Consolidating Financial Statements Condensed Consolidating Statement of Cash Flows (Details) - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net Loss	$ (2,791,000,000)	$ (2,793,000,000)	$ (3,373,000,000)
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)	(79,000,000)	(25,000,000)	381,000,000
Other Adjustments	2,628,000,000	2,430,000,000	2,688,000,000
Net Cash Used in Operating Activities	(242,000,000)	(388,000,000)	(304,000,000)
Cash Flows From Investing Activities:
Acquisitions of Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired	(186,000,000)	(225,000,000)	(204,000,000)
Increase (Decrease) in Assets Held-for-sale	(31,000,000)	(244,000,000)	0
Capital Expenditures for Property, Plant and Equipment	4,000,000	(7,000,000)	(5,000,000)
Acquisition of Intellectual Property	(28,000,000)	(15,000,000)	(10,000,000)
Proceeds from Insurance Settlement, Investing Activities		0	39,000,000
Proceeds (Payment) from Disposition of Businesses and Investments	257,000,000	429,000,000	(6,000,000)
Proceeds from Sale of Property, Plant, and Equipment	106,000,000	51,000,000	49,000,000
Payments for (Proceeds from) Other Investing Activities	0	51,000,000	0
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Investing Activities	122,000,000	(62,000,000)	(137,000,000)
Proceeds from Sale of Productive Assets	106,000,000
Cash Flows From Financing Activities:
Borrowings (Repayments) of Short-term Debt, Net	158,000,000	(128,000,000)	(1,512,000,000)
Borrowings (Repayments) Long-term Debt, Net	84,000,000	181,000,000	1,718,000,000
Borrowings (Repayments) Between Subsidiaries, Net	0	0	0
Proceeds from Issuance of Common Stock	0	0	1,071,000,000
Other, Net	(74,000,000)	(33,000,000)	(216,000,000)
Net Cash Provided by Financing Activities	168,000,000	20,000,000	1,061,000,000
Effect of Exchange Rate Changes on Cash and Cash Equivalents	(59,000,000)	6,000,000	(50,000,000)
Net Increase (Decrease) in Cash and Cash Equivalents	(11,000,000)	(424,000,000)	570,000,000
Cash and Cash Equivalents at Beginning of Year	613,000,000	1,037,000,000	467,000,000
Cash and Cash Equivalents at End of Year	602,000,000	613,000,000	1,037,000,000
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | Weatherford Ireland [Member]
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net Loss	(2,811,000,000)	(2,813,000,000)	(3,392,000,000)
Cash Flows from Operating Activities:
Charges from Parent or Subsidiary	16,000,000	(12,000,000)	76,000,000
Equity in (Earnings) Loss of Affiliates	2,851,000,000	2,891,000,000	3,181,000,000
Deferred Income Tax Provision (Benefit)	0	0	0
Other Adjustments	93,000,000	(278,000,000)	1,230,000,000
Net Cash Used in Operating Activities	149,000,000	(212,000,000)	1,095,000,000
Cash Flows From Investing Activities:
Acquisitions of Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired	0	0	0
Increase (Decrease) in Assets Held-for-sale	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
Proceeds (Payment) from Disposition of Businesses and Investments	0	0	0
Proceeds from Sale of Property, Plant, and Equipment		0	0
Payments for (Proceeds from) Other Investing Activities		0
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Investing Activities	0	0	0
Proceeds from Sale of Productive Assets	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	(149,000,000)	212,000,000	(1,095,000,000)
Proceeds from Issuance of Common Stock			0
Other, Net	0	0	0
Net Cash Provided by Financing Activities	(149,000,000)	212,000,000	(1,095,000,000)
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
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member] | Weatherford Bermuda [Member]
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net Loss	(1,104,000,000)	(1,287,000,000)	(2,905,000,000)
Cash Flows from Operating Activities:
Charges from Parent or Subsidiary	(125,000,000)	(148,000,000)	(4,000,000)
Equity in (Earnings) Loss of Affiliates	748,000,000	878,000,000	2,403,000,000
Deferred Income Tax Provision (Benefit)	0	0	0
Other Adjustments	1,003,000,000	1,236,000,000	75,000,000
Net Cash Used in Operating Activities	522,000,000	679,000,000	(431,000,000)
Cash Flows From Investing Activities:
Acquisitions of Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired	0	0	0
Increase (Decrease) in Assets Held-for-sale	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
Proceeds (Payment) from Disposition of Businesses and Investments	0	0	0
Proceeds from Sale of Property, Plant, and Equipment		0	0
Payments for (Proceeds from) Other Investing Activities		0
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Investing Activities	0	0	0
Proceeds from Sale of Productive Assets	0
Cash Flows From Financing Activities:
Borrowings (Repayments) of Short-term Debt, Net	188,000,000	(17,000,000)	(1,497,000,000)
Borrowings (Repayments) Long-term Debt, Net	(491,000,000)	200,000,000	2,299,000,000
Borrowings (Repayments) Between Subsidiaries, Net	(130,000,000)	(1,253,000,000)	213,000,000
Proceeds from Issuance of Common Stock			0
Other, Net	0	0	0
Net Cash Provided by Financing Activities	(433,000,000)	(1,070,000,000)	1,015,000,000
Effect of Exchange Rate Changes on Cash and Cash Equivalents	0	0	0
Net Increase (Decrease) in Cash and Cash Equivalents	89,000,000	(391,000,000)	584,000,000
Cash and Cash Equivalents at Beginning of Year	195,000,000	586,000,000	2,000,000
Cash and Cash Equivalents at End of Year	284,000,000	195,000,000	586,000,000
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member] | Weatherford Delaware [Member]
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net Loss	(668,000,000)	(660,000,000)	(1,295,000,000)
Cash Flows from Operating Activities:
Charges from Parent or Subsidiary	90,000,000	192,000,000	196,000,000
Equity in (Earnings) Loss of Affiliates	770,000,000	437,000,000	944,000,000
Deferred Income Tax Provision (Benefit)	0	0	26,000,000
Other Adjustments	(1,688,000,000)	66,000,000	257,000,000
Net Cash Used in Operating Activities	(1,496,000,000)	35,000,000	128,000,000
Cash Flows From Investing Activities:
Acquisitions of Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired	0	0	0
Increase (Decrease) in Assets Held-for-sale	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
Proceeds (Payment) from Disposition of Businesses and Investments	0	0	0
Proceeds from Sale of Property, Plant, and Equipment		0	0
Payments for (Proceeds from) Other Investing Activities		0
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Investing Activities	0	0	0
Proceeds from Sale of Productive Assets	0
Cash Flows From Financing Activities:
Borrowings (Repayments) of Short-term Debt, Net	0	0	0
Borrowings (Repayments) Long-term Debt, Net	587,000,000	(94,000,000)	(516,000,000)
Borrowings (Repayments) Between Subsidiaries, Net	909,000,000	55,000,000	370,000,000
Proceeds from Issuance of Common Stock			0
Other, Net	0	0	0
Net Cash Provided by Financing Activities	1,496,000,000	(39,000,000)	(146,000,000)
Effect of Exchange Rate Changes on Cash and Cash Equivalents	0	0	0
Net Increase (Decrease) in Cash and Cash Equivalents	0	(4,000,000)	(18,000,000)
Cash and Cash Equivalents at Beginning of Year	0	4,000,000	22,000,000
Cash and Cash Equivalents at End of Year	0	0	4,000,000
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | Other Subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net Loss	(3,174,000,000)	(2,384,000,000)	(2,792,000,000)
Cash Flows from Operating Activities:
Charges from Parent or Subsidiary	733,000,000	103,000,000	274,000,000
Equity in (Earnings) Loss of Affiliates	0	0	0
Deferred Income Tax Provision (Benefit)	(79,000,000)	(25,000,000)	355,000,000
Other Adjustments	3,103,000,000	1,416,000,000	1,067,000,000
Net Cash Used in Operating Activities	583,000,000	(890,000,000)	(1,096,000,000)
Cash Flows From Investing Activities:
Acquisitions of Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired	(186,000,000)	(225,000,000)	(204,000,000)
Increase (Decrease) in Assets Held-for-sale	(31,000,000)	(244,000,000)
Capital Expenditures for Property, Plant and Equipment	4,000,000	(7,000,000)	(5,000,000)
Acquisition of Intellectual Property	(28,000,000)	(15,000,000)	(10,000,000)
Proceeds from Insurance Settlement, Investing Activities			39,000,000
Proceeds (Payment) from Disposition of Businesses and Investments	257,000,000	429,000,000	(6,000,000)
Proceeds from Sale of Property, Plant, and Equipment	106,000,000	51,000,000	49,000,000
Payments for (Proceeds from) Other Investing Activities		51,000,000
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Investing Activities	122,000,000	(62,000,000)	(137,000,000)
Cash Flows From Financing Activities:
Borrowings (Repayments) of Short-term Debt, Net	(30,000,000)	(111,000,000)	(15,000,000)
Borrowings (Repayments) Long-term Debt, Net	(12,000,000)	75,000,000	(65,000,000)
Borrowings (Repayments) Between Subsidiaries, Net	(630,000,000)	986,000,000	512,000,000
Proceeds from Issuance of Common Stock			1,071,000,000
Other, Net	(74,000,000)	(33,000,000)	(216,000,000)
Net Cash Provided by Financing Activities	(746,000,000)	917,000,000	1,287,000,000
Effect of Exchange Rate Changes on Cash and Cash Equivalents	(59,000,000)	6,000,000	(50,000,000)
Net Increase (Decrease) in Cash and Cash Equivalents	(100,000,000)	(29,000,000)	4,000,000
Cash and Cash Equivalents at Beginning of Year	418,000,000	447,000,000	443,000,000
Cash and Cash Equivalents at End of Year	318,000,000	418,000,000	447,000,000
Eliminations [Member]
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net Loss	4,966,000,000	4,351,000,000	7,011,000,000
Cash Flows from Operating Activities:
Charges from Parent or Subsidiary	(714,000,000)	(135,000,000)	(542,000,000)
Equity in (Earnings) Loss of Affiliates	(4,369,000,000)	(4,206,000,000)	(6,528,000,000)
Deferred Income Tax Provision (Benefit)		0	0
Other Adjustments	117,000,000	(10,000,000)	59,000,000
Net Cash Used in Operating Activities	0	0	0
Cash Flows From Investing Activities:
Acquisitions of Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired	0	0	0
Increase (Decrease) in Assets Held-for-sale	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
Proceeds (Payment) from Disposition of Businesses and Investments	0	0	0
Proceeds from Sale of Property, Plant, and Equipment		0	0
Payments for (Proceeds from) Other Investing Activities		0
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Investing Activities	0	0	0
Proceeds from Sale of Productive Assets	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
Other, Net	0	0	0
Net Cash Provided by 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