Debt (Details 2) (USD $)	9 Months Ended														0 Months Ended			9 Months Ended				1 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2013 Nabors Delaware	Sep. 30, 2012 Nabors Delaware	Sep. 30, 2013 2.35% and 5.10% Senior Notes Nabors Delaware	Sep. 12, 2013 2.35% and 5.10% Senior Notes Nabors Delaware	Sep. 30, 2013 2.35% senior notes due September 2016	Sep. 12, 2013 2.35% senior notes due September 2016	Sep. 12, 2013 2.35% senior notes due September 2016 Nabors Delaware	Sep. 30, 2013 5.10% senior notes due September 2023	Sep. 12, 2013 5.10% senior notes due September 2023	Sep. 12, 2013 5.10% senior notes due September 2023 Nabors Delaware	Sep. 30, 2013 9.25% senior notes due January 2019	Sep. 13, 2013 9.25% senior notes due January 2019	Sep. 12, 2013 9.25% senior notes due January 2019 Nabors Delaware	Sep. 12, 2013 9.25% senior notes due January 2019 Nabors Delaware A consolidated affiliate	Sep. 30, 2013 Revolving Credit Facility	Sep. 30, 2013 Revolving Credit Facility Minimum	Sep. 30, 2013 Commercial paper	Sep. 30, 2013 Commercial paper Nabors Delaware	Apr. 30, 2013 Commercial paper Nabors Delaware	Apr. 30, 2013 Commercial paper Nabors Delaware Maximum
Debt
Interest rate on senior notes due (as a percent)							2.35%	2.35%		5.10%	2.35%		9.25%
Aggregate amount of senior notes						$ 700,000,000			$ 350,000,000			$ 350,000,000		$ 339,600,000						$ 332,300,000
Principal amount redeemed															785,400,000	14,000,000
Redemption price of principal amount of debt instrument including accrued and unpaid interest (as a percent)					101.00%
Cash paid to tender senior notes	994,181,000	276,232,000	994,112,000	224,997,000											1,000,000,000
Premium and related fees paid in the redemption															211,900,000
Maximum borrowing capacity																					1,500,000,000
Debt instrument, maturity term																						397 days
Remaining period to maturity																		1 year
Remaining availability under credit facility																	1,200,000,000
Maximum borrowing capacity																	$ 1,500,000,000
Weighted average interest rate on revolving credit facilities (as a percent)																	1.49%		0.358%