Income Taxes (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	1 Months Ended			12 Months Ended
	Jan. 31, 2017	Jan. 31, 2016	Jul. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Jul. 20, 2015
Components of income (loss) before income taxes [Abstract]
Domestic				$ (1,859)	$ (2,338)	$ 282
Foreign				87	119	1,428
(Loss) Income Before Income Taxes				(1,772)	(2,219)	1,710
Current Taxes
Federal				(4)	(1)	19
State				5	0	1
Foreign				196	107	208
Total Current				197	106	228
Deferred Taxes
Federal				(784)	216	237
State				(24)	(5)	13
Foreign				(176)	(95)	18
Total Deferred				(984)	116	268
Total Income Tax Provision (Benefit) Including Noncontrolling Interests				(787)	222	496
Total Income Tax Provision (Benefit) Attributable to Noble Energy				$ (787)	$ 222	$ 496
Effective Tax Rate (in hundredths)				44.40%	(10.00%)	29.00%
Federal statutory tax rate reconciliation [Abstract]
Federal Statutory Rate (in hundredths)				35.00%	35.00%	35.00%
Effect of
Earnings of Equity Method Investees (in hundredths)				1.00%	0.60%	(3.30%)
Noncontrolling Interests				0.40%	(0.00%)	(0.00%)
Foreign Rate Change				1.60%	0.00%	0.00%
State Taxes, Net of Federal Benefit (in hundredths)				1.30%	0.30%	0.80%
Difference Between US and Foreign Rates (in hundredths)				(0.10%)	2.60%	(14.20%)
Foreign Exploration Loss (in hundredths)				0.10%	2.70%	0.00%
Change in Valuation Allowance (in hundredths)				(2.00%)	0.00%	1.90%
Oil Profits Tax - Israel (in hundredths)				0.00%	0.10%	0.20%
Tax Contingency (in hundredths)				0.20%	0.40%	0.10%
Indefinite Reinvestment of Foreign Earnings (in hundredths)				7.20%	(37.70%)	8.20%
Goodwill Impairment				0.00%	(12.30%)	0.00%
Other, Net (in hundredths)				(0.30%)	(1.70%)	0.30%
Effective Tax Rate (in hundredths)				44.40%	(10.00%)	29.00%
Deferred Tax Assets
Loss Carryforwards				$ 474	$ 468
Employee Compensation and Benefits				150	151
Other				49	81
Total Deferred Tax Assets				673	700
Net Deferred Tax Assets				431	494
Deferred Tax Assets, Derivative Instruments				44
Deferred Tax Liabilities
Mark to Market of Commodity Derivative Instruments					(128)
Accumulated Undistributed Foreign Earnings				240	368
Property, Plant and Equipment, Principally Due to Differences in Depreciation, Amortization, Lease Impairment and Abandonments				(2,054)	(2,824)
Deferred Tax Liabilities, Gross				2,250	3,320
Total Deferred Tax Liability				(1,819)	(2,826)
Deferred Tax Asset and Liability Classification [Abstract]
Deferred Tax Liabilities, Net, Current				0	0
Deferred Income Tax Liability - Noncurrent				(1,819)	(2,826)
Accumulated Undistributed Earnings of Foreign Subsidiaries [Abstract]
Accumulated undistributed earnings of foreign subsidiaries				1,600
Estimated future US taxes on the eventual remittance of accumulated undistributed foreign subsidiary earnings				$ 128
US [Member]
Earliest Year Open to Examination [Abstract]
Income Tax Examination, Year under Examination				2013
Equatorial Guinea [Member]
Earliest Year Open to Examination [Abstract]
Income Tax Examination, Year under Examination				2011
Israel [Member]
Effect of
Statutory Federal Corporate Tax Rate Future Year		25.00%	26.50%
Change in taxes due to change in rate				$ 30
Earliest Year Open to Examination [Abstract]
Income Tax Examination, Year under Examination				2015
Foreign Loss Carryforward [Member]
Deferred Tax Assets
Deferred Tax Assets, Valuation Allowance				$ (242)	(206)
Deferred Tax Liabilities
Valuation Allowance Deferred Tax Asset Reversal					$ 60
Rosetta Resources, Inc
Deferred Tax Liabilities
Operating Loss Carryforwards							$ 681
Subsequent Event | Israel [Member]
Effect of
Statutory Federal Corporate Tax Rate Future Year	24.00%