Accrued Liabilities (Accrued Liabilities) (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Accrued Liabilities, Current [Abstract]
Lease operating expenses	$ 18,031	$ 20,709
Interest	17,388us-gaap_InterestPayableCurrent	6,654us-gaap_InterestPayableCurrent
Employee costs	9,763us-gaap_AccruedEmployeeBenefitsCurrent	31,451us-gaap_AccruedEmployeeBenefitsCurrent
Taxes	5,499us-gaap_TaxesPayableCurrent	3,284us-gaap_TaxesPayableCurrent
Third-party credits	3,214unt_Thirdpartycredit	2,825unt_Thirdpartycredit
Other	4,872us-gaap_OtherAccruedLiabilitiesCurrent	5,248us-gaap_OtherAccruedLiabilitiesCurrent
Total accrued liabilities	$ 58,767us-gaap_AccruedLiabilitiesCurrent	$ 70,171us-gaap_AccruedLiabilitiesCurrent

Accrued Oil And Gas Production Expense Current

No definition available.

Name:	unt_AccruedOilAndGasProductionExpenseCurrent
Namespace Prefix:	unt_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Accounts receivable credit balance transferred to liabilities

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	unt_Thirdpartycredit
Namespace Prefix:	unt_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Carrying value as of the balance sheet date of obligations, excluding pension and other postretirement benefits, incurred through that date and payable for perquisites provided to employees pertaining to services received from them. Used to reflect the current portion of the liabilities (due within one year or within the normal operating cycle if longer).

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 02

-Paragraph 20

-Article 5

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Glossary Current Liabilities

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6509677

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 210

-SubTopic 10

-Section 45

-Paragraph 8

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=28358313&loc=d3e6935-107765

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 210

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.20)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 210

-SubTopic 10

-Section 45

-Paragraph 6

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=28358313&loc=d3e6911-107765

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_AccruedEmployeeBenefitsCurrent
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Carrying value as of the balance sheet date of obligations incurred and payable, pertaining to costs that are statutory in nature, are incurred on contractual obligations, or accumulate over time and for which invoices have not yet been received or will not be rendered. Examples include taxes, interest, rent and utilities. Used to reflect the current portion of the liabilities (due within one year or within the normal operating cycle if longer).

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_AccruedLiabilitiesCurrent
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_AccruedLiabilitiesCurrentAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Carrying value as of the balance sheet date of [accrued] interest payable on all forms of debt, including trade payables, that has been incurred and is unpaid. Used to reflect the current portion of the liabilities (due within one year or within the normal operating cycle if longer).

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 02

-Paragraph 20

-Article 5

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Glossary Current Liabilities

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6509677

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 210

-SubTopic 10

-Section 45

-Paragraph 8

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=28358313&loc=d3e6935-107765

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 210

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.20)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 210

-SubTopic 10

-Section 45

-Paragraph 9

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=28358313&loc=d3e7018-107765

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_InterestPayableCurrent
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Carrying value as of the balance sheet date of obligations incurred through that date and payable arising from transactions not otherwise specified in the taxonomy. Used to reflect the current portion of the liabilities (due within one year or within the normal operating cycle if longer).

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_OtherAccruedLiabilitiesCurrent
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Carrying value as of the balance sheet date of obligations incurred and payable for statutory income, sales, use, payroll, excise, real, property and other taxes. Used to reflect the current portion of the liabilities (due within one year or within the normal operating cycle if longer).

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 210

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.19,20)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 02

-Paragraph 20

-Article 5

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 02

-Paragraph 19

-Article 5

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_TaxesPayableCurrent
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant