BASIS OF PRESENTATION (Policies)	9 Months Ended
BASIS OF PRESENTATION (Policies)	Sep. 30, 2013
BASIS OF PRESENTATION
BASIS OF PRESENTATION	BASIS OF PRESENTATION The accompanying financial statements have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States for interim financial information and the instructions to Form 10-Q. Accordingly, they do not include all of the financial information and footnotes required by generally accepted accounting principles for complete financial statements. References to “we,” “us,” “our,” “its,” “TGC” or the “Company” refer to TGC Industries, Inc. and our subsidiaries.
REVENUE RECOGNITION	REVENUE RECOGNITION Seismic Surveys The Company provides seismic data acquisition survey services to its customers under general service agreements which define certain obligations for the Company and for its customers. We typically enter a supplemental agreement setting forth the terms of each project, which may be cancelled by either party upon 30 days’ advance written notice. These supplemental agreements are either “turnkey” agreements providing for a fixed fee to be paid for each unit of seismic data acquired or “term” agreements providing for a fixed hourly, daily, or monthly fee during the term of the project. The duration of these projects varies from a few days to several months. The Company recognizes revenue when services are performed under both types of agreements. Services are defined as the commencement of data acquisition, which is the physical act of laying out seismic equipment or recording contractually determined data points. Under turnkey agreements, the total number of units of seismic data to be gathered is set forth in the agreement. TGC recognizes revenue on turnkey arrangements as services are performed on a per unit of seismic data acquired rate based on the number of data points per square mile obtained compared to the number of square miles set forth in the agreement. Eagle Canada, Inc., our wholly owned subsidiary (“Eagle Canada”), recognizes revenue on turnkey agreements as services are performed on a per unit of seismic data laid-out rate, which is standard industry practice in Canada, based on the number of receiver lines laid out as compared to the estimated total lines to be laid out for the project pursuant to the agreement. Under term agreements, revenue is recognized, by both TGC and Eagle Canada, as services are performed based on the time worked rate provided in the term agreement. Under both turnkey and term agreements, cost of earned revenue is recognized by multiplying total estimated agreement cost by the percentage-of-completion of the agreement. The excess of that amount over the cost of earned revenue reported in prior periods is recognized as cost of earned revenue for the period. Agreements are not segmented or combined for purposes of calculating percentage of completion. The asset “Cost and estimated earnings in excess of billings on uncompleted contracts” represents cost incurred on turnkey agreements in excess of billings on those agreements. The liability “Billings in excess of costs and estimated earnings on uncompleted contracts” represents billings on turnkey agreements in excess of cost on those agreements.
ACCUMULATED OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME	ACCUMULATED OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME Comprehensive income is a measure of income which includes both net income and other comprehensive income or loss. Other comprehensive income or loss results from items deferred from recognition in the statement of earnings, which consists solely of foreign currency translation adjustments. Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) is presented on the Company’s consolidated balance sheet as a part of stockholder’s equity. In addition, the Company reports comprehensive income and its components in a separate statement of comprehensive income. Foreign currency translation income or loss represents changes in foreign currency rates used to translate the assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses of the Company’s international subsidiary from the local currency. These changes in foreign currency rates may never be realized or may only be partially realized upon the ultimate disposition, if any, of the international subsidiary. The Company’s foreign investment is considered permanent in nature as there are no plans in the foreseeable future for divestiture.
RECENT ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS	RECENT ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS In July 2012, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2012-02, Intangibles-Goodwill and Other (Topic 350) — Testing Indefinite-Lived Intangible Assets for Impairment (“ASU 2012-02”). This ASU provides entities with an option to first assess qualitative factors to determine whether events or circumstances indicate that it is more likely than not that the indefinite-lived intangible asset is impaired. If an entity concludes that it is more than 50% likely that an indefinite-lived intangible asset is not impaired, no further analysis is required. However, if an entity concludes otherwise, it would be required to determine the fair value of the indefinite-lived intangible asset to measure the amount of actual impairment, if any, as currently required under accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“U.S. GAAP”). The ASU is effective for annual and interim impairment tests performed for fiscal years beginning after September 15, 2012. The Company adopted this update in the first quarter of 2013 and it did not have a significant effect on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures. In July 2013, the FASB issued ASU No. 2013-11, Income Taxes (Topic 740) - Presentation of an Unrecognized Tax Benefit When a Net Operating Loss Carryforward, a Similar Tax Loss, or a Tax Credit Carryforward Exists (“ASU 2013-11”). This ASU clarifies the balance sheet presentation of an unrecognized tax benefit and was issued to resolve the diversity in practice that had developed in the absence any specific U.S. GAAP. ASU 2013-11 is applicable to all entities that have an unrecognized tax benefit due to a net operating loss carryforward, a similar tax loss, of a tax credit carryforward. The ASU is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2013, and does not create any new disclosure requirements. The Company will adopt ASU 2013-11 on January 1, 2014. The Company does not anticipate that the adoption of ASU 2013-11 will have a significant effect on its consolidated financial statements.

Disclosure of accounting policy for revenue recognition. If the entity has different policies for different types of revenue transactions, the policy for each material type of transaction is generally disclosed. If a sales transaction has multiple element arrangements (for example, delivery of multiple products, services or the rights to use assets) the disclosure may indicate the accounting policy for each unit of accounting as well as how units of accounting are determined and valued. The disclosure may encompass important judgment as to appropriateness of principles related to recognition of revenue. The disclosure also may indicate the entity's treatment of any unearned or deferred revenue that arises from the transaction.

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