VARIABLE INTEREST ENTITIES ("VIE") - Summary of Bareboat Charters (Details) - Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($)
ICBC Finance Leasing Co. Ltd Agreement \| Golar Glacier
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
2019	$ 17,100
2020	17,147
2021	17,100
2022	17,100
2023	17,100
2024 and thereafter	12,884
ICBC Finance Leasing Co. Ltd Agreement \| Golar Kelvin
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
2019	17,100
2020	17,147
2021	17,100
2022	17,100
2023	17,100
2024 and thereafter	15,695
ICBC Finance Leasing Co. Ltd Agreement \| Golar Snow
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
2019	17,100
2020	17,147
2021	17,100
2022	17,100
2023	17,100
2024 and thereafter	15,695
ICBC Finance Leasing Co. Ltd Agreement \| Golar Ice
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
2019	17,100
2020	17,147
2021	17,100
2022	17,100
2023	17,100
2024 and thereafter	18,599
CMBL Lessor VIE \| Golar Tundra
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
2019	22,437
2020	21,548
2021	20,610
2022	19,697
2023	18,784
2024 and thereafter	32,079
CCBFL Lessor Agreement \| Golar Seal
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
2019	13,754
2020	13,717
2021	13,717
2022	13,717
2023	13,754
2024 and thereafter	27,433
COSCO Shipping Lessor Agreement \| Golar Crystal
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
2019	12,441
2020	12,335
2021	12,175
2022	12,050
2023	11,907
2024 and thereafter	37,601
China State Shipbuilding Corporation, CSSC \| Hilli
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
2019	128,418
2020	123,526
2021	118,800
2022	114,075
2023	109,463
2024 and thereafter	$ 412,055

- Definition

The average bareboat charter rate per day based on the Base LIBOR Interest Rate for the fifth fiscal year following the latest fiscal year.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Definition

The average bareboat charter rate per day based on the Base LIBOR Interest Rate for the fourth fiscal year following the latest fiscal year.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Definition

The average bareboat charter rate per day based on the Base LIBOR Interest Rate for the first fiscal year following the latest fiscal year.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Definition

Bareboat Charter Rate Per Day, Average, Year Six and Thereafter

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Definition

The average bareboat charter rate per day based on the Base LIBOR Interest Rate for the third fiscal year following the latest fiscal year.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Definition

The average bareboat charter rate per day based on the Base LIBOR Interest Rate for the second fiscal year following the latest fiscal year.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	glng_BareboatCharterRatePerDayAverageYearTwo
Namespace Prefix:	glng_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
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

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

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_SaleLeasebackTransactionDescriptionAxis=glng_ICBCFinanceLeasingCo.LtdAgreementMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_VariableInterestEntitiesByClassificationOfEntityAxis=us-gaap_VariableInterestEntityPrimaryBeneficiaryMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	glng_VesselNameAxis=glng_GolarGlacierMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	glng_VesselNameAxis=glng_GolarKelvinMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	glng_VesselNameAxis=glng_GolarSnowMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	glng_VesselNameAxis=glng_GolarIceMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_SaleLeasebackTransactionDescriptionAxis=glng_CMBLLessorAgreementMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	glng_VesselNameAxis=glng_GolarTundraMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_SaleLeasebackTransactionDescriptionAxis=glng_CCBFLLessorAgreementMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	glng_VesselNameAxis=glng_GolarSealMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_SaleLeasebackTransactionDescriptionAxis=glng_COSCOShippingLessorAgreementMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	glng_VesselNameAxis=glng_GolarCrystalMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_SaleLeasebackTransactionDescriptionAxis=glng_ChinaStateShipbuildingCorporationCSSCMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	glng_VesselNameAxis=glng_HilliCSSCMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: