Commitments and Contingencies Energy Narrative (Details) (Energy Segment [Member], USD $)	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended		12 Months Ended				9 Months Ended	5 Months Ended		1 Months Ended	9 Months Ended		1 Months Ended	9 Months Ended	0 Months Ended	9 Months Ended	1 Months Ended	0 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2012 CVR Energy, Inc. [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 CVR Energy, Inc. [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 CRRM [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 CRNF [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 CRNF [Member]	Dec. 31, 2009 CRNF [Member]	Dec. 31, 2008 CRNF [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 WRC [Member]	Jul. 31, 2009 Crude Oil, Indirect Supplier [Member] OKLAHOMA CRRM [Member] Dismissed Without Prejudice [Member] litigation_cases	Jul. 31, 2009 Crude Oil, Indirect Supplier [Member] NEW MEXICO CRRM [Member] Dismissed Without Prejudice [Member] litigation_cases	May 31, 2010 Crude Oil, Indirect Supplier [Member] OKLAHOMA and KANSAS [Member] CRRM [Member] Pending Litigation [Member] litigation_cases	Sep. 30, 2012 Crude Oil Discharge [Member] KANSAS CVR Energy, Inc. [Member] Pending Litigation [Member]	Jun. 30, 2010 Crude Oil Discharge [Member] KANSAS CVR Energy, Inc. [Member] Pending Litigation [Member] plaintiffs	May 31, 2008 Crude Oil Discharge [Member] KANSAS CVR Energy, Inc. [Member] Settled [Member] plaintiffs	Jun. 30, 2010 Crude Oil Discharge [Member] KANSAS CVR Energy, Inc. [Member] Pending Litigation and Settled, Aggregate [Member] plaintiffs	Feb. 10, 2010 EPA, Second Consent Decree, Clean Air Act [Member] CRRM [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 EPA, Second Consent Decree, Clean Air Act [Member] CRRM [Member]	Aug. 31, 2011 ODEQ [Member] WRC [Member]	Oct. 25, 2010 U.S. Coast Guard / EPA [Member] Crude Oil Discharge [Member] KANSAS CVR Energy, Inc. [Member] Pending Litigation [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 U.S. Coast Guard / EPA [Member] Crude Oil Discharge [Member] KANSAS CVR Energy, Inc. [Member] Pending Litigation [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Air Emissions Reduction and Water Conservation [Member] EPA, Second Consent Decree, Clean Air Act [Member] CRRM [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Coffeyville, Kansas Refinery and Phillipsburg, Kansas Terminal Facility [Member] KANSAS CRRM and CRT [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 CVR Energy, Inc. [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Lease expense			$ 2,000,000																						$ 1,000,000
Lawsuits Filed Against Company											15	2	2
Average increase in annual property tax expense						11,000,000	12,000,000	11,000,000	11,000,000
Number of claimants / plaintiffs															1	16	3
Compensatory damages sought				18,500,000												4,000,000	3,000,000	1,000,000			2,000,000
Civil penalties, anticipated minimum																						100,000
Insurance proceeds under primary environmental liability insurance policy														25,000,000
Accrued environmental liabilities																								2,000,000
Estimated closure and post-closure costs included in accred environmental liabilities																								1,000,000
Capital expenditures to comply with environmental rules					45,000,000					49,000,000									49,000,000				1,000,000
Percentage of all fuel used required to be renewable fuel					9.00%
U.S. refineries entered into environmental regulatory concent decree, minimum percentage of U.S. refining capacity					90.00%
Civil penalty, anticipated maximum																			1,000,000
Capital expenditures to comply with environmental rules, expected to be capital expenditures																			47,000,000
Civil penalty paid																				950,000
Environmental expenditures capitalized	$ 8,000,000	$ 12,000,000