Segment Information (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended								6 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013 item	Sep. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2013	Mar. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Sep. 30, 2012	Jun. 30, 2012	Mar. 31, 2012	Jun. 30, 2012	Dec. 31, 2013 item	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Financial information with respect to reportable segments
Number of major business lines	2									2
Operating revenues and Earnings (losses) from unconsolidated affiliates:
Operating revenues and Earnings (losses) from unconsolidated affiliates:	$ 1,605,390,000	$ 1,548,965,000	$ 1,459,326,000	$ 1,538,373,000	$ 1,571,745,000	$ 1,630,380,000	$ 1,541,841,000	$ 1,810,367,000		$ 6,152,054,000	$ 6,554,333,000	$ 6,098,928,000
Adjusted income (loss) derived from operating activities
Adjusted income (loss) derived from operating activities										558,219,000	908,550,000	866,006,000
U.S. oil and gas joint venture earnings (losses)	(1,600,000)	(2,600,000)	1,400,000	2,900,000	1,200,000	(99,500,000)	(156,063,000)	(34,321,000)	(190,384,000)	39,000	(288,718,000)	85,448,000
Interest expense										(223,418,000)	(251,904,000)	(256,632,000)
Investment income (loss)										96,577,000	63,137,000	19,939,000
Gains (losses) on sales and disposals of long-lived assets and other income (expense), net										(37,977,000)	136,636,000	(4,474,000)
Impairments and other charges										(287,241,000)	(290,260,000)	(198,072,000)
Income (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes							(156,144,000)	235,067,000	78,923,000	106,160,000	276,960,000	515,253,000
Income tax expense (benefit)							(35,268,000)	75,771,000	40,503,000	(55,181,000)	40,986,000	165,083,000
Subsidiary preferred stock dividend										(3,000,000)	(3,000,000)	(3,000,000)
Income (loss) from continuing operations, net of tax	128,516,000	(90,510,000)	28,128,000	92,207,000	131,656,000	64,489,000	(121,626,000)	158,546,000	36,920,000	158,341,000	232,974,000	347,170,000
Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of tax	23,113,000	(14,430,000)	(26,873,000)	7,011,000	(103,414,000)	12,155,000	26,710,000	(2,977,000)		(11,179,000)	(67,526,000)	(97,601,000)
Net income (loss)							(94,916,000)	155,569,000	60,653,000	147,162,000	165,448,000	249,569,000
Less: Net (income) loss attributable to noncontrolling interest	(1,026,000)	(441,000)	(5,616,000)	(97,000)	(1,074,000)	(988,000)	1,174,000	267,000		(7,180,000)	(621,000)	(1,045,000)
Net income (loss) attributable to Nabors	150,603,000	(105,381,000)	(4,361,000)	99,121,000	27,077,000	75,656,000	(93,742,000)	155,836,000	62,094,000	139,982,000	164,827,000	248,524,000
Depreciation and amortization:
Depreciation and amortization										1,086,677,000	1,039,923,000	918,122,000
Capital expenditures and acquisitions of businesses
Capital expenditures and acquisitions										1,365,994,000	1,433,586,000	2,247,735,000
ASSETS
Total assets	12,159,811,000				12,656,022,000			13,166,740,000		12,159,811,000	12,656,022,000
Equity in earnings (losses) from unconsolidated affiliates, net								(34,320,000)	(190,383,000)	(800,000)	(299,717,000)	161,189,000
Assets held-for-sale	243,264,000				383,857,000					243,264,000	383,857,000
Oil and gas
Adjusted income (loss) derived from operating activities
U.S. oil and gas joint venture earnings (losses)											(289,199,000)	88,486,000
Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of tax										(27,396,000)	(66,033,000)	(91,394,000)
ASSETS
Assets held-for-sale	239,936,000				377,625,000					239,936,000	377,625,000
Operating segment | Drilling and Rig Services
Operating revenues and Earnings (losses) from unconsolidated affiliates:
Operating revenues and Earnings (losses) from unconsolidated affiliates:										4,256,730,000	4,659,589,000	4,156,326,000
Adjusted income (loss) derived from operating activities
Adjusted income (loss) derived from operating activities										550,604,000	759,846,000	711,844,000
Depreciation and amortization:
Depreciation and amortization										876,694,000	825,936,000	719,493,000
Capital expenditures and acquisitions of businesses
Capital expenditures and acquisitions										1,023,989,000	1,142,456,000	1,568,373,000
ASSETS
Total assets	8,915,262,000				9,127,825,000					8,915,262,000	9,127,825,000
Equity in earnings (losses) from unconsolidated affiliates, net										(400,000)		(3,100,000)
Investments in unconsolidated affiliates accounted for using equity method	57,000,000				59,900,000					57,000,000	59,900,000
Operating segment | Drilling and Rig Services | Reportable subsegments | U.S.
Operating revenues and Earnings (losses) from unconsolidated affiliates:
Operating revenues and Earnings (losses) from unconsolidated affiliates:										1,914,786,000	2,276,808,000	1,999,241,000
Adjusted income (loss) derived from operating activities
Adjusted income (loss) derived from operating activities										315,496,000	509,894,000	442,831,000
Depreciation and amortization:
Depreciation and amortization										440,210,000	406,740,000	360,604,000
Capital expenditures and acquisitions of businesses
Capital expenditures and acquisitions										644,792,000	758,555,000	719,741,000
ASSETS
Total assets	4,248,630,000				4,157,470,000					4,248,630,000	4,157,470,000
Operating segment | Drilling and Rig Services | Reportable subsegments | Canada
Operating revenues and Earnings (losses) from unconsolidated affiliates:
Operating revenues and Earnings (losses) from unconsolidated affiliates:										361,676,000	429,411,000	426,455,000
Adjusted income (loss) derived from operating activities
Adjusted income (loss) derived from operating activities										61,193,000	91,360,000	89,344,000
Depreciation and amortization:
Depreciation and amortization										57,796,000	59,191,000	57,382,000
Capital expenditures and acquisitions of businesses
Capital expenditures and acquisitions										59,386,000	78,729,000	58,134,000
ASSETS
Total assets	608,018,000				699,698,000					608,018,000	699,698,000
Operating segment | Drilling and Rig Services | Reportable subsegments | International
Operating revenues and Earnings (losses) from unconsolidated affiliates:
Operating revenues and Earnings (losses) from unconsolidated affiliates:										1,464,264,000	1,265,060,000	1,104,461,000
Adjusted income (loss) derived from operating activities
Adjusted income (loss) derived from operating activities										177,833,000	91,226,000	123,813,000
Depreciation and amortization:
Depreciation and amortization										346,659,000	330,388,000	273,315,000
Capital expenditures and acquisitions of businesses
Capital expenditures and acquisitions										248,980,000	265,249,000	653,759,000
ASSETS
Total assets	3,584,339,000				3,626,307,000					3,584,339,000	3,626,307,000
Operating segment | Drilling and Rig Services | Reportable subsegments | Rig Services
Operating revenues and Earnings (losses) from unconsolidated affiliates:
Operating revenues and Earnings (losses) from unconsolidated affiliates:										516,004,000	688,310,000	626,169,000
Adjusted income (loss) derived from operating activities
Adjusted income (loss) derived from operating activities										(3,918,000)	67,366,000	55,856,000
Depreciation and amortization:
Depreciation and amortization										32,029,000	29,617,000	28,192,000
Capital expenditures and acquisitions of businesses
Capital expenditures and acquisitions										70,831,000	39,923,000	136,739,000
ASSETS
Total assets	474,275,000				644,350,000					474,275,000	644,350,000
Operating segment | Completion and Production Services
Operating revenues and Earnings (losses) from unconsolidated affiliates:
Operating revenues and Earnings (losses) from unconsolidated affiliates:										2,083,927,000	2,463,640,000	2,086,828,000
Adjusted income (loss) derived from operating activities
Adjusted income (loss) derived from operating activities										153,852,000	297,353,000	309,143,000
Depreciation and amortization:
Depreciation and amortization										212,744,000	216,602,000	198,894,000
Capital expenditures and acquisitions of businesses
Capital expenditures and acquisitions										325,449,000	238,300,000	487,900,000
ASSETS
Total assets	2,394,865,000				2,301,803,000					2,394,865,000	2,301,803,000
Equity in earnings (losses) from unconsolidated affiliates, net										400,000	500,000
Investments in unconsolidated affiliates accounted for using equity method	7,400,000				1,800,000					7,400,000	1,800,000
Operating segment | Completion and Production Services | Reportable subsegments | Completion Services
Operating revenues and Earnings (losses) from unconsolidated affiliates:
Operating revenues and Earnings (losses) from unconsolidated affiliates:										1,074,713,000	1,462,767,000	1,237,306,000
Adjusted income (loss) derived from operating activities
Adjusted income (loss) derived from operating activities										51,722,000	188,518,000	229,125,000
Depreciation and amortization:
Depreciation and amortization										109,242,000	112,401,000	102,009,000
Operating segment | Completion and Production Services | Reportable subsegments | Production Services
Operating revenues and Earnings (losses) from unconsolidated affiliates:
Operating revenues and Earnings (losses) from unconsolidated affiliates:										1,009,214,000	1,000,873,000	849,522,000
Adjusted income (loss) derived from operating activities
Adjusted income (loss) derived from operating activities										102,130,000	108,835,000	80,018,000
Depreciation and amortization:
Depreciation and amortization										103,502,000	104,201,000	96,885,000
Other reconciling items
Operating revenues and Earnings (losses) from unconsolidated affiliates:
Operating revenues and Earnings (losses) from unconsolidated affiliates:										(188,603,000)	(568,896,000)	(144,226,000)
Adjusted income (loss) derived from operating activities
Adjusted income (loss) derived from operating activities										(146,237,000)	(148,649,000)	(154,981,000)
Depreciation and amortization:
Depreciation and amortization										(2,761,000)	(2,615,000)	(265,000)
Capital expenditures and acquisitions of businesses
Capital expenditures and acquisitions										16,556,000	52,830,000	191,462,000
ASSETS
Total assets	849,684,000				1,226,394,000					849,684,000	1,226,394,000
Assets held-for-sale	$ 239,900,000				$ 377,600,000					$ 239,900,000	$ 377,600,000