PARTNERS' EQUITY (Tables)
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12 Months Ended |
Dec. 31, 2017 |
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| Distributions Made to Limited Partners and General Partner [Line Items] |
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| Schedule of Preferred Units [Table Text Block] |
The following is a summary of our fixed-to-floating rate cumulative redeemable perpetual preferred units issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2017: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Units | | Original Issuance Date | | Number of Units Issued and Outstanding | | Price per Unit | | Net Proceeds (in millions) | | Fixed Distribution Rate per Annum (as a Percentage of the $25.00 Liquidation Preference per Unit) | | Fixed Distribution Rate per Unit per Annum | | Optional Redemption Date/Date at Which Distribution Rate Becomes Floating | | Floating Annual Rate (as a Percentage of the $25.00 Liquidation Preference per Unit) | Series A Preferred Units | | November 25, 2016 | | 9,060,000 | | $ | 25.00 |
| | $ | 218.4 |
| | 8.50 | % | | $ | 2.125 |
| | December 15, 2021 | | Three-month LIBOR plus 6.766% | Series B Preferred Units | | April 28, 2017 | | 15,400,000 | | $ | 25.00 |
| | $ | 371.8 |
| | 7.625 | % | | $ | 1.90625 |
| | June 15, 2022 | | Three-month LIBOR plus 5.643% | Series C Preferred Units | | November 30, 2017 | | 6,900,000 | | $ | 25.00 |
| | $ | 166.7 |
| | 9.00 | % | | $ | 2.25 |
| | December 15, 2022 | | Three-month LIBOR plus 6.88% |
The following table summarizes financial information related to our preferred units: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Preferred Limited Partners | | | | Series A | | Series B | | Series C | | Total | Balance as of January 1, 2016 | $ | — |
| | $ | — |
| | $ | — |
| | $ | — |
| Issuance of units | 218,400 |
| | — |
| | — |
| | 218,400 |
| Net income | 1,925 |
| | — |
| | — |
| | 1,925 |
| Distributions to partners | (1,925 | ) | | — |
| | — |
| | (1,925 | ) | Balance as of December 31, 2016 | 218,400 |
| | — |
| | — |
| | 218,400 |
| Issuance of units | — |
| | 371,823 |
| | 166,737 |
| | 538,560 |
| Net income | 19,253 |
| | 19,815 |
| | 1,380 |
| | 40,448 |
| Distributions to partners | (19,253 | ) | | (19,815 | ) | | (1,380 | ) | | (40,448 | ) | Other | (93 | ) | | (189 | ) | | (75 | ) | | (357 | ) | Balance as of December 31, 2017 | $ | 218,307 |
| | $ | 371,634 |
| | $ | 166,662 |
| | $ | 756,603 |
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| Schedule of Calculation of Net Income Applicable to General Partner [Table Text Block] |
The following table details the calculation of net income applicable to the general partner: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Year Ended December 31, | | 2017 | | 2016 | | 2015 | | (Thousands of Dollars) | Net income attributable to NuStar Energy L.P. | $ | 147,964 |
| | $ | 150,003 |
| | $ | 306,720 |
| Less preferred limited partner interest | 40,448 |
| | 1,925 |
| | — |
| Less general partner incentive distribution | 45,669 |
| | 43,407 |
| | 43,220 |
| Net income after general partner incentive distribution and preferred limited partner interest | 61,847 |
| | 104,671 |
| | 263,500 |
| General partner interest allocation | 2 | % | | 2 | % | | 2 | % | General partner interest allocation of net income | 1,237 |
| | 2,091 |
| | 5,270 |
| General partner incentive distribution | 45,669 |
| | 43,407 |
| | 43,220 |
| Net income applicable to general partner | $ | 46,906 |
| | $ | 45,498 |
| | $ | 48,490 |
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| Schedule of Distribution Waterfall [Table Text Block] |
Our available cash is distributed based on the percentages shown below: | | | | | | | | Percentage of Distribution | Quarterly Distribution Amount per Common Unit | | Common Unitholders | | General Partner Including Incentive Distributions | Up to $0.60 | | 98% | | 2% | Above $0.60 up to $0.66 | | 90% | | 10% | Above $0.66 | | 75% | | 25% |
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| Schedule of Distributions To General and Common Limited Partners [Table Text Block] |
The following table reflects the allocation of total cash distributions to the general partner and common limited partners applicable to the period in which the distributions were earned: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Year Ended December 31, | | 2017 | | 2016 | | 2015 | | (Thousands of Dollars, Except Per Unit Data) | General partner interest | $ | 9,252 |
| | $ | 7,877 |
| | $ | 7,844 |
| General partner incentive distribution | 45,669 |
| | 43,407 |
| | 43,220 |
| Total general partner distribution | 54,921 |
| | 51,284 |
| | 51,064 |
| Common limited partners’ distribution | 407,681 |
| | 342,598 |
| | 341,140 |
| Total cash distributions | $ | 462,602 |
| | $ | 393,882 |
| | $ | 392,204 |
| | | | | | | Cash distributions per unit applicable to common limited partners | $ | 4.38 |
| | $ | 4.38 |
| | $ | 4.38 |
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| Distributions Made To Common Limited And General Partners By Distribution [Table Text Block] |
The following table summarizes information related to our quarterly cash distributions to our general partner and common limited partners: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Quarter Ended | | Cash Distributions Per Unit | | Total Cash Distributions | | Record Date | | Payment Date | | | | | (Thousands of Dollars) | | | | | December 31, 2017 (a) | | $ | 1.095 |
| | $ | 115,267 |
| | February 8, 2018 | | February 13, 2018 | September 30, 2017 | | $ | 1.095 |
| | $ | 115,084 |
| | November 9, 2017 | | November 14, 2017 | June 30, 2017 | | $ | 1.095 |
| | $ | 115,083 |
| | August 7, 2017 | | August 11, 2017 | March 31, 2017 | | $ | 1.095 |
| | $ | 117,168 |
| | May 8, 2017 | | May 12, 2017 |
| | (a) | The distribution was announced on January 29, 2018. |
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| Schedule of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Table Text Block] |
The balance of and changes in the components included in “Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)” were as follows: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Foreign Currency Translation | | Cash Flow Hedges | | Pension and Other Postretirement Benefits | | Total | | (Thousands of Dollars) | Balance as of January 1, 2015 | $ | (28,839 | ) | | $ | (39,073 | ) | | $ | — |
| | $ | (67,912 | ) | Other comprehensive (loss) income before reclassification adjustments | (31,987 | ) | | 1,303 |
| | — |
| | (30,684 | ) | Net loss on cash flow hedges reclassified into interest expense, net | — |
| | 9,802 |
| | — |
| | 9,802 |
| Other comprehensive (loss) income | (31,987 | ) | | 11,105 |
| | — |
| | (20,882 | ) | Balance as of December 31, 2015 | (60,826 | ) | | (27,968 | ) | | — |
| | (88,794 | ) | Employee Transfer | — |
| | — |
| | 4,201 |
| | 4,201 |
| Deferred income tax adjustments | — |
| | — |
| | 2,414 |
| | 2,414 |
| Other comprehensive loss before reclassification adjustments | (8,243 | ) | | (2,621 | ) | | (7,852 | ) | | (18,716 | ) | Net gain on pension costs reclassified into operating expense | — |
| | — |
| | (1,200 | ) | | (1,200 | ) | Net gain on pension costs reclassified into general and administrative expense | — |
| | — |
| | (413 | ) | | (413 | ) | Net loss on cash flow hedges reclassified into interest expense, net | — |
| | 8,331 |
| | — |
| | 8,331 |
| Other comprehensive (loss) income | (8,243 | ) | | 5,710 |
| | (2,850 | ) | | (5,383 | ) | Balance as of December 31, 2016 | (69,069 | ) | | (22,258 | ) | | (2,850 | ) | | (94,177 | ) | Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassification adjustments | 17,466 |
| | (8,670 | ) | | (4,641 | ) | | 4,155 |
| Net gain on pension costs reclassified into operating
expense | — |
| | — |
| | (1,143 | ) | | (1,143 | ) | Net gain on pension costs reclassified into general and
administrative expense | — |
| | — |
| | (386 | ) | | (386 | ) | Net loss on cash flow hedges reclassified into interest expense, net | — |
| | 6,624 |
| | — |
| | 6,624 |
| Other comprehensive income (loss) | 17,466 |
| | (2,046 | ) | | (6,170 | ) | | 9,250 |
| Balance as of December 31, 2017 | $ | (51,603 | ) | | $ | (24,304 | ) | | $ | (9,020 | ) | | $ | (84,927 | ) |
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| Preferred Limited Partner [Member] |
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| Distributions Made to Limited Partners and General Partner [Line Items] |
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| Distributions Made to Limited Partner, by Distribution [Table Text Block] |
Preferred Units. The following table summarizes information related to our quarterly cash distributions on our Preferred Units: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Period | | Cash Distributions Per Unit | | Total Cash Distributions | | Record Date | | Payment Date | | | | | (Thousands of Dollars) | | | | | Series A Preferred Units: | | | | | | | | | December 15, 2017 - March 14, 2018 (a) | | $ | 0.53125 |
| | $ | 4,813 |
| | March 1, 2018 | | March 15, 2018 | September 15, 2017 - December 14, 2017 | | $ | 0.53125 |
| | $ | 4,813 |
| | December 1, 2017 | | December 15, 2017 | June 15, 2017 - September 14, 2017 | | $ | 0.53125 |
| | $ | 4,813 |
| | September 1, 2017 | | September 15, 2017 | March 15, 2017 - June 14, 2017 | | $ | 0.53125 |
| | $ | 4,813 |
| | June 1, 2017 | | June 15, 2017 | November 25, 2016 - March 14, 2017 | | $ | 0.64930556 |
| | $ | 5,883 |
| | March 1, 2017 | | March 15, 2017 | | | | | | | | | | Series B Preferred Units: | | | | | | | | | December 15, 2017 - March 14, 2018 (a) | | $ | 0.47657 |
| | $ | 7,339 |
| | March 1, 2018 | | March 15, 2018 | September 15, 2017 - December 14, 2017 | | $ | 0.47657 |
| | $ | 7,339 |
| | December 1, 2017 | | December 15, 2017 | April 28, 2017 - September 14, 2017 | | $ | 0.725434028 |
| | $ | 11,172 |
| | September 1, 2017 | | September 15, 2017 | | | | | | | | | | Series C Preferred Units: | | | | | | | | | November 30, 2017 - March 14, 2018 (a) | | $ | 0.65625 |
| | $ | 4,528 |
| | March 1, 2018 | | March 15, 2018 |
| | (a) | The distribution was announced on January 29, 2018 |
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