| **Merger, Acquisitions and Divestitures - Narrative (Details) a in Thousands, $ in Millions**                                     |            | 1 Months Ended | 5 Months Ended | 12 Months Ended |        |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------|----------------|----------------|-----------------|--------|
||
| **Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]** |       |           |           |            |   |   |   |
| Shares of Noble Energy common stock issued to Rosetta shareholders | shares                                                       |       |           |           | 41,048,240      | 0      |   |   |
| Severance, consulting, investment, advistory, legal and other related merger-related fees                                         |       |           |           | $ 81            | $ 0    | $ 0 |   |
| Goodwill Impairment                                                                                                               |       |           |           | 779             | 0      | 0 |   |
| Land Exchanged In Agreement (in acres) | a                                                                                        |       | 50             |           |            |   |   |   |
| Cash Received For Reimbursement of Capital Expenditures and Other Normal Closing Adjustments                                      |       | $ 105          |           |            |   |   |   |
| Proceeds from Divestitures                                                                                                        |       |           |           | 151             | $ 321  | 327 |   |
| Alon A And Alon C                                                                                                                 |       |           |           |            |   |   |   |
| **Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]** |       |           |           |            |   |   |   |
| Disposal Group, Including Discontinued Operations, Adjustment of Costs Offsetting Consideration                                   |       |           |           |            |   |   | $ 6 |
| Ownership interest in equity method investments (in hundredths)                                                                   |       |           |           |            |   |   | 47.00% |
| Total consideration value                                                                                                         |       |           |           |            |   |   | $ 73 |
| North Sea Assets                                                                                                                  |       |           |           |            |   |   |   |
| **Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]** |       |           |           |            |   |   |   |
| Gain on Sale, Net of Tax                                                                                                          |       |           |           |            |   | 65 |   |
| Proceeds from Divestitures                                                                                                        |       |           |           |            |   | $ 56 |   |
| Rosetta Resources, Inc                                                                                                            |       |           |           |            |   |   |   |
| **Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]** |       |           |           |            |   |   |   |
| Shares of Noble Energy common stock issued to Rosetta shareholders | shares                                                       | 41,000,000 |           |           |            |   |   |   |
| Number of Businesses Acquired | business                                                                                          | 2          |           |           |            |   |   |   |
| Merger-related costs incurred                                                                                                     |       |           |           | 81              |   |   |   |
| Severance, consulting, investment, advistory, legal and other related merger-related fees                                         |       |           |           | 66              |   |   |   |
| Noncash share-based compensation expense                                                                                          |       |           |           | 15              |   |   |   |
| Revenue since acquisition                                                                                                         |       |           | $ 181          |            |   |   |   |
| Pre-tax loss since acquisition                                                                                                    |       |           | 120            |            |   |   |   |
| Goodwill Impairment                                                                                                               |       |           | $ 163          |            |   |   |   |
| Common Stock | Rosetta Resources, Inc                                                                                             |       |           |           |            |   |   |   |
| **Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]** |       |           |           |            |   |   |   |
| Business Combination, stock exchange ratio                                                                                        | 0.542      |           |           |            |   |   |   |
| Midland Basin | Rosetta Resources, Inc                                                                                            |       |           |           |            |   |   |   |
| **Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]** |       |           |           |            |   |   |   |
| Long-term Debt, Fair Value                                                                                                        | $ 2,000    |           |           |            |   |   |   |
| Business Combination, Gas And Oil Area Acquired | a                                                                               | 9          |           |           |            |   |   |   |
| Eagle Ford Shale | Rosetta Resources, Inc                                                                                         |       |           |           |            |   |   |   |
| **Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]** |       |           |           |            |   |   |   |
| Business Combination, Gas And Oil Area Acquired | a                                                                               | 50         |           |           |            |   |   |   |
| Permian | Rosetta Resources, Inc                                                                                                  |       |           |           |            |   |   |   |
| **Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]** |       |           |           |            |   |   |   |
| Business Combination, Gas And Oil Area Acquired | a                                                                               | 54         |           |           |            |   |   |   |
| Delaware Basin | Rosetta Resources, Inc                                                                                           |       |           |           |            |   |   |   |
| **Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]** |       |           |           |            |   |   |   |
| Business Combination, Gas And Oil Area Acquired | a                                                                               | 45         |           |           |            |   |   |   |
| Rosetta Resources, Inc | Rosetta Resources, Inc                                                                                   |       |           |           |            |   |   |   |
| **Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]** |       |           |           |            |   |   |   |
| Severance, consulting, investment, advistory, legal and other related merger-related fees                                         |       |           |           | $ 37            |   |   |   |

| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Business Combination, Acquisition Relate Costs Related To Noncash Share-based Compensation Expense
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Business Combination, Acquisition Related Costs Including Noncash Share-based Compensation Expense
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| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   |
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Business Combination, Gas And Oil Area Acquired
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Business Combination, Land Exchanged In Agreement
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| - Definition
Business Combination, Reimbursement of Capital Expenditures and Closing Adjustments, Cash Received
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Business Combination, Stock Exchange Ratio
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| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Disposal Group, Including Discontinued Operations, Adjustment of Costs Offsetting Consideration
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| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Number of shares of equity interests issued or issuable to acquire entity.
+ References
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| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
This element represents acquisition-related costs incurred to effect a business combination which costs have been expensed during the period. Such costs include finder's fees; advisory, legal, accounting, valuation, and other professional or consulting fees; general administrative costs, including the costs of maintaining an internal acquisitions department; and may include costs of registering and issuing debt and equity securities.
+ References
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| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
This element represents the amount of earnings or loss of the acquiree since the acquisition date included in the consolidated income statement for the reporting period.
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| - Definition
This element represents the amount of revenue of the acquiree since the acquisition date included in the consolidated income statement for the reporting period.
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|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Amount of gain (loss), after tax expense or benefit and not previously recognized, resulting from the sale of a business component.
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| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Amount of consideration received or receivable for the disposal of assets and liabilities, including discontinued operation.
+ References
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| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                |
|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
The percentage of ownership of common stock or equity participation in the investee accounted for under the equity method of accounting.
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|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Amount of loss from the write-down of an asset representing the future economic benefits arising from other assets acquired in a business combination that are not individually identified and separately recognized.
+ References
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| - Definition
Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.
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No definition available.
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| - Definition
The fair value amount of long-term debt whether such amount is presented as a separate caption or as a parenthetical disclosure. Additionally, this element may be used in connection with the fair value disclosures required in the footnote disclosures to the financial statements. The element may be used in both the balance sheet and disclosure in the same submission.
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| - Definition
The number of businesses acquired by the entity during the period.
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|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - 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.
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| X                                                                                                                                                     |
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