Supplemental Condensed Consolidated Financial Information (Condensed Consolidating Statements of Income) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2021	Jun. 30, 2020	Jun. 30, 2021	Jun. 30, 2020
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues	$ 134,057	$ 89,007	$ 254,954	$ 211,383
Expenses:
Operating costs	74,623	115,103	145,306	198,826
Depreciation, depletion, and amortization	16,364	35,960	33,875	97,577
Impairments	0	109,318	0	851,242
Loss on abandonment of assets	0	0	0	17,554
General and administrative	5,751	25,814	12,920	37,367
Loss on disposition of assets	(1,710)	877	(2,182)	1,267
Total operating costs	95,028	287,072	189,919	1,203,833
Income (loss) from operations	39,029	(198,065)	65,035	(992,450)
Interest, net	(487)	(7,608)	(3,193)	(20,865)
Write-off of debt issuance costs	0	(2,426)	0	(2,426)
Gain (loss) on derivatives	(42,400)	(6,937)	(65,231)	(6,454)
Reorganization Items	(1,852)	(7,027)	(2,988)	(7,027)
Other, net	(831)	43	(755)	103
Loss before income taxes	(10,115)	(222,020)	(10,706)	(1,029,119)
Income tax expense (benefit)	0	(6,455)	0	(9,880)
Equity in net earnings from investment in subsidiaries, net of taxes		0		0
Net loss	(10,115)	(215,565)	(10,706)	(1,019,239)
Less: net income (loss) attributable to non-controlling interest	2,879	84	4,225	(33,096)
Net loss attributable to Unit Corporation	$ (12,994)	(215,649)	$ (14,931)	(986,143)
Consolidating Adjustments [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues		(4,871)		(10,331)
Expenses:
Operating costs		(4,873)		(10,331)
Depreciation, depletion, and amortization		0		0
Impairments		0		0
Loss on abandonment of assets				0
General and administrative		0		0
Loss on disposition of assets		0		0
Total operating costs		(4,873)		(10,331)
Income (loss) from operations		2		0
Interest, net		0		0
Write-off of debt issuance costs		0		0
Gain (loss) on derivatives		0		0
Reorganization Items		0		0
Other, net		0		0
Loss before income taxes		2		0
Income tax expense (benefit)		0		0
Equity in net earnings from investment in subsidiaries, net of taxes		201,304		995,283
Net loss		201,306		995,283
Less: net income (loss) attributable to non-controlling interest		(84)		33,096
Net loss attributable to Unit Corporation		201,390		962,187
Parent [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues		0		0
Expenses:
Operating costs		0		0
Depreciation, depletion, and amortization		607		1,478
Impairments		0		0
Loss on abandonment of assets				0
General and administrative		0		0
Loss on disposition of assets		1,479		1,479
Total operating costs		2,086		2,957
Income (loss) from operations		(2,086)		(2,957)
Interest, net		(7,066)		(19,805)
Write-off of debt issuance costs		(2,426)		(2,426)
Gain (loss) on derivatives		(6,937)		(6,454)
Reorganization Items		(2,205)		(2,205)
Other, net		4		11
Loss before income taxes		(20,716)		(33,836)
Income tax expense (benefit)		(6,455)		(9,880)
Equity in net earnings from investment in subsidiaries, net of taxes		(201,304)		(995,283)
Net loss		(215,565)		(1,019,239)
Less: net income (loss) attributable to non-controlling interest		84		(33,096)
Net loss attributable to Unit Corporation		(215,649)		(986,143)
Combined Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues		56,159		141,315
Expenses:
Operating costs		93,305		150,169
Depreciation, depletion, and amortization		25,005		73,478
Impairments		109,318		787,280
Loss on abandonment of assets				17,554
General and administrative		25,814		37,367
Loss on disposition of assets		(593)		(197)
Total operating costs		252,849		1,065,651
Income (loss) from operations		(196,690)		(924,336)
Interest, net		0		0
Write-off of debt issuance costs		0		0
Gain (loss) on derivatives		0		0
Reorganization Items		(4,822)		(4,822)
Other, net		18		53
Loss before income taxes		(201,494)		(929,105)
Income tax expense (benefit)		0		0
Equity in net earnings from investment in subsidiaries, net of taxes		0		0
Net loss		(201,494)		(929,105)
Less: net income (loss) attributable to non-controlling interest		0		0
Net loss attributable to Unit Corporation		(201,494)		(929,105)
Combined Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues		37,719		80,399
Expenses:
Operating costs		26,671		58,988
Depreciation, depletion, and amortization		10,348		22,621
Impairments		0		63,962
Loss on abandonment of assets				0
General and administrative		0		0
Loss on disposition of assets		(9)		(15)
Total operating costs		37,010		145,556
Income (loss) from operations		709		(65,157)
Interest, net		(542)		(1,060)
Write-off of debt issuance costs		0		0
Gain (loss) on derivatives		0		0
Reorganization Items		0		0
Other, net		21		39
Loss before income taxes		188		(66,178)
Income tax expense (benefit)		0		0
Equity in net earnings from investment in subsidiaries, net of taxes		0		0
Net loss		188		(66,178)
Less: net income (loss) attributable to non-controlling interest		84		(33,096)
Net loss attributable to Unit Corporation		$ 104		$ (33,082)