Employee Benefit Plans - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
PBO for the unfunded excess benefit plan	$ 20,000,000	$ 13,000,000
ABO for the unfunded excess benefit plan	13,000,000	12,000,000
Percentage of company's overall investments	100.00%
Market cycle minimum period in which objective should be met over	3 years
Market cycle maximum period in which objective should be met over	5 years
Duration of Treasury bills	90 days
Cash equivalent and short-term investments should achieve relative performance	Better than the 90-day Treasury bills
Percentage of total fixed income exposure from any single non-government or government agency issuer	42.00%
Total fixed income exposure from any single non-government or government agency issuer	Shall not exceed 42 percent of the Trust's fixed income holdings.
Average duration of the portfolio	1 year 6 months
Investment equity securities	0	4,000,000
Investment equity securities, percentage of U.S. plan assets		2.10%
Percentage of no single security made up of total assets	10.00%
Percentage of no single security made up of total assets of either the U.S. or the Non-U.S. plans	More than 10 percent
Number of years of service for the participants in the plan to become fully vested	5 years
Employee matching contributions	Three years beginning in 2007
Equity Securities [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Percentage of company's overall investments	66.50%
Debt Securities [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Percentage of company's overall investments	32.00%
Cash Holdings [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Percentage of company's overall investments	1.50%
401(K) Savings Plan, a Medical Plan and Other Plans [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Contribution recorded related to Noble Drilling Corporation profit sharing plan	70,000,000	80,000,000	69,000,000
Minimum [Member] | International Countries [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Target equities of plant equities in percentage	20.00%
Maximum [Member] | International Countries [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Target equities of plant equities in percentage	23.00%
Maximum [Member] | Country One [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Target equities of plant equities in percentage	30.00%
Investment Manager 1 [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Performance objective communicated to investment managers	To exceed a blend of FTSE A Over 15 Year Gilts index and iBoxx Sterling Non Gilts index by 1.25 percent per annum
Interest rate range maximum	1.25%
Investment Manager 2 [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Performance objective communicated to investment managers	To exceed a blend of FTSE's All Share index, North America index, Europe index and Pacific Basin index by 1.00 to 2.00 percent per annum
Interest rate range maximum	2.00%
Interest rate range minimum	1.00%
Paragon Offshore [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Curtailment Expense	200,000
Settlement Expense	10,000,000
Non-U.S. Plans [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Curtailment Expense
Settlement Expense
Net pension expense	4,125,000	6,415,000	5,292,000
Estimated prior service cost	100,000
Estimated net actuarial loss	300,000
ABO for the unfunded excess benefit plan	1,355,000	6,493,000
Employer contributions	6,863,000	9,365,000	6,000,000
Expected contribution to non-U.S. and U.S pension plans during 2014	2,000,000
Liability under the restoration plan	72,553,000	161,591,000	151,781,000
Non-U.S. Plans [Member] | Paragon Offshore [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Net pension expense	2,000,000	4,000,000	3,000,000
U.S. Plans [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Curtailment Expense	18,178,000
Settlement Expense	(34,397,000)
Net pension expense	17,114,000	14,537,000	14,743,000
Estimated prior service cost	100,000
Estimated net actuarial loss	6,200,000
Pension liability	14,000,000
ABO for the unfunded excess benefit plan	202,716,000	11,997,000
Employer contributions	2,017,000	6,391,000	11,000,000
Expected contribution to non-U.S. and U.S pension plans during 2014	3,000,000
Liability under the restoration plan	238,072,000	223,938,000	225,885,000
U.S. Plans [Member] | Paragon Offshore [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Net pension expense	11,000,000	4,000,000	4,000,000
Noble Drilling (Land Support) [Member] | Equity Securities [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Percentage of targeted asset allocation	70.00%
Noble Drilling (Land Support) [Member] | Debt Securities [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Percentage of targeted asset allocation	30.00%
Restoration Plan [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Liability under the restoration plan	7,000,000	8,000,000
Noble Drilling Corporation Profit Sharing Plan [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Contribution recorded related to Noble Drilling Corporation profit sharing plan	$ 6,000,000	$ 5,000,000	$ 4,000,000