Industry Segments and Geographic Information (Details 1) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
Industry Segments and Geographic Information (Details)
Aggregate percentage of sold reserves	95.00%
Corporate Overhead Footnote
General and administrative expense	$ 36,694	$ 34,577	$ 40,173
Depreciation and amortization	2,917	2,925	3,011
Interest expense	16,939	17,243	13,064
Other general corporate (income) expense	15,043	3,526	1,479
Total	71,593	58,271	57,727
Industry Segments Details [Line Items]
Product sales	329,489	419,926	350,005
Services and rentals	515,786	452,752	528,872
Total revenues	845,275	872,678	878,877
Depreciation, depletion, amortization, and accretion	94,839	148,022	149,326
Interest expense	17,195	17,528	13,207
Income before taxes and discontinued operations	6,233	(73,793)	105,370
Assets	1,203,310	1,299,628	1,347,599
Capital expenditures	123,603	107,684	151,773
Fluids Division [Member]
Industry Segments Details [Line Items]
Product sales	229,426	211,917	167,984
Services and rentals	75,032	64,358	57,491
Intersegment eliminations	78	62	42
Total revenues	304,536	276,337	225,517
Depreciation, depletion, amortization, and accretion	19,596	20,899	15,281
Interest expense	121	237	116
Income before taxes and discontinued operations	32,076	15,953	20,791
Assets	375,741	376,309	375,754
Capital expenditures	17,921	10,914	84,134
Offshore Services [Member]
Industry Segments Details [Line Items]
Product sales	4,921	2,576	2,970
Services and rentals	217,341	207,934	304,729
Intersegment eliminations	65,038	63,690	46,099
Total revenues	287,300	274,200	353,798
Depreciation, depletion, amortization, and accretion	14,502	18,067	16,347
Interest expense	45	1	6
Income before taxes and discontinued operations	18,455	4,664	78,394
Assets	216,927	154,535	190,494
Capital expenditures	64,420	11,273	17,930
Maritech [Member]
Industry Segments Details [Line Items]
Product sales	81,941	197,806	174,191
Services and rentals	799	2,718	2,848
Intersegment eliminations	0	35	0
Total revenues	82,740	200,559	177,039
Depreciation, depletion, amortization, and accretion	31,314	79,012	87,274
Interest expense	78	9	19
Income before taxes and discontinued operations	(26,275)	(69,119)	22,012
Assets	63,294	329,585	363,605
Capital expenditures	7,924	70,597	26,832
Offshore Division Eliminations [Member]
Industry Segments Details [Line Items]
Product sales	0	0	0
Services and rentals	0	0	0
Intersegment eliminations	(65,036)	(62,526)	(45,648)
Total revenues	(65,036)	(62,526)	(45,648)
Depreciation, depletion, amortization, and accretion	(174)	(339)	(506)
Interest expense	0		0
Income before taxes and discontinued operations	1,802	443	647
Assets	0	(1,802)	(2,246)
Capital expenditures	(66)	(445)	(454)
Total Offshore Division [Member]
Industry Segments Details [Line Items]
Product sales	86,862	200,382	177,161
Services and rentals	218,140	210,652	307,577
Intersegment eliminations	2	1,199	451
Total revenues	305,004	412,233	485,189
Depreciation, depletion, amortization, and accretion	45,642	96,740	103,115
Interest expense	123	10	25
Income before taxes and discontinued operations	(6,018)	(64,012)	101,053
Assets	280,221	482,318	551,853
Capital expenditures	72,278	81,425	44,308
Production Testing [Member]
Industry Segments Details [Line Items]
Product sales	0	3,610	0
Services and rentals	139,755	100,346	77,699
Intersegment eliminations	1	39	1
Total revenues	139,756	103,995	77,700
Depreciation, depletion, amortization, and accretion	13,893	14,429	14,053
Interest expense	32	0	2
Income before taxes and discontinued operations	35,969	15,024	15,704
Assets	119,311	106,304	111,497
Capital expenditures	19,925	6,010	9,036
Compressco [Member]
Industry Segments Details [Line Items]
Product sales	13,201	4,017	4,860
Services and rentals	82,567	77,396	86,105
Intersegment eliminations	0	0	0
Total revenues	95,768	81,413	90,965
Depreciation, depletion, amortization, and accretion	12,791	13,029	13,866
Interest expense	(20)	38	0
Income before taxes and discontinued operations	15,799	17,513	25,549
Assets	210,754	195,879	203,774
Capital expenditures	12,471	7,927	2,944
Total Production Enhancement Division [Member]
Industry Segments Details [Line Items]
Product sales	13,201	7,627	4,860
Services and rentals	222,322	177,742	163,804
Intersegment eliminations	1	39	1
Total revenues	235,524	185,408	168,665
Depreciation, depletion, amortization, and accretion	26,684	27,458	27,919
Interest expense	12	38	2
Income before taxes and discontinued operations	51,768	32,537	41,253
Assets	330,065	302,183	315,271
Capital expenditures	32,396	13,937	11,980
Intersegment Eliminations [Member]
Industry Segments Details [Line Items]
Intersegment eliminations	(81)	(1,300)	(494)
Total revenues	(81)	(1,300)	(494)
Corporate Overhead [Member]
Industry Segments Details [Line Items]
Services and rentals	292	0	0
Total revenues	292	0	0
Depreciation, depletion, amortization, and accretion	2,917	2,925	3,011
Interest expense	16,939	17,243	13,064
Income before taxes and discontinued operations	(71,593)	(58,271)	(57,727)
Assets	217,283	138,818	104,721
Capital expenditures	$ 1,008	$ 1,408	$ 11,351