Commitments and Contingencies (Details) (Mr. Restrepo, USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2014
Employment contracts
New term of the employment agreement	365 days
Automatic extension period	1 year
Annual base salary	$ 0.6
Employment benefit due to termination or contructive termination without cause	30 days
Employment agreement termination without cause, benefit as a ratio to 3 year average base salary and bonus	2.99
Employment agreement termination without cause, benefit base period	3 years
Minimum
Employment contracts
Number of financial performance goals used to calculate annual bonus	1
Number of operational performance goals used to calculate annual bonus	1
TSR Shares
Employment contracts
Vesting period	3 years
Maximum value of award that will vest as multiplier of base salary	2
Value of award that will vest as percentage of base salary	100.00%
Restricted stock
Employment contracts
Vesting period	4 years
Award grant date fair value	$ 4.9

Represents the base salary specified in the employment agreement.

No definition available.

Name:	nbr_EmploymentAgreementBaseSalary
Namespace Prefix:	nbr_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The period of time for which the employment agreement automatically extends.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	nbr_EmploymentAgreementExtensionPeriod
Namespace Prefix:	nbr_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Represents the period of time preceding termination without cause used as a basis for calculating a benefit under an employment agreement.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	nbr_EmploymentAgreementFormulaBenefitBasePeriod
Namespace Prefix:	nbr_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Represents the ratio of the employment benefit to the average of base salary and annual bonuses during the three year period preceding termination prior to the date specified in the contract.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	nbr_EmploymentAgreementFormulaBenefitRatioToBaseSalaryBeforeDateSpecifiedInContract
Namespace Prefix:	nbr_
Data Type:	xbrli:pureItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Represents the new term of the employment agreement.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	nbr_EmploymentAgreementNewTerm
Namespace Prefix:	nbr_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The period of time within which the reporting entity must make payment to a beneficiary under an employment agreement if it undergoes termination or contructive termination without cause.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	nbr_EmploymentAgreementPaymentTermTriggeredDueToTerminationOrConstructiveTerminationWithoutCause
Namespace Prefix:	nbr_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Represents number of financial performance goals used to calculate annual bonus.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	nbr_NumberOfFinancialPerformanceGoalsUsedToCalculateAnnualBonus
Namespace Prefix:	nbr_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Represents number of operational performance goals used to calculate annual bonus.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	nbr_NumberOfOperationalPerformanceGoalsUsedToCalculateAnnualBonus
Namespace Prefix:	nbr_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The aggregate fair value at grant date for nonvested equity-based awards issued during the period on other than stock (or unit) option plans (for example, phantom stock or unit plan, stock or unit appreciation rights plan, performance target plan).

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	nbr_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsGrantsInPeriodAggregateGrantDateFairValue
Namespace Prefix:	nbr_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Represents the maximum value of award that will vest as multiplier of base salary.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	nbr_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardMaximumValueOfAwardThatWillVestCalculatedBasedOnMultiplierOfBaseSalary
Namespace Prefix:	nbr_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Represents the value of award that will vest under share-based payment arrangement as a percentage of the base salary.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	nbr_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardValueOfAwardThatWillVestAsPercentageOfBaseSalary
Namespace Prefix:	nbr_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DeferredCompensationArrangementWithIndividualExcludingShareBasedPaymentsAndPostretirementBenefitsLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Period which an employee's right to exercise an award is no longer contingent on satisfaction of either a service condition, market condition or a performance condition, in 'PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents the reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 718

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 2

-Subparagraph (a)(1)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6415400&loc=d3e5070-113901

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardAwardVestingPeriod1
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration