<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0202</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4/A</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2006-12-20</periodOfReport>

    <dateOfOriginalSubmission>2006-12-22</dateOfOriginalSubmission>

    <notSubjectToSection16>0</notSubjectToSection16>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0000054441</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>XANSER CORP</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>XNR</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001263955</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>COX CHARLES R</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>2435 N CENTRAL EXPWY</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>SUITE 700</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>RICHARDSON</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>TX</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>75080</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>1</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <nonDerivativeTable>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2006-12-20</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>P</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
                <footnoteId id="F1"/>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness>
                <value></value>
            </transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>26800</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>4.92</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F2"/>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>A</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>331832</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
    </nonDerivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">Mr. Cox's form 4 filed December 22, 2006, is amended by changing the transaction code in Table 1, Box 3, to &quot;P&quot; from &quot;A&quot;.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F2">Purchase price range was from a low of $4.88 per share to a high of $4.97 per share, or an average price of $4.92 per share.</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>Charles R. Cox by Howard C. Wadsworth atty-in-fact</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2007-01-05</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
