Equity Compensation Plans (Details) (USD $)	0 Months Ended	12 Months Ended							12 Months Ended
	Oct. 02, 2012	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2012 PAA Long-term Incentive Plan Awards	Dec. 31, 2011 PAA Long-term Incentive Plan Awards	Dec. 31, 2010 PAA Long-term Incentive Plan Awards	Dec. 31, 2009 PAA Long-term Incentive Plan Awards	Dec. 31, 2012 Employees and Directors Long Term Incentive Plan	Dec. 31, 2012 Non Officer Employee Long Term Incentive Tracking Unit Plan	Dec. 31, 2012 PNG Long Term Incentive Plan Awards	Dec. 31, 2012 PNG Long Term Incentive Plan Awards Range of annualized vesting distribution amount from $1.35 to $1.55	Dec. 31, 2012 PNG Long Term Incentive Plan Awards Other ranges of annualized vesting distribution
Share-based Compensation Arrangement, by Share-based Payment Award
Unit split conversion ratio	2
Impact to number of unvested LTIP awards due to stock split		doubled
Impact to number of units available for issuance under PAA LTIP		doubled
Percentage of reduction in specified distribution level	50.00%
Authorized grants (in units)							10,800,000	4,200,000	3,000,000
Units Outstanding (in units)			6,000,000	8,000,000	8,800,000	7,800,000			600,000	400,000	200,000
Estimated unit vesting in 2013 (in units)			1,900,000						100,000	100,000
Estimated unit vesting in 2014 (in units)			1,700,000						300,000	100,000	200,000
Estimated unit vesting in 2015 (in units)			2,000,000
Estimated unit vesting in 2016 (in units)			300,000						200,000	200,000
Estimated unit vesting thereafter (in units)			100,000
Annualized distribution, low end of range (in dollars per unit)			$ 1.925							$ 1.35
Annualized distribution, high end of range (in dollars per unit)			$ 2.40							$ 1.55
Units outstanding that include DERs (in units)			2,900,000						500,000
DERs currently vested (in units)			2,700,000						200,000