2.4.0.82201201 - Disclosure - General (Policies)truefalsefalse1false falsefalseD2013Q2YTDhttp://www.sec.gov/CIK0001135017duration2013-01-01T00:00:002013-06-30T00:00:001true 1kmr_AccountingForEquityInvestmentAbstractkmr_falsenadurationfalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalse1falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalsexbrli:stringItemTypestringfalse0Accounting for Equity Investment [Abstract]2false 2us-gaap_InvestmentPolicyTextBlockus-gaap_truenadurationfalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalseterseLabel1falsefalsefalse00<div style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:10pt;"><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;text-indent:24px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;font-style:italic;font-weight:bold;">Accounting for Investments in KMP</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:justify;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"> </font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;text-indent:24px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">We use the equity method of accounting for our investment in KMP, a publicly traded limited partnership, with its common units traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “KMP.” We record, in the period in which it is earned, our share of the earnings of KMP attributable to the i-units we own.  We receive distributions from KMP in the form of additional i-units, which increase the number of i-units we own.  We issue additional shares (or fractions thereof) to our existing shareholders in an amount equal to the additional i-units received from KMP.  At </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;color:#000000;text-decoration:none;">June 30, 2013</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">, through our ownership of KMP i-units, we owned approximately</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;font-weight:bold;"> </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;color:#000000;font-weight:normal;text-decoration:none;">27.7%</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"> of all of KMP’s outstanding limited partner interests.</font></div></div>falsefalsefalsenonnum:textBlockItemTypenaDisclosure of accounting policy for investments in financial assets, including marketable securities (debt and equity securities with readily determinable fair values), investments accounted for under the equity method and cost method, securities borrowed and loaned, and repurchase and resale agreements. For marketable securities, the disclosure may include the entity's accounting treatment for transfers between investment categories and how the fair values for such securities are determined. Also, for all investments, an entity may describe its policy for assessing, recognizing and measuring impairment of the investment.Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) -Number 115 -Paragraph 7-16 -LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy. Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) -Number 107 -Paragraph 10, 11 -LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy. Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 235 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 3 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6367646&loc=d3e18780-107790 Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 325 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (c) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6872867&loc=d3e40691-111596 Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 825 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 10 -Subparagraph (b) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=7491637&loc=d3e13433-108611 Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 323 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 3 -Subparagraph (a)(2) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6382943&loc=d3e33918-111571 Reference 7: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 320 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 6 -Subparagraph (b) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6872113&loc=d3e27290-111563 Reference 8: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher SEC -Name Staff Accounting Bulletin (SAB) -Number Topic 5 -Section M Reference 9: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 210 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.2,12) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682 Reference 10: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name FASB Staff Position (FSP) -Number FAS115-1/124-1 -Paragraph 7-18 -LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy. Reference 11: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher SEC -Name Regulation S-X (SX) -Number 210 -Section 02 -Paragraph 2, 12 -Article 5 false0Investment, Policy [Policy Text Block]falseGeneral (Policies)UnKnownUnKnownUnKnownUnKnowntruefalsefalseSheethttp://kindermorgan.com/role/GeneralPolicies12