Consolidating Financial Statements Narrative (Details)	Dec. 31, 2017	Jun. 30, 2017	Jun. 26, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Nov. 18, 2016	Jul. 01, 2016	Jun. 30, 2016	Jun. 17, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Senior Notes, 6.35% due 2017 [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Stated interest rate on debt						6.35%
Senior Notes, 6.35% due 2017 [Member] | Senior Notes [Member] | Weatherford Bermuda [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Stated interest rate on debt		6.35%		6.35%
Senior Notes, 6.80% due 2037 [Member] | Senior Notes [Member] | Weatherford Bermuda [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Stated interest rate on debt	6.80%			6.80%					6.80%
Senior Notes, 6.50% due 2036 [Member] | Senior Notes [Member] | Guarantor Subsidiaries, Weatherford Delaware [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Stated interest rate on debt	6.50%			6.50%					6.50%
Senior Notes, 6.00% due 2018 [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Stated interest rate on debt						6.00%
Senior Notes, 6.00% due 2018 [Member] | Senior Notes [Member] | Weatherford Bermuda [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Stated interest rate on debt	6.00%
Senior Notes, 6.00% due 2018 [Member] | Senior Notes [Member] | Guarantor Subsidiaries, Weatherford Delaware [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Stated interest rate on debt	6.00%			6.00%
Senior Notes, 7.00% due 2038 [Member] | Senior Notes [Member] | Guarantor Subsidiaries, Weatherford Delaware [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Stated interest rate on debt	7.00%			7.00%					7.00%
Senior Notes, 9.625% due 2019 [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Stated interest rate on debt						9.625%
Senior Notes, 9.625% due 2019 [Member] | Senior Notes [Member] | Guarantor Subsidiaries, Weatherford Delaware [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Stated interest rate on debt	9.625%			9.625%
Senior Notes, 9.875% due 2039 [Member] | Senior Notes [Member] | Guarantor Subsidiaries, Weatherford Delaware [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Stated interest rate on debt	9.875%			9.875%
Senior Notes, 5.125% due 2020 [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Stated interest rate on debt						5.125%
Senior Notes, 5.125% due 2020 [Member] | Senior Notes [Member] | Guarantor Subsidiaries, Weatherford Delaware [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Stated interest rate on debt	5.125%			5.125%					5.125%
Senior Notes, 6.75% due 2040 [Member] | Senior Notes [Member] | Guarantor Subsidiaries, Weatherford Delaware [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Stated interest rate on debt	6.75%			6.75%					6.75%
Senior Notes, 4.50% due 2022 [Member] | Senior Notes [Member] | Guarantor Subsidiaries, Weatherford Delaware [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Stated interest rate on debt	4.50%			4.50%					4.50%
Senior Notes, 5.95% due 2042 [Member] | Senior Notes [Member] | Guarantor Subsidiaries, Weatherford Delaware [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Stated interest rate on debt	5.95%			5.95%					5.95%
Senior Notes, 9.875% due 2024 [Member] | Senior Notes [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Stated interest rate on debt			9.875%
Senior Notes, 9.875% due 2024 [Member] | Senior Notes [Member] | Guarantor Subsidiaries, Weatherford Delaware [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Stated interest rate on debt	9.875%				9.875%
Exchangeable Senior Notes, 5.875 Percent due 2021 [Member] | Senior Notes [Member] | Guarantor Subsidiaries, Weatherford Delaware [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Stated interest rate on debt	5.875%			5.875%
Senior Notes, 7.75 Percent due 2021 [Member] | Senior Notes [Member] | Weatherford Bermuda [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Stated interest rate on debt								7.75%
Senior Notes, 7.75 Percent due 2021 [Member] | Senior Notes [Member] | Guarantor Subsidiaries, Weatherford Delaware [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Stated interest rate on debt	7.75%			7.75%
Senior Notes, 8.25 Percent due 2023 [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Stated interest rate on debt				8.25%
Senior Notes, 8.25 Percent due 2023 [Member] | Senior Notes [Member] | Weatherford Bermuda [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Stated interest rate on debt								8.25%
Senior Notes, 8.25 Percent due 2023 [Member] | Senior Notes [Member] | Guarantor Subsidiaries, Weatherford Delaware [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Stated interest rate on debt	8.25%			8.25%
Senior Notes, 9.87 Percent due 2024 [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Stated interest rate on debt				9.875%
Senior Notes, 9.87 Percent due 2024 [Member] | Senior Notes [Member] | Guarantor Subsidiaries, Weatherford Delaware [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Stated interest rate on debt				9.875%
Senior Notes [Member] | Senior Notes, 5.50% due 2016 [Member] | Guarantor Subsidiaries, Weatherford Delaware [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Stated interest rate on debt							5.50%