Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - (Notes)	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2016
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies	SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES Nature of Operations Baker Hughes Incorporated ("Baker Hughes," "Company," "we," "our," or "us,") is a leading supplier of oilfield services, products, technology and systems used for drilling, formation evaluation, completion and production, pressure pumping, and reservoir development in the worldwide oil and natural gas industry. We also provide products and services for other businesses including downstream chemicals, and process and pipeline services. Basis of Presentation Our unaudited consolidated condensed financial statements included herein have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP") in the United States of America ("U.S.") and pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") for interim financial information. Accordingly, certain information and disclosures normally included in our annual financial statements have been condensed or omitted. These unaudited consolidated condensed financial statements should be read in conjunction with our audited consolidated financial statements included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K/A for the year ended December 31, 2015. We believe the unaudited consolidated condensed financial statements included herein reflect all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring adjustments) necessary for a fair presentation of the interim periods. The results of operations for the interim periods are not necessarily indicative of the results of operations to be expected for the full year. In the Notes to Unaudited Consolidated Condensed Financial Statements, all dollar and share amounts in tabulations are in millions of dollars and shares, respectively, unless otherwise indicated. Beginning in 2016, all merger and related costs are presented as a separate line item in the consolidated condensed statement of income (loss). Prior year merger and related costs were reclassified from cost of sales and cost of services; research and engineering costs; and marketing, general and administrative costs to conform to the current year presentation. New Accounting Standards Adopted In July 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-11, Simplifying the Measurement of Inventory, which requires inventory measured using average cost methods, which we utilize, to be subsequently measured at the lower of cost or net realizable value. Net realizable value is the estimated selling price in the ordinary course of business, less reasonably predictable costs of completion, disposal and transportation. Currently, inventory is required to be subsequently measured at the lower of cost or market with market defined as replacement cost, net realizable value or net realizable value less a normal profit margin. We have elected to early adopt this guidance as of January 1, 2016 because we believe this approach will reduce the complexity in the subsequent measurement of our inventory. The guidance stipulates that the amendments in ASU No. 2015-11 shall be adopted on a prospective basis, therefore our adoption had no impact on prior reporting periods. New Accounting Standards To Be Adopted In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers. The ASU will supersede most of the existing revenue recognition requirements in U.S. GAAP and will require entities to recognize revenue at an amount that reflects the consideration to which the Company expects to be entitled in exchange for transferring goods or services to a customer. The new standard also requires significantly expanded disclosures regarding the qualitative and quantitative information of an entity's nature, amount, timing, and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from contracts with customers. The pronouncement is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within that reporting period, and is to be applied retrospectively. Early adoption is permitted. We have not completed an evaluation of the impact the pronouncement will have on our consolidated financial statements and related disclosures. In November 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-17, Balance Sheet Classification of Deferred Taxes, which amends existing guidance on income taxes to require the classification of all deferred tax assets and liabilities as noncurrent on the balance sheet. The pronouncement is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016, and may be applied either prospectively or retrospectively. We have not completed an evaluation of the impact the pronouncement will have on our consolidated financial statements and related disclosures. In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, Leases, a new standard on accounting for leases. The ASU introduces a lessee model that brings most leases on the balance sheet. The new standard also aligns many of the underlying principles of the new lessor model with those in the current accounting guidance as well as the FASB's new revenue recognition standard. However, the ASU eliminates the use of bright-line tests in determining lease classification as required in the current guidance. The ASU also requires additional qualitative disclosures along with specific quantitative disclosures to better enable users of financial statements to assess the amount, timing, and uncertainty of cash flows arising from leases. The pronouncement is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods within that reporting period, using a modified retrospective approach. Early adoption is permitted. We have not completed an evaluation of the impact the pronouncement will have on our consolidated financial statements and related disclosures. In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-09, Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting. The standard provides a new requirement to record all of the tax effects related to share-based payments at settlement (or expiration) through the income statement. This pronouncement is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016. We have not completed an evaluation of the impact the pronouncement will have on our consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.

SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Nature of Operations

Baker Hughes Incorporated ("Baker Hughes," "Company," "we," "our," or "us,") is a leading supplier of oilfield services, products, technology and systems used for drilling, formation evaluation, completion and production, pressure pumping, and reservoir development in the worldwide oil and natural gas industry. We also provide products and services for other businesses including downstream chemicals, and process and pipeline services.

Basis of Presentation

Our unaudited consolidated condensed financial statements included herein have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP") in the United States of America ("U.S.") and pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") for interim financial information. Accordingly, certain information and disclosures normally included in our annual financial statements have been condensed or omitted. These unaudited consolidated condensed financial statements should be read in conjunction with our audited consolidated financial statements included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K/A for the year ended December 31, 2015. We believe the unaudited consolidated condensed financial statements included herein reflect all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring adjustments) necessary for a fair presentation of the interim periods. The results of operations for the interim periods are not necessarily indicative of the results of operations to be expected for the full year. In the Notes to Unaudited Consolidated Condensed Financial Statements, all dollar and share amounts in tabulations are in millions of dollars and shares, respectively, unless otherwise indicated.

Beginning in 2016, all merger and related costs are presented as a separate line item in the consolidated condensed statement of income (loss). Prior year merger and related costs were reclassified from cost of sales and cost of services; research and engineering costs; and marketing, general and administrative costs to conform to the current year presentation.

New Accounting Standards Adopted

In July 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-11, Simplifying the Measurement of Inventory, which requires inventory measured using average cost methods, which we utilize, to be subsequently measured at the lower of cost or net realizable value. Net realizable value is the estimated selling price in the ordinary course of business, less reasonably predictable costs of completion, disposal and transportation. Currently, inventory is required to be subsequently measured at the lower of cost or market with market defined as replacement cost, net realizable value or net realizable value less a normal profit margin. We have elected to early adopt this guidance as of January 1, 2016 because we believe this approach will reduce the complexity in the subsequent measurement of our inventory. The guidance stipulates that the amendments in ASU No. 2015-11 shall be adopted on a prospective basis, therefore our adoption had no impact on prior reporting periods.

New Accounting Standards To Be Adopted

In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers. The ASU will supersede most of the existing revenue recognition requirements in U.S. GAAP and will require entities to recognize revenue at an amount that reflects the consideration to which the Company expects to be entitled in exchange for transferring goods or services to a customer. The new standard also requires significantly expanded disclosures regarding the qualitative and quantitative information of an entity's nature, amount, timing, and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from contracts with customers. The pronouncement is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within that reporting period, and is to be applied retrospectively. Early adoption is permitted. We have not completed an evaluation of the impact the pronouncement will have on our consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.

In November 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-17, Balance Sheet Classification of Deferred Taxes, which amends existing guidance on income taxes to require the classification of all deferred tax assets and liabilities as noncurrent on the balance sheet. The pronouncement is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016, and may be applied either prospectively or retrospectively. We have not completed an evaluation of the impact the pronouncement will have on our consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, Leases, a new standard on accounting for leases. The ASU introduces a lessee model that brings most leases on the balance sheet. The new standard also aligns many of the underlying principles of the new lessor model with those in the current accounting guidance as well as the FASB's new revenue recognition standard. However, the ASU eliminates the use of bright-line tests in determining lease classification as required in the current guidance. The ASU also requires additional qualitative disclosures along with specific quantitative disclosures to better enable users of financial statements to assess the amount, timing, and uncertainty of cash flows arising from leases. The pronouncement is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods within that reporting period, using a modified retrospective approach. Early adoption is permitted. We have not completed an evaluation of the impact the pronouncement will have on our consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.

In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-09, Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting. The standard provides a new requirement to record all of the tax effects related to share-based payments at settlement (or expiration) through the income statement. This pronouncement is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016. We have not completed an evaluation of the impact the pronouncement will have on our consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.