Industry Segments (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended			0 Months Ended	1 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014 segment	Dec. 31, 2013 segment	Dec. 31, 2012 segment	Nov. 30, 2014	Oct. 31, 2013	Apr. 30, 2014	May 31, 2013
Industry Segments
Number of operating segments	3	3	3
Segment Information
Net sales	$ 19,312,000,000	$ 20,170,000,000	$ 20,100,000,000
Pretax operating profit (loss)	1,555,000,000	8,146,000,000	6,488,000,000
Less: Income from continuing operations attributable to noncontrolling interest	(14,000,000)
Income taxes	(1,685,000,000)	(3,214,000,000)	(2,659,000,000)
Discontinued operations, net	760,000,000	971,000,000	769,000,000
Net income	616,000,000	5,903,000,000	4,598,000,000
Investments in unconsolidated entities	1,171,000,000	1,459,000,000	1,894,000,000
Property, plant and equipment additions, net	9,110,000,000	7,494,000,000	7,974,000,000
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization	4,261,000,000	4,203,000,000	3,585,000,000
Total assets	56,259,000,000	69,443,000,000	64,210,000,000
Asset impairments and related items	7,379,000,000	621,000,000	1,710,000,000
Pre-tax gain on sale of investment	2,505,000,000	1,175,000,000
Foreign oil and gas assets
Segment Information
Net sales	7,369,000,000	8,446,000,000	8,813,000,000
Pre-tax impairment of oil and gas properties	1,100,000,000
Colombia
Segment Information
Net sales	938,000,000	1,022,000,000	1,027,000,000
Domestic oil and gas assets
Segment Information
Pre-tax impairment of oil and gas properties	4,700,000,000
BridgeTex
Segment Information
Pre-tax gain on sale of investment	633,000,000			633,000,000
Oil and Gas
Segment Information
Asset impairments and related items			1,700,000,000
Oil and Gas | Non-producing domestic oil and gas acreage member
Segment Information
Pre-tax impairment of oil and gas properties		607,000,000
Oil and Gas | Oil
Segment Information
Product revenue to net sales (as a percent)	90.00%	91.00%	91.00%
Chemical
Segment Information
Impaired property, plant and equipment	149,000,000
Pre-tax impairment of oil and gas properties	111,000,000
Chemical | Basic Chemicals
Segment Information
Product revenue to net sales (as a percent)	54.00%	55.00%	57.00%
Chemical | Vinyls
Segment Information
Product revenue to net sales (as a percent)	43.00%	42.00%	40.00%
Chemical | Other Chemicals
Segment Information
Product revenue to net sales (as a percent)	3.00%	3.00%	3.00%
Midstream and Marketing | Gas Processing
Segment Information
Sales revenues for businesses as a percentage of total sales revenues	49.00%	54.00%	60.00%
Midstream and Marketing | Power
Segment Information
Sales revenues for businesses as a percentage of total sales revenues	31.00%	30.00%	24.00%
Midstream and Marketing | Marketing, Trading, Transportation and other
Segment Information
Sales revenues for businesses as a percentage of total sales revenues	20.00%	16.00%	16.00%
Operating segments | Oil and Gas
Segment Information
Net sales	13,887,000,000	15,008,000,000	14,953,000,000
Pretax operating profit (loss)	428,000,000	6,411,000,000	5,840,000,000
Net income	428,000,000	6,411,000,000	5,840,000,000
Investments in unconsolidated entities	11,000,000	108,000,000	113,000,000
Property, plant and equipment additions, net	6,589,000,000	5,456,000,000	6,067,000,000
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization	3,701,000,000	3,676,000,000	3,065,000,000
Total assets	31,072,000,000	46,213,000,000	44,004,000,000
Operating segments | Chemical
Segment Information
Net sales	4,817,000,000	4,673,000,000	4,580,000,000
Pretax operating profit (loss)	420,000,000	743,000,000	720,000,000
Net income	420,000,000	743,000,000	720,000,000
Investments in unconsolidated entities	202,000,000	34,000,000	108,000,000
Property, plant and equipment additions, net	325,000,000	435,000,000	365,000,000
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization	367,000,000	346,000,000	345,000,000
Total assets	3,917,000,000	3,947,000,000	3,854,000,000
Operating segments | Midstream and Marketing
Segment Information
Net sales	1,373,000,000	1,174,000,000	1,164,000,000
Pretax operating profit (loss)	2,578,000,000	1,523,000,000	440,000,000
Less: Income from continuing operations attributable to noncontrolling interest	(14,000,000)
Net income	2,564,000,000	1,523,000,000	440,000,000
Investments in unconsolidated entities	948,000,000	1,307,000,000	1,662,000,000
Property, plant and equipment additions, net	2,093,000,000	1,437,000,000	1,451,000,000
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization	160,000,000	149,000,000	148,000,000
Total assets	12,283,000,000	14,374,000,000	12,762,000,000
Corporate and Eliminations
Segment Information
Net sales	(765,000,000)	(685,000,000)	(597,000,000)
Pretax operating profit (loss)	(1,871,000,000)	(531,000,000)	(512,000,000)
Income taxes	(1,685,000,000)	(3,214,000,000)	(2,659,000,000)
Discontinued operations, net	760,000,000	971,000,000	769,000,000
Net income	(2,796,000,000)	(2,774,000,000)	(2,402,000,000)
Investments in unconsolidated entities	10,000,000		11,000,000
Property, plant and equipment additions, net	103,000,000	166,000,000	91,000,000
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization	33,000,000	32,000,000	27,000,000
Total assets	8,987,000,000	4,909,000,000	3,590,000,000
Impaired property, plant and equipment		10,000,000
Other charges	31,000,000	58,000,000
General Partner of Plains All American Pipeline,L.P
Segment Information
Pre-tax gain on sale of investment	1,351,000,000
Gain on sale of investments and other items		1,044,000,000			1,044,000,000
Hugoton Field operations
Segment Information
Pre-tax gain on sale	531,000,000					531,000,000
Carbocloro member | Chemical
Segment Information
Pre-tax gain on sale of investment		$ 131,000,000					$ 131,000,000