| **Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - (Notes)** | 9 Months Ended                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            |
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| **Accounting Policies [Abstract]**                       |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      |
| Summary of Significant Accounting Policies               | SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIESNature of OperationsBaker Hughes Incorporated (“Baker Hughes,” “Company,” “we,” “our,” or “us,”) is a leading supplier of oilfield services, products, technology and systems used for drilling, formation evaluation, completion and production, pressure pumping, and reservoir development in the worldwide oil and natural gas industry.  We also provide products and services for other businesses including downstream chemicals, and process and pipeline services.Basis of PresentationOur unaudited consolidated condensed financial statements included herein have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) in the United States of America (“U.S.”) and pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) for interim financial information.  Accordingly, certain information and disclosures normally included in our annual financial statements have been condensed or omitted.  These unaudited consolidated condensed financial statements should be read in conjunction with our audited consolidated financial statements included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014.  We believe the unaudited consolidated condensed financial statements included herein reflect all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring adjustments) necessary for a fair presentation of the interim periods.  The results of operations for the interim periods are not necessarily indicative of the results of operations to be expected for the full year.  In the Notes to Unaudited Consolidated Condensed Financial Statements, all dollar and share amounts in tabulations are in millions of dollars and shares, respectively, unless otherwise indicated.New Accounting Standards UpdatesIn May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers.  The ASU will supersede most of the existing revenue recognition requirements in U.S. GAAP and will require entities to recognize revenue at an amount that reflects the consideration to which the Company expects to be entitled in exchange for transferring goods or services to a customer.  The new standard also requires significantly expanded disclosures regarding the qualitative and quantitative information of an entity's nature, amount, timing, and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from contracts with customers.  The pronouncement is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within that reporting period and is to be applied retrospectively.  Early adoption is permitted.  We have not completed an evaluation of the impact the pronouncement will have on our consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.In April 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-3, Simplifying the Presentation of Debt Issuance Costs.  The ASU requires that debt issuance costs related to a recognized debt liability be presented in the balance sheet as a direct deduction from the carrying amount of that debt liability, consistent with debt discounts.  The pronouncement is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2015.  We currently report debt issuance costs consistent with the guidance of this ASU; therefore there will be no impact on our consolidated financial statements and related disclosures upon adoption.In April 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-5, Customer's Accounting for Fees Paid in a Cloud Computing Arrangement.  The ASU provides guidance to customers about whether a cloud computing arrangement includes a software license and the related accounting treatment.  The pronouncement is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2015.  Adoption of this pronouncement is not expected to have a material impact upon our consolidated financial statements or notes thereto. |

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| - Definition
The entire disclosure for all significant accounting policies of the reporting entity.
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