Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows - USD ($) $ in Thousands	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2016
Statement of Cash Flows [Abstract]
Payments Related to Tax Withholding for Share-based Compensation	$ (407)	$ (1,459)
Operating activities:
Net income (loss)	(25,871)	(176,955)
Reconciliation of net income (loss) to cash provided by (used in) operating activities:
Depreciation, amortization, and accretion	58,098	67,145
Impairments of long-lived assets	0	10,927
Goodwill impairment	0	106,205
Provision (benefit) for deferred income taxes	(316)	(533)
Equity-based compensation expense	5,444	9,001
Provision for doubtful accounts	1,244	1,333
Excess decommissioning and abandoning costs	0	2,793
Amortization of deferred financing costs	2,266	2,128
Offering Costs of Preferred Units	37	0
Paid-in-Kind Interest	3,797	0
Liabilities, Fair Value Adjustment	(3,203)	0
Warrants fair value adjustment	(11,521)	0
Other non-cash charges and credits	(335)	2,557
Gain on sale of assets	(533)	(1,856)
Changes in operating assets and liabilities, net of assets acquired:
Accounts receivable	(30,970)	70,412
Inventories	(10,690)	(14,198)
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	(1,983)	2,137
Trade accounts payable and accrued expenses	14,605	(41,686)
Decommissioning liabilities, net	(497)	(3,443)
Other	(133)	(911)
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	(561)	35,056
Investing activities:
Purchases of property, plant, and equipment	(16,643)	(8,996)
Proceeds on sale of property, plant, and equipment	380	2,279
Other investing activities	44	27
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	(16,219)	(6,690)
Financing activities:
Proceeds from long-term debt	178,700	281,300
Principal payments on long-term debt	(156,550)	(350,501)
CSI Compressco LP distributions	(10,944)	(14,418)
Proceeds from issuance of common stock, net of offering costs	0	60,404
Other financing activities	(1,291)	(2,095)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	9,508	(26,769)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash	530	(737)
Decrease in cash and cash equivalents	(6,742)	860
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	29,840	23,057
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	23,098	23,917
Supplemental cash flow information:
Interest paid	22,716	28,703
Income taxes paid	$ 4,416	$ 2,662