Condensed Consolidating Financial Statements (Condensed Consolidating Statement of Cash Flows) (Details) - USD ($)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2014
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net Income (Loss)	$ (161,000,000)	$ 89,000,000	$ (751,000,000)	$ (76,000,000)
Cash Flows from Operating Activities:
Charges from Parent or Subsidiary			0	0
Equity in (Earnings) Loss of Affiliates			0	0
Deferred Income Tax Provision (Benefit)			(333,000,000)	31,000,000
Other Adjustments			1,467,000,000	424,000,000
Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities			383,000,000	379,000,000
Cash Flows From Investing Activities:
Capital Expenditures for Property, Plant and Equipment			(542,000,000)	(1,045,000,000)
Acquisitions of Businesses			(14,000,000)	17,000,000
Acquisition of Intellectual Property			(7,000,000)	(3,000,000)
Proceeds from Sale of Assets and Businesses, Net			29,000,000	781,000,000
Net Cash Used in Investing Activities			(534,000,000)	(250,000,000)
Cash Flows From Financing Activities:
Borrowings of Short-term Debt, Net			606,000,000	46,000,000
Borrowings (Repayments) Long-term Debt, Net			(368,000,000)	(49,000,000)
Borrowings (Repayments) Between Subsidiaries, Net			0	0
Proceeds from Capital Contributions				22,000,000
Other, Net			(7,000,000)	(12,000,000)
Net Cash Provided by Financing Activities			231,000,000	7,000,000
Effect of Exchange Rate Changes on Cash and Cash Equivalents			(35,000,000)	11,000,000
Net Increase in Cash and Cash Equivalents			45,000,000	147,000,000
Cash and Cash Equivalents at Beginning of Period			474,000,000	435,000,000	$ 435,000,000
Cash and Cash Equivalents at End of Period	519,000,000	582,000,000	519,000,000	582,000,000	474,000,000
Weatherford Ireland [Member]
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net Income (Loss)	(170,000,000)	77,000,000	(777,000,000)	(109,000,000)
Cash Flows from Operating Activities:
Charges from Parent or Subsidiary			39,000,000	43,000,000
Equity in (Earnings) Loss of Affiliates			627,000,000	32,000,000
Deferred Income Tax Provision (Benefit)			0	0
Other Adjustments			(21,000,000)	3,000,000
Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities			(132,000,000)	(31,000,000)
Cash Flows From Investing Activities:
Capital Expenditures for Property, Plant and Equipment			0	0
Acquisitions of Businesses				0
Acquisition of Intellectual Property			0	0
Proceeds from Sale of Assets and Businesses, Net			0	0
Net Cash Used in Investing Activities			0	0
Cash Flows From Financing Activities:
Borrowings of Short-term Debt, Net			0	0
Borrowings (Repayments) Long-term Debt, Net			0	0
Borrowings (Repayments) Between Subsidiaries, Net			131,000,000	31,000,000
Proceeds from Capital Contributions				0
Other, Net			0	0
Net Cash Provided by Financing Activities			131,000,000	31,000,000
Effect of Exchange Rate Changes on Cash and Cash Equivalents			0	0
Net Increase in Cash and Cash Equivalents			(1,000,000)	0
Cash and Cash Equivalents at Beginning of Period			1,000,000	0	0
Cash and Cash Equivalents at End of Period	0	0	0	0	1,000,000
Weatherford Bermuda [Member]
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net Income (Loss)	(1,259,000,000)	156,000,000	(1,086,000,000)	7,143,000,000
Cash Flows from Operating Activities:
Charges from Parent or Subsidiary			49,000,000	(7,331,000,000)
Equity in (Earnings) Loss of Affiliates			754,000,000	(130,000,000)
Deferred Income Tax Provision (Benefit)			0	0
Other Adjustments			15,000,000	(65,000,000)
Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities			(268,000,000)	(383,000,000)
Cash Flows From Investing Activities:
Capital Expenditures for Property, Plant and Equipment			0	0
Acquisitions of Businesses				0	0
Acquisition of Intellectual Property			0	0
Proceeds from Sale of Assets and Businesses, Net			0	0
Net Cash Used in Investing Activities			0	0
Cash Flows From Financing Activities:
Borrowings of Short-term Debt, Net			631,000,000	140,000,000
Borrowings (Repayments) Long-term Debt, Net			(346,000,000)	0
Borrowings (Repayments) Between Subsidiaries, Net			(16,000,000)	246,000,000
Proceeds from Capital Contributions				0
Other, Net			0	0
Net Cash Provided by Financing Activities			269,000,000	386,000,000
Effect of Exchange Rate Changes on Cash and Cash Equivalents			0	0
Net Increase in Cash and Cash Equivalents			1,000,000	3,000,000
Cash and Cash Equivalents at Beginning of Period			0	0	0
Cash and Cash Equivalents at End of Period	1,000,000	3,000,000	1,000,000	3,000,000	0
Weatherford Delaware [Member]
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net Income (Loss)	(1,422,000,000)	402,000,000	(635,000,000)	167,000,000
Cash Flows from Operating Activities:
Charges from Parent or Subsidiary			131,000,000	105,000,000
Equity in (Earnings) Loss of Affiliates			522,000,000	(265,000,000)
Deferred Income Tax Provision (Benefit)			(60,000,000)	0
Other Adjustments			41,000,000	23,000,000
Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities			(1,000,000)	30,000,000
Cash Flows From Investing Activities:
Capital Expenditures for Property, Plant and Equipment			0	0
Acquisitions of Businesses				0	0
Acquisition of Intellectual Property			0	0
Proceeds from Sale of Assets and Businesses, Net			0	0
Net Cash Used in Investing Activities			0	0
Cash Flows From Financing Activities:
Borrowings of Short-term Debt, Net			0	0
Borrowings (Repayments) Long-term Debt, Net			(2,000,000)	(16,000,000)
Borrowings (Repayments) Between Subsidiaries, Net			3,000,000	8,000,000
Proceeds from Capital Contributions				0
Other, Net			0	0
Net Cash Provided by Financing Activities			1,000,000	(8,000,000)
Effect of Exchange Rate Changes on Cash and Cash Equivalents			0	0
Net Increase in Cash and Cash Equivalents			0	22,000,000
Cash and Cash Equivalents at Beginning of Period			22,000,000	0	0
Cash and Cash Equivalents at End of Period	22,000,000	22,000,000	22,000,000	22,000,000	22,000,000
Other Subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net Income (Loss)	(29,000,000)	236,000,000	(156,000,000)	(8,735,000,000)
Cash Flows from Operating Activities:
Charges from Parent or Subsidiary			(219,000,000)	9,003,000,000
Equity in (Earnings) Loss of Affiliates			0	1,000,000
Deferred Income Tax Provision (Benefit)			(273,000,000)	31,000,000
Other Adjustments			1,432,000,000	463,000,000
Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities			784,000,000	763,000,000
Cash Flows From Investing Activities:
Capital Expenditures for Property, Plant and Equipment			(542,000,000)	(1,045,000,000)
Acquisitions of Businesses			(14,000,000)	17,000,000
Acquisition of Intellectual Property			(7,000,000)	(3,000,000)
Proceeds from Sale of Assets and Businesses, Net			29,000,000	781,000,000
Net Cash Used in Investing Activities			(534,000,000)	(250,000,000)
Cash Flows From Financing Activities:
Borrowings of Short-term Debt, Net			(25,000,000)	(94,000,000)
Borrowings (Repayments) Long-term Debt, Net			(20,000,000)	(33,000,000)
Borrowings (Repayments) Between Subsidiaries, Net			(118,000,000)	(285,000,000)
Proceeds from Capital Contributions				22,000,000
Other, Net			(7,000,000)	(12,000,000)
Net Cash Provided by Financing Activities			(170,000,000)	(402,000,000)
Effect of Exchange Rate Changes on Cash and Cash Equivalents			(35,000,000)	11,000,000
Net Increase in Cash and Cash Equivalents			45,000,000	122,000,000
Cash and Cash Equivalents at Beginning of Period			451,000,000	435,000,000	435,000,000
Cash and Cash Equivalents at End of Period	496,000,000	557,000,000	496,000,000	557,000,000	451,000,000
Parent Company [Member]
Cash Flows From Investing Activities:
Acquisitions of Businesses					0
Cash Flows From Financing Activities:
Cash and Cash Equivalents at Beginning of Period			1,000,000
Cash and Cash Equivalents at End of Period					1,000,000
Eliminations [Member]
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net Income (Loss)	2,719,000,000	(782,000,000)	1,903,000,000	1,458,000,000
Cash Flows from Operating Activities:
Charges from Parent or Subsidiary			0	(1,820,000,000)
Equity in (Earnings) Loss of Affiliates			(1,903,000,000)	362,000,000
Deferred Income Tax Provision (Benefit)			0	0
Other Adjustments			0	0
Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities			0	0
Cash Flows From Investing Activities:
Capital Expenditures for Property, Plant and Equipment			0	0
Acquisitions of Businesses				0	0
Acquisition of Intellectual Property			0	0
Proceeds from Sale of Assets and Businesses, Net			0	0
Net Cash Used in Investing Activities			0	0
Cash Flows From Financing Activities:
Borrowings of Short-term Debt, Net			0	0
Borrowings (Repayments) Long-term Debt, Net			0	0
Borrowings (Repayments) Between Subsidiaries, Net			0	0
Proceeds from Capital Contributions				0
Other, Net			0	0
Net Cash Provided by Financing Activities			0	0
Effect of Exchange Rate Changes on Cash and Cash Equivalents			0	0
Net Increase in Cash and Cash Equivalents			0	0
Cash and Cash Equivalents at Beginning of Period			0	0	0
Cash and Cash Equivalents at End of Period	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0