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Long-term Debt Narrative (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, shares in Millions, $ in Millions			3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Jun. 17, 2016	May 04, 2016	Jun. 30, 2016	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Nov. 21, 2016	Nov. 18, 2016	Jul. 01, 2016	Jun. 07, 2016
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Increase, Accrued Interest				$ 127.0	$ 115.0
Debt and Capital Lease Obligations				7,580.0	6,253.0
Debt Instrument, Periodic Payment, Principal				75.0
Debt Instrument, Face Amount			$ 2.0
Capital in Excess of Par Value				6,571.0	5,502.0		$ 271.0
Long-term Debt				7,403.0	5,852.0
Bond Tender Premium, Net				(78.0)	0.0	$ 0.0
Term Loan Borrowings before Debt Issuance Cost [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt and Capital Lease Obligations				425.0
Term Loan Agreement [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt and Capital Lease Obligations				$ 420.0	0.0
Senior Notes, 5.125% due 2020 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Stated interest rate on debt									5.125%
A&R Credit Agreement [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Periodic Payment, Principal		$ 12.5
Senior Notes, 7.75 Percent due 2021 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Stated interest rate on debt				7.75%
Senior Notes, 8.25 Percent due 2023 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Stated interest rate on debt				8.25%
Senior Notes, 6.35% due 2017 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Stated interest rate on debt									6.35%
Senior Notes, 6.00% due 2018 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Stated interest rate on debt									6.00%
Senior Notes, 9.625% due 2019 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Stated interest rate on debt									9.625%
Senior Notes, 9.87 Percent due 2024 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Stated interest rate on debt				9.875%
Exchangeable Debt [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Face Amount										$ 1,265.0
Stated interest rate on debt										5.875%
Debt Instrument, Convertible, Conversion Price										$ 7.74
Debt Instrument, Convertible, Shares										163.4
Capital in Excess of Par Value										$ 97.0
Long-term Debt				$ 1,147.0
Debt Issuance Costs, Net				118.0
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Effective Percentage										8.40%
Interest Expense, Debt				54.0
Interest Expense, Debt, Excluding Amortization				42.0
Amortization of Debt Discount (Premium)				12.0
Senior Notes [Member] \| Senior Notes, 4.50% due 2022 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt and Capital Lease Obligations				642.0	642.0
Senior Notes [Member] \| Senior Notes, 5.125% due 2020 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt and Capital Lease Obligations				363.0	768.0
Senior Notes [Member] \| Senior Notes, 5.95% due 2042 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt and Capital Lease Obligations				368.0	368.0
Senior Notes [Member] \| Senior Notes, 6.50% due 2036 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt and Capital Lease Obligations				447.0	446.0
Senior Notes [Member] \| Senior Notes, 6.75% due 2040 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt and Capital Lease Obligations				456.0	456.0
Senior Notes [Member] \| Senior Notes, 6.80% due 2037 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt and Capital Lease Obligations				255.0	255.0
Senior Notes [Member] \| Senior Notes, 7.00% due 2038 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt and Capital Lease Obligations				456.0	455.0
Senior Notes [Member] \| Senior Notes, 7.75 Percent due 2021 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt and Capital Lease Obligations	$ 750.0			739.0	0.0
Senior Notes [Member] \| Senior Notes, 8.25 Percent due 2023 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt and Capital Lease Obligations	750.0			738.0	0.0
Senior Notes [Member] \| Senior Notes, 6.00% due 2018 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt and Capital Lease Obligations				66.0	498.0
Senior Notes [Member] \| Senior Notes, 9.625% due 2019 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt and Capital Lease Obligations				$ 489.0	1,012.0
Senior Notes [Member] \| Senior Notes, 9.87 Percent due 2024 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt and Capital Lease Obligations								$ 540.0
Senior Notes [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Repayments of Debt	1,972.0
Debt Instrument, Repurchased Face Amount	$ 1,870.0
Interest Payable			27.0
Bond Tender Premium, Net			$ 78.0
Senior Notes [Member] \| Senior Notes [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Book Value of Debt Buybacks					527.0
Gain on repurchase of debt					84.0
London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) [Member] \| Term Loan Agreement [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Basis Spread on Variable Rate				2.30%
London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) [Member] \| A&R Credit Agreement [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Basis Spread on Variable Rate				1.925%
London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) [Member] \| Minimum [Member] \| Term Loan Agreement [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Basis Spread on Variable Rate				1.425%
London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) [Member] \| Maximum [Member] \| Term Loan Agreement [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Basis Spread on Variable Rate				3.20%
Base Rate [Member] \| Minimum [Member] \| Term Loan Agreement [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Basis Spread on Variable Rate				0.425%
Base Rate [Member] \| Maximum [Member] \| Term Loan Agreement [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Basis Spread on Variable Rate				2.20%
Weatherford Bermuda [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt				$ 6,944.0	$ 4,885.0
Weatherford Bermuda [Member] \| Senior Notes [Member] \| Senior Notes, 6.80% due 2037 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Stated interest rate on debt				6.80%	6.80%
Weatherford Bermuda [Member] \| Senior Notes [Member] \| Senior Notes, 7.75 Percent due 2021 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Stated interest rate on debt	7.75%
Weatherford Bermuda [Member] \| Senior Notes [Member] \| Senior Notes, 8.25 Percent due 2023 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Stated interest rate on debt	8.25%
Weatherford Bermuda [Member] \| Senior Notes [Member] \| Senior Notes, 6.35% due 2017 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Stated interest rate on debt				6.35%	6.35%