Condensed Consolidating Financial Statements (Condensed Consolidating Statement of Cash Flows) (Details) - USD ($)	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	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Cash, Cash Equivalents, Restricted Cash and Restricted Cash Equivalents	$ 1,050,000,000			$ 393,000,000	$ 393,000,000		$ 1,050,000,000	$ 393,000,000	$ 602,000,000	$ 613,000,000
Intercompany Receivables, Net	0						0		0
Equity Investments in Affiliates	0						0		0
Long-term Debt	59,000,000						59,000,000		7,605,000,000
Net Income (Loss)	(815,000,000)	$ (312,000,000)	$ (477,000,000)	(194,000,000)	(259,000,000)	$ (242,000,000)	(1,604,000,000)	(695,000,000)
Cash Flows from Operating Activities:
Charges from Parent or Subsidiary							0	0
Equity in (Earnings) Loss of Affiliates							0	0
Reorganization Items							134,000,000	0
Other Adjustments							791,000,000	348,000,000
Net Cash Used in Operating Activities							(679,000,000)	(347,000,000)
Cash Flows From Investing Activities:
Capital Expenditures for Property, Plant and Equipment							(177,000,000)	(141,000,000)
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired							0	(4,000,000)
Acquisition of Intellectual Property							(12,000,000)	(11,000,000)
Proceeds from Sale of Assets							80,000,000	70,000,000
Proceeds from Sale of Businesses, Net							319,000,000	37,000,000
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Investing Activities							210,000,000	(41,000,000)
Borrowings (Repayments) of Debtor in Possession Credit Agreement, Net							1,386,000,000	0
Debtor in Possession Financing Payments and Payments on Backstop Agreement							(110,000,000)	0
Cash Flows From Financing Activities:
Borrowings (Repayments) of Short-term Debt, Net							(25,000,000)	170,000,000
Borrowings (Repayments) Long-term Debt, Net							(317,000,000)	115,000,000
Borrowings (Repayments) Between Subsidiaries, Net							0	0
Other, Net							(17,000,000)	(62,000,000)
Net Cash Provided by Financing Activities							917,000,000	223,000,000
Effect of Exchange Rate Changes on Cash and Cash Equivalents							0	(55,000,000)
Intercompany Payables, Net	0						0		0
Other Non-Current Liabilities	475,000,000						475,000,000		362,000,000
Other Assets	2,400,000,000						2,400,000,000		3,151,000,000
Net Increase (Decrease) in Cash, Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash							448,000,000	(220,000,000)
Other Subsidiaries
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net Income (Loss)	(1,693,000,000)			(201,000,000)				(1,219,000,000)
Weatherford Ireland
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net Income (Loss)	(821,000,000)			(199,000,000)				(708,000,000)
Weatherford Bermuda
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net Income (Loss)	(412,000,000)			107,000,000				(394,000,000)
Weatherford Delaware
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net Income (Loss)	(13,000,000)			21,000,000				(70,000,000)
Eliminations
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Cash, Cash Equivalents, Restricted Cash and Restricted Cash Equivalents	0				0		0		0	0
Intercompany Receivables, Net	(2,902,000,000)						(2,902,000,000)		(3,069,000,000)
Equity Investments in Affiliates	(8,913,000,000)						(8,913,000,000)		(11,394,000,000)
Long-term Debt	0						0		68,000,000
Proceeds from Sale of Productive Assets							0
Net Income (Loss)	2,124,000,000			$ 78,000,000			3,103,000,000	1,696,000,000
Cash Flows from Operating Activities:
Charges from Parent or Subsidiary							(1,331,000,000)	(723,000,000)
Equity in (Earnings) Loss of Affiliates							(1,760,000,000)	(1,138,000,000)
Reorganization Items							0
Other Adjustments							(12,000,000)	165,000,000
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
Acquisition of Intellectual Property							0	0
Proceeds from Sale of Assets								0
Proceeds from Sale of Businesses, Net							0	0
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Investing Activities								0
Cash Flows From Financing Activities:
Borrowings (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 Financing Activities							0	0
Effect of Exchange Rate Changes on Cash and Cash Equivalents							0	0
Intercompany Payables, Net	(2,902,000,000)						(2,902,000,000)		(3,069,000,000)
Other Non-Current Liabilities	(7,000,000)						(7,000,000)		(7,000,000)
Other Assets	0						0		0
Net Increase (Decrease) in Cash, Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash							0	0
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | Other Subsidiaries
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Cash, Cash Equivalents, Restricted Cash and Restricted Cash Equivalents	751,000,000				327,000,000		751,000,000		318,000,000	418,000,000
Intercompany Receivables, Net	1,685,000,000						1,685,000,000		2,966,000,000
Equity Investments in Affiliates	374,000,000						374,000,000		354,000,000
Long-term Debt	59,000,000						59,000,000		130,000,000
Net Income (Loss)							(2,108,000,000)	(1,219,000,000)
Cash Flows from Operating Activities:
Charges from Parent or Subsidiary							1,264,000,000	793,000,000
Equity in (Earnings) Loss of Affiliates							0	0
Reorganization Items							0
Other Adjustments							1,491,000,000	1,028,000,000
Net Cash Used in Operating Activities							647,000,000	602,000,000
Cash Flows From Investing Activities:
Capital Expenditures for Property, Plant and Equipment							(177,000,000)	(141,000,000)
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired								(4,000,000)
Acquisition of Intellectual Property							(12,000,000)	(11,000,000)
Proceeds from Sale of Assets							80,000,000	70,000,000
Proceeds from Sale of Businesses, Net							319,000,000	37,000,000
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Investing Activities							210,000,000	(41,000,000)
Cash Flows From Financing Activities:
Borrowings (Repayments) of Short-term Debt, Net							202,000,000	(22,000,000)
Borrowings (Repayments) Long-term Debt, Net							(304,000,000)	(8,000,000)
Borrowings (Repayments) Between Subsidiaries, Net							(305,000,000)	(505,000,000)
Other, Net							(17,000,000)	(62,000,000)
Net Cash Provided by Financing Activities							(424,000,000)	(597,000,000)
Effect of Exchange Rate Changes on Cash and Cash Equivalents							0	(55,000,000)
Intercompany Payables, Net	0						0		0
Other Non-Current Liabilities	475,000,000						475,000,000		362,000,000
Other Assets	2,394,000,000						2,394,000,000		3,132,000,000
Net Increase (Decrease) in Cash, Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash							433,000,000	(91,000,000)
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | Parent Company [Member]
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Cash, Cash Equivalents, Restricted Cash and Restricted Cash Equivalents	0				0		0		0	0
Intercompany Receivables, Net	669,000,000						669,000,000		0
Equity Investments in Affiliates	(5,904,000,000)						(5,904,000,000)		(3,694,000,000)
Long-term Debt	0						0		0
Proceeds from Sale of Productive Assets							0
Net Income (Loss)							(1,618,000,000)	(708,000,000)
Cash Flows from Operating Activities:
Charges from Parent or Subsidiary							13,000,000	9,000,000
Equity in (Earnings) Loss of Affiliates							1,507,000,000	761,000,000
Reorganization Items							0
Other Adjustments							110,000,000	74,000,000
Net Cash Used in Operating Activities							12,000,000	136,000,000
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	0
Proceeds from Sale of Assets								0
Proceeds from Sale of Businesses, Net							0	0
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Investing Activities								0
Cash Flows From Financing Activities:
Borrowings (Repayments) of Short-term Debt, Net							0	0
Borrowings (Repayments) Long-term Debt, Net							0	0
Borrowings (Repayments) Between Subsidiaries, Net							(12,000,000)	(136,000,000)
Other, Net							0	0
Net Cash Provided by Financing Activities							(12,000,000)	(136,000,000)
Effect of Exchange Rate Changes on Cash and Cash Equivalents							0	0
Intercompany Payables, Net	0						0		3,000,000
Other Non-Current Liabilities	0						0		0
Other Assets	0						0		0
Net Increase (Decrease) in Cash, Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash							0	0
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | Weatherford Bermuda | Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Cash, Cash Equivalents, Restricted Cash and Restricted Cash Equivalents	267,000,000				66,000,000		267,000,000		284,000,000	195,000,000
Intercompany Receivables, Net	548,000,000						548,000,000		103,000,000
Equity Investments in Affiliates	7,443,000,000						7,443,000,000		7,531,000,000
Long-term Debt	0						0		6,632,000,000
Proceeds from Sale of Productive Assets							0
Net Income (Loss)							(753,000,000)	(394,000,000)
Cash Flows from Operating Activities:
Charges from Parent or Subsidiary							(15,000,000)	(115,000,000)
Equity in (Earnings) Loss of Affiliates							166,000,000	229,000,000
Reorganization Items							120,000,000
Other Adjustments							(530,000,000)	566,000,000
Net Cash Used in Operating Activities							(1,012,000,000)	286,000,000
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	0
Proceeds from Sale of Assets								0
Proceeds from Sale of Businesses, Net							0	0
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Investing Activities								0
Borrowings (Repayments) of Debtor in Possession Credit Agreement, Net							1,386,000,000
Debtor in Possession Financing Payments and Payments on Backstop Agreement							(110,000,000)
Cash Flows From Financing Activities:
Borrowings (Repayments) of Short-term Debt, Net							(527,000,000)	192,000,000
Borrowings (Repayments) Long-term Debt, Net							(13,000,000)	(464,000,000)
Borrowings (Repayments) Between Subsidiaries, Net							259,000,000	(143,000,000)
Other, Net							0	0
Net Cash Provided by Financing Activities							995,000,000	(415,000,000)
Effect of Exchange Rate Changes on Cash and Cash Equivalents							0	0
Intercompany Payables, Net	0						0		0
Other Non-Current Liabilities	7,000,000						7,000,000		7,000,000
Other Assets	5,000,000						5,000,000		15,000,000
Net Increase (Decrease) in Cash, Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash							(17,000,000)	(129,000,000)
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | Weatherford Delaware | Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Cash, Cash Equivalents, Restricted Cash and Restricted Cash Equivalents	32,000,000				$ 0		32,000,000		0	$ 0
Intercompany Receivables, Net	0						0		0
Equity Investments in Affiliates	7,000,000,000						7,000,000,000		7,203,000,000
Long-term Debt	0						0		775,000,000
Proceeds from Sale of Productive Assets							0
Net Income (Loss)							(228,000,000)	(70,000,000)
Cash Flows from Operating Activities:
Charges from Parent or Subsidiary							69,000,000	36,000,000
Equity in (Earnings) Loss of Affiliates							87,000,000	148,000,000
Reorganization Items							14,000,000
Other Adjustments							(268,000,000)	(1,485,000,000)
Net Cash Used in Operating Activities							(326,000,000)	(1,371,000,000)
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	0
Proceeds from Sale of Assets								0
Proceeds from Sale of Businesses, Net							0	0
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Investing Activities								0
Cash Flows From Financing Activities:
Borrowings (Repayments) of Short-term Debt, Net							300,000,000	0
Borrowings (Repayments) Long-term Debt, Net							0	587,000,000
Borrowings (Repayments) Between Subsidiaries, Net							58,000,000	784,000,000
Other, Net							0	0
Net Cash Provided by Financing Activities							358,000,000	1,371,000,000
Effect of Exchange Rate Changes on Cash and Cash Equivalents							0	0
Intercompany Payables, Net	2,902,000,000						2,902,000,000		3,066,000,000
Other Non-Current Liabilities	0						0		0
Other Assets	$ 1,000,000						1,000,000		$ 4,000,000
Net Increase (Decrease) in Cash, Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash							$ 32,000,000	$ 0