Consolidated Statements of Operations - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
REVENUES:
Revenue	$ 487,267	$ 668,210	$ 700,846
OPERATING EXPENSES:
General and administrative expenses, exclusive of depreciation expense shown below	34,033	48,023	62,910
Depreciation	19,727	20,812	22,013
Amortization	1,140	1,793	1,074
Impairments and other charges	122,204
Inventory write-down	10,375
Other (income) expense, net	1,826	5,319	(737)
OPERATING INCOME (LOSS)	(76,805)	96,684	118,622
Interest expense	14,372	14,690	13,328
Income (loss) before income tax	(91,177)	81,994	105,294
Income tax expense (benefit)	5,896	(12,290)	25,447
Income (loss) from continuing operations	(97,073)	94,284	79,847
Income (loss) from discontinued operations	(424)	7,833	(58)
Net income (loss)	(97,497)	102,117	79,789
Net income (loss) attributable to non-controlling interest	140	134	263
Net income (loss) attributable to Core Laboratories N.V.	$ (97,637)	$ 101,983	$ 79,526
EARNINGS (LOSS) PER SHARE INFORMATION:
Basic earnings (loss) per share from continuing operations	$ (2.18)	$ 2.13	$ 1.81
Basic earnings (loss) per share from discontinued operations	(0.01)	0.17	(0.01)
Basic earnings (loss) per share attributable to Core Laboratories N.V.	(2.20)	2.30	1.80
Diluted earnings (loss) per share from continuing operations	(2.18)	2.11	1.80
Diluted earnings (loss) per share from discontinued operations	(0.01)	0.17	(0.01)
Diluted earnings (loss) per share attributable to Core Laboratories N.V.	$ (2.20)	$ 2.28	$ 1.79
WEIGHTED AVERAGE COMMON SHARES OUTSTANDING:
Basic (in shares)	44,477,000	44,357,000	44,206,000
Assuming dilution (in shares)	44,477,000	44,646,000	44,474,000
Service [Member]
REVENUES:
Revenue	$ 376,421	$ 474,193	$ 486,820
OPERATING EXPENSES:
Cost of services and product sales exclusive of depreciation expense and inventory write-down shown below	279,281	345,641	343,833
Product [Member]
REVENUES:
Revenue	110,846	194,017	214,026
OPERATING EXPENSES:
Cost of services and product sales exclusive of depreciation expense and inventory write-down shown below	$ 95,486	$ 149,938	$ 153,131