2.4.0.82409403 - Disclosure - Long-Term Incentive Awards - Weighted-average Assumptions Used in Valuation of Market-based Performance Awards Requiring Cash Settlement Using Monte Carlo Simulation (Details)truefalsefalse1false USDfalsefalseD2013Q1YTD_us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis_hero_PerformanceRetentionAwardsMember_us-gaap_PlanNameAxis_hero_A2004AmendedAndRestatedLongtermIncentivePlanMemberhttp://www.sec.gov/CIK0001330849duration2013-01-01T00:00:002013-03-31T00:00:00numberStandardhttp://www.xbrl.org/2003/instancepurexbrli0usdPerShareDividehttp://www.xbrl.org/2003/iso4217USDiso4217http://www.xbrl.org/2003/instancesharesxbrli0$1false 0truefalsetruefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalse1falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalse1false USDtruefalseD2013Q1YTD_us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis_hero_PerformanceRetentionAwardsMember_us-gaap_PlanNameAxis_hero_A2004AmendedAndRestatedLongtermIncentivePlanMemberhttp://www.sec.gov/CIK0001330849duration2013-01-01T00:00:002013-03-31T00:00:00falsefalse2004 Amended and Restated Long-Term Incentive Planus-gaap_PlanNameAxisxbrldihttp://xbrl.org/2006/xbrldihero_A2004AmendedAndRestatedLongtermIncentivePlanMemberus-gaap_PlanNameAxisexplicitMemberfalsefalsePerformance Retention Awardsus-gaap_AwardTypeAxisxbrldihttp://xbrl.org/2006/xbrldihero_PerformanceRetentionAwardsMemberus-gaap_AwardTypeAxisexplicitMembernumberStandardhttp://www.xbrl.org/2003/instancepurexbrli0usdPerShareDividehttp://www.xbrl.org/2003/iso4217USDiso4217http://www.xbrl.org/2003/instancesharesxbrli0$nanafalse02004 Amended and Restated Long-Term Incentive Plan | Performance Retention Awards2true 3us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardLineItemsus-gaap_truenadurationfalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalseterseLabel1falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalsexbrli:stringItemTypestringfalse0Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]3false 4us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardFairValueAssumptionsExpectedDividendRateus-gaap_truenadurationfalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalseterseLabel1truetruefalse00falsefalsefalsenum:percentItemTypepureThe estimated dividend rate (a percentage of the share price) to be paid (expected dividends) to holders of the underlying shares over the option's term.Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 718 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 2 -Subparagraph (f)(2)(iii) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6415400&loc=d3e5070-113901 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) -Number 123R -Paragraph A240 -Subparagraph e(2)(c) -LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy. false0Dividend yield4false 4us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardFairValueAssumptionsExpectedVolatilityRateus-gaap_truenadurationfalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalseterseLabel1truetruefalse0.6500.650falsefalsefalsenum:percentItemTypepureThe estimated measure of the percentage by which a share price is expected to fluctuate during a period. Volatility also may be defined as a probability-weighted measure of the dispersion of returns about the mean. The volatility of a share price is the standard deviation of the continuously compounded rates of return on the share over a specified period. That is the same as the standard deviation of the differences in the natural logarithms of the stock prices plus dividends, if any, over the period.Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 718 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 2 -Subparagraph (f)(2)(ii) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6415400&loc=d3e5070-113901 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) -Number 123R -Paragraph A240 -Subparagraph e(2)(b) -LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy. false0Expected price volatility5false 4us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardFairValueAssumptionsRiskFreeInterestRateus-gaap_truenadurationfalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalseterseLabel1truetruefalse0.0010.001falsefalsefalsenum:percentItemTypepureThe risk-free interest rate assumption that is used in valuing an option on its own shares.Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 718 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 2 -Subparagraph (f)(2)(iv) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6415400&loc=d3e5070-113901 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) -Number 123R -Paragraph A240 -Subparagraph e(2)(d) -LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy. false0Risk-free interest rate6false 4us-gaap_SharePriceus-gaap_truenainstantfalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalseterseLabel1truefalsefalse7.427.42USD$falsetruefalsenum:perShareItemTypedecimalPrice of a single share of a number of saleable stocks of a company.Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 820 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 2 -Subparagraph (e) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=7578670&loc=d3e19207-110258 false3Stock price (in dollars per share)7false 4us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsNonvestedWeightedAverageGrantDateFairValueus-gaap_truenainstantfalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalseterseLabel1truefalsefalse4.514.51USD$falsetruefalsenum:perShareItemTypedecimalThe weighted average fair value of nonvested awards on equity-based plans excluding option plans (for example, phantom stock or unit plan, stock or unit appreciation rights plan, revenue or profit achievement stock award plan) for which the employer is contingently obligated to issue equity instruments or transfer assets to an employee who has not yet satisfied service or performance criteria necessary to gain title to proceeds from the sale of the award or underlying shares or units.Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 718 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 2 -Subparagraph (c)(2)(i)-(ii) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6415400&loc=d3e5070-113901 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) -Number 123R -Paragraph A240 -Subparagraph b(2)(b) -LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy. Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) -Number 123R -Paragraph A240 -Subparagraph b(2)(a) -LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy. false3Fair value (in dollars per share)falseLong-Term Incentive Awards - Weighted-average Assumptions Used in Valuation of Market-based Performance Awards Requiring Cash Settlement Using Monte Carlo Simulation (Details) (2004 Amended and Restated Long-Term Incentive Plan, Performance Retention Awards, USD $)UnKnownUnKnownNoRoundingUnKnowntruefalsefalseSheethttp://www.herculesoffshore.com/role/LongTermIncentiveAwardsWeightedAverageAssumptionsUsedInValuationOfMarketBasedPerformanceAwardsRequiringCashSettlementUsingMonteCarloSimulationDetails17