Acquisitions and Dispositions Acquisitions and Dispositions 2 (Details)	12 Months Ended							12 Months Ended		12 Months Ended		12 Months Ended		9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended			12 Months Ended				12 Months Ended			12 Months Ended	9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended		12 Months Ended					12 Months Ended					12 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2013 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2012 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2013 Optima Solutions [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2012 Optima Solutions [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2012 Optima Solutions [Member] GBP (£)	Mar. 09, 2012 Optima Solutions [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2012 Eastern Reservoir Services [Member] USD ($)	Apr. 23, 2012 Eastern Reservoir Services [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014 Joint Venture [Member] USD ($)	Jan. 16, 2014 Joint Venture [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014 TD EnerServ [Member] USD ($)	Jan. 29, 2014 TD EnerServ [Member] USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2014 Compressor Systems, Inc. [Member]	Dec. 31, 2014 Compressor Systems, Inc. [Member] USD ($)	Aug. 11, 2014 Compressor Systems, Inc. [Member] USD ($)	Aug. 04, 2014 Compressor Systems, Inc. [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2012 Greywolf Production Systems [Member] USD ($)	Jul. 31, 2012 Greywolf Production Systems [Member] USD ($)	Mar. 09, 2012 Minimum [Member] Optima Solutions [Member] USD ($)	Jan. 29, 2014 Minimum [Member] TD EnerServ [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014 Minimum [Member] Compressor Systems, Inc. [Member]	Mar. 09, 2012 Maximum [Member] Optima Solutions [Member] USD ($)	Jan. 29, 2014 Maximum [Member] TD EnerServ [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014 Maximum [Member] Compressor Systems, Inc. [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 Subsidiaries [Member]	Dec. 31, 2014 Subsidiaries [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2013 Subsidiaries [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014 Subsidiaries [Member] Compressor Systems, Inc. [Member] USD ($)	Aug. 11, 2014 Subsidiaries [Member] Compressor Systems, Inc. [Member]	Aug. 04, 2014 Subsidiaries [Member] Compressor Systems, Inc. [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014 Parent Company [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2013 Parent Company [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014 Parent Company [Member] Compressor Systems, Inc. [Member]	Aug. 04, 2014 Parent Company [Member] Compressor Systems, Inc. [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014 Bank Revolving Line of Credit Facility [Member] Parent Company [Member] USD ($)	Aug. 04, 2014 Bank Revolving Line of Credit Facility [Member] Parent Company [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2013 Bank Revolving Line of Credit Facility [Member] Parent Company [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014 CSI Compressco Senior Notes [Member] USD ($)	Aug. 04, 2014 CSI Compressco Senior Notes [Member] Compressor Systems, Inc. [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014 CSI Compressco Senior Notes [Member] Subsidiaries [Member] USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2014 CSI Compressco Senior Notes [Member] Subsidiaries [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2013 CSI Compressco Senior Notes [Member] Subsidiaries [Member] USD ($)
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Date of acquisition					Mar. 09, 2012	Mar. 09, 2012		Apr. 23, 2012		Jan. 16, 2014		Jan. 29, 2014		Jul. 20, 2014				Jul. 31, 2012
Percentage of ownership interest acquired							100.00%				50.00%
Purchase price					$ 65,000,000	£ 41,200,000		$ 42,500,000		$ 25,200,000		$ 15,000,000						$ 55,500,000									$ 825,000,000		$ 23.50
Fair value of existing investment in acquiree										21,800,000
Remeasurement gain										5,700,000
Charge to earnings associated with termination of prior relationship										2,900,000
Contingent consideration, maximum													8,000,000										4,000,000	8,000,000
Contingent consideration, minimum																				0	0
Proceeds from sale of wireline and abandonment assets			10,700,000
Gain on disposal of assets			6,800,000
Adjustment of liability associated with contingent purchase price				1,200,000								2,300,000
Total adjustment to liability associated with contingent consideration					2,400,000
Revenues associated with acquired operations					20,200,000			24,600,000		38,000,000					152,500,000			17,300,000
Depreciation and amortization associated with acquired operations					3,100,000			3,000,000		1,500,000					25,200,000			1,000,000
Income before taxes associated with acquired operations					2,500,000			5,400,000		8,900,000					15,800,000			1,100,000
Transaction costs							1,300,000		500,000						5,500,000				1,000,000
Deferred financing costs															16,600,000																					100,000						8,400,000
Acquisition and transaction financing fees	9,869,000	0	0												(9,300,000)																								(200,000)
Average useful life of finite-lived intangible asset																						2 years			15 years
Purchase price allocation, current assets																	101,108,000
Purchase price allocation, property, plant and equipment					16,800,000			18,500,000			1,300,000		7,300,000				571,264,000	17,700,000
Purchase price allocation, net working capital					3,000,000						18,500,000
Cash acquired											12,000,000
Purchase price allocation, other liabilities associated with contingent purchase price					3,500,000								2,300,000
Purchase price allocation, deferred tax and other liabilities					7,200,000						4,500,000
Purchase price allocation, certain intangible assets					20,400,000			3,400,000			22,500,000		3,200,000				66,800,000	3,500,000
Purchase price allocation, nondeductible goodwill					35,600,000			20,600,000		5,800,000		6,600,000						34,300,000
Business Acquisition, Effective Date of Acquisition																										Aug. 04, 2014
Purchase price allocation, goodwill																	161,462,000
Purchase price allocation, total assets acquired																	900,634,000
Purchase price allocation, current liabilities																	75,634,000
Purchase price allocation, total liabilities assumed																	75,634,000
Purchase price allocation, net assets acquired																	825,000,000
Total ownership interest resulting from acquisition											100.00%
Ownership interest immediately prior to acquisition											50.00%
Amount paid at closing											15,000,000
Additional consideration payable at a later date											10,200,000
Due date of second payment										Jun. 16, 2014
Carrying value of Senior Notes	350,000,000
Senior Note, stated percentage rate																																								7.25%
Long-term debt	935,035,000																										539,961,000	29,959,000				395,074,000	357,857,000			90,000,000		52,768,000		350,000,000	344,961,000		0
Proceeds from sale of Senior Notes																																									337,800,000
Proceeds from issuance of CCLP common units															359,100,000
Net proceeds from issuance of CCLP common units															346,000,000
Number of CCLP common units sold															15,280,000
Amount borrowed under credit facility																															210,000,000						40,000,000
Subsidiary purchase of CCLP common units															1,390,290
General Partners' capital contribution																1,100,000																			7,300,000
General Partner percentage interest																																		2.00%
Common units subject to underwriters' option																														2,292,000
Net proceeds from exercise of underwriters' option																													51,700,000.0
Gross proceeds from exercise of underwriters' option																													53,900,000.0
Total number of new units issued															17,572,000
TETRA's ownership interest in CCLP prior to offering															82.00%
TETRA's ownership interest in CCLP															44.00%
Value of trademarks/tradenames															32,400,000
Value of customer relationships															22,100,000
Value of other intangible assets															12,300,000
Accumulated amortization, intangible assets acquired	39,754,000	31,956,000													3,800,000
Proceeds from Sale of Oil and Gas Property and Equipment			$ 4,400,000