Valvoline (VVV) 10-Q 28 Apr 17 2017 Q2 Quarterly report Financial data

Document Entity Information

Document Entity Information - shares	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017	Apr. 26, 2017
Document and Entity Information [Abstract]
Entity Registrant Name	VALVOLINE INC
Entity Central Index Key	1,674,910
Document Type	10-Q
Document Period End Date	Mar. 31, 2017
Amendment Flag	false
Current Fiscal Year End Date	--09-30
Entity Current Reporting Status	Yes
Entity Filer Category	Non-accelerated Filer
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding		204,531,221
Document Fiscal Year Focus	2,017
Document Fiscal Period Focus	Q2

Condensed Consolidated Statemen

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income - USD ($) shares in Millions, $ in Millions	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017	Mar. 31, 2016	Mar. 31, 2017	Mar. 31, 2016
Operating Income (Loss) [Abstract]
Sales	$ 514	$ 480	$ 1,003	$ 936
Cost of sales	316	288	620	568
Gross profit	198	192	383	368
Selling, general and administrative expense	97	93	192	180
Pension and other postretirement plan non-service income and remeasurement adjustments, net	(17)	1	(43)	(1)
Separation costs	6	0	12	0
Equity and other income	(5)	(6)	(15)	(11)
Operating income	117	104	237	200
Net interest and other financing expense	8	0	18	0
Net loss on acquisition	0	(1)	0	(1)
Income before income taxes	109	103	219	199
Income tax expense	38	35	76	66
Net income	$ 71	$ 68	$ 143	$ 133
Basic and Diluted
Basic and Diluted (usd per share)	$ 0.35	$ 0.33	$ 0.70	$ 0.65
AVERAGE SHARES OUTSTANDING
Basic and Diluted (shares)	205	205	205	205
Dividends paid per common share (usd per share)	$ 0.05	$ 0	$ 0.10	$ 0
Unrealized translation gain (loss)
Net income	$ 71	$ 68	$ 143	$ 133
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax
Unrealized translation gain (loss)	6	9	(3)	5
Pension and other postretirement obligation adjustment	(2)	0	(4)	0
Other comprehensive income (loss)	4	9	(7)	5
Comprehensive income	$ 75	$ 77	$ 136	$ 138

Condensed Consolidated Balance

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets - USD ($) $ in Millions	Mar. 31, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 135	$ 172
Accounts receivable	405	363
Inventories	156	139
Other assets	36	56
Total current assets	732	730
Noncurrent assets
Cost	765	727
Accumulated depreciation	416	403
Net property, plant and equipment	349	324
Goodwill and intangibles	317	267
Equity method investments	30	26
Deferred income taxes	393	389
Other assets	86	89
Total noncurrent assets	1,175	1,095
Total assets	1,907	1,825
Current liabilities
Short-term debt	75	0
Current portion of long-term debt	16	19
Trade and other payables	170	177
Accrued expenses and other liabilities	210	204
Total current liabilities	471	400
Noncurrent liabilities
Long-term debt	646	724
Employee benefit obligations	833	886
Deferred income taxes	2	2
Other liabilities	173	143
Total noncurrent liabilities	1,654	1,755
Commitments and contingencies
Preferred stock, no par value, 40 shares authorized; no shares issued and outstanding	0	0
Common stock, par value $0.01 per share, 400 shares authorized; 205 shares issued and outstanding at March 31, 2017 and September 30, 2016	2	2
Paid-in capital	710	710
Retained earnings	123	0
Parent company investment	(1,049)	(1,039)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(4)	(3)
Total stockholders’ deficit	(218)	(330)
Total liabilities and stockholders’ deficit	$ 1,907	$ 1,825

Condensed Consolidated Balance4

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (Parenthetical) - $ / shares	Mar. 31, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016
Statement of Financial Position [Abstract]
Preferred stock authorized (shares)	40,000,000	40,000,000
Preferred stock issued (shares)	0	0
Preferred stock outstanding (shares)	0	0
Common stock, par value (usd per share)	$ 0.01	$ 0.01
Common stock authorized (shares)	400,000,000	400,000,000
Common stock issued (shares)	205,000,000	205,000,000
Common stock outstanding (shares)	205,000,000	205,000,000

Condensed Consolidated Stateme5

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows - USD ($) $ in Millions		6 Months Ended
		Mar. 31, 2017	Mar. 31, 2016
Cash flows from operating activities
Net income		$ 143	$ 133
Adjustments to reconcile income to cash flows from operating activities
Depreciation and amortization		18	19
Debt issuance cost amortization		2	0
Equity income from affiliates		(7)	(7)
Distributions from equity affiliates		3	8
Net loss on acquisition		0	1
Pension contributions		(10)	(2)
Gain on pension and other postretirement plan remeasurements		(8)	0
Stock-based compensation expense		3	0
Change in assets and liabilities
Accounts receivable	[1]	(42)	(15)
Inventories	[1]	(17)	(17)
Payables and accrued liabilities	[1]	(9)	(10)
Other assets and liabilities	[1]	(6)	(19)
Total cash provided by operating activities		70	91
Cash flows from investing activities
Additions to property, plant and equipment		(27)	(14)
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired		(48)	(67)
Other investing activities, net		(1)	0
Total cash used in investing activities		(76)	(81)
Cash flows from financing activities
Net transfers to Parent		(2)	(10)
Proceeds from borrowings		75	0
Repayments on borrowings		(83)	0
Cash dividends paid		(20)	0
Total cash used in financing activities		(30)	(10)
Effect of currency exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents		(1)	0
Decrease in cash and cash equivalents		(37)	0
Cash and cash equivalents - beginning of period		172	0
Cash and cash equivalents - end of period		$ 135	$ 0
[1]	Excludes changes resulting from operations acquired or sold.

Basis of Presentation

Basis of Presentation	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Basis of Presentation	BASIS OF PRESENTATION Valvoline Inc. (“Valvoline” or the “Company”) is a subsidiary of Ashland Global Holdings Inc. (which together with its predecessors and consolidated subsidiaries is referred to as “Ashland” or “Parent”). On September 22, 2015, Ashland announced that its Board of Directors approved proceeding with a plan to separate Ashland into two independent, publicly traded companies comprising of the Valvoline business and Ashland's specialty chemicals business (the “Separation”). Following a series of restructuring steps, Valvoline was incorporated in May 2016, and prior to the completion of the Company’s initial public offering (“IPO”) on September 28, 2016, substantially all of the historical Valvoline business reported by Ashland, as well as certain other legacy Ashland assets and liabilities, were transferred to Valvoline. After completing the IPO, Ashland owns approximately 83% of the total outstanding shares of Valvoline’s common stock. In April 2017, the Ashland Board of Directors authorized the distribution of all of its remaining interest in Valvoline to Ashland stockholders (the "Distribution") and determined the related record and distribution dates. Refer to Note 14, "Subsequent Events" for further details. The contribution of the Valvoline business by Ashland to Valvoline was treated as a reorganization of entities under common Ashland control. As a result, Valvoline is retrospectively presenting the condensed consolidated financial statements of Valvoline and its subsidiaries for periods presented prior to the completion of the IPO, which have been prepared on a stand-alone basis and derived from Ashland’s consolidated financial statements and accounting records using the historical results of operations, and assets and liabilities attributed to Valvoline’s operations, as well as allocations of expenses from Ashland. The condensed consolidated financial statements for periods presented subsequent to the completion of the IPO reflect the consolidated operations of Valvoline and its majority-owned subsidiaries as a separate, stand-alone entity. For periods prior to the completion of the IPO, transactions between Valvoline and Ashland were considered to be effectively settled for cash at the time the transactions were recorded. These transactions and net cash transfers to and from Ashland’s centralized cash management system are reflected as a component of Parent company investment in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets and as a financing activity within the accompanying Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows. The Parent company investment on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets represents the cumulative net investment by Ashland in Valvoline, including net income through the completion of the IPO and net cash transfers to and from Ashland. The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared by Valvoline in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“U.S. GAAP”) and Securities and Exchange Commission regulations for interim financial reporting, which do not include all information and footnote disclosures normally included in annual financial statements. Therefore, these condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with Valvoline’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2016. Certain prior period amounts have been reclassified to conform to current presentation. The preparation of condensed consolidated financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make use of estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts and disclosures. Actual results may vary from these estimates. In the opinion of management, all adjustments considered necessary for a fair presentation have been included herein, and the assumptions underlying the condensed consolidated financial statements for these interim periods are reasonable. The results for the interim periods are not necessarily indicative of results to be expected for the entire year. New accounting standards A description of new U.S. GAAP accounting standards issued and adopted during the current year is required in interim financial reporting. A detailed listing of all new accounting standards relevant to Valvoline is included in the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2016. The following standards relevant to Valvoline were either issued or adopted in the current period. In April 2015, the FASB issued accounting guidance to help entities evaluate the accounting for fees paid by a customer in a cloud computing arrangement. Cloud computing arrangements represent the delivery of hosted services over the internet which includes software, platforms, infrastructure and other hosting arrangements. Under the guidance, customers that gain access to software in a cloud computing arrangement account for the software as internal-use software only if the arrangement includes a software license. Valvoline adopted this standard on a prospective basis on October 1, 2016. As a result, certain costs related to these arrangements will be expensed when incurred. In January 2017, the FASB issued accounting guidance which simplifies the subsequent measurement of goodwill by eliminating the second step of the two-step impairment test under which the implied fair value of goodwill is determined as if the reporting unit were being acquired in a business combination. The guidance instead requires entities to compare the fair value of a reporting unit with its carrying amount and recognize an impairment charge for any amount by which the carrying amount exceeds the reporting unit’s fair value. This guidance must be applied prospectively and will become effective for Valvoline on October 1, 2020. Valvoline is currently evaluating the impact this guidance may have on Valvoline’s condensed consolidated financial statements. In March 2017, the FASB issued accounting guidance that will change how employers who sponsor defined benefit pension and/or postretirement benefit plans present the net periodic benefit cost in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income. This guidance requires employers to present the service cost component of net periodic benefit cost in the same caption within the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income as other employee compensation costs from services rendered during the period. All other components of the net periodic benefit cost will be presented separately outside of the operating income caption. This guidance must be applied retrospectively and will become effective for Valvoline on October 1, 2018, with early adoption being optional. Valvoline currently intends to early adopt this guidance on October 1, 2017 and expects this guidance will have a significant impact on the presentation of the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income as it will result in a reclassification of Pension and other postretirement plan non-service income and remeasurement adjustments, net from within operating income to non-operating income.

Acquisitions

Acquisitions	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017
Business Combinations [Abstract]
Acquisitions	ACQUISITIONS Time-It Lube On January 31, 2017, Valvoline completed the acquisition of the business assets related to 28 quick-lube stores, primarily located in east Texas and Louisiana, from Time-It Lube LLC and Time-It Lube of Texas, LP (together, "Time-It Lube") for a purchase price of $48 million . Of the $48 million , $44 million was preliminarily allocated to goodwill and the remainder was allocated to working capital, customer relationships and trade names. This acquisition is recorded within the Quick Lubes reportable segment. Goodwill is calculated as the excess of the consideration transferred over the net assets acquired and represents the estimated future economic benefits arising from other assets acquired that could not be individually identified and separately recognized. The factors contributing to the recognition of goodwill were based on strategic benefits that are expected to be realized from the acquisition of Time-It Lube. The goodwill is expected to be deductible for income tax purposes. Oil Can Henry’s On February 1, 2016, Ashland completed the acquisition of OCH International, Inc. (Oil Can Henry’s), which was the 13th largest quick-lube network in the United States, servicing approximately 1 million vehicles annually with 89 quick-lube stores, 47 company-owned stores and 42 franchise locations, in Oregon, Washington, California, Arizona, Idaho and Colorado. The total purchase price, net of cash acquired, for the acquisition of Oil Can Henry’s within the Quick Lubes reportable segment was $62 million . Of the $62 million , $83 million was allocated to goodwill and $10 million to assets, including working capital, property, plant and equipment, intangible assets, and other non-current assets. Ashland also assumed $11 million of debt, $11 million of current liabilities and $9 million of noncurrent liabilities. The factors contributing to the recognition of goodwill were based on strategic benefits that are expected to be realized from the acquisition of Oil Can Henry’s. None of the goodwill is expected to be deductible for income tax purposes. Other Quick Lubes Acquisitions During the six months ended March 31, 2017, the Company completed the acquisition of five franchise locations within the Quick Lubes reportable segment, and the purchase price has primarily been recorded in Goodwill and intangibles on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets.

Accounts Receivable

Accounts Receivable	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017
Receivables [Abstract]
Accounts Receivable	ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE The following summarizes Valvoline’s accounts receivable as of the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet dates: (In millions) March 31 September 30 Trade and other accounts receivable $ 409 $ 368 Less: Allowance for doubtful accounts (4 ) (5 ) $ 405 $ 363

Inventories

Inventories	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017
Inventory Disclosure [Abstract]
Inventories	INVENTORIES Inventories are carried at the lower of cost or market value. Inventories are primarily stated at cost using the weighted-average cost method. In addition, certain lubricants are valued at cost using the last-in, first-out (“LIFO”) method. The following summarizes Valvoline’s inventories as of the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet dates: (In millions) March 31 September 30 Finished products $ 159 $ 149 Raw materials, supplies and work in process 27 21 LIFO reserves (27 ) (29 ) Obsolete inventory reserves (3 ) (2 ) $ 156 $ 139

Goodwill

Goodwill	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]
Goodwill	GOODWILL Goodwill Valvoline reviews goodwill for impairment annually or when events and circumstances indicate an impairment may have occurred. This annual assessment consists of Valvoline determining each reporting unit’s current fair value compared to its current carrying value. The performance of the annual impairment analysis during 2016 did not result in any impairment of goodwill, and no events or circumstances that would indicate an impairment may have occurred were noted during the six months ended March 31, 2017. The estimated fair value of each reporting unit with a goodwill balance was significantly in excess of its carrying value. The following is a progression of goodwill by reportable segment for the six months ended March 31, 2017. (In millions) Core North America Quick Lubes International Total September 30, 2016 $ 89 $ 135 $ 40 $ 264 Acquisitions (a) — 48 — 48 March 31, 2017 $ 89 $ 183 $ 40 $ 312 (a) Relates to $44 million for the acquisition of Time-It Lube and $4 million for the acquisition of five locations within the Quick Lubes reportable segment during the six months ended March 31, 2017. See Note 2 for more information on the acquisition of Time-It Lube.

Debt

Debt	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
Debt	DEBT The following table summarizes Valvoline’s current and long-term debt as of the dates reported in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets: (In millions) March 31 2017 September 30 2016 Senior Notes $ 375 $ 375 Term Loan A 293 375 Accounts Receivable Securitization 75 — Revolver — — Other (a) (6 ) (7 ) Total debt $ 737 $ 743 Short-term debt 75 — Current portion of long-term debt 16 19 Long-term debt $ 646 $ 724 (a) At March 31, 2017, Other includes $8 million of debt issuance cost discounts and $2 million of debt acquired through acquisitions. At September 30, 2016, Other included $9 million of debt issuance cost discounts and $2 million of debt acquired through acquisitions. At March 31, 2017, Valvoline’s long-term debt (including current portion and excluding debt issuance costs) had a carrying value of $670 million , compared to a fair value of $689 million . At September 30, 2016, Valvoline’s long-term debt (including current portion and excluding debt issuance costs) had a carrying value of $752 million , compared to a fair value of $771 million . Borrowings under the Term Loans (as defined below) are at variable interest rates and accordingly their carrying amounts approximate fair value. The fair value of the 5.500% senior unsecured notes due 2024 (“Senior Notes”) is based on quoted market prices, which are Level 1 inputs within the fair value hierarchy. Accounts Receivable Securitization In November 2016, Valvoline entered into a $125 million accounts receivable securitization facility (the “2017 Accounts Receivable Securitization Facility”) with various financial institutions. The Company may from time to time, obtain up to $125 million (in the form of cash or letters of credit) through the sale of an undivided interest in its accounts receivable. The agreement has a term of one year but is extendable at the discretion of the Company and the financial institutions. The Company accounts for the 2017 Accounts Receivable Securitization Facility as secured borrowings, which are classified as Short-term debt and the receivables sold are included in Accounts receivable in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets. During the first quarter of 2017, Valvoline borrowed $75 million under the 2017 Accounts Receivable Securitization Facility and used the net proceeds to repay an equal amount of the Term Loan A. As a result, the Company recognized an immaterial charge related to the accelerated amortization of previously capitalized debt issuance costs, which is included in Net interest and other financing expense in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income for the six months ended March 31, 2017. At March 31, 2017, $75 million was outstanding and the total borrowing capacity remaining under the 2017 Accounts Receivable Securitization Facility was $50 million . The weighted-average interest rate for this instrument was 1.6% for both the three and six months ended March 31, 2017. Senior Credit Agreement The 2016 Senior Credit Agreement provided for an aggregate principal amount of $1,325 million in senior secured credit facilities (“2016 Credit Facilities”), composed of (i) a five year $875 million term loan A facility (“Term Loans”) and (ii) a five year $450 million revolving credit facility (including a $100 million letter of credit sublimit) (“Revolver”). At March 31, 2017, there were no borrowings under the Revolver and the total borrowing capacity remaining under the Revolver was $436 million due to a reduction of $14 million for letters of credit outstanding. The 2016 Senior Credit Agreement contains usual and customary representations and warranties, and usual and customary affirmative and negative covenants, including limitations on liens, additional indebtedness, investments, restricted payments, asset sales, mergers, affiliate transactions and other customary limitations, as well as financial covenants (including maintenance of a maximum consolidated net leverage ratio and a minimum consolidated interest coverage ratio). As of the end of any fiscal quarter, the maximum consolidated net leverage ratio and minimum consolidated interest coverage ratio permitted under the 2016 Senior Credit Agreement are 4.5 and 3.0 , respectively. As of March 31, 2017, Valvoline is in compliance with all covenants under the 2016 Senior Credit Agreement.

Income Taxes

Income Taxes	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Income Taxes	INCOME TAXES Effective income tax rates Income tax provisions for interim quarterly periods are based on an estimated annual effective income tax rate calculated separately from the effect of significant, infrequent or unusual items. Income tax expense for the three months ended March 31, 2017 was $38 million or an effective tax rate of 34.9% compared to an expense of $35 million or an effective tax rate of 34.0% for the three months ended March 31, 2016. The difference in these rates is primarily related to net unfavorable discrete items in the current year and certain non-deductible separation costs. Income tax expense for the six months ended March 31, 2017 was $76 million or an effective tax rate of 34.7% compared to an expense of $66 million or an effective tax rate of 33.2% for the six months ended March 31, 2016. The increase in the effective tax rate in the current year was primarily attributed to net unfavorable discrete items, certain non-deductible separation costs, and net favorable discrete items in the prior year related to the tax law change from the reinstatement of research and development credits. Unrecognized tax benefits Valvoline recognized less than $1 million of uncertain tax positions for the three and six months ended March 31, 2017, which related to increases in positions taken in the current year as well as increases related to positions taken on items from prior years. Valvoline expects no decrease in the amount of accrual for uncertain tax positions in the next twelve months. However, it is reasonably possible that there could be material changes to the amount of uncertain tax positions due to activities of the taxing authorities, settlement of audit issues, reassessment of existing uncertain tax positions, or the expiration of applicable statute of limitations; however, Valvoline is not able to estimate the impact of these items at this time. Tax Matters Agreement For the periods prior to Separation from Ashland, Valvoline will be included in Ashland’s consolidated U.S. and state income tax returns and in tax returns of certain Ashland international subsidiaries (collectively, the “Ashland Group Returns”). Under the Tax Matters Agreement between Valvoline and Ashland that was entered into on September 22, 2016, Ashland will generally make all necessary tax payments to the relevant tax authorities with respect to Ashland Group Returns, and Valvoline will make tax sharing payments to Ashland, inclusive of tax attributes utilized. The amount of the tax sharing payments will generally be determined as if Valvoline and each of its relevant subsidiaries included in the Ashland Group Returns filed their own consolidated, combined or separate tax returns for the periods prior to Separation that include only Valvoline and/or its relevant subsidiaries, as the case may be. Total net liabilities related to these and other obligations owed to Ashland under the Tax Matters Agreement are $67 million and $66 million at March 31, 2017 and September 30, 2016, respectively. The net liability at March 31, 2017 consisted of receivables from Parent of $10 million recorded in other current assets and $77 million recorded in other long-term liabilities in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets. As of September 30, 2016, the net liability consisted of receivables from Parent of $5 million recorded in other current assets and $71 million recorded in other long-term liabilities in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets.

Employee Benefit Plans

Employee Benefit Plans	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017
Compensation and Retirement Disclosure [Abstract]
Employee Benefit Plans	EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLANS During September 2016, Ashland transferred a substantial portion of its U.S. qualified and non-qualified pension plans as well as certain other postretirement obligations to Valvoline as part of the pre-IPO process. Prior to the transfer, Valvoline accounted for its participation in the Ashland sponsored pension and other postretirement benefit plans as multi-employer plans. For purposes of these financial statements, costs for multi-employer plans were allocated based on Valvoline employee’s participation in the plan prior to September 1, 2016. Subsequent to the transfer from Ashland, Valvoline accounts for the plans as single-employer plans recognizing the full amount of any costs, gains, and net liabilities within the condensed consolidated financial statements. The total pension and other postretirement benefit income accounted for under the single employer plan method of $17 million and $42 million during the three and six months ended March 31, 2017, respectively, was primarily recognized within Pension and other postretirement plan non-service income and remeasurement adjustments, net in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income. The total pension and other postretirement benefit costs allocated to Valvoline related to multi-employer pension plans was $3 million and $2 million for the three and six months ended March 31, 2016, respectively. During the three and six months ended March 31, 2016, these allocated costs include non-service income and remeasurement adjustments of $1 million expense and $2 million income, respectively. Of these amounts, $1 million of income was recorded to Cost of Sales during the six months ended March 31, 2016 and $1 million of expense and $1 million of income were recorded for the three and six months ended March 31, 3016, respectively, to Pension and other postretirement plan non-service income and remeasurement adjustments, net in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income. During the three months ended March 31, 2016, service cost was $2 million , for which was $1 million was recognized within Cost of goods sold as well as $1 million in Selling, general and administrative expense. During the six months ended March 31, 2016, service cost was $4 million , and $2 million was recognized in each Cost of goods sold and Selling, general and administrative expense. The net periodic benefit costs for the pension and other postretirement benefit plans are disclosed in further below. Contributions to the pension plans were approximately $7 million and $10 million during the three and six months ended March 31, 2017, respectively. Expected contributions to pension plans for the remainder of 2017 are approximately $7 million . Plan amendments and remeasurements Effective January 1, 2017, Valvoline discontinued certain other postretirement health and life insurance benefits. The effect of these plan amendments resulted in a remeasurement gain of $8 million within Pension and other postretirement plan non-service income and remeasurement adjustments, net in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income for the six months ended March 31, 2017. During March 2016, Ashland announced that the majority of its defined benefit pension plans, accounted for as multi-employer plans, would freeze the accrual of benefits effective September 30, 2016. Additionally, during March 2016, Ashland announced that retiree life and medical benefits would be reduced effective October 1, 2016 and January 1, 2017, respectively. The effect of these plan amendments resulted in a remeasurement loss of $5 million for the three and six months ended March 31, 2016. Approximately $2 million was recorded within Cost of sales and $3 million within Pension and other postretirement plan non-service income and remeasurement adjustments in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income for both the three and six months ended March 31, 2016. Components of net periodic benefit costs (income) For segment reporting purposes, service cost is proportionately allocated to each reportable segment, while all other components of net periodic benefit income are recognized within Unallocated and other. The following table summarizes the components of pension and other postretirement benefit income. For the three and six months ended March 31, 2016, these amounts were generally related to allocations to Valvoline under a multi-employer plan. Other postretirement benefits Pension benefits (In millions) 2017 2016 2017 2016 Three months ended March 31 Service cost $ — $ 2 $ — $ — Interest cost 22 6 — — Expected return on plan assets (36 ) (9 ) — — Amortization of prior service credit — — (3 ) (1 ) Curtailment gain — (12 ) — (6 ) Actuarial loss — 22 — 1 Net periodic benefit (income) costs $ (14 ) $ 9 $ (3 ) $ (6 ) Six months ended March 31 Service cost $ 1 $ 4 $ — $ — Interest cost 43 12 — 1 Expected return on plan assets (72 ) (18 ) — — Amortization of prior service credit — — (6 ) (2 ) Curtailment gain — (12 ) — (6 ) Actuarial loss (gain) — 22 (8 ) 1 Net periodic benefit (income) costs $ (28 ) $ 8 $ (14 ) $ (6 ) Deferred compensation investments Deferred compensation investments consist of Level 1 measurements within the fair value hierarchy, which are observable inputs such as unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets and liabilities. Valvoline had $33 million and $34 million of non-qualified benefit plan investments as of March 31, 2017 and September 30, 2016, respectively, which primarily consist of fixed income U.S government bonds and are classified as other noncurrent assets in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets. Gains and losses related to deferred compensation investments are immediately recognized within the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income.

Litigation, Claims and Continge

Litigation, Claims and Contingencies	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Litigation, Claims and Contingencies	LITIGATION, CLAIMS AND CONTINGENCIES There are various claims, lawsuits and administrative proceedings pending or threatened against Valvoline and its various subsidiary companies. Such actions are with respect to commercial and tax disputes, product liability, toxic tort liability, environmental, and other matters which seek remedies or damages, in some cases in substantial amounts. While Valvoline cannot predict with certainty the outcome of such actions, it believes that adequate reserves have been recorded where appropriate. Losses already recognized with respect to such actions were not material as of March 31, 2017 and September 30, 2016 . There is a reasonable possibility that a loss exceeding amounts already recognized may be incurred related to these actions; however, Valvoline currently believes that such potential losses will not be material.

Earnings Per Share

Earnings Per Share	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Earnings Per Share	EARNINGS PER SHARE The following is the computation of basic and diluted earnings per share (“EPS”). Earnings per share is reported under the treasury stock method. Three months ended Six months ended March 31 March 31 (In millions except per share data) 2017 2016 2017 2016 Numerator Net income $ 71 $ 68 $ 143 $ 133 Denominator Weighted-average shares used to compute basic EPS 205 205 205 205 Effect of dilutive securities (a) — — — — Weighted-average shares used to compute diluted EPS 205 205 205 205 Earnings per share Basic $ 0.35 $ 0.33 $ 0.70 $ 0.65 Diluted $ 0.35 $ 0.33 $ 0.70 $ 0.65 (a) During the six months ended March 31, 2017, the Company issued share-based awards to six non-employee directors. These awards had no material impact on earnings per share.

Stockholders' Equity

Stockholders' Equity	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017
Equity [Abstract]
Stockholders' Equity	STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY Stockholder dividends The Company's dividend activity during the six months ended March 31, 2017 was as follows: Common Stock Declaration Date Record Date Payment Date Dividend Per Share Cash Outlay Cash Paid to Parent November 15, 2016 December 5, 2016 December 20, 2016 $ 0.049 $ 10 $ 8 January 24, 2017 March 1, 2017 March 15, 2017 $ 0.049 $ 10 $ 8 Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) Components of other comprehensive income (loss) recorded in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income are presented in the following table, before tax and net of tax effects. 2017 2016 (In millions) Before tax Tax benefit (expense) Net of tax Before tax Tax benefit (expense) Net of tax Three months ended March 31 Other comprehensive income (loss) Unrealized translation gain $ 6 $ — $ 6 $ 10 $ (1 ) $ 9 Pension and other postretirement obligation adjustment: Amortization of unrecognized prior service credits included in net income (a) (3 ) 1 (2 ) — — — Total other comprehensive income $ 3 $ 1 $ 4 $ 10 $ (1 ) $ 9 Six months ended March 31 Other comprehensive income (loss) Unrealized translation (loss) gain $ (3 ) $ — $ (3 ) $ 5 $ — $ 5 Pension and other postretirement obligation adjustment: Amortization of unrecognized prior service credits included in net income (a) (6 ) 2 (4 ) — — — Total other comprehensive (loss) income $ (9 ) $ 2 $ (7 ) $ 5 $ — $ 5 (a) Amortization of unrecognized prior service credits are included in net periodic benefit income for pension and other postretirement plans and are included in Pension and other postretirement plan non-service income and remeasurement adjustments in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income. In accordance with U.S. GAAP, as disclosed in the table above, certain pension costs are amortized from accumulated other comprehensive income and recognized in net income. See Note 8 of Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements for more information.

Related Party Transactions

Related Party Transactions	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017
Related Party Transactions [Abstract]
Related Party Transactions	RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS Financial assets Ashland is party to an agreement to sell certain Valvoline customer accounts receivable in the form of drafts or bills of exchange to a financial institution. Each draft constitutes an order to pay for obligations of the customer to Ashland arising from the sale of goods to the customer. The intention of the arrangement is to decrease the time accounts receivable is outstanding and increase cash flows as Ashland in turn remits payment to Valvoline. At March 31, 2017, there were no accounts receivable sold to the financial institution. At September 30, 2016, the amount of accounts receivable sold by Ashland to the financial institution was $29 million . Derivative instruments Until the IPO, Valvoline participated in Ashland’s centralized derivative programs that engage in certain hedging activities, which Ashland used to manage its exposure to fluctuations in foreign currencies. Gains and losses related to a hedge were either recognized in Ashland’s income immediately, to offset the gain or loss on the hedged item, or deferred and recorded in the equity section of Ashland’s balance sheet as a component of accumulated other comprehensive loss and subsequently recognized in Ashland’s income when the underlying hedged item was recognized in earnings. As a result, gains or losses on hedges during the three and six months ended March 31, 2016 were not material and are reflected in Valvoline’s Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income through allocation from Ashland in Selling, general and administrative expense. Valvoline began its own hedging program in late September 2016 to manage exposure to fluctuations in foreign currency with an outstanding notional contract value of $30 million as of March 31, 2017. All derivative instruments are recognized as either assets or liabilities on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets and are measured at fair value. As of March 31, 2017 and September 30, 2016, these balances were not material. Changes in the fair value of all derivatives are recognized immediately in income unless the derivative qualifies as a hedge of future cash flows or a hedge of a net investment in a foreign operation. Gains and losses related to a hedge are either recognized in income immediately to offset the gain or loss on the hedged item, or deferred and recorded in the stockholders’ equity section of the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets as a component of accumulated other comprehensive income and subsequently recognized in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income when the hedged item affects net income. The ineffective portion of the change in fair value of a hedge is recognized in income immediately. Gains and losses recognized during the three six months ended March 31, 2017 were not material and were recorded in Selling, general and administrative expense in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income. Stock incentive plans Valvoline has historically participated in Ashland’s stock incentive plans for key employees and directors, primarily in the form of stock appreciation rights (“SARs”), restricted stock, performance shares and other non-vested stock awards. Equity-based compensation expense has been either directly reported by or allocated to Valvoline based on the awards and terms previously granted to Ashland’s employees. Stock-based compensation expense recorded by Valvoline during the three months ended March 31, 2017 and 2016 were $2 million and $2 million , respectively. Stock-based compensation expense recorded by Valvoline during the six months ended March 31, 2017 and 2016 were $ 3 million and $ 5 million , respectively. For the three and six months ended March 31, 2017 and 2016, these costs were primarily included within the Selling, general and administrative caption of the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income. Compensation expense for stock incentive plans is generally based on the grant-date fair value over the appropriate vesting period. Ashland utilizes several industry-accepted valuation models to determine the fair value. Until the Separation occurs, Valvoline will continue to participate in Ashland’s equity-based compensation plans and record equity-based compensation expense based on the historical allocation of cost. Upon Separation, Ashland intends to convert these equity-based awards to Valvoline-based awards. Related party receivables and payables At March 31, 2017, Valvoline had receivables from Parent of $10 million recorded in other current assets on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets. Also, at March 31, 2017, Valvoline had payables to Parent of $9 million , which was included in Accrued expenses and other liabilities in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets, and $79 million , which was recorded in other long-term liabilities in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets. The current liability relates primarily to current obligations owed to Ashland for transition services and other miscellaneous billings. The receivable and long-term liability primarily relate to net obligations under the Tax Matters Agreement. During the six months ended March 31, 2017, Valvoline paid Ashland approximately $60 million primarily related to interim tax-sharing payments, net amounts due for transition services and other miscellaneous billings. In addition, during the six months ended March 31, 2017, Ashland paid Valvoline $23 million related to customer payments on certain Valvoline receivables that were collected by Ashland prior to September 30, 2016, which was remitted to Valvoline in fiscal 2017. At September 30, 2016, Valvoline had receivables from Parent of $30 million recorded in other current assets on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets. Also, at September 30, 2016, Valvoline had recorded obligations to Parent of $73 million , of which $2 million is in accrued expenses and other liabilities in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets and $71 million was recorded in other noncurrent liabilities in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets. The long-term liability related primarily to the obligations under the Tax Matters Agreement. Corporate allocations Prior to the completion of the IPO, Valvoline utilized centralized functions of Ashland to support its operations, and in return, Ashland allocated certain of its expenses to Valvoline. Such expenses represent costs related, but not limited to, treasury, legal, accounting, insurance, information technology, payroll administration, human resources, incentive plans and other services. These costs, together with an allocation of Ashland overhead costs, are included within the Selling, general and administrative caption of the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income. Where it was possible to specifically attribute such expenses to activities of Valvoline, amounts have been charged or credited directly to Valvoline without allocation or apportionment. Allocation of all other such expenses was based on a reasonable reflection of the utilization of service provided or benefits received by Valvoline during the periods presented on a consistent basis, such as headcount, square footage, tangible assets or sales. Valvoline’s management supports the methods used in allocating expenses and believes these methods to be reasonable estimates. There were no general corporate expenses allocated to Valvoline during the three or six months ended March 31, 2017 while there were $20 million and $41 million allocated during the three and six months ended March 31, 2016, respectively. The following table summarizes the centralized and administrative support costs of Ashland that were allocated to Valvoline for the three and six months ended March 31, 2016. Three months ended March 31 Six months ended March 31 (In millions) 2016 2016 Information technology $ 5 $ 10 Financial and accounting 3 6 Building services 3 6 Legal and environmental 1 3 Human resources 1 2 Shared services — 1 Other general and administrative 7 13 Total $ 20 $ 41

Reportable Segment Information

Reportable Segment Information	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Reportable Segment Information	REPORTABLE SEGMENT INFORMATION Valvoline’s business is managed within reportable segments based on how operations are managed internally for the products and services sold to customers, including how the results are reviewed by the chief operating decision maker, which includes determining resource allocation methodologies used for reportable segments. Valvoline’s operating segments are identical to its reportable segments. Operating income is the primary measure reviewed by the chief operating decision maker in assessing each reportable segment’s financial performance. Valvoline’s businesses are managed within three reportable operating segments: Core North America, Quick Lubes, and International. Additionally, to reconcile to total consolidated Operating income, certain corporate and other non-operational costs are included in Unallocated and other. Reportable segment business descriptions The Core North America business segment sells Valvoline™ and other branded products in the United States and Canada to both consumers who perform their own automotive maintenance, referred to as “Do-It-Yourself” or “DIY” consumers, as well as to installer customers who use Valvoline products to service vehicles owned by “Do-It-For Me” or “DIFM” consumers. Valvoline sells to its DIY consumers through national retail auto parts stores, leading mass merchandisers and independent auto part stores. Valvoline sells to its DIFM consumers through installers in the United States and Canada. Installer customers include car dealers, general repair shops, and third-party quick lube chains. Valvoline directly serves these customers as well as through a network of distributors. Valvoline’s installer channel also sells products and solutions to heavy duty customers such as original equipment manufacturers, on-highway fleets and construction companies. Through its Quick Lubes business segment, Valvoline operates Valvoline Instant Oil Change (“VIOC”), a quick-lube service chain involving both Company-owned and franchised stores. Valvoline also sells its products and provides Valvoline branded signage to independent quick lube operators through its Express Care program. The International business segment sells Valvoline™ and Valvoline’s other branded products in approximately 140 countries outside of the United States and Canada. Valvoline’s key international markets include China, India, EMEA, Latin America and Australia Pacific. The International business segment sells products for both consumer and commercial vehicles and equipment, and is served by company-owned plants in the United States, Australia and the Netherlands, a joint venture-owned plant in India and third-party warehouses and toll manufacturers in other regions. In most of the countries where Valvoline’s products are sold, Valvoline goes to market via independent distributors. Unallocated and other generally includes items such as components of pension and other postretirement benefit plan expenses (excluding service costs, which are allocated to the reportable segments), certain significant company-wide restructuring activities and legacy costs or adjustments that relate to divested businesses, including $6 million and $12 million of separation costs during the three and six months ended March 31, 2017 , respectively. Reportable segment results Results of Valvoline’s reportable segments are presented based on how operations are managed internally for the products and services sold to customers, including how the results are reviewed by the chief operating decision maker, which includes determining resource allocation methodologies used for reportable segments. The structure and practices are specific to Valvoline; therefore, the financial results of Valvoline’s reportable segments are not necessarily comparable with similar information for other companies. Valvoline allocates all costs to its reportable segments except for certain significant company-wide restructuring activities, such as the restructuring plans and/or other costs or adjustments that relate to former businesses that Valvoline no longer operates. The service cost component of pension and other postretirement benefits costs has historically been allocated to each reportable segment on a ratable basis (going forward the only plans with ongoing service costs will be international plans within the International reportable segment), while the remaining components of pension and other postretirement benefits costs are recorded to Unallocated and other. The following table presents various financial information for each reportable segment: (In millions) Three months ended March 31 Six months ended March 31 2017 2016 2017 2016 Sales Core North America $ 253 $ 248 $ 490 $ 489 Quick Lubes 128 113 255 213 International 133 119 258 234 $ 514 $ 480 $ 1,003 $ 936 Operating Income Core North America $ 57 $ 59 $ 108 $ 112 Quick Lubes 31 29 60 52 International 18 17 38 33 Total operating segments $ 106 $ 105 $ 206 $ 197 Unallocated and other (a) 11 (1 ) 31 3 $ 117 $ 104 $ 237 $ 200 (a) Unallocated and other includes a gain of $8 million during the six months ended March 31, 2017 and a loss of $5 million during three and six months ended March 31, 2016 related to pension and other postretirement plan actuarial remeasurements. Unallocated and other also includes separation costs of $6 million and $12 million for the three and six months ending March 31, 2017 , respectively.

Subsequent Events

Subsequent Events	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017
Subsequent Events [Abstract]
Subsequent Events	SUBSEQUENT EVENTS Quick Lubes acquisition On April 19, 2017, Valvoline completed the acquisition of nine Quick Lubes franchise locations in San Antonio, Texas. Share repurchase On April 24, 2017, Valvoline’s Board of Directors authorized a share repurchase program, under which Valvoline may repurchase up to $150 million of its common stock through December 31, 2019. Purchases will be made in accordance with all applicable securities laws and regulations and will be funded from available liquidity. Separation Subject to the conditions described below, in April 2017, the Ashland Board of Directors authorized the distribution to Ashland stockholders of all 170 million shares of Valvoline common stock on May 12, 2017 as a pro rata dividend on shares of Ashland common stock outstanding at the close of business on the record date of May 5, 2017. The actual distribution ratio for the Valvoline common stock to be distributed per share of Ashland common stock will be determined based on the number of shares of Ashland common stock outstanding on the record date. The Distribution is subject to certain conditions, including receipt of a customary tax opinion and confirmation of sufficient capital adequacy and surplus to make the Distribution. All of these conditions are expected to be satisfied on the distribution date. Dividend declared On April 27, 2017, the Board of Directors of Valvoline declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.049 per share on Valvoline common stock. The dividend is payable on June 15, 2017 to shareholders of record on June 1, 2017.

Basis of Presentation (Policies

Basis of Presentation (Policies)	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Basis of Presentation	BASIS OF PRESENTATION Valvoline Inc. (“Valvoline” or the “Company”) is a subsidiary of Ashland Global Holdings Inc. (which together with its predecessors and consolidated subsidiaries is referred to as “Ashland” or “Parent”). On September 22, 2015, Ashland announced that its Board of Directors approved proceeding with a plan to separate Ashland into two independent, publicly traded companies comprising of the Valvoline business and Ashland's specialty chemicals business (the “Separation”). Following a series of restructuring steps, Valvoline was incorporated in May 2016, and prior to the completion of the Company’s initial public offering (“IPO”) on September 28, 2016, substantially all of the historical Valvoline business reported by Ashland, as well as certain other legacy Ashland assets and liabilities, were transferred to Valvoline. After completing the IPO, Ashland owns approximately 83% of the total outstanding shares of Valvoline’s common stock. In April 2017, the Ashland Board of Directors authorized the distribution of all of its remaining interest in Valvoline to Ashland stockholders (the "Distribution") and determined the related record and distribution dates. Refer to Note 14, "Subsequent Events" for further details. The contribution of the Valvoline business by Ashland to Valvoline was treated as a reorganization of entities under common Ashland control. As a result, Valvoline is retrospectively presenting the condensed consolidated financial statements of Valvoline and its subsidiaries for periods presented prior to the completion of the IPO, which have been prepared on a stand-alone basis and derived from Ashland’s consolidated financial statements and accounting records using the historical results of operations, and assets and liabilities attributed to Valvoline’s operations, as well as allocations of expenses from Ashland. The condensed consolidated financial statements for periods presented subsequent to the completion of the IPO reflect the consolidated operations of Valvoline and its majority-owned subsidiaries as a separate, stand-alone entity. For periods prior to the completion of the IPO, transactions between Valvoline and Ashland were considered to be effectively settled for cash at the time the transactions were recorded. These transactions and net cash transfers to and from Ashland’s centralized cash management system are reflected as a component of Parent company investment in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets and as a financing activity within the accompanying Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows. The Parent company investment on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets represents the cumulative net investment by Ashland in Valvoline, including net income through the completion of the IPO and net cash transfers to and from Ashland. The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared by Valvoline in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“U.S. GAAP”) and Securities and Exchange Commission regulations for interim financial reporting, which do not include all information and footnote disclosures normally included in annual financial statements. Therefore, these condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with Valvoline’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2016. Certain prior period amounts have been reclassified to conform to current presentation. The preparation of condensed consolidated financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make use of estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts and disclosures. Actual results may vary from these estimates. In the opinion of management, all adjustments considered necessary for a fair presentation have been included herein, and the assumptions underlying the condensed consolidated financial statements for these interim periods are reasonable. The results for the interim periods are not necessarily indicative of results to be expected for the entire year.
New Accounting Standards	New accounting standards A description of new U.S. GAAP accounting standards issued and adopted during the current year is required in interim financial reporting. A detailed listing of all new accounting standards relevant to Valvoline is included in the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2016. The following standards relevant to Valvoline were either issued or adopted in the current period. In April 2015, the FASB issued accounting guidance to help entities evaluate the accounting for fees paid by a customer in a cloud computing arrangement. Cloud computing arrangements represent the delivery of hosted services over the internet which includes software, platforms, infrastructure and other hosting arrangements. Under the guidance, customers that gain access to software in a cloud computing arrangement account for the software as internal-use software only if the arrangement includes a software license. Valvoline adopted this standard on a prospective basis on October 1, 2016. As a result, certain costs related to these arrangements will be expensed when incurred. In January 2017, the FASB issued accounting guidance which simplifies the subsequent measurement of goodwill by eliminating the second step of the two-step impairment test under which the implied fair value of goodwill is determined as if the reporting unit were being acquired in a business combination. The guidance instead requires entities to compare the fair value of a reporting unit with its carrying amount and recognize an impairment charge for any amount by which the carrying amount exceeds the reporting unit’s fair value. This guidance must be applied prospectively and will become effective for Valvoline on October 1, 2020. Valvoline is currently evaluating the impact this guidance may have on Valvoline’s condensed consolidated financial statements. In March 2017, the FASB issued accounting guidance that will change how employers who sponsor defined benefit pension and/or postretirement benefit plans present the net periodic benefit cost in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income. This guidance requires employers to present the service cost component of net periodic benefit cost in the same caption within the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income as other employee compensation costs from services rendered during the period. All other components of the net periodic benefit cost will be presented separately outside of the operating income caption. This guidance must be applied retrospectively and will become effective for Valvoline on October 1, 2018, with early adoption being optional. Valvoline currently intends to early adopt this guidance on October 1, 2017 and expects this guidance will have a significant impact on the presentation of the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income as it will result in a reclassification of Pension and other postretirement plan non-service income and remeasurement adjustments, net from within operating income to non-operating income.
Inventories	INVENTORIES Inventories are carried at the lower of cost or market value. Inventories are primarily stated at cost using the weighted-average cost method. In addition, certain lubricants are valued at cost using the last-in, first-out (“LIFO”) method.
Goodwill	Goodwill Valvoline reviews goodwill for impairment annually or when events and circumstances indicate an impairment may have occurred. This annual assessment consists of Valvoline determining each reporting unit’s current fair value compared to its current carrying value.
Earnings Per Share	Earnings per share is reported under the treasury stock method.
Derivative Instruments	Derivative instruments Until the IPO, Valvoline participated in Ashland’s centralized derivative programs that engage in certain hedging activities, which Ashland used to manage its exposure to fluctuations in foreign currencies. Gains and losses related to a hedge were either recognized in Ashland’s income immediately, to offset the gain or loss on the hedged item, or deferred and recorded in the equity section of Ashland’s balance sheet as a component of accumulated other comprehensive loss and subsequently recognized in Ashland’s income when the underlying hedged item was recognized in earnings. As a result, gains or losses on hedges during the three and six months ended March 31, 2016 were not material and are reflected in Valvoline’s Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income through allocation from Ashland in Selling, general and administrative expense. Valvoline began its own hedging program in late September 2016 to manage exposure to fluctuations in foreign currency with an outstanding notional contract value of $30 million as of March 31, 2017. All derivative instruments are recognized as either assets or liabilities on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets and are measured at fair value. As of March 31, 2017 and September 30, 2016, these balances were not material. Changes in the fair value of all derivatives are recognized immediately in income unless the derivative qualifies as a hedge of future cash flows or a hedge of a net investment in a foreign operation. Gains and losses related to a hedge are either recognized in income immediately to offset the gain or loss on the hedged item, or deferred and recorded in the stockholders’ equity section of the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets as a component of accumulated other comprehensive income and subsequently recognized in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income when the hedged item affects net income. The ineffective portion of the change in fair value of a hedge is recognized in income immediately. Gains and losses recognized during the three six months ended March 31, 2017 were not material and were recorded in Selling, general and administrative expense in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income.

Accounts Receivable (Tables)

Accounts Receivable (Tables)	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017
Receivables [Abstract]
Summary of Accounts Receivable	The following summarizes Valvoline’s accounts receivable as of the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet dates: (In millions) March 31 September 30 Trade and other accounts receivable $ 409 $ 368 Less: Allowance for doubtful accounts (4 ) (5 ) $ 405 $ 363

Inventories (Tables)

Inventories (Tables)	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017
Inventory Disclosure [Abstract]
Summary of Inventory	The following summarizes Valvoline’s inventories as of the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet dates: (In millions) March 31 September 30 Finished products $ 159 $ 149 Raw materials, supplies and work in process 27 21 LIFO reserves (27 ) (29 ) Obsolete inventory reserves (3 ) (2 ) $ 156 $ 139

Goodwill (Tables)

Goodwill (Tables)	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]
Schedule of Goodwill	The following is a progression of goodwill by reportable segment for the six months ended March 31, 2017. (In millions) Core North America Quick Lubes International Total September 30, 2016 $ 89 $ 135 $ 40 $ 264 Acquisitions (a) — 48 — 48 March 31, 2017 $ 89 $ 183 $ 40 $ 312 (a) Relates to $44 million for the acquisition of Time-It Lube and $4 million for the acquisition of five locations within the Quick Lubes reportable segment during the six months ended March 31, 2017. See Note 2 for more information on the acquisition of Time-It Lube.

Debt (Tables)

Debt (Tables)	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
Schedule of Long-term Debt	The following table summarizes Valvoline’s current and long-term debt as of the dates reported in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets: (In millions) March 31 2017 September 30 2016 Senior Notes $ 375 $ 375 Term Loan A 293 375 Accounts Receivable Securitization 75 — Revolver — — Other (a) (6 ) (7 ) Total debt $ 737 $ 743 Short-term debt 75 — Current portion of long-term debt 16 19 Long-term debt $ 646 $ 724 (a) At March 31, 2017, Other includes $8 million of debt issuance cost discounts and $2 million of debt acquired through acquisitions. At September 30, 2016, Other included $9 million of debt issuance cost discounts and $2 million of debt acquired through acquisitions.

Employee Benefit Plans (Tables)

Employee Benefit Plans (Tables)	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017
Compensation and Retirement Disclosure [Abstract]
Components of Benefit Costs	The following table summarizes the components of pension and other postretirement benefit income. For the three and six months ended March 31, 2016, these amounts were generally related to allocations to Valvoline under a multi-employer plan. Other postretirement benefits Pension benefits (In millions) 2017 2016 2017 2016 Three months ended March 31 Service cost $ — $ 2 $ — $ — Interest cost 22 6 — — Expected return on plan assets (36 ) (9 ) — — Amortization of prior service credit — — (3 ) (1 ) Curtailment gain — (12 ) — (6 ) Actuarial loss — 22 — 1 Net periodic benefit (income) costs $ (14 ) $ 9 $ (3 ) $ (6 ) Six months ended March 31 Service cost $ 1 $ 4 $ — $ — Interest cost 43 12 — 1 Expected return on plan assets (72 ) (18 ) — — Amortization of prior service credit — — (6 ) (2 ) Curtailment gain — (12 ) — (6 ) Actuarial loss (gain) — 22 (8 ) 1 Net periodic benefit (income) costs $ (28 ) $ 8 $ (14 ) $ (6 )

Earnings Per Share (Tables)

Earnings Per Share (Tables)	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Schedule of Earnings Per Share, Basic and Diluted	The following is the computation of basic and diluted earnings per share (“EPS”). Earnings per share is reported under the treasury stock method. Three months ended Six months ended March 31 March 31 (In millions except per share data) 2017 2016 2017 2016 Numerator Net income $ 71 $ 68 $ 143 $ 133 Denominator Weighted-average shares used to compute basic EPS 205 205 205 205 Effect of dilutive securities (a) — — — — Weighted-average shares used to compute diluted EPS 205 205 205 205 Earnings per share Basic $ 0.35 $ 0.33 $ 0.70 $ 0.65 Diluted $ 0.35 $ 0.33 $ 0.70 $ 0.65 (a) During the six months ended March 31, 2017, the Company issued share-based awards to six non-employee directors. These awards had no material impact on earnings per share.

Stockholders' Equity (Tables)

Stockholders' Equity (Tables)	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017
Equity [Abstract]
Stockholder Dividends	The Company's dividend activity during the six months ended March 31, 2017 was as follows: Common Stock Declaration Date Record Date Payment Date Dividend Per Share Cash Outlay Cash Paid to Parent November 15, 2016 December 5, 2016 December 20, 2016 $ 0.049 $ 10 $ 8 January 24, 2017 March 1, 2017 March 15, 2017 $ 0.049 $ 10 $ 8
Components of Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)	Components of other comprehensive income (loss) recorded in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income are presented in the following table, before tax and net of tax effects. 2017 2016 (In millions) Before tax Tax benefit (expense) Net of tax Before tax Tax benefit (expense) Net of tax Three months ended March 31 Other comprehensive income (loss) Unrealized translation gain $ 6 $ — $ 6 $ 10 $ (1 ) $ 9 Pension and other postretirement obligation adjustment: Amortization of unrecognized prior service credits included in net income (a) (3 ) 1 (2 ) — — — Total other comprehensive income $ 3 $ 1 $ 4 $ 10 $ (1 ) $ 9 Six months ended March 31 Other comprehensive income (loss) Unrealized translation (loss) gain $ (3 ) $ — $ (3 ) $ 5 $ — $ 5 Pension and other postretirement obligation adjustment: Amortization of unrecognized prior service credits included in net income (a) (6 ) 2 (4 ) — — — Total other comprehensive (loss) income $ (9 ) $ 2 $ (7 ) $ 5 $ — $ 5 (a) Amortization of unrecognized prior service credits are included in net periodic benefit income for pension and other postretirement plans and are included in Pension and other postretirement plan non-service income and remeasurement adjustments in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income.

Related Party Transactions (Tab

Related Party Transactions (Tables)	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017
Related Party Transactions [Abstract]
Summary of Allocated Centralized and Administrative Support Costs	The following table summarizes the centralized and administrative support costs of Ashland that were allocated to Valvoline for the three and six months ended March 31, 2016. Three months ended March 31 Six months ended March 31 (In millions) 2016 2016 Information technology $ 5 $ 10 Financial and accounting 3 6 Building services 3 6 Legal and environmental 1 3 Human resources 1 2 Shared services — 1 Other general and administrative 7 13 Total $ 20 $ 41

Reportable Segment Information

Reportable Segment Information (Tables)	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Schedule of Segment Reporting Information	The following table presents various financial information for each reportable segment: (In millions) Three months ended March 31 Six months ended March 31 2017 2016 2017 2016 Sales Core North America $ 253 $ 248 $ 490 $ 489 Quick Lubes 128 113 255 213 International 133 119 258 234 $ 514 $ 480 $ 1,003 $ 936 Operating Income Core North America $ 57 $ 59 $ 108 $ 112 Quick Lubes 31 29 60 52 International 18 17 38 33 Total operating segments $ 106 $ 105 $ 206 $ 197 Unallocated and other (a) 11 (1 ) 31 3 $ 117 $ 104 $ 237 $ 200 (a) Unallocated and other includes a gain of $8 million during the six months ended March 31, 2017 and a loss of $5 million during three and six months ended March 31, 2016 related to pension and other postretirement plan actuarial remeasurements. Unallocated and other also includes separation costs of $6 million and $12 million for the three and six months ending March 31, 2017 , respectively.

Basis of Presentation (Details)

Basis of Presentation (Details)	Mar. 31, 2017
Ashland
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Ashland ownership percentage	83.00%

Acquisitions (Details)

Acquisitions (Details) vehicle in Millions, $ in Millions	Jan. 31, 2017USD ($)store	Feb. 01, 2016USD ($)vehiclefranchisestore	Mar. 31, 2017USD ($)location	Sep. 30, 2016USD ($)
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Goodwill			$ 312	$ 264
Quick Lubes
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Goodwill			$ 183	$ 135
Time-It Lube
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Number of stores in which business assets are acquired (store) | store	28
Consideration for acquisition	$ 48
Goodwill	$ 44
Oil Can Henry's | Ashland
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Consideration for acquisition		$ 62
Goodwill		83
Assets		10
Debt		11
Current liabilities		11
Noncurrent liabilities		$ 9
Oil Can Henry's | Oil Can Henry's
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Number of vehicles serviced (vehicle) | vehicle		1
Number of quick-lube stores (store) | store		89
Number of company-owned stores (store) | store		47
Number of franchise locations (franchise) | franchise		42
Acquisition of Quick-Lube Locations | Quick Lubes
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Number of locations acquired | location			5

Accounts Receivable (Details)

Accounts Receivable (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Mar. 31, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016
Receivables [Abstract]
Trade and other accounts receivable	$ 409	$ 368
Less: Allowance for doubtful accounts	(4)	(5)
Accounts receivable	$ 405	$ 363

Inventories (Details)

Inventories (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Mar. 31, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016
Inventory Disclosure [Abstract]
Finished products	$ 159	$ 149
Raw materials, supplies and work in process	27	21
LIFO reserves	(27)	(29)
Obsolete inventory reserves	(3)	(2)
Inventories	$ 156	$ 139

Goodwill (Details)

Goodwill (Details)	6 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017USD ($)location	Sep. 30, 2016USD ($)
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Goodwill, beginning balance	$ 264,000,000
Acquisitions	48,000,000
Goodwill, ending balance	312,000,000	$ 264,000,000
Goodwill impairment		0
Time-It Lube
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Acquisitions	44,000,000
Core North America
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Goodwill, beginning balance	89,000,000
Acquisitions	0
Goodwill, ending balance	89,000,000	89,000,000
Quick Lubes
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Goodwill, beginning balance	135,000,000
Acquisitions	48,000,000
Goodwill, ending balance	183,000,000	135,000,000
Quick Lubes | Acquisition of Quick-Lube Locations
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Acquisitions	$ 4,000,000
Number of locations acquired | location	5
International
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Goodwill, beginning balance	$ 40,000,000
Acquisitions	0
Goodwill, ending balance	$ 40,000,000	$ 40,000,000

Debt - Schedule of Long Term De

Debt - Schedule of Long Term Debt (Details) - USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt gross	$ 670,000,000	$ 752,000,000
Short-term debt	75,000,000	0
Other	(6,000,000)	(7,000,000)
Total debt	737,000,000	743,000,000
Current portion of long-term debt	16,000,000	19,000,000
Long-term debt	646,000,000	724,000,000
Debt issuance cost discounts	8,000,000	9,000,000
Debt acquired through acquisitions	2,000,000	2,000,000
Line of Credit | Revolver
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt gross	0
Short-term debt	0	0
2024 Notes | Senior Notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt gross	375,000,000	375,000,000
Term Loan A Facility | Line of Credit | Secured Debt
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt gross	293,000,000	375,000,000
2017 Accounts Receivable Securitization Facility | Line of Credit | Secured Debt
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Short-term debt	$ 75,000,000	$ 0

Debt (Details)

Debt (Details) - USD ($)	1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended	6 Months Ended
	Nov. 30, 2016	Dec. 31, 2016	Mar. 31, 2017	Mar. 31, 2016	Sep. 30, 2016
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt gross			$ 670,000,000		$ 752,000,000
Long-term debt, fair value			689,000,000		771,000,000
Proceeds from borrowings			75,000,000	$ 0
Short-term debt			75,000,000		0
2024 Notes | Senior Notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt gross			$ 375,000,000		375,000,000
Interest rate of debt			5.50%
2016 Credit Facilities
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal amount of line of credit			$ 1,325,000,000
Remaining borrowing capacity			$ 436,000,000
2016 Credit Facilities | Line of Credit
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Maximum consolidated leverage ratio			4.5
Minimum consolidated interest coverage ratio			3
Secured Debt | 2017 Accounts Receivable Securitization Facility
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal amount of line of credit	$ 125,000,000
Proceeds from borrowings		$ 75,000,000
Secured Debt | 2017 Accounts Receivable Securitization Facility | Line of Credit
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Term of debt	1 year
Short-term debt			$ 75,000,000		0
Remaining borrowing capacity			$ 50,000,000
Weighted-average interest rate			1.60%
Secured Debt | Term Loan A Facility
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal amount of line of credit			$ 875,000,000
Secured Debt | Term Loan A Facility | Line of Credit
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt gross			$ 293,000,000		375,000,000
Term of debt			5 years
Revolver
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal amount of line of credit			$ 450,000,000
Revolver | Line of Credit
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt gross			$ 0
Term of debt			5 years
Short-term debt			$ 0		$ 0
Letter of Credit
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal amount of line of credit			100,000,000
Letter of Credit | 2016 Credit Facilities | Line of Credit
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Letters of credit outstanding			$ 14,000,000

Income Taxes - Narrative (Detai

Income Taxes - Narrative (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017	Mar. 31, 2016	Mar. 31, 2017	Mar. 31, 2016	Sep. 30, 2016
Income Tax Contingency [Line Items]
Income tax expense	$ 38	$ 35	$ 76	$ 66
Effective tax rate	34.90%	34.00%	34.70%	33.20%
Uncertain tax positions from increases in positions taken in the current year	$ 1		$ 1
Ashland
Income Tax Contingency [Line Items]
Obligations to related party					$ 73
Ashland | Other current assets
Income Tax Contingency [Line Items]
Receivables from related party	10		10		30
Ashland | Other long-term liabilities
Income Tax Contingency [Line Items]
Obligations to related party	79		79		71
Tax Matters Agreement | Ashland
Income Tax Contingency [Line Items]
Obligations to related party	67		67		66
Tax Matters Agreement | Ashland | Other current assets
Income Tax Contingency [Line Items]
Receivables from related party	10		10		5
Tax Matters Agreement | Ashland | Other long-term liabilities
Income Tax Contingency [Line Items]
Obligations to related party	$ 77		$ 77		$ 71

Employee Benefit Plans - Narrat

Employee Benefit Plans - Narrative (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017	Mar. 31, 2016	Mar. 31, 2017	Mar. 31, 2016	Sep. 30, 2016
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Pension and other postretirement benefit expense (income)	$ (17)		$ (42)
Service cost		$ 2		$ 4
Gain (loss) from actuarial remeasurements			8	0
U.S government bonds | Level 1
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Non-qualified benefit plan investments	33		33		$ 34
Pension plan
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Pension and other postretirement benefit expense (income)	(14)	9	(28)	8
Service cost	0	2	1	4
Pension plan contributions	7		10
Expected pension contributions for the remainder of 2017	7		7
Other postretirement benefit plan
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Pension and other postretirement benefit expense (income)	(3)	(6)	(14)	(6)
Service cost	$ 0	0	$ 0	0
Multi-employer pension plan
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Pension and other postretirement benefit expense (income)		3		2
Gain (loss) from actuarial remeasurements		(5)		(5)
Non-service income and remeasurement adjustments
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Pension and other postretirement benefit expense (income)		1		(2)
Cost of sales
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Pension and other postretirement benefit expense (income)				(1)
Service cost		1		2
Cost of sales | Multi-employer pension plan
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Gain (loss) from actuarial remeasurements		(2)		(2)
Pensions and other postretirement plan non-service income and remeasurement adjustments
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Pension and other postretirement benefit expense (income)		1		(1)
Pensions and other postretirement plan non-service income and remeasurement adjustments | Multi-employer pension plan
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Gain (loss) from actuarial remeasurements		(3)		(3)
Selling, general and administrative expense
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost		$ 1		$ 2

Employee Benefit Plans - Pensio

Employee Benefit Plans - Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Costs (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017	Mar. 31, 2016	Mar. 31, 2017	Mar. 31, 2016
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost		$ 2		$ 4
Net periodic benefit cost (income)	$ (17)		$ (42)
Pension benefits
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost	0	2	1	4
Interest cost	22	6	43	12
Expected return on plan assets	(36)	(9)	(72)	(18)
Amortization of prior service credit	0	0	0	0
Curtailment gain	0	(12)	0	(12)
Actuarial loss	0	22	0	22
Net periodic benefit cost (income)	(14)	9	(28)	8
Other postretirement benefits
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost	0	0	0	0
Interest cost	0	0	0	1
Expected return on plan assets	0	0	0	0
Amortization of prior service credit	(3)	(1)	(6)	(2)
Curtailment gain	0	(6)	0	(6)
Actuarial loss	0	1	(8)	1
Net periodic benefit cost (income)	$ (3)	$ (6)	$ (14)	$ (6)

Earnings Per Share (Details)

Earnings Per Share (Details) $ / shares in Units, shares in Millions, $ in Millions	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017USD ($)$ / sharesshares	Mar. 31, 2016USD ($)$ / sharesshares	Mar. 31, 2017USD ($)director$ / sharesshares	Mar. 31, 2016USD ($)$ / sharesshares
Numerator
Net income | $	$ 71	$ 68	$ 143	$ 133
Denominator
Weighted-average shares used to compute basic EPS (in shares)	205	205	205	205
Effect of dilutive securities (in shares)	0	0	0	0
Weighted-average shares used to compute diluted EPS (in shares)	205	205	205	205
Earnings per share
Earnings per share, basic (usd per share) | $ / shares	$ 0.35	$ 0.33	$ 0.70	$ 0.65
Earnings per share, diluted (usd per share) | $ / shares	$ 0.35	$ 0.33	$ 0.70	$ 0.65
Number of non-employee directors | director			6

Stockholders' Equity (Details)

Stockholders' Equity (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Millions	Mar. 15, 2017	Jan. 24, 2017	Dec. 20, 2016	Nov. 15, 2016
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Dividend per share (usd per share)		$ 0.049		$ 0.049
Cash outlay	$ 10		$ 10
Ashland
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Cash outlay	$ 8		$ 8

Stockholders' Equity - Other Co

Stockholders' Equity - Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017	Mar. 31, 2016	Mar. 31, 2017	Mar. 31, 2016
Before tax
Unrealized translation gain	$ 6	$ 10	$ (3)	$ 5
Amortization of unrecognized prior service credits included in net income	(3)	0	(6)	0
Total other comprehensive income	3	10	(9)	5
Tax benefit (expense)
Unrealized translation gain	0	(1)	0	0
Amortization of unrecognized prior service credits included in net income	1	0	2	0
Total other comprehensive income	1	(1)	2	0
Net of tax
Unrealized translation gain	6	9	(3)	5
Amortization of unrecognized prior service credits included in net income	(2)	0	(4)	0
Other comprehensive income (loss)	$ 4	$ 9	$ (7)	$ 5

Related Party Transactions - Na

Related Party Transactions - Narrative (Details) - USD ($)	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017	Mar. 31, 2016	Mar. 31, 2017	Mar. 31, 2016	Sep. 30, 2016
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Stock based compensation expense	$ 2,000,000	$ 2,000,000	$ 3,000,000	$ 5,000,000
General corporate expenses allocated to Valvoline	0	$ 20,000,000	0	$ 41,000,000
Hedging instrument | Fair value | Foreign currency derivative
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Notional amount of derivatives	30,000,000		30,000,000
Ashland
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Accounts receivable sold by Ashland to the financial institution	0		0		$ 29,000,000
Obligations to related party					73,000,000
Ashland | Interim tax-sharing payments, transition services and other miscellaneous billings
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party payments			60,000,000
Ashland | Payments from parent company
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Payments from related party			23,000,000
Ashland | Other current assets
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Receivables from related party	10,000,000		10,000,000		30,000,000
Ashland | Accrued expenses and other liabilities
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Obligations to related party	9,000,000		9,000,000		2,000,000
Ashland | Other long-term liabilities
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Obligations to related party	$ 79,000,000		$ 79,000,000		$ 71,000,000

Related Party Transactions - As

Related Party Transactions - Ashland Costs Allocated (Details) - USD ($)	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017	Mar. 31, 2016	Mar. 31, 2017	Mar. 31, 2016
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
General corporate expenses allocated to Valvoline	$ 0	$ 20,000,000	$ 0	$ 41,000,000
Ashland | Information technology
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
General corporate expenses allocated to Valvoline		5,000,000		10,000,000
Ashland | Financial and accounting
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
General corporate expenses allocated to Valvoline		3,000,000		6,000,000
Ashland | Building services
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
General corporate expenses allocated to Valvoline		3,000,000		6,000,000
Ashland | Legal and environmental
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
General corporate expenses allocated to Valvoline		1,000,000		3,000,000
Ashland | Human resources
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
General corporate expenses allocated to Valvoline		1,000,000		2,000,000
Ashland | Shared services
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
General corporate expenses allocated to Valvoline		0		1,000,000
Ashland | Other general and administrative
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
General corporate expenses allocated to Valvoline		$ 7,000,000		$ 13,000,000

Reportable Segment Informatio45

Reportable Segment Information - Narrative (Details) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017USD ($)country	Mar. 31, 2016USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2017USD ($)countrysegment	Mar. 31, 2016USD ($)
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Number of reportable segments | segment			3
Separation costs	$ 6	$ 0	$ 12	$ 0
Operating Segments | International
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Number of countries where our products are sold | country	140		140
Unallocated and Other
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Separation costs	$ 6		$ 12

Reportable Segment Informatio46

Reportable Segment Information - Financial Information by Segment (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017	Mar. 31, 2016	Mar. 31, 2017	Mar. 31, 2016
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Sales	$ 514	$ 480	$ 1,003	$ 936
Operating Income	117	104	237	200
Gain (loss) from actuarial remeasurements			8	0
Separation costs	6	0	12	0
Core North America
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Sales	253	248	490	489
Quick Lubes
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Sales	128	113	255	213
International
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Sales	133	119	258	234
Operating Segments
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Operating Income	106	105	206	197
Operating Segments | Core North America
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Operating Income	57	59	108	112
Operating Segments | Quick Lubes
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Operating Income	31	29	60	52
Operating Segments | International
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Operating Income	18	17	38	33
Unallocated and Other
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Operating Income	11	(1)	31	3
Gain (loss) from actuarial remeasurements		$ (5)	8	$ (5)
Separation costs	$ 6		$ 12

Subsequent Events (Details)

Subsequent Events (Details)	May 12, 2017shares	Apr. 27, 2017$ / shares	Apr. 19, 2017location	Jan. 24, 2017$ / shares	Nov. 15, 2016$ / shares	Apr. 24, 2017USD ($)
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Dividend per share (usd per share)				$ 0.049	$ 0.049
Scenario, Forecast | Ashland
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Authorized distribution (shares) | shares	170,000,000
Subsequent Event
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Dividend per share (usd per share)		$ 0.049
Subsequent Event | Common Stock
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Authorized amount of share repurchase | $						$ 150,000,000
Subsequent Event | Acquisition of Quick-Lube Locations
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Number of locations acquired | location			9