Debt Changes in Outstanding Debt (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended					12 Months Ended						12 Months Ended			12 Months Ended		12 Months Ended		12 Months Ended									12 Months Ended				12 Months Ended			12 Months Ended		12 Months Ended		12 Months Ended			12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2012 Commercial Paper [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Bridge Loan [Member]	Aug. 06, 2012 Bridge Loan [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Debt Instrument Name One [Member] Senior Notes [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 March 14, 2012 Debt Offering [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 3.95% senior notes due September 1, 2022 [Member] Senior Notes [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Senior notes due March 1, 2016 [Member] Senior Notes [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Senior notes due March 1, 2016 [Member] Senior Notes [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Senior notes due March 1, 2016 [Member] Senior Notes [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Notes issued August 17, 2011 [Member] Senior Notes [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Senior notes due March 1, 2022 [Member] Senior Notes [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Senior notes due March 1, 2022 [Member] Senior Notes [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Senior notes due September 1, 2041 [Member] Senior Notes [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Senior notes due September 1, 2041 [Member] Senior Notes [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Senior notes due February 15, 2023 [Member] Senior Notes [Member]	Aug. 06, 2012 Senior notes due February 15, 2023 [Member] Senior Notes [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Senior notes due August 15, 2042 [Member] Senior Notes [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Tennessee Gas Pipeline senior notes due February 1, 2016 [Member] Senior Notes [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Tennessee Gas Pipeline senior notes due April 4, 2017 [Member] Senior Notes [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Tennessee Gas Pipeline senior note due March 15, 2027 [Member] Senior Notes [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Tennessee Gas Pipeline senior notes due October 15, 2028 [Member] Senior Notes [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Tennessee Gas Pipeline senior notes due June 15, 2032 [Member] Senior Notes [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Tennessee Gas Pipeline senior notes due April 1, 2037 [Member] Senior Notes [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Debt Instrument Name Two [Member] Senior Notes [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Debt Instrument Name Two [Member] Senior Notes [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 7.125% senior notes due March 15, 2012 [Member] Senior Notes [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Senior Notes due September 15, 2012 [Member] Senior Notes [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Senior Notes due September 15, 2012 [Member] Senior Notes [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Debt Instrument Name Three [Member] Senior Notes [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Debt Instrument Name Three [Member] Kinder Morgan Texas Pipeline, L.P [Member] Senior Notes [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Kinder Morgan Arrow Terminals L.P. [Member] Senior Notes [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 6.0% note due April 4, 2014 [Member] Senior Notes [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 6.0% note due April 4, 2014 [Member] Kinder Morgan Arrow Terminals L.P. [Member] Senior Notes [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 5.40% BP note due March 31, 2012 [Member] Senior Notes [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 5.40% BP note due March 31, 2012 [Member] Kinder Morgan Operating L.P. [Member] Senior Notes [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 5.40% BP note due March 31, 2012 [Member] Senior Notes [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 5.40% BP note due March 31, 2012 [Member] Kinder Morgan Canada Company [Member] Senior Notes [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 August 13, 2012 debt offering [Member]	Jul. 02, 2011 Previous credit facility [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Period in which acquisition occurred [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Tennessee Gas natural gas pipeline [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 California Public Utilities Commission [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Nontaxable Municipal Bonds [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Securities issued by the Express Pipeline System [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Other Debt Obligations [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Amount facility can be amended to [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Letters of Credit Outstanding, Amount	$ 220,000,000																																											$ 100,000,000	$ 85,000,000	$ 12,000,000	$ 23,000,000
Carrying value increase	11,069,000,000		6,453,000,000	576,000,000		1,000,000,000		1,100,000,000	500,000,000	600,000,000		750,000,000	375,000,000		375,000,000		625,000,000		625,000,000	250,000,000	300,000,000	300,000,000	400,000,000	240,000,000	300,000,000
Cash received	9,270,000,000		6,453,000,000	576,000,000		998,000,000											622,000,000		621,000,000	0	0	0	0	0	0
Carrying value decrease	(8,021,000,000)		(6,476,000,000)	576,000,000																						(450,000,000)		700,000,000	500,000,000			(8,000,000)			(1,000,000)		(5,000,000)		(5,000,000)
Cash paid	(8,011,000,000)		(6,476,000,000)	576,000,000																						(450,000,000)			500,000,000			(8,000,000)			(1,000,000)		0		0
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage						3.95%					6.375%			4.15%		5.625%	3.45%	3.45%	5.00%	8.00%	7.50%	7.00%	7.00%	8.375%	7.625%	7.125%	7.125%	6.75%	5.85%	5.85%	5.23%		6.00%	3.50%		5.40%		5.40%
Number of seperate debt offerings during year		0
Proceeds from Issuance of Senior Long-term Debt							994,000,000	1,093,000,000				743,000,000
Amount borrowing capacity is reduced	841,000,000
Number of letters of credit																																													3
Proceeds from Issuance of Long-term Debt																																								1,236,000,000
Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity	2,200,000,000				2,000,000,000																																				2,000,000,000							2,500,000,000
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation, Assets Acquired (Liabilities Assumed), Net																																											1,790,000,000
Debt Instrument, Basis Spread on Variable Rate	0.50%
Debt Instrument, Restrictive Covenants	5																																									5.5
Amount of hedge payments missed that will constitute a debt default	75,000,000
Amount of any payments missed that will constitute a debt default	75,000,000
Amount of adverse judgement rendered against us that remains undischarged for 30 days that shall constitute a default on debt	$ 75,000,000