Contingencies (Details) (USD $)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2011 M subsidiary note jurisdiction employee lawsuit DrillingUnits reduction plaintiff Y VIE	Jan. 27, 2011 insurer	Dec. 31, 2010 DrillingUnits subsidiary	Jun. 30, 2010 lawsuit	Jun. 21, 2010 States	May 05, 2010 States	Apr. 22, 2010 person mile	Sep. 30, 2006 subsidiary	Jul. 11, 2005 landowner defendant subsidiary
Macondo well incident
Number of persons declared dead							11
Number of miles Deepwater Horizon was off coast of Louisiana							41
Liability recorded based on probable losses related to the rig explosion and fire incident	$ 204,000,000		$ 135,000,000
Portion of liability related to the rig explosion and fire incident recoverable from insurance and recognized as a receivable	184,000,000		94,000,000
Percentage of non-operating interest of Anadarko in the Macondo well	25.00%
Percentage of non-operating interest of MOEX in the Macondo well	10.00%
Minimum number of subsidiaries entities named in numerous complaints that allege wrongful death and other personal injuries	1
Number of complaints filed in state and federal courts in Louisiana and Texas involving multiple plaintiffs that allege wrongful death and other personal injuries arising out of the Macondo well incident	13
Number of individual complaints filed alleging, among other things, economic losses as a result of environmental pollution arising out of the Macondo well incident	97
Number of putative class action complaints filed alleging, among other things, economic losses as a result of environmental pollution arising out of the Macondo well incident	191
Number of federal securities law class actions filed	2
Number of federal securities law class actions filed which generally allege violations of Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (in counts)	1
Number of shareholder derivative suits filed				2
Number of Gulf Coast states Attorneys General seeking recovery of clean up costs and damages						5
Number of Atlantic Coast states Attorneys General wanting assurances of financial responsibility for potential damages					11
Percentage of asset value covered by wreck removal insurance	25.00%
Asset value covered by wreck removal insurance	140,000,000
Amount agreed to indemnify and defend operator of rig	15,000,000
Insurance coverage
Insured status under excess liability insurance program							950,000,000
Deductible amount under excess liability insurance program							15,000,000
Amount covered by self insured layer of excess liability insurance program							50,000,000
Amount covered by first layer of excess liability insurance program							150,000,000
Amount covered by second layer of excess liability insurance program							150,000,000
Amount covered by third layer of excess liability insurance program							200,000,000
Amount covered by fourth layer of excess liability insurance program							200,000,000
Amount covered by fifth layer of excess liability insurance program							250,000,000
Asbestos litigation
Number of complaints filed in 2004 in Mississippi regarding asbestos litigation	21
Number of plaintiffs covered by complaints filed in 2004 in Mississippi regarding asbestos litigation	769
Number of subsidiaries named as a direct defendant in amended asbestos complaints	1
Number of cases filed under amended complaint in Mississippi regarding asbestos litigation	7
Number of additional cases in which there may be an indirect interest regarding asbestos litigation	12
Number of subsidiaries involved in lawsuits arising from design, construction and refurbishment of major industrial complexes	1
Number of lawsuits alleging personal injury from asbestos exposure for subsidiary involved in design, construction and refurbishment of major industrial complexes	996
Estimated number of plaintiffs in lawsuits alleging personal injury from asbestos exposure for subsidiary involved in design, construction and refurbishment of major industrial complexes	2,117
Insurance limits potentially available for damages in lawsuits regarding personal injury from asbestos exposure for subsidiary involved in design, construction and refurbishment of major industrial	1,000,000,000
Rio de Janeiro Tax Assessment
Tax assessment from state tax authorities of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil								181,000,000
Number of subsidiaries involved in Rio de Janeiro federal tax assessment relating to import license								1
Brazilian import license assessment
Number of subsidiaries involved in Rio de Janeiro federal tax assessment relating to import license			1
Tax assessment from federal tax authorities of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil relating to import license			235,000,000
Reduced tax assessment by lower court of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil relating to import license			15,000,000
Hazardous waste disposal sites
Percentage of liability for remediation and related costs from hazardous waste disposal site	8.00%
Number of subsidiaries ordered by California Regional Water Quality Control Board to develop testing plan for Alhambra, California site	1
Minimum number of subsidiaries likely to be named potentially responsible party by US Environmental Protection Agency for superfund site	1
Contamination litigation
Number of subsidiaries served with a lawsuit alleging property contamination in Louisiana									1
Number of landowners who filed a lawsuit alleging property contamination in Louisiana									3
Number of other defendants involved in lawsuit alleging property contamination in Louisiana									19
Amount claimed by plaintiffs' experts as required remediation costs for property contamination in Louisiana	300,000,000
Amount claimed by defendants' experts as required remediation costs for property contamination in Louisiana	2,500,000
Number of additional subsidiaries plaintiff attempted to add as defendant for lawsuit alleging property contamination in Louisiana	2
Amount of settlement by codefendant for property contamination in Louisiana	20,000,000
Number of insurers which filed pleadings to move lawsuit to United States District Court		1
Retained risk
Term of policy for commercial market and captive insurance policies (in months)	12
Aggregate value of drilling rig fleet	35,000,000,000
Per occurrence insurance deductible on hull and machinery	125,000,000
Maximum aggregate insurance deductible on hull and machinery per year	250,000,000
Percentage of asset value covered by damage mitigation insurance	25.00%
Commercial market excess liability coverage	793,000,000
Excess liability coverage through wholly-owned captive insurance company	157,000,000
Re-insured portion of excess liability coverage through wholly-owned captive insurance company	25,000,000
Aggregate excess liability coverage	950,000,000
Per occurrence deductible on aggregate excess liability coverage	50,000,000
Per occurrence deductible on crew personal injury liability and collision liability claims	10,000,000
Per occurrence deductible on other third-party non-crew claims	5,000,000
Aggregate per occurrence deductible on other third party non-crew claims	50,000,000
Liability loss limit for commercial market excess liability coverage	1,000,000,000
Additional insurance that covers expenses that would otherwise be assumed by the well owner	100,000,000
Maximum liability amount for well control and re-drilling liability related to blowouts	50,000,000
Letters of credit and surety bonds
Letters of credit outstanding	1,800,000,000		595,000,000
Amount of letter of credit issued on behalf of TPDI	60,000,000
Number of subsidiaries that established the letter of credit on behalf of TPDI	1
Surety bonds outstanding	21,000,000		27,000,000
Bank Guarantee for remaining outstanding shares in business combination	$ 1,300,000,000