Debt (Details)	1 Months Ended			3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
	Oct. 31, 2021 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2020 USD ($)	Jan. 31, 2017 USD ($) $ / shares	Sep. 30, 2021 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2021 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2021	Dec. 31, 2020 USD ($)	Dec. 13, 2019 USD ($)	Oct. 11, 2018 USD ($)
Debt
Long-term Debt, Gross				$ 3,093,799,000	$ 3,093,799,000		$ 2,990,971,000
Less: deferred financing costs				18,279,000	18,279,000		22,270,000
Long-term debt				3,075,520,000	3,075,520,000		2,968,701,000
Gain (Loss) on debt repurchase					10,700,000
Revolving credit facility				925,000,000	925,000,000		672,500,000
2018 revolving credit facility
Debt
Repayment of revolving credit facility	$ 335,000,000.0
Revolving credit facility				$ 925,000,000.0	$ 925,000,000.0
Maximum borrowing capacity								$ 1,013,600,000.0000	$ 1,267,000,000
Weighted average interest rate (as a percent)				3.72%	3.72%
Debt instrument, covenant, minimum liquidity, amount		$ 160,000,000.0
Debt covenant threshold amount added to restricted cash and cash equivalents for minimum liquidity		75,000,000
Debt covenant threshold percentage		$ 75
Collateralized assets, net value				$ 1,230,000,000	$ 1,230,000,000
2018 revolving credit facility | Maximum
Debt
Debt to EBITDA ratio		5.5						5.5
2018 revolving credit facility | Guarantor Subsidiaries | Minimum
Debt
Debt instrument, guarantor coverage ratio		4.25
2018 revolving credit facility | Nabors Delaware
Debt
Interest rate on senior notes (as a percent)									5.50%
Maximum borrowing capacity								$ 981,600,000
2018 revolving credit facility | Nabors Canada
Debt
Maximum borrowing capacity								$ 32,000,000.0
Senior Notes.
Debt
Principal amount redeemed				$ 67,600,000	67,600,000
Repayment of long-term debt including accrued and unpaid interest					57,400,000
Payment of accrued and unpaid interest					$ 1,200,000
4.625% senior notes due September 2021
Debt
Senior Notes							86,329,000
Interest rate on senior notes (as a percent)				4.625%	4.625%
Repayments of senior debt				$ 82,500,000
5.50% senior notes due January 2023
Debt
Senior Notes				$ 24,446,000	$ 24,446,000		28,443,000
Interest rate on senior notes (as a percent)				5.50%	5.50%
5.10% senior notes due September 2023
Debt
Senior Notes				$ 91,962,000	$ 91,962,000		121,077,000
Interest rate on senior notes (as a percent)				5.10%	5.10%
0.75% senior exchangeable notes due January 2024
Debt
Senior Notes				$ 256,779,000	$ 256,779,000		279,700,000
Interest rate on senior notes (as a percent)			0.75%	0.75%	0.75%
5.75% senior notes due February 2025
Debt
Senior Notes				$ 577,458,000	$ 577,458,000		610,818,000
Interest rate on senior notes (as a percent)				5.75%	5.75%
7.25% senior notes due January 2026
Debt
Interest rate on senior notes (as a percent)				7.25%	7.25%
7.50% senior notes due January 2028
Debt
Interest rate on senior notes (as a percent)				7.50%	7.50%
6.50% senior priority guaranteed notes due February 2025
Debt
Senior Notes				$ 50,485,000	$ 50,485,000		50,485,000
Interest rate on senior notes (as a percent)				6.50%	6.50%
9.00% senior priority guaranteed notes due February 2025
Debt
Senior Notes				$ 218,082,000	$ 218,082,000		192,032,000
Interest rate on senior notes (as a percent)				9.00%	9.00%
7.25% senior guaranteed notes due January 2026
Debt
Senior Notes				$ 559,978,000	$ 559,978,000		559,978,000
Interest rate on senior notes (as a percent)				7.25%	7.25%
7.50% senior guaranteed notes due January 2028
Debt
Senior Notes				$ 389,609,000	$ 389,609,000		$ 389,609,000
Interest rate on senior notes (as a percent)				7.50%	7.50%
Debt Exchange Transactions
Debt
Future contractual interest payments				$ 9,400,000	$ 9,400,000
Aggregate principal amount exchanged				40,000,000	40,000,000
Aggregate principal amount of debt issued in exchanges				26,050,000	26,050,000
Debt Exchange Transactions | Nabors Delaware
Debt
Aggregate principal amount exchanged				40,000,000.0	40,000,000.0
Debt Exchange Transactions | 0.75% senior exchangeable notes due January 2024
Debt
Long-term Debt				256,800,000	256,800,000
Aggregate amount of senior notes			$ 575,000,000.0
Interest rate on senior notes (as a percent)			0.75%
Debt exchangeable notes			$ 411,200,000
Equity component			$ 163,800,000
Exchange rate of common shares			0.8018
Principal amount of notes			$ 1,000
Exchange price per common share (in dollars per share) | $ / shares			$ 1,247.19
Aggregate principal amount exchanged				35,000,000	35,000,000
Debt Exchange Transactions | 5.75% senior notes due February 2025
Debt
Aggregate principal amount exchanged				5,000,000	5,000,000
Debt Exchange Transactions | 9.00% senior priority guaranteed notes due February 2025
Debt
Aggregate amount of senior notes				$ 26,100,000	$ 26,100,000
Interest rate on senior notes (as a percent)				9.00%	9.00%	9.00%