Change in Accounting Principle - Statements of Operations (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, shares in Millions, $ in Millions	3 Months Ended			9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018		Sep. 30, 2019		Sep. 30, 2018
REVENUES AND OTHER:
Revenues	$ 2,087	$ 2,424	[1]	$ 6,669		$ 7,237	[1]
Gains on sales of assets	13	(10)	[1]	33		27	[1],[2]
OPERATING EXPENSES:
Production taxes	35	34	[1]	109		91	[1]
General and administrative	66	81	[1]	258		273	[1]
Restructuring and other termination costs	0	0	[1]	0		38	[1]
Provision for legal contingencies, net	0	8	[1]	3		17	[1]
Depreciation, depletion and amortization	573	405	[1]	1,672		1,335	[1],[2]
Impairments	9	58	[1]	11		122	[1],[2]
Gain on sale of oil and natural gas properties				0
Other operating (income) expense	15	0	[1]	79		(1)	[1]
Total Operating Expenses	2,041	2,342	[1]	6,527		7,273	[1]
INCOME (LOSS) FROM OPERATIONS	46	82	[1]	142		(36)	[1]
OTHER INCOME (EXPENSE):
Interest expense	(177)	(165)	[1]	(513)		(482)	[1]
Gains (losses) on investments	(4)	0	[1]	(28)		139	[1]
Gains (losses) on purchases or exchanges of debt	70	(68)	[1]	70		(68)	[1]
Other income	3	6	[1]	30		62	[1]
Total Other Expense	(108)	(227)	[1]	(441)		(349)	[1]
LOSS BEFORE INCOME TAXES	(62)	(145)	[1]	(299)		(385)	[1]
INCOME TAX (BENEFIT) EXPENSE	(1)	1	[1]	(315)		(8)	[1]
NET INCOME (LOSS)	(61)	(146)	[1],[3]	16		(377)	[1],[2],[3]
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	[1],[3]	0		(1)	[1],[3]
NET INCOME (LOSS) ATTRIBUTABLE TO CHESAPEAKE	(61)	(146)	[1]	16		(378)	[1]
Preferred stock dividends	(23)	(23)	[1]	(69)		(69)	[1]
Earnings allocated to participating securities		0	[1]	0	[1]	0
Loss on exchange of preferred stock	(17)	0	[1]	(17)		0	[1]
NET LOSS AVAILABLE TO COMMON STOCKHOLDERS	$ (101)	$ (169)	[1]	$ (70)		$ (447)	[1]
EARNINGS (LOSS) PER COMMON SHARE:
Basic (in dollars per share)	$ (0.06)	$ (0.19)	[1]	$ (0.04)		$ (0.49)	[1]
Diluted (in dollars per share)	$ (0.06)	$ (0.19)	[1]	$ (0.04)		$ (0.49)	[1]
WEIGHTED AVERAGE COMMON AND COMMON EQUIVALENT SHARES OUTSTANDING (in millions):
Basic (in shares)	1,698	910	[1]	1,570		909	[1]
Diluted (in shares)	1,698	910	[1]	1,570		909	[1]
Oil, natural gas and NGL
REVENUES AND OTHER:
Revenues	$ 1,170	$ 1,199	[1]	$ 3,553		$ 3,424	[1]
Marketing
REVENUES AND OTHER:
Revenues	889	1,219	[1]	3,038		3,738	[1]
OPERATING EXPENSES:
Expense	901	1,238	[1]	3,071		3,798	[1]
Oil, natural gas and NGL and Marketing
REVENUES AND OTHER:
Revenues	2,059	2,418	[1]	6,591		7,162	[1]
Other
REVENUES AND OTHER:
Revenues	15	16	[1]	45		48	[1]
Oil, natural gas and NGL production
OPERATING EXPENSES:
Expense	155	132	[1]	453		417	[1]
Oil, natural gas and NGL gathering, processing and transportation
OPERATING EXPENSES:
Expense	270	364	[1]	815		1,060	[1]
Exploration
OPERATING EXPENSES:
Expense	17	22	[1]	56		123	[1]
Under Full Cost
REVENUES AND OTHER:
Revenues	2,059	2,418		6,591		7,162
Gains on sales of assets	0	0		0		0
OPERATING EXPENSES:
Production taxes	35	34		109		91
General and administrative	52	66		216		229
Restructuring and other termination costs						38
Provision for legal contingencies, net		8		3		17
Depreciation, depletion and amortization	421	291		1,197		867
Impairments	1	5		3		51
Gain on sale of oil and natural gas properties				(10)
Other operating (income) expense	15			79		6
Total Operating Expenses	1,850	2,138		5,936		6,574
INCOME (LOSS) FROM OPERATIONS	209	280		655		588
OTHER INCOME (EXPENSE):
Interest expense	(134)	(127)		(400)		(367)
Gains (losses) on investments	(4)			(28)		139
Gains (losses) on purchases or exchanges of debt	70	(68)		70		(68)
Other income	2	1		22		63
Total Other Expense	(66)	(194)		(336)		(233)
LOSS BEFORE INCOME TAXES	143	86		319		355
INCOME TAX (BENEFIT) EXPENSE	(1)	1		(315)		(8)
NET INCOME (LOSS)	144	85		634		363
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	(1)		(1)		(3)
NET INCOME (LOSS) ATTRIBUTABLE TO CHESAPEAKE		84		633		360
Preferred stock dividends	(23)	(23)		(69)		(69)
Earnings allocated to participating securities		(1)		(2)		(3)
Loss on exchange of preferred stock	(17)			(17)
NET LOSS AVAILABLE TO COMMON STOCKHOLDERS	$ 104	$ 60		$ 545		$ 288
EARNINGS (LOSS) PER COMMON SHARE:
Basic (in dollars per share)	$ 0.06	$ 0.07		$ 0.35		$ 0.32
Diluted (in dollars per share)	$ 0.06	$ 0.07		$ 0.35		$ 0.32
WEIGHTED AVERAGE COMMON AND COMMON EQUIVALENT SHARES OUTSTANDING (in millions):
Basic (in shares)	1,698	910		1,570		909
Diluted (in shares)	1,698	911		1,570		909
Under Full Cost | Oil, natural gas and NGL
REVENUES AND OTHER:
Revenues	$ 1,170	$ 1,199		$ 3,553		$ 3,424
Under Full Cost | Marketing
REVENUES AND OTHER:
Revenues	889	1,219		3,038		3,738
OPERATING EXPENSES:
Expense	901	1,238		3,071		3,798
Under Full Cost | Oil, natural gas and NGL and Marketing
REVENUES AND OTHER:
Revenues	2,059	2,418		6,591		7,162
Under Full Cost | Other
REVENUES AND OTHER:
Revenues	0	0		0		0
Under Full Cost | Oil, natural gas and NGL production
OPERATING EXPENSES:
Expense	155	132		453		417
Under Full Cost | Oil, natural gas and NGL gathering, processing and transportation
OPERATING EXPENSES:
Expense	270	364		815		1,060
Under Full Cost | Exploration
OPERATING EXPENSES:
Expense	0	0		0		0
Successful Efforts Adjustment
REVENUES AND OTHER:
Revenues	28	6		78		75
Gains on sales of assets	13	(10)		33		27
OPERATING EXPENSES:
Production taxes	0	0		0		0
General and administrative	14	15		42		44
Restructuring and other termination costs						0
Provision for legal contingencies, net		0		0		0
Depreciation, depletion and amortization	152	114		475		468
Impairments	8	53		8		71
Gain on sale of oil and natural gas properties				10
Other operating (income) expense	0			0		(7)
Total Operating Expenses	191	204		591		699
INCOME (LOSS) FROM OPERATIONS	(163)	(198)		(513)		(624)
OTHER INCOME (EXPENSE):
Interest expense	(43)	(38)		(113)		(115)
Gains (losses) on investments	0			0		0
Gains (losses) on purchases or exchanges of debt	0	0		0		0
Other income	1	5		8		(1)
Total Other Expense	(42)	(33)		(105)		(116)
LOSS BEFORE INCOME TAXES	(205)	(231)		(618)		(740)
INCOME TAX (BENEFIT) EXPENSE	0	0		0		0
NET INCOME (LOSS)	(205)	(231)		(618)		(740)
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	1		1		2
NET INCOME (LOSS) ATTRIBUTABLE TO CHESAPEAKE	(205)	(230)		(617)		(738)
Preferred stock dividends	0	0		0		0
Earnings allocated to participating securities		1		2		3
Loss on exchange of preferred stock	0			0
NET LOSS AVAILABLE TO COMMON STOCKHOLDERS	$ (205)	$ (229)		$ (615)		$ (735)
EARNINGS (LOSS) PER COMMON SHARE:
Basic (in dollars per share)	$ (0.12)	$ (0.26)		$ (0.39)		$ (0.81)
Diluted (in dollars per share)	$ (0.12)	$ (0.26)		$ (0.39)		$ (0.81)
WEIGHTED AVERAGE COMMON AND COMMON EQUIVALENT SHARES OUTSTANDING (in millions):
Basic (in shares)	0	0		0		0
Diluted (in shares)	0	(1)		0		0
Successful Efforts Adjustment | Oil, natural gas and NGL
REVENUES AND OTHER:
Revenues	$ 0	$ 0		$ 0		$ 0
Successful Efforts Adjustment | Marketing
REVENUES AND OTHER:
Revenues	0	0		0		0
OPERATING EXPENSES:
Expense	0	0		0		0
Successful Efforts Adjustment | Oil, natural gas and NGL and Marketing
REVENUES AND OTHER:
Revenues	0	0		0		0
Successful Efforts Adjustment | Other
REVENUES AND OTHER:
Revenues	15	16		45		48
Successful Efforts Adjustment | Oil, natural gas and NGL production
OPERATING EXPENSES:
Expense	0	0		0		0
Successful Efforts Adjustment | Oil, natural gas and NGL gathering, processing and transportation
OPERATING EXPENSES:
Expense	0	0		0		0
Successful Efforts Adjustment | Exploration
OPERATING EXPENSES:
Expense	$ 17	$ 22		$ 56		$ 123

[1] Financial information for 2018 has been recast to reflect the retrospective application of the successful efforts method of accounting. See Note 1.

[2] Financial information for 2018 has been recast to reflect the retrospective application of the successful efforts method of accounting. See Note 1.

[3] Financial information for 2018 has been recast to reflect the retrospective application of the successful efforts method of accounting. See Note 1.