Employee Benefit Plans - Assumptions (Details)	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Other Benefits
Assumptions used to determine benefit obligations:
Discount rate	2.60%	3.20%	4.40%
Assumptions used to determine net periodic benefit cost:
Discount rate for service cost	3.50%	4.60%	3.90%
Discount rate for interest cost	3.00%	4.20%	3.50%
U.S.
Assumptions used to determine net periodic benefit cost:
Expected return on plan assets	6.50%	6.75%	6.75%
U.S. \| Pension Benefits
Assumptions used to determine benefit obligations:
Discount rate	2.40%	3.10%	4.20%
Rate of compensation increase	4.50%	4.50%	4.50%
Assumptions used to determine net periodic benefit cost:
Discount rate for service cost	3.30%	4.40%	3.70%
Discount rate for interest cost	2.60%	3.70%	3.00%
Expected return on plan assets	6.50%	6.80%	6.80%
Rate of compensation increase	4.50%	4.50%	4.50%
U.S. \| Other Benefits
Assumptions used to determine benefit obligations:
Discount rate	2.40%	3.10%	4.30%
Int’l. \| Pension Benefits
Assumptions used to determine benefit obligations:
Discount rate	2.40%	3.20%	4.40%
Rate of compensation increase	4.00%	4.00%	4.00%
Assumptions used to determine net periodic benefit cost:
Discount rate for service cost	3.20%	4.40%	3.90%
Discount rate for interest cost	3.20%	4.40%	3.90%
Expected return on plan assets	4.50%	5.60%	5.50%
Rate of compensation increase	4.00%	4.00%	4.00%

Defined Benefit Plan, Assumptions Used Calculating Net Periodic Benefit Cost, Discount Rate for Interest Cost

No definition available.

Name:	cvx_DefinedBenefitPlanAssumptionsUsedCalculatingNetPeriodicBenefitCostDiscountRateforInterestCost
Namespace Prefix:	cvx_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Defined Benefit Plan, Assumptions Used Calculating Net Periodic Benefit Cost, Discount Rate for Service Cost

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	cvx_DefinedBenefitPlanAssumptionsUsedCalculatingNetPeriodicBenefitCostDiscountRateforServiceCost
Namespace Prefix:	cvx_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Weighted average rate for present value of future retirement benefits cash flows, used to determine benefit obligation of defined benefit plan.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanAssumptionsUsedCalculatingBenefitObligationDiscountRate
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Weighted average rate increase of compensation, used to determine benefit obligation of defined benefit plan. Plan includes, but is not limited to, pay-related defined benefit plan.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanAssumptionsUsedCalculatingBenefitObligationRateOfCompensationIncrease
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Weighted average rate of return on plan assets, reflecting average rate of earnings expected on existing plan assets and expected contributions, used to determine net periodic benefit cost of defined benefit plan.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 715
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (k)(3)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=118255775&loc=d3e1928-114920

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 715
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 8
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=118255775&loc=d3e2919-114920

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanAssumptionsUsedCalculatingNetPeriodicBenefitCostExpectedLongTermReturnOnAssets
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Weighted average rate of compensation increase used to determine net periodic benefit cost of defined benefit plan. Plan includes, but is not limited to, pay-related defined benefit plan.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanAssumptionsUsedCalculatingNetPeriodicBenefitCostRateOfCompensationIncrease
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RetirementPlanTypeAxis=us-gaap_OtherPostretirementBenefitPlansDefinedBenefitMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RetirementPlanSponsorLocationAxis=country_US
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RetirementPlanTypeAxis=us-gaap_PensionPlansDefinedBenefitMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RetirementPlanSponsorLocationAxis=us-gaap_ForeignPlanMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: