Supplemental Guarantors Consolidating Condensed Financial Information - (Statement of Cash Flows) (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	$ 124,345,000	$ 147,930,000	$ 171,481,000
Cash flows from investing activities:
Cash invested in seismic data	(93,682,000)cik0000750813_CashInvestedInSeismicData	(144,557,000)cik0000750813_CashInvestedInSeismicData	(183,244,000)cik0000750813_CashInvestedInSeismicData
Cash paid to acquire property, equipment and other	(1,961,000)	(936,000)	(1,422,000)
Net proceeds from sale of marketable securities	0	0	230,000
Cash from sale of property, equipment and other	0	61,000	90,000
Advances to Seitel Holdings, Inc.	(13,000)us-gaap_PaymentsForAdvanceToAffiliate	(256,000)us-gaap_PaymentsForAdvanceToAffiliate	(13,000)us-gaap_PaymentsForAdvanceToAffiliate
Net cash used in investing activities	(95,656,000)	(145,688,000)	(184,359,000)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Issuance of 9½% Senior Notes	0	250,000,000	0
Repayment of 9.75% Senior Notes	0us-gaap_RepaymentsOfSeniorDebt	(275,000,000)us-gaap_RepaymentsOfSeniorDebt	0us-gaap_RepaymentsOfSeniorDebt
Principal payments on notes payable	0us-gaap_RepaymentsOfNotesPayable	(29,000)us-gaap_RepaymentsOfNotesPayable	(66,000)us-gaap_RepaymentsOfNotesPayable
Principal payments on capital lease obligations	(249,000)	(248,000)	(212,000)
Debt transaction costs	0	(7,050,000)	0
Intercompany transfers	0	0	0
Net cash used in financing activities	(249,000)	(32,327,000)	(278,000)
Effect of exchange rate changes	(618,000)	(453,000)	153,000
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	27,822,000	(30,538,000)	(13,003,000)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	31,353,000	61,891,000	74,894,000
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	59,175,000	31,353,000	61,891,000
Parent [Member]
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	(25,125,000)	(32,730,000)	(27,325,000)
Cash flows from investing activities:
Cash invested in seismic data	0	0	0
Cash paid to acquire property, equipment and other	0	0	0
Net proceeds from sale of marketable securities			0
Cash from sale of property, equipment and other		0	0
Advances to Seitel Holdings, Inc.	0	0	0
Net cash used in investing activities	0	0	0
Cash flows from financing activities:
Issuance of 9½% Senior Notes		250,000,000
Repayment of 9.75% Senior Notes		(275,000,000)
Principal payments on notes payable		(29,000)	(66,000)
Principal payments on capital lease obligations	0	0	0
Debt transaction costs		(7,050,000)
Intercompany transfers	25,125,000	64,809,000	27,391,000
Net cash used in financing activities	25,125,000	32,730,000	27,325,000
Effect of exchange rate changes	0	0	0
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	0	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	0	0	0
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	103,252,000	145,121,000	133,731,000
Cash flows from investing activities:
Cash invested in seismic data	(68,714,000)	(114,327,000)	(100,280,000)
Cash paid to acquire property, equipment and other	(1,705,000)	(583,000)	(1,278,000)
Net proceeds from sale of marketable securities			230,000
Cash from sale of property, equipment and other		61,000	90,000
Advances to Seitel Holdings, Inc.	(13,000)	(256,000)	(13,000)
Net cash used in investing activities	(70,432,000)	(115,105,000)	(101,251,000)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Issuance of 9½% Senior Notes		0
Repayment of 9.75% Senior Notes		0
Principal payments on notes payable		0	0
Principal payments on capital lease obligations	(32,000)	(31,000)	(14,000)
Debt transaction costs		0
Intercompany transfers	(9,125,000)	(65,659,000)	(33,541,000)
Net cash used in financing activities	(9,157,000)	(65,690,000)	(33,555,000)
Effect of exchange rate changes	3,000	0	(4,000)
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	23,666,000	(35,674,000)	(1,079,000)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	24,859,000	60,533,000	61,612,000
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	48,525,000	24,859,000	60,533,000
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	46,218,000	35,539,000	65,075,000
Cash flows from investing activities:
Cash invested in seismic data	(24,968,000)	(30,230,000)	(82,964,000)
Cash paid to acquire property, equipment and other	(256,000)	(353,000)	(144,000)
Net proceeds from sale of marketable securities			0
Cash from sale of property, equipment and other		0	0
Advances to Seitel Holdings, Inc.	0	0	0
Net cash used in investing activities	(25,224,000)	(30,583,000)	(83,108,000)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Issuance of 9½% Senior Notes		0
Repayment of 9.75% Senior Notes		0
Principal payments on notes payable		0	0
Principal payments on capital lease obligations	(217,000)	(217,000)	(198,000)
Debt transaction costs		0
Intercompany transfers	(16,000,000)	850,000	6,150,000
Net cash used in financing activities	(16,217,000)	633,000	5,952,000
Effect of exchange rate changes	(621,000)	(453,000)	157,000
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	4,156,000	5,136,000	(11,924,000)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	6,494,000	1,358,000	13,282,000
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	10,650,000	6,494,000	1,358,000
Consolidating Eliminations [Member]
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	0	0	0
Cash flows from investing activities:
Cash invested in seismic data	0	0	0
Cash paid to acquire property, equipment and other	0	0	0
Net proceeds from sale of marketable securities			0
Cash from sale of property, equipment and other		0	0
Advances to Seitel Holdings, Inc.	0	0	0
Net cash used in investing activities	0	0	0
Cash flows from financing activities:
Issuance of 9½% Senior Notes		0
Repayment of 9.75% Senior Notes		0
Principal payments on notes payable		0	0
Principal payments on capital lease obligations	0	0	0
Debt transaction costs		0
Intercompany transfers	0	0	0
Net cash used in financing activities	0	0	0
Effect of exchange rate changes	0	0	0
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	0	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0
Senior Notes [Member] \| 9½% Senior Notes [Member]
Cash flows from financing activities:
Interest rate of senior notes		9.50%

The cash outflow associated with creating, acquiring or purchasing seismic data (capital expenditure).

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Intercompany Transfer, Financing Activities

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Amount of currency on hand as well as demand deposits with banks or financial institutions. Includes other kinds of accounts that have the general characteristics of demand deposits. Also includes short-term, highly liquid investments that are both readily convertible to known amounts of cash and so near their maturity that they present insignificant risk of changes in value because of changes in interest rates. Excludes cash and cash equivalents within disposal group and discontinued operation.

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Contractual interest rate for funds borrowed, under the debt agreement.

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