Consolidating Financial Statements (Condensed Consolidating Statement of Operations) (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended															12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014		Sep. 30, 2014		Jun. 30, 2014		Mar. 31, 2014		Dec. 31, 2013		Sep. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2013		Mar. 31, 2013		Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013		Dec. 31, 2012
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues	$ 3,727		$ 3,877		$ 3,711		$ 3,596		$ 3,738		$ 3,820	$ 3,868		$ 3,837		$ 14,911	$ 15,263		$ 15,215
Costs and Expenses																(14,406)	(14,740)		(14,917)
Operating Income (Loss)																505	523	[1]	298
Other Income (Expense):
Interest Expense, Net																(498)	(516)		(486)
Intercompany Charges, Net																0	0		0
Equity in Subsidiary Income (Loss)																0	0		0
Other, Net																(262)	(177)		(100)
Income (Loss) Before Income Taxes																(255)	(170)		(288)
(Provision) Benefit for Income Taxes																(284)	(144)		(462)
Net Loss																(539)	(314)		(750)
Payments for Divestiture of Businesses																(112)	0		0
Net Income Attributable to Noncontrolling Interests																(45)	(31)		(28)
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Weatherford	(475)	[2],[3]	77	[2],[4]	(145)	[2],[5]	(41)	[2],[6]	(271)	[7],[8]	22	(118)	[7],[9]	22	[10],[7]	(584)	(345)		(778)
Comprehensive Income (Loss) Attributable to Weatherford																(1,278)	(695)		(695)
Weatherford Ireland Parent Company [Member]
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues																0	0		0
Costs and Expenses																(59)	(50)		(59)
Operating Income (Loss)																(59)	(50)		(59)
Other Income (Expense):
Interest Expense, Net																0	0		0
Intercompany Charges, Net																(99)	(53)		(28)
Equity in Subsidiary Income (Loss)																(424)	(242)		(689)
Other, Net																0	0		(2)
Income (Loss) Before Income Taxes																(582)	(345)		(778)
(Provision) Benefit for Income Taxes																(2)	0		0
Net Loss																	(345)		(778)
Net Income Attributable to Noncontrolling Interests																0	0		0
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Weatherford																(584)	(345)		(778)
Comprehensive Income (Loss) Attributable to Weatherford																(1,278)	(695)		(695)
Weatherford Bermuda [Member]
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues																0	0		0
Costs and Expenses																(18)	(139)		(114)
Operating Income (Loss)																(18)	(139)		(114)
Other Income (Expense):
Interest Expense, Net																(422)	(430)		(401)
Intercompany Charges, Net																7,291	49		53
Equity in Subsidiary Income (Loss)																(430)	30		(701)
Other, Net																20	(31)		(34)
Income (Loss) Before Income Taxes																6,441	(521)		(1,197)
(Provision) Benefit for Income Taxes																0	0		0
Net Loss																6,441	(521)		(1,197)
Net Income Attributable to Noncontrolling Interests																0	0		0
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Weatherford																6,441	(521)		(1,197)
Comprehensive Income (Loss) Attributable to Weatherford																5,811	(788)		(1,197)
Guarantor Subsidiaries, Weatherford Delaware [Member]
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues																0	0		0
Costs and Expenses																3	(3)		(5)
Operating Income (Loss)																3	(3)		(5)
Other Income (Expense):
Interest Expense, Net																(57)	(61)		(69)
Intercompany Charges, Net																(266)	(337)		(233)
Equity in Subsidiary Income (Loss)																407	461		(94)
Other, Net																(3)	(2)		0
Income (Loss) Before Income Taxes																84	58		(401)
(Provision) Benefit for Income Taxes																131	145		107
Net Loss																215	203		(294)
Net Income Attributable to Noncontrolling Interests																0	0		0
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Weatherford																215	203		(294)
Comprehensive Income (Loss) Attributable to Weatherford																(128)	39		(294)
Other Subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues																14,911	15,263		15,215
Costs and Expenses																(14,332)	(14,548)		(14,739)
Operating Income (Loss)																579	715		476
Other Income (Expense):
Interest Expense, Net																(19)	(25)		(16)
Intercompany Charges, Net																(8,802)	341		208
Equity in Subsidiary Income (Loss)																(2)	0		0
Other, Net																(279)	(144)		(64)
Income (Loss) Before Income Taxes																(8,523)	887		604
(Provision) Benefit for Income Taxes																(413)	(289)		(569)
Net Loss																(8,936)	598		35
Net Income Attributable to Noncontrolling Interests																(45)	(31)		(28)
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Weatherford																(8,981)	567		7
Comprehensive Income (Loss) Attributable to Weatherford																(9,674)	214		90
Eliminations [Member]
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues																0	0		0
Costs and Expenses																0	0		0
Operating Income (Loss)																0	0		0
Other Income (Expense):
Interest Expense, Net																0	0		0
Intercompany Charges, Net																1,876	0		0
Equity in Subsidiary Income (Loss)																449	(249)		1,484
Other, Net																0	0		0
Income (Loss) Before Income Taxes																2,325	(249)		1,484
(Provision) Benefit for Income Taxes																0	0		0
Net Loss																2,325	(249)		1,484
Net Income Attributable to Noncontrolling Interests																0	0		0
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Weatherford																2,325	(249)		1,484
Comprehensive Income (Loss) Attributable to Weatherford																$ 3,991	$ 535		$ 1,401

[1] Includes income tax restatement and material weakness remediation expenses of $103 million, $13 million of costs incurred in connection with U.S. government investigations, $11 million of non-recurring fees and expenses associated with our 2012 debt consent solicitation and severance, exit and other charges of $79 million.

[2] Includes estimated project losses of $26 million, $2 million, $10 million and $34 million for the first, second, third and fourth quarter of 2014, respectively. These charges were related to our long-term early production facility construction contracts in Iraq accounted for under the percentage of completion method.

[3] Includes a long-lived asset impairment charge of $352 million, a goodwill impairment charge of $40 million, a $245 million charge related to adopting the SICAD II exchange rate, a gain of $311 million primarily related to the sale of our engineered chemistry and Integrity drilling fluids businesses and the disposal of all of our shares in Proserv. This also includes restructuring charges of $58 million associated with our 2015 plan.

[4] Includes restructuring charges of $154 million and a gain of $38 million primarily related to the sale of our pipeline and specialty services business and land drilling and workover rigs in Russia and Venezuela.

[5] Includes restructuring charges of $59 million, and long-lived assets and goodwill impairment charges of $143 million and $125 million, respectively.

[6] Includes restructuring charges of $70 million.

[7] Includes estimated project gain of $7 million for the first quarter, estimated project loss of $6 million, $85 million and $148 million for the second, third and fourth quarter of 2013, respectively. These charges were related to our long-term early production facility construction contracts in Iraq accounted for under the percentage of completion method.

[8] Includes our recognition of a $58 million loss upon settlement of $127 million in outstanding receivables due from PDVSA.

[9] Includes a $153 million accrual related to the U.S. government investigations.

[10] Effective February 13, 2013, the Venezuelan government devalued its currency and the official exchange rate moved from 4.30 per dollar to 6.30 per dollar for all goods and services. We recognized a charge of approximately $100 million for the remeasurement of our net monetary assets denominated in the Venezuelan bolivar at the date of the devaluation.