Guarantor/Non-Guarantor Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements - Cash Flows (Unaudited) (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2012	Mar. 31, 2011
Cash flows from operating activities:	$ 29,652	$ 9,044
Cash flows from investing activities:
Acquisition of production services businesses	0	(2,000)
Purchases of property and equipment	(95,109)	(31,379)
Proceeds from sale of property and equipment	1,357	786
Proceeds from sale of auction rate securities	0	12,569
Net cash used in investing activities	(93,752)	(20,024)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Debt repayments	(656)	(13,529)
Proceeds from issuance of debt	0	17,000
Proceeds from exercise of options	253	560
Purchase of treasury stock	(293)	(210)
Excess Tax Benefit from Share-based Compensation, Financing Activities	0	459
Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities	(696)	4,280
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents	(64,796)	(6,700)
Beginning cash and cash equivalents	86,197	22,011
Ending cash and cash equivalents	21,401	15,311
Parent [Member]
Cash flows from operating activities:	(70,272)	(17,846)
Cash flows from investing activities:
Purchases of property and equipment	(478)	(90)
Proceeds from sale of property and equipment	0	0
Proceeds from sale of auction rate securities		12,569
Net cash used in investing activities	(478)	12,479
Cash flows from financing activities:
Debt repayments	0	(12,800)
Proceeds from issuance of debt		17,000
Proceeds from exercise of options	253	560
Purchase of treasury stock	(293)	(210)
Excess Tax Benefit from Share-based Compensation, Financing Activities		459
Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities	(40)	5,009
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents	(70,790)	(358)
Beginning cash and cash equivalents	91,932	15,737
Ending cash and cash equivalents	21,142	15,379
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Cash flows from operating activities:	91,273	30,450
Cash flows from investing activities:
Purchases of property and equipment	(84,565)	(29,492)
Proceeds from sale of property and equipment	1,316	782
Proceeds from sale of auction rate securities		0
Net cash used in investing activities	(83,249)	(30,710)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Debt repayments	(650)	(729)
Proceeds from issuance of debt		0
Proceeds from exercise of options	0	0
Purchase of treasury stock	0	0
Excess Tax Benefit from Share-based Compensation, Financing Activities		0
Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities	(650)	(729)
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents	7,374	(989)
Beginning cash and cash equivalents	(13,879)	(1,840)
Ending cash and cash equivalents	(6,505)	(2,829)
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Cash flows from operating activities:	8,651	(3,560)
Cash flows from investing activities:
Purchases of property and equipment	(10,066)	(1,797)
Proceeds from sale of property and equipment	41	4
Proceeds from sale of auction rate securities		0
Net cash used in investing activities	(10,025)	(1,793)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Debt repayments	(6)	0
Proceeds from issuance of debt		0
Proceeds from exercise of options	0	0
Purchase of treasury stock	0	0
Excess Tax Benefit from Share-based Compensation, Financing Activities		0
Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities	(6)	0
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents	(1,380)	(5,353)
Beginning cash and cash equivalents	8,144	8,114
Ending cash and cash equivalents	6,764	2,761
Eliminations [Member]
Cash flows from operating activities:	0	0
Cash flows from investing activities:
Purchases of property and equipment	0	0
Proceeds from sale of property and equipment	0	0
Proceeds from sale of auction rate securities		0
Net cash used in investing activities	0	0
Cash flows from financing activities:
Debt repayments	0	0
Proceeds from issuance of debt		0
Proceeds from exercise of options	0	0
Purchase of treasury stock	0	0
Excess Tax Benefit from Share-based Compensation, Financing Activities		0
Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities	0	0
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Beginning cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Ending cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Other production services businesses [Member]
Cash flows from investing activities:
Acquisition of production services businesses		(2,000)
Other production services businesses [Member] | Parent [Member]
Cash flows from investing activities:
Acquisition of production services businesses		0
Other production services businesses [Member] | Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Cash flows from investing activities:
Acquisition of production services businesses		(2,000)
Other production services businesses [Member] | Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Cash flows from investing activities:
Acquisition of production services businesses		0
Other production services businesses [Member] | Eliminations [Member]
Cash flows from investing activities:
Acquisition of production services businesses		$ 0