Supplemental Guarantors Consolidating Condensed Financial Information - (Balance Sheet) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 55,997	$ 52,675	$ 59,175	$ 31,353
Receivables
Trade, net	24,481	14,830
Notes and other	436	1,318
Due from Seitel Holdings, Inc.	1,177	1,156
Intercompany receivables (payables)	0	0
Investment in subsidiaries	0	0
Net seismic data library	115,922	161,363
Net property and equipment	1,709	2,603
Prepaid expenses, deferred charges and other	1,762	2,183
Intangible assets, net	1,418	5,528
Goodwill	182,012	179,792	193,722
Deferred income taxes	257	39
TOTAL ASSETS	385,171	421,487
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDER’S EQUITY
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	17,007	23,650
Income taxes payable	620	0
Senior Notes	246,857	245,696
Obligations under capital leases	1,510	1,661
Deferred revenue	15,904	25,903
Deferred income taxes	2,214	2,361
TOTAL LIABILITIES	284,112	299,271
STOCKHOLDER’S EQUITY
Common stock	0	0
Additional paid-in capital	400,582	400,505
Parent investment	0	0
Retained deficit	(283,190)	(258,766)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(16,333)	(19,523)
TOTAL STOCKHOLDER’S EQUITY	101,059	122,216
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDER’S EQUITY	385,171	421,487
Consolidation, 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	(841,394)	(840,738)
Net seismic data library	(24)	(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	(841,418)	(840,808)
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDER’S EQUITY
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	0	0
Income taxes payable	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	(920,699)	(920,500)
Retained deficit	79,040	79,536
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	241	156
TOTAL STOCKHOLDER’S EQUITY	(841,418)	(840,808)
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDER’S EQUITY	(841,418)	(840,808)
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)	(51,982)	(29,144)
Investment in subsidiaries	420,308	420,547
Net seismic data library	0	0
Net property and equipment	0	0
Prepaid expenses, deferred charges and other	30	139
Intangible assets, net	900	900
Goodwill	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
TOTAL ASSETS	369,256	392,442
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDER’S EQUITY
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	5,007	5,007
Income taxes payable	0
Senior Notes	246,857	245,696
Obligations under capital leases	0	0
Deferred revenue	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
TOTAL LIABILITIES	251,864	250,703
STOCKHOLDER’S EQUITY
Common stock	0	0
Additional paid-in capital	400,582	400,505
Parent investment	0	0
Retained deficit	(283,190)	(258,766)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	0	0
TOTAL STOCKHOLDER’S EQUITY	117,392	141,739
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDER’S EQUITY	369,256	392,442
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	47,971	51,192	48,525	24,859
Receivables
Trade, net	14,819	12,459
Notes and other	412	3
Due from Seitel Holdings, Inc.	1,177	1,156
Intercompany receivables (payables)	51,262	31,537
Investment in subsidiaries	420,456	419,499
Net seismic data library	94,039	125,253
Net property and equipment	611	1,273
Prepaid expenses, deferred charges and other	1,413	1,737
Intangible assets, net	402	3,613
Goodwill	107,688	107,688
Deferred income taxes	92	39
TOTAL ASSETS	740,342	755,449
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDER’S EQUITY
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	8,559	13,253
Income taxes payable	24
Senior Notes	0	0
Obligations under capital leases	0	0
Deferred revenue	13,574	23,525
Deferred income taxes	0	0
TOTAL LIABILITIES	22,157	36,778
STOCKHOLDER’S EQUITY
Common stock	0	0
Additional paid-in capital	0	0
Parent investment	764,105	764,105
Retained deficit	(45,920)	(45,434)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	0	0
TOTAL STOCKHOLDER’S EQUITY	718,185	718,671
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDER’S EQUITY	740,342	755,449
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	8,026	1,483	$ 10,650	$ 6,494
Receivables
Trade, net	9,662	2,371
Notes and other	24	1,315
Due from Seitel Holdings, Inc.	0	0
Intercompany receivables (payables)	720	(2,393)
Investment in subsidiaries	630	692
Net seismic data library	21,907	36,180
Net property and equipment	1,098	1,330
Prepaid expenses, deferred charges and other	319	307
Intangible assets, net	116	1,015
Goodwill	74,324	72,104
Deferred income taxes	165	0
TOTAL ASSETS	116,991	114,404
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDER’S EQUITY
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	3,441	5,390
Income taxes payable	596
Senior Notes	0	0
Obligations under capital leases	1,510	1,661
Deferred revenue	2,330	2,378
Deferred income taxes	2,214	2,361
TOTAL LIABILITIES	10,091	11,790
STOCKHOLDER’S EQUITY
Common stock	0	0
Additional paid-in capital	0	0
Parent investment	156,594	156,395
Retained deficit	(33,120)	(34,102)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(16,574)	(19,679)
TOTAL STOCKHOLDER’S EQUITY	106,900	102,614
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDER’S EQUITY	$ 116,991	$ 114,404