Number of dividend right for every share of common stock.

No definition available.

Name:	nbr_NumberOfDividendRightsPerShare
Namespace Prefix:	nbr_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Number of securities purchased from each right expressed as ratio.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	nbr_RatioOfSecuritiesCalledByEachDividendRight
Namespace Prefix:	nbr_
Data Type:	xbrli:pureItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Redemption price per right.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	nbr_RightRedemptionPricePerShare
Namespace Prefix:	nbr_
Data Type:	num:perShareItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Represents right exercisable if minimum specified percentage of ownership acquired.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	nbr_RightsExercisableBeneficialOwnershipThreshold
Namespace Prefix:	nbr_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Represents additional ownership to be acquired apart from minimum threshold for right trigger.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	nbr_RightsTriggerAdditionalOwnershipAcquiredPercentage
Namespace Prefix:	nbr_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Represents discount percentage on additional shares acquired when right is triggered.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	nbr_RightsTriggeredAdditionalSharesAcquiredDiscountPercentage
Namespace Prefix:	nbr_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Face amount or stated value per share of preferred stock nonredeemable or redeemable solely at the option of the issuer.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02(28))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_PreferredStockParOrStatedValuePerShare
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:perShareItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Price of a single share of a number of saleable stocks of a company.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_SharePrice
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:perShareItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Detail information of subsequent event by type. User is expected to use existing line items from elsewhere in the taxonomy as the primary line items for this disclosure, which is further associated with dimension and member elements pertaining to a subsequent event.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_SubsequentEventLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_SubsequentEventTypeAxis=us-gaap_SubsequentEventMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementClassOfStockAxis=nbr_SeriesBJuniorParticipatingPreferredShareMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	srt_RangeAxis=srt_MinimumMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
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Subsequent Events (Details)	May 05, 2020 Right $ / shares	Mar. 31, 2020 $ / shares	Dec. 31, 2019 $ / shares
Subsequent event
Preferred shares, par value (in dollars per share)		$ 0.001	$ 0.001
Subsequent Event
Subsequent event
Dividend right \| Right	1
Share price	$ 58.08
Discount on additional shares purchase (percentage)	50.00%
Redemption price	$ 0.01
Subsequent Event \| Series B Junior Participating Preferred Share
Subsequent event
Securities purchased from right (ratio)	0.001
Preferred shares, par value (in dollars per share)	$ 0.001
Subsequent Event \| Minimum
Subsequent event
Right exercisable beneficial ownership threshold	4.90%
Additional ownership percentage acquired for right trigger	0.50%