Indicates designation of financial information when substantially all business or separately identifiable line of business transfers from one entity to another entity. Acceptable values are "Predecessor" and "Successor".

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 852
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 27
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=116635682&loc=SL2890601-112764

+ Details

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- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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- Definition

Percentage of the Variable Interest Entity's (VIE) voting interest owned by (or beneficial interest in) the reporting entity (directly or indirectly).

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 810
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 5A
-Subparagraph (d)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=118582676&loc=SL6759159-111685

+ Details

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- Details

Name:	srt_OwnershipAxis=pacd_PacificInternationalDrillingWestAfricaLimitedMember
Namespace Prefix:
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Balance Type:
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- Details

Name:	dei_LegalEntityAxis=pacd_DerotechOffshoreServicesLimitedMember
Namespace Prefix:
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Balance Type:
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- Details

Name:	dei_LegalEntityAxis=pacd_PacificInternationalDrillingWestAfricaLimitedMember
Namespace Prefix:
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Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	srt_OwnershipAxis=pacd_PacificDrillshipNigeriaLimitedMember
Namespace Prefix:
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Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

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- Details

Name:	dei_LegalEntityAxis=pacd_PacificDrillingLimitedMember
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Significant Accounting Policies - Principal of Consolidation and Fresh Start Accounting (Details)	1 Months Ended	11 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018	Nov. 19, 2018	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2017
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Financial designation Successor and Predecessor	Successor	Predecessor	Successor	Predecessor
Pacific International Drilling West Africa Limited
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Percentage of ownership in joint venture			49.00%
Derotech Offshore Services Limited \| Pacific International Drilling West Africa Limited
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Percentage of ownership in joint venture			51.00%
Pacific International Drilling West Africa Limited \| PDNL
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Percentage of ownership in joint venture			99.90%
Pacific International Drilling West Africa Limited \| Pacific Bora Ltd and Pacific Scirocco Ltd
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Percentage of ownership in joint venture			50.10%
PDL \| PDNL
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Percentage of ownership in joint venture			0.10%
PDL \| Pacific Bora Ltd and Pacific Scirocco Ltd
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Percentage of ownership in joint venture			49.90%
PDNL \| Pacific Bora Ltd and Pacific Scirocco Ltd
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Percentage of ownership in joint venture			50.10%