Condensed Consolidating Financial Information Income Statements Table (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Mar. 31, 2017
REVENUES:
Oil, natural gas and NGL	$ 1,243		$ 1,469
Marketing	1,246		1,284
Total Revenues	2,489		2,753
OPERATING EXPENSES:
Oil, natural gas and NGL production	147		135
Oil, natural gas and NGL gathering, processing and transportation	356		355
Production taxes	31		22
Marketing	1,268		1,328
General and administrative	72		65
Restructuring and other termination costs	38		0
Provision for legal contingencies, net	5		(2)
Oil, natural gas and NGL depreciation, depletion and amortization	268		197
Depreciation and amortization of other assets	18		21
Other operating expense	0		391
Net losses on sales of fixed assets	8		0
Total Operating Expenses	2,211		2,512
INCOME FROM OPERATIONS	278		241
OTHER INCOME (EXPENSE):
Interest expense	(123)		(95)
Gains on investments	139		0
Losses on purchases or exchanges of debt	0	$ 7	(7)
Other income	0		3
Equity in net earnings (losses) of subsidiary	0		0
Total Other Income (Expense)	16		(99)
INCOME BEFORE INCOME TAXES	294		142
Income tax expense (benefit)	0		1
NET INCOME	294		141
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	(1)		(1)
NET INCOME (LOSS) ATTRIBUTABLE TO CHESAPEAKE	293		140
Other comprehensive income	10		14
COMPREHENSIVE INCOME ATTRIBUTABLE TO CHESAPEAKE	303		154
Consolidation, eliminations [Member]
REVENUES:
Oil, natural gas and NGL	0		0
Marketing	0		0
Total Revenues	0		0
OPERATING EXPENSES:
Oil, natural gas and NGL production	0		0
Oil, natural gas and NGL gathering, processing and transportation	0		0
Production taxes	0		0
Marketing	0		0
General and administrative	0		0
Restructuring and other termination costs	0
Provision for legal contingencies, net	0		0
Oil, natural gas and NGL depreciation, depletion and amortization	0		0
Depreciation and amortization of other assets	0		0
Other operating expense			0
Net losses on sales of fixed assets	0
Total Operating Expenses	0		0
INCOME FROM OPERATIONS	0		0
OTHER INCOME (EXPENSE):
Interest expense	0		0
Gains on investments	0
Losses on purchases or exchanges of debt			0
Other income			0
Equity in net earnings (losses) of subsidiary	(418)		(243)
Total Other Income (Expense)	(418)		(243)
INCOME BEFORE INCOME TAXES	(418)		(243)
Income tax expense (benefit)	0		0
NET INCOME	(418)		(243)
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	0		0
NET INCOME (LOSS) ATTRIBUTABLE TO CHESAPEAKE	(418)		(243)
Other comprehensive income	0		0
COMPREHENSIVE INCOME ATTRIBUTABLE TO CHESAPEAKE	(418)		(243)
Parent Company [Member] | Reportable legal entities [Member]
REVENUES:
Oil, natural gas and NGL	0		0
Marketing	0		0
Total Revenues	0		0
OPERATING EXPENSES:
Oil, natural gas and NGL production	0		0
Oil, natural gas and NGL gathering, processing and transportation	0		0
Production taxes	0		0
Marketing	0		0
General and administrative	0		0
Restructuring and other termination costs	0
Provision for legal contingencies, net	0		0
Oil, natural gas and NGL depreciation, depletion and amortization	0		0
Depreciation and amortization of other assets	0		0
Other operating expense			0
Net losses on sales of fixed assets	0
Total Operating Expenses	0		0
INCOME FROM OPERATIONS	0		0
OTHER INCOME (EXPENSE):
Interest expense	(123)		(95)
Gains on investments	0
Losses on purchases or exchanges of debt			(7)
Other income			0
Equity in net earnings (losses) of subsidiary	416		243
Total Other Income (Expense)	293		141
INCOME BEFORE INCOME TAXES	293		141
Income tax expense (benefit)	0		1
NET INCOME	293		140
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	0		0
NET INCOME (LOSS) ATTRIBUTABLE TO CHESAPEAKE	293		140
Other comprehensive income	0		0
COMPREHENSIVE INCOME ATTRIBUTABLE TO CHESAPEAKE	293		140
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member] | Reportable legal entities [Member]
REVENUES:
Oil, natural gas and NGL	1,238		1,463
Marketing	1,246		1,284
Total Revenues	2,484		2,747
OPERATING EXPENSES:
Oil, natural gas and NGL production	147		135
Oil, natural gas and NGL gathering, processing and transportation	355		353
Production taxes	31		22
Marketing	1,268		1,328
General and administrative	72		64
Restructuring and other termination costs	38
Provision for legal contingencies, net	5		(2)
Oil, natural gas and NGL depreciation, depletion and amortization	267		195
Depreciation and amortization of other assets	18		21
Other operating expense			391
Net losses on sales of fixed assets	8
Total Operating Expenses	2,209		2,507
INCOME FROM OPERATIONS	275		240
OTHER INCOME (EXPENSE):
Interest expense	0		0
Gains on investments	139
Losses on purchases or exchanges of debt			0
Other income			3
Equity in net earnings (losses) of subsidiary	2		0
Total Other Income (Expense)	141		3
INCOME BEFORE INCOME TAXES	416		243
Income tax expense (benefit)	0		0
NET INCOME	416		243
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	0		0
NET INCOME (LOSS) ATTRIBUTABLE TO CHESAPEAKE	416		243
Other comprehensive income	10		14
COMPREHENSIVE INCOME ATTRIBUTABLE TO CHESAPEAKE	426		257
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member] | Reportable legal entities [Member]
REVENUES:
Oil, natural gas and NGL	5		6
Marketing	0		0
Total Revenues	5		6
OPERATING EXPENSES:
Oil, natural gas and NGL production	0		0
Oil, natural gas and NGL gathering, processing and transportation	1		2
Production taxes	0		0
Marketing	0		0
General and administrative	0		1
Restructuring and other termination costs	0
Provision for legal contingencies, net	0		0
Oil, natural gas and NGL depreciation, depletion and amortization	1		2
Depreciation and amortization of other assets	0		0
Other operating expense			0
Net losses on sales of fixed assets	0
Total Operating Expenses	2		5
INCOME FROM OPERATIONS	3		1
OTHER INCOME (EXPENSE):
Interest expense	0		0
Gains on investments	0
Losses on purchases or exchanges of debt			0
Other income			0
Equity in net earnings (losses) of subsidiary	0		0
Total Other Income (Expense)	0		0
INCOME BEFORE INCOME TAXES	3		1
Income tax expense (benefit)	0		0
NET INCOME	3		1
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	(1)		(1)
NET INCOME (LOSS) ATTRIBUTABLE TO CHESAPEAKE	2		0
Other comprehensive income	0		0
COMPREHENSIVE INCOME ATTRIBUTABLE TO CHESAPEAKE	$ 2		$ 0