Income Taxes	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2015
Components of Income Tax Expense (Benefit), Continuing Operations [Abstract]
Income Taxes	Income Taxes Our consolidated effective income tax rate for the three-month and nine-month periods ended September 30, 2015 was 9.5% and 15.5%, respectively. Excluding the impact of discrete income tax items for the three-month and nine-month periods ended September 30, 2015, our consolidated effective income tax rate was 12.6% and 16.4%, respectively. These discrete tax items were primarily attributable to the early termination of the ENSCO DS-4 drilling contract and the recognition of liabilities for unrecognized tax benefits associated with tax positions taken in prior years. Excluding the impact of the discrete income tax items, our consolidated effective income tax rate for the three-month period ended September 30, 2014 was 13.9%. Excluding the impact of the $703.5 million loss on impairment and discrete income tax expense, our consolidated effective income tax rate for the nine-month period ended September 30, 2014 was 11.8%. The change in our effective tax rate for the three-month and nine-month periods is primarily attributable to the change in the estimated relative components of our earnings, excluding discrete items, generated in tax jurisdictions with higher tax rates and tax legislation enacted by the U.K. government that became effective on April 1,2014.

Income Taxes

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2015

Components of Income Tax Expense (Benefit), Continuing Operations [Abstract]

Our consolidated effective income tax rate for the three-month and nine-month periods ended September 30, 2015 was 9.5% and 15.5%, respectively. Excluding the impact of discrete income tax items for the three-month and nine-month periods ended September 30, 2015, our consolidated effective income tax rate was 12.6% and 16.4%, respectively. These discrete tax items were primarily attributable to the early termination of the ENSCO DS-4 drilling contract and the recognition of liabilities for unrecognized tax benefits associated with tax positions taken in prior years.

Excluding the impact of the discrete income tax items, our consolidated effective income tax rate for the three-month period ended September 30, 2014 was 13.9%. Excluding the impact of the $703.5 million loss on impairment and discrete income tax expense, our consolidated effective income tax rate for the nine-month period ended September 30, 2014 was 11.8%.

The change in our effective tax rate for the three-month and nine-month periods is primarily attributable to the change in the estimated relative components of our earnings, excluding discrete items, generated in tax jurisdictions with higher tax rates and tax legislation enacted by the U.K. government that became effective on April 1,2014.