Slicers (applies to each fact value in each table cell)

Reporting Entity [Axis]

0001321646 (http://www.sec.gov/CIK)

Compensation and Retirement Disclosure [Abstract]	Period [Axis]
	2016-01-01 - 2016-12-31
Compensation and Retirement Disclosure [Abstract]
Plan Obligation, Plan Assets, Amounts Recognized in Financial Statements and Underlying Actuarial and Other Assumptions	Information concerning the plan obligation, the funded status and amounts recognized in our financial statements and underlying actuarial and other assumptions are as follows:    December 31,   2016   2015   (In thousands) Change in benefit obligation:       Benefit obligation at beginning of period $ 30,867   $ 32,444 Service cost 543   597 Interest cost 1,398   1,271 Benefits and expenses paid (premiums) (929 )   (825 ) Actuarial (gain) loss 1,368   (2,620 ) Benefit obligation at end of period 33,247   30,867 Change in plan assets (1):       Fair value at beginning of period —   — Employer contributions 929   825 Benefits paid (929 )   (825 ) Fair value at end of period —   — Funded status at end of year $ 33,247   $ 30,867 ___________________________________________ (1) Shell Chemicals has committed to a future cash payment related to retiree medical expenses based on a specified dollar amount per employee, if certain contractual commitments are met. We have recorded an asset of approximately $9.1 million and $10.1 million as our estimate of the present value of this commitment as of December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively.   December 31,   2016   2015   (In thousands) Amounts recognized in the balance sheet:       Current liabilities $ (1,587 )   $ (1,341 ) Noncurrent liabilities (31,660 )   (29,526 )   $ (33,247 )   $ (30,867 ) Amounts recognized in accumulated other comprehensive loss:       Net actuarial loss 9,067   8,307   $ 9,067   $ 8,307 Information concerning the pension obligation, plan assets, amounts recognized in our financial statements and underlying actuarial and other assumptions are as follows:   U.S. Plans   Non-U.S. Plans   December 31,   December 31,   2016   2015   2016   2015   (In thousands) Change in benefit obligation:               Benefit obligation at beginning of period $ 152,511   $ 158,885   $ 1,711   $ — Service cost 3,288   3,528   2,239   — Interest cost 7,416   6,483   3,121   — Participant contributions —   —   140   — Benefits paid (9,753 )   (4,724 )   (3,199 )   — Expenses and taxes —   —   (50 )   — Plan amendments —   —   322   — Acquisition 14,118   —   98,651   — Transfers —   —   2,399   — Actuarial (gain) / loss 4,363   (11,661 )   21,914   — Exchange rate gain (loss) —   —   (13,759 )   — Benefit obligation at end of period 171,943   152,511   113,489   — Change in plan assets:               Fair value at beginning of period 97,561   104,792   —   — Return on plan assets 6,737   (4,267 )   10,763   — Employer contributions 1,396   1,760   3,685   — Participant contributions —   —   140   — Benefits paid (9,753 )   (4,724 )   (3,199 )   — Expenses and taxes —   —   (50 )   — Settlements —   —   (51 )   — Acquisition 9,166   —   68,130   — Transfers —   —   2,399   — Exchange rate gain (loss) —   —   (8,986 )   — Fair value at end of period 105,107   97,561   72,831   — Funded status at end of period $ (66,836 )   $ (54,950 )   $ (40,658 )   $ — Amounts recognized on balance sheet:               Current liabilities $ —   $ —   $ (726 )   $ — Noncurrent liabilities (66,836 )   (54,950 )   (39,932 )   —   $ (66,836 )   $ (54,950 )   $ (40,658 )   $ — Amounts recognized in accumulated other comprehensive loss:               Prior service costs $ —   $ —   $ 307   $ — Net actuarial loss 53,604   49,491   12,972   — Amounts recognized in accumulated other comprehensive loss $ 53,604   $ 49,491   $ 13,279   $ —                 Accumulated benefit obligations $ 160,625   $ 140,848   $ 109,219   $ —
Estimated Future Benefit Payments	The following employer contributions and benefit payments, which reflect expected future service, as appropriate, are expected to be paid:    U.S. Plans   Non-U.S. Plans   (In thousands) Employer Contributions       2017 Employer contribution $ 7,715   $ 4,956 Benefit Payments       2017 $ 5,932   $ 2,093 2018 6,325   2,027 2019 6,731   1,991 2020 7,094   2,282 2021 7,591   2,172 Years 2022-2026 45,865   12,877   $ 79,538   $ 23,442
Components of Net Periodic Pension Costs	Net periodic benefit costs consist of the following components:    Years Ended December 31,   2016   2015   2014   (In thousands) Service cost $ 543   $ 597   $ 498 Interest cost 1,398   1,271   1,275 Amortization of net actuarial loss 608   757   416 Net periodic benefit costs $ 2,549   $ 2,625   $ 2,189 Net periodic pension costs consist of the following components:    U.S. Plans   Non-U.S. Plans   Years Ended December 31,   Years Ended December 31,   2016   2015   2014   2016   2015   2014   (In thousands) Service cost benefits earned during the period $ 3,288   $ 3,528   $ 2,800   $ 2,239   $ —   $ — Interest on prior year’s projected benefit obligation 7,416   6,483   6,171   3,121   —   — Expected return on plan assets (9,355 )   (8,459 )   (7,677 )   (3,583 )   —   — Amortization of prior service costs —   —   —   9   —   — Amortization of net actuarial loss 2,868   4,239   1,841   21   —   — Net periodic pension costs $ 4,217   $ 5,791   $ 3,135   $ 1,807   $ —   $ —
Schedule of Amounts in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)	The estimated losses that will be amortized from accumulated other comprehensive loss into net periodic benefit cost in fiscal 2017 are as follows:   U.S. Plans   Non-U.S. Plans   (In thousands) Amortization of prior service costs $ —   $ 11 Amortization of net actuarial loss 3,600   195   $ 3,600   $ 206
Weighted Average Assumptions used to Determine Benefit Obligation and Net Periodic Benefit Cost	December 31,   2016   2015 Weighted average assumptions used to determine benefit obligations:       Measurement date 12/31/2016   12/31/2015 Discount rate 4.18 %   4.45 % Rates of increase in salary compensation level N/A   N/A Weighted average assumptions used to determine net periodic benefit cost:       Discount rate 4.45 %   4.02 % Rates of increase in salary compensation level N/A   N/A Expected long-term rate of return on plan assets N/A   N/A Discount rates are determined annually and are based on rates of return of high-quality long-term fixed income securities currently available and expected to be available during the maturity of the pension benefits.   U.S. Plans   Non-U.S. Plans   December 31,   December 31,   2016   2015   2016   2015 Weighted average assumptions used to determine benefit obligations:               Measure date 12/31/2016   12/31/2015   12/31/2016   12/31/2015 Discount rate 4.29 %   4.55 %   2.39 %   — % Rates of increase in salary compensation level 3.00 %   3.00 %   2.78 %   — % Weighted average assumptions used to determine net periodic benefit cost:               Discount rate 4.57 %   4.12 %   3.59 %   — % Rates of increase in salary compensation level 3.00 %   3.00 %   3.11 %   — % Expected long-term rate of return on plan assets 8.36 %   8.50 %   4.07 %   — %
Pension Plan Asset Allocations by Asset Category	Our Pension Plan asset allocations at December 31, 2016 and 2015 by asset category are as follows:    U.S. Plans   Non-U.S. Plans   Target Allocation   Percentage of Plan Assets at December 31,   Target Allocation   Percentage of Plan Assets at December 31,   2016   2016   2015   2016   2016   2015 Equity 50.0 %   53.8 %   57.1 %   50.0 %   28.9 %   — % Debt 30.0   36.8   33.5   40.0   30.4   — Insurance —   —   —   —   40.5   — Other 20.0   9.4   9.4   10.0   0.2   — Total 100.0 %   100.0 %   100.0 %   100.0 %   100.0 %   — %
Fair Values of Pension Plan Assets by Asset Category	A summary of total investments for our pension plan assets measured at fair value is presented below. See Note 9 Fair Value Measurements, Financial Instruments, and Credit Risk to the consolidated financial statements for a detailed description of fair value measurements and the hierarchy established for Level 1, 2, and 3 valuation inputs.   Pension Plan Assets Fair Value Measurements at December 31, 2016   Total   Quoted Prices In Active Markets Identical Assets (Level 1)   Significant Observable Inputs (Level 2)   Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)   (In thousands) Cash and Cash Equivalents $ 9,912   $ 9,912   $ —   $ — Equity 77,644   24,270   53,374   — Debt 60,857   16,897   43,960   — Insurance 29,525   —   —   29,525 Total $ 177,938   $ 51,079   $ 97,334   $ 29,525   Pension Plan Assets Fair Value Measurements at December 31, 2015   Total   Quoted Prices In Active Markets Identical Assets (Level 1)   Significant Observable Inputs (Level 2)   Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)   (In thousands) Cash and Cash Equivalents $ 70   $ 70   $ —   $ — Equity 55,692   21,188   34,504   — Debt 32,700   11,031   21,669   — Other 9,099   9,099   —   — Total $ 97,561   $ 41,388   $ 56,173   $ —
Schedule of Changes in Fair Value of Plan Assets	The following is a summary of changes in fair value of our pension plan Level 3 investments for the year ended December 31, 2016.   Level 3 Investments   (In thousands) December 31, 2015 $ — Return on plan assets 7,075 Employer contributions 1,389 Participant contributions 99 Actual benefits paid from plan (155 ) Actual expenses and taxes (51 ) Acquisition 19,359 Transfers 2,399 Exchange rate gain (loss) (590 ) December 31, 2016 $ 29,525
Assumed Health Care Cost Trend Rates	December 31,   2016   2015 Assumed health care cost trend rates:       Health care cost trend rate assumed for next year 7.00 %   7.50 % Rate to which the cost trend rate is assumed to decline (the ultimate trend rate) 5.00 %   5.00 % Year that the rate reaches the ultimate trend rate 2021   2021
Effect of One Percentage Point Change in Assumed Health Care Cost Trend Rates	A 1.0% change in assumed health care cost trend rates would have the following effect (in thousands):    1% Increase   1% Decrease Effect on total of service and interest cost components $ 19   $ (24 ) Effect on postretirement benefit obligation $ 415   $ (481 )