Other Contingencies and Commitments	6 Months Ended
Other Contingencies and Commitments	Jun. 30, 2017
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Other Contingencies and Commitments	Other Contingencies and Commitments Income Taxes The company calculates its income tax expense and liabilities quarterly. These liabilities generally are subject to audit and are not finalized with the individual taxing authorities until several years after the end of the annual period for which income taxes have been calculated. Refer to Note 11 on page 14 and 15 for a discussion of the periods for which tax returns have been audited for the company’s major tax jurisdictions. As discussed in Note 11, on page 15, the company received an adverse decision on April 21, 2017 regarding the interest rate to be applied on certain Chevron intercompany loans. A request for special leave to appeal to the High Court of Australia was filed on May 19, 2017. At this time, it is not possible to determine whether there will be a significant change in the company’s unrecognized tax benefit, which may have a material effect on the company’s results of operations in any one reporting period. The company does not expect settlement of income tax liabilities associated with other uncertain tax positions to have a material effect on its consolidated financial position or liquidity. Guarantees The company and its subsidiaries have certain contingent liabilities with respect to guarantees, direct or indirect, of debt of affiliated companies or third parties. Under the terms of the guarantee arrangements, the company would generally be required to perform should the affiliated company or third party fail to fulfill its obligations under the arrangements. In some cases, the guarantee arrangements may have recourse provisions that would enable the company to recover any payments made under the terms of the guarantees from assets provided as collateral. Indemnifications In the acquisition of Unocal, the company assumed certain indemnities relating to contingent environmental liabilities associated with assets that were sold in 1997. The acquirer of those assets shared in certain environmental remediation costs up to a maximum obligation of $200 million, which had been reached at December 31, 2009. Under the indemnification agreement, after reaching the $200 million obligation, Chevron is solely responsible until April 2022, when the indemnification expires. The environmental conditions or events that are subject to these indemnities must have arisen prior to the sale of the assets in 1997. Although the company has provided for known obligations under this indemnity that are probable and reasonably estimable, the amount of additional future costs may be material to results of operations in the period in which they are recognized. The company does not expect these costs will have a material effect on its consolidated financial position or liquidity. Off-Balance-Sheet Obligations The company and its subsidiaries have certain contingent liabilities with respect to long-term unconditional purchase obligations and commitments, including throughput and take-or-pay agreements, some of which relate to suppliers’ financing arrangements. The agreements typically provide goods and services, such as pipeline and storage capacity, drilling rigs, utilities, and petroleum products, to be used or sold in the ordinary course of the company’s business. Environmental The company is subject to loss contingencies pursuant to laws, regulations, private claims and legal proceedings related to environmental matters that are subject to legal settlements or that in the future may require the company to take action to correct or ameliorate the effects on the environment of prior release of chemicals or petroleum substances, including MTBE, by the company or other parties. Such contingencies may exist for various sites, including, but not limited to, federal Superfund sites and analogous sites under state laws, refineries, crude oil fields, service stations, terminals, land development areas, and mining activities, whether operating, closed or divested. These future costs are not fully determinable due to such factors as the unknown magnitude of possible contamination, the unknown timing and extent of the corrective actions that may be required, the determination of the company’s liability in proportion to other responsible parties, and the extent to which such costs are recoverable from third parties. Although the company has provided for known environmental obligations that are probable and reasonably estimable, the amount of additional future costs may be material to results of operations in the period in which they are recognized. The company does not expect these costs will have a material effect on its consolidated financial position or liquidity. Also, the company does not believe its obligations to make such expenditures have had, or will have, any significant impact on the company’s competitive position relative to other U.S. or international petroleum or chemical companies. Other Contingencies On November 7, 2011, while drilling a development well in the deepwater Frade Field about 75 miles offshore Brazil, an unanticipated pressure spike caused oil to migrate from the well bore through a series of fissures to the sea floor, emitting approximately 2,400 barrels of oil. The source of the seep was substantially contained within four days and the well was plugged and abandoned. On March 14, 2012, the company identified a small, second seep in a different part of the field. No evidence of any coastal or wildlife impacts related to either of these seeps has emerged. As reported in the company’s previously filed periodic reports, it has resolved civil claims relating to these incidents brought by a Brazilian federal district prosecutor. As also reported previously, the federal district prosecutor also filed criminal charges against Chevron and 11 Chevron employees. These charges were dismissed by the trial court on February 19, 2013, reinstated by an appellate court on October 9, 2013, and then, upon Chevron's motion for reconsideration, dismissed by the appellate court on August 27, 2015. The federal district prosecutor appealed the appellate court’s decision. On July 3, 2017, the Superior Court of Justice in Brazil rejected this appeal. Chevron receives claims from and submits claims to customers; trading partners; joint venture partners; U.S. federal, state and local regulatory bodies; governments; contractors; insurers; suppliers; and individuals. The amounts of these claims, individually and in the aggregate, may be significant and take lengthy periods to resolve, and may result in gains or losses in future periods. The company and its affiliates also continue to review and analyze their operations and may close, abandon, sell, exchange, acquire or restructure assets to achieve operational or strategic benefits and to improve competitiveness and profitability. These activities, individually or together, may result in significant gains or losses in future periods.