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Income Taxes - Component of Income Taxes Expenses (Detail) (USD $)
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Dec. 31, 2012
Components of income tax expense (benefit):      
Currently payable (receivable) $ 800,000us-gaap_CurrentIncomeTaxExpenseBenefit   $ (15,000,000)us-gaap_CurrentIncomeTaxExpenseBenefit
Deferred income taxes (benefit) 4,200,000nl_DeferredIncomeTaxExpenseBenefitNetOfUTPChange (41,900,000)nl_DeferredIncomeTaxExpenseBenefitNetOfUTPChange 34,900,000nl_DeferredIncomeTaxExpenseBenefitNetOfUTPChange
Income tax expense (benefit) $ 5,003,000us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit $ (41,911,000)us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit $ 19,933,000us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit