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Nature of Operations (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified | 1 Months Ended | 12 Months Ended
--- | --- | ---
Jun. 30, 2014 | Dec. 31, 2014 segment
Nature of Operations |  |
Number of major business lines |  | 2 nbr_NumberOfMajorBusinessLines
CJES |  |
Nature of Operations |  |
Proceeds from the merger of Completion & Production Services business with CJES | $ 688 us-gaap_ProceedsFromDivestitureOfBusinesses / us-gaap_CounterpartyNameAxis = nbr_CJEnergyServicesIncMember |
C&J Energy Services Ltd |  |
Nature of Operations |  |
Number of shares received in the combined company | 62.5 nbr_MergerBusinessNumberOfSharesReceived / us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis = nbr_CAndJEnergyServicesLtdMember |
Percentage of ownership | 53.00%us-gaap_SubsidiaryOrEquityMethodInvesteeCumulativePercentageOwnershipAfterAllTransactions / us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis = nbr_CAndJEnergyServicesLtdMember |
Subtotal drilling and rig services |  |
Nature of Operations |  |
Number of operating segments |  | 4 us-gaap_NumberOfOperatingSegments / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = nbr_DrillingAndRigServicesMember
Subtotal completion and production services |  |
Nature of Operations |  |
Number of operating segments |  | 2 us-gaap_NumberOfOperatingSegments / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = nbr_CompletionAndProductionServicesMember

X
- Definition Number of shares received in a merger of a business of the entity. + References No definition available. + Details
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X
- Details
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- Definition Number of business lines through which majority of business is conducted. + References No definition available. + Details
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Balance Type: | na
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X
- Definition Number of operating segments. An operating segment is a component of an enterprise: (a) that engages in business activities from which it may earn revenues and incur expenses (including revenues and expenses relating to transactions with other components of the same enterprise), (b) whose operating results are regularly reviewed by the enterprise's chief operating decision maker to make decisions about resources to be allocated to the segment and assess its performance, and (c) for which discrete financial information is available. An operating segment may engage in business activities for which it has yet to earn revenues, for example, start-up operations may be operating segments before earning revenues. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition The cash inflow associated with the amount received from the sale of a portion of the company's business, for example a segment, division, branch or other business, during the period. + 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 (b) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=31042434&loc=d3e3179-108585 + Details
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- Definition Percentage of subsidiary's or equity method investee's stock owned by parent immediately after all stock transactions. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Details
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- Details
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- Details
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Namespace Prefix: |
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Period Type: |

X
- Details
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