Long-Term Debt (Details)	12 Months Ended					12 Months Ended		12 Months Ended		12 Months Ended		12 Months Ended		12 Months Ended		12 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2012 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2012 EUR (€)	Dec. 31, 2010 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2012 Bank Credit Facility [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2011 Bank Credit Facility [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2012 Senior Notes at 5.90% [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2011 Senior Notes at 5.90% [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2012 Senior Notes at 6.30% [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2011 Senior Notes at 6.30% [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2012 Senior Notes at 6.56% [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2011 Senior Notes at 6.56% [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2012 Senior Notes at 5.09% [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2011 Senior Notes at 5.09% [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2012 Senior Notes at 5.67% [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2011 Senior Notes at 5.67% [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2012 Partnership Line of Credit [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2011 Partnership Line of Credit [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2012 European Line of Creidt [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2011 European Line of Creidt [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2012 Other Debt [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2011 Other Debt [Member] USD ($)
Long-Term Debt [Line Items]
Senior Note, stated percentage rate								5.90%		6.30%		6.56%		5.09%		5.67%
Senior Note, maturity date						Oct. 29, 2015		Apr. 30, 2016		Apr. 30, 2013		Apr. 30, 2015		Dec. 15, 2017		Dec. 15, 2020		Jun. 24, 2015
Total long-term debt						$ 51,218,000	$ 0	$ 90,000,000	$ 90,000,000	$ 35,000,000	$ 35,000,000	$ 90,000,000	$ 90,000,000	$ 65,000,000	$ 65,000,000	$ 25,000,000	$ 25,000,000	$ 10,050,000	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 441,000	$ 35,000
Current portion of long-term debt	35,441,000				35,000
Long-term debt, net	331,268,000				305,000,000
Scheduled Maturities Detail [Table]
2013	35,441,000
2014	0
2015	151,268,000
2016	90,000,000
2017	65,000,000
Thereafter	25,000,000
Long-term debt, net	331,268,000				305,000,000
Bank credit facility current borrowing capacity	278,000,000
Bank credit facility, borrowing capacity prior to amendment	300,000,000
Bank credit facility, increased borrowing capacity available	150,000,000
Bank credit facility, maxmimum borrowing capacity	428,000,000
Bank credit facility, current amount outstanding	51,200,000
Bank credit facility, amount of outstanding letters of credit and guarantees	7,900,000
Bank credit facility, net availability	218,900,000
Bank credit facility, interest rate description	Borrowings generally bear interest at the Brithish Bankers Association LIBOR rate plus 1.5% to 2.5%, depending on one of our financial ratios.	Borrowings generally bear interest at the Brithish Bankers Association LIBOR rate plus 1.5% to 2.5%, depending on one of our financial ratios.
Bank credit facility, weighted average interest rate on outstanding borrowings	2.70%	2.70%
European credit agreement, borrowing capacity (in euros)		5,000,000
European credit agreement, borrowing capacity (in dollar equivalent)	6,700,000
European credit agreement, interest rate description				Interest is computed on any outstanding borrowings at a rate equal to the lender's Basis Rate plus 0.75%.
European credit agreement, current amount outstanding	0
Compressco Partners' bank credit facility, current borrowing capacity	20,000,000
Compressco Partners' bank credit facility, credit reserve	3,000,000
Compressco Partners' bank credit facility, sublimit applicable to letters of credit	5,000,000
Compressco Partners' bank credit facility, uncommited expansion feature	20,000,000
Compressco Partners' bank credit facility, current amount outstanding	10,100,000
Compressco Partners' bank credit facility, interest rate description	Borrowings under the Partnership Credit Agreement bear interest at a rate per annum equal to, at Compressco Partners? option, either (a) LIBOR (adjusted to reflect any required bank reserves) for an interest period equal to one, two, three, or six months (as we select), plus a margin of 2.25% per annum or (b) a base rate determined by reference to the highest of (1) the prime rate of interest announced from time to time by JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. or (2) LIBOR (adjusted to reflect any required bank reserves) for a one-month interest period on such day, plus 2.50% per annum.	Borrowings under the Partnership Credit Agreement bear interest at a rate per annum equal to, at Compressco Partners? option, either (a) LIBOR (adjusted to reflect any required bank reserves) for an interest period equal to one, two, three, or six months (as we select), plus a margin of 2.25% per annum or (b) a base rate determined by reference to the highest of (1) the prime rate of interest announced from time to time by JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. or (2) LIBOR (adjusted to reflect any required bank reserves) for a one-month interest period on such day, plus 2.50% per annum.
Compressco Partners' bank credit facility, weighted average interest rate on outstanding borrowings	2.5986%	2.5986%
Compressco Partners' bank credit facility, coverage ratio description	The Partnership Credit Agreement requires Compressco Partners to maintain a minimum interest coverage ratio (ratio of earnings before interest and taxes to interest) of 2.5 to 1.0 as of the last day of any fiscal quarter, calculated on a trailing four quarter basis, whenever availability is less than $5 million.	The Partnership Credit Agreement requires Compressco Partners to maintain a minimum interest coverage ratio (ratio of earnings before interest and taxes to interest) of 2.5 to 1.0 as of the last day of any fiscal quarter, calculated on a trailing four quarter basis, whenever availability is less than $5 million.
Compressco Partners' bank credit facility, net current borrowing capacity	19,600,000
Compressco Partners' bank credit facility, current borrowing capacity less outstanding balance	9,500,000
Senior Notes, default terms	A cross default provision relates to other indebtedness of $20.0 million or more.	A cross default provision relates to other indebtedness of $20.0 million or more.
Senior Notes, proceeds from sale of senior notes			90,000,000
Senior Notes, repayment of notes outstanding			95,700,000
Senior Notes, amount of make whole payment included in gross repayment amount			$ 2,800,000