Organization and Operations	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2013
Notes to Financial Statements [Abstract]
Organization and Operations	NOTE A – ORGANIZATION AND OPERATIONS We are geographically diversified oil and gas services company, focused on completion fluids and associated products and services, water management, after-frac flow back, production well testing, offshore rig cooling, compression-based production enhancement, and selected offshore services including well plugging and abandonment, decommissioning, and diving. We also have a limited domestic oil and gas production business. We were incorporated in Delaware in 1981 and 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 clear brine fluids, additives, and 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. The Fluids Division also provides North American onshore oil and gas operators with comprehensive water management services. Our Production Enhancement Division consists of two operating segments: Production Testing and Compressco. The Production Testing segment provides after-frac flow back, production well testing, offshore rig cooling, and other associated services in many of the major oil and gas producing basins in the United States, Mexico and Canada, as well as in certain basins in certain regions in South America, Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and Australia. The Compressco segment provides compression-based production enhancement services, which are used in both conventional wellhead compression applications and unconventional compression applications, and, in certain circumstances, well monitoring and sand separation services. The Compressco segment provides these services throughout many of the onshore oil and gas producing regions of the United States, as well as certain basins in Mexico, Canada, and certain countries in South America, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific region. Beginning June 20, 2011, following the initial public offering of Compressco Partners, L.P. (Compressco Partners), we allocate and charge certain corporate and divisional direct and indirect administrative costs to Compressco Partners. Our Offshore Division consists of two operating segments: Offshore Services and Maritech. The Offshore Services segment provides (1) downhole and subsea services such well plugging and abandonment and workover 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 a limited oil and gas production operation. During 2011 and the first quarter of 2012, Maritech sold substantially all of its oil and gas producing property interests. Maritech’s operations consist primarily of the ongoing abandonment and decommissioning associated with its remaining offshore wells and production platforms. Maritech intends to acquire a significant portion of the services necessary to abandon and decommission these properties from the Offshore Division’s Offshore Services segment.

NOTE A – ORGANIZATION AND OPERATIONS

We are geographically diversified oil and gas services company, focused on completion fluids and associated products and services, water management, after-frac flow back, production well testing, offshore rig cooling, compression-based production enhancement, and selected offshore services including well plugging and abandonment, decommissioning, and diving. We also have a limited domestic oil and gas production business. We were incorporated in Delaware in 1981 and 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 clear brine fluids, additives, and 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. The Fluids Division also provides North American onshore oil and gas operators with comprehensive water management services.

Our Production Enhancement Division consists of two operating segments: Production Testing and Compressco. The Production Testing segment provides after-frac flow back, production well testing, offshore rig cooling, and other associated services in many of the major oil and gas producing basins in the United States, Mexico and Canada, as well as in certain basins in certain regions in South America, Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and Australia.

The Compressco segment provides compression-based production enhancement services, which are used in both conventional wellhead compression applications and unconventional compression applications, and, in certain circumstances, well monitoring and sand separation services. The Compressco segment provides these services throughout many of the onshore oil and gas producing regions of the United States, as well as certain basins in Mexico, Canada, and certain countries in South America, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific region. Beginning June 20, 2011, following the initial public offering of Compressco Partners, L.P. (Compressco Partners), we allocate and charge certain corporate and divisional direct and indirect administrative costs to Compressco Partners.

Our Offshore Division consists of two operating segments: Offshore Services and Maritech. The Offshore Services segment provides (1) downhole and subsea services such well plugging and abandonment and workover 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 a limited oil and gas production operation. During 2011 and the first quarter of 2012, Maritech sold substantially all of its oil and gas producing property interests. Maritech’s operations consist primarily of the ongoing abandonment and decommissioning associated with its remaining offshore wells and production platforms. Maritech intends to acquire a significant portion of the services necessary to abandon and decommission these properties from the Offshore Division’s Offshore Services segment.