Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents (Details) (USD $)													12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2012 Senior Notes Interest Payments [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Debt Service Reserve Fund [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Other Contractual Restrictions [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Other Contractual Restrictions [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Sabine Pass LNG, LP [Member] Senior Notes Interest Payments [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Sabine Pass LNG, LP [Member] Debt Service Reserve Fund [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Sabine Pass LNG, LP [Member] Liquefaction Reserve [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Sabine Pass LNG and Cheniere Partners [Member] Cheniere Energy, Inc. [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Sabine Pass LNG and Cheniere Partners [Member] Cheniere Energy, Inc. [Member]	Nov. 30, 2006 Senior Notes	Dec. 31, 2012 Senior Notes Sabine Pass LNG, LP [Member]	Jul. 31, 2012 Liquefaction Credit Facility Sabine Pass LNG, LP [Member]	Oct. 31, 2012 2020 Notes Senior Notes	Dec. 31, 2012 2020 Notes Senior Notes Sabine Pass LNG, LP [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 2013 And 2016 Senior Secured Notes [Member] Senior Notes Sabine Pass LNG, LP [Member]
Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents Items [Line Items]
Principal amount of private offerings consummated												$ 2,032,000,000		$ 3,600,000,000	$ 420,000,000	$ 420,000,000	$ 2,215,500,000
Debt Instrument, Fixed Charge, Coverage Ratio													2
Current restricted cash and cash equivalents	520,263,000	102,165,000	17,400,000		8,500,000	6,400,000	13,700,000		75,100,000	419,300,000	81,400,000
Non-current restricted cash and cash equivalents	$ 272,924,000	$ 82,892,000		$ 76,100,000	$ 500,000			$ 82,400,000	$ 100,000,000