2.2.0.25falsefalse006010 - Disclosure - Organization and Nature of Operationstruefalsefalse1falsefalseUSDfalsefalse1/1/2011 - 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.falsefalseNotes to Financial Statements [Abstract]3false0us-gaap_NatureOfOperationsus-gaaptruenadurationNo definition available.falsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalselabel1falsefalsefalse00<div><div align="justify" 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-weight: bold;">Note 1.&#160;&#160;Organization and Nature of Operations</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;">Noble Energy,&#160;Inc. (Noble Energy, we or us) is<font style="display: inline;">&#160;</font>a leading independent energy company engaged in worldwide crude oil and natural gas exploration and production. Our key operating areas are onshore in the US, primarily in the DJ Basin, in the Deepwater Gulf of Mexico, offshore Eastern Mediterranean, and offshore West Africa<font style="display: inline;">.</font></font></div></div>Note 1.&#160;&#160;Organization and Nature of OperationsNoble Energy,&#160;Inc. (Noble Energy, we or us) is&#160;a leading independent energy company engagedfalsefalsefalsefalsefalseOtherus-types:textBlockItemTypestringDescribes the nature of an entity's business, the major products or services it sells or provides and its principal markets, including the locations of those markets. If the entity operates in more than one business, the disclosure also indicates the relative importance of its operations in each business and the basis for the determination (for example, assets, revenues, or earnings). Disclosures about the nature of operations need not be quantified; relative importance could be conveyed by use of terms such as "predominately", "about equally", or "major and other". This element is also referred to as "Business Description".Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher AICPA -Name Statement of Position (SOP) -Number 94-6 -Paragraph 10 falsefalseOrganization and Nature of Operations12Organization and Nature of OperationsUnKnownUnKnownUnKnownUnKnownfalsetrue