Supplemental Condensed Consolidated Financial Information (Condensed Consolidating Balance Sheets) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		Dec. 31, 2019		Dec. 31, 2018		Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents		$ 571		$ 6,452		$ 701	$ 893
Accounts receivable		82,656		119,397
Materials and supplies		449		473
Current derivative assets		633		12,870
Current income taxes receivable		1,756		2,054
Assets held for sale		5,908		22,511
Prepaid expenses and other		13,078		6,602
Total current assets		105,051		170,359
Oil and Gas Property [Abstract]
Proved properties		6,341,582		6,018,568		5,712,813
Unproved properties not being amortized		252,874		330,216		296,764
Drilling equipment		1,295,713		1,284,419
Gas gathering and processing equipment		824,699		767,388
Saltwater disposal systems		69,692		68,339
Corporate land and building		59,080		59,081
Transportation equipment		29,723		29,524
Other		57,992		57,507
Property, plant and equipment, gross, total		8,931,355		8,615,042
Less accumulated depreciation, depletion, amortization, and impairment		6,978,669		6,182,726
Net property and equipment		1,952,686		2,432,316
Intercompany receivable		0		0
Goodwill		0		62,808
Investments		0		0
Right of use asset		5,673		0
Other assets		26,642		32,570
Total assets		2,090,052	[1]	2,698,053	[1]	2,581,452
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable		84,481		151,686
Accrued liabilities		46,562		47,923
Current operating lease liabilities		3,430		0
Current portion of long-term debt (Note 8)		108,200		0
Current derivative liabilities		0		0
Current portion of other long-term liabilities		17,376		14,250
Total current liabilities		260,049		213,859
Intercompany debt		0		0
Long-term debt less debt issuance costs		663,216		644,475
Non-current derivative liabilities		27		293
Long-term operating lease payments		2,071		0
Other long-term liabilities		95,341		101,234
Deferred income taxes		13,713		144,748
Total shareholders' equity		1,055,635		1,593,444		1,345,560	1,194,070
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity	[1]	2,090,052		2,698,053
Consolidating Adjustments
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents		0		0		0	0
Accounts receivable		(9,447)		(14,344)
Materials and supplies		0		0
Current derivative assets		0		0
Current income taxes receivable		0		0
Assets held for sale		0		0
Prepaid expenses and other		0		0
Total current assets		(9,447)		(14,344)
Oil and Gas Property [Abstract]
Proved properties		0		0
Unproved properties not being amortized		0		0
Drilling equipment		0		0
Gas gathering and processing equipment		0		0
Saltwater disposal systems		0		0
Corporate land and building		0		0
Transportation equipment		0		0
Other		0		0
Property, plant and equipment, gross, total		0		0
Less accumulated depreciation, depletion, amortization, and impairment		0		0
Net property and equipment		0		0
Intercompany receivable		(1,048,785)		(950,871)
Goodwill				0
Investments		(865,252)		(1,362,526)
Right of use asset		(54)
Other assets		0		0
Total assets		(1,923,538)		(2,327,741)
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable		(7,291)		(12,603)
Accrued liabilities		(2,156)		(1,741)
Current operating lease liabilities		(6)
Current portion of long-term debt (Note 8)		0
Current portion of other long-term liabilities		0		0
Total current liabilities		(9,453)		(14,344)
Intercompany debt		(1,048,785)		(950,871)
Long-term debt less debt issuance costs		0		0
Non-current derivative liabilities		0		0
Long-term operating lease payments		(48)
Other long-term liabilities		0		0
Deferred income taxes		0		0
Total shareholders' equity		(865,252)		(1,362,526)
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity		(1,923,538)		(2,327,741)
Parent
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents		503		403		510	517
Accounts receivable		2,645		2,328
Materials and supplies		0		0
Current derivative assets		633		12,870
Current income taxes receivable		1,756		243
Assets held for sale		0		0
Prepaid expenses and other		2,019		1,993
Total current assets		7,556		17,837
Oil and Gas Property [Abstract]
Proved properties		0		0
Unproved properties not being amortized		0		0
Drilling equipment		0		0
Gas gathering and processing equipment		0		0
Saltwater disposal systems		0		0
Corporate land and building		0		0
Transportation equipment		9,712		9,273
Other		28,927		28,584
Property, plant and equipment, gross, total		38,639		37,857
Less accumulated depreciation, depletion, amortization, and impairment		33,794		27,504
Net property and equipment		4,845		10,353
Intercompany receivable		1,048,785		950,871
Goodwill				0
Investments		865,252		1,362,526
Right of use asset		46
Other assets		8,107		8,225
Total assets		1,934,591		2,349,812
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable		12,259		9,466
Accrued liabilities		28,003		27,505
Current operating lease liabilities		20
Current portion of long-term debt (Note 8)		108,200
Current portion of other long-term liabilities		3,003		812
Total current liabilities		151,485		37,783
Intercompany debt		0		0
Long-term debt less debt issuance costs		646,716		644,475
Non-current derivative liabilities		27		293
Long-term operating lease payments		25
Other long-term liabilities		12,553		12,834
Deferred income taxes		68,150		60,983
Total shareholders' equity		1,055,635		1,593,444
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity		1,934,591		2,349,812
Combined Guarantor Subsidiaries
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents		68		208		191	376
Accounts receivable		64,805		94,737
Materials and supplies		449		473
Current derivative assets		0		0
Current income taxes receivable		0		1,811
Assets held for sale		5,908		22,511
Prepaid expenses and other		3,373		3,560
Total current assets		74,603		123,300
Oil and Gas Property [Abstract]
Proved properties		6,341,582		6,018,568
Unproved properties not being amortized		252,874		330,216
Drilling equipment		1,295,713		1,284,419
Gas gathering and processing equipment		0		0
Saltwater disposal systems		69,692		68,339
Corporate land and building		59,080		59,081
Transportation equipment		16,621		17,165
Other		29,065		28,923
Property, plant and equipment, gross, total		8,064,627		7,806,711
Less accumulated depreciation, depletion, amortization, and impairment		6,537,731		5,790,481
Net property and equipment		1,526,896		2,016,230
Intercompany receivable		0		0
Goodwill				62,808
Investments		0		0
Right of use asset		1,733
Other assets		9,094		6,793
Total assets		1,612,326		2,209,131
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable		61,002		122,608
Accrued liabilities		14,024		16,539
Current operating lease liabilities		1,009
Current portion of long-term debt (Note 8)		0
Current portion of other long-term liabilities		7,313		6,563
Total current liabilities		83,348		145,710
Intercompany debt		1,047,599		948,790
Long-term debt less debt issuance costs		0		0
Non-current derivative liabilities		0		0
Long-term operating lease payments		690
Other long-term liabilities		74,662		73,713
Deferred income taxes		(54,437)		83,765
Total shareholders' equity		460,464		957,153
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity		1,612,326		2,209,131
Combined Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents		0		5,841		$ 0	$ 0
Accounts receivable		24,653		36,676
Materials and supplies		0		0
Current derivative assets		0		0
Current income taxes receivable		0		0
Assets held for sale		0		0
Prepaid expenses and other		7,686		1,049
Total current assets		32,339		43,566
Oil and Gas Property [Abstract]
Proved properties		0		0
Unproved properties not being amortized		0		0
Drilling equipment		0		0
Gas gathering and processing equipment		824,699		767,388
Saltwater disposal systems		0		0
Corporate land and building		0		0
Transportation equipment		3,390		3,086
Other		0		0
Property, plant and equipment, gross, total		828,089		770,474
Less accumulated depreciation, depletion, amortization, and impairment		407,144		364,741
Net property and equipment		420,945		405,733
Intercompany receivable		0		0
Goodwill				0
Investments		0		0
Right of use asset		3,948
Other assets		9,441		17,552
Total assets		466,673		466,851
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable		18,511		32,215
Accrued liabilities		6,691		5,620
Current operating lease liabilities		2,407
Current portion of long-term debt (Note 8)		0
Current portion of other long-term liabilities		7,060		6,875
Total current liabilities		34,669		44,710
Intercompany debt		1,186		2,081
Long-term debt less debt issuance costs		16,500		0
Non-current derivative liabilities		0		0
Long-term operating lease payments		1,404
Other long-term liabilities		8,126		14,687
Deferred income taxes		0		0
Total shareholders' equity		404,788		405,373
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity		$ 466,673		$ 466,851

[1] Unit Corporation's consolidated total assets as of December 31, 2019 include current and long-term assets of its variable interest entity (VIE) (Superior) of $28.8 million and $434.3 million, respectively, which can only be used to settle obligations of the VIE. Unit Corporation's consolidated total liabilities as of December 31, 2019 include current and long-term liabilities of the VIE of $32.2 million and $26.0 million, respectively, for which the creditors of the VIE have no recourse to Unit Corporation. Unit Corporation's consolidated total assets as of December 31, 2018 include current and long-term assets of its variable interest entity (VIE) (Superior) of $40.1 million and $423.3 million, respectively, which can only be used to settle obligations of the VIE. Unit Corporation's consolidated total liabilities as of December 31, 2018 include current and long-term liabilities of the VIE of $42.8 million and $14.7 million, respectively, for which the creditors of the VIE have no recourse to Unit Corporation. See Note 18 – Variable Interest Entity Arrangements.