| **Asset Impairments - Pre-tax (Non-Cash) Asset Impairment Charges (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions** | 12 Months Ended |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------|
||
| **Impaired Long-Lived Assets Held and Used [Line Items]**                                             |            |   |   |
| Asset Impairments                                                                                     | $ 70            | $ 92 | $ 533 |
| Gulf of Mexico                                                                                        |            |   |   |
| **Impaired Long-Lived Assets Held and Used [Line Items]**                                             |            |   |   |
| Asset Impairments                                                                                     | 63              | 0 | 158 |
| Israel                                                                                                |            |   |   |
| **Impaired Long-Lived Assets Held and Used [Line Items]**                                             |            |   |   |
| Asset Impairments                                                                                     | 0               | 88 | 36 |
| Equatorial Guinea                                                                                     |            |   |   |
| **Impaired Long-Lived Assets Held and Used [Line Items]**                                             |            |   |   |
| Asset Impairments                                                                                     | 0               | 0 | 339 |
| Other International                                                                                   |            |   |   |
| **Impaired Long-Lived Assets Held and Used [Line Items]**                                             |            |   |   |
| Asset Impairments                                                                                     | $ 7             | $ 4 | $ 0 |

| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - 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.
+ References
No definition available.
+ Details**Name:**us-gaap_ImpairedLongLivedAssetsHeldAndUsedLineItems**Namespace Prefix:**us-gaap_**Data Type:**xbrli:stringItemType**Balance Type:**na**Period Type:**duration |
| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        |
|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
The expense recorded to reduce the value of oil and gas assets consisting of proved properties and unproved properties as the estimate of future successful production from these properties is reduced.
+ References
Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 360 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 2 -Subparagraph (b) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84176398&loc=d3e2921-110230Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 932 -SubTopic 360 -Section 35 -Paragraph 11 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=66906256&loc=d3e66150-109466Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 230 -SubTopic 10 -Section 45 -Paragraph 28 -Subparagraph (b) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=98514028&loc=d3e3602-108585
+ Details**Name:**us-gaap_ImpairmentOfOilAndGasProperties**Namespace Prefix:**us-gaap_**Data Type:**xbrli:monetaryItemType**Balance Type:**debit**Period Type:**duration |
| X                                                                                                                                                                            |
|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Details**Name:**us-gaap_ImpairedLongLivedAssetsHeldAndUsedByTypeAxis=nbl_DeepwaterGulfOfMexicoMember**Namespace Prefix:****Data Type:**na**Balance Type:****Period Type:** |
| X                                                                                                                                                             |
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Details**Name:**us-gaap_ImpairedLongLivedAssetsHeldAndUsedByTypeAxis=nbl_IsraelMember**Namespace Prefix:****Data Type:**na**Balance Type:****Period Type:** |
| X                                                                                                                                                                       |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Details**Name:**us-gaap_ImpairedLongLivedAssetsHeldAndUsedByTypeAxis=nbl_EquatorialGuineaMember**Namespace Prefix:****Data Type:**na**Balance Type:****Period Type:** |
| X                                                                                                                                                                    |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Details**Name:**us-gaap_ImpairedLongLivedAssetsHeldAndUsedByTypeAxis=nbl_InternationalMember**Namespace Prefix:****Data Type:**na**Balance Type:****Period Type:** |