Description and Basis of Presentation	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2014
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Description and Basis of Presentation	Description and Basis of Presentation Steel Excel Inc. (“Steel Excel” or the “Company”) currently operates in two reporting segments - Energy and Sports. Through its wholly-owned subsidiary Steel Energy Services Ltd. ("Steel Energy"), the Company’s Energy business provides drilling and production services to the oil and gas industry. Through its wholly-owned subsidiary Steel Sports Inc., the Company’s Sports business provides event-based sports services and other health-related services. The Company also continues to identify business acquisition and investment opportunities in other unrelated industries. The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements of Steel Excel and its subsidiaries, which have been prepared in accordance with the instructions to Form 10-Q and therefore do not include all information and footnotes necessary for a fair presentation of financial position, results of operations, and cash flows in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles, should be read in conjunction with the notes to the consolidated financial statements contained in the Company’s annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013. The Company believes that all adjustments, consisting primarily of normal recurring accruals, necessary for a fair presentation have been included in the financial statements. The operating results of any period are not necessarily indicative of the results for the entire year or any future period. In December 2013, Black Hawk Energy Services Ltd. ("Black Hawk Ltd."), an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company, acquired the business and substantially all of the assets of Black Hawk Energy Services, Inc. ("Black Hawk Inc."), a provider of drilling and production services to the oil and gas industry. The fair values recognized at December 31, 2013, were provisional pending further analysis and valuations. In 2014, the Company recorded measurement period adjustments to reflect revised fair values of the assets and liabilities acquired from Black Hawk Inc. The Company's balance sheet at December 31, 2013, has been revised to reflect such measurement period adjustments as if they were recorded at the acquisition date (see Note 3). The Company shut down the operations of Ruckus Sports LLC (“Ruckus”), a provider of obstacle course and mass-participation events, in November 2013. The consolidated financial statements reflect Ruckus as a discontinued operation in all periods presented (see Note 4). The Company's effected a 1-for-500 reverse stock split (the "Reverse Split") in June 2014, immediately followed by a 500-for-1 forward stock split (the "Forward Split", and together with the Reverse Split, the "Reverse/Forward Split"), of its common stock. The consolidated financial statements reflect the effects of the Reverse/Forward Split (see Note 19). Certain other prior period amounts have been reclassified to conform to the 2014 financial statement presentation.

Description and Basis of Presentation

Steel Excel Inc. (“Steel Excel” or the “Company”) currently operates in two reporting segments - Energy and Sports. Through its wholly-owned subsidiary Steel Energy Services Ltd. ("Steel Energy"), the Company’s Energy business provides drilling and production services to the oil and gas industry. Through its wholly-owned subsidiary Steel Sports Inc., the Company’s Sports business provides event-based sports services and other health-related services. The Company also continues to identify business acquisition and investment opportunities in other unrelated industries.

The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements of Steel Excel and its subsidiaries, which have been prepared in accordance with the instructions to Form 10-Q and therefore do not include all information and footnotes necessary for a fair presentation of financial position, results of operations, and cash flows in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles, should be read in conjunction with the notes to the consolidated financial statements contained in the Company’s annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013. The Company believes that all adjustments, consisting primarily of normal recurring accruals, necessary for a fair presentation have been included in the financial statements. The operating results of any period are not necessarily indicative of the results for the entire year or any future period.

In December 2013, Black Hawk Energy Services Ltd. ("Black Hawk Ltd."), an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company, acquired the business and substantially all of the assets of Black Hawk Energy Services, Inc. ("Black Hawk Inc."), a provider of drilling and production services to the oil and gas industry. The fair values recognized at December 31, 2013, were provisional pending further analysis and valuations. In 2014, the Company recorded measurement period adjustments to reflect revised fair values of the assets and liabilities acquired from Black Hawk Inc. The Company's balance sheet at December 31, 2013, has been revised to reflect such measurement period adjustments as if they were recorded at the acquisition date (see Note 3).

The Company shut down the operations of Ruckus Sports LLC (“Ruckus”), a provider of obstacle course and mass-participation events, in November 2013. The consolidated financial statements reflect Ruckus as a discontinued operation in all periods presented (see Note 4).

The Company's effected a 1-for-500 reverse stock split (the "Reverse Split") in June 2014, immediately followed by a 500-for-1 forward stock split (the "Forward Split", and together with the Reverse Split, the "Reverse/Forward Split"), of its common stock. The consolidated financial statements reflect the effects of the Reverse/Forward Split (see Note 19).

Certain other prior period amounts have been reclassified to conform to the 2014 financial statement presentation.