Condensed Consolidating Financial Information - Cash Flows (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018
Cash flows from operating activities
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities			$ (31,474)	$ 43,316
Cash flows from investing activities
Capital expenditures			(222,587)	(149,329)
Proceeds from disposal of assets, net			9,430	4,135
Net cash used in investing activities			(213,157)	(145,194)
Cash flows from financing activities
Borrowings on credit facilities			455,000	0
Repayment of long-term debt			(400,000)	(952,477)
Repayments of credit facilities			(20,000)	0
Issuance of senior notes			0	750,000
Debt issuance costs			(1,092)	(15,327)
Dividends paid to noncontrolling interests			(25,109)	(12,694)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities			6,020	(233,956)
Net decrease in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash			(238,611)	(335,834)
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, beginning of period			375,907	662,829
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, end of period	$ 137,296	$ 326,995	$ 137,296	$ 326,995
Loss from continuing operations (usd per share)	$ (1.79)	$ (0.33)	$ (2.66)	$ (3.46)
Noble Corp
Cash flows from operating activities
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities			$ (4,006)	$ 77,112
Cash flows from investing activities
Capital expenditures			(222,587)	(149,329)
Proceeds from disposal of assets, net			9,430	4,135
Notes receivable to (from) affiliates			0
Net cash used in investing activities			(213,157)	(145,194)
Cash flows from financing activities
Borrowings on credit facilities			455,000	0
Repayment of long-term debt			(400,000)	(952,477)
Repayments of credit facilities			(20,000)	0
Issuance of senior notes			0	750,000
Debt issuance costs			(1,092)	(15,327)
Dividends paid to noncontrolling interests			(25,109)	(12,694)
Distributions to parent company, net			(29,441)	(37,241)
Advances (to) from affiliates			0	0
Notes payable to affiliates			0
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities			(20,642)	(267,739)
Net decrease in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash			(237,805)	(335,821)
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, beginning of period			375,050	662,011
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, end of period	$ 137,245	$ 326,190	137,245	326,190
Noble Corp \| Reportable Legal Entities \| Noble-Cayman
Cash flows from operating activities
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities			3,673	22,771
Cash flows from investing activities
Capital expenditures			0	0
Proceeds from disposal of assets, net			0	0
Notes receivable to (from) affiliates			5,145
Net cash used in investing activities			5,145	0
Cash flows from financing activities
Borrowings on credit facilities			300,000
Repayment of long-term debt			0	0
Repayments of credit facilities			0
Issuance of senior notes				0
Debt issuance costs			0	(822)
Dividends paid to noncontrolling interests			0	0
Distributions to parent company, net			(29,441)	(37,241)
Advances (to) from affiliates				15,281
Advances (to) from affiliates			(279,377)
Notes payable to affiliates			0
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities			(8,818)	(22,782)
Net decrease in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash			0	(11)
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, beginning of period			0	11
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, end of period	0	0	0	0
Noble Corp \| Reportable Legal Entities \| NHIL
Cash flows from operating activities
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities			(230,434)	(348,990)
Cash flows from investing activities
Capital expenditures			0	0
Proceeds from disposal of assets, net			0	0
Notes receivable to (from) affiliates			0
Net cash used in investing activities			0	0
Cash flows from financing activities
Borrowings on credit facilities			0
Repayment of long-term debt			(400,000)	(738,823)
Repayments of credit facilities			0
Issuance of senior notes				750,000
Debt issuance costs			0	(12,581)
Dividends paid to noncontrolling interests			0	0
Distributions to parent company, net			0	0
Advances (to) from affiliates			586,094	321,070
Notes payable to affiliates			26,522
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities			212,616	319,666
Net decrease in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash			(17,818)	(29,324)
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, beginning of period			17,818	29,324
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, end of period	0	0	0	0
Noble Corp \| Reportable Legal Entities \| Other Non-guarantor Subsidiaries of Noble
Cash flows from operating activities
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities			222,755	403,331
Cash flows from investing activities
Capital expenditures			(222,587)	(149,329)
Proceeds from disposal of assets, net			9,430	4,135
Notes receivable to (from) affiliates			(26,522)
Net cash used in investing activities			(239,679)	(145,194)
Cash flows from financing activities
Borrowings on credit facilities			155,000
Repayment of long-term debt			0	(213,654)
Repayments of credit facilities			(20,000)
Issuance of senior notes				0
Debt issuance costs			(1,092)	(1,924)
Dividends paid to noncontrolling interests			(25,109)	(12,694)
Distributions to parent company, net			0	0
Advances (to) from affiliates			(306,717)	(336,351)
Notes payable to affiliates			(5,145)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities			(203,063)	(564,623)
Net decrease in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash			(219,987)	(306,486)
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, beginning of period			357,232	632,676
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, end of period	137,245	326,190	137,245	326,190
Noble Corp \| Consolidating Adjustments
Cash flows from operating activities
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities			0	0
Cash flows from investing activities
Capital expenditures			0	0
Proceeds from disposal of assets, net			0	0
Notes receivable to (from) affiliates			21,377
Net cash used in investing activities			21,377	0
Cash flows from financing activities
Borrowings on credit facilities			0
Repayment of long-term debt			0	0
Repayments of credit facilities			0
Issuance of senior notes				0
Debt issuance costs			0	0
Dividends paid to noncontrolling interests			0	0
Distributions to parent company, net			0	0
Advances (to) from affiliates			0	0
Notes payable to affiliates			(21,377)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities			(21,377)	0
Net decrease in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash			0	0
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, beginning of period			0	0
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, end of period	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0

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