Basis of Presentation	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2017
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Basis of Presentation	Basis of Presentation The condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Peabody Energy Corporation (PEC) and its consolidated subsidiaries and affiliates (along with PEC, the Company or Peabody). Interests in subsidiaries controlled by the Company are consolidated with any outside stockholder interests reflected as noncontrolling interests, except when the Company has an undivided interest in an unincorporated joint venture. In those cases, the Company includes its proportionate share in the assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses of the jointly controlled entities within each applicable line item of the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements. All intercompany transactions, profits and balances have been eliminated in consolidation. The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (U.S. GAAP) for interim financial information and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by U.S. GAAP for complete financial statements and should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016, as amended on July 10, 2017 and August 14, 2017. In the opinion of management, these financial statements reflect all normal, recurring adjustments necessary for a fair presentation and certain prior year amounts have been reclassified for consistency with the current period presentation. Balance sheet information presented herein as of December 31, 2016 has been derived from the Company’s audited consolidated balance sheet at that date. The Company’s results of operations for the three months ended September 30, 2017 and the period April 2, 2017 through September 30, 2017 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for future quarters. The Company has classified items within discontinued operations in the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements for disposals (by sale or otherwise) that have occurred prior to January 1, 2015 when the operations and cash flows of a disposed component of the Company were eliminated from the ongoing operations of the Company as a result of the disposal and the Company no longer had any significant continuing involvement in the operation of that component. Plan of Reorganization and Emergence from Chapter 11 Cases On April 13, 2016, (the Petition Date), PEC and a majority of its wholly owned domestic subsidiaries, as well as one international subsidiary in Gibraltar (collectively with PEC, the Debtors), filed voluntary petitions (the Bankruptcy Petitions) under Chapter 11 of Title 11 of the U.S. Code (the Bankruptcy Code) in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Missouri (the Bankruptcy Court). The Debtors’ Chapter 11 cases (the Chapter 11 Cases) were jointly administered under the caption In re Peabody Energy Corporation, et al., Case No. 16-42529. For periods subsequent to filing the Bankruptcy Petitions, the Company applied the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) 852, “Reorganizations”, in preparing its consolidated financial statements. ASC 852 requires that financial statements distinguish transactions and events that are directly associated with the reorganization from the ongoing operations of the business. Accordingly, certain revenues, expenses, realized gains and losses and provisions for losses that were realized or incurred in the bankruptcy proceedings were recorded in “Reorganization items, net” in the unaudited condensed consolidated statements of operations. In addition, the pre-petition obligations that were impacted by the bankruptcy reorganization process were classified as “Liabilities subject to compromise” in the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheet at December 31, 2016. On January 27, 2017, the Debtors filed with the Bankruptcy Court the Second Amended Joint Plan of Reorganization of Debtors and Debtors in Possession (as further modified, the Plan) and the Second Amended Disclosure Statement with Respect to the Second Amended Joint Plan of Reorganization of Debtors and Debtors in Possession (previous versions of the Plan and Disclosure Statement were filed with the Bankruptcy Court on December 22, 2016, January 25, 2017 and January 27, 2017). Subsequently, the Debtors solicited votes on the Plan. On March 15, 2017, the Debtors filed a revised version of the Plan and on March 16, 2017, the Bankruptcy Court held a hearing to determine whether the Plan should be confirmed. On March 17, 2017, the Bankruptcy Court entered an order, Docket No. 2763 (the Confirmation Order), confirming the Plan. On April 3, 2017, (the Effective Date), the Debtors satisfied the conditions to effectiveness set forth in the Plan, the Plan became effective in accordance with its terms and the Debtors emerged from the Chapter 11 Cases. On the Effective Date, in accordance with ASC 852, the Company applied fresh start reporting which requires the Company to allocate its reorganization value to the fair value of assets and liabilities in conformity with the guidance for the acquisition method of accounting for business combinations. The Company was permitted to use fresh start reporting because (i) the holders of existing voting shares of the Predecessor (as defined below) company received less than 50% of the voting shares of the emerging entity upon reorganization and (ii) the reorganization value of the Company’s assets immediately prior to Plan confirmation was less than the total of all postpetition liabilities and allowed claims. Upon adoption of fresh start reporting, the Company became a new entity for financial reporting purposes, reflecting the Successor (as defined below) capital structure. As a result, a new accounting basis in the identifiable assets and liabilities assumed was established with no retained earnings or accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) (OCI) for financial reporting purposes. The Company selected an accounting convenience date of April 1, 2017 for purposes of applying fresh start reporting as the activity between the convenience date and the Effective Date does not result in a material difference in the results. References to “Successor” in the financial statements and accompanying footnotes are in reference to reporting dates on or after April 2, 2017; references to “Predecessor” in the financial statements and accompanying footnotes are in reference to reporting dates through April 1, 2017 which includes the impact of the Plan provisions and the application of fresh start reporting. As such, the Company’s financial statements for the Successor will not be comparable in many respects to its financial statements for periods prior to the adoption of fresh start reporting and prior to the accounting for the effects of the Plan. For further information on the Plan and fresh start reporting, see Note 3. “Emergence from the Chapter 11 Cases and Fresh Start Reporting.” In connection with fresh start reporting, the Company made certain accounting policy elections that impact the Successor periods presented herein and will impact prospective periods. The Company will classify the amortization associated with its asset retirement obligation assets within “Depreciation, depletion and amortization” in its consolidated statements of operations, rather than within “Asset retirement obligation expenses”, as in Predecessor periods. With respect to its accrued postretirement benefit and pension obligations, the Company will prospectively record amounts attributable to prior service cost and actuarial valuation changes, as applicable, currently in earnings rather than recording such amounts within accumulated other comprehensive income and amortizing to expense over applicable time periods.

Basis of Presentation

The condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Peabody Energy Corporation (PEC) and its consolidated subsidiaries and affiliates (along with PEC, the Company or Peabody). Interests in subsidiaries controlled by the Company are consolidated with any outside stockholder interests reflected as noncontrolling interests, except when the Company has an undivided interest in an unincorporated joint venture. In those cases, the Company includes its proportionate share in the assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses of the jointly controlled entities within each applicable line item of the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements. All intercompany transactions, profits and balances have been eliminated in consolidation.

The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (U.S. GAAP) for interim financial information and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by U.S. GAAP for complete financial statements and should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016, as amended on July 10, 2017 and August 14, 2017. In the opinion of management, these financial statements reflect all normal, recurring adjustments necessary for a fair presentation and certain prior year amounts have been reclassified for consistency with the current period presentation. Balance sheet information presented herein as of December 31, 2016 has been derived from the Company’s audited consolidated balance sheet at that date. The Company’s results of operations for the three months ended September 30, 2017 and the period April 2, 2017 through September 30, 2017 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for future quarters.

The Company has classified items within discontinued operations in the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements for disposals (by sale or otherwise) that have occurred prior to January 1, 2015 when the operations and cash flows of a disposed component of the Company were eliminated from the ongoing operations of the Company as a result of the disposal and the Company no longer had any significant continuing involvement in the operation of that component.

Plan of Reorganization and Emergence from Chapter 11 Cases

On April 13, 2016, (the Petition Date), PEC and a majority of its wholly owned domestic subsidiaries, as well as one international subsidiary in Gibraltar (collectively with PEC, the Debtors), filed voluntary petitions (the Bankruptcy Petitions) under Chapter 11 of Title 11 of the U.S. Code (the Bankruptcy Code) in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Missouri (the Bankruptcy Court). The Debtors’ Chapter 11 cases (the Chapter 11 Cases) were jointly administered under the caption In re Peabody Energy Corporation, et al., Case No. 16-42529.

For periods subsequent to filing the Bankruptcy Petitions, the Company applied the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) 852, “Reorganizations”, in preparing its consolidated financial statements. ASC 852 requires that financial statements distinguish transactions and events that are directly associated with the reorganization from the ongoing operations of the business. Accordingly, certain revenues, expenses, realized gains and losses and provisions for losses that were realized or incurred in the bankruptcy proceedings were recorded in “Reorganization items, net” in the unaudited condensed consolidated statements of operations. In addition, the pre-petition obligations that were impacted by the bankruptcy reorganization process were classified as “Liabilities subject to compromise” in the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheet at December 31, 2016.

On January 27, 2017, the Debtors filed with the Bankruptcy Court the Second Amended Joint Plan of Reorganization of Debtors and Debtors in Possession (as further modified, the Plan) and the Second Amended Disclosure Statement with Respect to the Second Amended Joint Plan of Reorganization of Debtors and Debtors in Possession (previous versions of the Plan and Disclosure Statement were filed with the Bankruptcy Court on December 22, 2016, January 25, 2017 and January 27, 2017). Subsequently, the Debtors solicited votes on the Plan. On March 15, 2017, the Debtors filed a revised version of the Plan and on March 16, 2017, the Bankruptcy Court held a hearing to determine whether the Plan should be confirmed. On March 17, 2017, the Bankruptcy Court entered an order, Docket No. 2763 (the Confirmation Order), confirming the Plan. On April 3, 2017, (the Effective Date), the Debtors satisfied the conditions to effectiveness set forth in the Plan, the Plan became effective in accordance with its terms and the Debtors emerged from the Chapter 11 Cases.

On the Effective Date, in accordance with ASC 852, the Company applied fresh start reporting which requires the Company to allocate its reorganization value to the fair value of assets and liabilities in conformity with the guidance for the acquisition method of accounting for business combinations. The Company was permitted to use fresh start reporting because (i) the holders of existing voting shares of the Predecessor (as defined below) company received less than 50% of the voting shares of the emerging entity upon reorganization and (ii) the reorganization value of the Company’s assets immediately prior to Plan confirmation was less than the total of all postpetition liabilities and allowed claims.

Upon adoption of fresh start reporting, the Company became a new entity for financial reporting purposes, reflecting the Successor (as defined below) capital structure. As a result, a new accounting basis in the identifiable assets and liabilities assumed was established with no retained earnings or accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) (OCI) for financial reporting purposes. The Company selected an accounting convenience date of April 1, 2017 for purposes of applying fresh start reporting as the activity between the convenience date and the Effective Date does not result in a material difference in the results. References to “Successor” in the financial statements and accompanying footnotes are in reference to reporting dates on or after April 2, 2017; references to “Predecessor” in the financial statements and accompanying footnotes are in reference to reporting dates through April 1, 2017 which includes the impact of the Plan provisions and the application of fresh start reporting. As such, the Company’s financial statements for the Successor will not be comparable in many respects to its financial statements for periods prior to the adoption of fresh start reporting and prior to the accounting for the effects of the Plan. For further information on the Plan and fresh start reporting, see Note 3. “Emergence from the Chapter 11 Cases and Fresh Start Reporting.”

In connection with fresh start reporting, the Company made certain accounting policy elections that impact the Successor periods presented herein and will impact prospective periods. The Company will classify the amortization associated with its asset retirement obligation assets within “Depreciation, depletion and amortization” in its consolidated statements of operations, rather than within “Asset retirement obligation expenses”, as in Predecessor periods. With respect to its accrued postretirement benefit and pension obligations, the Company will prospectively record amounts attributable to prior service cost and actuarial valuation changes, as applicable, currently in earnings rather than recording such amounts within accumulated other comprehensive income and amortizing to expense over applicable time periods.