Basis of Presentation	6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2021
Accounting Policies [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, 2020, 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, 2020. The results of operations for the six months ended June 30, 2021 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 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. 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 adopted this new guidance on January 1, 2021, and there was no material impact on our consolidated financial statements. Recently Issued Accounting Standards — In March 2020, the FASB issued an accounting standards update to provide temporary optional expedients that simplify the accounting for contract modifications to existing debt agreements expected to arise from the market transition from LIBOR to alternative reference rates. The amendments in the update are effective as of March 12, 2020 through December 31, 2022 and may be applied to contract modifications from the beginning of an interim period that includes or is subsequent to March 12, 2020. We plan to adopt this standard when LIBOR is discontinued, and we do not expect this new guidance will have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.

Basis of Presentation

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2021

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, 2020, 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, 2020. The results of operations for the six months ended June 30, 2021 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 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.

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 adopted this new guidance on January 1, 2021, and there was no material impact on our consolidated financial statements.

Recently Issued Accounting Standards — In March 2020, the FASB issued an accounting standards update to provide temporary optional expedients that simplify the accounting for contract modifications to existing debt agreements expected to arise from the market transition from LIBOR to alternative reference rates. The amendments in the update are effective as of March 12, 2020 through December 31, 2022 and may be applied to contract modifications from the beginning of an interim period that includes or is subsequent to March 12, 2020. We plan to adopt this standard when LIBOR is discontinued, and we do not expect this new guidance will have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.