Financial Information Related to Guarantor Subsidiaries (Statement of Cash Flows) (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2011
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income (loss)	$ 289,660	$ 123,192
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation, depletion, amortization and accretion	367,518	187,552
Deferred income taxes	(14,745)	38,900
Excess tax benefit from stock-based compensation	(1,537)	(10,262)
Gain loss from Equity method investment	(17,880)
Stock based and performance share unit compensation expense	27,845	10,273
Retirement and deferred compensation plan expense	1,455	1,994
(Earnings) losses from consolidated subsidiaries
(Earnings) losses from equity-method investments, net of cash received	3,340	(12,187)
Amortization of debt acquisition costs and note discount	7,439	19,333
(Gain) loss sale of business	6,649	(8,558)
Writeoff of debt acquisition costs and note discount	3,460
Other reconciling items, net	1,582	(4,659)
Changes in operating assets and liabilities, net of acquisitions and dispositions:
Accounts receivable	(144,316)	(28,599)
Inventory and other current assets	85,119	11,415
Accounts payable	(757)	3,064
Accrued expenses	(29,835)	27,207
Decommissioning liabilities	(4,624)
Income taxes	141,916	777
Other, net	(25,701)	2,683
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	696,588	362,125
Cash flows from investing activities:
Payments for capital expenditures	(918,193)	(329,229)
Proceeds from Sale of Available-for-sale Securities, Equity	31,150
Purchase of short-term investments, net.		(223,491)
Acquisitions of businesses, net of cash acquired	(1,072,532)	(748)
Change in restricted cash held for acquisition of business	785,280
Cash proceeds from sale of businesses	183,094	22,349
Proceeds from Sale of Equity Method Investments	34,087
Other	28,438	(720)
Intercompany receivables/payables
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	(928,676)	(531,839)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Net payments on revolving line of credit	15,000	(175,000)
Proceeds from long-term debt	400,000	500,000
Principal payments of long-term debt	(172,546)	(405)
Payment of debt acquisition costs	(25,266)	(9,558)
Proceeds from exercise of stock options	13,915	10,211
Excess tax benefit from stock-based compensation	1,537	10,262
Proceeds from issuance of stock through employee benefit plans	2,193	1,702
Other	(5,843)	(8,453)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	228,990	328,759
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash	1,910	409
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	(1,188)	159,454
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	80,274	50,727
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	79,086	210,181
Parent [Member]
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income (loss)	289,660	123,192
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation, depletion, amortization and accretion
Deferred income taxes	(18,204)	39,503
Excess tax benefit from stock-based compensation	(1,537)	(10,262)
Gain loss from Equity method investment
Stock based and performance share unit compensation expense
Retirement and deferred compensation plan expense
(Earnings) losses from consolidated subsidiaries	(452,358)	(190,643)
(Earnings) losses from equity-method investments, net of cash received
Amortization of debt acquisition costs and note discount
(Gain) loss sale of business
Writeoff of debt acquisition costs and note discount
Other reconciling items, net
Changes in operating assets and liabilities, net of acquisitions and dispositions:
Accounts receivable
Inventory and other current assets
Accounts payable
Accrued expenses	(24)	(13)
Decommissioning liabilities
Income taxes	145,424	5,444
Other, net	(51)	(44)
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	(37,090)	(32,823)
Cash flows from investing activities:
Payments for capital expenditures
Proceeds from Sale of Available-for-sale Securities, Equity
Purchase of short-term investments, net.
Acquisitions of businesses, net of cash acquired
Change in restricted cash held for acquisition of business
Cash proceeds from sale of businesses
Proceeds from Sale of Equity Method Investments
Other
Intercompany receivables/payables	19,834	10,648
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	19,834	10,648
Cash flows from financing activities:
Net payments on revolving line of credit
Proceeds from long-term debt
Principal payments of long-term debt
Payment of debt acquisition costs
Proceeds from exercise of stock options	13,915	10,211
Excess tax benefit from stock-based compensation	1,537	10,262
Proceeds from issuance of stock through employee benefit plans	2,193	1,702
Other	(389)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	17,256	22,175
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period
Issuer [Member]
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income (loss)	452,358	190,643
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation, depletion, amortization and accretion	527	388
Deferred income taxes
Excess tax benefit from stock-based compensation
Gain loss from Equity method investment	(17,880)
Stock based and performance share unit compensation expense	27,845	10,273
Retirement and deferred compensation plan expense	1,455	1,994
(Earnings) losses from consolidated subsidiaries	(645,368)	(267,082)
(Earnings) losses from equity-method investments, net of cash received	2,787	(11,061)
Amortization of debt acquisition costs and note discount	7,439	19,321
(Gain) loss sale of business
Writeoff of debt acquisition costs and note discount	2,714
Other reconciling items, net	3,139	(1,279)
Changes in operating assets and liabilities, net of acquisitions and dispositions:
Accounts receivable	(172)	(1,072)
Inventory and other current assets	121	99
Accounts payable	1,180	(2,956)
Accrued expenses	9,049	9,810
Decommissioning liabilities
Income taxes
Other, net	(4,087)	(4,798)
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	(158,893)	(55,720)
Cash flows from investing activities:
Payments for capital expenditures	(5,041)	(70)
Proceeds from Sale of Available-for-sale Securities, Equity	31,150
Purchase of short-term investments, net.		(223,491)
Acquisitions of businesses, net of cash acquired	(1,229,327)
Change in restricted cash held for acquisition of business	785,280
Cash proceeds from sale of businesses	183,094
Proceeds from Sale of Equity Method Investments	34,087
Other
Intercompany receivables/payables	108,725	123,465
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	(92,032)	(100,096)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Net payments on revolving line of credit	15,000	(175,000)
Proceeds from long-term debt	400,000	500,000
Principal payments of long-term debt	(160,000)
Payment of debt acquisition costs	(25,266)	(9,558)
Proceeds from exercise of stock options
Excess tax benefit from stock-based compensation
Proceeds from issuance of stock through employee benefit plans
Other	(2,519)	(6,100)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	227,215	309,342
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	(23,710)	153,526
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	29,057
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	5,347	153,526
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income (loss)	655,466	301,149
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation, depletion, amortization and accretion	307,270	154,827
Deferred income taxes
Excess tax benefit from stock-based compensation
Gain loss from Equity method investment
Stock based and performance share unit compensation expense
Retirement and deferred compensation plan expense
(Earnings) losses from consolidated subsidiaries	(36,311)	(2,062)
(Earnings) losses from equity-method investments, net of cash received
Amortization of debt acquisition costs and note discount
(Gain) loss sale of business	6,649	(8,558)
Writeoff of debt acquisition costs and note discount
Other reconciling items, net	(1,780)	(3,380)
Changes in operating assets and liabilities, net of acquisitions and dispositions:
Accounts receivable	(126,960)	(23,515)
Inventory and other current assets	90,221	14,281
Accounts payable	(8,524)	2,830
Accrued expenses	(52,395)	11,034
Decommissioning liabilities	(4,566)
Income taxes
Other, net	(6,379)	8,395
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	822,691	455,001
Cash flows from investing activities:
Payments for capital expenditures	(799,330)	(263,983)
Proceeds from Sale of Available-for-sale Securities, Equity
Purchase of short-term investments, net.
Acquisitions of businesses, net of cash acquired	106,952	(200)
Change in restricted cash held for acquisition of business
Cash proceeds from sale of businesses		22,349
Proceeds from Sale of Equity Method Investments
Other	25,022	(720)
Intercompany receivables/payables	(140,900)	(212,895)
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	(808,256)	(455,449)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Net payments on revolving line of credit
Proceeds from long-term debt
Principal payments of long-term debt
Payment of debt acquisition costs
Proceeds from exercise of stock options
Excess tax benefit from stock-based compensation
Proceeds from issuance of stock through employee benefit plans
Other
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	14,435	(448)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	6,272	5,493
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	20,707	5,045
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income (loss)	26,213	(32,005)
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation, depletion, amortization and accretion	59,721	32,337
Deferred income taxes	3,459	(603)
Excess tax benefit from stock-based compensation
Gain loss from Equity method investment
Stock based and performance share unit compensation expense
Retirement and deferred compensation plan expense
(Earnings) losses from consolidated subsidiaries
(Earnings) losses from equity-method investments, net of cash received	553	(1,126)
Amortization of debt acquisition costs and note discount		12
(Gain) loss sale of business
Writeoff of debt acquisition costs and note discount	746
Other reconciling items, net	223
Changes in operating assets and liabilities, net of acquisitions and dispositions:
Accounts receivable	(17,184)	(4,012)
Inventory and other current assets	(5,223)	(2,965)
Accounts payable	6,587	3,190
Accrued expenses	13,535	6,376
Decommissioning liabilities	(58)
Income taxes	(3,508)	(4,667)
Other, net	(15,184)	(870)
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	69,880	(4,333)
Cash flows from investing activities:
Payments for capital expenditures	(113,822)	(65,176)
Proceeds from Sale of Available-for-sale Securities, Equity
Purchase of short-term investments, net.
Acquisitions of businesses, net of cash acquired	49,843	(548)
Change in restricted cash held for acquisition of business
Cash proceeds from sale of businesses
Proceeds from Sale of Equity Method Investments
Other	3,416
Intercompany receivables/payables	12,341	78,782
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	(48,222)	13,058
Cash flows from financing activities:
Net payments on revolving line of credit
Proceeds from long-term debt
Principal payments of long-term debt	(12,546)	(405)
Payment of debt acquisition costs
Proceeds from exercise of stock options
Excess tax benefit from stock-based compensation
Proceeds from issuance of stock through employee benefit plans
Other	(2,935)	(2,353)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	(15,481)	(2,758)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash	1,910	409
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	8,087	6,376
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	44,945	45,234
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	53,032	51,610
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income (loss)	(1,134,037)	(459,787)
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation, depletion, amortization and accretion
Deferred income taxes
Excess tax benefit from stock-based compensation
Gain loss from Equity method investment
Stock based and performance share unit compensation expense
Retirement and deferred compensation plan expense
(Earnings) losses from consolidated subsidiaries	1,134,037	459,787
(Earnings) losses from equity-method investments, net of cash received
Amortization of debt acquisition costs and note discount
(Gain) loss sale of business
Writeoff of debt acquisition costs and note discount
Other reconciling items, net
Changes in operating assets and liabilities, net of acquisitions and dispositions:
Accounts receivable
Inventory and other current assets
Accounts payable
Accrued expenses
Decommissioning liabilities
Income taxes
Other, net
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities
Cash flows from investing activities:
Payments for capital expenditures
Proceeds from Sale of Available-for-sale Securities, Equity
Purchase of short-term investments, net.
Acquisitions of businesses, net of cash acquired
Change in restricted cash held for acquisition of business
Cash proceeds from sale of businesses
Proceeds from Sale of Equity Method Investments
Other
Intercompany receivables/payables
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities
Cash flows from financing activities:
Net payments on revolving line of credit
Proceeds from long-term debt
Principal payments of long-term debt
Payment of debt acquisition costs
Proceeds from exercise of stock options
Excess tax benefit from stock-based compensation
Proceeds from issuance of stock through employee benefit plans
Other
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period