Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Details)

v3.8.0.1
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Details)
 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2017
USD ($)
unit
customer
item
Dec. 31, 2016
USD ($)
unit
Dec. 31, 2015
USD ($)
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%    
Impairment / bad debt expense $ 0 $ 0 $ 36,000,000
Inventory Write-down 0 0 18,000,000
Impairments related to property, plant and equipment   10,000,000 55,000,000
Derivative instruments designated as cash flow hedges 0 $ 0 $ 0
Goodwill, Impairment Loss $ 0    
Number of Reportable Segments | unit 1 2  
Corpus Christi LNG Terminal [Member]      
Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]      
Impairments related to property, plant and equipment $ 6,000,000    
Assets Used In Non-core Operations [Member]      
Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]      
Impairments related to property, plant and equipment 6,000,000    
Sabine Pass LNG Terminal [Member]      
Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]      
Asset Retirement Obligation 0    
Creole Trail Pipeline [Member]      
Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]      
Asset Retirement Obligation 0    
Corpus Christi Pipeline [Member]      
Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]      
Asset Retirement Obligation $ 0    
Maximum [Member] | Sabine Pass LNG Terminal [Member]      
Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]      
Property lease term 90 years    
SPL [Member] | Customer Concentration Risk [Member] | SPA Customers [Member]      
Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]      
Number Of Fixed Price Contracts | item 6    
Concentration Risk, Number Of Significant Customers | customer 6    
SPL [Member] | Minimum [Member] | Customer Concentration Risk [Member] | SPA Customers [Member]      
Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]      
SPA, Term Of Agreement 20 years    
CCL [Member] | Customer Concentration Risk [Member] | SPA Customers [Member]      
Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]      
Number Of Fixed Price Contracts | item 8    
Concentration Risk, Number Of Significant Customers | customer 7    
CCL [Member] | Minimum [Member] | Customer Concentration Risk [Member] | SPA Customers [Member]      
Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]      
SPA, Term Of Agreement 20 years    
SPLNG [Member] | Customer Concentration Risk [Member] | TUA Customers [Member]      
Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]      
Concentration Risk, Number Of Significant Customers | customer 2