Operating segments after intersegment earnings before corporate allocation

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Sum of the carrying amounts as of the balance sheet date of all assets that are recognized. Assets are probable future economic benefits obtained or controlled by an entity as a result of past transactions or events.

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The percentage of ownership of common stock or equity participation in the investee accounted for under the equity method of accounting.

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Sum of operating profit and nonoperating income or expense before Income or Loss from equity method investments, income taxes, extraordinary items, and noncontrolling interest.

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Amount of interest revenue (income derived from investments in debt securities and on cash and cash equivalents) net of interest expense (cost of borrowed funds accounted for as interest).

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The equity interest of noncontrolling shareholders, partners or other equity holders in consolidated entity.

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Long-lived assets other than financial instruments, long-term customer relationships of a financial institution, mortgage and other servicing rights, deferred policy acquisition costs, and deferred tax assets.

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Number of segments reported by the entity. A reportable segment is a component of an entity for which there is an accounting requirement to report separate financial information on that component in the entity's financial statements.

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The net result for the period of deducting operating expenses from operating revenues.

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The cash outflow for acquisition of or capital improvements to properties held for investment (operating, managed, leased) or for use.

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The aggregate costs incurred (1) in a planned search or critical investigation aimed at discovery of new knowledge with the hope that such knowledge will be useful in developing a new product or service, a new process or technique, or in bringing about a significant improvement to an existing product or process; or (2) to translate research findings or other knowledge into a plan or design for a new product or process or for a significant improvement to an existing product or process whether intended for sale or the entity's use, during the reporting period charged to research and development projects, including the costs of developing computer software up to the point in time of achieving technological feasibility, and costs allocated in accounting for a business combination to in-process projects deemed to have no alternative future use.

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The aggregate amount provided for estimated restructuring charges, remediation costs, and asset impairment loss during an accounting period. Generally, these items are either unusual or infrequent, but not both (in which case they would be extraordinary items).

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Amount of revenue recognized from goods sold, services rendered, insurance premiums, or other activities that constitute an earning process. Includes, but is not limited to, investment and interest income before deduction of interest expense when recognized as a component of revenue, and sales and trading gain (loss).

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Total revenue from sale of goods and services rendered during the reporting period, in the normal course of business, reduced by sales returns and allowances, and sales discounts.

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Business Segments (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014 Segment	Sep. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Sep. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2013	Mar. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2014 Segment	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Business Segments [Abstract]
Number of business segments	4us-gaap_NumberOfReportableSegments								4us-gaap_NumberOfReportableSegments
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Research and product development costs									$ 128us-gaap_ResearchAndDevelopmentExpense	$ 83us-gaap_ResearchAndDevelopmentExpense	$ 63us-gaap_ResearchAndDevelopmentExpense
Percent of total research and development costs incurred by DPS (in hundredths)									58.00%	44.00%	47.00%
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	2,804us-gaap_SalesRevenueNet	2,678us-gaap_SalesRevenueNet	2,570us-gaap_SalesRevenueNet	2,329us-gaap_SalesRevenueNet	2,731us-gaap_SalesRevenueNet	2,317us-gaap_SalesRevenueNet	2,134us-gaap_SalesRevenueNet	1,956us-gaap_SalesRevenueNet	10,381us-gaap_SalesRevenueNet	9,138us-gaap_SalesRevenueNet	7,795us-gaap_SalesRevenueNet
Depreciation and amortization									348cam_DepreciationAndAmortizationExpense	298cam_DepreciationAndAmortizationExpense	238cam_DepreciationAndAmortizationExpense
Other costs									73	92	33
Consolidated income from continuing operations before income taxes									1,080	855	842
Capital expenditures									385us-gaap_PaymentsForCapitalImprovements	520us-gaap_PaymentsForCapitalImprovements	427us-gaap_PaymentsForCapitalImprovements
Total assets	12,892us-gaap_Assets				14,249us-gaap_Assets				12,892us-gaap_Assets	14,249us-gaap_Assets	11,158us-gaap_Assets
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Revenue									10,381us-gaap_Revenues	9,138us-gaap_Revenues	7,795us-gaap_Revenues
Long-lived assets	5,153us-gaap_NoncurrentAssets				5,866us-gaap_NoncurrentAssets				5,153us-gaap_NoncurrentAssets	5,866us-gaap_NoncurrentAssets	4,025us-gaap_NoncurrentAssets
United States [Member]
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Revenue									4,689	4,311	4,058
Long-lived assets	2,367				2,670				2,367	2,670	2,532
United Kingdom [Member]
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Revenue									964	822	612
Long-lived assets	219				197				219	197	170
Other Foreign Countries [Member]
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Revenue									4,728	4,005	3,125
Long-lived assets	2,567				2,999				2,567	2,999	1,323
Operating Segments [Member] \| Subsea [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues									3,067	2,813	2,061
Depreciation and amortization									113	85	57
Segment operating income before interest and income taxes									207	152	72
Capital expenditures									70	80	82
Total assets	5,571				5,897				5,571	5,897	3,364
Operating Segments [Member] \| Surface [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues									2,411	2,077	1,859
Depreciation and amortization									126	106	85
Segment operating income before interest and income taxes									427	367	315
Capital expenditures									125	156	132
Total assets	2,756				2,705				2,756	2,705	2,307
Operating Segments [Member] \| Drilling [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues									3,049	2,327	1,807
Depreciation and amortization									60	60	46
Segment operating income before interest and income taxes									474	311	329
Capital expenditures									38	111	97
Total assets	3,011				3,076				3,011	3,076	2,413
Operating Segments [Member] \| V&M [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues									2,125	2,105	2,168
Depreciation and amortization									49	47	50
Segment operating income before interest and income taxes									393	414	396
Capital expenditures									49	58	30
Total assets	1,633				1,765				1,633	1,765	1,743
Corporate [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Corporate expenses									(145)	(162)	(126)
Interest, net									(129)	(100)	(90)
Other costs									(73)	(92)	(33)
Capital expenditures									96	102	69
Total assets	581				844				581	844	1,376
Discontinued Operations [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Capital expenditures									7	13	17
Total assets	217				616				217	616	615
Operating segments after intersegment earnings before corporate allocation [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Segment operating income before interest and income taxes									1,427	1,209	1,091
Eliminations of intersegment earnings [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues									(271)	(184)	(100)
Segment operating income before interest and income taxes									(74)	(35)	(21)
Total assets	$ (877)				$ (654)				$ (877)	$ (654)	$ (660)
OneSubsea [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Ownership percnetage	60.00%								60.00%
Minority ownership percentage (in hundredths)	40.00%								40.00%