Debt - Components (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Sep. 30, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Short-term debt:
Total short-term debt	$ 1,384	$ 999
Long-term debt:
PAA senior notes, net of unamortized discounts and debt issuance costs of $70 and $77, respectively	9,130	9,698
Other long-term debt	1,106	1,234
Total long-term debt	10,236	10,932
Total debt	11,620	11,931
PAA senior notes
Long-term debt:
Unamortized discounts and debt issuance costs	70	77
PAA senior notes, net of unamortized discounts and debt issuance costs of $70 and $77, respectively	9,130	9,698
Debt instrument face value	$ 9,600	$ 9,800
PAA commercial paper notes
Long-term debt:
Weighted average interest rate, long-term	1.30%	1.10%
Other long-term debt	$ 500	$ 672
Other
Long-term debt:
Other long-term debt	4	5
Level 2 | PAA senior notes
Long-term debt:
Debt instrument fair value	$ 9,700	$ 8,600
PAA commercial paper notes
Short-term debt:
Weighted average interest rate, short-term	1.30%	1.10%
Short-term notes and borrowings	$ 256	$ 696
Other
Short-term debt:
Other short-term debt	$ 3	$ 3
PAA senior secured hedged inventory facility | Line of credit
Short-term debt:
Weighted average interest rate, short-term	1.50%	1.40%
Short-term notes and borrowings	$ 725	$ 300
AAP senior secured credit agreement
Long-term debt:
Unamortized debt issuance costs	$ (1)	$ (2)
AAP term loan | Loans payable
Long-term debt:
Weighted average interest rate, long-term	2.20%	2.00%
Long-term debt, before deducting unamortized discounts and debt issuance costs	$ 550	$ 550
AAP senior secured revolving credit facility | Line of credit
Long-term debt:
Weighted average interest rate, long-term	2.10%	2.00%
Long-term debt, before deducting unamortized discounts and debt issuance costs	$ 53	$ 9
6.13 percent senior notes due January 2017 | PAA senior notes
Short-term debt:
Debt instrument, interest rate	6.13%
Senior notes, current	$ 400