JOINT VENTURES - Ares (Details) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2020 USD ($)
ECR \| Debt Instrument, Redemption, Period One
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Maximum redemption period	5 years
ECR \| Debt Instrument, Redemption, Period One \| Common Class A
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Value of interests	$ 60
ECR \| Debt Instrument, Redemption, Period One \| Series B Preferred Stock
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Value of interests	$ 750
ECR \| Debt Instrument, Redemption, Period Two
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Redemption period, extended	2 years 6 months
Indebtedness in excess	$ 100
ECR \| Debt Instrument, Redemption, Period Two \| Common Class A
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Value of interests	80
ECR \| Debt Instrument, Redemption, Period Two \| Series B Preferred Stock
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Value of interests	$ 750
ECR \| Debt Instrument, Redemption, Period Three
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Maximum redemption period	7 years 6 months
Ares JV \| Common Class A
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Percentage of common interest held by CRC	50.00%
Ares JV \| Common Class C
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Percentage of common interest held by CRC	95.25%
ECR \| Ares JV \| Common Class A
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Percentage of common interest held by ECR	50.00%
ECR \| Ares JV \| Common Class C
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Percentage of common interest held by ECR	4.75%
ECR \| Ares JV \| Series B Preferred Stock
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Percentage of common interest held by ECR	100.00%

The period of make whole payment and maximum redemption period.

No definition available.

Name:	crc_PeriodOfMakeWholePaymentAndMaximumRedemptionPeriod
Namespace Prefix:	crc_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The option to extension additional period of redemption.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	crc_RedemptionPeriodExtended
Namespace Prefix:	crc_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The amount owed to the reporting entity by counterparties in securitized loan transactions.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Definition

The equity interest of noncontrolling shareholders, partners or other equity holders in consolidated entity.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Definition

The parent entity's interest in net assets of the subsidiary, expressed as a percentage.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount that would be paid, determined under the conditions specified in the contract, if the holder of the share has the right to redeem the shares.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 480
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109262807&loc=d3e22047-110879

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_SharesSubjectToMandatoryRedemptionSettlementTermsAmount
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RelatedPartyTransactionsByRelatedPartyAxis=crc_EcrCorporateHoldingsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentRedemptionPeriodAxis=us-gaap_DebtInstrumentRedemptionPeriodOneMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementClassOfStockAxis=us-gaap_CommonClassAMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementClassOfStockAxis=us-gaap_SeriesBPreferredStockMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentRedemptionPeriodAxis=us-gaap_DebtInstrumentRedemptionPeriodTwoMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentRedemptionPeriodAxis=us-gaap_DebtInstrumentRedemptionPeriodThreeMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	srt_OwnershipAxis=crc_AresJointVentureMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementClassOfStockAxis=us-gaap_CommonClassCMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	dei_LegalEntityAxis=crc_EcrCorporateHoldingsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: