Debt (Details)		1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 13, 2019 USD ($)	Jan. 31, 2017 USD ($) $ / shares	Dec. 31, 2019 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($)	Feb. 24, 2020 USD ($)	Jan. 31, 2020 USD ($)	Oct. 11, 2018 USD ($)
Debt
Other				$ 561,000
Long-term Debt			$ 3,363,552,000	3,624,770,000
Less: current portion				561,000
Less: deferred financing costs			30,332,000	38,325,000
Long-term Debt, Excluding Current Maturities, Total			3,333,220,000	3,585,884,000
Additional aggregate principal amount				800,000,000	$ 411,200,000
Repayment of long-term debt			455,360,000	878,278,000	381,814,000
Gain (Loss) on debt repurchase			11,468,000	(5,268,000)	(16,013,000)
Deferred finance costs			$ 30,332,000	38,325,000
Payment of debt principal					162,500,000
Guarantor Subsidiaries
Debt
Redemption price of debt instrument (as a percent)			100.00%
Redemption price of principal amount of debt instrument including accrued and unpaid interest (as a percent)			101.00%
5.00% senior notes due September 2020
Debt
Senior Notes			$ 282,046,000	614,748,000
Interest rate on senior notes due (as a percent)			5.00%			5.00%
4.625% senior notes due September 2021
Debt
Senior Notes			$ 634,588,000	668,347,000
Interest rate on senior notes due (as a percent)			4.625%				4.625%
Repurchase amount			$ 379,700,000				$ 5,000,000.0
Amount of debt tendered							$ 379,700,000
5.50% senior notes due January 2023
Debt
Senior Notes			$ 501,003,000	586,000,000
Interest rate on senior notes due (as a percent)			5.50%			5.50%	5.50%
Repurchase amount			$ 407,700,000			$ 9,000,000.0	$ 407,700,000
Senior notes due 2020,2021 and 2023
Debt
Repurchase amount							952,900,000
Unamortized premium							2,700,000
Senior Guaranteed Notes Due 2026
Debt
Aggregate amount of senior notes							$ 600,000,000.0
Interest rate on senior notes due (as a percent)							7.25%
Senior Guaranteed Notes Due 2028
Debt
Aggregate amount of senior notes							$ 400,000,000.0
Interest rate on senior notes due (as a percent)							7.50%
5.10% senior notes due September 2023
Debt
Senior Notes			$ 336,810,000	342,923,000
Interest rate on senior notes due (as a percent)			5.10%			5.10%	5.10%
Repurchase amount			$ 165,500,000			$ 4,200,000	$ 165,500,000
0.75% senior exchangeable notes due January 2024
Debt
Less: deferred financing costs		$ 9,600,000
Senior Notes			472,603,000	450,689,000
Aggregate amount of senior notes		$ 575,000,000.0	$ 575,000,000.0	575,000,000.0
Interest rate on senior notes due (as a percent)		0.75%	0.75%
Debt exchangeable notes		$ 411,200,000
Equity component		163,800,000
Deferred finance costs		9,600,000
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
0.75% senior exchangeable notes due January 2024 | Minimum
Debt
Exchange price per common share (in dollars per share) | $ / shares		$ 31.45
5.75% senior notes due February 2025
Debt
Senior Notes			$ 781,502,000	791,502,000
Interest rate on senior notes due (as a percent)			5.75%
5.50% senior notes due 2023
Debt
Repurchase amount			$ 21,200,000
5.00% senior notes due 2020
Debt
Interest rate on senior notes due (as a percent)						5.00%
Repurchase amount						$ 3,000,000.0
2012 Revolving Credit Facility
Debt
Revolving credit facility			355,000,000	170,000,000
Maximum borrowing capacity			$ 1,000,000,000.0					$ 666,250,000
Weighted average interest rate (as a percent)			3.71%
Debt to capital ratio			0.59
2012 Revolving Credit Facility | Maximum
Debt
Debt to capital ratio								0.60
2018 Revolving Credit Facility
Debt
Interest rate on senior notes due (as a percent)								5.50%
Revolving credit facility				0
Maximum borrowing capacity								$ 1,013,600,000.0000
Debt incurred under general indebtedness basket	$ 100,000,000.0
Reduction allowed to the general lien and general indebtedness baskets	50,000,000.0
Remaining availability under credit facility	$ 150,000,000.0
Debt to EBITDA ratio	5.5		5.5
2018 Revolving Credit Facility | Minimum
Debt
Assets to debt ratio								2.50
2018 Revolving Credit Facility | US Lenders
Debt
Commitment amount	$ 981,600,000
2018 Revolving Credit Facility | Canadian Lender [Member]
Debt
Commitment amount	$ 32,000,000.0
2018 Revolving Credit Facility | Guarantor Subsidiaries
Debt
Maximum borrowing capacity								$ 981,600,000
2018 Revolving Credit Facility | Nabors Canada
Debt
Maximum borrowing capacity								$ 32,000,000
Senior Notes.
Debt
Principal amount redeemed			$ 468,300,000	873,000,000.0	367,900,000
Repayment of long-term debt			$ 461,100,000	$ 906,500,000	381,700,000
Gain (Loss) on debt repurchase					$ (16,000,000.0)