Other Events	6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2018
Other Events [Abstract]
Other Events	Other Events Divestitures In June 2018, Peabody entered into an agreement to sell approximately 23 million tonnes of metallurgical coal resources adjacent to its Millennium Mine to Stanmore Coal Limited (Stanmore) for $30.0 million Australian dollars. The sale was completed in July 2018 and the Company recorded a gain of approximately $22 million during the third quarter of 2018. On completion, Stanmore paid Peabody $6.0 million Australian dollars, to be followed by the remaining $24.0 million Australian dollars over the subsequent twelve months. On February 6, 2018, the Company sold its 50% interest in the Red Mountain Joint Venture (RMJV) with BHP Billiton Mitsui Coal Pty Ltd (BMC) for $20.0 million and recorded a gain of $7.1 million, which is included within “Net loss (gain) on disposals” in the accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated statements of operations for the six months ended June 30, 2018. RMJV operated the coal handling and preparation plant utilized by the Company’s Millennium Mine. BMC assumed the reclamation obligations and other commitments associated with the assets of RMJV. The Millennium Mine will have continued usage of the coal handling and preparation plant and the associated rail loading facility until the end of 2019 via a coal washing take-or-pay agreement with BMC. In January 2018, Peabody entered into an agreement to sell its share in certain surplus land assets in Queensland’s Bowen Basin to Pembroke Resources South Pty Ltd for approximately $37 million Australian dollars, net of transaction costs. The necessary approval of the Australian Foreign Investment Review Board to complete the transaction was received on March 29, 2018, satisfying all the conditions precedent to the sale, and the Company recorded a gain of $20.6 million, which is included within “Net loss (gain) on disposals” in the accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated statements of operations for the six months ended June 30, 2018. The Company had a 37.5% interest in Dominion Terminal Associates, a partnership that operates a coal export terminal in Newport News, Virginia that exports both metallurgical and thermal coal primarily to Europe and Brazil. On March 31, 2017, the Company completed a sale of its interest in Dominion Terminal Associates to Contura Terminal, LLC and Ashland Terminal, Inc., both of which are partners of the Dominion Terminal Associates. The Company collected $20.5 million in proceeds and recorded $19.7 million of gain on the sale, which was classified in “Net loss (gain) on disposals” in the accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated statements of operations during the period January 1 through April 1, 2017. In November 2016, the Company entered into a definitive share sale and purchase agreement (SPA) for the sale of all of the equity interest in Metropolitan Collieries Pty Ltd, the entity that owns the Metropolitan Mine in New South Wales, Australia and the associated interest in the Port Kembla Coal Terminal, to South32 Limited (South32). The SPA provided for a cash purchase price of $200 million and certain contingent consideration, subject to a customary working capital adjustment. South32 terminated the agreement in April 2017 after it was unable to obtain necessary approvals from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission within the timeframe required under the SPA. As a result of the termination, the Company retained an earnest deposit posted by South32 which was recorded in “Other revenues” in the accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated statements of operations during the period April 2 through June 30, 2017. In November 2015, the Company entered into a definitive agreement to sell its New Mexico and Colorado assets to Bowie Resource Partners, LLC (Bowie) in exchange for cash proceeds of $358 million and the assumption of certain liabilities. Bowie agreed to pay the Company a termination fee of $20 million (Termination Fee) in the event the Company terminated the agreement because Bowie failed to obtain financing and close the transaction. On April 12, 2016, Peabody terminated the agreement and demanded payment of the Termination Fee. Following a favorable judgment by the Bankruptcy Court, the Company collected the Termination Fee from Bowie. The Termination Fee is included in “Other revenues” in the accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated statements of operations during the period April 2 through June 30, 2017. Asset Impairment As described in Note 2. “Emergence from the Chapter 11 Cases and Fresh Start Reporting” in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017, the Company adjusted the book values of its property, plant, equipment and mine development assets to their respective estimated fair values at the time of fresh start reporting. During the three and six months ended June 30, 2018, the Company recognized no asset impairment charges. During the period January 1 through April 1, 2017, the Company recognized asset impairment charges of $30.5 million related to terminated coal lease contracts in the Midwestern United States.

Other Events

Divestitures

In June 2018, Peabody entered into an agreement to sell approximately 23 million tonnes of metallurgical coal resources adjacent to its Millennium Mine to Stanmore Coal Limited (Stanmore) for $30.0 million Australian dollars. The sale was completed in July 2018 and the Company recorded a gain of approximately $22 million during the third quarter of 2018. On completion, Stanmore paid Peabody $6.0 million Australian dollars, to be followed by the remaining $24.0 million Australian dollars over the subsequent twelve months.

On February 6, 2018, the Company sold its 50% interest in the Red Mountain Joint Venture (RMJV) with BHP Billiton Mitsui Coal Pty Ltd (BMC) for $20.0 million and recorded a gain of $7.1 million, which is included within “Net loss (gain) on disposals” in the accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated statements of operations for the six months ended June 30, 2018. RMJV operated the coal handling and preparation plant utilized by the Company’s Millennium Mine. BMC assumed the reclamation obligations and other commitments associated with the assets of RMJV. The Millennium Mine will have continued usage of the coal handling and preparation plant and the associated rail loading facility until the end of 2019 via a coal washing take-or-pay agreement with BMC.

In January 2018, Peabody entered into an agreement to sell its share in certain surplus land assets in Queensland’s Bowen Basin to Pembroke Resources South Pty Ltd for approximately $37 million Australian dollars, net of transaction costs. The necessary approval of the Australian Foreign Investment Review Board to complete the transaction was received on March 29, 2018, satisfying all the conditions precedent to the sale, and the Company recorded a gain of $20.6 million, which is included within “Net loss (gain) on disposals” in the accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated statements of operations for the six months ended June 30, 2018.

The Company had a 37.5% interest in Dominion Terminal Associates, a partnership that operates a coal export terminal in Newport News, Virginia that exports both metallurgical and thermal coal primarily to Europe and Brazil. On March 31, 2017, the Company completed a sale of its interest in Dominion Terminal Associates to Contura Terminal, LLC and Ashland Terminal, Inc., both of which are partners of the Dominion Terminal Associates. The Company collected $20.5 million in proceeds and recorded $19.7 million of gain on the sale, which was classified in “Net loss (gain) on disposals” in the accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated statements of operations during the period January 1 through April 1, 2017.

In November 2016, the Company entered into a definitive share sale and purchase agreement (SPA) for the sale of all of the equity interest in Metropolitan Collieries Pty Ltd, the entity that owns the Metropolitan Mine in New South Wales, Australia and the associated interest in the Port Kembla Coal Terminal, to South32 Limited (South32). The SPA provided for a cash purchase price of $200 million and certain contingent consideration, subject to a customary working capital adjustment. South32 terminated the agreement in April 2017 after it was unable to obtain necessary approvals from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission within the timeframe required under the SPA. As a result of the termination, the Company retained an earnest deposit posted by South32 which was recorded in “Other revenues” in the accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated statements of operations during the period April 2 through June 30, 2017.

In November 2015, the Company entered into a definitive agreement to sell its New Mexico and Colorado assets to Bowie Resource Partners, LLC (Bowie) in exchange for cash proceeds of $358 million and the assumption of certain liabilities. Bowie agreed to pay the Company a termination fee of $20 million (Termination Fee) in the event the Company terminated the agreement because Bowie failed to obtain financing and close the transaction. On April 12, 2016, Peabody terminated the agreement and demanded payment of the Termination Fee. Following a favorable judgment by the Bankruptcy Court, the Company collected the Termination Fee from Bowie. The Termination Fee is included in “Other revenues” in the accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated statements of operations during the period April 2 through June 30, 2017.

Asset Impairment

As described in Note 2. “Emergence from the Chapter 11 Cases and Fresh Start Reporting” in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017, the Company adjusted the book values of its property, plant, equipment and mine development assets to their respective estimated fair values at the time of fresh start reporting.

During the three and six months ended June 30, 2018, the Company recognized no asset impairment charges. During the period January 1 through April 1, 2017, the Company recognized asset impairment charges of $30.5 million related to terminated coal lease contracts in the Midwestern United States.