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Income Taxes - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Dec. 31, 2012
Dec. 31, 2011
Reconciliation Of Statutory Federal Tax Rate [Line Items]        
Unrecognized tax benefit $ 115us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefits $ 127us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefits $ 128us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefits $ 131us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefits
Reduction in unrecognized tax benefit 15nov_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsDecreasesResultingFromSettlementsWithTaxingAuthoritiesAndFromLapseOfApplicableStatuteOfLimitations      
Increase in unrecognized tax benefit 3us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIncreasesResultingFromSettlementsWithTaxingAuthorities      
Decrease of income tax expense in the current year 12nov_IncreaseDecreaseInIncomeTaxExpenseBenefit      
Unrecognized tax benefits that would reduce income tax 0.5us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsThatWouldImpactEffectiveTaxRate      
Accrued income tax interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefit 8.5us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIncomeTaxPenaltiesAndInterestAccrued      
Operating loss carry forward potential benefit 118us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsOperatingLossCarryforwards 51us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsOperatingLossCarryforwards 25us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsOperatingLossCarryforwards  
Foreign tax credit 243us-gaap_TaxCreditCarryforwardAmount      
Excess foreign tax credit, valuation allowance reversed 101us-gaap_TaxCreditCarryforwardValuationAllowance      
Undistributed earnings of foreign subsidiaries 5,874us-gaap_UndistributedEarningsOfForeignSubsidiaries 6,045us-gaap_UndistributedEarningsOfForeignSubsidiaries    
Realized [Member]        
Reconciliation Of Statutory Federal Tax Rate [Line Items]        
Unrecognized tax benefit 54us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefits
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Carry forward expiration year 2018 [Member]        
Reconciliation Of Statutory Federal Tax Rate [Line Items]        
Net operating loss carry forward 73us-gaap_OperatingLossCarryforwards
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Carry forward expiration year 2020 [Member]        
Reconciliation Of Statutory Federal Tax Rate [Line Items]        
Net operating loss carry forward 28us-gaap_OperatingLossCarryforwards
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Carry forward expiration year 2022 [Member]        
Reconciliation Of Statutory Federal Tax Rate [Line Items]        
Net operating loss carry forward 142us-gaap_OperatingLossCarryforwards
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Domestic Country [Member]        
Reconciliation Of Statutory Federal Tax Rate [Line Items]        
Net operating loss carry forward 20us-gaap_OperatingLossCarryforwards
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Income tax interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefit 7us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIncomeTaxPenaltiesAndInterestExpense
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Operating loss carry forward potential benefit 7us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsOperatingLossCarryforwards
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Operating loss carry forward valuation allowance 7us-gaap_OperatingLossCarryforwardsValuationAllowance
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
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Domestic Country [Member] | Carry Forward Expiration Year 2025 [Member]        
Reconciliation Of Statutory Federal Tax Rate [Line Items]        
Net operating loss carry forward 4us-gaap_OperatingLossCarryforwards
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Domestic Country [Member] | Carry Forward Expiration Year 2026 [Member]        
Reconciliation Of Statutory Federal Tax Rate [Line Items]        
Net operating loss carry forward 13us-gaap_OperatingLossCarryforwards
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Domestic Country [Member] | Carry Forward Expiration Year 2027 [Member]        
Reconciliation Of Statutory Federal Tax Rate [Line Items]        
Net operating loss carry forward 1us-gaap_OperatingLossCarryforwards
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Domestic Country [Member] | Carry Forward Expiration Year 2029 [Member]        
Reconciliation Of Statutory Federal Tax Rate [Line Items]        
Net operating loss carry forward 1us-gaap_OperatingLossCarryforwards
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Domestic Country [Member] | Carry Forward Expiration Year 2030 [Member]        
Reconciliation Of Statutory Federal Tax Rate [Line Items]        
Net operating loss carry forward 1us-gaap_OperatingLossCarryforwards
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Foreign Country [Member]        
Reconciliation Of Statutory Federal Tax Rate [Line Items]        
Net operating loss carry forward 381us-gaap_OperatingLossCarryforwards
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Income tax interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefit 98us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIncomeTaxPenaltiesAndInterestExpense
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Operating loss carry forward potential benefit 41us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsOperatingLossCarryforwards
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Operating loss carry forward valuation allowance 41us-gaap_OperatingLossCarryforwardsValuationAllowance
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Foreign Country [Member] | Carry Forward Expiration Year 2025 [Member]        
Reconciliation Of Statutory Federal Tax Rate [Line Items]        
Net operating loss carry forward 4us-gaap_OperatingLossCarryforwards
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Foreign Country [Member] | Carry forward expiration year 2014 [Member]        
Reconciliation Of Statutory Federal Tax Rate [Line Items]        
Net operating loss carry forward 5us-gaap_OperatingLossCarryforwards
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Foreign Country [Member] | Carry forward expiration year 2015 [Member]        
Reconciliation Of Statutory Federal Tax Rate [Line Items]        
Net operating loss carry forward 4us-gaap_OperatingLossCarryforwards
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Foreign Country [Member] | Carry forward expiration year 2016 [Member]        
Reconciliation Of Statutory Federal Tax Rate [Line Items]        
Net operating loss carry forward 34us-gaap_OperatingLossCarryforwards
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Foreign Country [Member] | Carry forward expiration year 2017 [Member]        
Reconciliation Of Statutory Federal Tax Rate [Line Items]        
Net operating loss carry forward 16us-gaap_OperatingLossCarryforwards
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Foreign Country [Member] | Carry forward expiration year 2018 [Member]        
Reconciliation Of Statutory Federal Tax Rate [Line Items]        
Net operating loss carry forward 4us-gaap_OperatingLossCarryforwards
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Foreign Country [Member] | Carry forward expiration year 2020 [Member]        
Reconciliation Of Statutory Federal Tax Rate [Line Items]        
Net operating loss carry forward 6us-gaap_OperatingLossCarryforwards
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Foreign Country [Member] | Carry forward expiration year 2021 [Member]        
Reconciliation Of Statutory Federal Tax Rate [Line Items]        
Net operating loss carry forward 20us-gaap_OperatingLossCarryforwards
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Foreign Country [Member] | Carry forward expiration year 2022 [Member]        
Reconciliation Of Statutory Federal Tax Rate [Line Items]        
Net operating loss carry forward 10us-gaap_OperatingLossCarryforwards
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Foreign Country [Member] | Carry forward expiration year 2023 [Member]        
Reconciliation Of Statutory Federal Tax Rate [Line Items]        
Net operating loss carry forward 9us-gaap_OperatingLossCarryforwards
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Foreign Country [Member] | Carry Forward Expiration Year Ten [Member]        
Reconciliation Of Statutory Federal Tax Rate [Line Items]        
Net operating loss carry forward 41us-gaap_OperatingLossCarryforwards
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Foreign Country [Member] | Operating Loss Carry Forward Indefinitely [Member]        
Reconciliation Of Statutory Federal Tax Rate [Line Items]        
Net operating loss carry forward $ 228us-gaap_OperatingLossCarryforwards
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