Short-term Borrowings and Current Portion of Long-term Debt (Narrative) (Details) (USD $)	0 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	May 02, 2013	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Apr. 30, 2013
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Credit agreement, maximum capacity				$ 300,000,000
Weighted average interest rate on short-term borrowings outstanding at end of year		1.40%	1.70%
Performance bonds		278,000,000
Revolving credit facility [Member]
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Credit agreement, maximum capacity		2,250,000,000
Commercial paper program [Member]
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Weighted average interest rate on short-term borrowings outstanding at end of year		0.90%
Committed letters of credit [Member]
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Letters of credit outstanding, amount		30,000,000
364-day term loan facility [Member]
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Credit agreement, maximum capacity				400,000,000
Weighted average interest rate on short-term borrowings outstanding at end of year		1.90%
Letters of credit outstanding, amount		175,000,000
Debt instrument, term	364 days	364 days
Repayments of lines of credit		225,000,000
Domestic and foreign facility [Member]
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Weighted average interest rate on short-term borrowings outstanding at end of year		1.60%
Short term borrowings		257,000,000
Uncommitted letters of credit [Member]
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Letters of credit outstanding, amount		568,000,000
Maximum [Member] | Revolving credit facility [Member]
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Ratio of indebtedness to net capital percent required		0.6
Guarantor Subsidiaries, Weatherford Delaware [Member] | 364-day term loan facility [Member]
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Debt instrument, term		364 days
Bi-Lateral Revolver Debt [Member] | Domestic and foreign facility [Member]
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Short term borrowings		$ 180,000,000
London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) [Member] | Domestic and foreign facility [Member]
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Interest rate at period end		1.30%