Change in Accounting Principle - Statements of Operations (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, shares in Millions, $ in Millions	3 Months Ended			6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2018		Jun. 30, 2019		Jun. 30, 2018
REVENUES AND OTHER:
Revenues	$ 2,386	$ 2,289	[1]	$ 4,582		$ 4,813	[1]
Gains on sales of assets	1	18	[1]	20		37	[1],[2]
OPERATING EXPENSES:
Production taxes	40	26	[1]	74		57	[1]
General and administrative	89	105	[1]	192		192	[1]
Restructuring and other termination costs	0	0	[1]	0		38	[1]
Provision for legal contingencies, net	3	4	[1]	3		9	[1]
Depreciation, depletion and amortization	580	471	[1]	1,099		930	[1],[2]
Impairments	1	54	[1]	2		64	[1],[2]
Gain (loss) on sale of oil and natural gas properties	0			0
Other operating (income) expense	3	(1)	[1]	64		(1)	[1]
Total Operating Expenses	2,108	2,449	[1]	4,486		4,931	[1]
INCOME (LOSS) FROM OPERATIONS	278	(160)	[1]	96		(118)	[1]
OTHER INCOME (EXPENSE):
Interest expense	(175)	(155)	[1]	(336)	[1]	(317)	[1]
Gains (losses) on investments	(23)	0	[1]	(24)		139	[1]
Other income	18	57	[1]	27	[1]	56	[1]
Total Other Expense	(180)	(98)	[1]	(333)	[1]	(122)	[1]
INCOME (LOSS) BEFORE INCOME TAXES	98	(258)	[1]	(237)	[1]	(240)	[1]
INCOME TAX (BENEFIT) EXPENSE	0	(9)	[1]	(314)	[1]	(9)	[1]
NET INCOME (LOSS)	98	(249)	[3]	77	[2],[3]	(231)	[2],[3]
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	[3]	0	[3]	(1)	[3]
NET INCOME (LOSS) ATTRIBUTABLE TO CHESAPEAKE	98	(249)	[1]	77	[1]	(232)	[1]
Preferred stock dividends	(23)	(23)	[1]	(46)		(46)	[1]
Earnings allocated to participating securities	0			0		0
NET INCOME (LOSS) AVAILABLE TO COMMON STOCKHOLDERS	$ 75	$ (272)	[1]	$ 31		$ (278)	[1]
EARNINGS (LOSS) PER COMMON SHARE:
Basic (in dollars per share)	$ 0.05	$ (0.30)	[1]	$ 0.02		$ (0.31)	[1]
Diluted (in dollars per share)	$ 0.05	$ (0.30)	[1]	$ 0.02		$ (0.31)	[1]
WEIGHTED AVERAGE COMMON AND COMMON EQUIVALENT SHARES OUTSTANDING (in millions):
Basic (in shares)	1,628	909	[1]	1,505		908	[1]
Diluted (in shares)	1,628	909	[1]	1,505		908	[1]
Oil, natural gas and NGL
REVENUES AND OTHER:
Revenues	$ 1,454	$ 982	[1]	$ 2,383		$ 2,225	[1]
Marketing
REVENUES AND OTHER:
Revenues	916	1,273	[1]	2,149		2,519	[1]
OPERATING EXPENSES:
Expense	940	1,292	[1]	2,170		2,560	[1]
Oil, natural gas and NGL and Marketing
REVENUES AND OTHER:
Revenues	2,370	2,255	[1]	4,532		4,744	[1]
Other
REVENUES AND OTHER:
Revenues	15	16	[1]	30		32	[1]
Oil, natural gas and NGL production
OPERATING EXPENSES:
Expense	166	138	[1]	298		285	[1]
Oil, natural gas and NGL gathering, processing and transportation
OPERATING EXPENSES:
Expense	271	340	[1]	545		696	[1]
Exploration
OPERATING EXPENSES:
Expense	15	20	[1]	39		101	[1]
Under Full Cost
REVENUES AND OTHER:
Revenues	2,370	2,255		4,532		4,744
Gains on sales of assets	0	0		0		0
OPERATING EXPENSES:
Production taxes	40	26		74		57
General and administrative	76	91		164		163
Restructuring and other termination costs						38
Provision for legal contingencies, net	3	4		3		9
Depreciation, depletion and amortization	419	290		776		576
Impairments	1	46		2		46
Gain (loss) on sale of oil and natural gas properties	(1)			(10)
Other operating (income) expense	4	(2)		64		6
Total Operating Expenses	1,919	2,225		4,086		4,436
INCOME (LOSS) FROM OPERATIONS	451	30		446		308
OTHER INCOME (EXPENSE):
Interest expense	(131)	(117)		(266)		(240)
Gains (losses) on investments	(23)			(24)		139
Other income	13	62		20		62
Total Other Expense	(141)	(55)		(270)		(39)
INCOME (LOSS) BEFORE INCOME TAXES	310	(25)		176		269
INCOME TAX (BENEFIT) EXPENSE	0	(9)		(314)		(9)
NET INCOME (LOSS)	310	(16)		490		278
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	(1)		(1)		(2)
NET INCOME (LOSS) ATTRIBUTABLE TO CHESAPEAKE		(17)		489		276
Preferred stock dividends	(23)	(23)		(46)		(46)
Earnings allocated to participating securities	(1)			(3)		(2)
NET INCOME (LOSS) AVAILABLE TO COMMON STOCKHOLDERS	$ 286	$ (40)		$ 440		$ 228
EARNINGS (LOSS) PER COMMON SHARE:
Basic (in dollars per share)	$ 0.18	$ (0.04)		$ 0.29		$ 0.25
Diluted (in dollars per share)	$ 0.18	$ (0.04)		$ 0.29		$ 0.25
WEIGHTED AVERAGE COMMON AND COMMON EQUIVALENT SHARES OUTSTANDING (in millions):
Basic (in shares)	1,628	909		1,505		908
Diluted (in shares)	1,628	909		1,505		908
Under Full Cost | Oil, natural gas and NGL
REVENUES AND OTHER:
Revenues	$ 1,454	$ 982		$ 2,383		$ 2,225
Under Full Cost | Marketing
REVENUES AND OTHER:
Revenues	916	1,273		2,149		2,519
OPERATING EXPENSES:
Expense	940	1,292		2,170		2,560
Under Full Cost | Oil, natural gas and NGL and Marketing
REVENUES AND OTHER:
Revenues	2,370	2,255		4,532		4,744
Under Full Cost | Other
REVENUES AND OTHER:
Revenues	0	0		0		0
Under Full Cost | Oil, natural gas and NGL production
OPERATING EXPENSES:
Expense	166	138		298		285
Under Full Cost | Oil, natural gas and NGL gathering, processing and transportation
OPERATING EXPENSES:
Expense	271	340		545		696
Under Full Cost | Exploration
OPERATING EXPENSES:
Expense	0	0		0		0
Successful Efforts Adjustment
REVENUES AND OTHER:
Revenues	16	34		50		69
Gains on sales of assets	1	18		20		37
OPERATING EXPENSES:
Production taxes	0	0		0		0
General and administrative	13	14		28		29
Restructuring and other termination costs						0
Provision for legal contingencies, net	0	0		0		0
Depreciation, depletion and amortization	161	181		323		354
Impairments	0	8		0		18
Gain (loss) on sale of oil and natural gas properties	1			10
Other operating (income) expense	(1)	1		0		(7)
Total Operating Expenses	189	224		400		495
INCOME (LOSS) FROM OPERATIONS	(173)	(190)		(350)		(426)
OTHER INCOME (EXPENSE):
Interest expense	(44)	(38)		(70)		(77)
Gains (losses) on investments	0			0		0
Other income	5	(5)		7		(6)
Total Other Expense	(39)	(43)		(63)		(83)
INCOME (LOSS) BEFORE INCOME TAXES	(212)	(233)		(413)		(509)
INCOME TAX (BENEFIT) EXPENSE	0	0		0		0
NET INCOME (LOSS)	(212)	(233)		(413)		(509)
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	1		1		1
NET INCOME (LOSS) ATTRIBUTABLE TO CHESAPEAKE	(212)	(232)		(412)		(508)
Preferred stock dividends	0	0		0		0
Earnings allocated to participating securities	1			3		2
NET INCOME (LOSS) AVAILABLE TO COMMON STOCKHOLDERS	$ (211)	$ (232)		$ (409)		$ (506)
EARNINGS (LOSS) PER COMMON SHARE:
Basic (in dollars per share)	$ (0.13)	$ (0.26)		$ (0.27)		$ (0.56)
Diluted (in dollars per share)	$ (0.13)	$ (0.26)		$ (0.27)		$ (0.56)
WEIGHTED AVERAGE COMMON AND COMMON EQUIVALENT SHARES OUTSTANDING (in millions):
Basic (in shares)	0	0		0		0
Diluted (in shares)	0	0		0		0
Successful Efforts Adjustment | Oil, natural gas and NGL
REVENUES AND OTHER:
Revenues	$ 0	$ 0		$ 0		$ 0
Successful Efforts Adjustment | Marketing
REVENUES AND OTHER:
Revenues	0	0		0		0
OPERATING EXPENSES:
Expense	0	0		0		0
Successful Efforts Adjustment | Oil, natural gas and NGL and Marketing
REVENUES AND OTHER:
Revenues	0	0		0		0
Successful Efforts Adjustment | Other
REVENUES AND OTHER:
Revenues	15	16		30		32
Successful Efforts Adjustment | Oil, natural gas and NGL production
OPERATING EXPENSES:
Expense	0	0		0		0
Successful Efforts Adjustment | Oil, natural gas and NGL gathering, processing and transportation
OPERATING EXPENSES:
Expense	0	0		0		0
Successful Efforts Adjustment | Exploration
OPERATING EXPENSES:
Expense	$ 15	$ 20		$ 39		$ 101

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