Condensed Consolidating Financial Statements (Condensed Consolidating Statement of Cash Flows) (Details) - USD ($)	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2017
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net Income (Loss)	$ (194,000,000)	$ (251,000,000)		$ (695,000,000)	$ (859,000,000)
Cash Flows from Operating Activities:
Charges from Parent or Subsidiary				0	0
Equity in (Earnings) Loss of Affiliates				0	0
Deferred Income Tax Benefit				(1,000,000)	(7,000,000)
Other Adjustments				349,000,000	382,000,000
Net Cash Used in Operating Activities				(347,000,000)	(484,000,000)
Cash Flows From Investing Activities:
Capital Expenditures for Property, Plant and Equipment				(111,000,000)	(147,000,000)
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired				4,000,000	(7,000,000)
Capital Expenditures for and Acquisition of Assets Held for Sale				(30,000,000)	(244,000,000)
Acquisition of Intellectual Property				(11,000,000)	(13,000,000)
Proceeds from Sale of Assets				70,000,000	36,000,000
Proceeds (Payments) from Sale of Businesses and Equity Investment, Net				37,000,000	(1,000,000)
Payments for (Proceeds from) Other Investing Activities				0	(25,000,000)
Net Cash Used in Investing Activities				(41,000,000)	(401,000,000)
Cash Flows From Financing Activities:
Borrowings of Short-term Debt, Net				170,000,000	118,000,000
Borrowings (Repayments) Long-term Debt, Net				115,000,000	197,000,000
Borrowings (Repayments) Between Subsidiaries, Net				0	0
Other, Net				(62,000,000)	(28,000,000)
Net Cash Provided by Financing Activities				223,000,000	287,000,000
Effect of Exchange Rate Changes on Cash and Cash Equivalents				(55,000,000)	6,000,000
Net Decrease in Cash and Cash Equivalents				(220,000,000)	(592,000,000)
Cash and Cash Equivalents at Beginning of Period			$ 613,000,000	613,000,000	1,037,000,000
Cash and Cash Equivalents at End of Period	393,000,000	445,000,000		393,000,000	445,000,000
Other Subsidiaries
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net Income (Loss)	(201,000,000)	21,000,000		(1,219,000,000)	(290,000,000)
Cash Flows from Operating Activities:
Charges from Parent or Subsidiary				793,000,000	(189,000,000)
Equity in (Earnings) Loss of Affiliates				0	0
Deferred Income Tax Benefit				(1,000,000)	(7,000,000)
Other Adjustments				1,029,000,000	230,000,000
Net Cash Used in Operating Activities				602,000,000	(256,000,000)
Cash Flows From Investing Activities:
Capital Expenditures for Property, Plant and Equipment				(111,000,000)	(147,000,000)
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired				4,000,000	(7,000,000)
Capital Expenditures for and Acquisition of Assets Held for Sale				(30,000,000)	(244,000,000)
Acquisition of Intellectual Property				(11,000,000)	(13,000,000)
Proceeds from Sale of Assets				70,000,000	36,000,000
Proceeds (Payments) from Sale of Businesses and Equity Investment, Net				37,000,000	(1,000,000)
Payments for (Proceeds from) Other Investing Activities					(25,000,000)
Net Cash Used in Investing Activities				(41,000,000)	(401,000,000)
Cash Flows From Financing Activities:
Borrowings of Short-term Debt, Net				(22,000,000)	(107,000,000)
Borrowings (Repayments) Long-term Debt, Net				(8,000,000)	79,000,000
Borrowings (Repayments) Between Subsidiaries, Net				(505,000,000)	648,000,000
Other, Net				(62,000,000)	(28,000,000)
Net Cash Provided by Financing Activities				(597,000,000)	592,000,000
Effect of Exchange Rate Changes on Cash and Cash Equivalents				(55,000,000)	6,000,000
Net Decrease in Cash and Cash Equivalents				(91,000,000)	(59,000,000)
Cash and Cash Equivalents at Beginning of Period			418,000,000	418,000,000	447,000,000
Cash and Cash Equivalents at End of Period	327,000,000	388,000,000		327,000,000	388,000,000
Weatherford Ireland
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Proceeds from Sale of Productive Assets				0
Net Income (Loss)	(199,000,000)	(256,000,000)		(708,000,000)	(875,000,000)
Cash Flows from Operating Activities:
Charges from Parent or Subsidiary				9,000,000	(2,000,000)
Equity in (Earnings) Loss of Affiliates				761,000,000	924,000,000
Deferred Income Tax Benefit				0	0
Other Adjustments				74,000,000	(129,000,000)
Net Cash Used in Operating Activities				136,000,000	(82,000,000)
Cash Flows From Investing Activities:
Capital Expenditures for Property, Plant and Equipment					0
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired					0
Acquisition of Intellectual Property					0
Proceeds from Sale of Assets					0
Proceeds (Payments) from Sale of Businesses and Equity Investment, Net				0	0
Payments for (Proceeds from) Other Investing Activities					0
Cash Flows From Financing Activities:
Borrowings of Short-term Debt, Net				0	0
Borrowings (Repayments) Long-term Debt, Net				0	0
Borrowings (Repayments) Between Subsidiaries, Net				(136,000,000)	82,000,000
Other, Net				0	0
Net Cash Provided by Financing Activities				(136,000,000)	82,000,000
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	0
Cash and Cash Equivalents at End of Period	0	0		0	0
Weatherford Bermuda
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Proceeds from Sale of Productive Assets				0
Net Income (Loss)	107,000,000	(714,000,000)		(394,000,000)	(1,149,000,000)
Cash Flows from Operating Activities:
Charges from Parent or Subsidiary				(115,000,000)	89,000,000
Equity in (Earnings) Loss of Affiliates				229,000,000	650,000,000
Deferred Income Tax Benefit				0	0
Other Adjustments				566,000,000	241,000,000
Net Cash Used in Operating Activities				286,000,000	(169,000,000)
Cash Flows From Investing Activities:
Capital Expenditures for Property, Plant and Equipment			0		0
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired					0
Acquisition of Intellectual Property					0
Proceeds from Sale of Assets					0
Proceeds (Payments) from Sale of Businesses and Equity Investment, Net				0	0
Payments for (Proceeds from) Other Investing Activities					0
Cash Flows From Financing Activities:
Borrowings of Short-term Debt, Net				192,000,000	225,000,000
Borrowings (Repayments) Long-term Debt, Net				(464,000,000)	212,000,000
Borrowings (Repayments) Between Subsidiaries, Net				(143,000,000)	(797,000,000)
Other, Net				0	0
Net Cash Provided by Financing Activities				(415,000,000)	(360,000,000)
Effect of Exchange Rate Changes on Cash and Cash Equivalents				0	0
Net Decrease in Cash and Cash Equivalents				(129,000,000)	(529,000,000)
Cash and Cash Equivalents at Beginning of Period			195,000,000	195,000,000	586,000,000
Cash and Cash Equivalents at End of Period	66,000,000	57,000,000		66,000,000	57,000,000
Weatherford Delaware
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Proceeds from Sale of Productive Assets				0
Net Income (Loss)	21,000,000	(566,000,000)		(70,000,000)	(396,000,000)
Cash Flows from Operating Activities:
Charges from Parent or Subsidiary				36,000,000	102,000,000
Equity in (Earnings) Loss of Affiliates				148,000,000	265,000,000
Deferred Income Tax Benefit				0	0
Other Adjustments				(1,485,000,000)	52,000,000
Net Cash Used in Operating Activities				(1,371,000,000)	23,000,000
Cash Flows From Investing Activities:
Capital Expenditures for Property, Plant and Equipment			0		0
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired					0
Acquisition of Intellectual Property					0
Proceeds from Sale of Assets					0
Proceeds (Payments) from Sale of Businesses and Equity Investment, Net				0	0
Payments for (Proceeds from) Other Investing Activities					0
Cash Flows From Financing Activities:
Borrowings of Short-term Debt, Net				0	0
Borrowings (Repayments) Long-term Debt, Net				587,000,000	(94,000,000)
Borrowings (Repayments) Between Subsidiaries, Net				784,000,000	67,000,000
Other, Net				0	0
Net Cash Provided by Financing Activities				1,371,000,000	(27,000,000)
Effect of Exchange Rate Changes on Cash and Cash Equivalents				0	0
Net Decrease in Cash and Cash Equivalents				0	(4,000,000)
Cash and Cash Equivalents at Beginning of Period			0	0	4,000,000
Cash and Cash Equivalents at End of Period	0	0		0	0
Eliminations
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Proceeds from Sale of Productive Assets				0
Net Income (Loss)	78,000,000	1,264,000,000		1,696,000,000	1,851,000,000
Cash Flows from Operating Activities:
Charges from Parent or Subsidiary				(723,000,000)	0
Equity in (Earnings) Loss of Affiliates				(1,138,000,000)	(1,839,000,000)
Deferred Income Tax Benefit					0
Other Adjustments				165,000,000	(12,000,000)
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	0
Capital Expenditures for 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 and Equity Investment, Net				0	0
Payments for (Proceeds from) Other Investing Activities					0
Cash Flows From Financing Activities:
Borrowings 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 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	0
Cash and Cash Equivalents at End of Period	$ 0	$ 0		$ 0	$ 0