Supplemental Guarantors Consolidating Condensed Financial Information - Balance Sheet (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Mar. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Mar. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 80,974	$ 70,581	$ 64,251	$ 55,997
Receivables
Trade, net	9,686	23,330
Notes and other	2,532	2,617
Due from Seitel Holdings, Inc.	1,193	1,191
Intercompany receivables (payables)	0	0
Investment in subsidiaries	0	0
Net seismic data library	68,947	74,542
Net property and equipment	1,522	1,599
Prepaid expenses, deferred charges and other	2,882	1,842
Intangible assets, net	900	900
Goodwill	185,088	187,243
Deferred income taxes	201	203
TOTAL ASSETS	353,925	364,048
LIABILITIES
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	18,153	20,198
Income taxes payable	52	2,777
Senior Notes	248,484	248,142
Obligations under capital leases	1,259	1,363
Deferred revenue	12,865	13,095
Deferred income taxes	904	1,359
TOTAL LIABILITIES	281,717	286,934
STOCKHOLDER’S EQUITY
Common stock	0	0
Additional paid-in capital	400,594	400,592
Parent investment	0	0
Retained deficit	(316,383)	(314,671)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(12,003)	(8,807)
TOTAL STOCKHOLDER’S EQUITY	72,208	77,114
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDER’S EQUITY	353,925	364,048
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	(841,962)	(837,861)
Net seismic data library	0	0
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	(841,962)	(837,861)
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	(920,889)	(920,887)
Retained deficit	78,551	82,674
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	376	352
TOTAL STOCKHOLDER’S EQUITY	(841,962)	(837,861)
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDER’S EQUITY	(841,962)	(837,861)
Parent [Member] | Reportable Legal Entities [Member]
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0	0
Receivables
Trade, net	0	0
Notes and other	2,357	2,357
Due from Seitel Holdings, Inc.	0	0
Intercompany receivables (payables)	(75,762)	(75,641)
Investment in subsidiaries	416,025	411,423
Net seismic data library	0	0
Net property and equipment	0	0
Prepaid expenses, deferred charges and other	135	31
Intangible assets, net	900	900
Goodwill	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
TOTAL ASSETS	343,655	339,070
LIABILITIES
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	10,945	5,007
Income taxes payable	15	0
Senior Notes	248,484	248,142
Obligations under capital leases	0	0
Deferred revenue	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
TOTAL LIABILITIES	259,444	253,149
STOCKHOLDER’S EQUITY
Common stock	0	0
Additional paid-in capital	400,594	400,592
Parent investment	0	0
Retained deficit	(316,383)	(314,671)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	0	0
TOTAL STOCKHOLDER’S EQUITY	84,211	85,921
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDER’S EQUITY	343,655	339,070
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member] | Reportable Legal Entities [Member]
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	57,692	43,380	52,421	47,971
Receivables
Trade, net	7,884	19,183
Notes and other	47	151
Due from Seitel Holdings, Inc.	1,193	1,191
Intercompany receivables (payables)	73,360	73,244
Investment in subsidiaries	425,304	425,736
Net seismic data library	53,444	57,703
Net property and equipment	598	593
Prepaid expenses, deferred charges and other	1,649	1,164
Intangible assets, net	0	0
Goodwill	107,688	107,688
Deferred income taxes	56	51
TOTAL ASSETS	728,915	730,084
LIABILITIES
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	3,927	9,421
Income taxes payable	37	12
Senior Notes	0	0
Obligations under capital leases	0	0
Deferred revenue	11,430	11,568
Deferred income taxes	0	0
TOTAL LIABILITIES	15,394	21,001
STOCKHOLDER’S EQUITY
Common stock	0	0
Additional paid-in capital	0	0
Parent investment	764,105	764,105
Retained deficit	(50,584)	(55,022)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	0	0
TOTAL STOCKHOLDER’S EQUITY	713,521	709,083
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDER’S EQUITY	728,915	730,084
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member] | Reportable Legal Entities [Member]
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	23,282	27,201	$ 11,830	$ 8,026
Receivables
Trade, net	1,802	4,147
Notes and other	128	109
Due from Seitel Holdings, Inc.	0	0
Intercompany receivables (payables)	2,402	2,397
Investment in subsidiaries	633	702
Net seismic data library	15,503	16,839
Net property and equipment	924	1,006
Prepaid expenses, deferred charges and other	1,098	647
Intangible assets, net	0	0
Goodwill	77,400	79,555
Deferred income taxes	145	152
TOTAL ASSETS	123,317	132,755
LIABILITIES
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	3,281	5,770
Income taxes payable	0	2,765
Senior Notes	0	0
Obligations under capital leases	1,259	1,363
Deferred revenue	1,435	1,527
Deferred income taxes	904	1,359
TOTAL LIABILITIES	6,879	12,784
STOCKHOLDER’S EQUITY
Common stock	0	0
Additional paid-in capital	0	0
Parent investment	156,784	156,782
Retained deficit	(27,967)	(27,652)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(12,379)	(9,159)
TOTAL STOCKHOLDER’S EQUITY	116,438	119,971
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDER’S EQUITY	$ 123,317	$ 132,755