Guarantor Non-Guarantor - (Balance Sheet) (Details) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 61,891,000	$ 74,894,000	$ 89,971,000	$ 26,270,000
Receivables
Trade, net	61,195,000	51,306,000
Notes and other, net	2,143,000	4,322,000
Due from Seitel Holdings, Inc.	874,000	861,000
Intercompany receivables (payables)	0	0
Investment in subsidiaries	0	0
Net seismic data library	180,117,000	120,694,000
Net property and equipment	4,818,000	5,039,000
Investment in marketable securities	0	262,000
Prepaid expenses, deferred charges and other	10,774,000	10,244,000
Intangible assets, net	20,828,000	26,814,000
Goodwill	208,020,000	205,838,000	208,050,000
Deferred income taxes	84,000	56,000
TOTAL ASSETS	550,744,000	500,330,000
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDER’S EQUITY
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	62,783,000	60,550,000
Income taxes payable	4,134,000	1,464,000
Senior Notes	275,000,000	275,000,000
Notes payable	29,000	95,000
Obligations under capital leases	3,113,000	3,161,000
Deferred revenue	52,857,000	48,845,000
Deferred income taxes	2,470,000	1,375,000
TOTAL LIABILITIES	400,386,000	390,490,000
STOCKHOLDER’S EQUITY
Common stock	0	0
Additional paid-in capital	398,772,000	398,011,000
Parent investment	0	0
Retained deficit	(272,135,000)	(309,185,000)
Accumulated other comprehensive income	23,721,000	21,014,000
TOTAL STOCKHOLDER’S EQUITY	150,358,000	109,840,000
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDER’S EQUITY	550,744,000	500,330,000
Parent [Member]
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0	0
Receivables
Trade, net	0	0
Notes and other, net	0	520,000
Due from Seitel Holdings, Inc.	0	0
Intercompany receivables (payables)	75,688,000	95,955,000
Investment in subsidiaries	332,819,000	272,268,000
Net seismic data library	0	0
Net property and equipment	0	0
Investment in marketable securities		0
Prepaid expenses, deferred charges and other	2,644,000	4,409,000
Intangible assets, net	900,000	900,000
Goodwill	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
TOTAL ASSETS	412,051,000	374,052,000
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDER’S EQUITY
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	10,049,000	10,050,000
Income taxes payable	336,000	81,000
Senior Notes	275,000,000	275,000,000
Notes payable	29,000	95,000
Obligations under capital leases	0	0
Deferred revenue	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
TOTAL LIABILITIES	285,414,000	285,226,000
STOCKHOLDER’S EQUITY
Common stock	0	0
Additional paid-in capital	398,772,000	398,011,000
Parent investment	0	0
Retained deficit	(272,135,000)	(309,185,000)
Accumulated other comprehensive income	0	0
TOTAL STOCKHOLDER’S EQUITY	126,637,000	88,826,000
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDER’S EQUITY	412,051,000	374,052,000
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	60,533,000	61,612,000	75,068,000	24,221,000
Receivables
Trade, net	43,806,000	32,129,000
Notes and other, net	9,000	1,606,000
Due from Seitel Holdings, Inc.	874,000	861,000
Intercompany receivables (payables)	(49,827,000)	(78,614,000)
Investment in subsidiaries	432,870,000	416,322,000
Net seismic data library	100,087,000	63,259,000
Net property and equipment	2,125,000	1,897,000
Investment in marketable securities		262,000
Prepaid expenses, deferred charges and other	5,122,000	5,078,000
Intangible assets, net	13,250,000	16,462,000
Goodwill	107,688,000	107,688,000
Deferred income taxes	84,000	56,000
TOTAL ASSETS	716,621,000	628,618,000
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDER’S EQUITY
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	38,179,000	23,563,000
Income taxes payable	900,000	0
Senior Notes	0	0
Notes payable	0	0
Obligations under capital leases	81,000	0
Deferred revenue	45,320,000	33,340,000
Deferred income taxes	0	0
TOTAL LIABILITIES	84,480,000	56,903,000
STOCKHOLDER’S EQUITY
Common stock	0	0
Additional paid-in capital	0	0
Parent investment	764,752,000	764,752,000
Retained deficit	(132,611,000)	(193,299,000)
Accumulated other comprehensive income	0	262,000
TOTAL STOCKHOLDER’S EQUITY	632,141,000	571,715,000
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDER’S EQUITY	716,621,000	628,618,000
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	1,358,000	13,282,000	14,903,000	2,049,000
Receivables
Trade, net	17,389,000	19,177,000
Notes and other, net	2,134,000	2,196,000
Due from Seitel Holdings, Inc.	0	0
Intercompany receivables (payables)	(25,861,000)	(17,341,000)
Investment in subsidiaries	1,590,000	1,448,000
Net seismic data library	80,030,000	57,435,000
Net property and equipment	2,693,000	3,142,000
Investment in marketable securities		0
Prepaid expenses, deferred charges and other	3,008,000	757,000
Intangible assets, net	6,678,000	9,452,000
Goodwill	100,332,000	98,150,000
Deferred income taxes	0	0
TOTAL ASSETS	189,351,000	187,698,000
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDER’S EQUITY
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	14,555,000	26,937,000
Income taxes payable	2,898,000	1,383,000
Senior Notes	0	0
Notes payable	0	0
Obligations under capital leases	3,032,000	3,161,000
Deferred revenue	7,537,000	15,505,000
Deferred income taxes	2,470,000	1,375,000
TOTAL LIABILITIES	30,492,000	48,361,000
STOCKHOLDER’S EQUITY
Common stock	0	0
Additional paid-in capital	0	0
Parent investment	156,918,000	156,913,000
Retained deficit	(21,780,000)	(38,328,000)
Accumulated other comprehensive income	23,721,000	20,752,000
TOTAL STOCKHOLDER’S EQUITY	158,859,000	139,337,000
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDER’S EQUITY	189,351,000	187,698,000
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	(767,279,000)	(690,038,000)
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	(767,279,000)	(690,038,000)
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	(921,670,000)	(921,665,000)
Retained deficit	154,391,000	231,627,000
Accumulated other comprehensive income	0	0
TOTAL STOCKHOLDER’S EQUITY	(767,279,000)	(690,038,000)
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDER’S EQUITY	$ (767,279,000)	$ (690,038,000)