Name:	btu_TakeOrPayObligationsDueInOneYear
Namespace Prefix:	btu_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

Represents the total projected cash contractual obligation spend associated with various long and short term take or pay arrangements in the U.S. and Australia for rail and port commitments for the delivery of coal including amounts relating to export facilities.

No definition available.

Name:	btu_TakeOrPayObligationsTotal
Namespace Prefix:	btu_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

No definition available.

Name:	us-gaap_LongTermPurchaseCommitmentLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

Amount of the fixed and determinable portion of the unrecorded unconditional purchase obligation maturing in the next fiscal year following the latest fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported on a rolling approach, from latest balance sheet date.

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 440
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 4
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=77896938&loc=d3e25336-109308

Name:	us-gaap_UnrecordedUnconditionalPurchaseObligationBalanceOnFirstAnniversary
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

Amount of the unrecorded obligation to transfer funds in the future for fixed or minimum amounts or quantities of goods or services at fixed or minimum prices (for example, as in take-or-pay contracts or throughput contracts).