The charge against earnings resulting from the aggregate write down of all assets from their carrying value to their fair value.

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Exploration expenses (including prospecting) related to oil and gas producing entities and would be included in operating expenses of that entity. Costs incurred in identifying areas that may warrant examination and in examining specific areas that are considered to have prospects of containing oil and gas reserves, including costs of drilling exploratory wells and exploratory-type stratigraphic test wells. Exploration costs may be incurred both before acquiring the related property (sometimes referred to in part as prospecting costs) and after acquiring the property. Principal types of exploration costs, which include depreciation and applicable operating costs of support equipment and facilities and other costs of exploration activities, are: (i) Costs of topographical, geographical and geophysical studies, rights of access to properties to conduct those studies, and salaries and other expenses of geologists, geophysical crews, and others conducting those studies. Collectively, these are sometimes referred to as geological and geophysical or "G&G" costs. (ii) Costs of carrying and retaining undeveloped properties, such as delay rentals, ad valorem taxes on properties, legal costs for title defense, and the maintenance of land and lease records. (iii) Dry hole contributions and bottom hole contributions. (iv) Costs of drilling and equipping exploratory wells. (v) Costs of drilling exploratory-type stratigraphic test wells.

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Impairments (Details Textual) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2011	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2011
Impairments (Textual) [Abstract]
Impairments	$ 0	$ 0	$ 296	$ 0
Exploration expenses	219	266	1,168	706
Mackenzie Gas Project [Member]
Impairments (Textual) [Abstract]
Impairments			213
Exploration expenses			481
Europe Don Field [Member]
Impairments (Textual) [Abstract]
Impairments	$ 78		$ 78