Financial Information Related to Guarantor Subsidiaries (Balance Sheet) (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Sep. 30, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 79,086	$ 80,274	$ 210,181	$ 50,727
Accounts receivable, net	1,129,714	540,602
Deferred Tax Assets, Net, Current	31,306
Prepaid expenses	102,206	34,037
Inventory and other current assets	180,197	228,309
Available-for-sale Securities, Equity Securities, Current	20,321
Total current assets	1,542,830	883,222
Income Taxes Receivable
Property, plant and equipment, net	3,163,273	1,507,368
Goodwill	2,528,312	581,379
Notes receivable	44,129	73,568
Investments in subsidiaries
Equity-method investments		72,472
Intangible and other long-term assets, net	511,074	930,136
Total assets	7,789,618	4,048,145
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	268,812	178,645
Accrued expenses	360,647	197,574
Income taxes payable	148,857	717
Deferred income taxes		831
Current portion of decommissioning liabilities		14,956	17,090
Current maturities of long-term debt	20,000	810
Total current liabilities	798,316	393,533
Deferred income taxes	727,034	297,458
Decommissioning liabilities	91,012	108,220	105,372
Long-term debt, net	1,909,416	1,685,087
Intercompany payables/(receivables)
Other long-term liabilities	114,771	110,248
Stockholders' equity:
Preferred stock of $.01 par value
Common stock of $.001 par value	157	80
Additional paid in capital	2,846,236	447,007
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), net	(20,432)	(26,936)
Retained earnings (accumulated deficit)	1,323,108	1,033,448
Total stockholders' equity	4,149,069	1,453,599
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	7,789,618	4,048,145
Parent [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents
Accounts receivable, net
Deferred Tax Assets, Net, Current	31,306
Prepaid expenses	85	34
Inventory and other current assets
Available-for-sale Securities, Equity Securities, Current
Total current assets	31,391	34
Income Taxes Receivable
Property, plant and equipment, net
Goodwill
Notes receivable
Investments in subsidiaries	2,108,911	1,650,049
Intangible and other long-term assets, net
Total assets	2,140,302	1,650,083
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable
Accrued expenses	139	164
Income taxes payable	150,659	1,415
Deferred income taxes		831
Current maturities of long-term debt
Total current liabilities	150,798	2,410
Deferred income taxes	709,077	285,871
Decommissioning liabilities
Long-term debt, net
Intercompany payables/(receivables)	(2,874,432)	(96,989)
Other long-term liabilities	5,790	5,192
Stockholders' equity:
Preferred stock of $.01 par value
Common stock of $.001 par value	157	80
Additional paid in capital	2,846,236	447,007
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), net	(20,432)	(26,936)
Retained earnings (accumulated deficit)	1,323,108	1,033,448
Total stockholders' equity	4,149,069	1,453,599
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	2,140,302	1,650,083
Issuer [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	5,347	29,057	153,526
Accounts receivable, net	703	531
Deferred Tax Assets, Net, Current
Prepaid expenses	8,905	3,893
Inventory and other current assets	1,675	1,796
Available-for-sale Securities, Equity Securities, Current	20,321
Total current assets	36,951	35,277
Income Taxes Receivable
Property, plant and equipment, net	6,603	2,758
Goodwill
Notes receivable
Investments in subsidiaries	4,776,411	2,833,659
Equity-method investments		70,614
Intangible and other long-term assets, net	59,511	828,447
Total assets	4,879,476	3,770,755
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	5,487	4,307
Accrued expenses	72,792	54,000
Income taxes payable
Current maturities of long-term debt	20,000
Total current liabilities	98,279	58,307
Deferred income taxes
Decommissioning liabilities
Long-term debt, net	1,909,416	1,673,351
Intercompany payables/(receivables)	730,801	356,668
Other long-term liabilities	32,069	32,380
Stockholders' equity:
Preferred stock of $.01 par value
Common stock of $.001 par value
Additional paid in capital	124,271	124,271
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), net	(20,432)	(26,936)
Retained earnings (accumulated deficit)	2,005,072	1,552,714
Total stockholders' equity	2,108,911	1,650,049
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	4,879,476	3,770,755
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	20,707	6,272	5,045	5,493
Accounts receivable, net	957,210	437,963
Deferred Tax Assets, Net, Current
Prepaid expenses	47,710	9,796
Inventory and other current assets	153,994	214,381
Available-for-sale Securities, Equity Securities, Current
Total current assets	1,179,621	668,412
Income Taxes Receivable
Property, plant and equipment, net	2,526,831	1,096,036
Goodwill	2,119,477	437,614
Notes receivable	44,129	73,568
Investments in subsidiaries	577,825	20,062
Intangible and other long-term assets, net	372,614	71,625
Total assets	6,820,497	2,367,317
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	207,140	128,996
Accrued expenses	212,310	105,512
Income taxes payable
Current portion of decommissioning liabilities		14,956
Current maturities of long-term debt
Total current liabilities	419,450	249,464
Deferred income taxes
Decommissioning liabilities	88,797	108,220
Long-term debt, net
Intercompany payables/(receivables)	2,706,197	(253,053)
Other long-term liabilities	24,811	26,704
Stockholders' equity:
Preferred stock of $.01 par value
Common stock of $.001 par value	782
Additional paid in capital	687,939
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), net	1,073
Retained earnings (accumulated deficit)	2,891,448	2,235,982
Total stockholders' equity	3,581,242	2,235,982
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	6,820,497	2,367,317
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	53,032	44,945	51,610	45,234
Accounts receivable, net	232,004	143,444
Deferred Tax Assets, Net, Current
Income taxes receivable		698
Prepaid expenses	45,506	20,314
Inventory and other current assets	24,528	12,132
Available-for-sale Securities, Equity Securities, Current
Total current assets	356,872	221,533
Income Taxes Receivable	1,802
Property, plant and equipment, net	629,839	408,574
Goodwill	408,835	143,765
Notes receivable
Investments in subsidiaries
Equity-method investments		1,858
Intangible and other long-term assets, net	78,949	30,064
Total assets	1,474,495	805,794
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	111,032	86,723
Accrued expenses	80,839	38,503
Income taxes payable
Current maturities of long-term debt		810
Total current liabilities	191,871	126,036
Deferred income taxes	17,957	11,587
Decommissioning liabilities	2,215
Long-term debt, net		11,736
Intercompany payables/(receivables)	(42,265)	(7,276)
Other long-term liabilities	52,101	45,972
Stockholders' equity:
Preferred stock of $.01 par value
Common stock of $.001 par value	4,212	4,212
Additional paid in capital	1,118,727	517,209
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), net	(19,790)	(26,936)
Retained earnings (accumulated deficit)	149,467	123,254
Total stockholders' equity	1,252,616	617,739
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	1,474,495	805,794
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents
Accounts receivable, net	(60,203)	(41,336)
Deferred Tax Assets, Net, Current
Income taxes receivable		(698)
Prepaid expenses
Inventory and other current assets
Available-for-sale Securities, Equity Securities, Current
Total current assets	(62,005)	(42,034)
Income Taxes Receivable	(1,802)
Property, plant and equipment, net
Goodwill
Notes receivable
Investments in subsidiaries	(7,463,147)	(4,503,770)
Intangible and other long-term assets, net
Total assets	(7,525,152)	(4,545,804)
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	(54,847)	(41,381)
Accrued expenses	(5,433)	(605)
Income taxes payable	(1,802)	(698)
Current maturities of long-term debt
Total current liabilities	(62,082)	(42,684)
Deferred income taxes
Decommissioning liabilities
Long-term debt, net
Intercompany payables/(receivables)	(520,301)	650
Other long-term liabilities
Stockholders' equity:
Preferred stock of $.01 par value
Common stock of $.001 par value	(4,994)	(4,212)
Additional paid in capital	(1,930,937)	(641,480)
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), net	39,149	53,872
Retained earnings (accumulated deficit)	(5,045,987)	(3,911,950)
Total stockholders' equity	(6,942,769)	(4,503,770)
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	$ (7,525,152)	$ (4,545,804)