Organization and Operations

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Notes to Financial Statements [Abstract]

Organization and Operations

NOTE A - ORGANIZATION AND OPERATIONS

We are a geographically diversified oil and gas services company focused on completion fluids and associated products and services, production testing, wellhead compression, and selected offshore services including well plugging and abandonment, decommissioning, and diving. We also have a limited domestic exploration and production business. We were incorporated in Delaware in 1981. We are composed of five reporting segments organized into three divisions - Fluids, Production Enhancement, and Offshore. Unless the context requires otherwise, when we refer to "we," "us," and "our," we are describing TETRA Technologies, Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries on a consolidated basis.

Our Fluids Division manufactures and markets certain clear brine fluids, additives, and other associated products and services to the oil and gas industry for use in well drilling, completion, and workover operations in the United States and in certain countries in Latin America, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. The Division also markets liquid and dry calcium chloride products manufactured at its production facilities or purchased from third-party suppliers to a variety of markets outside the energy industry.

Our Production Enhancement Division consists of two operating segments: Production Testing and Compressco. The Production Testing segment provides production testing services in many of the major oil and gas basins in the United States. In addition, the Production Testing segment has operations in certain onshore basins in certain regions in Mexico, Brazil, North Africa, the Middle East, and other foreign markets.

The Compressco segment provides wellhead compression-based and other production enhancement services throughout many of the onshore producing regions of the United States, as well as certain onshore basins in Mexico, Canada, and certain countries in South America, Europe, Asia, and other international locations. Beginning June 20, 2011, the Compressco segment performs the significant majority of its operations through its publicly traded limited partnership, Compressco Partners, L.P.

Our Offshore Division consists of two operating segments: Offshore Services and Maritech. The Offshore Services segment provides (1) downhole and subsea oil and gas services such as well plugging and abandonment, and wireline services, (2) decommissioning and certain construction services utilizing heavy lift barges and various cutting technologies with regard to offshore oil and gas production platforms and pipelines, and (3) conventional and saturated air diving services.

The Maritech segment is an oil and gas exploration, development, and production operation focused in the offshore and onshore U.S. Gulf Coast region. During 2011, Maritech sold approximately 95% of the proved reserves it owned as of December 31, 2010, and is seeking to sell its remaining oil and gas producing property interests. Maritech's remaining operations consist primarily of the ongoing abandonment and decommissioning associated with its remaining offshore wells, facilities and production platforms. Maritech intends to acquire a significant portion of these services from the Offshore Division's Offshore Services segment.