| **Property Transactions  Narrative (Details) (USD $)In Millions, unless otherwise specified**                                     | 1 Months Ended                                                                                | 12 Months Ended                                                                                                                                                                                      |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
||
| **Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]** |                                                                                          |                                                                                                                                                                                                 |   |   |
| Proceeds from Divestitures                                                                                                        |                                                                                          | $ 321us-gaap_ProceedsFromSaleOfOilAndGasPropertyAndEquipment                                                                                                                                         | $ 327us-gaap_ProceedsFromSaleOfOilAndGasPropertyAndEquipment | $ 1,160us-gaap_ProceedsFromSaleOfOilAndGasPropertyAndEquipment |
| Exploration Expense                                                                                                               |                                                                                          |                                                                                                                                                                                                 | 27nbl_ExplorationExpenseSelkirk |   |
| Land Exchanged In Agreement (in acres)                                                                                            | 50,000nbl_BusinessCombinationLandExchangedInAgreement                                         |                                                                                                                                                                                                 |   |   |
| Cash Received For Reimbursement of Capital Expenditures and Other Normal Closing Adjustments                                      | 105nbl_BusinessCombinationReimbursementofCapitalExpendituresandClosingAdjustmentsCashReceived |                                                                                                                                                                                                 |   |   |
| DJ Basin (Onshore US) [Member]                                                                                                    |                                                                                          |                                                                                                                                                                                                 |   |   |
| **Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]** |                                                                                          |                                                                                                                                                                                                 |   |   |
| Assets Held-for-sale, Long Lived, Fair Value Disclosure                                                                           |                                                                                          | 105us-gaap_AssetsHeldForSaleLongLivedFairValueDisclosure/ us-gaap_IncomeStatementBalanceSheetAndAdditionalDisclosuresByDisposalGroupsIncludingDiscontinuedOperationsAxis= nbl_DJBasinOnshoreUSMember |   |   |
| Israel [Member]                                                                                                                   |                                                                                          |                                                                                                                                                                                                 |   |   |
| **Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]** |                                                                                          |                                                                                                                                                                                                 |   |   |
| Assets Held-for-sale, Long Lived, Fair Value Disclosure                                                                           |                                                                                          | 75us-gaap_AssetsHeldForSaleLongLivedFairValueDisclosure/ us-gaap_IncomeStatementBalanceSheetAndAdditionalDisclosuresByDisposalGroupsIncludingDiscontinuedOperationsAxis= country_IL                  |   |   |
| North Sea Assets [Member]                                                                                                         |                                                                                          |                                                                                                                                                                                                 |   |   |
| **Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]** |                                                                                          |                                                                                                                                                                                                 |   |   |
| Proceeds from Divestitures                                                                                                        |                                                                                          |                                                                                                                                                                                                 | 56us-gaap_ProceedsFromSaleOfOilAndGasPropertyAndEquipment/ us-gaap_IncomeStatementBalanceSheetAndAdditionalDisclosuresByDisposalGroupsIncludingDiscontinuedOperationsAxis= nbl_NorthSeaAssetsMember | 117us-gaap_ProceedsFromSaleOfOilAndGasPropertyAndEquipment/ us-gaap_IncomeStatementBalanceSheetAndAdditionalDisclosuresByDisposalGroupsIncludingDiscontinuedOperationsAxis= nbl_NorthSeaAssetsMember |
| Net Book Value of Assets Sold                                                                                                     |                                                                                          |                                                                                                                                                                                                 | 255nbl_DisposalGroupIncludingDiscontinuedOperationNetBookValue/ us-gaap_IncomeStatementBalanceSheetAndAdditionalDisclosuresByDisposalGroupsIncludingDiscontinuedOperationsAxis= nbl_NorthSeaAssetsMember |   |
| Asset Retirement Obligation                                                                                                       |                                                                                          |                                                                                                                                                                                                 | 55nbl_AssetRetirementObligationAssetsSold/ us-gaap_IncomeStatementBalanceSheetAndAdditionalDisclosuresByDisposalGroupsIncludingDiscontinuedOperationsAxis= nbl_NorthSeaAssetsMember |   |
| Income Tax Benefit Recognized                                                                                                     |                                                                                          |                                                                                                                                                                                                 | $ 99nbl_IncomeTaxBenefitRecognized/ us-gaap_IncomeStatementBalanceSheetAndAdditionalDisclosuresByDisposalGroupsIncludingDiscontinuedOperationsAxis= nbl_NorthSeaAssetsMember |   |

| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                |
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Amount of asset retirement obligations settled, or otherwise disposed of, during the period. This may include asset retirement obligations transferred to third parties associated with the sale of a long-lived asset.
+ References
No definition available.
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| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        |
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Business Combination, Land Exchanged In Agreement
+ References
No definition available.
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| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              |
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Business Combination, Reimbursement of Capital Expenditures and Closing Adjustments, Cash Received
+ References
No definition available.
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| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        |
|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
For the disposal group, including a component of the entity (discontinued operation), the net book value of oil and gas properties, carried under the successful efforts method, to be sold.
+ References
No definition available.
+ Details**Name:**nbl_DisposalGroupIncludingDiscontinuedOperationNetBookValue**Namespace Prefix:**nbl_**Data Type:**xbrli:monetaryItemType**Balance Type:**debit**Period Type:**duration |
| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Exploration expenses (including prospecting) related to our Selkirk well and would be included in operating expenses of that entity. Costs incurred in identifying areas that may warrant examination and in examining specific areas that are considered to have prospects of containing oil and gas reserves, including costs of drilling exploratory wells and exploratory-type stratigraphic test wells. Exploration costs may be incurred both before acquiring the related property (sometimes referred to in part as prospecting costs) and after acquiring the property. Principal types of exploration costs, which include depreciation and applicable operating costs of support equipment and facilities and other costs of exploration activities, are: (i) Costs of topographical, geographical and geophysical studies, rights of access to properties to conduct those studies, and salaries and other expenses of geologists, geophysical crews, and others conducting those studies. Collectively, these are sometimes referred to as geological and geophysical or "G&G" costs. (ii) Costs of carrying and retaining undeveloped properties, such as delay rentals, ad valorem taxes on properties, legal costs for title defense, and the maintenance of land and lease records. (iii) Dry hole contributions and bottom hole contributions. (iv) Costs of drilling and equipping exploratory wells. (v) Costs of drilling exploratory-type stratigraphic test wells.
+ References
No definition available.
+ Details**Name:**nbl_ExplorationExpenseSelkirk**Namespace Prefix:**nbl_**Data Type:**xbrli:monetaryItemType**Balance Type:**debit**Period Type:**duration |
| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Income tax benefit recognized upon closing of the sale and reversal of a deferred tax liability associated with certain North Sea assets disposed of.
+ References
No definition available.
+ Details**Name:**nbl_IncomeTaxBenefitRecognized**Namespace Prefix:**nbl_**Data Type:**xbrli:monetaryItemType**Balance Type:**credit**Period Type:**duration |
| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Fair value portion of assets classified as held for sale.
+ References
Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 820 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (a) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=36462937&loc=d3e19190-110258
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| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
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| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
The cash inflow to dispose of long-lived, physical assets and mineral interests in oil and gas properties used for normal oil and gas operations.
+ References
Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Glossary Investing Activities -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6516133Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 230 -SubTopic 10 -Section 45 -Paragraph 12 -Subparagraph (c) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=31042434&loc=d3e3179-108585
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| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
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| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
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| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
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