Industry Segments (Details 1) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2014
Industry Segments Details [Line Items]
Product sales	$ 149,652	$ 82,871	$ 234,538	$ 159,623
Services and rentals	166,667	159,618	332,873	295,723
Intersegment revenues	0	0	0	0
Total revenues	316,319	242,489	567,411	455,346
Income (loss) before taxes	18,108	(2,494)	16,053	(13,177)
Assets	2,003,645	1,282,266	2,003,645	1,282,266	$ 2,067,633
Fluids Division [Member]
Industry Segments Details [Line Items]
Product sales	99,930	78,905	164,924	152,325
Services and rentals	23,026	37,423		69,163
Intersegment revenues	18	322	31	307
Total revenues	122,974	116,650	222,263	221,795
Income (loss) before taxes	32,583	17,059	50,320
Assets	408,144	493,793	408,144	493,793
Production Testing Division [Member]
Industry Segments Details [Line Items]
Product sales	0	0	0	0
Services and rentals	33,692	41,292		84,306
Intersegment revenues	1,150	1,085	2,342	1,709
Total revenues	34,842	42,377	71,943	86,015
Income (loss) before taxes	(472)	(249)	(433)
Assets	208,929	333,531	208,929	333,531
Compression Division [Member]
Industry Segments Details [Line Items]
Product sales	48,968	2,065	67,119	3,902
Services and rentals	77,487	29,950	162,225	57,877
Intersegment revenues	0	0	0	0
Total revenues	126,455	32,015	229,344	61,779
Income (loss) before taxes	1,498	5,477		10,664
Assets	1,261,051	233,956	1,261,051	233,956
Offshore Services [Member]
Industry Segments Details [Line Items]
Product sales	360	354	595	473
Services and rentals	35,371	55,887	46,919	91,098
Intersegment revenues	0	0	0	0
Total revenues	35,731	56,241	47,514	91,571
Income (loss) before taxes	2,095			(6,139)
Assets	134,422	170,663	134,422	170,663
Maritech [Member]
Industry Segments Details [Line Items]
Product sales	394	1,547	1,900	2,923
Services and rentals	0	0	0	0
Intersegment revenues	0	0	0	0
Total revenues	394	1,547	1,900	2,923
Income (loss) before taxes	(313)	(10,698)		(17,237)
Assets	27,267	20,727	27,267	20,727
Offshore Division Eliminations [Member]
Industry Segments Details [Line Items]
Services and rentals	(2,909)	(4,934)	(3,180)	(6,721)
Intersegment revenues	0	0	0	0
Total revenues	(2,909)	(4,934)	(3,180)	(6,721)
Income (loss) before taxes	0	0
Total Offshore Division [Member]
Industry Segments Details [Line Items]
Product sales	754	1,901	2,495	3,396
Services and rentals	32,462	50,953	43,739	84,377
Intersegment revenues	0	0	0	0
Total revenues	33,216	52,854	46,234	87,773
Income (loss) before taxes	1,782		(5,891)	(23,376)
Assets	161,689	191,390	161,689	191,390
Intersegment Eliminations [Member]
Industry Segments Details [Line Items]
Intersegment revenues			(2,373)	(2,016)
Interdivision Eliminations [Member]
Industry Segments Details [Line Items]
Intersegment revenues	(1,168)	(1,407)	(2,373)	(2,016)
Total revenues	(1,168)	(1,407)
Income (loss) before taxes	(12)	3	(10)	6
Corporate Overhead [Member]
Industry Segments Details [Line Items]
Income (loss) before taxes	(17,271)	(15,919)	(31,837)	(32,960)
Assets	$ (36,168)	$ 29,596	$ (36,168)	$ 29,596