Condensed Consolidating Financial Statements (Condensed Consolidating Statement of Cash Flows) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2015
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net Income (Loss), Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest	$ (1,776)	$ (161)	$ (2,829)	$ (751)
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)			426	(333)
Other Adjustments			1,953	1,467
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Operating Activities			(450)	383
Cash Flows From Investing Activities:
Capital Expenditures for Property, Plant and Equipment			(136)	(542)
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired			(5)	(14)
Acquisition of Intellectual Property			(10)	(7)
Insurance Proceeds Related to Asset Casualty Loss			39	0
Proceeds from Sale of Assets and Businesses, Net			28	29
Payments for (Proceeds from) Other Investing Activities			20	0
Net Cash Used in Investing Activities			(104)	(534)
Cash Flows From Financing Activities:
Borrowings (Repayments) of Short-term Debt, Net			(1,138)	606
Borrowings (Repayments) Long-term Debt, Net			1,258	(368)
Borrowings (Repayments) Between Subsidiaries, Net			0	0
Proceeds from Capital Contributions			623
Other, Net			(180)	(7)
Net Cash Provided by Financing Activities			563	231
Effect of Exchange Rate Changes on Cash and Cash Equivalents			(36)	(35)
Net Increase (Decrease) in Cash and Cash Equivalents			(27)	45
Cash and Cash Equivalents at Beginning of Period			467	474
Cash and Cash Equivalents at End of Period	440	519	440	519
Weatherford Ireland [Member]
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net Income (Loss), Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest	(1,780)	(170)	(2,843)	(777)
Cash Flows from Operating Activities:
Charges from Parent or Subsidiary			(9)	39
Equity in (Earnings) Loss of Affiliates			2,702	627
Deferred Income Tax Provision (Benefit)			0	0
Other Adjustments			877	(21)
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Operating Activities			727	(132)
Cash Flows From Investing Activities:
Capital Expenditures for Property, Plant and Equipment			0	0
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired			0	0
Acquisition of Intellectual Property			0	0
Insurance Proceeds Related to Asset Casualty Loss			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 (Repayments) of Short-term Debt, Net			0	0
Borrowings (Repayments) Long-term Debt, Net			0	0
Borrowings (Repayments) Between Subsidiaries, Net			(727)	131
Proceeds from Capital Contributions			0
Other, Net			0	0
Net Cash Provided by Financing Activities			(727)	131
Effect of Exchange Rate Changes on Cash and Cash Equivalents			0	0
Net Increase (Decrease) in Cash and Cash Equivalents			0	(1)
Cash and Cash Equivalents at Beginning of Period			0	1
Cash and Cash Equivalents at End of Period	0	0	0	0
Weatherford Bermuda [Member]
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net Income (Loss), Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest	(1,846)	(1,259)	(2,437)	(1,086)
Cash Flows from Operating Activities:
Charges from Parent or Subsidiary			30	49
Equity in (Earnings) Loss of Affiliates			1,922	754
Deferred Income Tax Provision (Benefit)			0	0
Other Adjustments			180	15
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Operating Activities			(305)	(268)
Cash Flows From Investing Activities:
Capital Expenditures for Property, Plant and Equipment			0	0
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired			0	0
Acquisition of Intellectual Property			0	0
Insurance Proceeds Related to Asset Casualty Loss			0
Proceeds from Sale of Assets and Businesses, Net			0	0
Payments for (Proceeds from) Other Investing Activities			0
Net Cash Used in Investing Activities			0	0
Cash Flows From Financing Activities:
Borrowings (Repayments) of Short-term Debt, Net			(1,167)	631
Borrowings (Repayments) Long-term Debt, Net			1,834	(346)
Borrowings (Repayments) Between Subsidiaries, Net			(343)	(16)
Proceeds from Capital Contributions			0
Other, Net			0	0
Net Cash Provided by Financing Activities			324	269
Effect of Exchange Rate Changes on Cash and Cash Equivalents			0	0
Net Increase (Decrease) in Cash and Cash Equivalents			19	1
Cash and Cash Equivalents at Beginning of Period			2	0
Cash and Cash Equivalents at End of Period	21	1	21	1
Weatherford Delaware [Member]
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net Income (Loss), Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest	(1,542)	(1,422)	(1,800)	(635)
Cash Flows from Operating Activities:
Charges from Parent or Subsidiary			96	131
Equity in (Earnings) Loss of Affiliates			1,479	522
Deferred Income Tax Provision (Benefit)			114	(60)
Other Adjustments			327	41
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Operating Activities			216	(1)
Cash Flows From Investing Activities:
Capital Expenditures for Property, Plant and Equipment			0	0
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired			0	0
Acquisition of Intellectual Property			0	0
Insurance Proceeds Related to Asset Casualty Loss			0
Proceeds from Sale of Assets and Businesses, Net			0	0
Payments for (Proceeds from) Other Investing Activities			0
Net Cash Used in Investing Activities			0	0
Cash Flows From Financing Activities:
Borrowings (Repayments) of Short-term Debt, Net			0	0
Borrowings (Repayments) Long-term Debt, Net			(515)	(2)
Borrowings (Repayments) Between Subsidiaries, Net			277	3
Proceeds from Capital Contributions			0
Other, Net			0	0
Net Cash Provided by Financing Activities			(238)	1
Effect of Exchange Rate Changes on Cash and Cash Equivalents			0	0
Net Increase (Decrease) in Cash and Cash Equivalents			(22)	0
Cash and Cash Equivalents at Beginning of Period			22	22
Cash and Cash Equivalents at End of Period	0	22	0	22
Other Subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net Income (Loss), Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest	(1,380)	(29)	(2,250)	(156)
Cash Flows from Operating Activities:
Charges from Parent or Subsidiary			223	(219)
Equity in (Earnings) Loss of Affiliates			0	0
Deferred Income Tax Provision (Benefit)			312	(273)
Other Adjustments			627	1,432
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Operating Activities			(1,088)	784
Cash Flows From Investing Activities:
Capital Expenditures for Property, Plant and Equipment			(136)	(542)
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired			(5)	(14)
Acquisition of Intellectual Property			(10)	(7)
Insurance Proceeds Related to Asset Casualty Loss			39
Proceeds from Sale of Assets and Businesses, Net			28	29
Payments for (Proceeds from) Other Investing Activities			20
Net Cash Used in Investing Activities			(104)	(534)
Cash Flows From Financing Activities:
Borrowings (Repayments) of Short-term Debt, Net			29	(25)
Borrowings (Repayments) Long-term Debt, Net			(61)	(20)
Borrowings (Repayments) Between Subsidiaries, Net			793	(118)
Proceeds from Capital Contributions			623
Other, Net			(180)	(7)
Net Cash Provided by Financing Activities			1,204	(170)
Effect of Exchange Rate Changes on Cash and Cash Equivalents			(36)	(35)
Net Increase (Decrease) in Cash and Cash Equivalents			(24)	45
Cash and Cash Equivalents at Beginning of Period			443	451
Cash and Cash Equivalents at End of Period	419	496	419	496
Parent Company [Member]
Cash Flows From Investing Activities:
Payments for (Proceeds from) Other Investing Activities			0
Eliminations [Member]
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net Income (Loss), Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest	4,772	2,719	6,501	1,903
Cash Flows from Operating Activities:
Charges from Parent or Subsidiary			(340)	0
Equity in (Earnings) Loss of Affiliates			(6,103)	(1,903)
Deferred Income Tax Provision (Benefit)				0
Other Adjustments			(58)	0
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Operating Activities			0	0
Cash Flows From Investing Activities:
Capital Expenditures for Property, Plant and Equipment			0	0
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired			0	0
Acquisition of Intellectual Property			0	0
Insurance Proceeds Related to Asset Casualty Loss			0
Proceeds from Sale of Assets and Businesses, Net			0	0
Payments for (Proceeds from) Other Investing Activities			0
Net Cash Used in Investing Activities			0	0
Cash Flows From Financing Activities:
Borrowings (Repayments) 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 (Decrease) in Cash and Cash Equivalents			0	0
Cash and Cash Equivalents at Beginning of Period			0	0
Cash and Cash Equivalents at End of Period	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0