Industry Segments and Geographic Information (Details 1) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Corporate Overhead Footnote
General and administrative expense	$ 40,005	$ 36,694	$ 34,577
Depreciation and amortization	3,365	2,917	2,925
Interest expense	17,000	16,939	17,243
Other general corporate (income) expense	1,638	15,043	3,526
Total	62,008	71,593	58,271
Industry Segments Details [Line Items]
Product sales	276,155	329,489	419,926
Services and rentals	604,676	515,786	452,752
Total revenues	880,831	845,275	872,678
Depreciation, depletion, amortization, and accretion	75,747	94,839	148,022
Income (loss) before taxes and discontinued operations	28,183	6,233	(73,793)
Assets	1,261,818	1,203,310
Capital expenditures	107,524	123,604	107,684
Fluids Division [Member]
Industry Segments Details [Line Items]
Product sales	257,558	229,426	211,917
Services and rentals	76,858	75,032	64,358
Intersegment eliminations	132	78	62
Total revenues	334,548	304,536	276,337
Depreciation, depletion, amortization, and accretion	19,034	19,596	20,899
Interest expense	77	121	237
Income (loss) before taxes and discontinued operations	50,830	32,076	15,953
Assets	387,034	375,741	376,309
Capital expenditures	31,839	17,922	10,914
Production Testing [Member]
Industry Segments Details [Line Items]
Product sales	0	0	3,610
Services and rentals	207,984	139,755	100,346
Intersegment eliminations	0	1	39
Total revenues	207,984	139,756	103,995
Depreciation, depletion, amortization, and accretion	22,261	13,893	14,429
Interest expense	13	32	0
Income (loss) before taxes and discontinued operations	39,847	35,969	15,024
Assets	337,208	119,311	106,304
Capital expenditures	40,025	19,925	6,010
Compressco [Member]
Industry Segments Details [Line Items]
Product sales	6,322	13,201	4,017
Services and rentals	103,144	82,567	77,396
Intersegment eliminations	0	0	0
Total revenues	109,466	95,768	81,413
Depreciation, depletion, amortization, and accretion	13,398	12,791	13,029
Interest expense	81	(20)	38
Income (loss) before taxes and discontinued operations	20,598	15,799	17,513
Assets	219,838	210,754	195,879
Capital expenditures	22,215	12,471	7,927
Production Enhancement Division Eliminations [Member]
Industry Segments Details [Line Items]
Services and rentals	(2,354)	0	0
Total revenues	(2,354)	0	0
Total Production Enhancement Division [Member]
Industry Segments Details [Line Items]
Product sales	6,322	13,201	7,627
Services and rentals	308,774	222,322	177,742
Intersegment eliminations	0	1	39
Total revenues	315,096	235,524	185,408
Depreciation, depletion, amortization, and accretion	35,659	26,684	27,458
Interest expense	94	12	38
Income (loss) before taxes and discontinued operations	60,445	51,768	32,537
Assets	557,046	330,065	302,183
Capital expenditures	62,240	32,396	13,937
Offshore Services [Member]
Industry Segments Details [Line Items]
Product sales	6,267	4,921	2,576
Services and rentals	218,477	217,341	207,934
Intersegment eliminations	41,199	65,038	63,690
Total revenues	265,943	287,300	274,200
Depreciation, depletion, amortization, and accretion	16,650	14,502	18,067
Interest expense	109	45	1
Income (loss) before taxes and discontinued operations	21,706	18,455	4,664
Assets	188,034	216,927	154,535
Capital expenditures	12,050	64,420	11,273
Maritech [Member]
Industry Segments Details [Line Items]
Product sales	6,008	81,941	197,806
Services and rentals	150	799	2,718
Intersegment eliminations	0	0	35
Total revenues	6,158	82,740	200,559
Depreciation, depletion, amortization, and accretion	1,039	31,314	79,012
Interest expense	98	78	9
Income (loss) before taxes and discontinued operations	(42,790)	(26,275)	(69,119)
Assets	75,383	63,294	329,585
Capital expenditures	343	7,924	70,597
Offshore Division Eliminations [Member]
Industry Segments Details [Line Items]
Services and rentals	0	0	0
Intersegment eliminations	(41,199)	(65,036)	(62,526)
Total revenues	(41,199)	(65,036)	(62,526)
Depreciation, depletion, amortization, and accretion	0	(174)	(339)
Interest expense	0	0	0
Income (loss) before taxes and discontinued operations	0	1,802	443
Assets	0	0	(1,802)
Capital expenditures	0	(66)	(445)
Total Offshore Division [Member]
Industry Segments Details [Line Items]
Product sales	12,275	86,862	200,382
Services and rentals	218,627	218,140	210,652
Intersegment eliminations	0	2	1,199
Total revenues	230,902	305,004	412,233
Depreciation, depletion, amortization, and accretion	17,689	45,642	96,740
Interest expense	207	123	10
Income (loss) before taxes and discontinued operations	(21,084)	(6,018)	(64,012)
Assets	263,417	280,221	482,318
Capital expenditures	12,393	72,278	81,425
Intersegment Eliminations [Member]
Industry Segments Details [Line Items]
Intersegment eliminations	(132)	(81)	(1,300)
Total revenues	(132)	(81)	(1,300)
Corporate Overhead [Member]
Industry Segments Details [Line Items]
Services and rentals	417	292	0
Total revenues	417	292	0
Depreciation, depletion, amortization, and accretion	3,365	2,917	2,925
Interest expense	17,000	16,939	17,243
Income (loss) before taxes and discontinued operations	(62,008)	(71,593)	(58,271)
Assets	54,321	217,283	138,818
Capital expenditures	$ 1,052	$ 1,008	$ 1,408