareBasedCompensationNonvestedAwardsTotalCompensationCostNotYetRecognized
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= swn_EquityClassifiedPerformanceUnitsMember
   
Weighted average period over which cost is recognized, years 3 years    
Weighted-average grant-date fair value of options granted $ 40.44us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsGrantsInPeriodWeightedAverageGrantDateFairValue
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= swn_EquityClassifiedPerformanceUnitsMember
   
Stock-based compensation costs - expensed $ 3us-gaap_AllocatedShareBasedCompensationExpense
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= swn_EquityClassifiedPerformanceUnitsMember
   
Maximum [Member] | 2004 Plan [Member]      
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]      
Maximum shares 20,500,000us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardNumberOfSharesAuthorized
/ us-gaap_PlanNameAxis
= swn_StockBasedCompensation2004PlanMember
/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
= us-gaap_MaximumMember