Organization	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2016
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Organization	Organization Unless the context indicates otherwise, the terms “we,” “us” and “our” in this Annual Report refer collectively to Helix Energy Solutions Group, Inc. and its subsidiaries (“Helix” or the “Company”). We are an international offshore energy services company that provides specialty services to the offshore energy industry, with a focus on well intervention and robotics operations. We provide services primarily in deepwater in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico, North Sea, Asia Pacific and West Africa regions, and are expanding our operations offshore Brazil. Our Operations We seek to provide services and methodologies that we believe are critical to maximizing production economics. Our “life of field” services are segregated into three reportable business segments: Well Intervention, Robotics and Production Facilities (Note 13). Our Well Intervention segment includes our vessels and equipment used to perform well intervention services primarily in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico, North Sea and Brazil. Our Well Intervention segment also includes intervention riser systems (“IRSs”), some of which we rent out on a stand-alone basis, and subsea intervention lubricators (“SILs”). Our well intervention vessels include the Q4000, the Q5000, the Seawell, the Well Enhancer, and the chartered Skandi Constructor, Siem Helix 1 and Siem Helix 2 vessels. The Q5000 vessel went on contracted rates in May 2016 under our five-year contract with BP. We currently have another semi-submersible well intervention vessel under construction, the Q7000. The two chartered newbuild monohull vessels, the Siem Helix 1 and the Siem Helix 2, are to be used in connection with our contracts to provide well intervention services offshore Brazil. We previously also owned the Helix 534, which we sold in December 2016 (Note 4). Our Robotics segment includes remotely operated vehicles (“ROVs”), trenchers and ROVDrills designed to complement offshore construction and well intervention services, and currently operates three chartered ROV support vessels following the expiration of the Rem Installer charter in July 2016. Another chartered ROV support vessel, the Grand Canyon III, is expected to be in service for us in May 2017. Our Production Facilities segment includes the Helix Producer I (the “HP I”), a ship-shaped dynamic positioning floating production vessel, and the Helix Fast Response System (the “HFRS”), which provides certain operators access to our Q4000 and HP I vessels in the event of a well control incident in the Gulf of Mexico. The HP I was previously contracted to process production from the Phoenix field for the field operator until at least December 31, 2017, and in July 2016 we entered into a new fixed fee agreement for the HP I with the same operator, effective June 1, 2016, for service to the Phoenix field until at least June 1, 2023. The HFRS is currently under contract through March 31, 2018. The Production Facilities segment also includes our ownership interest in Independence Hub, LLC (“Independence Hub”) and previously included our former ownership interest in Deepwater Gateway, L.L.C. (“Deepwater Gateway”) that we sold for $25 million in February 2016 (Note 5).

Organization

Unless the context indicates otherwise, the terms “we,” “us” and “our” in this Annual Report refer collectively to Helix Energy Solutions Group, Inc. and its subsidiaries (“Helix” or the “Company”). We are an international offshore energy services company that provides specialty services to the offshore energy industry, with a focus on well intervention and robotics operations. We provide services primarily in deepwater in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico, North Sea, Asia Pacific and West Africa regions, and are expanding our operations offshore Brazil.

Our Operations

We seek to provide services and methodologies that we believe are critical to maximizing production economics. Our “life of field” services are segregated into three reportable business segments: Well Intervention, Robotics and Production Facilities (Note 13).

Our Well Intervention segment includes our vessels and equipment used to perform well intervention services primarily in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico, North Sea and Brazil. Our Well Intervention segment also includes intervention riser systems (“IRSs”), some of which we rent out on a stand-alone basis, and subsea intervention lubricators (“SILs”). Our well intervention vessels include the Q4000, the Q5000, the Seawell, the Well Enhancer, and the chartered Skandi Constructor, Siem Helix 1 and Siem Helix 2 vessels. The Q5000 vessel went on contracted rates in May 2016 under our five-year contract with BP. We currently have another semi-submersible well intervention vessel under construction, the Q7000. The two chartered newbuild monohull vessels, the Siem Helix 1 and the Siem Helix 2, are to be used in connection with our contracts to provide well intervention services offshore Brazil. We previously also owned the Helix 534, which we sold in December 2016 (Note 4).

Our Robotics segment includes remotely operated vehicles (“ROVs”), trenchers and ROVDrills designed to complement offshore construction and well intervention services, and currently operates three chartered ROV support vessels following the expiration of the Rem Installer charter in July 2016. Another chartered ROV support vessel, the Grand Canyon III, is expected to be in service for us in May 2017.

Our Production Facilities segment includes the Helix Producer I (the “HP I”), a ship-shaped dynamic positioning floating production vessel, and the Helix Fast Response System (the “HFRS”), which provides certain operators access to our Q4000 and HP I vessels in the event of a well control incident in the Gulf of Mexico. The HP I was previously contracted to process production from the Phoenix field for the field operator until at least December 31, 2017, and in July 2016 we entered into a new fixed fee agreement for the HP I with the same operator, effective June 1, 2016, for service to the Phoenix field until at least June 1, 2023. The HFRS is currently under contract through March 31, 2018. The Production Facilities segment also includes our ownership interest in Independence Hub, LLC (“Independence Hub”) and previously included our former ownership interest in Deepwater Gateway, L.L.C. (“Deepwater Gateway”) that we sold for $25 million in February 2016 (Note 5).