Condensed Consolidating Statement Of Operations (Detail) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Oct. 31, 2012	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2011	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2011
REVENUES
Natural gas, oil and NGL		$ 1,437	$ 2,402	$ 4,622	$ 4,688
Marketing, gathering and compression		1,381	1,422	3,710	3,844
Oilfield services		152	153	446	376
Total Revenues		2,970	3,977	8,778	8,908
OPERATING EXPENSES
Natural gas, oil and NGL production		320	282	1,005	782
Production taxes		53	50	141	140
Marketing, gathering and compression		1,339	1,392	3,631	3,744
Oilfield services		116	118	321	287
General and administrative		148	151	440	410
Natural gas, oil and NGL depreciation, depletion and amortization		762	423	1,856	1,147
Depreciation and amortization of other assets		66	75	233	206
Impairment of natural gas and oil properties		3,315	0	3,315	0
Losses on sales and impairments of fixed assets				262	7
Losses on sales and impairments of fixed assets and other		(45)	(3)	(286)	(7)
Asset Impairment Charges		6		20
Total Operating Expenses		6,164	2,494	11,228	6,723
Operating Income (Loss)		(3,194)	1,483	(2,450)	2,185
OTHER INCOME (EXPENSE)
Interest expense		(36)	(4)	(63)	(37)
Earnings (losses) on investments		(23)	28	(87)	100
Gains on sales of investments	155	31	0	1,061	0
Losses on purchases or exchanges of debt		0	0	0	(176)
Other income (expense)		(9)	4	2	9
Equity in net earnings of subsidiary		0	0	0	0
Total Other Income (Expense)		(37)	28	913	(104)
INCOME (LOSS) BEFORE INCOME TAXES		(3,231)	1,511	(1,537)	2,081
Income Tax Expense (Benefit)		(1,260)	589	(599)	812
NET INCOME (LOSS)		(1,971)	922	(938)	1,269
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests		(41)	0	(131)	0
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Parent		(2,012)	922	(1,069)	1,269
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax		(6)	(6)	(22)	62
COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS) ATTRIBUTABLE TO CHESAPEAKE		(2,018)	916	(1,091)	1,331
Parent
REVENUES
Natural gas, oil and NGL		0	0	0	0
Marketing, gathering and compression		0	0	0	0
Oilfield services		0	0	0	0
Total Revenues		0	0	0	0
OPERATING EXPENSES
Natural gas, oil and NGL production		0	0	0	0
Production taxes		0	0	0	0
Marketing, gathering and compression		0	0	0	0
Oilfield services		0	0	0	0
General and administrative		0	0	0	0
Natural gas, oil and NGL depreciation, depletion and amortization		0	0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization of other assets		0	0	0	0
Impairment of natural gas and oil properties		0		0
Losses on sales and impairments of fixed assets and other		0	0	0	0
Total Operating Expenses		0	0	0	0
Operating Income (Loss)		0	0	0	0
OTHER INCOME (EXPENSE)
Interest expense		(289)	(138)	(682)	(488)
Earnings (losses) on investments		0	0	0	0
Gains on sales of investments		0		0
Losses on purchases or exchanges of debt			0	0	(176)
Other income (expense)		285	151	667	494
Equity in net earnings of subsidiary		(2,010)	914	(1,059)	1,373
Total Other Income (Expense)		(2,014)	927	(1,074)	1,203
INCOME (LOSS) BEFORE INCOME TAXES		(2,014)	927	(1,074)	1,203
Income Tax Expense (Benefit)		(2)	5	(5)	(66)
NET INCOME (LOSS)		(2,012)	922	(1,069)	1,269
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests		0	0	0	0
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Parent		(2,012)	922	(1,069)	1,269
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax		3	0	(2)	(3)
COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS) ATTRIBUTABLE TO CHESAPEAKE		(2,009)	922	(1,067)	1,272
Guarantor Subsidiaries
REVENUES
Natural gas, oil and NGL		1,357	2,402	4,410	4,688
Marketing, gathering and compression		1,381	1,422	3,709	3,844
Oilfield services		0	0	0	0
Total Revenues		2,738	3,824	8,119	8,532
OPERATING EXPENSES
Natural gas, oil and NGL production		312	282	990	782
Production taxes		51	50	137	140
Marketing, gathering and compression		1,338	1,392	3,629	3,744
Oilfield services		1	1	2	1
General and administrative		120	137	370	382
Natural gas, oil and NGL depreciation, depletion and amortization		717	423	1,762	1,147
Depreciation and amortization of other assets		43	56	168	158
Impairment of natural gas and oil properties		3,377		3,377
Losses on sales and impairments of fixed assets and other		(4)	(3)	(221)	(7)
Total Operating Expenses		5,963	2,344	10,656	6,361
Operating Income (Loss)		(3,225)	1,480	(2,537)	2,171
OTHER INCOME (EXPENSE)
Interest expense		(18)	0	(10)	(10)
Earnings (losses) on investments		(24)	28	(93)	100
Gains on sales of investments		31		1,061
Losses on purchases or exchanges of debt			0	0	0
Other income (expense)		5	2	28	10
Equity in net earnings of subsidiary		(147)	(7)	(232)	(12)
Total Other Income (Expense)		(153)	23	754	88
INCOME (LOSS) BEFORE INCOME TAXES		(3,378)	1,503	(1,783)	2,259
Income Tax Expense (Benefit)		(1,260)	589	(605)	886
NET INCOME (LOSS)		(2,118)	914	(1,178)	1,373
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests		0	0	0	0
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Parent		(2,118)	914	(1,178)	1,373
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax		(9)	6	24	(59)
COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS) ATTRIBUTABLE TO CHESAPEAKE		(2,127)	908	(1,202)	1,432
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries
REVENUES
Natural gas, oil and NGL		79	0	209	0
Marketing, gathering and compression		0	0	1	0
Oilfield services		487	344	1,440	867
Total Revenues		566	344	1,650	867
OPERATING EXPENSES
Natural gas, oil and NGL production		8	0	15	0
Production taxes		2	0	4	0
Marketing, gathering and compression		1	0	2	0
Oilfield services		363	254	1,028	641
General and administrative		28	14	70	28
Natural gas, oil and NGL depreciation, depletion and amortization		45	0	94	0
Depreciation and amortization of other assets		59	41	170	106
Impairment of natural gas and oil properties		115		133
Losses on sales and impairments of fixed assets and other		(41)	0	(65)	0
Total Operating Expenses		662	309	1,581	775
Operating Income (Loss)		(96)	35	69	92
OTHER INCOME (EXPENSE)
Interest expense		(20)	(15)	(57)	(33)
Earnings (losses) on investments		1	0	6	0
Gains on sales of investments		0		0
Losses on purchases or exchanges of debt			0	0	0
Other income (expense)		4	6	11	8
Equity in net earnings of subsidiary		0	0	0	0
Total Other Income (Expense)		(15)	(9)	(40)	(25)
INCOME (LOSS) BEFORE INCOME TAXES		(111)	26	29	67
Income Tax Expense (Benefit)		(43)	10	11	26
NET INCOME (LOSS)		(68)	16	18	41
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests		0	0	0	0
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Parent		(68)	16	18	41
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax		0	0	0	0
COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS) ATTRIBUTABLE TO CHESAPEAKE		(68)	16	18	41
Eliminations
REVENUES
Natural gas, oil and NGL		1	0	3	0
Marketing, gathering and compression		0	0	0	0
Oilfield services		(335)	(191)	(994)	(491)
Total Revenues		(334)	(191)	(991)	(491)
OPERATING EXPENSES
Natural gas, oil and NGL production		0	0	0	0
Production taxes		0	0	0	0
Marketing, gathering and compression		0	0	0	0
Oilfield services		(248)	(137)	(709)	(355)
General and administrative		0	0	0	0
Natural gas, oil and NGL depreciation, depletion and amortization		0	0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization of other assets		(36)	(22)	(105)	(58)
Impairment of natural gas and oil properties		(177)		(195)
Losses on sales and impairments of fixed assets and other		0	0	0	0
Total Operating Expenses		(461)	(159)	(1,009)	(413)
Operating Income (Loss)		127	(32)	18	(78)
OTHER INCOME (EXPENSE)
Interest expense		291	149	686	494
Earnings (losses) on investments		0	0	0	0
Gains on sales of investments		0		0
Losses on purchases or exchanges of debt			0	0	0
Other income (expense)		(303)	(155)	(704)	(503)
Equity in net earnings of subsidiary		2,157	(907)	1,291	(1,361)
Total Other Income (Expense)		2,145	(913)	1,273	(1,370)
INCOME (LOSS) BEFORE INCOME TAXES		2,272	(945)	1,291	(1,448)
Income Tax Expense (Benefit)		45	(15)	0	(34)
NET INCOME (LOSS)		2,227	(930)	1,291	(1,414)
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests		(41)	0	(131)	0
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Parent		2,186	(930)	1,160	(1,414)
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax		0	0	0	0
COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS) ATTRIBUTABLE TO CHESAPEAKE		$ 2,186	$ (930)	$ 1,160	$ (1,414)