Background and Basis of Presentation	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2015
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Background and Basis of Presentation	Background and Basis of Presentation We are one of the largest manufacturers and distributors of nitrogen fertilizer and other nitrogen products in the world. Our principal customers are cooperatives, independent fertilizer distributors and industrial users. Our principal nitrogen fertilizer products are ammonia, granular urea and urea ammonium nitrate solution (UAN). Our other nitrogen products include ammonium nitrate (AN), diesel exhaust fluid (DEF), urea liquor, and aqua ammonia, which are sold primarily to our industrial customers. Our core market and distribution facilities are concentrated in the midwestern United States and other major agricultural areas of the United States and Canada. We also export nitrogen fertilizer products, primarily from our Donaldsonville, Louisiana manufacturing facility. Prior to March 17, 2014, we also manufactured and distributed phosphate fertilizer products. Our principal phosphate products were diammonium phosphate (DAP) and monoammonium phosphate (MAP). On March 17, 2014, we completed the sale of our phosphate mining and manufacturing business (the "Transaction"), which was located in Florida, to The Mosaic Company (Mosaic) for approximately $1.4 billion in cash. The Transaction followed the terms of the definitive agreement executed in October 2013. The accounts receivable and accounts payable pertaining to the phosphate mining and manufacturing business and certain phosphate inventory held in distribution facilities were not sold to Mosaic in the Transaction and were settled in the ordinary course. Upon closing the Transaction, we began to supply Mosaic with ammonia produced by our Point Lisas Nitrogen Limited (PLNL) joint venture. The contract to supply ammonia to Mosaic from our PLNL joint venture represents the continuation of a supply practice that previously existed between our former phosphate mining and manufacturing business and other operations of the Company. Prior to March 17, 2014, PLNL sold ammonia to us for use in the phosphate business and the cost was included in our production costs in the phosphate segment. Subsequent to the sale of the phosphate business, we now sell the PLNL-sourced ammonia to Mosaic. The revenue from these sales to Mosaic and the costs to purchase the ammonia from PLNL are now included in our ammonia segment. Our 50% share of the operating results of our PLNL joint venture continues to be included in our equity in earnings of operating affiliates in our consolidated statements of operations. Because of the significance of this continuing supply practice, in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), the phosphate mining and manufacturing business is not reported as discontinued operations in our consolidated statements of operations. See Note 3—Phosphate Business Disposition for additional information. In the third quarter of 2014, we completed certain changes to our reporting structures and as a result, our reporting segments increased to the following five segments: ammonia, granular urea, UAN, other, and phosphate. The phosphate segment reflects the reported results of the phosphate business through March 17, 2014, plus the continuing sales of the phosphate inventory in the distribution network after March 17, 2014. The remaining phosphate inventory was sold in the second quarter of 2014; therefore, the phosphate segment does not have operating results subsequent to that quarter. The phosphate segment will continue to be included until the reporting of comparable period phosphate results ceases. Historical financial results have been restated to reflect the new segment structure on a comparable basis. See Note 18—Segment Disclosures. The accompanying unaudited interim consolidated financial statements have been prepared on the same basis as our audited consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2014, in accordance with U.S. GAAP for interim financial reporting. In the opinion of management, these statements reflect all adjustments, consisting only of normal and recurring adjustments that are necessary for the fair representation of the information for the periods presented. The accompanying unaudited interim consolidated financial statements have been prepared pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Certain information and disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP have been condensed or omitted pursuant to such rules and regulations. Operating results for any period presented apply to that period only and are not necessarily indicative of results for any future period. The accompanying unaudited interim consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with our audited consolidated financial statements and related disclosures included in our 2014 Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on February 26, 2015. The preparation of the unaudited interim consolidated financial statements requires us to make use of estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent liabilities at the date of the unaudited consolidated financial statements and the reported revenues and expenses for the periods presented. Significant estimates and assumptions are used for, but are not limited to, net realizable value of inventories, environmental remediation liabilities, environmental and litigation contingencies, the cost of customer incentives, useful lives of property and identifiable intangible assets, the assumptions used in the evaluation of potential impairments of property, investments, identifiable intangible assets and goodwill, income tax and valuation reserves, allowances for doubtful accounts receivable, the measurement of the fair values of investments for which markets are not active, assumptions used in the determination of the funded status and annual expense of pension and postretirement employee benefit plans and the assumptions used in the valuation of stock-based compensation awards granted to employees. All references to "CF Holdings," "the Company," "we," "us" and "our" refer to CF Industries Holdings, Inc. and its subsidiaries, except where the context makes clear that the reference is only to CF Industries Holdings, Inc. itself and not its subsidiaries. All references to "CF Industries" refer to CF Industries, Inc., a 100% owned subsidiary of CF Industries Holdings, Inc.

Background and Basis of Presentation

We are one of the largest manufacturers and distributors of nitrogen fertilizer and other nitrogen products in the world. Our principal customers are cooperatives, independent fertilizer distributors and industrial users. Our principal nitrogen fertilizer products are ammonia, granular urea and urea ammonium nitrate solution (UAN). Our other nitrogen products include ammonium nitrate (AN), diesel exhaust fluid (DEF), urea liquor, and aqua ammonia, which are sold primarily to our industrial customers. Our core market and distribution facilities are concentrated in the midwestern United States and other major agricultural areas of the United States and Canada. We also export nitrogen fertilizer products, primarily from our Donaldsonville, Louisiana manufacturing facility.

Prior to March 17, 2014, we also manufactured and distributed phosphate fertilizer products. Our principal phosphate products were diammonium phosphate (DAP) and monoammonium phosphate (MAP). On March 17, 2014, we completed the sale of our phosphate mining and manufacturing business (the "Transaction"), which was located in Florida, to The Mosaic Company (Mosaic) for approximately $1.4 billion in cash. The Transaction followed the terms of the definitive agreement executed in October 2013. The accounts receivable and accounts payable pertaining to the phosphate mining and manufacturing business and certain phosphate inventory held in distribution facilities were not sold to Mosaic in the Transaction and were settled in the ordinary course.

Upon closing the Transaction, we began to supply Mosaic with ammonia produced by our Point Lisas Nitrogen Limited (PLNL) joint venture. The contract to supply ammonia to Mosaic from our PLNL joint venture represents the continuation of a supply practice that previously existed between our former phosphate mining and manufacturing business and other operations of the Company. Prior to March 17, 2014, PLNL sold ammonia to us for use in the phosphate business and the cost was included in our production costs in the phosphate segment. Subsequent to the sale of the phosphate business, we now sell the PLNL-sourced ammonia to Mosaic. The revenue from these sales to Mosaic and the costs to purchase the ammonia from PLNL are now included in our ammonia segment. Our 50% share of the operating results of our PLNL joint venture continues to be included in our equity in earnings of operating affiliates in our consolidated statements of operations. Because of the significance of this continuing supply practice, in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), the phosphate mining and manufacturing business is not reported as discontinued operations in our consolidated statements of operations. See Note 3—Phosphate Business Disposition for additional information.

In the third quarter of 2014, we completed certain changes to our reporting structures and as a result, our reporting segments increased to the following five segments: ammonia, granular urea, UAN, other, and phosphate. The phosphate segment reflects the reported results of the phosphate business through March 17, 2014, plus the continuing sales of the phosphate inventory in the distribution network after March 17, 2014. The remaining phosphate inventory was sold in the second quarter of 2014; therefore, the phosphate segment does not have operating results subsequent to that quarter. The phosphate segment will continue to be included until the reporting of comparable period phosphate results ceases. Historical financial results have been restated to reflect the new segment structure on a comparable basis. See Note 18—Segment Disclosures.

The accompanying unaudited interim consolidated financial statements have been prepared on the same basis as our audited consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2014, in accordance with U.S. GAAP for interim financial reporting. In the opinion of management, these statements reflect all adjustments, consisting only of normal and recurring adjustments that are necessary for the fair representation of the information for the periods presented. The accompanying unaudited interim consolidated financial statements have been prepared pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Certain information and disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP have been condensed or omitted pursuant to such rules and regulations. Operating results for any period presented apply to that period only and are not necessarily indicative of results for any future period.

The accompanying unaudited interim consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with our audited consolidated financial statements and related disclosures included in our 2014 Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on February 26, 2015.

The preparation of the unaudited interim consolidated financial statements requires us to make use of estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent liabilities at the date of the unaudited consolidated financial statements and the reported revenues and expenses for the periods presented. Significant estimates and assumptions are used for, but are not limited to, net realizable value of inventories, environmental remediation liabilities, environmental and litigation contingencies, the cost of customer incentives, useful lives of property and identifiable intangible assets, the assumptions used in the evaluation of potential impairments of property, investments, identifiable intangible assets and goodwill, income tax and valuation reserves, allowances for doubtful accounts receivable, the measurement of the fair values of investments for which markets are not active, assumptions used in the determination of the funded status and annual expense of pension and postretirement employee benefit plans and the assumptions used in the valuation of stock-based compensation awards granted to employees.

All references to "CF Holdings," "the Company," "we," "us" and "our" refer to CF Industries Holdings, Inc. and its subsidiaries, except where the context makes clear that the reference is only to CF Industries Holdings, Inc. itself and not its subsidiaries. All references to "CF Industries" refer to CF Industries, Inc., a 100% owned subsidiary of CF Industries Holdings, Inc.