CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY - USD ($) $ in Millions	Total	Preferred Stock [Member]	Preferred Stock [Member] Preferred Stock, Exchanged for Shares of Common Stock [Member]	Common Stock [Member]	Common Stock [Member] Conversion of preferred stock into common stock [Member]	Additional Paid-in Capital [Member]	Additional Paid-in Capital [Member] Contingent Convertible Senior Notes Exchanged for Shares of Common Stock [Member]	Additional Paid-in Capital [Member] Senior Notes Exchanged for Shares of Common Stock [Member]	Additional Paid-in Capital [Member] Preferred Stock, Exchanged for Shares of Common Stock [Member]	Retained Earnings [Member]	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Member]	Treasury Stock - Common [Member]	Parent [Member]	Noncontrolling Interest [Member]	Noncontrolling Interest, Chesapeake Cleveland Tonkawa Limited Liability Company [Member]
Chesapeake stockholders’ equity, beginning of period at Dec. 31, 2014		$ 3,062		$ 7		$ 12,531				$ 1,483	$ (143)	$ (37)
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Stock repurchased during period, value			$ 0
Stock issued during period, value, conversion of convertible securities				0	$ 0
Stock-based compensation						71
Convertible notes exchanged, value						0	$ 0	$ 0
Exchange of preferred stock for shares of common stock									$ 0
Adjustments to Additional Paid in Capital, Equity Component of Convertible Debt						0
Equity component of contingent convertible notes repurchased, net of tax						0
Dividends on preferred stock						(128)
Dividends on common stock						(59)
Issuance costs						0
Increase (decrease) in tax benefit from stock-based compensation						(12)
Net income (loss) attributable to Chesapeake	$ (14,567)									(14,567)
Hedging activity											44
Purchase of 1,206,419, 37,871 and 54,493 shares for company benefit plans												(1)
Release of 186,529, 255,091 and 231,081 shares from company benefit plans												5
Chesapeake stockholders’ equity, end of period at Dec. 31, 2015		3,062		7		12,403				(13,084)	(99)	(33)	$ 2,256
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	(68)													(68)	$ 50
Distributions to noncontrolling interest owners														(78)
Repurchase of noncontrolling interest of CHK C-T															(1,015)
Stockholders' equity attributable to noncontrolling interest, end of period at Dec. 31, 2015														141
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
TOTAL EQUITY (DEFICIT)	2,397
Stock repurchased during period, value			(1,291)
Stock issued during period, value, conversion of convertible securities				1	1
Stock-based compensation						64
Convertible notes exchanged, value						(165)	241	229
Exchange of preferred stock for shares of common stock									1,290
Adjustments to Additional Paid in Capital, Equity Component of Convertible Debt	445					445
Equity component of contingent convertible notes repurchased, net of tax	(26)					(16)
Dividends on preferred stock						0
Dividends on common stock						0
Issuance costs						(5)
Increase (decrease) in tax benefit from stock-based compensation						0
Net income (loss) attributable to Chesapeake	(4,390)									(4,390)
Hedging activity											3
Purchase of 1,206,419, 37,871 and 54,493 shares for company benefit plans												0
Release of 186,529, 255,091 and 231,081 shares from company benefit plans												6
Chesapeake stockholders’ equity, end of period at Dec. 31, 2016	(1,331)	1,771		9		14,486				(17,474)	(96)	(27)	(1,331)
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	(9)													(9)
Distributions to noncontrolling interest owners														(4)
Repurchase of noncontrolling interest of CHK C-T															0
Stockholders' equity attributable to noncontrolling interest, end of period at Dec. 31, 2016	128													128
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
TOTAL EQUITY (DEFICIT)	(1,203)
Stock repurchased during period, value			$ (100)
Stock issued during period, value, conversion of convertible securities				0	$ 0
Stock-based compensation						54
Convertible notes exchanged, value						0	$ 0	$ 0
Exchange of preferred stock for shares of common stock									$ 100
Adjustments to Additional Paid in Capital, Equity Component of Convertible Debt						0
Equity component of contingent convertible notes repurchased, net of tax						(20)
Dividends on preferred stock						(183)
Dividends on common stock						0
Issuance costs						0
Increase (decrease) in tax benefit from stock-based compensation						0
Net income (loss) attributable to Chesapeake	949									949
Hedging activity											39
Purchase of 1,206,419, 37,871 and 54,493 shares for company benefit plans												(7)
Release of 186,529, 255,091 and 231,081 shares from company benefit plans												3
Chesapeake stockholders’ equity, end of period at Dec. 31, 2017	(496)	$ 1,671		$ 9		$ 14,437				$ (16,525)	$ (57)	$ (31)	$ (496)
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	4													4
Distributions to noncontrolling interest owners														(8)
Repurchase of noncontrolling interest of CHK C-T															$ 0
Stockholders' equity attributable to noncontrolling interest, end of period at Dec. 31, 2017	124													$ 124
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
TOTAL EQUITY (DEFICIT)	$ (372)