Supplemental Guarantors Consolidating Condensed Financial Information (Balance Sheet) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Mar. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 64,251	$ 55,997	$ 57,035	$ 52,675
Receivables
Trade, net	24,146	24,481
Notes and other	91	436
Due from Seitel Holdings, Inc.	1,180	1,177
Intercompany receivables (payables)	0	0
Investment in subsidiaries	0	0
Net seismic data library	105,162	115,922
Net property and equipment	1,659	1,709
Prepaid expenses, deferred charges and other	2,079	1,762
Intangible assets, net	900	1,418
Goodwill	182,599	182,012
Deferred income taxes	292	257
TOTAL ASSETS	382,359	385,171
LIABILITIES
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	24,786	17,007
Income taxes payable	714	620
Senior Notes	247,167	246,857
Obligations under capital leases	1,469	1,510
Deferred revenue	18,078	15,904
Deferred income taxes	1,645	2,214
TOTAL LIABILITIES	293,859	284,112
STOCKHOLDER'S EQUITY
Common stock	0	0
Additional paid-in capital	400,580	400,582
Parent investment	0	0
Retained deficit	(296,569)	(283,190)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(15,511)	(16,333)
TOTAL STOCKHOLDER'S EQUITY	88,500	101,059
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDER'S EQUITY	382,359	385,171
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	(833,824)	(841,394)
Net seismic data library	(12)	(24)
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	(833,836)	(841,418)
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	(920,748)	(920,699)
Retained deficit	86,560	79,040
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	352	241
TOTAL STOCKHOLDER'S EQUITY	(833,836)	(841,418)
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDER'S EQUITY	(833,836)	(841,418)
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)	(51,768)	(51,982)
Investment in subsidiaries	412,923	420,308
Net seismic data library	0	0
Net property and equipment	0	0
Prepaid expenses, deferred charges and other	69	30
Intangible assets, net	900	900
Goodwill	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
TOTAL ASSETS	362,124	369,256
LIABILITIES
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	10,946	5,007
Income taxes payable	0	0
Senior Notes	247,167	246,857
Obligations under capital leases	0	0
Deferred revenue	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
TOTAL LIABILITIES	258,113	251,864
STOCKHOLDER'S EQUITY
Common stock	0	0
Additional paid-in capital	400,580	400,582
Parent investment	0	0
Retained deficit	(296,569)	(283,190)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	0	0
TOTAL STOCKHOLDER'S EQUITY	104,011	117,392
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDER'S EQUITY	362,124	369,256
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	52,421	47,971	55,206	51,192
Receivables
Trade, net	14,975	14,819
Notes and other	38	412
Due from Seitel Holdings, Inc.	1,180	1,177
Intercompany receivables (payables)	51,612	51,262
Investment in subsidiaries	420,031	420,456
Net seismic data library	83,772	94,039
Net property and equipment	579	611
Prepaid expenses, deferred charges and other	1,678	1,413
Intangible assets, net	0	402
Goodwill	107,688	107,688
Deferred income taxes	95	92
TOTAL ASSETS	734,069	740,342
LIABILITIES
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	7,679	8,559
Income taxes payable	24	24
Senior Notes	0	0
Obligations under capital leases	0	0
Deferred revenue	15,576	13,574
Deferred income taxes	0	0
TOTAL LIABILITIES	23,279	22,157
STOCKHOLDER'S EQUITY
Common stock	0	0
Additional paid-in capital	0	0
Parent investment	764,105	764,105
Retained deficit	(53,315)	(45,920)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	0	0
TOTAL STOCKHOLDER'S EQUITY	710,790	718,185
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDER'S EQUITY	734,069	740,342
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	11,830	8,026	$ 1,829	$ 1,483
Receivables
Trade, net	9,171	9,662
Notes and other	53	24
Due from Seitel Holdings, Inc.	0	0
Intercompany receivables (payables)	156	720
Investment in subsidiaries	870	630
Net seismic data library	21,402	21,907
Net property and equipment	1,080	1,098
Prepaid expenses, deferred charges and other	332	319
Intangible assets, net	0	116
Goodwill	74,911	74,324
Deferred income taxes	197	165
TOTAL ASSETS	120,002	116,991
LIABILITIES
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	6,161	3,441
Income taxes payable	690	596
Senior Notes	0	0
Obligations under capital leases	1,469	1,510
Deferred revenue	2,502	2,330
Deferred income taxes	1,645	2,214
TOTAL LIABILITIES	12,467	10,091
STOCKHOLDER'S EQUITY
Common stock	0	0
Additional paid-in capital	0	0
Parent investment	156,643	156,594
Retained deficit	(33,245)	(33,120)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(15,863)	(16,574)
TOTAL STOCKHOLDER'S EQUITY	107,535	106,900
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDER'S EQUITY	$ 120,002	$ 116,991