2.2.0.25falsefalse006110 - Disclosure - Income Taxestruefalsefalse1falsefalseUSDfalsefalse1/1/2011 - 3/31/2011
USD ($)
USD ($) / shares
$c20110101to20110331http://www.sec.gov/CIK0000072207duration2011-01-01T00:00:002011-03-31T00:00:00U003Standardhttp://www.xbrl.org/2003/instancesharesxbrli0U001Standardhttp://www.xbrl.org/2003/iso4217USDiso42170U002Dividehttp://www.xbrl.org/2003/iso4217USDiso4217http://www.xbrl.org/2003/instancesharesxbrli0U004Standardhttp://www.xbrl.org/2003/instancepurexbrli0USDUSD$2true0nbl_NotesToFinancialStatementsAbstractnblfalsenadurationNo definition available.falsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalse1falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalsefalsefalseOtherxbrli:stringItemTypestringNo definition available.falsefalse3false0us-gaap_IncomeTaxDisclosureTextBlockus-gaaptruenadurationNo definition available.falsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalselabel1falsefalsefalse00<div><div style="text-indent: 0pt; display: block;"><font style="display: inline; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: bold;">Note 11.  Income Taxes</font></div><div style="text-indent: 0pt; display: block;"><br /></div><div align="left" style="text-indent: 0pt; display: block; margin-left: 0pt; margin-right: 0pt;"><font style="display: inline; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 10pt;">The income tax provision consists of the following:</font></div><div style="text-indent: 0pt; display: block;"><br /></div><div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" style="font-family: times new roman; font-size: 10pt;"><tr><td valign="bottom" style="border-bottom: black 2px solid;"><font style="display: inline; font-family: times new roman; font-size: 10pt;">  </font></td><td valign="bottom" style="border-bottom: black 2px solid;"><font style="display: inline; font-family: times new roman; font-size: 10pt;"> </font></td><td colspan="6" valign="bottom" style="border-bottom: black 2px solid;"><div align="center" style="text-indent: 0pt; display: block; margin-left: 0pt; margin-right: 0pt;"><font style="display: inline; font-family: times new roman; font-size: 10pt;"><font style="display: inline;">Three Months Ended March 31,</font></font></div></td><td nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" style="border-bottom: black 2px solid; text-align: left;"><font style="display: inline; font-family: times new roman; font-size: 10pt;"> </font></td></tr><tr><td align="left" valign="bottom" style="border-bottom: black 2px solid;"><font style="display: inline; font-family: times new roman; font-size: 10pt;">  </font></td><td valign="bottom" style="border-bottom: black 2px solid;"><font style="display: inline; font-family: times new roman; font-size: 10pt;"> </font></td><td colspan="2" valign="bottom" style="border-bottom: black 2px solid;"><div align="center" style="text-indent: 0pt; display: block; margin-left: 0pt; margin-right: 0pt;"><font style="display: inline; font-family: times new roman; font-size: 10pt;"><font style="display: inline;">2011</font></font></div></td><td nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" style="border-bottom: black 2px solid; text-align: left;"><font style="display: inline; font-family: times new roman; font-size: 10pt;"> </font></td><td valign="bottom" style="border-bottom: black 2px solid;"><font style="display: inline; font-family: times new roman; font-size: 10pt;"> </font></td><td colspan="2" valign="bottom" style="border-bottom: black 2px solid;"><div align="center" style="text-indent: 0pt; display: block; margin-left: 0pt; margin-right: 0pt;"><font style="display: inline; font-family: times new roman; font-size: 10pt;"><font style="display: inline;">2010</font></font></div></td><td nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" style="border-bottom: black 2px solid; text-align: left;"><font style="display: inline; font-family: times new roman; font-size: 10pt;"> </font></td></tr><tr bgcolor="white"><td align="left" valign="bottom"><div align="left" style="text-indent: -9pt; display: block; margin-left: 9pt; margin-right: 0pt;"><font style="font-style: italic; display: inline; font-family: times new roman; font-size: 10pt;">(millions)</font></div></td><td valign="bottom"><font style="display: inline; font-family: times new roman; font-size: 10pt;"> </font></td><td colspan="2" valign="bottom"><font style="display: inline; font-family: times new roman; font-size: 10pt;"> </font></td><td nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" style="text-align: left;"><font style="display: inline; font-family: times new roman; font-size: 10pt;"> </font></td><td valign="bottom"><font style="display: inline; font-family: times new roman; font-size: 10pt;"> </font></td><td colspan="2" valign="bottom"><font style="display: inline; font-family: times new roman; font-size: 10pt;"> </font></td><td nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" style="text-align: left;"><font style="display: inline; font-family: times new roman; font-size: 10pt;"> </font></td></tr><tr bgcolor="#cceeff"><td align="left" valign="bottom" width="76%"><div align="left" style="text-indent: -9pt; display: block; margin-left: 9pt; margin-right: 0pt;"><font style="display: inline; font-family: times new roman; font-size: 10pt;">Current</font></div></td><td align="left" valign="bottom" width="1%"><font style="display: inline; font-family: times new roman; font-size: 10pt;"> </font></td><td valign="bottom" width="1%" style="text-align: left;"><font style="display: inline; font-family: times new roman; font-size: 10pt;">$</font></td><td valign="bottom" width="9%" style="text-align: right;"><font style="display: inline; font-family: times new roman; font-size: 10pt;">12</font></td><td nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="1%" style="text-align: left;"><font style="display: inline; font-family: times new roman; font-size: 10pt;"> </font></td><td align="left" valign="bottom" width="1%"><font style="display: inline; font-family: times new roman; font-size: 10pt;"> </font></td><td valign="bottom" width="1%" style="text-align: left;"><font style="display: inline; font-family: times new roman; font-size: 10pt;">$</font></td><td valign="bottom" width="9%" style="text-align: right;"><font style="display: inline; font-family: times new roman; font-size: 10pt;">79</font></td><td nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="1%" style="text-align: left;"><font style="display: inline; font-family: times new roman; font-size: 10pt;"> </font></td></tr><tr bgcolor="white"><td align="left" valign="bottom" width="76%" style="border-bottom: black 2px solid;"><div align="left" style="text-indent: -9pt; display: block; margin-left: 9pt; margin-right: 0pt;"><font style="display: inline; font-family: times new roman; font-size: 10pt;"><font style="display: inline;">Deferred</font></font></div></td><td align="left" valign="bottom" width="1%" style="border-bottom: black 2px solid;"><font style="display: inline; font-family: times new roman; font-size: 10pt;"> </font></td><td valign="bottom" width="1%" style="border-bottom: black 2px solid; text-align: left;"><font style="display: inline; font-family: times new roman; font-size: 10pt;"> </font></td><td valign="bottom" width="9%" style="border-bottom: black 2px solid; text-align: right;"><font style="display: inline; font-family: times new roman; font-size: 10pt;"><font style="display: inline;">11</font></font></td><td nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="1%" style="border-bottom: black 2px solid; text-align: left;"><font style="display: inline; font-family: times new roman; font-size: 10pt;"> </font></td><td align="left" valign="bottom" width="1%" style="border-bottom: black 2px solid;"><font style="display: inline; font-family: times new roman; font-size: 10pt;"> </font></td><td valign="bottom" width="1%" style="border-bottom: black 2px solid; text-align: left;"><font style="display: inline; font-family: times new roman; font-size: 10pt;"> </font></td><td valign="bottom" width="9%" style="border-bottom: black 2px solid; text-align: right;"><font style="display: inline; font-family: times new roman; font-size: 10pt;"><font style="display: inline;">27</font></font></td><td nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="1%" style="border-bottom: black 2px solid; text-align: left;"><font style="display: inline; font-family: times new roman; font-size: 10pt;"> </font></td></tr><tr bgcolor="#cceeff"><td align="left" valign="bottom" width="76%" style="border-bottom: black 2px solid;"><div align="left" style="text-indent: -9pt; display: block; margin-left: 9pt; margin-right: 0pt;"><font style="display: inline; font-family: times new roman; font-size: 10pt;"><font style="display: inline;">Total Income Tax Provision</font></font></div></td><td align="left" valign="bottom" width="1%" style="border-bottom: black 2px solid;"><font style="display: inline; font-family: times new roman; font-size: 10pt;"> </font></td><td valign="bottom" width="1%" style="border-bottom: black 2px solid; text-align: left;"><font style="display: inline; font-family: times new roman; font-size: 10pt;">$</font></td><td valign="bottom" width="9%" style="border-bottom: black 2px solid; text-align: right;"><font style="display: inline; font-family: times new roman; font-size: 10pt;"><font style="display: inline;">23</font></font></td><td nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="1%" style="border-bottom: black 2px solid; text-align: left;"><font style="display: inline; font-family: times new roman; font-size: 10pt;"> </font></td><td align="left" valign="bottom" width="1%" style="border-bottom: black 2px solid;"><font style="display: inline; font-family: times new roman; font-size: 10pt;"> </font></td><td valign="bottom" width="1%" style="border-bottom: black 2px solid; text-align: left;"><font style="display: inline; font-family: times new roman; font-size: 10pt;">$</font></td><td valign="bottom" width="9%" style="border-bottom: black 2px solid; text-align: right;"><font style="display: inline; font-family: times new roman; font-size: 10pt;"><font style="display: inline;">106</font></font></td><td nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="1%" style="border-bottom: black 2px solid; text-align: left;"><font style="display: inline; font-family: times new roman; font-size: 10pt;"> </font></td></tr><tr bgcolor="white"><td align="left" valign="bottom" width="76%" style="border-bottom: black 2px solid;"><div align="left" style="text-indent: -9pt; display: block; margin-left: 9pt; margin-right: 0pt;"><font style="display: inline; font-family: times new roman; font-size: 10pt;"><font style="display: inline;">Effective Tax Rate</font></font></div></td><td align="right" valign="bottom" width="1%" style="border-bottom: black 2px solid;"><font style="display: inline; font-family: times new roman; font-size: 10pt;"> </font></td><td valign="bottom" width="1%" style="border-bottom: black 2px solid; text-align: left;"><font style="display: inline; font-family: times new roman; font-size: 10pt;"> </font></td><td valign="bottom" width="9%" style="border-bottom: black 2px solid; text-align: right;"><font style="display: inline; font-family: times new roman; font-size: 10pt;"><font style="display: inline;">62</font></font></td><td nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="1%" style="border-bottom: black 2px solid; text-align: left;"><font style="display: inline; font-family: times new roman; font-size: 10pt;">%</font></td><td align="right" valign="bottom" width="1%" style="border-bottom: black 2px solid;"><font style="display: inline; font-family: times new roman; font-size: 10pt;"> </font></td><td valign="bottom" width="1%" style="border-bottom: black 2px solid; text-align: left;"><font style="display: inline; font-family: times new roman; font-size: 10pt;"> </font></td><td valign="bottom" width="9%" style="border-bottom: black 2px solid; text-align: right;"><font style="display: inline; font-family: times new roman; font-size: 10pt;"><font style="display: inline;">31</font></font></td><td nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="1%" style="border-bottom: black 2px solid; text-align: left;"><font style="display: inline; font-family: times new roman; font-size: 10pt;">%</font></td></tr></table></div><div style="text-indent: 0pt; display: block;"><br /></div><div align="left" style="text-indent: 0pt; display: block; margin-left: 0pt; margin-right: 0pt;"><font style="display: inline; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 10pt;"><!--EFPlaceholder--><!--EFPlaceholder-->Our effective tax rate increased for the first three months of 2011 as compared with the first three months of 2010. This increase was due primarily to an increase of $11 million in the valuation allowance against our deferred tax asset for foreign tax credits.</font></div><div style="text-indent: 0pt; display: block;"><br /></div><div align="left" style="text-indent: 0pt; display: block; margin-left: 0pt; margin-right: 0pt;"><font style="display: inline; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 10pt;"><font style="font-style: italic; display: inline;">Recent Changes in Israeli Tax Law </font>–<font style="display: inline;"> In March 2011, the Israeli </font>government enacted the Oil Profits Taxation Law, 2011, which imposes a special levy on income from oil and gas production. The Israeli government also repealed the percentage depletion deduction and made certain changes to the rules for deducting tangible and intangible development costs.  We expect these changes to increase our 2011 consolidated effective income tax rate by approximately two percentage points. We expect no remeasurement of our deferred tax assets or liabilities as of December 31, 2010.</font></div><div> </div><div><div align="left" style="text-indent: 0pt; display: block; margin-left: 0pt; margin-right: 0pt;"><font style="display: inline; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 10pt;"><font style="font-style: italic; display: inline;">Recent Changes in UK Tax Law</font><font style="font-style: italic; display: inline;"> </font>– Also in March 2011, the UK government announced that the Finance Bill 2011 will increase the rate of the Supplementary Charge levied on oil and gas production in the UK from 20% to 32% effective March 24, 2011. We expect this change to become law later in 2011. We expect the change will increase the tax rate on our UK oil and gas income from 50% to 62% and increase our 2011 consolidated effective income tax rate by approximately four percentage points. The change will also result in a remeasurement of our UK deferred tax liability as of December 31, 2010 to reflect the higher effective rate. These changes will be reflected in our balance sheet and results of operations when the Finance Bill 2011 is enacted, which we expect to occur second quarter<font style="display: inline;"> 2011.</font></font></div><div style="text-indent: 0pt; display: block;"><br /></div><div align="left" style="text-indent: 0pt; display: block; margin-left: 0pt; margin-right: 0pt;"><font style="display: inline; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 10pt;"><font style="font-style: italic; display: inline;">Years Remaining Open to Examination </font>– In our major tax jurisdictions, the earliest years remaining open to examination are as follows: US – 2006, Equatorial Guinea – 2007, China – 2006, Israel – 2008, UK – 2007 and the Netherlands – 2009.</font></div><div style="text-indent: 0pt; display: block;"><br /></div></div></div>Note 11.  Income TaxesThe income tax provision consists of the following:   Three Months Ended March 31,  falsefalsefalsefalsefalseOtherus-types:textBlockItemTypestringDescription containing the entire income tax disclosure. Examples include net deferred tax liability or asset recognized in an enterprise's statement of financial position, net change during the year in the total valuation allowance, approximate tax effect of each type of temporary difference and carryforward that gives rise to a significant portion of deferred tax liabilities and deferred tax assets, utilization of a tax carryback, and tax uncertainties information. This element may be used as a single block of text to encapsulate the entire disclosure including data and tables.Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Regulation S-X (SX)
-Number 210
-Section 08
-Paragraph h
-Article 4
Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)
-Number 109
-Paragraph 136, 172
Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)
-Number 109
-Paragraph 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49
falsefalse12Income TaxesUnKnownUnKnownUnKnownUnKnownfalsetrue