Commitments and Contingencies	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2016
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Commitments and Contingencies	Commitments and Contingencies CONSOL Carried Cost Obligation In accordance with our Marcellus Shale joint venture arrangement with a subsidiary of CONSOL Energy Inc. (CONSOL), we agreed to fund one-third of CONSOL's 50% working interest share of future drilling and completion costs, capped at $400 million each year (CONSOL Carried Cost Obligation). The remaining obligation totaled approximately $1.6 billion at September 30, 2016. The CONSOL Carried Cost Obligation is suspended if average Henry Hub natural gas prices fall and remain below $4.00 per MMBtu in any three consecutive month period and remain suspended until average Henry Hub natural gas prices equal or exceed $4.00 per MMBtu for three consecutive months. The funding has been suspended since November 2014 due to lower natural gas prices. Based on the September 30, 2016 NYMEX Henry Hub natural gas price curve, we expect that the CONSOL Carried Cost Obligation will be suspended for the next 12 months. On October 29, 2016, we entered into an agreement with CONSOL to separate ownership of our jointly owned Marcellus Shale acreage, satisfy and extinguish the remaining balance of our carried cost obligation and terminate the joint development agreement. See Part II. Other Information, Item 5. Other Information. Delivery and Firm Transportation Commitments We have commitments to deliver approximately 493 Bcf of natural gas produced onshore US (primarily in the Marcellus Shale) under long-term sales contracts and have also entered into various long-term gathering, processing and transportation contracts for approximately 271 MMBbls of crude oil and nearly 6 Tcf of natural gas for certain of our onshore US production (primarily in the Marcellus Shale, DJ Basin and Eagle Ford Shale). We enter into long-term contracts to provide production flow assurance in over-supplied basins and/or areas with limited infrastructure. This strategy provides for optimization of transportation and processing costs. As properties are undergoing development activities, we may experience temporary delivery or transportation shortfalls until production volumes grow to meet or exceed the minimum volume commitments. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016, we incurred expense of approximately $12 million and $39 million, respectively, related to deficiencies and/or unutilized commitments. We expect to continue to incur deficiency and/or unutilized costs in the near-term as development activities continue. Should commodity prices continue to decline or if we are unable to continue to develop our properties as planned, or certain wells become uneconomic and are shut-in, we could incur additional shortfalls in delivering or transporting the minimum volumes and we could be required to make payments in the event that these commitments are not otherwise offset. Legal Proceedings We are involved in various legal proceedings in the ordinary course of business. These proceedings are subject to the uncertainties inherent in any litigation. We are defending ourselves vigorously in all such matters and we believe that the ultimate disposition of such proceedings will not have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations or cash flows. Colorado Air Matter In April 2015, we entered into a joint consent decree (Consent Decree) with the US Environmental Protection Agency, US Department of Justice, and State of Colorado to improve emission control systems at a number of our condensate storage tanks that are part of our upstream crude oil and natural gas operations within the Non-Attainment Area of the DJ Basin. The Consent Decree was entered by the Court on June 2, 2015. The Consent Decree, which alleges violations of the Colorado Air Pollution Prevention and Control Act and Colorado’s federal approved State Implementation Plan, specifically Colorado Air Quality Control Commission Regulation Number 7, requires us to perform certain injunctive relief activities and to complete mitigation projects and supplemental environmental projects (SEP), and pay a civil penalty. Costs associated with the settlement consist of $4.95 million in civil penalties which were paid in 2015. Mitigation costs of $4.5 million and SEP costs of $4 million are being expended in accordance with schedules established in the Consent Decree. Costs associated with the injunctive relief are not yet precisely quantifiable as they will be determined in accordance with the outcome of evaluations on the adequate design, operation, and maintenance of certain aspects of tank systems to handle potential peak instantaneous vapor flow rates between now and mid-2017. Compliance with the Consent Decree could result in the temporary shut in or permanent plugging and abandonment of certain wells and associated tank batteries. The Consent Decree sets forth a detailed compliance schedule with deadlines for achievement of milestones through early 2019. The Consent Decree contains additional obligations for ongoing inspection and monitoring beyond that which is required under existing Colorado regulations. Inspection and monitoring findings may influence decisions to temporarily shut in or permanently plug and abandon wells and associated tank batteries. We have concluded that the penalties, injunctive relief, and mitigation expenditures that resulted from this settlement did not have, and based on currently available information will not have, a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations or cash flows. Colorado Air Compliance Order on Consent In December 2015, we received a proposed Compliance Order on Consent (COC) from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment's Air Pollution Control Division (APCD) to resolve allegations of noncompliance associated with certain engines subject to various General Permit 02 conditions and/or individual permit conditions as well as certain emission control devices subject to various individual permit conditions that applied to assets currently owned and operated by both Noble Energy and Noble Midstream Services, LLC. In May, 2016, Noble Energy on behalf of itself and its wholly owned subsidiary Noble Midstream Services, LLC, on behalf of itself and its wholly owned subsidiary Colorado River DevCo LP, reached a final resolution with the APCD, which requires completion of compliance testing, modification of certain permits, payment of a civil penalty of $44,695, and an expenditure of no less than $178,780 on an approved SEP. This resolution is not believed to have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

Commitments and Contingencies

CONSOL Carried Cost Obligation In accordance with our Marcellus Shale joint venture arrangement with a subsidiary of CONSOL Energy Inc. (CONSOL), we agreed to fund one-third of CONSOL's 50% working interest share of future drilling and completion costs, capped at $400 million each year (CONSOL Carried Cost Obligation). The remaining obligation totaled approximately $1.6 billion at September 30, 2016.

The CONSOL Carried Cost Obligation is suspended if average Henry Hub natural gas prices fall and remain below $4.00 per MMBtu in any three consecutive month period and remain suspended until average Henry Hub natural gas prices equal or exceed $4.00 per MMBtu for three consecutive months. The funding has been suspended since November 2014 due to lower natural gas prices. Based on the September 30, 2016 NYMEX Henry Hub natural gas price curve, we expect that the CONSOL Carried Cost Obligation will be suspended for the next 12 months.

On October 29, 2016, we entered into an agreement with CONSOL to separate ownership of our jointly owned Marcellus Shale acreage, satisfy and extinguish the remaining balance of our carried cost obligation and terminate the joint development agreement. See Part II. Other Information, Item 5. Other Information.

Delivery and Firm Transportation Commitments We have commitments to deliver approximately 493 Bcf of natural gas produced onshore US (primarily in the Marcellus Shale) under long-term sales contracts and have also entered into various long-term gathering, processing and transportation contracts for approximately 271 MMBbls of crude oil and nearly 6 Tcf of natural gas for certain of our onshore US production (primarily in the Marcellus Shale, DJ Basin and Eagle Ford Shale).

We enter into long-term contracts to provide production flow assurance in over-supplied basins and/or areas with limited infrastructure. This strategy provides for optimization of transportation and processing costs. As properties are undergoing development activities, we may experience temporary delivery or transportation shortfalls until production volumes grow to meet or exceed the minimum volume commitments. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016, we incurred expense of approximately $12 million and $39 million, respectively, related to deficiencies and/or unutilized commitments. We expect to continue to incur deficiency and/or unutilized costs in the near-term as development activities continue. Should commodity prices continue to decline or if we are unable to continue to develop our properties as planned, or certain wells become uneconomic and are shut-in, we could incur additional shortfalls in delivering or transporting the minimum volumes and we could be required to make payments in the event that these commitments are not otherwise offset.

Legal Proceedings We are involved in various legal proceedings in the ordinary course of business. These proceedings are subject to the uncertainties inherent in any litigation. We are defending ourselves vigorously in all such matters and we believe that the ultimate disposition of such proceedings will not have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

Colorado Air Matter In April 2015, we entered into a joint consent decree (Consent Decree) with the US Environmental Protection Agency, US Department of Justice, and State of Colorado to improve emission control systems at a number of our condensate storage tanks that are part of our upstream crude oil and natural gas operations within the Non-Attainment Area of the DJ Basin. The Consent Decree was entered by the Court on June 2, 2015.

The Consent Decree, which alleges violations of the Colorado Air Pollution Prevention and Control Act and Colorado’s federal approved State Implementation Plan, specifically Colorado Air Quality Control Commission Regulation Number 7, requires us to perform certain injunctive relief activities and to complete mitigation projects and supplemental environmental projects (SEP), and pay a civil penalty. Costs associated with the settlement consist of $4.95 million in civil penalties which were paid in 2015. Mitigation costs of $4.5 million and SEP costs of $4 million are being expended in accordance with schedules established in the Consent Decree. Costs associated with the injunctive relief are not yet precisely quantifiable as they will be determined in accordance with the outcome of evaluations on the adequate design, operation, and maintenance of certain aspects of tank systems to handle potential peak instantaneous vapor flow rates between now and mid-2017.

Compliance with the Consent Decree could result in the temporary shut in or permanent plugging and abandonment of certain wells and associated tank batteries. The Consent Decree sets forth a detailed compliance schedule with deadlines for achievement of milestones through early 2019. The Consent Decree contains additional obligations for ongoing inspection and monitoring beyond that which is required under existing Colorado regulations. Inspection and monitoring findings may influence decisions to temporarily shut in or permanently plug and abandon wells and associated tank batteries.

We have concluded that the penalties, injunctive relief, and mitigation expenditures that resulted from this settlement did not have, and based on currently available information will not have, a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

Colorado Air Compliance Order on Consent In December 2015, we received a proposed Compliance Order on Consent (COC) from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment's Air Pollution Control Division (APCD) to resolve allegations of noncompliance associated with certain engines subject to various General Permit 02 conditions and/or individual permit conditions as well as certain emission control devices subject to various individual permit conditions that applied to assets currently owned and operated by both Noble Energy and Noble Midstream Services, LLC. In May, 2016, Noble Energy on behalf of itself and its wholly owned subsidiary Noble Midstream Services, LLC, on behalf of itself and its wholly owned subsidiary Colorado River DevCo LP, reached a final resolution with the APCD, which requires completion of compliance testing, modification of certain permits, payment of a civil penalty of $44,695, and an expenditure of no less than $178,780 on an approved SEP. This resolution is not believed to have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations or cash flows.