Debt - Additional Information (Detail)	1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Apr. 30, 2014 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($) Installment $ / shares $ / EquityUnits	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($) Installment $ / shares $ / EquityUnits shares	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($) shares	Feb. 19, 2016 USD ($)	Oct. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2013 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2010
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt issuance costs			$ 20,000,000	$ 27,000,000
Letter of credit, first lien	$ 950,000,000
Aggregate amount financial letters of credit		25.00%	25.00%
Minimum required cash balance as per letter of credit agreement		$ 200,000,000	$ 200,000,000
Mark-to-market foreign exchange exposure ratio		2.11	2.11
Excess cash flow			50.00%
Aggregate principal amount of unreimbursed drawings and advances under line of credit facility		4.28	4.28
Units issued | shares			11,500,000
Tangible units interest rate percentage		6.25%	6.25%
Unit price per share | $ / EquityUnits		25	25
Initial principal amount per amortizing note | $ / EquityUnits		4.1266	4.1266
Issuance of tangible equity units				$ 240,044,000
Maximum settlement rate per tangible equity unit | $ / shares		$ 3.5562	$ 3.5562
Dilutive common shares issuable under common stock purchase contracts | shares			40,900,000	40,900,000
Equity method investment recorded		$ 26,551,000	$ 26,551,000	$ 38,186,000			$ 26,000,000
Bonds issued related to JRMSA general agreement of indemnity		$ 54,000,000	$ 54,000,000	53,000,000
Senior Amortizing Note Due April 1, 2017
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument maturity date			Apr. 01, 2017
Amortizing note interest rate percentage		7.75%	7.75%
Minimum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization		$ 251,000,000
Mark-to-market foreign exchange exposure ratio		1.20	1.20
Aggregate principal amount of unreimbursed drawings and advances under line of credit facility		1.75	1.75
Dilutive common shares issuable under common stock purchase contracts | shares			33,400,000
Dilutive common shares issuable under common stock purchase contracts, per unit | $ / shares		$ 2.9030	$ 2.9030
Minimum [Member] | London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Base rate and applicable margin			1.00%
Minimum [Member] | Base Rate [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Base rate and applicable margin			2.00%
Maximum [Member] | London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Base rate and applicable margin			4.25%
Maximum [Member] | Base Rate [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Base rate and applicable margin			3.25%
Financial Letter of Credit [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Letter of credit supported by Cash collateral		$ 45,000,000	$ 45,000,000	20,000,000
Letter of credit fee		4.50%	4.50%
After March 31, 2016 But Before April 16, 2017 | Subsequent Event
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Aggregate amount					$ 25,000,000
Prior to April 16, 2017 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Dividends to MDR shareholders		$ 50,000,000	$ 50,000,000
After April 16, 2017 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Dividends to MDR shareholders		150,000,000	150,000,000
Senior Notes [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Issue of second-lien seven-year senior secured notes	500,000,000
Tangible equity units, aggregate principal amount	48,000,000	25,000,000	$ 25,000,000
Debt instrument interest rate			8.00%
Debt instrument maturity date			May 01, 2021
Issuance of tangible equity units			$ 240,000,000
Current notes payable		16,000,000	$ 16,000,000
Term Loan [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Letter of credit facility covenant terms			The LC Facility requires us to generate a minimum consolidated earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (“EBITDA”) of $251 million over the trailing twelve months for the remainder of the term of the facility. The LC Facility also requires us to maintain a ratio of fair market value of vessel collateral to the sum of (1) the outstanding principal amount of the Term Loan, (2) the aggregate amount of undrawn financial letters of credit outstanding under the LC Facility, (3) all drawn but unreimbursed letters of credit under the LC Facility, and (4) mark-to-market foreign exchange exposure that is not cash secured of at least 1.20:1.00. As of December 31, 2015, the actual ratio was 2.11:1.0. The LC Facility also specifies maximum capital expenditures over the term of the facility and requires us to maintain at least $200 million of minimum available cash, at the end of each quarter. We were in compliance with the covenants under the LC Facility as of December 31, 2015.
Letter of Credit Facility [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Letter of credit, first lien	400,000,000					$ 520,000,000
Debt instrument maturity year			2017
Line of Credit facility maximum amount outstanding			$ 384,000,000	196,000,000
Cash collateralize letter of credit permitted to deposit, Amount		300,000,000	300,000,000
Letter of credit supported by Cash collateral		$ 102,000,000	$ 102,000,000	89,000,000
Commitment fee on the unused portion of credit agreement			0.50%
Letter of Credit Facility [Member] | Financial Letter of Credit [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of Credit facility maximum amount outstanding			$ 0
Term Loan [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Letter of credit, first lien	300,000,000
Debt instrument maturity year			2019
Term Loan amortization amount			$ 750,000,000
Term Loan [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Reinvestment period			365 days
Tangible Equity Units
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Issue of tangible equity units	$ 288,000,000
Performance Stand By Letters Of Credit
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Letter of credit fee		2.25%	2.25%
North Ocean 105 [Member] | Secured Debt [Member] | North Ocean Construction Financing [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Term Loan amortization amount			$ 4,000,000
Debt instrument interest rate			2.76%
Percentage of interest acquired in subsidiary								75.00%
Principal repayment			The agreement has $41 million and $49 million outstanding in borrowings as of December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively, bears interest at 2.76% per year, and requires principal repayment in 17 consecutive semi-annual installments of $4 million, which commenced on October 1, 2012
Number of consecutive semi-annual installments | Installment		17	17
North Ocean 105 [Member] | Secured Debt [Member] | Maximum [Member] | North Ocean Construction Financing [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument, face Amount		$ 41,000,000	$ 41,000,000	$ 49,000,000
North Ocean 102 [Member] | North Ocean Construction Financing [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Percentage of debt guaranteed by JRMSA			50.00%
Ownership percentage in Oceanteam ASA's				50.00%
Equity method investment recorded				$ 33,000,000
Reimbursement Agreement [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Administrative or commitment fees			$ 0
Bank guarantees issued		18,000,000	18,000,000
Other General Reimbursement [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Bank guarantees issued		$ 100,000,000	$ 100,000,000	$ 56,000,000