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Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

Represents amount of assessment received related to an income tax examination which the reporting entity disputes.

No definition available.

Name:	paa_IncomeTaxExaminationAmountofAssessmentDisputed
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Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

Represents the amount paid of the amount assessed related to an income tax examination which the reporting entity disputes.

No definition available.

Name:	paa_IncomeTaxExaminationAmountofDisputedAssessmentPaid
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Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
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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.

No definition available.

Name:	us-gaap_IncomeTaxExaminationLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
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Amount of income tax expense (benefit) from continuing operations attributable to an adjustment of a deferred tax liability or asset for enacted changes in tax laws or rates or a change in the tax status of the entity.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 740
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 9
-Subparagraph (g)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121826272&loc=d3e32639-109319

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Amount of operating loss carryforward, before tax effects, available to reduce future taxable income under enacted tax laws.

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 740
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 3
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121826272&loc=d3e32559-109319

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Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
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Name:	us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityNameAxis=paa_CanadianTaxAuthoritiesMember
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Data Type:	na
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