| **Leases - Right-of-use Assets and Liability (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions** | Mar. 31, 2019 | Dec. 31, 2018 |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------|---------------|
| **ROU Assets**                                                                   |          |          |
| Operating Leases                                                                 | $ 273         | $ 0           |
| Finance Leases                                                                   | 179           |          |
| Total ROU Assets                                                                 | 452           |          |
| **Current Liabilities**                                                          |          |          |
| Operating Leases                                                                 | 86            |          |
| Finance Leases                                                                   | 41            | 41            |
| **Noncurrent Liabilities**                                                       |          |          |
| Operating Leases                                                                 | 194           | $ 0           |
| Finance Leases                                                                   | 174           |          |
| Total Lease Liabilities                                                          | 495           |          |
| Accumulated amortization                                                         | 449           |          |
| Office Space                                                                     |          |          |
| **ROU Assets**                                                                   |          |          |
| Operating Leases                                                                 | 107           |          |
| Finance Leases                                                                   | 96            |          |
| Compressors                                                                      |          |          |
| **ROU Assets**                                                                   |          |          |
| Operating Leases                                                                 | 87            |          |
| Drilling Rigs                                                                    |          |          |
| **ROU Assets**                                                                   |          |          |
| Operating Leases                                                                 | $ 40          |          |

| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Finance Lease, Accumulated Amortization
+ References
No definition available.
+ Details**Name:**nbl_FinanceLeaseAccumulatedAmortization**Namespace Prefix:**nbl_**Data Type:**xbrli:monetaryItemType**Balance Type:**credit**Period Type:**instant |
| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                  |
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Lease Liability
+ References
No definition available.
+ Details**Name:**nbl_LeaseLiability**Namespace Prefix:**nbl_**Data Type:**xbrli:monetaryItemType**Balance Type:**credit**Period Type:**instant |
| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                |
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Lease Liability, Current [Abstract]
+ References
No definition available.
+ Details**Name:**nbl_LeaseLiabilityCurrentAbstract**Namespace Prefix:**nbl_**Data Type:**xbrli:stringItemType**Balance Type:**na**Period Type:**duration |
| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      |
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Lease Liability, Noncurrent [Abstract]
+ References
No definition available.
+ Details**Name:**nbl_LeaseLiabilityNoncurrentAbstract**Namespace Prefix:**nbl_**Data Type:**xbrli:stringItemType**Balance Type:**na**Period Type:**duration |
| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     |
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Leases, Right-of-use Assets
+ References
No definition available.
+ Details**Name:**nbl_LeasesRightofuseAssets**Namespace Prefix:**nbl_**Data Type:**xbrli:monetaryItemType**Balance Type:**debit**Period Type:**instant |
| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Right-of-use Assets [Abstract]
+ References
No definition available.
+ Details**Name:**nbl_RightofuseAssetsAbstract**Namespace Prefix:**nbl_**Data Type:**xbrli:stringItemType**Balance Type:**na**Period Type:**duration |
| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Present value of lessee's discounted obligation for lease payments from finance lease, classified as current.
+ References
Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 842 -SubTopic 20 -Section 45 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (b) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=77888419&loc=SL77918627-209977
+ Details**Name:**us-gaap_FinanceLeaseLiabilityCurrent**Namespace Prefix:**us-gaap_**Data Type:**xbrli:monetaryItemType**Balance Type:**credit**Period Type:**instant |
| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Present value of lessee's discounted obligation for lease payments from finance lease, classified as noncurrent.
+ References
Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 842 -SubTopic 20 -Section 45 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (b) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=77888419&loc=SL77918627-209977
+ Details**Name:**us-gaap_FinanceLeaseLiabilityNoncurrent**Namespace Prefix:**us-gaap_**Data Type:**xbrli:monetaryItemType**Balance Type:**credit**Period Type:**instant |
| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Amount of lessee's right to use underlying asset under finance lease.
+ References
Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 842 -SubTopic 20 -Section 45 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (a) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=77888419&loc=SL77918627-209977
+ Details**Name:**us-gaap_FinanceLeaseRightOfUseAsset**Namespace Prefix:**us-gaap_**Data Type:**xbrli:monetaryItemType**Balance Type:**debit**Period Type:**instant |
| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Present value of lessee's discounted obligation for lease payments from operating lease, classified as current.
+ References
Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 842 -SubTopic 20 -Section 45 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (b) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=77888419&loc=SL77918627-209977
+ Details**Name:**us-gaap_OperatingLeaseLiabilityCurrent**Namespace Prefix:**us-gaap_**Data Type:**xbrli:monetaryItemType**Balance Type:**credit**Period Type:**instant |
| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Present value of lessee's discounted obligation for lease payments from operating lease, classified as noncurrent.
+ References
Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 842 -SubTopic 20 -Section 45 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (b) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=77888419&loc=SL77918627-209977
+ Details**Name:**us-gaap_OperatingLeaseLiabilityNoncurrent**Namespace Prefix:**us-gaap_**Data Type:**xbrli:monetaryItemType**Balance Type:**credit**Period Type:**instant |
| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Amount of lessee's right to use underlying asset under operating lease.
+ References
Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 842 -SubTopic 20 -Section 45 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (a) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=77888419&loc=SL77918627-209977
+ Details**Name:**us-gaap_OperatingLeaseRightOfUseAsset**Namespace Prefix:**us-gaap_**Data Type:**xbrli:monetaryItemType**Balance Type:**debit**Period Type:**instant |
| X                                                                                                                                                         |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Details**Name:**us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis=nbl_OfficeSpaceMember**Namespace Prefix:****Data Type:**na**Balance Type:****Period Type:** |
| X                                                                                                                                                         |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Details**Name:**us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis=nbl_CompressorsMember**Namespace Prefix:****Data Type:**na**Balance Type:****Period Type:** |
| X                                                                                                                                                          |
|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Details**Name:**us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis=nbl_DrillingRigsMember**Namespace Prefix:****Data Type:**na**Balance Type:****Period Type:** |