Condensed Consolidating Financial Information (Details) (USD $) In Thousands	Sep. 30, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Sep. 30, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 275,461	$ 641,702	$ 639,683	$ 927,815
Short-term investments	119,859	159,488
Assets held for sale	267,911	352,048
Accounts receivable, net	1,397,725	1,116,510
Inventory	233,298	158,836
Deferred income taxes	83,388	31,510
Other current assets	166,702	152,836
Total current assets	2,544,344	2,612,930
Long-term investments and other receivables	40,373	40,300
Property, plant and equipment, net	8,577,213	7,815,419
Goodwill	501,297	494,372
Intercompany receivables	0	0
Investment in unconsolidated affiliates	323,066	267,723
Other long-term assets	332,053	415,825
Total assets	12,318,346	11,646,569
Current liabilities:
Current portion of long-term debt	275,227	1,379,018
Trade accounts payable	658,692	355,282
Accrued liabilities	459,943	394,292
Income taxes payable	21,903	25,788
Total current liabilities	1,415,765	2,154,380
Long-term debt	4,088,133	3,064,126
Other long-term liabilities	220,062	245,765
Deferred income taxes	881,659	770,247
Intercompany payable	0	0
Total liabilities	6,605,619	6,234,518
Subsidiary preferred stock	69,188	69,188
Total shareholders' equity	5,631,812	5,328,162
Noncontrolling interest	11,727	14,701
Total equity	5,643,539	5,342,863	5,220,570	5,181,979
Total liabilities and equity	12,318,346	11,646,569
Nabors (Parent/Guarantor) [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	1,156	10,847	3,884	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	1,206	10,897
Long-term investments and other receivables	0	0
Property, plant and equipment, net	0	0
Goodwill	0	0
Intercompany receivables	162,615	160,250
Investment in unconsolidated affiliates	5,472,298	5,160,800
Other long-term assets	0	0
Total assets	5,636,119	5,331,947
Current liabilities:
Current portion of long-term debt	0	0
Trade accounts payable	1	0
Accrued liabilities	4,306	3,785
Income taxes payable	0	0
Total current liabilities	4,307	3,785
Long-term debt	0	0
Other long-term liabilities	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Intercompany payable	0	0
Total liabilities	4,307	3,785
Subsidiary preferred stock	0	0
Total shareholders' equity	5,631,812	5,328,162
Noncontrolling interest	0	0
Total equity	5,631,812	5,328,162
Total liabilities and equity	5,636,119	5,331,947
Nabors Delaware (Issuer/Guarantor) [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	22	20	26	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	1,140	16,366
Total current assets	1,162	16,386
Long-term investments and other receivables	0	0
Property, plant and equipment, net	41,656	44,270
Goodwill	0	0
Intercompany receivables	0	0
Investment in unconsolidated affiliates	6,069,063	5,814,219
Other long-term assets	33,402	36,538
Total assets	6,145,283	5,911,413
Current liabilities:
Current portion of long-term debt	274,447	1,378,178
Trade accounts payable	148	0
Accrued liabilities	40,586	89,480
Income taxes payable	0	6,859
Total current liabilities	315,181	1,474,517
Long-term debt	4,037,060	3,062,291
Other long-term liabilities	32,813	12,787
Deferred income taxes	30,225	71,815
Intercompany payable	651,883	301,451
Total liabilities	5,067,162	4,922,861
Subsidiary preferred stock	0	0
Total shareholders' equity	1,078,121	988,552
Noncontrolling interest	0	0
Total equity	1,078,121	988,552
Total liabilities and equity	6,145,283	5,911,413
Other Subsidiaries (Non-Guarantors) [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	274,283	630,835	635,773	915,978
Short-term investments	119,859	159,488
Assets held for sale	267,911	352,048
Accounts receivable, net	1,397,725	1,116,510
Inventory	233,298	158,836
Deferred income taxes	83,388	31,510
Other current assets	165,512	136,420
Total current assets	2,541,976	2,585,647
Long-term investments and other receivables	40,373	40,300
Property, plant and equipment, net	8,535,557	7,771,149
Goodwill	501,297	494,372
Intercompany receivables	537,881	322,697
Investment in unconsolidated affiliates	1,810,558	1,665,459
Other long-term assets	298,651	379,287
Total assets	14,266,293	13,258,911
Current liabilities:
Current portion of long-term debt	780	840
Trade accounts payable	658,543	355,282
Accrued liabilities	415,051	301,027
Income taxes payable	21,903	18,929
Total current liabilities	1,096,277	676,078
Long-term debt	51,073	1,835
Other long-term liabilities	187,249	232,978
Deferred income taxes	851,434	698,432
Intercompany payable	48,613	181,496
Total liabilities	2,234,646	1,790,819
Subsidiary preferred stock	69,188	69,188
Total shareholders' equity	11,950,732	11,384,203
Noncontrolling interest	11,727	14,701
Total equity	11,962,459	11,398,904
Total liabilities and equity	14,266,293	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	(700,496)	(482,947)
Investment in unconsolidated affiliates	(13,028,853)	(12,372,755)
Other long-term assets	0	0
Total assets	(13,729,349)	(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	(700,496)	(482,947)
Total liabilities	(700,496)	(482,947)
Subsidiary preferred stock	0	0
Total shareholders' equity	(13,028,853)	(12,372,755)
Noncontrolling interest	0	0
Total equity	(13,028,853)	(12,372,755)
Total liabilities and equity	$ (13,729,349)	$ (12,855,702)