Condensed Consolidating Financial Statements (Condensed Consolidating Statement of Cash Flows) (Details) - USD ($)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2018	Mar. 31, 2017
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net Income (Loss)	$ (242,000,000)	$ (443,000,000)
Cash Flows from Operating Activities:
Charges from Parent or Subsidiary	0	0
Equity in (Earnings) Loss of Affiliates	0	0
Deferred Income Tax Provision	13,000,000	18,000,000
Other Adjustments	44,000,000	246,000,000
Net Cash Used in Operating Activities	(185,000,000)	(179,000,000)
Cash Flows From Investing Activities:
Capital Expenditures for Property, Plant and Equipment	(29,000,000)	(40,000,000)
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired	4,000,000	0
Capital Expenditures and Acquisition of Assets Held for Sale	(9,000,000)	(240,000,000)
Acquisition of Intellectual Property	(3,000,000)	(2,000,000)
Proceeds from Sale of Assets	12,000,000	4,000,000
Proceeds (Payments) from Sale of Businesses, Net	25,000,000	(1,000,000)
Net Cash Used in Investing Activities	0	279,000,000
Cash Flows From Financing Activities:
Repayments of Short-term Debt, Net	(54,000,000)	(7,000,000)
Borrowings (Repayments) Long-term Debt, Net	148,000,000	(18,000,000)
Borrowings (Repayments) Between Subsidiaries, Net	0	0
Other, Net	(40,000,000)	(11,000,000)
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Financing Activities	54,000,000	(36,000,000)
Effect of Exchange Rate Changes on Cash and Cash Equivalents	(23,000,000)	3,000,000
Net Decrease in Cash and Cash Equivalents	(154,000,000)	(491,000,000)
Cash and Cash Equivalents at Beginning of Period	613,000,000	1,037,000,000
Cash and Cash Equivalents at End of Period	459,000,000	546,000,000
Other Subsidiaries
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Proceeds from Sale of Productive Assets	12,000,000
Net Income (Loss)	(820,000,000)	(28,000,000)
Cash Flows from Operating Activities:
Charges from Parent or Subsidiary	594,000,000	(9,000,000)
Equity in (Earnings) Loss of Affiliates	0	0
Deferred Income Tax Provision	13,000,000	18,000,000
Other Adjustments	341,000,000	(30,000,000)
Net Cash Used in Operating Activities	128,000,000	(49,000,000)
Cash Flows From Investing Activities:
Capital Expenditures for Property, Plant and Equipment	(29,000,000)	(40,000,000)
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired	4,000,000
Capital Expenditures and Acquisition of Assets Held for Sale	(9,000,000)	(240,000,000)
Acquisition of Intellectual Property	(3,000,000)	(2,000,000)
Proceeds from Sale of Assets		4,000,000
Proceeds (Payments) from Sale of Businesses, Net	25,000,000	(1,000,000)
Net Cash Used in Investing Activities	0	279,000,000
Cash Flows From Financing Activities:
Repayments of Short-term Debt, Net	(7,000,000)	(7,000,000)
Borrowings (Repayments) Long-term Debt, Net	(2,000,000)	(4,000,000)
Borrowings (Repayments) Between Subsidiaries, Net	(121,000,000)	367,000,000
Other, Net	(40,000,000)	(11,000,000)
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Financing Activities	(170,000,000)	345,000,000
Effect of Exchange Rate Changes on Cash and Cash Equivalents	(23,000,000)	3,000,000
Net Decrease in Cash and Cash Equivalents	(65,000,000)	20,000,000
Cash and Cash Equivalents at Beginning of Period	418,000,000	447,000,000
Cash and Cash Equivalents at End of Period	353,000,000	467,000,000
Weatherford Ireland
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Proceeds from Sale of Productive Assets	0
Net Income (Loss)	(245,000,000)	(448,000,000)
Cash Flows from Operating Activities:
Charges from Parent or Subsidiary	18,000,000	(1,000,000)
Equity in (Earnings) Loss of Affiliates	275,000,000	384,000,000
Deferred Income Tax Provision	0	0
Other Adjustments	(10,000,000)	24,000,000
Net Cash Used in Operating Activities	38,000,000	(41,000,000)
Cash Flows From Investing Activities:
Capital Expenditures for Property, Plant and Equipment		0
Acquisition of Intellectual Property		0
Proceeds from Sale of Assets		0
Proceeds (Payments) from Sale of Businesses, Net	0	0
Cash Flows From Financing Activities:
Repayments of Short-term Debt, Net	0	0
Borrowings (Repayments) Long-term Debt, Net	0	0
Borrowings (Repayments) Between Subsidiaries, Net	(38,000,000)	42,000,000
Other, Net	0	0
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Financing Activities	(38,000,000)	42,000,000
Effect of Exchange Rate Changes on Cash and Cash Equivalents	0	0
Net Decrease in Cash and Cash Equivalents	0	1,000,000
Cash and Cash Equivalents at Beginning of Period	0	0
Cash and Cash Equivalents at End of Period	0	1,000,000
Weatherford Bermuda
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Proceeds from Sale of Productive Assets	0
Net Income (Loss)	(407,000,000)	(171,000,000)
Cash Flows from Operating Activities:
Charges from Parent or Subsidiary	3,000,000	8,000,000
Equity in (Earnings) Loss of Affiliates	350,000,000	(172,000,000)
Deferred Income Tax Provision	0	0
Other Adjustments	467,000,000	220,000,000
Net Cash Used in Operating Activities	413,000,000	(115,000,000)
Cash Flows From Investing Activities:
Capital Expenditures for Property, Plant and Equipment	0	0
Acquisition of Intellectual Property		0
Proceeds from Sale of Assets		0
Proceeds (Payments) from Sale of Businesses, Net	0	0
Cash Flows From Financing Activities:
Repayments of Short-term Debt, Net	(47,000,000)	0
Borrowings (Repayments) Long-term Debt, Net	(438,000,000)	(13,000,000)
Borrowings (Repayments) Between Subsidiaries, Net	(17,000,000)	(381,000,000)
Other, Net	0	0
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Financing Activities	(502,000,000)	(394,000,000)
Effect of Exchange Rate Changes on Cash and Cash Equivalents	0	0
Net Decrease in Cash and Cash Equivalents	(89,000,000)	(509,000,000)
Cash and Cash Equivalents at Beginning of Period	195,000,000	586,000,000
Cash and Cash Equivalents at End of Period	106,000,000	77,000,000
Weatherford Delaware
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Proceeds from Sale of Productive Assets	0
Net Income (Loss)	(14,000,000)	57,000,000
Cash Flows from Operating Activities:
Charges from Parent or Subsidiary	(11,000,000)	2,000,000
Equity in (Earnings) Loss of Affiliates	133,000,000	(219,000,000)
Deferred Income Tax Provision	0	0
Other Adjustments	(872,000,000)	186,000,000
Net Cash Used in Operating Activities	(764,000,000)	26,000,000
Cash Flows From Investing Activities:
Capital Expenditures for Property, Plant and Equipment	0	0
Acquisition of Intellectual Property		0
Proceeds from Sale of Assets		0
Proceeds (Payments) from Sale of Businesses, Net	0	0
Cash Flows From Financing Activities:
Repayments of Short-term Debt, Net	0	0
Borrowings (Repayments) Long-term Debt, Net	588,000,000	(1,000,000)
Borrowings (Repayments) Between Subsidiaries, Net	176,000,000	(28,000,000)
Other, Net	0	0
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Financing Activities	764,000,000	(29,000,000)
Effect of Exchange Rate Changes on Cash and Cash Equivalents	0	0
Net Decrease in Cash and Cash Equivalents	0	(3,000,000)
Cash and Cash Equivalents at Beginning of Period	0	4,000,000
Cash and Cash Equivalents at End of Period	0	1,000,000
Eliminations
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Proceeds from Sale of Productive Assets	0
Net Income (Loss)	1,244,000,000	147,000,000
Cash Flows from Operating Activities:
Charges from Parent or Subsidiary	(604,000,000)	0
Equity in (Earnings) Loss of Affiliates	(758,000,000)	7,000,000
Deferred Income Tax Provision		0
Other Adjustments	118,000,000	(154,000,000)
Net Cash 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
Capital Expenditures and Acquisition of Assets Held for Sale	0
Acquisition of Intellectual Property	0	0
Proceeds from Sale of Assets		0
Proceeds (Payments) from Sale of Businesses, Net	0	0
Cash Flows From Financing Activities:
Repayments of Short-term Debt, Net	0	0
Borrowings (Repayments) Long-term Debt, Net	0	0
Borrowings (Repayments) Between Subsidiaries, Net	0	0
Other, Net	0	0
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Financing Activities	0	0
Effect of Exchange Rate Changes on Cash and Cash Equivalents	0	0
Net 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