Debt (Details Textual) (USD $)	12 Months Ended								12 Months Ended								12 Months Ended						12 Months Ended					12 Months Ended		1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011 CreditFacility	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009	Aug. 23, 2011	Jul. 22, 2008	Dec. 31, 2011 Nabors Delaware (Issuer/Guarantor) [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Nabors Delaware (Issuer/Guarantor) [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Consolidated Subsidiary [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 0.94% Senior Exchangeable Notes Due May 2011 [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 0.94% Senior Exchangeable Notes Due May 2011 [Member]	Dec. 31, 2009 0.94% Senior Exchangeable Notes Due May 2011 [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 6.15% Senior Notes Due February 2018 [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 6.15% Senior Notes Due February 2018 [Member]	Aug. 20, 2008 6.15% Senior Notes Due February 2018 [Member]	Jul. 22, 2008 6.15% Senior Notes Due February 2018 [Member]	Feb. 20, 2008 6.15% Senior Notes Due February 2018 [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 9.25% Senior Notes Due January 2019 [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 9.25% Senior Notes Due January 2019 [Member]	Jan. 12, 2009 9.25% Senior Notes Due January 2019 [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 5.375% Senior Notes Due August 2012 [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 5.375% Senior Notes Due August 2012 [Member]	Aug. 22, 2002 5.375% Senior Notes Due August 2012 [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 5.00% senior notes due September 2020 [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 5.00% senior notes due September 2020 [Member]	Sep. 14, 2010 5.00% senior notes due September 2020 [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 4.625% senior notes due September 2021 [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 4.625% senior notes due September 2021 [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Revolving Credit Facilities [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Revolving Credit Facilities [Member]	Aug. 31, 2009 4.875% senior notes due August 2009 [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 4.875% senior notes due August 2009 [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Federal Rate [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Libor Rate [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate on senior note due									0.94%			6.15%					9.25%			5.375%				5.00%		4.625%					4.875%
Current portion of long-term debt	$ 275,326,000	$ 1,379,018,000				$ 274,604,000	$ 1,378,178,000		$ 1,400,000,000											$ 274,600,000
Aggregate amount of senior notes					400,000,000										975,000,000	575,000,000			1,125,000,000			275,000,000			700,000,000						225,000,000
Issuance of notes																															56,600,000
Description of Senior notes redemption price																	purchase price equal to 101% of their principal amount, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any. The notes are redeemable in whole or in part at any time at the option of Nabors Delaware at a redemption price, plus accrued and unpaid interest, as specified in the indenture
Total notional amount of treasury rate lock derivative to hedge the risk of changes in interest payments																							500,000,000
Cash paid upon settlement of cash flow hedge due to change in fair value of derivatives																							5,700,000
Gains on debt retirement, net	(58,000)	(7,042,000)	11,197,000						(100,000)	(7,000,000)	11,500,000
Aggregate principal amount of private placement				700,000,000								967,490,000	966,276,000				1,125,000,000	1,125,000,000		274,604,000	273,977,000		697,037,000	697,343,000		697,667,000	0
Aggregate principal amount of senior notes									1,400,000,000					975,000,000
Borrowings under revolving credit facilities																												1,200,000,000
Weighted average interest rate on revolving credit facilities																												1.80%
Increase in aggregate principal amount of commitments																												200,000,000
Unsecured revolving credit facility	215,901,000	270,263,000																										1,400,000,000
Unsecured revolving credit facility borrowing capacity	135,493,000	199,658,000																										540,000,000
Revolving Credit facility Interest Rate Description	Borrowings under the senior unsecured revolving credit facilities bear interest, at Nabor’s option, for either (x) the “Base Rate” (as defined below) plus the applicable interest margin, calculated on the basis of the actual number of days elapsed in a year of 365 days and payable quarterly in arrears or (y) interest periods of one, two, three or six months at an annual rate equal to the LIBOR for the corresponding deposits of U.S. dollars, plus the applicable interest margin.
Revolving Credit facility Base Rate Description	The “Base Rate” is defined, for any day, as a fluctuating rate per annum equal to the highest of (i) the Federal Funds Rate, as published by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, plus 1/2 of 1%, (ii) the prime commercial lending rate of the administrative agent, as established from time to time and (iii) LIBOR for an interest period of one month beginning on such day plus 1%
Letters of credit outstanding, inclusive of financial and performance guarantees	(80,408,000)	(70,605,000)				1,350,000,000		50,000,000																				860,000,000	0
Debt instrument basis spread on variable																																0.50%	1.00%
Payments for repurchase of notes																														$ 168,400,000	$ 56,800,000
Debt (Textual) [Abstract]
Maturity period of revolving credit facility	September, 2014
Purchase price of notes	equal to 101% of their principal amount,plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any
Frequency of interest payments	semi-annually
Number of letter of credit facilities	6