Share Based Compensation Arrangement by Share Based Payment Award, Awards Incentive Period

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Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Equity Instruments Other than Options, Vested and Expected to Vest, Outstanding, Number

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Share based compensation arrangement by share based payment award extended date for awards granted.

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Share based compensation arrangement by share based payment award performance period.

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Stock issued during period shares issued for settlement.

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Period over which grantee's right to exercise award under share-based payment arrangement is no longer contingent on satisfaction of service or performance condition, in 'PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days. Includes, but is not limited to, combination of market, performance or service condition.

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Description of terms of share-based payment arrangement. Includes, but is not limited to, type of award or grantee and reason for issuance.

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Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

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Number of shares authorized for issuance under share-based payment arrangement.

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The difference between the maximum number of shares (or other type of equity) authorized for issuance under the plan (including the effects of amendments and adjustments), and the sum of: 1) the number of shares (or other type of equity) already issued upon exercise of options or other equity-based awards under the plan; and 2) shares (or other type of equity) reserved for issuance on granting of outstanding awards, net of cancellations and forfeitures, if applicable.

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Net number of share options (or share units) granted during the period.

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Amount by which the current fair value of the underlying stock exceeds the exercise price of options outstanding.

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Amount of difference between fair value of the underlying shares reserved for issuance and exercise price of vested portions of options outstanding and currently exercisable.

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- Definition

Weighted average remaining contractual term for vested portions of options outstanding and currently exercisable or convertible, in 'PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents the reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days.

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Number of non-vested options outstanding.

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Weighted average remaining contractual term for option awards outstanding, in 'PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents the reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days.

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Stock-based Compensation - Additional Information (Detail) - USD ($)		1 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Jun. 06, 2019	Apr. 30, 2019	Apr. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Jun. 29, 2017	Apr. 17, 2014
Share Based Compensation Arrangement By Share Based Payment Award [Line Items]
Number of stock option granted				0	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				3 years 7 months 13 days
Options exercisable, aggregate intrinsic value				$ 0
Options exercisable, weighted-average remaining contractual term				3 years 7 months 6 days
Outstanding non-vested options				30,000
Restricted Stock Awards
Share Based Compensation Arrangement By Share Based Payment Award [Line Items]
Outstanding non-vested restricted stock				72,000
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
Performance Units Awards \| 2016
Share Based Compensation Arrangement By Share Based Payment Award [Line Items]
Shares issued		185,000
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				For the Performance Units granted in May 2017 and April 2018, 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. For the Performance Units granted in April 2019, the recipients will receive the target number of shares if the Company’s total shareholder return during the performance period, when compared to the peer group, is at the 55th 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.
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
Amended and Restated Plan
Share Based Compensation Arrangement By Share Based Payment Award [Line Items]
Shares authorized for grant	28,400,000			28,400,000
Shares available for future issuance	9,500,000			8,331,502			9,800,000
Extended date for awards granted	Jun. 06, 2029
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. 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