Condensed Consolidating Financial Information Income Statements Table (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended					6 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2018	Mar. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Jun. 30, 2017	Mar. 31, 2017	Jun. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2017	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
REVENUES:
Revenues	$ 2,255			$ 2,281		$ 4,744	$ 5,034
OPERATING EXPENSES:
Oil, natural gas and NGL production	138			140		285	275
Oil, natural gas and NGL gathering, processing and transportation	340			357		696	712
Production taxes	26			21		57	43
General and administrative	91			70		163	135
Restructuring and other termination costs	0			0		38	0
Provision for legal contingencies, net	4			17		9	15
Oil, natural gas and NGL depreciation, depletion and amortization	271			202		539	399
Depreciation and amortization of other assets	19			21		37	42
Impairments	46			0		46	0
Net (gains) losses on sales of fixed assets	(1)			1		7	1
Other operating (income) expense	(1)			26		(1)	417
Total Operating Expenses	2,225			1,882		4,436	4,394
INCOME FROM OPERATIONS	30			399		308	640
OTHER INCOME (EXPENSE):
Interest income (expense)	(117)			(93)		(240)	(188)
Gains on investments	0			0		139	0
Gains on purchases or exchanges of debt	0	$ 191	$ 184	191		0	184
Other income (expense)	62			(1)		62	2
Equity in net earnings (losses) of subsidiary	0			0		0	0
Total Other Income (Expense)	(55)			97		(39)	(2)
INCOME (LOSS) BEFORE INCOME TAXES	(25)			496		269	638
Income tax expense (benefit)	(9)			1		(9)	2
NET INCOME (LOSS)	(16)			495		278	636
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	(1)			(1)		(2)	(2)
NET INCOME (LOSS) ATTRIBUTABLE TO CHESAPEAKE	(17)			494		276	634
Other comprehensive income	7			7		17	21
COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS) ATTRIBUTABLE TO CHESAPEAKE	(10)			501		293	655
Eliminations [Member]
REVENUES:
Revenues	0			0		0	0
OPERATING EXPENSES:
Oil, natural gas and NGL production	0			0		0	0
Oil, natural gas and NGL gathering, processing and transportation	0			0		0	0
Production taxes	0			0		0	0
General and administrative	0			0		0	0
Restructuring and other termination costs						0
Provision for legal contingencies, net	0			0		0	0
Oil, natural gas and NGL depreciation, depletion and amortization	0			0		0	0
Depreciation and amortization of other assets	0			0		0	0
Impairments	0					0
Net (gains) losses on sales of fixed assets	0			0		0	0
Other operating (income) expense	0			0		0	0
Total Operating Expenses	0			0		0	0
INCOME FROM OPERATIONS	0			0		0	0
OTHER INCOME (EXPENSE):
Interest income (expense)	0			0		0	0
Gains on investments						0
Gains on purchases or exchanges of debt				0			0
Other income (expense)	0			0		0	0
Equity in net earnings (losses) of subsidiary	(90)			(405)		(508)	(648)
Total Other Income (Expense)	(90)			(405)		(508)	(648)
INCOME (LOSS) BEFORE INCOME TAXES	(90)			(405)		(508)	(648)
Income tax expense (benefit)	0			0		0	0
NET INCOME (LOSS)	(90)			(405)		(508)	(648)
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	0			0		0	0
NET INCOME (LOSS) ATTRIBUTABLE TO CHESAPEAKE	(90)			(405)		(508)	(648)
Other comprehensive income	0			0		0	0
COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS) ATTRIBUTABLE TO CHESAPEAKE	(90)			(405)		(508)	(648)
Parent Company [Member] | Reportable legal entities [Member]
REVENUES:
Revenues	0			0		0	0
OPERATING EXPENSES:
Oil, natural gas and NGL production	0			0		0	0
Oil, natural gas and NGL gathering, processing and transportation	0			0		0	0
Production taxes	0			0		0	0
General and administrative	0			3		0	3
Restructuring and other termination costs						0
Provision for legal contingencies, net	0			0		0	0
Oil, natural gas and NGL depreciation, depletion and amortization	0			0		0	0
Depreciation and amortization of other assets	0			0		0	0
Impairments	0					0
Net (gains) losses on sales of fixed assets	0			0		0	0
Other operating (income) expense	0			0		0	0
Total Operating Expenses	0			3		0	3
INCOME FROM OPERATIONS	0			(3)		0	(3)
OTHER INCOME (EXPENSE):
Interest income (expense)	(117)			(95)		(240)	(190)
Gains on investments						0
Gains on purchases or exchanges of debt				191			184
Other income (expense)	0			0		0	0
Equity in net earnings (losses) of subsidiary	91			402		507	645
Total Other Income (Expense)	(26)			498		267	639
INCOME (LOSS) BEFORE INCOME TAXES	(26)			495		267	636
Income tax expense (benefit)	(9)			1		(9)	2
NET INCOME (LOSS)	(17)			494		276	634
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	0			0		0	0
NET INCOME (LOSS) ATTRIBUTABLE TO CHESAPEAKE	(17)			494		276	634
Other comprehensive income	0			0		0	0
COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS) ATTRIBUTABLE TO CHESAPEAKE	(17)			494		276	634
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member] | Reportable legal entities [Member]
REVENUES:
Revenues	2,251			2,275		4,735	5,022
OPERATING EXPENSES:
Oil, natural gas and NGL production	138			140		285	275
Oil, natural gas and NGL gathering, processing and transportation	338			355		693	708
Production taxes	26			21		57	43
General and administrative	90			67		162	131
Restructuring and other termination costs						38
Provision for legal contingencies, net	4			17		9	15
Oil, natural gas and NGL depreciation, depletion and amortization	270			202		537	397
Depreciation and amortization of other assets	19			21		37	42
Impairments	46					46
Net (gains) losses on sales of fixed assets	(1)			1		7	1
Other operating (income) expense	(1)			26		(1)	417
Total Operating Expenses	2,221			1,877		4,430	4,384
INCOME FROM OPERATIONS	30			398		305	638
OTHER INCOME (EXPENSE):
Interest income (expense)	0			2		0	2
Gains on investments						139
Gains on purchases or exchanges of debt				0			0
Other income (expense)	62			(1)		62	2
Equity in net earnings (losses) of subsidiary				3		1	3
Equity in net earnings (losses) of subsidiary	(1)
Total Other Income (Expense)	61			4		202	7
INCOME (LOSS) BEFORE INCOME TAXES	91			402		507	645
Income tax expense (benefit)	0			0		0	0
NET INCOME (LOSS)	91			402		507	645
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	0			0		0	0
NET INCOME (LOSS) ATTRIBUTABLE TO CHESAPEAKE	91			402		507	645
Other comprehensive income	7			7		17	21
COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS) ATTRIBUTABLE TO CHESAPEAKE	98			409		524	666
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member] | Reportable legal entities [Member]
REVENUES:
Revenues	4			6		9	12
OPERATING EXPENSES:
Oil, natural gas and NGL production	0			0		0	0
Oil, natural gas and NGL gathering, processing and transportation	2			2		3	4
Production taxes	0			0		0	0
General and administrative	1			0		1	1
Restructuring and other termination costs						0
Provision for legal contingencies, net	0			0		0	0
Oil, natural gas and NGL depreciation, depletion and amortization	1			0		2	2
Depreciation and amortization of other assets	0			0		0	0
Impairments	0					0
Net (gains) losses on sales of fixed assets	0			0		0	0
Other operating (income) expense	0			0		0	0
Total Operating Expenses	4			2		6	7
INCOME FROM OPERATIONS	0			4		3	5
OTHER INCOME (EXPENSE):
Interest income (expense)	0			0		0	0
Gains on investments						0
Gains on purchases or exchanges of debt				0			0
Other income (expense)	0			0		0	0
Equity in net earnings (losses) of subsidiary	0			0		0	0
Total Other Income (Expense)	0			0		0	0
INCOME (LOSS) BEFORE INCOME TAXES	0			4		3	5
Income tax expense (benefit)	0			0		0	0
NET INCOME (LOSS)	0			4		3	5
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	(1)			(1)		(2)	(2)
NET INCOME (LOSS) ATTRIBUTABLE TO CHESAPEAKE	(1)			3		1	3
Other comprehensive income	0			0		0	0
COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS) ATTRIBUTABLE TO CHESAPEAKE	(1)			3		1	3
Oil, natrual gas and NGL [Member]
REVENUES:
Revenues	982	$ 1,233		1,279	$ 1,079	2,225	2,748	$ 2,593	$ 2,226
Oil, natrual gas and NGL [Member] | Eliminations [Member]
REVENUES:
Revenues	0			0		0	0
Oil, natrual gas and NGL [Member] | Parent Company [Member] | Reportable legal entities [Member]
REVENUES:
Revenues	0			0		0	0
Oil, natrual gas and NGL [Member] | Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member] | Reportable legal entities [Member]
REVENUES:
Revenues	978			1,273		2,216	2,736
Oil, natrual gas and NGL [Member] | Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member] | Reportable legal entities [Member]
REVENUES:
Revenues	4			6		9	12
Marketing [Member]
REVENUES:
Revenues	1,273			1,002		2,519	2,286
OPERATING EXPENSES:
Marketing	1,292			1,027		2,560	2,355
Marketing [Member] | Eliminations [Member]
REVENUES:
Revenues	0			0		0	0
OPERATING EXPENSES:
Marketing	0			0		0	0
Marketing [Member] | Parent Company [Member] | Reportable legal entities [Member]
REVENUES:
Revenues	0			0		0	0
OPERATING EXPENSES:
Marketing	0			0		0	0
Marketing [Member] | Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member] | Reportable legal entities [Member]
REVENUES:
Revenues	1,273			1,002		2,519	2,286
OPERATING EXPENSES:
Marketing	1,292			1,027		2,560	2,355
Marketing [Member] | Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member] | Reportable legal entities [Member]
REVENUES:
Revenues	0			0		0	0
OPERATING EXPENSES:
Marketing	$ 0			$ 0		$ 0	$ 0