|**Concentration of Risk (Tables)**                 | 12 Months Ended                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               
|-------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|**Concentration of Risk [Abstract]**               |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               
|Schedules of Concentration of Risk, by Risk Factor | The largest single non-affiliated purchasers of our production were as follows:Percentage of Crude Oil SalesPercentage of Total Oil, Gas & NGL SalesYear Ended December 31, 2016Glencore Energy UK Ltd22%12%Shell(1)24%13%Year Ended December 31, 2015Glencore Energy UK Ltd30%18%Shell(1)18%11%Year Ended December 31, 2014Glencore Energy UK Ltd32%22%Shell(1)15%10%(1)Includes sales to Shell Trading (US) Company and/or Shell International Trading and Shipping Limited.
|                                                  
|                                                   |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               
|                                                   |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               
|Year Ended December 31, 2016                       |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               
|Glencore Energy UK Ltd                             |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               
|Shell(1)                                           |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               
|Year Ended December 31, 2015                       |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               
|Glencore Energy UK Ltd                             |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               
|Shell(1)                                           |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               
|Year Ended December 31, 2014                       |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               
|Glencore Energy UK Ltd                             |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               
|Shell(1)                                           |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               
|                                                   |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               
|(1)                                                | Includes sales to Shell Trading (US) Company and/or Shell International Trading and Shipping Limited.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

X- ReferencesNo definition available.
+ Details**Name:**
nbl_ConcentrationOfRiskAbstract**Namespace Prefix:**
nbl_**Data Type:**
xbrli:stringItemType**Balance Type:**
na**Period Type:**
duration X- DefinitionTabular disclosure of the nature of a concentration, a benchmark to which it is compared, and the percentage that the risk is to the benchmark.
+ ReferencesReference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 275 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 18 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=64851502&loc=d3e6351-108592Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 825 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 21 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=73719730&loc=d3e13537-108611Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 825 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 20 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=73719730&loc=d3e13531-108611Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 275 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 21 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=64851502&loc=d3e6442-108592Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 275 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 16 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=64851502&loc=d3e6327-108592Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 275 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 20 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=64851502&loc=d3e6404-108592
+ Details**Name:**
us-gaap_SchedulesOfConcentrationOfRiskByRiskFactorTextBlock**Namespace Prefix:**
us-gaap_**Data Type:**
nonnum:textBlockItemType**Balance Type:**
na**Period Type:**
duration