Ion Geophysical (IOGPQ) 10-Q 31 Oct 19 2019 Q3 Quarterly report Financial data

Document and Entity Information

Document and Entity Information - shares	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019	Oct. 28, 2019
Document and Entity Information [Abstract]
Entity Registrant Name	ION GEOPHYSICAL CORP
Entity Central Index Key	0000866609
Document Type	10-Q
Document Period End Date	Sep. 30, 2019
Amendment Flag	false
Document Fiscal Year Focus	2019
Document Fiscal Period Focus	Q3
Current Fiscal Year End Date	--12-31
Entity Filer Category	Accelerated Filer
Entity Small Business	false
Entity Emerging Growth Company	false
Entity Current Reporting Status	Yes
Entity Shell Company	false
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding		14,201,650

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Sep. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 27,894		$ 33,551	$ 30,043
Accounts receivable, net	23,832		26,128
Unbilled receivables	30,990		44,032
Inventories, net	12,934		14,130
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	6,626		7,782
Total current assets	102,276		125,623
Deferred income tax asset, net	8,435		7,191
Property, plant and equipment, net	12,903		13,041
Multi-client data library, net	69,723		73,544
Goodwill	22,276		22,915
Right-of-use assets	37,155		47,803
Other assets	2,222		2,435
Total assets	254,990		292,552
Current liabilities:
Current maturities of long-term debt	1,110		2,228
Accounts payable	43,565		34,913
Accrued expenses	42,807		31,411
Accrued multi-client data library royalties	17,514		29,256
Deferred revenue	5,310		7,710
Current maturities of operating lease liabilities	11,648		12,214
Total current liabilities	121,954		117,732
Long-term debt, net of current maturities	119,402		119,513
Operating lease liabilities, net of current maturities	35,214		45,592
Other long-term liabilities	1,526		1,891
Total liabilities	278,096		284,728
(Deficit) Equity:
Common stock, $0.01 par value; authorized 26,666,667 shares; outstanding 14,201,650 and 14,015,615 shares at September 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018, respectively.	142		140
Additional paid-in capital	955,705		952,626
Accumulated deficit	(959,797)		(926,092)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(21,440)		(20,442)
Total stockholders’ (deficit) equity	(25,390)		6,232
Noncontrolling interest	2,284		1,592
Total (deficit) equity	(23,106)	$ (19,381)	7,824	$ 26,914	$ 33,921	$ 30,806
Total liabilities and (deficit) equity	$ 254,990		$ 292,552

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANC_2

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (Parenthetical) - $ / shares	Sep. 30, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Statement of Financial Position [Abstract]
Common stock, par value (usd per share)	$ 0.01	$ 0.01
Common stock, shares authorized (in shares)	26,666,667	26,666,667
Common stock, shares outstanding (in shares)	14,201,650	14,015,615

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMEN

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS - USD ($) shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018
Net revenues	$ 53,239	$ 47,200	$ 131,970	$ 105,451
Cost of services and products	27,951	30,725	77,187	83,640
Gross profit	25,288	16,475	54,783	21,811
Operating expenses:
Research, development and engineering	4,878	5,030	15,421	13,544
Marketing and sales	5,591	5,209	17,444	16,314
General, administrative and other operating expenses	10,961	8,688	36,550	29,564
Total operating expenses	21,430	18,927	69,415	59,422
Income (loss) from operations	3,858	(2,452)	(14,632)	(37,611)
Interest expense, net	(3,155)	(3,022)	(9,378)	(9,769)
Other income (expense), net	(242)	91	(938)	(616)
Income (loss) before income taxes	461	(5,383)	(24,948)	(47,996)
Income tax expense	3,790	2,079	7,916	3,305
Net loss	(3,329)	(7,462)	(32,864)	(51,301)
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest	(394)	(74)	(841)	(527)
Net loss attributable to ION	$ (3,723)	$ (7,536)	$ (33,705)	$ (51,828)
Net loss per share:
Basic (usd per share)	$ (0.26)	$ (0.54)	$ (2.39)	$ (3.81)
Diluted (usd per share)	$ (0.26)	$ (0.54)	$ (2.39)	$ (3.81)
Weighted average number of common shares outstanding:
Basic (in shares)	14,181	14,003	14,104	13,586
Diluted (in shares)	14,181	14,003	14,104	13,586
Service
Net revenues	$ 41,990	$ 37,105	$ 100,525	$ 77,943
Cost of services and products	22,690	25,924	61,931	70,286
Product
Net revenues	11,249	10,095	31,445	27,508
Cost of services and products	$ 5,261	$ 4,801	$ 15,256	$ 13,354

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEM_2

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE LOSS - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018
Statement of Comprehensive Income [Abstract]
Net loss	$ (3,329)	$ (7,462)	$ (32,864)	$ (51,301)
Other comprehensive loss, net of taxes, as appropriate:
Foreign currency translation adjustments	(1,028)	43	(998)	(712)
Comprehensive net loss	(4,357)	(7,419)	(33,862)	(52,013)
Comprehensive income attributable to noncontrolling interest	(394)	(74)	(841)	(527)
Comprehensive net loss attributable to ION	$ (4,751)	$ (7,493)	$ (34,703)	$ (52,540)

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEM_3

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS - USD ($) $ in Thousands	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net loss	$ (32,864)	$ (51,301)
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to cash provided by (used in) operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization (other than multi-client data library)	2,903	6,902
Amortization of multi-client data library	29,787	32,544
Stock-based compensation expense	3,736	2,508
Deferred income taxes	(1,248)	(2,310)
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable	2,115	(4,383)
Unbilled receivables	12,772	13,156
Inventories	729	(646)
Accounts payable, accrued expenses and accrued royalties	1,528	(9,567)
Deferred revenue	(2,398)	1,479
Other assets and liabilities	2,244	4,294
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	19,304	(7,324)
Cash flows from investing activities:
Investment in multi-client data library	(21,225)	(19,911)
Purchase of property, plant and equipment	(1,272)	(313)
Net cash used in investing activities	(22,497)	(20,224)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Payments under revolving line of credit	(15,000)	(10,000)
Borrowings under revolving line of credit	15,000	0
Payments on notes payable and long-term debt	(1,960)	(30,071)
Net proceeds from issuance of stock	0	46,999
Dividend payment to noncontrolling interest	0	(200)
Other financing activities	(655)	(1,489)
Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities	(2,615)	5,239
Effect of change in foreign currency exchange rates on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	151	296
Net decrease in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	(5,657)	(22,013)
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at beginning of period	33,854	52,419
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at end of period	$ 28,197	$ 30,406

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEM_4

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (Parenthetical) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Sep. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents [Abstract]
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 27,894	$ 33,551	$ 30,043
Total cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash shown in statements of cash flows	28,197	$ 33,854	30,406	$ 52,419
Prepaid expenses and other current assets
Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents [Abstract]
Restricted cash	303		60
Other long-term assets
Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents [Abstract]
Restricted cash	$ 0		$ 303

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEM_5

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS’ (DEFICIT) EQUITY - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Total	Common Stock	Additional Paid-In Capital	Accumulated Deficit	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss	Noncontrolling Interests
Beginning balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2017		12,019,701
Beginning balance at Dec. 31, 2017	$ 30,806	$ 120	$ 903,247	$ (854,921)	$ (18,879)	$ 1,239
Comprehensive income (loss):
Net (loss) income	(51,301)			(51,828)		527
Translation adjustment	(975)				(712)	(263)
Dividend payment to noncontrolling interest	(200)					(200)
Stock-based compensation expense	2,508		2,508
Exercise of stock options (in shares)		70,086
Exercise of stock options	214		214
Vesting of restricted stock units/awards (in shares)		137,844
Vesting of restricted stock units/awards	0	$ 2	(2)
Vested restricted stock cancelled for employee minimum income taxes (in shares)		(22,176)
Vested restricted stock cancelled for employee minimum income taxes	(527)	$ 0	(527)
Public equity offering (in shares)		1,820,000
Public equity offering	46,999	$ 18	46,981
Employee purchases of unregistered shares of common stock (in shares)		(22,456)
Employee purchases of unregistered shares of common stock	(610)	$ 0	(610)
Ending balance (in shares) at Sep. 30, 2018		14,002,999
Ending balance at Sep. 30, 2018	26,914	$ 140	951,811	(906,749)	(19,591)	1,303
Beginning balance (in shares) at Jun. 30, 2018		14,002,999
Beginning balance at Jun. 30, 2018	33,921	$ 140	951,349	(899,213)	(19,634)	1,279
Comprehensive income (loss):
Net (loss) income	(7,462)			(7,536)		74
Translation adjustment	(7)				43	(50)
Stock-based compensation expense	465		465
Exercise of stock options	(3)		(3)
Ending balance (in shares) at Sep. 30, 2018		14,002,999
Ending balance at Sep. 30, 2018	26,914	$ 140	951,811	(906,749)	(19,591)	1,303
Beginning balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2018		14,015,615
Beginning balance at Dec. 31, 2018	7,824	$ 140	952,626	(926,092)	(20,442)	1,592
Comprehensive income (loss):
Net (loss) income	(32,864)			(33,705)		841
Translation adjustment	(1,147)				(998)	(149)
Stock-based compensation expense	3,736		3,736
Exercise of stock options (in shares)		82,900
Exercise of stock options	103	$ 1	102
Vesting of restricted stock units/awards (in shares)		202,697
Vesting of restricted stock units/awards	0	$ 2	(2)
Vested restricted stock cancelled for employee minimum income taxes (in shares)		(99,562)
Vested restricted stock cancelled for employee minimum income taxes	(758)	$ (1)	(757)
Ending balance (in shares) at Sep. 30, 2019		14,201,650
Ending balance at Sep. 30, 2019	(23,106)	$ 142	955,705	(959,797)	(21,440)	2,284
Beginning balance (in shares) at Jun. 30, 2019		14,171,561
Beginning balance at Jun. 30, 2019	(19,381)	$ 142	954,904	(956,074)	(20,412)	2,059
Comprehensive income (loss):
Net (loss) income	(3,329)			(3,723)		394
Translation adjustment	(1,197)				(1,028)	(169)
Stock-based compensation expense	905		905
Exercise of stock options (in shares)		58,400
Exercise of stock options	26	$ 0	26
Vesting of restricted stock units/awards (in shares)		1,066
Vesting of restricted stock units/awards	0	$ 0	0
Vested restricted stock cancelled for employee minimum income taxes (in shares)		(29,377)
Vested restricted stock cancelled for employee minimum income taxes	(130)	$ 0	(130)
Ending balance (in shares) at Sep. 30, 2019		14,201,650
Ending balance at Sep. 30, 2019	$ (23,106)	$ 142	$ 955,705	$ (959,797)	$ (21,440)	$ 2,284

Summary of Significant Accounti

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies	Summary of Significant Accounting Policies Basis of Presentation The condensed consolidated balance sheet of ION Geophysical Corporation and its subsidiaries (collectively referred to as the “Company” or “ION,” unless the context otherwise requires) at December 31, 2018 , has been derived from the Company’s audited consolidated financial statements at that date. The condensed consolidated balance sheet at September 30, 2019, and the condensed consolidated statements of operations, comprehensive loss and condensed consolidated statements of stockholders' (deficit) equity for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018 and the condensed consolidated statements of cash flows for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018, are unaudited. In the opinion of management, all adjustments of a normal recurring nature that are necessary for a fair presentation of the results of the interim period have been included. Interim results are not necessarily indicative of the operating results for a full year or of future operations. Intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated. The Company’s condensed consolidated financial statements reflect a non-redeemable noncontrolling interest in a majority-owned affiliate which is reported as a separate component of equity in “Noncontrolling interest” in the condensed consolidated balance sheets. Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest is stated separately in the condensed consolidated statements of operations. The activity for this noncontrolling interest relates to proprietary processing projects in Brazil. These condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared using accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”) for interim financial information and the instructions to Form 10-Q and applicable rules of Regulation S-X of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in annual financial statements presented in accordance with GAAP have been omitted. The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018 . Certain prior period amounts have been reclassified to conform to the current period presentation, including the change in reportable segments presentation which had no impact on the condensed consolidated financial statements and the recognition of right-of-use (“ROU”) assets and operating lease liabilities on the condensed consolidated balance sheets as a result of the adoption of the new lease standard. See Note 2 “ Recent Accounting Pronouncements. ” Significant Accounting Policies The Company’s significant accounting policies are disclosed in Note 1 “Summary of Significant Accounting Policies.” of the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018 . There have been no changes in such policies or the application of such policies during the nine months ended September 30, 2019 except as discussed in Note 2 “ Recent Accounting Pronouncements. ” and Note 11 “ Lease Obligations. ” Use of Estimates The preparation of condensed consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires the use of estimates and assumptions by management that affects the reported amounts in the condensed consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. Areas involving significant estimates include, but not limited to, accounts and unbilled receivables, inventory valuation, sales forecast related to multi-client data libraries, impairment of property, plant and equipment and goodwill and deferred taxes. Actual results could materially differ from those estimates.

Recent Accounting Pronouncement

Recent Accounting Pronouncements	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019
Accounting Changes and Error Corrections [Abstract]
Recent Accounting Pronouncements	Recent Accounting Pronouncements Accounting Pronouncements Recently Adopted On January 1, 2019, the Company adopted Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2016-2, “Leases (Topic 842)” using the modified retrospective method. This ASU requires the recognition of lease assets and lease liabilities by lessees for those leases classified as operating leases under the previous guidance. The Company used January 1, 2018, the beginning of the earliest comparative period presented in its condensed consolidated financial statements, as the date of initial application. The Company elected the practical expedients upon transition which will retain the lease classification for leases and any unamortized initial direct costs that existed prior to the adoption of the standard. The adoption of the standard resulted in ROU assets of $59.5 million and operating lease liabilities of $70.6 million on the condensed consolidated balance sheets as of January 1, 2018. The difference between the ROU assets and operating lease liabilities is due to the derecognition of $11.1 million in deferred rent recorded within other long-term liabilities. There was no impact on the condensed consolidated statements of operations and cash flows. The adoption of the standard had no impact on the debt covenant compliance under existing agreements. The Company elected the practical expedient related to short-term leases, which are leases with a duration of twelve months or less, as such, they have not been recorded in the condensed consolidated balance sheets. See Note 11 “ Lease Obligations. ” for further discussion. Accounting Pronouncements Not Yet Adopted In June 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued ASU No. 2016-13, “Financial Instruments - Credit Losses: Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments.” The guidance will replace the incurred loss impairment methodology under current GAAP with a methodology that reflects expected credit losses and requires consideration of a broader range of reasonable and supportable information to inform credit loss estimates. The guidance is effective for public companies for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2019, with early adoption permitted for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2018. The Company is in the initial stages of evaluating the impact of this standard on the condensed consolidated financial statements. The Company does not currently expect the adoption of this standard to have a material impact on the condensed consolidated financial statements.

Segment Information

Segment Information	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Segment Information	Segment Information During the first quarter of 2019, the Company consolidated its operating segments from three into two , eliminating the separate presentation of its Ocean Bottom Integrated Technologies segment. This consolidation aligns with the Company’s asset light business model and evolved strategy to commercialize components of the Company’s next generation ocean bottom nodal system, 4Sea™, instead of operating a crew. The Company is offering 4Sea components more broadly to the growing number of Ocean Bottom Seismic (“OBS”) service providers under recurring revenue commercial strategies. The Company may also license the right to manufacture and use the 4Sea nodal technology to a service provider on a value-based pricing model, such as a royalty stream. Revenues from 4Sea are being recognized through the relevant segments, either E&P Technology & Services or Operations Optimization. Accordingly, as of first quarter 2019, the Company evaluates and reviews its results of operations based on two reporting segments: E&P Technology & Services and Operations Optimization. Refer to Item 2. “ Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” for information about each business segment’s business, products and services. The segments represent components of the Company for which separate financial information is available that is utilized on a regular basis by the Chief Operating Decision Maker in determining how to allocate resources and evaluate performance. The Company measures segment operating results based on income (loss) from operations. Previously reported segment information has been retrospectively revised throughout the condensed consolidated financial statements, as applicable, for all periods presented to reflect the changes in the Company’s reporting segments. These changes did not have an impact on the Company’s condensed consolidated financial statements. These changes did not affect the Company’s reporting units used for allocating and testing goodwill for impairment. The following table is a summary of segment information (in thousands): Three Months Ended September 30, Nine Months Ended September 30, 2019 2018 2019 2018 Net revenues: E&P Technology & Services: New Venture $ 5,905 $ 18,218 $ 24,394 $ 40,069 Data Library 27,288 13,956 55,030 21,629 Total multi-client revenues 33,193 32,174 79,424 61,698 Imaging Services 7,048 4,147 16,443 14,379 Total 40,241 36,321 95,867 76,077 Operations Optimization: Devices 6,103 5,356 18,455 14,275 Optimization Software & Services 6,895 5,523 17,648 15,099 Total 12,998 10,879 36,103 29,374 Total net revenues $ 53,239 $ 47,200 $ 131,970 $ 105,451 Gross profit (loss): E&P Technology & Services $ 18,316 $ 12,139 $ 36,113 $ 11,626 Operations Optimization 6,972 5,736 18,670 14,980 Segment gross profit 25,288 17,875 54,783 26,606 Other — (1,400 ) (a) — (4,795 ) (a) Total gross profit $ 25,288 $ 16,475 $ 54,783 $ 21,811 Gross margin: E&P Technology & Services 46 % 33 % 38 % 15 % Operations Optimization 54 % 53 % 52 % 51 % Segment gross margin 47 % 38 % 42 % 25 % Other — % (3 )% — % (5 )% Total gross margin 47 % 35 % 42 % 21 % Income (loss) from operations: E&P Technology & Services $ 11,878 $ 6,578 $ 15,500 $ (4,422 ) Operations Optimization 2,994 1,963 5,808 3,992 Support and other (11,014 ) (b) (10,993 ) (b) (35,940 ) (c) (37,181 ) (c) Income (loss) from operations 3,858 (2,452 ) (14,632 ) (37,611 ) Interest expense, net (3,155 ) (3,022 ) (9,378 ) (9,769 ) Other income (expense), net (242 ) 91 (938 ) (616 ) Income (loss) before income taxes $ 461 $ (5,383 ) $ (24,948 ) $ (47,996 ) (a) Relates to gross loss primarily related to depreciation expense of previously reported Ocean Bottom Integrated Technologies segment. (b) Includes loss from operations of previously reported Ocean Bottom Integrated Technologies segment of $0.7 million and $2.8 million for the three months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018, respectively, which consists of item (a) above and operating expenses of $0.7 million and $1.4 million for the three months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018, respectively. (c) Includes loss from operations of previously reported Ocean Bottom Integrated Technologies segment of $2.3 million and $8.6 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018, respectively, which consists of item (a) above and operating expenses of $2.3 million and $3.8 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018, respectively.

Revenue From Contracts With Cus

Revenue From Contracts With Customers	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019
Revenue from Contract with Customer [Abstract]
Revenue From Contracts With Customers	Revenue From Contracts With Customers The Company derives revenue from the (i) sale or license of multi-client and proprietary data, imaging services and E&P Advisors consulting services within its E&P Technologies & Services segment; (ii) sale, license and repair of seismic data acquisition systems and other equipment; and (iii) sale or license of seismic command and control software systems and software solutions for operations management within its Operations Optimization segment. All E&P Technology & Services’ revenues and the services component of Optimization Software & Services’ revenues under Operations Optimization segment are classified as service revenues. All other revenues are classified as product revenues. The Company uses a five-step model to determine proper revenue recognition from customer contracts in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification Topic 606 (“ASC 606”). Revenue is recognized when (i) a contract is approved by all parties; (ii) the goods or services promised in the contract are identified; (iii) the consideration we expect to receive in exchange for the goods or services promised is determined; (iv) the consideration is allocated to the goods and services in the contract; and (v) control of the promised goods or services is transferred to the customer. The Company applies the practical expedient in ASC 606 and does not disclose information about remaining contractual future performance obligations with an original term of one year or less within the footnotes. The Company does not have any contractual future performance obligations with an original term of over one year. Revenue by Geographic Area The following table is a summary of net revenues by geographic area (in thousands): Three Months Ended September 30, Nine Months Ended September 30, 2019 2018 2019 2018 Latin America $ 22,720 $ 19,910 $ 50,572 $ 37,356 North America 12,182 13,095 32,984 25,452 Europe 8,335 8,202 24,850 19,811 Asia Pacific 2,744 3,718 8,287 11,581 Africa 2,874 1,121 7,541 8,362 Middle East 3,899 717 6,364 1,907 Commonwealth of Independent States 485 437 1,372 982 Total $ 53,239 $ 47,200 $ 131,970 $ 105,451 See Note 3 “Segment Information” for revenue by segment for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018 . Unbilled Receivables Unbilled receivables relate to revenues recognized on multi-client surveys, imaging services and devices equipment repairs on a proportionate basis, and on licensing of multi-client data libraries for which invoices have not yet been presented to the customer. The following table is a summary of unbilled receivables (in thousands): September 30, 2019 December 31, 2018 New Venture $ 22,373 $ 38,430 Imaging Services 7,016 5,075 Devices 1,601 527 Total $ 30,990 $ 44,032 The changes in unbilled receivables are as follows (in thousands): Unbilled receivables at December 31, 2018 $ 44,032 Recognition of unbilled receivables 125,586 Revenues billed to customers (138,628 ) Unbilled receivables at September 30, 2019 $ 30,990 Deferred Revenue Billing practices are governed by the terms of each contract based upon achievement of milestones or pre-agreed schedules. Billing does not necessarily correlate with revenue recognized on a proportionate basis as work is performed and control is transferred to the customer. Deferred revenue represents cash received in excess of revenue recognized as of the reporting period, but will be recognized in future periods. The following table is a summary of deferred revenues (in thousands): September 30, 2019 December 31, 2018 New Venture $ 1,973 $ 5,797 Imaging Services 1,219 307 Devices 1,018 626 Optimization Software & Services 1,100 980 Total $ 5,310 $ 7,710 The changes in deferred revenues are as follows (in thousands): Deferred revenue at December 31, 2018 $ 7,710 Cash collected in excess of revenue recognized 3,984 Recognition of deferred revenue (a) (6,384 ) Deferred revenue at September 30, 2019 $ 5,310 (a) The majority of deferred revenue recognized relates to Company’s Ventures group. The Company expects to recognize all deferred revenue within the next 12 months. Credit Risks For the nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018 , the Company had one customer with sales that exceeded 10% of the Company’s consolidated net revenues. Revenues related to each of these customers are included within the E&P Technology & Services segment. At September 30, 2019 , the Company had two customers with balances that, combined, accounted for 40% of the Company’s total combined accounts receivable and unbilled receivable balances. At September 30, 2018 , the Company had one customer with a balance that accounted for 29% of the Company’s total combined accounts receivable and unbilled receivable balances.

Long-term Debt

Long-term Debt	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
Long-term Debt	Long-term Debt The following table is a summary of long-term debt (in thousands): September 30, 2019 December 31, 2018 Senior secured second-priority lien notes (maturing December 15, 2021) $ 120,569 $ 120,569 Revolving credit facility (maturing August 16, 2023) (a) — — Equipment finance leases (Note 11) 2,138 2,938 Other debt — 1,159 Costs associated with issuances of debt (2,195 ) (2,925 ) Total 120,512 121,741 Current maturities of long-term debt (1,110 ) (2,228 ) Long-term debt, net of current maturities $ 119,402 $ 119,513 (a) The maturity of the Credit Facility will accelerate to October 31, 2021 if the Company is unable to repay or extend the maturity of the Second Lien Notes. Revolving Credit Facility On August 16, 2018, ION Geophysical Corporation and its material U.S. subsidiaries — GX Technology Corporation, ION Exploration Products (U.S.A), Inc. and I/O Marine Systems Inc. (the “Material U.S. Subsidiaries”) — along with GX Geoscience Corporation, S. de R.L. de C.V., a limited liability company (Sociedad de Responsibilidad Limitada de Capital Variable) organized under the laws of Mexico, and a subsidiary of the Company (the “Mexican Subsidiary”) (the Material U.S. Subsidiaries and the Mexican Subsidiary are collectively, the “Subsidiary Borrowers”, together with ION Geophysical Corporation are the “Borrowers”) — the financial institutions party thereto, as lenders, and PNC Bank, National Association (“PNC”), as agent for the lenders, entered into that certain Third Amendment and Joinder to Revolving Credit and Security Agreement (the “Third Amendment”), amending the Revolving Credit and Security Agreement, dated as of August 22, 2014 (as previously amended by the First Amendment to Revolving Credit and Security Agreement, dated as of August 4, 2015 and the Second Amendment to Revolving Credit and Security Agreement, dated as of April 28, 2016, the “Credit Agreement”). The Credit Agreement, as amended by the First Amendment, the Second Amendment and the Third Amendment is herein called the “Credit Facility”). The Credit Facility is available to provide for the Borrowers’ general corporate needs, including working capital requirements, capital expenditures, surety deposits and acquisition financing. The Third Amendment amended the Credit Agreement to, among other things: • extend the maturity date of the Credit Facility by approximately four years (from August 22, 2019 to August 16, 2023), subject to the Company’s retirement or extension of the maturity date of its Second Lien Notes, as defined below, which mature on December 15, 2021; • increase the maximum revolver amount by $10.0 million (from $40.0 million to $50.0 million ); • increase the borrowing base percentage of the net orderly liquidation value as it relates to the multi-client data library (not to exceed $28.5 million , up from the previous maximum of $15.0 million for the multi-client data library component); • include the eligible billed receivables of the Mexican Subsidiary up to a maximum of $5.0 million in the borrowing base calculation and joins the Mexican Subsidiary as a borrower thereunder (with a maximum exposure of $5.0 million ) and require the equity and assets of the Mexican Subsidiary to be pledged to secure obligations under the facility; • modify the interest rate such that the maximum interest rate remains consistent with the fixed interest rate prior to the Third Amendment (that is, 3.00% per annum for domestic rate loans and 4.00% per annum for LIBOR rate loans), but now lowers the range down to a minimum interest rate of 2.00% for domestic rate loans and 3.00% for LIBOR rate loans based on a leverage ratio for the preceding four-quarter period; • decrease the minimum excess borrowing availability threshold which (if the Borrowers have minimum excess borrowing availability below any such threshold) triggers the agent’s right to exercise dominion over cash and deposit accounts; and • modify the trigger required to test for compliance with the fixed charges coverage ratio, which is further described below. The maximum amount under the Credit Facility is the lesser of $50.0 million or a monthly borrowing base. The borrowing base under the Credit Facility will increase or decrease monthly using a formula based on certain eligible receivables, eligible inventory and other amounts, including a percentage of the net orderly liquidation value of the Borrowers’ multi-client library. As of September 30, 2019 , the undrawn borrowing base availability under the Credit Facility was $37.6 million , and there was no outstanding indebtedness under the Credit Facility. The obligations of Borrowers under the Credit Facility are secured by a first-priority security interest in 100% of the stock of the Subsidiary Borrowers and 65% of the equity interest in ION International Holdings L.P., and by substantially all other assets of the Borrowers. However, the first-priority security interest in the other assets of the Mexican Subsidiary is capped to a maximum exposure of $5.0 million . The Credit Facility contains covenants that, among other things, limit or prohibit the Borrowers, subject to certain exceptions and qualifications, from incurring additional indebtedness in excess of permitted indebtedness (including finance lease obligations), repurchasing equity, paying dividends or distributions, granting or incurring additional liens on the Borrowers’ properties, pledging shares of the Borrowers’ subsidiaries, entering into certain merger transactions, entering into transactions with the Company’s affiliates, making certain sales or other dispositions of the Borrowers’ assets, making certain investments, acquiring other businesses and entering into sale-leaseback transactions with respect to the Borrowers’ property. The Credit Facility requires that the Borrowers maintain a minimum fixed charge coverage ratio of 1.1 to 1.0 as of the end of each fiscal quarter during the existence of a covenant testing trigger event. The fixed charge coverage ratio is defined as the ratio of (i) ION Geophysical Corporation’s earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (“EBITDA”), minus unfunded capital expenditures made during the relevant period, minus distributions (including tax distributions) and dividends made during the relevant period, minus cash taxes paid during the relevant period, to (ii) certain debt payments made during the relevant period. A covenant testing trigger event occurs upon (a) the occurrence and continuance of an event of default under the Credit Facility or (b) by a two-step process based on (i) a minimum excess borrowing availability threshold (excess borrowing availability less than $6.25 million for five consecutive days or $5.0 million on any given day), and (ii) the Borrowers’ unencumbered cash maintained in a PNC deposit account is less than the Borrowers’ then outstanding obligations. At September 30, 2019 , the Company was in compliance with all of the covenants under the Credit Facility. The Credit Facility contains customary event of default provisions (including a “change of control” event affecting ION Geophysical Corporation), the occurrence of which could lead to an acceleration of ION Geophysical Corporation’s obligations under the Credit Facility. Senior Secured Notes ION Geophysical Corporation’s 9.125% Senior Secured Second Priority Notes due December 2021 (the “Second Lien Notes”) are senior secured second-priority obligations guaranteed by the Material U.S. Subsidiaries and the Mexican Subsidiary (each as defined above and herein below, with the reference to the Second Lien Notes, the “Guarantors”). Interest on the Second Lien Notes is payable semiannually in arrears on June 15 and December 15 of each year during their term, except that the interest payment otherwise payable on June 15, 2021 will be payable on December 15, 2021. The April 2016 indenture governing the Second Lien Notes contains certain covenants that, among other things, limits or prohibits ION Geophysical Corporation’s ability and the ability of its restricted subsidiaries to take certain actions or permit certain conditions to exist during the term of the Second Lien Notes, including among other things, incurring additional indebtedness in excess of permitted indebtedness, creating liens, paying dividends and making other distributions in respect of ION Geophysical Corporation’s capital stock, redeeming ION Geophysical Corporation’s capital stock, making investments or certain other restricted payments, selling certain kinds of assets, entering into transactions with affiliates, and effecting mergers or consolidations. These and other restrictive covenants contained in the Second Lien Notes Indenture are subject to certain exceptions and qualifications. All of ION Geophysical Corporation’s subsidiaries are currently restricted subsidiaries. At September 30, 2019 , the Company was in compliance with all of the covenants under the Second Lien Notes. On or after December 15, 2019, the Company may, on one or more occasions, redeem all or a part of the Second Lien Notes at the redemption prices set forth below, plus accrued and unpaid interest and special interest, if any, on the Second Lien Notes redeemed during the twelve-month period beginning on December 15th of the years indicated below: Date Percentage 2019 105.50% 2020 103.50% 2021 and thereafter 100.00%

Net Loss Per Share

Net Loss Per Share	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Net Loss Per Share	Net Loss Per Share Basic net loss per share is computed by dividing net loss applicable to common shares by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period. Diluted net loss per common share is determined based on the assumption that dilutive restricted stock and restricted stock unit awards have vested and outstanding dilutive stock options have been exercised and the aggregate proceeds were used to reacquire common stock using the average price of such common stock for the period. The total number of shares issuable pursuant to outstanding stock options at September 30, 2019 and 2018 of 700,759 and 804,936 , respectively, were excluded as their inclusion would have an anti-dilutive effect. The total number of shares issuable pursuant to restricted stock units awards outstanding at September 30, 2019 and 2018 of 926,917 and 128,131 , respectively, were excluded as their inclusion would have an anti-dilutive effect.

Income Taxes

Income Taxes	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Income Taxes	Income Taxes The Company maintains a valuation allowance for substantially all of its deferred tax assets. A valuation allowance is established or maintained when it is “more likely than not” that all or a portion of deferred tax assets will not be realized. The Company will continue to record a valuation allowance for the substantial majority of its deferred tax assets until there is sufficient evidence to warrant reversal. The tax provision for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 has been calculated using the Company’s overall estimated annual effective tax rate based on projected 2019 full year results. The Company’s effective tax rates for the three months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018 were 822.1% and (38.6)% , respectively. The Company’s effective tax rates for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018 were (31.7)% and (6.9)% , respectively. The Company’s effective tax rates for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018 were negatively impacted by the change in valuation allowance related to U.S. operating losses for which the Company cannot currently recognize a tax benefit. The Company’s income tax expense for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 of $7.9 million primarily relates to results from the Company’s non-U.S. businesses. As of September 30, 2019 , the Company has approximately $0.4 million of unrecognized tax benefits and does not expect to recognize significant increases in unrecognized tax benefits during the next twelve-month period. Interest and penalties, if any, related to unrecognized tax benefits are recorded in income tax expense. As of September 30, 2019 , the Company’s U.S. federal tax returns for 2016 and subsequent years remain subject to examination by tax authorities. In the Company’s foreign tax jurisdictions, tax returns for 2012 and subsequent years generally remain open to examination.

Litigation

Litigation	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Litigation	Litigation WesternGeco In June 2009, WesternGeco L.L.C. (“WesternGeco”) filed a lawsuit against the Company in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas (the “District Court”). In the lawsuit, styled WesternGeco L.L.C. v. ION Geophysical Corporation , WesternGeco alleged that the Company had infringed four of their patents concerning marine seismic surveys. Trial began in July 2012, and the jury returned a verdict in August 2012. The jury found that the Company infringed the six “claims” contained in four of WesternGeco’s patents by supplying the Company’s DigiFIN® lateral streamer control units from the United States. (In patent law, a “claim” is a technical legal term; an infringer infringes on one or more “claims” of a given patent.) In May 2014, the District Court entered a Final Judgment against the Company in the amount of $123.8 million . The Final Judgment also enjoined the Company from supplying DigiFINs or any parts unique to DigiFINs in or from the United States. The Company has conducted its business in compliance with the District Court’s orders, and has reorganized its operations such that it no longer supplies DigiFINs or any parts unique to DigiFINs in or from the United States. As of 2018, the Company has paid WesternGeco the $25.8 million of the Final Judgment (the portion of the judgment representing reasonable royalty damages and enhanced damages, plus interest). However, as further described below, the balance of the judgment against the Company ( $98.0 million , representing lost profits from surveys performed by the Company’s customers outside of the United State, plus interest) has been vacated, and a new trial ordered, to determine what lost profit damages, if any, WesternGeco is entitled to. The Final Judgment was vacated after it was appealed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in Washington, D.C. (the “Court of Appeals”), then to the Supreme Court of the United States, which remanded the case, again, to the Court of Appeals. On January 11, 2019, the Court of Appeals refused to disturb the award of reasonable royalties to WesternGeco (which the Company paid in 2016), but did not reinstate the lost profits award; rather, the Court of Appeals remanded the case back to the District Court to determine whether to hold a new trial as to lost profits. On August 30, 2019, the District Court refused WesternGeco’s request to reinstate the lost profits awards against the Company, and instead ordered a new trial to determine what lost profits, if any, WesternGeco is entitled to from surveys performed by the Company’s customers outside of the United States. The District Court’s basis for granting the new trial as to lost profits was that, subsequent to the jury verdict that awarded lost profits, the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (“PTAB”) of the Patent and Trademark Office, in an administrative proceeding, invalidated four of the five patent claims that formed the basis for the lost profits judgment against the Company (that is, the PTAB held that those four patent claims should never have been granted), and the Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court both subsequently refused to overturn that finding. A trial date for the new trial has not yet been set. The Company may not ultimately prevail in the litigation and it could be required to pay lost profits if and when a new judgment issues in the new trial. The Company’s assessment that it does not have a loss contingency may change in the future due to developments at the District Court, and other events, such as changes in applicable law, and such reassessment could lead to the determination that a significant loss contingency is probable, which could have a material effect on the Company’s business, financial condition and results of operations. The Company’s assessments disclosed in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q or elsewhere are based on currently available information and involve elements of judgment and significant uncertainties. Other Litigation The Company has been named in various other lawsuits or threatened actions that are incidental to its ordinary business. Litigation is inherently unpredictable. Any claims against the Company, whether meritorious or not, could be time-consuming, cause the Company to incur costs and expenses, require significant amounts of management time and result in the diversion of significant operational resources. The results of these lawsuits and actions cannot be predicted with certainty. The Company currently believes that the ultimate resolution of these matters will not have a material adverse effect on its financial condition or results of operations.

Details of Selected Balance She

Details of Selected Balance Sheet Accounts	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Details of Selected Balance Sheet Accounts	Details of Selected Balance Sheet Accounts Inventories A summary of inventories follows (in thousands): September 30, 2019 December 31, 2018 Raw materials and subassemblies $ 18,269 $ 20,011 Work-in-process 2,460 1,032 Finished goods 5,166 8,111 Reserve for excess and obsolete inventories (12,961 ) (15,024 ) Inventories, net $ 12,934 $ 14,130 Property, Plant and Equipment A summary of property, plant and equipment follows (in thousands): September 30, 2019 December 31, 2018 Buildings $ 15,714 $ 15,707 Machinery and equipment 133,257 132,135 Seismic rental equipment 1,572 1,423 Furniture and fixtures 3,867 3,859 Other 30,560 30,104 Total 184,970 183,228 Less accumulated depreciation (135,514 ) (133,634 ) Less impairment of long-lived assets (36,553 ) (36,553 ) Property, plant and equipment, net $ 12,903 $ 13,041 Total depreciation expense, including amortization of assets recorded under equipment finance leases, for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018 was $2.4 million and $6.0 million , respectively. Multi-Client Data Library The change in multi-client data library are as follows (in thousands): September 30, 2019 December 31, 2018 Gross costs of multi-client data creation $ 998,275 $ 972,309 Less accumulated amortization (806,647 ) (776,860 ) Less impairments to multi-client data library (121,905 ) (121,905 ) Multi-client data library, net $ 69,723 $ 73,544 Total amortization expense for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018 was $29.8 million and $32.5 million , respectively.

Stockholder's Equity and Stock-

Stockholder's Equity and Stock-Based Compensation Expense	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019
Share-based Payment Arrangement [Abstract]
Stockholder's Equity and Stock-Based Compensation Expense	Stockholder's Equity and Stock-Based Compensation Expense Public Equity Offering On February 21, 2018, the Company completed a public equity offering (“Offering”) of its 1,820,000 shares of common stock at a public offering price of $27.50 per share, and warrants to purchase an additional 1,820,000 shares of the Company’s common stock pursuant to the Registration Statement on Form S-3 (No. 33-213769) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities Act of 1933 and declared effective on December 2, 2016. The net proceeds from this offering were $47.0 million , including transaction expenses. A portion of the net proceeds were used to retire the Company’s $28.5 million Third Lien Notes in March 2018. The warrants have an exercise price of $33.60 per share, are immediately exercisable and were to expire on March 21, 2019. On February 4, 2019, the Company extended expiration of the warrants to March 21, 2020. Stock-Based Compensation The total number of shares issued or reserved for future issuance under outstanding stock options at September 30, 2019 and 2018 was 700,759 and 804,936 , respectively, and the total number of shares of restricted stock and shares reserved for restricted stock units outstanding at September 30, 2019 and 2018 was 926,917 and 128,131 , respectively. The total number of stock appreciation rights (“SARs”) awards outstanding at September 30, 2019 and 2018 was 963,013 and 530,865 , respectively. The following table presents a summary of the activity related to stock options, restricted stock, restricted stock unit awards and SARs awards for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 : Stock Options Restricted Stock and Unit Awards Stock Appreciation Rights Number of Shares Outstanding at December 31, 2018 785,890 1,044,125 1,481,541 Granted 10,000 152,155 — Stock options and SARs exercised/restricted stock and unit awards vested (82,900 ) (202,697 ) (150,000 ) Cancelled/forfeited (12,231 ) (66,666 ) (368,528 ) Outstanding at September 30, 2019 700,759 926,917 963,013 Cancelled/forfeited SARs relates to the 2015 issuance of 176,528 awards that expired during the current period and also 192,000 forfeited awards of the former Chief Executive Officer. On September 1, 2019, the Company granted 130,000 shares of restricted stock to the new Chief Executive Officer. The vesting of the 65,000 shares is achieved through a time based condition and the vesting of the remaining 65,000 shares is achieved through both a time based condition and performance based condition. Stock-based compensation expense recognized for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018 , totaled $3.7 million and $2.5 million , respectively. SARs expense recognized for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018 , totaled $2.7 million and $2.8 million , respectively. SARs awards are considered liability awards as they are ultimately settled in cash. As such, these amounts are incrementally accrued in the liability section of the condensed consolidated balance sheets over the service period. All of the Company’s currently outstanding SARs awards achieve vesting through both a market condition and a service condition. SARs awards that are fully vested under both conditions are measured at intrinsic value (i.e. the difference between the market price on the last day of the quarter and the strike price of the awards times the number of awards vested and outstanding) and marked to market each quarter until settled. SARs awards that are not fully vested are incrementally accrued over the service period and adjusted to their fair value each quarter until settled based on a valuation model. The Company calculated the fair value of each award as of September 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018 using a Monte Carlo simulation model. The following assumptions were used: September 30, 2019 December 31, 2018 Risk-free interest rates 1.97 % 3.0 % Expected lives (in years) 5.31 5.31 Expected dividend yield — % — % Expected volatility 86.1 % 82.9 %

Lease Obligations

Lease Obligations	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019
Leases [Abstract]
Lease Obligations	Lease Obligations The Company determines if an arrangement is a lease at inception by considering whether (1) explicitly or implicitly identified assets have been deployed in the agreement and (2) the Company obtains substantially all of the economic benefits from the use of that underlying asset and directs how and for what purpose the asset is used during the term of the agreement. Amounts related to operating leases are included in “Right-of-use assets”, “Current maturities of operating lease liabilities” and “Operating lease liabilities, net of current maturities” in the condensed consolidated balance sheets. Amounts related to finance leases are included in “Property, plant and equipment, net”, “Current maturities of long-term debt”, and “Long-term debt, net of current maturities” in the condensed consolidated balance sheets. ROU assets represent the Company’s right to use an underlying asset for the lease term and operating lease liabilities represent the Company’s obligation to make lease payments arising from the lease. ROU assets are recognized at the commencement date and consist of the present value of remaining lease payments over the lease term, initial direct costs, prepaid lease payments less any lease incentives. Operating lease liabilities are recognized at commencement date based on the present value of remaining lease payments over the lease term. The Company uses the implicit rate, when readily determinable or the incremental borrowing rate based on the information available at commencement date to determine the present value of lease payments. The lease terms may include options to extend or terminate the lease which are recorded in the financial statements if it is reasonably certain that the Company will exercise such options. Lease expense for lease payments is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term. Lease agreements with lease and non-lease components are accounted for separately. The Company does not recognize leases with terms of less than twelve months in the condensed consolidated balance sheets and will recognize those lease payments in the condensed consolidated statements of operations on a straight-line basis over the lease term. The Company leases offices, processing centers, warehouse spaces and, to a lesser extent, certain equipment. These leases have remaining terms of 1 year to 7 years , some of which have options to extend for up to 10 years and/or options to terminate within 1 year . The options to renew are not recognized as part of the Company’s ROU assets and operating lease liabilities as the Company is not reasonably certain that it will exercise these options. Total operating lease expense, including short-term lease expense was $8.9 million and $12.3 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018 , respectively. Future maturities of lease obligations follows (in thousands): For the year ending September 30, Operating Leases Finance Leases Total 2020 $ 13,193 $ 1,254 $ 14,447 2021 11,975 1,070 13,045 2022 11,404 — 11,404 2023 11,389 — 11,389 2024 5,257 — 5,257 Thereafter 5,242 — 5,242 Total lease payments 58,460 2,324 60,784 Less imputed interest (11,598 ) (186 ) (11,784 ) Total $ 46,862 $ 2,138 $ 49,000 The weighted average remaining lease term as of September 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018 was 5.00 years and 5.26 years , respectively. The weighted average discount rate used to determine the operating lease liability as of September 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018 was 6.53% and 6.25% , respectively. Equipment Finance Leases The Company has entered into equipment finance leases that are due in installments for the purpose of financing the purchase of computer equipment through August 2021. Interest accrues under these leases at rates from 4.3% to 8.7% per annum, and the leases are collateralized by liens on the computer equipment. The assets are amortized over the lesser of their related lease terms or their estimated useful lives and such charges are reflected within depreciation expense.
Lease Obligations	Lease Obligations The Company determines if an arrangement is a lease at inception by considering whether (1) explicitly or implicitly identified assets have been deployed in the agreement and (2) the Company obtains substantially all of the economic benefits from the use of that underlying asset and directs how and for what purpose the asset is used during the term of the agreement. Amounts related to operating leases are included in “Right-of-use assets”, “Current maturities of operating lease liabilities” and “Operating lease liabilities, net of current maturities” in the condensed consolidated balance sheets. Amounts related to finance leases are included in “Property, plant and equipment, net”, “Current maturities of long-term debt”, and “Long-term debt, net of current maturities” in the condensed consolidated balance sheets. ROU assets represent the Company’s right to use an underlying asset for the lease term and operating lease liabilities represent the Company’s obligation to make lease payments arising from the lease. ROU assets are recognized at the commencement date and consist of the present value of remaining lease payments over the lease term, initial direct costs, prepaid lease payments less any lease incentives. Operating lease liabilities are recognized at commencement date based on the present value of remaining lease payments over the lease term. The Company uses the implicit rate, when readily determinable or the incremental borrowing rate based on the information available at commencement date to determine the present value of lease payments. The lease terms may include options to extend or terminate the lease which are recorded in the financial statements if it is reasonably certain that the Company will exercise such options. Lease expense for lease payments is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term. Lease agreements with lease and non-lease components are accounted for separately. The Company does not recognize leases with terms of less than twelve months in the condensed consolidated balance sheets and will recognize those lease payments in the condensed consolidated statements of operations on a straight-line basis over the lease term. The Company leases offices, processing centers, warehouse spaces and, to a lesser extent, certain equipment. These leases have remaining terms of 1 year to 7 years , some of which have options to extend for up to 10 years and/or options to terminate within 1 year . The options to renew are not recognized as part of the Company’s ROU assets and operating lease liabilities as the Company is not reasonably certain that it will exercise these options. Total operating lease expense, including short-term lease expense was $8.9 million and $12.3 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018 , respectively. Future maturities of lease obligations follows (in thousands): For the year ending September 30, Operating Leases Finance Leases Total 2020 $ 13,193 $ 1,254 $ 14,447 2021 11,975 1,070 13,045 2022 11,404 — 11,404 2023 11,389 — 11,389 2024 5,257 — 5,257 Thereafter 5,242 — 5,242 Total lease payments 58,460 2,324 60,784 Less imputed interest (11,598 ) (186 ) (11,784 ) Total $ 46,862 $ 2,138 $ 49,000 The weighted average remaining lease term as of September 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018 was 5.00 years and 5.26 years , respectively. The weighted average discount rate used to determine the operating lease liability as of September 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018 was 6.53% and 6.25% , respectively. Equipment Finance Leases The Company has entered into equipment finance leases that are due in installments for the purpose of financing the purchase of computer equipment through August 2021. Interest accrues under these leases at rates from 4.3% to 8.7% per annum, and the leases are collateralized by liens on the computer equipment. The assets are amortized over the lesser of their related lease terms or their estimated useful lives and such charges are reflected within depreciation expense.

Supplemental Cash Flow Informat

Supplemental Cash Flow Information and Non-cash Activity	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019
Supplemental Cash Flow Elements [Abstract]
Supplemental Cash Flow Information and Non-cash Activity	Supplemental Cash Flow Information and Non-cash Activity Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information are as follows (in thousands): Nine Months Ended September 30, 2019 2018 Cash paid during the period for: Interest $ 6,085 $ 6,733 Income taxes 7,607 2,257 Non-cash items from investing and financing activities: Purchases of computer equipment financed through capital leases — 3,298 Investment in multi-client data library in accounts payable and accrued expenses 4,741 6,657

Fair Value of Financial Instrum

Fair Value of Financial Instruments	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]
Fair Value of Financial Instruments	Fair Value of Financial Instruments Authoritative guidance on fair value measurements defines fair value, establishes a framework for measuring fair value and stipulates the related disclosure requirements. The Company follows a three-level hierarchy, under which the fair value hierarchy prioritizes the inputs used to measure fair value into three broad levels, moving from quoted prices in active markets in (Level 1) to unobservable inputs in (Level 3). Due to their highly liquid nature, the amount of the Company’s other financial instruments, including cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash, accounts and unbilled receivables, short term investments, accounts payable and accrued multi-client data library royalties, represent their approximate fair value. The carrying amounts of the Company’s long-term debt as of September 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018 were $122.7 million and $124.7 million , respectively, compared to its fair values of $118.8 million and $120.7 million as of September 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018 , respectively. The fair value of the Second Lien Notes was calculated using Level 1 inputs, including an active market price. Fair value measurements are applied with respect to non-financial assets and liabilities on a non-recurring basis, which would consist primarily of goodwill, multi-client data library and property, plant and equipment.

Condensed Consolidating Financi

Condensed Consolidating Financial Information	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019
Condensed Financial Information Disclosure [Abstract]
Condensed Consolidating Financial Information	Condensed Consolidating Financial Information The Second Lien Notes were issued by ION Geophysical Corporation and are guaranteed by Guarantors, all of which are wholly-owned subsidiaries. The Guarantors have fully and unconditionally guaranteed the payment obligations of ION Geophysical Corporation with respect to the Second Lien Notes. The following condensed consolidating financial information presents the results of operations, financial position and cash flows for: • ION Geophysical Corporation and the Guarantors (in each case, reflecting investments in subsidiaries utilizing the equity method of accounting). • All other subsidiaries of ION Geophysical Corporation that are not Guarantors. • The consolidating adjustments necessary to present ION Geophysical Corporation’s results on a consolidated basis. This condensed consolidating financial information should be read in conjunction with the accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements and footnotes. For additional information pertaining to the Second Lien Notes, See Item 2. “ Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations ” in Part II of this Form 10-Q. September 30, 2019 Balance Sheet ION Geophysical Corporation The Guarantors All Other Subsidiaries Consolidating Adjustments Total Consolidated (In thousands) ASSETS Current assets: Cash and cash equivalents $ 7,153 $ 45 $ 20,696 $ — $ 27,894 Accounts receivable, net 8 11,338 12,486 — 23,832 Unbilled receivables — 10,758 20,232 — 30,990 Inventories, net — 7,192 5,742 — 12,934 Prepaid expenses and other current assets 3,160 986 2,480 — 6,626 Total current assets 10,321 30,319 61,636 — 102,276 Deferred income tax asset 805 7,510 120 — 8,435 Property, plant and equipment, net 754 7,931 4,218 — 12,903 Multi-client data library, net — 65,790 3,933 — 69,723 Investment in subsidiaries 847,183 268,398 — (1,115,581 ) — Goodwill — — 22,276 — 22,276 Intercompany receivables — 91,534 80,264 (171,798 ) — Right-of-use assets 15,206 16,897 5,052 — 37,155 Other assets 1,223 945 54 — 2,222 Total assets $ 875,492 $ 489,324 $ 177,553 $ (1,287,379 ) $ 254,990 LIABILITIES AND (DEFICIT) EQUITY Current liabilities: Current maturities of long-term debt $ — $ 1,110 $ — $ — $ 1,110 Accounts payable 2,460 37,508 3,597 — 43,565 Accrued expenses 15,338 15,840 11,629 — 42,807 Accrued multi-client data library royalties — 17,299 215 — 17,514 Deferred revenue — 3,802 1,508 — 5,310 Current maturities of operating lease liabilities 5,026 5,422 1,200 — 11,648 Total current liabilities 22,824 80,981 18,149 — 121,954 Long-term debt, net of current maturities 118,375 1,027 — — 119,402 Operating lease liabilities, net of current maturities 14,090 16,647 4,477 — 35,214 Intercompany payables 744,102 — — (744,102 ) — Other long-term liabilities 1,491 35 — — 1,526 Total liabilities 900,882 98,690 22,626 (744,102 ) 278,096 (Deficit) Equity: Common stock 142 290,460 47,776 (338,236 ) 142 Additional paid-in capital 955,705 180,700 203,909 (384,609 ) 955,705 Accumulated earnings (deficit) (959,797 ) 401,351 10,981 (412,332 ) (959,797 ) Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) (21,440 ) 4,281 (23,877 ) 19,596 (21,440 ) Due from ION Geophysical Corporation — (486,158 ) (86,146 ) 572,304 — Total stockholders’ (deficit) equity (25,390 ) 390,634 152,643 (543,277 ) (25,390 ) Noncontrolling interest — — 2,284 — 2,284 Total (deficit) equity (25,390 ) 390,634 154,927 (543,277 ) (23,106 ) Total liabilities and (deficit) equity $ 875,492 $ 489,324 $ 177,553 $ (1,287,379 ) $ 254,990 December 31, 2018 Balance Sheet ION Geophysical Corporation The Guarantors All Other Subsidiaries Consolidating Adjustments Total Consolidated (In thousands) ASSETS Current assets: Cash and cash equivalents $ 13,782 $ 47 $ 19,722 $ — $ 33,551 Accounts receivable, net 8 17,349 8,771 — 26,128 Unbilled receivables — 12,697 31,335 — 44,032 Inventories, net — 8,721 5,409 — 14,130 Prepaid expenses and other current assets 3,891 1,325 2,566 — 7,782 Total current assets 17,681 40,139 67,803 — 125,623 Deferred income tax asset 805 6,261 125 — 7,191 Property, plant and equipment, net 489 8,922 3,630 — 13,041 Multi-client data library, net — 70,380 3,164 — 73,544 Investment in subsidiaries 836,002 247,359 — (1,083,361 ) — Goodwill — — 22,915 — 22,915 Intercompany receivables — 305,623 60,255 (365,878 ) — Right-of-use assets 18,513 21,350 7,940 — 47,803 Other assets 1,723 643 69 — 2,435 Total assets $ 875,213 $ 700,677 $ 165,901 $ (1,449,239 ) $ 292,552 LIABILITIES AND (DEFICIT) EQUITY Current liabilities: Current maturities of long-term debt $ 1,159 $ 1,069 $ — $ — $ 2,228 Accounts payable 2,407 29,602 2,904 — 34,913 Accrued expenses 7,011 10,036 14,364 — 31,411 Accrued multi-client data library royalties — 29,040 216 — 29,256 Deferred revenue — 6,515 1,195 — 7,710 Current maturities of operating lease liabilities 5,155 5,633 1,426 — 12,214 Total current liabilities 15,732 81,895 20,105 — 117,732 Long-term debt, net of current maturities 117,644 1,869 — — 119,513 Operating lease liabilities, net of current maturities 17,841 21,237 6,514 — 45,592 Intercompany payables 716,051 — (716,051 ) — Other long-term liabilities 1,713 178 — — 1,891 Total liabilities 868,981 105,179 26,619 (716,051 ) 284,728 Equity: Common stock 140 290,460 47,776 (338,236 ) 140 Additional paid-in capital 952,626 180,700 203,908 (384,608 ) 952,626 Accumulated earnings (deficit) (926,092 ) 390,691 (12,475 ) (378,216 ) (926,092 ) Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) (20,442 ) 4,324 (22,023 ) 17,699 (20,442 ) Due from ION Geophysical Corporation — (270,677 ) (79,496 ) 350,173 — Total stockholders’ (deficit) equity 6,232 595,498 137,690 (733,188 ) 6,232 Noncontrolling interest — — 1,592 — 1,592 Total equity 6,232 595,498 139,282 (733,188 ) 7,824 Total liabilities and equity $ 875,213 $ 700,677 $ 165,901 $ (1,449,239 ) $ 292,552 Three Months Ended September 30, 2019 Income Statement ION Geophysical Corporation The Guarantors All Other Subsidiaries Consolidating Adjustments Total Consolidated (In thousands) Net revenues $ — $ 21,474 $ 31,765 $ — $ 53,239 Cost of sales — 20,165 7,786 — 27,951 Gross profit — 1,309 23,979 — 25,288 Total operating expenses 9,514 7,976 3,940 — 21,430 Income (loss) from operations (9,514 ) (6,667 ) 20,039 — 3,858 Interest expense, net (3,197 ) (49 ) 91 — (3,155 ) Intercompany interest, net 65 (2,077 ) 2,012 — — Equity in earnings of investments 8,988 18,398 — (27,386 ) — Other income (expense), net 16 (55 ) (203 ) — (242 ) Net income (loss) before income taxes (3,642 ) 9,550 21,939 (27,386 ) 461 Income tax expense (benefit) 81 (403 ) 4,112 — 3,790 Net income (loss) (3,723 ) 9,953 17,827 (27,386 ) (3,329 ) Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest — — (394 ) — (394 ) Net income (loss) attributable to ION $ (3,723 ) $ 9,953 $ 17,433 $ (27,386 ) $ (3,723 ) Comprehensive net income (loss) $ (4,751 ) $ 9,953 $ 16,403 $ (25,962 ) $ (4,357 ) Comprehensive income attributable to noncontrolling interest — — (394 ) — (394 ) Comprehensive net income (loss) attributable to ION $ (4,751 ) $ 9,953 $ 16,009 $ (25,962 ) $ (4,751 ) Three Months Ended September 30, 2018 Income Statement ION Geophysical Corporation The Guarantors All Other Subsidiaries Consolidating Adjustments Total Consolidated (In thousands) Net revenues $ — $ 39,211 $ 7,989 $ — $ 47,200 Cost of sales — 26,328 4,397 — 30,725 Gross profit — 12,883 3,592 — 16,475 Total operating expenses 7,349 7,911 3,667 — 18,927 Income (loss) from operations (7,349 ) 4,972 (75 ) — (2,452 ) Interest expense, net (3,046 ) (7 ) 31 — (3,022 ) Intercompany interest, net 265 (3,649 ) 3,384 — — Equity in earnings (losses) of investments 2,291 (301 ) — (1,990 ) — Other income (expense), net 19 (2 ) 74 — 91 Net income (loss) before income taxes (7,820 ) 1,013 3,414 (1,990 ) (5,383 ) Income tax expense (benefit) (284 ) (2,358 ) 4,721 — 2,079 Net income (loss) (7,536 ) 3,371 (1,307 ) (1,990 ) (7,462 ) Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest — — (74 ) — (74 ) Net income (loss) attributable to ION $ (7,536 ) $ 3,371 $ (1,381 ) $ (1,990 ) $ (7,536 ) Comprehensive net income (loss) $ (7,493 ) $ 3,370 $ 11,382 $ (14,678 ) $ (7,419 ) Comprehensive income attributable to noncontrolling interest — — (74 ) — (74 ) Comprehensive net income (loss) attributable to ION $ (7,493 ) $ 3,370 $ 11,308 $ (14,678 ) $ (7,493 ) Nine Months Ended September 30, 2019 Income Statement ION Geophysical Corporation The Guarantors All Other Subsidiaries Consolidating Adjustments Total Consolidated (In thousands) Net revenues $ — $ 65,552 $ 66,418 $ — $ 131,970 Cost of sales — 56,106 21,081 — 77,187 Gross profit — 9,446 45,337 — 54,783 Total operating expenses 31,330 26,204 11,881 — 69,415 Income (loss) from operations (31,330 ) (16,758 ) 33,456 — (14,632 ) Interest expense, net (9,560 ) (156 ) 338 — (9,378 ) Intercompany interest, net 588 521 (1,109 ) — — Equity in earnings of investments 7,330 26,786 — (34,116 ) — Other income (expense), net 4 (265 ) (677 ) — (938 ) Net income (loss) before income taxes (32,968 ) 10,128 32,008 (34,116 ) (24,948 ) Income tax expense (benefit) 737 (532 ) 7,711 — 7,916 Net income (loss) (33,705 ) 10,660 24,297 (34,116 ) (32,864 ) Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest — — (841 ) — (841 ) Net income (loss) attributable to ION $ (33,705 ) $ 10,660 $ 23,456 $ (34,116 ) $ (33,705 ) Comprehensive net income (loss) $ (34,703 ) $ 10,617 $ 22,444 $ (32,220 ) $ (33,862 ) Comprehensive income attributable to noncontrolling interest — — (841 ) — (841 ) Comprehensive net income (loss) attributable to ION $ (34,703 ) $ 10,617 $ 21,603 $ (32,220 ) $ (34,703 ) Nine Months Ended September 30, 2018 Income Statement ION Geophysical Corporation The Guarantors All Other Subsidiaries Consolidating Adjustments Total Consolidated (In thousands) Net revenues $ — $ 63,465 $ 41,986 $ — $ 105,451 Cost of sales — 60,869 22,771 — 83,640 Gross profit — 2,596 19,215 — 21,811 Total operating expenses 26,592 22,050 10,780 — 59,422 Income (loss) from operations (26,592 ) (19,454 ) 8,435 — (37,611 ) Interest expense, net (9,876 ) (20 ) 127 — (9,769 ) Intercompany interest, net 842 (8,779 ) 7,937 — — Equity in earnings (losses) of investments (13,826 ) 14,081 — (255 ) — Other income (expense), net (206 ) 66 (476 ) — (616 ) Net income (loss) before income taxes (49,658 ) (14,106 ) 16,023 (255 ) (47,996 ) Income tax expense (benefit) 2,170 (3,141 ) 4,276 — 3,305 Net income (loss) (51,828 ) (10,965 ) 11,747 (255 ) (51,301 ) Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests — — (527 ) — (527 ) Net income (loss) applicable to ION $ (51,828 ) $ (10,965 ) $ 11,220 $ (255 ) $ (51,828 ) Comprehensive net income (loss) $ (52,540 ) $ (11,013 ) $ 10,505 $ 1,035 $ (52,013 ) Comprehensive income attributable to noncontrolling interest — — (527 ) — (527 ) Comprehensive net income (loss) attributable to ION $ (52,540 ) $ (11,013 ) $ 9,978 $ 1,035 $ (52,540 ) Nine Months Ended September 30, 2019 Statement of Cash Flows ION Geophysical Corporation The Guarantors All Other Subsidiaries Total Consolidated (In thousands) Cash flows from operating activities: Net cash provided by operating activities $ 8,955 $ 9,619 $ 730 $ 19,304 Cash flows from investing activities: Cash invested in multi-client data library — (15,197 ) (6,028 ) (21,225 ) Purchase of property, plant and equipment (259 ) (118 ) (895 ) (1,272 ) Net cash used in investing activities (259 ) (15,315 ) (6,923 ) (22,497 ) Cash flows from financing activities: Payments under revolving line of credit (15,000 ) — — (15,000 ) Borrowings under revolving line of credit 15,000 — — 15,000 Payments on notes payable and long-term debt (1,159 ) (801 ) — (1,960 ) Intercompany lending (13,511 ) 6,495 7,016 — Other financing activities (655 ) — — (655 ) Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities (15,325 ) 5,694 7,016 (2,615 ) Effect of change in foreign currency exchange rates on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash — — 151 151 Net increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash (6,629 ) (2 ) 974 (5,657 ) Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at beginning of period 14,085 47 19,722 33,854 Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at end of period $ 7,456 $ 45 $ 20,696 $ 28,197 The following table is a reconciliation of cash and cash equivalents to total cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash: September 30, 2019 ION Geophysical Corporation The Guarantors All Other Subsidiaries Total Consolidated (In thousands) Cash and cash equivalents $ 7,153 $ 45 $ 20,696 $ 27,894 Restricted cash included in prepaid expenses and other current assets 303 — — 303 Total cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash shown in statements of cash flows $ 7,456 $ 45 $ 20,696 $ 28,197 Nine Months Ended September 30, 2018 Statement of Cash Flows ION Geophysical Corporation The Guarantors All Other Subsidiaries Total Consolidated (In thousands) Cash flows from operating activities: Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities $ (32,495 ) $ 28,151 $ (2,980 ) $ (7,324 ) Cash flows from investing activities: Investment in multi-client data library — (17,427 ) (2,484 ) (19,911 ) Proceeds from sale (purchase) of property, plant and equipment (282 ) 91 (122 ) (313 ) Net cash used in investing activities (282 ) (17,336 ) (2,606 ) (20,224 ) Cash flows from financing activities: Payments under revolving line of credit (10,000 ) — — (10,000 ) Payments on notes payable and long-term debt (29,879 ) (192 ) — (30,071 ) Intercompany lending 8,555 (10,671 ) 2,116 — Net proceeds from issuance of stock 46,999 — — 46,999 Dividend payment to non-controlling interest (200 ) — — (200 ) Other financing activities (1,489 ) — — (1,489 ) Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities 13,986 (10,863 ) 2,116 5,239 Effect of change in foreign currency exchange rates on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash — — 296 296 Net decrease in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash (18,791 ) (48 ) (3,174 ) (22,013 ) Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at beginning of period 39,707 66 12,646 52,419 Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at end of period $ 20,916 $ 18 $ 9,472 $ 30,406 The following table is a reconciliation of cash and cash equivalents to total cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash: September 30, 2018 ION Geophysical Corporation The Guarantors All Other Subsidiaries Total Consolidated (In thousands) Cash and cash equivalents $ 20,553 $ 18 $ 9,472 $ 30,043 Restricted cash included in prepaid expenses and other current assets 60 — — 60 Restricted cash included in other long-term assets 303 — — 303 Total cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash shown in statement of cash flows $ 20,916 $ 18 $ 9,472 $ 30,406

Summary of Significant Accoun_2

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Basis of Presentation	Basis of Presentation The condensed consolidated balance sheet of ION Geophysical Corporation and its subsidiaries (collectively referred to as the “Company” or “ION,” unless the context otherwise requires) at December 31, 2018 , has been derived from the Company’s audited consolidated financial statements at that date. The condensed consolidated balance sheet at September 30, 2019, and the condensed consolidated statements of operations, comprehensive loss and condensed consolidated statements of stockholders' (deficit) equity for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018 and the condensed consolidated statements of cash flows for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018, are unaudited. In the opinion of management, all adjustments of a normal recurring nature that are necessary for a fair presentation of the results of the interim period have been included. Interim results are not necessarily indicative of the operating results for a full year or of future operations. Intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated. The Company’s condensed consolidated financial statements reflect a non-redeemable noncontrolling interest in a majority-owned affiliate which is reported as a separate component of equity in “Noncontrolling interest” in the condensed consolidated balance sheets. Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest is stated separately in the condensed consolidated statements of operations. The activity for this noncontrolling interest relates to proprietary processing projects in Brazil. These condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared using accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”) for interim financial information and the instructions to Form 10-Q and applicable rules of Regulation S-X of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in annual financial statements presented in accordance with GAAP have been omitted. The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018 . Certain prior period amounts have been reclassified to conform to the current period presentation, including the change in reportable segments presentation which had no impact on the condensed consolidated financial statements and the recognition of right-of-use (“ROU”) assets and operating lease liabilities on the condensed consolidated balance sheets as a result of the adoption of the new lease standard.
Use of Estimates	Use of Estimates The preparation of condensed consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires the use of estimates and assumptions by management that affects the reported amounts in the condensed consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. Areas involving significant estimates include, but not limited to, accounts and unbilled receivables, inventory valuation, sales forecast related to multi-client data libraries, impairment of property, plant and equipment and goodwill and deferred taxes. Actual results could materially differ from those estimates.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements	Recent Accounting Pronouncements Accounting Pronouncements Recently Adopted On January 1, 2019, the Company adopted Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2016-2, “Leases (Topic 842)” using the modified retrospective method. This ASU requires the recognition of lease assets and lease liabilities by lessees for those leases classified as operating leases under the previous guidance. The Company used January 1, 2018, the beginning of the earliest comparative period presented in its condensed consolidated financial statements, as the date of initial application. The Company elected the practical expedients upon transition which will retain the lease classification for leases and any unamortized initial direct costs that existed prior to the adoption of the standard. The adoption of the standard resulted in ROU assets of $59.5 million and operating lease liabilities of $70.6 million on the condensed consolidated balance sheets as of January 1, 2018. The difference between the ROU assets and operating lease liabilities is due to the derecognition of $11.1 million in deferred rent recorded within other long-term liabilities. There was no impact on the condensed consolidated statements of operations and cash flows. The adoption of the standard had no impact on the debt covenant compliance under existing agreements. The Company elected the practical expedient related to short-term leases, which are leases with a duration of twelve months or less, as such, they have not been recorded in the condensed consolidated balance sheets. See Note 11 “ Lease Obligations. ” for further discussion. Accounting Pronouncements Not Yet Adopted In June 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued ASU No. 2016-13, “Financial Instruments - Credit Losses: Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments.” The guidance will replace the incurred loss impairment methodology under current GAAP with a methodology that reflects expected credit losses and requires consideration of a broader range of reasonable and supportable information to inform credit loss estimates. The guidance is effective for public companies for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2019, with early adoption permitted for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2018. The Company is in the initial stages of evaluating the impact of this standard on the condensed consolidated financial statements. The Company does not currently expect the adoption of this standard to have a material impact on the condensed consolidated financial statements.

Segment Information (Tables)

Segment Information (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Summary of Segment Information	The following table is a summary of segment information (in thousands): Three Months Ended September 30, Nine Months Ended September 30, 2019 2018 2019 2018 Net revenues: E&P Technology & Services: New Venture $ 5,905 $ 18,218 $ 24,394 $ 40,069 Data Library 27,288 13,956 55,030 21,629 Total multi-client revenues 33,193 32,174 79,424 61,698 Imaging Services 7,048 4,147 16,443 14,379 Total 40,241 36,321 95,867 76,077 Operations Optimization: Devices 6,103 5,356 18,455 14,275 Optimization Software & Services 6,895 5,523 17,648 15,099 Total 12,998 10,879 36,103 29,374 Total net revenues $ 53,239 $ 47,200 $ 131,970 $ 105,451 Gross profit (loss): E&P Technology & Services $ 18,316 $ 12,139 $ 36,113 $ 11,626 Operations Optimization 6,972 5,736 18,670 14,980 Segment gross profit 25,288 17,875 54,783 26,606 Other — (1,400 ) (a) — (4,795 ) (a) Total gross profit $ 25,288 $ 16,475 $ 54,783 $ 21,811 Gross margin: E&P Technology & Services 46 % 33 % 38 % 15 % Operations Optimization 54 % 53 % 52 % 51 % Segment gross margin 47 % 38 % 42 % 25 % Other — % (3 )% — % (5 )% Total gross margin 47 % 35 % 42 % 21 % Income (loss) from operations: E&P Technology & Services $ 11,878 $ 6,578 $ 15,500 $ (4,422 ) Operations Optimization 2,994 1,963 5,808 3,992 Support and other (11,014 ) (b) (10,993 ) (b) (35,940 ) (c) (37,181 ) (c) Income (loss) from operations 3,858 (2,452 ) (14,632 ) (37,611 ) Interest expense, net (3,155 ) (3,022 ) (9,378 ) (9,769 ) Other income (expense), net (242 ) 91 (938 ) (616 ) Income (loss) before income taxes $ 461 $ (5,383 ) $ (24,948 ) $ (47,996 ) (a) Relates to gross loss primarily related to depreciation expense of previously reported Ocean Bottom Integrated Technologies segment. (b) Includes loss from operations of previously reported Ocean Bottom Integrated Technologies segment of $0.7 million and $2.8 million for the three months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018, respectively, which consists of item (a) above and operating expenses of $0.7 million and $1.4 million for the three months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018, respectively. (c) Includes loss from operations of previously reported Ocean Bottom Integrated Technologies segment of $2.3 million and $8.6 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018, respectively, which consists of item (a) above and operating expenses of $2.3 million and $3.8 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018, respectively.

Revenue From Contracts With C_2

Revenue From Contracts With Customers (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019
Revenue from Contract with Customer [Abstract]
Disaggregation of Revenue	The following table is a summary of net revenues by geographic area (in thousands): Three Months Ended September 30, Nine Months Ended September 30, 2019 2018 2019 2018 Latin America $ 22,720 $ 19,910 $ 50,572 $ 37,356 North America 12,182 13,095 32,984 25,452 Europe 8,335 8,202 24,850 19,811 Asia Pacific 2,744 3,718 8,287 11,581 Africa 2,874 1,121 7,541 8,362 Middle East 3,899 717 6,364 1,907 Commonwealth of Independent States 485 437 1,372 982 Total $ 53,239 $ 47,200 $ 131,970 $ 105,451
Contract with Customer, Asset and Liability	The following table is a summary of unbilled receivables (in thousands): September 30, 2019 December 31, 2018 New Venture $ 22,373 $ 38,430 Imaging Services 7,016 5,075 Devices 1,601 527 Total $ 30,990 $ 44,032 The changes in unbilled receivables are as follows (in thousands): Unbilled receivables at December 31, 2018 $ 44,032 Recognition of unbilled receivables 125,586 Revenues billed to customers (138,628 ) Unbilled receivables at September 30, 2019 $ 30,990 The following table is a summary of deferred revenues (in thousands): September 30, 2019 December 31, 2018 New Venture $ 1,973 $ 5,797 Imaging Services 1,219 307 Devices 1,018 626 Optimization Software & Services 1,100 980 Total $ 5,310 $ 7,710 The changes in deferred revenues are as follows (in thousands): Deferred revenue at December 31, 2018 $ 7,710 Cash collected in excess of revenue recognized 3,984 Recognition of deferred revenue (a) (6,384 ) Deferred revenue at September 30, 2019 $ 5,310 (a) The majority of deferred revenue recognized relates to Company’s Ventures group.

Long-term Debt (Tables)

Long-term Debt (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
Obligations	The following table is a summary of long-term debt (in thousands): September 30, 2019 December 31, 2018 Senior secured second-priority lien notes (maturing December 15, 2021) $ 120,569 $ 120,569 Revolving credit facility (maturing August 16, 2023) (a) — — Equipment finance leases (Note 11) 2,138 2,938 Other debt — 1,159 Costs associated with issuances of debt (2,195 ) (2,925 ) Total 120,512 121,741 Current maturities of long-term debt (1,110 ) (2,228 ) Long-term debt, net of current maturities $ 119,402 $ 119,513 (a) The maturity of the Credit Facility will accelerate to October 31, 2021 if the Company is unable to repay or extend the maturity of the Second Lien Notes.
Debt Instrument Redemption	On or after December 15, 2019, the Company may, on one or more occasions, redeem all or a part of the Second Lien Notes at the redemption prices set forth below, plus accrued and unpaid interest and special interest, if any, on the Second Lien Notes redeemed during the twelve-month period beginning on December 15th of the years indicated below: Date Percentage 2019 105.50% 2020 103.50% 2021 and thereafter 100.00%

Details of Selected Balance S_2

Details of Selected Balance Sheet Accounts (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Summary of inventories	A summary of inventories follows (in thousands): September 30, 2019 December 31, 2018 Raw materials and subassemblies $ 18,269 $ 20,011 Work-in-process 2,460 1,032 Finished goods 5,166 8,111 Reserve for excess and obsolete inventories (12,961 ) (15,024 ) Inventories, net $ 12,934 $ 14,130
Summary of property, plant, equipment and seismic rental equipment	A summary of property, plant and equipment follows (in thousands): September 30, 2019 December 31, 2018 Buildings $ 15,714 $ 15,707 Machinery and equipment 133,257 132,135 Seismic rental equipment 1,572 1,423 Furniture and fixtures 3,867 3,859 Other 30,560 30,104 Total 184,970 183,228 Less accumulated depreciation (135,514 ) (133,634 ) Less impairment of long-lived assets (36,553 ) (36,553 ) Property, plant and equipment, net $ 12,903 $ 13,041
Schedule of multi-client data library	The change in multi-client data library are as follows (in thousands): September 30, 2019 December 31, 2018 Gross costs of multi-client data creation $ 998,275 $ 972,309 Less accumulated amortization (806,647 ) (776,860 ) Less impairments to multi-client data library (121,905 ) (121,905 ) Multi-client data library, net $ 69,723 $ 73,544

Stockholder's Equity and Stoc_2

Stockholder's Equity and Stock-Based Compensation Expense (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019
Share-based Payment Arrangement [Abstract]
Schedule of Stock Options Activity	The following table presents a summary of the activity related to stock options, restricted stock, restricted stock unit awards and SARs awards for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 : Stock Options Restricted Stock and Unit Awards Stock Appreciation Rights Number of Shares Outstanding at December 31, 2018 785,890 1,044,125 1,481,541 Granted 10,000 152,155 — Stock options and SARs exercised/restricted stock and unit awards vested (82,900 ) (202,697 ) (150,000 ) Cancelled/forfeited (12,231 ) (66,666 ) (368,528 ) Outstanding at September 30, 2019 700,759 926,917 963,013
Schedule of Restricted Stock and Units Awards Activity	The following table presents a summary of the activity related to stock options, restricted stock, restricted stock unit awards and SARs awards for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 : Stock Options Restricted Stock and Unit Awards Stock Appreciation Rights Number of Shares Outstanding at December 31, 2018 785,890 1,044,125 1,481,541 Granted 10,000 152,155 — Stock options and SARs exercised/restricted stock and unit awards vested (82,900 ) (202,697 ) (150,000 ) Cancelled/forfeited (12,231 ) (66,666 ) (368,528 ) Outstanding at September 30, 2019 700,759 926,917 963,013
Schedule of Valuation Assumptions	The following assumptions were used: September 30, 2019 December 31, 2018 Risk-free interest rates 1.97 % 3.0 % Expected lives (in years) 5.31 5.31 Expected dividend yield — % — % Expected volatility 86.1 % 82.9 %

Lease Obligations (Tables)

Lease Obligations (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019
Leases [Abstract]
Schedule of maturities of lease obligations, finance lease	Future maturities of lease obligations follows (in thousands): For the year ending September 30, Operating Leases Finance Leases Total 2020 $ 13,193 $ 1,254 $ 14,447 2021 11,975 1,070 13,045 2022 11,404 — 11,404 2023 11,389 — 11,389 2024 5,257 — 5,257 Thereafter 5,242 — 5,242 Total lease payments 58,460 2,324 60,784 Less imputed interest (11,598 ) (186 ) (11,784 ) Total $ 46,862 $ 2,138 $ 49,000
Schedule of maturities of lease obligations, operating lease	Future maturities of lease obligations follows (in thousands): For the year ending September 30, Operating Leases Finance Leases Total 2020 $ 13,193 $ 1,254 $ 14,447 2021 11,975 1,070 13,045 2022 11,404 — 11,404 2023 11,389 — 11,389 2024 5,257 — 5,257 Thereafter 5,242 — 5,242 Total lease payments 58,460 2,324 60,784 Less imputed interest (11,598 ) (186 ) (11,784 ) Total $ 46,862 $ 2,138 $ 49,000

Supplemental Cash Flow Inform_2

Supplemental Cash Flow Information and Non-cash Activity (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019
Supplemental Cash Flow Elements [Abstract]
Summary of Non-cash Items from Investing and Financing Activities	Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information are as follows (in thousands): Nine Months Ended September 30, 2019 2018 Cash paid during the period for: Interest $ 6,085 $ 6,733 Income taxes 7,607 2,257 Non-cash items from investing and financing activities: Purchases of computer equipment financed through capital leases — 3,298 Investment in multi-client data library in accounts payable and accrued expenses 4,741 6,657

Condensed Consolidating Finan_2

Condensed Consolidating Financial Information (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019
Condensed Financial Information Disclosure [Abstract]
Condensed Balance Sheet	September 30, 2019 Balance Sheet ION Geophysical Corporation The Guarantors All Other Subsidiaries Consolidating Adjustments Total Consolidated (In thousands) ASSETS Current assets: Cash and cash equivalents $ 7,153 $ 45 $ 20,696 $ — $ 27,894 Accounts receivable, net 8 11,338 12,486 — 23,832 Unbilled receivables — 10,758 20,232 — 30,990 Inventories, net — 7,192 5,742 — 12,934 Prepaid expenses and other current assets 3,160 986 2,480 — 6,626 Total current assets 10,321 30,319 61,636 — 102,276 Deferred income tax asset 805 7,510 120 — 8,435 Property, plant and equipment, net 754 7,931 4,218 — 12,903 Multi-client data library, net — 65,790 3,933 — 69,723 Investment in subsidiaries 847,183 268,398 — (1,115,581 ) — Goodwill — — 22,276 — 22,276 Intercompany receivables — 91,534 80,264 (171,798 ) — Right-of-use assets 15,206 16,897 5,052 — 37,155 Other assets 1,223 945 54 — 2,222 Total assets $ 875,492 $ 489,324 $ 177,553 $ (1,287,379 ) $ 254,990 LIABILITIES AND (DEFICIT) EQUITY Current liabilities: Current maturities of long-term debt $ — $ 1,110 $ — $ — $ 1,110 Accounts payable 2,460 37,508 3,597 — 43,565 Accrued expenses 15,338 15,840 11,629 — 42,807 Accrued multi-client data library royalties — 17,299 215 — 17,514 Deferred revenue — 3,802 1,508 — 5,310 Current maturities of operating lease liabilities 5,026 5,422 1,200 — 11,648 Total current liabilities 22,824 80,981 18,149 — 121,954 Long-term debt, net of current maturities 118,375 1,027 — — 119,402 Operating lease liabilities, net of current maturities 14,090 16,647 4,477 — 35,214 Intercompany payables 744,102 — — (744,102 ) — Other long-term liabilities 1,491 35 — — 1,526 Total liabilities 900,882 98,690 22,626 (744,102 ) 278,096 (Deficit) Equity: Common stock 142 290,460 47,776 (338,236 ) 142 Additional paid-in capital 955,705 180,700 203,909 (384,609 ) 955,705 Accumulated earnings (deficit) (959,797 ) 401,351 10,981 (412,332 ) (959,797 ) Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) (21,440 ) 4,281 (23,877 ) 19,596 (21,440 ) Due from ION Geophysical Corporation — (486,158 ) (86,146 ) 572,304 — Total stockholders’ (deficit) equity (25,390 ) 390,634 152,643 (543,277 ) (25,390 ) Noncontrolling interest — — 2,284 — 2,284 Total (deficit) equity (25,390 ) 390,634 154,927 (543,277 ) (23,106 ) Total liabilities and (deficit) equity $ 875,492 $ 489,324 $ 177,553 $ (1,287,379 ) $ 254,990 December 31, 2018 Balance Sheet ION Geophysical Corporation The Guarantors All Other Subsidiaries Consolidating Adjustments Total Consolidated (In thousands) ASSETS Current assets: Cash and cash equivalents $ 13,782 $ 47 $ 19,722 $ — $ 33,551 Accounts receivable, net 8 17,349 8,771 — 26,128 Unbilled receivables — 12,697 31,335 — 44,032 Inventories, net — 8,721 5,409 — 14,130 Prepaid expenses and other current assets 3,891 1,325 2,566 — 7,782 Total current assets 17,681 40,139 67,803 — 125,623 Deferred income tax asset 805 6,261 125 — 7,191 Property, plant and equipment, net 489 8,922 3,630 — 13,041 Multi-client data library, net — 70,380 3,164 — 73,544 Investment in subsidiaries 836,002 247,359 — (1,083,361 ) — Goodwill — — 22,915 — 22,915 Intercompany receivables — 305,623 60,255 (365,878 ) — Right-of-use assets 18,513 21,350 7,940 — 47,803 Other assets 1,723 643 69 — 2,435 Total assets $ 875,213 $ 700,677 $ 165,901 $ (1,449,239 ) $ 292,552 LIABILITIES AND (DEFICIT) EQUITY Current liabilities: Current maturities of long-term debt $ 1,159 $ 1,069 $ — $ — $ 2,228 Accounts payable 2,407 29,602 2,904 — 34,913 Accrued expenses 7,011 10,036 14,364 — 31,411 Accrued multi-client data library royalties — 29,040 216 — 29,256 Deferred revenue — 6,515 1,195 — 7,710 Current maturities of operating lease liabilities 5,155 5,633 1,426 — 12,214 Total current liabilities 15,732 81,895 20,105 — 117,732 Long-term debt, net of current maturities 117,644 1,869 — — 119,513 Operating lease liabilities, net of current maturities 17,841 21,237 6,514 — 45,592 Intercompany payables 716,051 — (716,051 ) — Other long-term liabilities 1,713 178 — — 1,891 Total liabilities 868,981 105,179 26,619 (716,051 ) 284,728 Equity: Common stock 140 290,460 47,776 (338,236 ) 140 Additional paid-in capital 952,626 180,700 203,908 (384,608 ) 952,626 Accumulated earnings (deficit) (926,092 ) 390,691 (12,475 ) (378,216 ) (926,092 ) Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) (20,442 ) 4,324 (22,023 ) 17,699 (20,442 ) Due from ION Geophysical Corporation — (270,677 ) (79,496 ) 350,173 — Total stockholders’ (deficit) equity 6,232 595,498 137,690 (733,188 ) 6,232 Noncontrolling interest — — 1,592 — 1,592 Total equity 6,232 595,498 139,282 (733,188 ) 7,824 Total liabilities and equity $ 875,213 $ 700,677 $ 165,901 $ (1,449,239 ) $ 292,552
Condensed Income Statement	Three Months Ended September 30, 2019 Income Statement ION Geophysical Corporation The Guarantors All Other Subsidiaries Consolidating Adjustments Total Consolidated (In thousands) Net revenues $ — $ 21,474 $ 31,765 $ — $ 53,239 Cost of sales — 20,165 7,786 — 27,951 Gross profit — 1,309 23,979 — 25,288 Total operating expenses 9,514 7,976 3,940 — 21,430 Income (loss) from operations (9,514 ) (6,667 ) 20,039 — 3,858 Interest expense, net (3,197 ) (49 ) 91 — (3,155 ) Intercompany interest, net 65 (2,077 ) 2,012 — — Equity in earnings of investments 8,988 18,398 — (27,386 ) — Other income (expense), net 16 (55 ) (203 ) — (242 ) Net income (loss) before income taxes (3,642 ) 9,550 21,939 (27,386 ) 461 Income tax expense (benefit) 81 (403 ) 4,112 — 3,790 Net income (loss) (3,723 ) 9,953 17,827 (27,386 ) (3,329 ) Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest — — (394 ) — (394 ) Net income (loss) attributable to ION $ (3,723 ) $ 9,953 $ 17,433 $ (27,386 ) $ (3,723 ) Comprehensive net income (loss) $ (4,751 ) $ 9,953 $ 16,403 $ (25,962 ) $ (4,357 ) Comprehensive income attributable to noncontrolling interest — — (394 ) — (394 ) Comprehensive net income (loss) attributable to ION $ (4,751 ) $ 9,953 $ 16,009 $ (25,962 ) $ (4,751 ) Three Months Ended September 30, 2018 Income Statement ION Geophysical Corporation The Guarantors All Other Subsidiaries Consolidating Adjustments Total Consolidated (In thousands) Net revenues $ — $ 39,211 $ 7,989 $ — $ 47,200 Cost of sales — 26,328 4,397 — 30,725 Gross profit — 12,883 3,592 — 16,475 Total operating expenses 7,349 7,911 3,667 — 18,927 Income (loss) from operations (7,349 ) 4,972 (75 ) — (2,452 ) Interest expense, net (3,046 ) (7 ) 31 — (3,022 ) Intercompany interest, net 265 (3,649 ) 3,384 — — Equity in earnings (losses) of investments 2,291 (301 ) — (1,990 ) — Other income (expense), net 19 (2 ) 74 — 91 Net income (loss) before income taxes (7,820 ) 1,013 3,414 (1,990 ) (5,383 ) Income tax expense (benefit) (284 ) (2,358 ) 4,721 — 2,079 Net income (loss) (7,536 ) 3,371 (1,307 ) (1,990 ) (7,462 ) Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest — — (74 ) — (74 ) Net income (loss) attributable to ION $ (7,536 ) $ 3,371 $ (1,381 ) $ (1,990 ) $ (7,536 ) Comprehensive net income (loss) $ (7,493 ) $ 3,370 $ 11,382 $ (14,678 ) $ (7,419 ) Comprehensive income attributable to noncontrolling interest — — (74 ) — (74 ) Comprehensive net income (loss) attributable to ION $ (7,493 ) $ 3,370 $ 11,308 $ (14,678 ) $ (7,493 ) Nine Months Ended September 30, 2019 Income Statement ION Geophysical Corporation The Guarantors All Other Subsidiaries Consolidating Adjustments Total Consolidated (In thousands) Net revenues $ — $ 65,552 $ 66,418 $ — $ 131,970 Cost of sales — 56,106 21,081 — 77,187 Gross profit — 9,446 45,337 — 54,783 Total operating expenses 31,330 26,204 11,881 — 69,415 Income (loss) from operations (31,330 ) (16,758 ) 33,456 — (14,632 ) Interest expense, net (9,560 ) (156 ) 338 — (9,378 ) Intercompany interest, net 588 521 (1,109 ) — — Equity in earnings of investments 7,330 26,786 — (34,116 ) — Other income (expense), net 4 (265 ) (677 ) — (938 ) Net income (loss) before income taxes (32,968 ) 10,128 32,008 (34,116 ) (24,948 ) Income tax expense (benefit) 737 (532 ) 7,711 — 7,916 Net income (loss) (33,705 ) 10,660 24,297 (34,116 ) (32,864 ) Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest — — (841 ) — (841 ) Net income (loss) attributable to ION $ (33,705 ) $ 10,660 $ 23,456 $ (34,116 ) $ (33,705 ) Comprehensive net income (loss) $ (34,703 ) $ 10,617 $ 22,444 $ (32,220 ) $ (33,862 ) Comprehensive income attributable to noncontrolling interest — — (841 ) — (841 ) Comprehensive net income (loss) attributable to ION $ (34,703 ) $ 10,617 $ 21,603 $ (32,220 ) $ (34,703 ) Nine Months Ended September 30, 2018 Income Statement ION Geophysical Corporation The Guarantors All Other Subsidiaries Consolidating Adjustments Total Consolidated (In thousands) Net revenues $ — $ 63,465 $ 41,986 $ — $ 105,451 Cost of sales — 60,869 22,771 — 83,640 Gross profit — 2,596 19,215 — 21,811 Total operating expenses 26,592 22,050 10,780 — 59,422 Income (loss) from operations (26,592 ) (19,454 ) 8,435 — (37,611 ) Interest expense, net (9,876 ) (20 ) 127 — (9,769 ) Intercompany interest, net 842 (8,779 ) 7,937 — — Equity in earnings (losses) of investments (13,826 ) 14,081 — (255 ) — Other income (expense), net (206 ) 66 (476 ) — (616 ) Net income (loss) before income taxes (49,658 ) (14,106 ) 16,023 (255 ) (47,996 ) Income tax expense (benefit) 2,170 (3,141 ) 4,276 — 3,305 Net income (loss) (51,828 ) (10,965 ) 11,747 (255 ) (51,301 ) Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests — — (527 ) — (527 ) Net income (loss) applicable to ION $ (51,828 ) $ (10,965 ) $ 11,220 $ (255 ) $ (51,828 ) Comprehensive net income (loss) $ (52,540 ) $ (11,013 ) $ 10,505 $ 1,035 $ (52,013 ) Comprehensive income attributable to noncontrolling interest — — (527 ) — (527 ) Comprehensive net income (loss) attributable to ION $ (52,540 ) $ (11,013 ) $ 9,978 $ 1,035 $ (52,540 )
Condensed Cash Flow Statement	Nine Months Ended September 30, 2019 Statement of Cash Flows ION Geophysical Corporation The Guarantors All Other Subsidiaries Total Consolidated (In thousands) Cash flows from operating activities: Net cash provided by operating activities $ 8,955 $ 9,619 $ 730 $ 19,304 Cash flows from investing activities: Cash invested in multi-client data library — (15,197 ) (6,028 ) (21,225 ) Purchase of property, plant and equipment (259 ) (118 ) (895 ) (1,272 ) Net cash used in investing activities (259 ) (15,315 ) (6,923 ) (22,497 ) Cash flows from financing activities: Payments under revolving line of credit (15,000 ) — — (15,000 ) Borrowings under revolving line of credit 15,000 — — 15,000 Payments on notes payable and long-term debt (1,159 ) (801 ) — (1,960 ) Intercompany lending (13,511 ) 6,495 7,016 — Other financing activities (655 ) — — (655 ) Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities (15,325 ) 5,694 7,016 (2,615 ) Effect of change in foreign currency exchange rates on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash — — 151 151 Net increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash (6,629 ) (2 ) 974 (5,657 ) Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at beginning of period 14,085 47 19,722 33,854 Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at end of period $ 7,456 $ 45 $ 20,696 $ 28,197 The following table is a reconciliation of cash and cash equivalents to total cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash: September 30, 2019 ION Geophysical Corporation The Guarantors All Other Subsidiaries Total Consolidated (In thousands) Cash and cash equivalents $ 7,153 $ 45 $ 20,696 $ 27,894 Restricted cash included in prepaid expenses and other current assets 303 — — 303 Total cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash shown in statements of cash flows $ 7,456 $ 45 $ 20,696 $ 28,197 Nine Months Ended September 30, 2018 Statement of Cash Flows ION Geophysical Corporation The Guarantors All Other Subsidiaries Total Consolidated (In thousands) Cash flows from operating activities: Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities $ (32,495 ) $ 28,151 $ (2,980 ) $ (7,324 ) Cash flows from investing activities: Investment in multi-client data library — (17,427 ) (2,484 ) (19,911 ) Proceeds from sale (purchase) of property, plant and equipment (282 ) 91 (122 ) (313 ) Net cash used in investing activities (282 ) (17,336 ) (2,606 ) (20,224 ) Cash flows from financing activities: Payments under revolving line of credit (10,000 ) — — (10,000 ) Payments on notes payable and long-term debt (29,879 ) (192 ) — (30,071 ) Intercompany lending 8,555 (10,671 ) 2,116 — Net proceeds from issuance of stock 46,999 — — 46,999 Dividend payment to non-controlling interest (200 ) — — (200 ) Other financing activities (1,489 ) — — (1,489 ) Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities 13,986 (10,863 ) 2,116 5,239 Effect of change in foreign currency exchange rates on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash — — 296 296 Net decrease in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash (18,791 ) (48 ) (3,174 ) (22,013 ) Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at beginning of period 39,707 66 12,646 52,419 Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at end of period $ 20,916 $ 18 $ 9,472 $ 30,406 The following table is a reconciliation of cash and cash equivalents to total cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash: September 30, 2018 ION Geophysical Corporation The Guarantors All Other Subsidiaries Total Consolidated (In thousands) Cash and cash equivalents $ 20,553 $ 18 $ 9,472 $ 30,043 Restricted cash included in prepaid expenses and other current assets 60 — — 60 Restricted cash included in other long-term assets 303 — — 303 Total cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash shown in statement of cash flows $ 20,916 $ 18 $ 9,472 $ 30,406

Recent Accounting Pronounceme_2

Recent Accounting Pronouncements (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Jan. 01, 2018
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Right-of-use assets	$ 37,155	$ 47,803
Lease liabilities	$ 46,862
Accounting Standards Update 2016-02
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Right-of-use assets			$ 59,500
Lease liabilities			70,600
Derecognition of deferred rent			$ 11,100

Segment Information (Details)

Segment Information (Details) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2018USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2019USD ($)segment	Sep. 30, 2018USD ($)segment
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Number of segments | segment			2	3
Summary of segment information
Net revenues	$ 53,239	$ 47,200	$ 131,970	$ 105,451
Gross profit (loss)	$ 25,288	$ 16,475	$ 54,783	$ 21,811
Gross margin	47.00%	35.00%	42.00%	21.00%
Income (loss) from operations	$ 3,858	$ (2,452)	$ (14,632)	$ (37,611)
Interest expense, net	(3,155)	(3,022)	(9,378)	(9,769)
Other income (expense), net	(242)	91	(938)	(616)
Income (loss) before income taxes	461	(5,383)	(24,948)	(47,996)
Operating expenses	21,430	18,927	69,415	59,422
Ocean Bottom Integrated Technologies | Pro Forma
Summary of segment information
Income (loss) from operations	(700)	(2,800)	(2,300)	(8,600)
Operating expenses	700	1,400	2,300	3,800
Operating segments
Summary of segment information
Gross profit (loss)	$ 25,288	$ 17,875	$ 54,783	$ 26,606
Gross margin	47.00%	38.00%	42.00%	25.00%
Operating segments | E&P Technology & Services
Summary of segment information
Net revenues	$ 40,241	$ 36,321	$ 95,867	$ 76,077
Gross profit (loss)	$ 18,316	$ 12,139	$ 36,113	$ 11,626
Gross margin	46.00%	33.00%	38.00%	15.00%
Income (loss) from operations	$ 11,878	$ 6,578	$ 15,500	$ (4,422)
Operating segments | E&P Technology & Services | Total multi-client revenues
Summary of segment information
Net revenues	33,193	32,174	79,424	61,698
Operating segments | E&P Technology & Services | New Venture
Summary of segment information
Net revenues	5,905	18,218	24,394	40,069
Operating segments | E&P Technology & Services | Data Library
Summary of segment information
Net revenues	27,288	13,956	55,030	21,629
Operating segments | E&P Technology & Services | Imaging Services
Summary of segment information
Net revenues	7,048	4,147	16,443	14,379
Operating segments | E&P Operations Optimization
Summary of segment information
Net revenues	12,998	10,879	36,103	29,374
Gross profit (loss)	$ 6,972	$ 5,736	$ 18,670	$ 14,980
Gross margin	54.00%	53.00%	52.00%	51.00%
Income (loss) from operations	$ 2,994	$ 1,963	$ 5,808	$ 3,992
Operating segments | E&P Operations Optimization | Devices
Summary of segment information
Net revenues	6,103	5,356	18,455	14,275
Operating segments | E&P Operations Optimization | Optimization Software & Services
Summary of segment information
Net revenues	6,895	5,523	17,648	15,099
Other
Summary of segment information
Gross profit (loss)	$ 0	$ (1,400)	$ 0	$ (4,795)
Gross margin	0.00%	(3.00%)	0.00%	(5.00%)
Support and other
Summary of segment information
Income (loss) from operations	$ (11,014)	$ (10,993)	$ (35,940)	$ (37,181)

Revenue From Contracts With C_3

Revenue From Contracts With Customers - Narrative (Details)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018
Revenue, Remaining Performance Obligation, Expected Timing of Satisfaction [Line Items]
Time period of contractual future performance obligations for which value not disclosed (or less)	1 year
Two customers | Accounts receivable and unbilled receivables | Customer Concentration Risk
Revenue, Remaining Performance Obligation, Expected Timing of Satisfaction [Line Items]
Concentration risk percentage	40.00%
One customer | Accounts receivable and unbilled receivables | Customer Concentration Risk
Revenue, Remaining Performance Obligation, Expected Timing of Satisfaction [Line Items]
Concentration risk percentage		29.00%

Revenue From Contracts With C_4

Revenue From Contracts With Customers - Revenue by Geographic Area (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Net revenues	$ 53,239	$ 47,200	$ 131,970	$ 105,451
Latin America
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Net revenues	22,720	19,910	50,572	37,356
North America
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Net revenues	12,182	13,095	32,984	25,452
Europe
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Net revenues	8,335	8,202	24,850	19,811
Asia Pacific
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Net revenues	2,744	3,718	8,287	11,581
Africa
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Net revenues	2,874	1,121	7,541	8,362
Middle East
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Net revenues	3,899	717	6,364	1,907
Commonwealth of Independent States
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Net revenues	$ 485	$ 437	$ 1,372	$ 982

Revenue From Contracts With C_5

Revenue From Contracts With Customers - Unbilled Receivables (Details) $ in Thousands	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019USD ($)
Unbilled Revenues [Roll Forward]
Unbilled receivables at December 31, 2018	$ 44,032
Recognition of unbilled receivables	125,586
Revenues billed to customers	(138,628)
Unbilled receivables at September 30, 2019	30,990
New Venture
Unbilled Revenues [Roll Forward]
Unbilled receivables at December 31, 2018	38,430
Unbilled receivables at September 30, 2019	22,373
Imaging Services
Unbilled Revenues [Roll Forward]
Unbilled receivables at December 31, 2018	5,075
Unbilled receivables at September 30, 2019	7,016
Devices
Unbilled Revenues [Roll Forward]
Unbilled receivables at December 31, 2018	527
Unbilled receivables at September 30, 2019	$ 1,601

Revenue From Contracts With C_6

Revenue From Contracts With Customers - Deferred Revenue (Details) $ in Thousands	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019USD ($)
Revenue, Remaining Performance Obligation [Roll Forward]
Deferred revenue at December 31, 2018	$ 7,710
Cash collected in excess of revenue recognized	3,984
Recognition of deferred revenue	(6,384)
Deferred revenue at September 30, 2019	5,310
New Venture
Revenue, Remaining Performance Obligation [Roll Forward]
Deferred revenue at December 31, 2018	5,797
Deferred revenue at September 30, 2019	1,973
Imaging Services
Revenue, Remaining Performance Obligation [Roll Forward]
Deferred revenue at December 31, 2018	307
Deferred revenue at September 30, 2019	1,219
Devices
Revenue, Remaining Performance Obligation [Roll Forward]
Deferred revenue at December 31, 2018	626
Deferred revenue at September 30, 2019	1,018
Optimization Software & Services
Revenue, Remaining Performance Obligation [Roll Forward]
Deferred revenue at December 31, 2018	980
Deferred revenue at September 30, 2019	$ 1,100

Long-term Debt - Summary of obl

Long-term Debt - Summary of obligations (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Obligations
Equipment finance leases	$ 2,138	$ 2,938
Costs associated with issuances of debt	(2,195)	(2,925)
Total	120,512	121,741
Current maturities of long-term debt	(1,110)	(2,228)
Long-term debt, net of current maturities	119,402	119,513
Senior secured notes | Senior secured second-priority lien notes (maturing December 15, 2021)
Obligations
Gross debt	120,569	120,569
Revolving credit facility (maturing August 16, 2023)
Obligations
Gross debt	0	0
Other debt
Obligations
Gross debt	$ 0	$ 1,159

Long-term Debt - Narrative (Det

Long-term Debt - Narrative (Details)	Aug. 16, 2018USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2019USD ($)	Aug. 15, 2018USD ($)
Line of credit | Revolving credit facility (maturing August 16, 2023) | PNC Bank, National Association (PNC)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt term	4 years
Amount of increase in maximum revolver	$ 10,000,000
Maximum amount of certain indebtedness	50,000,000		$ 40,000,000
Current borrowing capacity		$ 37,600,000
Required liquidity maintained five consecutive business days	6,250,000
Required liquidity maintained any business day	$ 5,000,000
Line of credit | Revolving credit facility (maturing August 16, 2023) | PNC Bank, National Association (PNC) | Minimum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Fixed charge coverage ratio	1.1
Line of credit | Revolving credit facility (maturing August 16, 2023) | PNC Bank, National Association (PNC) | Subsidiary Issuer
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Percentage of obligations secured by stock of Subsidiary Borrowers		100.00%
Line of credit | Revolving credit facility (maturing August 16, 2023) | PNC Bank, National Association (PNC) | Mexican Subsidiary
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Maximum amount of certain indebtedness	$ 5,000,000
Line of credit | Revolving credit facility (maturing August 16, 2023) | PNC Bank, National Association (PNC) | ION International Holdings L.P.
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Percentage of obligations secured by stock of Subsidiary Borrowers		65.00%
Line of credit | Revolving credit facility (maturing August 16, 2023) | PNC Bank, National Association (PNC) | Base Rate | Maximum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable rate for debt	3.00%
Line of credit | Revolving credit facility (maturing August 16, 2023) | PNC Bank, National Association (PNC) | Base Rate | Minimum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable rate for debt	2.00%
Line of credit | Revolving credit facility (maturing August 16, 2023) | PNC Bank, National Association (PNC) | LIBOR | Maximum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable rate for debt	4.00%
Line of credit | Revolving credit facility (maturing August 16, 2023) | PNC Bank, National Association (PNC) | LIBOR | Minimum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable rate for debt	3.00%
Senior secured notes | Senior secured second-priority lien notes (maturing December 15, 2021)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Stated rate on debt		9.125%
Data Library | E&P Technology & Services | Line of credit | Revolving credit facility (maturing August 16, 2023)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Maximum amount of certain indebtedness	$ 28,500,000		$ 15,000,000

Long-term Debt - Debt Instrumen

Long-term Debt - Debt Instrument Redemption Percentages (Details) - Senior secured notes - Senior secured second-priority lien notes (maturing December 15, 2021) - Forecast	Dec. 15, 2019
2019
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Redemption price percentages	105.50%
2020
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Redemption price percentages	103.50%
2021 and thereafter
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Redemption price percentages	100.00%

Net Loss Per Share (Details)

Net Loss Per Share (Details) - shares	Sep. 30, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Sep. 30, 2018
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Number of shares issued or committed for issuance under outstanding stock options (in shares)	700,759		804,936
Restricted stock and shares reserved for restricted stock units
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Number of shares of restricted stock and shares reserved for restricted stock units outstanding (in shares)	926,917	1,044,125	128,131

Income Taxes (Details)

Income Taxes (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Effective income tax rates	822.10%	(38.60%)	(31.70%)	(6.90%)
Income tax expense	$ 3,790	$ 2,079	$ 7,916	$ 3,305
Unrecognized tax benefits	$ 400		$ 400

Litigation (Details)

Litigation (Details) - WesternGeco $ in Millions	1 Months Ended	9 Months Ended	56 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2009Patent	Sep. 30, 2019Patent	Dec. 31, 2018USD ($)	May 31, 2014USD ($)
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of patent apparatus claims contained	4
Number of patents invalidated		4
Number of patents pending		5
Judicial Ruling
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Amount of royalty damages paid | $			$ 25.8
Judicial Ruling | Lost Profits
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Loss contingency accrual | $			$ 98	$ 123.8

Details of Selected Balance S_3

Details of Selected Balance Sheet Accounts - Inventories (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Raw materials and subassemblies	$ 18,269	$ 20,011
Work-in-process	2,460	1,032
Finished goods	5,166	8,111
Reserve for excess and obsolete inventories	(12,961)	(15,024)
Inventories, net	$ 12,934	$ 14,130

Details of Selected Balance S_4

Details of Selected Balance Sheet Accounts - Property, Plant and Equipment (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2018
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Property, plant, equipment and seismic rental equipment	$ 184,970		$ 183,228
Less accumulated depreciation	(135,514)		(133,634)
Less impairment of long-lived assets	(36,553)		(36,553)
Property, plant and equipment, net	12,903		13,041
Depreciation expense including amortization under finance leases	2,400	$ 6,000
Buildings
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Property, plant, equipment and seismic rental equipment	15,714		15,707
Machinery and equipment
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Property, plant, equipment and seismic rental equipment	133,257		132,135
Seismic rental equipment
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Property, plant, equipment and seismic rental equipment	1,572		1,423
Furniture and fixtures
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Property, plant, equipment and seismic rental equipment	3,867		3,859
Other
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Property, plant, equipment and seismic rental equipment	$ 30,560		$ 30,104

Details of Selected Balance S_5

Details of Selected Balance Sheet Accounts - Multi-Client Data Library (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2018
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Gross costs of multi-client data creation	$ 998,275		$ 972,309
Less accumulated amortization	(806,647)		(776,860)
Less impairments to multi-client data library	(121,905)		(121,905)
Multi-client data library, net	69,723		$ 73,544
Amortization of multi-client data library	$ 29,787	$ 32,544

Stockholder's Equity and Stoc_3

Stockholder's Equity and Stock-Based Compensation Expense - Narrative (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	Sep. 01, 2019	Feb. 21, 2018	Mar. 31, 2018	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2018
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Number of warrants issued to purchase additional shares of common stock (in warrants)		1,820,000
Net proceeds from issuance of stock		$ 47,000
Amount of debt retired			$ 28,500
Warrant exercise price (usd per warrant)		$ 33.60
Number of shares issued or committed for issuance under outstanding stock options (in shares)				700,759	700,759	804,936
Stock-based compensation expense					$ 3,736	$ 2,508
Restricted Stock and Unit Awards
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Number of shares of restricted stock and shares reserved for restricted stock units outstanding (in shares)				926,917	926,917	128,131	1,044,125
Number of shares granted to CEO (in shares)					152,155
Stock Appreciation Rights
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Number of shares issued or committed for issuance under outstanding stock options (in shares)				963,013	963,013	530,865	1,481,541
Number of shares expired (in shares)				176,528
Number of shares forfeited (in shares)				192,000
Stock-based compensation expense					$ 2,700	$ 2,800
Common Stock
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
New issues of equity in public offering (in shares)		1,820,000				1,820,000
Public offering price of stock (usd per share)		$ 27.50
Chief Executive Officer | Restricted Stock and Unit Awards
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Number of shares granted to CEO (in shares)	130,000
Chief Executive Officer | Time based condition | Restricted Stock and Unit Awards
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Number of shares granted to CEO (in shares)	65,000
Chief Executive Officer | Time and performance based condition | Restricted Stock and Unit Awards
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Number of shares granted to CEO (in shares)	65,000

Stockholder's Equity and Stoc_4

Stockholder's Equity and Stock-Based Compensation Expense - Activity Related to Stock Options, Restricted Stock Restricted Stock Unit Awards and Stock Appreciation Rights (Details) - shares	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018
Stock Options and Stock Appreciation Rights
Ending balance (In shares)	700,759	804,936
Stock Options
Stock Options and Stock Appreciation Rights
Beginning balance (in shares)	785,890
Granted (in shares)	10,000
Exercised (in shares)	(82,900)
Cancelled/forfeited (in shares)	(12,231)
Ending balance (In shares)	700,759
Restricted Stock and Unit Awards
Restricted Stock and Unit Awards
Beginning balance (in shares)	1,044,125
Granted (in shares)	152,155
Vested (in shares)	(202,697)
Cancelled/forfeited (in shares)	(66,666)
Ending balance (in shares)	926,917	128,131
Stock Appreciation Rights
Stock Options and Stock Appreciation Rights
Beginning balance (in shares)	1,481,541
Granted (in shares)	0
Exercised (in shares)	(150,000)
Cancelled/forfeited (in shares)	(368,528)
Ending balance (In shares)	963,013	530,865

Stockholder's Equity and Stoc_5

Stockholder's Equity and Stock-Based Compensation Expense - Fair Value Assumptions (Details) - Stock Appreciation Rights	9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Risk-free interest rates	1.97%	3.00%
Expected lives	5 years 3 months 22 days	5 years 3 months 22 days
Expected dividend yield	0.00%	0.00%
Expected volatility	86.10%	82.90%

Lease Obligations - Narrative (

Lease Obligations - Narrative (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2018
Lessee, Lease, Description [Line Items]
Option to extend	10 years
Option to terminate	1 year
Operating lease expense	$ 8.9	$ 12.3
Weighted average remaining lease term	5 years		5 years 3 months 4 days
Weighted average discount rate	6.53%		6.25%
Minimum
Lessee, Lease, Description [Line Items]
Remaining term	1 year
Interest rate	4.30%
Maximum
Lessee, Lease, Description [Line Items]
Remaining term	7 years
Interest rate	8.70%

Lease Obligations - Maturities

Lease Obligations - Maturities of Lease Obligations (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Operating Leases
2020	$ 13,193
2021	11,975
2022	11,404
2023	11,389
2024	5,257
Thereafter	5,242
Total lease payments	58,460
Less imputed interest	(11,598)
Total	46,862
Finance Leases
2020	1,254
2021	1,070
2022	0
2023	0
2024	0
Thereafter	0
Total lease payments	2,324
Less imputed interest	(186)
Total	2,138	$ 2,938
Total
2020	14,447
2021	13,045
2022	11,404
2023	11,389
2024	5,257
Thereafter	5,242
Total lease payments	60,784
Less imputed interest	(11,784)
Total	$ 49,000

Supplemental Cash Flow Inform_3

Supplemental Cash Flow Information and Non-cash Activity (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018
Cash paid during the period for:
Interest	$ 6,085	$ 6,733
Income taxes	7,607	2,257
Non-cash items from investing and financing activities:
Purchases of computer equipment financed through capital leases	0	3,298
Investment in multi-client data library in accounts payable and accrued expenses	$ 4,741	$ 6,657

Fair Value of Financial Instr_2

Fair Value of Financial Instruments (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Sep. 30, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Carrying amounts
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Fair value of long-term debt	$ 122.7	$ 124.7
Fair value
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Fair value of long-term debt	$ 118.8	$ 120.7

Condensed Consolidating Finan_3

Condensed Consolidating Financial Information - Balance Sheet (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Sep. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 27,894		$ 33,551	$ 30,043
Accounts receivable, net	23,832		26,128
Unbilled receivables	30,990		44,032
Inventories, net	12,934		14,130
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	6,626		7,782
Total current assets	102,276		125,623
Deferred income tax asset, net	8,435		7,191
Property, plant and equipment, net	12,903		13,041
Multi-client data library, net	69,723		73,544
Investment in subsidiaries	0		0
Goodwill	22,276		22,915
Intercompany receivables	0		0
Right-of-use assets	37,155		47,803
Other assets	2,222		2,435
Total assets	254,990		292,552
Current liabilities:
Current maturities of long-term debt	1,110		2,228
Accounts payable	43,565		34,913
Accrued expenses	42,807		31,411
Accrued multi-client data library royalties	17,514		29,256
Deferred revenue	5,310		7,710
Current maturities of operating lease liabilities	11,648		12,214
Total current liabilities	121,954		117,732
Long-term debt, net of current maturities	119,402		119,513
Operating lease liabilities, net of current maturities	35,214		45,592
Intercompany payables	0		0
Other long-term liabilities	1,526		1,891
Total liabilities	278,096		284,728
(Deficit) Equity:
Common stock	142		140
Additional paid-in capital	955,705		952,626
Accumulated earnings (deficit)	(959,797)		(926,092)
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	(21,440)		(20,442)
Due from ION Geophysical Corporation	0		0
Total stockholders’ (deficit) equity	(25,390)		6,232
Noncontrolling interest	2,284		1,592
Total (deficit) equity	(23,106)	$ (19,381)	7,824	26,914	$ 33,921	$ 30,806
Total liabilities and (deficit) equity	254,990		292,552
ION Geophysical Corporation
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	7,153			20,553
The Guarantors
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	45			18
All Other Subsidiaries
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	20,696			$ 9,472
Reportable Legal Entities | ION Geophysical Corporation
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	7,153		13,782
Accounts receivable, net	8		8
Unbilled receivables	0		0
Inventories, net	0		0
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	3,160		3,891
Total current assets	10,321		17,681
Deferred income tax asset, net	805		805
Property, plant and equipment, net	754		489
Multi-client data library, net	0		0
Investment in subsidiaries	847,183		836,002
Goodwill	0		0
Intercompany receivables	0		0
Right-of-use assets	15,206		18,513
Other assets	1,223		1,723
Total assets	875,492		875,213
Current liabilities:
Current maturities of long-term debt	0		1,159
Accounts payable	2,460		2,407
Accrued expenses	15,338		7,011
Accrued multi-client data library royalties	0		0
Deferred revenue	0		0
Current maturities of operating lease liabilities	5,026		5,155
Total current liabilities	22,824		15,732
Long-term debt, net of current maturities	118,375		117,644
Operating lease liabilities, net of current maturities	14,090		17,841
Intercompany payables	744,102		716,051
Other long-term liabilities	1,491		1,713
Total liabilities	900,882		868,981
(Deficit) Equity:
Common stock	142		140
Additional paid-in capital	955,705		952,626
Accumulated earnings (deficit)	(959,797)		(926,092)
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	(21,440)		(20,442)
Due from ION Geophysical Corporation	0		0
Total stockholders’ (deficit) equity	(25,390)		6,232
Noncontrolling interest	0		0
Total (deficit) equity	(25,390)		6,232
Total liabilities and (deficit) equity	875,492		875,213
Reportable Legal Entities | The Guarantors
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	45		47
Accounts receivable, net	11,338		17,349
Unbilled receivables	10,758		12,697
Inventories, net	7,192		8,721
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	986		1,325
Total current assets	30,319		40,139
Deferred income tax asset, net	7,510		6,261
Property, plant and equipment, net	7,931		8,922
Multi-client data library, net	65,790		70,380
Investment in subsidiaries	268,398		247,359
Goodwill	0		0
Intercompany receivables	91,534		305,623
Right-of-use assets	16,897		21,350
Other assets	945		643
Total assets	489,324		700,677
Current liabilities:
Current maturities of long-term debt	1,110		1,069
Accounts payable	37,508		29,602
Accrued expenses	15,840		10,036
Accrued multi-client data library royalties	17,299		29,040
Deferred revenue	3,802		6,515
Current maturities of operating lease liabilities	5,422		5,633
Total current liabilities	80,981		81,895
Long-term debt, net of current maturities	1,027		1,869
Operating lease liabilities, net of current maturities	16,647		21,237
Intercompany payables	0		0
Other long-term liabilities	35		178
Total liabilities	98,690		105,179
(Deficit) Equity:
Common stock	290,460		290,460
Additional paid-in capital	180,700		180,700
Accumulated earnings (deficit)	401,351		390,691
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	4,281		4,324
Due from ION Geophysical Corporation	(486,158)		(270,677)
Total stockholders’ (deficit) equity	390,634		595,498
Noncontrolling interest	0		0
Total (deficit) equity	390,634		595,498
Total liabilities and (deficit) equity	489,324		700,677
Reportable Legal Entities | All Other Subsidiaries
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	20,696		19,722
Accounts receivable, net	12,486		8,771
Unbilled receivables	20,232		31,335
Inventories, net	5,742		5,409
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	2,480		2,566
Total current assets	61,636		67,803
Deferred income tax asset, net	120		125
Property, plant and equipment, net	4,218		3,630
Multi-client data library, net	3,933		3,164
Investment in subsidiaries	0		0
Goodwill	22,276		22,915
Intercompany receivables	80,264		60,255
Right-of-use assets	5,052		7,940
Other assets	54		69
Total assets	177,553		165,901
Current liabilities:
Current maturities of long-term debt	0		0
Accounts payable	3,597		2,904
Accrued expenses	11,629		14,364
Accrued multi-client data library royalties	215		216
Deferred revenue	1,508		1,195
Current maturities of operating lease liabilities	1,200		1,426
Total current liabilities	18,149		20,105
Long-term debt, net of current maturities	0		0
Operating lease liabilities, net of current maturities	4,477		6,514
Intercompany payables	0
Other long-term liabilities	0		0
Total liabilities	22,626		26,619
(Deficit) Equity:
Common stock	47,776		47,776
Additional paid-in capital	203,909		203,908
Accumulated earnings (deficit)	10,981		(12,475)
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	(23,877)		(22,023)
Due from ION Geophysical Corporation	(86,146)		(79,496)
Total stockholders’ (deficit) equity	152,643		137,690
Noncontrolling interest	2,284		1,592
Total (deficit) equity	154,927		139,282
Total liabilities and (deficit) equity	177,553		165,901
Consolidating Adjustments
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	0		0
Accounts receivable, net	0		0
Unbilled receivables	0		0
Inventories, net	0		0
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	0		0
Total current assets	0		0
Deferred income tax asset, net	0		0
Property, plant and equipment, net	0		0
Multi-client data library, net	0		0
Investment in subsidiaries	(1,115,581)		(1,083,361)
Goodwill	0		0
Intercompany receivables	(171,798)		(365,878)
Right-of-use assets	0		0
Other assets	0		0
Total assets	(1,287,379)		(1,449,239)
Current liabilities:
Current maturities of long-term debt	0		0
Accounts payable	0		0
Accrued expenses	0		0
Accrued multi-client data library royalties	0		0
Deferred revenue	0		0
Current maturities of operating lease liabilities	0		0
Total current liabilities	0		0
Long-term debt, net of current maturities	0		0
Operating lease liabilities, net of current maturities	0		0
Intercompany payables	(744,102)		(716,051)
Other long-term liabilities	0		0
Total liabilities	(744,102)		(716,051)
(Deficit) Equity:
Common stock	(338,236)		(338,236)
Additional paid-in capital	(384,609)		(384,608)
Accumulated earnings (deficit)	(412,332)		(378,216)
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	19,596		17,699
Due from ION Geophysical Corporation	572,304		350,173
Total stockholders’ (deficit) equity	(543,277)		(733,188)
Noncontrolling interest	0		0
Total (deficit) equity	(543,277)		(733,188)
Total liabilities and (deficit) equity	$ (1,287,379)		$ (1,449,239)

Condensed Consolidating Finan_4

Condensed Consolidating Financial Information - Income Statement (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net revenues	$ 53,239	$ 47,200	$ 131,970	$ 105,451
Cost of sales	27,951	30,725	77,187	83,640
Gross profit	25,288	16,475	54,783	21,811
Total operating expenses	21,430	18,927	69,415	59,422
Income (loss) from operations	3,858	(2,452)	(14,632)	(37,611)
Interest expense, net	(3,155)	(3,022)	(9,378)	(9,769)
Intercompany interest, net	0	0	0	0
Equity in earnings of investments	0	0	0	0
Other income (expense), net	(242)	91	(938)	(616)
Income (loss) before income taxes	461	(5,383)	(24,948)	(47,996)
Income tax expense (benefit)	3,790	2,079	7,916	3,305
Net loss	(3,329)	(7,462)	(32,864)	(51,301)
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest	(394)	(74)	(841)	(527)
Net loss attributable to ION	(3,723)	(7,536)	(33,705)	(51,828)
Comprehensive net loss	(4,357)	(7,419)	(33,862)	(52,013)
Comprehensive income attributable to noncontrolling interest	(394)	(74)	(841)	(527)
Comprehensive net loss attributable to ION	(4,751)	(7,493)	(34,703)	(52,540)
Reportable Legal Entities | ION Geophysical Corporation
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net revenues	0	0	0	0
Cost of sales	0	0	0	0
Gross profit	0	0	0	0
Total operating expenses	9,514	7,349	31,330	26,592
Income (loss) from operations	(9,514)	(7,349)	(31,330)	(26,592)
Interest expense, net	(3,197)	(3,046)	(9,560)	(9,876)
Intercompany interest, net	65	265	588	842
Equity in earnings of investments	8,988	2,291	7,330	(13,826)
Other income (expense), net	16	19	4	(206)
Income (loss) before income taxes	(3,642)	(7,820)	(32,968)	(49,658)
Income tax expense (benefit)	81	(284)	737	2,170
Net loss	(3,723)	(7,536)	(33,705)	(51,828)
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest	0	0	0	0
Net loss attributable to ION	(3,723)	(7,536)	(33,705)	(51,828)
Comprehensive net loss	(4,751)	(7,493)	(34,703)	(52,540)
Comprehensive income attributable to noncontrolling interest	0	0	0	0
Comprehensive net loss attributable to ION	(4,751)	(7,493)	(34,703)	(52,540)
Reportable Legal Entities | The Guarantors
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net revenues	21,474	39,211	65,552	63,465
Cost of sales	20,165	26,328	56,106	60,869
Gross profit	1,309	12,883	9,446	2,596
Total operating expenses	7,976	7,911	26,204	22,050
Income (loss) from operations	(6,667)	4,972	(16,758)	(19,454)
Interest expense, net	(49)	(7)	(156)	(20)
Intercompany interest, net	(2,077)	(3,649)	521	(8,779)
Equity in earnings of investments	18,398	(301)	26,786	14,081
Other income (expense), net	(55)	(2)	(265)	66
Income (loss) before income taxes	9,550	1,013	10,128	(14,106)
Income tax expense (benefit)	(403)	(2,358)	(532)	(3,141)
Net loss	9,953	3,371	10,660	(10,965)
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest	0	0	0	0
Net loss attributable to ION	9,953	3,371	10,660	(10,965)
Comprehensive net loss	9,953	3,370	10,617	(11,013)
Comprehensive income attributable to noncontrolling interest	0	0	0	0
Comprehensive net loss attributable to ION	9,953	3,370	10,617	(11,013)
Reportable Legal Entities | All Other Subsidiaries
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net revenues	31,765	7,989	66,418	41,986
Cost of sales	7,786	4,397	21,081	22,771
Gross profit	23,979	3,592	45,337	19,215
Total operating expenses	3,940	3,667	11,881	10,780
Income (loss) from operations	20,039	(75)	33,456	8,435
Interest expense, net	91	31	338	127
Intercompany interest, net	2,012	3,384	(1,109)	7,937
Equity in earnings of investments	0	0	0	0
Other income (expense), net	(203)	74	(677)	(476)
Income (loss) before income taxes	21,939	3,414	32,008	16,023
Income tax expense (benefit)	4,112	4,721	7,711	4,276
Net loss	17,827	(1,307)	24,297	11,747
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest	(394)	(74)	(841)	(527)
Net loss attributable to ION	17,433	(1,381)	23,456	11,220
Comprehensive net loss	16,403	11,382	22,444	10,505
Comprehensive income attributable to noncontrolling interest	(394)	(74)	(841)	(527)
Comprehensive net loss attributable to ION	16,009	11,308	21,603	9,978
Consolidating Adjustments
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net revenues	0	0	0	0
Cost of sales	0	0	0	0
Gross profit	0	0	0	0
Total operating expenses	0	0	0	0
Income (loss) from operations	0	0	0	0
Interest expense, net	0	0	0	0
Intercompany interest, net	0	0	0	0
Equity in earnings of investments	(27,386)	(1,990)	(34,116)	(255)
Other income (expense), net	0	0	0	0
Income (loss) before income taxes	(27,386)	(1,990)	(34,116)	(255)
Income tax expense (benefit)	0	0	0	0
Net loss	(27,386)	(1,990)	(34,116)	(255)
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest	0	0	0	0
Net loss attributable to ION	(27,386)	(1,990)	(34,116)	(255)
Comprehensive net loss	(25,962)	(14,678)	(32,220)	1,035
Comprehensive income attributable to noncontrolling interest	0	0	0	0
Comprehensive net loss attributable to ION	$ (25,962)	$ (14,678)	$ (32,220)	$ 1,035

Condensed Consolidating Finan_5

Condensed Consolidating Financial Information - Cash Flow (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net cash provided by operating activities	$ 19,304	$ (7,324)
Cash flows from investing activities:
Investment in multi-client data library	(21,225)	(19,911)
Purchase of property, plant and equipment	(1,272)	(313)
Net cash used in investing activities	(22,497)	(20,224)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Payments under revolving line of credit	(15,000)	(10,000)
Borrowings under revolving line of credit	15,000	0
Payments on notes payable and long-term debt	(1,960)	(30,071)
Intercompany lending	0	0
Net proceeds from issuance of stock	0	46,999
Dividend payment to noncontrolling interest	0	(200)
Other financing activities	(655)	(1,489)
Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities	(2,615)	5,239
Effect of change in foreign currency exchange rates on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	151	296
Net decrease in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	(5,657)	(22,013)
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at beginning of period	33,854	52,419
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at end of period	28,197	30,406
ION Geophysical Corporation
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net cash provided by operating activities	8,955	(32,495)
Cash flows from investing activities:
Investment in multi-client data library	0	0
Purchase of property, plant and equipment	(259)	(282)
Net cash used in investing activities	(259)	(282)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Payments under revolving line of credit	(15,000)	(10,000)
Borrowings under revolving line of credit	15,000
Payments on notes payable and long-term debt	(1,159)	(29,879)
Intercompany lending	(13,511)	8,555
Net proceeds from issuance of stock		46,999
Dividend payment to noncontrolling interest		(200)
Other financing activities	(655)	(1,489)
Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities	(15,325)	13,986
Effect of change in foreign currency exchange rates on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	0	0
Net decrease in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	(6,629)	(18,791)
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at beginning of period	14,085	39,707
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at end of period	7,456	20,916
The Guarantors
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net cash provided by operating activities	9,619	28,151
Cash flows from investing activities:
Investment in multi-client data library	(15,197)	(17,427)
Purchase of property, plant and equipment	(118)	91
Net cash used in investing activities	(15,315)	(17,336)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Payments under revolving line of credit	0	0
Borrowings under revolving line of credit	0
Payments on notes payable and long-term debt	(801)	(192)
Intercompany lending	6,495	(10,671)
Net proceeds from issuance of stock		0
Dividend payment to noncontrolling interest		0
Other financing activities	0	0
Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities	5,694	(10,863)
Effect of change in foreign currency exchange rates on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	0	0
Net decrease in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	(2)	(48)
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at beginning of period	47	66
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at end of period	45	18
All Other Subsidiaries
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net cash provided by operating activities	730	(2,980)
Cash flows from investing activities:
Investment in multi-client data library	(6,028)	(2,484)
Purchase of property, plant and equipment	(895)	(122)
Net cash used in investing activities	(6,923)	(2,606)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Payments under revolving line of credit	0	0
Borrowings under revolving line of credit	0
Payments on notes payable and long-term debt	0	0
Intercompany lending	7,016	2,116
Net proceeds from issuance of stock		0
Dividend payment to noncontrolling interest		0
Other financing activities	0	0
Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities	7,016	2,116
Effect of change in foreign currency exchange rates on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	151	296
Net decrease in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	974	(3,174)
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at beginning of period	19,722	12,646
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at end of period	$ 20,696	$ 9,472

Condensed Consolidating Finan_6

Condensed Consolidating Financial Information - Cash Flow, Restricted Cash Reconciliation (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Sep. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents [Abstract]
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 27,894	$ 33,551	$ 30,043
Total cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash shown in statements of cash flows	28,197	33,854	30,406	$ 52,419
Prepaid expenses and other current assets
Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents [Abstract]
Restricted cash	303		60
Other long-term assets
Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents [Abstract]
Restricted cash	0		303
ION Geophysical Corporation
Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents [Abstract]
Cash and cash equivalents	7,153		20,553
Total cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash shown in statements of cash flows	7,456	14,085	20,916	39,707
ION Geophysical Corporation | Prepaid expenses and other current assets
Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents [Abstract]
Restricted cash	303		60
ION Geophysical Corporation | Other long-term assets
Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents [Abstract]
Restricted cash			303
The Guarantors
Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents [Abstract]
Cash and cash equivalents	45		18
Total cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash shown in statements of cash flows	45	47	18	66
The Guarantors | Prepaid expenses and other current assets
Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents [Abstract]
Restricted cash	0		0
The Guarantors | Other long-term assets
Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents [Abstract]
Restricted cash			0
All Other Subsidiaries
Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents [Abstract]
Cash and cash equivalents	20,696		9,472
Total cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash shown in statements of cash flows	20,696	$ 19,722	9,472	$ 12,646
All Other Subsidiaries | Prepaid expenses and other current assets
Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents [Abstract]
Restricted cash	$ 0		0
All Other Subsidiaries | Other long-term assets
Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents [Abstract]
Restricted cash			$ 0