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Business Segments - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Customer
Dec. 31, 2013
Customer
Dec. 31, 2011
Customer
Segment Reporting Disclosure [Line Items]      
Number of reportable business segments 3us-gaap_NumberOfReportableSegments    
Long-lived assets 4,131,071,000us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentNet $ 3,635,541,000us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentNet  
Major Customer      
Segment Reporting Disclosure [Line Items]      
Revenues   286,000,000us-gaap_Revenues
/ us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis
= pten_MajorCustomerMember
 
Number of customers accounted for 10% or more of consolidated revenues 0pten_CustomersAccountingForTenPercentOrMoreOfNetRevenue
/ us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis
= pten_MajorCustomerMember
1pten_CustomersAccountingForTenPercentOrMoreOfNetRevenue
/ us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis
= pten_MajorCustomerMember
0pten_CustomersAccountingForTenPercentOrMoreOfNetRevenue
/ us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis
= pten_MajorCustomerMember
Major Customer | Revenues      
Segment Reporting Disclosure [Line Items]      
Percentage of sales revenues   10.50%us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskPercentage1
/ us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskByBenchmarkAxis
= us-gaap_SalesRevenueSegmentMember
/ us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis
= pten_MajorCustomerMember
 
Contract Drilling      
Segment Reporting Disclosure [Line Items]      
Marketable land-based drilling rigs 239pten_NumberOfMarketableLandBasedRigs
/ pten_TypeOfOperationsAxis
= pten_ContractDrillingMember
   
Canada | Contract Drilling      
Segment Reporting Disclosure [Line Items]      
Oil and gas services 87,500,000us-gaap_RevenueOilAndGasServices
/ us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis
= country_CA
/ pten_TypeOfOperationsAxis
= pten_ContractDrillingMember
86,600,000us-gaap_RevenueOilAndGasServices
/ us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis
= country_CA
/ pten_TypeOfOperationsAxis
= pten_ContractDrillingMember
79,400,000us-gaap_RevenueOilAndGasServices
/ us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis
= country_CA
/ pten_TypeOfOperationsAxis
= pten_ContractDrillingMember
Long-lived assets 57,600,000us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentNet
/ us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis
= country_CA
/ pten_TypeOfOperationsAxis
= pten_ContractDrillingMember
$ 69,100,000us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentNet
/ us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis
= country_CA
/ pten_TypeOfOperationsAxis
= pten_ContractDrillingMember