Parent, Guarantor, Non-Guarantor Unaudited Consolidating Condensed Financial Statements - Consolidating Condensed Balance Sheet (Detail) (USD $)
Dec. 31, 2013
Dec. 31, 2012
Dec. 31, 2011
Dec. 31, 2010
Current assets:        
Cash and cash equivalents $ 148,689,000 $ 87,886,000 $ 97,869,000 $ 51,431,000
Accounts and notes receivable, net 257,889,000 168,615,000    
Rig materials and supplies 41,781,000 29,422,000    
Deferred costs 13,682,000 1,089,000    
Deferred income taxes 9,940,000 8,742,000    
Other tax assets 24,079,000 33,524,000    
Other current assets 23,223,000 12,853,000    
Total current assets 519,283,000 342,131,000    
Property, plant and equipment, net 871,356,000 793,197,000    
Investment in subsidiaries and intercompany advances 0 0    
Other noncurrent assets 144,117,000 120,405,000    
Total assets 1,534,756,000 1,255,733,000    
Current liabilities:        
Current portion of long-term debt 25,000,000 10,000,000    
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities 174,886,000 137,746,000    
Accrued income taxes 7,266,000 4,120,000    
Total current liabilities 207,152,000 151,866,000    
Long-term debt 628,781,000 469,205,000    
Other long-term liabilities 26,914,000 23,182,000    
Long-term deferred tax liability 38,767,000 20,847,000    
Intercompany payables 0 0    
Contingencies 0 0    
Stockholders' equity:        
Common stock 20,075,000 19,818,000    
Capital in excess of par value 657,349,000 646,217,000    
Accumulated other comprehensive income 1,888,000 0    
Retained earnings (accumulated deficit) (47,616,000) (74,631,000)    
Total controlling interest stockholders' equity 631,696,000 591,404,000    
Noncontrolling interest 1,446,000 (771,000)    
Total Equity 633,142,000 590,633,000 544,050,000 588,066,000
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity 1,534,756,000 1,255,733,000    
Parent [Member]
        
Current assets:        
Cash and cash equivalents 88,697,000 42,251,000 55,670,000 13,835,000
Accounts and notes receivable, net 0 (7,000)    
Rig materials and supplies 0 0    
Deferred costs 0 0    
Deferred income taxes (57,000) 0    
Other tax assets 54,524,000 46,249,000    
Other current assets 0 0    
Total current assets 143,164,000 88,493,000    
Property, plant and equipment, net 60,000 60,000    
Investment in subsidiaries and intercompany advances 1,906,128,000 1,492,708,000    
Other noncurrent assets (457,954,000) (378,297,000)    
Total assets 1,591,398,000 1,202,964,000    
Current liabilities:        
Current portion of long-term debt 25,000,000 10,000,000    
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities 75,268,000 65,839,000    
Accrued income taxes 0 0    
Total current liabilities 100,268,000 75,839,000    
Long-term debt 628,781,000 469,205,000    
Other long-term liabilities 5,037,000 3,933,000    
Long-term deferred tax liability 0 0    
Intercompany payables 227,504,000 62,583,000    
Contingencies 0 0    
Stockholders' equity:        
Common stock 20,075,000 19,818,000    
Capital in excess of par value 657,349,000 646,217,000    
Accumulated other comprehensive income 0      
Retained earnings (accumulated deficit) (47,616,000) (74,631,000)    
Total controlling interest stockholders' equity 629,808,000 591,404,000    
Noncontrolling interest 0 0    
Total Equity 629,808,000 591,404,000    
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity 1,591,398,000 1,202,964,000    
Guarantor [Member]
        
Current assets:        
Cash and cash equivalents 8,310,000 11,023,000 4,212,000 2,317,000
Accounts and notes receivable, net 101,299,000 77,927,000    
Rig materials and supplies 3,002,000 2,835,000    
Deferred costs 0 0    
Deferred income taxes 8,435,000 7,615,000    
Other tax assets (46,770,000) (31,136,000)    
Other current assets 9,089,000 8,708,000    
Total current assets 83,365,000 76,972,000    
Property, plant and equipment, net 562,148,000 548,794,000    
Investment in subsidiaries and intercompany advances (336,570,000) (523,143,000)    
Other noncurrent assets 468,864,000 370,877,000    
Total assets 777,807,000 473,500,000    
Current liabilities:        
Current portion of long-term debt 0 0    
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities 92,546,000 94,037,000    
Accrued income taxes 725,000 612,000    
Total current liabilities 93,271,000 94,649,000    
Long-term debt 0 0    
Other long-term liabilities 6,743,000 6,129,000    
Long-term deferred tax liability 51,747,000 36,894,000    
Intercompany payables 291,783,000 43,657,000    
Contingencies 0 0    
Stockholders' equity:        
Common stock 18,049,000 18,049,000    
Capital in excess of par value 740,438,000 733,112,000    
Accumulated other comprehensive income 0      
Retained earnings (accumulated deficit) (424,224,000) (458,990,000)    
Total controlling interest stockholders' equity 334,263,000 292,171,000    
Noncontrolling interest 0 0    
Total Equity 334,263,000 292,171,000    
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity 777,807,000 473,500,000    
Non-Guarantor [Member]
        
Current assets:        
Cash and cash equivalents 51,682,000 34,612,000 37,987,000 35,279,000
Accounts and notes receivable, net 156,590,000 90,695,000    
Rig materials and supplies 38,779,000 26,587,000    
Deferred costs 13,682,000 1,089,000    
Deferred income taxes 1,562,000 1,127,000    
Other tax assets 16,325,000 18,411,000    
Other current assets 14,134,000 4,145,000    
Total current assets 292,754,000 176,666,000    
Property, plant and equipment, net 309,148,000 244,343,000    
Investment in subsidiaries and intercompany advances 1,667,937,000 1,467,617,000    
Other noncurrent assets 250,983,000 219,196,000    
Total assets 2,520,822,000 2,107,822,000    
Current liabilities:        
Current portion of long-term debt 0 0    
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities 261,436,000 205,864,000    
Accrued income taxes 6,541,000 3,508,000    
Total current liabilities 267,977,000 209,372,000    
Long-term debt 0 0    
Other long-term liabilities 15,134,000 13,120,000    
Long-term deferred tax liability (12,980,000) (16,047,000)    
Intercompany payables 422,645,000 216,369,000    
Contingencies 0 0    
Stockholders' equity:        
Common stock 43,003,000 43,003,000    
Capital in excess of par value 1,572,919,000 1,455,246,000    
Accumulated other comprehensive income 1,888,000      
Retained earnings (accumulated deficit) 208,790,000 187,530,000    
Total controlling interest stockholders' equity 1,826,600,000 1,685,779,000    
Noncontrolling interest 1,446,000 (771,000)    
Total Equity 1,828,046,000 1,685,008,000    
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity 2,520,822,000 2,107,822,000    
Eliminations [Member]
        
Current assets:        
Cash and cash equivalents 0 0 0 0
Accounts and notes receivable, net 0 0    
Rig materials and supplies 0 0    
Deferred costs 0 0    
Deferred income taxes 0 0    
Other tax assets 0 0    
Other current assets 0 0    
Total current assets 0 0    
Property, plant and equipment, net 0 0    
Investment in subsidiaries and intercompany advances (3,237,495,000) (2,437,182,000)    
Other noncurrent assets (117,776,000) (91,371,000)    
Total assets (3,355,271,000) (2,528,553,000)    
Current liabilities:        
Current portion of long-term debt 0 0    
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities (254,364,000) (227,994,000)    
Accrued income taxes 0 0    
Total current liabilities (254,364,000) (227,994,000)    
Long-term debt 0 0    
Other long-term liabilities 0 0    
Long-term deferred tax liability 0 0    
Intercompany payables (941,932,000) (322,609,000)    
Contingencies 0 0    
Stockholders' equity:        
Common stock (61,052,000) (61,052,000)    
Capital in excess of par value (2,313,357,000) (2,188,358,000)    
Accumulated other comprehensive income 0      
Retained earnings (accumulated deficit) 215,434,000 271,460,000    
Total controlling interest stockholders' equity (2,158,975,000) (1,977,950,000)    
Noncontrolling interest 0 0    
Total Equity (2,158,975,000) (1,977,950,000)    
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity $ (3,355,271,000) $ (2,528,553,000)