Asset Retirement Obligations (Schedule of Reconciliation of Beginning and Ending Aggregate Carrying Amount of Asset Retirement Obligation) (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Asset Retirement Obligations [Abstract]
Balance at beginning of year	$ 880,003us-gaap_AssetRetirementObligation	$ 751,583us-gaap_AssetRetirementObligation
Accretion of asset retirement obligations	50,778	48,996	38,361
Liabilities incurred	70,568	172,048
Revision of previous estimates	8,278	(4,856)
Liabilities settled	(36,818)	(51,647)
Liabilities assumed by purchases of oil and gas assets	(69,416)
Liabilities assumed by Murphy USA Inc. upon separation		(15,401)
Changes due to translation of foreign currencies	(27,665)	(20,720)
Balance at end of year	$ 875,728us-gaap_AssetRetirementObligation	$ 880,003us-gaap_AssetRetirementObligation	$ 751,583us-gaap_AssetRetirementObligation

Asset Retirement Obligation Liabilities Assumed

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- Definition

Asset Retirement Obligation Liabilities Assumed by Purchases of Oil and Gas Assets

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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- Definition

The carrying amount of a liability for an asset retirement obligation. An asset retirement obligation is a legal obligation associated with the disposal or retirement of a tangible long-lived asset that results from the acquisition, construction or development, or the normal operations of a long-lived asset, except for certain obligations of lessees.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 410

-SubTopic 20

-Section 50

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (c)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6392692&loc=d3e7535-110849

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Glossary Asset Retirement Obligation

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6505190

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- Definition

Amount of accretion expense recognized during the period that is associated with an asset retirement obligation. Accretion expense measures and incorporates changes due to the passage of time into the carrying amount of the liability.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 410

-SubTopic 20

-Section 45

-Paragraph 1

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6392676&loc=d3e7480-110848

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 410

-SubTopic 20

-Section 50

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (c)(3)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6392692&loc=d3e7535-110849

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- Definition

Amount of the Increase or Decrease in the amount of asset retirement obligations for the period associated with foreign currency translation (to the extent that the entity accounts for the foreign currency effects as a separate component of the change in the liability).

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- Definition

Amount of asset retirement obligations incurred during the period.

+ References

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- Definition

Amount of asset retirement obligations settled, or otherwise disposed of, during the period. This may include asset retirement obligations transferred to third parties associated with the sale of a long-lived asset.

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- Definition

Amount of the Increase or Decrease in the amount of the asset retirement obligation during the current period for changes in the amount or timing of the estimated cash flows associated with the settlement of the obligation.

+ References

+ Details

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