Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies (Details) - USD ($)	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended	9 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2015	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Jun. 21, 2016	Mar. 31, 2016
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Common Stock, Shares, Issued	92,704,476			92,704,476		83,023,628		11,500,000
Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure, Recurring	$ 77,000,000			$ 77,000,000
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Goodwill			$ 112,945,000	112,945,000	$ 293,866,000	$ 293,866,000
Goodwill adjustments, net				(106,309,000)			$ (180,921,000)
Goodwill	6,636,000			6,636,000		112,945,000	293,866,000
Goodwill impairment	0	$ 0		106,205,000	0
Long-term debt [Line Items]
Long-term debt	738,032,000			738,032,000		853,228,000
New accounting pronouncement, impact of adoption	17,300,000			17,300,000		20,200,000
Revenue Recognition [Line Items]
Revenues	176,553,000	305,144,000		521,542,000	872,555,000
Cost of revenue	77,116,000	$ 103,159,000		226,880,000	$ 308,550,000
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure, Recurring	77,000,000			77,000,000
Inventories Detail [Table]
Finished goods	68,856,000			68,856,000		54,587,000
Raw materials	3,431,000			3,431,000		1,731,000
Parts and supplies	37,577,000			37,577,000		37,379,000
Work in progress	18,541,000			18,541,000		23,312,000
Inventories	$ 128,405,000			128,405,000		117,009,000
Prior period reclassification adjustment				$ 12,000,000
Weighted Average Shares Outstanding [Table]
Number of weighted average common shares outstanding	91,746,000	79,219,000		85,093,000	79,098,000
Assumed exercise of stock options	0	573,000		0	357,000
Average diluted shares outstanding	91,746,000	79,792,000		85,093,000	79,455,000
Antidilutive shares excluded from diluted shares outstanding		3,752,879			3,581,111
Prior period reclassification adjustment				$ 12,000,000
Foreign currency exchange gains and losses	$ (200,000)	$ 500,000		$ (500,000)	$ (1,800,000)
Effective tax rate	6.40%			(0.90%)
Proceeds from Issuance of Preferred Limited Partners Units					0
Preferred Units [Line Items]
Proceeds from Convertible Debt				$ 77,321,000
CSI Compressco Senior Notes [Member]
Long-term debt [Line Items]
Fair value of Senior Notes	$ 312,700,000			312,700,000		259,900,000
Carrying value of Senior Notes	330,000,000			330,000,000		350,000,000
TETRA Senior Notes [Member]
Long-term debt [Line Items]
Fair value of Senior Notes	121,900,000			121,900,000		229,800,000
Carrying value of Senior Notes	125,000,000			125,000,000		275,000,000
Bank revolving line of credit facility [Member]
Long-term debt [Line Items]
New accounting pronouncement, impact of adoption			6,300,000			6,700,000
Senior Notes [Member]
Long-term debt [Line Items]
New accounting pronouncement, impact of adoption			10,900,000			13,500,000
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member]
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure, Recurring	0			0
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure, Recurring	0			0
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure, Recurring	0			0
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure, Recurring	0			0
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure, Recurring	77,018,000			77,018,000
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure, Recurring	77,018,000			77,018,000
Fluids Division [Member]
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Goodwill			6,636,000	6,636,000	6,636,000	6,636,000
Goodwill adjustments, net				0			0
Goodwill	6,636,000			6,636,000		6,636,000	6,636,000
Goodwill, accumulated impairment losses	23,800,000			23,800,000
Impairment of identified intangible assets				300,000
Revenue Recognition [Line Items]
Revenues	62,610,000	110,587,000		182,556,000	332,850,000
Production Testing Division [Member]
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Goodwill			13,907,000	13,907,000	53,682,000	53,682,000
Goodwill adjustments, net				(13,907,000)			(39,775,000)
Goodwill	0			0		13,907,000	53,682,000
Goodwill, accumulated impairment losses	111,800,000			111,800,000
Impairment of identified intangible assets				2,800,000
Revenue Recognition [Line Items]
Revenues	15,065,000	28,942,000		48,320,000	100,885,000
Compression Division [Member]
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Goodwill			92,402,000	92,402,000	233,548,000	233,548,000
Goodwill adjustments, net				(92,402,000)			(141,146,000)
Goodwill	0			0		92,402,000	233,548,000
Goodwill, accumulated impairment losses	231,800,000			231,800,000
Impairment of identified intangible assets				7,900,000
Revenue Recognition [Line Items]
Revenues	70,718,000	128,926,000		228,504,000	358,270,000
Offshore Services [Member]
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Goodwill			0	0	0	0
Goodwill adjustments, net				0			0
Goodwill	0			0		0	0
Goodwill, accumulated impairment losses	27,200,000			27,200,000
Revenue Recognition [Line Items]
Revenues	29,239,000	37,882,000		65,604,000	85,396,000
Maritech [Member]
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Goodwill			$ 0	0	0	0
Goodwill adjustments, net				0			0
Goodwill	0			0		0	$ 0
Revenue Recognition [Line Items]
Revenues	238,000	475,000		575,000	2,375,000
Service Agreement [Member]
Revenue Recognition [Line Items]
Revenues	15,585,000	30,478,000		41,552	122,476
Cost of revenue	8,558,000	$ 11,245,000		31,424	$ 53,680
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Asset for foreign currency derivative contracts	6,000			6,000		23,000
Liability for foreign currency derivative contracts	(105,000)			(105,000)		(385,000)
Acquisition contingent consideration liability						0
Total	76,919,000			76,919,000		362,000
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Asset for foreign currency derivative contracts	0			0		0
Liability for foreign currency derivative contracts	0			0		0
Acquisition contingent consideration liability						0
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Asset for foreign currency derivative contracts	6,000			6,000		23,000
Liability for foreign currency derivative contracts	(105,000)			(105,000)		(385,000)
Acquisition contingent consideration liability						0
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Asset for foreign currency derivative contracts	0			0		0
Liability for foreign currency derivative contracts	0			0		0
Acquisition contingent consideration liability						0
Fair Value, Measurements, Nonrecurring [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Other									$ 0
Year-to-date impairment losses				117,132,000
Total									0
Fair Value, Measurements, Nonrecurring [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Other	0			0
Fair Value, Measurements, Nonrecurring [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Other	0			0
Fair Value, Measurements, Nonrecurring [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Other	0			0
Fair Value, Measurements, Nonrecurring [Member] | Production Testing Division [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Goodwill									0
Intangible assets									0
Fair Value, Measurements, Nonrecurring [Member] | Production Testing Division [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Goodwill	0			0
Intangible assets	0			0
Fair Value, Measurements, Nonrecurring [Member] | Production Testing Division [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Goodwill	0			0
Intangible assets	0			0
Fair Value, Measurements, Nonrecurring [Member] | Production Testing Division [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Goodwill	0			0
Intangible assets	0			0
Fair Value, Measurements, Nonrecurring [Member] | Compression Division [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Goodwill									0
Intangible assets									$ 0
Fair Value, Measurements, Nonrecurring [Member] | Compression Division [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Goodwill	0			0
Intangible assets	0			0
Fair Value, Measurements, Nonrecurring [Member] | Compression Division [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Goodwill	0			0
Intangible assets	0			0
Fair Value, Measurements, Nonrecurring [Member] | Compression Division [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Goodwill	0			0
Intangible assets	0			0
TETRA [Member]
Preferred Units [Line Items]
Proceeds from Convertible Debt				10,000,000
CSI Compressco [Member]
Long-term debt [Line Items]
Long-term debt	495,691,000			495,691,000		566,658,000
CSI Compressco [Member] | CSI Compressco Senior Notes [Member]
Long-term debt [Line Items]
Long-term debt	$ 319,124,000			$ 319,124,000		$ 337,103,000
Senior Note interest rate	7.25%			7.25%		7.25%
Maturity date			Aug. 15, 2022			Aug. 15, 2022
CSI Compressco [Member] | Bank revolving line of credit facility [Member]
Long-term debt [Line Items]
Long-term debt	$ 176,567,000			$ 176,567,000		$ 229,555,000
Maturity date			Aug. 04, 2019			Aug. 04, 2019