VARIABLE INTEREST ENTITIES ("VIE") - Summary of Bareboat Charters (Details) - Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2019 USD ($)
ICBC Finance Leasing Co. Ltd Agreement \| Golar Glacier
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
2020	$ 17,147
2021	17,100
2022	17,100
2023	17,100
2024	12,884
2025+	0
ICBC Finance Leasing Co. Ltd Agreement \| Golar Kelvin
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
2020	17,147
2021	17,100
2022	17,100
2023	17,100
2024	15,695
2025+	0
ICBC Finance Leasing Co. Ltd Agreement \| Golar Snow
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
2020	17,147
2021	17,100
2022	17,100
2023	17,100
2024	15,695
2025+	0
ICBC Finance Leasing Co. Ltd Agreement \| Golar Ice
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
2020	17,147
2021	17,100
2022	17,100
2023	17,100
2024	17,147
2025+	1,452
CMBL Lessor VIE \| Golar Tundra
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
2020	19,808
2021	18,963
2022	18,150
2023	17,348
2024	16,566
2025+	13,199
CCBFL Lessor Agreement \| Golar Seal
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
2020	13,717
2021	13,717
2022	13,717
2023	13,754
2024	13,717
2025+	13,717
COSCO Shipping Lessor Agreement \| Golar Crystal
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
2020	11,058
2021	10,979
2022	10,935
2023	10,877
2024	10,827
2025+	24,067
China State Shipbuilding Corporation, CSSC \| Hilli
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
2020	112,959
2021	109,101
2022	105,244
2023	101,479
2024	97,528
2025+	$ 290,361

- 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:	srt_ConsolidatedEntitiesAxis=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: