Lessee Leasing Arrangements, Operating Leases, Number Of Renewal Options

No definition available.

Name:	hlx_LesseeLeasingArrangementsOperatingLeasesNumberOfRenewalOptions
Namespace Prefix:	hlx_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Number Of Chartered Vessels

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	hlx_NumberOfCharteredVessels
Namespace Prefix:	hlx_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Number of Vessels Under Construction

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	hlx_NumberOfVesselsUnderConstruction
Namespace Prefix:	hlx_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of gain (loss) on sale or disposal of property, plant and equipment assets, including oil and gas property and timber property.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 230
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 28
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=66902209&loc=d3e3602-108585

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_GainLossOnSaleOfPropertyPlantEquipment
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Term of the lessee's leasing arrangement renewal, in 'PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents the reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LesseeLeasingArrangementsOperatingLeasesRenewalTerm
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Term of the lessee's leasing arrangement, in 'PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents the reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LesseeLeasingArrangementsOperatingLeasesTermOfContract
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Number of segments reported by the entity. A reportable segment is a component of an entity for which there is an accounting requirement to report separate financial information on that component in the entity's financial statements.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_NumberOfReportableSegments
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The cash inflow from sale of buildings.

+ 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 (c)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=66902209&loc=d3e3179-108585

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ProceedsFromSaleOfBuildings
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The cash inflow associated with the sale of equity method investments, which are investments in joint ventures and entities in which the entity has an equity ownership interest normally of 20 to 50 percent and exercises significant influence.

+ 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=66902209&loc=d3e3179-108585

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ProceedsFromSaleOfEquityMethodInvestments
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis=hlx_RoboticsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

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

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis=hlx_WellInterventionMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis=hlx_DeepwaterGatewayLLCMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis=country_GB
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

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

Company Overview (Details) $ in Thousands	1 Months Ended			3 Months Ended
Company Overview (Details) $ in Thousands	Feb. 29, 2016 USD ($)	Jan. 31, 2016 USD ($) renewal_option	Feb. 28, 2014 vessel	Mar. 31, 2016 USD ($) segment vessel	Mar. 31, 2015 USD ($)
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Number of reportable segments \| segment				3
Sale of ownership interest for cash				$ 25,000	$ 0
Robotics [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Number of chartered vessels \| vessel				4
Monohull Vessels [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Number of vessels under construction \| vessel			2
Monohull Vessels [Member] \| Well Intervention [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Number of vessels under construction \| vessel				2
Deepwater Gateway, L.L.C. [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Sale of ownership interest for cash	$ 25,000
Scotland
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Proceeds from sale of property		$ 11,000
Term of agreement		15 years
Number of renewal options \| renewal_option		2
Term of renewal option		5 years
Scotland \| Building [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Gain from sale of property		$ 7,600