BUSINESS SEGMENT INFORMATION - Summary of information with respect to RPC's business segments (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2016	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2015
Revenues:
Revenues	$ 189,095	$ 406,270
Operating (loss) profit:
Total operating (loss) profit	(75,087)	6,374
Interest expense	(325)	(691)
Interest income	23	6
Other (expense) income, net	342	5,585
(Loss) income before income taxes	(75,047)	11,274
Depreciation and amortization	60,636	65,976
Capital expenditures	9,581	103,492
Identifiable assets	1,155,196		$ 1,237,094
Operating Segments
Revenues:
Revenues	189,095	406,270
Operating (loss) profit:
Total operating (loss) profit	(75,087)	6,374
Interest expense	(325)	(691)
Interest income	23	6
Other (expense) income, net	342	5,585
(Loss) income before income taxes	(75,047)	11,274
Depreciation and amortization	60,636	65,976
Capital expenditures	9,581	103,492
Identifiable assets	1,155,196	1,549,980
Operating Segments | Technical Services
Revenues:
Revenues	175,472	378,093
Operating (loss) profit:
Total operating (loss) profit	(63,264)	5,862
Depreciation and amortization	53,618	57,676
Capital expenditures	8,032	96,387
Identifiable assets	875,622	1,331,402
Operating Segments | Support Services
Revenues:
Revenues	13,623	28,177
Operating (loss) profit:
Total operating (loss) profit	(6,636)	3,907
Depreciation and amortization	6,899	8,166
Capital expenditures	858	6,583
Identifiable assets	94,667	141,498
Corporate
Operating (loss) profit:
Total operating (loss) profit	(6,443)	(4,353)
Depreciation and amortization	119	134
Capital expenditures	691	522
Identifiable assets	184,907	77,080
Gain on disposition of assets, net
Operating (loss) profit:
Total operating (loss) profit	$ 1,256	$ 958