General	6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2017
General [Abstract]
General	General The accompanying unaudited interim consolidated financial statements of Century Aluminum Company should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2016. In management’s opinion, the unaudited interim consolidated financial statements reflect all adjustments, which are of a normal and recurring nature, that are necessary for a fair presentation of financial results for the interim periods presented. Operating results for the first six months of 2017 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the year ending December 31, 2017. Throughout this Form 10-Q, and unless expressly stated otherwise or as the context otherwise requires, "Century Aluminum," "Century," the "Company", "we," "us," "our" and "ours" refer to Century Aluminum Company and its consolidated subsidiaries. In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") and International Accounting Standards Board ("IASB") issued their final standard on revenue from contracts with customers. The standard, issued as ASU 2014-09 "Revenue From Contracts with Customers (Topic 606)" by the FASB, outlines a single comprehensive model for entities to use in accounting for revenue arising from contracts with customers and supersedes most current revenue recognition guidance, including industry-specific guidance. Compared with current GAAP, the ASU requires significantly expanded disclosures about revenue recognition. The ASU is effective for Century beginning January 1, 2018. Based on our assessment completed to date and historical terms of our most significant revenue contract with customers, we anticipate identifying similar performance obligations under ASU 2014-09, as compared with deliverables and separate units of accounts previously. Accordingly, we do not expect a material difference in the timing and amount of revenues recognized today and those upon the adoption of ASU 2014-09, and we expect to adopt the standard on a modified retrospective basis. We continue to assess the impact of adopting this standard as our revenue contracts for 2018 are executed. Our preliminary conclusion may differ from that reached on the adoption date, based on actual terms of our revenue contracts with customers, industry clarifications and additional guidance from the FASB and the Securities and Exchange Commission, in effect as of the adoption date.

General

The accompanying unaudited interim consolidated financial statements of Century Aluminum Company should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2016. In management’s opinion, the unaudited interim consolidated financial statements reflect all adjustments, which are of a normal and recurring nature, that are necessary for a fair presentation of financial results for the interim periods presented. Operating results for the first six months of 2017 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the year ending December 31, 2017. Throughout this Form 10-Q, and unless expressly stated otherwise or as the context otherwise requires, "Century Aluminum," "Century," the "Company", "we," "us," "our" and "ours" refer to Century Aluminum Company and its consolidated subsidiaries.

In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") and International Accounting Standards Board ("IASB") issued their final standard on revenue from contracts with customers. The standard, issued as ASU 2014-09 "Revenue From Contracts with Customers (Topic 606)" by the FASB, outlines a single comprehensive model for entities to use in accounting for revenue arising from contracts with customers and supersedes most current revenue recognition guidance, including industry-specific guidance. Compared with current GAAP, the ASU requires significantly expanded disclosures about revenue recognition. The ASU is effective for Century beginning January 1, 2018.

Based on our assessment completed to date and historical terms of our most significant revenue contract with customers, we anticipate identifying similar performance obligations under ASU 2014-09, as compared with deliverables and separate units of accounts previously. Accordingly, we do not expect a material difference in the timing and amount of revenues recognized today and those upon the adoption of ASU 2014-09, and we expect to adopt the standard on a modified retrospective basis. We continue to assess the impact of adopting this standard as our revenue contracts for 2018 are executed. Our preliminary conclusion may differ from that reached on the adoption date, based on actual terms of our revenue contracts with customers, industry clarifications and additional guidance from the FASB and the Securities and Exchange Commission, in effect as of the adoption date.