Basis of Presentation	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2020
Organization Consolidation And Presentation Of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Basis of Presentation	1. Basis of Presentation Basis of presentation – The unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Patterson-UTI Energy, Inc. and its wholly-owned subsidiaries (collectively referred to herein as “we,” “us,” “our,” “ours” and like terms). All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated. Except for wholly-owned subsidiaries, we have no controlling financial interests in any other entity which would require consolidation. As used in these notes, “we,” “us,” “our,” “ours” and like terms refer 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 unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared by us pursuant to the rules and regulations of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”) have been omitted pursuant to such rules and regulations, although we believe the disclosures included either on the face of the financial statements or herein are sufficient to make the information presented not misleading. In the opinion of management, all recurring adjustments considered necessary for a fair statement of the information in conformity with U.S. GAAP have been included. The unaudited condensed consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2019, as presented herein, was derived from our audited consolidated balance sheet but does not include all disclosures required by U.S. GAAP. These unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and related notes included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019. The results of operations for the three months ended March 31, 2020 are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the full year. The U.S. dollar is the functional currency for all of our operations except for our Canadian operations, 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. Recently Adopted Accounting Standards – 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 we are the lessor. For operating leases as a lessor, the minimum lease payments received are recognized as lease income on a straight-line basis over the lease term and the leased asset continues to be accounted for in accordance with Topic 360 within property and equipment, net in the condensed consolidated balance sheet. We adopted this new leasing guidance effective January 1, 2019. In June 2016, the FASB issued an accounting standards update on measurement of credit losses on financial instruments. The new guidance requires us to measure all expected credit losses for financial instruments held at the reporting date based on historical experience, current conditions and reasonable and supportable forecasts. The new standard is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019, including all interim periods within those years. We adopted ASU 2016-13 as of January 1, 2020. The adoption of this guidance and recognition of a loss allowance at an amount equal to expected credit losses for accounts receivable was not material and did not result in a transition adjustment to retained earnings. For more information regarding credit losses, see Note 2. 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 capitalized implementation costs of a hosting arrangement that is a service contract will be expensed over the term of the hosting arrangement. We adopted this new guidance on January 1, 2020 prospectively with respect to all implementation costs incurred after the date of adoption. There was no material impact on our consolidated financial statements. In August 2018, the FASB issued an accounting standards update to eliminate certain disclosure requirements for fair value measurements for all entities, require public entities to disclose certain new information and modify certain disclosure requirements. The FASB developed the amendments to Topic 820 as part of its broader disclosure framework project, which aims to improve the effectiveness of disclosures in the notes to financial statements by focusing on requirements that clearly communicate the most important information to users of the financial statements. We adopted this new guidance on January 1, 2020 and there was no material impact on our consolidated financial statements. Recently Issued Accounting Standards – In December 2019, the FASB issued an accounting standards update to simplify the accounting for income taxes. The amendments in the update are effective for public business entities for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2020, with early adoption permitted. We plan to adopt this guidance on January 1, 2021 and are currently evaluating the impact of adoption on our consolidated financial statements.

Basis of Presentation

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2020

Organization Consolidation And Presentation Of Financial Statements [Abstract]

1. Basis of Presentation

Basis of presentation – The unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Patterson-UTI Energy, Inc. and its wholly-owned subsidiaries (collectively referred to herein as “we,” “us,” “our,” “ours” and like terms). All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated. Except for wholly-owned subsidiaries, we have no controlling financial interests in any other entity which would require consolidation. As used in these notes, “we,” “us,” “our,” “ours” and like terms refer 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 unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared by us pursuant to the rules and regulations of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”) have been omitted pursuant to such rules and regulations, although we believe the disclosures included either on the face of the financial statements or herein are sufficient to make the information presented not misleading. In the opinion of management, all recurring adjustments considered necessary for a fair statement of the information in conformity with U.S. GAAP have been included. The unaudited condensed consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2019, as presented herein, was derived from our audited consolidated balance sheet but does not include all disclosures required by U.S. GAAP. These unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and related notes included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019. The results of operations for the three months ended March 31, 2020 are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the full year.

The U.S. dollar is the functional currency for all of our operations except for our Canadian operations, 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.

Recently Adopted Accounting Standards – 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 we are the lessor. For operating leases as a lessor, the minimum lease payments received are recognized as lease income on a straight-line basis over the lease term and the leased asset continues to be accounted for in accordance with Topic 360 within property and equipment, net in the condensed consolidated balance sheet. We adopted this new leasing guidance effective January 1, 2019.

In June 2016, the FASB issued an accounting standards update on measurement of credit losses on financial instruments. The new guidance requires us to measure all expected credit losses for financial instruments held at the reporting date based on historical experience, current conditions and reasonable and supportable forecasts. The new standard is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019, including all interim periods within those years. We adopted ASU 2016-13 as of January 1, 2020. The adoption of this guidance and recognition of a loss allowance at an amount equal to expected credit losses for accounts receivable was not material and did not result in a transition adjustment to retained earnings. For more information regarding credit losses, see Note 2.

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 capitalized implementation costs of a hosting arrangement that is a service contract will be expensed over the term of the hosting arrangement. We adopted this new guidance on January 1, 2020 prospectively with respect to all implementation costs incurred after the date of adoption. There was no material impact on our consolidated financial statements.

In August 2018, the FASB issued an accounting standards update to eliminate certain disclosure requirements for fair value measurements for all entities, require public entities to disclose certain new information and modify certain disclosure requirements. The FASB developed the amendments to Topic 820 as part of its broader disclosure framework project, which aims to improve the effectiveness of disclosures in the notes to financial statements by focusing on requirements that clearly communicate the most important information to users of the financial statements. We adopted this new guidance on January 1, 2020 and there was no material impact on our consolidated financial statements.

Recently Issued Accounting Standards – In December 2019, the FASB issued an accounting standards update to simplify the accounting for income taxes. The amendments in the update are effective for public business entities for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2020, with early adoption permitted. We plan to adopt this guidance on January 1, 2021 and are currently evaluating the impact of adoption on our consolidated financial statements.