Stockholders Equity Restricted Stock Stock Options and Noncontrolling Interests (Noncontrolling Interests) (Details) (USD $)	1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended			12 Months Ended				12 Months Ended						1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended					1 Months Ended	2 Months Ended	12 Months Ended				12 Months Ended		12 Months Ended	1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended													1 Months Ended					1 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	May 31, 2012	Sep. 30, 2012	Jun. 30, 2012	Mar. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2012 acre	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009	Dec. 31, 2011 E&P USA	Dec. 31, 2011 CGAS Properties	Dec. 31, 2012 Total	Dec. 31, 2012 Wireless Seismic, Inc.	Dec. 31, 2012 Big Star Crude Co., LLC	Dec. 31, 2012 New well	Mar. 31, 2012 Chesapeake Cleveland Tonkawa L.L.C well acre	Dec. 31, 2012 Chesapeake Cleveland Tonkawa L.L.C well	Dec. 31, 2012 Chesapeake Cleveland Tonkawa L.L.C Minimum	Dec. 31, 2012 Chesapeake Cleveland Tonkawa L.L.C Minimum well	Dec. 31, 2012 Chesapeake Cleveland Tonkawa L.L.C Drilled Wells well	Dec. 31, 2012 Chesapeake Cleveland Tonkawa L.L.C Increase Minimum	Oct. 31, 2011 Chesapeake Utica L.L.C acre	Dec. 31, 2011 Chesapeake Utica L.L.C well	Dec. 31, 2012 Chesapeake Utica L.L.C Country well	Dec. 30, 2011 Chesapeake Utica L.L.C	Dec. 31, 2012 Chesapeake Utica L.L.C Utica Shale Leasehold	Dec. 31, 2012 Chesapeake Utica L.L.C Minimum well	Dec. 31, 2012 Chesapeake Utica L.L.C Drilled Wells well	Dec. 31, 2012 Chesapeake Utica L.L.C New Drilled Wells	Dec. 31, 2012 Chesapeake Utica L.L.C Increase Utica Shale Leasehold	Nov. 30, 2011 Chesapeake Granite Wash Trust	Dec. 31, 2012 Chesapeake Granite Wash Trust acre well	Dec. 31, 2011 Chesapeake Granite Wash Trust	Dec. 31, 2012 Chesapeake Granite Wash Trust Minimum	Dec. 31, 2012 Chesapeake Granite Wash Trust Maximum	Dec. 31, 2012 Chesapeake Granite Wash Trust Western Oklahoma well	Dec. 31, 2012 Chesapeake Granite Wash Trust Scenario, Actual	Nov. 07, 2012 Subordinated Units	Aug. 01, 2012 Subordinated Units	Nov. 07, 2012 Common Unit	Aug. 01, 2012 Common Unit	May 10, 2012 Common Unit	Feb. 08, 2012 Common Unit	Dec. 31, 2011 Chesapeake Midstream Development, L.P	Dec. 31, 2011 Cardinal Gas Service Properties, L.P.	Dec. 31, 2012 Wireless Seismic, Inc.	Dec. 31, 2012 Big Star Crude Co., LLC	Dec. 31, 2012 CHK Utica ORRI [Member]	Mar. 31, 2012 CHK Utica ORRI [Member]	Nov. 30, 2011 Common Stock Chesapeake Granite Wash Trust	Nov. 30, 2011 Subordinated Units Chesapeake Granite Wash Trust	Dec. 31, 2012 Preferred Stock Chesapeake Cleveland Tonkawa L.L.C	Dec. 31, 2012 Preferred Stock Chesapeake Utica L.L.C
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Acres of leasehold land															245,000						700,000
Third-Party investors' contributions															$ 1,250,000,000							$ 1,250,000,000
Number of preferred shares exchanged for cash															1,250,000							1,250,000
Overriding royalty interest, percentage															3.75%																																	3.75%
Number of net wells														76	1,000							1,500	1,500			1,300		34
Amount allocated to ORRI															225,000,000							300,000,000
Amount allocated to preferred shares															1,025,000,000							950,000,000
Restricted cash					111,000,000	44,000,000										57,000,000							44,000,000
Preferred stock dividend rate percentage																6.00%							7.00%																												6.00%	7.00%
Preferred stock per share																$ 1,000							$ 1,000
Percentage of excess cash allocated to preferred shares																75.00%							70.00%
Percentage of excess cash allocated to common shares									25.00%							25.00%							30.00%
Percentage of excess cash allocated to preferred shares if drilling commitment not met																100.00%							100.00%
Percentage of internal rate of return																9.00%							10.00%																					9.00%
Internal return on investment, multiplier																1.35							1.4
Percentage of increase in internal rate of return, in the event redemption does not occur																15.00%
Redemption price and liquidation preference per preferred share (usd per share)																$ 1,305							$ 1,322
Number of oil wells committed to drill net, minimum																25	867	37.5					50
Number of net wells, minimum cumulative total															1,000	300							250
Amount of excess cash distributed to third party investors, percentage																100.00%
Percentage of increase in internal rate required by investors at redemption																3.00%
Percentage of additional increase in internal rate required by investors at redemption upon failed obligations																3.00%
Percentage of increase in leasehold in which commitment to drill is not met																				5.00%					4.00%				4.00%
Acre Spacing					160
Spacing for Wells Drilled					150
Noncontrolling interests					2,327,000,000	1,337,000,000										1,015,000,000						950,000,000	950,000,000								356,000,000	381,000,000													5,000,000	1,000,000
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests					(175,000,000)	(15,000,000)	0					(4,000,000)	0			(57,000,000)							(88,000,000)	(10,000,000)							(35,000,000)	(5,000,000)
Number of development wells drilled																			85								66				55				118
Number of counties present in the leasehold land (Counties)																							13
Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents, Noncurrent					155,000,000
Amount payable on each short of drilling commitment																							5,000,000
Percentage of increase in internal rate of return, in the event redemption does not occur																							17.50%
Percentage of increase in internal rate of return in investment, in event redemption does not occur																							2.0
Utica ORRI Percentage					3.00%																																										3.00%
Common Stock, Shares, Issued					666,468,000	660,888,000	655,251,000	648,549,000																						23,000,000
Common stock, par value (usd per share)					$ 0.01	$ 0.01																								$ 19
Number of units included in beneficial interests																																																	12,062,500	11,687,500
Percentage of beneficial interest owned																														51.00%
Common shares, outstanding																														46,750,000
Percentage of proceeds from royalty interest conveyed to trust																																	50.00%	90.00%
Number of producing wells																															69
Number of gross acres																															45,400
Number of net acres																															29,000
Maximum amount recoverable by trust under lien					263,000,000																															140,000,000
Percentage of incentive distributions received					50.00%
Percentage of remaining cash available for distribution in excess of the incentive threshold					50.00%
Cash distribution declared by trust, per unit																																					$ 0.22	$ 0.48	$ 0.63	$ 0.61	$ 0.66	$ 0.73
Distribution From Trust to Third Party Unit Holders	15,000,000	14,000,000	15,000,000	17,000,000
Amount of exchange contribution									5,000,000	2,000,000																																	14,000,000
Noncontrolling Interest, Ownership Percentage by Parent					50.00%																																						66.00%		57.00%
Proceeds from affiliates										$ 7,000,000	$ 0