Investments in Unconsolidated Affiliates (Details) (USD $) In Millions, except Share data, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended																12 Months Ended									12 Months Ended					12 Months Ended													12 Months Ended											12 Months Ended					1 Months Ended		12 Months Ended			1 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009	Dec. 31, 2011 NGL Pipelines & Services [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 NGL Pipelines & Services [Member]	Dec. 31, 2009 NGL Pipelines & Services [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 NGL Pipelines & Services [Member] Venice Energy Service Company LLC [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 NGL Pipelines & Services [Member] Venice Energy Service Company LLC [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 NGL Pipelines & Services [Member] K/D/S Promix, LLC [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 NGL Pipelines & Services [Member] K/D/S Promix, LLC [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 NGL Pipelines & Services [Member] Baton Rouge Fractionators LLC [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 NGL Pipelines & Services [Member] Baton Rouge Fractionators LLC [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 NGL Pipelines & Services [Member] Skelly-Belvieu Pipeline Company, LLC [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 NGL Pipelines & Services [Member] Skelly-Belvieu Pipeline Company, LLC [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 NGL Pipelines & Services [Member] Texas Express Pipeline LLC [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 NGL Pipelines & Services [Member] Texas Express Pipeline LLC [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Onshore Natural Gas Pipelines & Services [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Onshore Natural Gas Pipelines & Services [Member]	Dec. 31, 2009 Onshore Natural Gas Pipelines & Services [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Onshore Natural Gas Pipelines & Services [Member] Evangeline [Member]		Dec. 31, 2010 Onshore Natural Gas Pipelines & Services [Member] Evangeline [Member]		Dec. 31, 2011 Onshore Natural Gas Pipelines & Services [Member] White River Hub, LLC [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Onshore Natural Gas Pipelines & Services [Member] White River Hub, LLC [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Onshore Crude Oil Pipelines & Services [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Onshore Crude Oil Pipelines & Services [Member]	Dec. 31, 2009 Onshore Crude Oil Pipelines & Services [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Onshore Crude Oil Pipelines & Services [Member] Seaway Crude Pipeline Company [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Onshore Crude Oil Pipelines & Services [Member] Seaway Crude Pipeline Company [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Offshore Pipelines & Services [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Offshore Pipelines & Services [Member]	Dec. 31, 2009 Offshore Pipelines & Services [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Offshore Pipelines & Services [Member] Poseidon Oil Pipeline Company, LLC [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Offshore Pipelines & Services [Member] Poseidon Oil Pipeline Company, LLC [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Offshore Pipelines & Services [Member] Cameron Highway Oil Pipeline Company [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Offshore Pipelines & Services [Member] Cameron Highway Oil Pipeline Company [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Offshore Pipelines & Services [Member] Deepwater Gateway LLC [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Offshore Pipelines & Services [Member] Deepwater Gateway LLC [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Offshore Pipelines & Services [Member] Neptune Pipeline Company, LLC [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Offshore Pipelines & Services [Member] Neptune Pipeline Company, LLC [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Offshore Pipelines & Services [Member] Southeast Keathley Canyon Pipeline Company, LLC [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Offshore Pipelines & Services [Member] Southeast Keathley Canyon Pipeline Company, LLC [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Petrochemical & Refined Products Services [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Petrochemical & Refined Products Services [Member]	Dec. 31, 2009 Petrochemical & Refined Products Services [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Petrochemical & Refined Products Services [Member] Baton Rouge Propylene Concentrator, LLC [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Petrochemical & Refined Products Services [Member] Baton Rouge Propylene Concentrator, LLC [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Petrochemical & Refined Products Services [Member] Centennial Pipeline LLC [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Petrochemical & Refined Products Services [Member] Centennial Pipeline LLC [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Petrochemical & Refined Products Services [Member] Other Unconsolidated Affiliates [Member]		Dec. 31, 2010 Petrochemical & Refined Products Services [Member] Other Unconsolidated Affiliates [Member]		Dec. 31, 2011 Other Investment [Member]		Dec. 31, 2010 Other Investment [Member]		Dec. 31, 2009 Other Investment [Member]	Jan. 31, 2012 Other Investment [Member] Energy Transfer Equity [Member]	May 31, 2007 Other Investment [Member] Energy Transfer Equity [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Other Investment [Member] Energy Transfer Equity [Member]	Feb. 29, 2012 Other Investment [Member] Energy Transfer Equity [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Other Investment [Member] Energy Transfer Equity [Member]	Jan. 31, 2009 Other Investment [Member] LE GP [Member]	May 31, 2007 Other Investment [Member] LE GP [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Ownership Interest (in hundredths)							13.10%		50.00%		32.20%		50.00%		45.00%					49.50%	[1]			50.00%					50.00%					36.00%		50.00%		50.00%		25.70%		50.00%					30.00%		50.00%													13.10%				34.90%
Investments in unconsolidated affiliates	$ 1,859.6	$ 2,293.1					$ 35.5	$ 31.9	$ 40.7	$ 43.5	$ 21.0	$ 21.9	$ 35.0	$ 34.2	$ 13.9	$ 0				$ 4.4	[1]	$ 6.4	[1]	$ 25.7	$ 26.2				$ 170.7	$ 172.2				$ 55.4	$ 57.2	$ 222.8	$ 233.7	$ 94.6	$ 98.4	$ 51.1	$ 53.9	$ 1.0	$ 0				$ 9.5	$ 10.1	$ 51.8	$ 63.1	$ 3.4	[2]	$ 3.6	[2]								$ 1,023.1		$ 1,436.8
Fair value of investment																																																														1,190
Cash paid to acquire membership interest																																																													1,650.0				0.8
Common units acquired (in units)																																																													38,976,090
Additional membership interest acquired (in hundredths)																																																																	5.70%
Number of common units owned accounted for under equity method (in units)																																																														29,303,514	6,000,000
Number of Energy Transfer Equity common units sold (in units)																																																												22,762,636		9,672,576
Cash received from the sale of Energy Transfer Equity common units																																																												825.1		375.2
Gain on the sale of Energy Transfer Equity common units																																																														27.2
Ownership percentage, description																																																															less than 3%
Equity in income (loss) of unconsolidated affiliates by business segment [Abstract]
Equity in income of unconsolidated affiliates	46.4	62.0	92.3	21.8	17.7	11.3											5.5	4.6	4.9							(4.1)	6.7	9.3			27.1	44.8	36.9											(18.7)	(9.0)	(11.2)									14.8		(2.8)		41.1
Unamortized excess cost amounts by business segment [Abstract]
Unamortized excess cost amounts	1,180.6	1,589.5		24.7	25.7																					19.2	19.7				14.8	16.0												2.9	3.0										1,119.0	[3]	1,525.1	[3]
Equity method investment tangible and intangible asset amortization expense	34.5	40.2	43.4	1.0	0.9	0.9																				0.7	0.7	0.7			1.2	1.3	1.3											0.1	1.0	3.9									31.5		36.3		36.6
Forecasted amortization of excess cost amounts - 2012	3.3
Forecasted amortization of excess cost amounts - 2013	3.0
Forecasted amortization of excess cost amounts - 2014	3.0
Forecasted amortization of excess cost amounts - 2015	3.0
Forecasted amortization of excess cost amounts - 2016	3.0
Summarized balance sheet information of unconsolidated affiliates:
Current assets	1,680.3	1,490.3
Property, plant and equipment, net	16,413.5	13,775.5
Other assets	4,893.7	4,266.2
Total assets	22,987.5	19,532.0
Current liabilities	1,955.7	1,208.1
Other liabilities	11,897.1	10,277.0
Combined equity	9,134.7	8,046.9
Total liabilities and combined equity	22,987.5	19,532.0
Summarized income statement information of unconsolidated affiliates [Abstract]
Revenues	9,119.9	7,437.0	6,155.4
Operating Income (Loss)	1,393.4	1,241.8	1,279.6
Net Income (Loss)	$ 458.1	$ 386.8	$ 598.4

[1] Evangeline refers to our ownership interests in Evangeline Gas Pipeline Company, L.P. and Evangeline Gas Corp., collectively.

[2] Other unconsolidated affiliates include a 50% interest in a propylene pipeline extending from Mont Belvieu, Texas to La Porte, Texas and a 25% interest in a company that provides logistics communications solutions between petroleum pipelines and their customers.

[3] Holdings' investment in Energy Transfer Equity exceeded its share of the historical cost of the underlying net assets of such investee by $1.66 billion in May 2007. At December 31, 2011, this basis differential decreased to $1.12 billion (after taking into account related amortization amounts and the sale of 9.67 million Energy Transfer Equity common units during 2011) and consisted of the following: $348.7 million attributed to fixed assets; $383.1 million attributed to the incentive distribution rights (an indefinite-life intangible asset) held by Energy Transfer Equity in the cash flows of ETP; $136.7 million attributed to amortizable intangible assets and $250.5 million attributed to equity method goodwill. These unamortized excess cost amounts are being amortized over their estimated economic lives of 20-27 years, as applicable.