Income Taxes - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2013	Mar. 31, 2012
Income Tax [Line Items]
Write-down of oil and gas properties	$ 65	$ 521
Year One [Member]
Income Tax [Line Items]
Year under audit	2009
Year Two [Member]
Income Tax [Line Items]
Year under audit	2010
Year Three [Member]
Income Tax [Line Items]
Year under audit	2011
Argentina [Member]
Income Tax [Line Items]
Valuation Allowance	27
Canada [Member]
Income Tax [Line Items]
Write-down of oil and gas properties		521
Valuation Allowance	$ 12

The amount of the change in the period in the valuation allowance for a specified deferred tax asset.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)

-Number 109

-Paragraph 43

-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 740

-SubTopic 10

-Section 45

-Paragraph 20

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=21917399&loc=d3e32123-109318

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)

-Number 109

-Paragraph 26

-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Name:	us-gaap_ValuationAllowanceDeferredTaxAssetChangeInAmount
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration