General, Description of Business, and Basis of Presentation	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 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 in Exhibit 99.1 of our Form 8-K dated May 22, 2014. 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, Access Midstream Partners, and Williams NGL & Petchem Services 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-method investment in Gulfstream Natural Gas System, L.L.C., 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-method 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 olefins production facility 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. Access Midstream Partners consists of our consolidated master limited partnership, Access Midstream Partners, L.P. (ACMP), which includes domestic midstream businesses that provide gathering, treating, and compression services to producers under long-term, fee-based contracts in the Marcellus and Utica shale plays, as well as the Eagle Ford, Haynesville, Barnett, Mid-Continent, and Niobrara areas. ACMP also includes a 49 percent equity-method investment in Utica East Ohio Midstream, LLC, and Appalachia Midstream Services, LLC, which owns an approximate average 47 percent interest in 10 gas gathering systems in the Marcellus Shale. We previously owned an equity-method investment in ACMP until July 1, 2014, at which time we acquired all of the interests in ACMP previously held by Global Infrastructure Partners II (GIP), which included 50 percent of the general partner interest and 55.1 million limited partner units for $5.995 billion in cash (ACMP Acquisition). See Note 3 – Acquisition for further details. Williams NGL & Petchem Services includes certain other domestic olefins pipeline assets, certain Canadian growth projects under development, including a propane dehydrogenation facility and a liquids extraction plant, as well as a 50 percent equity-method investment in Bluegrass Pipeline Company LLC (Bluegrass Pipeline). See Note 2 – Variable Interest Entities for more information regarding the status of Bluegrass Pipeline. Other includes other business activities that are not operating segments, as well as corporate operations. Basis of Presentation We contributed certain Canadian operations in February 2014 to WPZ (Canada Dropdown) for total consideration of $56 million of cash (including a $31 million post-closing adjustment received in the second quarter), 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 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. At September 30, 2014, no additional Class D units have been issued to us under this provision. 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. In October 2014, a purchase price adjustment was finalized whereby we will pay $56 million in cash to WPZ in the fourth quarter 2014 and waive $2 million in payment of incentive distribution rights (IDRs) with respect to the November 2014 distribution. Consolidated master limited partnerships During the third quarter of 2014, WPZ issued 1,080,448 common units pursuant to an equity distribution agreement between WPZ and certain banks. Considering this, as well as our contribution of certain Canadian assets discussed above, and WPZ’s quarterly distribution of additional paid-in-kind Class D units to us, we own approximately 66 percent of the interests in WPZ, including the interests of the general partner, which are wholly owned by us, and IDRs as of September 30, 2014. Following the ACMP Acquisition on July 1, 2014, we owned approximately 50 percent of the limited partner units, including all of the Class B units that pay quarterly distribution of additional paid-in-kind Class B units. During the third quarter, we received a quarterly distribution of additional paid-in-kind Class B units and now own 51 percent of the interests in ACMP, including the interests of the general partner, which are wholly owned by us, and IDRs as of September 30, 2014. The previously described equity issuances by WPZ and ACMP had the combined net impact of increasing Noncontrolling interests in consolidated subsidiaries by $118 million, and decreasing Capital in excess of par value by $62 million, Deferred income taxes by $36 million, and Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) by $20 million in the Consolidated Balance Sheet. WPZ and ACMP are each self-funding and maintain separate lines of bank credit and cash management accounts. WPZ also has a commercial paper program. (See Note 9 – Debt and Banking Arrangements.) Cash distributions from WPZ and ACMP to us, including any associated with our IDRs, occur through the normal partnership distributions from WPZ and ACMP to their respective partners. Discontinued operations Unless indicated otherwise, the information in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements relates to our continuing operations. Accounting standards issued but not yet adopted In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued Accounting Standards Update 2014-09 establishing Accounting Standards Codification Topic 606, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers” (ASC 606). ASC 606 establishes a comprehensive new revenue recognition model designed to depict the transfer of goods or services to a customer in an amount that reflects the consideration the entity expects to be entitled to receive in exchange for those goods or services and requires significantly enhanced revenue disclosures. The standard is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016, and interim periods within the reporting period. Accordingly, we will adopt this standard in the first quarter of 2017. ASC 606 allows either full retrospective or modified retrospective transition and early adoption is not permitted. We are currently evaluating the impact of this new standard on our consolidated financial statements.

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 in Exhibit 99.1 of our Form 8-K dated May 22, 2014. 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, Access Midstream Partners, and Williams NGL & Petchem Services 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-method investment in Gulfstream Natural Gas System, L.L.C., 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-method 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 olefins production facility 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.

Access Midstream Partners consists of our consolidated master limited partnership, Access Midstream Partners, L.P. (ACMP), which includes domestic midstream businesses that provide gathering, treating, and compression services to producers under long-term, fee-based contracts in the Marcellus and Utica shale plays, as well as the Eagle Ford, Haynesville, Barnett, Mid-Continent, and Niobrara areas. ACMP also includes a 49 percent equity-method investment in Utica East Ohio Midstream, LLC, and Appalachia Midstream Services, LLC, which owns an approximate average 47 percent interest in 10 gas gathering systems in the Marcellus Shale. We previously owned an equity-method investment in ACMP until July 1, 2014, at which time we acquired all of the interests in ACMP previously held by Global Infrastructure Partners II (GIP), which included 50 percent of the general partner interest and 55.1 million limited partner units for $5.995 billion in cash (ACMP Acquisition). See Note 3 – Acquisition for further details.

Williams NGL & Petchem Services includes certain other domestic olefins pipeline assets, certain Canadian growth projects under development, including a propane dehydrogenation facility and a liquids extraction plant, as well as a 50 percent equity-method investment in Bluegrass Pipeline Company LLC (Bluegrass Pipeline). See Note 2 – Variable Interest Entities for more information regarding the status of Bluegrass Pipeline.

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

Basis of Presentation

We contributed certain Canadian operations in February 2014 to WPZ (Canada Dropdown) for total consideration of $56 million of cash (including a $31 million post-closing adjustment received in the second quarter), 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 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. At September 30, 2014, no additional Class D units have been issued to us under this provision. 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. In October 2014, a purchase price adjustment was finalized whereby we will pay $56 million in cash to WPZ in the fourth quarter 2014 and waive $2 million in payment of incentive distribution rights (IDRs) with respect to the November 2014 distribution.

Consolidated master limited partnerships

During the third quarter of 2014, WPZ issued 1,080,448 common units pursuant to an equity distribution agreement between WPZ and certain banks. Considering this, as well as our contribution of certain Canadian assets discussed above, and WPZ’s quarterly distribution of additional paid-in-kind Class D units to us, we own approximately 66 percent of the interests in WPZ, including the interests of the general partner, which are wholly owned by us, and IDRs as of September 30, 2014.

Following the ACMP Acquisition on July 1, 2014, we owned approximately 50 percent of the limited partner units, including all of the Class B units that pay quarterly distribution of additional paid-in-kind Class B units. During the third quarter, we received a quarterly distribution of additional paid-in-kind Class B units and now own 51 percent of the interests in ACMP, including the interests of the general partner, which are wholly owned by us, and IDRs as of September 30, 2014.

The previously described equity issuances by WPZ and ACMP had the combined net impact of increasing Noncontrolling interests in consolidated subsidiaries by $118 million, and decreasing Capital in excess of par value by $62 million, Deferred income taxes by $36 million, and Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) by $20 million in the Consolidated Balance Sheet.

WPZ and ACMP are each self-funding and maintain separate lines of bank credit and cash management accounts. WPZ also has a commercial paper program. (See Note 9 – Debt and Banking Arrangements.) Cash distributions from WPZ and ACMP to us, including any associated with our IDRs, occur through the normal partnership distributions from WPZ and ACMP to their respective partners.

Discontinued operations

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

Accounting standards issued but not yet adopted

In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued Accounting Standards Update 2014-09 establishing Accounting Standards Codification Topic 606, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers” (ASC 606). ASC 606 establishes a comprehensive new revenue recognition model designed to depict the transfer of goods or services to a customer in an amount that reflects the consideration the entity expects to be entitled to receive in exchange for those goods or services and requires significantly enhanced revenue disclosures. The standard is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016, and interim periods within the reporting period. Accordingly, we will adopt this standard in the first quarter of 2017. ASC 606 allows either full retrospective or modified retrospective transition and early adoption is not permitted. We are currently evaluating the impact of this new standard on our consolidated financial statements.