Consolidating Guarantor Financial Information (Schedule of Consolidating Statement of Cash Flows) (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2013
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	$ 164	$ 147
Investing Activities
Capital expenditures on property, plant and equipment	(78)	(66)
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired	0	0
Proceeds from sale of businesses and assets, net	0	0
Deferred proceeds from Kelsterbach plant relocation	0	0
Capital expenditures related to Kelsterbach plant relocation	0	(3)
Capital expenditures related to Fairway Methanol LLC	(70)	(8)
Return of capital from subsidiary	0	0
Contributions to subsidiary	0	0
Intercompany loan receipts (disbursements)	0	0
Other, net	(3)	(10)
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	(151)	(87)
Financing Activities
Short-term borrowings (repayments), net	(3)	(19)
Proceeds from short-term borrowings	25	24
Repayments of short-term borrowings	(40)	(24)
Proceeds from long-term debt	0	50
Repayments of long-term debt	(6)	(55)
Refinancing costs	0	0
Purchases of treasury stock, including related fees	(53)	0
Dividends to parent	0	0
Contributions from parent	0	0
Stock option exercises	0	1
Series A common stock dividends	(28)	(12)
Return of capital to parent	0	0
Contributions from noncontrolling interests	109	0
Other, net	0	0
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	4	(35)
Exchange rate effects on cash and cash equivalents	(3)	(6)
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	14	19
Cash and cash equivalents as of beginning of period	984	959
Cash and cash equivalents as of end of period	998	978
Parent Guarantor [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	81	1
Investing Activities
Capital expenditures on property, plant and equipment	0	0
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired	0	0
Proceeds from sale of businesses and assets, net	0	0
Deferred proceeds from Kelsterbach plant relocation	0	0
Capital expenditures related to Kelsterbach plant relocation	0	0
Capital expenditures related to Fairway Methanol LLC	0	0
Return of capital from subsidiary	0	0
Contributions to subsidiary	0	0
Intercompany loan receipts (disbursements)	0	0
Other, net	0	0
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	0	0
Financing Activities
Short-term borrowings (repayments), net	0	0
Proceeds from short-term borrowings	0	0
Repayments of short-term borrowings	0	0
Proceeds from long-term debt	0	0
Repayments of long-term debt	0	0
Refinancing costs	0	0
Purchases of treasury stock, including related fees	(53)	0
Dividends to parent	0	0
Contributions from parent	0	0
Stock option exercises	0	1
Series A common stock dividends	(28)	(12)
Return of capital to parent	0	0
Contributions from noncontrolling interests	0	0
Other, net	0	0
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	(81)	(11)
Exchange rate effects on cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	0	(10)
Cash and cash equivalents as of beginning of period	0	10
Cash and cash equivalents as of end of period	0	0
Issuer [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	60	(18)
Investing Activities
Capital expenditures on property, plant and equipment	0	0
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired	0	0
Proceeds from sale of businesses and assets, net	0	0
Deferred proceeds from Kelsterbach plant relocation	0	0
Capital expenditures related to Kelsterbach plant relocation	0	0
Capital expenditures related to Fairway Methanol LLC	0	0
Return of capital from subsidiary	0	0
Contributions to subsidiary	0	0
Intercompany loan receipts (disbursements)	1	1
Other, net	0	0
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	1	1
Financing Activities
Short-term borrowings (repayments), net	23	20
Proceeds from short-term borrowings	0	0
Repayments of short-term borrowings	0	0
Proceeds from long-term debt	0	0
Repayments of long-term debt	(3)	(2)
Refinancing costs	0	0
Purchases of treasury stock, including related fees	0	0
Dividends to parent	(81)	(1)
Contributions from parent	0	0
Stock option exercises	0	0
Series A common stock dividends	0	0
Return of capital to parent	0	0
Contributions from noncontrolling interests	0	0
Other, net	0	0
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	(61)	17
Exchange rate effects on cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents as of beginning of period	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents as of end of period	0	0
Subsidiary Guarantors [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	166	90
Investing Activities
Capital expenditures on property, plant and equipment	(64)	(33)
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired	0	0
Proceeds from sale of businesses and assets, net	0	0
Deferred proceeds from Kelsterbach plant relocation	0	0
Capital expenditures related to Kelsterbach plant relocation	0	0
Capital expenditures related to Fairway Methanol LLC	(26)	(8)
Return of capital from subsidiary	51	0
Contributions to subsidiary	(57)	0
Intercompany loan receipts (disbursements)	(23)	(20)
Other, net	(1)	(4)
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	(120)	(65)
Financing Activities
Short-term borrowings (repayments), net	0	(9)
Proceeds from short-term borrowings	0	0
Repayments of short-term borrowings	0	0
Proceeds from long-term debt	0	50
Repayments of long-term debt	(1)	(15)
Refinancing costs	0	0
Purchases of treasury stock, including related fees	0	0
Dividends to parent	(81)	(1)
Contributions from parent	0	0
Stock option exercises	0	0
Series A common stock dividends	0	0
Return of capital to parent	0	0
Contributions from noncontrolling interests	0	0
Other, net	0	0
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	(82)	25
Exchange rate effects on cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	(36)	50
Cash and cash equivalents as of beginning of period	284	275
Cash and cash equivalents as of end of period	248	325
Non-Guarantors [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	19	76
Investing Activities
Capital expenditures on property, plant and equipment	(14)	(33)
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired	0	0
Proceeds from sale of businesses and assets, net	0	0
Deferred proceeds from Kelsterbach plant relocation	0	0
Capital expenditures related to Kelsterbach plant relocation	0	(3)
Capital expenditures related to Fairway Methanol LLC	(44)	0
Return of capital from subsidiary	0	0
Contributions to subsidiary	0	0
Intercompany loan receipts (disbursements)	0	0
Other, net	(2)	(6)
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	(60)	(42)
Financing Activities
Short-term borrowings (repayments), net	(3)	(10)
Proceeds from short-term borrowings	25	24
Repayments of short-term borrowings	(40)	(24)
Proceeds from long-term debt	0	0
Repayments of long-term debt	(3)	(39)
Refinancing costs	0	0
Purchases of treasury stock, including related fees	0	0
Dividends to parent	0	0
Contributions from parent	57	0
Stock option exercises	0	0
Series A common stock dividends	0	0
Return of capital to parent	(51)	0
Contributions from noncontrolling interests	109	0
Other, net	0	0
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	94	(49)
Exchange rate effects on cash and cash equivalents	(3)	(6)
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	50	(21)
Cash and cash equivalents as of beginning of period	700	674
Cash and cash equivalents as of end of period	750	653
Eliminations [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	(162)	(2)
Investing Activities
Capital expenditures on property, plant and equipment	0	0
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired	0	0
Proceeds from sale of businesses and assets, net	0	0
Deferred proceeds from Kelsterbach plant relocation	0	0
Capital expenditures related to Kelsterbach plant relocation	0	0
Capital expenditures related to Fairway Methanol LLC	0	0
Return of capital from subsidiary	(51)	0
Contributions to subsidiary	57	0
Intercompany loan receipts (disbursements)	22	19
Other, net	0	0
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	28	19
Financing Activities
Short-term borrowings (repayments), net	(23)	(20)
Proceeds from short-term borrowings	0	0
Repayments of short-term borrowings	0	0
Proceeds from long-term debt	0	0
Repayments of long-term debt	1	1
Refinancing costs	0	0
Purchases of treasury stock, including related fees	0	0
Dividends to parent	162	2
Contributions from parent	(57)	0
Stock option exercises	0	0
Series A common stock dividends	0	0
Return of capital to parent	51	0
Contributions from noncontrolling interests	0	0
Other, net	0	0
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	134	(17)
Exchange rate effects on cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents as of beginning of period	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents as of end of period	$ 0	$ 0