Senior Notes and Contingent Convertible Senior Notes Purchased (Detail)	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended																						9 Months Ended				9 Months Ended				9 Months Ended		12 Months Ended						9 Months Ended		9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended			9 Months Ended																	12 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2012 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2012 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2011 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2011 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2012 7.625% Senior Notes Due 2013 USD ($)		Dec. 31, 2011 7.625% Senior Notes Due 2013 USD ($)		Sep. 30, 2012 9.5% Senior Notes Due 2015 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2011 9.5% Senior Notes Due 2015 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2012 6.25% Euro-Denominated Senior Notes Due 2017 USD ($)		Dec. 31, 2011 6.25% Euro-Denominated Senior Notes Due 2017 USD ($)		Dec. 31, 2006 6.25% Euro-Denominated Senior Notes Due 2017 EUR (€)	Sep. 30, 2012 6.5% Senior Notes Due 2017 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2011 6.5% Senior Notes Due 2017 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2012 6.875% Senior Notes Due 2018 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2011 6.875% Senior Notes Due 2018 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2012 7.25% Senior Notes Due 2018 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2011 7.25% Senior Notes Due 2018 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2012 6.625% Senior Notes Due 2020 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2011 6.625% Senior Notes Due 2020 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2012 2.75% Contingent Convertible Senior Notes Due 2035 USD ($)		Dec. 31, 2011 2.75% Contingent Convertible Senior Notes Due 2035 USD ($)		Sep. 30, 2012 2.5% Contingent Convertible Senior Notes Due 2037 USD ($)		Dec. 31, 2011 2.5% Contingent Convertible Senior Notes Due 2037 USD ($)		Sep. 30, 2012 2.25% Contingent Convertible Senior Notes Due 2038 USD ($)		Dec. 31, 2011 2.25% Contingent Convertible Senior Notes Due 2038 USD ($)		Sep. 30, 2012 6.625% Senior Notes Due 2019 USD ($)		Dec. 31, 2011 6.625% Senior Notes Due 2019 USD ($)		Sep. 30, 2012 6.775% Senior Notes Due 2019 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2011 6.775% Senior Notes Due 2019 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2011 Euro-Denominated Senior Notes EUR (€)	Dec. 31, 2011 6.125% Senior Notes Due 2021 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2012 6.125% Senior Notes Due 2021 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2012 Term Loan USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2012 Senior Notes USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2011 Senior Notes USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2011 Senior Notes 7.625% Senior Notes Due 2013 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2011 Senior Notes 9.5% Senior Notes Due 2015 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2011 Senior Notes 6.25% Euro-Denominated Senior Notes Due 2017 USD ($)		Sep. 30, 2011 Senior Notes 6.5% Senior Notes Due 2017 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2011 Senior Notes 6.875% Senior Notes Due 2018 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2011 Senior Notes 7.25% Senior Notes Due 2018 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2011 Senior Notes 6.625% Senior Notes Due 2020 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2011 Convertible Senior Notes USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2011 Convertible Senior Notes 2.75% Contingent Convertible Senior Notes Due 2035 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2011 Convertible Senior Notes 2.5% Contingent Convertible Senior Notes Due 2037 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2011 Convertible Senior Notes 2.25% Contingent Convertible Senior Notes Due 2038 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2012 Chesapeake Oilfield Operating, LLC. 6.625% Senior Notes Due 2019 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2012 Cash Premiums USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2012 Deferred Charges USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2011 Note Discounts USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2011 Interest Rate Hedging Losses USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2012 Contingent Convertible Notes Equity Component USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2012 Minimum USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2012 Maximum USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2012 Maximum Chesapeake Oilfield Operating, LLC. USD ($)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Proceeds from Asset Sales	$ 2,800,000,000
Proceeds from issuance of senior notes, net of discount and offering costs	1,200,000,000	1,263,000,000	977,000,000
Debt Instrument, Unamortized Discount		393,000,000		444,000,000	1,000,000																																								114,000,000
Debt Instrument Principal Amount Repurchased			1,904,000,000																																							256,000,000					1,373,000,000	36,000,000	160,000,000	380,000,000	[1]	440,000,000	126,000,000	131,000,000	100,000,000	531,000,000	55,000,000	210,000,000	266,000,000
Debt Instrument, Face Amount															600,000,000																													1,000,000,000
Interest rate					7.625%				9.50%		6.25%					6.50%		6.875%		7.25%		6.625%		2.75%				2.50%				2.25%				6.625%		6.625%		6.775%				6.125%
Aggregate principal amount																																								250,000,000																										50,000,000	75,000,000
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage Rate Range, Maximum																																																												1.00%
Debt Instrument, Convertible, Effective Interest Rate																								6.86%				8.00%				8.00%
Long-term Debt, Gross		16,218,000,000		10,626,000,000	464,000,000	[2]	464,000,000	[2]	1,265,000,000	1,265,000,000	442,000,000	[3]	446,000,000	[3]		660,000,000	660,000,000	474,000,000	474,000,000	669,000,000	669,000,000	1,300,000,000	1,300,000,000	396,000,000	[4]	396,000,000	[4]	1,168,000,000	[4]	1,168,000,000	[4]	347,000,000	[4]	347,000,000	[4]	650,000,000	[5]	650,000,000	[5]	1,300,000,000	0		1,000,000,000	1,000,000,000																								0
Proceeds Net From Senior Notes																																								1,263,000,000			977,000,000																	637,000,000
Secured Debt, Repurchase Agreements																																		140,000,000
Percentage Of Redeemable Notes At Redemption Price																																								100.00%
Foreign Currency Exchange Rate, Translation			1.4821
Debt Tender Offer Payments		2,058,000,000
Gain (Loss) on Repurchase of Debt Instrument		(174,000,000)																																																											(154,000,000)	(20,000,000)	(160,000,000)	(2,000,000)	162,000,000
Secured Debt Repurchase Agreements Price																																		128,000,000
Gains Losses On Exchange Of Debt																																		2,000,000
Principal Payment On Senior Notes Due In Two Years																																														464,000,000
Interest Payable		$ 213,000,000		$ 183,000,000																																																								$ 1,000,000
Amount Of Aggregate Principal Allowed To Be Redeemed In Connection With Certain Equity Offerings, Percent																																																												35.00%

[1] We purchased €256 million in aggregate principal amount of our euro-denominated senior notes which had a value of $380 million based on the exchange rate of $1.4821 to €1.00. Simultaneously with our purchase of the euro-denominated senior notes, we unwound cross currency swaps for the same principal amount. See Note 7 for additional information.

[2] These senior notes are due in July 2013. There is $1 million of discount associated with these notes.

[3] The principal amount shown is based on the exchange rate of $1.2856 to €1.00 and $1.2973 to €1.00 as of September 30, 2012 and December 31, 2011, respectively. See Note 7 for information on our related foreign currency derivatives.

[4] nior notes.(e)The holders of our contingent convertible senior notes may require us to repurchase, in cash, all or a portion of their notes at 100% of the principal amount of the notes on any of four dates that are five, ten, fifteen and twenty years before the maturity date. The notes are convertible, at the holder’s option, prior to maturity under certain circumstances into cash and, if applicable, shares of our common stock using a net share settlement process. One such triggering circumstance is when the price of our common stock exceeds a threshold amount during a specified period in a fiscal quarter. Convertibility based on common stock price is measured quarterly. In the third quarter of 2012, the price of our common stock was below the threshold level for each series of the contingent convertible senior notes during the specified period and, as a result, the holders do not have the option to convert their notes into cash and common stock in the fourth quarter of 2012 under this provision. The notes are also convertible, at the holder’s option, during specified five-day periods if the trading price of the notes is below certain levels determined by reference to the trading price of our common stock. In general, upon conversion of a contingent convertible senior note, the holder will receive cash equal to the principal amount of the note and common stock for the note’s conversion value in excess of such principal amount. We will pay contingent interest on the convertible senior notes after they have been outstanding at least ten years, under certain conditions. We may redeem the convertible senior notes once they have been outstanding for ten years at a redemption price of 100% of the principal amount of the notes, payable in cash. The optional repurchase dates, the common stock price conversion threshold amounts and the ending date of the first six-month period in which contingent interest may be payable for the contingent convertible senior notes are as follows: Contingent Convertible Senior Notes Repurchase Dates Common Stock Price Conversion Thresholds Contingent InterestFirst Payable(if applicable)2.75% due 2035 November 15, 2015, 2020, 2025, 2030 $48.51 May 14, 20162.5% due 2037 May 15, 2017, 2022, 2027, 2032 $63.93 November 14, 20172.25% due 2038 December 15, 2018, 2023, 2028, 2033 $107.27 June 14, 2019

[5] Issuers are Chesapeake Oilfield Operating, L.L.C. (COO), an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of the Company, and Chesapeake Oilfield Finance, Inc. (COF), a wholly owned subsidiary of COO formed solely to facilitate the offering of the 6.625% Senior Notes due 2019. COF is nominally capitalized and has no operations or revenues. Chesapeake Energy Corporation is the issuer of all other senior notes and the contingent convertible senior notes.