Debt - Senior Notes and Contingent Convertible Senior Notes Purchased Narrative (Details) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended																															12 Months Ended		12 Months Ended						12 Months Ended				12 Months Ended																		12 Months Ended														12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2012 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2011 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2011	Dec. 31, 2012 Term Loan USD ($)	May 31, 2012 Term Loan USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2011 Term Loan USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2012 Seven Point Six Two Five Percent Senior Notes Due Two Thousand Thirteen [Member] USD ($)		Dec. 31, 2011 Seven Point Six Two Five Percent Senior Notes Due Two Thousand Thirteen [Member] USD ($)		Dec. 31, 2012 Nine Point Five Percent Senior Notes Due Two Thousand Fifteen [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2011 Nine Point Five Percent Senior Notes Due Two Thousand Fifteen [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2012 Six Point Two Five Percent Euro Hyphen Denominated Senior Notes Due Two Thousand Seventeen [Member] USD ($)		Dec. 31, 2011 Six Point Two Five Percent Euro Hyphen Denominated Senior Notes Due Two Thousand Seventeen [Member] USD ($)		Dec. 31, 2006 Six Point Two Five Percent Euro Hyphen Denominated Senior Notes Due Two Thousand Seventeen [Member] EUR (€)	Dec. 31, 2012 Six Point Five Percent Senior Notes Due Two Thousand Seventeen [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2011 Six Point Five Percent Senior Notes Due Two Thousand Seventeen [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2012 Six Point Eight Seven Five Percent Senior Notes Due Two Thousand Eighteen [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2011 Six Point Eight Seven Five Percent Senior Notes Due Two Thousand Eighteen [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2012 Seven Point Two Five Percent Senior Notes Due Two Thousand Eighteen [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2011 Seven Point Two Five Percent Senior Notes Due Two Thousand Eighteen [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2012 Six Point Six Two Five Percent Senior Notes Due Two Thousand Nineteen [Member] USD ($)		Dec. 31, 2011 Six Point Six Two Five Percent Senior Notes Due Two Thousand Nineteen [Member] USD ($)		Dec. 31, 2012 Six Point Six Two Five Percent Senior Notes Due Two Thousand Twenty [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2011 Six Point Six Two Five Percent Senior Notes Due Two Thousand Twenty [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2012 Six Point Eight Seven Five Percent Senior Notes Due Two Thousand Twenty [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2011 Six Point Eight Seven Five Percent Senior Notes Due Two Thousand Twenty [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2012 Six Point Seven Seven Five Percent Senior Notes Due Two Thousand Nineteen [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2011 Six Point Seven Seven Five Percent Senior Notes Due Two Thousand Nineteen [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2012 Six Point One Two Five Percent Senior Notes Due Two Thousand Twenty One [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2011 Six Point One Two Five Percent Senior Notes Due Two Thousand Twenty One [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2012 Two Point Seven Five Percent Contingent Convertible Senior Notes Due Two Thousand Thirty Five [Member] USD ($)		Dec. 31, 2011 Two Point Seven Five Percent Contingent Convertible Senior Notes Due Two Thousand Thirty Five [Member] USD ($)		Dec. 31, 2012 Two Point Five Percent Contingent Convertible Senior Notes Due Two Thousand Thirty Seven [Member] USD ($)		Dec. 31, 2011 Two Point Five Percent Contingent Convertible Senior Notes Due Two Thousand Thirty Seven [Member] USD ($)		Dec. 31, 2012 Two Point Two Five Percent Contingent Convertible Senior Notes Due Two Thousand Thirty Eight [Member] USD ($)		Dec. 31, 2011 Two Point Two Five Percent Contingent Convertible Senior Notes Due Two Thousand Thirty Eight [Member] USD ($)		Dec. 31, 2012 Corporate Revolving Bank Credit Facility USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2011 Corporate Revolving Bank Credit Facility USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2012 Midstream Revolving Bank Credit Facility USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2011 Midstream Revolving Bank Credit Facility USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2012 Oilfield Services Credit Facility USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2011 Oilfield Services Credit Facility USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2012 Discount On Senior Notes USD ($)		Dec. 31, 2011 Discount On Senior Notes USD ($)		Dec. 31, 2012 Interest rate derivatives USD ($)		Dec. 31, 2011 Interest rate derivatives USD ($)		Dec. 31, 2012 Senior Notes USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2011 Senior Notes USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2011 Senior Notes Seven Point Six Two Five Percent Senior Notes Due Two Thousand Thirteen [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2011 Senior Notes Nine Point Five Percent Senior Notes Due Two Thousand Fifteen [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2011 Senior Notes Six Point Two Five Percent Euro Hyphen Denominated Senior Notes Due Two Thousand Seventeen [Member] USD ($)		Dec. 31, 2011 Senior Notes Six Point Five Percent Senior Notes Due Two Thousand Seventeen [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2011 Senior Notes Six Point Eight Seven Five Percent Senior Notes Due Two Thousand Eighteen [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2011 Senior Notes Seven Point Two Five Percent Senior Notes Due Two Thousand Eighteen [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2012 Senior Notes Six Point Six Two Five Percent Senior Notes Due Two Thousand Nineteen [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2011 Senior Notes Six Point Six Two Five Percent Senior Notes Due Two Thousand Twenty [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2012 Chesapeake Oilfield Operating, LLC. Six Point Six Two Five Percent Senior Notes Due Two Thousand Nineteen [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2011 Chesapeake Oilfield Operating, LLC. Six Point Six Two Five Percent Senior Notes Due Two Thousand Nineteen [Member] USD ($)	Oct. 31, 2011 Chesapeake Oilfield Operating, LLC. Six Point Six Two Five Percent Senior Notes Due Two Thousand Nineteen [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Cash Premiums USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2012 Deferred Charges USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2011 Note Discounts USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2011 Interest Rate Hedging Losses USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2012 Contingent Convertible Notes Equity Component USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2012 Minimum USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2012 Maximum USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2012 Maximum Term Loan USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2012 Maximum Chesapeake Oilfield Operating, LLC. USD ($)
Long-Term Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Unamortized Discount	$ 376	$ 444		$ 40	$ 120		$ 1
Debt Outstanding Principal Amount																																250																																																	50	75
Debt Instrument Interest Rate Percentage							7.625%				9.50%		6.25%					6.50%		6.875%		7.25%		6.625%				6.625%		6.875%		6.775%		6.125%		2.75%				2.50%				2.25%																															6.625%
Debt Instrument, Convertible, Effective Interest Rate																																				6.86%				8.00%				8.00%
Long-term Debt	12,620	10,626																														1,300																																										650
Proceeds Net From Senior Notes																																1,263			977																																						637
Percentage Of Redeemable Notes At Redemption Price																																100.00%
Debt Instrument Principal Amount Repurchased		1,904																																																													1,373	36	160	380	[1]	440	126	131		100
Foreign Currency Exchange Rate, Translation			1.4821
Debt Tender Offer Payments	2,058
Gain (Loss) on Repurchase of Debt Instrument	(174)																																																																											(154)	(20)	(160)	(2)	162
Debt Instrument, Face Amount																	600
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage Rate Range, Maximum																																		6.125%										2.25%																											1.00%
Secured Debt, Repurchase Agreements																																			1,000											140
Secured Debt Repurchase Agreements Price																																														128
Gains Losses On Exchange Of Debt																																														2
Principal Payment On Senior Notes Due In Two Years																																																														464
Debt Instrument Principal Amount Redeemed Percent																																																																									35.00%
Long-term Debt, Gross				2,000		0	464	[2]	464	[2]	1,265	1,265	454	[3]	446	[3]		660	660	474	474	669	669	650	[4]	650	[4]	1,300	1,300	500	500	1,300	0	1,000	1,000	396	[5]	396	[5]	1,168	[5]	1,168	[5]	347	[5]	347	[5]	0	1,719	0	1	418	29	(465)	[6]	(490)	[6]	20	[7]	28	[7]																						125	50
Document Effective Period	60 days
Registration Requirement Period	365 days
Interest Payable	$ 226	$ 183																																																																					$ 1

[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 9 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 $1.3193 to €1.00 and $1.2973 to €1.00 as of December 31, 2012 and 2011, respectively. See Note 9 for information on our related foreign currency derivatives.

[4] 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.

[5] nior notes.(d)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 fourth 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 first quarter of 2013 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. During 2012, the notes were not convertible under this provision. 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 $48.31 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 $107.01 June 14, 2019

[6] Discount as of December 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011 included $376 million and $444 million, respectively, associated with the equity component of our contingent convertible senior notes. This discount is based on an effective yield method.

[7] See Note 9 for further discussion related to these instruments.