Condensed Consolidating Financial Statements (Condensed Consolidating Statement of Operations) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended						9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2019	Mar. 31, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2018	Mar. 31, 2018	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues	$ 1,314			$ 1,444			$ 3,969	$ 4,315
Costs and Expenses	(1,761)			(1,457)			(4,835)	(4,440)
Operating Income (Loss)	(447)			(13)			(866)	(125)
Other Income (Expense):
Interest Expense, Net (Unrecognized Contractual Interest Expense was $133 million for three months ended September 30, 2019)	(26)			(156)			(341)	(457)
Reorganization Items	(303)			0			(303)	0
Intercompany Charges, Net	0			0			0	0
Income (Loss) from Subsidiary	0			0			0	0
Other Nonoperating Income (Expense), Including Foreign Currency Devaluation	(8)			(3)			(18)	(33)
Loss Before Income Taxes	(784)			(172)			(1,528)	(615)
(Provision) Benefit for Income Taxes	(31)			(22)			(76)	(80)
Net Loss	(815)	$ (312)	$ (477)	(194)	$ (259)	$ (242)	(1,604)	(695)
Noncontrolling Interests	6			5			14	13
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Weatherford	(821)			(199)			(1,618)	(708)
Comprehensive Income (Loss) Attributable to Weatherford	(841)			(208)			(1,575)	(877)
Other Subsidiaries
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues	1,314			1,444
Costs and Expenses	(1,722)			(1,455)
Operating Income (Loss)	(408)			(11)			(767)	(120)
Other Income (Expense):
Interest Expense, Net (Unrecognized Contractual Interest Expense was $133 million for three months ended September 30, 2019)	0			5
Reorganization Items	0						0
Intercompany Charges, Net	(1,254)			(118)
Income (Loss) from Subsidiary	0			0
Other Nonoperating Income (Expense), Including Foreign Currency Devaluation	0			(55)
Loss Before Income Taxes	(1,662)			(179)				(1,139)
(Provision) Benefit for Income Taxes	(31)			(22)
Net Loss	(1,693)			(201)				(1,219)
Noncontrolling Interests	6			5
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Weatherford	(1,699)			(206)				(1,232)
Comprehensive Income (Loss) Attributable to Weatherford	(1,721)			(214)
Weatherford Ireland
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues	0			0
Costs and Expenses	(2)			(2)
Operating Income (Loss)	(2)			(2)			(60)	(5)
Other Income (Expense):
Interest Expense, Net (Unrecognized Contractual Interest Expense was $133 million for three months ended September 30, 2019)	0			0
Reorganization Items	(38)						(38)
Intercompany Charges, Net	(13)			6
Income (Loss) from Subsidiary	(768)			(214)
Other Nonoperating Income (Expense), Including Foreign Currency Devaluation	0			11
Loss Before Income Taxes	(821)			(199)				(708)
(Provision) Benefit for Income Taxes	0			0
Net Loss	(821)			(199)				(708)
Noncontrolling Interests	0			0
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Weatherford	(821)			(199)				(708)
Comprehensive Income (Loss) Attributable to Weatherford	(841)			(208)
Weatherford Bermuda
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues	0			0
Costs and Expenses	(37)			0
Operating Income (Loss)	(37)			0			(39)	0
Other Income (Expense):
Interest Expense, Net (Unrecognized Contractual Interest Expense was $133 million for three months ended September 30, 2019)	(22)			(141)
Reorganization Items	(250)						(250)
Intercompany Charges, Net	7			113
Income (Loss) from Subsidiary	(103)			93
Other Nonoperating Income (Expense), Including Foreign Currency Devaluation	(7)			42
Loss Before Income Taxes	(412)			107				(394)
(Provision) Benefit for Income Taxes	0			0
Net Loss	(412)			107				(394)
Noncontrolling Interests	0			0
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Weatherford	(412)			107				(394)
Comprehensive Income (Loss) Attributable to Weatherford	(386)			91
Weatherford Delaware
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues	0			0
Costs and Expenses	0			0
Operating Income (Loss)	0			0			0	0
Other Income (Expense):
Interest Expense, Net (Unrecognized Contractual Interest Expense was $133 million for three months ended September 30, 2019)	(4)			(26)
Reorganization Items	(15)						(15)
Intercompany Charges, Net	(26)			(7)
Income (Loss) from Subsidiary	33			8
Other Nonoperating Income (Expense), Including Foreign Currency Devaluation	(1)			46
Loss Before Income Taxes	(13)			21				(70)
(Provision) Benefit for Income Taxes	0			0
Net Loss	(13)			21				(70)
Noncontrolling Interests	0			0
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Weatherford	(13)			21				(70)
Comprehensive Income (Loss) Attributable to Weatherford	(6)			16
Eliminations
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues	0			0			0	0
Costs and Expenses	0			0			0	0
Operating Income (Loss)	0			0			0	0
Other Income (Expense):
Interest Expense, Net (Unrecognized Contractual Interest Expense was $133 million for three months ended September 30, 2019)	0			6			12	16
Reorganization Items	0						0
Intercompany Charges, Net	(1,286)			(6)			1,331	723
Income (Loss) from Subsidiary	838			113			1,760	1,138
Other Nonoperating Income (Expense), Including Foreign Currency Devaluation	0			(47)			0	(181)
Loss Before Income Taxes	2,124			78			3,103	1,696
(Provision) Benefit for Income Taxes	0			0			0	0
Net Loss	2,124			78			3,103	1,696
Noncontrolling Interests	0			0			0	0
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Weatherford	2,124			78			3,103	1,696
Comprehensive Income (Loss) Attributable to Weatherford	$ 2,113			$ 107			3,070	1,878
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | Other Subsidiaries
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues							3,969	4,315
Costs and Expenses							(4,736)	(4,435)
Other Income (Expense):
Interest Expense, Net (Unrecognized Contractual Interest Expense was $133 million for three months ended September 30, 2019)							12	14
Intercompany Charges, Net							(1,264)	(793)
Income (Loss) from Subsidiary							0	0
Other Nonoperating Income (Expense), Including Foreign Currency Devaluation							(13)	(240)
Loss Before Income Taxes							(2,032)
(Provision) Benefit for Income Taxes							(76)	(80)
Net Loss							(2,108)	(1,219)
Noncontrolling Interests							14	13
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Weatherford							(2,122)
Comprehensive Income (Loss) Attributable to Weatherford							(2,081)	(1,401)
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | Parent Company [Member]
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues							0	0
Costs and Expenses							(60)	(5)
Other Income (Expense):
Interest Expense, Net (Unrecognized Contractual Interest Expense was $133 million for three months ended September 30, 2019)							0	0
Intercompany Charges, Net							(13)	(9)
Income (Loss) from Subsidiary							(1,507)	(761)
Other Nonoperating Income (Expense), Including Foreign Currency Devaluation							0	67
Loss Before Income Taxes							(1,618)
(Provision) Benefit for Income Taxes							0	0
Net Loss							(1,618)	(708)
Noncontrolling Interests							0	0
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Weatherford							(1,618)
Comprehensive Income (Loss) Attributable to Weatherford							(1,575)	(877)
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | Weatherford Bermuda | Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues							0	0
Costs and Expenses							(39)	0
Other Income (Expense):
Interest Expense, Net (Unrecognized Contractual Interest Expense was $133 million for three months ended September 30, 2019)							(310)	(422)
Intercompany Charges, Net							15	115
Income (Loss) from Subsidiary							(166)	(229)
Other Nonoperating Income (Expense), Including Foreign Currency Devaluation							(3)	142
Loss Before Income Taxes							(753)
(Provision) Benefit for Income Taxes							0	0
Net Loss							(753)	(394)
Noncontrolling Interests							0	0
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Weatherford							(753)
Comprehensive Income (Loss) Attributable to Weatherford							(758)	(436)
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | Weatherford Delaware | Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues							0	0
Costs and Expenses							0	0
Other Income (Expense):
Interest Expense, Net (Unrecognized Contractual Interest Expense was $133 million for three months ended September 30, 2019)							(55)	(65)
Intercompany Charges, Net							(69)	(36)
Income (Loss) from Subsidiary							(87)	(148)
Other Nonoperating Income (Expense), Including Foreign Currency Devaluation							(2)	179
Loss Before Income Taxes							(228)
(Provision) Benefit for Income Taxes							0	0
Net Loss							(228)	(70)
Noncontrolling Interests							0	0
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Weatherford							(228)
Comprehensive Income (Loss) Attributable to Weatherford							$ (231)	$ (41)