PARTNERS' EQUITY (Tables)
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3 Months Ended |
Mar. 31, 2018 |
| Distributions Made to Limited Partners and General Partner [Line Items] |
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| Schedule of Changes in Partners' Equity [Table Text Block] |
The following table summarizes changes to our partners’ equity (in thousands of dollars): | | | | | Balance as of January 1, 2018 | $ | 2,480,089 |
| Net income | 126,133 |
| Unit-based compensation | 1,286 |
| Other comprehensive income | 20,924 |
| Distributions to partners | (131,262 | ) | Other | (5,113 | ) | Balance as of March 31, 2018 | $ | 2,492,057 |
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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: | | | | | | | | | | Three Months Ended March 31, | | 2018 | | 2017 | | (Thousands of Dollars, Except Per Unit Data) | General partner interest | $ | 1,141 |
| | $ | 2,343 |
| General partner incentive distribution | — |
| | 12,912 |
| Total general partner distribution | 1,141 |
| | 15,255 |
| Common limited partners’ distribution | 55,916 |
| | 101,913 |
| Total cash distributions | $ | 57,057 |
| | $ | 117,168 |
| | | | | Cash distributions per unit applicable to common limited partners | $ | 0.60 |
| | $ | 1.095 |
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| Distributions Made to Common Limited and General Partners, by Distribution [Table Text Block] |
The following table summarizes information about 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) | | | | | March 31, 2018 | | $ | 0.600 |
| | $ | 57,057 |
| | May 8, 2018 | | May 14, 2018 | December 31, 2017 | | $ | 1.095 |
| | $ | 115,267 |
| | February 8, 2018 | | February 13, 2018 |
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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: | | | | | | | | | | Three Months Ended March 31, | | 2018 | | 2017 | | (Thousands of Dollars, Except Percentage Data) | Net income attributable to NuStar Energy L.P. | $ | 126,133 |
| | $ | 57,940 |
| Less preferred limited partner interest | 15,990 |
| | 4,813 |
| Less general partner incentive distribution | — |
| | 12,912 |
| Net income after preferred limited partner interest and general partner incentive distribution | 110,143 |
| | 40,215 |
| General partner interest allocation | 2 | % | | 2 | % | General partner interest allocation of net income | 2,203 |
| | 804 |
| General partner incentive distribution | — |
| | 12,912 |
| Net income applicable to general partner | $ | 2,203 |
| | $ | 13,716 |
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| Schedule of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Table Text Block] |
The balance of and changes in the components included in AOCI were as follows: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Foreign Currency Translation | | Cash Flow Hedges | | Pension and Other Postretirement Benefits | | Total | | (Thousands of Dollars) | Balance as of January 1, 2018 | $ | (51,603 | ) | | $ | (24,304 | ) | | $ | (9,020 | ) | | $ | (84,927 | ) | Other comprehensive income (loss): | | | | | | | | Other comprehensive income before reclassification adjustments | 2,312 |
| | 17,421 |
| | — |
| | 19,733 |
| Net gain on pension costs reclassified into other income, net | — |
| | — |
| | (203 | ) | | (203 | ) | Net loss on cash flow hedges reclassified into interest expense, net | — |
| | 1,390 |
| | — |
| | 1,390 |
| Other | 60 |
| | — |
| | (56 | ) | | 4 |
| Other comprehensive income (loss) | 2,372 |
| | 18,811 |
| | (259 | ) | | 20,924 |
| Balance as of March 31, 2018 | $ | (49,231 | ) | | $ | (5,493 | ) | | $ | (9,279 | ) | | $ | (64,003 | ) |
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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] |
The following table summarizes information about 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: | | | | | | | | | March 15, 2018 - June 14, 2018 | | $ | 0.53125 |
| | $ | 4,813 |
| | June 1, 2018 | | June 15, 2018 | December 15, 2017 - March 14, 2018 | | $ | 0.53125 |
| | $ | 4,813 |
| | March 1, 2018 | | March 15, 2018 | | | | | | | | | | Series B Preferred Units: | | | | | | | | | March 15, 2018 to June 14, 2018 | | $ | 0.47657 |
| | $ | 7,339 |
| | June 1, 2018 | | June 15, 2018 | December 15, 2017 to March 14, 2018 | | $ | 0.47657 |
| | $ | 7,339 |
| | March 1, 2018 | | March 15, 2018 | | | | | | | | | | Series C Preferred Units: | | | | | | | | | March 15, 2018 to June 14, 2018 | | $ | 0.56250 |
| | $ | 3,881 |
| | June 1, 2018 | | June 15, 2018 | November 30, 2017 - March 14, 2018 | | $ | 0.65625 |
| | $ | 4,528 |
| | March 1, 2018 | | March 15, 2018 |
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