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Business Segments - Depreciation, Amortization and Improvement (Detail) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Depreciation, depletion, amortization and impairment	$ 718,730pten_DepreciationDepletionAmortizationAndImpairment	$ 597,469pten_DepreciationDepletionAmortizationAndImpairment	$ 526,614pten_DepreciationDepletionAmortizationAndImpairment
Operating Segments | Contract Drilling
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Depreciation, depletion, amortization and impairment	524,023pten_DepreciationDepletionAmortizationAndImpairment / us-gaap_ConsolidationItemsAxis = us-gaap_OperatingSegmentsMember / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = pten_ContractDrillingMember	438,728pten_DepreciationDepletionAmortizationAndImpairment / us-gaap_ConsolidationItemsAxis = us-gaap_OperatingSegmentsMember / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = pten_ContractDrillingMember	390,316pten_DepreciationDepletionAmortizationAndImpairment / us-gaap_ConsolidationItemsAxis = us-gaap_OperatingSegmentsMember / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = pten_ContractDrillingMember
Operating Segments | Pressure Pumping
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Depreciation, depletion, amortization and impairment	147,595pten_DepreciationDepletionAmortizationAndImpairment / us-gaap_ConsolidationItemsAxis = us-gaap_OperatingSegmentsMember / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = pten_PressurePumpingMember	129,984pten_DepreciationDepletionAmortizationAndImpairment / us-gaap_ConsolidationItemsAxis = us-gaap_OperatingSegmentsMember / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = pten_PressurePumpingMember	111,062pten_DepreciationDepletionAmortizationAndImpairment / us-gaap_ConsolidationItemsAxis = us-gaap_OperatingSegmentsMember / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = pten_PressurePumpingMember
Operating Segments | Oil And Natural Gas
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Depreciation, depletion, amortization and impairment	42,576pten_DepreciationDepletionAmortizationAndImpairment / us-gaap_ConsolidationItemsAxis = us-gaap_OperatingSegmentsMember / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = pten_OilAndNaturalGasMember	24,400pten_DepreciationDepletionAmortizationAndImpairment / us-gaap_ConsolidationItemsAxis = us-gaap_OperatingSegmentsMember / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = pten_OilAndNaturalGasMember	21,417pten_DepreciationDepletionAmortizationAndImpairment / us-gaap_ConsolidationItemsAxis = us-gaap_OperatingSegmentsMember / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = pten_OilAndNaturalGasMember
Corporate and other
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Depreciation, depletion, amortization and impairment	$ 4,536pten_DepreciationDepletionAmortizationAndImpairment / us-gaap_ConsolidationItemsAxis = us-gaap_CorporateNonSegmentMember	$ 4,357pten_DepreciationDepletionAmortizationAndImpairment / us-gaap_ConsolidationItemsAxis = us-gaap_CorporateNonSegmentMember	$ 3,819pten_DepreciationDepletionAmortizationAndImpairment / us-gaap_ConsolidationItemsAxis = us-gaap_CorporateNonSegmentMember

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- Definition

Depreciation depletion amortization and impairment.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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