Impairments and Other Charges (Details)	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2016 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($) item	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($) VEF / $	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($) item	Sep. 30, 2015 VEF / $
Tangible Assets And Equipment
Provision for retirement of assets		$ 69,072,000	$ 65,633,000	$ 393,962,000
Impairment of long-lived assets		216,355,000	74,464,000	217,627,000
Subtotal		285,427,000	140,097,000	611,589,000
Goodwill And Intangible Assets:
Goodwill impairments		0		356,605,000
Intangible asset impairment				29,942,000
Subtotal				386,547,000
Other Charges:
Other-than-temporary impairment		$ 219,737,000	180,591,000	6,974,000
Number of remaining SCR rigs retired | item		24
Number of older rigs retired | item		7
Investment including other-than temporary impairment		$ (32,000)	458,000	5,564,000
Provision for international operations			48,279,000
Total impairments and other charges		505,164,000	368,967,000	1,005,110,000
Charge for remeasurement of net monetary assets			$ 10,000,000
Official exchange rate of Bolivares per USD | VEF / $			6.3
SIMADI exchange rate of Bolivares per USD | VEF / $					199
Write-off of receivable			$ 15,400,000
Provision for exit of non-core business line			22,900,000
Goodwill		166,917,000	166,659,000	173,928,000
Principal amount repurchased		152,700,000	27,500,000	$ 40,600,000
Number of retired mechanical rigs | item				25
Payment amount		10,300,000
Settlement		$ 3,000,000
9.25% senior notes due January 2019
Other Charges:
Interest rate on senior notes due (as a percent)		9.25%
C&J Energy Services, Ltd.
Other Charges:
Other-than-temporary impairment	$ 153,400,000	$ 192,400,000	180,600,000
Affiliate Receivable		23,800,000
Total impairments and other charges		216,200,000
Venezuela
Other Charges:
Provision for assets and receivable impacted by degradation of overall country economy			25,400,000
North Slope of Alaska
Tangible Assets And Equipment
Provision for retirement of assets		22,400,000	15,100,000
United States
Tangible Assets And Equipment
Provision for retirement of assets		$ 25,365,000	47,247,000	$ 271,141,000
Number of Competitive Assets | item		47
Impairment of long-lived assets		$ 163,182,000		137,000,000
Subtotal		188,547,000	47,247,000	408,141,000
Other Charges:
Goodwill		50,149,000	50,149,000	50,149,000
CANADA
Tangible Assets And Equipment
Provision for retirement of assets		19,573,000	7,547,000	24,211,000
Impairment of long-lived assets		1,125,000		10,176,000
Subtotal		20,698,000	7,547,000	34,387,000
International
Tangible Assets And Equipment
Provision for retirement of assets		23,275,000	10,839,000	56,472,000
Impairment of long-lived assets		12,721,000	52,479,000	70,451,000
Subtotal		35,996,000	63,318,000	126,923,000
Other Charges:
Goodwill		75,634,000	75,634,000
Completion & Production Services and Rig Services
Tangible Assets And Equipment
Subtotal				29,900,000
Rig Services
Tangible Assets And Equipment
Provision for retirement of assets		859,000		42,138,000
Impairment of long-lived assets		15,343,000	3,879,000
Subtotal		16,202,000	3,879,000	42,138,000
Goodwill And Intangible Assets:
Goodwill impairments				21,600,000
Other Charges:
Goodwill		41,134,000	40,876,000	31,667,000
Other
Tangible Assets And Equipment
Impairment of long-lived assets		23,984,000	18,106,000
Subtotal		$ 23,984,000	$ 18,106,000
Completion and Production Services
Other Charges:
Goodwill				92,112,000
Gulf Of Mexico
Tangible Assets And Equipment
Provision for retirement of assets				54,400,000
Business Acquisitions Acquiree Superior | Completion Services
Other Charges:
Goodwill				$ 335,000,000