Disputes, Litigation and Contingencies	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2016
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Disputes, Litigation and Contingencies	Disputes, Litigation and Contingencies Shareholder Litigation In 2010, three shareholder derivative actions were filed, purportedly on behalf of the Company, asserting breach of duty and other claims against certain current and former officers and directors of the Company related to the United Nations oil-for-food program governing sales of goods into Iraq, the FCPA and trade sanctions related to the U.S. government investigations disclosed in our U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) filings since 2007. Those shareholder derivative cases were filed in Harris County, Texas state court and consolidated under the caption Neff v. Brady, et al., No. 2010040764 (collectively referred to as the “Neff Case”). Other shareholder demand letters covering the same subject matter were received by the Company in early 2014, and a fourth shareholder derivative action was filed, purportedly on behalf of the Company, also asserting breach of duty and other claims against certain current and former officers and directors of the Company related to the same subject matter as the Neff Case. That case, captioned Erste-Sparinvest KAG v. Duroc-Danner, et al., No. 201420933 (Harris County, Texas) was consolidated into the Neff Case in September 2014. A motion to dismiss was granted May 15, 2015 and an appeal, which remains pending, was filed on June 15, 2015. We cannot reliably predict the outcome of the appeal including the amount of any possible loss. If one or more negative outcomes were to occur relative to the Neff Case, the aggregate impact to our financial condition could be material. On June 30, 2015, we signed a stipulation to settle a shareholder securities class action captioned Freedman v. Weatherford International Ltd., et al., No. 1:12-cv-02121-LAK (S.D.N.Y.) for $120 million subject to notice to the class and court approval. The Freedman lawsuit had been filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York in March 2012, and alleged that we and certain current and former officers of Weatherford violated the federal securities laws in connection with the restatements of the Company’s historical financial statements announced on February 21, 2012 and July 24, 2012. On November 4, 2015, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York entered a final judgment and an order approving the settlement of the shareholder securities class action captioned Freedman v. Weatherford International Ltd., et al., No. 1:12-cv-02121-LAK (S.D.N.Y.). Pursuant to the settlement, we were required to pay $120 million in 2015, which was partially funded by insurance proceeds. There was no admission of liability or fault by any party in connection with the settlement. We are pursuing reimbursement from our insurance carriers and have recovered a total of $19 million of the settlement amount, of which $4 million was recovered in the first quarter of 2016. U.S. Government and Other Investigations As previously disclosed, the SEC and the U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ”) are also investigating the circumstances surrounding the material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting for income taxes that was disclosed in a notification of late filing on Form 12b-25 filed on March 1, 2011 and in current reports on Form 8-K filed on February 21, 2012 and on July 24, 2012 and the subsequent restatements of our historical financial statements. We are cooperating fully with these investigations and have been discussing a resolution with the SEC. During the first quarter 2016 we continued to discuss potential resolution with the SEC and, based on the progress of these discussions to date, we have booked an accrual in the amount of $65 million. However, we are unable to predict whether a settlement will be reached or, if so, the amount of any such settlement, and the actual loss incurred in connection with this matter could exceed the amount accrued. Further, we may not reach a settlement with the government which could result in litigation. The government, generally, has a broad range of civil and criminal penalties available for these types of matters under applicable law and regulation, including injunctive relief, fines, penalties and modifications to business practices, some of which, if imposed on us, could be material to our business, financial condition or results of operations. Additionally, we are aware of various disputes and potential claims and are a party in various litigation involving claims against us, including as a defendant in various employment claims alleging our failure to pay certain classes of workers overtime in compliance with the Fair Labor Standards Act. Some of these disputes and claims are covered by insurance. For claims, disputes and pending litigation in which we believe a negative outcome is probable and a loss can be reasonably estimated, we have recorded a liability for the expected loss. These liabilities are immaterial to our financial condition and results of operations. In addition we have certain claims, disputes and pending litigation which we do not believe a negative outcome is probable or for which we can only estimate a range of liability. It is possible, however, that an unexpected judgment could be rendered against us, or we could decide to resolve a case or cases, that would result in liability that could be uninsured and beyond the amounts we currently have reserved and in some cases those losses could be material. If one or more negative outcomes were to occur relative to these matters, the aggregate impact to our financial condition could be material. Other Contingencies We maintain a contractual residual value guarantee at March 31, 2016 of $68 million in “Other Current Liabilities” and $28 million in “Other Non-Current Liabilities” related to certain lease equipment in our North America pressure pumping business and our Land Drilling Rigs segment on our Consolidated Balance Sheets. We have supply contract related minimum purchase commitments and maintain a liability at March 31, 2016 of $156 million, of which $63 million is recorded in current liabilities and $93 million is recorded in “Other Non-Current Liabilities” on our Consolidated Balance Sheets.

Disputes, Litigation and Contingencies

Shareholder Litigation

In 2010, three shareholder derivative actions were filed, purportedly on behalf of the Company, asserting breach of duty and other claims against certain current and former officers and directors of the Company related to the United Nations oil-for-food program governing sales of goods into Iraq, the FCPA and trade sanctions related to the U.S. government investigations disclosed in our U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) filings since 2007. Those shareholder derivative cases were filed in Harris County, Texas state court and consolidated under the caption Neff v. Brady, et al., No. 2010040764 (collectively referred to as the “Neff Case”). Other shareholder demand letters covering the same subject matter were received by the Company in early 2014, and a fourth shareholder derivative action was filed, purportedly on behalf of the Company, also asserting breach of duty and other claims against certain current and former officers and directors of the Company related to the same subject matter as the Neff Case. That case, captioned Erste-Sparinvest KAG v. Duroc-Danner, et al., No. 201420933 (Harris County, Texas) was consolidated into the Neff Case in September 2014. A motion to dismiss was granted May 15, 2015 and an appeal, which remains pending, was filed on June 15, 2015.

We cannot reliably predict the outcome of the appeal including the amount of any possible loss. If one or more negative outcomes were to occur relative to the Neff Case, the aggregate impact to our financial condition could be material.

On June 30, 2015, we signed a stipulation to settle a shareholder securities class action captioned Freedman v. Weatherford International Ltd., et al., No. 1:12-cv-02121-LAK (S.D.N.Y.) for $120 million subject to notice to the class and court approval. The Freedman lawsuit had been filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York in March 2012, and alleged that we and certain current and former officers of Weatherford violated the federal securities laws in connection with the restatements of the Company’s historical financial statements announced on February 21, 2012 and July 24, 2012. On November 4, 2015, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York entered a final judgment and an order approving the settlement of the shareholder securities class action captioned Freedman v. Weatherford International Ltd., et al., No. 1:12-cv-02121-LAK (S.D.N.Y.). Pursuant to the settlement, we were required to pay $120 million in 2015, which was partially funded by insurance proceeds. There was no admission of liability or fault by any party in connection with the settlement. We are pursuing reimbursement from our insurance carriers and have recovered a total of $19 million of the settlement amount, of which $4 million was recovered in the first quarter of 2016.

U.S. Government and Other Investigations

As previously disclosed, the SEC and the U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ”) are also investigating the circumstances surrounding the material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting for income taxes that was disclosed in a notification of late filing on Form 12b-25 filed on March 1, 2011 and in current reports on Form 8-K filed on February 21, 2012 and on July 24, 2012 and the subsequent restatements of our historical financial statements. We are cooperating fully with these investigations and have been discussing a resolution with the SEC. During the first quarter 2016 we continued to discuss potential resolution with the SEC and, based on the progress of these discussions to date, we have booked an accrual in the amount of $65 million. However, we are unable to predict whether a settlement will be reached or, if so, the amount of any such settlement, and the actual loss incurred in connection with this matter could exceed the amount accrued. Further, we may not reach a settlement with the government which could result in litigation. The government, generally, has a broad range of civil and criminal penalties available for these types of matters under applicable law and regulation, including injunctive relief, fines, penalties and modifications to business practices, some of which, if imposed on us, could be material to our business, financial condition or results of operations.

Additionally, we are aware of various disputes and potential claims and are a party in various litigation involving claims against us, including as a defendant in various employment claims alleging our failure to pay certain classes of workers overtime in compliance with the Fair Labor Standards Act. Some of these disputes and claims are covered by insurance. For claims, disputes and pending litigation in which we believe a negative outcome is probable and a loss can be reasonably estimated, we have recorded a liability for the expected loss. These liabilities are immaterial to our financial condition and results of operations.

In addition we have certain claims, disputes and pending litigation which we do not believe a negative outcome is probable or for which we can only estimate a range of liability. It is possible, however, that an unexpected judgment could be rendered against us, or we could decide to resolve a case or cases, that would result in liability that could be uninsured and beyond the amounts we currently have reserved and in some cases those losses could be material. If one or more negative outcomes were to occur relative to these matters, the aggregate impact to our financial condition could be material.

Other Contingencies

We maintain a contractual residual value guarantee at March 31, 2016 of $68 million in “Other Current Liabilities” and $28 million in “Other Non-Current Liabilities” related to certain lease equipment in our North America pressure pumping business and our Land Drilling Rigs segment on our Consolidated Balance Sheets.

We have supply contract related minimum purchase commitments and maintain a liability at March 31, 2016 of $156 million, of which $63 million is recorded in current liabilities and $93 million is recorded in “Other Non-Current Liabilities” on our Consolidated Balance Sheets.