Condensed Consolidating Financial Information Income Statement (Details) (USD $) In Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2011	Sep. 30, 2010	Sep. 30, 2011	Sep. 30, 2010
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues	$ 231,344	$ 199,221	$ 663,862	$ 586,460
Revenue from Related Parties	0	0	0	0
Earnings (loss) from consolidated affiliates	0	0	0	0
Total Revenue	231,344	199,221	663,862	586,460
Costs of Services and Goods Sold Excluding Depreciation	150,312	125,772	439,335	380,277
Net income	45,109	38,763	131,485	105,411
Loss on exchange of Senior Exchangeable Notes	31	675	870	675
General and Administrative Expense, Excluding Depreciation	11,182	8,416	30,463	24,007
Depreciation and amortization	5,738	5,814	17,374	17,334
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Non-controlling Interest	242	209	(123)	436
Other (income), net	548	(998)	(1,176)	(508)
OPERATING INCOME	63,564	60,217	177,866	165,350
Interest Expense	3,825	4,015	8,684	12,188
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations before Equity Method Investments, Income Taxes, Extraordinary Items, Noncontrolling Interest	59,708	55,527	168,312	152,487
Income Tax Expense (Benefit)	14,599	16,764	36,827	47,076
Net income attributable to Core Laboratories N.V.	44,867	38,554	131,608	104,975
Parent Company [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues	0	0	0	0
Revenue from Related Parties	486	356	1,255	1,023
Earnings (loss) from consolidated affiliates	42,418	42,764	129,126	115,662
Total Revenue	42,904	43,120	130,381	116,685
Costs of Services and Goods Sold Excluding Depreciation	421	346	979	1,058
Net income	44,867	38,554	131,608	104,975
Loss on exchange of Senior Exchangeable Notes	0	0	0	0
General and Administrative Expense, Excluding Depreciation	1,451	1,416	6,066	5,730
Depreciation and amortization	0	0	0	0
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Non-controlling Interest	0	0	0	0
Other (income), net	(1,088)	1,178	(145)	2,035
OPERATING INCOME	42,120	40,180	123,481	107,862
Interest Expense	0	0	0	0
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations before Equity Method Investments, Income Taxes, Extraordinary Items, Noncontrolling Interest	42,120	40,180	123,481	107,862
Income Tax Expense (Benefit)	(2,747)	1,626	(8,127)	2,887
Net income attributable to Core Laboratories N.V.	44,867	38,554	131,608	104,975
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues	0	0	0	0
Revenue from Related Parties	(44,253)	(44,534)	(127,611)	(128,367)
Earnings (loss) from consolidated affiliates	(563,785)	(112,317)	(721,296)	(401,719)
Total Revenue	(608,038)	(156,851)	(848,907)	(530,086)
Costs of Services and Goods Sold Excluding Depreciation	0	0	0	0
Net income	(565,862)	(104,564)	(662,963)	(414,238)
Loss on exchange of Senior Exchangeable Notes	0	0	0	0
General and Administrative Expense, Excluding Depreciation	0	0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization	0	0	0	0
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Non-controlling Interest	0	0	0	0
Other (income), net	(33,939)	(32,291)	(99,557)	(95,852)
OPERATING INCOME	(574,099)	(124,560)	(749,350)	(434,234)
Interest Expense	(8,237)	(19,996)	(86,387)	(19,996)
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations before Equity Method Investments, Income Taxes, Extraordinary Items, Noncontrolling Interest	(565,862)	(104,564)	(662,963)	(414,238)
Income Tax Expense (Benefit)	0	0	0	0
Net income attributable to Core Laboratories N.V.	(565,862)	(104,564)	(662,963)	(414,238)
Subsidiaries Issuer [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues	55,777	48,856	156,512	142,403
Revenue from Related Parties	6,091	6,230	17,786	18,436
Earnings (loss) from consolidated affiliates	0	0	0	0
Total Revenue	61,868	55,086	174,298	160,839
Costs of Services and Goods Sold Excluding Depreciation	28,501	24,928	80,498	75,149
Net income	1,229	(17,445)	(57,669)	(938)
Loss on exchange of Senior Exchangeable Notes	31	675	870	675
General and Administrative Expense, Excluding Depreciation	9,706	6,997	24,360	18,267
Depreciation and amortization	1,550	1,610	4,779	4,722
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Non-controlling Interest	0	0	0	0
Other (income), net	2,972	3,850	9,581	8,852
OPERATING INCOME	19,139	17,701	55,080	53,849
Interest Expense	12,062	24,008	95,071	32,175
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations before Equity Method Investments, Income Taxes, Extraordinary Items, Noncontrolling Interest	7,046	(6,982)	(40,861)	20,999
Income Tax Expense (Benefit)	5,817	10,463	16,808	21,937
Net income attributable to Core Laboratories N.V.	1,229	(17,445)	(57,669)	(938)
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues	175,567	150,365	507,350	444,057
Revenue from Related Parties	37,676	37,948	108,570	108,908
Earnings (loss) from consolidated affiliates	521,367	69,553	592,170	286,057
Total Revenue	734,610	257,866	1,208,090	839,022
Costs of Services and Goods Sold Excluding Depreciation	121,390	100,498	357,858	304,070
Net income	564,875	122,218	720,509	415,612
Loss on exchange of Senior Exchangeable Notes	0	0	0	0
General and Administrative Expense, Excluding Depreciation	25	3	37	10
Depreciation and amortization	4,188	4,204	12,595	12,612
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Non-controlling Interest	242	209	(123)	436
Other (income), net	32,603	26,265	88,945	84,457
OPERATING INCOME	576,404	126,896	748,655	437,873
Interest Expense	0	3	0	9
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations before Equity Method Investments, Income Taxes, Extraordinary Items, Noncontrolling Interest	576,404	126,893	748,655	437,864
Income Tax Expense (Benefit)	11,529	4,675	28,146	22,252
Net income attributable to Core Laboratories N.V.	$ 564,633	$ 122,009	$ 720,632	$ 415,176