Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Details)

v2.4.1.9
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Details) (USD $)
Share data in Millions, unless otherwise specified
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Dec. 31, 2012
Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]      
Advanced capacity reservation fees amortization period 10 years    
Retained percentage of LNG delivered 2.00%lng_RetainedPercentageOfLngDelivered    
Non-cash LNG inventory write-downs $ 24,461,000us-gaap_InventoryWriteDown $ 26,900,000us-gaap_InventoryWriteDown $ 20,418,000us-gaap_InventoryWriteDown
Impairments related to property, plant and equipment 0us-gaap_ImpairmentOfLongLivedAssetsHeldForUse 0us-gaap_ImpairmentOfLongLivedAssetsHeldForUse 0us-gaap_ImpairmentOfLongLivedAssetsHeldForUse
Goodwill and Intangible Asset Impairment 0us-gaap_GoodwillAndIntangibleAssetImpairment 0us-gaap_GoodwillAndIntangibleAssetImpairment  
Incremental Common Shares Attributable to Dilutive Effect of Conversion of Debt Securities 14.3us-gaap_IncrementalCommonSharesAttributableToConversionOfDebtSecurities    
Stock options, warrants and unvested stock [Member]      
Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]      
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share, Shares 10.4us-gaap_AntidilutiveSecuritiesExcludedFromComputationOfEarningsPerShareAmount
/ us-gaap_AntidilutiveSecuritiesExcludedFromComputationOfEarningsPerShareByAntidilutiveSecuritiesAxis
= lng_StockOptionsWarrantsAndUnvestedStockMember
14.1us-gaap_AntidilutiveSecuritiesExcludedFromComputationOfEarningsPerShareAmount
/ us-gaap_AntidilutiveSecuritiesExcludedFromComputationOfEarningsPerShareByAntidilutiveSecuritiesAxis
= lng_StockOptionsWarrantsAndUnvestedStockMember
4.4us-gaap_AntidilutiveSecuritiesExcludedFromComputationOfEarningsPerShareAmount
/ us-gaap_AntidilutiveSecuritiesExcludedFromComputationOfEarningsPerShareByAntidilutiveSecuritiesAxis
= lng_StockOptionsWarrantsAndUnvestedStockMember
Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member]      
Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]      
Derivative instruments designated as cash flow hedges 0us-gaap_CashFlowHedgesDerivativeInstrumentsAtFairValueNet
/ us-gaap_HedgingDesignationAxis
= us-gaap_DesignatedAsHedgingInstrumentMember
0us-gaap_CashFlowHedgesDerivativeInstrumentsAtFairValueNet
/ us-gaap_HedgingDesignationAxis
= us-gaap_DesignatedAsHedgingInstrumentMember
 
Sabine Pass Liquefaction [Member]      
Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]      
Number of fixed price contracts 6    
Sale and Purchase Agreement, Term of Agreement 20 years    
Sale and Purchase Agreement, Number of Unaffiliated Counterparties 6lng_SaleandPurchaseAgreementNumberofUnaffiliatedCounterparties
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= lng_SabinePassLiquefactionMember
   
Corpus Christi Liquefaction [Member]      
Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]      
Number of fixed price contracts 9    
Sale and Purchase Agreement, Term of Agreement 20 years    
Sale and Purchase Agreement, Number of Unaffiliated Counterparties 7lng_SaleandPurchaseAgreementNumberofUnaffiliatedCounterparties
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= lng_CorpusChristiLiquefactionMember
   
Sabine Pass LNG terminal [Member]      
Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]      
Asset Retirement Obligation 0us-gaap_AssetRetirementObligation
/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
= lng_SabinePassLngTerminalMember
   
Creole Trail Pipeline [Member]      
Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]      
Asset Retirement Obligation $ 0us-gaap_AssetRetirementObligation
/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
= lng_CreoleTrailPipelineMember
   
Maximum [Member] | Sabine Pass LNG terminal [Member]      
Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]      
Property Lease Term 90 years