Patterson-UTI Energy (PTEN) 10-K 13 Feb 19 2018 FY Annual report Financial data

Document and Entity Information

Document and Entity Information - USD ($) $ in Billions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018	Feb. 08, 2019	Jun. 29, 2018
Document And Entity Information [Abstract]
Document Type	10-K
Amendment Flag	false
Document Period End Date	Dec. 31, 2018
Document Fiscal Year Focus	2,018
Document Fiscal Period Focus	FY
Trading Symbol	PTEN
Entity Registrant Name	PATTERSON UTI ENERGY INC
Entity Central Index Key	889,900
Current Fiscal Year End Date	--12-31
Entity Well-known Seasoned Issuer	Yes
Entity Current Reporting Status	Yes
Entity Voluntary Filers	No
Entity Filer Category	Large Accelerated Filer
Entity Small Business	false
Entity Emerging Growth Company	false
Entity Shell Company	false
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding		213,652,772
Entity Public Float			$ 3.9

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 245,029	$ 42,828
Accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts of $2,312 and $2,323 at December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively	558,817	580,354
Federal and state income taxes receivable	4,110	1,152
Inventory	65,579	69,167
Other	76,662	53,354
Total current assets	950,197	746,855
Property and equipment, net	4,002,549	4,254,730
Goodwill and intangible assets	477,640	687,072
Deposits on equipment purchases	12,040	16,351
Deferred tax assets, net		3,875
Other	27,440	49,973
Total assets	5,469,866	5,758,856
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	288,962	319,621
Federal and state income taxes payable	1,408	5
Accrued expenses	235,946	226,624
Total current liabilities	526,316	546,250
Borrowings under revolving credit facility		268,000
Long-term debt, net of debt discount and issuance costs of $5,795 and $1,217 at December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively	1,119,205	598,783
Deferred tax liabilities, net	306,161	350,836
Other	12,761	12,494
Total liabilities	1,964,443	1,776,363
Commitments and contingencies (see Note 9)
Stockholders’ equity:
Preferred stock, par value $.01; authorized 1,000,000 shares, no shares issued
Common stock, par value $.01; authorized 400,000,000 shares at December 31, 2018 and 300,000,000 shares at December 31, 2017 with 267,315,526 and 266,259,083 issued and 213,614,430 and 222,456,472 outstanding at December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively	2,673	2,662
Additional paid-in capital	2,827,154	2,785,823
Retained earnings	1,753,557	2,105,897
Accumulated other comprehensive income	2,487	6,822
Treasury stock, at cost, 53,701,096 shares and 43,802,611 shares at December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively	(1,080,448)	(918,711)
Total stockholders’ equity	3,505,423	3,982,493
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity	$ 5,469,866	$ 5,758,856

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (Pa

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (Parenthetical) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Statement Of Financial Position [Abstract]
Accounts receivable, allowance for doubtful accounts	$ 2,312	$ 2,323
Long-term debt, debt discount and issuance costs	$ 5,795	$ 1,217
Preferred stock, par value	$ 0.01	$ 0.01
Preferred stock, authorized	1,000,000	1,000,000
Preferred stock, shares issued	0	0
Common stock, par value	$ 0.01	$ 0.01
Common stock, authorized	400,000,000	300,000,000
Common stock, issued	267,315,526	266,259,083
Common stock, outstanding	213,614,430	222,456,472
Treasury stock, shares	53,701,096	43,802,611

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPER

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS - USD ($) shares in Thousands		12 Months Ended
		Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Operating revenues:
Total operating revenues		$ 3,326,997,000	$ 2,356,684,000	$ 915,866,000
Operating costs and expenses:
Depreciation, depletion, amortization and impairment		916,318,000	783,341,000	668,434,000
Impairment of goodwill		211,129,000
Selling, general and administrative		134,071,000	105,847,000	69,205,000
Merger and integration expenses		2,738,000	74,451,000
Other operating income, net	[1]	(17,569,000)	(31,957,000)	(14,323,000)
Total operating costs and expenses		3,649,174,000	2,649,222,000	1,372,092,000
Operating loss		(322,177,000)	(292,538,000)	(456,226,000)
Other income (expense):
Interest income		5,597,000	1,866,000	327,000
Interest expense, net of amount capitalized		(51,578,000)	(37,472,000)	(40,366,000)
Other		750,000	343,000	69,000
Total other expense		(45,231,000)	(35,263,000)	(39,970,000)
Loss before income taxes		(367,408,000)	(327,801,000)	(496,196,000)
Income tax benefit		(45,987,000)	(333,711,000)	(177,562,000)
Net income (loss)		$ (321,421,000)	$ 5,910,000	$ (318,634,000)
Net income (loss) per common share:
Basic		$ (1.47)	$ 0.03	$ (2.18)
Diluted		$ (1.47)	$ 0.03	$ (2.18)
Weighted average number of common shares outstanding:
Basic		218,643	198,447	146,178
Diluted		218,643	199,882	146,178
Contract Drilling
Operating revenues:
Total operating revenues		$ 1,430,492,000	$ 1,040,033,000	$ 543,663,000
Operating costs and expenses:
Operating costs and expenses		885,704,000	667,105,000	305,804,000
Impairment of goodwill		0
Pressure Pumping
Operating revenues:
Total operating revenues		1,573,396,000	1,200,311,000	354,070,000
Operating costs and expenses:
Operating costs and expenses		1,263,850,000	966,835,000	334,588,000
Impairment of goodwill		121,444,000
Directional Drilling
Operating revenues:
Total operating revenues		209,275,000	45,580,000
Operating costs and expenses:
Operating costs and expenses		175,829,000	32,172,000
Impairment of goodwill		89,685,000
Other
Operating revenues:
Total operating revenues		113,834,000	70,760,000	18,133,000
Operating costs and expenses:
Operating costs and expenses		$ 77,104,000	$ 51,428,000	$ 8,384,000
[1]	Other operating income (expense), net includes net gains or losses associated with the disposal of assets relate to corporate strategy decisions of the executive management group. Accordingly, the related gains or losses have been separately presented and excluded from the results of specific segments. This caption also includes expenses related to certain legal-related expenses and settlements, net of insurance reimbursements and certain research and development expenses.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMP

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Statement Of Income And Comprehensive Income [Abstract]
Net income (loss)	$ (321,421)	$ 5,910	$ (318,634)
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of taxes of $0 for 2018, $0 for 2017 and $0 for 2016:
Foreign currency translation adjustment	(4,335)	7,956	2,959
Total comprehensive income (loss)	$ (325,756)	$ 13,866	$ (315,675)

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CO_2

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS) (Parenthetical) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Statement Of Income And Comprehensive Income [Abstract]
Other comprehensive income (loss), taxes	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CHAN

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Total	Common Stock	Additional Paid-in Capital	Retained Earnings	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)	Treasury Stock
Beginning Balance at Dec. 31, 2015	$ 2,561,131	$ 1,904	$ 1,011,811	$ 2,458,554	$ (4,093)	$ (907,045)
Beginning Balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2015		190,375,000
Net income (loss)	(318,634)			(318,634)
Foreign currency translation adjustment	2,959				2,959
Shares issued for acquisitions	6,733	$ 3	6,730
Shares issued for acquisitions (in shares)		354,000
Issuance of restricted stock		$ 8	(8)
Issuance of restricted stock (in shares)		785,000
Vesting of restricted stock units (in shares)		15,000
Forfeitures of restricted stock (in shares)		(43,000)
Exercise of stock options	707		707
Exercise of stock options (in shares)		40,000
Stock-based compensation	28,324		28,324
Tax expense related to stock-based compensation	(4,868)		(4,868)
Payment of cash dividends	(23,579)			(23,579)
Purchase of treasury stock	(4,049)					(4,049)
Ending Balance at Dec. 31, 2016	2,248,724	$ 1,915	1,042,696	2,116,341	(1,134)	(911,094)
Ending Balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2016		191,526,000
Net income (loss)	5,910			5,910
Foreign currency translation adjustment	7,956				7,956
Equity offering	471,570	$ 182	471,388
Equity offering (in shares)		18,170,000
Shares issued for acquisitions	1,226,890	$ 551	1,226,339
Shares issued for acquisitions (in shares)		55,097,000
Issuance of restricted stock		$ 9	(9)
Issuance of restricted stock (in shares)		891,000
Vesting of restricted stock units		$ 5	(5)
Vesting of restricted stock units (in shares)		549,000
Forfeitures of restricted stock (in shares)		(24,000)
Exercise of stock options	931		931
Exercise of stock options (in shares)		50,000
Stock-based compensation	44,483		44,483
Payment of cash dividends	(16,315)			(16,315)
Dividend equivalents	(39)			(39)
Purchase of treasury stock	(7,617)					(7,617)
Ending Balance at Dec. 31, 2017	$ 3,982,493	$ 2,662	2,785,823	2,105,897	6,822	(918,711)
Ending Balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2017	266,259,083	266,259,000
Net income (loss)	$ (321,421)			(321,421)
Foreign currency translation adjustment	(4,335)				(4,335)
Restricted stock issued for acquisition	2,932	$ 2	2,930
Restricted stock issued for acquisition (in shares)		192,000
Issuance of restricted stock		$ 4	(4)
Issuance of restricted stock (in shares)		381,000
Vesting of restricted stock units		$ 5	(5)
Vesting of restricted stock units (in shares)		452,000
Forfeitures of restricted stock (in shares)		(8,000)
Exercise of stock options	$ 485		485
Exercise of stock options (in shares)	40,000	40,000
Stock-based compensation	$ 37,925		37,925
Payment of cash dividends	(30,589)			(30,589)
Dividend equivalents	(330)			(330)
Purchase of treasury stock	(161,737)					(161,737)
Ending Balance at Dec. 31, 2018	$ 3,505,423	$ 2,673	$ 2,827,154	$ 1,753,557	$ 2,487	$ (1,080,448)
Ending Balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2018	267,315,526	267,316,000

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income (loss)	$ (321,421)	$ 5,910	$ (318,634)
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation, depletion, amortization and impairment	916,318	783,341	668,434
Impairment of goodwill	211,129
Dry holes and abandonments	915	1,929	58
Deferred income tax benefit	(41,185)	(330,346)	(152,160)
Stock-based compensation expense	37,925	44,483	28,324
Net gain on asset disposals	(28,958)	(33,510)	(14,771)
Tax expense related to stock-based compensation			(4,868)
Amortization of debt discount and issuance costs	830	346	2,270
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable	23,515	(239,482)	72,327
Income taxes receivable/payable	(1,555)	990	30,379
Inventory and other assets	(1,470)	(23,449)	5,664
Accounts payable	(69,453)	104,072	12,024
Accrued expenses	4,136	(14,190)	(24,573)
Other liabilities	(56)	617	560
Net cash provided by operating activities	730,670	300,711	305,034
Cash flows from investing activities:
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired	(14,211)	(501,954)	155
Purchases of property and equipment	(641,458)	(567,087)	(119,799)
Proceeds from disposal of assets	47,357	60,945	21,889
Collection of note receivable	23,760
Other investments		(2,520)
Net cash used in investing activities	(584,552)	(1,010,616)	(97,755)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from equity offering		471,570
Purchases of treasury stock	(161,737)	(6,809)	(3,610)
Dividends paid	(30,589)	(16,315)	(23,579)
Proceeds from long-term debt	521,194
Repayment of long-term debt			(255,000)
Proceeds from borrowings under revolving credit facility	79,000	599,000	200,500
Repayment of borrowings under revolving credit facility	(347,000)	(331,000)	(200,500)
Debt issuance costs	(4,489)		(3,357)
Proceeds from exercise of stock options	485	123	268
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	56,864	716,569	(285,278)
Effect of foreign exchange rate changes on cash	(781)	1,012	(195)
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	202,201	7,676	(78,194)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year	42,828	35,152	113,346
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year	245,029	42,828	35,152
Net cash (paid) received during the year for:
Interest, net of capitalized interest of $1,435 in 2018, $1,175 in 2017 and $398 in 2016	(41,184)	(34,953)	(36,551)
Income taxes	3,172	3,947	52,716
Non-cash investing and financing activities:
Receivable from property and equipment insurance	15,000
Net increase in payables for purchases of property and equipment	36,241	17,228	28,926
Issuance of common stock for business acquisitions	2,932	1,226,890	6,733
Net decrease (increase) in deposits on equipment purchases	$ 4,311	$ (301)	$ 6,317

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CA_2

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (Parenthetical) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Statement Of Cash Flows [Abstract]
Interest expense, capitalized interest	$ 1,435	$ 1,175	$ 398

Description of Business and Sum

Description of Business and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Description of Business and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies	1. Description of Business and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies A description of the business and basis of presentation follows: Description of business — Patterson-UTI Energy, Inc., through its wholly-owned subsidiaries (collectively referred to herein as “Patterson-UTI” or the “Company”), is a Houston, Texas-based oilfield services company that primarily owns and operates in the United States one of the largest fleets of land-based drilling rigs and a large fleet of pressure pumping equipment. The Company’s contract drilling business operates in the continental United States and western Canada, and the Company is pursuing contract drilling opportunities outside of North America. The Company’s pressure pumping business operates primarily in Texas and the Mid-Continent and Appalachian regions. The Company also provides a comprehensive suite of directional drilling services in most major producing onshore oil and gas basins in the United States, and the Company provides services that improve the statistical accuracy of horizontal wellbore placement. The Company has other operations through which the Company provides oilfield rental tools in select markets in the United States. The Company also manufactures and sells pipe handling components and related technology to drilling contractors, and provides electrical controls and automation to the energy, marine and mining industries, in North America and other select markets. In addition, the Company owns and invests, as a non-operating working interest owner, in oil and natural gas assets that are primarily located in Texas and New Mexico. Basis of presentation — The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Patterson-UTI and its wholly-owned subsidiaries. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated. Except for wholly-owned subsidiaries, the Company has no controlling financial interests in any other entity which would require consolidation. As used in these notes, “the Company” refers collectively to Patterson-UTI Energy, Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries. Patterson-UTI Energy, Inc. conducts its business operations through its wholly-owned subsidiaries and has no employees or independent operations. The U.S. dollar is the functional currency for all of the Company’s operations except for its Canadian subsidiaries, which use the Canadian dollar as their functional currency. The effects of exchange rate changes are reflected in accumulated other comprehensive income, which is a separate component of stockholders’ equity. A summary of the significant accounting policies follows: Management estimates — The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”) requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from such estimates. Revenue recognition — Revenues from the Company’s contract drilling, pressure pumping, directional drilling, oilfield rentals and pipe handling components and related technology activities are recognized as services are performed. All of the wells the Company drilled in 2018, 2017 and 2016 were drilled under daywork contracts. Revenue from sales of products are recognized upon customer acceptance. Revenue is presented net of any sales tax charged to the customer that the Company is required to remit to local or state governmental taxing authorities. Reimbursements for the purchase of supplies, equipment, personnel services, shipping and other services that are provided at the request of the Company’s customers are recorded as revenue when incurred. The related costs are recorded as operating expenses when incurred. On January 1, 2018, the Company adopted the new revenue guidance under Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers Accounts receivable — Trade accounts receivable are recorded at the invoiced amount. The allowance for doubtful accounts represents the Company’s estimate of the amount of probable credit losses existing in the Company’s accounts receivable. The Company reviews the adequacy of its allowance for doubtful accounts at least quarterly. Significant individual accounts receivable balances and balances which have been outstanding greater than 90 days are reviewed individually for collectability. Account balances, when determined to be uncollectable, are charged against the allowance. Inventories — Inventories consist primarily of sand and other products to be used in conjunction with the Company’s pressure pumping activities and materials used in its directional drilling and drilling technology business. Such inventories are stated at the lower of cost or market, with cost determined using the average cost method. Other current assets — Other current assets includes reimbursement from the Company’s workers compensation insurance carrier for claims in excess of the Company’s deductible in the amount of $36 million and $30 million at December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively. Property and equipment — Property and equipment is carried at cost less accumulated depreciation. Depreciation is provided on the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives. The method of depreciation does not change whenever equipment becomes idle. The estimated useful lives, in years, are shown below: Useful Lives Equipment 1.25-15 Buildings 15-20 Other 3-12 Long-lived assets, including property and equipment, are evaluated for impairment when certain triggering events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying values may not be recoverable over their estimated remaining useful life. Maintenance and repairs — Maintenance and repairs are charged to expense when incurred. Renewals and betterments which extend the life or improve existing property and equipment are capitalized. Disposals — Upon disposition of property and equipment, the cost and related accumulated depreciation are removed and any resulting gain or loss is reflected in the consolidated statement of operations. Oil and natural gas properties — Working interests in oil and natural gas properties are accounted for using the successful efforts method of accounting. Under the successful efforts method of accounting, exploration costs which result in the discovery of oil and natural gas reserves and all development costs are capitalized to the appropriate well. Exploration costs which do not result in discovering oil and natural gas reserves are charged to expense when such determination is made. Costs of exploratory wells are initially capitalized to wells-in-progress until the outcome of the drilling is known. The Company reviews wells-in-progress quarterly to determine whether sufficient progress is being made in assessing the reserves and economic viability of the respective projects. If no progress has been made in assessing the reserves and economic viability of a project after one year following the completion of drilling, the Company considers the well costs to be impaired and recognizes the costs as expense. Geological and geophysical costs, including seismic costs, and costs to carry and retain undeveloped properties are charged to expense when incurred. The capitalized costs of both developmental and successful exploratory type wells, consisting of lease and well equipment and intangible development costs, are depreciated, depleted and amortized using the units-of-production method, based on engineering estimates of total proved developed oil and natural gas reserves for each respective field. Oil and natural gas leasehold acquisition costs are depreciated, depleted and amortized using the units-of-production method, based on engineering estimates of total proved oil and natural gas reserves for each respective field. The Company reviews its proved oil and natural gas properties for impairment whenever a triggering event occurs, such as downward revisions in reserve estimates or decreases in expected future oil and natural gas prices. Proved properties are grouped by field and undiscounted cash flow estimates are prepared based on management’s expectation of future pricing over the lives of the respective fields. These cash flow estimates are reviewed by an independent petroleum engineer. If the net book value of a field exceeds its undiscounted cash flow estimate, impairment expense is measured and recognized as the difference between net book value and fair value. The fair value estimates used in measuring impairment are based on internally developed unobservable inputs including reserve volumes and future production, pricing and operating costs (Level 3 inputs in the fair value hierarchy of fair value accounting). The Company reviews unproved oil and natural gas properties quarterly to assess potential impairment. The Company’s impairment assessment is made on a lease-by-lease basis and considers factors such as management’s intent to drill, lease terms and abandonment of an area. If an unproved property is determined to be impaired, the related property costs are expensed. Goodwill — Goodwill is considered to have an indefinite useful economic life and is not amortized. The Company assesses impairment of its goodwill at least annually as of December 31, or on an interim basis if events or circumstances indicate that the fair value of goodwill may have decreased below its carrying value. Income taxes — The asset and liability method is used in accounting for income taxes. Under this method, deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for operating loss and tax credit carryforwards and for the future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the year in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in the results of operations in the period that includes the enactment date. If applicable, a valuation allowance is recorded to reduce the carrying amounts of deferred tax assets unless it is more likely than not that such assets will be realized. The Company’s policy is to account for interest and penalties with respect to income taxes as operating expenses. Stock-based compensation — The Company recognizes the cost of share-based payments under the fair-value-based method. Under this method, compensation cost related to share-based payments is measured based on the estimated fair value of the awards at the date of grant, net of estimated forfeitures. This expense is recognized over the expected life of the awards (See Note 11). As share-based compensation expense recognized in the consolidated statements of operations is based on awards ultimately expected to vest, it has been reduced for estimated forfeitures, based on historical experience. Forfeitures are estimated at the time of grant and revised in subsequent periods if actual forfeitures differ from those estimates. Statement of cash flows — For purposes of reporting cash flows, cash and cash equivalents include cash on deposit and money market funds. Recently Issued Accounting Standards — In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued an accounting standards update to provide guidance on the recognition of revenue from customers. Under this guidance, an entity will recognize revenue when it transfers promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects what it expects in exchange for the goods or services. This guidance also requires more detailed disclosures to enable users of the financial statements to understand the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty, if any, of revenue and cash flows arising from contracts with customers. The requirements in this update are effective during interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017. The Company adopted this new revenue guidance effective January 1, 2018, utilizing the modified retrospective method, and expanded its consolidated financial statement disclosures in order to comply with the update. The adoption of this update did not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements (See Note 3). In February 2016, the FASB issued an accounting standards update to provide guidance for the accounting for leasing transactions. The standard requires the lessee to recognize a lease liability along with a right-of-use asset for all leases with a term longer than one year. A lessee is permitted to make an accounting policy election by class of underlying asset to not recognize the lease liability and related right-of-use asset for leases with a term of one year or less. The provisions of this standard also apply to situations where the Company is the lessor. The requirements in this update are effective during interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2018. The Company adopted this new guidance effective January 1, 2019. ASC 842 requires a modified retrospective approach to each lease that existed at the date of initial application as well as leases entered into after that date. The Company has elected to report all leases at the beginning of the period of adoption and not restate its comparative periods. Based on the Company’s lease portfolio, the Company anticipates recognizing a right-of-use asset and a related lease liability of approximately $35 million on its balance sheet, with an immaterial impact on the Company’s consolidated statement of operations compared to the previous lease accounting guidance. Practical Expedients Adopted with Topic 842 The Company has elected to adopt the following practical expedients upon the transition date to Topic 842 on January 1, 2019: • Transitional practical expedients package: An entity may elect to apply the listed practical expedients as a package to all the leases that commenced before the effective date. The practical expedients are: a) The entity need not reassess whether any expired or existing contracts are or contains leases; b) The entity need not reassess the lease classification for expired or existing contracts; c) The entity need not reassess initial direct costs for any existing leases. • Use of portfolio approach: An entity can apply this guidance to a portfolio of leases with similar characteristics if the entity reasonably expects that the application of the leases model to the portfolio would not differ materially from the application of the leases model to the individual leases in that portfolio. This approach can also be applied to other aspects of the leases guidance for which lessees/lessors need to make judgments and estimates, such as determining the discount rate and determining and reassessing the lease term. • Lease and non-lease components: As a practical expedient, a lessor may combine lease and non-lease components where the revenue recognition pattern is the same and where the lease component, when accounted for separately, would be considered an operating lease. In March 2016, the FASB issued an accounting standards update to provide guidance for the accounting for share-based payment transactions, including the related income tax consequences, classification of awards as either equity or liabilities, and classification on the statement of cash flows. This guidance became effective for the Company during the three months ended March 31, 2017. The Company believes this guidance has caused and will continue to cause volatility in its effective tax rates and diluted earnings per share due to the tax effects related to share-based payments being recorded in the statement of operations. The volatility in future periods will depend on the Company’s stock price and the number of shares that vest in the case of restricted stock, restricted stock units and performance stock units, or the number of shares that are exercised in the case of stock options. In August 2016, the FASB issued an accounting standards update to clarify the presentation of cash receipts and payments in specific situations on the statement of cash flows. The requirements in this update are effective during interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017. The adoption of this update on January 1, 2018 did not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements. In May 2017, the FASB issued an accounting standards update that provided clarity on which changes to the terms or conditions of share-based payment awards require an entity to apply modification accounting provisions. The requirements in this update are effective during interim and annual periods in fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017. The adoption of this update on January 1, 2018 did not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements. In March 2018, the FASB issued an accounting standards update to update the income tax accounting in U.S. GAAP to reflect the SEC interpretive guidance released on December 22, 2017, when significant U.S. tax law changes were enacted with the enactment of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (“Tax Reform”). The adoption of this update in March 2018 did not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements, as the Company was already following the SEC guidance. See Note 13 for additional information. In August 2018, the FASB issued an accounting standards update to align the requirements for capitalizing implementation costs incurred in a hosting arrangement that is a service contract with the requirements for capitalizing implementation costs incurred to develop or obtain internal-use software. The amendments in the update are effective for public business entities for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019, with early adoption permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact this new guidance will have on its consolidated financial statements.

Acquisitions

Acquisitions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018
Business Combinations [Abstract]
Acquisitions	2. Acquisitions SSE On April 20, 2017, pursuant to the merger agreement, a subsidiary of the Company was merged with and into SSE, with SSE continuing as the surviving entity and one of the Company’s wholly owned subsidiaries (the “SSE merger”). Pursuant to the terms of the merger agreement, the Company acquired all of the issued and outstanding shares of common stock of SSE, in exchange for approximately 46.3 million shares of common stock of the Company. Concurrent with the closing of the merger, the Company repaid all of the outstanding debt of SSE totaling $472 million. Based on the closing price of the Company’s common stock on April 20, 2017, the total fair value of the consideration transferred to effect the acquisition of SSE was approximately $1.5 billion. On April 20, 2017, following the SSE merger, SSE was merged with and into a newly-formed subsidiary of the Company named Seventy Seven Energy LLC (“SSE LLC”), with SSE LLC continuing as the surviving entity and one of the Company’s wholly owned subsidiaries. Through the SSE merger, the Company acquired a fleet of 91 drilling rigs, 36 of which the Company considers to be APEX® rigs. Additionally, through the SSE merger, the Company acquired approximately 500,000 horsepower of fracturing equipment. The oilfield rentals business acquired through the SSE merger has a fleet of premium rental tools, and it provides specialized services for land-based oil and natural gas drilling, completion and workover activities. The merger has been accounted for as a business combination using the acquisition method. Under the acquisition method of accounting, the fair value of the consideration transferred is allocated to the tangible and intangible assets acquired and the liabilities assumed based on their estimated fair values as of the acquisition date, with the remaining unallocated amount recorded as goodwill. The total fair value of the consideration transferred was determined as follows (in thousands, except stock price): Shares of Company common stock issued to SSE shareholders 46,298 Company common stock price on April 20, 2017 $ 22.45 Fair value of common stock issued $ 1,039,396 Plus SSE long-term debt repaid by Company $ 472,000 Total fair value of consideration transferred $ 1,511,396 The following table represents the final allocation of the total purchase price of SSE to the assets acquired and the liabilities assumed based on the fair value at the merger date, with the excess of the purchase price over the estimated fair value of the identifiable net assets acquired recorded as goodwill (in thousands): Identifiable assets acquired Cash and cash equivalents $ 37,806 Accounts receivable 149,659 Inventory 8,518 Other current assets 19,038 Property and equipment 984,433 Other long-term assets 20,918 Intangible assets 22,500 Total identifiable assets acquired 1,242,872 Liabilities assumed Accounts payable and accrued liabilities 133,415 Deferred income taxes 32,881 Other long-term liabilities 1,734 Total liabilities assumed 168,030 Net identifiable assets acquired 1,074,842 Goodwill 436,554 Total net assets acquired $ 1,511,396 The acquired goodwill is not deductible for tax purposes. Among the factors that contributed to a purchase price resulting in the recognition of goodwill was SSE’s reputation as an experienced provider of high-quality contract drilling and pressure pumping services in a safe and efficient manner, access to new geographies, access to new product lines, increased scale of operations, supply chain and corporate efficiencies as well as infrastructure optimization. The acquired goodwill was attributable to three operating segments, with $309 million to contract drilling, $121 million to pressure pumping and $6.3 million to oilfield rentals. A portion of the fair value consideration transferred has been assigned to identifiable intangible assets as follows: Fair Value Weighted Average Useful Life (in thousands) (in years) Assets Favorable drilling contracts $ 22,500 0.83 MS Directional On October 11, 2017, the Company acquired all of the issued and outstanding limited liability company interests of MS Directional. The aggregate consideration paid by the Company consisted of $69.8 million in cash and approximately 8.8 million shares of the Company’s common stock. The purchase price was subject to customary post-closing adjustments relating to cash, net working capital and indebtedness of MS Directional as of the closing. Based on the closing price of the Company’s common stock on the closing date of the transaction, the total fair value of the consideration transferred to effect the acquisition of MS Directional was approximately $257 million. MS Directional is a leading directional drilling services company in the United States, with operations in most major producing onshore oil and gas basins. MS Directional provides a comprehensive suite of directional drilling services, including directional drilling, downhole performance motors, motor rentals, directional surveying, measurement-while-drilling, and wireline steering tools. The acquisition has been accounted for as a business combination using the acquisition method. Under the acquisition method of accounting, the fair value of the consideration transferred is allocated to the tangible and intangible assets acquired and the liabilities assumed based on their estimated fair values as of the acquisition date, with the remaining unallocated amount recorded as goodwill. The total fair value of the consideration transferred was determined as follows (in thousands, except stock price): Shares of Company common stock issued to MS Directional shareholders 8,798 Company common stock price on October 11, 2017 $ 21.31 Fair value of common stock issued $ 187,494 Plus MS Directional long-term debt repaid by Company $ 63,000 Plus cash to sellers $ 6,781 Total fair value of consideration transferred $ 257,275 The following table represents the final allocation of the total purchase price of MS Directional to the assets acquired and the liabilities assumed based on the fair value at the merger date, with the excess of the purchase price over the estimated fair value of the identifiable net assets acquired recorded as goodwill (in thousands): Identifiable assets acquired Cash and cash equivalents $ 2,021 Accounts receivable 42,782 Inventory 28,060 Other current assets 155 Property and equipment 63,998 Other long-term assets 318 Intangible assets 74,682 Total identifiable assets acquired 212,016 Liabilities assumed Accounts payable and accrued liabilities 44,099 Other long-term liabilities 327 Total liabilities assumed 44,426 Net identifiable assets acquired 167,590 Goodwill 89,685 Total net assets acquired $ 257,275 The goodwill reflected above increased $1.0 million from the original preliminary purchase price allocation as a result of a measurement period adjustment that related to a valuation adjustment to accounts payable and accrued liabilities. The acquired goodwill is deductible for tax purposes. Among the factors that contributed to a purchase price resulting in the recognition of goodwill was MS Directional’s reputation as an experienced provider of high-quality directional drilling services in a safe and efficient manner, access to new product lines, favorable market trends underlying these new business lines, earnings and growth opportunities and future technology development possibilities. All of the goodwill acquired is attributable to the directional drilling operating segment. See Note 6 for additional information regarding goodwill. A portion of the fair value consideration transferred has been assigned to identifiable intangible assets as follows: Fair Value Weighted Average Useful Life (in thousands) (in years) Assets Developed technology $ 48,000 10.00 Customer relationships 26,200 3.00 Internal use software 482 5.00 $ 74,682 7.51 Pro Forma The results of SSE’s operations since the SSE merger date of April 20, 2017 and the results of MS Directional since the acquisition date of October 11, 2017 are included in the Company’s consolidated statement of operations. It is impractical to quantify the contribution of the SSE operations since the merger, as the contract drilling and pressure pumping businesses were fully integrated into the Company’s existing operations in 2017. The contribution of MS Directional since the date of the acquisition accounts for substantially all of the Company’s directional drilling segment, as disclosed in Note 14. The following pro forma condensed combined financial information was derived from the historical financial statements of the Company, SSE and MS Directional and gives effect to the acquisitions as if they had occurred on January 1, 2016. The below information reflects pro forma adjustments based on available information and certain assumptions the Company believes are reasonable, including (i) adjustments related to the depreciation and amortization of the fair value of acquired intangibles and fixed assets, (ii) removal of the historical interest expense of the acquired entities, (iii) the tax benefit of the aforementioned pro forma adjustments, and (iv) adjustments related to the common shares outstanding to reflect the impact of the consideration exchanged in the acquisitions. Additionally, the pro forma loss for the year ended December 31, 2017 was adjusted to exclude the Company’s merger and integration-related costs of $74.5 million and SSE’s merger related costs of $36.7 million with a corresponding inclusion in the net loss for the year ended December 31, 2016 to give effect as if the acquisitions had occurred on January 1, 2016. The pro forma results of operations do not include any cost savings or other synergies that may result from the SSE merger or MS Directional acquisition. The pro forma results of operations also do not include any estimated costs that have been incurred by the Company to integrate the SSE and MS Directional operations. The pro forma condensed combined financial information has been included for comparative purposes and is not necessarily indicative of the results that might have actually occurred had the SSE merger and MS Directional acquisition taken place on January 1, 2016; furthermore, the financial information is not intended to be a projection of future results. The following table summarizes selected financial information of the Company on a pro forma basis (in thousands, except per share data): 2017 2016 (Unaudited) Revenues $ 2,738,579 $ 1,567,141 Net income (loss) $ 29,584 $ (505,413 ) Net income (loss) per share Basic $ 0.13 $ (2.30 ) Diluted $ 0.13 $ (2.30 ) Current Power Solutions, Inc. (“Current Power”) During October 2018, the Company acquired Current Power. Current Power is a provider of electrical controls and automation to the energy, marine and mining industries. This acquisition was not material to the Company’s consolidated financial statements. Superior QC, LLC (“Superior QC”) During February 2018, the Company acquired the business of Superior QC, including its assets and intellectual property. Superior QC is a provider of software and services used to improve the statistical accuracy Warrior Rig Ltd During September 2016, the Company acquired .

Revenues

Revenues	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018
Revenue From Contract With Customer [Abstract]
Revenues	3. Revenues ASC Topic 606 Revenue from Contracts with Customers On January 1, 2018, the Company adopted the new revenue guidance under Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers The Company’s contracts with customers include both long-term and short-term contracts. Services that primarily generate revenue earned for the Company include the operating business segments of contract drilling, pressure pumping and directional drilling that comprise the Company’s reportable segments. The Company also derives revenues from its other operations which include the Company’s operating business segments of oilfield rentals, oilfield technology, electrical controls and automation, and oil and natural gas working interests. For more information on the Company’s business segments, see Note 16. Charges for services are considered a series of distinct services. Since each distinct service in a series would be satisfied over time if it were accounted for separately, and the entity would measure its progress towards satisfaction using the same measure of progress for each distinct service in the series, the Company is able to account for these integrated services as a single performance obligation that is satisfied over time. The transaction price is the amount of consideration to which the Company expects to be entitled in exchange for transferring promised goods or services to a customer, based on terms of the Company’s contracts with its customers. The consideration promised in a contract with a customer may include fixed amounts and/or variable amounts. Payments received for services are considered variable consideration as the time in service will fluctuate as the services are provided. Topic 606 provides an allocation exception, which allows the Company to allocate variable consideration to one or more distinct services promised in a series of distinct services that form part of a single performance obligation as long as certain criteria are met. These criteria state that the variable payment must relate specifically to the entity’s efforts to satisfy the performance obligation or transfer the distinct good or service, and allocation of the variable consideration is consistent with the standards’ allocation objective. Since payments received for services meet both of these criteria requirements, the Company recognizes revenue when the service is performed. An estimate of variable consideration should be constrained to the extent that it is not probable that a significant revenue reversal in the amount of cumulative revenue recognized will not occur when the uncertainty associated with the variable consideration is subsequently resolved. Payments received for other types of consideration are fully constrained as they are highly susceptible to factors outside the entity’s influence and therefore could be subject to a significant revenue reversal once resolved. As such, revenue received for these types of consideration is recognized when the service is performed. Estimates of variable consideration are subject to change as facts and circumstances evolve. As such, the Company will evaluate its estimates of variable consideration that are subject to constraints throughout the contract period and revise estimates, if necessary, at the end of each reporting period. The Company is a working interest owner of oil and natural gas properties located in Texas and New Mexico. The ownership terms are outlined in joint operating agreements for each well between the operator of the wells and the various interest owners, including the Company, who are considered non-operators of the well. The Company receives revenue each period for its working interest in the well during the period. The revenue received for the working interests from these oil and gas properties does not fall under the scope of the new revenue standard, and therefore, will continue to be reported under current guidance ASC 932-323 Extractive Activities – Oil and Gas, Investments – Equity Method and Joint Ventures. Reimbursement Revenue – Reimbursements for the purchase of supplies, equipment, personnel services, shipping and other services that are provided at the request of the Company’s customers are recorded as revenue when incurred. The related costs are recorded as operating expenses when incurred. The Company’s disaggregated revenue recognized from contracts with customers is included in Note 16. Accounts Receivable and Contract Liabilities Accounts receivable is the Company’s right to consideration once it becomes unconditional. Payment terms range from 30 to 60 days. Accounts receivable balances were $554 million and $577 million as of December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively. These balances do not include amounts related to the Company’s oil and gas working interests as those contracts are excluded from Topic 606. Accounts receivable balances are included in “Accounts Receivable” in the Consolidated Balance Sheets. The Company does not have any contract asset balances, and as such, contract balances are not presented at the net amount at a contract level. Contract liabilities include prepayments received from customers prior to the requested services being completed. Once the services are complete and have been invoiced, the prepayment is applied against the customer’s account to offset the accounts receivable balance. Also included in contract liabilities are payments received from customers for the initial mobilization of newly constructed or upgraded rigs that were moved on location to the initial well site. These mobilization payments are allocated to the overall performance obligation and amortized over the initial term of the contract. During the year ended December 31, 2018, contract liabilities increased approximately $1.5 million due to customer payments relating to the initial mobilization of upgraded rigs and decreased approximately $1.6 million due to amounts amortized and recorded in drilling revenue. Contract liability balances for customer prepayments were $3.0 million and $9.1 million as of December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively. Contract liability balances for deferred mobilization payments relating to newly constructed or upgraded rigs were $4.6 million and $4.7 million as of December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively. Contract liability balances for customer prepayments are included in “Accounts Payable” and contract liability balances for deferred mobilization payments are included in “Accrued Liabilities” in the Consolidated Balance Sheets. Contract Costs Costs incurred for newly constructed or rig upgrades based on a contract with a customer are considered capital improvements and are capitalized to drilling equipment and depreciated over the estimated useful life of the asset. Practical Expedients Adopted with Topic 606 The Company has elected to adopt the following practical expedients upon the transition date to Topic 606 on January 1, 2018: • Use of portfolio approach: An entity can apply this guidance to a portfolio of contracts (or performance obligations) with similar characteristics if the entity reasonably expects that the effects on the financial statements of applying this guidance to the portfolio would not differ materially from applying this guidance to the individual contracts (or performance obligations) within that portfolio. • Excluding disclosure about transaction price: As a practical expedient, an entity need not disclose the information for a performance obligation if either of the following conditions is met: a) The performance obligation is part of a contract that has an original expected duration of one year or less. b) The entity recognizes revenue from the satisfaction of the performance obligation. • Excluding sales taxes from the transaction price: The scope of this policy election is the same as the scope of the policy election under previous guidance. This election provides exclusion from the measurement of the transaction price all taxes assessed by a governmental authority that are both imposed on and concurrent with a specific revenue producing transaction and collected by the entity from a customer. • Costs of obtaining a contract: An entity can immediately expense costs of obtaining a contract if they would be amortized within a year.

Inventory

Inventory	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018
Inventory Disclosure [Abstract]
Inventory	4. Inventory Inventory consisted of the following at December 31, 2018 and 2017 (in thousands). 2018 2017 Finished goods $ 347 $ 2,270 Work-in-process 6,375 529 Raw materials and supplies 58,857 66,368 Inventory $ 65,579 $ 69,167

Property and Equipment

Property and Equipment	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018
Property Plant And Equipment [Abstract]
Property and Equipment	5. Property and Equipment Property and equipment consisted of the following at December 31, 2018 and 2017 (in thousands): 2018 2017 Equipment $ 8,370,933 $ 8,066,404 Oil and natural gas properties 219,855 211,566 Buildings 186,736 185,475 Land 26,144 26,593 Total property and equipment 8,803,668 8,490,038 Less accumulated depreciation, depletion and impairment (4,801,119 ) (4,235,308 ) Property and equipment, net $ 4,002,549 $ 4,254,730 Depreciation, depletion, amortization and impairment — The following table summarizes depreciation, depletion, amortization and impairment expense related to property and equipment and intangible assets and liabilities for 2018, 2017 and 2016 (in thousands): 2018 2017 2016 Depreciation and impairment expense $ 887,155 $ 753,510 $ 657,571 Amortization expense 18,197 21,764 3,643 Depletion expense 10,966 8,067 7,220 Total $ 916,318 $ 783,341 $ 668,434 On a periodic basis, the Company evaluates its fleet of drilling rigs for marketability based on the condition of inactive rigs, expenditures that would be necessary to bring them to working condition and the expected demand for drilling services by rig type. The components comprising rigs that will no longer be marketed are evaluated, and those components with continuing utility to the Company’s other marketed rigs are transferred to other rigs or to the Company’s yards to be used as spare equipment. The remaining components of these rigs are retired . In 2018, the Company identified 42 legacy non-APEX® rigs and related equipment that would be retired. Based on the strong customer preference across the industry for super-spec drilling rigs, the Company believes the 42 rigs that were retired had limited commercial opportunity. The Company recorded a $48.4 million charge related to this retirement. ecorded a charge of $29.0 million for the write-down of drilling equipment with no continuing utility as a result of the upgrade of certain rigs to super-spec capability. The Company also periodically evaluates its pressure pumping assets, and in 2018, the Company recorded a charge of $17.4 million for the write-down of pressure pumping equipment. The pressure pumping equipment was primarily obsolete sand handling equipment, which has been replaced with more efficient sand solutions. The Company reviews its long-lived assets, including property and equipment, for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that their carrying amounts of certain assets may not be recovered over their estimated remaining useful lives (“triggering events”). In connection with this review, assets are grouped at the lowest level at which identifiable cash flows are largely independent of other asset groupings. The Company estimates future cash flows over the life of the respective assets or asset groupings in its assessment of impairment. These estimates of cash flows are based on historical cyclical trends in the industry as well as the Company’s expectations regarding the continuation of these trends in the future. Provisions for asset impairment are charged against income when estimated future cash flows, on an undiscounted basis, are less than the asset’s net book value. Any provision for impairment is measured at fair value. Due to the decline in the market price of the Company’s common stock and the deterioration of crude oil prices in the fourth quarter of 2018, the Company lowered its expectations with respect to future activity levels in certain of its operating segments. The Company deemed it necessary to assess the recoverability of its contract drilling, pressure pumping, directional drilling and oilfield rentals asset groups. The Company performed an analysis as required by ASC 360-10-35 to assess the recoverability of the asset groups within its contract drilling, pressure pumping, directional drilling and oilfield rentals operating segments. With respect to these asset groups, future cash flows were estimated over the expected remaining life of the assets, and the Company determined that, on an undiscounted basis, expected cash flows exceeded the carrying value of the asset groups, and no impairment was indicated. Expected cash flows, on an undiscounted basis, exceeded the carrying values of the asset groups within the contract drilling, pressure pumping, directional drilling and oilfield rentals operating segments by approximately 38%, 58%, 9% and 23%, respectively. For the assessment performed in 2018, the expected cash flows for the Company’s asset groups included utilization , revenue and costs for the Company’s equipment and services that were estimated existing contract backlog, as well as recent contract tenders and customer inquiries Also, the expected cash flows for the contract drilling, pressure pumping, directional drilling and oilfield rentals asset groups were based on the assumption that activity levels in all four segments would generally be lower than levels experienced in the fourth quarter of 2018, and would begin to recover in late 2019 and continue into 2020 in response to improved oil prices. While the Company believes these assumptions with respect to future oil pricing are reasonable, actual future prices may vary significantly from the ones that were assumed. The timeframe over which oil prices will recover is highly uncertain. Potential events that could affect the Company’s assumptions regarding future prices and the timeframe for a recovery are affected by factors such as those described in “Risk Factors–We Are Dependent on the Oil and Natural Gas Industry and Market Prices for Oil and Natural Gas. Declines in Customers’ Operating and Capital Expenditures and in Oil and Natural Gas Prices May Adversely Affect Our Operating Results.” All of these factors are beyond the Company’s control. If the lower oil price environment experienced at the end of 2018 were to last into 2020 and beyond, the Company’s actual cash flows would likely be less than the expected cash flows used in these assessments and could result in impairment charges in the future, and such impairment could be material. The Company concluded that no triggering events occurred during the years ended December 31, 2017 or 2016 with respect to its asset groups based on the Company’s results of operations for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016, management’s expectations of operating results in future periods and the prevailing commodity prices at the time.

Goodwill and Intangible Assets

Goodwill and Intangible Assets	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018
Goodwill And Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]
Goodwill and Intangible Assets	6. Goodwill and Intangible Assets Goodwill — Goodwill by operating segment as of December 31, 2018 and 2017 and changes for the years then ended are as follows (in thousands): Contract Pressure Directional Other Drilling Pumping Drilling Operations Total Balance December 31, 2016 $ 86,234 $ — $ — $ — $ 86,234 Goodwill acquired 308,826 121,444 88,685 6,284 525,239 Balance December 31, 2017 395,060 121,444 88,685 6,284 611,473 Goodwill acquired — — — 9,412 9,412 Measurement period adjustment — — 1,000 — 1,000 Impairment — (121,444 ) (89,685 ) — (211,129 ) Balance December 31, 2018 $ 395,060 $ — $ — $ 15,696 $ 410,756 There were no accumulated impairment losses related to goodwill in the contract drilling segment or other operations as of December 31, 2018 or 2017. Goodwill is evaluated at least annually as of December 31, or when circumstances require, to determine if the fair value of recorded goodwill has decreased below its carrying value. For impairment testing purposes, goodwill is evaluated at the reporting unit level. The Company’s reporting units for impairment testing are its operating segments. The Company determines whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying value after considering qualitative, market and other factors, and if this is the case, any necessary goodwill impairment is determined using a quantitative impairment test. From time to time, the Company may perform quantitative testing for goodwill impairment in lieu of performing the qualitative assessment. If the resulting fair value of goodwill is less than the carrying value of goodwill, an impairment loss would be recognized for the amount of the shortfall. Due to the decline in the market price of the Company’s common stock and the deterioration of crude oil prices in the fourth quarter of 2018, the Company lowered its expectations with respect to future activity levels in certain of its operating segments. The Company performed a quantitative impairment assessment of its goodwill as of December 31, 2018. In completing the assessment, the fair value of each reporting unit was estimated using the income valuation method. The estimate of fair value for each reporting unit required the use of significant unobservable inputs, representative of a Level 3 fair value measurement. The inputs included assumptions related to the future performance of the Company’s contract drilling, pressure pumping, directional drilling and oilfield rentals reporting units, such as future oil and natural gas prices and projected demand for the Company’s services, and assumptions related to discount rates and long-term growth rates. Based on the results of the goodwill impairment test as of December 31, 2018, the fair value of the contract drilling and oilfield rentals reporting units exceeded their carrying values by approximately 16% and 14%, respectively, and management concluded that no impairment was indicated in its contract drilling and oilfield rentals reporting units; however, impairment was indicated in its pressure pumping and directional drilling reporting units. The Company recognized an impairment charge of $211 million associated with the impairment of all of the goodwill in its pressure pumping and directional drilling reporting units. While management believes the assumptions used with respect to future oil pricing are reasonable, actual future prices may vary significantly from the ones that were assumed. The timeframe over which oil prices will recover is highly uncertain. If the lower oil price environment experienced at the end of 2018 In connection with its annual goodwill impairment assessment as of December 31, 2017 and 2016, the Company determined based on an assessment of qualitative factors that it was more likely than not that the fair values of its reporting units were greater than the respective carrying amount. In making this determination, the Company considered the current and expected levels of commodity prices for oil and natural gas, which influence the overall level of business activity in its reporting units, as well as the Company’s operating results for 2017 and 2016 and forecasted operating results for the respective succeeding year. Management also considered the Company’s overall market capitalization at December 31, 2017 and 2016. Intangible Assets — In 2018, intangible assets were recorded in the Company’s directional drilling operating segment with the acquisition of Superior QC and in other operations with the acquisition of Current Power. In 2017, intangible assets were recorded in the Company’s directional drilling operating segment with the acquisition of MS Directional and in the contract drilling operating segment with the SSE merger (See Note 2). The Company’s intangible assets were recorded at fair value on the date of acquisition and are amortized on a straight line basis. The following table identifies the segment and weighted average useful life of each of the Company’s intangible assets: Weighted Average Segment Useful Life (in years) Customer relationships Directional drilling 3.00 Customer relationships Other operations 7.00 Developed technology Directional drilling 10.00 Favorable drilling contracts Contract drilling 0.83 Internal use software Directional drilling 5.00 Due to the decline in the market price of the Company’s common stock and the deterioration of crude oil prices in the fourth quarter of 2018, the Company lowered its expectations with respect to activity levels in certain of its operating segments. The Company deemed it necessary to assess the recoverability of its contract drilling, pressure pumping, directional drilling and oilfield rentals asset groups. The assessments of recoverability of the asset groups included the respective intangible assets, and no impairment was indicated. See Note 5 for additional information. The Company concluded that no triggering events necessitating an impairment assessment of the intangible assets had occurred in 2017 or 2016. The gross carrying amount and accumulated amortization of intangible assets as of December 31, 2018 and 2017 are as follows (in thousands): 2018 2017 Gross Carrying Accumulated Net Carrying Gross Carrying Accumulated Net Carrying Amount Amortization Amount Amount Amortization Amount Customer relationships $ 28,000 $ (10,719 ) $ 17,281 $ 26,200 $ (1,943 ) $ 24,257 Developed technology 55,772 (6,533 ) 49,239 48,000 (1,137 ) 46,863 Favorable drilling contracts 22,500 (22,500 ) — 22,500 (18,482 ) 4,018 Internal use software 482 (118 ) 364 482 (21 ) 461 $ 106,754 $ (39,870 ) $ 66,884 $ 97,182 $ (21,583 ) $ 75,599 Amortization expense on intangible assets of approximately $18.3 million, $24.3 million and $3.6 million for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively. The remaining amortization expense associated with finite-lived intangible assets is expected to be as follows (in thousands): Year ending December 31, 2019 $ 14,664 2020 12,721 2021 5,931 2022 5,909 2023 5,834 Thereafter 21,825 Total $ 66,884

Accrued Expenses

Accrued Expenses	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018
Payables And Accruals [Abstract]
Accrued Expenses	7. Accrued Expenses Accrued expenses consisted of the following at December 31, 2018 and 2017 (in thousands): 2018 2017 Salaries, wages, payroll taxes and benefits $ 58,160 $ 50,438 Workers’ compensation liability 83,772 80,751 Property, sales, use and other taxes 25,318 29,332 Insurance, other than workers’ compensation 9,531 10,816 Accrued interest payable 15,774 7,558 Accrued merger and integration 2,403 16,101 Other 40,988 31,628 $ 235,946 $ 226,624

Long Term Debt

Long Term Debt	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
Long Term Debt	8. Long-Term Debt 2018 Credit Agreement — On March 27, 2018, the Company entered into an amended and restated credit agreement (the “Credit Agreement”) among the Company, as borrower, Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as administrative agent, letter of credit issuer, swing line lender and lender, each of the other lenders and letter of credit issuers party thereto, The Bank of Nova Scotia and U.S. Bank National Association, as Co-Syndication Agents, Royal Bank of Canada, as Documentation Agent and Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, The Bank of Nova Scotia and U.S. Bank National Association, as Co-Lead Arrangers and Joint Book Runners. The Credit Agreement is a committed senior unsecured revolving credit facility that permits aggregate borrowings of up to $600 million, including a letter of credit facility that, at any time outstanding, is limited to $150 million and a swing line facility that, at any time outstanding, is limited to $20 million. Subject to customary conditions, the Company may request that the lenders’ aggregate commitments be increased by up to $300 million, not to exceed total commitments of $900 million. The maturity date under the Credit Agreement is March 27, 2023. The Company has the option, subject to certain conditions, to exercise two one-year extensions of the maturity date. Loans under the Credit Agreement bear interest by reference, at the Company’s election, to the LIBOR rate or base rate, provided, that swing line loans bear interest by reference only to the base rate. The applicable margin on LIBOR rate loans varies from 1.00% to 2.00% and the applicable margin on base rate loans varies from 0.00% to 1.00%, in each case determined based upon the Company’s credit rating. A letter of credit fee is payable by the Company equal to the applicable margin for LIBOR rate loans times the daily amount available to be drawn under outstanding letters of credit. The commitment fee rate payable to the lenders varies from 0.10% to 0.30% based on the Company’s credit rating. No subsidiaries of the Company are currently required to be a guarantor under the Credit Agreement. However, if any subsidiary guarantees or incurs debt in excess of the Priority Debt Basket (as defined in the Credit Agreement), such subsidiary is required to become a guarantor under the Credit Agreement. The Credit Agreement contains representations, warranties, affirmative and negative covenants and events of default and associated remedies that the Company believes are customary for agreements of this nature, including certain restrictions on the ability of the Company and each subsidiary of the Company to incur debt and grant liens. If the Company’s credit rating is below investment grade, the Company will become subject to a restricted payment covenant, which would require the Company to have a Pro Forma Debt Service Coverage Ratio (as defined in the Credit Agreement) greater than or equal to 1.50 to 1.00 immediately before and immediately after making any restricted payment. The Credit Agreement also requires that the Company’s total debt to capitalization ratio, expressed as a percentage, not exceed 50%. The Credit Agreement generally defines the debt to capitalization ratio as the ratio of (a) total borrowed money indebtedness to (b) the sum of such indebtedness plus consolidated net worth, with consolidated net worth determined as of the end of the most recently ended fiscal quarter. As of December 31, 2018, the Company had no The Company had $81,000 in letters of credit outstanding under the revolving credit facility at December 31, 2018 and, as a result, had available borrowing capacity of approximately $600 million at that date. 2015 Reimbursement Agreement — On March 16, 2015, the Company entered into a Reimbursement Agreement (the “Reimbursement Agreement”) with The Bank of Nova Scotia (“Scotiabank”), pursuant to which the Company may from time to time request that Scotiabank issue an unspecified amount of letters of credit. As of December 31, 2018, the Company had $58.4 million in letters of credit outstanding under the Reimbursement Agreement. Under the terms of the Reimbursement Agreement, the Company will reimburse Scotiabank on demand for any amounts that Scotiabank has disbursed under any letters of credit. Fees, charges and other reasonable expenses for the issuance of letters of credit are payable by the Company at the time of issuance at such rates and amounts as are in accordance with Scotiabank’s prevailing practice. The Company is obligated to pay to Scotiabank interest on all amounts not paid by the Company on the date of demand or when otherwise due at the LIBOR rate plus 2.25% per annum, calculated daily and payable monthly, in arrears, on the basis of a calendar year for the actual number of days elapsed, with interest on overdue interest at the same rate as on the reimbursement amounts. The Company has also agreed that if obligations under the Credit Agreement are secured by liens on any of its or any of its subsidiaries’ property, then the Company’s reimbursement obligations and (to the extent similar obligations would be secured under the Credit Agreement) other obligations under the Reimbursement Agreement and any letters of credit will be equally and ratably secured by all property subject to such liens securing the Credit Agreement. Pursuant to a Continuing Guaranty dated as of March 16, 2015, the Company’s payment obligations under the Reimbursement Agreement are jointly and severally guaranteed as to payment and not as to collection by subsidiaries of the Company that from time to time guarantee payment under the Credit Agreement. No subsidiaries of the Company currently guarantee payment under the Credit Agreement. Series A & B Senior Notes – On October 5, 2010, the Company completed the issuance and sale of $300 million in aggregate principal amount of its 4.97% Series A Senior Notes due October 5, 2020 (the “Series A Notes”) in a private placement. The Series A Notes bear interest at a rate of 4.97% per annum. The Company pays interest on the Series A Notes on April 5 and October 5 of each year. The Series A Notes will mature on October 5, 2020. On June 14, 2012, the Company completed the issuance and sale of $300 million in aggregate principal amount of its 4.27% Series B Senior Notes due June 14, 2022 (the “Series B Notes”) in a private placement. The Series B Notes bear interest at a rate of 4.27% per annum. The Company pays interest on the Series B Notes on April 5 and October 5 of each year. The Series B Notes will mature on June 14, 2022. The Series A Notes and Series B Notes are senior unsecured obligations of the Company, which rank equally in right of payment with all other unsubordinated indebtedness of the Company. The Series A Notes and Series B Notes are guaranteed on a senior unsecured basis by each of the existing domestic subsidiaries of the Company other than subsidiaries that are not required to be guarantors under the Credit Agreement. No subsidiaries of the Company are currently required to be a guarantor under the Credit Agreement. The Series A Notes and Series B Notes are prepayable at the Company’s option, in whole or in part, provided that in the case of a partial prepayment, prepayment must be in an amount not less than 5% of the aggregate principal amount of the notes then outstanding, at any time and from time to time at 100% of the principal amount prepaid, plus accrued and unpaid interest to the prepayment date, plus a “make-whole” premium as specified in the note purchase agreements. The Company must offer to prepay the notes upon the occurrence of any change of control. In addition, the Company must offer to prepay the notes upon the occurrence of certain asset dispositions if the proceeds therefrom are not timely reinvested in productive assets. If any offer to prepay is accepted, the purchase price of each prepaid note is 100% of the principal amount thereof, plus accrued and unpaid interest thereon to the prepayment date. The respective note purchase agreements require compliance with two financial covenants. The Company must not permit its debt to capitalization ratio to exceed 50% at any time. The note purchase agreements generally define the debt to capitalization ratio as the ratio of (a) total borrowed money indebtedness to (b) the sum of such indebtedness plus consolidated net worth, with consolidated net worth determined as of the last day of the most recently ended fiscal quarter. The Company also must not permit its interest coverage ratio as of the last day of a fiscal quarter to be less than 2.50 to 1.00. The note purchase agreements generally define the interest coverage ratio as the ratio of EBITDA for the four prior fiscal quarters to interest charges for the same period. The Company was in compliance with these covenants at December 31, 2018. Events of default under the note purchase agreements include failure to pay principal or interest when due, failure to comply with the financial and operational covenants, a cross default event, a judgment in excess of a threshold event, the guaranty agreement ceasing to be enforceable, the occurrence of certain ERISA events, a change of control event and bankruptcy and other insolvency events. If an event of default under the note purchase agreements occurs and is continuing, then holders of a majority in principal amount of the respective notes have the right to declare all the notes then-outstanding to be immediately due and payable. In addition, if the Company defaults in payments on any note, then until such defaults are cured, the holder thereof may declare all the notes held by it pursuant to the note purchase agreement to be immediately due and payable. 2028 Senior Notes – On January 19, 2018, the Company completed its offering of $525 million aggregate principal amount of the Company’s 3.95% Senior Notes due 2028 (the “2028 Notes”). The net proceeds before offering expenses were approximately $521 million of which the Company used $239 million to repay amounts outstanding under its revolving credit facility. The Company pays interest on the 2028 Notes on February 1 and August 1 of each year. The 2028 Notes will mature on February 1, 2028. The 2028 Notes bear interest at a rate of 3.95% per annum. The 2028 Notes are No subsidiaries of the Company are currently required to be a guarantor under the 2028 Notes. The Company, at its option, may redeem the Notes in whole or in part, at any time or from time to time at a redemption price equal to 100% of the principal amount The indenture pursuant to which the 2028 Notes were issued includes covenants that, among other things, limit the Company and its subsidiaries’ ability to incur Upon the occurrence of a change of control, as defined in the indenture, each holder of the 2028 Notes may require the Company to purchase all or a portion The indenture The Company incurred approximately $4.6 million in debt issuance costs in connection with the 2018 Credit Agreement. The Company incurred approximately $1.9 million in debt issuance costs in connection with the Series A Notes and approximately $1.6 million in debt issuance costs in connection with the Series B Notes Presented below is a schedule of the principal repayment requirements of long-term debt by fiscal year as of December 31, 2018 (in thousands): Year ending December 31, 2019 $ — 2020 300,000 2021 — 2022 300,000 2023 — Thereafter 525,000 Total $ 1,125,000

Commitments, Contingencies and

Commitments, Contingencies and Other Matters	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018
Commitments And Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Commitments, Contingencies and Other Matters	9. Commitments, Contingencies and Other Matters Commitments – As of December 31, 2018, the Company maintained letters of credit in the aggregate amount of $58.5 million primarily for the benefit of various insurance companies as collateral for retrospective premiums and retained losses which could become payable under the terms of the underlying insurance contracts. These letters of credit expire annually at various times during the year and are typically renewed. As of December 31, 2018, no amounts had been drawn under the letters of credit. As of December 31, 2018, the Company had commitments to purchase major equipment and make investments totaling approximately $107 million for its drilling, pressure pumping, directional drilling and oilfield rentals businesses. The Company’s pressure pumping business has entered into agreements to purchase minimum quantities of proppants and chemicals from certain vendors. The agreements expire in years 2019 through 2022 and in 2043. As of December 31, 2018, the remaining obligation under these agreements was approximately $114 million, of which approximately $24.7 million relates to purchases required during 2019. In the event the required minimum quantities are not purchased during any contract year, the Company could be required to make a liquidated damages payment to the respective vendor for any shortfall. Contingencies – The Company’s operations are subject to many hazards inherent in the businesses in which it operates, including inclement weather, blowouts, explosions, fires, loss of well control, pollution, exposure and reservoir damage. These hazards could cause personal injury or death, work stoppage, and serious damage to equipment and other property, as well as significant environmental and reservoir damages. These risks could expose the Company to substantial liability for personal injury, wrongful death, property damage, loss of oil and natural gas production, pollution and other environmental damages. An accident or other event resulting in significant environmental or property damage, or injuries or fatalities involving the Company’s employees or other persons could also trigger investigations by federal, state or local authorities. Such an accident or other event could cause the Company to incur substantial expenses in connection with the investigation, remediation and resolution, as well as cause lasting damage to the Company’s reputation, loss of customers and an inability to obtain insurance. Any contractual right to indemnification that the Company may have for any such risk may be unenforceable or limited due to negligent or willful acts of commission or omission by the Company, its subcontractors and/or suppliers. In addition, certain states, including Louisiana, New Mexico, Texas and Wyoming, have enacted statutes generally referred to as “oilfield anti-indemnity acts” expressly prohibiting certain indemnity agreements contained in or related to oilfield service agreements. Such oilfield anti-indemnity acts may restrict or void a party’s indemnification of the Company. The Company’s customers and other third parties may dispute, or be unable to meet, their contractual indemnification obligations to the Company due to financial, legal or other reasons. Accordingly, the Company may be unable to transfer these risks to its customers and other third parties by contract or indemnification agreements. Incurring a liability for which the Company is not fully indemnified or insured could have a material adverse effect on its business, financial condition, cash flows and results of operations. The Company has insurance coverage for fire, windstorm and other risks of physical loss to its equipment and certain other assets, employer’s liability, automobile liability, commercial general liability, workers’ compensation and insurance for other specific risks. The Company has also elected in some cases to accept a greater amount of risk through increased deductibles on certain insurance policies. For example, the Company generally maintains a $1.5 million per occurrence deductible on its workers’ compensation insurance coverage, a $1.0 million per occurrence deductible on its equipment insurance coverage, a $2.0 million per occurrence deductible on its general liability coverage and a $2.0 million per occurrence deductible on its automobile liability insurance coverage. The Company also self-insures a number of other risks, including loss of earnings and business interruption and cybersecurity risks, and does not carry a significant amount of insurance to cover risks of underground reservoir damage. On January 22, 2018, an accident at a drilling site in Pittsburg County, Oklahoma resulted in the losses of life of five people, including three of the Company’s employees. Lawsuits have been filed in the District Court for Pittsburg County, Oklahoma in connection with the five individuals who lost their lives and one of the Company’s employees who was injured in the accident. The lawsuits have been consolidated for discovery purposes under Cause No. CJ-2018-60 (the “Litigation”). These lawsuits allege various causes of action against the Company including negligence, gross negligence, knowledge that injury or death was substantially certain, acting with purpose, recklessness, wrongful death and survival, and the plaintiffs seek an unspecified amount of damages, including punitive or exemplary damages, costs, interest, and other relief. The Company disputes the plaintiffs’ allegations and intends to continue to defend itself vigorously. Based on the information the Company has available as of the date of this Report, the Company believes that it has adequate insurance to cover the Litigation. However, if this accident is not fully covered by insurance or an enforceable and recoverable indemnity from a third party, it could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, financial condition, cash flows and results of operations. The Company is party to various other legal proceedings arising in the normal course of its business. The Company does not believe that the outcome of these proceedings, either individually or in the aggregate, will have a material adverse effect on its financial condition, cash flows or results of operations. Other Matters — The Company has Change in Control Agreements with its Chairman of the Board and one of its Executive Vice Presidents (the “Specified Employees”). Each Change in Control Agreement generally has an initial term with automatic twelve-month renewals unless the Company notifies the Specified Employee at least ninety days before the end of such renewal period that the term will not be extended. If a change in control of the Company occurs during the term of the agreement and the Specified Employee’s employment is terminated (i) by the Company other than for cause or other than automatically as a result of death, disability or retirement, or (ii) by the Specified Employee for good reason (as those terms are defined in the Change in Control Agreements), then the Specified Employee shall generally be entitled to, among other things: • a bonus payment equal to the highest bonus paid after the Change in Control Agreement was entered into (such bonus payment for each Specified Employee prorated for the portion of the fiscal year preceding the termination date); • a payment equal to 2.5 times (in the case of the Chairman of the Board) or 2 times (in the case of the Executive Vice President) of the sum of (i) the highest annual salary in effect for such Specified Employee and (ii) the average of the three annual bonuses earned by the Specified Employee for the three fiscal years preceding the termination date and • continued coverage under the Company’s welfare plans for up to three years (in the case of the Chairman of the Board) or two years (in the case of the Executive Vice President). Each Change in Control Agreement provides the Specified Employee with a full gross-up payment for any excise taxes imposed on payments and benefits received under the Change in Control Agreements or otherwise, including other taxes that may be imposed as a result of the gross-up payment. The Company has Employment Agreements with its Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, General Counsel and the President of the Company’s subsidiary, Patterson-UTI Drilling Company LLC (“Patterson-UTI Drilling”). In the case of the Chief Executive Officer and the General Counsel, the Employment Agreement supersedes the prior Change in Control Agreement with each executive and, in the case of the President of Patterson-UTI Drilling, the Employment Agreement supersedes his prior employment agreement. Each Employment Agreement generally has an initial three-year term, subject to automatic annual renewal. The executive may terminate his employment under his Employment Agreement by providing written notice of such termination at least 30 days before the effective date of such termination. Under specified circumstances, the Company may terminate the executive’s employment under his Employment Agreement for Cause (as defined in the Employment Agreement) by either (i) providing written notice 10 days before the effective date of such termination and by granting at least 10 days to cure the cause for such termination or (ii) by providing written notice of such termination at least 30 days before the effective date of such termination and by granting at least 20 days to cure the cause for such termination, provided that if the matter is reasonably determined by the Company to not be capable of being cured, the executive may be terminated for cause on the date the written notice is delivered. The Employment Agreement also provides for, among other things, severance payments and the continuation of certain benefits following termination by the Company of the executive other than for Cause, or termination by the executive for Good Reason (as defined in each Employment Agreement). Under these provisions, if the executive’s employment is terminated by the Company without Cause, or the executive terminates his employment for Good Reason: • the executive will have the right to receive a lump-sum payment consisting of 3 times (in the case of the Chief Executive Officer) or 2.5 times (in the case of the Chief Financial Officer, General Counsel and President of Patterson-UTI Drilling) the sum of (i) his base salary and (ii) the average annual cash bonus received by him for the three years prior to the date of termination; • the executive will have the right to receive a pro-rated lump-sum payment equal to his annual cash bonus based on actual results for the year, payable at the same time as annual cash bonuses are paid to active employees, • the Company will accelerate vesting of all options and restricted stock awards on the 60th day following the executive’s termination, and • the Company will pay the executive certain accrued obligations and certain obligations pursuant to the terms of employee benefit plans. If a termination by the Company other than for Cause or by the executive for Good Reason occurs following a Change in Control (as defined in his Employment Agreement, which for the President of Patterson-UTI Drilling includes a change in control of the Company or, in certain circumstances, of Patterson-UTI Drilling), the executive will generally be entitled to the same severance payments and benefits described above except that the pro-rated lump-sum payment for annual cash bonuses will be based on his highest annual cash bonus for the last three years, and the executive will be entitled to 36 months (in the case of the Chief Executive Officer) or 30 months (in the case of the Chief Financial Officer, General Counsel and President of Patterson-UTI Drilling) of subsidized benefits continuation coverage.

Stockholders' Equity

Stockholders' Equity	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018
Equity [Abstract]
Stockholders' Equity	10. Stockholders’ Equity Stock Offering – On January 27, 2017, the Company completed an offering of 18.2 million shares of its common stock and raised net proceeds of $472 million. The Company used the net proceeds of the offering to repay SSE’s outstanding indebtedness of approximately $472 million Cash Dividends – The Company paid cash dividends during the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016 as follows: Per Share Total (in thousands) 2018 Paid on March 22, 2018 $ 0.02 $ 4,443 Paid on June 21, 2018 0.04 8,832 Paid on September 20, 2018 0.04 8,685 Paid on December 20, 2018 0.04 8,629 Total cash dividends $ 0.14 $ 30,589 2017 Paid on March 22, 2017 $ 0.02 $ 3,326 Paid on June 22, 2017 0.02 4,269 Paid on September 21, 2017 0.02 4,271 Paid on December 21, 2017 0.02 4,449 Total cash dividends $ 0.08 $ 16,315 2016 Paid on March 24, 2016 $ 0.10 $ 14,712 Paid on June 23, 2016 0.02 2,953 Paid on September 22, 2016 0.02 2,953 Paid on December 22, 2016 0.02 2,961 Total cash dividends $ 0.16 $ 23,579 On February 6, 2019, the Company’s Board of Directors approved a cash dividend on its common stock in the amount of $0.04 per share to be paid on March 21, 2019 to holders of record as of March 7, 2019. The amount and timing of all future dividend payments, if any, are subject to the discretion of the Board of Directors and will depend upon business conditions, results of operations, financial condition, terms of the Company’s debt agreements and other factors. On September 6, 2013, the Company’s Board of Directors approved a stock buyback program that authorized purchases of up to $200 million of the Company’s common stock in open market or privately negotiated transactions. On July 25, 2018, the Company’s Board of Directors approved an increase of the authorization under the stock buyback program to allow for $250 million of future share repurchases. All purchases executed to date have been through open market transactions. Purchases under the program are made at management’s discretion, at prevailing prices, subject to market conditions and other factors. Purchases may be made at any time without prior notice. There is no expiration date associated with the buyback program. As of December 31, 2018, the Company had remaining authorization to purchase approximately $150 million of the Company’s outstanding common stock under the stock buyback program. Shares of stock purchased under the plan are held as treasury shares. On February 6, 2019, the Company’s Board of Directors approved another increase of the authorization under the stock buyback program to allow for $250 million of share repurchases. The Company acquired shares of stock from directors during 2017 and 2016 and from employees during 2018, 2017, and 2016 that are accounted for as treasury stock. Certain of these shares were acquired to satisfy the exercise price in connection with the exercise of stock options. The remainder of these shares was acquired to satisfy payroll withholding obligations upon the settlement of performance unit awards and the vesting of restricted stock and restricted stock units. These shares were acquired at fair market value. These acquisitions were made pursuant to the terms of the Patterson-UTI Energy, Inc. 2014 Long-Term Incentive Plan (the “2014 Plan”) and not pursuant to the stock buyback program. Treasury stock acquisitions during the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016 were as follows (dollars in thousands): 2018 2017 2016 Shares Cost Shares Cost Shares Cost Treasury shares at beginning of period 43,802,611 $ 918,711 43,392,617 $ 911,094 43,207,240 $ 907,045 Purchases pursuant to stock buyback program 9,331,131 150,497 5,503 109 8,488 183 Acquisitions pursuant to long-term incentive plan 567,354 11,240 404,491 7,508 176,889 3,866 Treasury shares at end of period 53,701,096 $ 1,080,448 43,802,611 $ 918,711 43,392,617 $ 911,094

Stock-based Compensation

Stock-based Compensation	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018
Disclosure Of Compensation Related Costs Sharebased Payments [Abstract]
Stock-based Compensation	11. Stock-based Compensation The Company uses share-based payments to compensate employees and non-employee directors. The Company recognizes the cost of share-based payments under the fair-value-based method. Share-based awards include equity instruments in the form of stock options, restricted stock or restricted stock units that have included service conditions and, in certain cases, performance conditions. The Company’s share-based awards also include share-settled performance unit awards. Share-settled performance unit awards are accounted for as equity awards. The Company issues shares of common stock when vested stock options are exercised, when restricted stock is granted and when restricted stock units and share-settled performance unit awards vest. The 2014 Plan was originally approved by the Company’s stockholders effective as of April 17, 2014, and the Board of Directors adopted a resolution that no future grants would be made under any of the Company’s other previously existing plans. On June 29, 2017, the Company’s stockholders approved the amendment and restatement of the 2014 Plan (the “Amended and Restated Plan”) to increase the number of shares available under the plan to 10,049,156 shares. The aggregate number of shares of the Company’s common stock authorized for grant under the Amended and Restated Plan is 18.9 million, which includes 9.1 million shares previously authorized under the 2014 Plan. The Company’s share-based compensation plans at December 31, 2018 are as follows: Shares Shares Underlying Shares Authorized Awards Available Plan Name for Grant Outstanding for Grant Amended and Restated Plan 18,900,000 6,203,695 2,471,800 Patterson-UTI Energy, Inc. 2005 Long-Term Incentive Plan, as amended — 3,268,500 — A summary of the Amended and Restated Plan follows: • The Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors administers the plan other than the awards to directors. • All employees, officers and directors are eligible for awards. • The Compensation Committee determines the vesting schedule for awards. Awards typically vest over one year for non-employee directors and three years for employees. • The Compensation Committee sets the term of awards and no option term can exceed 10 years. • All options granted under the plan are granted with an exercise price equal to or greater than the fair market value of the Company’s common stock at the time the option is granted. • The plan provides for awards of incentive stock options, non-incentive stock options, tandem and freestanding stock appreciation rights, restricted stock awards, other stock unit awards, performance share awards, performance unit awards and dividend equivalents. As of December 31, 2018, non-incentive stock options, restricted stock awards, restricted stock units and performance unit awards had been granted under the plan. Options granted under the Patterson-UTI Energy, Inc. 2005 Long-Term Incentive Plan (the “2005 Plan”) typically vested over one year for non-employee directors and three years for employees. All options were granted with an exercise price equal to the fair market value of the related common stock at the time of grant. Stock Options— The Company estimates the grant date fair values of stock options using the Black-Scholes-Merton valuation model. Volatility assumptions are based on the historic volatility of the Company’s common stock over the most recent period equal to the expected term of the options as of the date the options are granted. The expected term assumptions are based on the Company’s experience with respect to employee stock option activity. Dividend yield assumptions are based on the expected dividends at the time the options are granted. The risk-free interest rate assumptions are determined by reference to United States Treasury yields. No options were granted during the years ended December 31, 2018 or 2017. Weighted-average assumptions used to estimate grant date fair values for stock options granted during the year ended December 31, 2016 is as follows: 2016 Volatility 35.11 % Expected term (in years) 5.00 Dividend yield 2.05 % Risk-free interest rate 1.40 % Stock option activity for the year ended December 31, 2018 follows: Weighted-average Shares exercise price Outstanding at beginning of year 6,037,150 $ 20.35 Exercised (40,000 ) $ 12.12 Expired (496,000 ) $ 29.01 Outstanding at end of year 5,501,150 $ 19.63 Exercisable at end of year 5,362,269 $ 19.66 Options outstanding at December 31, 2018 have no intrinsic value and a weighted-average remaining contractual term of 4.05 years. Options exercisable at December 31, 2018 have no intrinsic value and a weighted-average remaining contractual term of 3.96 years. Additional information with respect to options granted, vested and exercised during the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016 follows: 2018 2017 2016 Weighted-average grant date fair value of stock options granted (per share) NA NA $ 4.90 Aggregate grant date fair value of stock options vested during the year (in thousands) $ 1,954 $ 4,565 $ 4,729 Aggregate intrinsic value of stock options exercised (in thousands) $ — $ 209 $ 366 As of December 31, 2018, options to purchase 138,881 shares were outstanding and not vested. All of these non-vested options are expected to ultimately vest. Additional information as of December 31, 2018 with respect to these non-vested options follows: Aggregate intrinsic value $ — Weighted-average remaining contractual term 7.45 years Weighted-average remaining expected term 2.45 years Weighted-average remaining vesting period 1.09 years Unrecognized compensation cost (in thousands) $ 673 Restricted Stock— For all restricted stock awards made to date, shares of common stock were issued when the awards were made. Non-vested shares are subject to forfeiture for failure to fulfill service conditions and, in certain cases, performance conditions. Non-forfeitable dividends are paid on non-vested shares of restricted stock. The Company uses the straight-line method to recognize periodic compensation cost over the vesting period. Restricted stock activity for the year ended December 31, 2018 follows: Weighted- average Grant Shares Date Fair Value Non-vested restricted stock outstanding at beginning of year 1,530,338 $ 21.41 Vested (1,085,743 ) $ 21.41 Forfeited (8,371 ) $ 21.60 Non-vested restricted stock outstanding at end of year 436,224 $ 21.41 As of December 31, 2018, approximately 423,000 million shares of non-vested restricted stock outstanding are expected to vest. Additional information as of December 31, 2018 with respect to these non-vested shares follows: Aggregate intrinsic value $4.4 million Weighted-average remaining vesting period 1 year Unrecognized compensation cost $6.9 million Restricted Stock Units— For all restricted stock unit awards made to date, shares of common stock are not issued until the units vest. Restricted stock units are subject to forfeiture for failure to fulfill service conditions and, in certain cases, performance conditions. Forfeitable dividend equivalents are accrued on certain restricted stock units that will be paid upon vesting. The Company uses the straight-line method to recognize periodic compensation cost over the vesting period. Restricted stock unit activity for the year ended December 31, 2018 follows: Weighted-average Time Performance Grant Date Fair Based Based Value Non-vested restricted stock units outstanding at beginning of year 1,223,273 114,000 $ 19.80 Granted 1,726,865 — $ 19.15 Granted in connection with acquisitions 204,222 359,315 $ 16.99 Vested (1) (413,858 ) (38,000 ) $ 19.65 Forfeited (137,894 ) — $ 19.43 Non-vested restricted stock units outstanding at end of year 2,602,608 435,315 $ 18.95 (1) All of the performance-based restricted stock units that vested during 2018 were granted in 2017. As of December 31, 2018, approximately 2.9 million non-vested restricted stock units outstanding are expected to vest. Additional information as of December 31, 2018 with respect to these non-vested restricted stock units follows: Aggregate intrinsic value $29.7 million Weighted-average remaining vesting period 2.3 year Unrecognized compensation cost $44.2 million Performance Unit Awards. The Company has granted share-settled performance unit awards to certain employees (the “Performance Units”) on an annual basis since 2010. The Performance Units provide for the recipients to receive a grant of shares of common stock upon the achievement of certain performance goals during a specified period established by the Compensation Committee. The performance period for the Performance Units is the three year period commencing on April 1 of the year of grant, except that for the Performance Units granted in 2017 the three-year performance period commenced on May 1. The performance goals for the Performance Units are tied to the Company’s total shareholder return for the performance period as compared to total shareholder return for a peer group determined by the Compensation Committee. These goals are considered to be market conditions under the relevant accounting standards and the market conditions were factored into the determination of the fair value of the respective Performance Units. Generally, the recipients will receive a target number of shares if the Company’s total shareholder return during the performance period, when compared to the peer group, is at the 50 th th th th th For the Performance Units awarded prior to 2016, there is no payout unless the Company’s total shareholder return is positive and, when compared to the peer group, is at or above the 25 th th The total target number of shares with respect to the Performance Units for the years 2013-2018 is set forth below: 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 Performance Performance Performance Performance Performance Performance Unit Awards Unit Awards Unit Awards Unit Awards Unit Awards Unit Awards Target number of shares 310,700 186,198 185,000 190,600 154,000 236,500 Because the Performance Units are share-settled awards, they are accounted for as equity awards and measured at fair value on the date of grant using a Monte Carlo simulation model. The fair value of the Performance Units is set forth below (in thousands): 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 Performance Performance Performance Performance Performance Performance Unit Awards Unit Awards Unit Awards Unit Awards Unit Awards Unit Awards Aggregate fair value at date of grant $ 8,004 $ 5,780 $ 3,854 $ 4,052 $ 5,388 $ 5,564 These fair value amounts are charged to expense on a straight-line basis over the performance period. Compensation expense associated with the Performance Units is set forth below (in thousands): 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 Performance Performance Performance Performance Performance Performance Unit Awards Unit Awards Unit Awards Unit Awards Unit Awards Unit Awards Year ended December 31, 2018 $ 2,001 $ 1,927 $ 1,285 $ 338 NA NA Year ended December 31, 2017 NA $ 1,284 $ 1,285 $ 1,351 $ 449 NA Year ended December 31, 2016 NA NA $ 963 $ 1,351 $ 1,796 $ 464 Dividends on Equity Awards – Non-forfeitable cash dividends are paid on restricted stock awards and dividend equivalents are paid or accrued on certain restricted stock units. These dividends are recognized as follows: • Dividends are recognized as reductions of retained earnings for the portion of restricted stock awards expected to vest. • Dividends are recognized as additional compensation cost for the portion of restricted stock awards that are not expected to vest or that ultimately do not vest. • Dividend equivalents are recognized as reductions of retained earnings for the portion of restricted stock units expected to vest. • Dividend equivalents are recognized as additional compensation cost for the portion of restricted stock units that are not expected to vest or that ultimately do not vest.

Leases

Leases	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018
Leases [Abstract]
Leases	12. Leases The Company incurred rent expense of $105.2 million, $48.9 million and $25.3 million for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively. Rent expense is primarily related to short-term equipment rentals that are generally passed through to customers. Future minimum rental payments required under operating leases having initial or remaining non-cancelable lease terms in excess of one year at December 31, 2018 are as follows (in thousands): Year ending December 31, 2019 $ 11,408 2020 9,069 2021 6,543 2022 4,625 2023 2,663 Thereafter 6,552 Total $ 40,860

Income Taxes

Income Taxes	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Income Taxes	13. Income Taxes Components of the income tax provision applicable to federal, state and foreign income taxes for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016 are as follows (in thousands): 2018 2017 2016 Federal income tax benefit: Current $ (3,954 ) $ (42 ) $ (24,777 ) Deferred (35,081 ) (335,106 ) (134,592 ) (39,035 ) (335,148 ) (159,369 ) State income tax expense (benefit): Current 1,704 (215 ) (257 ) Deferred (11,147 ) 4,511 (14,163 ) (9,443 ) 4,296 (14,420 ) Foreign income tax expense (benefit): Current (2,552 ) (3,108 ) (368 ) Deferred 5,043 249 (3,405 ) 2,491 (2,859 ) (3,773 ) Total income tax benefit: Current (4,802 ) (3,365 ) (25,402 ) Deferred (41,185 ) (330,346 ) (152,160 ) Total income tax benefit: $ (45,987 ) $ (333,711 ) $ (177,562 ) The difference between the statutory federal income tax rate and the effective income tax rate for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016 is summarized as follows: 2018 2017 2016 Statutory tax rate 21.0 % 35.0 % 35.0 % State income taxes - net of the federal income tax benefit 1.2 1.9 2.0 Goodwill impairment (6.9 ) — — Permanent differences (0.6 ) (1.3 ) (0.1 ) Tax effects of tax reform (1.3 ) 66.7 — Share-based payments (0.1 ) 3.6 — Acquisition related differences — (3.3 ) — Valuation allowance (3.7 ) — — State deferred tax remeasurement 2.3 — — Other differences, net 0.6 (0.8 ) (1.1 ) Effective tax rate 12.5 % 101.8 % 35.8 % The effective tax rate decreased by approximately 89.3% to 12.5% for 2018 compared to 2017. This was primarily due to Tax Reform, which resulted in a 66.7% increase in the 2017 effective tax rate due to the remeasurement of the U.S. deferred taxes and a 14% decrease in the 2018 effective tax rate due to the change in U.S. federal corporate tax rate. Also impacting the 2018 effective tax rate are certain goodwill impairment charges, which are not deductible for tax purposes, and valuation allowances being established against deferred tax assets in certain state and non-U.S. jurisdictions. The goodwill impairment and valuation allowances resulted in a 6.9% and 3.7% decrease in the effective tax rate, respectively. These decreases were partially offset by a 2.3% increase in the effective tax rate following the remeasurement of deferred tax assets and liabilities for state tax purposes Tax Reform includes, among other things, a reduction of the U.S. federal corporate tax rate from 35% to 21% for tax years beginning 2018, a mandatory deemed repatriation tax on foreign earnings, repeal of the corporate alternative minimum tax, expensing of certain capital investments, and reducing the amount of executive pay that will be tax deductible. Tax Reform also makes fundamental changes to the taxation of multinational entities, including a shift from worldwide taxation with deferral to a hybrid territorial system, a minimum tax on certain low-taxed foreign earnings, and new measures to deter base erosion and promote export sales from the United States. For December 31, 2017, the Company recorded provisional amounts for certain enactment-date effects of Tax Reform by applying the guidance in Staff Accounting Bulletin 118 (“SAB 118”) because the Company had not yet completed its enactment-date accounting for these effects. In 2017, the Company recorded approximately $219 million of tax benefit related to the enactment-date effects of Tax Reform that related solely to adjusting deferred tax assets and liabilities to the new U.S. federal corporate tax rate at which they are expected to reverse. After the filing of the Company’s 2017 income tax returns in the fourth quarter of 2018, the Company completed its accounting for all of the enactment-date income tax effects of Tax Reform. As a result, the Company recognized $4.6 million of tax expense as an adjustment to the provisional amounts recorded at December 31, 2017 and included these adjustments as a component of income tax expense. The changes to 2017 enactment-date provisional amounts decreased the effective tax rate in 2018 by 1.3%. For Tax Reform, the one-time transition tax is based on the Company’s total post-1986 earnings and profits (“E&P”), the tax on which it previously deferred from U.S. income taxes under U.S. law. At December 31, 2017, the Company estimated an E&P deficit for each of its foreign subsidiaries and therefore did not record any additional taxes for the one-time transition tax. Upon further analysis of Tax Reform, along with notices and regulations issued and proposed by the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service, the Company finalized its calculations of the transition tax liability for its 2017 income tax filings during the fourth quarter of 2018. The final transition tax computation resulted in approximately $13.7 million of Section 965 income inclusion which was completely offset by 2017 net operating losses. At December 31, 2017, the Company remeasured its U.S. deferred tax assets and liabilities based on the tax rates at which they were expected to reverse in the future and recorded a provisional tax benefit of approximately $219 million. Upon further analysis of certain aspects of Tax Reform along with the filing of the Company’s 2017 income tax returns, the Company adjusted its December 31, 2017 provisional estimate on the remeasurement of U.S. deferred tax assets and liabilities by recording additional tax expense of $1.7 million, which is included as a component of income tax expense. Effective 2018, Tax Reform also subjects a U.S. shareholder to tax on global intangible low-taxed income (“GILTI”) earned by certain foreign subsidiaries. Guidance from the FASB allows an entity to make an accounting policy election to either recognize deferred taxes for temporary basis differences expected to reverse as GILTI in future years or to provide for the tax expense related to GILTI in the year the tax is incurred as a period expense only. The Company has elected to account for GILTI in the year the tax is incurred. In 2018, the Company was not subject to the tax imposed by the GILTI provisions. In addition to the introduction of GILTI, Tax Reform introduced a new provision called the base erosion and anti-abuse tax (“BEAT”), which is aimed at preventing or reducing U.S. tax base erosion. The BEAT provisions eliminate the deductions for certain base-erosion payments made to related foreign corporations and imposes a new minimum tax if greater than regular tax. In 2018, the Company was not subject to the minimum tax imposed by the BEAT provisions. Prior to Tax Reform, the Company had elected to permanently reinvest unremitted earnings in Canada effective January 1, 2010, and it intends to do so for the foreseeable future. If the Company were to repatriate earnings, in the form of dividends or otherwise, it might be subject to certain income taxes (subject to an adjustment for foreign tax credits) and withholding taxes payable. The tax effect of significant temporary differences representing deferred tax assets and liabilities at December 31, 2018 and 2017 are as follows (in thousands): 2018 2017 Deferred tax assets: Net operating loss carryforwards $ 324,389 $ 275,402 Tax credits 6,404 9,053 Expense associated with stock options and restricted stock 13,375 12,126 Workers' compensation allowance 19,900 19,323 Other 22,423 25,891 386,491 341,795 Allowance to reduce deferred tax asset to expected realizable value (13,232 ) — Total deferred tax assets 373,259 341,795 Deferred tax liabilities: Property and equipment basis difference (669,196 ) (678,093 ) Other (10,224 ) (10,663 ) Total deferred tax liabilities (679,420 ) (688,756 ) Net deferred tax liability $ (306,161 ) $ (346,961 ) In assessing the realizability of deferred tax assets, management considers whether it is more likely than not that some portion or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized, and necessary allowances are provided. The ultimate realization of deferred tax assets is dependent upon the generation of future taxable income during the periods in which those temporary differences become deductible. The Company considers carryback availability, the scheduled reversal of deferred tax liabilities, projected future taxable income and tax planning strategies in making this assessment. In 2018, the Company recorded $13.2 million of valuation allowances against its net deferred tax assets, with $4.9 million relating to certain state jurisdictions, $8.1 million relating to a Canadian subsidiary and $0.2 million relating to operations outside of North America. These valuation allowances were recorded due to a change in judgment as to the realizability of these assets in future tax years For income tax purposes, the Company has approximately $1.3 billion of gross federal net operating losses, approximately $24.7 million of gross Canadian net operating losses and approximately $735 million of post-apportionment state net operating losses as of December 31, 2018, before valuation allowances. The majority of Federal net operating losses will expire in varying amounts, if unused, between 2034 and 2037. Federal net operating losses generated in 2018 can be carried forward indefinitely. Canadian net operating losses will expire in varying amounts, if unused, between 2036 and 2038. State net operating losses will expire in varying amounts, if unused, between 2023 and 2038. As of December 31, 2018, the Company had no unrecognized tax benefits. The Company has established a policy to account for interest and penalties related to uncertain income tax positions as operating expenses. As of December 31, 2018, the tax years ended December 31, 2013 through December 31, 2017 are open for examination by U.S. taxing authorities. As of December 31, 2018, the tax years ended December 31, 2012 through December 31, 2017 are open for examination by Canadian taxing authorities.

Earnings Per Share

Earnings Per Share	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Earnings Per Share	14. Earnings Per Share The Company provides a dual presentation of its net income (loss) per common share in its consolidated statements of operations: basic net income (loss) per common share (“Basic EPS”) and diluted net income (loss) per common share (“Diluted EPS”). Basic EPS excludes dilution and is computed by first allocating earnings between common stockholders and holders of non-vested shares of restricted stock. Basic EPS is then determined by dividing the earnings attributable to common stockholders by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period, excluding non-vested shares of restricted stock. Diluted EPS is based on the weighted average number of common shares outstanding plus the dilutive effect of potential common shares, including stock options, non-vested shares of restricted stock, performance units and restricted stock units. The dilutive effect of stock options, performance units and restricted stock units is determined using the treasury stock method. The dilutive effect of non-vested shares of restricted stock is based on the more dilutive of the treasury stock method or the two-class method, assuming a reallocation of undistributed earnings to common stockholders after considering the dilutive effect of potential common shares other than non-vested shares of restricted stock. The following table presents information necessary to calculate net income (loss) per share for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016, as well as potentially dilutive securities excluded from the weighted average number of diluted common shares outstanding because their inclusion would have been anti-dilutive (in thousands, except per share amounts): 2018 2017 2016 BASIC EPS: Net income (loss) $ (321,421 ) $ 5,910 $ (318,634 ) Adjust for (income) loss attributed to holders of non-vested restricted stock — (170 ) — Income (loss) attributed to common stockholders $ (321,421 ) $ 5,740 $ (318,634 ) Weighted average number of common shares outstanding, excluding non-vested shares of restricted stock 218,643 198,447 146,178 Basic net income (loss) per common share $ (1.47 ) $ 0.03 $ (2.18 ) DILUTED EPS: Income (loss) attributed to common stockholders $ (321,421 ) $ 5,740 $ (318,634 ) Weighted average number of common shares outstanding, excluding non-vested shares of restricted stock 218,643 198,447 146,178 Add dilutive effect of potential common shares — 1,435 — Weighted average number of diluted common shares outstanding 218,643 199,882 146,178 Diluted net income (loss) per common share $ (1.47 ) $ 0.03 $ (2.18 ) Potentially dilutive securities excluded as anti-dilutive 9,762 3,289 9,057

Employee Benefits

Employee Benefits	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018
Compensation And Retirement Disclosure [Abstract]
Employee Benefits	15. Employee Benefits The Company maintains a 401(k) plan for all eligible employees. The Company’s operating results include expenses of approximately $14.3 million in 2018, $8.7 million in 2017 and $4.4 million in 2016 for the Company’s contributions to the plan.

Business Segments

Business Segments	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Business Segments	16. Business Segments At December 31, 2018, the Company had three reportable business segments: (i) contract drilling of oil and natural gas wells, (ii) pressure pumping services and (iii) directional drilling services. Each of these segments represents a distinct type of business and has a separate management team that reports to the Company’s chief operating decision maker. The results of operations in these segments are regularly reviewed by the chief operating decision maker for purposes of determining resource allocation and assessing performance. Contract Drilling — The Company markets its contract drilling services to major and independent oil and natural gas operators. As of December 31, 2018, the Company had 252 marketed land-based drilling rigs in the continental United States and western Canada. For the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and, 2016, contract drilling revenue earned in Canada was $9.3 million, $13.7 million and $15.6 million, respectively. Additionally, long-lived assets within the contract drilling segment located in Canada totaled $26.2 million and $52.0 million as of December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively. Pressure Pumping — The Company provides pressure pumping services to oil and natural gas operators primarily in Texas and the Mid-Continent and Appalachian regions. Substantially all of the revenue in the pressure pumping segment is from well stimulation services (such as hydraulic fracturing) for the completion of new wells and remedial work on existing wells. Well stimulation involves processes inside a well designed to enhance the flow of oil, natural gas, or other desired substances from the well. The Company also provides cementing services through its pressure pumping segment. Cementing is the process of inserting material between the wall of the well bore and the casing to support and stabilize the casing. Directional Drilling — The Company provides a comprehensive suite of directional drilling services in most major producing onshore oil and gas basins in the United States. Substantially all of the revenue in the directional drilling segment is from directional drilling, downhole performance motors and measurement-while-drilling services, which are sold as a bundle. Major Customer — During 2018 and 2017, no single customer accounted for more than 10% of the Company’s consolidated operating revenues. During 2016, one customer accounted for approximately $124 million or 14% of the Company’s consolidated operating revenues. These revenues in 2016 were earned in both the Company’s contract drilling and pressure pumping businesses. The following tables summarize selected financial information relating to the Company’s business segments (in thousands): Year Ended December 31, 2018 2017 2016 Revenues: Contract drilling $ 1,432,012 $ 1,041,492 $ 544,196 Pressure pumping 1,573,396 1,200,311 354,070 Directional drilling 209,275 45,580 — Other operations (1) 131,028 76,781 18,299 Elimination of intercompany revenues (2) (18,714 ) (7,480 ) (699 ) Total revenues $ 3,326,997 $ 2,356,684 $ 915,866 Income (loss) before income taxes: Contract drilling $ (33,115 ) $ (171,897 ) $ (235,858 ) Pressure pumping (77,328 ) 21,028 (176,628 ) Directional drilling (117,497 ) (21 ) — Other operations (18,221 ) (20,813 ) (3,391 ) Corporate (93,585 ) (152,792 ) (54,672 ) Other operating income, net (3) 17,569 31,957 14,323 Interest income 5,597 1,866 327 Interest expense (51,578 ) (37,472 ) (40,366 ) Other 750 343 69 Loss before income taxes $ (367,408 ) $ (327,801 ) $ (496,196 ) Identifiable assets: Contract drilling $ 3,817,638 $ 3,931,994 $ 3,032,819 Pressure pumping 921,237 1,209,424 653,630 Directional drilling 239,341 301,275 — Other operations 177,374 172,094 48,885 Corporate (4) 314,276 144,069 36,957 Total assets $ 5,469,866 $ 5,758,856 $ 3,772,291 Depreciation, depletion, amortization and impairment: Contract drilling $ 571,607 $ 538,891 $ 467,974 Pressure pumping 250,010 198,006 184,872 Directional drilling 45,317 9,347 — Other operations 41,512 29,402 10,114 Corporate 7,872 7,695 5,474 Total depreciation, depletion, amortization and impairment $ 916,318 $ 783,341 $ 668,434 Capital expenditures: Contract drilling $ 394,595 $ 354,425 $ 72,508 Pressure pumping 173,848 171,436 39,584 Directional drilling 35,929 7,795 — Other operations 34,660 31,547 6,116 Corporate 2,426 1,884 1,591 Total capital expenditures $ 641,458 $ 567,087 $ 119,799 ( 1 ) Other operations includes the Company’s oilfield rentals business, pipe handling components and related technology business, the electrical controls and automation business, the oil and natural gas working interests and the Middle East/North Africa activities. ( 2 ) In 2018 and 2017, intercompany revenues consists of contract drilling and revenues from other operations for services provided to contract drilling, pressure pumping and within other operations. In 2016, intercompany revenues consists of contract drilling and revenues within other operations. ( 3 ) Other operating income (expense), net includes net gains or losses associated with the disposal of assets relate to corporate strategy decisions of the executive management group. Accordingly, the related gains or losses have been separately presented and excluded from the results of specific segments. This caption also includes expenses related to certain legal-related expenses and settlements, net of insurance reimbursements and certain research and development expenses. ( 4 ) Corporate assets primarily include cash on hand and certain property and equipment.

Concentrations of Credit Risk

Concentrations of Credit Risk	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018
Risks And Uncertainties [Abstract]
Concentrations of Credit Risk	17. Concentrations of Credit Risk Financial instruments which potentially subject the Company to concentrations of credit risk consist primarily of demand deposits, temporary cash investments and trade receivables. The Company believes it has placed its demand deposits and temporary cash investments with high credit-quality financial institutions. At December 31, 2018 and 2017, the Company’s demand deposits and temporary cash investments consisted of the following (in thousands): 2018 2017 Deposits in FDIC and SIPC-insured institutions under insurance limits $ 191,457 $ 13,860 Deposits in FDIC and SIPC-insured institutions over insurance limits 38,425 106,849 Deposits in foreign banks 22,698 21,479 252,580 142,188 Less outstanding checks and other reconciling items (7,551 ) (99,360 ) Cash and cash equivalents $ 245,029 $ 42,828 Concentrations of credit risk with respect to trade receivables are primarily focused on companies involved in the exploration and development of oil and natural gas properties. The concentration is somewhat mitigated by the diversification of customers for which the Company provides services. As is general industry practice, the Company typically does not require customers to provide collateral. No significant losses from individual customers were experienced during the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 or 2016. No expense for bad debts was recognized in 2018, 2017 or 2016.

Fair Values of Financial Instru

Fair Values of Financial Instruments	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]
Fair Values of Financial Instruments	18. Fair Values of Financial Instruments The carrying values of cash and cash equivalents, trade receivables and accounts payable approximate fair value due to the short-term maturity of these items. These fair value estimates are considered Level 1 fair value estimates in the fair value hierarchy of fair value accounting. The estimated fair value of the Company’s outstanding debt balances as of December 31, 2018 and 2017 is set forth below (in thousands): December 31, 2018 December 31, 2017 Carrying Fair Carrying Fair Value Value Value Value Borrowings under Credit Agreement: Revolving credit facility $ — $ — $ 268,000 $ 268,000 3.95% Senior Notes 525,000 482,488 — — 4.97% Series A Senior Notes 300,000 300,043 300,000 303,966 4.27% Series B Senior Notes 300,000 293,900 300,000 295,616 Total debt $ 1,125,000 $ 1,076,431 $ 868,000 $ 867,582 The carrying value of the balances outstanding under the revolving credit facility approximates its fair values as this instrument has floating interest rates. The fair value of the 3.95% Senior Notes at December 31, 2018 is based on discounted cash flows associated with the notes using the market rate of interest at December 31, 2018 of 5.07%. The fair value estimate of the 3.95% Senior Notes is considered a Level 1 fair value estimate in the fair value hierarchy of fair value accounting. The fair values of the Series A Notes and Series B Notes at December 31, 2018 and 2017 are based on discounted cash flows associated with the respective notes using current market rates of interest at those respective dates. For the Series A Notes, the current market rates used in measuring this fair value were 4.97% at December 31, 2018 and 4.46% at December 31, 2017. For the Series B Notes, the current market rates used in measuring this fair value were 4.92% at December 31, 2018 and 4.64% at December 31, 2017. These fair value estimates are based on observable market inputs and are considered Level 2 fair value estimates in the fair value hierarchy of fair value accounting.

Quarterly Financial Information

Quarterly Financial Information	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018
Quarterly Financial Information Disclosure [Abstract]
Quarterly Financial Information	19. Quarterly Financial Information (in thousands, except per share amounts) (unaudited) 1 st 2 nd 3 rd 4 th Quarter Quarter Quarter Quarter 2018 Operating revenues $ 809,164 $ 854,418 $ 867,478 $ 795,937 Operating loss (22,102 ) (9,004 ) (80,281 ) (210,790 ) Net loss (34,417 ) (10,713 ) (75,042 ) (201,249 ) Net loss per common share: Basic $ (0.16 ) $ (0.05 ) $ (0.34 ) $ (0.93 ) Diluted $ (0.16 ) $ (0.05 ) $ (0.34 ) $ (0.93 ) 2017 Operating revenues $ 305,175 $ 579,186 $ 684,989 $ 787,334 Operating loss (92,639 ) (140,236 ) (38,016 ) (21,647 ) Net income (loss) (63,539 ) (92,184 ) (33,769 ) 195,402 Net income (loss) per common share: Basic $ (0.40 ) $ (0.46 ) $ (0.16 ) $ 0.88 Diluted $ (0.40 ) $ (0.46 ) $ (0.16 ) $ 0.88

Valuation And Qualifying Accoun

Valuation And Qualifying Accounts	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018
Valuation And Qualifying Accounts [Abstract]
Valuation And Qualifying Accounts	Charged to Beginning Costs and Ending Description Balance Expenses Deductions (1) Balance (In thousands) Year Ended December 31, 2018 Deducted from asset accounts: Allowance for doubtful accounts $ 2,323 $ — $ (11 ) $ 2,312 Year Ended December 31, 2017 Deducted from asset accounts: Allowance for doubtful accounts $ 3,191 $ — $ (868 ) $ 2,323 Year Ended December 31, 2016 Deducted from asset accounts: Allowance for doubtful accounts $ 3,545 $ — $ (354 ) $ 3,191 (1) Consists of uncollectible accounts written off.

Description of Business and S_2

Description of Business and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Management Estimates	Management estimates — The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”) requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from such estimates.
Revenue Recognition	Revenue recognition — Revenues from the Company’s contract drilling, pressure pumping, directional drilling, oilfield rentals and pipe handling components and related technology activities are recognized as services are performed. All of the wells the Company drilled in 2018, 2017 and 2016 were drilled under daywork contracts. Revenue from sales of products are recognized upon customer acceptance. Revenue is presented net of any sales tax charged to the customer that the Company is required to remit to local or state governmental taxing authorities. Reimbursements for the purchase of supplies, equipment, personnel services, shipping and other services that are provided at the request of the Company’s customers are recorded as revenue when incurred. The related costs are recorded as operating expenses when incurred. On January 1, 2018, the Company adopted the new revenue guidance under Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers
Accounts Receivable	Accounts receivable — Trade accounts receivable are recorded at the invoiced amount. The allowance for doubtful accounts represents the Company’s estimate of the amount of probable credit losses existing in the Company’s accounts receivable. The Company reviews the adequacy of its allowance for doubtful accounts at least quarterly. Significant individual accounts receivable balances and balances which have been outstanding greater than 90 days are reviewed individually for collectability. Account balances, when determined to be uncollectable, are charged against the allowance.
Inventories	Inventories — Inventories consist primarily of sand and other products to be used in conjunction with the Company’s pressure pumping activities and materials used in its directional drilling and drilling technology business. Such inventories are stated at the lower of cost or market, with cost determined using the average cost method.
Other Current Assets	Other current assets — Other current assets includes reimbursement from the Company’s workers compensation insurance carrier for claims in excess of the Company’s deductible in the amount of $36 million and $30 million at December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively.
Property and Equipment	Property and equipment — Property and equipment is carried at cost less accumulated depreciation. Depreciation is provided on the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives. The method of depreciation does not change whenever equipment becomes idle. The estimated useful lives, in years, are shown below: Useful Lives Equipment 1.25-15 Buildings 15-20 Other 3-12 Long-lived assets, including property and equipment, are evaluated for impairment when certain triggering events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying values may not be recoverable over their estimated remaining useful life.
Maintenance and Repairs	Maintenance and repairs — Maintenance and repairs are charged to expense when incurred. Renewals and betterments which extend the life or improve existing property and equipment are capitalized.
Disposals	Disposals — Upon disposition of property and equipment, the cost and related accumulated depreciation are removed and any resulting gain or loss is reflected in the consolidated statement of operations.
Oil and Natural Gas Properties	Oil and natural gas properties — Working interests in oil and natural gas properties are accounted for using the successful efforts method of accounting. Under the successful efforts method of accounting, exploration costs which result in the discovery of oil and natural gas reserves and all development costs are capitalized to the appropriate well. Exploration costs which do not result in discovering oil and natural gas reserves are charged to expense when such determination is made. Costs of exploratory wells are initially capitalized to wells-in-progress until the outcome of the drilling is known. The Company reviews wells-in-progress quarterly to determine whether sufficient progress is being made in assessing the reserves and economic viability of the respective projects. If no progress has been made in assessing the reserves and economic viability of a project after one year following the completion of drilling, the Company considers the well costs to be impaired and recognizes the costs as expense. Geological and geophysical costs, including seismic costs, and costs to carry and retain undeveloped properties are charged to expense when incurred. The capitalized costs of both developmental and successful exploratory type wells, consisting of lease and well equipment and intangible development costs, are depreciated, depleted and amortized using the units-of-production method, based on engineering estimates of total proved developed oil and natural gas reserves for each respective field. Oil and natural gas leasehold acquisition costs are depreciated, depleted and amortized using the units-of-production method, based on engineering estimates of total proved oil and natural gas reserves for each respective field. The Company reviews its proved oil and natural gas properties for impairment whenever a triggering event occurs, such as downward revisions in reserve estimates or decreases in expected future oil and natural gas prices. Proved properties are grouped by field and undiscounted cash flow estimates are prepared based on management’s expectation of future pricing over the lives of the respective fields. These cash flow estimates are reviewed by an independent petroleum engineer. If the net book value of a field exceeds its undiscounted cash flow estimate, impairment expense is measured and recognized as the difference between net book value and fair value. The fair value estimates used in measuring impairment are based on internally developed unobservable inputs including reserve volumes and future production, pricing and operating costs (Level 3 inputs in the fair value hierarchy of fair value accounting). The Company reviews unproved oil and natural gas properties quarterly to assess potential impairment. The Company’s impairment assessment is made on a lease-by-lease basis and considers factors such as management’s intent to drill, lease terms and abandonment of an area. If an unproved property is determined to be impaired, the related property costs are expensed.
Goodwill	Goodwill — Goodwill is considered to have an indefinite useful economic life and is not amortized. The Company assesses impairment of its goodwill at least annually as of December 31, or on an interim basis if events or circumstances indicate that the fair value of goodwill may have decreased below its carrying value.
Income Taxes	Income taxes — The asset and liability method is used in accounting for income taxes. Under this method, deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for operating loss and tax credit carryforwards and for the future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the year in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in the results of operations in the period that includes the enactment date. If applicable, a valuation allowance is recorded to reduce the carrying amounts of deferred tax assets unless it is more likely than not that such assets will be realized. The Company’s policy is to account for interest and penalties with respect to income taxes as operating expenses.
Stock-based Compensation	Stock-based compensation — The Company recognizes the cost of share-based payments under the fair-value-based method. Under this method, compensation cost related to share-based payments is measured based on the estimated fair value of the awards at the date of grant, net of estimated forfeitures. This expense is recognized over the expected life of the awards (See Note 11). As share-based compensation expense recognized in the consolidated statements of operations is based on awards ultimately expected to vest, it has been reduced for estimated forfeitures, based on historical experience. Forfeitures are estimated at the time of grant and revised in subsequent periods if actual forfeitures differ from those estimates.
Statement of Cash Flows	Statement of cash flows — For purposes of reporting cash flows, cash and cash equivalents include cash on deposit and money market funds.
Recently Issued Accounting Standards	Recently Issued Accounting Standards — In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued an accounting standards update to provide guidance on the recognition of revenue from customers. Under this guidance, an entity will recognize revenue when it transfers promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects what it expects in exchange for the goods or services. This guidance also requires more detailed disclosures to enable users of the financial statements to understand the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty, if any, of revenue and cash flows arising from contracts with customers. The requirements in this update are effective during interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017. The Company adopted this new revenue guidance effective January 1, 2018, utilizing the modified retrospective method, and expanded its consolidated financial statement disclosures in order to comply with the update. The adoption of this update did not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements (See Note 3). In February 2016, the FASB issued an accounting standards update to provide guidance for the accounting for leasing transactions. The standard requires the lessee to recognize a lease liability along with a right-of-use asset for all leases with a term longer than one year. A lessee is permitted to make an accounting policy election by class of underlying asset to not recognize the lease liability and related right-of-use asset for leases with a term of one year or less. The provisions of this standard also apply to situations where the Company is the lessor. The requirements in this update are effective during interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2018. The Company adopted this new guidance effective January 1, 2019. ASC 842 requires a modified retrospective approach to each lease that existed at the date of initial application as well as leases entered into after that date. The Company has elected to report all leases at the beginning of the period of adoption and not restate its comparative periods. Based on the Company’s lease portfolio, the Company anticipates recognizing a right-of-use asset and a related lease liability of approximately $35 million on its balance sheet, with an immaterial impact on the Company’s consolidated statement of operations compared to the previous lease accounting guidance. Practical Expedients Adopted with Topic 842 The Company has elected to adopt the following practical expedients upon the transition date to Topic 842 on January 1, 2019: • Transitional practical expedients package: An entity may elect to apply the listed practical expedients as a package to all the leases that commenced before the effective date. The practical expedients are: a) The entity need not reassess whether any expired or existing contracts are or contains leases; b) The entity need not reassess the lease classification for expired or existing contracts; c) The entity need not reassess initial direct costs for any existing leases. • Use of portfolio approach: An entity can apply this guidance to a portfolio of leases with similar characteristics if the entity reasonably expects that the application of the leases model to the portfolio would not differ materially from the application of the leases model to the individual leases in that portfolio. This approach can also be applied to other aspects of the leases guidance for which lessees/lessors need to make judgments and estimates, such as determining the discount rate and determining and reassessing the lease term. • Lease and non-lease components: As a practical expedient, a lessor may combine lease and non-lease components where the revenue recognition pattern is the same and where the lease component, when accounted for separately, would be considered an operating lease. In March 2016, the FASB issued an accounting standards update to provide guidance for the accounting for share-based payment transactions, including the related income tax consequences, classification of awards as either equity or liabilities, and classification on the statement of cash flows. This guidance became effective for the Company during the three months ended March 31, 2017. The Company believes this guidance has caused and will continue to cause volatility in its effective tax rates and diluted earnings per share due to the tax effects related to share-based payments being recorded in the statement of operations. The volatility in future periods will depend on the Company’s stock price and the number of shares that vest in the case of restricted stock, restricted stock units and performance stock units, or the number of shares that are exercised in the case of stock options. In August 2016, the FASB issued an accounting standards update to clarify the presentation of cash receipts and payments in specific situations on the statement of cash flows. The requirements in this update are effective during interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017. The adoption of this update on January 1, 2018 did not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements. In May 2017, the FASB issued an accounting standards update that provided clarity on which changes to the terms or conditions of share-based payment awards require an entity to apply modification accounting provisions. The requirements in this update are effective during interim and annual periods in fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017. The adoption of this update on January 1, 2018 did not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements. In March 2018, the FASB issued an accounting standards update to update the income tax accounting in U.S. GAAP to reflect the SEC interpretive guidance released on December 22, 2017, when significant U.S. tax law changes were enacted with the enactment of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (“Tax Reform”). The adoption of this update in March 2018 did not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements, as the Company was already following the SEC guidance. See Note 13 for additional information. In August 2018, the FASB issued an accounting standards update to align the requirements for capitalizing implementation costs incurred in a hosting arrangement that is a service contract with the requirements for capitalizing implementation costs incurred to develop or obtain internal-use software. The amendments in the update are effective for public business entities for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019, with early adoption permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact this new guidance will have on its consolidated financial statements.

Description of Business and S_3

Description of Business and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Estimated Useful Lives of Property and Equipment	The estimated useful lives, in years, are shown below: Useful Lives Equipment 1.25-15 Buildings 15-20 Other 3-12

Acquisitions (Tables)

Acquisitions (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018
Summary of Selected Financial Information of the Company on a Pro Forma Basis	The following table summarizes selected financial information of the Company on a pro forma basis (in thousands, except per share data): 2017 2016 (Unaudited) Revenues $ 2,738,579 $ 1,567,141 Net income (loss) $ 29,584 $ (505,413 ) Net income (loss) per share Basic $ 0.13 $ (2.30 ) Diluted $ 0.13 $ (2.30 )
Seventy Seven Energy Inc.
Total Fair Value of Consideration Transferred	The total fair value of the consideration transferred was determined as follows (in thousands, except stock price): Shares of Company common stock issued to SSE shareholders 46,298 Company common stock price on April 20, 2017 $ 22.45 Fair value of common stock issued $ 1,039,396 Plus SSE long-term debt repaid by Company $ 472,000 Total fair value of consideration transferred $ 1,511,396
Schedule of Total Purchase Price of Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed Based on Fair Value	The following table represents the final allocation of the total purchase price of SSE to the assets acquired and the liabilities assumed based on the fair value at the merger date, with the excess of the purchase price over the estimated fair value of the identifiable net assets acquired recorded as goodwill (in thousands): Identifiable assets acquired Cash and cash equivalents $ 37,806 Accounts receivable 149,659 Inventory 8,518 Other current assets 19,038 Property and equipment 984,433 Other long-term assets 20,918 Intangible assets 22,500 Total identifiable assets acquired 1,242,872 Liabilities assumed Accounts payable and accrued liabilities 133,415 Deferred income taxes 32,881 Other long-term liabilities 1,734 Total liabilities assumed 168,030 Net identifiable assets acquired 1,074,842 Goodwill 436,554 Total net assets acquired $ 1,511,396
Portion of Fair Value Consideration Transferred Assigned to Identifiable Intangible Assets	A portion of the fair value consideration transferred has been assigned to identifiable intangible assets as follows: Fair Value Weighted Average Useful Life (in thousands) (in years) Assets Favorable drilling contracts $ 22,500 0.83
MS Directional
Total Fair Value of Consideration Transferred	The total fair value of the consideration transferred was determined as follows (in thousands, except stock price): Shares of Company common stock issued to MS Directional shareholders 8,798 Company common stock price on October 11, 2017 $ 21.31 Fair value of common stock issued $ 187,494 Plus MS Directional long-term debt repaid by Company $ 63,000 Plus cash to sellers $ 6,781 Total fair value of consideration transferred $ 257,275
Schedule of Total Purchase Price of Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed Based on Fair Value	The following table represents the final allocation of the total purchase price of MS Directional to the assets acquired and the liabilities assumed based on the fair value at the merger date, with the excess of the purchase price over the estimated fair value of the identifiable net assets acquired recorded as goodwill (in thousands): Identifiable assets acquired Cash and cash equivalents $ 2,021 Accounts receivable 42,782 Inventory 28,060 Other current assets 155 Property and equipment 63,998 Other long-term assets 318 Intangible assets 74,682 Total identifiable assets acquired 212,016 Liabilities assumed Accounts payable and accrued liabilities 44,099 Other long-term liabilities 327 Total liabilities assumed 44,426 Net identifiable assets acquired 167,590 Goodwill 89,685 Total net assets acquired $ 257,275
Portion of Fair Value Consideration Transferred Assigned to Identifiable Intangible Assets	A portion of the fair value consideration transferred has been assigned to identifiable intangible assets as follows: Fair Value Weighted Average Useful Life (in thousands) (in years) Assets Developed technology $ 48,000 10.00 Customer relationships 26,200 3.00 Internal use software 482 5.00 $ 74,682 7.51

Inventory (Tables)

Inventory (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018
Inventory Disclosure [Abstract]
Inventory	Inventory consisted of the following at December 31, 2018 and 2017 (in thousands). 2018 2017 Finished goods $ 347 $ 2,270 Work-in-process 6,375 529 Raw materials and supplies 58,857 66,368 Inventory $ 65,579 $ 69,167

Property and Equipment (Tables)

Property and Equipment (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018
Property Plant And Equipment [Abstract]
Property and Equipment	Property and equipment consisted of the following at December 31, 2018 and 2017 (in thousands): 2018 2017 Equipment $ 8,370,933 $ 8,066,404 Oil and natural gas properties 219,855 211,566 Buildings 186,736 185,475 Land 26,144 26,593 Total property and equipment 8,803,668 8,490,038 Less accumulated depreciation, depletion and impairment (4,801,119 ) (4,235,308 ) Property and equipment, net $ 4,002,549 $ 4,254,730
Summary of Depreciation, Depletion, Amortization and Impairment Expense related to Property and Equipment and Intangible Assets and Liabilities	Depreciation, depletion, amortization and impairment — The following table summarizes depreciation, depletion, amortization and impairment expense related to property and equipment and intangible assets and liabilities for 2018, 2017 and 2016 (in thousands): 2018 2017 2016 Depreciation and impairment expense $ 887,155 $ 753,510 $ 657,571 Amortization expense 18,197 21,764 3,643 Depletion expense 10,966 8,067 7,220 Total $ 916,318 $ 783,341 $ 668,434

Goodwill and Intangible Assets

Goodwill and Intangible Assets (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018
Goodwill And Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]
Goodwill by Operating Segment	Goodwill — Goodwill by operating segment as of December 31, 2018 and 2017 and changes for the years then ended are as follows (in thousands): Contract Pressure Directional Other Drilling Pumping Drilling Operations Total Balance December 31, 2016 $ 86,234 $ — $ — $ — $ 86,234 Goodwill acquired 308,826 121,444 88,685 6,284 525,239 Balance December 31, 2017 395,060 121,444 88,685 6,284 611,473 Goodwill acquired — — — 9,412 9,412 Measurement period adjustment — — 1,000 — 1,000 Impairment — (121,444 ) (89,685 ) — (211,129 ) Balance December 31, 2018 $ 395,060 $ — $ — $ 15,696 $ 410,756
Summary of Segment and Weighted Average Useful Life of Intangible Assets	The following table identifies the segment and weighted average useful life of each of the Company’s intangible assets: Weighted Average Segment Useful Life (in years) Customer relationships Directional drilling 3.00 Customer relationships Other operations 7.00 Developed technology Directional drilling 10.00 Favorable drilling contracts Contract drilling 0.83 Internal use software Directional drilling 5.00
Gross Carrying Amount and Accumulated Amortization of Intangible Assets	The gross carrying amount and accumulated amortization of intangible assets as of December 31, 2018 and 2017 are as follows (in thousands): 2018 2017 Gross Carrying Accumulated Net Carrying Gross Carrying Accumulated Net Carrying Amount Amortization Amount Amount Amortization Amount Customer relationships $ 28,000 $ (10,719 ) $ 17,281 $ 26,200 $ (1,943 ) $ 24,257 Developed technology 55,772 (6,533 ) 49,239 48,000 (1,137 ) 46,863 Favorable drilling contracts 22,500 (22,500 ) — 22,500 (18,482 ) 4,018 Internal use software 482 (118 ) 364 482 (21 ) 461 $ 106,754 $ (39,870 ) $ 66,884 $ 97,182 $ (21,583 ) $ 75,599
Remaining Amortization Expense Associated with Finite-Lived Intangible Assets	The remaining amortization expense associated with finite-lived intangible assets is expected to be as follows (in thousands): Year ending December 31, 2019 $ 14,664 2020 12,721 2021 5,931 2022 5,909 2023 5,834 Thereafter 21,825 Total $ 66,884

Accrued Expenses (Tables)

Accrued Expenses (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018
Payables And Accruals [Abstract]
Summary of Accrued Expenses	Accrued expenses consisted of the following at December 31, 2018 and 2017 (in thousands): 2018 2017 Salaries, wages, payroll taxes and benefits $ 58,160 $ 50,438 Workers’ compensation liability 83,772 80,751 Property, sales, use and other taxes 25,318 29,332 Insurance, other than workers’ compensation 9,531 10,816 Accrued interest payable 15,774 7,558 Accrued merger and integration 2,403 16,101 Other 40,988 31,628 $ 235,946 $ 226,624

Long Term Debt (Tables)

Long Term Debt (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
Schedule of Principal Repayment Requirements of Long Term Debt	Presented below is a schedule of the principal repayment requirements of long-term debt by fiscal year as of December 31, 2018 (in thousands): Year ending December 31, 2019 $ — 2020 300,000 2021 — 2022 300,000 2023 — Thereafter 525,000 Total $ 1,125,000

Stockholders' Equity (Tables)

Stockholders' Equity (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018
Equity [Abstract]
Cash Dividends	Cash Dividends – The Company paid cash dividends during the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016 as follows: Per Share Total (in thousands) 2018 Paid on March 22, 2018 $ 0.02 $ 4,443 Paid on June 21, 2018 0.04 8,832 Paid on September 20, 2018 0.04 8,685 Paid on December 20, 2018 0.04 8,629 Total cash dividends $ 0.14 $ 30,589 2017 Paid on March 22, 2017 $ 0.02 $ 3,326 Paid on June 22, 2017 0.02 4,269 Paid on September 21, 2017 0.02 4,271 Paid on December 21, 2017 0.02 4,449 Total cash dividends $ 0.08 $ 16,315 2016 Paid on March 24, 2016 $ 0.10 $ 14,712 Paid on June 23, 2016 0.02 2,953 Paid on September 22, 2016 0.02 2,953 Paid on December 22, 2016 0.02 2,961 Total cash dividends $ 0.16 $ 23,579
Treasury Stock Acquisition	Treasury stock acquisitions during the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016 were as follows (dollars in thousands): 2018 2017 2016 Shares Cost Shares Cost Shares Cost Treasury shares at beginning of period 43,802,611 $ 918,711 43,392,617 $ 911,094 43,207,240 $ 907,045 Purchases pursuant to stock buyback program 9,331,131 150,497 5,503 109 8,488 183 Acquisitions pursuant to long-term incentive plan 567,354 11,240 404,491 7,508 176,889 3,866 Treasury shares at end of period 53,701,096 $ 1,080,448 43,802,611 $ 918,711 43,392,617 $ 911,094

Stock-based Compensation (Table

Stock-based Compensation (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018
Share Based Compensation Arrangement By Share Based Payment Award [Line Items]
Share-based Compensation Plans	The Company’s share-based compensation plans at December 31, 2018 are as follows: Shares Shares Underlying Shares Authorized Awards Available Plan Name for Grant Outstanding for Grant Amended and Restated Plan 18,900,000 6,203,695 2,471,800 Patterson-UTI Energy, Inc. 2005 Long-Term Incentive Plan, as amended — 3,268,500 —
Weighted-Average Assumptions Used to Estimate Grant Date Fair Values for Stock Options Granted	Weighted-average assumptions used to estimate grant date fair values for stock options granted during the year ended December 31, 2016 is as follows: 2016 Volatility 35.11 % Expected term (in years) 5.00 Dividend yield 2.05 % Risk-free interest rate 1.40 %
Stock Option Activity	Stock option activity for the year ended December 31, 2018 follows: Weighted-average Shares exercise price Outstanding at beginning of year 6,037,150 $ 20.35 Exercised (40,000 ) $ 12.12 Expired (496,000 ) $ 29.01 Outstanding at end of year 5,501,150 $ 19.63 Exercisable at end of year 5,362,269 $ 19.66
Additional Information with Respect to Options Granted, Vested and Exercised	Additional information with respect to options granted, vested and exercised during the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016 follows: 2018 2017 2016 Weighted-average grant date fair value of stock options granted (per share) NA NA $ 4.90 Aggregate grant date fair value of stock options vested during the year (in thousands) $ 1,954 $ 4,565 $ 4,729 Aggregate intrinsic value of stock options exercised (in thousands) $ — $ 209 $ 366
Restricted Stock Activity	Restricted stock activity for the year ended December 31, 2018 follows: Weighted- average Grant Shares Date Fair Value Non-vested restricted stock outstanding at beginning of year 1,530,338 $ 21.41 Vested (1,085,743 ) $ 21.41 Forfeited (8,371 ) $ 21.60 Non-vested restricted stock outstanding at end of year 436,224 $ 21.41
Restricted Stock Unit Activity	Restricted stock unit activity for the year ended December 31, 2018 follows: Weighted-average Time Performance Grant Date Fair Based Based Value Non-vested restricted stock units outstanding at beginning of year 1,223,273 114,000 $ 19.80 Granted 1,726,865 — $ 19.15 Granted in connection with acquisitions 204,222 359,315 $ 16.99 Vested (1) (413,858 ) (38,000 ) $ 19.65 Forfeited (137,894 ) — $ 19.43 Non-vested restricted stock units outstanding at end of year 2,602,608 435,315 $ 18.95 (1) All of the performance-based restricted stock units that vested during 2018 were granted in 2017.
Performance Units	The total target number of shares with respect to the Performance Units for the years 2013-2018 is set forth below: 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 Performance Performance Performance Performance Performance Performance Unit Awards Unit Awards Unit Awards Unit Awards Unit Awards Unit Awards Target number of shares 310,700 186,198 185,000 190,600 154,000 236,500
Fair Value of Performance Units	The fair value of the Performance Units is set forth below (in thousands): 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 Performance Performance Performance Performance Performance Performance Unit Awards Unit Awards Unit Awards Unit Awards Unit Awards Unit Awards Aggregate fair value at date of grant $ 8,004 $ 5,780 $ 3,854 $ 4,052 $ 5,388 $ 5,564
Compensation Expense Associated with Performance Units	Compensation expense associated with the Performance Units is set forth below (in thousands): 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 Performance Performance Performance Performance Performance Performance Unit Awards Unit Awards Unit Awards Unit Awards Unit Awards Unit Awards Year ended December 31, 2018 $ 2,001 $ 1,927 $ 1,285 $ 338 NA NA Year ended December 31, 2017 NA $ 1,284 $ 1,285 $ 1,351 $ 449 NA Year ended December 31, 2016 NA NA $ 963 $ 1,351 $ 1,796 $ 464
Employee Stock Option
Share Based Compensation Arrangement By Share Based Payment Award [Line Items]
Additional Information with Respect to Non-vested Options	Additional information as of December 31, 2018 with respect to these non-vested options follows: Aggregate intrinsic value $ — Weighted-average remaining contractual term 7.45 years Weighted-average remaining expected term 2.45 years Weighted-average remaining vesting period 1.09 years Unrecognized compensation cost (in thousands) $ 673
Restricted Stock Awards
Share Based Compensation Arrangement By Share Based Payment Award [Line Items]
Additional Information with Respect to Non-vested Shares	Additional information as of December 31, 2018 with respect to these non-vested shares follows: Aggregate intrinsic value $4.4 million Weighted-average remaining vesting period 1 year Unrecognized compensation cost $6.9 million
Restricted Stock Units (RSUs)
Share Based Compensation Arrangement By Share Based Payment Award [Line Items]
Additional Information with Respect to Non-vested Shares	Additional information as of December 31, 2018 with respect to these non-vested restricted stock units follows: Aggregate intrinsic value $29.7 million Weighted-average remaining vesting period 2.3 year Unrecognized compensation cost $44.2 million

Leases (Tables)

Leases (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018
Leases [Abstract]
Summary of Future Minimum Rental Payments Under Operating Leases	Future minimum rental payments required under operating leases having initial or remaining non-cancelable lease terms in excess of one year at December 31, 2018 are as follows (in thousands): Year ending December 31, 2019 $ 11,408 2020 9,069 2021 6,543 2022 4,625 2023 2,663 Thereafter 6,552 Total $ 40,860

Income Taxes (Tables)

Income Taxes (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Components of Income Tax Provision	Components of the income tax provision applicable to federal, state and foreign income taxes for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016 are as follows (in thousands): 2018 2017 2016 Federal income tax benefit: Current $ (3,954 ) $ (42 ) $ (24,777 ) Deferred (35,081 ) (335,106 ) (134,592 ) (39,035 ) (335,148 ) (159,369 ) State income tax expense (benefit): Current 1,704 (215 ) (257 ) Deferred (11,147 ) 4,511 (14,163 ) (9,443 ) 4,296 (14,420 ) Foreign income tax expense (benefit): Current (2,552 ) (3,108 ) (368 ) Deferred 5,043 249 (3,405 ) 2,491 (2,859 ) (3,773 ) Total income tax benefit: Current (4,802 ) (3,365 ) (25,402 ) Deferred (41,185 ) (330,346 ) (152,160 ) Total income tax benefit: $ (45,987 ) $ (333,711 ) $ (177,562 )
Difference Between Statutory Federal Income Tax Rate and Effective Income Tax Rate	The difference between the statutory federal income tax rate and the effective income tax rate for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016 is summarized as follows: 2018 2017 2016 Statutory tax rate 21.0 % 35.0 % 35.0 % State income taxes - net of the federal income tax benefit 1.2 1.9 2.0 Goodwill impairment (6.9 ) — — Permanent differences (0.6 ) (1.3 ) (0.1 ) Tax effects of tax reform (1.3 ) 66.7 — Share-based payments (0.1 ) 3.6 — Acquisition related differences — (3.3 ) — Valuation allowance (3.7 ) — — State deferred tax remeasurement 2.3 — — Other differences, net 0.6 (0.8 ) (1.1 ) Effective tax rate 12.5 % 101.8 % 35.8 %
Tax Effect of Significant Temporary Differences Representing Deferred Tax Assets and Liabilities	The tax effect of significant temporary differences representing deferred tax assets and liabilities at December 31, 2018 and 2017 are as follows (in thousands): 2018 2017 Deferred tax assets: Net operating loss carryforwards $ 324,389 $ 275,402 Tax credits 6,404 9,053 Expense associated with stock options and restricted stock 13,375 12,126 Workers' compensation allowance 19,900 19,323 Other 22,423 25,891 386,491 341,795 Allowance to reduce deferred tax asset to expected realizable value (13,232 ) — Total deferred tax assets 373,259 341,795 Deferred tax liabilities: Property and equipment basis difference (669,196 ) (678,093 ) Other (10,224 ) (10,663 ) Total deferred tax liabilities (679,420 ) (688,756 ) Net deferred tax liability $ (306,161 ) $ (346,961 )

Earnings Per Share (Tables)

Earnings Per Share (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Calculation of Basic and Diluted Net Income (Loss) per Share	The following table presents information necessary to calculate net income (loss) per share for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016, as well as potentially dilutive securities excluded from the weighted average number of diluted common shares outstanding because their inclusion would have been anti-dilutive (in thousands, except per share amounts): 2018 2017 2016 BASIC EPS: Net income (loss) $ (321,421 ) $ 5,910 $ (318,634 ) Adjust for (income) loss attributed to holders of non-vested restricted stock — (170 ) — Income (loss) attributed to common stockholders $ (321,421 ) $ 5,740 $ (318,634 ) Weighted average number of common shares outstanding, excluding non-vested shares of restricted stock 218,643 198,447 146,178 Basic net income (loss) per common share $ (1.47 ) $ 0.03 $ (2.18 ) DILUTED EPS: Income (loss) attributed to common stockholders $ (321,421 ) $ 5,740 $ (318,634 ) Weighted average number of common shares outstanding, excluding non-vested shares of restricted stock 218,643 198,447 146,178 Add dilutive effect of potential common shares — 1,435 — Weighted average number of diluted common shares outstanding 218,643 199,882 146,178 Diluted net income (loss) per common share $ (1.47 ) $ 0.03 $ (2.18 ) Potentially dilutive securities excluded as anti-dilutive 9,762 3,289 9,057

Business Segments (Tables)

Business Segments (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Business Segments - Financial Information	The following tables summarize selected financial information relating to the Company’s business segments (in thousands): Year Ended December 31, 2018 2017 2016 Revenues: Contract drilling $ 1,432,012 $ 1,041,492 $ 544,196 Pressure pumping 1,573,396 1,200,311 354,070 Directional drilling 209,275 45,580 — Other operations (1) 131,028 76,781 18,299 Elimination of intercompany revenues (2) (18,714 ) (7,480 ) (699 ) Total revenues $ 3,326,997 $ 2,356,684 $ 915,866 Income (loss) before income taxes: Contract drilling $ (33,115 ) $ (171,897 ) $ (235,858 ) Pressure pumping (77,328 ) 21,028 (176,628 ) Directional drilling (117,497 ) (21 ) — Other operations (18,221 ) (20,813 ) (3,391 ) Corporate (93,585 ) (152,792 ) (54,672 ) Other operating income, net (3) 17,569 31,957 14,323 Interest income 5,597 1,866 327 Interest expense (51,578 ) (37,472 ) (40,366 ) Other 750 343 69 Loss before income taxes $ (367,408 ) $ (327,801 ) $ (496,196 ) Identifiable assets: Contract drilling $ 3,817,638 $ 3,931,994 $ 3,032,819 Pressure pumping 921,237 1,209,424 653,630 Directional drilling 239,341 301,275 — Other operations 177,374 172,094 48,885 Corporate (4) 314,276 144,069 36,957 Total assets $ 5,469,866 $ 5,758,856 $ 3,772,291 Depreciation, depletion, amortization and impairment: Contract drilling $ 571,607 $ 538,891 $ 467,974 Pressure pumping 250,010 198,006 184,872 Directional drilling 45,317 9,347 — Other operations 41,512 29,402 10,114 Corporate 7,872 7,695 5,474 Total depreciation, depletion, amortization and impairment $ 916,318 $ 783,341 $ 668,434 Capital expenditures: Contract drilling $ 394,595 $ 354,425 $ 72,508 Pressure pumping 173,848 171,436 39,584 Directional drilling 35,929 7,795 — Other operations 34,660 31,547 6,116 Corporate 2,426 1,884 1,591 Total capital expenditures $ 641,458 $ 567,087 $ 119,799 ( 1 ) Other operations includes the Company’s oilfield rentals business, pipe handling components and related technology business, the electrical controls and automation business, the oil and natural gas working interests and the Middle East/North Africa activities. ( 2 ) In 2018 and 2017, intercompany revenues consists of contract drilling and revenues from other operations for services provided to contract drilling, pressure pumping and within other operations. In 2016, intercompany revenues consists of contract drilling and revenues within other operations. ( 3 ) Other operating income (expense), net includes net gains or losses associated with the disposal of assets relate to corporate strategy decisions of the executive management group. Accordingly, the related gains or losses have been separately presented and excluded from the results of specific segments. This caption also includes expenses related to certain legal-related expenses and settlements, net of insurance reimbursements and certain research and development expenses. ( 4 ) Corporate assets primarily include cash on hand and certain property and equipment.

Concentrations of Credit Risk (

Concentrations of Credit Risk (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018
Risks And Uncertainties [Abstract]
Company's Demand Deposits and Temporary Cash Investments	At December 31, 2018 and 2017, the Company’s demand deposits and temporary cash investments consisted of the following (in thousands): 2018 2017 Deposits in FDIC and SIPC-insured institutions under insurance limits $ 191,457 $ 13,860 Deposits in FDIC and SIPC-insured institutions over insurance limits 38,425 106,849 Deposits in foreign banks 22,698 21,479 252,580 142,188 Less outstanding checks and other reconciling items (7,551 ) (99,360 ) Cash and cash equivalents $ 245,029 $ 42,828

Fair Values of Financial Inst_2

Fair Values of Financial Instruments (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]
Estimated Fair Value of Outstanding Debt Balances	The estimated fair value of the Company’s outstanding debt balances as of December 31, 2018 and 2017 is set forth below (in thousands): December 31, 2018 December 31, 2017 Carrying Fair Carrying Fair Value Value Value Value Borrowings under Credit Agreement: Revolving credit facility $ — $ — $ 268,000 $ 268,000 3.95% Senior Notes 525,000 482,488 — — 4.97% Series A Senior Notes 300,000 300,043 300,000 303,966 4.27% Series B Senior Notes 300,000 293,900 300,000 295,616 Total debt $ 1,125,000 $ 1,076,431 $ 868,000 $ 867,582

Quarterly Financial Informati_2

Quarterly Financial Information (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018
Quarterly Financial Information Disclosure [Abstract]
Summary of Unaudited Quarterly Financial Information	1 st 2 nd 3 rd 4 th Quarter Quarter Quarter Quarter 2018 Operating revenues $ 809,164 $ 854,418 $ 867,478 $ 795,937 Operating loss (22,102 ) (9,004 ) (80,281 ) (210,790 ) Net loss (34,417 ) (10,713 ) (75,042 ) (201,249 ) Net loss per common share: Basic $ (0.16 ) $ (0.05 ) $ (0.34 ) $ (0.93 ) Diluted $ (0.16 ) $ (0.05 ) $ (0.34 ) $ (0.93 ) 2017 Operating revenues $ 305,175 $ 579,186 $ 684,989 $ 787,334 Operating loss (92,639 ) (140,236 ) (38,016 ) (21,647 ) Net income (loss) (63,539 ) (92,184 ) (33,769 ) 195,402 Net income (loss) per common share: Basic $ (0.40 ) $ (0.46 ) $ (0.16 ) $ 0.88 Diluted $ (0.40 ) $ (0.46 ) $ (0.16 ) $ 0.88

Description of Business and S_4

Description of Business and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Additional Information (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Reimbursement of workers compensation insurance claims included in other current assets	$ 36	$ 30
Operating Lease, Right-of-Use Asset	35
Operating Lease, Liability, Noncurrent	$ 35

Estimated Useful Lives of Prope

Estimated Useful Lives of Property and Equipment (Detail)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018
Equipment | Minimum
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life	1 year 3 months
Equipment | Maximum
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life	15 years
Buildings | Minimum
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life	15 years
Buildings | Maximum
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life	20 years
Other | Minimum
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life	3 years
Other | Maximum
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life	12 years

Acquisitions - Additional Infor

Acquisitions - Additional Information (Detail) shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	Oct. 11, 2017USD ($)shares	Apr. 20, 2017USD ($)Rigshpshares	Jan. 27, 2017USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2018USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2017USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016USD ($)
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Goodwill				$ 410,756	$ 611,473	$ 86,234
Increase in goodwill due to measurement period adjustments				1,000
Merger and integration related costs				2,738	74,451
Contract Drilling
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Goodwill				395,060	395,060	86,234
Increase in goodwill due to measurement period adjustments				0
Pressure Pumping
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Goodwill				0	121,444	$ 0
Increase in goodwill due to measurement period adjustments				$ 0
Seventy Seven Energy Inc.
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Shares of common stock exchange in business acquisition | shares		46,298
Repayment of outstanding debt		$ 472,000	$ 472,000
Merger date				Apr. 20, 2017
Total fair value of the consideration transferred		$ 1,511,396
Number of drilling rigs acquired | Rigs		91
Number of horsepower of fracturing equipment | hp		500,000
Goodwill		$ 436,554
Merger and integration related costs					$ 36,700
Seventy Seven Energy Inc. | Contract Drilling
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Goodwill		309,000
Seventy Seven Energy Inc. | Pressure Pumping
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Goodwill		121,000
Seventy Seven Energy Inc. | Oilfield Rentals
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Goodwill		$ 6,300
Seventy Seven Energy Inc. | APEX Class Rigs
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Number of rigs | Rigs		36
MS Directional
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Shares of common stock exchange in business acquisition | shares	8,798
Repayment of outstanding debt	$ 63,000
Merger date				Oct. 11, 2017
Total fair value of the consideration transferred	257,275
Goodwill	89,685
Aggregate consideration paid by the company	69,800
Business acquisition, description of acquired entity				MS Directional is a leading directional drilling services company in the United States, with operations in most major producing onshore oil and gas basins. MS Directional provides a comprehensive suite of directional drilling services, including directional drilling, downhole performance motors, motor rentals, directional surveying, measurement-while-drilling, and wireline steering tools.
Increase in goodwill due to measurement period adjustments	$ 1,000

Total Fair Value of Considerati

Total Fair Value of Consideration Transferred (Detail) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	Oct. 11, 2017	Apr. 20, 2017	Jan. 27, 2017
Seventy Seven Energy Inc.
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Shares of Company common stock issued to shareholders		46,298
Company common stock price		$ 22.45
Fair value of common stock issued		$ 1,039,396
Plus long-term debt repaid by Company		472,000	$ 472,000
Total fair value of consideration transferred		$ 1,511,396
MS Directional
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Shares of Company common stock issued to shareholders	8,798
Company common stock price	$ 21.31
Fair value of common stock issued	$ 187,494
Plus long-term debt repaid by Company	63,000
Plus cash to sellers	6,781
Total fair value of consideration transferred	$ 257,275

Schedule of Total Purchase Pric

Schedule of Total Purchase Price of Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed Based on Fair Value (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Oct. 11, 2017	Apr. 20, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Liabilities assumed
Goodwill	$ 410,756	$ 611,473			$ 86,234
Seventy Seven Energy Inc.
Identifiable assets acquired
Cash and cash equivalents				$ 37,806
Accounts receivable				149,659
Inventory				8,518
Other current assets				19,038
Property and equipment				984,433
Other long-term assets				20,918
Intangible assets				22,500
Total identifiable assets acquired				1,242,872
Liabilities assumed
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities				133,415
Deferred income taxes				32,881
Other long-term liabilities				1,734
Total liabilities assumed				168,030
Net identifiable assets acquired				1,074,842
Goodwill				436,554
Total net assets acquired				$ 1,511,396
MS Directional
Identifiable assets acquired
Cash and cash equivalents			$ 2,021
Accounts receivable			42,782
Inventory			28,060
Other current assets			155
Property and equipment			63,998
Other long-term assets			318
Intangible assets			74,682
Total identifiable assets acquired			212,016
Liabilities assumed
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities			44,099
Other long-term liabilities			327
Total liabilities assumed			44,426
Net identifiable assets acquired			167,590
Goodwill			89,685
Total net assets acquired			$ 257,275

Portion of Fair Value Considera

Portion of Fair Value Consideration Transferred Provisionally Assigned to Identifiable Intangible Assets (Detail) - Seventy Seven Energy Inc. $ in Thousands	Apr. 20, 2017USD ($)
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Fair Value, Assets, Portion of the fair value consideration transferred	$ 22,500
Favorable Drilling Contracts
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Fair Value, Assets, Portion of the fair value consideration transferred	$ 22,500
Weighted Average Useful Life, Identifiable intangible assets	9 months 29 days

Portion of Fair Value Conside_2

Portion of Fair Value Consideration Transferred Assigned to Identifiable Intangible Assets (Detail) - MS Directional $ in Thousands	Oct. 11, 2017USD ($)
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Fair Value, Assets, Portion of the fair value consideration transferred	$ 74,682
Weighted Average Useful Life, Identifiable intangible assets	7 years 6 months 3 days
Developed Technology
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Fair Value, Assets, Portion of the fair value consideration transferred	$ 48,000
Weighted Average Useful Life, Identifiable intangible assets	10 years
Customer Relationships
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Fair Value, Assets, Portion of the fair value consideration transferred	$ 26,200
Weighted Average Useful Life, Identifiable intangible assets	3 years
Internal Use Software
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Fair Value, Assets, Portion of the fair value consideration transferred	$ 482
Weighted Average Useful Life, Identifiable intangible assets	5 years

Summary of Selected Financial I

Summary of Selected Financial Information of the Company on a Pro Forma Basis (Detail) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Business Acquisition Pro Forma Information [Abstract]
Revenues	$ 2,738,579	$ 1,567,141
Net income (loss)	$ 29,584	$ (505,413)
Net income (loss) per share
Basic	$ 0.13	$ (2.30)
Diluted	$ 0.13	$ (2.30)

Revenues - Additional Informati

Revenues - Additional Information (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Disaggregation Of Revenue [Line Items]
Accounts receivable balances	$ 558,817	$ 580,354
ASC Topic 606 Revenue from Contracts with Customers
Disaggregation Of Revenue [Line Items]
Accounts receivable balances	554,000	577,000
ASC Topic 606 Revenue from Contracts with Customers | Contract Drilling
Disaggregation Of Revenue [Line Items]
Increase (decrease) in contract liabilities	(1,600)
ASC Topic 606 Revenue from Contracts with Customers | Customer Payments
Disaggregation Of Revenue [Line Items]
Increase (decrease) in contract liabilities	1,500
ASC Topic 606 Revenue from Contracts with Customers | Customer Prepayments
Disaggregation Of Revenue [Line Items]
Contract liability balances included in accounts payable and accrued liabilities	3,000	9,100
ASC Topic 606 Revenue from Contracts with Customers | Deferred Mobilization Payments
Disaggregation Of Revenue [Line Items]
Contract liability balances included in accounts payable and accrued liabilities	$ 4,600	$ 4,700
Maximum
Disaggregation Of Revenue [Line Items]
Accounts receivable payment terms	60 days
Minimum
Disaggregation Of Revenue [Line Items]
Accounts receivable payment terms	30 days

Revenues - Additional Informa_2

Revenues - Additional Information1 (Detail)	Dec. 31, 2018
Maximum | Revenue, Remaining Performance Obligation, Expected Timing of Satisfaction, Start Date: 2018-01-01
Disaggregation Of Revenue [Line Items]
Performance obligation original expected duration	1 year

Inventory (Detail)

Inventory (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Inventory Net [Abstract]
Finished goods	$ 347	$ 2,270
Work-in-process	6,375	529
Raw materials and supplies	58,857	66,368
Inventory	$ 65,579	$ 69,167

Property and Equipment (Detail)

Property and Equipment (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Property Plant And Equipment [Line Items]
Total property and equipment	$ 8,803,668	$ 8,490,038
Less accumulated depreciation, depletion and impairment	(4,801,119)	(4,235,308)
Property and equipment, net	4,002,549	4,254,730
Equipment
Property Plant And Equipment [Line Items]
Total property and equipment	8,370,933	8,066,404
Oil and natural gas properties
Property Plant And Equipment [Line Items]
Total property and equipment	219,855	211,566
Buildings
Property Plant And Equipment [Line Items]
Total property and equipment	186,736	185,475
Land
Property Plant And Equipment [Line Items]
Total property and equipment	$ 26,144	$ 26,593

Depreciation, Depletion, Amorti

Depreciation, Depletion, Amortization and Impairment Expense Related to Property and Equipment and Intangible Assets and Liabilities (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Property Plant And Equipment [Abstract]
Depreciation and impairment expense	$ 887,155	$ 753,510	$ 657,571
Amortization expense	18,197	21,764	3,643
Depletion expense	10,966	8,067	7,220
Total	$ 916,318	$ 783,341	$ 668,434

Property and Equipment - Additi

Property and Equipment - Additional Information (Detail)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018USD ($)Rigs	Dec. 31, 2017USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016USD ($)Rigs
Property Plant And Equipment [Line Items]
Impairment charge for the write-down of drilling equipment			$ 0
Pressure Pumping
Property Plant And Equipment [Line Items]
Impairment charge for the write-down of drilling equipment	$ 17,400,000	$ 0	$ 0
Percentage of excepted cash flows on undiscounted basis exceeding the carrying values of asset groups	58.00%
Contract Drilling
Property Plant And Equipment [Line Items]
Percentage of excepted cash flows on undiscounted basis exceeding the carrying values of asset groups	38.00%
Directional Drilling
Property Plant And Equipment [Line Items]
Percentage of excepted cash flows on undiscounted basis exceeding the carrying values of asset groups	9.00%
Oilfield Rentals
Property Plant And Equipment [Line Items]
Percentage of excepted cash flows on undiscounted basis exceeding the carrying values of asset groups	23.00%
Rigs and Spare Rig Components That Would No Longer Be Marketed
Property Plant And Equipment [Line Items]
Number of rigs | Rigs	42
Impairment charge for the write-down of drilling equipment	$ 48,400,000	$ 29,000,000
Mechanically Powered Drilling Rigs That Remain Marketed But are Not Operating
Property Plant And Equipment [Line Items]
Number of rigs | Rigs			19

Goodwill by Operating Segment (

Goodwill by Operating Segment (Detail) - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Goodwill [Line Items]
Balance at beginning of period	$ 611,473,000	$ 86,234,000
Goodwill acquired	9,412,000	525,239,000
Measurement period adjustment	1,000,000
Impairment	(211,129,000)
Balance at end of period	410,756,000	611,473,000
Contract Drilling
Goodwill [Line Items]
Balance at beginning of period	395,060,000	86,234,000
Goodwill acquired	0	308,826,000
Measurement period adjustment	0
Impairment	0
Balance at end of period	395,060,000	395,060,000
Pressure Pumping
Goodwill [Line Items]
Balance at beginning of period	121,444,000	0
Goodwill acquired	0	121,444,000
Measurement period adjustment	0
Impairment	(121,444,000)
Balance at end of period	0	121,444,000
Directional Drilling
Goodwill [Line Items]
Balance at beginning of period	88,685,000	0
Goodwill acquired	0	88,685,000
Measurement period adjustment	1,000,000
Impairment	(89,685,000)
Balance at end of period	0	88,685,000
Other Operations
Goodwill [Line Items]
Balance at beginning of period	6,284,000	0
Goodwill acquired	9,412,000	6,284,000
Measurement period adjustment	0
Impairment	0
Balance at end of period	$ 15,696,000	$ 6,284,000

Goodwill and Intangible Asset_2

Goodwill and Intangible Assets - Additional Information (Detail) - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Goodwill And Intangible Assets Disclosure [Line Items]
Goodwill impairment charge	$ 211,129,000
Impairment	0
Amortization expense on intangible assets	18,300,000	$ 24,300,000	$ 3,600,000
Contract Drilling
Goodwill And Intangible Assets Disclosure [Line Items]
Accumulated impairment losses	$ 0	0
Percentage fair value exceeds carrying values	16.00%
Goodwill impairment charge	$ 0
Other Operations
Goodwill And Intangible Assets Disclosure [Line Items]
Accumulated impairment losses	0	$ 0
Goodwill impairment charge	$ 0
Oilfield Rental
Goodwill And Intangible Assets Disclosure [Line Items]
Percentage fair value exceeds carrying values	14.00%
Goodwill impairment charge	$ 0
Pressure Pumping and Directional Drilling
Goodwill And Intangible Assets Disclosure [Line Items]
Goodwill impairment charge	$ 211,000,000

Summary of Segment and Weighted

Summary of Segment and Weighted Average Useful Life of Intangible Assets (Detail)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018
Customer Relationships | Directional Drilling
Acquired Finite Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Weighted Average Useful Life, Identifiable intangible assets	3 years
Customer Relationships | Other Operations
Acquired Finite Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Weighted Average Useful Life, Identifiable intangible assets	7 years
Developed Technology | Directional Drilling
Acquired Finite Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Weighted Average Useful Life, Identifiable intangible assets	10 years
Favorable Drilling Contracts | Contract Drilling
Acquired Finite Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Weighted Average Useful Life, Identifiable intangible assets	9 months 29 days
Internal Use Software | Directional Drilling
Acquired Finite Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Weighted Average Useful Life, Identifiable intangible assets	5 years

Gross Carrying Amount and Accum

Gross Carrying Amount and Accumulated Amortization of Intangible Assets (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Acquired Finite Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Gross Carrying Amount	$ 106,754	$ 97,182
Accumulated Amortization	(39,870)	(21,583)
Net Carrying Amount	66,884	75,599
Customer Relationships
Acquired Finite Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Gross Carrying Amount	28,000	26,200
Accumulated Amortization	(10,719)	(1,943)
Net Carrying Amount	17,281	24,257
Developed Technology
Acquired Finite Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Gross Carrying Amount	55,772	48,000
Accumulated Amortization	(6,533)	(1,137)
Net Carrying Amount	49,239	46,863
Favorable Drilling Contracts
Acquired Finite Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Gross Carrying Amount	22,500	22,500
Accumulated Amortization	(22,500)	(18,482)
Net Carrying Amount		4,018
Internal Use Software
Acquired Finite Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Gross Carrying Amount	482	482
Accumulated Amortization	(118)	(21)
Net Carrying Amount	$ 364	$ 461

Remaining Amortization Expense

Remaining Amortization Expense Associated with Finite-Lived Intangible Assets (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Goodwill And Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]
2,019	$ 14,664
2,020	12,721
2,021	5,931
2,022	5,909
2,023	5,834
Thereafter	21,825
Net Carrying Amount	$ 66,884	$ 75,599

Summary of Accrued Expenses (De

Summary of Accrued Expenses (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Payables And Accruals [Abstract]
Salaries, wages, payroll taxes and benefits	$ 58,160	$ 50,438
Workers' compensation liability	83,772	80,751
Property, sales, use and other taxes	25,318	29,332
Insurance, other than workers' compensation	9,531	10,816
Accrued interest payable	15,774	7,558
Accrued merger and integration	2,403	16,101
Other	40,988	31,628
Accrued expenses	$ 235,946	$ 226,624

Long Term Debt - Credit Facilit

Long Term Debt - Credit Facilities - Additional Information (Detail)	Mar. 27, 2018USD ($)Option	Mar. 16, 2015	Dec. 31, 2018USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2018USD ($)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Letters of credit outstanding			$ 58,500,000	$ 58,500,000
Letter of Credit
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of credit, amount outstanding			0	0
Revolving Credit Facility
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of credit, amount outstanding			0	0
Line of credit, available borrowing capacity			$ 600,000,000	$ 600,000,000
Credit Agreement
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Credit agreement date				Mar. 27, 2018
Credit agreement, financial covenant description				the Company’s total debt to capitalization ratio, expressed as a percentage, not exceed 50%. The Credit Agreement generally defines the debt to capitalization ratio as the ratio of (a) total borrowed money indebtedness to (b) the sum of such indebtedness plus consolidated net worth, with consolidated net worth determined as of the end of the most recently ended fiscal quarter.
Credit Agreement | Minimum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Commitment fee rate payable to lenders based on credit rating				0.10%
Debt service coverage ratio			150.00%
Credit Agreement | Maximum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Commitment fee rate payable to lenders based on credit rating				0.30%
Debt to capitalization ratio, percentage the Company must not exceed at any time				50.00%
Credit Agreement | London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) | Minimum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument, basis spread on variable rate				1.00%
Credit Agreement | London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) | Maximum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument, basis spread on variable rate				2.00%
Credit Agreement | Base Rate | Minimum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument, basis spread on variable rate				0.00%
Credit Agreement | Base Rate | Maximum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument, basis spread on variable rate				1.00%
Credit Agreement | Revolving Credit Facility
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Credit facility, maximum borrowing capacity	$ 600,000,000
Debt maturity date	Mar. 27, 2023
Debt instrument, number of optional extensions to initial maturity date | Option	2
Optional extension period of initial maturity date	1 year
Letters of credit outstanding			$ 81,000	$ 81,000
Credit Agreement | Revolving Credit Facility | Subject To Customary Conditions
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Credit facility, maximum borrowing capacity	$ 900,000,000
Credit facility, additional borrowing capacity	300,000,000
Credit Agreement | Revolving Credit Facility | Letter of Credit
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Credit facility, maximum borrowing capacity	150,000,000
Credit Agreement | Revolving Credit Facility | Swing Line Facility
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Credit facility, maximum borrowing capacity	$ 20,000,000
Reimbursement Agreement
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Letters of credit outstanding			$ 58,400,000	$ 58,400,000
Reimbursement Agreement | London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument, basis spread on variable rate		2.25%

Long Term Debt - Senior Notes -

Long Term Debt - Senior Notes - Additional Information (Detail)	Mar. 27, 2018	Jan. 19, 2018USD ($)	Jun. 14, 2012USD ($)Covenant	Oct. 05, 2010USD ($)Covenant	Dec. 31, 2018USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2017USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016USD ($)	Sep. 27, 2012USD ($)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Repayment of borrowings					$ 347,000,000	$ 331,000,000	$ 200,500,000
Proceeds from borrowings, before offering expenses					79,000,000	599,000,000	200,500,000
Interest expense related to amortization of debt issuance costs					$ 2,000,000	$ 2,600,000	4,100,000
Revolving Credit Facility
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Repayment of borrowings		$ 239,000,000
4.97% Series A Senior Notes, Due October 5th 2020
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt maturity date				Oct. 5, 2020
Long-term debt, aggregate principal amount				$ 300,000,000
Debt interest rate				4.97%
Semi-annual interest payment, first payment date					April 5
Semi-annual interest payment, second payment date					October 5
Notes issuance date				Oct. 5, 2010
Description of the prepayment terms					Notes are prepayable at the Company’s option, in whole or in part, provided that in the case of a partial prepayment, prepayment must be in an amount not less than 5% of the aggregate principal amount of the notes then outstanding, at any time and from time to time at 100% of the principal amount prepaid, plus accrued and unpaid interest to the prepayment date, plus a “make-whole” premium as specified in the note purchase agreements. The Company must offer to prepay the notes upon the occurrence of any change of control. In addition, the Company must offer to prepay the notes upon the occurrence of certain asset dispositions if the proceeds therefrom are not timely reinvested in productive assets. If any offer to prepay is accepted, the purchase price of each prepaid note is 100% of the principal amount thereof, plus accrued and unpaid interest thereon to the prepayment date.
Debt instrument, redemption percentage				100.00%
Description of the acceptance terms					If any offer to prepay is accepted, the purchase price of each prepaid note is 100% of the principal amount thereof, plus accrued and unpaid interest thereon to the prepayment date
Acceptance terms, percent of principal before accrued and unpaid interest				100.00%
Number of compliance covenants | Covenant				2
Note purchase agreement, financial covenant description					The Company must not permit its debt to capitalization ratio to exceed 50% at any time. The note purchase agreements generally define the debt to capitalization ratio as the ratio of (a) total borrowed money indebtedness to (b) the sum of such indebtedness plus consolidated net worth, with consolidated net worth determined as of the last day of the most recently ended fiscal quarter. The Company also must not permit its interest coverage ratio as of the last day of a fiscal quarter to be less than 2.50 to 1.00. The note purchase agreements generally define the interest coverage ratio as the ratio of EBITDA for the four prior fiscal quarters to interest charges for the same period. The Company was in compliance with these covenants at December 31, 2018.
Debt issuance costs				$ 1,900,000
4.97% Series A Senior Notes, Due October 5th 2020 | Minimum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument, prepayment percentage of aggregate principal amount				5.00%
Interest coverage ratio that the Company must exceed on the last day of the fiscal quarter				2.50%
4.97% Series A Senior Notes, Due October 5th 2020 | Maximum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt to capitalization ratio, percentage the Company must not exceed at any time				50.00%
4.27% Series B Senior Notes, Due June 14th 2022
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt maturity date			Jun. 14, 2022
Long-term debt, aggregate principal amount			$ 300,000,000
Debt interest rate			4.27%
Semi-annual interest payment, first payment date					April 5
Semi-annual interest payment, second payment date					October 5
Notes issuance date			Jun. 14, 2012
Description of the prepayment terms					Notes are prepayable at the Company’s option, in whole or in part, provided that in the case of a partial prepayment, prepayment must be in an amount not less than 5% of the aggregate principal amount of the notes then outstanding, at any time and from time to time at 100% of the principal amount prepaid, plus accrued and unpaid interest to the prepayment date, plus a “make-whole” premium as specified in the note purchase agreements. The Company must offer to prepay the notes upon the occurrence of any change of control. In addition, the Company must offer to prepay the notes upon the occurrence of certain asset dispositions if the proceeds therefrom are not timely reinvested in productive assets. If any offer to prepay is accepted, the purchase price of each prepaid note is 100% of the principal amount thereof, plus accrued and unpaid interest thereon to the prepayment date.
Debt instrument, redemption percentage			100.00%
Description of the acceptance terms					If any offer to prepay is accepted, the purchase price of each prepaid note is 100% of the principal amount thereof, plus accrued and unpaid interest thereon to the prepayment date
Acceptance terms, percent of principal before accrued and unpaid interest			100.00%
Number of compliance covenants | Covenant			2
Note purchase agreement, financial covenant description					The Company must not permit its debt to capitalization ratio to exceed 50% at any time. The note purchase agreements generally define the debt to capitalization ratio as the ratio of (a) total borrowed money indebtedness to (b) the sum of such indebtedness plus consolidated net worth, with consolidated net worth determined as of the last day of the most recently ended fiscal quarter. The Company also must not permit its interest coverage ratio as of the last day of a fiscal quarter to be less than 2.50 to 1.00. The note purchase agreements generally define the interest coverage ratio as the ratio of EBITDA for the four prior fiscal quarters to interest charges for the same period. The Company was in compliance with these covenants at December 31, 2018.
Debt issuance costs			$ 1,600,000
4.27% Series B Senior Notes, Due June 14th 2022 | Minimum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument, prepayment percentage of aggregate principal amount			5.00%
Interest coverage ratio that the Company must exceed on the last day of the fiscal quarter			2.50%
4.27% Series B Senior Notes, Due June 14th 2022 | Maximum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt to capitalization ratio, percentage the Company must not exceed at any time			50.00%
3.95% Senior Notes Due 2028
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt maturity date		Feb. 1, 2028
Long-term debt, aggregate principal amount		$ 525,000,000
Debt interest rate		3.95%			3.95%
Debt instrument, redemption percentage		100.00%
Proceeds from borrowings, before offering expenses		$ 521,000,000
Debt payment term					The Company pays interest on the 2028 Notes on February 1 and August 1 of each year.
Debt instrument redemption description					The Company, at its option, may redeem the Notes in whole or in part, at any time or from time to time at a redemption price equal to 100% of the principal amount of such 2028 Notes to be redeemed, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, on those 2028 Notes to the redemption date, plus a make-whole premium. Additionally, commencing on November 1, 2027, the Company, at its option, may redeem the 2028 Notes in whole or in part, at a redemption price equal to 100% of the principal amount of the 2028 Notes to be redeemed, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, on those 2028 Notes to the redemption date.
Debt instrument redemption upon the occurrence of change of control, description					Upon the occurrence of a change of control, as defined in the indenture, each holder of the 2028 Notes may require the Company to purchase all or a portion of such holder’s 2028 Notes at a price equal to 101% of their principal amount, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to, but excluding, the repurchase date.
Redemption price percentage of principal amount of debt instrument on change of control		101.00%
Debt issuance costs		$ 1,600,000
Credit Agreement
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt issuance costs								$ 4,600,000
Credit Agreement | Revolving Credit Facility
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt maturity date	Mar. 27, 2023
Credit Agreement | Maximum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt to capitalization ratio, percentage the Company must not exceed at any time					50.00%
Previous Term Loan
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Early termination of term loan agreements							$ 1,400,000
Previous Credit Agreement
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest expense related to amortization of debt issuance costs					$ 317,000

Schedule of Principal Repayment

Schedule of Principal Repayment Requirements of Long-Term Debt (Detail) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2018USD ($)
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
2,020	$ 300,000
2,022	300,000
Thereafter	525,000
Total	$ 1,125,000

Commitments Contingencies and O

Commitments Contingencies and Other Matters - Additional Information (Detail)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018USD ($)
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Line Items]
Letters of credit, collateral for retrospective premiums and retained losses	$ 58,500,000
Commitments to purchase major equipment and investments	$ 107,000,000
Agreement expire description	The agreements expire in years 2019 through 2022 and in 2043.
Current obligation	$ 114,000,000
Purchase obligations for 2019	24,700,000
General liability insurance policy, deductible per occurrence	2,000,000
Workers' compensation insurance policy, deductible per occurrence	1,500,000
Automobile liability insurance policy, deductible per occurrence	2,000,000
Equipment insurance policy, deductible per occurrence	$ 1,000,000
Employment Agreements
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Line Items]
Initial agreement term	3 years
Agreement termination description	Under specified circumstances, the Company may terminate the executive’s employment under his Employment Agreement for Cause (as defined in the Employment Agreement) by either (i) providing written notice 10 days before the effective date of such termination and by granting at least 10 days to cure the cause for such termination or (ii) by providing written notice of such termination at least 30 days before the effective date of such termination and by granting at least 20 days to cure the cause for such termination, provided that if the matter is reasonably determined by the Company to not be capable of being cured, the executive may be terminated for cause on the date the written notice is delivered.
Accelerated vesting period description	Company will accelerate vesting of all options and restricted stock awards on the 60th day following the executive’s termination
Termination benefits description	If a termination by the Company other than for Cause or by the executive for Good Reason occurs following a Change in Control (as defined in his Employment Agreement, which for the President of Patterson-UTI Drilling includes a change in control of the Company or, in certain circumstances, of Patterson-UTI Drilling), the executive will generally be entitled to the same severance payments and benefits described above except that the pro-rated lump-sum payment for annual cash bonuses will be based on his highest annual cash bonus for the last three years, and the executive will be entitled to 36 months (in the case of the Chief Executive Officer) or 30 months (in the case of the Chief Financial Officer, General Counsel and President of Patterson-UTI Drilling) of subsidized benefits continuation coverage.
Period considered for calculating annual cash bonus payment	3 years
Employment Agreements | Minimum
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Line Items]
Agreement termination notice period	30 days
Specified Employees | Change in Control Agreements
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Line Items]
Automatic renewal period	12 months
New term notification period	90 days
Chairman of the Board | Change in Control Agreements
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Line Items]
Employee entitlement ratio	250.00%
Continued coverage entitlement of welfare plan period	3 years
Executive Vice President | Change in Control Agreements
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Line Items]
Employee entitlement ratio	200.00%
Continued coverage entitlement of welfare plan period	2 years
Chief Executive Officer | Employment Agreements
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Line Items]
Employee entitlement ratio on sum of base salary and average cash bonus	300.00%
Period for subsidized benefit continuation coverage	36 months
Chief Financial Officer, General Counsel and President | Employment Agreements
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Line Items]
Employee entitlement ratio on sum of base salary and average cash bonus	250.00%
Period for subsidized benefit continuation coverage	30 months
Letter of Credit
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Line Items]
Amount drawn under letters of credit	$ 0

Stockholders' Equity - Addition

Stockholders' Equity - Additional Information (Detail) - USD ($)	Feb. 06, 2019	Apr. 20, 2017	Jan. 27, 2017	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2018	Jul. 25, 2018	Sep. 06, 2013
2013 program
Class Of Stock [Line Items]
Amount approved for repurchases under stock buyback program						$ 250,000,000
Remaining amount approved for repurchases under stock buyback program					$ 150,000,000
2013 program | Maximum
Class Of Stock [Line Items]
Amount approved for repurchases under stock buyback program							$ 200,000,000
Subsequent Event
Class Of Stock [Line Items]
Amount approved for repurchases under stock buyback program	$ 250,000,000
Subsequent Event | Dividend Declared
Class Of Stock [Line Items]
Dividend declaration date	Feb. 6, 2019
Dividend per share, declared	$ 0.04
Dividend payment date	Mar. 21, 2019
Dividend record date	Mar. 7, 2019
Seventy Seven Energy Inc.
Class Of Stock [Line Items]
Repayment of outstanding debt		$ 472,000,000	$ 472,000,000
Common Stock
Class Of Stock [Line Items]
Common stock offering				18,170,000
Common Stock | Seventy Seven Energy Inc.
Class Of Stock [Line Items]
Common stock offering			18,200,000
Net proceeds from common stock offering			$ 472,000,000

Cash Dividends (Detail)

Cash Dividends (Detail) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Dividends Payable [Line Items]
Cash dividends paid, per share	$ 0.14	$ 0.08	$ 0.16
Cash dividends paid	$ 30,589	$ 16,315	$ 23,579
Installment 1, FY 2018
Dividends Payable [Line Items]
Cash dividends paid, date	Mar. 22, 2018
Cash dividends paid, per share	$ 0.02
Cash dividends paid	$ 4,443
Installment 2, FY 2018
Dividends Payable [Line Items]
Cash dividends paid, date	Jun. 21, 2018
Cash dividends paid, per share	$ 0.04
Cash dividends paid	$ 8,832
Installment 3, FY 2018
Dividends Payable [Line Items]
Cash dividends paid, date	Sep. 20, 2018
Cash dividends paid, per share	$ 0.04
Cash dividends paid	$ 8,685
Installment 4, FY 2018
Dividends Payable [Line Items]
Cash dividends paid, date	Dec. 20, 2018
Cash dividends paid, per share	$ 0.04
Cash dividends paid	$ 8,629
Installment 1, FY 2017
Dividends Payable [Line Items]
Cash dividends paid, date		Mar. 22, 2017
Cash dividends paid, per share		$ 0.02
Cash dividends paid		$ 3,326
Installment 2, FY 2017
Dividends Payable [Line Items]
Cash dividends paid, date		Jun. 22, 2017
Cash dividends paid, per share		$ 0.02
Cash dividends paid		$ 4,269
Installment 3, FY 2017
Dividends Payable [Line Items]
Cash dividends paid, date		Sep. 21, 2017
Cash dividends paid, per share		$ 0.02
Cash dividends paid		$ 4,271
Installment 4, FY 2017
Dividends Payable [Line Items]
Cash dividends paid, date		Dec. 21, 2017
Cash dividends paid, per share		$ 0.02
Cash dividends paid		$ 4,449
Installment 1, FY 2016
Dividends Payable [Line Items]
Cash dividends paid, date			Mar. 24, 2016
Cash dividends paid, per share			$ 0.10
Cash dividends paid			$ 14,712
Installment 2, FY 2016
Dividends Payable [Line Items]
Cash dividends paid, date			Jun. 23, 2016
Cash dividends paid, per share			$ 0.02
Cash dividends paid			$ 2,953
Installment 3, FY 2016
Dividends Payable [Line Items]
Cash dividends paid, date			Sep. 22, 2016
Cash dividends paid, per share			$ 0.02
Cash dividends paid			$ 2,953
Installment 4, FY 2016
Dividends Payable [Line Items]
Cash dividends paid, date			Dec. 22, 2016
Cash dividends paid, per share			$ 0.02
Cash dividends paid			$ 2,961

Treasury Stock Acquisition (Det

Treasury Stock Acquisition (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Schedule of Treasury Stock [Line Items]
Treasury shares at beginning of period	43,802,611	43,392,617	43,207,240
Treasury shares at end of period	53,701,096	43,802,611	43,392,617
Treasury shares at beginning of period	$ 918,711	$ 911,094	$ 907,045
Treasury stock acquired, cost	161,737	7,617	4,049
Treasury shares at end of period	$ 1,080,448	$ 918,711	$ 911,094
Stock Buyback Program
Schedule of Treasury Stock [Line Items]
Treasury stock acquired, shares	9,331,131	5,503	8,488
Treasury stock acquired, cost	$ 150,497	$ 109	$ 183
Long Term Incentive Plan
Schedule of Treasury Stock [Line Items]
Treasury stock acquired, shares	567,354	404,491	176,889
Treasury stock acquired, cost	$ 11,240	$ 7,508	$ 3,866

Stock-based Compensation - Addi

Stock-based Compensation - Additional Information (Detail) - USD ($)	1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Apr. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Jun. 29, 2017
Share Based Compensation Arrangement By Share Based Payment Award [Line Items]
Number of stock option granted		0	0
Employee Stock Option
Share Based Compensation Arrangement By Share Based Payment Award [Line Items]
Options outstanding, aggregate intrinsic value		$ 0
Options outstanding, weighted-average remaining contractual term		4 years 18 days
Options exercisable, aggregate intrinsic value			$ 0
Options exercisable, weighted-average remaining contractual term			3 years 11 months 15 days
Outstanding non-vested options		138,881
Restricted Stock Awards
Share Based Compensation Arrangement By Share Based Payment Award [Line Items]
Outstanding non-vested restricted stock		423,000,000,000
Restricted Stock Units (RSUs)
Share Based Compensation Arrangement By Share Based Payment Award [Line Items]
Outstanding non-vested restricted stock		2,900,000
Performance Units Awards
Share Based Compensation Arrangement By Share Based Payment Award [Line Items]
Performance period		3 years
Basis of annual percentage exceeds		18.00%
Performance Units Awards | 2015
Share Based Compensation Arrangement By Share Based Payment Award [Line Items]
Shares issued	381,200
Performance Units Awards | Condition One [Member]
Share Based Compensation Arrangement By Share Based Payment Award [Line Items]
Award description		Generally, the recipients will receive a target number of shares if the Company’s total shareholder return during the performance period, when compared to the peer group, is at the 50th percentile. If the Company’s total shareholder return during the performance period, when compared to the peer group, is at the 75th percentile or higher, then the recipients will receive two times the target number of shares
Performance Units Awards | Condition Two [Member]
Share Based Compensation Arrangement By Share Based Payment Award [Line Items]
Award description		if, during the two-year period ending March 31, 2018, the Company’s total shareholder return for any 30 consecutive day period equals or exceeds 18 percent on an annualized basis from April 1, 2013 through the last day of such 30 consecutive day period, and the recipient is actively employed by the Company through the last day of the extended performance period, then the Company will issue to the recipient the number of shares equal to the amount the recipient would have been entitled to receive had the Company’s total shareholder return been positive during the initial three-year performance period. The performance criteria for this extended period was not met and therefore there was no payout under the 2013 awards.
Amended and Restated Plan
Share Based Compensation Arrangement By Share Based Payment Award [Line Items]
Shares available for future issuance		2,471,800		10,049,156
Shares authorized for grant		18,900,000		18,900,000
Amended and Restated Plan | Maximum
Share Based Compensation Arrangement By Share Based Payment Award [Line Items]
Option term		10 years
Amended and Restated Plan | Non Employee Director
Share Based Compensation Arrangement By Share Based Payment Award [Line Items]
Awards vesting period		1 year
Amended and Restated Plan | Employees
Share Based Compensation Arrangement By Share Based Payment Award [Line Items]
Awards vesting period		3 years
Patterson-UTI Energy, Inc. 2014 Long-Term Incentive Plan
Share Based Compensation Arrangement By Share Based Payment Award [Line Items]
Shares authorized for grant				9,100,000
Patterson-UTI Energy, Inc. 2005 Long-Term Incentive Plan | Non Employee Director | Employee Stock Option
Share Based Compensation Arrangement By Share Based Payment Award [Line Items]
Awards vesting period		1 year
Patterson-UTI Energy, Inc. 2005 Long-Term Incentive Plan | Employees | Employee Stock Option
Share Based Compensation Arrangement By Share Based Payment Award [Line Items]
Awards vesting period		3 years

Company's Share-Based Compensat

Company's Share-Based Compensation Plans (Detail) - shares	Dec. 31, 2018	Jun. 29, 2017
Amended and Restated Plan
Share Based Compensation Arrangement By Share Based Payment Award [Line Items]
Shares Authorized for Grant	18,900,000	18,900,000
Shares Underlying Awards Outstanding	6,203,695
Shares Available for Grant	2,471,800	10,049,156
Patterson-UTI Energy, Inc. 2005 Long-Term Incentive Plan, as amended
Share Based Compensation Arrangement By Share Based Payment Award [Line Items]
Shares Underlying Awards Outstanding	3,268,500

Weighted-Average Assumptions Us

Weighted-Average Assumptions Used to Estimate Grant Date Fair Values for Stock Options Granted (Detail) - Employee Stock Option	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016
Share Based Compensation Arrangement By Share Based Payment Award [Line Items]
Volatility	35.11%
Expected term (in years)	5 years
Dividend yield	2.05%
Risk-free interest rate	1.40%

Stock Option Activity (Detail)

Stock Option Activity (Detail)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018$ / sharesshares
Shares
Outstanding at beginning of year | shares	6,037,150
Exercised | shares	(40,000)
Expired | shares	(496,000)
Outstanding at end of year | shares	5,501,150
Exercisable at end of year | shares	5,362,269
Weighted-average exercise price
Outstanding at beginning of year | $ / shares	$ 20.35
Exercised | $ / shares	12.12
Expired | $ / shares	29.01
Outstanding at end of year | $ / shares	19.63
Exercisable at end of year | $ / shares	$ 19.66

Additional Information with Res

Additional Information with Respect to Options Granted, Vested and Exercised (Detail) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Disclosure Of Compensation Related Costs Sharebased Payments [Abstract]
Weighted-average grant date fair value of stock options granted (per share)			$ 4.90
Aggregate grant date fair value of stock options vested during the year	$ 1,954	$ 4,565	$ 4,729
Aggregate intrinsic value of stock options exercised		$ 209	$ 366

Additional Information with R_2

Additional Information with Respect to Non-vested Options (Detail) - Employee Stock Option $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018USD ($)
Share Based Compensation Arrangement By Share Based Payment Award [Line Items]
Weighted-average remaining contractual term	7 years 5 months 12 days
Weighted-average remaining expected term	2 years 5 months 12 days
Weighted-average remaining vesting period	1 year 1 month 2 days
Unrecognized compensation cost	$ 673

Restricted Stock Activity (Deta

Restricted Stock Activity (Detail) - Restricted Stock Awards	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018$ / sharesshares
Shares
Outstanding at beginning of year | shares	1,530,338
Vested | shares	(1,085,743)
Forfeited | shares	(8,371)
Outstanding at end of year | shares	436,224
Weighted-average Grant Date Fair Value
Outstanding at beginning of year | $ / shares	$ 21.41
Vested | $ / shares	21.41
Forfeited | $ / shares	21.60
Outstanding at end of year | $ / shares	$ 21.41

Additional Information on Non-v

Additional Information on Non-vested Restricted Stock (Detail) - Restricted Stock Awards $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018USD ($)
Share Based Compensation Arrangement By Share Based Payment Award [Line Items]
Aggregate intrinsic value	$ 4.4
Weighted-average remaining vesting period	1 year
Unrecognized compensation cost	$ 6.9

Restricted Stock Unit Activity

Restricted Stock Unit Activity (Detail)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018$ / sharesshares
Time Based Restricted Stock Units
Shares
Outstanding at beginning of year	1,223,273
Granted	1,726,865
Granted in connection with acquisitions	204,222
Vested	(413,858)	[1]
Forfeited	(137,894)
Outstanding at end of year	2,602,608
Performance Based Restricted Stock Units
Shares
Outstanding at beginning of year	114,000
Granted in connection with acquisitions	359,315
Vested	(38,000)	[1]
Outstanding at end of year	435,315
Restricted Stock Units (RSUs)
Weighted-average Grant Date Fair Value
Outstanding at beginning of year | $ / shares	$ 19.80
Granted | $ / shares	19.15
Granted in connection with acquisitions | $ / shares	16.99
Vested | $ / shares	19.65	[1]
Forfeited | $ / shares	19.43
Outstanding at end of year | $ / shares	$ 18.95
[1]	All of the performance-based restricted stock units that vested during 2018 were granted in 2017.

Additional Information on Non_2

Additional Information on Non-vested Restricted Stock Unit (Detail) - Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018USD ($)
Share Based Compensation Arrangement By Share Based Payment Award [Line Items]
Aggregate intrinsic value	$ 29.7
Weighted-average remaining vesting period	2 years 3 months 18 days
Unrecognized compensation cost	$ 44.2

Performance Units (Detail)

Performance Units (Detail)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018shares
2,018
Share Based Compensation Arrangement By Share Based Payment Award [Line Items]
Target number of shares	310,700
2,017
Share Based Compensation Arrangement By Share Based Payment Award [Line Items]
Target number of shares	186,198
2,016
Share Based Compensation Arrangement By Share Based Payment Award [Line Items]
Target number of shares	185,000
2,015
Share Based Compensation Arrangement By Share Based Payment Award [Line Items]
Target number of shares	190,600
2,014
Share Based Compensation Arrangement By Share Based Payment Award [Line Items]
Target number of shares	154,000
2,013
Share Based Compensation Arrangement By Share Based Payment Award [Line Items]
Target number of shares	236,500

Fair Value of Performance Units

Fair Value of Performance Units (Detail) - Performance Units Awards $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018USD ($)
2,018
Share Based Compensation Arrangement By Share Based Payment Award [Line Items]
Aggregate fair value at date of grant	$ 8,004
2,017
Share Based Compensation Arrangement By Share Based Payment Award [Line Items]
Aggregate fair value at date of grant	5,780
2,016
Share Based Compensation Arrangement By Share Based Payment Award [Line Items]
Aggregate fair value at date of grant	3,854
2,015
Share Based Compensation Arrangement By Share Based Payment Award [Line Items]
Aggregate fair value at date of grant	4,052
2,014
Share Based Compensation Arrangement By Share Based Payment Award [Line Items]
Aggregate fair value at date of grant	5,388
2,013
Share Based Compensation Arrangement By Share Based Payment Award [Line Items]
Aggregate fair value at date of grant	$ 5,564

Compensation Expense Associated

Compensation Expense Associated with Performance Units (Detail) - Performance Units Awards - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
2,018
Share Based Compensation Arrangement By Share Based Payment Award [Line Items]
Stock-based compensation expense associated with Performance Units	$ 2,001
2,017
Share Based Compensation Arrangement By Share Based Payment Award [Line Items]
Stock-based compensation expense associated with Performance Units	1,927	$ 1,284
2,016
Share Based Compensation Arrangement By Share Based Payment Award [Line Items]
Stock-based compensation expense associated with Performance Units	1,285	1,285	$ 963
2,015
Share Based Compensation Arrangement By Share Based Payment Award [Line Items]
Stock-based compensation expense associated with Performance Units	$ 338	1,351	1,351
2,014
Share Based Compensation Arrangement By Share Based Payment Award [Line Items]
Stock-based compensation expense associated with Performance Units		$ 449	1,796
2,013
Share Based Compensation Arrangement By Share Based Payment Award [Line Items]
Stock-based compensation expense associated with Performance Units			$ 464

Leases - Additional Information

Leases - Additional Information (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Leases [Abstract]
Rent expense	$ 105.2	$ 48.9	$ 25.3

Summary of Future Minimum Renta

Summary of Future Minimum Rental Payments Under Operating Leases (Detail) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2018USD ($)
Leases [Abstract]
2,019	$ 11,408
2,020	9,069
2,021	6,543
2,022	4,625
2,023	2,663
Thereafter	6,552
Total	$ 40,860

Components of Income Tax Provis

Components of Income Tax Provision (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Federal income tax benefit:
Current	$ (3,954)	$ (42)	$ (24,777)
Deferred	(35,081)	(335,106)	(134,592)
Federal income tax benefit, Total	(39,035)	(335,148)	(159,369)
State income tax expense (benefit):
Current	1,704	(215)	(257)
Deferred	(11,147)	4,511	(14,163)
State and Local Income Tax Expense (Benefit), Continuing Operations, Total	(9,443)	4,296	(14,420)
Foreign income tax expense (benefit):
Current	(2,552)	(3,108)	(368)
Deferred	5,043	249	(3,405)
Foreign Income Tax Expense (Benefit), Continuing Operations, Total	2,491	(2,859)	(3,773)
Total income tax benefit:
Current	(4,802)	(3,365)	(25,402)
Deferred	(41,185)	(330,346)	(152,160)
Total income tax benefit:	$ (45,987)	$ (333,711)	$ (177,562)

Difference Between Statutory Fe

Difference Between Statutory Federal Income Tax Rate and Effective Income Rate (Detail)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Statutory tax rate	21.00%	35.00%	35.00%
State income taxes - net of the federal income tax benefit	1.20%	1.90%	2.00%
Goodwill impairment	(6.90%)
Permanent differences	(0.60%)	(1.30%)	(0.10%)
Tax effects of tax reform	(1.30%)	66.70%
Share-based payments	(0.10%)	3.60%
Acquisition related differences		(3.30%)
Valuation allowance	(3.70%)
State deferred tax remeasurement	2.30%
Other differences, net	0.60%	(0.80%)	(1.10%)
Effective tax rate	12.50%	101.80%	35.80%

Income Taxes - Additional Infor

Income Taxes - Additional Information (Detail) - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Income Taxes [Line Items]
Decrease in effective tax rate	89.30%
Effective tax rate	12.50%	101.80%	35.80%
Increase (decrease) in effective tax rate due to tax reform	(1.30%)	66.70%
Decrease in effective tax rate due to change in U.S.federal corporate tax rate	14.00%
Decrease in effective tax rate of goodwill impairment	6.90%
Decrease in effective tax rate of valuation allownaces	3.70%
Increase in effective tax rate due to remeasurement of deferred tax assets and liabilities for state tax	2.30%
U.S. federal corporate tax rate	21.00%	35.00%	35.00%
Tax expense as adjustment to provisional amounts		$ 4,600,000
Additional taxes for one-time transition tax		0
Income inclusion amount in final transition tax computation		13,700,000
Additional tax expense to adjust provisional estimate on remeasurement of U.S. deferred tax assets and liabilities		$ 1,700,000
Valuation allowances against net deferred tax assets	$ 13,232,000
Gross federal net operating losses	1,300,000,000
Gross canadian net operating losses	24,700,000
Post-apportionment state net operating losses	735,000,000
Unrecognized tax benefits	$ 0
Tax reform
Income Taxes [Line Items]
U.S. federal corporate tax rate	21.00%	35.00%
Provisional income tax benefit		$ 219,000,000
Operations Outside of North America
Income Taxes [Line Items]
Valuation allowances against net deferred tax assets	$ 200,000
State Jurisdictions
Income Taxes [Line Items]
Valuation allowances against net deferred tax assets	$ 4,900,000
Net operating loss carryforwards expiration, beginning year	2,023
Net operating loss carryforwards expiration, ending year	2,038
Canada
Income Taxes [Line Items]
Valuation allowances against net deferred tax assets	$ 8,100,000
Net operating loss carryforwards expiration, beginning year	2,036
Net operating loss carryforwards expiration, ending year	2,038
Tax periods open for examination	Tax years ended December 31, 2012 through December 31, 2017
Canada | Earliest Tax Year
Income Taxes [Line Items]
Tax period open for examination	2,012
Canada | Latest Tax Year
Income Taxes [Line Items]
Tax period open for examination	2,017
U.S.
Income Taxes [Line Items]
Net operating loss carryforwards expiration, beginning year	2,034
Net operating loss carryforwards expiration, ending year	2,037
Tax periods open for examination	Tax years ended December 31, 2013 through December 31, 2017
U.S. | Earliest Tax Year
Income Taxes [Line Items]
Tax period open for examination	2,013
U.S. | Latest Tax Year
Income Taxes [Line Items]
Tax period open for examination	2,017

Tax Effect of Significant Tempo

Tax Effect of Significant Temporary Differences Representing Deferred Tax Assets and Liabilities (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Deferred tax assets:
Net operating loss carryforwards	$ 324,389	$ 275,402
Tax credits	6,404	9,053
Expense associated with stock options and restricted stock	13,375	12,126
Workers' compensation allowance	19,900	19,323
Other	22,423	25,891
Total deferred tax assets, gross	386,491	341,795
Allowance to reduce deferred tax asset to expected realizable value	(13,232)
Total deferred tax assets, net	373,259	341,795
Deferred tax liabilities:
Property and equipment basis difference	(669,196)	(678,093)
Other	(10,224)	(10,663)
Total deferred tax liabilities	(679,420)	(688,756)
Net deferred tax liability	$ (306,161)	$ (346,961)

Earnings Per Share - Calculatio

Earnings Per Share - Calculation of Basic and Diluted Net Income (Loss) per Share (Detail) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018	Sep. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2018	Mar. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Sep. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2017	Mar. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
BASIC EPS:
Net income (loss)	$ (201,249)	$ (75,042)	$ (10,713)	$ (34,417)	$ 195,402	$ (33,769)	$ (92,184)	$ (63,539)	$ (321,421)	$ 5,910	$ (318,634)
Adjust for (income) loss attributed to holders of non-vested restricted stock										(170)
Income (loss) attributed to common stockholders									$ (321,421)	$ 5,740	$ (318,634)
Weighted average number of common shares outstanding, excluding non-vested shares of restricted stock									218,643	198,447	146,178
Basic net income (loss) per common share	$ (0.93)	$ (0.34)	$ (0.05)	$ (0.16)	$ 0.88	$ (0.16)	$ (0.46)	$ (0.40)	$ (1.47)	$ 0.03	$ (2.18)
DILUTED EPS:
Income (loss) attributed to common stockholders									$ (321,421)	$ 5,740	$ (318,634)
Weighted average number of common shares outstanding, excluding non-vested shares of restricted stock									218,643	198,447	146,178
Add dilutive effect of potential common shares										1,435
Weighted average number of diluted common shares outstanding									218,643	199,882	146,178
Diluted net income (loss) per common share	$ (0.93)	$ (0.34)	$ (0.05)	$ (0.16)	$ 0.88	$ (0.16)	$ (0.46)	$ (0.40)	$ (1.47)	$ 0.03	$ (2.18)
Potentially dilutive securities excluded as anti-dilutive									9,762	3,289	9,057

Employee Benefits - Additional

Employee Benefits - Additional Information (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Compensation And Retirement Disclosure [Abstract]
Cash contributions to 401(K) plan	$ 14.3	$ 8.7	$ 4.4

Business Segments - Additional

Business Segments - Additional Information (Detail) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018USD ($)Rigs	Sep. 30, 2018USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2018USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2018USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2017USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2017USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2017USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2017USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2018USD ($)RigsSegmentCustomer	Dec. 31, 2017USD ($)Customer	Dec. 31, 2016USD ($)Customer
Segment Reporting Disclosure [Line Items]
Number of reportable business segments | Segment									3
Total operating revenues	$ 795,937	$ 867,478	$ 854,418	$ 809,164	$ 787,334	$ 684,989	$ 579,186	$ 305,175	$ 3,326,997	$ 2,356,684	$ 915,866
Long-lived assets	$ 4,002,549				4,254,730				$ 4,002,549	$ 4,254,730
Major Customer
Segment Reporting Disclosure [Line Items]
Total operating revenues											$ 124,000
Number of customers accounted for 10% or more of consolidated revenues | Customer									0	0	1
Major Customer | Revenues | Customer Concentration Risk
Segment Reporting Disclosure [Line Items]
Percentage of sales revenues											14.00%
Contract Drilling
Segment Reporting Disclosure [Line Items]
Marketable land-based drilling rigs | Rigs	252								252
Total operating revenues									$ 1,430,492	$ 1,040,033	$ 543,663
Contract Drilling | Canada
Segment Reporting Disclosure [Line Items]
Total operating revenues									9,300	13,700	$ 15,600
Long-lived assets	$ 26,200				$ 52,000				$ 26,200	$ 52,000

Business Segments - Revenues (D

Business Segments - Revenues (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
		Dec. 31, 2018	Sep. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2018	Mar. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Sep. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2017	Mar. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Segment Reporting Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Total revenues		$ 795,937	$ 867,478	$ 854,418	$ 809,164	$ 787,334	$ 684,989	$ 579,186	$ 305,175	$ 3,326,997	$ 2,356,684	$ 915,866
Contract Drilling
Segment Reporting Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Total revenues										1,430,492	1,040,033	543,663
Pressure Pumping
Segment Reporting Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Total revenues										1,573,396	1,200,311	354,070
Directional Drilling
Segment Reporting Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Total revenues										209,275	45,580
Other Operations
Segment Reporting Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Total revenues	[1]									131,028	76,781	18,299
Operating Segments | Contract Drilling
Segment Reporting Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Total revenues										1,432,012	1,041,492	544,196
Operating Segments | Pressure Pumping
Segment Reporting Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Total revenues										1,573,396	1,200,311	354,070
Operating Segments | Directional Drilling
Segment Reporting Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Total revenues										209,275	45,580
Intersegment Elimination
Segment Reporting Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Total revenues	[2]									$ (18,714)	$ (7,480)	$ (699)
[1]	Other operations includes the Company’s oilfield rentals business, pipe handling components and related technology business, the electrical controls and automation business, the oil and natural gas working interests and the Middle East/North Africa activities.
[2]	In 2018 and 2017, intercompany revenues consists of contract drilling and revenues from other operations for services provided to contract drilling, pressure pumping and within other operations. In 2016, intercompany revenues consists of contract drilling and revenues within other operations.

Business Segments - Income (Los

Business Segments - Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations Before Income Taxes (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
		Dec. 31, 2018	Sep. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2018	Mar. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Sep. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2017	Mar. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Segment Reporting Reconciling Item For Operating Profit Loss From Segment To Consolidated [Line Items]
Operating income (loss)		$ (210,790)	$ (80,281)	$ (9,004)	$ (22,102)	$ (21,647)	$ (38,016)	$ (140,236)	$ (92,639)	$ (322,177)	$ (292,538)	$ (456,226)
Other operating income, net	[1]									17,569	31,957	14,323
Interest income										5,597	1,866	327
Interest expense										(51,578)	(37,472)	(40,366)
Other										750	343	69
Loss before income taxes										(367,408)	(327,801)	(496,196)
Other Operations
Segment Reporting Reconciling Item For Operating Profit Loss From Segment To Consolidated [Line Items]
Operating income (loss)										(18,221)	(20,813)	(3,391)
Corporate
Segment Reporting Reconciling Item For Operating Profit Loss From Segment To Consolidated [Line Items]
Operating income (loss)										(93,585)	(152,792)	(54,672)
Operating Segments | Contract Drilling
Segment Reporting Reconciling Item For Operating Profit Loss From Segment To Consolidated [Line Items]
Operating income (loss)										(33,115)	(171,897)	(235,858)
Operating Segments | Pressure Pumping
Segment Reporting Reconciling Item For Operating Profit Loss From Segment To Consolidated [Line Items]
Operating income (loss)										(77,328)	21,028	$ (176,628)
Operating Segments | Directional Drilling
Segment Reporting Reconciling Item For Operating Profit Loss From Segment To Consolidated [Line Items]
Operating income (loss)										$ (117,497)	$ (21)
[1]	Other operating income (expense), net includes net gains or losses associated with the disposal of assets relate to corporate strategy decisions of the executive management group. Accordingly, the related gains or losses have been separately presented and excluded from the results of specific segments. This caption also includes expenses related to certain legal-related expenses and settlements, net of insurance reimbursements and certain research and development expenses.

Business Segments - Assets (Det

Business Segments - Assets (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Segment Reporting Asset Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Total assets		$ 5,469,866	$ 5,758,856	$ 3,772,291
Other Operations
Segment Reporting Asset Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Total assets		177,374	172,094	48,885
Corporate
Segment Reporting Asset Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Total assets	[1]	314,276	144,069	36,957
Operating Segments | Contract Drilling
Segment Reporting Asset Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Total assets		3,817,638	3,931,994	3,032,819
Operating Segments | Pressure Pumping
Segment Reporting Asset Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Total assets		921,237	1,209,424	$ 653,630
Operating Segments | Directional Drilling
Segment Reporting Asset Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Total assets		$ 239,341	$ 301,275
[1]	Corporate assets primarily include cash on hand and certain property and equipment.

Business Segments - Depreciatio

Business Segments - Depreciation, Depletion, Amortization and Impairment (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Depreciation, depletion, amortization and impairment	$ 916,318	$ 783,341	$ 668,434
Other Operations
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Depreciation, depletion, amortization and impairment	41,512	29,402	10,114
Corporate
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Depreciation, depletion, amortization and impairment	7,872	7,695	5,474
Operating Segments | Contract Drilling
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Depreciation, depletion, amortization and impairment	571,607	538,891	467,974
Operating Segments | Pressure Pumping
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Depreciation, depletion, amortization and impairment	250,010	198,006	$ 184,872
Operating Segments | Directional Drilling
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Depreciation, depletion, amortization and impairment	$ 45,317	$ 9,347

Business Segments - Capital Exp

Business Segments - Capital Expenditures (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Capital expenditures	$ 641,458	$ 567,087	$ 119,799
Other Operations
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Capital expenditures	34,660	31,547	6,116
Corporate
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Capital expenditures	2,426	1,884	1,591
Operating Segments | Contract Drilling
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Capital expenditures	394,595	354,425	72,508
Operating Segments | Pressure Pumping
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Capital expenditures	173,848	171,436	$ 39,584
Operating Segments | Directional Drilling
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Capital expenditures	$ 35,929	$ 7,795

Company's Demand Deposits and T

Company's Demand Deposits and Temporary Cash Investments (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Risks And Uncertainties [Abstract]
Deposits in FDIC and SIPC-insured institutions under insurance limits	$ 191,457	$ 13,860
Deposits in FDIC and SIPC-insured institutions over insurance limits	38,425	106,849
Deposits in foreign banks	22,698	21,479
Total cash and cash equivalents	252,580	142,188
Less outstanding checks and other reconciling items	(7,551)	(99,360)
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 245,029	$ 42,828	$ 35,152	$ 113,346

Concentrations of Credit Risk -

Concentrations of Credit Risk - Additional Information (Detail) - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Risks And Uncertainties [Abstract]
Expense for bad debts	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0

Estimated Fair Value of Outstan

Estimated Fair Value of Outstanding Debt Balances (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Carrying Value
Fair Value Balance Sheet Grouping Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Total debt	$ 1,125,000	$ 868,000
Fair Value
Fair Value Balance Sheet Grouping Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Total debt	1,076,431	867,582
Revolving Credit Facility | Carrying Value
Fair Value Balance Sheet Grouping Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Total debt		268,000
Revolving Credit Facility | Fair Value
Fair Value Balance Sheet Grouping Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Total debt		268,000
3.95% Senior Notes Due 2028 | Carrying Value
Fair Value Balance Sheet Grouping Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Total debt	525,000
3.95% Senior Notes Due 2028 | Fair Value
Fair Value Balance Sheet Grouping Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Total debt	482,488
4.97% Series A Senior Notes, Due October 5th 2020 | Carrying Value
Fair Value Balance Sheet Grouping Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Total debt	300,000	300,000
4.97% Series A Senior Notes, Due October 5th 2020 | Fair Value
Fair Value Balance Sheet Grouping Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Total debt	300,043	303,966
4.27% Series B Senior Notes, Due June 14th 2022 | Carrying Value
Fair Value Balance Sheet Grouping Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Total debt	300,000	300,000
4.27% Series B Senior Notes, Due June 14th 2022 | Fair Value
Fair Value Balance Sheet Grouping Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Total debt	$ 293,900	$ 295,616

Fair Values of Financial Inst_3

Fair Values of Financial Instruments - Additional Information (Detail)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Jan. 19, 2018	Jun. 14, 2012	Oct. 05, 2010
3.95% Senior Notes Due 2028
Fair Value Balance Sheet Grouping Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Debt interest rate	3.95%		3.95%
Current market rates used in measuring fair value	5.07%
4.97% Series A Senior Notes, Due October 5th 2020
Fair Value Balance Sheet Grouping Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Debt interest rate					4.97%
Current market rates used in measuring fair value	4.97%	4.46%
4.27% Series B Senior Notes, Due June 14th 2022
Fair Value Balance Sheet Grouping Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Debt interest rate				4.27%
Current market rates used in measuring fair value	4.92%	4.64%

Quarterly Financial Informati_3

Quarterly Financial Information (Detail) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018	Sep. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2018	Mar. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Sep. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2017	Mar. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Quarterly Financial Information Disclosure [Abstract]
Operating revenues	$ 795,937	$ 867,478	$ 854,418	$ 809,164	$ 787,334	$ 684,989	$ 579,186	$ 305,175	$ 3,326,997	$ 2,356,684	$ 915,866
Operating income (loss)	(210,790)	(80,281)	(9,004)	(22,102)	(21,647)	(38,016)	(140,236)	(92,639)	(322,177)	(292,538)	(456,226)
Net income (loss)	$ (201,249)	$ (75,042)	$ (10,713)	$ (34,417)	$ 195,402	$ (33,769)	$ (92,184)	$ (63,539)	$ (321,421)	$ 5,910	$ (318,634)
Net income (loss) per common share:
Basic	$ (0.93)	$ (0.34)	$ (0.05)	$ (0.16)	$ 0.88	$ (0.16)	$ (0.46)	$ (0.40)	$ (1.47)	$ 0.03	$ (2.18)
Diluted	$ (0.93)	$ (0.34)	$ (0.05)	$ (0.16)	$ 0.88	$ (0.16)	$ (0.46)	$ (0.40)	$ (1.47)	$ 0.03	$ (2.18)

Valuation and Qualifying Acco_2

Valuation and Qualifying Accounts (Detail) - Allowance for Doubtful Accounts - USD ($) $ in Thousands		12 Months Ended
		Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Valuation And Qualifying Accounts Disclosure [Line Items]
Beginning Balance		$ 2,323	$ 3,191	$ 3,545
Deductions	[1]	(11)	(868)	(354)
Ending Balance		$ 2,312	$ 2,323	$ 3,191
[1]	Consists of uncollectible accounts written off