Name:	hlx_EquityMethodInvestmentOwnershipPercentageAcquired
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Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

Number Of Long Term Chartered Vessels

No definition available.

Name:	hlx_NumberOfLongTermCharteredVessels
Namespace Prefix:	hlx_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

The percentage of ownership of common stock or equity participation in the investee accounted for under the equity method of accounting.

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 323
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 3
-Subparagraph (a)(1)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=114001798&loc=d3e33918-111571

Name:	us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentOwnershipPercentage
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Data Type:	num:percentItemType
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Period Type:	instant

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.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 280
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 18
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=120311839&loc=d3e8672-108599

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

The cash outflow during the period for redemption of redeemable noncontrolling interests.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 230
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 15
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121586364&loc=d3e3291-108585

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

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.

No definition available.