Supplemental Condensed Consolidated Financial Information (Condensed Consolidating Statements of Income) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2020	Jun. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2020	Jun. 30, 2019
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues	$ 89,007	$ 165,146	$ 211,383	$ 354,837
Expenses:
Operating costs	115,103	98,041	198,826	201,511
Depreciation, depletion, and amortization	35,960	66,292	97,577	128,418
Impairments	109,318	0	851,242	0
Loss on abandonment of assets	0	0	17,554	0
General and administrative	25,814	10,064	37,367	19,805
Loss on disposition of assets	877	(422)	1,267	1,193
Total operating costs	287,072	173,975	1,203,833	350,927
Income (loss) from operations	(198,065)	(8,829)	(992,450)	3,910
Interest, net	(7,608)	(8,995)	(20,865)	(17,533)
Write off of debt issuance cost	(2,426)	0	(2,426)	0
Gain (loss) on derivatives	(6,937)	7,927	(6,454)	995
Reorganization Items	(7,027)	0	(7,027)	0
Other, net	43	6	103	11
Income (loss) before income taxes	(222,020)	(9,891)	(1,029,119)	(12,617)
Income tax expense (benefit)	(6,455)	(1,874)	(9,880)	(2,318)
Equity in net earnings from investment in subsidiaries, net of taxes	0	0	0	0
Net Income (loss)	(215,565)	(8,017)	(1,019,239)	(10,299)
Less: net income (loss) attributable to non-controlling interest	84	492	(33,096)	1,714
Net loss attributable to Unit Corporation	(215,649)	(8,509)	(986,143)	(12,013)
Consolidating Adjustments [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues	(4,871)	(18,072)	(10,331)	(43,184)
Expenses:
Operating costs	(4,873)	(17,418)	(10,331)	(41,470)
Depreciation, depletion, and amortization	0	0	0	0
Impairments	0		0
Loss on abandonment of assets			0
General and administrative	0	0	0	0
Loss on disposition of assets	0	0	0	0
Total operating costs	(4,873)	(17,418)	(10,331)	(41,470)
Income (loss) from operations	2	(654)	0	(1,714)
Interest, net	0	0	0	0
Write off of debt issuance cost	0		0
Gain (loss) on derivatives	0	0	0	0
Reorganization Items	0		0
Other, net	0	0	0	0
Income (loss) before income taxes	2	(654)	0	(1,714)
Income tax expense (benefit)	0	0	0	0
Equity in net earnings from investment in subsidiaries, net of taxes	201,304	6,705	995,283	(3,145)
Net Income (loss)	201,306	6,051	995,283	(4,859)
Less: net income (loss) attributable to non-controlling interest	(84)	0	33,096	0
Net loss attributable to Unit Corporation	201,390	6,051	962,187	(4,859)
Parent [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues	0	0	0	0
Expenses:
Operating costs	0	0	0	0
Depreciation, depletion, and amortization	607	1,935	1,478	3,869
Impairments	0		0
Loss on abandonment of assets			0
General and administrative	0	0	0	0
Loss on disposition of assets	1,479	0	1,479	(10)
Total operating costs	2,086	1,935	2,957	3,859
Income (loss) from operations	(2,086)	(1,935)	(2,957)	(3,859)
Interest, net	(7,066)	(8,650)	(19,805)	(16,852)
Write off of debt issuance cost	(2,426)		(2,426)
Gain (loss) on derivatives	(6,937)	7,927	(6,454)	995
Reorganization Items	(2,205)		(2,205)
Other, net	4	6	11	11
Income (loss) before income taxes	(20,716)	(2,652)	(33,836)	(19,705)
Income tax expense (benefit)	(6,455)	(848)	(9,880)	(4,547)
Equity in net earnings from investment in subsidiaries, net of taxes	(201,304)	(6,705)	(995,283)	3,145
Net Income (loss)	(215,565)	(8,509)	(1,019,239)	(12,013)
Less: net income (loss) attributable to non-controlling interest	84	0	(33,096)	0
Net loss attributable to Unit Corporation	(215,649)	(8,509)	(986,143)	(12,013)
Combined Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues	56,159	128,588	141,315	272,882
Expenses:
Operating costs	93,305	73,909	150,169	145,302
Depreciation, depletion, and amortization	25,005	52,255	73,478	100,721
Impairments	109,318		787,280
Loss on abandonment of assets			17,554
General and administrative	25,814	10,064	37,367	19,805
Loss on disposition of assets	(593)	(356)	(197)	1,311
Total operating costs	252,849	135,872	1,065,651	267,139
Income (loss) from operations	(196,690)	(7,284)	(924,336)	5,743
Interest, net	0	0	0	0
Write off of debt issuance cost	0		0
Gain (loss) on derivatives	0	0	0	0
Reorganization Items	(4,822)		(4,822)
Other, net	18	0	53	0
Income (loss) before income taxes	(201,494)	(7,284)	(929,105)	5,743
Income tax expense (benefit)	0	(1,026)	0	2,229
Equity in net earnings from investment in subsidiaries, net of taxes	0	0	0	0
Net Income (loss)	(201,494)	(6,258)	(929,105)	3,514
Less: net income (loss) attributable to non-controlling interest	0	0	0	0
Net loss attributable to Unit Corporation	(201,494)	(6,258)	(929,105)	3,514
Combined Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues	37,719	54,630	80,399	125,139
Expenses:
Operating costs	26,671	41,550	58,988	97,679
Depreciation, depletion, and amortization	10,348	12,102	22,621	23,828
Impairments	0		63,962
Loss on abandonment of assets			0
General and administrative	0	0	0	0
Loss on disposition of assets	(9)	(66)	(15)	(108)
Total operating costs	37,010	53,586	145,556	121,399
Income (loss) from operations	709	1,044	(65,157)	3,740
Interest, net	(542)	(345)	(1,060)	(681)
Write off of debt issuance cost	0		0
Gain (loss) on derivatives	0	0	0	0
Reorganization Items	0		0
Other, net	21	0	39	0
Income (loss) before income taxes	188	699	(66,178)	3,059
Income tax expense (benefit)	0	0	0	0
Equity in net earnings from investment in subsidiaries, net of taxes	0	0	0	0
Net Income (loss)	188	699	(66,178)	3,059
Less: net income (loss) attributable to non-controlling interest	84	492	(33,096)	1,714
Net loss attributable to Unit Corporation	$ 104	$ 207	$ (33,082)	$ 1,345