Supplemental Guarantors Consolidating Condensed Financial Information (Balance Sheet) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Sep. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 63,974	$ 59,175	$ 56,581	$ 31,353
Receivables
Trade, net	18,324	53,250
Notes and other	1,482	1,698
Due from Seitel Holdings, Inc.	1,153	1,143
Intercompany receivables (payables)	0	0
Investment in subsidiaries	0	0
Net seismic data library	163,161	165,079
Net property and equipment	2,948	3,857
Prepaid expenses, deferred charges and other	7,925	10,075
Intangible assets, net	6,598	10,013
Goodwill	182,196	193,722
Deferred income taxes	86,607	81,744
TOTAL ASSETS	534,368	579,756
LIABILITIES
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	35,897	34,400
Income taxes payable	125	197
Senior Notes	250,000	250,000
Obligations under capital leases	1,765	2,219
Deferred revenue	21,250	34,517
Deferred income taxes	3,672	5,334
TOTAL LIABILITIES	312,709	326,667
STOCKHOLDER'S EQUITY
Common stock	0	0
Additional paid-in capital	400,441	400,177
Parent investment	0	0
Retained earnings (deficit)	(162,753)	(148,776)
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	(16,029)	1,688
TOTAL STOCKHOLDER'S EQUITY	221,659	253,089
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDER'S EQUITY	534,368	579,756
Parent [Member]
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0	0
Receivables
Trade, net	0	0
Notes and other	0	0
Due from Seitel Holdings, Inc.	0	0
Intercompany receivables (payables)	(2,003)	2,803
Investment in subsidiaries	494,773	497,151
Net seismic data library	0	0
Net property and equipment	0	0
Prepaid expenses, deferred charges and other	4,965	5,751
Intangible assets, net	900	900
Goodwill	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
TOTAL ASSETS	498,635	506,605
LIABILITIES
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	10,947	5,007
Income taxes payable	0	197
Senior Notes	250,000	250,000
Obligations under capital leases	0	0
Deferred revenue	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
TOTAL LIABILITIES	260,947	255,204
STOCKHOLDER'S EQUITY
Common stock	0	0
Additional paid-in capital	400,441	400,177
Parent investment	0	0
Retained earnings (deficit)	(162,753)	(148,776)
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	0	0
TOTAL STOCKHOLDER'S EQUITY	237,688	251,401
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDER'S EQUITY	498,635	506,605
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	62,085	48,525	47,383	24,859
Receivables
Trade, net	16,893	41,386
Notes and other	1	29
Due from Seitel Holdings, Inc.	1,153	1,143
Intercompany receivables (payables)	4,306	13,666
Investment in subsidiaries	423,130	427,481
Net seismic data library	121,641	113,930
Net property and equipment	1,481	1,848
Prepaid expenses, deferred charges and other	2,512	3,994
Intangible assets, net	4,416	6,826
Goodwill	107,688	107,688
Deferred income taxes	86,607	81,744
TOTAL ASSETS	831,913	848,260
LIABILITIES
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	20,006	22,841
Income taxes payable	0	0
Senior Notes	0	0
Obligations under capital leases	0	18
Deferred revenue	18,808	29,822
Deferred income taxes	0	0
TOTAL LIABILITIES	38,814	52,681
STOCKHOLDER'S EQUITY
Common stock	0	0
Additional paid-in capital	0	0
Parent investment	764,105	764,105
Retained earnings (deficit)	28,994	31,474
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	0	0
TOTAL STOCKHOLDER'S EQUITY	793,099	795,579
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDER'S EQUITY	831,913	848,260
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	1,889	10,650	9,198	6,494
Receivables
Trade, net	1,431	11,864
Notes and other	1,481	1,669
Due from Seitel Holdings, Inc.	0	0
Intercompany receivables (payables)	(2,303)	(16,469)
Investment in subsidiaries	662	692
Net seismic data library	41,606	51,290
Net property and equipment	1,467	2,009
Prepaid expenses, deferred charges and other	448	330
Intangible assets, net	1,282	2,287
Goodwill	74,508	86,034
Deferred income taxes	0	0
TOTAL ASSETS	122,471	150,356
LIABILITIES
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	4,944	6,552
Income taxes payable	125	0
Senior Notes	0	0
Obligations under capital leases	1,765	2,201
Deferred revenue	2,442	4,695
Deferred income taxes	3,672	5,334
TOTAL LIABILITIES	12,948	18,782
STOCKHOLDER'S EQUITY
Common stock	0	0
Additional paid-in capital	0	0
Parent investment	156,259	156,152
Retained earnings (deficit)	(30,554)	(26,248)
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	(16,182)	1,670
TOTAL STOCKHOLDER'S EQUITY	109,523	131,574
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDER'S EQUITY	122,471	150,356
Consolidating Eliminations [Member]
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	$ 0	$ 0
Receivables
Trade, net	0	0
Notes and other	0	0
Due from Seitel Holdings, Inc.	0	0
Intercompany receivables (payables)	0	0
Investment in subsidiaries	(918,565)	(925,324)
Net seismic data library	(86)	(141)
Net property and equipment	0	0
Prepaid expenses, deferred charges and other	0	0
Intangible assets, net	0	0
Goodwill	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
TOTAL ASSETS	(918,651)	(925,465)
LIABILITIES
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	0	0
Income taxes payable	0	0
Senior Notes	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	(920,364)	(920,257)
Retained earnings (deficit)	1,560	(5,226)
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	153	18
TOTAL STOCKHOLDER'S EQUITY	(918,651)	(925,465)
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDER'S EQUITY	$ (918,651)	$ (925,465)