Name:	paa_BasicAndDilutedNetIncomePerCommonUnitLineItems
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Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
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Distributions to participating securities pertaining to current period earnings.

No definition available.

Name:	paa_DistributionsToParticipatingSecurities
Namespace Prefix:	paa_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

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.

No definition available.

Name:	paa_LimitedLiabilityCompanyLlcOrLimitedPartnershipLpManagingMemberOrGeneralPartnerEconomicOwnershipInterestConvertedIntoNonEconomicInterest
Namespace Prefix:	paa_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

This element represents the net income (loss) allocated to common unitholders in the calculation of basic net income per common unit after deducting amounts allocated to preferred unitholders, participating securities and the 2% general partner's interest, as applicable, under the two class method.

No definition available.

Name:	paa_NetIncomeLossAllocatedtoCommonUnitholdersBasic
Namespace Prefix:	paa_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

This element represents the net income (loss) allocated to common unitholders in the calculation of diluted net income per common unit after deducting amounts allocated to preferred unitholders, participating securities and the 2% general partner's interest, as applicable, under the two class method.

No definition available.

Name:	paa_NetIncomeLossAllocatedtoCommonUnitholdersDiluted
Namespace Prefix:	paa_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

Amount of earnings allocated to other for the basic earnings (loss) per share or per unit calculation under the two-class method.

No definition available.

Name:	paa_OtherAllocatedEarningsBasic
Namespace Prefix:	paa_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

Amount of earnings allocated to other for the diluted earnings (loss) per share or per unit calculation under the two-class method.

No definition available.

Name:	paa_OtherAllocatedEarningsDiluted
Namespace Prefix:	paa_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

The amount of preferred stock dividends that is an adjustment to net income apportioned to common stockholders in the calculation of diluted net income per common unit.

No definition available.

Name:	paa_PreferredStockDividendsIncomeStatementImpactDiluted
Namespace Prefix:	paa_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

Amount of undistributed earnings (loss) allocated to the general partner of a partnership for the basic earnings (loss) per share or per unit calculation under the two-class method.

No definition available.

Name:	paa_UndistributedEarningsLossAllocatedToGeneralPartnerBasic
Namespace Prefix:	paa_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

Amount of undistributed earnings (loss) allocated to the general partner of a partnership for the diluted earnings (loss) per share or per unit calculation under the two-class method.

No definition available.

Name:	paa_UndistributedEarningsLossAllocatedToGeneralPartnerDiluted
Namespace Prefix:	paa_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- References

No definition available.

Name:	us-gaap_EarningsPerLimitedPartnershipUnitAbstract
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Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
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Period Type:	duration

Distributions from earnings to the general partner of a partnership included in the consolidated financial statements.

No definition available.

Name:	us-gaap_GeneralPartnerDistributions
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Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

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

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 272
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 3
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6373374&loc=d3e70478-108055

Name:	us-gaap_LimitedLiabilityCompanyLLCOrLimitedPartnershipLPManagingMemberOrGeneralPartnerOwnershipInterest
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Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

The portion of profit or loss for the period, net of income taxes, which is attributable to the parent.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 230
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 28
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=98514028&loc=d3e3602-108585

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 260
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
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Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 225
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.9-04(22))
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Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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-Name Accounting Standards Codification
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Name:	us-gaap_NetIncomeLoss
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Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

Per unit of ownership amount after tax of income (loss) available to limited partnership (LP) unit-holder and units that would have been outstanding assuming the issuance of limited partner units for dilutive potential units outstanding.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 505
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-Section S99
-Paragraph 5
-Subparagraph (SAB Topic 4.F)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=27012166&loc=d3e187171-122770

Name:	us-gaap_NetIncomeLossNetOfTaxPerOutstandingLimitedPartnershipUnitDiluted
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:perShareItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

Per unit of ownership amount after tax of income (loss) available to outstanding limited partnership (LP) unit-holder.

Name:	us-gaap_NetIncomeLossPerOutstandingLimitedPartnershipUnitBasicNetOfTax
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:perShareItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- References

No definition available.

Name:	us-gaap_NetIncomeLossPerOutstandingLimitedPartnershipUnitDilutedAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

The amount of preferred stock dividends that is an adjustment to net income apportioned to common stockholders.

No definition available.

Name:	us-gaap_PreferredStockDividendsIncomeStatementImpact
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

Weighted average number of limited partnership units outstanding determined by relating the portion of time within a reporting period that limited partnership units have been outstanding to the total time in that period.

Name:	us-gaap_WeightedAverageLimitedPartnershipUnitsOutstanding
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

Name:	us-gaap_WeightedAverageLimitedPartnershipUnitsOutstandingDiluted
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- References

No definition available.

Name:	us-gaap_WeightedAverageNumberDilutedSharesOutstandingAdjustmentAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

The sum of dilutive potential limited partnership units used in the calculation of the diluted per-unit computation.

No definition available.