Leases - Right-of-use Assets and Liability (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Jun. 30, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
ROU Assets
Operating Leases	$ 272	$ 0
Finance Leases	175
Total ROU Assets	447
Current Liabilities
Operating Leases	88	0
Finance Leases	41	41
Noncurrent Liabilities
Operating Leases	190	$ 0
Finance Leases	170
Total Lease Liabilities	489
Office Space
ROU Assets
Operating Leases	117
Finance Leases	94
Compressors
ROU Assets
Operating Leases	88
Drilling Rigs
ROU Assets
Operating Leases	$ 35

Lease Liability

No definition available.

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Balance Type:	credit
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- Definition

Lease Liability, Current [Abstract]

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	nbl_LeaseLiabilityCurrentAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	nbl_
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- Definition

Lease Liability, Noncurrent [Abstract]

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	nbl_LeaseLiabilityNoncurrentAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	nbl_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Leases, Right-of-use Assets

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	nbl_LeasesRightofuseAssets
Namespace Prefix:	nbl_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Right-of-use Assets [Abstract]

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	nbl_RightofuseAssetsAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	nbl_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Present value of lessee's discounted obligation for lease payments from finance lease, classified as current.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 842
-SubTopic 20
-Section 45
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=77888419&loc=SL77918627-209977

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinanceLeaseLiabilityCurrent
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Present value of lessee's discounted obligation for lease payments from finance lease, classified as noncurrent.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinanceLeaseLiabilityNoncurrent
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of lessee's right to use underlying asset under finance lease.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 842
-SubTopic 20
-Section 45
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=77888419&loc=SL77918627-209977

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinanceLeaseRightOfUseAsset
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Present value of lessee's discounted obligation for lease payments from operating lease, classified as current.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_OperatingLeaseLiabilityCurrent
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Present value of lessee's discounted obligation for lease payments from operating lease, classified as noncurrent.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_OperatingLeaseLiabilityNoncurrent
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of lessee's right to use underlying asset under operating lease.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 842
-SubTopic 20
-Section 45
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=77888419&loc=SL77918627-209977

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Details

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- Details

Name:	us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis=nbl_CompressorsMember
Namespace Prefix:
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- Details

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Namespace Prefix:
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Period Type: