Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended					12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2019	Sep. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Jan. 01, 2019
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Restricted Assets, net	$ 49,000					$ 49,000
Impaired Long-Lived Assets Held and Used [Line Items]
Payment, Tax Withholding, Share-based Payment Arrangement						581	$ 768	$ 803
Impairments of long-lived assets		$ 800	$ 2,300	$ 2,900	$ 14,900	95,196	3,621	14,876
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Fair value, year to date impairment losses							2,940
Operating Lease, Right-of-Use Asset	68,131					68,131	0		$ 60,600
Operating Lease, Liability	69,769					69,769
Impairments of long-lived assets		$ 800	$ 2,300	$ 2,900	14,900	95,196	3,621	14,876
Impairment of goodwill						25,784	0	0
Equity-based compensation expense						5,800	5,800	5,000
Foreign currency exchange gains and losses						(3,100)	(100)	1,600
Goodwill [Line Items]
Asset retirement obligations	12,762					12,762	12,202
Goodwill table (details)
Beginning balance						25,859	6,636	6,636
Goodwill, Other Increase (Decrease)						(75)		0
Ending balance	0				6,636	0	25,859	6,636
Impairment of goodwill						25,784	0	0
Allowances for Doubtful Accounts [Table]
At beginning of period						2,583	1,286	3,872
Activity in the period:
Provision for doubtful accounts						5,039	2,156	1,428
Account chargeoffs						(2,360)	(859)	(4,014)
At end of period	5,262				1,286	5,262	2,583	1,286
Inventories Detail [Table]
Inventory, Finished Goods	70,135					70,135	69,762
Inventory, Raw Materials	4,125					4,125	3,503
Other Inventory, Supplies	47,793					47,793	47,386
Inventory, Work in Process	14,457					14,457	22,920
Inventories	136,510					136,510	143,571
Depreciation expense						116,200	106,900	97,300
Amortization expense of patents, trademarks, and other intangible assets						8,500	7,300	6,100
Future amortization expense, 2014	7,700					7,700
Future amortization expense, 2015	7,400					7,400
Future amortization expense, 2016	7,000					7,000
Future amortization expense, 2017	6,700					6,700
Future amortization expense, 2018	6,600					$ 6,600
Maximum [Member]
Acquired Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Finite-Lived Intangible Asset, Useful Life						16 years
Minimum [Member]
Acquired Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Finite-Lived Intangible Asset, Useful Life						5 years
Fair Value, Recurring [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Foreign Currency Contract, Asset, Fair Value Disclosure	86					$ 86	117
Liability for foreign currency derivative contracts	(56)					(56)	(294)
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure	419					419	41,721
Fair Value, Recurring [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Foreign Currency Contract, Asset, Fair Value Disclosure	0					0	0
Liability for foreign currency derivative contracts	0					0	0
Fair Value, Recurring [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Foreign Currency Contract, Asset, Fair Value Disclosure	86					86	117
Liability for foreign currency derivative contracts	(56)					(56)	(294)
Fair Value, Recurring [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Foreign Currency Contract, Asset, Fair Value Disclosure	0					0	0
Liability for foreign currency derivative contracts	0					0	0
Fair Value, Nonrecurring [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Fair value, year to date impairment losses						117,674
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure	9,459					9,459	0
Impairment of goodwill						25,784
Goodwill table (details)
Impairment of goodwill						25,784
Compressco Partners Senior Notes [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Fair value of Senior Notes	266,000					266,000	266,300
Notes Payable	295,900					295,900
Completion Fluids & Products Division [Member]
Impaired Long-Lived Assets Held and Used [Line Items]
Impairments of long-lived assets	91,600					91,600
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Impairments of long-lived assets	91,600					91,600
Goodwill table (details)
Accumulated impairment losses	23,800					23,800
Completion Fluids & Products Division [Member] | Fair Value, Nonrecurring [Member]
Impaired Long-Lived Assets Held and Used [Line Items]
Impairments of long-lived assets						91,606
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Long-lived assets	9,459					9,459
Impairments of long-lived assets						91,606
Completion Fluids & Products Division [Member] | Fair Value, Nonrecurring [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Long-lived assets	0					0
Completion Fluids & Products Division [Member] | Fair Value, Nonrecurring [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Long-lived assets	0					0
Completion Fluids & Products Division [Member] | Fair Value, Nonrecurring [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Long-lived assets	9,459					9,459
Water & Flowback Services [Member]
Impaired Long-Lived Assets Held and Used [Line Items]
Impairments of long-lived assets	300
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Impairments of long-lived assets	300
Impairment of goodwill						25,784
Goodwill table (details)
Beginning balance						25,859	6,636	6,636
Goodwill, Other Increase (Decrease)						(75)		0
Ending balance	0				$ 6,636	0	$ 25,859	$ 6,636
Impairment of goodwill						25,784
Accumulated impairment losses	137,700					137,700
Compression [Member]
Goodwill table (details)
Accumulated impairment losses	231,800					$ 231,800
Building [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Property, Plant, and Equipment [Line Items]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life						40 years
Building [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Property, Plant, and Equipment [Line Items]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life						15 years
Machinery and Equipment [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Property, Plant, and Equipment [Line Items]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life						20 years
Machinery and Equipment [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Property, Plant, and Equipment [Line Items]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life						2 years
Automobiles and trucks [Member]
Impaired Long-Lived Assets Held and Used [Line Items]
Impairments of long-lived assets	100
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Impairments of long-lived assets	100
Automobiles and trucks [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Property, Plant, and Equipment [Line Items]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life						4 years
Automobiles and trucks [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Property, Plant, and Equipment [Line Items]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life						3 years
Chemical plants [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Property, Plant, and Equipment [Line Items]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life						30 years
Chemical plants [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Property, Plant, and Equipment [Line Items]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life						15 years
Compressors [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Property, Plant, and Equipment [Line Items]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life						20 years
Compressors [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Property, Plant, and Equipment [Line Items]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life						12 years
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Acquired Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Finite-Lived Intangible Asset, Useful Life						20 years
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Acquired Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Finite-Lived Intangible Asset, Useful Life						2 years
Parent Company [Member] | Line of Credit [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Current amount outstanding	1,000					$ 1,000
Line of Credit Facility, Fair Value of Amount Outstanding	$ 3,500					$ 3,500