CREDIT FACILITY Narrative (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
General partner interest percentage	2.00%
Outstanding borrowings	$ 30,000	$ 26,000
Revolving Credit Facility [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Initiation date	Jun. 28, 2013
Maturity date	Jun. 27, 2017
Borrowing capacity	$ 50,000
Letters of credit capacity	$ 10,000
Collateral	Our obligations under our revolving credit facility are guaranteed by Riverwalk Holdings, LLC (Riverwalk), our wholly owned subsidiary. Riverwalk has pledged a total of 2,107,918 NuStar Energy common units that it owns to secure its guarantee.
Outstanding borrowings	$ 30,000
Borrowing availability	$ 20,000
Interest rate description	Interest on our revolving credit facility is based upon, at our option, either an alternative base rate or a LIBOR-based rate
Interest rate	2.80%	2.40%
Deferred debt costs	$ 100	$ 100
Revolving Credit Facility [Member] | NuStar Energy Consolidated Debt Coverage Ratio [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Covenant terms	In addition, the revolving credit facility requires NuStar Energy to maintain, as of the end of each rolling period of four consecutive fiscal quarters, a consolidated debt coverage ratio (as defined in our revolving credit agreement) not to exceed 5.00-to-1.00. If NuStar Energy consummates an acquisition for an aggregate net consideration of at least $50.0 million, its maximum consolidated debt coverage ratio will increase to 5.50-to-1.00 for two rolling periods. As of December 31, 2016, the maximum allowed amount was 5.50-to-1.00, as a result of the Martin Terminal Acquisition.
Revolving Credit Facility [Member] | Cash Distributions Covenant [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Covenant terms	We are also required to receive cash distributions each fiscal quarter of at least $16.0 million in respect of our ownership interests in NuStar Energy.