Nature of Operations (Details)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2012 Rigs States
Nature of Operations (Textual) [Abstract]
Number of actively marketed land drilling rigs	501
Number of states in which oil, gas and geothermal land drilling operations are conducted	48
Minimum company's ownership interest in joint venture	49.00%
Maximum company's ownership interest in oil and gas joint venture	50.00%
Number of rigs actively markets joint venture in Saudi Arabia	9
U.S. [Member]
Nature of Operations [Line Items]
Number of rigs marketing for land well-servicing and workover work	567
Number of platform rigs actively marketed	40
Number of jack-up rigs actively marketed	12
Number of barge rigs actively marketed	4
Number of hydraulic horsepower pressure pumping services in key basins throughout United States and Canada	765,000
Canada [Member]
Nature of Operations [Line Items]
Number of rigs marketing for land well-servicing and workover work	176
Joint Venture in Saudi Arabia [Member]
Nature of Operations [Line Items]
Company's ownership interest in joint venture with Saudi Arabia	51.00%