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Employee Benefit Plans - Assumption Rates Used for Benefit Obligations (Detail)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
United States Plan [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Discount rate:		4.65%us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanAssumptionsUsedCalculatingBenefitObligationDiscountRate / us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis = us-gaap_UnitedStatesPensionPlansOfUSEntityDefinedBenefitMember
Discount rate minimum:	3.40%nov_DefinedBenefitPlanAssumptionsUsedCalculatingBenefitObligationDiscountRateMinimum / us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis = us-gaap_UnitedStatesPensionPlansOfUSEntityDefinedBenefitMember
Discount rate maximum:	3.90%nov_DefinedBenefitPlanAssumptionsUsedCalculatingBenefitObligationDiscountRateMaximum / us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis = us-gaap_UnitedStatesPensionPlansOfUSEntityDefinedBenefitMember
International Plans [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Discount rate minimum:	2.10%nov_DefinedBenefitPlanAssumptionsUsedCalculatingBenefitObligationDiscountRateMinimum / us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis = us-gaap_ForeignPensionPlansDefinedBenefitMember	3.50%nov_DefinedBenefitPlanAssumptionsUsedCalculatingBenefitObligationDiscountRateMinimum / us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis = us-gaap_ForeignPensionPlansDefinedBenefitMember
Discount rate maximum:	3.60%nov_DefinedBenefitPlanAssumptionsUsedCalculatingBenefitObligationDiscountRateMaximum / us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis = us-gaap_ForeignPensionPlansDefinedBenefitMember	4.40%nov_DefinedBenefitPlanAssumptionsUsedCalculatingBenefitObligationDiscountRateMaximum / us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis = us-gaap_ForeignPensionPlansDefinedBenefitMember
Salary increase minimum:	2.00%nov_DefinedBenefitPlanAssumptionsUsedCalculatingBenefitObligationRateOfCompensationIncreaseMinimum / us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis = us-gaap_ForeignPensionPlansDefinedBenefitMember	2.00%nov_DefinedBenefitPlanAssumptionsUsedCalculatingBenefitObligationRateOfCompensationIncreaseMinimum / us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis = us-gaap_ForeignPensionPlansDefinedBenefitMember
Salary increase maximum:	4.20%nov_DefinedBenefitPlanAssumptionsUsedCalculatingBenefitObligationRateOfCompensationIncreaseMaximum / us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis = us-gaap_ForeignPensionPlansDefinedBenefitMember	4.40%nov_DefinedBenefitPlanAssumptionsUsedCalculatingBenefitObligationRateOfCompensationIncreaseMaximum / us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis = us-gaap_ForeignPensionPlansDefinedBenefitMember

X

- Definition

Defined benefit plan assumptions used calculating benefit obligation discount rate maximum.

+ References

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- Definition

Defined benefit plan assumptions used calculating benefit obligation discount rate minimum.

+ References

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- Definition

Defined benefit plan assumptions used calculating benefit obligation rate of compensation increase maximum.

+ References

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- Definition

Defined benefit plan assumptions used calculating benefit obligation rate of compensation increase minimum.

+ References

No definition available.

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X

- Definition

The interest rate used to adjust for the time value of money for the plan.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 715

-SubTopic 20

-Section 50

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (k)(1)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=35743120&loc=d3e1928-114920

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