Document and Entity Information Document and Entity Information - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2019	Feb. 28, 2020	Jun. 30, 2019
Document And Entity Information [Abstract]
Document Type	10-K/A
Document Annual Report	true
Document Period End Date	Dec. 31, 2019
Document Transition Report	false
Entity File Number	1-9260
Entity Registrant Name	UNIT CORPORATION
Entity Incorporation, State or Country Code	DE
Entity Tax Identification Number	73-1283193
Entity Address, Address Line One	8200 South Unit Drive,
Entity Address, City or Town	Tulsa,
Entity Address, State or Province	OK
Entity Address, Country	US
Entity Address, Postal Zip Code	74132
City Area Code	(918)
Local Phone Number	493-7700
Title of 12(b) Security	Common Stock, par value $.20 per share
Trading Symbol	UNT
Security Exchange Name	NYSE
Entity Well-known Seasoned Issuer	No
Entity Voluntary Filers	No
Entity Current Reporting Status	Yes
Entity Interactive Data Current	Yes
Entity Filer Category	Accelerated Filer
Entity Small Business	false
Entity Emerging Growth Company	false
Entity Shell Company	false
Entity Public Float			$ 467,332,169
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding		55,423,610
Amendment Flag	true
Amendment Description	Unit Corporation (the "company," "Unit," "us," "our," or "we") is filing this Amendment No. 1 on Form 10-K/A (this "Amendment No. 1") to its original Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019 filed with the U. S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") on March 16, 2020 (the "Original Form 10-K") for the sole purpose of including information required in Part III of Form 10-K. The information was previously omitted from the Original Form 10-K in reliance on General Instruction G(3) of Form 10-K, which permits Part III information to be incorporated by reference from a definitive proxy statement, if the definitive proxy statement is filed no later than 120 days after the end of the fiscal year. The company is filing this Amendment No. 1 to include its Part III information because we no longer intend to file our definitive proxy statement within 120 days of December 31, 2019.In addition to including the information required in Part III of Form 10-K, this Amendment No. 1 also amends and restates Item 15 of Part IV of the Original Form 10-K to include as exhibits certifications required by Rule 13a-14(a) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. The information in this Amendment No. 1 is supplemental to and does not otherwise update any other information provided in the Original Form 10-K. This Amendment No. 1 does not reflect events that may have occurred subsequent to the filing date of our Original Form 10-K. Among other things, forward-looking statements made in the Original Form 10-K have not been revised to reflect events, results, or developments that have occurred or facts that have become known to us after the date of the Original Form 10-K, and such forward-looking statements should be read in their historical context. Accordingly, this Amendment No. 1 should be read in conjunction with our filings made with the SEC subsequent to the filing of the Original Form 10-K.
Document Fiscal Year Focus	2019
Document Fiscal Period Focus	FY
Entity Central Index Key	0000798949
Current Fiscal Year End Date	--12-31