| **Concentration of Risk (Details)**                                                                        | 12 Months Ended                                                                                                                                    |     |                                                                                                                                                    |
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| **Concentration of credit risk [Abstract]**                                                                |                                                                                                                                               |     |                                                                                                                                               |  |   |  |
| Short term deposits original maturities at time of purchase, description                                   | three months or less                                                                                                                               |     |                                                                                                                                               |  |   |  |
| Accounts receivables, majority of accounts payment terms, description                                      | 30 days or less                                                                                                                               |     |                                                                                                                                               |  |   |  |
| Glencore Energy UK Ltd [Member]                                                                            |                                                                                                                                               |     |                                                                                                                                               |  |   |  |
| **Concentration Risk [Line Items]**                                                                        |                                                                                                                                               |     |                                                                                                                                               |  |   |  |
| Percentage of crude oil sales (in hundredths)                                                              | 32.00%nbl_ConcentrationRiskPercentageOfCrudeOilSales/ us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskByTypeAxis= nbl_CustomerConcentrationRiskGlencoreEnergyMember       |     | 34.00%nbl_ConcentrationRiskPercentageOfCrudeOilSales/ us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskByTypeAxis= nbl_CustomerConcentrationRiskGlencoreEnergyMember       |  | 39.00%nbl_ConcentrationRiskPercentageOfCrudeOilSales/ us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskByTypeAxis= nbl_CustomerConcentrationRiskGlencoreEnergyMember |  |
| Percentage of total oil, gas & NGL sales (in hundredths)                                               | 22.00%nbl_ConcentrationRiskPercentageOfTotalOilAndGasSales/ us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskByTypeAxis= nbl_CustomerConcentrationRiskGlencoreEnergyMember |     | 25.00%nbl_ConcentrationRiskPercentageOfTotalOilAndGasSales/ us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskByTypeAxis= nbl_CustomerConcentrationRiskGlencoreEnergyMember |  | 31.00%nbl_ConcentrationRiskPercentageOfTotalOilAndGasSales/ us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskByTypeAxis= nbl_CustomerConcentrationRiskGlencoreEnergyMember |  |
| Shell [Member]                                                                                             |                                                                                                                                               |     |                                                                                                                                               |  |   |  |
| **Concentration Risk [Line Items]**                                                                        |                                                                                                                                               |     |                                                                                                                                               |  |   |  |
| Percentage of crude oil sales (in hundredths)                                                              | 15.00%nbl_ConcentrationRiskPercentageOfCrudeOilSales/ us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskByTypeAxis= nbl_CustomerConcentrationRiskShellUsCompanyMember       | [1] | 17.00%nbl_ConcentrationRiskPercentageOfCrudeOilSales/ us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskByTypeAxis= nbl_CustomerConcentrationRiskShellUsCompanyMember       | [1] | 17.00%nbl_ConcentrationRiskPercentageOfCrudeOilSales/ us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskByTypeAxis= nbl_CustomerConcentrationRiskShellUsCompanyMember | [1] |
| Percentage of total oil, gas & NGL sales (in hundredths)                                               | 10.00%nbl_ConcentrationRiskPercentageOfTotalOilAndGasSales/ us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskByTypeAxis= nbl_CustomerConcentrationRiskShellUsCompanyMember | [1] | 13.00%nbl_ConcentrationRiskPercentageOfTotalOilAndGasSales/ us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskByTypeAxis= nbl_CustomerConcentrationRiskShellUsCompanyMember | [1] | 14.00%nbl_ConcentrationRiskPercentageOfTotalOilAndGasSales/ us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskByTypeAxis= nbl_CustomerConcentrationRiskShellUsCompanyMember | [1] |
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| [1]Includes sales to both Shell Trading (US) Company and Shell International Trading and Shipping Limited. |

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| - Definition
For an entity that discloses a concentration risk in relation to crude oil sales, which serves as the "benchmark" (or denominator) in the equation, this concept represents the concentration percentage derived from the division.
+ References
No definition available.
+ Details**Name:**nbl_ConcentrationRiskPercentageOfCrudeOilSales**Namespace Prefix:**nbl_**Data Type:**num:percentItemType**Balance Type:**na**Period Type:**instant |
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| - Definition
For an entity that discloses a concentration risk in relation to total oil and gas sales, which serves as the "benchmark" (or denominator) in the equation, this concept represents the concentration percentage derived from the division.
+ References
No definition available.
+ Details**Name:**nbl_ConcentrationRiskPercentageOfTotalOilAndGasSales**Namespace Prefix:**nbl_**Data Type:**num:percentItemType**Balance Type:**na**Period Type:**instant |
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| - Definition
Further narrative disclosure of claims held for amounts due a company. Examples include trade accounts receivables, notes receivables, loans receivables, etc.
+ References
Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher SEC -Name Regulation S-X (SX) -Number 210 -Section 02 -Paragraph 3 -Subparagraph a, c -Article 5Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 860 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 5 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=13989330&loc=d3e107425-111719Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 210 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.3) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 835 -SubTopic 30 -Section 45 -Paragraph 2 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6451184&loc=d3e28551-108399Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 310 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 4 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=35738203&loc=d3e5074-111524Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 310 -SubTopic 10 -Section 45 -Paragraph 2 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=28367877&loc=d3e4428-111522Reference 7: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 310 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 7 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=35738203&loc=d3e5111-111524Reference 8: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 310 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 9 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=35738203&loc=d3e5144-111524Reference 9: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 310 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 8 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=35738203&loc=d3e5130-111524Reference 10: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 310 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 5 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=35738203&loc=d3e5086-111524Reference 11: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 310 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 3 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=35738203&loc=d3e5066-111524
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| - Definition
Description of the characteristics of contracts treated as deposits for which assets are recorded as of the balance sheet date.
+ References
Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 340 -SubTopic 30 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6387650&loc=d3e9420-108338
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