Guarantor/Non-Guarantor Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements - Cash Flows (Unaudited) (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2012	Jun. 30, 2011
Cash flows from operating activities:	$ 91,698	$ 53,611
Cash flows from investing activities:
Acquisition of production services businesses	0	(2,000)
Purchases of property and equipment	(193,884)	(79,196)
Proceeds from sale of property and equipment	1,957	2,000
Proceeds from sale of auction rate securities	0	12,569
Net cash used in investing activities	(191,927)	(66,627)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Debt repayments	(863)	(13,742)
Proceeds from issuance of debt	35,000	17,000
Debt issuance costs	(23)	(3,186)
Proceeds from exercise of options	655	2,091
Purchase of treasury stock	(357)	(352)
Excess Tax Benefit from Share-based Compensation, Financing Activities	0	696
Net cash provided by financing activities	34,412	2,507
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents	(65,817)	(10,509)
Beginning cash and cash equivalents	86,197	22,011
Ending cash and cash equivalents	20,380	11,502
Parent [Member]
Cash flows from operating activities:	(105,441)	(20,670)
Cash flows from investing activities:
Purchases of property and equipment	(998)	(270)
Proceeds from sale of property and equipment	0	0
Proceeds from sale of auction rate securities		12,569
Net cash used in investing activities	(998)	12,299
Cash flows from financing activities:
Debt repayments	0	(12,813)
Proceeds from issuance of debt		17,000
Debt issuance costs		(3,186)
Proceeds from exercise of options	655	2,091
Purchase of treasury stock	(357)	(352)
Excess Tax Benefit from Share-based Compensation, Financing Activities		696
Net cash provided by financing activities	35,275	3,436
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents	(71,164)	(4,935)
Beginning cash and cash equivalents	91,932	15,737
Ending cash and cash equivalents	20,768	10,802
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Cash flows from operating activities:	181,850	73,595
Cash flows from investing activities:
Purchases of property and equipment	(172,671)	(74,542)
Proceeds from sale of property and equipment	1,885	1,993
Proceeds from sale of auction rate securities		0
Net cash used in investing activities	(170,786)	(74,549)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Debt repayments	(850)	(929)
Proceeds from issuance of debt		0
Debt issuance costs		0
Proceeds from exercise of options	0	0
Purchase of treasury stock	0	0
Excess Tax Benefit from Share-based Compensation, Financing Activities		0
Net cash provided by financing activities	(850)	(929)
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents	10,214	(1,883)
Beginning cash and cash equivalents	(13,879)	(1,840)
Ending cash and cash equivalents	(3,665)	(3,723)
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Cash flows from operating activities:	15,289	686
Cash flows from investing activities:
Purchases of property and equipment	(20,215)	(4,384)
Proceeds from sale of property and equipment	72	7
Proceeds from sale of auction rate securities		0
Net cash used in investing activities	(20,143)	(4,377)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Debt repayments	(13)	0
Proceeds from issuance of debt		0
Debt issuance costs		0
Proceeds from exercise of options	0	0
Purchase of treasury stock	0	0
Excess Tax Benefit from Share-based Compensation, Financing Activities		0
Net cash provided by financing activities	(13)	0
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents	(4,867)	(3,691)
Beginning cash and cash equivalents	8,144	8,114
Ending cash and cash equivalents	3,277	4,423
Eliminations [Member]
Cash flows from operating activities:	0	0
Cash flows from investing activities:
Purchases of property and equipment	0	0
Proceeds from sale of property and equipment	0	0
Proceeds from sale of auction rate securities		0
Net cash used in investing activities	0	0
Cash flows from financing activities:
Debt repayments	0	0
Proceeds from issuance of debt		0
Debt issuance costs		0
Proceeds from exercise of options	0	0
Purchase of treasury stock	0	0
Excess Tax Benefit from Share-based Compensation, Financing Activities		0
Net cash provided by financing activities	0	0
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Beginning cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Ending cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Other production services businesses [Member]
Cash flows from investing activities:
Acquisition of production services businesses		(2,000)
Other production services businesses [Member] | Parent [Member]
Cash flows from investing activities:
Acquisition of production services businesses		0
Other production services businesses [Member] | Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Cash flows from investing activities:
Acquisition of production services businesses		(2,000)
Other production services businesses [Member] | Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Cash flows from investing activities:
Acquisition of production services businesses		0
Other production services businesses [Member] | Eliminations [Member]
Cash flows from investing activities:
Acquisition of production services businesses		$ 0