PARTNERS' EQUITY (Tables)
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12 Months Ended |
Dec. 31, 2019 |
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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 Series A, Series B and Series C Fixed-to-Floating Rate Cumulative Redeemable Perpetual Preferred Units (collectively the Series A, B and C Preferred Units) issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2019: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 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 | | Fixed Distribution per Annum (in thousands) | | 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 |
| | $ | 19,252 |
| | 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 |
| | $ | 29,357 |
| | 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 |
| | $ | 15,525 |
| | December 15, 2022 | | Three-month LIBOR plus 6.88% |
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| Schedule of Common Units [Table Text Block] |
The following table shows the balance of and changes in the number of our common units outstanding: | | | | | | | | | | | Year Ended December 31, | | 2019 | | 2018 | | 2017 | Balance as of the beginning of year | 107,225,156 |
| | 93,176,683 |
| | 78,616,228 |
| Issuance of units | 527,426 |
| | 413,736 |
| | 14,375,000 |
| Unit-based compensation (refer to Note 24 for discussion) | 775,224 |
| | 225,144 |
| | 185,455 |
| Merger (refer to Note 4 for discussion) | — |
| | 13,409,593 |
| | — |
| Balance as of the end of year | 108,527,806 |
| | 107,225,156 |
| | 93,176,683 |
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| Schedule of Distribution Waterfall [Table Text Block] |
Prior to the Merger, our Available Cash was 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, | | 2019 | | 2018 | | 2017 | | (Thousands of Dollars, Except Per Unit Data) | General partner interest | $ | — |
| | $ | 1,141 |
| | $ | 9,252 |
| General partner incentive distribution | — |
| | — |
| | 45,669 |
| Total general partner distribution | — |
| | 1,141 |
| | 54,921 |
| Common limited partners’ distribution | 259,136 |
| | 248,705 |
| | 407,681 |
| Total cash distributions | $ | 259,136 |
| | $ | 249,846 |
| | $ | 462,602 |
| | | | | | | Cash distributions per unit applicable to common limited partners | $ | 2.40 |
| | $ | 2.40 |
| | $ | 4.38 |
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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 for 2017: | | | | | | Year Ended December 31, 2017 | | (Thousands of Dollars) | Net income attributable to NuStar Energy L.P. | $ | 147,964 |
| Less preferred limited partner interest | 40,448 |
| Less general partner incentive distribution | 45,669 |
| Net income after general partner incentive distribution and preferred limited partner interest | 61,847 |
| General partner interest allocation | 2 | % | General partner interest allocation of net income | 1,237 |
| General partner incentive distribution | 45,669 |
| Net income applicable to general partner | $ | 46,906 |
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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, 2017 | $ | (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 | ) | Other comprehensive (loss) income before reclassification adjustments | (13,880 | ) | | 17,912 |
| | 3,282 |
| | 7,314 |
| Sale of European Operations reclassified into other income, net | 18,124 |
| | — |
| | — |
| | 18,124 |
| Net gain on pension costs reclassified into other income, net | — |
| | — |
| | (814 | ) | | (814 | ) | Net loss on cash flow hedges reclassified into interest expense, net | — |
| | 5,499 |
| | — |
| | 5,499 |
| Other | 60 |
| | — |
| | (134 | ) | | (74 | ) | Other comprehensive income | 4,304 |
| | 23,411 |
| | 2,334 |
| | 30,049 |
| Balance as of December 31, 2018 | (47,299 | ) | | (893 | ) | | (6,686 | ) | | (54,878 | ) | Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassification adjustments | 3,527 |
| | (19,045 | ) | | 1,000 |
| | (14,518 | ) | Net gain on pension costs reclassified into other income, net | — |
| | — |
| | (2,314 | ) | | (2,314 | ) | Net loss on cash flow hedges reclassified into interest expense, net | — |
| | 3,814 |
| | — |
| | 3,814 |
| Other comprehensive income (loss) | 3,527 |
| | (15,231 | ) | | (1,314 | ) | | (13,018 | ) | Balance as of December 31, 2019 | $ | (43,772 | ) | | $ | (16,124 | ) | | $ | (8,000 | ) | | $ | (67,896 | ) |
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| Common 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 quarterly cash distributions declared for our common limited partners applicable to the year ended December 31, 2019: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Quarter Ended | | Cash Distributions Per Unit | | Total Cash Distributions | | Record Date | | Payment Date | | | | | (Thousands of Dollars) | | | | | December 31, 2019 | | $ | 0.60 |
| | $ | 65,128 |
| | February 10, 2020 | | February 14, 2020 | September 30, 2019 | | $ | 0.60 |
| | $ | 64,660 |
| | November 8, 2019 | | November 14, 2019 | June 30, 2019 | | $ | 0.60 |
| | $ | 64,658 |
| | August 7, 2019 | | August 13, 2019 | March 31, 2019 | | $ | 0.60 |
| | $ | 64,690 |
| | May 8, 2019 | | May 14, 2019 |
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