Commitments and Contingencies and Other Matters - Lease Commitments (Details) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)
Operating Leases, Future Minimum Payments Due, Fiscal Year Maturity [Abstract]
2016	$ 149,362
2017	165,020
2018	131,331
2019	126,464
2020	111,525
Thereafter	216,573
Total lease commitments	900,275
Vessels [Member]
Operating Leases, Future Minimum Payments Due, Fiscal Year Maturity [Abstract]
2016	144,389
2017	160,215
2018	126,890
2019	122,004
2020	107,484
Thereafter	199,867
Total lease commitments	860,849
Facilities and Other [Member]
Operating Leases, Future Minimum Payments Due, Fiscal Year Maturity [Abstract]
2016	4,973
2017	4,805
2018	4,441
2019	4,460
2020	4,041
Thereafter	16,706
Total lease commitments	$ 39,426

Amount of required minimum rental payments for leases having an initial or remaining non-cancelable letter-terms in excess of one year.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 840
-SubTopic 10
-Section 55
-Paragraph 40
-Subparagraph (Note 3)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6584154&loc=d3e38371-112697

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 840
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6453985&loc=d3e41502-112717

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_OperatingLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsDue
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_OperatingLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsDueAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of required minimum rental payments for operating leases having an initial or remaining non-cancelable lease term in excess of one year due in the next fiscal year following the latest fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported on a rolling approach, from latest balance sheet date.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_OperatingLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsDueCurrent
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of required minimum rental payments for operating leases having an initial or remaining non-cancelable lease term in excess of one year due in the fifth fiscal year following the latest fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported on a rolling approach, from latest balance sheet date.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 840
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6453985&loc=d3e41502-112717

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 840
-SubTopic 10
-Section 55
-Paragraph 40
-Subparagraph (Note 3)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6584154&loc=d3e38371-112697

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_OperatingLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsDueInFiveYears
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of required minimum rental payments for operating leases having an initial or remaining non-cancelable lease term in excess of one year due in the fourth fiscal year following the latest fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported on a rolling approach, from latest balance sheet date.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_OperatingLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsDueInFourYears
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of required minimum rental payments for operating leases having an initial or remaining non-cancelable lease term in excess of one year due in the third fiscal year following the latest fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported on a rolling approach, from latest balance sheet date.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_OperatingLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsDueInThreeYears
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of required minimum rental payments for operating leases having an initial or remaining non-cancelable lease term in excess of one year due in the second fiscal year following the latest fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported on a rolling approach, from latest balance sheet date.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_OperatingLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsDueInTwoYears
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of required minimum rental payments for operating leases having an initial or remaining non-cancelable lease term in excess of one year due after the fifth fiscal year following the latest fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported on a rolling approach, from latest balance sheet date.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_OperatingLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsDueThereafter
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis=hlx_RovsAndVesselsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis=hlx_FacilitiesAndOtherMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: