Supplemental Condensed Consolidated Financial Information (Condensed Consolidating Balance Sheets) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		Mar. 31, 2020		Dec. 31, 2019		Mar. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents		$ 40,994		$ 571		$ 3,891	$ 6,452
Accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts		54,379		82,656
Materials and supplies		414		449
Current derivative asset		661		633
Current income taxes receivable		2,673		1,756
Assets held for sale		0		5,908
Prepaid expenses and other		13,754		13,078
Total current assets		112,875		105,051
Oil and natural gas properties on the full cost method:
Proved properties		6,565,136		6,341,582
Unproved properties not being amortized		31,538		252,874
Drilling equipment		1,298,626		1,295,713
Gas gathering and processing equipment		829,600		824,699
Saltwater disposal systems		43,831		69,692
Land and building		59,080		59,080
Transportation equipment		27,515		29,723
Other		58,039		57,992
Property, plant, and equipment, gross		8,913,365		8,931,355
Less accumulated depreciation, depletion, amortization, and impairment		7,768,310		6,978,669
Carrying value of BOSS drilling rigs		1,145,055		1,952,686
Intercompany receivable		0		0
Investments		0		0
Operating right of use asset		6,937		5,673
Other assets		22,976		26,642
Total assets	[1]	1,287,843		2,090,052
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable		58,595		84,481
Accrued liabilities		41,830		46,562
Current operating lease liability		4,128		3,430
Total current portion of long-term debt	[2]	771,283		108,200
Current portion of other long-term liabilities		18,317		17,376
Total current liabilities		894,153		260,049
Intercompany debt		0		0
Long-term debt		37,000	[2]	663,216	[1]
Non-current derivative liability		123		27
Operating lease liability		2,639		2,071
Other long-term liabilities		88,237		95,341
Deferred income taxes		11,205		13,713
Total shareholders' equity		254,486		1,055,635		1,595,859	1,593,444
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity	[1]	1,287,843		2,090,052
Consolidating Adjustments [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents		0		0		0	0
Accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts		(4,805)		(9,447)
Materials and supplies		0		0
Current derivative asset		0		0
Current income taxes receivable		0		0
Assets held for sale				0
Prepaid expenses and other		0		0
Total current assets		(4,805)		(9,447)
Oil and natural gas properties on the full cost method:
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
Land and building		0		0
Transportation equipment		0		0
Other		0		0
Property, plant, and equipment, gross		0		0
Less accumulated depreciation, depletion, amortization, and impairment		0		0
Carrying value of BOSS drilling rigs		0		0
Intercompany receivable		(973,769)		(1,048,785)
Investments		(74,752)		(865,252)
Operating right of use asset		(53)		(54)
Other assets		0		0
Total assets		(1,053,379)		(1,923,538)
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable		(4,261)		(7,291)
Accrued liabilities		(545)		(2,156)
Current operating lease liability		(6)		(6)
Total current portion of long-term debt		0		0
Current portion of other long-term liabilities		0		0
Total current liabilities		(4,812)		(9,453)
Intercompany debt		(973,769)		(1,048,785)
Long-term debt		0		0
Non-current derivative liability		0		0
Operating lease liability		(46)		(48)
Other long-term liabilities		0		0
Deferred income taxes		0		0
Total shareholders' equity		(74,752)		(865,252)
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity		(1,053,379)		(1,923,538)
Parent [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents		17,008		503		507	403
Accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts		1,670		2,645
Materials and supplies				0
Current derivative asset		661		633
Current income taxes receivable		2,673		1,756
Assets held for sale				0
Prepaid expenses and other		3,138		2,019
Total current assets		25,150		7,556
Oil and natural gas properties on the full cost method:
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
Land and building		0		0
Transportation equipment		9,713		9,712
Other		29,008		28,927
Property, plant, and equipment, gross		38,721		38,639
Less accumulated depreciation, depletion, amortization, and impairment		34,327		33,794
Carrying value of BOSS drilling rigs		4,394		4,845
Intercompany receivable		973,769		1,048,785
Investments		74,752		865,252
Operating right of use asset		39		46
Other assets		7,060		8,107
Total assets		1,085,164		1,934,591
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable		3,121		12,259
Accrued liabilities		30,735		28,003
Current operating lease liability		17		20
Total current portion of long-term debt		771,283		108,200
Current portion of other long-term liabilities		3,020		3,003
Total current liabilities		808,176		151,485
Intercompany debt		0		0
Long-term debt		0		646,716
Non-current derivative liability		123		27
Operating lease liability		20		25
Other long-term liabilities		11,154		12,553
Deferred income taxes		11,205		68,150
Total shareholders' equity		254,486		1,055,635
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity		1,085,164		1,934,591
Combined Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents		81		68		256	208
Accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts		40,119		64,805
Materials and supplies		414		449
Current derivative asset		0		0
Current income taxes receivable		0		0
Assets held for sale				5,908
Prepaid expenses and other		3,143		3,373
Total current assets		43,757		74,603
Oil and natural gas properties on the full cost method:
Proved properties		6,565,136		6,341,582
Unproved properties not being amortized		31,538		252,874
Drilling equipment		1,298,626		1,295,713
Gas gathering and processing equipment		0		0
Saltwater disposal systems		43,831		69,692
Land and building		59,080		59,080
Transportation equipment		14,405		16,621
Other		29,031		29,065
Property, plant, and equipment, gross		8,041,647		8,064,627
Less accumulated depreciation, depletion, amortization, and impairment		7,250,779		6,537,731
Carrying value of BOSS drilling rigs		790,868		1,526,896
Intercompany receivable		0		0
Investments		0		0
Operating right of use asset		3,724		1,733
Other assets		8,266		9,094
Total assets		846,615		1,612,326
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable		47,721		61,002
Accrued liabilities		7,585		14,024
Current operating lease liability		2,156		1,009
Total current portion of long-term debt		0		0
Current portion of other long-term liabilities		6,533		7,313
Total current liabilities		63,995		83,348
Intercompany debt		972,510		1,047,599
Long-term debt		0		0
Non-current derivative liability		0		0
Operating lease liability		1,533		690
Other long-term liabilities		72,301		74,662
Deferred income taxes		0		(54,437)
Total shareholders' equity		(263,724)		460,464
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity		846,615		1,612,326
Combined Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents		23,905		0		$ 3,128	$ 5,841
Accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts		17,395		24,653
Materials and supplies		0		0
Current derivative asset		0		0
Current income taxes receivable		0		0
Assets held for sale				0
Prepaid expenses and other		7,473		7,686
Total current assets		48,773		32,339
Oil and natural gas properties on the full cost method:
Proved properties		0		0
Unproved properties not being amortized		0		0
Drilling equipment		0		0
Gas gathering and processing equipment		829,600		824,699
Saltwater disposal systems		0		0
Land and building		0		0
Transportation equipment		3,397		3,390
Other		0		0
Property, plant, and equipment, gross		832,997		828,089
Less accumulated depreciation, depletion, amortization, and impairment		483,204		407,144
Carrying value of BOSS drilling rigs		349,793		420,945
Intercompany receivable		0		0
Investments		0		0
Operating right of use asset		3,227		3,948
Other assets		7,650		9,441
Total assets		409,443		466,673
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable		12,014		18,511
Accrued liabilities		4,055		6,691
Current operating lease liability		1,961		2,407
Total current portion of long-term debt		0		0
Current portion of other long-term liabilities		8,764		7,060
Total current liabilities		26,794		34,669
Intercompany debt		1,259		1,186
Long-term debt		37,000		16,500
Non-current derivative liability		0		0
Operating lease liability		1,132		1,404
Other long-term liabilities		4,782		8,126
Deferred income taxes		0		0
Total shareholders' equity		338,476		404,788
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity		$ 409,443		$ 466,673

[1] Unit Corporation's consolidated total assets as of March 31, 2020 include total current and long-term assets of its variable interest entity (VIE) (Superior Pipeline Company, L.L.C.) of $46.7 million and $360.7 million, respectively, which can only settle obligations of the VIE. Unit Corporation's consolidated total liabilities as of March 31, 2020 include total current and long-term liabilities of the VIE of $25.8 million and $42.9 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, 2019 include total current and long-term assets of the VIE of $28.8 million and $434.3 million, respectively, which can only settle obligations of the VIE. Unit Corporation's consolidated total liabilities as of December 31, 2019 include total 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. See Note 16 – Variable Interest Entity Arrangements.

[2] As of March 31, 2020, the current portion of long-term debt is net of debt issuance costs. As of December 31, 2019, the long-term debt is net of debt issuance costs. See Note 8 – Long-Term Debt and Other Long-Term Liabilities.