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Percentage of the Variable Interest Entity's (VIE) voting interest owned by (or beneficial interest in) the reporting entity (directly or indirectly).

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Amount IDR payment reduced due to temporary waiver of IDRs

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General, Description of Business, and Basis of Presentation (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, shares in Thousands, $ in Millions			1 Months Ended					9 Months Ended
	Jan. 09, 2017	Sep. 28, 2015	Feb. 03, 2017	Jan. 31, 2017	May 31, 2016	Feb. 29, 2016	Nov. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2017	Jan. 01, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Number Of Interstate Natural Gas Pipelines								2
Subsidiary of Limited Liability Company or Limited Partnership [Line Items]
Consolidation, Less than Wholly Owned Subsidiary, Parent Ownership Interest, Changes, Net								$ (907)
New Accounting Pronouncement or Change in Accounting Principle, Cumulative Effect of Change on Equity or Net Assets									$ 37
WPZ Merger Agreement [Member]
Subsidiary of Limited Liability Company or Limited Partnership [Line Items]
Termination Fee		$ 428
Maximum Reduction Of Quarterly Incentive Distributions		$ 209
Reduction in incentive distribution rights payment					$ 10	$ 209	$ 209
Constitution Pipeline Company LLC [Member]
Subsidiary of Limited Liability Company or Limited Partnership [Line Items]
Variable Interest Entity Ownership Percentage								41.00%
Appalachia Midstream Services, LLC [Member]
Subsidiary of Limited Liability Company or Limited Partnership [Line Items]
Subsidiary of Limited Liability Company or Limited Partnership, Ownership Interest								66.00%
Noncontrolling Interest [Member]
Subsidiary of Limited Liability Company or Limited Partnership [Line Items]
Consolidation, Less than Wholly Owned Subsidiary, Parent Ownership Interest, Changes, Net								$ (2,404)
Capital in excess of par value [Member]
Subsidiary of Limited Liability Company or Limited Partnership [Line Items]
Consolidation, Less than Wholly Owned Subsidiary, Parent Ownership Interest, Changes, Net								$ 1,497
General and Limited Partner [Member] \| Williams Partners L.P. [Member]
Subsidiary of Limited Liability Company or Limited Partnership [Line Items]
Variable Interest Entity Ownership Percentage		60.00%
Limited Partner [Member] \| Williams Partners L.P. [Member]
Subsidiary of Limited Liability Company or Limited Partnership [Line Items]
Variable Interest Entity Ownership Percentage								74.00%
Financial Repositioning [Member]
Subsidiary of Limited Liability Company or Limited Partnership [Line Items]
Sale of Stock, Number of Shares Issued in Transaction	277		59,000	289,000
Payments to Acquire Limited Partnership Interests	$ 10							$ 56
Sale of Stock, Price Per Share			$ 36.08586
Financial Repositioning [Member] \| Williams Partners L.P. [Member]
Subsidiary of Limited Liability Company or Limited Partnership [Line Items]
Limited Liability Company (LLC) or Limited Partnership (LP), Managing Member or General Partner, Ownership Interest				2.00%
Subsidiary of Limited Liability Company or Limited Partnership, Ownership Interest								74.00%
Williams Partners [Member]
Subsidiary of Limited Liability Company or Limited Partnership [Line Items]
Goodwill								$ 47
Gulfstream Natural Gas System, L.L.C.[Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Equity Method Investment, Ownership Percentage								50.00%
Utica East Ohio Midstream, LLC [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Equity Method Investment, Ownership Percentage								62.00%
Delaware Basin Gas Gathering System [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Equity Method Investment, Ownership Percentage										50.00%
Delaware Basin Gas Gathering System [Member] \| Williams Partners [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Equity Method Investment, Ownership Percentage										50.00%
Laurel Mountain Midstream, LLC [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Equity Method Investment, Ownership Percentage								69.00%
Caiman Energy II [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Equity Method Investment, Ownership Percentage								58.00%
Discovery Producer Services LLC [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Equity Method Investment, Ownership Percentage								60.00%
Overland Pass Pipeline Company LLC [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Equity Method Investment, Ownership Percentage								50.00%