<SEC-DOCUMENT>0001299933-11-003686.txt : 20111230
<SEC-HEADER>0001299933-11-003686.hdr.sgml : 20111230
<ACCEPTANCE-DATETIME>20111229192644
ACCESSION NUMBER:		0001299933-11-003686
CONFORMED SUBMISSION TYPE:	8-K
PUBLIC DOCUMENT COUNT:		2
CONFORMED PERIOD OF REPORT:	20111228
ITEM INFORMATION:		Other Events
ITEM INFORMATION:		Financial Statements and Exhibits
FILED AS OF DATE:		20111230
DATE AS OF CHANGE:		20111229

FILER:

	COMPANY DATA:	
		COMPANY CONFORMED NAME:			PATTERSON UTI ENERGY INC
		CENTRAL INDEX KEY:			0000889900
		STANDARD INDUSTRIAL CLASSIFICATION:	DRILLING OIL & GAS WELLS [1381]
		IRS NUMBER:				752504748
		STATE OF INCORPORATION:			DE
		FISCAL YEAR END:			1231

	FILING VALUES:
		FORM TYPE:		8-K
		SEC ACT:		1934 Act
		SEC FILE NUMBER:	000-22664
		FILM NUMBER:		111287678

	BUSINESS ADDRESS:	
		STREET 1:		4510 LAMESA HWY
		STREET 2:		P O DRAWER 1416
		CITY:			SNYDER
		STATE:			TX
		ZIP:			79549
		BUSINESS PHONE:		9155731104

	MAIL ADDRESS:	
		STREET 1:		P O DRAWER 1416
		CITY:			SNYDER
		STATE:			TX
		ZIP:			79550

	FORMER COMPANY:	
		FORMER CONFORMED NAME:	PATTERSON ENERGY INC
		DATE OF NAME CHANGE:	19940228
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<TYPE>8-K
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<DESCRIPTION>LIVE FILING
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<TITLE> Patterson-UTI Energy, Inc. (Form: 8-K) </TITLE>
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		UNITED STATES<BR>
	SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
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	WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
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	FORM 8-K
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	CURRENT REPORT
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	Pursuant to Section&nbsp;13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
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	Date of Report (Date of Earliest Event Reported):
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	&nbsp;
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	December 28, 2011
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	Patterson-UTI Energy, Inc.
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	(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
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	Delaware
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	0-22664
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	75-2504748
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_____________________<BR>
	(State or other jurisdiction
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_____________<BR>
	(Commission
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______________<BR>
	(I.R.S. Employer
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	of incorporation)
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	File Number)
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	Identification No.)
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	450 Gears Road, Suite 500, Houston, Texas
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	77067
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_________________________________<BR>
	(Address of principal executive offices)
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___________<BR>
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	Registrant&#146;s telephone number, including area code:
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	281-765-7100
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	Not Applicable
<BR>______________________________________________<BR>
	Former name or former address, if changed since last report
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	&nbsp;
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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:</FONT>
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[&nbsp;&nbsp;]&nbsp;&nbsp;Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)<br>
[&nbsp;&nbsp;]&nbsp;&nbsp;Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)<br>
[&nbsp;&nbsp;]&nbsp;&nbsp;Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))<br>
[&nbsp;&nbsp;]&nbsp;&nbsp;Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))<br>
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	Item 8.01 Other Events.
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On December 28, 2011, Patterson-UTI Energy, Inc. (the "Company") determined that it would retire 31 of its drilling rigs in December 2011.  The Company expects to incur pretax impairment charges of approximately $11.3 million (or an estimated $7.1 million after-tax) from the retirement of these rigs. The Company does not expect that the impairment charges will result in future cash expenditures.
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	Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits.
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(d) Exhibits<br><br>99.1 Press release issued by the Company dated December 29, 2011.<br>
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	SIGNATURES
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	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.
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	Patterson-UTI Energy, Inc.
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	December 29, 2011
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	By:
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	/s/John E. Vollmer III
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	Name: John E. Vollmer III
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	Title: Senior Vice President-Corporate Development, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer
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	Exhibit&nbsp;Index
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	Exhibit No.
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	99.1
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Press release issued by the Company dated December 29, 2011.
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<P align="right" style="font-size: 10pt"><FONT style="font-size: 12pt"><B>Exhibit&nbsp;99.1</B></FONT>



<P align="left" style="font-size: 12pt">Contact: John E. Vollmer III
<BR>
Chief Financial Officer
<BR>
Patterson-UTI Energy, Inc.
<BR>
(281)&nbsp;765-7100


<P align="center" style="font-size: 12pt"><FONT style="font-size: 14pt"><B>Patterson-UTI Energy Retiring Thirty-One Drilling Rigs</B></FONT>



<P align="left" style="font-size: 14pt"><FONT style="font-size: 12pt"><B>HOUSTON, Texas &#150; December&nbsp;29, 2011 &#150; PATTERSON-UTI ENERGY, INC. (NASDAQ: PTEN) </B>today announced
that it is retiring thirty-one of its drilling rigs in December&nbsp;2011. The rigs being retired have
an average rating of 735 horsepower and thirty of the rigs are mechanically powered. The Company
expects to incur pretax impairment charges of approximately $11.3&nbsp;million (or an estimated $7.1
million after-tax) from the retirement of these rigs. Although some components may be sold at
auction, the Company expects that the majority of the components of these rigs will be transferred
to spare parts inventory to support other rigs in the fleet.
</FONT>

<P align="left" style="font-size: 12pt"><B>About Patterson-UTI</B>


<P align="left" style="font-size: 12pt">Patterson-UTI Energy, Inc. subsidiaries provide onshore contract drilling and pressure pumping
services to exploration and production companies in North America. Patterson-UTI Drilling Company
LLC has approximately 330 marketable land-based drilling rigs that operate primarily in the oil and
natural gas producing regions of Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi,
Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, Montana, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio and western
Canada. Universal Pressure Pumping, Inc. and Universal Well Services, Inc. provide pressure pumping
services primarily in Texas and the Appalachian region.


<P align="left" style="font-size: 12pt"><I>Statements made in this press release which state the Company&#146;s or management&#146;s intentions,
beliefs, expectations or predictions for the future are forward-looking statements. It is important
to note that actual results could differ materially from those discussed in such forward-looking
statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include, but are
not limited to, deterioration of global economic conditions, declines in oil and natural gas prices
that could adversely affect demand for the Company&#146;s services, and their associated effect on
rates, utilization, margins and planned capital expenditures, excess availability of land drilling
rigs and pressure pumping equipment, including as a result of reactivation or construction,
adverse industry conditions, adverse credit and equity market conditions, difficulty in integrating
acquisitions, shortages of equipment and materials, governmental regulation and ability to retain
management and field personnel. Additional information concerning factors that could cause actual
results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements is contained from time to
time in the Company&#146;s SEC filings, which may be obtained by contacting the Company or the SEC.
These filings are also available through the Company&#146;s web site at or through the SEC&#146;s Electronic
Data Gathering and Analysis Retrieval System (EDGAR)&nbsp;at http://www.sec.gov. We undertake no
obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement.</I>



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