General Information - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2012 Rigs	Dec. 31, 2011 Rigs	Dec. 31, 2010 Rigs	Feb. 18, 2013
General InformationTextual [Line Items]
Number of offshore rigs owned	44
Outstanding common stock owned by Loews Corporation				50.40%
Period considered to treat short-term, highly liquid investments as cash equivalents	Three months or less
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash balances held in foreign currencies	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0
Number of cold stacked rigs transferred to assets held for sale	3
Impairment loss write down to the aggregate net book value	62,437,000
Recoverable amount of assets held for sale	11,594,000
Amount capitalized for asset replacements and betterments	220,300,000	269,500,000
Sum and probability of occurrence scenarios		100.00%	100.00%
Reduction in assumed dayrates for the cold-stacked rigs		5.00%	5.00%
Number of rigs not subject to impairment		8	7
Number of cold stacked rigs not held for sale	0
Gain (loss) on foreign currency transactions recognized in income	(2,000,000)	(8,600,000)	1,400,000
Initial term of contracts minimum months	2 months
Initial term of contracts maximum months	60 months
Semisubmersibles [Member]
General InformationTextual [Line Items]
Number of offshore rigs owned	32
Jack-ups [Member]
General InformationTextual [Line Items]
Number of offshore rigs owned	7
Number of cold stacked rigs transferred to assets held for sale	1
Cold stacked rigs disposed	4
Drillship [Member]
General InformationTextual [Line Items]
Number of offshore rigs owned	5
Number of rigs under construction	4
Mid-Water Floaters [Member]
General InformationTextual [Line Items]
Number of offshore rigs held for sale	3
Number of cold stacked rigs transferred to assets held for sale	2
Previously cold stacked rig now under construction	1
Assets Held-for-sale [Member]
General InformationTextual [Line Items]
Number of offshore rigs held for sale	4
Assets Held-for-sale [Member] | Semisubmersibles [Member]
General InformationTextual [Line Items]
Number of cold stacked rigs transferred to assets held for sale	2
Idled rig to be sold within one year	1
Assets Held-for-sale [Member] | Jack-ups [Member]
General InformationTextual [Line Items]
Number of cold stacked rigs transferred to assets held for sale	1
Minimum [Member]
General InformationTextual [Line Items]
Range of rig and equipment project costs, lower limit	25,000	25,000
Estimated useful life for drilling rigs and equipments	3 years
Maximum [Member]
General InformationTextual [Line Items]
Range of rig and equipment project costs, upper limit	$ 60,000,000	$ 60,000,000
Estimated useful life for drilling rigs and equipments	30 years