Consolidating Financial Statements Condensed Consolidating Statement of Cash Flows (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net Loss	$ (1,951)	$ (539)	$ (314)
Cash Flows from Operating Activities:
Charges from Parent or Subsidiary	0	0	0
Equity in (Earnings) Loss of Affiliates	0	0	0
Deferred Income Tax Benefit	(448)	(66)	(33)
Other Adjustments	3,105	1,568	1,576
Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities	706	963	1,229
Cash Flows From Investing Activities:
Acquisitions of Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired	(682)	(1,450)	(1,575)
Capital Expenditures for Property, Plant and Equipment	(14)	18	(8)
Acquisition of Intellectual Property	(8)	(5)	(9)
Purchase of Equity Investment in Unconsolidated Affiliates	0	(3)	0
Proceeds from Sale of Assets and Businesses, Net	45	1,770	488
Capital Contribution to Subsidiary			0
Net Cash Provided (Used) by Investing Activities	(659)	330	(1,104)
Cash Flows From Financing Activities:
Borrowings (Repayments) of Short-term Debt, Net	505	(924)	612
Borrowings (Repayments) Long-term Debt, Net	(470)	(259)	(600)
Borrowings (Repayments) Between Subsidiaries, Net	0	0	0
Proceeds from Capital Contributions		(22)	0
Other, Net	(23)	(19)	(6)
Net Cash Provided (Used) by Financing Activities	12	(1,180)	6
Effect of Exchange Rate Changes on Cash and Cash Equivalents	(66)	(74)	4
Net Increase (decrease) in Cash and Cash Equivalents	(7)	39	135
Cash and Cash Equivalents at Beginning of Year	474	435	300
Cash and Cash Equivalents at End of Year	467	474	435
Eliminations [Member]
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net Loss	5,039	2,325	(249)
Cash Flows from Operating Activities:
Charges from Parent or Subsidiary	(878)	(1,876)	0
Equity in (Earnings) Loss of Affiliates	(4,161)	(449)	249
Deferred Income Tax Benefit	0	0	0
Other Adjustments	0	0	0
Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities	0	0	0
Cash Flows From Investing Activities:
Acquisitions of Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired	0	0	0
Capital Expenditures for Property, Plant and Equipment	0	0	0
Acquisition of Intellectual Property	0	0	0
Purchase of Equity Investment in Unconsolidated Affiliates		0	0
Proceeds from Sale of Assets and Businesses, Net	0	0	0
Capital Contribution to Subsidiary			1,181
Net Cash Provided (Used) by Investing Activities	0	0	1,181
Cash Flows From Financing Activities:
Borrowings (Repayments) of Short-term Debt, Net	0	0	0
Borrowings (Repayments) Long-term Debt, Net	0	0	0
Borrowings (Repayments) Between Subsidiaries, Net	0	0	0
Proceeds from Capital Contributions		0	1,181
Other, Net	0	0	0
Net Cash Provided (Used) by Financing Activities	0	0	(1,181)
Effect of Exchange Rate Changes on Cash and Cash Equivalents	0	0	0
Net Increase (decrease) in Cash and Cash Equivalents	0	0	0
Cash and Cash Equivalents at Beginning of Year	0	0	0
Cash and Cash Equivalents at End of Year	0	0	0
Weatherford Ireland Parent Company [Member]
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net Loss	(1,985)	(584)	(345)
Cash Flows from Operating Activities:
Charges from Parent or Subsidiary	83	99	53
Equity in (Earnings) Loss of Affiliates	1,801	424	242
Deferred Income Tax Benefit	0	0	0
Other Adjustments	(35)	23	(48)
Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities	(136)	(38)	(98)
Cash Flows From Investing Activities:
Acquisitions of Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired	0	0	0
Capital Expenditures for Property, Plant and Equipment	0	0	0
Acquisition of Intellectual Property	0	0	0
Purchase of Equity Investment in Unconsolidated Affiliates		0	0
Proceeds from Sale of Assets and Businesses, Net	0	0	0
Capital Contribution to Subsidiary			0
Net Cash Provided (Used) by Investing Activities	0	0	0
Cash Flows From Financing Activities:
Borrowings (Repayments) of Short-term Debt, Net	0	0	0
Borrowings (Repayments) Long-term Debt, Net	0	0	0
Borrowings (Repayments) Between Subsidiaries, Net	135	39	100
Proceeds from Capital Contributions		0	0
Other, Net	0	0	(2)
Net Cash Provided (Used) by Financing Activities	135	39	98
Effect of Exchange Rate Changes on Cash and Cash Equivalents	0	0	0
Net Increase (decrease) in Cash and Cash Equivalents	(1)	1	0
Cash and Cash Equivalents at Beginning of Year	1	0	0
Cash and Cash Equivalents at End of Year	0	1	0
Weatherford Bermuda [Member]
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net Loss	(2,332)	6,441	(521)
Cash Flows from Operating Activities:
Charges from Parent or Subsidiary	110	(7,291)	(49)
Equity in (Earnings) Loss of Affiliates	1,868	430	(30)
Deferred Income Tax Benefit	0	0	0
Other Adjustments	210	(180)	748
Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities	(144)	(600)	148
Cash Flows From Investing Activities:
Acquisitions of Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired	0	0	0
Capital Expenditures for Property, Plant and Equipment	0	0	0
Acquisition of Intellectual Property	0	0	0
Purchase of Equity Investment in Unconsolidated Affiliates		0	0
Proceeds from Sale of Assets and Businesses, Net	0	0	0
Capital Contribution to Subsidiary			(1,181)
Net Cash Provided (Used) by Investing Activities	0	0	(1,181)
Cash Flows From Financing Activities:
Borrowings (Repayments) of Short-term Debt, Net	535	(827)	550
Borrowings (Repayments) Long-term Debt, Net	(411)	(153)	(544)
Borrowings (Repayments) Between Subsidiaries, Net	22	1,580	1,027
Proceeds from Capital Contributions		0	0
Other, Net	0	0	0
Net Cash Provided (Used) by Financing Activities	146	600	1,033
Effect of Exchange Rate Changes on Cash and Cash Equivalents	0	0	0
Net Increase (decrease) in Cash and Cash Equivalents	2	0	0
Cash and Cash Equivalents at Beginning of Year	0	0	0
Cash and Cash Equivalents at End of Year	2	0	0
Guarantor Subsidiaries, Weatherford Delaware [Member]
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net Loss	(704)	215	203
Cash Flows from Operating Activities:
Charges from Parent or Subsidiary	282	266	337
Equity in (Earnings) Loss of Affiliates	492	(407)	(461)
Deferred Income Tax Benefit	14	(25)	28
Other Adjustments	(86)	(42)	470
Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities	(2)	7	577
Cash Flows From Investing Activities:
Acquisitions of Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired	0	0	0
Capital Expenditures for Property, Plant and Equipment	0	0	0
Acquisition of Intellectual Property	0	0	0
Purchase of Equity Investment in Unconsolidated Affiliates		0	0
Proceeds from Sale of Assets and Businesses, Net	0	0	0
Capital Contribution to Subsidiary			0
Net Cash Provided (Used) by Investing Activities	0	0	0
Cash Flows From Financing Activities:
Borrowings (Repayments) of Short-term Debt, Net	0	0	(4)
Borrowings (Repayments) Long-term Debt, Net	(31)	(92)	(30)
Borrowings (Repayments) Between Subsidiaries, Net	33	107	(565)
Proceeds from Capital Contributions		0	0
Other, Net	0	0	22
Net Cash Provided (Used) by Financing Activities	2	15	(577)
Effect of Exchange Rate Changes on Cash and Cash Equivalents	0	0	0
Net Increase (decrease) in Cash and Cash Equivalents	0	22	0
Cash and Cash Equivalents at Beginning of Year	22	0	0
Cash and Cash Equivalents at End of Year	22	22	0
Other Subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net Loss	(1,969)	(8,936)	598
Cash Flows from Operating Activities:
Charges from Parent or Subsidiary	403	8,802	(341)
Equity in (Earnings) Loss of Affiliates	0	2	0
Deferred Income Tax Benefit	(462)	(41)	(61)
Other Adjustments	3,016	1,767	406
Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities	988	1,594	602
Cash Flows From Investing Activities:
Acquisitions of Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired	(682)	(1,450)	(1,575)
Capital Expenditures for Property, Plant and Equipment	(14)	18	(8)
Acquisition of Intellectual Property	(8)	(5)	(9)
Purchase of Equity Investment in Unconsolidated Affiliates		(3)	0
Proceeds from Sale of Assets and Businesses, Net	45	1,770	488
Capital Contribution to Subsidiary			0
Net Cash Provided (Used) by Investing Activities	(659)	330	(1,104)
Cash Flows From Financing Activities:
Borrowings (Repayments) of Short-term Debt, Net	(30)	(97)	66
Borrowings (Repayments) Long-term Debt, Net	(28)	(14)	(26)
Borrowings (Repayments) Between Subsidiaries, Net	(190)	(1,726)	(562)
Proceeds from Capital Contributions		(22)	(1,181)
Other, Net	(23)	(19)	(26)
Net Cash Provided (Used) by Financing Activities	(271)	(1,834)	633
Effect of Exchange Rate Changes on Cash and Cash Equivalents	(66)	(74)	4
Net Increase (decrease) in Cash and Cash Equivalents	(8)	16	135
Cash and Cash Equivalents at Beginning of Year	451	435	300
Cash and Cash Equivalents at End of Year	$ 443	$ 451	$ 435