Supplemental Guarantors Consolidating Condensed Financial Information (Balance Sheet) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Jun. 30, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Jun. 30, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 60,843	$ 55,997	$ 44,473	$ 52,675
Receivables
Trade, net	18,281	24,481
Notes and other	395	436
Due from Seitel Holdings, Inc.	1,185	1,177
Intercompany receivables (payables)	0	0
Investment in subsidiaries	0	0
Net seismic data library	91,286	115,922
Net property and equipment	1,622	1,709
Prepaid expenses, deferred charges and other	2,497	1,762
Intangible assets, net	900	1,418
Goodwill	184,368	182,012
Deferred income taxes	272	257
TOTAL ASSETS	361,649	385,171
LIABILITIES
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	16,155	17,007
Income taxes payable	532	620
Senior Notes	247,484	246,857
Obligations under capital leases	1,443	1,510
Deferred revenue	12,914	15,904
Deferred income taxes	1,680	2,214
TOTAL LIABILITIES	280,208	284,112
STOCKHOLDER'S EQUITY
Common stock	0	0
Additional paid-in capital	400,588	400,582
Parent investment	0	0
Retained deficit	(306,205)	(283,190)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(12,942)	(16,333)
TOTAL STOCKHOLDER'S EQUITY	81,441	101,059
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDER'S EQUITY	361,649	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	(830,523)	(841,394)
Net seismic data library	0	(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	(830,523)	(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	(920,833)	(920,699)
Retained deficit	89,958	79,040
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	352	241
TOTAL STOCKHOLDER'S EQUITY	(830,523)	(841,418)
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDER'S EQUITY	(830,523)	(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)	(63,688)	(51,982)
Investment in subsidiaries	409,544	420,308
Net seismic data library	0	0
Net property and equipment	0	0
Prepaid expenses, deferred charges and other	119	30
Intangible assets, net	900	900
Goodwill	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
TOTAL ASSETS	346,875	369,256
LIABILITIES
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	5,008	5,007
Income taxes payable	0	0
Senior Notes	247,484	246,857
Obligations under capital leases	0	0
Deferred revenue	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
TOTAL LIABILITIES	252,492	251,864
STOCKHOLDER'S EQUITY
Common stock	0	0
Additional paid-in capital	400,588	400,582
Parent investment	0	0
Retained deficit	(306,205)	(283,190)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	0	0
TOTAL STOCKHOLDER'S EQUITY	94,383	117,392
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDER'S EQUITY	346,875	369,256
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	43,601	47,971	42,056	51,192
Receivables
Trade, net	18,016	14,819
Notes and other	128	412
Due from Seitel Holdings, Inc.	1,185	1,177
Intercompany receivables (payables)	61,392	51,262
Investment in subsidiaries	420,301	420,456
Net seismic data library	72,201	94,039
Net property and equipment	522	611
Prepaid expenses, deferred charges and other	1,628	1,413
Intangible assets, net	0	402
Goodwill	107,688	107,688
Deferred income taxes	96	92
TOTAL ASSETS	726,758	740,342
LIABILITIES
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	8,258	8,559
Income taxes payable	25	24
Senior Notes	0	0
Obligations under capital leases	0	0
Deferred revenue	11,157	13,574
Deferred income taxes	0	0
TOTAL LIABILITIES	19,440	22,157
STOCKHOLDER'S EQUITY
Common stock	0	0
Additional paid-in capital	0	0
Parent investment	764,105	764,105
Retained deficit	(56,787)	(45,920)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	0	0
TOTAL STOCKHOLDER'S EQUITY	707,318	718,185
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDER'S EQUITY	726,758	740,342
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	17,242	8,026	$ 2,417	$ 1,483
Receivables
Trade, net	265	9,662
Notes and other	267	24
Due from Seitel Holdings, Inc.	0	0
Intercompany receivables (payables)	2,296	720
Investment in subsidiaries	678	630
Net seismic data library	19,085	21,907
Net property and equipment	1,100	1,098
Prepaid expenses, deferred charges and other	750	319
Intangible assets, net	0	116
Goodwill	76,680	74,324
Deferred income taxes	176	165
TOTAL ASSETS	118,539	116,991
LIABILITIES
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	2,889	3,441
Income taxes payable	507	596
Senior Notes	0	0
Obligations under capital leases	1,443	1,510
Deferred revenue	1,757	2,330
Deferred income taxes	1,680	2,214
TOTAL LIABILITIES	8,276	10,091
STOCKHOLDER'S EQUITY
Common stock	0	0
Additional paid-in capital	0	0
Parent investment	156,728	156,594
Retained deficit	(33,171)	(33,120)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(13,294)	(16,574)
TOTAL STOCKHOLDER'S EQUITY	110,263	106,900
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDER'S EQUITY	$ 118,539	$ 116,991