Long-Term Debt and Notes Payable (Details Textual) (USD $)	1 Months Ended	6 Months Ended		6 Months Ended					6 Months Ended						1 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2012 Installment	Jul. 31, 2012	Oct. 31, 2010	Jul. 31, 2012 Maximum [Member]	Jul. 31, 2012 Revolving Credit Facility [Member]	Jul. 31, 2012 Revolving Credit Facility [Member] Maximum [Member]	Jul. 31, 2012 Notes due in 2013 [Member]	Jul. 31, 2012 Notes due in 2014 [Member]	Jul. 31, 2012 First Victoria Bank [Member] Revolving Credit Facility [Member]	Jul. 31, 2011 First Victoria Bank [Member] Revolving Credit Facility [Member]	Jul. 31, 2012 First Victoria Bank [Member] Revolving Credit Facility [Member] Maximum [Member]	Jul. 31, 2012 First Victoria Bank [Member] Revolving Credit Facility [Member] Minimum [Member]	Jul. 31, 2012 First Victoria Bank [Member] Amendment to revolving credit facility [Member]	Jul. 31, 2012 First Victoria Bank [Member] Amendment to revolving credit facility [Member] Maximum [Member]	Mar. 31, 2011 Mitcham Canada ULC [Member] Installment	Mar. 31, 2010 Mitcham Canada ULC [Member] Note	Jan. 31, 2010 Seismic Asia Pacific Pty Ltd [Member] Note
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Maximum borrowing amount on a revolving basis										$ 35,000,000			$ 50,000,000
Maturity date of revolving credit facility													Aug. 31, 2015
Amortization period									48 months
Interest description					Interest is payable monthly at the prime rate plus 50 basis points, which was 3.75% at July 31, 2012.								Interest at the prime rate, with a floor of 3.25%
Interest rate					3.75%								3.25%
Available borrowings under the revolving credit facility to secure letters of credit						7,000,000								10,000,000
Debt to shareholders equity ratio				1							0.7
Current assets to current liabilities ratio				1								1.25
Quarterly earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization												2,000,000
Limit of indebtedness											1,000,000			10,000,000
Average borrowings under the revolving credit facility									15,756,000	17,628,000
Guaranty of subsidiary debt														5,000,000
Number of promissory notes related to purchase																2	2
Annual interest rate of promissory note	8.00%						8.35%	7.40%							6.00%
Promissory note repayable installments	18														2
Long-Term Debt and Notes Payable (Textual) [Abstract]
Collateral securities		The revolving credit facility and any term loan are collateralized by essentially all of the Company’s domestic assets
Secured promissory note			$ 3,600,000