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Debt Convertible Debentures (Details) (USD $)
12 Months Ended 1 Months Ended 3 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Dec. 31, 2012
Jun. 30, 2014
Mar. 31, 2015
Jun. 30, 2014
Nov. 15, 2011
Debt Instrument [Line Items]              
Aggregate principal amount of debentures outstanding $ 732,500,000us-gaap_DebtInstrumentCarryingAmount            
Payments of Debt Issuance Costs 10,100,000us-gaap_PaymentsOfDebtIssuanceCosts 22,800,000us-gaap_PaymentsOfDebtIssuanceCosts 6,900,000us-gaap_PaymentsOfDebtIssuanceCosts        
Convertible Junior Subordinated Debentures [Member]              
Debt Instrument [Line Items]              
Aggregate principal outstanding of convertible junior subordinated debentures 732,500,000btu_AggregatePrincipalOutstandingOfConvertibleJuniorSubordinatedDebentures
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_JuniorSubordinatedDebtMember
           
Debt instrument periodic payment interest rate 4.75%btu_DebtInstrumentPeriodicPaymentInterestRate
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_JuniorSubordinatedDebtMember
           
Convertible debt condition one for debt conversion 140.00%btu_ConvertibleDebtConditionOneForDebtConversion
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_JuniorSubordinatedDebtMember
           
Conversion ratio         17.4967us-gaap_DebtInstrumentConvertibleConversionRatio1
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_JuniorSubordinatedDebtMember
   
Redemption price, percentage 100.00%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentRedemptionPricePercentage
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_JuniorSubordinatedDebtMember
           
Debt conversion, original debt amount         1,000us-gaap_DebtConversionOriginalDebtAmount1
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_JuniorSubordinatedDebtMember
   
Conversion price $ 74.30us-gaap_DebtInstrumentConvertibleConversionPrice1
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_JuniorSubordinatedDebtMember
           
Stock price trigger $ 80.02us-gaap_DebtInstrumentConvertibleStockPriceTrigger
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_JuniorSubordinatedDebtMember
           
Current conversion amount per principal amount of debentures 57.15btu_CurrentConversionAmountPerPrincipalAmountOfDebentures
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_JuniorSubordinatedDebtMember
           
Period of redemption of debentures at least 20 out of the 30 consecutive trading days immediately prior to the date on which notice of redemption is given            
Convertible debt conversion period description 130.00%btu_ConvertibleDebtConversionPeriodDescription
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_JuniorSubordinatedDebtMember
           
Maximum percentage of the Company's net cash proceeds from the sale of its common stock and rights to acquire common stock which can be used for repayment of debt 400.00%btu_MaximumPercentageOfCompanysNetCashProceedsFromSaleOfItsCommonStockAndRightsToAcquireCommonStockWhichCanBeUsedForRepaymentOfDebt
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_JuniorSubordinatedDebtMember
           
Carrying amount of equity component 215,400,000us-gaap_DebtInstrumentConvertibleCarryingAmountOfTheEquityComponent
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_JuniorSubordinatedDebtMember
215,400,000us-gaap_DebtInstrumentConvertibleCarryingAmountOfTheEquityComponent
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_JuniorSubordinatedDebtMember
         
Aggregate principal amount of debentures outstanding 732,500,000us-gaap_DebtInstrumentCarryingAmount
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_JuniorSubordinatedDebtMember
732,500,000us-gaap_DebtInstrumentCarryingAmount
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_JuniorSubordinatedDebtMember
         
Debt instrument, unamortized discount (350,200,000)us-gaap_DebtInstrumentUnamortizedDiscount
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_JuniorSubordinatedDebtMember
(352,800,000)us-gaap_DebtInstrumentUnamortizedDiscount
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_JuniorSubordinatedDebtMember
         
Net carrying amount 382,300,000us-gaap_ConvertibleSubordinatedDebt
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_JuniorSubordinatedDebtMember
379,700,000us-gaap_ConvertibleSubordinatedDebt
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_JuniorSubordinatedDebtMember
         
Interest rate 4.90%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateEffectivePercentage
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_JuniorSubordinatedDebtMember
4.90%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateEffectivePercentage
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_JuniorSubordinatedDebtMember
4.90%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateEffectivePercentage
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_JuniorSubordinatedDebtMember
       
Interest expense - contractual interest coupon 34,800,000us-gaap_InterestExpenseDebt
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_JuniorSubordinatedDebtMember
34,800,000us-gaap_InterestExpenseDebt
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_JuniorSubordinatedDebtMember
34,800,000us-gaap_InterestExpenseDebt
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_JuniorSubordinatedDebtMember
       
Amortization of debt discount 2,600,000us-gaap_AmortizationOfDebtDiscountPremium
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_JuniorSubordinatedDebtMember
2,300,000us-gaap_AmortizationOfDebtDiscountPremium
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_JuniorSubordinatedDebtMember
2,100,000us-gaap_AmortizationOfDebtDiscountPremium
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_JuniorSubordinatedDebtMember
       
Remaining discount amortization period 27 years            
Payments of Debt Issuance Costs       10,100,000us-gaap_PaymentsOfDebtIssuanceCosts
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_JuniorSubordinatedDebtMember
     
Refinancing charges classified as interest expense 1,600,000btu_RefinancingChargesClassifiedAsInterestExpense
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_JuniorSubordinatedDebtMember
        1,600,000btu_RefinancingChargesClassifiedAsInterestExpense
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_JuniorSubordinatedDebtMember
 
7.875% Senior Notes [Member]              
Debt Instrument [Line Items]              
Stated interest rate - percentage 7.875%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= btu_SeniorNotesFourMember
           
Face amount of senior notes             250,000,000us-gaap_DebtInstrumentFaceAmount
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= btu_SeniorNotesFourMember
Minimum [Member] | Convertible Junior Subordinated Debentures [Member]              
Debt Instrument [Line Items]              
Number of days percentage closing common stock price exceeds conversion price condition to convert debentures 20btu_NumberOfDaysPercentageClosingCommonStockPriceExceedsConversionPriceConditionToConvertDebentures
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_JuniorSubordinatedDebtMember
/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
= us-gaap_MinimumMember
           
Maximum [Member] | Convertible Junior Subordinated Debentures [Member]              
Debt Instrument [Line Items]              
Number of days percentage closing common stock price exceeds conversion price condition to convert debentures 30btu_NumberOfDaysPercentageClosingCommonStockPriceExceedsConversionPriceConditionToConvertDebentures
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_JuniorSubordinatedDebtMember
/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
= us-gaap_MaximumMember
           
Amount Per Principal Amount [Member] | Convertible Junior Subordinated Debentures [Member]              
Debt Instrument [Line Items]              
Payments of Debt Issuance Costs       15us-gaap_PaymentsOfDebtIssuanceCosts
/ btu_ConsentFeeAxis
= btu_AmountPerPrincipalAmountMember
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_JuniorSubordinatedDebtMember
     
Principal Amount [Member] | Convertible Junior Subordinated Debentures [Member]              
Debt Instrument [Line Items]              
Payments of Debt Issuance Costs       $ 1,000us-gaap_PaymentsOfDebtIssuanceCosts
/ btu_ConsentFeeAxis
= btu_PrincipalAmountMember
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_JuniorSubordinatedDebtMember