Change in Accounting Principle - Statements of Shareholders' Equity (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2019	Mar. 31, 2018		Jan. 01, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Jan. 01, 2018
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Chesapeake stockholders’ equity, beginning of period	$ 2,092
Net income (loss) attributable to Chesapeake	(21)	$ 17	[1]
Chesapeake stockholders’ equity, end of period	4,097
Stockholders' equity attributable to noncontrolling interest, beginning of period	41
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	(1)	[2]
Stockholders' equity attributable to noncontrolling interest, end of period	41
TOTAL EQUITY	4,138	1,942	[3]		$ 2,133
Under Full Cost
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Net income (loss) attributable to Chesapeake	179	293
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	(1)	(1)
TOTAL EQUITY	2,671	(97)
Successful Efforts Adjustment
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Net income (loss) attributable to Chesapeake	(200)	(276)
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	1	0
TOTAL EQUITY	1,467	2,039
PREFERRED STOCK:
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Chesapeake stockholders’ equity, beginning of period	1,671	1,671
Chesapeake stockholders’ equity, end of period	1,671	1,671	[3]
PREFERRED STOCK: | Under Full Cost
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Chesapeake stockholders’ equity, beginning of period	1,671	1,671
PREFERRED STOCK: | Successful Efforts Adjustment
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Chesapeake stockholders’ equity, beginning of period	0	0
COMMON STOCK:
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Chesapeake stockholders’ equity, beginning of period	9	9	[3]
Common shares issued for WildHorse Merger	7	0	[3]
Chesapeake stockholders’ equity, end of period	16	9	[3]
COMMON STOCK: | Under Full Cost
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Chesapeake stockholders’ equity, beginning of period	9	9
Common shares issued for WildHorse Merger	7
Chesapeake stockholders’ equity, end of period	16	9
COMMON STOCK: | Successful Efforts Adjustment
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Chesapeake stockholders’ equity, beginning of period	0	0
Common shares issued for WildHorse Merger	0
Chesapeake stockholders’ equity, end of period	0	0
ADDITIONAL PAID-IN CAPITAL:
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Chesapeake stockholders’ equity, beginning of period	14,378	14,437	[3]
Common shares issued for WildHorse Merger	2,030	0	[3]
Stock-based compensation	7	5	[3]
Dividends on preferred stock	(23)	(23)	[3]
Chesapeake stockholders’ equity, end of period	16,392	14,419	[3]
ADDITIONAL PAID-IN CAPITAL: | Under Full Cost
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Chesapeake stockholders’ equity, beginning of period	14,378	14,437
Common shares issued for WildHorse Merger	2,030
Stock-based compensation	7	5
Dividends on preferred stock	(23)	(23)
Chesapeake stockholders’ equity, end of period	16,392	14,419
ADDITIONAL PAID-IN CAPITAL: | Successful Efforts Adjustment
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Chesapeake stockholders’ equity, beginning of period	0	0
Common shares issued for WildHorse Merger	0
Stock-based compensation	0	0
Dividends on preferred stock	0	0
Chesapeake stockholders’ equity, end of period	0	0
ACCUMULATED DEFICIT:
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Chesapeake stockholders’ equity, beginning of period	(13,912)	(14,130)	[3]
Net income (loss) attributable to Chesapeake	(21)	17	[3]
Cumulative effect of accounting change				$ 0		$ (8)	[3]
Chesapeake stockholders’ equity, end of period	(13,933)	(14,121)	[3]
ACCUMULATED DEFICIT: | Under Full Cost
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Chesapeake stockholders’ equity, beginning of period	(15,660)	(16,525)
Net income (loss) attributable to Chesapeake	179	293
Cumulative effect of accounting change						(8)
Chesapeake stockholders’ equity, end of period	(15,481)	(16,240)
ACCUMULATED DEFICIT: | Successful Efforts Adjustment
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Chesapeake stockholders’ equity, beginning of period	1,748	2,395
Net income (loss) attributable to Chesapeake		(276)
Cumulative effect of accounting change						$ 0
Chesapeake stockholders’ equity, end of period	1,548	2,119
ACCUMULATED OTHER COMPREHENSIVE LOSS:
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Chesapeake stockholders’ equity, beginning of period	(23)	(57)	[3]
Hedging activity	10	10	[3]
Chesapeake stockholders’ equity, end of period	(13)	(47)	[3]
ACCUMULATED OTHER COMPREHENSIVE LOSS: | Under Full Cost
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Chesapeake stockholders’ equity, beginning of period	(23)	(57)
Hedging activity	10	10
Chesapeake stockholders’ equity, end of period	(13)	(47)
ACCUMULATED OTHER COMPREHENSIVE LOSS: | Successful Efforts Adjustment
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Chesapeake stockholders’ equity, beginning of period	0	0
Hedging activity	0	0
Chesapeake stockholders’ equity, end of period	0	0
TREASURY STOCK – COMMON:
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Chesapeake stockholders’ equity, beginning of period	(31)	(31)	[3]
Purchase of 2,539,473 and 1,451,478 shares for company benefit plans	(6)	(4)	[3]
Release of 110,796 and 275,407 shares from company benefit plans	1	3	[3]
Chesapeake stockholders’ equity, end of period	(36)	(32)	[3]
TREASURY STOCK – COMMON: | Under Full Cost
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Chesapeake stockholders’ equity, beginning of period	(31)	(31)
Purchase of 2,539,473 and 1,451,478 shares for company benefit plans	(6)	(4)
Release of 110,796 and 275,407 shares from company benefit plans	1	3
Chesapeake stockholders’ equity, end of period	(36)	(32)
TREASURY STOCK – COMMON: | Successful Efforts Adjustment
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Chesapeake stockholders’ equity, beginning of period	0	0
Purchase of 2,539,473 and 1,451,478 shares for company benefit plans	0	0
Release of 110,796 and 275,407 shares from company benefit plans	0	0
Chesapeake stockholders’ equity, end of period	0	0
TOTAL CHESAPEAKE STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Chesapeake stockholders’ equity, end of period	4,097	1,899	[3]
TOTAL CHESAPEAKE STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY | Under Full Cost
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Chesapeake stockholders’ equity, end of period	2,549	(220)
TOTAL CHESAPEAKE STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY | Successful Efforts Adjustment
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Chesapeake stockholders’ equity, end of period	1,548	2,119
NONCONTROLLING INTERESTS:
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Stockholders' equity attributable to noncontrolling interest, beginning of period	41	44	[3]
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	1	[3]
Distributions to noncontrolling interest owners	0	(2)	[3]
Stockholders' equity attributable to noncontrolling interest, end of period	41	43	[3]
NONCONTROLLING INTERESTS: | Under Full Cost
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Stockholders' equity attributable to noncontrolling interest, beginning of period	123	124
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	(1)	1
Distributions to noncontrolling interest owners	0	(2)
Stockholders' equity attributable to noncontrolling interest, end of period	122	123
NONCONTROLLING INTERESTS: | Successful Efforts Adjustment
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Stockholders' equity attributable to noncontrolling interest, beginning of period	(82)	(80)
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	1	0
Distributions to noncontrolling interest owners	0	0
Stockholders' equity attributable to noncontrolling interest, end of period	$ (81)	$ (80)

[1] Financial information for 2018 has been recast to reflect the retrospective application of the successful efforts method of accounting. See Note 1.

[2] Financial information for 2018 has been recast to reflect the retrospective application of the successful efforts method of accounting. See Note 1.

[3] Financial information for prior periods has been recast to reflect the retrospective application of the successful efforts method of accounting. See Note 1.