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v2.4.1.9

Commitments and Contingencies (Details) |  |  | 3 Months Ended | 1 Months Ended | 26 Months Ended | 2 Months Ended | 23 Months Ended |  | 0 Months Ended |  |
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
Mar. 31, 2015 USD ($) | Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($) | Mar. 31, 2015 Minimum | Feb. 28, 2013 Bay Springs Pipeline Release bbl | Mar. 31, 2015 Bay Springs Pipeline Release USD ($) | Jun. 30, 2013 Kemp River Pipeline Release item bbl | Mar. 31, 2015 Kemp River Pipeline Release USD ($) | Apr. 30, 2015 In the Matter of Bakersfield Crude Terminal LLC et al Subsequent Event USD ($) item | Jan. 15, 2015 PMC National Energy Board Audit item | Feb. 28, 2015 PMC National Energy Board Audit CAD | Mar. 31, 2015 PMC Kemp River Pipeline Release USD ($)
Environmental |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Estimated undiscounted reserve for environmental liabilities | $ 75,000,000 us-gaap_AccrualForEnvironmentalLossContingencies | $ 82,000,000 us-gaap_AccrualForEnvironmentalLossContingencies |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Estimated undiscounted reserve for environmental liabilities, short-term | 11,000,000 us-gaap_AccruedEnvironmentalLossContingenciesCurrent | 13,000,000 us-gaap_AccruedEnvironmentalLossContingenciesCurrent |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Estimated undiscounted reserve for environmental liabilities, long-term | 64,000,000 us-gaap_AccruedEnvironmentalLossContingenciesNoncurrent | 69,000,000 us-gaap_AccruedEnvironmentalLossContingenciesNoncurrent |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Amounts probable of recovery under insurance and from third parties under indemnification agreements | 7,000,000 us-gaap_RecordedThirdPartyEnvironmentalRecoveriesReceivable | 8,000,000 us-gaap_RecordedThirdPartyEnvironmentalRecoveriesReceivable |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Actual cash expenditures for environmental liabilities, period paid |  |  | 3 years |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of events occurred |  |  |  |  |  | 2 paa_NumberOfEventsResultingInRelease / us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis = paa_KempRiverPipelineReleaseMember |  |  |  |  |
Estimated size of release (in barrels) |  |  |  | 120 paa_EstimatedSizeOfRelease / us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis = paa_BaySpringsPipelineReleaseMember |  | 700 paa_EstimatedSizeOfRelease / us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis = paa_KempRiverPipelineReleaseMember |  |  |  |  |
Number of conditions imposed related to regulatory compliance |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 6 paa_ConditionsImposedRelatedToRegulatoryCompliance / us-gaap_RegulatoryAgencyAxis = paa_NationalEnergyBoardMember / us-gaap_RelatedPartyTransactionsByRelatedPartyAxis = paa_PlainsMidstreamCanadaULCMember |  |
Number of alleged rule violations |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 10 paa_NumberOfAllegedRuleViolations / us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis = paa_BakersfieldCrudeTerminalLLCMember / us-gaap_SubsequentEventTypeAxis = us-gaap_SubsequentEventMember |  |  |
Charges, fines or penalties assessed |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 0 paa_LossContingencyPenaltyOrFineAssessed / us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis = paa_BakersfieldCrudeTerminalLLCMember / us-gaap_SubsequentEventTypeAxis = us-gaap_SubsequentEventMember |  | 76,000 paa_LossContingencyPenaltyOrFineAssessed / us-gaap_RegulatoryAgencyAxis = paa_NationalEnergyBoardMember / us-gaap_RelatedPartyTransactionsByRelatedPartyAxis = paa_PlainsMidstreamCanadaULCMember | 0 paa_LossContingencyPenaltyOrFineAssessed / us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis = paa_KempRiverPipelineReleaseMember / us-gaap_RelatedPartyTransactionsByRelatedPartyAxis = paa_PlainsMidstreamCanadaULCMember
Total estimated cost to clean up and remediate the site |  |  |  |  |  |  | 15,000,000 paa_TotalEstimatedCostToCleanUpAndRemediateSite / us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis = paa_KempRiverPipelineReleaseMember |  |  |  |
Total cost to clean up and remediate the site |  |  |  |  | 6,000,000 paa_TotalCostToCleanUpAndRemediateSite / us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis = paa_BaySpringsPipelineReleaseMember |  |  |  |  |  |
Cost incurred, to date, to clean up and remediate the site |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 9,000,000 paa_CostToCleanUpAndRemediateSite / us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis = paa_KempRiverPipelineReleaseMember |  |  |  |

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- Definition The range of the estimated period of time when actual cash expenditures are made for environmental liabilities, as stated in years. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Total costs accrued as of the balance sheet date for environmental loss contingencies. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 410 -SubTopic 30 -Section 50 -Paragraph 7 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6393242&loc=d3e13207-110859 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 450 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=25496072&loc=d3e14326-108349 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 450 -SubTopic 20 -Section 25 -Paragraph 2 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6395460&loc=d3e13647-108346 + Details
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- Definition Carrying amount as of the balance sheet date of known and reasonably estimable amounts of recoveries from third-parties pertaining to an entity's environmental remediation obligations. An entity's balance sheet may include several assets that relate to an environmental remediation obligation. Among them are the following: a. Receivables from other potentially responsible parties that are not providing initial funding; b. anticipated recoveries from insurers; and c. anticipated recoveries from prior owners as a result of indemnification agreements. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 410 -SubTopic 30 -Section 50 -Paragraph 7 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6393242&loc=d3e13207-110859 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 410 -SubTopic 30 -Section 45 -Paragraph 1 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6393211&loc=d3e13022-110858 + Details
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