Formation of the Partnership

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Notes to Financial Statements [Abstract]

Formation of the Partnership and Description of Business

NOTE A - FORMATION OF THE PARTNERSHIP AND DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS

Compressco Partners, L.P., a Delaware limited partnership, was formed to acquire certain natural gas wellhead compression-based production enhancement service business, operations and related assets and liabilities from Compressco, Inc. and its subsidiaries (Compressco) and certain assets, liabilities and operations of certain other subsidiaries of TETRA Technologies, Inc. (TETRA) conducting business in Latin America. Unless the context requires otherwise, when we refer to "the Partnership," "we," "us," and "our," we are describing Compressco Partners, L.P. and its wholly owned subsidiaries. We design and manufacture a majority of our compressor units and use these compressor units in conjunction with other equipment and personnel from affiliated companies to provide services to our customers. Our operations are located principally in the mid-continent, mid-western, Rocky Mountain, and Gulf Coast regions of the United States, as well as significant operations in Canada and Mexico and an established presence in other countries located in South America, Eastern Europe and the Asia-Pacific region.

Prior to the completion on June 20, 2011 of our initial public offering of 2,670,000 common units representing limited partner interests (the offering), Compressco Partners GP Inc. (our general partner) and Compressco Field Services, Inc., each a wholly owned subsidiary of TETRA, owned all of our ownership interests. In connection with the completion of the offering, our general partner and TETRA International Incorporated, a wholly owned subsidiary of TETRA, contributed to us certain natural gas wellhead compression-based production enhancement service business, operations and related assets and liabilities as well as certain well monitoring and automated sand separation services business and operations in Latin America and related assets and liabilities. In exchange for these contributions, we issued 6,026,757 common units and 6,273,970 subordinated units representing limited partner interests to our general partner and TETRA International Incorporated and a 2.0% general partner interest and incentive distribution rights to our general partner. For a discussion of the various agreements associated with this contribution transaction, see Note C - "Related-Party Transactions." The transactions described above represent transactions between entities under common control. Consequently, we recorded the contributed assets at TETRA's carrying value. Effective with the completion of the offering on June 20, 2011, our operations are owned and operated by our wholly owned subsidiaries.

In connection with the offering, TETRA and its affiliates contributed certain assets and liabilities to the capital of the Partnership in exchange for the units and general partner interest described above and the right to receive up to 400,500 additional common units valued at $20.00 per common unit if such additional common units were not acquired by the underwriters of the offering by July 14, 2011, pursuant to the underwriters' 30-day option to purchase any portion of the additional common units. The underwriters did not exercise their option to purchase any additional common units and the 400,500 additional common units were issued to TETRA and its affiliates on July 15, 2011 for no additional consideration.