Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies	Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies Basis of Presentation The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements of Chesapeake were prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America and the rules and regulations of the SEC. Pursuant to such rules and regulations, certain disclosures have been condensed or omitted. This Form 10-Q relates to the three months ended March 31, 2020 (the “Current Quarter”) and the three months ended March 31, 2019 (the “Prior Quarter”). Our annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019 (“2019 Form 10-K”) should be read in conjunction with this Form 10-Q. The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements reflect all normal recurring adjustments which, in the opinion of management, are necessary for a fair statement of our condensed consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes and include the accounts of our direct and indirect wholly owned subsidiaries and entities in which we have a controlling financial interest. Intercompany accounts and balances have been eliminated. Risks and Uncertainties On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak a pandemic and recommended containment and mitigation measures worldwide. The pandemic has reached more than 200 countries and territories and has resulted in widespread adverse impacts on the global economy and on our customers and other parties with whom we have business relations. To date, we have experienced limited operational impacts as a result of the restrictions from working remotely or COVID-19 directly. As an essential business under the guidelines issued by each of the states in which we operate, we have been allowed to continue operations, although for the health and safety of our employees we chose to have our non-essential personnel work remotely. As a result, since mid-March, we have restricted access to all of our offices and have directed employees to work remotely to the extent possible. Those employees who are unable to work remotely are being closely monitored and are taking safety precautions to minimize the risk of exposure. These restrictions have allowed us to maintain the engagement and connectivity of our personnel, as well as minimize the number of employees required in the office and field. However, due to severe impacts from the global COVID-19 pandemic on the global demand for oil and natural gas, operating results for the three months ended March 31, 2020 are not necessarily indicative of financial results for the entire year as only one month of the Current Quarter was impacted by COVID-19 and the related economic volatility. Moreover, future operations could be negatively affected if a significant number of our employees are quarantined as a result of exposure to the virus. There is considerable uncertainty regarding the extent to which COVID-19 will continue to spread and the extent and duration of governmental and other measures implemented to try to slow the spread of the virus, such as large-scale travel bans and restrictions, border closures, quarantines, shelter-in-place orders and business and government shutdowns. One of the largest impacts of the pandemic has been a significant reduction in global demand for oil and, to a lesser extent, natural gas. This significant decline in demand has been met with a sharp decline in oil prices following the announcement of price reductions and production increases in March 2020 by members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC+) and other foreign, oil-exporting countries. The resulting supply/demand imbalance is having disruptive impacts on the oil and natural gas exploration and production industry and on other industries that serve exploration and production companies. These industry conditions, coupled with those resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, are expected to lead to significant global economic contraction generally and in our industry in particular. Oil and natural gas prices have historically been volatile; however, the volatility in the prices for these commodities has substantially increased as a result of COVID-19 and the OPEC+ decisions mentioned above. While an agreement to cut production has since been announced by OPEC+ and its allies, the situation, coupled with the impact of COVID-19, has continued to result in a significant downturn in the oil and gas industry. Oil prices declined sharply in April 2020 and remain volatile. Strip pricing for natural gas has increased as a result of the oil price war; however, the impact of these recent developments and our business are unpredictable. We expect to see continued volatility in oil and natural gas prices for the foreseeable future, and such volatility, combined with the current depressed prices, has impacted and is expected to continue to adversely impact our business. A continued low level of demand or prices for oil and natural gas or otherwise would have a continued material adverse effect on our business, cash flows, liquidity, financial condition and results of operations. We cannot predict the full impact that COVID-19 or the significant disruption and volatility currently being experienced in the oil and natural gas markets will have on our business, cash flows, liquidity, financial condition and results of operations at this time due to numerous uncertainties. The ultimate impacts will depend on future developments, including the ultimate geographic spread of the virus, the consequences of governmental and other measures designed to prevent the spread of the virus, the development of effective treatments, the duration of the outbreak, actions taken by members of OPEC+ and other foreign, oil-exporting countries, governmental authorities, customers and other third parties, workforce availability, and the timing and extent to which normal economic and operating conditions resume. Reverse Stock Split On April 13, 2020, our Board of Directors and our shareholders approved a 1-for-200 (1:200) reverse stock split of our common stock and a reduction in the total number of authorized shares of our common stock as determined by a formula based on two-thirds of the reverse stock split ratio. The reverse stock split became effective as of the close of business on April 14, 2020. Our common stock began trading on a split-adjusted basis on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) at the market open on April 15, 2020. The par value of the common stock was not adjusted as a result of the reverse stock split. All share and per share data have been retroactively adjusted to reflect this reverse stock split, including reclassifying an amount equal to the reduction in par value of our common stock to additional paid-in capital. See Note 17 for additional information.