Supplemental Guarantors Consolidating Condensed Financial Information (Balance Sheet) (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Jun. 30, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Jun. 30, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 59,575	$ 74,894	$ 173,370	$ 89,971
Receivables
Trade, net	37,405	51,306
Notes and other, net	4,405	4,322
Due from Seitel Holdings, Inc.	870	861
Intercompany receivables (payables)	0	0
Investment in subsidiaries	0	0
Net seismic data library	148,859	120,694
Net property and equipment	5,245	5,039
Investment in marketable securities	0	262
Prepaid expenses, deferred charges and other	14,369	10,244
Intangible assets, net	23,785	26,814
Goodwill	205,636	205,838
Deferred income taxes	56	56
TOTAL ASSETS	500,205	500,330
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDER'S EQUITY
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	41,647	60,550
Income taxes payable	2,176	1,464
Senior Notes	275,000	275,000
Notes payable	63	95
Obligations under capital leases	3,160	3,161
Deferred revenue	50,605	48,845
Deferred income taxes	2,021	1,375
TOTAL LIABILITIES	374,672	390,490
STOCKHOLDER'S EQUITY
Common stock	0	0
Additional paid-in capital	398,329	398,011
Parent investment	0	0
Retained deficit	(293,209)	(309,185)
Accumulated other comprehensive income	20,413	21,014
TOTAL STOCKHOLDER'S EQUITY	125,533	109,840
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDER'S EQUITY	500,205	500,330
Parent [Member]
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0	0
Receivables
Trade, net	0	0
Notes and other, net	470	520
Due from Seitel Holdings, Inc.	0	0
Intercompany receivables (payables)	90,753	95,955
Investment in subsidiaries	294,654	272,268
Net seismic data library	0	0
Net property and equipment	0	0
Investment in marketable securities		0
Prepaid expenses, deferred charges and other	3,516	4,409
Intangible assets, net	900	900
Goodwill	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
TOTAL ASSETS	390,293	374,052
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDER'S EQUITY
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	10,049	10,050
Income taxes payable	61	81
Senior Notes	275,000	275,000
Notes payable	63	95
Obligations under capital leases	0	0
Deferred revenue	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
TOTAL LIABILITIES	285,173	285,226
STOCKHOLDER'S EQUITY
Common stock	0	0
Additional paid-in capital	398,329	398,011
Parent investment	0	0
Retained deficit	(293,209)	(309,185)
Accumulated other comprehensive income	0	0
TOTAL STOCKHOLDER'S EQUITY	105,120	88,826
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDER'S EQUITY	390,293	374,052
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	57,964	61,612	172,281	75,068
Receivables
Trade, net	31,498	32,129
Notes and other, net	1,674	1,606
Due from Seitel Holdings, Inc.	870	861
Intercompany receivables (payables)	(66,819)	(78,614)
Investment in subsidiaries	426,208	416,322
Net seismic data library	70,807	63,259
Net property and equipment	2,397	1,897
Investment in marketable securities		262
Prepaid expenses, deferred charges and other	10,070	5,078
Intangible assets, net	14,856	16,462
Goodwill	107,688	107,688
Deferred income taxes	56	56
TOTAL ASSETS	657,269	628,618
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDER'S EQUITY
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	22,666	23,563
Income taxes payable	0	0
Senior Notes	0	0
Notes payable	0	0
Obligations under capital leases	94	0
Deferred revenue	40,533	33,340
Deferred income taxes	0	0
TOTAL LIABILITIES	63,293	56,903
STOCKHOLDER'S EQUITY
Common stock	0	0
Additional paid-in capital	0	0
Parent investment	764,752	764,752
Retained deficit	(170,776)	(193,299)
Accumulated other comprehensive income	0	262
TOTAL STOCKHOLDER'S EQUITY	593,976	571,715
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDER'S EQUITY	657,269	628,618
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	1,611	13,282	1,089	14,903
Receivables
Trade, net	5,907	19,177
Notes and other, net	2,261	2,196
Due from Seitel Holdings, Inc.	0	0
Intercompany receivables (payables)	(23,934)	(17,341)
Investment in subsidiaries	1,438	1,448
Net seismic data library	78,052	57,435
Net property and equipment	2,848	3,142
Investment in marketable securities		0
Prepaid expenses, deferred charges and other	783	757
Intangible assets, net	8,029	9,452
Goodwill	97,948	98,150
Deferred income taxes	0	0
TOTAL ASSETS	174,943	187,698
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDER'S EQUITY
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	8,932	26,937
Income taxes payable	2,115	1,383
Senior Notes	0	0
Notes payable	0	0
Obligations under capital leases	3,066	3,161
Deferred revenue	10,072	15,505
Deferred income taxes	2,021	1,375
TOTAL LIABILITIES	26,206	48,361
STOCKHOLDER'S EQUITY
Common stock	0	0
Additional paid-in capital	0	0
Parent investment	156,917	156,913
Retained deficit	(28,593)	(38,328)
Accumulated other comprehensive income	20,413	20,752
TOTAL STOCKHOLDER'S EQUITY	148,737	139,337
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDER'S EQUITY	174,943	187,698
Consolidating Eliminations [Member]
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0	0
Receivables
Trade, net	0	0
Notes and other, net	0	0
Due from Seitel Holdings, Inc.	0	0
Intercompany receivables (payables)	0	0
Investment in subsidiaries	(722,300)	(690,038)
Net seismic data library	0	0
Net property and equipment	0	0
Investment in marketable securities		0
Prepaid expenses, deferred charges and other	0	0
Intangible assets, net	0	0
Goodwill	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
TOTAL ASSETS	(722,300)	(690,038)
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDER'S EQUITY
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	0	0
Income taxes payable	0	0
Senior Notes	0	0
Notes payable	0	0
Obligations under capital leases	0	0
Deferred revenue	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
TOTAL LIABILITIES	0	0
STOCKHOLDER'S EQUITY
Common stock	0	0
Additional paid-in capital	0	0
Parent investment	(921,669)	(921,665)
Retained deficit	199,369	231,627
Accumulated other comprehensive income	0	0
TOTAL STOCKHOLDER'S EQUITY	(722,300)	(690,038)
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDER'S EQUITY	$ (722,300)	$ (690,038)