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Contingent Payment - Additional Information (Detail) |  | 12 Months Ended
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May 17, 2017 CAD ($) $ / bbl | Dec. 31, 2020 CAD ($) $ / bbl | Dec. 31, 2019 CAD ($)
Disclosure Of Contingent Liabilities In Business Combination [Line Items] |  |  |
Contingent payable |  |  | $ 153,000,000
ConocoPhillips [Member] |  |  |
Disclosure Of Contingent Liabilities In Business Combination [Line Items] |  |  |
Contingent payment description |  | In connection with the acquisition (the “Acquisition in 2017”) from ConocoPhillips Company and certain of its subsidiaries (collectively, “ConocoPhillips”), Cenovus agreed to make quarterly payments to ConocoPhillips during the five years subsequent to May 17, 2017 for quarters in which the average WCS crude oil price exceeds $52.00 per barrel during the quarter. The quarterly payment will be $6 million for each dollar that the WCS price exceeds $52.00 per barrel. The calculation includes an adjustment mechanism related to certain significant production outages at Foster Creek and Christina Lake, which may reduce the amount of a contingent payment. There are no maximum payment terms. |
Contingent payments period |  | 5 years |
Average crude oil price per barrel for contingent payment | $ / bbl |  | 52.00 |
Quarterly contingent payment | $ 6,000,000 |  |
Contingent payable |  | $ 0 | $ 14,000,000
ConocoPhillips [Member] | Top of Range [Member] |  |  |
Disclosure Of Contingent Liabilities In Business Combination [Line Items] |  |  |
Average crude oil price per barrel for contingent payment | $ / bbl | 52.00 |  |

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- Definition Represents the quarterly contingent payment that will be required for each dollar in excess of specified average crude oil price per barrel based on acquisition agreement. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition The description of the nature of the obligation for contingent liabilities. [Refer: Contingent liabilities [member]] + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Name IAS -Number 37 -IssueDate 2020-01-01 -Paragraph 86 -URI http://eifrs.ifrs.org/eifrs/xifrs-link?type=IAS&num=37&code=ifrs-tx-2020-en-r&anchor=para_86&doctype=Standard -URIDate 2020-01-01 + Details
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