Industry Segment Information (Revenue From Different Segments) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		4 Months Ended		8 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
		Dec. 31, 2020		Aug. 31, 2020		Dec. 31, 2019
Revenues:
Revenues		$ 133,528	[1]	$ 276,957	[2]	$ 674,634	[3]
Operating costs:
Operating costs		81,277		237,546		384,728
Depreciation, depletion, and amortization		27,962		115,496		275,573
Impairments (Note 4)		26,063	[4]	867,814	[5]	625,716	[6]
Total expenses		135,302		1,220,856		1,286,017
Loss on abandonment of assets (Note 4)		0		(18,733)		0
General and administrative		6,702		42,766		38,246
Gain (Loss) on Disposition of Assets		(619)		(89)		3,502
Income (loss) from operations		(7,857)		(1,005,309)		(653,131)
Gain (loss) on derivatives		(985)		(10,704)		4,225
Write off of debt issuance costs		0		2,426		0
Total reorganization items, net		2,273		(133,975)		0
Interest expense, net		(3,275)		(22,824)		(37,012)
Other		100		2,034		(236)
Income (loss) before income taxes		(14,290)		(905,254)		(686,154)
Identifiable assets:
Oil and natural gas		232,747	[7]			847,398	[8]
Contract drilling		81,608				708,468
Gas gathering and processing		293,297				459,444
Total identifiable assets		607,652	[9]			2,015,310	[10]
Corporate land and building		32,382				54,155
Other corporate assets		9,669	[11]			20,587	[12]
Total assets	[13]	649,703				2,090,052
Capital expenditures:
Total capital expenditures		5,960		17,213		374,369
Oil and Natural Gas
Revenues:
Revenues		57,578	[1]	103,439	[2]	325,797	[3]
Operating costs:
Operating costs		25,256		117,691		135,124
Contract drilling
Revenues:
Revenues		19,413	[1]	73,519	[2]	168,383	[3]
Operating costs:
Operating costs		13,852		51,810		115,998
Gas gathering and processing
Revenues:
Revenues		56,537	[1]	99,999	[2]	180,454	[3]
Operating costs:
Operating costs		42,169		68,045		133,606
Intersubsegment Eliminations
Revenues:
Revenues		(11,834)	[1]	(14,536)	[2]	(63,294)	[3]
Operating costs:
Operating costs		(11,833)		(14,536)		(61,675)
Depreciation, depletion, and amortization		0		0		0
Impairments (Note 4)		0	[4]	0	[5]	0	[6]
Total expenses		(11,833)		(14,536)		(61,675)
Loss on abandonment of assets (Note 4)				0
General and administrative		0		0		0
Gain (Loss) on Disposition of Assets		0		0		0
Income (loss) from operations		(1)		0		(1,619)
Gain (loss) on derivatives		0		0		0
Write off of debt issuance costs				0
Total reorganization items, net		0		0
Interest expense, net		0		0		0
Other		0		0		0
Income (loss) before income taxes		(1)		0		(1,619)
Identifiable assets:
Oil and natural gas		(3,326)	[7]			(4,264)	[8]
Contract drilling		(4)				(42)
Gas gathering and processing		(335)				(4,255)
Total identifiable assets		(3,665)	[9]			(8,561)	[10]
Corporate land and building		0				0
Other corporate assets		(4,002)	[11]			(2,505)	[12]
Total assets		(7,667)				(11,066)
Capital expenditures:
Total capital expenditures		0		0		0
Intersubsegment Eliminations | Oil and Natural Gas
Revenues:
Revenues		(2)	[1]	(4)	[2]	0	[3]
Operating costs:
Operating costs		(855)		(1,973)		(4,902)
Intersubsegment Eliminations | Contract drilling
Revenues:
Revenues		0	[1]	0	[2]	(15,809)	[3]
Operating costs:
Operating costs		0		(1)		(14,190)
Intersubsegment Eliminations | Gas gathering and processing
Revenues:
Revenues		(11,832)	[1]	(14,532)	[2]	(47,485)	[3]
Operating costs:
Operating costs		(10,978)		(12,562)		(42,583)
Oil and Natural Gas
Revenues:
Revenues		57,580	[1]	103,443	[2]	325,797	[3]
Operating costs:
Operating costs		26,111		119,664		140,026
Depreciation, depletion, and amortization		14,869		68,762		168,651
Impairments (Note 4)		26,063	[4]	393,726	[5]	559,867	[6]
Total expenses		67,043		582,152		868,544
Loss on abandonment of assets (Note 4)				(17,641)
General and administrative		0		0		0
Gain (Loss) on Disposition of Assets		(24)		(160)		(199)
Income (loss) from operations		(9,439)		(496,190)		(542,548)
Gain (loss) on derivatives		0		0		0
Write off of debt issuance costs				0
Total reorganization items, net		0		(15,504)
Interest expense, net		0		0		0
Other		56		458		(481)
Income (loss) before income taxes		(9,383)		(480,228)		(543,029)
Identifiable assets:
Oil and natural gas		236,073	[7]			851,662	[8]
Contract drilling		0				0
Gas gathering and processing		0				0
Total identifiable assets		236,073	[9]			851,662	[10]
Corporate land and building		0				0
Other corporate assets		0	[11]			0	[12]
Total assets		236,073				851,662
Capital expenditures:
Total capital expenditures		4,018		5,350		268,622
Oil and Natural Gas | Oil and Natural Gas
Revenues:
Revenues		57,580	[1]	103,443	[2]	325,797	[3]
Operating costs:
Operating costs		26,111		119,664		140,026
Oil and Natural Gas | Contract drilling
Revenues:
Revenues		0	[1]	0	[2]	0	[3]
Operating costs:
Operating costs		0		0		0
Oil and Natural Gas | Gas gathering and processing
Revenues:
Revenues		0	[1]	0	[2]	0	[3]
Operating costs:
Operating costs		0		0		0
Drilling
Revenues:
Revenues		19,413	[1]	73,519	[2]	184,192	[3]
Operating costs:
Operating costs		13,852		51,811		130,188
Depreciation, depletion, and amortization		2,102		15,544		51,552
Impairments (Note 4)		0	[4]	410,126	[5]	62,809	[6]
Total expenses		15,954		477,481		244,549
Loss on abandonment of assets (Note 4)				(1,092)
General and administrative		0		0		0
Gain (Loss) on Disposition of Assets		(521)		(1,390)		3,872
Income (loss) from operations		3,980		(403,664)		(64,229)
Gain (loss) on derivatives		0		0		0
Write off of debt issuance costs				0
Total reorganization items, net		0		183,664
Interest expense, net		0		0		0
Other		4		1,449		(605)
Income (loss) before income taxes		3,984		(585,879)		(64,834)
Identifiable assets:
Oil and natural gas		0	[7]			0	[8]
Contract drilling		81,612				708,510
Gas gathering and processing		0				0
Total identifiable assets		81,612	[9]			708,510	[10]
Corporate land and building		0				0
Other corporate assets		0	[11]			0	[12]
Total assets		81,612				708,510
Capital expenditures:
Total capital expenditures		616		2,438		40,636
Drilling | Oil and Natural Gas
Revenues:
Revenues		0	[1]	0	[2]	0	[3]
Operating costs:
Operating costs		0		0		0
Drilling | Contract drilling
Revenues:
Revenues		19,413	[1]	73,519	[2]	184,192	[3]
Operating costs:
Operating costs		13,852		51,811		130,188
Drilling | Gas gathering and processing
Revenues:
Revenues		0	[1]	0	[2]	0	[3]
Operating costs:
Operating costs		0		0		0
Mid-Stream
Revenues:
Revenues		68,369	[1]	114,531	[2]	227,939	[3]
Operating costs:
Operating costs		53,147		80,607		176,189
Depreciation, depletion, and amortization		10,659		29,371		47,663
Impairments (Note 4)		0	[4]	63,962	[5]	3,040	[6]
Total expenses		63,806		173,940		226,892
Loss on abandonment of assets (Note 4)				0
General and administrative		0		0		0
Gain (Loss) on Disposition of Assets		(55)		(18)		(160)
Income (loss) from operations		4,618		(59,391)		1,207
Gain (loss) on derivatives		0		0		0
Write off of debt issuance costs				0
Total reorganization items, net		0		71,016
Interest expense, net		(501)		(1,888)		(1,546)
Other		34		50		827
Income (loss) before income taxes		4,151		(132,245)		488
Identifiable assets:
Oil and natural gas		0	[7]			0	[8]
Contract drilling		0				0
Gas gathering and processing		293,632				463,699
Total identifiable assets		293,632	[9]			463,699	[10]
Corporate land and building		0				0
Other corporate assets		0	[11]			0	[12]
Total assets		293,632				463,699
Capital expenditures:
Total capital expenditures		1,323		9,342		64,438
Mid-Stream | Oil and Natural Gas
Revenues:
Revenues		0	[1]	0	[2]	0	[3]
Operating costs:
Operating costs		0		0		0
Mid-Stream | Contract drilling
Revenues:
Revenues		0	[1]	0	[2]	0	[3]
Operating costs:
Operating costs		0		0		0
Mid-Stream | Gas gathering and processing
Revenues:
Revenues		68,369	[1]	114,531	[2]	227,939	[3]
Operating costs:
Operating costs		53,147		80,607		176,189
Corporate and Other
Revenues:
Revenues		0	[1]	0	[2]	0	[3]
Operating costs:
Operating costs		0		0		0
Depreciation, depletion, and amortization		332		1,819		7,707
Impairments (Note 4)		0	[4]	0	[5]	0	[6]
Total expenses		332		1,819		7,707
Loss on abandonment of assets (Note 4)				0
General and administrative		6,702		42,766		38,246
Gain (Loss) on Disposition of Assets		(19)		1,479		(11)
Income (loss) from operations		(7,015)		(46,064)		(45,942)
Gain (loss) on derivatives		(985)		(10,704)		4,225
Write off of debt issuance costs				2,426
Total reorganization items, net		2,273		(373,151)
Interest expense, net		(2,774)		(20,936)		(35,466)
Other		6		77		23
Income (loss) before income taxes		(13,041)		293,098		(77,160)
Identifiable assets:
Oil and natural gas		0	[7]			0	[8]
Contract drilling		0				0
Gas gathering and processing		0				0
Total identifiable assets		0	[9]			0	[10]
Corporate land and building		32,382				54,155
Other corporate assets		13,671	[11]			23,092	[12]
Total assets		46,053				77,247
Capital expenditures:
Total capital expenditures		3		83		673
Corporate and Other | Oil and Natural Gas
Revenues:
Revenues		0	[1]	0	[2]	0	[3]
Operating costs:
Operating costs		0		0		0
Corporate and Other | Contract drilling
Revenues:
Revenues		0	[1]	0	[2]	0	[3]
Operating costs:
Operating costs		0		0		0
Corporate and Other | Gas gathering and processing
Revenues:
Revenues		0	[1]	0	[2]	0	[3]
Operating costs:
Operating costs		$ 0		$ 0		$ 0

[1] The revenues for oil and natural gas occur at a point in time. The revenues for contract drilling and gas gathering and processing occur over time.

[2] The revenues for oil and natural gas occur at a point in time. The revenues for contract drilling and gas gathering and processing occur over time.

[3] The revenues for oil and natural gas occur at a point in time. The revenues for contract drilling and gas gathering and processing occur over time.

[4] During the Successor Period of 2020, we recorded non-cash ceiling test write-downs on our oil and natural gas properties of $26.1 million pre-tax

[5] During the Predecessor Period of 2020, we recorded non-cash ceiling test write-downs on our oil and natural gas properties of $393.7 million, pre-tax ($346.6 million, net of tax). Impairment for contract drilling equipment includes a $410.1 million pre-tax write-down for SCR drilling rigs and other drilling equipment. Impairment for mid-stream assets includes a $64.0 million pre-tax write-down for certain long-lived asset groups.

[6] We incurred non-cash ceiling test write-downs of our oil and natural gas properties of $559.4 million pre-tax ($422.4 million, net of tax). We also recognized goodwill impairment charges of $62.8 million pre-tax ($59.8 million, net of tax).

[7] Oil and natural gas assets include oil and natural gas properties, saltwater disposal systems, and other non-full cost pool assets.

[8] Oil and natural gas assets include oil and natural gas properties, saltwater disposal systems, and other non-full cost pool assets.

[9] Identifiable assets are those used in Unit’s operations in each industry segment.

[10] Identifiable assets are those used in Unit’s operations in each industry segment.

[11] Other corporate assets are principally cash and cash equivalents, short-term investments, transportation equipment, furniture, and equipment.

[12] Other corporate assets are principally cash and cash equivalents, short-term investments, transportation equipment, furniture, and equipment.

[13] Unit Corporation's consolidated total assets as of December 31, 2020 include current and long-term assets of its variable interest entity (VIE) (Superior) of $45.8 million and $247.8 million, respectively, which can only be used to settle obligations of the VIE. Unit Corporation's consolidated total liabilities as of December 31, 2020 include current and long-term liabilities of the VIE of $28.4 million and $2.6 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 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. See Note 19 – Variable Interest Entity Arrangements.