CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY - USD ($) $ in Millions	Total	Preferred Stock [Member]	Common Stock [Member]	Additional Paid-in Capital [Member]	Additional Paid-in Capital [Member] Convertible Note Exchange [Member]	Additional Paid-in Capital [Member] Senior Note Exhange [Member]	Additional Paid-in Capital [Member] Convertible Preferred Stock [Member]	Retained Earnings [Member]	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Member]	Treasury Stock - Common [Member]	Parent [Member]	Noncontrolling Interest [Member]
Chesapeake stockholders’ equity, beginning of period at Dec. 31, 2014		$ 3,062		$ 12,531				$ 1,483	$ (143)	$ (37)
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Stock-based compensation				12
Conversions/exchanges during period, value		0			$ 0	$ 0	$ 0
Dividends on common stock				(59)
Dividends on preferred stock				(43)
Decrease in tax benefit from stock-based compensation				(5)
Net loss attributable to Chesapeake	$ (3,739)
Hedging activity									9
Purchase of 10,100 and 12,401 shares for company benefit plans										0
Release of 63,318 and 41,046 shares from company benefit plans										0
Chesapeake stockholders’ equity, end of period at Mar. 31, 2015		3,062	$ 7	12,436				(2,256)	(134)	(37)	$ 13,078
Stockholders' Equity Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest, Beginning of Period at Dec. 31, 2014												$ 1,302
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	19
Distributions to noncontrolling interest owners												(26)
Stockholders' Equity Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest, End of Period at Mar. 31, 2015												1,295
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
TOTAL EQUITY	14,373
TOTAL EQUITY	2,397
Chesapeake stockholders’ equity, beginning of period at Dec. 31, 2015	2,138	3,062		12,403				(13,202)	(99)	(33)
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Stock-based compensation				16
Conversions/exchanges during period, value		26			$ 65	$ 11	$ 26
Dividends on common stock				0
Dividends on preferred stock				0
Decrease in tax benefit from stock-based compensation				0
Net loss attributable to Chesapeake	(921)
Hedging activity									0
Purchase of 10,100 and 12,401 shares for company benefit plans										0
Release of 63,318 and 41,046 shares from company benefit plans										2
Chesapeake stockholders’ equity, end of period at Mar. 31, 2016	1,311	$ 3,036	$ 7	$ 12,521				$ (14,123)	$ (99)	$ (31)	$ 1,311
Stockholders' Equity Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest, Beginning of Period at Dec. 31, 2015	259											259
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	0
Distributions to noncontrolling interest owners												1
Stockholders' Equity Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest, End of Period at Mar. 31, 2016	260											$ 260
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
TOTAL EQUITY	$ 1,571