Sale and Leaseback Transactions - Additional Information (Detail) $ in Millions	1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
Feb. 29, 2016 Drillship	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($) Transactions
Leases [Abstract]
Maturity of lease agreement	10 years	10 years
Number of new build drillships in lease agreement \| Drillship	4
Number of sale and leaseback transactions completed \| Transactions		4
Future minimum rental payments under leases		$ 655.0
Proceeds from sale of equipment		$ 210.0
Operating lease and contractual services agreements		Executed four ten-year operating lease and contractual services agreements with respect to the Well Control Equipment.
Future minimum rental payments under leases per annum		$ 65.0
Leases and contractual services agreement		$ 34.0

Lease agreement maturity period.

No definition available.

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Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Number of newbuild drillships.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Data Type:	xbrli:positiveIntegerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The number of sale and leaseback transactions completed by the entity during the reporting period with respect to certain well control equipment.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	do_
Data Type:	xbrli:positiveIntegerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

This element represents the description of operating lease and contractual services agreements.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	do_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- References

No definition available.

+ Details

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- Definition

Amount of required minimum rental payments for leases having an initial or remaining non-cancelable letter-terms in excess of one year.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 840
-SubTopic 10
-Section 55
-Paragraph 40
-Subparagraph (Note 3)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6584154&loc=d3e38371-112697

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 840
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6453985&loc=d3e41502-112717

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount of required minimum rental payments for operating leases having an initial or remaining non-cancelable lease term in excess of one year due in the next rolling twelve months following the latest balance sheet. For interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported on a rolling approach, from latest balance sheet date.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Definition

The cash inflow from sale of machinery and equipment.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Glossary Investing Activities
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6516133

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 230
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 12
-Subparagraph (c)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=66902209&loc=d3e3179-108585

+ Details

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

- Definition

The amount of the current period expense recorded for use of the property in connection with the transaction involving the sale of property to another party and the lease of the property back to the seller.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 840
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6453985&loc=d3e41499-112717

+ Details

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