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Partners' Capital and Distributions - Distributions Paid (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Millions					12 Months Ended			22 Months Ended
	Feb. 14, 2018	Jan. 08, 2018	Nov. 15, 2017	Nov. 15, 2016	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Nov. 14, 2016
Partners Capital and Distributions
Percentage of available cash distributed					100.00%
Number of days after end of quarter within which distributions must be paid to unitholders					45 days
General partner ownership interest								2.00%
Cash distributions paid					$ 1,399	$ 1,631	$ 1,674
Partners’ Capital Excluding Noncontrolling Interests
Partners Capital and Distributions
Cash distributions paid					1,397	1,627	1,671
Series B Preferred Units
Partners Capital and Distributions
Dividends paid (in dollars per unit)			$ 5.9549
Preferred unit dividends			$ 5
Distributions payable					6
Cash Distribution
Partners Capital and Distributions
Cash distributions paid						1,627	$ 1,671
Cash Distribution | Common Units
Partners Capital and Distributions
Cash distributions paid					1,386
Cash Distribution | Common Units | Subsequent Event | Fourth quarter distribution
Partners Capital and Distributions
Distribution per common unit declared (in dollars per unit)		$ 0.30
Cash distributions paid	$ 218
Unit Distribution | Series A Preferred Units | Partners’ Capital Excluding Noncontrolling Interests
Partners Capital and Distributions
Distributions paid to unitholders					$ 139	$ 89
Unit distributions (in units)					5,307,689	3,358,726
Unit Distribution | Series A Preferred Units | Partners’ Capital Excluding Noncontrolling Interests | Subsequent Event
Partners Capital and Distributions
Distributions paid to unitholders	$ 37
Unit distributions (in units)	1,393,926
Simplification Transactions | AAP | Common Units
Partners Capital and Distributions
Units issued in connection with the Simplification Transactions				244,700,000
Simplification Transactions | PAA GP
Partners Capital and Distributions
Economic ownership interest converted into non-economic interest				2.00%
AAP | Cash Distribution | Common Units
Partners Capital and Distributions
Distributions paid to unitholders					$ 537
AAP | Cash Distribution | Common Units | Subsequent Event | Fourth quarter distribution
Partners Capital and Distributions
Distributions paid to unitholders	$ 85
Plains All American Pipeline L P [Member] | PAA GP | Simplification Transactions
Partners Capital and Distributions
Economic ownership interest converted into non-economic interest				2.00%
Plains All American Pipeline L P [Member] | AAP | Simplification Transactions | Common Units
Partners Capital and Distributions
Units issued in connection with the Simplification Transactions				244,700,000

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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.

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