Supplemental Guarantors Consolidating Condensed Financial Information (Balance Sheet) (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Sep. 30, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 42,819	$ 74,894	$ 38,607	$ 89,971
Receivables
Trade, net	44,493	51,306
Notes and other, net	3,732	4,322
Due from Seitel Holdings, Inc.	872	861
Intercompany receivables (payables)	0	0
Investment in subsidiaries	0	0
Net seismic data library	164,052	120,694
Net property and equipment	5,138	5,039
Investment in marketable securities	0	262
Prepaid expenses, deferred charges and other	9,210	10,244
Intangible assets, net	22,543	26,814
Goodwill	209,163	205,838
Deferred income taxes	56	56
TOTAL ASSETS	502,078	500,330
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDER'S EQUITY
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	43,464	60,550
Income taxes payable	3,803	1,464
Senior Notes	275,000	275,000
Notes payable	46	95
Obligations under capital leases	3,210	3,161
Deferred revenue	43,092	48,845
Deferred income taxes	1,499	1,375
TOTAL LIABILITIES	370,114	390,490
STOCKHOLDER'S EQUITY
Common stock	0	0
Additional paid-in capital	398,530	398,011
Parent investment	0	0
Retained deficit	(292,080)	(309,185)
Accumulated other comprehensive income	25,514	21,014
TOTAL STOCKHOLDER'S EQUITY	131,964	109,840
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDER'S EQUITY	502,078	500,330
Parent [Member]
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0	0
Receivables
Trade, net	0	0
Notes and other, net	491	520
Due from Seitel Holdings, Inc.	0	0
Intercompany receivables (payables)	80,575	95,955
Investment in subsidiaries	300,506	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	2,966	4,409
Intangible assets, net	900	900
Goodwill	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
TOTAL ASSETS	385,438	374,052
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDER'S EQUITY
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	3,346	10,050
Income taxes payable	596	81
Senior Notes	275,000	275,000
Notes payable	46	95
Obligations under capital leases	0	0
Deferred revenue	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
TOTAL LIABILITIES	278,988	285,226
STOCKHOLDER'S EQUITY
Common stock	0	0
Additional paid-in capital	398,530	398,011
Parent investment	0	0
Retained deficit	(292,080)	(309,185)
Accumulated other comprehensive income	0	0
TOTAL STOCKHOLDER'S EQUITY	106,450	88,826
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDER'S EQUITY	385,438	374,052
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	40,986	61,612	31,907	75,068
Receivables
Trade, net	33,256	32,129
Notes and other, net	997	1,606
Due from Seitel Holdings, Inc.	872	861
Intercompany receivables (payables)	(55,308)	(78,614)
Investment in subsidiaries	427,509	416,322
Net seismic data library	88,252	63,259
Net property and equipment	2,318	1,897
Investment in marketable securities		262
Prepaid expenses, deferred charges and other	5,367	5,078
Intangible assets, net	14,053	16,462
Goodwill	107,688	107,688
Deferred income taxes	56	56
TOTAL ASSETS	666,046	628,618
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDER'S EQUITY
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	28,237	23,563
Income taxes payable	442	0
Senior Notes	0	0
Notes payable	0	0
Obligations under capital leases	89	0
Deferred revenue	37,449	33,340
Deferred income taxes	0	0
TOTAL LIABILITIES	66,217	56,903
STOCKHOLDER'S EQUITY
Common stock	0	0
Additional paid-in capital	0	0
Parent investment	764,752	764,752
Retained deficit	(164,923)	(193,299)
Accumulated other comprehensive income	0	262
TOTAL STOCKHOLDER'S EQUITY	599,829	571,715
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDER'S EQUITY	666,046	628,618
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	1,833	13,282	6,700	14,903
Receivables
Trade, net	11,237	19,177
Notes and other, net	2,244	2,196
Due from Seitel Holdings, Inc.	0	0
Intercompany receivables (payables)	(25,267)	(17,341)
Investment in subsidiaries	1,481	1,448
Net seismic data library	75,800	57,435
Net property and equipment	2,820	3,142
Investment in marketable securities		0
Prepaid expenses, deferred charges and other	877	757
Intangible assets, net	7,590	9,452
Goodwill	101,475	98,150
Deferred income taxes	0	0
TOTAL ASSETS	180,090	187,698
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDER'S EQUITY
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	11,881	26,937
Income taxes payable	2,765	1,383
Senior Notes	0	0
Notes payable	0	0
Obligations under capital leases	3,121	3,161
Deferred revenue	5,643	15,505
Deferred income taxes	1,499	1,375
TOTAL LIABILITIES	24,909	48,361
STOCKHOLDER'S EQUITY
Common stock	0	0
Additional paid-in capital	0	0
Parent investment	156,917	156,913
Retained deficit	(27,250)	(38,328)
Accumulated other comprehensive income	25,514	20,752
TOTAL STOCKHOLDER'S EQUITY	155,181	139,337
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDER'S EQUITY	180,090	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	(729,496)	(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	(729,496)	(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	192,173	231,627
Accumulated other comprehensive income	0	0
TOTAL STOCKHOLDER'S EQUITY	(729,496)	(690,038)
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDER'S EQUITY	$ (729,496)	$ (690,038)