Pension Plans, Postretirement and Other Employee Benefits (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Pension Plans, Postretirement and Other Employee Benefits table [Line Items]

Changes in benefit obligations, plan assets, development of net amount recognized and amounts recognized in balance sheet

	Pension												Postretirement
	2011						2010						2011			2010
	US			Foreign			US			Foreign			US			US
	(Millions)
Change in benefit obligation:
Benefit obligation at December 31 of the previous year	$	354		$	361		$	341		$	333		$	135		$	142
Currency rate conversion		—			(6	)		—			(3	)		—			—
Settlement		—			(4	)		—			(2	)		—			—
Service cost		1			6			1			5			1			1
Interest cost		20			19			20			19			7			8
Administrative expenses/taxes paid		—			(1	)		—			(1	)		—			—
Plan amendments		—			—			—			1			—			—
Actuarial (gain)/loss		56			8			22			21			5			(7	)
Benefits paid		(17	)		(15	)		(30	)		(15	)		(8	)		(9	)
Participants’ contributions		—			2			—			3			—			—
Benefit obligation at December 31	$	414		$	370		$	354		$	361		$	140		$	135
Change in plan assets:
Fair value at December 31 of the previous year	$	242		$	287		$	199		$	262		$	—		$	—
Currency rate conversion		—			(4	)		—			(1	)		—			—
Settlement		—			(4	)		—			(2	)		—			—
Actual return on plan assets		(7	)		—			40			20			—			—
Employer contributions		21			24			33			20			9			9
Prescription drug subsidy received		—			—			—			—			(1	)		—
Participants’ contributions		—			2			—			3			—			—
Benefits paid		(17	)		(15	)		(30	)		(15	)		(8	)		(9	)
Fair value at December 31	$	239		$	290		$	242		$	287		$	—		$	—
Development of net amount recognized:
Unfunded status at December 31	$	(175	)	$	(80	)	$	(112	)	$	(74	)	$	(140	)	$	(135	)
Unrecognized cost:
Actuarial loss		248			138			165			120			64			63
Prior service cost/(credit)		1			9			2			11			(29	)		(35	)
Net amount recognized at December 31	$	74		$	67		$	55		$	57		$	(105	)	$	(107	)
Amounts recognized in the balance sheets as of December 31
Noncurrent assets	$	—		$	—		$	—		$	1		$	—		$	—
Current liabilities		(3	)		(2	)		(3	)		(3	)		(9	)		(10	)
Noncurrent liabilities		(172	)		(78	)		(109	)		(72	)		(131	)		(125	)
Net amount recognized	$	(175	)	$	(80	)	$	(112	)	$	(74	)	$	(140	)	$	(135	)

Defined Benefit Pension [Member]

Pension Plans, Postretirement and Other Employee Benefits table [Line Items]

Pension plan assets classes of securities

	Percentage of Fair Market Value
	December 31, 2011						December 31, 2010
	US			Foreign			US			Foreign
Equity Securities		70	%		53	%		71	%		57	%
Debt Securities		29	%		40	%		28	%		36	%
Real Estate		—			2	%		—			2	%
Other		1	%		5	%		1	%		5	%

Fair Value of Plan Assets

	Fair Value Level as of December 31, 2011
	US						Foreign
Asset Category	Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Level 1		Level 2		Level 3
	(Millions)
Equity securities:
U.S. large cap	$	24	$	102	$	—	$	23	$	9	$	—
U.S. mid cap		—		—		—		—		2		—
U.S. Small Cap		—		18		—		—		1		—
Non-U.S. large cap		—		—		—		26		63		—
Non-U.S. mid cap		—		17		—		3		19		—
Non-U.S. small cap		—		—		—		—		5		—
Emerging markets		—		5		—		1		—		—
Debt securities:
U.S. corporate bonds		—		4		—		—		—		—
U.S. other fixed income		—		67		—		—		—		—
Non-U.S. treasuries/government bonds		—		—		—		37		35		—
Non-U.S. corporate bonds		—		—		—		17		20		—
Non-U.S. mortgage backed securities		—		—		—		—		3		—
Non-U.S. municipal obligations		—		—		—		1		—		—
Non-U.S. asset backed securities		—		—		—		—		3		—
Non-U.S. other fixed income		—		—		—		—		1		—
Real Estate:
Non-U.S. real estate		—		—		—		—		5		—
Other:
Insurance contracts		—		—		—		—		7		6
Cash held in bank accounts		2		—		—		3		—		—
Total	$	26	$	213	$	—	$	111	$	173	$	6

	Fair Value Level as of December 31, 2010
	US						Foreign
Asset Category	Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Level 1		Level 2		Level 3
	(Millions)
Equity securities:
U.S. large cap	$	33	$	96	$	—	$	25	$	7	$	—
U.S. mid cap		—		—		—		—		1		—
U.S. Small Cap		—		18		—		—		1		—
Non-U.S. large cap		—		18		—		36		65		—
Non-U.S. mid cap		—		—		—		—		19		—
Non-U.S. small cap		—		—		—		—		8		—
Emerging markets		—		6		—		1		—		—
Debt securities:
U.S. treasuries/government bonds		20		—		—		—		—		—
U.S. corporate bonds		—		20		—		—		—		—
U.S. mortgage backed securities		—		24		—		—		—		—
U.S. asset backed securities		—		1		—		—		—		—
U.S. other fixed income		—		4		—		—		—		—
Non-U.S. treasuries/government bonds		—		1		—		59		5		—
Non-U.S. corporate bonds		—		1		—		15		21		—
Non-U.S. other fixed income		—		—		—		—		—		6
Real Estate:
Non-U.S. real estate		—		—		—		—		5		—
Other:
Insurance contracts		—		—		—		—		7		—
Cash held in bank accounts		—		—		—		6		—		—
Total	$	53	$	189	$	—	$	142	$	139	$	6

Changes in the Fair Value of Level 3 Assets

	December 31, 2011				December 31, 2010
	Level 3 Assets				Level 3 Assets
	US		Foreign		US		Foreign
	(Millions)				(Millions)
Balance at December 31 of the previous year	$	—	$	6	$	—	$	6
Actual return on plan assets:
Relating to assets still held at the reporting date		—		—		—		—
Ending Balance at December 31	$	—	$	6	$	—	$	6

Significant concentrations of risk, including all individual assets and direct investments

Asset Category	Fair Value Level		Value		Percentage of Total Assets
	(Millions)
2011:
Tenneco Stock		1	$	24		4.6	%
2010:
Tenneco Stock		1	$	34		6.3	%

Components of net periodic benefit cost

	2011						2010						2009
	US			Foreign			US			Foreign			US			Foreign
	(Millions)
Service cost — benefits earned during the year	$	1		$	6		$	1		$	5		$	1		$	4
Interest cost		20			19			20			19			20			18
Expected return on plan assets		(23	)		(20	)		(21	)		(19	)		(22	)		(19	)
Curtailment loss		—			—			—			—			1			—
Settlement loss		—			1			6			—			2			—
Net amortization:
Actuarial loss		4			5			3			3			2			2
Prior service cost		—			2			—			2			1			2
Net pension costs	$	2		$	13		$	9		$	10		$	5		$	7

Components of amount recognized in accumulated other comprehensive income

	2011				2010
	US		Foreign		US		Foreign
	(Millions)
Net actuarial loss	$	248	$	138	$	165	$	120
Prior service cost		1		9		2		11
	$	249	$	147	$	167	$	131

Amounts to be reflected as component of net periodic benefit cost in 2012

	2012
	US		Foreign
	(Millions)
Net actuarial loss	$	6	$	7
Prior service cost		—		1
	$	6	$	8

Projected and accumulated benefit obligation and fair value disclosure

	December 31, 2011				December 31, 2010
	US		Foreign		US		Foreign
	(Millions)
Projected benefit obligation	$	414	$	363	$	354	$	332
Accumulated benefit obligation		414		355		352		328
Fair value of plan assets		239		284		242		257

Weighted average assumptions used in accounting for benefit plans

	2011						2010
	US			Foreign			US			Foreign
Weighted-average assumptions used to determine benefit obligations
Discount rate		4.8	%		4.9	%		5.6	%		5.4	%
Rate of compensation increase		N/A			3.5	%		N/A			3.5	%

	2011						2010						2009
	US			Foreign			US			Foreign			US			Foreign
Weighted-average assumptions used to determine net periodic benefit cost
Discount rate		5.6	%		5.4	%		6.1	%		6.0	%		6.2	%		6.3	%
Expected long-term return on plan assets		8.3	%		6.4	%		8.3	%		6.9	%		8.8	%		7.3	%
Rate of compensation increase		N/A			3.5	%		N/A			3.5	%		N/A			3.1	%

Estimated benefit payments

Year	US		Foreign
	(Millions)
2012	$	19	$	16
2013		24		15
2014		22		16
2015		20		17
2016		20		18
2017-2021		122		100

Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Defined Benefit [Member]

Pension Plans, Postretirement and Other Employee Benefits table [Line Items]

Components of net periodic benefit cost

	2011			2010			2009
	(Millions)
Service cost — benefits earned during the year	$	1		$	1		$	1
Interest on accumulated postretirement benefit obligation		7			8			8
Net amortization:
Actuarial loss		4			4			5
Prior service credit		(6	)		(6	)		(6	)
Net periodic postretirement benefit cost	$	6		$	7		$	8

Amounts to be reflected as component of net periodic benefit cost in 2012

	2012
	(Millions)
Net actuarial loss	$	5
Prior service credit		(6	)
	$	(1	)

Weighted average assumptions used in accounting for benefit plans

	2011			2010
Weighted-average assumptions used to determine benefit obligations
Discount rate		4.8	%		5.6	%
Rate of compensation increase		N/A			N/A

	2011			2010			2009
Weighted-average assumptions used to determine net periodic benefit cost
Discount rate		5.6	%		6.1	%		6.2	%
Rate of compensation increase		N/A			N/A			4.0	%

Estimated benefit payments

Year	Postretirement Benefits
	(Millions)
2012		9
2013		10
2014		10
2015		10
2016		10
2017-2021		48

Estimated subsidies under Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and Modernization Act

Year	Postretirement Benefits
	(Millions)
2012		1
2013		1
2014		1
2015		1
2016		1
2017-2021		4