CREDIT FACILITY Narrative (Details) (USD $)	9 Months Ended		15 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Sep. 30, 2014 NuStar Energy Consolidated Debt Coverage Ratio [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 Cash Distributions Covenant [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 2013 Credit Facility [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Credit Facility, Borrowing Capacity					$ 40,000,000.0
Credit Facility, Letters of Credit Capacity					10,000,000.0
Line of Credit Facility, Collateral					Our obligations under the 2013 Credit Facility are guaranteed by Riverwalk Holdings, LLC (Riverwalk), a wholly owned subsidiary. Riverwalk pledged 1,792,918 NuStar Energy units that it owns to secure its guarantee.
Outstanding Borrowings Under the Credit Facility	26,000,000	26,000,000
Credit Facility, Borrowing Availability	$ 14,000,000
Credit Facility, Interest Rate Description					Interest on the 2013 Credit Facility is based upon, at our option, either an alternative base rate or a LIBOR-based rate
Credit Facility, Interest Rate	2.20%
Credit Facility, Covenant Terms			The 2013 Credit Facility contains customary restrictive covenants, such as limitations on indebtedness, liens, dispositions of material property, mergers, asset transfers and certain investing activities. In addition, the 2013 Credit Facility requires NuStar Energy to maintain, as of the end of each rolling period, which consists of any period of four consecutive fiscal quarters, a consolidated debt coverage ratio not to exceed 5.0-to-1.0.	receive cash distributions of at least $12.5 million in respect of our ownership interests in NuStar Energy each fiscal quarter
NuStar Energy's Consolidated Debt Coverage Ratio	4.0