SHARE-BASED COMPENSATION PLANS (Details) (USD $)	1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Compensation cost charged to expense under all share-based incentive awards [Abstract]
Total compensation cost		$ 33,931,000	$ 24,808,000	$ 22,088,000
Less: Discontinued operations		0	0	(1,003,000)
Continuing operations		33,931,000	24,808,000	21,085,000
Compensation expense			2,300,000	2,000,000
Restricted shares and restricted share units [Member]
Compensation cost charged to expense under all share-based incentive awards [Abstract]
Total compensation cost		23,786,000	18,557,000	15,912,000
Share appreciation rights [Member]
Compensation cost charged to expense under all share-based incentive awards [Abstract]
Total compensation cost		6,412,000	5,358,000	5,813,000
Award vesting percentage		33.33%
Awards vesting period		3 years
Expiration period		10 years
Total intrinsic value of options exercised		500,000	400,000	0
Weighted-average grant-date fair value per share
Nonvested at January 1, 2013 (in dollars per share)		$ 15.28	$ 19.76
Nonvested at December 31, 2013 (in dollars per share)		$ 13.91	$ 15.28	$ 19.76
Weighted-average assumptions used to determine fair values of SARs
Expected life in years		6 years	6 years	5 years 8 months 12 days
Risk-free interest rate		1.058%	1.108%	2.269%
Expected volatility		41.11%	44.30%	49.16%
Weighted-average grant-date per-share fair value		$ 13.91	$ 15.28	$ 19.76
Number of shares under SARs
Outstanding at January 1, 2013 (in shares)		1,416,969
Granted (in shares)		461,751
Exercised (in shares)		(32,232)
Forfeited or expired (in shares)		(14,793)
Outstanding at December 31, 2013 (in shares)		1,831,695	1,416,969
Exercisable at December 31, 2013 (in shares)		1,168,212
Weighted-average exercise price
Outstanding at January 1, 2013 (in dollars per share)		$ 29.01
Granted (in dollars per share)		$ 34.34
Exercised (in dollars per share)		$ 19.74
Forfeited or expired (in dollars per share)		$ 37.28
Outstanding at December 31, 2013 (in dollars per share)		$ 30.45	$ 29.01
Exercisable at December 31, 2013 (in dollars per share)		$ 27.65
Outstanding at December 31, 2013, Weighted-average remaining contractual term (in years)		6 years 3 months 18 days
Exercisable at December 31, 2013, Weighted-average remaining contractual term (in years)		4 years 10 months 24 days
Outstanding at December 31, 2013, Aggregate intrinsic value		10,182,000
Exercisable at December 31, 2013, Aggregate intrinsic value		10,054,000
Share options [Member]
Compensation cost charged to expense under all share-based incentive awards [Abstract]
Total compensation cost		23,000	152,000	239,000
Expiration period		10 years
Total intrinsic value of options exercised		2,000,000	300,000	15,900,000
Number of shares under SARs
Outstanding at January 1, 2013 (in shares)		531,046,000
Exercised (in shares)		(142,886,000)
Forfeited or expired (in shares)		(3,517,000)
Outstanding at December 31, 2013 (in shares)		384,643,000	531,046,000
Exercisable at December 31, 2013 (in shares)		384,643,000
Weighted-average exercise price
Outstanding at January 1, 2013 (in dollars per share)		$ 23.37
Exercised (in dollars per share)		$ 20.37
Forfeited or expired (in dollars per share)		$ 19.76
Outstanding at December 31, 2013 (in dollars per share)		$ 24.52	$ 23.37
Exercisable at December 31, 2013 (in dollars per share)		$ 24.52
Outstanding at December 31, 2013, Weighted-average remaining contractual term (in years)		2 years
Exercisable at December 31, 2013, Weighted-average remaining contractual term (in years)		2 years
Outstanding at December 31, 2013, Aggregate intrinsic value		4,266,000
Exercisable at December 31, 2013, Aggregate intrinsic value		4,266,000
Share options [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Compensation cost charged to expense under all share-based incentive awards [Abstract]
Award vesting percentage		25.00%
Requisite service period		3 years
Share options [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Compensation cost charged to expense under all share-based incentive awards [Abstract]
Award vesting percentage		33.33%
Requisite service period		4 years
Performance-based awards [Member]
Compensation cost charged to expense under all share-based incentive awards [Abstract]
Total compensation cost		3,710,000	741,000	124,000
Awards vesting period		3 years
Fair value of shares vested		0	0	2,300,000
Granted (in dollars per share)	$ 100
Vesting percentage of performance units (in hundredths)		25.00%
Weighted-average grant-date fair value per share
Granted (in dollars per share)	$ 100
Performance-based awards [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Compensation cost charged to expense under all share-based incentive awards [Abstract]
Expected to vest, weighted average exercise price (in dollars per share)		$ 0
Performance-based awards [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Compensation cost charged to expense under all share-based incentive awards [Abstract]
Expected to vest, weighted average exercise price (in dollars per share)		$ 200
Restricted shares [Member]
Compensation cost charged to expense under all share-based incentive awards [Abstract]
Award vesting percentage		33.33%
Awards vesting period		3 years
Fair value of shares vested		16,200,000	17,800,000	17,500,000
Vested / Settled (in shares)		(469,850,000)
Granted (in dollars per share)		$ 33.88
Number of Shares
Nonvested at January 1, 2013 (in shares)		1,032,034,000
Granted (in shares)		2,500,000
Vested / Settled (in shares)		(469,850,000)
Forfeited (in shares)		(11,243,000)
Nonvested at December 31, 2013 (in shares)		553,441,000	1,032,034,000
Weighted-average grant-date fair value per share
Nonvested at January 1, 2013 (in dollars per share)		$ 35.80
Granted (in dollars per share)		$ 33.88
Vested / Settled (in dollars per share)		$ 34.95
Forfeited (in dollars per share)		$ 36.23
Nonvested at December 31, 2013 (in dollars per share)		$ 36.50	$ 35.80
Weighted-average assumptions used to determine fair values of SARs
Weighted-average grant-date per-share fair value		$ 36.50	$ 35.80
Restricted share units (RSUs) [Member]
Compensation cost charged to expense under all share-based incentive awards [Abstract]
Award vesting percentage		33.33%
Fair value of shares vested		500,000
Requisite service period		3 years
Vested / Settled (in shares)		(12,671,000)
Granted (in dollars per share)		$ 34.43
Fair value of long-term liabilities		8,100,000	5,800,000
Number of Shares
Nonvested at January 1, 2013 (in shares)		24,144,000
Granted (in shares)		610,072,000
Vested / Settled (in shares)		(12,671,000)
Forfeited (in shares)		(17,880,000)
Nonvested at December 31, 2013 (in shares)		603,665,000
Weighted-average grant-date fair value per share
Nonvested at January 1, 2013 (in dollars per share)		$ 34.74
Granted (in dollars per share)		$ 34.43
Vested / Settled (in dollars per share)		$ 34.85
Forfeited (in dollars per share)		$ 34.10
Nonvested at December 31, 2013 (in dollars per share)		$ 34.44
Weighted-average assumptions used to determine fair values of SARs
Weighted-average grant-date per-share fair value		$ 34.44
Non-employee director restricted share units [Member]
Compensation cost charged to expense under all share-based incentive awards [Abstract]
Vested / Settled (in shares)		(23,928)	(43,072)	0
Fair value of shares of common stock issued in connection with settlement of vested RSUs		800,000	1,400,000
Granted (in dollars per share)		$ 32.03
Number of Shares
Outstanding at January 1, 2013 (in shares)		218,116
Granted (in shares)		56,460
Vested / Settled (in shares)		(23,928)	(43,072)	0
Outstanding at December 31, 2013 (in shares)		250,648	218,116
Vested at December 31, 2013 (in shares)		194,188
Weighted-average grant-date fair value per share
Outstanding at January 1, 2013 (in dollars per share)		$ 32.71
Granted (in dollars per share)		$ 32.03
Vested / Settled (in dollars per share)		$ 34.16
Outstanding at December 31, 2013 (in dollars per share)		$ 32.42	$ 32.71
Vested at December 31, 2013 (in dollars per share)		$ 32.55
Performance units [Member]
Compensation cost charged to expense under all share-based incentive awards [Abstract]
Compensation expense over a remaining weighted-average period		3 years
Aggregate grant date fair value, net of estimated forfeitures		5,800,000
Tranche used for reversal of previously recognized expense, percent		25.00%
Fair value of long-term liabilities		4,500,000	700,000
Rowan Incentive Plan [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Number of shares authorized (in shares)		7,500,000
Number of shares available for future grant (in shares)		7,298,333
Compensation cost charged to expense under all share-based incentive awards [Abstract]
Unrecognized compensation cost related to nonvested share-based compensation arrangements		$ 29,700,000
Compensation expense over a remaining weighted-average period		1 year 8 months 12 days