Debt (Details)			1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
	Oct. 11, 2018 USD ($)	Sep. 29, 2015 USD ($)	Jan. 31, 2017 USD ($) $ / shares	Sep. 30, 2017 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2018 USD ($) $ / shares	Sep. 30, 2017 USD ($)	Feb. 28, 2018	Jan. 31, 2018 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($)
Long-term debt
Other					$ 433,000				$ 181,000
Long-term Debt					3,772,894,000				4,055,944,000
Less: current portion					433,000				181,000
Less: deferred financing costs					35,188,000				27,997,000
Long-term Debt, Excluding Current Maturities, Total					3,737,273,000				4,027,766,000
Repayment of long-term debt					774,802,000	$ 382,815,000
Loss on debt repurchase					$ (10,500,000)
6.15% senior notes due February 2018
Long-term debt
Senior Notes									460,762,000
Interest rate on senior notes due (as a percent)					6.15%		6.15%
Principal amount redeemed					$ 460,800,000
Repayment of long-term debt					475,000,000
Payment of debt accrued interest					$ 14,200,000
9.25% senior notes due January 2019
Long-term debt
Senior Notes									303,489,000
Interest rate on senior notes due (as a percent)					9.25%
Principal amount redeemed					$ 303,500,000
Repayment of long-term debt					327,200,000
5.00% senior notes due September 2020
Long-term debt
Senior Notes					$ 670,075,000				669,846,000
Interest rate on senior notes due (as a percent)					5.00%
4.625% senior notes due September 2021
Long-term debt
Senior Notes					$ 695,288,000				695,108,000
Interest rate on senior notes due (as a percent)					4.625%
5.50% senior notes due January 2023
Long-term debt
Senior Notes					$ 600,000,000				600,000,000
Interest rate on senior notes due (as a percent)					5.50%
5.10% senior notes due September 2023
Long-term debt
Senior Notes					$ 346,672,000				346,576,000
Interest rate on senior notes due (as a percent)					5.10%
0.75% senior exchangeable notes due January 2024
Long-term debt
Senior Notes					$ 445,426,000				429,982,000
Less: deferred financing costs			$ 9,600,000
Interest rate on senior notes due (as a percent)					0.75%
Aggregate amount of senior notes			575,000,000		$ 575,000,000
Debt exchangeable notes					$ 411,200,000
Equity component				$ 163,800,000		$ 163,800,000
Equity issuance costs			$ 3,900,000
Exchange rate of common shares			39.75
Principal amount of notes			$ 1,000
Exchange price per common share (in dollars per share) | $ / shares			$ 25.16
Premium over share price (as a percent)					75.00%
Share price of shares purchased (in dollars per share) | $ / shares			$ 17.97
Prepayment of loan upon closing the merger				$ 162,500,000
0.75% senior exchangeable notes due January 2024 | Maximum
Long-term debt
Exchange price per common share (in dollars per share) | $ / shares					$ 31.45
5.75% senior notes due February 2025
Long-term debt
Senior Notes					$ 800,000,000
Interest rate on senior notes due (as a percent)					5.75%
Aggregate amount of senior notes								$ 800,000,000
Five-year term loan facility
Long-term debt
Maximum borrowing capacity		$ 325,000,000
Unsecured debt maturity period		5 years
Prepayment of loan upon closing the merger		$ 162,500,000
Revolving Credit Facility
Long-term debt
Revolving credit facility					$ 215,000,000				510,000,000
2018 Revolving Credit Facility
Long-term debt
Interest rate on senior notes due (as a percent)	5.50%
Maximum borrowing capacity	$ 1,267,000,000
Unsecured debt maturity period	5 years
2018 Revolving Credit Facility | Maximum
Long-term debt
Debt to capital ratio	0.60
2012 Revolving Credit Facility
Long-term debt
Long-term Debt, Excluding Current Maturities, Total					$ 0
Maximum borrowing capacity	$ 666,250,000
Weighted average interest rate (as a percent)					3.32%
Debt to capital ratio					0.60
Commercial paper
Long-term debt
Long-term Debt									$ 40,000,000
Interest rate on senior notes due (as a percent)							5.75%
Guarantor Subsidiaries
Long-term debt
Redemption price of principal amount of debt instrument including accrued and unpaid interest (as a percent)					101.00%
Guarantor Subsidiaries | 2018 Revolving Credit Facility
Long-term debt
Maximum borrowing capacity	$ 1,227,000,000
Guarantor Subsidiaries | 2018 Revolving Credit Facility | Minimum
Long-term debt
Assets to debt ratio	2.50
Nabors Canada | 2018 Revolving Credit Facility
Long-term debt
Maximum borrowing capacity	$ 40,000,000