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Income Taxes - Component of Income Taxes (Detail) (USD $)
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Dec. 31, 2012
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]      
Expected tax expense (benefit), at U.S. federal statutory income tax rate of 35% $ 12,100,000us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationIncomeTaxExpenseBenefitAtFederalStatutoryIncomeTaxRate $ (33,800,000)us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationIncomeTaxExpenseBenefitAtFederalStatutoryIncomeTaxRate $ 27,000,000us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationIncomeTaxExpenseBenefitAtFederalStatutoryIncomeTaxRate
Incremental U.S. tax and rate differences on equity in earnings (7,400,000)nl_IncrementalTaxOnEquityInEarnings (7,400,000)nl_IncrementalTaxOnEquityInEarnings (7,400,000)nl_IncrementalTaxOnEquityInEarnings
Nondeductible goodwill impairment     2,200,000us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationNondeductibleExpenseImpairmentLosses
U.S. state income taxes and other, net 300,000us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationStateAndLocalIncomeTaxes (700,000)us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationStateAndLocalIncomeTaxes (1,900,000)us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationStateAndLocalIncomeTaxes
Income tax expense (benefit) $ 5,003,000us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit $ (41,911,000)us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit $ 19,933,000us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit