Commitments (Detail) (Deepwater Drillship [Member], USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2013
Deepwater Drillship [Member]
Operating Leased Assets [Line Items]
Operating lease, period	3 years
Total future minimum lease payments	$ 464
Aggregate future annual minimum lease payments in 2014	33
Aggregate future annual minimum lease payments in 2015	154
Aggregate future annual minimum lease payments in 2016	155
Aggregate future annual minimum lease payments in 2017	$ 122

Operating lease, period of lease agreement

No definition available.

Name:	apc_OperatingLeasesPeriod
Namespace Prefix:	apc_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_OperatingLeasedAssetsLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of required minimum rental payments for leases having an initial or remaining non-cancelable letter-terms in excess of one year.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 840

-SubTopic 10

-Section 55

-Paragraph 40

-Subparagraph (Note 3)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6584154&loc=d3e38371-112697

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 840

-SubTopic 20

-Section 50

-Paragraph 2

-Subparagraph (a)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6453985&loc=d3e41502-112717

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_OperatingLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsDue
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of required minimum rental payments maturing in the fifth fiscal year following the latest fiscal year for operating leases having an initial or remaining non-cancelable letter-terms in excess of one year.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_OperatingLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsDueInFiveYears
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of required minimum rental payments maturing in the forth fiscal year following the latest fiscal year for operating leases having an initial or remaining non-cancelable letter-terms in excess of one year.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_OperatingLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsDueInFourYears
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of required minimum rental payments maturing in the third fiscal year following the latest fiscal year for operating leases having an initial or remaining non-cancelable letter-terms in excess of one year.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_OperatingLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsDueInThreeYears
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of required minimum rental payments maturing in the second fiscal year following the latest fiscal year for operating leases having an initial or remaining non-cancelable letter-terms in excess of one year.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_OperatingLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsDueInTwoYears
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant