Consolidating Guarantor Financial Information (Schedule of Consolidating Statement of Cash Flows) (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2013
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	$ 417	$ 376
Investing Activities
Capital expenditures on property, plant and equipment	(130)	(128)
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired	0	0
Proceeds from sale of businesses and assets, net	0	12
Deferred proceeds from Kelsterbach plant relocation	0	0
Capital expenditures related to Kelsterbach plant relocation	0	(6)
Capital expenditures related to Fairway Methanol LLC	(143)	(21)
Return of capital from subsidiary	0	0
Contributions to subsidiary	0	0
Intercompany loan receipts (disbursements)	0	0
Other, net	(10)	(34)
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	(283)	(177)
Financing Activities
Short-term borrowings (repayments), net	1	(11)
Proceeds from short-term borrowings	25	27
Repayments of short-term borrowings	(43)	(24)
Proceeds from long-term debt	0	50
Repayments of long-term debt	(13)	(62)
Refinancing costs	0	0
Purchases of treasury stock, including related fees	(103)	(6)
Dividends to parent	0	0
Contributions from parent	0	0
Stock option exercises	3	3
Series A common stock dividends	(67)	(26)
Return of capital to parent	0	0
Contributions from noncontrolling interests	148	0
Other, net	(1)	0
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	(50)	(49)
Exchange rate effects on cash and cash equivalents	(4)	(2)
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	80	148
Cash and cash equivalents as of beginning of period	984	959
Cash and cash equivalents as of end of period	1,064	1,107
Parent Guarantor [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	169	19
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	(103)	(6)
Dividends to parent	0	0
Contributions from parent	0	0
Stock option exercises	3	3
Series A common stock dividends	(67)	(26)
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	(167)	(29)
Exchange rate effects on cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	2	(10)
Cash and cash equivalents as of beginning of period	0	10
Cash and cash equivalents as of end of period	2	0
Issuer [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	109	(42)
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)	3	3
Other, net	0	0
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	3	3
Financing Activities
Short-term borrowings (repayments), net	61	64
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	(5)	(5)
Refinancing costs	0	0
Purchases of treasury stock, including related fees	0	0
Dividends to parent	(168)	(20)
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	(112)	39
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	333	292
Investing Activities
Capital expenditures on property, plant and equipment	(100)	(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	0
Capital expenditures related to Fairway Methanol LLC	(34)	(21)
Return of capital from subsidiary	51	0
Contributions to subsidiary	(97)	0
Intercompany loan receipts (disbursements)	(61)	(64)
Other, net	(6)	(25)
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	(247)	(176)
Financing Activities
Short-term borrowings (repayments), net	10	(2)
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	(3)	(18)
Refinancing costs	0	0
Purchases of treasury stock, including related fees	0	0
Dividends to parent	(168)	(20)
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	(1)	0
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	(162)	10
Exchange rate effects on cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	(76)	126
Cash and cash equivalents as of beginning of period	284	275
Cash and cash equivalents as of end of period	208	401
Non-Guarantors [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	142	147
Investing Activities
Capital expenditures on property, plant and equipment	(30)	(62)
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired	0	0
Proceeds from sale of businesses and assets, net	0	12
Deferred proceeds from Kelsterbach plant relocation	0	0
Capital expenditures related to Kelsterbach plant relocation	0	(6)
Capital expenditures related to Fairway Methanol LLC	(109)	0
Return of capital from subsidiary	0	0
Contributions to subsidiary	0	0
Intercompany loan receipts (disbursements)	0	0
Other, net	(4)	(9)
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	(143)	(65)
Financing Activities
Short-term borrowings (repayments), net	(9)	(9)
Proceeds from short-term borrowings	25	27
Repayments of short-term borrowings	(43)	(24)
Proceeds from long-term debt	0	0
Repayments of long-term debt	(8)	(42)
Refinancing costs	0	0
Purchases of treasury stock, including related fees	0	0
Dividends to parent	0	0
Contributions from parent	97	0
Stock option exercises	0	0
Series A common stock dividends	0	0
Return of capital to parent	(51)	0
Contributions from noncontrolling interests	148	0
Other, net	0	0
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	159	(48)
Exchange rate effects on cash and cash equivalents	(4)	(2)
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	154	32
Cash and cash equivalents as of beginning of period	700	674
Cash and cash equivalents as of end of period	854	706
Eliminations [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	(336)	(40)
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	97	0
Intercompany loan receipts (disbursements)	58	61
Other, net	0	0
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	104	61
Financing Activities
Short-term borrowings (repayments), net	(61)	(64)
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	3
Refinancing costs	0	0
Purchases of treasury stock, including related fees	0	0
Dividends to parent	336	40
Contributions from parent	(97)	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	232	(21)
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