8-K

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of

the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): October 6, 2008

PIONEER DRILLING COMPANY

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Texas	1-8182	74-2088619
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation)	(Commission File Number)	(IRS Employer Identification No.)
1250 N.E. Loop 410, Suite 1000, San Antonio, Texas		78209
(Address of principal executive offices)		(Zip Code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (210) 828-7689

(Former name or former address, if changed since last report.)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):

¨ Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

¨ Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

¨ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

¨ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Item 5.02 Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.

(d) On October 6, 2008, the Board of Directors (the “Board”) of Pioneer Drilling Company (the “Company”) appointed John Michael Rauh and Scott D. Urban to serve as members of the Board, effective immediately.

Mr. Rauh and Mr. Urban will participate in the Company’s standard non-employee director compensation arrangements. In accordance with such arrangements, Mr. Rauh and Mr. Urban were each granted an option to purchase 10,000 shares of the Company’s common stock at an exercise price equal to the fair market value of the common stock on the date of grant in connection with their appointment, pursuant to the terms of the Company’s 2007 Incentive Plan. These options are scheduled to vest in three equal annual installments beginning on the first anniversary of the grant date, subject to Mr. Rauh’s and Mr. Urban’s continued service as a director on each such installment date.

A copy of the press release announcing the appointment is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1.

Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits.

(d) Exhibits.

Exhibit No.	Document Description
99.1	Press release issued by Pioneer Drilling Company on October 6, 2008

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

PIONEER DRILLING COMPANY
By:	/s/ William D. Hibbetts
	William D. Hibbetts
	Interim Chief Financial Officer

Dated: October 6, 2008

Exhibit Index

Exhibit No.	Document Description
99.1	Press release issued by Pioneer Drilling Company on October 6, 2008

EX-99.1

Exhibit 99.1

	Contacts:	Wm. Stacy Locke, President & CEO Pioneer Drilling Company (210) 828-7689
		Lisa Elliott / lelliott@drg-e.com Anne Pearson / apearson@drg-e.com DRG&E / (713) 529-6600

PIONEER DRILLING APPOINTS TWO NEW DIRECTORS

SAN ANTONIO, Texas, October 6, 2008 – Pioneer Drilling Company (AMEX: PDC) announced today that it has appointed John Michael Rauh and Scott D. Urban to serve on its Board of Directors.

“We welcome John and Scott as the newest members of our Board,” said Dean A. Burkhardt, Chairman of Pioneer’s Board of Directors. “The skills and experience these new directors bring to the table will certainly be beneficial as we continue to become a premier multi-national oilfield services provider.”

Mr. Rauh served as Vice President and Corporate Controller of Kerr-McGee Corporation from 2001 until his retirement in 2006, where he was responsible for worldwide accounting, tax and Sarbanes-Oxley 404 compliance. He also served as a Founding Director of Kerr-McGee’s chemical operations spin-off. Mr. Rauh joined Kerr-McGee in 1981 and served in varying capacities, including Treasurer, Controller and Assistant Controller. Prior to joining Kerr-McGee, Mr. Rauh was an auditor with Arthur Young & Company, which merged with Ernst & Whinney in 1989 to form Ernst & Young. Mr. Rauh is a Certified Public Accountant. He received a Masters Degree in accounting from Oklahoma State University and a Bachelor’s Degree in accounting and economics from Northwestern Oklahoma State University.

Mr. Urban is a partner in Edgewater Energy Partners, a consulting firm focused on the oil and gas exploration and production industry and assisting private equity firms with upstream investments. Mr. Urban served as Group Vice President, Upstream, for BP PLC from 2004 to 2005 and served as BP’s Group Vice President, North Sea Operations, from 2000 to 2004. Prior to joining BP, Mr. Urban held a variety of management positions with Amoco Corporation, including Group Vice President, Worldwide Exploration and Upstream Business Unit Manager, China. Mr. Urban received a Master’s Degree in geology and a Bachelor’s Degree in earth science from Bowling Green State University.

Mr. Urban currently serves on the Board of Directors of Noble Energy, Inc. and has served as a board member of the UK Offshore Operators Association, the Business Council for International Understanding and the Netherlands Oil and Gas Exploration and Production Association.

About Pioneer Drilling Company

Pioneer Drilling Company provides land contract drilling services to independent and major oil and gas operators in Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Kansas, the Rocky Mountain region and internationally in Colombia though its Drilling Services Division. The Company also provides workover rig, wireline, and fishing and rental services to producers in the U.S. Gulf Coast, Mid-Continent and Rocky Mountain regions through its Production Services Division. Its fleet consists of 69 land drilling rigs that drill in depth ranges between 6,000 and 18,000 feet, 69 workover rigs (64 550-horsepower rigs, four 600-horsepower rigs and one 400-horsepower rig), 54 wireline units, and fishing and rental tools.

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