VARIABLE INTEREST ENTITIES ("VIEs") - Summary of Bareboat Charters (Details) - Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2020 USD ($)
ICBC Finance Leasing Co. Ltd Agreement \| Golar Glacier
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
2021	$ 17,100
2022	17,100
2023	17,100
2024	12,884
2025	0
2026+	0
ICBC Finance Leasing Co. Ltd Agreement \| Golar Kelvin
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
2021	17,100
2022	17,100
2023	17,100
2024	15,695
2025	0
2026+	0
ICBC Finance Leasing Co. Ltd Agreement \| Golar Snow
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
2021	17,100
2022	17,100
2023	17,100
2024	15,695
2025	0
2026+	0
ICBC Finance Leasing Co. Ltd Agreement \| Golar Ice
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
2021	17,100
2022	17,100
2023	17,100
2024	17,147
2025	1,452
2026+	0
CMBL Lessor VIE \| Golar Tundra
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
2021	80,203
2022	0
2023	0
2024	0
2025	0
2026+	0
CCBFL Lessor Agreement \| Golar Seal
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
2021	0
2022	68,621
2023	0
2024	0
2025	0
2026+	0
COSCO Shipping Lessor Agreement \| Golar Crystal
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
2021	9,903
2022	9,932
2023	9,951
2024	9,979
2025	9,982
2026+	12,499
China State Shipbuilding Corporation, CSSC \| Hilli
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
2021	102,874
2022	99,645
2023	96,416
2024	93,265
2025	89,958
2026+	190,590
AVIC International Lessor Agreement \| Golar Bear
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
2021	13,923
2022	13,490
2023	13,058
2024	12,635
2025	12,193
2026+	$ 14,081

- 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:

- Details

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

- Details

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