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Income Taxes (Reconciliation of Statutory Tax Rates) (Details) (USD $)
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
3 Months Ended 12 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2015
Dec. 31, 2014
Sep. 30, 2014
Jun. 30, 2014
Mar. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Sep. 30, 2013
Jun. 30, 2013
Mar. 31, 2015
Mar. 31, 2014
Mar. 31, 2013
Reconciliation of Canadian statutory tax rates                      
Pre-tax income before equity in net loss on non-consolidated affiliates                 $ 167us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxesMinorityInterestAndIncomeLossFromEquityMethodInvestments $ 127us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxesMinorityInterestAndIncomeLossFromEquityMethodInvestments $ 302us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxesMinorityInterestAndIncomeLossFromEquityMethodInvestments
Canadian Statutory tax rate                 25.00%nvl_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationAtCanadianStatutoryIncomeTaxRate 25.00%nvl_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationAtCanadianStatutoryIncomeTaxRate 26.00%nvl_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationAtCanadianStatutoryIncomeTaxRate
Provision at the Canadian statutory rate                 42nvl_IncomeTaxReconciliationIncomeTaxExpenseBenefitAtCanadianStatutoryIncomeTaxRate 32nvl_IncomeTaxReconciliationIncomeTaxExpenseBenefitAtCanadianStatutoryIncomeTaxRate 79nvl_IncomeTaxReconciliationIncomeTaxExpenseBenefitAtCanadianStatutoryIncomeTaxRate
Increase (decrease) for taxes on income (loss) resulting from:                      
Exchange translation items                 (22)nvl_IncomeTaxReconciliationCanadianStatutoryIncomeTaxRateExchangeTranslationAdjustments 0nvl_IncomeTaxReconciliationCanadianStatutoryIncomeTaxRateExchangeTranslationAdjustments (2)nvl_IncomeTaxReconciliationCanadianStatutoryIncomeTaxRateExchangeTranslationAdjustments
Exchange remeasurement of deferred income taxes                 (31)nvl_IncomeTaxReconciliationCanadianStatutoryIncomeTaxRateExchangeRemeasurementOfDeferredIncomeTaxes (20)nvl_IncomeTaxReconciliationCanadianStatutoryIncomeTaxRateExchangeRemeasurementOfDeferredIncomeTaxes (19)nvl_IncomeTaxReconciliationCanadianStatutoryIncomeTaxRateExchangeRemeasurementOfDeferredIncomeTaxes
Change in valuation allowances                 95nvl_IncomeTaxReconciliationCanadianStatutoryIncomeTaxRateChangeInDeferredTaxAssetsValuationAllowance 94nvl_IncomeTaxReconciliationCanadianStatutoryIncomeTaxRateChangeInDeferredTaxAssetsValuationAllowance 84nvl_IncomeTaxReconciliationCanadianStatutoryIncomeTaxRateChangeInDeferredTaxAssetsValuationAllowance
Tax credits and other allowances                 (22)nvl_IncomeTaxReconciliationCanadianStatutoryIncomeTaxRateTaxCreditsAndOtherAllowances (38)nvl_IncomeTaxReconciliationCanadianStatutoryIncomeTaxRateTaxCreditsAndOtherAllowances (8)nvl_IncomeTaxReconciliationCanadianStatutoryIncomeTaxRateTaxCreditsAndOtherAllowances
Income items not subject to tax                 2nvl_IncomeTaxReconciliationCanadianStatutoryIncomeTaxRateNondeductibleExpense (6)nvl_IncomeTaxReconciliationCanadianStatutoryIncomeTaxRateNondeductibleExpense 0nvl_IncomeTaxReconciliationCanadianStatutoryIncomeTaxRateNondeductibleExpense
State tax (benefit) expense, net                 (7)us-gaap_CurrentStateAndLocalTaxExpenseBenefit (7)us-gaap_CurrentStateAndLocalTaxExpenseBenefit 3us-gaap_CurrentStateAndLocalTaxExpenseBenefit
Dividends not subject to tax                 (52)nvl_IncomeTaxReconciliationCanadianStatutoryIncomeTaxRateDeductionsDividends (52)nvl_IncomeTaxReconciliationCanadianStatutoryIncomeTaxRateDeductionsDividends (53)nvl_IncomeTaxReconciliationCanadianStatutoryIncomeTaxRateDeductionsDividends
Enacted tax rate changes                 (1)nvl_IncomeTaxReconciliationCanadianStatutoryRateChangeInEnactedTaxRate 3nvl_IncomeTaxReconciliationCanadianStatutoryRateChangeInEnactedTaxRate 1nvl_IncomeTaxReconciliationCanadianStatutoryRateChangeInEnactedTaxRate
Tax rate differences on foreign earnings                 7nvl_IncomeTaxReconciliationCanadianStatutoryIncomeTaxRateTaxRateDifferencesOnForeignEarnings (4)nvl_IncomeTaxReconciliationCanadianStatutoryIncomeTaxRateTaxRateDifferencesOnForeignEarnings 9nvl_IncomeTaxReconciliationCanadianStatutoryIncomeTaxRateTaxRateDifferencesOnForeignEarnings
Uncertain tax positions                 10nvl_IncomeTaxReconciliationCanadianStatutoryIncomeTaxRateTaxContingencies 8nvl_IncomeTaxReconciliationCanadianStatutoryIncomeTaxRateTaxContingencies 2nvl_IncomeTaxReconciliationCanadianStatutoryIncomeTaxRateTaxContingencies
Prior year adjustments                 2us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationPriorYearIncomeTaxes (1)us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationPriorYearIncomeTaxes (5)us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationPriorYearIncomeTaxes
Income tax settlements                 (6)us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationTaxSettlements 0us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationTaxSettlements 0us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationTaxSettlements
Other — net                 (3)us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationOtherAdjustments 2us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationOtherAdjustments (8)us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationOtherAdjustments
Income tax provision (benefit) $ (11)us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit $ 3us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit $ (2)us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit $ 24us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit $ (15)us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit $ (3)us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit $ 26us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit $ 3us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit $ 14us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit $ 11us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit $ 83us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit
Effective tax rate                 8.00%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateContinuingOperations 9.00%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateContinuingOperations 27.00%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateContinuingOperations