Condensed Consolidating Financial Information - Statements of Income (Loss) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2017
Revenues and other income:
Revenue	$ 761,920	$ 631,355	$ 1,496,114	$ 1,193,905
Earnings (losses) from unconsolidated affiliates	(1)		1	2
Investment income (loss)	(3,164)	(886)	(2,699)	(165)
Total revenues and other income	758,755	630,469	1,493,416	1,193,742
Costs and other deductions:
Direct costs	493,975	417,521	969,378	805,165
General and administrative expenses	67,823	63,695	142,394	127,104
Research and engineering	12,439	11,343	28,245	23,100
Depreciation and amortization	218,262	208,090	431,710	411,762
Interest expense	60,592	54,688	121,978	111,206
Other, net	77,601	10,104	91,690	23,614
Total costs and other deductions	930,692	765,441	1,785,395	1,501,951
Income (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes	(171,937)	(134,972)	(291,979)	(308,209)
Income tax expense (benefit)	23,278	(19,496)	46,823	(45,105)
Income (loss) from continuing operations, net of tax	(195,215)	(115,476)	(338,802)	(263,104)
Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of tax	(584)	(15,504)	(659)	(15,943)
Net income (loss)	(195,799)	(130,980)	(339,461)	(279,047)
Less: Net (income) loss attributable to noncontrolling interest	(2,953)	(1,971)	(3,492)	(2,888)
Net income (loss) attributable to Nabors	(198,752)	(132,951)	(342,953)	(281,935)
Less: preferred stock dividends	(3,680)		(3,680)
Net income (loss) attributable to Nabors common shareholders	(202,432)	(132,951)	(346,633)	(281,935)
Reportable Legal Entities
Revenues and other income:
Revenue	761,920	631,355
Earnings (losses) from unconsolidated affiliates	(1)
Investment income (loss)	(3,164)	(886)
Total revenues and other income	758,755	630,469
Costs and other deductions:
Direct costs	493,975	417,521
General and administrative expenses	67,823	63,695
Research and engineering	12,439	11,343
Depreciation and amortization	218,262	208,090
Interest expense	60,592	54,688
Other, net	77,601	10,104
Total costs and other deductions	930,692	765,441
Income (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes	(171,937)	(134,972)
Income tax expense (benefit)	23,278	(19,496)
Income (loss) from continuing operations, net of tax	(195,215)	(115,476)
Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of tax	(584)	(15,504)
Net income (loss)	(195,799)	(130,980)
Less: Net (income) loss attributable to noncontrolling interest	(2,953)	(1,971)
Net income (loss) attributable to Nabors	(198,752)	(132,951)
Less: preferred stock dividends	(3,680)
Net income (loss) attributable to Nabors common shareholders	(202,432)
Consolidating Adjustments
Revenues and other income:
Earnings (losses) from consolidated affiliates	123,474	210,634	267,839	503,461
Investment income (loss)	(3,168)	(2,980)	(6,149)	(5,960)
Total revenues and other income	120,306	207,654	261,690	497,501
Costs and other deductions:
General and administrative expenses	(339)	(325)	(508)	(504)
Other, net	339	325	508	504
Income (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes	120,306	207,654	261,690	497,501
Income (loss) from continuing operations, net of tax	120,306	207,654	261,690	497,501
Net income (loss)	120,306	207,654	261,690	497,501
Net income (loss) attributable to Nabors	120,306	207,654	261,690	497,501
Net income (loss) attributable to Nabors common shareholders	120,306		261,690
Parent Company
Revenues and other income:
Earnings (losses) from consolidated affiliates	(194,594)	(129,592)
Investment income (loss)		(2)
Total revenues and other income	(194,594)	(129,594)
Costs and other deductions:
General and administrative expenses	2,854	3,359
Other, net	1,204	(2)
Intercompany interest expense	100
Total costs and other deductions	4,158	3,357
Income (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes	(198,752)	(132,951)
Income (loss) from continuing operations, net of tax	(198,752)	(132,951)
Net income (loss)	(198,752)	(132,951)
Net income (loss) attributable to Nabors	(198,752)	(132,951)
Less: preferred stock dividends	(3,680)
Net income (loss) attributable to Nabors common shareholders	(202,432)
Parent Company | Reportable Legal Entities
Revenues and other income:
Earnings (losses) from consolidated affiliates			(336,419)	(275,463)
Investment income (loss)			2	15
Total revenues and other income			(336,417)	(275,448)
Costs and other deductions:
General and administrative expenses			5,237	6,657
Other, net			1,199	(161)
Intercompany interest expense			100	(9)
Total costs and other deductions			6,536	6,487
Income (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes			(342,953)	(281,935)
Income (loss) from continuing operations, net of tax			(342,953)	(281,935)
Net income (loss)			(342,953)	(281,935)
Net income (loss) attributable to Nabors			(342,953)	(281,935)
Less: preferred stock dividends			(3,680)
Net income (loss) attributable to Nabors common shareholders			(346,633)
Guarantor Subsidiaries
Revenues and other income:
Earnings (losses) from consolidated affiliates	59,040	(20,265)
Investment income (loss)		1
Total revenues and other income	59,040	(20,264)
Costs and other deductions:
General and administrative expenses	157	193
Depreciation and amortization	32	31
Interest expense	60,798	56,505
Other, net		7,576
Total costs and other deductions	60,987	64,305
Income (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes	(1,947)	(84,569)
Income tax expense (benefit)	(14,027)	(23,792)
Income (loss) from continuing operations, net of tax	12,080	(60,777)
Net income (loss)	12,080	(60,777)
Net income (loss) attributable to Nabors	12,080	(60,777)
Net income (loss) attributable to Nabors common shareholders	12,080
Guarantor Subsidiaries | Reportable Legal Entities
Revenues and other income:
Earnings (losses) from consolidated affiliates			83,025	(70,982)
Investment income (loss)				64
Total revenues and other income			83,025	(70,918)
Costs and other deductions:
General and administrative expenses			399	330
Depreciation and amortization			62	62
Interest expense			126,123	117,260
Other, net				18,973
Total costs and other deductions			126,584	136,625
Income (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes			(43,559)	(207,543)
Income tax expense (benefit)			(29,114)	(50,527)
Income (loss) from continuing operations, net of tax			(14,445)	(157,016)
Net income (loss)			(14,445)	(157,016)
Net income (loss) attributable to Nabors			(14,445)	(157,016)
Net income (loss) attributable to Nabors common shareholders			(14,445)
Other Subsidiaries (Non-Guarantors)
Revenues and other income:
Revenue	761,920	631,355
Earnings (losses) from unconsolidated affiliates	(1)
Earnings (losses) from consolidated affiliates	12,080	(60,777)
Investment income (loss)	4	2,095
Total revenues and other income	774,003	572,673
Costs and other deductions:
Direct costs	493,975	417,521
General and administrative expenses	65,151	60,468
Research and engineering	12,439	11,343
Depreciation and amortization	218,230	208,059
Interest expense	(206)	(1,817)
Other, net	76,058	2,205
Intercompany interest expense	(100)
Total costs and other deductions	865,547	697,779
Income (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes	(91,544)	(125,106)
Income tax expense (benefit)	37,305	4,296
Income (loss) from continuing operations, net of tax	(128,849)	(129,402)
Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of tax	(584)	(15,504)
Net income (loss)	(129,433)	(144,906)
Less: Net (income) loss attributable to noncontrolling interest	(2,953)	(1,971)
Net income (loss) attributable to Nabors	(132,386)	$ (146,877)
Net income (loss) attributable to Nabors common shareholders	$ (132,386)
Other Subsidiaries (Non-Guarantors) | Reportable Legal Entities
Revenues and other income:
Revenue			1,496,114	1,193,905
Earnings (losses) from unconsolidated affiliates			1	2
Earnings (losses) from consolidated affiliates			(14,445)	(157,016)
Investment income (loss)			3,448	5,716
Total revenues and other income			1,485,118	1,042,607
Costs and other deductions:
Direct costs			969,378	805,165
General and administrative expenses			137,266	120,621
Research and engineering			28,245	23,100
Depreciation and amortization			431,648	411,700
Interest expense			(4,145)	(6,054)
Other, net			89,983	4,298
Intercompany interest expense			(100)	9
Total costs and other deductions			1,652,275	1,358,839
Income (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes			(167,157)	(316,232)
Income tax expense (benefit)			75,937	5,422
Income (loss) from continuing operations, net of tax			(243,094)	(321,654)
Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of tax			(659)	(15,943)
Net income (loss)			(243,753)	(337,597)
Less: Net (income) loss attributable to noncontrolling interest			(3,492)	(2,888)
Net income (loss) attributable to Nabors			(247,245)	$ (340,485)
Net income (loss) attributable to Nabors common shareholders			$ (247,245)