Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Details) - USD ($)	3 Months Ended			12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2012
Revenue Recognition, Multiple-deliverable Arrangements [Line Items]
Rental expenses				$ 298,380,000	$ 417,549,000	$ 466,908,000
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Restricted Assets, net	$ 143,200,000			143,200,000
Impaired Long-Lived Assets Held and Used [Line Items]
Impairments of long-lived assets	$ 7,500,000	$ 10,700,000		18,172,000	44,158,000	34,842,000
Proceeds from sale of heavy lift barge				$ 3,354,000	7,135,000	17,527,000
Consolidation, Less than Wholly Owned Subsidiary, Parent Ownership Interest, Changes, Net [Abstract]
Percentage of consolidated net assets comprised of investment in CCLP	25.00%			25.00%
Fair Value Measurements [Line Items]
Acquisition contingent consideration liability	$ 0			$ 0
Asset Retirement Obligation, Cash Paid to Settle				4,040,000	10,305,000	63,319,000
Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure, Recurring	77,100,000			77,100,000
Impairment of goodwill				106,205,000	177,006,000	64,295,000	$ 64,295,000
Impairments of long-lived assets	7,500,000	10,700,000		18,172,000	44,158,000	34,842,000
Fair value, year to date impairment losses				124,377,000	221,164,000
Prior Period Reclassification Adjustment				17,600,000
Acquisition contingent consideration liability	0			0
Cumulative adjustment to equity based compensation expense			$ 6,700,000
Equity-based compensation expense				9,500,000	13,900,000	4,700,000
Foreign currency exchange gains and losses				900,000	(1,700,000)	(1,200,000)
Estimated future hurricane repair expenses	7,900,000			7,900,000
Goodwill table (details)
Beginning balance		112,945,000		112,945,000	293,866,000	188,159,000
Goodwill adjustments				(106,309,000)	(180,921,000)	(68,125,000)
Ending balance	6,636,000		112,945,000	6,636,000	112,945,000	293,866,000
Impairment of goodwill				106,205,000	177,006,000	64,295,000	$ 64,295,000
Accumulated impairment losses	124,400,000		221,100,000	124,400,000	221,100,000
Residual purchase price to be allocated to goodwill		0
Allowances for Doubtful Accounts [Table]
At beginning of period		7,847,000		7,847,000	2,485,000	1,349,000
Activity in the period:
Provision for doubtful accounts				2,436,000	5,387,000	856,000
Account chargeoffs				(3,992,000)	(25,000)	280,000
At end of period	6,291,000		7,847,000	6,291,000	7,847,000	2,485,000
Inventories Detail [Table]
Finished goods	62,064,000		54,587,000	62,064,000	54,587,000
Raw materials	2,429,000		1,731,000	2,429,000	1,731,000
Parts and supplies	35,548,000		37,379,000	35,548,000	37,379,000
Work in progress	6,505,000		23,312,000	6,505,000	23,312,000
Inventories	106,546,000		117,009,000	106,546,000	117,009,000
Prior Period Reclassification Adjustment				17,600,000
Depreciation expense				120,300,000	138,200,000	109,200,000
Interest capitalized				500,000	400,000	800,000
Amortization expense of patents, trademarks, and other intangible assets				7,000,000	14,800,000	9,300,000
Future amortization expense, 2014	5,600,000			5,600,000
Future amortization expense, 2015	5,500,000			5,500,000
Future amortization expense, 2016	5,500,000			5,500,000
Future amortization expense, 2017	5,500,000			5,500,000
Future amortization expense, 2018	5,200,000			5,200,000
Fluids Division [Member]
Fair Value Measurements [Line Items]
Impairment of goodwill						5,200,000
Goodwill table (details)
Beginning balance		6,636,000		6,636,000	6,636,000	0
Goodwill adjustments				0	0	0
Ending balance	6,636,000		6,636,000	6,636,000	6,636,000	6,636,000
Impairment of goodwill						5,200,000
Accumulated impairment losses	23,800,000			23,800,000
Production Testing Division [Member]
Fair Value Measurements [Line Items]
Impairment of goodwill					37,600,000	14,500,000
Fair value, year to date impairment losses				475,000
Goodwill table (details)
Beginning balance					51,500,000	112,062,000
Goodwill adjustments				(13,907,000)	(39,775,000)	(64,189,000)
Ending balance						51,500,000
Impairment of goodwill					37,600,000	14,500,000
Accumulated impairment losses	111,800,000			111,800,000
Residual purchase price to be allocated to goodwill	0		13,907,000	0	13,907,000	53,682,000
CSI Compressco [Member]
Fair Value Measurements [Line Items]
Impairment of goodwill					139,400,000
Goodwill table (details)
Beginning balance					233,548,000	72,161,000
Goodwill adjustments				(92,402,000)	(141,146,000)	0
Ending balance						233,548,000
Impairment of goodwill					139,400,000
Accumulated impairment losses	231,800,000			231,800,000
Residual purchase price to be allocated to goodwill	0		92,402,000	0	92,402,000
Offshore Services [Member]
Impaired Long-Lived Assets Held and Used [Line Items]
Impairments of long-lived assets						13,700,000
Impairment of heavy lift barge						9,300,000
Proceeds from sale of heavy lift barge						3,000,000
Fair Value Measurements [Line Items]
Impairments of long-lived assets						13,700,000
Goodwill table (details)
Beginning balance		0		0	0	3,936,000
Goodwill adjustments				0	0
Ending balance	0		0	0	0	0
Accumulated impairment losses	27,200,000			27,200,000
Maritech [Member]
Goodwill table (details)
Beginning balance		0		0	0	0
Goodwill adjustments				0	0	0
Ending balance	0		0	$ 0	0	0
Building [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Property, Plant, and Equipment [Line Items]
Property, plant, and equipment, useful life				15 years
Building [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Property, Plant, and Equipment [Line Items]
Property, plant, and equipment, useful life				40 years
Barges and vessels [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Property, Plant, and Equipment [Line Items]
Property, plant, and equipment, useful life				5 years
Barges and vessels [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Property, Plant, and Equipment [Line Items]
Property, plant, and equipment, useful life				30 years
Machinery and equipment [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Property, Plant, and Equipment [Line Items]
Property, plant, and equipment, useful life				2 years
Machinery and equipment [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Property, Plant, and Equipment [Line Items]
Property, plant, and equipment, useful life				20 years
Automobiles and trucks [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Property, Plant, and Equipment [Line Items]
Property, plant, and equipment, useful life				3 years
Automobiles and trucks [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Property, Plant, and Equipment [Line Items]
Property, plant, and equipment, useful life				4 years
Chemical plants [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Property, Plant, and Equipment [Line Items]
Property, plant, and equipment, useful life				15 years
Chemical plants [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Property, Plant, and Equipment [Line Items]
Property, plant, and equipment, useful life				30 years
Compressors [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Property, Plant, and Equipment [Line Items]
Property, plant, and equipment, useful life				12 years
Compressors [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Property, Plant, and Equipment [Line Items]
Property, plant, and equipment, useful life				20 years
Service Agreements [Member]
Revenue Recognition, Multiple-deliverable Arrangements [Line Items]
Rental revenue				$ 55,909	143,601	92,010
Rental expenses				25,621	66,528	34,501
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member]
Fair Value Measurements [Line Items]
Asset for foreign currency derivative contracts	81,000		23,000	81,000	23,000
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure	95,275,000		362,000	95,275,000	362,000
Liability for foreign currency derivative contracts	(371,000)		(385,000)	(371,000)	(385,000)
Acquisition contingent consideration liability			0		0
Warranty, Fair Value Disclosure, Recurring	18,503,000			18,503,000
Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure, Recurring	77,062,000			77,062,000
Acquisition contingent consideration liability			0		0
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member]
Fair Value Measurements [Line Items]
Asset for foreign currency derivative contracts	0		0	0	0
Liability for foreign currency derivative contracts	0		0	0	0
Acquisition contingent consideration liability			0		0
Warranty, Fair Value Disclosure, Recurring	0			0
Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure, Recurring	0			0
Acquisition contingent consideration liability			0		0
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]
Fair Value Measurements [Line Items]
Asset for foreign currency derivative contracts	81,000		23,000	81,000	23,000
Liability for foreign currency derivative contracts	(371,000)		(385,000)	(371,000)	(385,000)
Acquisition contingent consideration liability			0		0
Warranty, Fair Value Disclosure, Recurring	0			0
Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure, Recurring	0			0
Acquisition contingent consideration liability			0		0
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]
Fair Value Measurements [Line Items]
Asset for foreign currency derivative contracts	0		0	0	0
Liability for foreign currency derivative contracts	0		0	0	0
Acquisition contingent consideration liability			0		0
Warranty, Fair Value Disclosure, Recurring	18,503,000			18,503,000
Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure, Recurring	77,062,000			77,062,000
Acquisition contingent consideration liability			0		0
Fair Value, Measurements, Nonrecurring [Member]
Fair Value Measurements [Line Items]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure		23,500,000	127,880,000		127,880,000
Other assets			0		0
Fair value, year to date impairment losses					0
Fair Value, Measurements, Nonrecurring [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member]
Fair Value Measurements [Line Items]
Other assets			0		0
Fair Value, Measurements, Nonrecurring [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]
Fair Value Measurements [Line Items]
Other assets			0		0
Fair Value, Measurements, Nonrecurring [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]
Fair Value Measurements [Line Items]
Other assets			0		0
Fair Value, Measurements, Nonrecurring [Member] | Fluids Division [Member]
Fair Value Measurements [Line Items]
Long-lived assets	0		13,907,000	0	13,907,000
Intangible assets	0			0
Fair value, year to date impairment losses				218,000	37,562,000
Fair Value, Measurements, Nonrecurring [Member] | Fluids Division [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member]
Fair Value Measurements [Line Items]
Long-lived assets	0		0	0	0
Intangible assets	0			0
Fair Value, Measurements, Nonrecurring [Member] | Fluids Division [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]
Fair Value Measurements [Line Items]
Long-lived assets	0		0	0	0
Intangible assets	0			0
Fair Value, Measurements, Nonrecurring [Member] | Fluids Division [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]
Fair Value Measurements [Line Items]
Long-lived assets	0		13,907,000	0	13,907,000
Intangible assets	0			0
Fair Value, Measurements, Nonrecurring [Member] | Production Testing Division [Member]
Fair Value Measurements [Line Items]
Long-lived assets	0		92,402,000	0	92,402,000
Intangible assets		2,900,000	14,476,000		14,476,000
Goodwill	0		0	0	0	60,400,000
Fair value, year to date impairment losses				3,592,000	139,444,000
Fair Value, Measurements, Nonrecurring [Member] | Production Testing Division [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member]
Fair Value Measurements [Line Items]
Long-lived assets	0		0	0	0
Intangible assets	0		0	0	0
Goodwill	0		0	0	0
Fair Value, Measurements, Nonrecurring [Member] | Production Testing Division [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]
Fair Value Measurements [Line Items]
Long-lived assets	0		0	0	0
Intangible assets	0		0	0	0
Goodwill	0		0	0	0
Fair Value, Measurements, Nonrecurring [Member] | Production Testing Division [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]
Fair Value Measurements [Line Items]
Long-lived assets	0		92,402,000	0	92,402,000
Intangible assets	2,900,000		14,476,000	2,900,000	14,476,000
Goodwill	0		0	0	0
Fair Value, Measurements, Nonrecurring [Member] | CSI Compressco [Member]
Fair Value Measurements [Line Items]
Long-lived assets	0			0
Intangible assets		$ 20,600,000
Goodwill	0		5,659,000	0	5,659,000
Fair value, year to date impairment losses				2,357,000
Fair Value, Measurements, Nonrecurring [Member] | CSI Compressco [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member]
Fair Value Measurements [Line Items]
Long-lived assets	0			0
Intangible assets	0			0
Goodwill	0			0
Fair Value, Measurements, Nonrecurring [Member] | CSI Compressco [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]
Fair Value Measurements [Line Items]
Long-lived assets	0			0
Intangible assets	0			0
Goodwill	0			0
Fair Value, Measurements, Nonrecurring [Member] | CSI Compressco [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]
Fair Value Measurements [Line Items]
Long-lived assets	0			0
Intangible assets	20,600,000			20,600,000
Goodwill	0			0
Fair Value, Measurements, Nonrecurring [Member] | Offshore Services [Member]
Fair Value Measurements [Line Items]
Long-lived assets	0		772,000	0	772,000
Goodwill			0		0	$ (3,936,000)
Fair Value, Measurements, Nonrecurring [Member] | Offshore Services [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member]
Fair Value Measurements [Line Items]
Long-lived assets	0		0	0	0
Goodwill			0		0
Fair Value, Measurements, Nonrecurring [Member] | Offshore Services [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]
Fair Value Measurements [Line Items]
Long-lived assets	0		0	0	0
Goodwill			0		0
Fair Value, Measurements, Nonrecurring [Member] | Offshore Services [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]
Fair Value Measurements [Line Items]
Long-lived assets	0		772,000	0	772,000
Goodwill			0		0
Fair Value, Measurements, Nonrecurring [Member] | Compression Intangible Assets [Member]
Fair Value Measurements [Line Items]
Fair value, year to date impairment losses				7,866,000
Fair Value, Measurements, Nonrecurring [Member] | Compression Goodwill [Member]
Fair Value Measurements [Line Items]
Fair value, year to date impairment losses				92,334,000
Fair Value, Measurements, Nonrecurring [Member] | Production Testing Intangible Assets [Member]
Fair Value Measurements [Line Items]
Fair value, year to date impairment losses				2,804,000	12,310,000
Fair Value, Measurements, Nonrecurring [Member] | Production Testing Goodwill [Member]
Fair Value Measurements [Line Items]
Fair value, year to date impairment losses				13,871,000	0
Fair Value, Measurements, Nonrecurring [Member] | Fluids Intangible Assets [Member]
Fair Value Measurements [Line Items]
Fair value, year to date impairment losses				257,000
Fair Value, Measurements, Nonrecurring [Member] | Offshore Services Assets [Member]
Fair Value Measurements [Line Items]
Fair value, year to date impairment losses				1,078,000	6,300,000
Fair Value, Measurements, Nonrecurring [Member] | Offshore Services Goodwill [Member]
Fair Value Measurements [Line Items]
Fair value, year to date impairment losses					5,659,000
CSI Compressco Senior Notes [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Fair value of Senior Notes	278,200,000		259,900,000	278,200,000	259,900,000
Carrying value of Senior Notes	295,900,000		350,000,000	295,900,000	350,000,000
TETRA Senior Notes [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Fair value of Senior Notes	133,900,000		229,800,000	133,900,000	229,800,000
Carrying value of Senior Notes	$ 125,000,000		$ 385,000,000	$ 125,000,000	$ 385,000,000
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Acquired Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Average useful life of finite-lived intangible asset				2 years
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Acquired Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Average useful life of finite-lived intangible asset				20 years