Supplemental Guarantors Consolidating Condensed Financial Information (Balance Sheet) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 57,035	$ 52,675	$ 80,106	$ 59,175
Receivables
Trade, net	7,772	14,830
Notes and other	1,694	1,318
Due from Seitel Holdings, Inc.	1,167	1,156
Intercompany receivables (payables)	0	0
Investment in subsidiaries	0	0
Net seismic data library	153,798	161,363
Net property and equipment	2,443	2,603
Prepaid expenses, deferred charges and other	2,454	2,183
Intangible assets, net	4,553	5,528
Goodwill	184,628	179,792
Deferred income taxes	66	39
TOTAL ASSETS	415,610	421,487
LIABILITIES
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	27,626	23,650
Senior Notes	245,975	245,696
Obligations under capital leases	1,721	1,661
Deferred revenue	24,133	25,903
Deferred income taxes	1,037	2,361
TOTAL LIABILITIES	300,492	299,271
STOCKHOLDER'S EQUITY
Common stock	0	0
Additional paid-in capital	400,527	400,505
Parent investment	0	0
Retained deficit	(272,630)	(258,766)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(12,779)	(19,523)
TOTAL STOCKHOLDER'S EQUITY	115,118	122,216
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDER'S EQUITY	415,610	421,487
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)	(28,816)	(29,144)
Investment in subsidiaries	412,589	420,547
Net seismic data library	0	0
Net property and equipment	0	0
Prepaid expenses, deferred charges and other	145	139
Intangible assets, net	900	900
Goodwill	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
TOTAL ASSETS	384,818	392,442
LIABILITIES
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	10,946	5,007
Senior Notes	245,975	245,696
Obligations under capital leases	0	0
Deferred revenue	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
TOTAL LIABILITIES	256,921	250,703
STOCKHOLDER'S EQUITY
Common stock	0	0
Additional paid-in capital	400,527	400,505
Parent investment	0	0
Retained deficit	(272,630)	(258,766)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	0	0
TOTAL STOCKHOLDER'S EQUITY	127,897	141,739
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDER'S EQUITY	384,818	392,442
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	55,206	51,192	75,710	48,525
Receivables
Trade, net	6,680	12,459
Notes and other	7	3
Due from Seitel Holdings, Inc.	1,167	1,156
Intercompany receivables (payables)	31,533	31,537
Investment in subsidiaries	414,620	419,499
Net seismic data library	120,694	125,253
Net property and equipment	1,101	1,273
Prepaid expenses, deferred charges and other	1,943	1,737
Intangible assets, net	2,811	3,613
Goodwill	107,688	107,688
Deferred income taxes	66	39
TOTAL ASSETS	743,516	755,449
LIABILITIES
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	10,841	13,253
Senior Notes	0	0
Obligations under capital leases	0	0
Deferred revenue	21,997	23,525
Deferred income taxes	0	0
TOTAL LIABILITIES	32,838	36,778
STOCKHOLDER'S EQUITY
Common stock	0	0
Additional paid-in capital	0	0
Parent investment	764,105	764,105
Retained deficit	(53,427)	(45,434)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	0	0
TOTAL STOCKHOLDER'S EQUITY	710,678	718,671
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDER'S EQUITY	743,516	755,449
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	1,829	1,483	4,396	10,650
Receivables
Trade, net	1,092	2,371
Notes and other	1,687	1,315
Due from Seitel Holdings, Inc.	0	0
Intercompany receivables (payables)	(2,717)	(2,393)
Investment in subsidiaries	601	692
Net seismic data library	33,182	36,180
Net property and equipment	1,342	1,330
Prepaid expenses, deferred charges and other	366	307
Intangible assets, net	842	1,015
Goodwill	76,940	72,104
Deferred income taxes	0	0
TOTAL ASSETS	115,164	114,404
LIABILITIES
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	5,839	5,390
Senior Notes	0	0
Obligations under capital leases	1,721	1,661
Deferred revenue	2,136	2,378
Deferred income taxes	1,037	2,361
TOTAL LIABILITIES	10,733	11,790
STOCKHOLDER'S EQUITY
Common stock	0	0
Additional paid-in capital	0	0
Parent investment	156,432	156,395
Retained deficit	(38,983)	(34,102)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(13,018)	(19,679)
TOTAL STOCKHOLDER'S EQUITY	104,431	102,614
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDER'S EQUITY	115,164	114,404
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	(827,810)	(840,738)
Net seismic data library	(78)	(70)
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	(827,888)	(840,808)
LIABILITIES
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	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	(920,537)	(920,500)
Retained deficit	92,410	79,536
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	239	156
TOTAL STOCKHOLDER'S EQUITY	(827,888)	(840,808)
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDER'S EQUITY	$ (827,888)	$ (840,808)