Supplemental Oil and Gas Disclosures - Unaudited Information of Future Net Cash Flows For Oil and Gas Reserves, Net of Income Tax Expense (Detail) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Discounted Future Net Cash Flows Relating to Proved Oil and Gas Reserves [Line Items]
Cash inflows	$ 142,934	$ 154,598
Production costs	(47,562)	(50,544)
Development costs	(12,507)	(15,155)
Income tax expense	(21,465)	(23,428)
Net cash flows	61,400	65,471
10 percent discount rate	(29,742)	(32,877)
Discounted future net cash flows	31,658	32,594
United States [Member]
Discounted Future Net Cash Flows Relating to Proved Oil and Gas Reserves [Line Items]
Cash inflows	73,859	79,654
Production costs	(25,875)	(26,032)
Development costs	(4,422)	(4,834)
Income tax expense	(10,657)	(12,832)
Net cash flows	32,905	35,956
10 percent discount rate	(17,639)	(20,117)
Discounted future net cash flows	15,266	15,839
Canada [Member]
Discounted Future Net Cash Flows Relating to Proved Oil and Gas Reserves [Line Items]
Cash inflows	18,966	19,260
Production costs	(7,537)	(8,105)
Development costs	(2,453)	(2,458)
Income tax expense	(1,070)	(678)
Net cash flows	7,906	8,019
10 percent discount rate	(3,983)	(3,987)
Discounted future net cash flows	3,923	4,032
Egypt [Member]
Discounted Future Net Cash Flows Relating to Proved Oil and Gas Reserves [Line Items]
Cash inflows	16,802	16,864
Production costs	(2,924)	(2,590)
Development costs	(1,683)	(1,899)
Income tax expense	(4,091)	(4,328)
Net cash flows	8,104	8,047
10 percent discount rate	(2,099)	(2,193)
Discounted future net cash flows	6,005	5,854
Australia [Member]
Discounted Future Net Cash Flows Relating to Proved Oil and Gas Reserves [Line Items]
Cash inflows	19,391	20,637
Production costs	(4,105)	(4,494)
Development costs	(1,173)	(2,283)
Income tax expense	(3,202)	(3,072)
Net cash flows	10,911	10,788
10 percent discount rate	(5,875)	(6,423)
Discounted future net cash flows	5,036	4,365
North Sea [Member]
Discounted Future Net Cash Flows Relating to Proved Oil and Gas Reserves [Line Items]
Cash inflows	13,916	15,359
Production costs	(7,121)	(8,147)
Development costs	(2,776)	(3,284)
Income tax expense	(2,445)	(2,376)
Net cash flows	1,574	1,552
10 percent discount rate	(146)	85
Discounted future net cash flows	1,428	1,637
Argentina [Member]
Discounted Future Net Cash Flows Relating to Proved Oil and Gas Reserves [Line Items]
Cash inflows		2,824
Production costs		(1,176)
Development costs		(397)
Income tax expense		(142)
Net cash flows		1,109
10 percent discount rate		(242)
Discounted future net cash flows		$ 867

Name:	us-gaap_DiscountedFutureNetCashFlowsRelatingToProvedOilAndGasReservesLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

Amount of estimated future accumulated cash inflow from the sale of proved oil and gas reserves.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FutureNetCashFlowsRelatingToProvedOilAndGasReservesCashInflows
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of estimated future accumulated cash outflow for costs to be incurred in developing proved oil and gas reserves.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FutureNetCashFlowsRelatingToProvedOilAndGasReservesDevelopmentCosts
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of estimated future accumulated cash outflow for income tax, based on the future income less future expense derived from production and sale of proved oil and gas reserves.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FutureNetCashFlowsRelatingToProvedOilAndGasReservesIncomeTaxExpense
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount, after future accumulated cash outflow for development and production costs and future income tax, of estimated future accumulated cash inflow from the sale of proved oil and gas reserves.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FutureNetCashFlowsRelatingToProvedOilAndGasReservesNetCashFlows
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of estimated future accumulated cash outflow for costs to be incurred in producing proved oil and gas reserves.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FutureNetCashFlowsRelatingToProvedOilAndGasReservesProductionCosts
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of discount on future accumulated cash inflow, after deducting future accumulated cash outflow for development and production costs and future income tax, from sale of proved oil and gas reserves, using a discount rate of ten percent a year.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FutureNetCashFlowsRelatingToProvedOilAndGasReservesTenPercentAnnualDiscountForEstimatedTimingOfCashFlows
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of discounted future accumulated cash inflow relating to proved oil and gas reserves.

+ References

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

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 932

-SubTopic 235

-Section 50

-Paragraph 30

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=8451039&loc=d3e62424-109447

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

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 932

-SubTopic 235

-Section 50

-Paragraph 35

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=8451039&loc=d3e62500-109447

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

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 932

-SubTopic 235

-Section 55

-Paragraph 7

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=34713648&loc=d3e63123-109448

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 932

-SubTopic 235

-Section 50

-Paragraph 31

-Subparagraph (f)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=8451039&loc=d3e62455-109447

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_StandardizedMeasureOfDiscountedFutureNetCashFlowsRelatingToProvedOilAndGasReserves
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis=apa_NorthSeaMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis=country_AR
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis=country_AU
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis=country_CA
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis=country_EG
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis=country_US
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: