Change in Accounting Principle - Statements of Shareholders' Equity (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions		3 Months Ended			6 Months Ended
		Jun. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2018		Jun. 30, 2019		Jun. 30, 2018		Jan. 01, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Jan. 01, 2018	[3]
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Chesapeake stockholders’ equity, beginning of period					$ 2,092
Net loss attributable to Chesapeake		$ 98	$ (249)	[1]	77	[1]	$ (232)	[1]
Chesapeake stockholders’ equity, end of period		4,191			4,191
Stockholders' equity attributable to noncontrolling interest, beginning of period					41
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests		0	0	[2]	0	[2]	(1)	[2]
Stockholders' equity attributable to noncontrolling interest, end of period		39			39
TOTAL EQUITY		4,230	1,689	[3]	4,230		1,689	[3]		$ 2,133
PREFERRED STOCK
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Chesapeake stockholders’ equity, beginning of period	[3]	1,671	1,671		1,671		1,671
Chesapeake stockholders’ equity, end of period		1,671	1,671	[3]	1,671		1,671	[3]
COMMON STOCK
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Chesapeake stockholders’ equity, beginning of period		16	9	[3]	9		9	[3]
Common shares issued for WildHorse Merger		0	0	[3]	7		0	[3]
Chesapeake stockholders’ equity, end of period	[3]	16	9		16		9
ADDITIONAL PAID-IN CAPITAL
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Chesapeake stockholders’ equity, beginning of period		16,392	14,419	[3]	14,378		14,437	[3]
Common shares issued for WildHorse Merger		0	0	[3]	2,030		0	[3]
Stock-based compensation		11	12	[3]	18		17	[3]
Dividends on preferred stock		(23)	(23)	[3]	(46)		(46)	[3]
Chesapeake stockholders’ equity, end of period		16,380	14,408	[3]	16,380		14,408	[3]
ACCUMULATED DEFICIT
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Chesapeake stockholders’ equity, beginning of period		(13,933)	(14,121)	[3]	(13,912)		(14,130)	[3]
Net loss attributable to Chesapeake		98	(249)	[3]	77		(232)	[3]
Cumulative effect of accounting change									$ 0		$ (8)
Chesapeake stockholders’ equity, end of period	[3]	(13,835)	(14,370)		(13,835)		(14,370)
ACCUMULATED OTHER COMPREHENSIVE LOSS:
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Chesapeake stockholders’ equity, beginning of period		(13)	(47)	[3]	(23)		(57)	[3]
Hedging activity		8	7	[3]	18		17	[3]
Chesapeake stockholders’ equity, end of period		(5)	(40)	[3]	(5)		(40)	[3]
TREASURY STOCK – COMMON:
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Chesapeake stockholders’ equity, beginning of period		(36)	(32)	[3]	(31)		(31)	[3]
Purchase of 81,093, 17,046, 2,620,566, and 1,468,524 shares for company benefit plans		(1)	0	[3]	(7)		(4)	[3]
Release of 148,767, 114,450, 259,563 and 389,857 shares from company benefit plans		1	1	[3]	2		4	[3]
Chesapeake stockholders’ equity, end of period		$ (36)	$ (31)	[3]	$ (36)		$ (31)	[3]
Purchase of shares for company benefit plans (in shares)		81,093	17,046		2,620,566		1,468,524
Release of shares from company benefit plans (in shares)		148,767	114,450		259,563		389,857
TOTAL CHESAPEAKE STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Chesapeake stockholders’ equity, end of period		$ 4,191	$ 1,647	[3]	$ 4,191		$ 1,647	[3]
NONCONTROLLING INTERESTS:
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Stockholders' equity attributable to noncontrolling interest, beginning of period		41	43	[3]	41		44	[3]
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests		0	0	[3]	0		1	[3]
Distributions to noncontrolling interest owners		(2)	(1)	[3]	(2)		(3)	[3]
Stockholders' equity attributable to noncontrolling interest, end of period		39	42	[3]	39		42	[3]
Under Full Cost
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net loss attributable to Chesapeake			(17)		489		276
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests		0	(1)		(1)		(2)
TOTAL EQUITY		2,975	(117)		2,975		(117)
Under Full Cost | PREFERRED STOCK
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Chesapeake stockholders’ equity, beginning of period		1,671	1,671		1,671		1,671
Chesapeake stockholders’ equity, end of period		1,671	1,671		1,671		1,671
Under Full Cost | COMMON STOCK
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Chesapeake stockholders’ equity, beginning of period		16	9		9		9
Common shares issued for WildHorse Merger					7
Chesapeake stockholders’ equity, end of period		16	9		16		9
Under Full Cost | ADDITIONAL PAID-IN CAPITAL
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Chesapeake stockholders’ equity, beginning of period		16,392	14,419		14,378		14,437
Common shares issued for WildHorse Merger					2,030
Stock-based compensation		11	12		18		17
Dividends on preferred stock		(23)	(23)		(46)		(46)
Chesapeake stockholders’ equity, end of period		16,380	14,408		16,380		14,408
Under Full Cost | ACCUMULATED DEFICIT
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Chesapeake stockholders’ equity, beginning of period		(15,481)	(16,240)		(15,660)		(16,525)
Net loss attributable to Chesapeake		310	(17)				276
Cumulative effect of accounting change			(8)				(8)
Chesapeake stockholders’ equity, end of period		(15,171)	(16,257)		(15,171)		(16,257)
Under Full Cost | ACCUMULATED OTHER COMPREHENSIVE LOSS:
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Chesapeake stockholders’ equity, beginning of period		(13)	(47)		(23)		(57)
Hedging activity		8	7		18		17
Chesapeake stockholders’ equity, end of period		(5)	(40)		(5)		(40)
Under Full Cost | TREASURY STOCK – COMMON:
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Chesapeake stockholders’ equity, beginning of period		(36)	(32)		(31)		(31)
Purchase of 81,093, 17,046, 2,620,566, and 1,468,524 shares for company benefit plans		(1)	0		(7)		(4)
Release of 148,767, 114,450, 259,563 and 389,857 shares from company benefit plans		1	1		2		4
Chesapeake stockholders’ equity, end of period		(36)	(31)		(36)		(31)
Under Full Cost | TOTAL CHESAPEAKE STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Chesapeake stockholders’ equity, end of period		2,855	(240)		2,855		(240)
Under Full Cost | NONCONTROLLING INTERESTS:
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Stockholders' equity attributable to noncontrolling interest, beginning of period		122	123		123		124
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests		0	1		(1)		2
Distributions to noncontrolling interest owners		(2)	(1)		(2)		(3)
Stockholders' equity attributable to noncontrolling interest, end of period		120	123		120		123
Successful Efforts Adjustment
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net loss attributable to Chesapeake		(212)	(232)		(412)		(508)
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests		0	1		1		1
TOTAL EQUITY		1,255	1,806		1,255		1,806
Successful Efforts Adjustment | PREFERRED STOCK
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Chesapeake stockholders’ equity, beginning of period		0	0		0		0
Chesapeake stockholders’ equity, end of period		0	0		0		0
Successful Efforts Adjustment | COMMON STOCK
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Chesapeake stockholders’ equity, beginning of period		0	0		0		0
Common shares issued for WildHorse Merger					0
Chesapeake stockholders’ equity, end of period		0	0		0		0
Successful Efforts Adjustment | ADDITIONAL PAID-IN CAPITAL
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Chesapeake stockholders’ equity, beginning of period		0	0		0		0
Common shares issued for WildHorse Merger					0
Stock-based compensation		0	0		0		0
Dividends on preferred stock		0	0		0		0
Chesapeake stockholders’ equity, end of period		0	0		0		0
Successful Efforts Adjustment | ACCUMULATED DEFICIT
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Chesapeake stockholders’ equity, beginning of period		1,548	2,119		1,748		2,395
Net loss attributable to Chesapeake		(212)	(232)				(508)
Cumulative effect of accounting change			0				0
Chesapeake stockholders’ equity, end of period		1,336	1,887		1,336		1,887
Successful Efforts Adjustment | ACCUMULATED OTHER COMPREHENSIVE LOSS:
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Chesapeake stockholders’ equity, beginning of period		0	0		0		0
Hedging activity		0	0		0		0
Chesapeake stockholders’ equity, end of period		0	0		0		0
Successful Efforts Adjustment | TREASURY STOCK – COMMON:
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Chesapeake stockholders’ equity, beginning of period		0	0		0		0
Purchase of 81,093, 17,046, 2,620,566, and 1,468,524 shares for company benefit plans		0	0		0		0
Release of 148,767, 114,450, 259,563 and 389,857 shares from company benefit plans		0	0		0		0
Chesapeake stockholders’ equity, end of period		0	0		0		0
Successful Efforts Adjustment | TOTAL CHESAPEAKE STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Chesapeake stockholders’ equity, end of period		1,336	1,887		1,336		1,887
Successful Efforts Adjustment | NONCONTROLLING INTERESTS:
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Stockholders' equity attributable to noncontrolling interest, beginning of period		(81)	(80)		(82)		(80)
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests		0	(1)		1		(1)
Distributions to noncontrolling interest owners		0	0		0		0
Stockholders' equity attributable to noncontrolling interest, end of period		$ (81)	$ (81)		$ (81)		$ (81)

[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.