Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Income Taxes - Additional Information (Detail)

v2.4.1.9
Income Taxes - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)
 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Dec. 31, 2012
Income Tax Disclosure [Line Items]      
Decrease in valuation allowance $ 2,800,000pkd_ValuationAllowanceRelatedToForeignTaxCredits $ 2,000,000pkd_ValuationAllowanceRelatedToForeignTaxCredits $ 1,700,000pkd_ValuationAllowanceRelatedToForeignTaxCredits
Depreciation and amortization 145,121,000us-gaap_DepreciationDepletionAndAmortization 134,053,000us-gaap_DepreciationDepletionAndAmortization 113,017,000us-gaap_DepreciationDepletionAndAmortization
Total income tax expense (benefit) 24,076,000us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit 25,608,000us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit 33,879,000us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit
Liability for unrecognized tax benefits 8,199,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefits 12,209,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefits  
Unrecognized tax benefits 3,600,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsThatWouldImpactEffectiveTaxRate    
Accrued interest and penalties related to uncertain tax positions 3,300,000us-gaap_IncomeTaxExaminationPenaltiesAndInterestAccrued 7,900,000us-gaap_IncomeTaxExaminationPenaltiesAndInterestAccrued  
Increase of interest 700,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIncomeTaxPenaltiesExpense    
Internal Revenue Service (IRS) [Member]      
Income Tax Disclosure [Line Items]      
Total income tax expense (benefit)     1,700,000us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= us-gaap_InternalRevenueServiceIRSMember
KAZAKHSTAN      
Income Tax Disclosure [Line Items]      
Payments for Other Taxes 6,100,000us-gaap_PaymentsForOtherTaxes
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= country_KZ 		   
MEXICO | Foreign Tax Authority [Member]      
Income Tax Disclosure [Line Items]      
Total income tax expense (benefit) (2,200,000)us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= us-gaap_ForeignCountryMember
/ us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis
= country_MX 		(3,300,000)us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= us-gaap_ForeignCountryMember
/ us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis
= country_MX 		 
ALASKA      
Income Tax Disclosure [Line Items]      
Depreciation and amortization $ 25,000,000us-gaap_DepreciationDepletionAndAmortization
/ us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis
= stpr_AK 		$ 20,900,000us-gaap_DepreciationDepletionAndAmortization
/ us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis
= stpr_AK 		$ 7,700,000us-gaap_DepreciationDepletionAndAmortization
/ us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis
= stpr_AK