Partners Capital Income Allocation and Declared Distributions (Details) (USD $) In Millions, except Share data, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2013	Mar. 31, 2012
Distribution Made to Member or Limited Partner [Line Items]
Distribution Made to Member or Limited Partner, Distributions Declared, Per Unit	$ 1.30	$ 1.20
Limited Partners' Capital Account, Units Outstanding	$ 730	$ 590
Stock Dividends, Shares	1,804,596	1,464,145
Percent incentive distribution allocated to general partners income	100.00%
Amount of cash distribution (usd per share)		$ 1.16
Incentive distribution waived as result of Kinderhawk acquisition	7	8
Partners' Capital Account, Units, Sale of Units	398	319
Partners' Capital Account, Sale of Units	$ 384	$ 302
Kinder Morgan, Inc. [Member]
Distribution Made to Member or Limited Partner [Line Items]
Limited Liability Company (LLC) or Limited Partnership (LP), Managing Member or General Partner, Ownership Interest	2.00%
Common Unit [Member] \| KMI and Consolidated Affiliates [Member]
Distribution Made to Member or Limited Partner [Line Items]
Amount of cash distribution (usd per share)	$ 1.29

Amount Of Incentive Distribution Waived As Result Of Kinderhawk Acquisition

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Incentive distribution declared

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No definition available.

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- Definition

Percent incentive distribution allocated to general partners income

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No definition available.

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Per-share or per-unit cash distributions declared to a common shareholder or unit-holder by an LLC or LP.

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Per-share or per-unit cash distributions paid to a common shareholder or unit-holder by an LLC or LP.

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- Definition

Amount of incentive obligation paid in cash or stock during the period to a limited liability corporation managing member or limited partnership general partner.

+ References

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

-Publisher FASB

-Name Emerging Issues Task Force (EITF)

-Number 07-4

-Paragraph 2, 9

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-Publisher AICPA

-Name Accounting Principles Board Opinion (APB)

-Number 12

-Paragraph 10

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

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 04

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

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-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 505

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The number of units or percentage investment held by the managing member or general partner of the LLC or LP.

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Total distributions to each class of partners (i.e., general, limited and preferred partners).

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

-Publisher AICPA

-Name Practice Bulletin (PB)

-Number 14

-Paragraph 15

-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.

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-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

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Number of shares of common and preferred stock issued as dividends during the period. Excludes stock splits.

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