Deconsolidation, Guarantees Issued, Noncurrent

No definition available.

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

- Definition

Equity Method Investment, Incentive Distribution, Minimum Quarterly Distribution Per Unit

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	glng_EquityMethodInvestmentIncentiveDistributionMinimumQuarterlyDistributionPerUnit
Namespace Prefix:	glng_
Data Type:	num:perShareItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Equity Method Investment, Number of Earn-Out Units

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	glng_EquityMethodInvestmentNumberofEarnOutUnits
Namespace Prefix:	glng_
Data Type:	xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Equity Method Investment, Number of Units

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	glng_EquityMethodInvestmentNumberofUnits
Namespace Prefix:	glng_
Data Type:	xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Subsidiary or Equity Method Investee, Minimum Charter Term for Rights of First Offer

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	glng_SubsidiaryOrEquityMethodInvesteeMinimumCharterTermForRightsOfFirstOffer
Namespace Prefix:	glng_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Dividends received on equity and other investments during the current period.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 230
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 25
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=98514028&loc=d3e3536-108585

+ Details

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

- 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

Name:	us-gaap_RelatedPartyTransactionLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RelatedPartyTransactionsByRelatedPartyAxis=glng_GolarLngPartnersMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_GuaranteeObligationsByNatureAxis=glng_TaxleaseindemnificationMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis=glng_GolarPartnersCommonUnitsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis=glng_GolarPartnersGeneralPartnerUnitsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS - Other Transactions, Indemnifications and Guarantees (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands				1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Nov. 15, 2017	Oct. 13, 2016	Oct. 12, 2016	Nov. 30, 2017	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Dividends received					$ 52,666	$ 55,517	$ 52,800
Minimum quarterly distribution per unit (in dollars per share)		$ 0.5775	$ 0.3850
Guarantees issued to Golar Partners					11,429	11,429
Golar Partners
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Dividends received	$ 900				$ 52,300	54,700	$ 52,100
Minimum charter term for rights of first offer					5 years
Golar Partners \| Tax lease indemnification
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Guarantees issued to Golar Partners					$ 11,500	$ 11,500
Golar Partners, Common Unit
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Number of units (in shares)	374,295	2,994,364
Number of earn-out units (in shares)		748,592		374,295
Golar Partners, General Partner Units
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Number of units (in shares)	7,639	61,109
Number of earn-out units (in shares)		15,278		7,639