Line of Credit Facility, Letter of Credit Available to Project Partner

No definition available.

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Namespace Prefix:	glng_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents, Amount Excluded Due to Financial Covenants

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	glng_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Share Repurchase Agreement, Collateral Required, Percentage of Total Purchase Price

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	glng_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of cash inflow associated with funds that are not available for withdrawal or use (such as funds held in escrow) and are associated with underlying transactions that are classified as investing activities.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Maximum borrowing capacity under the credit facility without consideration of any current restrictions on the amount that could be borrowed or the amounts currently outstanding under the facility.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityMaximumBorrowingCapacity
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of cash and cash equivalents restricted as to withdrawal or usage, classified as noncurrent. Cash includes, but is not limited to, currency on hand, demand deposits with banks or financial institutions, and other accounts with general characteristics of demand deposits. Cash equivalents include, but are not limited to, short-term, highly liquid investments that are both readily convertible to known amounts of cash and so near their maturity that they present insignificant risk of changes in value because of changes in interest rates.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02(17))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 230
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 4
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=98514028&loc=d3e3044-108585

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 4
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=82887183&loc=d3e6812-107765

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 230
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 8
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=98513485&loc=SL98516268-108586

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Cash and investments whose use in whole or in part is restricted for the long-term, generally by contractual agreements or regulatory requirements. For use in an unclassified balance sheet.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The current cash, cash equivalents and investments that are restricted as to withdrawal or usage. Restrictions may include legally restricted deposits held as compensating balances against short-term borrowing arrangements, contracts entered into with others, or entity statements of intention with regard to particular deposits; however, time deposits and short-term certificates of deposit are not generally included in legally restricted deposits. Excludes compensating balance arrangements that are not agreements which legally restrict the use of cash amounts shown on the balance sheet. Includes current cash equivalents and investments that are similarly restricted as to withdrawal, usage or disposal.

+ References

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Details

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- Details

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- Details

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- Details

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Namespace Prefix:
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- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RestrictedCashAndCashEquivalentsCashAndCashEquivalentsAxis=us-gaap_LineOfCreditMember
Namespace Prefix:
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- Details

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Namespace Prefix:
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- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RestrictedCashAndCashEquivalentsCashAndCashEquivalentsAxis=glng_ShareRepurchaseForwardSwapMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis=us-gaap_SecuredDebtMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_CreditFacilityAxis=us-gaap_LineOfCreditMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=glng_A1.125BillionNewbuildFacilityMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

RESTRICTED CASH AND SHORT-TERM DEPOSITS (Details) - USD ($)	1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 19, 2017	Nov. 30, 2015	Jul. 31, 2013
Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents Items [Line Items]
Total restricted cash and short-term deposits		$ 397,815,000	$ 416,028,000
Less: Amounts included in current restricted cash and short-term deposits		222,265,000	183,693,000
Long-term restricted cash		175,550,000	232,335,000
Minimum consolidated cash balances		50,000,000
Hilli
Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents Items [Line Items]
Letter of credit available to project partner				$ 300,000,000.0	$ 400,000,000
Equity Swap
Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents Items [Line Items]
Total restricted cash and short-term deposits		58,351,000	70,016,000
Bank Guarantee
Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents Items [Line Items]
Total restricted cash and short-term deposits		99,000	0
Bank Guarantee \| Hilli
Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents Items [Line Items]
Total restricted cash and short-term deposits	$ 280,000,000	174,737,000	231,947,000	$ 57,200,000	$ 305,000,000
Decrease in restricted cash	$ 25,000,000		48,100,000
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary
Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents Items [Line Items]
Total restricted cash and short-term deposits		130,063,000	70,021,000
Line of Credit
Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents Items [Line Items]
Total restricted cash and short-term deposits		33,752,000	43,656,000
Office Lease
Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents Items [Line Items]
Total restricted cash and short-term deposits		813,000	$ 388,000
Share Repurchase Forward Swap
Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents Items [Line Items]
Total restricted cash and short-term deposits		$ 58,400,000
Collateral required under share repurchase agreement, percentage of total purchase price		20.00%
Secured Debt \| Hilli
Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents Items [Line Items]
Maximum borrowing capacity		$ 700,000,000
Secured Debt \| Line of Credit \| $1.125 billion newbuild facility
Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents Items [Line Items]
Maximum borrowing capacity		$ 1,125,000,000.000				$ 1,125,000,000.000