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Acquisitions and Dispositions (Detail) (USD $) | 12 Months Ended | 0 Months Ended | 1 Months Ended | 0 Months Ended |
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
Dec. 31, 2012 | Dec. 31, 2014 entity | Dec. 31, 2013 | Apr. 01, 2012 | Mar. 31, 2012 | Dec. 12, 2012 | Nov. 14, 2014
Business acquisition, allocation of fair value of assets and liabilities |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Goodwill | $ 2,535,000,000 us-gaap_Goodwill | $ 2,465,000,000 us-gaap_Goodwill | $ 2,503,000,000 us-gaap_Goodwill |  |  |  |
Selected unaudited pro forma results of operations: |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Pro Forma, Total revenues | 38,729,000,000 us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionsProFormaRevenue |  |  |  |  |  |
Pro forma, Net income attributable to PAA | 1,149,000,000 us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionsProFormaNetIncomeLoss |  |  |  |  |  |
Pro forma, limited partner interest in net income attributable to PAA | 846,000,000 paa_BusinessAcquisitionsProFormaNetIncomeLossAllocatedToLimitedPartners |  |  |  |  |  |
Pro forma, Basic net income per limited partner unit (in dollars per unit) | $ 2.57 us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionProFormaEarningsPerShareBasic |  |  |  |  |  |
Pro forma, Diluted net income per limited partner unit (in dollars per unit) | $ 2.55 us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionProFormaEarningsPerShareDiluted |  |  |  |  |  |
BridgeTex Pipeline Company, LLC |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Business acquisition |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Interest acquired (as a percent) |  | 50.00%us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentOwnershipPercentage / us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis = paa_BridgeTexPipelineCompanyLLCMember |  |  |  |  | 50.00%us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentOwnershipPercentage / us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis = paa_BridgeTexPipelineCompanyLLCMember
Other 2014 Acquisitions |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Business acquisition |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of additional acquisitions completed (in entities) |  | 2 us-gaap_NumberOfBusinessesAcquired / us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis = paa_OtherAcquisitionsIn2014Member |  |  |  |  |
Consideration |  | 11,000,000 us-gaap_BusinessCombinationConsiderationTransferred1 / us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis = paa_OtherAcquisitionsIn2014Member |  |  |  |  |
Business acquisition, allocation of fair value of assets and liabilities |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Goodwill |  | 1,000,000 us-gaap_Goodwill / us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis = paa_OtherAcquisitionsIn2014Member |  |  |  |  |
2013 Acquisitions |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Business acquisition |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Consideration |  |  | 19,000,000 us-gaap_BusinessCombinationConsiderationTransferred1 / us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis = paa_AcquisitionsIn2013Member |  |  |  |
Business acquisition, allocation of fair value of assets and liabilities |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Goodwill |  |  | 6,000,000 us-gaap_Goodwill / us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis = paa_AcquisitionsIn2013Member |  |  |  |
BP NGL Acquisition |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Business acquisition |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Consideration |  |  |  | 1,680,000,000 us-gaap_BusinessCombinationConsiderationTransferred1 / us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis = paa_BPNGLAcquisitionMember |  |  |
Imputed interest |  |  |  | 17,000,000 paa_BusinessAcquisitionPurchasePriceAllocationImputedInterest / us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis = paa_BPNGLAcquisitionMember |  |  |
Business acquisition, allocation of fair value of assets and liabilities |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Working capital | 241,000,000 paa_BusinessCombinationRecognizedIdentifiableAssetsAcquiredAndLiabilitiesAssumedWorkingCapital / us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis = paa_BPNGLAcquisitionMember |  |  |  |  |  |
Property and equipment | 1,081,000,000 us-gaap_BusinessCombinationRecognizedIdentifiableAssetsAcquiredAndLiabilitiesAssumedPropertyPlantAndEquipment / us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis = paa_BPNGLAcquisitionMember |  |  |  |  |  |
Linefill | 85,000,000 paa_BusinessCombinationRecognizedIdentifiableAssetsAcquiredAndLiabilitiesAssumedLinefill / us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis = paa_BPNGLAcquisitionMember |  |  |  |  |  |
Long-term inventory | 165,000,000 paa_BusinessCombinationRecognizedIdentifiableAssetsAcquiredAndLiabilitiesAssumedLongTermInventory / us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis = paa_BPNGLAcquisitionMember |  |  |  |  |  |
Intangible assets (contract) | 130,000,000 us-gaap_BusinessCombinationRecognizedIdentifiableAssetsAcquiredAndLiabilitiesAssumedIntangibles / us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis = paa_BPNGLAcquisitionMember |  |  |  |  |  |
Goodwill | 236,000,000 us-gaap_Goodwill / us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis = paa_BPNGLAcquisitionMember |  |  |  |  |  |
Deferred tax liability | (236,000,000)us-gaap_BusinessCombinationRecognizedIdentifiableAssetsAcquiredAndLiabilitiesAssumedDeferredTaxLiabilitiesNoncurrent / us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis = paa_BPNGLAcquisitionMember |  |  |  |  |  |
Environmental liability | (14,000,000)paa_BusinessCombinationRecognizedIdentifiableAssetsAcquiredAndLiabilitiesAssumedEnvironmentalLiability / us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis = paa_BPNGLAcquisitionMember |  |  |  |  |  |
Other long-term liabilities | (5,000,000)us-gaap_BusinessCombinationRecognizedIdentifiableAssetsAcquiredAndLiabilitiesAssumedNoncurrentLiabilitiesOther / us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis = paa_BPNGLAcquisitionMember |  |  |  |  |  |
Total net assets acquired | 1,683,000,000 us-gaap_BusinessCombinationRecognizedIdentifiableAssetsAcquiredGoodwillAndLiabilitiesAssumedNet / us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis = paa_BPNGLAcquisitionMember |  |  |  |  |  |
Net proceeds from issuance of common units and senior notes |  |  |  |  | 1,690,000,000 paa_BusinessAcquisitionProceedsFromIssuanceOfCommonUnitsAndSeniorNotesUsedToPreFundAcquisition / us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis = paa_BPNGLAcquisitionMember |  |
Acquisition-related costs | 13,000,000 us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionCostOfAcquiredEntityTransactionCosts / us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis = paa_BPNGLAcquisitionMember |  |  |  |  |  |
Finite Lived Intangible assets |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Average Depreciable Life | 13 years |  |  |  |  |  |
BP NGL Acquisition | Minimum |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Property and equipment, useful life |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Average Depreciable Life | 5 years |  |  |  |  |  |
BP NGL Acquisition | Maximum |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Property and equipment, useful life |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Average Depreciable Life | 70 years |  |  |  |  |  |
USD Rail Terminal Acquisition |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Business acquisition |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Consideration |  |  |  |  |  | 503,000,000 us-gaap_BusinessCombinationConsiderationTransferred1 / us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis = paa_USDRailTerminalAcquisitionMember |
Number of operating crude oil rail terminals acquired |  |  |  |  |  | 4 paa_BusinessAcquisitionNumberOfOperatingCrudeOilRailTerminalsAcquired / us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis = paa_USDRailTerminalAcquisitionMember |
Number of terminals under development acquired |  |  |  |  |  | 1 paa_BusinessAcquisitionNumberOfTerminalsUnderDevelopmentAcquired / us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis = paa_USDRailTerminalAcquisitionMember |
Business acquisition, allocation of fair value of assets and liabilities |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Working capital | 1,000,000 paa_BusinessCombinationRecognizedIdentifiableAssetsAcquiredAndLiabilitiesAssumedWorkingCapital / us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis = paa_USDRailTerminalAcquisitionMember |  |  |  |  |  |
Property and equipment | 76,000,000 us-gaap_BusinessCombinationRecognizedIdentifiableAssetsAcquiredAndLiabilitiesAssumedPropertyPlantAndEquipment / us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis = paa_USDRailTerminalAcquisitionMember |  |  |  |  |  |
Goodwill | 426,000,000 us-gaap_Goodwill / us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis = paa_USDRailTerminalAcquisitionMember |  |  |  |  |  |
Other 2012 Acquisitions |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Business acquisition |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Consideration | 150,000,000 us-gaap_BusinessCombinationConsiderationTransferred1 / us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis = paa_OtherAcquisitionsIn2012Member |  |  |  |  |  |
Business acquisition, allocation of fair value of assets and liabilities |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Goodwill | $ 10,000,000 us-gaap_Goodwill / us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis = paa_OtherAcquisitionsIn2012Member |  |  |  |  |  |

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