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Simplification Transactions - Agreement Terms (Details) $ / shares in Units, shares in Millions, $ in Millions				9 Months Ended
	Nov. 15, 2016 USD ($) shares	Nov. 14, 2016 USD ($) $ / shares	Aug. 12, 2016 $ / shares	Sep. 30, 2016 USD ($)	Jul. 11, 2016 director	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)
Simplification Transactions
Other long-term debt				$ 504		$ 677
Indirect Ownership | AAP
Simplification Transactions
General partner ownership interest				2.00%
Common Units | Cash Distributions | Second Quarter Distribution
Simplification Transactions
Distributions per common unit, paid | $ / shares			$ 0.70
PAGP | AAP
Simplification Transactions
Threshold of private general partner ownership below which shareholders are eligible to participate in general partner Board of Director elections (as a percent)				40.00%
PAA GP
Simplification Transactions
General partner ownership interest				2.00%
Simplification Agreement | Exchange of AAP Class A Units and PAGP Class B Shares for PAGP Class A Shares
Simplification Transactions
Ratio for conversion or exchange of units					1
Simplification Agreement | AAP | GP Holdings | Original Designating Parties
Simplification Transactions
Number of directors interest holder may designate to related party Board of Directors | director					1
Simplification Agreement | AAP | GP Holdings | Original Designating Parties | Minimum
Simplification Transactions
Threshold ownership for interest holder to nominate a director to the related party Board of Directors (as a percent)					10.00%
Forecast | Common Units | Cash Distributions | Third Quarter Distribution
Simplification Transactions
Distributions per common unit, paid | $ / shares		$ 0.55
Quarterly level of distributions per common unit | $ / shares		$ 0.55
Forecast | Simplification Agreement | AAP
Simplification Transactions
Issuance of common units (units) | shares	245.5
Forecast | Simplification Agreement | PAGP | AAP
Simplification Transactions
Ratio of PAGP Class A shares to underlying PAA Common Units held by AAP	1
Forecast | Simplification Agreement | PAA GP
Simplification Transactions
Economic general partner interest converted into non-economic interest	2.00%
AAP senior secured credit agreement | AAP
Simplification Transactions
Other long-term debt				$ 603
AAP senior secured credit agreement | Forecast | Simplification Agreement | AAP
Simplification Transactions
Assumption of outstanding debt	$ 641
AAP senior secured credit agreement | Forecast | Simplification Agreement | Third Quarter Distribution | AAP
Simplification Transactions
Estimated related party borrowings for true-up distribution if transactions not closed		$ 33

X

- Definition

Borrowings outstanding as of the balance sheet date to be assumed.

+ References

No definition available.

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- Definition

If the transactions under the agreement are not closed on or prior to the record date for distributions to partners, the estimated amount of funds that will be borrowed under the existing credit agreement to make a true-up distribution to a subsidiary's unitholders.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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- Definition

Percentage of economic interest held by the managing member or general partner of the limited liability company (LLC) or limited partnership (LP), converted into a non-economic interest.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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- Definition

Number of directors the interest holder is entitled to designate to the related party Board of Directors if eligible based on percentage ownership interest in the entity.

+ References

No definition available.

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- Definition

Per the terms of the agreement, the resulting ratio of outstanding shares of the related party to common units of the reporting entity held by the counterparty and attributable to the related party's ownership in the counterparty.

+ References

No definition available.

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- Definition

The threshold percentage ownership of limited partner interests in the entity to allow the holder to nominate a director to the related party Board of Directors.

+ References

No definition available.

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- Definition

Threshold percentage of private general partner owner group ownership, below which the shareholders are eligible to participate in the election of directors to the general partner Board of Directors.

+ References

No definition available.

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- Definition

Ratio applied to determine the number of units or shares that would be received by holders choosing to convert or exchange one class of units or shares into another, as specified.

+ References

No definition available.

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X

- Definition

Per unit of ownership amount of cash distributions declared to unit-holder of a limited partnership (LP).

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 272
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
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- Definition

Per unit of ownership amount of cash distributions paid to unit-holder of a limited partnership (LP).

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- Definition

Percentage investment held by the managing member or general partner of the limited liability company (LLC) or limited partnership (LP).

+ References

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- Definition

The number of limited partner units issued.

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- Definition

Amount of long-term debt classified as other, payable after one year or the operating cycle, if longer.

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- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

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