General, Description of Business, and Basis of Presentation	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2014
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
General, Description of Business and Basis of Presentation [Text Block]	Note 1 – General, Description of Business, and Basis of Presentation General Our accompanying interim consolidated financial statements do not include all the notes in our annual financial statements and, therefore, should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto for the year ended December 31, 2013, in our Annual Report on Form 10-K. The accompanying unaudited financial statements include all normal recurring adjustments and others that, in the opinion of management, are necessary to present fairly our interim financial statements. The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, references in this report to “we,” “our,” “us,” or similar language refer to The Williams Companies, Inc. and its subsidiaries. Description of Business Our operations are located principally in the United States and are organized into the Williams Partners, Williams NGL & Petchem Services, and Access Midstream Partners reportable segments. All remaining business activities are included in Other. Williams Partners consists of our consolidated master limited partnership, Williams Partners L.P. (WPZ), and includes gas pipeline and midstream businesses. The gas pipeline businesses primarily consist of two interstate natural gas pipelines, which are Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Company, LLC (Transco) and Northwest Pipeline LLC (Northwest Pipeline), a 50 percent equity investment in Gulfstream Natural Gas System, L.L.C. (Gulfstream), and a 41 percent interest in Constitution Pipeline Company, LLC (Constitution) (a consolidated entity). WPZ’s midstream operations are composed of significant, large-scale operations in the Rocky Mountain and Gulf Coast regions, operations in the Marcellus Shale region, and various equity investments in domestic natural gas gathering and processing assets and natural gas liquid (NGL) fractionation and transportation assets. WPZ’s midstream assets also include an NGL fractionator and storage facilities near Conway, Kansas as well as an NGL light-feed olefins cracker in Geismar, Louisiana, along with associated ethane and propane pipelines, a refinery grade splitter in Louisiana, an oil sands offgas processing plant located near Fort McMurray, Alberta, and an NGL/olefin fractionation facility and butylene/butane splitter facility at Redwater, Alberta. Williams NGL & Petchem Services consists primarily of a 50 percent equity investment in Bluegrass Pipeline Company LLC (Bluegrass Pipeline) and certain domestic olefins pipeline assets and Canadian facilities under development. Access Midstream Partners consists of our equity investment in Access Midstream Partners, L.P. (ACMP). As of March 31, 2014, this investment includes an indirect 50 percent interest in Access Midstream Partners, GP, L.L.C. (Access GP), including incentive distribution rights, and a 23 percent limited partner interest in ACMP. ACMP is a publicly-traded master limited partnership that provides gathering, treating, and compression services to producers under long-term, fee-based contracts. Access GP is the general partner of ACMP. Other includes other business activities that are not operating segments, as well as corporate operations. Basis of Presentation In February 2014, we contributed certain Canadian operations to WPZ (Canada Dropdown) for total consideration of $25 million of cash from WPZ (subject to certain closing adjustments), 25,577,521 WPZ Class D limited-partner units, and an increase in the capital account of its general partner to allow us to maintain our 2 percent general partner interest. In lieu of cash distributions, the Class D units will receive quarterly distributions of additional paid-in-kind Class D units. All Class D units outstanding will be convertible to common units beginning in the first quarter of 2016. The contribution agreement governing the Canada Dropdown provides that WPZ can issue additional Class D units to us on a quarterly basis through 2015 for up to a total of $200 million in cash for the purpose of funding certain facility expansions. These operations were previously reported within the Williams NGL & Petchem Services segment, but are now reported within Williams Partners. Prior period segment disclosures have been recast for this transaction. Consolidated master limited partnership Following the transaction discussed above, as of March 31, 2014, we own approximately 66 percent of the interests in WPZ, including the interests of the general partner, which are wholly owned by us, and incentive distribution rights. WPZ is self-funding and maintains separate lines of bank credit and cash management accounts and also has a commercial paper program. (See Note 8 – Debt and Banking Arrangements.) Cash distributions from WPZ to us, including any associated with our incentive distribution rights, occur through the normal partnership distributions from WPZ to all partners. Discontinued operations Unless indicated otherwise, the information in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements relates to our continuing operations.

Note 1 – General, Description of Business, and Basis of Presentation

General

Our accompanying interim consolidated financial statements do not include all the notes in our annual financial statements and, therefore, should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto for the year ended December 31, 2013, in our Annual Report on Form 10-K. The accompanying unaudited financial statements include all normal recurring adjustments and others that, in the opinion of management, are necessary to present fairly our interim financial statements.

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, references in this report to “we,” “our,” “us,” or similar language refer to The Williams Companies, Inc. and its subsidiaries.

Description of Business

Our operations are located principally in the United States and are organized into the Williams Partners, Williams NGL & Petchem Services, and Access Midstream Partners reportable segments. All remaining business activities are included in Other.

Williams Partners consists of our consolidated master limited partnership, Williams Partners L.P. (WPZ), and includes gas pipeline and midstream businesses. The gas pipeline businesses primarily consist of two interstate natural gas pipelines, which are Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Company, LLC (Transco) and Northwest Pipeline LLC (Northwest Pipeline), a 50 percent equity investment in Gulfstream Natural Gas System, L.L.C. (Gulfstream), and a 41 percent interest in Constitution Pipeline Company, LLC (Constitution) (a consolidated entity). WPZ’s midstream operations are composed of significant, large-scale operations in the Rocky Mountain and Gulf Coast regions, operations in the Marcellus Shale region, and various equity investments in domestic natural gas gathering and processing assets and natural gas liquid (NGL) fractionation and transportation assets. WPZ’s midstream assets also include an NGL fractionator and storage facilities near Conway, Kansas as well as an NGL light-feed olefins cracker in Geismar, Louisiana, along with associated ethane and propane pipelines, a refinery grade splitter in Louisiana, an oil sands offgas processing plant located near Fort McMurray, Alberta, and an NGL/olefin fractionation facility and butylene/butane splitter facility at Redwater, Alberta.

Williams NGL & Petchem Services consists primarily of a 50 percent equity investment in Bluegrass Pipeline Company LLC (Bluegrass Pipeline) and certain domestic olefins pipeline assets and Canadian facilities under development.

Access Midstream Partners consists of our equity investment in Access Midstream Partners, L.P. (ACMP). As of March 31, 2014, this investment includes an indirect 50 percent interest in Access Midstream Partners, GP, L.L.C. (Access GP), including incentive distribution rights, and a 23 percent limited partner interest in ACMP. ACMP is a publicly-traded master limited partnership that provides gathering, treating, and compression services to producers under long-term, fee-based contracts. Access GP is the general partner of ACMP.

Other includes other business activities that are not operating segments, as well as corporate operations.

Basis of Presentation

In February 2014, we contributed certain Canadian operations to WPZ (Canada Dropdown) for total consideration of $25 million of cash from WPZ (subject to certain closing adjustments), 25,577,521 WPZ Class D limited-partner units, and an increase in the capital account of its general partner to allow us to maintain our 2 percent general partner interest. In lieu of cash distributions, the Class D units will receive quarterly distributions of additional paid-in-kind Class D units. All Class D units outstanding will be convertible to common units beginning in the first quarter of 2016. The contribution agreement governing the Canada Dropdown provides that WPZ can issue additional Class D units to us on a quarterly basis through 2015 for up to a total of $200 million in cash for the purpose of funding certain facility expansions. These operations were previously reported within the Williams NGL & Petchem Services segment, but are now reported within Williams Partners. Prior period segment disclosures have been recast for this transaction.

Consolidated master limited partnership

Following the transaction discussed above, as of March 31, 2014, we own approximately 66 percent of the interests in WPZ, including the interests of the general partner, which are wholly owned by us, and incentive distribution rights.

WPZ is self-funding and maintains separate lines of bank credit and cash management accounts and also has a commercial paper program. (See Note 8 – Debt and Banking Arrangements.) Cash distributions from WPZ to us, including any associated with our incentive distribution rights, occur through the normal partnership distributions from WPZ to all partners.

Discontinued operations

Unless indicated otherwise, the information in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements relates to our continuing operations.