Consolidating Financial Statements Condensed Consolidating Statement of Cash Flows (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net Loss	$ (3,373)	$ (1,951)	$ (539)
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 Provision (Benefit)	381	(448)	(66)
Other Adjustments	2,678	3,105	1,568
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Operating Activities	(314)	706	963
Cash Flows From Investing Activities:
Acquisitions of Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired	(204)	(682)	(1,450)
Capital Expenditures for Property, Plant and Equipment	(5)	(14)	18
Acquisition of Intellectual Property	(10)	(8)	(5)
Proceeds from Insurance Settlement, Investing Activities	39	0	0
Payments to Acquire Equity Method Investments	0	0	3
Proceeds (payments) from sale of businesses and equity investment, net	(6)	8	1,711
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Investing Activities	(137)	(659)	330
Proceeds from Sale of Property, Plant, and Equipment	49	37	59
Cash Flows From Financing Activities:
Borrowings (Repayments) of Short-term Debt, Net	(1,512)	505	(924)
Borrowings (Repayments) Long-term Debt, Net	1,718	(470)	(259)
Borrowings (Repayments) Between Subsidiaries, Net	0	0	0
Proceeds from Issuance of Common Stock	1,071	0	0
Proceeds from Sale of EDC Shares			22
Other, Net	(206)	(23)	(19)
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Financing Activities	1,071	12	(1,180)
Effect of Exchange Rate Changes on Cash and Cash Equivalents	(50)	(66)	(74)
Net Increase (Decrease) in Cash and Cash Equivalents	570	(7)	39
Cash and Cash Equivalents at Beginning of Year	467	474	435
Cash and Cash Equivalents at End of Year	1,037	467	474
Eliminations [Member]
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net Loss	7,011	5,039	2,325
Cash Flows from Operating Activities:
Charges from Parent or Subsidiary	(542)	(878)	(1,876)
Equity in (Earnings) Loss of Affiliates	(6,528)	(4,161)	(449)
Deferred Income Tax Provision (Benefit)		0	0
Other Adjustments	59	0	0
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) 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
Proceeds from Insurance Settlement, Investing Activities	0
Payments to Acquire Equity Method Investments			0
Proceeds (payments) from sale of businesses and equity investment, net	0	0	0
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Investing Activities	0	0	0
Proceeds from Sale of Property, Plant, and Equipment	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	0	0	0
Proceeds from Issuance of Common Stock	0
Proceeds from Sale of EDC Shares			0
Other, Net	0	0	0
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Financing Activities	0	0	0
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	(3,392)	(1,985)	(584)
Cash Flows from Operating Activities:
Charges from Parent or Subsidiary	76	83	99
Equity in (Earnings) Loss of Affiliates	3,181	1,801	424
Deferred Income Tax Provision (Benefit)	0	0	0
Other Adjustments	1,230	(35)	23
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Operating Activities	1,095	(136)	(38)
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
Proceeds from Insurance Settlement, Investing Activities	0
Payments to Acquire Equity Method Investments			0
Proceeds (payments) from sale of businesses and equity investment, net	0	0	0
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Investing Activities	0	0	0
Proceeds from Sale of Property, Plant, and Equipment	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	(1,095)	135	39
Proceeds from Issuance of Common Stock	0
Proceeds from Sale of EDC Shares			0
Other, Net	0	0	0
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Financing Activities	(1,095)	135	39
Effect of Exchange Rate Changes on Cash and Cash Equivalents	0	0	0
Net Increase (Decrease) in Cash and Cash Equivalents	0	(1)	1
Cash and Cash Equivalents at Beginning of Year	0	1	0
Cash and Cash Equivalents at End of Year	0	0	1
Weatherford Bermuda [Member]
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net Loss	(2,905)	(2,332)	6,441
Cash Flows from Operating Activities:
Charges from Parent or Subsidiary	(4)	110	(7,291)
Equity in (Earnings) Loss of Affiliates	2,403	1,868	430
Deferred Income Tax Provision (Benefit)	0	0	0
Other Adjustments	75	210	(180)
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Operating Activities	(431)	(144)	(600)
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
Proceeds from Insurance Settlement, Investing Activities	0
Payments to Acquire Equity Method Investments			0
Proceeds (payments) from sale of businesses and equity investment, net	0	0	0
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Investing Activities	0	0	0
Proceeds from Sale of Property, Plant, and Equipment	0	0	0
Cash Flows From Financing Activities:
Borrowings (Repayments) of Short-term Debt, Net	(1,497)	535	(827)
Borrowings (Repayments) Long-term Debt, Net	2,299	(411)	(153)
Borrowings (Repayments) Between Subsidiaries, Net	213	22	1,580
Proceeds from Issuance of Common Stock	0
Proceeds from Sale of EDC Shares			0
Other, Net	0	0	0
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Financing Activities	1,015	146	600
Effect of Exchange Rate Changes on Cash and Cash Equivalents	0	0	0
Net Increase (Decrease) in Cash and Cash Equivalents	584	2	0
Cash and Cash Equivalents at Beginning of Year	2	0	0
Cash and Cash Equivalents at End of Year	586	2	0
Guarantor Subsidiaries, Weatherford Delaware [Member]
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net Loss	(1,295)	(704)	215
Cash Flows from Operating Activities:
Charges from Parent or Subsidiary	196	282	266
Equity in (Earnings) Loss of Affiliates	944	492	(407)
Deferred Income Tax Provision (Benefit)	26	14	(25)
Other Adjustments	257	(86)	(42)
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Operating Activities	128	(2)	7
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
Proceeds from Insurance Settlement, Investing Activities	0
Payments to Acquire Equity Method Investments			0
Proceeds (payments) from sale of businesses and equity investment, net	0	0	0
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Investing Activities	0	0	0
Proceeds from Sale of Property, Plant, and Equipment	0	0	0
Cash Flows From Financing Activities:
Borrowings (Repayments) of Short-term Debt, Net	0	0	0
Borrowings (Repayments) Long-term Debt, Net	(516)	(31)	(92)
Borrowings (Repayments) Between Subsidiaries, Net	370	33	107
Proceeds from Issuance of Common Stock	0
Proceeds from Sale of EDC Shares			0
Other, Net	0	0	0
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Financing Activities	(146)	2	15
Effect of Exchange Rate Changes on Cash and Cash Equivalents	0	0	0
Net Increase (Decrease) in Cash and Cash Equivalents	(18)	0	22
Cash and Cash Equivalents at Beginning of Year	22	22	0
Cash and Cash Equivalents at End of Year	4	22	22
Other Subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net Loss	(2,792)	(1,969)	(8,936)
Cash Flows from Operating Activities:
Charges from Parent or Subsidiary	274	403	8,802
Equity in (Earnings) Loss of Affiliates	0	0	2
Deferred Income Tax Provision (Benefit)	355	(462)	(41)
Other Adjustments	1,057	3,016	1,767
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Operating Activities	(1,106)	988	1,594
Cash Flows From Investing Activities:
Acquisitions of Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired	(204)	(682)	(1,450)
Capital Expenditures for Property, Plant and Equipment	(5)	(14)	18
Acquisition of Intellectual Property	(10)	(8)	(5)
Proceeds from Insurance Settlement, Investing Activities	39
Payments to Acquire Equity Method Investments			3
Proceeds (payments) from sale of businesses and equity investment, net	(6)	8	1,711
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Investing Activities	(137)	(659)	330
Proceeds from Sale of Property, Plant, and Equipment	49	37	59
Cash Flows From Financing Activities:
Borrowings (Repayments) of Short-term Debt, Net	(15)	(30)	(97)
Borrowings (Repayments) Long-term Debt, Net	(65)	(28)	(14)
Borrowings (Repayments) Between Subsidiaries, Net	512	(190)	(1,726)
Proceeds from Issuance of Common Stock	1,071
Proceeds from Sale of EDC Shares			22
Other, Net	(206)	(23)	(19)
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Financing Activities	1,297	(271)	(1,834)
Effect of Exchange Rate Changes on Cash and Cash Equivalents	(50)	(66)	(74)
Net Increase (Decrease) in Cash and Cash Equivalents	4	(8)	16
Cash and Cash Equivalents at Beginning of Year	443	451	435
Cash and Cash Equivalents at End of Year	$ 447	$ 443	$ 451