Revenue - Contract balances (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Revenue from Contract with Customer [Abstract]
Contract assets, net	$ 237,107	$ 221,288
Increase (decrease) in unbilled receivables	16,000
Billing for the reporting period	(440,000)
Revenue recognized but unbilled	456,000
Increase or decrease in deferred revenue	(55,000)
Revenue recognized	66,000
Deferrals of customer payments	$ (11,000)

Customer Payment Deferrals

No definition available.

Name:	oii_CustomerPaymentDeferrals
Namespace Prefix:	oii_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount, after allowance for credit loss, of right to consideration in exchange for good or service transferred to customer when right is conditioned on something other than passage of time, classified as current.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 606
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=82913815&loc=SL49130531-203044

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
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-Section 45
-Paragraph 3
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=82913815&loc=SL49130533-203044

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ContractWithCustomerAssetNetCurrent
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of decrease in right to consideration in exchange for good or service transferred to customer when right is conditioned on something other than passage of time from transfer to receivable due to right to consideration becoming unconditional.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 606
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 10
-Subparagraph (d)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109196051&loc=SL49130551-203045

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of revenue recognized that was previously included in balance of obligation to transfer good or service to customer for which consideration from customer has been received or is due.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 606
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 8
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109196051&loc=SL49130549-203045

+ Details

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Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Disclosure of gross transaction volume for revenues which are reported net.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/otherTransitionRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 235
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 3
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84158767&loc=d3e18780-107790

+ Details

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Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The increase (decrease) during the reporting period, excluding the portion taken into income, in the liability reflecting revenue yet to be earned for which cash or other forms of consideration was received or recorded as a receivable.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/otherTransitionRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 230
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 28
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-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109223946&loc=d3e3602-108585

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
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- Definition

Amount, excluding tax collected from customer, of revenue from satisfaction of performance obligation by transferring promised good or service to customer. Tax collected from customer is tax assessed by governmental authority that is both imposed on and concurrent with specific revenue-producing transaction, including, but not limited to, sales, use, value added and excise.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 606
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 4
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Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration