Discontinued Operations (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		3 Months Ended
	Jan. 29, 2021	Mar. 31, 2021	Mar. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Proceeds from sale of CCLP, net of cash divested		$ 18	$ 0
Gain on disposition of business		120,574	0
Revenue		18,968	90,238
Cost of revenues		11,502	54,519
Depreciation, amortization, and accretion			19,908
Impairments and other charges			5,371
General and administrative expense		2,790	10,394
Interest expense, net		4,336
Other expense, net		(106)	417
Pretax income (loss) from discontinued operations		446	(12,935)
Pretax gain on disposal of discontinued operations		120,574
Total pretax income from discontinued operations		121,020	12,564
Income tax provision		30	433
Total income from discontinued operations		120,990	(13,368)
Income from discontinued operations attributable to noncontrolling interest		(333)	8,834
Income from discontinued operations attributable to TETRA stockholders		120,657	(4,534)
Cash and cash equivalents		0	7,416	$ 16,577	$ 2,370
Trade receivables				43,837
Inventories				31,220
Other current assets				5,231
Property, plant, and equipment				551,401
Other assets				61,740
Total assets associated with discontinued operations		1,746		710,006
Assets of discontinued operations		0		710,006
Trade payables		1,222		20,988
Unearned Income				269
Accrued liabilities and other		524		36,898
Long-term debt, net				638,631
Other liabilities				37,253
Total liabilities associated with discontinued operations				734,039
CSI Compressco | Discontinued Operations, Held-for-sale or Disposed of by Sale
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Proceeds from divestiture of businesses	$ 13,400
Consideration transferred	3,100
Proceeds from sale of CCLP, net of cash divested	500
Gain on disposition of business	$ 120,600
CSI Compressco | Discontinued Operations, Held-for-sale or Disposed of by Sale | Limited Partner [Member]
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
General partner, ownership interest	23.10%
Compression Division [Member]
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Revenue		18,968	90,238
Cost of revenues		11,474	54,579
Depreciation, amortization, and accretion			19,908
Impairments and other charges			5,371
General and administrative expense		2,795	10,189
Interest expense, net		4,336
Other expense, net		(106)	417
Pretax income (loss) from discontinued operations		469	(12,790)
Total pretax income from discontinued operations			12,564
Cash and cash equivalents				16,577
Trade receivables				43,837
Inventories				31,220
Other current assets				5,231
Property, plant, and equipment				551,401
Other assets				61,740
Total assets associated with discontinued operations				710,006
Trade payables				19,766
Unearned Income				269
Accrued liabilities and other				36,318
Long-term debt, net				638,631
Other liabilities				37,253
Total liabilities associated with discontinued operations				732,237
Compression Division [Member] | Discontinued Operations, Held-for-sale or Disposed of by Sale
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Capital expenditure, discontinued operations		3,000	6,500
Total income from discontinued operations			700
Offshore Services [Member]
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Revenue		0	0
Cost of revenues		28	(60)
Depreciation, amortization, and accretion			0
Impairments and other charges			0
General and administrative expense		(5)	205
Interest expense, net		0
Other expense, net		0	0
Pretax income (loss) from discontinued operations		(23)	(145)
Total pretax income from discontinued operations			$ 0
Cash and cash equivalents				0
Trade receivables				0
Inventories				0
Other current assets				0
Property, plant, and equipment				0
Other assets				0
Total assets associated with discontinued operations		1,518		0
Trade payables		1,222		1,222
Unearned Income				0
Accrued liabilities and other		296		352
Long-term debt, net				0
Other liabilities				0
Total liabilities associated with discontinued operations				1,574
Maritech [Member]
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents				0
Trade receivables				0
Inventories				0
Other current assets				0
Property, plant, and equipment				0
Other assets				0
Total assets associated with discontinued operations		228		0
Trade payables		0		0
Unearned Income				0
Accrued liabilities and other		$ 228		228
Long-term debt, net				0
Other liabilities				0
Total liabilities associated with discontinued operations				$ 228