Consolidating Guarantor Financial Information (Schedule of Consolidating Statement of Cash Flows) (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	$ 796	$ 608
Investing Activities
Capital expenditures on property, plant and equipment	(189)	(199)
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired	0	0
Proceeds from sale of businesses and assets, net	0	13
Deferred proceeds from Kelsterbach plant relocation	0	0
Capital expenditures related to Kelsterbach plant relocation	0	(6)
Capital expenditures related to Fairway Methanol LLC	(275)	(60)
Return of capital from subsidiary	0	0
Contributions to subsidiary	0	0
Intercompany loan receipts (disbursements)	0	0
Other, net	(13)	(38)
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	(477)	(290)
Financing Activities
Short-term borrowings (repayments), net	12	(12)
Proceeds from short-term borrowings	47	154
Repayments of short-term borrowings	(70)	(51)
Proceeds from long-term debt	387	74
Repayments of long-term debt	(19)	(192)
Purchases of treasury stock, including related fees	(201)	(102)
Dividends to parent	0	0
Contributions from parent	0	0
Stock option exercises	4	3
Series A common stock dividends	(106)	(55)
Return of capital to parent	0	0
Contributions from noncontrolling interests	194	0
Other, net	(11)	(2)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	237	(183)
Exchange rate effects on cash and cash equivalents	(30)	6
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	526	141
Cash and cash equivalents as of beginning of period	984	959
Cash and cash equivalents as of end of period	1,510	1,100
Parent Guarantor [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	303	144
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
Purchases of treasury stock, including related fees	(201)	(102)
Dividends to parent	0	0
Contributions from parent	0	0
Stock option exercises	4	3
Series A common stock dividends	(106)	(55)
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	(303)	(154)
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	444	58
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	28	0
Contributions to subsidiary	0	0
Intercompany loan receipts (disbursements)	4	4
Other, net	0	0
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	32	4
Financing Activities
Short-term borrowings (repayments), net	(543)	92
Proceeds from short-term borrowings	0	0
Repayments of short-term borrowings	0	0
Proceeds from long-term debt	387	24
Repayments of long-term debt	(7)	(32)
Purchases of treasury stock, including related fees	0	0
Dividends to parent	(303)	(144)
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	(10)	(2)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	(476)	(62)
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	573	650
Investing Activities
Capital expenditures on property, plant and equipment	(142)	(112)
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	(39)	(60)
Return of capital from subsidiary	51	0
Contributions to subsidiary	(143)	(20)
Intercompany loan receipts (disbursements)	543	(92)
Other, net	(8)	(26)
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	262	(310)
Financing Activities
Short-term borrowings (repayments), net	13	(4)
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	(4)	(119)
Purchases of treasury stock, including related fees	0	0
Dividends to parent	(303)	(144)
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	(295)	(217)
Exchange rate effects on cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	540	123
Cash and cash equivalents as of beginning of period	284	275
Cash and cash equivalents as of end of period	824	398
Non-Guarantors [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	304	44
Investing Activities
Capital expenditures on property, plant and equipment	(47)	(87)
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired	0	0
Proceeds from sale of businesses and assets, net	0	13
Deferred proceeds from Kelsterbach plant relocation	0	0
Capital expenditures related to Kelsterbach plant relocation	0	(6)
Capital expenditures related to Fairway Methanol LLC	(236)	0
Return of capital from subsidiary	0	0
Contributions to subsidiary	0	0
Intercompany loan receipts (disbursements)	0	0
Other, net	(5)	(12)
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	(288)	(92)
Financing Activities
Short-term borrowings (repayments), net	(1)	(8)
Proceeds from short-term borrowings	47	154
Repayments of short-term borrowings	(70)	(51)
Proceeds from long-term debt	0	0
Repayments of long-term debt	(12)	(45)
Purchases of treasury stock, including related fees	0	0
Dividends to parent	(222)	0
Contributions from parent	143	20
Stock option exercises	0	0
Series A common stock dividends	0	0
Return of capital to parent	(79)	0
Contributions from noncontrolling interests	194	0
Other, net	0	0
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	0	70
Exchange rate effects on cash and cash equivalents	(30)	6
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	(14)	28
Cash and cash equivalents as of beginning of period	700	674
Cash and cash equivalents as of end of period	686	702
Eliminations [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	(828)	(288)
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	(79)	0
Contributions to subsidiary	143	20
Intercompany loan receipts (disbursements)	(547)	88
Other, net	0	0
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	(483)	108
Financing Activities
Short-term borrowings (repayments), net	543	(92)
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	4	4
Purchases of treasury stock, including related fees	0	0
Dividends to parent	828	288
Contributions from parent	(143)	(20)
Stock option exercises	0	0
Series A common stock dividends	0	0
Return of capital to parent	79	0
Contributions from noncontrolling interests	0	0
Other, net	0	0
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	1,311	180
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