Incentive Plans - Assumptions used in Valuation Performance Awards Granted (Details) - Performance Based Restricted Stock - $ / shares	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Assumptions
Expected volatility	46.00%	48.00%	47.00%
Risk-free interest rate	2.50%	2.30%	1.46%
Stock beta	1.037	1.103	1.058
Minimum
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Fair value per share at grant date		$ 22.99	$ 24.10	$ 12.21
Maximum
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Fair value per share at grant date		$ 30.56	$ 28.28	$ 16.34

Murphy Oil Stock Risk as compared to the Overall Stock Market Risk.

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- Definition

The weighted average fair value at grant date for nonvested equity-based awards issued during the period on other than stock (or unit) option plans (for example, phantom stock or unit plan, stock or unit appreciation rights plan, performance target plan).

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 718
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (c)(2)(iii)(1)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109197908&loc=d3e5070-113901

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- Definition

The estimated measure of the percentage by which a share price is expected to fluctuate during a period. Volatility also may be defined as a probability-weighted measure of the dispersion of returns about the mean. The volatility of a share price is the standard deviation of the continuously compounded rates of return on the share over a specified period. That is the same as the standard deviation of the differences in the natural logarithms of the stock prices plus dividends, if any, over the period.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 718
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (f)(2)(ii)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109197908&loc=d3e5070-113901

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- Definition

The risk-free interest rate assumption that is used in valuing an option on its own shares.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 718
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (f)(2)(iv)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109197908&loc=d3e5070-113901

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- 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.

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