Other Events (Notes)	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2017
Other Events [Abstract]
Other Events [Text Block]	Other Events Organizational Realignment From time to time, the Company initiates restructuring activities in connection with its repositioning efforts to appropriately align its cost structure or optimize its coal production relative to prevailing global coal industry conditions. Costs associated with restructuring actions can include early mine closures, voluntary and involuntary workforce reductions, office closures and other related activities. Costs associated with restructuring activities are recognized in the period incurred. In 2016, the Company continued to drive operational efficiencies, optimize production across its mining platform and control operational and administrative expenses. Included in the Company's unaudited condensed consolidated statements of operations were aggregate restructuring charges, primarily comprised of cash severance costs, of $12.1 million for the three months ended March 31, 2016. Divestitures On November 3, 2016, Peabody Australia Mining Pty Ltd , one of the Company's Australian subsidiaries, entered into a definitive share sale and purchase agreement (SPA) for the sale of all of the equity interests in Metropolitan Collieries Pty Ltd, the entity that owns Metropolitan coal mine in New South Wales, Australia and the associated interest in the Port Kembla Coal Terminal, to South32 Limited (South32). The SPA provided for a cash purchase price of $200 million, subject to a customary working capital adjustment. The transaction also involved contingent consideration that provided for the Company to share equally with South32 in any revenue above an agreed metallurgical coal price forward curve, after taxes, royalties and appropriate discounts, on all coal sold for the twelve months following completion of the transaction, subject to extension if a minimum amount of coal was not sold during that period. The Company determined that, as a result of entering into the transaction, and the approval of the Company’s Board of Directors of such a transaction in October 2016, the Metropolitan mine was deemed to meet held-for-sale accounting criteria in the fourth quarter of 2016. Accordingly, the Company recorded an after-tax impairment charge of $193.2 million to write down the assets to their estimated selling price, which is the best estimate of fair value under a held-for-sale accounting model. At March 31, 2017, the mine continued to meet held-for-sale accounting criteria and is classified as such in the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets. The closing of the transaction was conditional on receipt of approval from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (the ACCC). On February 22, 2017, the ACCC issued a Statement of Issues relating to the transaction, noting that the ACCC was continuing to review the transaction. On February 24, 2017, pursuant to its right under the SPA, South32 extended the CP End Date (as defined in the SPA) from March 3, 2017 to April 17, 2017. On April 18, 2017, South32 terminated the SPA after it was unable to obtain ACCC approval by the CP End Date. Per the terms of the SPA, South32 had paid a deposit, which the Company will retain. The Company had a 37.5% interest in Dominion Terminal Associates, a partnership that operates a coal export terminal in Newport News, Virginia that exports both metallurgical and thermal coal primarily to Europe and Brazil. On March 31, 2017, the Company completed a sale of its interest in Dominion Terminal Associates to Contura Terminal and Ashland Terminal, Inc., both of which are partners of the Dominion Terminal Associates. The Company collected $20.5 million in proceeds and recorded $19.7 million of gain on the sale, which was classified in "Net gain on disposal of assets" in the unaudited condensed consolidated statement of operations for the three months ended March 31, 2017. In November 2015, the Company entered into a definitive agreement to sell its New Mexico and Colorado assets to a subsidiary of Bowie Resource Partners, LLC (Bowie) in exchange for cash proceeds of $358 million and the assumption of certain liabilities. Bowie agreed to pay the Company a termination fee of $20 million (Termination Fee) in the event the Company terminated the agreement because Bowie failed to obtain financing and close the transaction. On April 12, 2016, Peabody terminated the agreement and demanded payment of the Termination Fee. The Company brought action against Bowie to recover the Termination Fee, interest and certain costs. On February 7, 2017, the Bankruptcy Court issued a memorandum opinion stating that it would grant summary judgment in favor of the Company and award it the Termination Fee, interest and attorneys' fees and costs incurred in collecting the Termination Fee. On March 9, 2017, after a hearing on the attorneys’ fees and costs that the Company incurred in collecting the Termination Fee, the Bankruptcy Court entered judgment in favor of the Company. The Company collected the Termination Fee from Bowie, and waived the interest and attorneys' fees and costs, during the second quarter of 2017. Impact of the Chapter 11 Cases on Certain Leases The Company leases equipment and facilities under various noncancelable lease agreements. Certain lease agreements were subject to the restrictive covenants of the 2013 Credit Facility and include cross-acceleration provisions, under which the lessor could require certain remedies including, but not limited to, immediate recovery of the present value of any remaining lease payments. During the Chapter 11 Cases, the Debtors amended and assumed or made a lump sum payment to terminate certain leases. In relation to the Company's non-Debtor subsidiaries, the Company successfully negotiated standstill agreements during the Chapter 11 Cases and successfully amended the leases, with those amendments becoming effective upon emergence from the Chapter 11 Cases.

Other Events

Organizational Realignment

From time to time, the Company initiates restructuring activities in connection with its repositioning efforts to appropriately align its cost structure or optimize its coal production relative to prevailing global coal industry conditions. Costs associated with restructuring actions can include early mine closures, voluntary and involuntary workforce reductions, office closures and other related activities. Costs associated with restructuring activities are recognized in the period incurred.

In 2016, the Company continued to drive operational efficiencies, optimize production across its mining platform and control operational and administrative expenses. Included in the Company's unaudited condensed consolidated statements of operations were aggregate restructuring charges, primarily comprised of cash severance costs, of $12.1 million for the three months ended March 31, 2016.

Divestitures

On November 3, 2016, Peabody Australia Mining Pty Ltd , one of the Company's Australian subsidiaries, entered into a definitive share sale and purchase agreement (SPA) for the sale of all of the equity interests in Metropolitan Collieries Pty Ltd, the entity that owns Metropolitan coal mine in New South Wales, Australia and the associated interest in the Port Kembla Coal Terminal, to South32 Limited (South32). The SPA provided for a cash purchase price of $200 million, subject to a customary working capital adjustment. The transaction also involved contingent consideration that provided for the Company to share equally with South32 in any revenue above an agreed metallurgical coal price forward curve, after taxes, royalties and appropriate discounts, on all coal sold for the twelve months following completion of the transaction, subject to extension if a minimum amount of coal was not sold during that period. The Company determined that, as a result of entering into the transaction, and the approval of the Company’s Board of Directors of such a transaction in October 2016, the Metropolitan mine was deemed to meet held-for-sale accounting criteria in the fourth quarter of 2016. Accordingly, the Company recorded an after-tax impairment charge of $193.2 million to write down the assets to their estimated selling price, which is the best estimate of fair value under a held-for-sale accounting model. At March 31, 2017, the mine continued to meet held-for-sale accounting criteria and is classified as such in the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets.

The closing of the transaction was conditional on receipt of approval from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (the ACCC). On February 22, 2017, the ACCC issued a Statement of Issues relating to the transaction, noting that the ACCC was continuing to review the transaction. On February 24, 2017, pursuant to its right under the SPA, South32 extended the CP End Date (as defined in the SPA) from March 3, 2017 to April 17, 2017. On April 18, 2017, South32 terminated the SPA after it was unable to obtain ACCC approval by the CP End Date. Per the terms of the SPA, South32 had paid a deposit, which the Company will retain.

The Company had a 37.5% interest in Dominion Terminal Associates, a partnership that operates a coal export terminal in Newport News, Virginia that exports both metallurgical and thermal coal primarily to Europe and Brazil. On March 31, 2017, the Company completed a sale of its interest in Dominion Terminal Associates to Contura Terminal and Ashland Terminal, Inc., both of which are partners of the Dominion Terminal Associates. The Company collected $20.5 million in proceeds and recorded $19.7 million of gain on the sale, which was classified in "Net gain on disposal of assets" in the unaudited condensed consolidated statement of operations for the three months ended March 31, 2017.

In November 2015, the Company entered into a definitive agreement to sell its New Mexico and Colorado assets to a subsidiary of Bowie Resource Partners, LLC (Bowie) in exchange for cash proceeds of $358 million and the assumption of certain liabilities. Bowie agreed to pay the Company a termination fee of $20 million (Termination Fee) in the event the Company terminated the agreement because Bowie failed to obtain financing and close the transaction. On April 12, 2016, Peabody terminated the agreement and demanded payment of the Termination Fee. The Company brought action against Bowie to recover the Termination Fee, interest and certain costs. On February 7, 2017, the Bankruptcy Court issued a memorandum opinion stating that it would grant summary judgment in favor of the Company and award it the Termination Fee, interest and attorneys' fees and costs incurred in collecting the Termination Fee. On March 9, 2017, after a hearing on the attorneys’ fees and costs that the Company incurred in collecting the Termination Fee, the Bankruptcy Court entered judgment in favor of the Company. The Company collected the Termination Fee from Bowie, and waived the interest and attorneys' fees and costs, during the second quarter of 2017.

Impact of the Chapter 11 Cases on Certain Leases

The Company leases equipment and facilities under various noncancelable lease agreements. Certain lease agreements were subject to the restrictive covenants of the 2013 Credit Facility and include cross-acceleration provisions, under which the lessor could require certain remedies including, but not limited to, immediate recovery of the present value of any remaining lease payments. During the Chapter 11 Cases, the Debtors amended and assumed or made a lump sum payment to terminate certain leases. In relation to the Company's non-Debtor subsidiaries, the Company successfully negotiated standstill agreements during the Chapter 11 Cases and successfully amended the leases, with those amendments becoming effective upon emergence from the Chapter 11 Cases.