Debt (Narrative) (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified			3 Months Ended						3 Months Ended		12 Months Ended	3 Months Ended				3 Months Ended				3 Months Ended		12 Months Ended		3 Months Ended			3 Months Ended		3 Months Ended				1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended					3 Months Ended			3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Mar. 31, 2012 Corporate Revolving Bank Credit Facility [Member]		Mar. 31, 2012 Midstream Revolving Bank Credit Facility [Member]		Mar. 31, 2012 Oilfield Services Revolving Credit Facility [Member]		Mar. 31, 2012 Chesapeake Oilfield Operating, LLC [Member]	Mar. 31, 2012 6.125% Senior Notes Due 2021 [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 6.125% Senior Notes Due 2021 [Member]	Mar. 31, 2012 2.75% Contingent Convertible Senior Notes Due 2035 [Member]		Dec. 31, 2011 2.75% Contingent Convertible Senior Notes Due 2035 [Member]		Mar. 31, 2012 2.5% Contingent Convertible Senior Notes Due 2037 [Member]		Dec. 31, 2011 2.5% Contingent Convertible Senior Notes Due 2037 [Member]		Mar. 31, 2012 2.25% Contingent Convertible Senior Notes Due 2038 [Member]		Dec. 31, 2011 2.25% Contingent Convertible Senior Notes Due 2038 [Member]		Mar. 31, 2012 Senior Notes [Member]	Mar. 31, 2012 6.875% Senior Notes Due 2018 [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 6.875% Senior Notes Due 2018 [Member]	Mar. 31, 2012 6.625% Senior Notes Due 2020 [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 6.625% Senior Notes Due 2020 [Member]	Mar. 31, 2012 6.625% Senior Notes Due 2019 [Member]		Dec. 31, 2011 6.625% Senior Notes Due 2019 [Member]		Oct. 31, 2011 6.625% Senior Notes Due 2019 [Member] Chesapeake Oilfield Operating, LLC [Member]	Mar. 31, 2012 6.625% Senior Notes Due 2019 [Member] Chesapeake Oilfield Operating, LLC [Member]	Mar. 31, 2012 6.775% Senior Notes Due 2019 [Member]	Mar. 31, 2012 In Excess [Member] Midstream Revolving Bank Credit Facility [Member]	Mar. 31, 2012 In Excess [Member] Oilfield Services Revolving Credit Facility [Member]	Mar. 31, 2012 Maximum [Member] Corporate Revolving Bank Credit Facility [Member]	Mar. 31, 2012 Maximum [Member] Midstream Revolving Bank Credit Facility [Member]	Mar. 31, 2012 Maximum [Member] Oilfield Services Revolving Credit Facility [Member]	Mar. 31, 2012 Minimum [Member] Corporate Revolving Bank Credit Facility [Member]	Mar. 31, 2012 Minimum [Member] Midstream Revolving Bank Credit Facility [Member]	Mar. 31, 2012 Minimum [Member] Oilfield Services Revolving Credit Facility [Member]	Mar. 31, 2012 Union Bank N.A. [Member] Corporate Revolving Bank Credit Facility [Member]	Mar. 31, 2012 Wells Fargo Bank, National Association [Member] Midstream Revolving Bank Credit Facility [Member]	Mar. 31, 2012 Bank Of America N.A. [Member] Chesapeake Oilfield Operating, LLC [Member]	Mar. 31, 2012 Eurodollar Rate [Member] Corporate Revolving Bank Credit Facility [Member]	Mar. 31, 2012 Eurodollar Rate [Member] Midstream Revolving Bank Credit Facility [Member]	Mar. 31, 2012 Eurodollar Rate [Member] Chesapeake Oilfield Operating, LLC [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Senior Notes, interest rate												6.86%				8.00%				8.00%
Proceeds, net, from Senior Notes											$ 977																						$ 637		$ 1,263
Percentage of redeemable notes at a redemption price																																			100.00%
Aggregate principal amount																																			250						50
Recognized gain (loss) associated with privately negotiated exchanges																						2
Senior Notes, principal amount	13,082	10,626								1,000	1,000	396	[1]	396	[1]	1,168	[1]	1,168	[1]	347	[1]	347	[1]		474	474	1,300	1,300	650	[2]	650	[2]	650		1,300			125
Principal payment on senior notes due in two years																								464
Interest rate										6.125%		2.75%				2.50%				2.25%					6.875%		6.625%		6.625%						6.775%
Debt instrument maturity period										2021		2035				2037				2038					2018		2020		2019						2019
Borrowing capacity			4,000	[3]	600	[4],[5]	500	[6],[7]	500
Potential extended borrowing capacity									900
Borrowings under the facility are secured by			natural gas and oil proved reserves and bear interest at our option at either (i) the greater of the reference rate of Union Bank, N.A. or the federal funds effective rate plus 0.50%, both of which are subject to a margin that varies from 0.50% to 1.25% per annum according to our senior unsecured long-term debt ratings, or (ii) the Eurodollar rate, which is based on the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR), plus a margin that varies from 1.50% to 2.25% per annum according to our senior unsecured long-term debt ratings.		all of the assets, other than certain joint venture equity interests, of the wholly owned subsidiaries (the restricted subsidiaries) of CMD, itself a wholly owned subsidiary of Chesapeake. Amounts outstanding bear interest at our option at either (i) the greater of the reference rate of Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, the federal funds effective rate plus 0.50%, and the one-month LIBOR plus 1.00%, all of which are subject to a margin that varies from 1.00% to 1.75% or (ii) the Eurodollar rate, which is based on the LIBOR plus a margin that varies from 2.00% to 2.75% per annum. The unused portion of the facility is subject to a commitment fee that varies from 0.375% to 0.50% per annum. Both margins and commitment fees are determined according to the most recent leverage ratio				all of the equity interests and assets of COO and its wholly owned subsidiaries (the restricted subsidiaries), and bear interest at our option at either (i) the greater of the reference rate of Bank of America, N.A., the federal funds effective rate plus 0.50%, and one-month LIBOR plus 1.00%, all of which are subject to a margin that varies from 1.00% to 1.75% per annum, or (ii) the Eurodollar rate, which is based on LIBOR plus a margin that varies from 2.00% to 2.75% per annum. The unused portion of the credit facility is subject to a commitment fee that varies from 0.375% to 0.50% per annum. Both margins and commitment fees are determined according to the most recent leverage ratio
Amount Of Aggregate Principal Allowed To Be Redeemed In Connection With Certain Equity Offerings, Percent																																		35.00%
Line of credit facility, commitment fee percentage			0.50%																																				0.50%	0.50%		0.375%	0.375%
Revolving credit commitment					could be declared immediately due and payable. The oilfield services credit facility agreement also has cross default provisions that apply to other indebtedness COO and its restricted subsidiaries may have from time to time with an outstanding principal amount in excess of $15 million.
Amount outstanding			2,462	[3]	258	[4]	172	[6]																												15	15
Purchased convertible senior notes, price																						128
Purchased convertible senior notes, value																						140
Percentage above effective rate																																												0.50%	0.50%	0.50%
Percentage above LIBOR rate																																													1.00%	1.00%
Margin rate range, minimum																																												0.50%	1.00%	1.00%	1.50%	2.00%	2.00%
Margin rate range, maximum																																												1.25%	1.75%	1.75%	2.25%	2.75%	2.75%
Estimated borrowing capacity					$ 370		$ 450

[1] (c) The holders of our contingent convertible senior notes may require us to repurchase, in cash, all or a portion of their notes at 100% of the principal amount of the notes on any of four dates that are five, ten, fifteen and twenty years before the maturity date. The notes are convertible, at the holder's option, prior to maturity under certain circumstances into cash and, if applicable, shares of our common stock using a net share settlement process. One such triggering circumstance is when the price of our common stock exceeds a threshold amount during a specified period in a fiscal quarter. Convertibility based on common stock price is measured quarter by quarter. In the first quarter of 2012, the price of our common stock was below the threshold level for each series of the contingent convertible senior notes during the specified period and, as a result, the holders do not have the option to convert their notes into cash and common stock in the second quarter of 2012 under this provision. The notes are also convertible, at the holder's option, during specified five-day periods if the trading price of the notes is below certain levels determined by reference to the trading price of our common stock. In general, upon conversion of a contingent convertible senior note, the holder will receive cash equal to the principal amount of the note and common stock for the note's conversion value in excess of such principal amount. We will pay contingent interest on the convertible senior notes after they have been outstanding at least ten years, under certain conditions. We may redeem the convertible senior notes once they have been outstanding forten years at a redemption price of 100% of the principal amount of the notes, payable in cash. The optional repurchase dates, the common stock price conversion threshold amounts and the ending date of the first six-month period in which contingent interest may be payable for the contingent convertible senior notes are as follows: Contingent
Convertible
Senior Notes Repurchase Dates Common Stock
Price Conversion
Thresholds Contingent Interest
First Payable
(if applicable) 2.75% due 2035November 15, 2015, 2020, 2025, 2030$48.51May 14, 20162.5% due 2037May 15, 2017, 2022, 2027, 2032$64.16November 14, 20172.25% due 2038December 15, 2018, 2023, 2028, 2033$107.27June 14, 2019

[2] (b) Issuers are Chesapeake Oilfield Operating, L.L.C. (COO) and Chesapeake Oilfield Finance, Inc. (COF), a wholly owned subsidiary of COO formed solely to facilitate the offering of the 6.625% Senior Notes due 2019. COF is nominally capitalized and has no operations or revenues. Chesapeake Energy Corporation is the issuer of all other senior notes and the contingent convertible senior notes.

[3] Borrower is Chesapeake Exploration, L.L.C.

[4] Borrower is Chesapeake Midstream Operating, L.L.C.

[5] We estimate the capacity was limited to approximately $370 million as of March 31, 2012 by certain restrictive provisions.

[6] Borrower is Chesapeake Oilfield Operating, L.L.C.

[7] We estimate the capacity was limited to approximately $450 million as of March 31, 2012 by certain restrictive provisions.