Summary Of Major Accounting Policies	6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2012
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Summary Of Major Accounting Policies	SUMMARY OF MAJOR ACCOUNTING POLICIES Basis of Presentation. We have prepared these unaudited consolidated financial statements pursuant to instructions for quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, which we are required to file with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These financial statements do not include all information and footnotes normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States ("U.S. GAAP"). These financial statements reflect all adjustments that we believe are necessary to present fairly our financial position at June 30, 2012 and our results of operations and cash flows for the periods presented. Except as otherwise disclosed herein, all such adjustments are of a normal and recurring nature. These financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and related notes included in our annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011. The results for interim periods are not necessarily indicative of annual results. Principles of Consolidation. The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Oceaneering International, Inc. and our 50% or more owned and controlled subsidiaries. We also consolidate entities that are determined to be variable interest entities if we determine that we are the primary beneficiary; otherwise, we account for these entities using the equity method of accounting. We use the equity method to account for our investments in unconsolidated affiliated companies of which we own an equity interest of between 20% and 50% and as to which we have significant influence, but not control, over operations. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated. Use of Estimates. The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States requires that our management make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expense during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Reclassifications. Certain amounts from prior periods have been reclassified to conform with the current year presentation. Accounts Receivable – Allowances for Doubtful Accounts. We determine the need for allowances for doubtful accounts using the specific identification method. We do not generally require collateral from our customers. Property and Equipment. We provide for depreciation of property and equipment on the straight-line method over their estimated useful lives. We charge the costs of repair and maintenance of property and equipment to operations as incurred, while we capitalize the costs of improvements that extend asset lives or functionality. Upon the disposition of property and equipment, the related cost and accumulated depreciation accounts are relieved and any resulting gain or loss is included as an adjustment to cost of services and products. We capitalize interest on assets where the construction period is anticipated to be more than three months. We capitalized no interest in the six-month periods ended June 30, 2012 and 2011. We do not allocate general administrative costs to capital projects. Business Acquisitions. We account for business combinations using the acquisition method of accounting, with the acquisition price being allocated to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed based on their fair market values at the date of acquisition. On December 20, 2011, we purchased AGR Field Operations Holdings AS and subsidiaries (collectively, "AGR FO"), which we believe is Norway's largest asset integrity management service provider on offshore production platforms, onshore facilities, and pipelines, for $220 million. AGR FO employs subsea technology to perform internal and external inspections of subsea hardware. AGR FO also has a substantial operating presence in Australia where it operates and maintains offshore and onshore oil and gas production facilities for customers and provides subsea engineering services and operates an offshore logistics supply base. We have accounted for this acquisition by allocating the purchase price to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed based on their estimated fair values at the date of acquisition. Our goodwill, all nondeductible for income tax purposes, associated with the acquisition was $165 million, and other intangible assets were $32 million. This purchase price allocation is preliminary and based on information currently available to us, and is subject to change when we obtain final asset and liability valuations. The results of AGR FO's operations are included in our consolidated statements of income from the date of acquisition. Generally, AGR FO's Norwegian assets and operations are in our Asset Integrity segment and its Australian assets and operations are in our Subsea Projects segment. On December 27, 2011, we purchased Mechanica AS, a design and fabrication company specializing in remotely operated subsea tools for the offshore oil and gas industry, for $17 million. We have accounted for this acquisition by allocating the purchase price to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed based on their estimated fair values at the date of acquisition. Our goodwill, all nondeductible for income tax purposes, associated with the acquisition was $9 million, and other intangible assets were $5 million. This purchase price allocation is preliminary and based on information currently available to us, and is subject to change when we obtain final asset and liability valuations. The results of operations of Mechanica AS are included in our consolidated statements of income from the date of acquisition. These operations are in our Subsea Products segment. In January 2012, we acquired Metacor Holdings Limited and subsidiaries, which specialize in offshore coating maintenance analysis, for $9 million. We have accounted for this acquisition by allocating the purchase price to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed based on their estimated fair values at the date of acquisition. This purchase price allocation is preliminary and based on information currently available to us, and is subject to change when we obtain final asset and liability valuations. The results of operations of Metacor Holdings Limited and subsidiaries are included in our consolidated statements of income from the date of acquisition. These operations are in our Asset Integrity business segment. Goodwill and Intangible Assets. In September 2011, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued an update regarding goodwill impairment testing. Under the update, an entity has the option to first assess qualitative factors to determine whether the existence of events or circumstances leads to a determination that it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount. Our reporting units are the operating units one level below our business segments, except for ROVs and Asset Integrity, which are tested as single reporting units. If, after assessing the totality of events or circumstances, an entity determines it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is no less than its carrying amount, performing the two-step impairment test is unnecessary. However, if an entity concludes otherwise, then it is required to perform the first step of the two-step impairment test. We adopted this update in 2011. The provisions of the update have not had a material effect on our financial position or results of operations. The only changes in our reporting units' goodwill during the periods presented are from business acquisitions, as discussed above, and currency exchange rate changes. Intangible assets, primarily acquired in connection with business combinations, include trade names, intellectual property and customer relationships and are being amortized over their estimated useful lives. New Accounting Standards. In June 2011, the FASB issued an update, which was amended in December 2011, to allow an entity the option to present the total of comprehensive income, the components of net income, and the components of other comprehensive income in either a single continuous statement of comprehensive income or two separate but consecutive statements. Under either option, an entity is required to present each component of net income along with total net income, each component of other comprehensive income along with a total for other comprehensive income, and a total amount for comprehensive income. These updates eliminate the option to present the components of other comprehensive income as part of the statement of changes in stockholders' equity. These updates do not change the items that are required to be reported in other comprehensive income or when an item of other comprehensive income must be reclassified to net income and is required to be applied retrospectively. We adopted these updates in 2011. We are reporting the total of comprehensive income, the components of net income, and the components of other comprehensive income in two separate consecutive statements. In May 2011, the FASB issued an update to converge U.S. GAAP and International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). This update defines certain requirements for measuring fair value and for disclosing information about fair value measurements. This update is applied prospectively and was effective for us January 1, 2012. The provisions of this update have not had a material effect on our financial position or results of operations, and we have included the required disclosures in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

SUMMARY OF MAJOR ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Basis of Presentation. We have prepared these unaudited consolidated financial statements pursuant to instructions for quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, which we are required to file with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These financial statements do not include all information and footnotes normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States

("U.S. GAAP"). These financial statements reflect all adjustments that we believe are necessary to present fairly our financial position at June 30, 2012 and our results of operations and cash flows for the periods presented. Except as otherwise disclosed herein, all such adjustments are of a normal and recurring nature. These financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and related notes included in our annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011. The results for interim periods are not necessarily indicative of annual results.

Principles of Consolidation. The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Oceaneering International, Inc. and our 50% or more owned and controlled subsidiaries. We also consolidate entities that are determined to be variable interest entities if we determine that we are the primary beneficiary; otherwise, we account for these entities using the equity method of accounting. We use the equity method to account for our investments in unconsolidated affiliated companies of which we own an equity interest of between 20% and 50% and as to which we have significant influence, but not control, over operations. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated.

Use of Estimates. The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States requires that our management make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expense during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Reclassifications. Certain amounts from prior periods have been reclassified to conform with the current year presentation.

Accounts Receivable – Allowances for Doubtful Accounts. We determine the need for allowances for doubtful accounts using the specific identification method. We do not generally require collateral from our customers.

Property and Equipment. We provide for depreciation of property and equipment on the straight-line method over their estimated useful lives. We charge the costs of repair and maintenance of property and equipment to operations as incurred, while we capitalize the costs of improvements that extend asset lives or functionality. Upon the disposition of property and equipment, the related cost and accumulated depreciation accounts are relieved and any resulting gain or loss is included as an adjustment to cost of services and products.

We capitalize interest on assets where the construction period is anticipated to be more than three months. We capitalized no interest in the six-month periods ended June 30, 2012 and 2011. We do not allocate general administrative costs to capital projects.

Business Acquisitions. We account for business combinations using the acquisition method of accounting, with the acquisition price being allocated to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed based on their fair market values at the date of acquisition.

On December 20, 2011, we purchased AGR Field Operations Holdings AS and subsidiaries (collectively,

"AGR FO"), which we believe is Norway's largest asset integrity management service provider on offshore production platforms, onshore facilities, and pipelines, for $220 million. AGR FO employs subsea technology to perform internal and external inspections of subsea hardware. AGR FO also has a substantial operating presence in Australia where it operates and maintains offshore and onshore oil and gas production facilities for customers and provides subsea engineering services and operates an offshore logistics supply base.

We have accounted for this acquisition by allocating the purchase price to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed based on their estimated fair values at the date of acquisition. Our goodwill, all nondeductible for income tax purposes, associated with the acquisition was $165 million, and other intangible assets were $32 million. This purchase price allocation is preliminary and based on information currently available to us, and is subject to change when we obtain final asset and liability valuations. The results of AGR FO's operations are included in our consolidated statements of income from the date of acquisition. Generally, AGR FO's Norwegian assets and operations are in our Asset Integrity segment and its Australian assets and operations are in our Subsea Projects segment.

On December 27, 2011, we purchased Mechanica AS, a design and fabrication company specializing in remotely operated subsea tools for the offshore oil and gas industry, for $17 million. We have accounted for this acquisition by allocating the purchase price to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed based on their estimated fair values at the date of acquisition. Our goodwill, all nondeductible for income tax purposes, associated with the acquisition was $9 million, and other intangible assets were $5 million. This purchase price allocation is preliminary and based on information currently available to us, and is subject to change when we obtain final asset and liability valuations. The results of operations of Mechanica AS are included in our consolidated statements of income from the date of acquisition. These operations are in our Subsea Products segment.

In January 2012, we acquired Metacor Holdings Limited and subsidiaries, which specialize in offshore coating maintenance analysis, for $9 million. We have accounted for this acquisition by allocating the purchase price to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed based on their estimated fair values at the date of acquisition. This purchase price allocation is preliminary and based on information currently available to us, and is subject to change when we obtain final asset and liability valuations. The results of operations of Metacor Holdings Limited and subsidiaries are included in our consolidated statements of income from the date of acquisition. These operations are in our Asset Integrity business segment.

Goodwill and Intangible Assets. In September 2011, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued an update regarding goodwill impairment testing. Under the update, an entity has the option to first assess qualitative factors to determine whether the existence of events or circumstances leads to a determination that it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount. Our reporting units are the operating units one level below our business segments, except for ROVs and Asset Integrity, which are tested as single reporting units. If, after assessing the totality of events or circumstances, an entity determines it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is no less than its carrying amount, performing the two-step impairment test is unnecessary. However, if an entity concludes otherwise, then it is required to perform the first step of the two-step impairment test. We adopted this update in 2011. The provisions of the update have not had a material effect on our financial position or results of operations. The only changes in our reporting units' goodwill during the periods presented are from business acquisitions, as discussed above, and currency exchange rate changes.

Intangible assets, primarily acquired in connection with business combinations, include trade names, intellectual property and customer relationships and are being amortized over their estimated useful lives.

New Accounting Standards. In June 2011, the FASB issued an update, which was amended in December 2011, to allow an entity the option to present the total of comprehensive income, the components of net income, and the components of other comprehensive income in either a single continuous statement of comprehensive income or two separate but consecutive statements. Under either option, an entity is required to present each component of net income along with total net income, each component of other comprehensive income along with a total for other comprehensive income, and a total amount for comprehensive income. These updates eliminate the option to present the components of other comprehensive income as part of the statement of changes in stockholders' equity. These updates do not change the items that are required to be reported in other comprehensive income or when an item of other comprehensive income must be reclassified to net income and is required to be applied retrospectively. We adopted these updates in 2011. We are reporting the total of comprehensive income, the components of net income, and the components of other comprehensive income in two separate consecutive statements.

In May 2011, the FASB issued an update to converge U.S. GAAP and International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). This update defines certain requirements for measuring fair value and for disclosing information about fair value measurements. This update is applied prospectively and was effective for us January 1, 2012. The provisions of this update have not had a material effect on our financial position or results of operations, and we have included the required disclosures in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.