Discontinued Operations (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jan. 29, 2021	Jun. 30, 2021	Jun. 30, 2020	Jun. 30, 2021	Jun. 30, 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
Proceeds from long-term debt				0	338,343
Repayments of long-term debt				29,320	341,364
Proceeds on sale of property, plant, and equipment				754	5,311
Revenue			$ 96,371	18,968	186,610
Cost of revenues			62,494	11,502	117,013
Depreciation, amortization, and accretion			20,116		40,025
Impairments and other charges			8,977		14,348
General and administrative expense		$ 5	10,263	2,795	20,657
Interest expense, net			12,982	4,336	25,546
Other expense, net		121	4,380	15	4,798
Pretax loss from discontinued operations		(126)	(22,841)	320	(35,777)
Pretax gain (loss) on disposal of discontinued operations				120,574
Total pretax loss from discontinued operations				120,894
Income tax provision			947	30	1,379
Total loss from discontinued operations		(126)	(23,788)	120,864	(37,156)
Loss from discontinued operations attributable to noncontrolling interest		0	15,781	(333)	24,615
Loss from discontinued operations attributable to TETRA stockholders		(126)	(8,007)	120,531	(12,541)
Cash and cash equivalents		0	6,757	0	6,757	$ 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						710,006
Assets of discontinued operations		0		0		710,006
Trade payables		1,223		1,223		20,988
Unearned Income						269
Accrued liabilities and other		378		378		36,898
Long-term debt, net						638,631
Other liabilities						37,253
Total liabilities associated with discontinued operations		1,601		1,601		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
Proceeds from sale of CCLP, net of cash divested	500
Consideration transferred	3,100
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			96,371	18,968	186,610
Cost of revenues			62,768	11,474	117,347
Depreciation, amortization, and accretion			20,116		40,025
Impairments and other charges			8,977		14,348
General and administrative expense		0	10,152	2,795	20,341
Interest expense, net			12,982	4,336	25,546
Other expense, net		121	4,380	15	4,798
Pretax loss from discontinued operations		(121)	(23,004)	348	(35,795)
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	11,200
Proceeds from long-term debt					271,800
Repayments of long-term debt					273,900
Proceeds on sale of property, plant, and equipment					3,600
Amortization of financing discounts, costs and gains					1,400
Offshore Services [Member]
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Revenue			0	0	0
Cost of revenues			(274)	28	(334)
Depreciation, amortization, and accretion			0		0
Impairments and other charges			0		0
General and administrative expense		5	111	0	316
Interest expense, net			0	0	0
Other expense, net		0	0	0	0
Pretax loss from discontinued operations		(5)	$ 163	(28)	$ 18
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						0
Trade payables		1,223		1,223		1,222
Unearned Income						0
Accrued liabilities and other		150		150		352
Long-term debt, net						0
Other liabilities						0
Total liabilities associated with discontinued operations		1,373		1,373		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						0
Trade payables		0		0		0
Unearned Income						0
Accrued liabilities and other		228		228		228
Long-term debt, net						0
Other liabilities						0
Total liabilities associated with discontinued operations		$ 228		$ 228		$ 228