Condensed Consolidating Financial Information (Details) (USD $) In Thousands	Jun. 30, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Jun. 30, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 528,822	$ 641,702	$ 747,593	$ 927,815
Short-term investments	144,220	159,488
Assets held for sale	311,295	352,048
Accounts receivable, net	1,191,182	1,116,510
Inventory	199,899	158,836
Deferred income taxes	38,809	31,510
Other current assets	138,714	152,836
Total current assets	2,552,941	2,612,930
Long-term investments and other receivables	42,119	40,300
Property, plant and equipment, net	8,372,405	7,815,419
Goodwill	494,100	494,372
Intercompany receivables	0	0
Investment in unconsolidated affiliates	303,970	267,723
Other long-term assets	350,117	415,825
Total assets	12,115,652	11,646,569
Current liabilities:
Current portion of long-term debt	881	1,379,018
Trade accounts payable	551,010	355,282
Accrued liabilities	462,343	394,292
Income taxes payable	10,716	25,788
Total current liabilities	1,024,950	2,154,380
Long-term debt	4,264,586	3,064,126
Other long-term liabilities	257,696	245,765
Deferred income taxes	830,757	770,247
Intercompany payable	0	0
Total liabilities	6,377,989	6,234,518
Subsidiary preferred stock	69,188	69,188
Total shareholders' equity	5,655,504	5,328,162
Noncontrolling interest	12,971	14,701
Total equity	5,668,475	5,342,863	5,228,409	5,181,979
Total liabilities and equity	12,115,652	11,646,569
Nabors (Parent/Guarantor) [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	1,687	10,847	14,630	11,702
Short-term investments	0	0
Assets held for sale	0	0
Accounts receivable, net	0	0
Inventory	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Other current assets	50	50
Total current assets	1,737	10,897
Long-term investments and other receivables	0	0
Property, plant and equipment, net	0	0
Goodwill	0	0
Intercompany receivables	160,778	160,250
Investment in unconsolidated affiliates	5,496,529	5,160,800
Other long-term assets	0	0
Total assets	5,659,044	5,331,947
Current liabilities:
Current portion of long-term debt	0	0
Trade accounts payable	44	0
Accrued liabilities	3,496	3,785
Income taxes payable	0	0
Total current liabilities	3,540	3,785
Long-term debt	0	0
Other long-term liabilities	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Intercompany payable	0	0
Total liabilities	3,540	3,785
Subsidiary preferred stock	0	0
Total shareholders' equity	5,655,504	5,328,162
Noncontrolling interest	0	0
Total equity	5,655,504	5,328,162
Total liabilities and equity	5,659,044	5,331,947
Nabors Delaware (Issuer/Guarantor) [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	22	20	2,776	135
Short-term investments	0	0
Assets held for sale	0	0
Accounts receivable, net	0	0
Inventory	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Other current assets	3,959	16,366
Total current assets	3,981	16,386
Long-term investments and other receivables	0	0
Property, plant and equipment, net	42,742	44,270
Goodwill	0	0
Intercompany receivables	0	0
Investment in unconsolidated affiliates	5,893,457	5,814,219
Other long-term assets	33,742	36,538
Total assets	5,973,922	5,911,413
Current liabilities:
Current portion of long-term debt	0	1,378,178
Trade accounts payable	27	0
Accrued liabilities	89,983	89,480
Income taxes payable	0	6,859
Total current liabilities	90,010	1,474,517
Long-term debt	4,213,363	3,062,291
Other long-term liabilities	33,383	12,787
Deferred income taxes	48,167	71,815
Intercompany payable	591,067	301,451
Total liabilities	4,975,990	4,922,861
Subsidiary preferred stock	0	0
Total shareholders' equity	997,932	988,552
Noncontrolling interest	0	0
Total equity	997,932	988,552
Total liabilities and equity	5,973,922	5,911,413
Other Subsidiaries (Non-Guarantors) [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	527,113	630,835	730,187	915,978
Short-term investments	144,220	159,488
Assets held for sale	311,295	352,048
Accounts receivable, net	1,191,182	1,116,510
Inventory	199,899	158,836
Deferred income taxes	38,809	31,510
Other current assets	134,705	136,420
Total current assets	2,547,223	2,585,647
Long-term investments and other receivables	42,119	40,300
Property, plant and equipment, net	8,329,663	7,771,149
Goodwill	494,100	494,372
Intercompany receivables	430,289	322,697
Investment in unconsolidated affiliates	1,711,132	1,665,459
Other long-term assets	316,375	379,287
Total assets	13,870,901	13,258,911
Current liabilities:
Current portion of long-term debt	881	840
Trade accounts payable	550,939	355,282
Accrued liabilities	368,864	301,027
Income taxes payable	10,716	18,929
Total current liabilities	931,400	676,078
Long-term debt	51,223	1,835
Other long-term liabilities	224,313	232,978
Deferred income taxes	782,590	698,432
Intercompany payable	0	181,496
Total liabilities	1,989,526	1,790,819
Subsidiary preferred stock	69,188	69,188
Total shareholders' equity	11,799,216	11,384,203
Noncontrolling interest	12,971	14,701
Total equity	11,812,187	11,398,904
Total liabilities and equity	13,870,901	13,258,911
Consolidating Adjustments [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0	0
Short-term investments	0	0
Assets held for sale	0	0
Accounts receivable, net	0	0
Inventory	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Other current assets	0	0
Total current assets	0	0
Long-term investments and other receivables	0	0
Property, plant and equipment, net	0	0
Goodwill	0	0
Intercompany receivables	(591,067)	(482,947)
Investment in unconsolidated affiliates	(12,797,148)	(12,372,755)
Other long-term assets	0	0
Total assets	(13,388,215)	(12,855,702)
Current liabilities:
Current portion of long-term debt	0	0
Trade accounts payable	0	0
Accrued liabilities	0	0
Income taxes payable	0	0
Total current liabilities	0	0
Long-term debt	0	0
Other long-term liabilities	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Intercompany payable	(591,067)	(482,947)
Total liabilities	(591,067)	(482,947)
Subsidiary preferred stock	0	0
Total shareholders' equity	(12,797,148)	(12,372,755)
Noncontrolling interest	0	0
Total equity	(12,797,148)	(12,372,755)
Total liabilities and equity	$ (13,388,215)	$ (12,855,702)