Debt - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended	1 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014 Installment Vehicle	Sep. 30, 2014	May 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2013	Feb. 28, 2013	Jul. 31, 2012	Dec. 05, 2013
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Borrowing, repaying and reborrowing capacity	$ 20,000,000
Line of credit facility, interest rate description	Interest on the facility accrues at an annual rate equal to either the 30-day London Interbank Offered Rate ("LIBOR"), plus two and one-quarter percent, or the Prime Rate, minus three-quarters percent, as the Company directs monthly, subject to an interest rate floor of 4%.
Line of credit facility agreement expiry date	Jun. 02, 2015
Covenant compliance of line of credit facility	The Company was in compliance with all covenants including specified ratios as of December 31, 2014
Line of credit facility utilized	0	0
Number of installments in which capital leases are payable, minimum	36
Number of installments in which capital leases are payable, maximum	60
Capital lease obligations maturity period	December 2014 and November 2017
Number of vehicles leased under capital leases	112
Term Note
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Term Note interest rate over which, interest is to be paid separately	4.00%
Second Term Note
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Borrowing, repaying and reborrowing capacity			15,000,000
Term Note interest rate over which, interest is to be paid separately			3.75%
Maturity of term loans	May 02, 2015
Funds obtained under term notes						9,346,000
Third Term Note
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Borrowing, repaying and reborrowing capacity				10,000,000
Maturity of term loans	Dec. 02, 2016
Funds obtained under term notes							10,000,000
Term Note repayable over a period				36 months
Term note, annual fixed interest rate				3.16%
Term loan agreement condition	Per the agreement, the Company will be unable to receive an advance for the remainder of the $15.0 million balance of the Second Term Note
DSS Term Note | Dawson Seismic Services ULC
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Maturity of term loans	Feb. 05, 2016
Funds obtained under term notes					983,000
Term Note repayable over a period					36 months
Term note, annual fixed interest rate					3.84%
Monthly term note repayment amount					$ 28,980
Option One
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Term Note, interest rate description	The Prime Rate, minus three-quarters percent
Option Two
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Term Note, interest rate description	30-day London Interbank Offered Rate ("LIBOR"), plus two and one-quarter percent