Incentive Plans (Assumptions used in Valuation Performance Awards Granted) (Details) - Performance Based Restricted Stock [Member]	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2016 item $ / shares	Dec. 31, 2015 item $ / shares	Dec. 31, 2014 item $ / shares
Assumptions
Expected volatility	33.00%	26.00%	29.00%
Risk-free interest rate	0.93%	0.85%	0.65%
Stock beta \| item	0.863	0.813	0.843
Expected life	3 years	3 years	3 years
Minimum [Member]
Share based Compensation Arrangement by Share based Payment Award, Fair Value Assumptions, Method Used [Line Items]
Fair value per share at grant date	$ 12.21	$ 44.03	$ 33.90
Maximum [Member]
Share based Compensation Arrangement by Share based Payment Award, Fair Value Assumptions, Method Used [Line Items]
Fair value per share at grant date	$ 16.34	$ 48.12	$ 51.30

Share based Compensation Arrangement by Share based Payment Award, Fair Value Assumptions, Method Used [Line Items]

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- Definition

Murphy Oil Stock Risk as compared to the Overall Stock Market Risk.

+ References

No definition available.

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- Definition

The weighted average fair value at grant date for nonvested equity-based awards issued during the period on other than stock (or unit) option plans (for example, phantom stock or unit plan, stock or unit appreciation rights plan, performance target plan).

+ References

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- Definition

The estimated measure of the percentage by which a share price is expected to fluctuate during a period. Volatility also may be defined as a probability-weighted measure of the dispersion of returns about the mean. The volatility of a share price is the standard deviation of the continuously compounded rates of return on the share over a specified period. That is the same as the standard deviation of the differences in the natural logarithms of the stock prices plus dividends, if any, over the period.

+ References

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- Definition

The risk-free interest rate assumption that is used in valuing an option on its own shares.

+ References

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- Definition

Expected term of share-based compensation awards, in 'PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents the reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 718
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (f)(2)(i)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6415400&loc=d3e5070-113901

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 718
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SAB Topic 14.D.2)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=27013229&loc=d3e301413-122809

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