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v2.4.1.9

Stock-Settled Performance Units (Detail) (Performance Units Awards) | 3 Months Ended
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Mar. 31, 2015
2014 |
Share Based Compensation Arrangement By Share Based Payment Award [Line Items] |
Target number of shares | 154,000 pten_PerformanceAwardTargetNumberOfShares / us-gaap_AwardDateAxis = pten_YearTwentyFourteenMember / us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis = us-gaap_PerformanceSharesMember
2013 |
Share Based Compensation Arrangement By Share Based Payment Award [Line Items] |
Target number of shares | 236,500 pten_PerformanceAwardTargetNumberOfShares / us-gaap_AwardDateAxis = pten_YearTwentyThirteenMember / us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis = us-gaap_PerformanceSharesMember
2012 |
Share Based Compensation Arrangement By Share Based Payment Award [Line Items] |
Target number of shares | 192,000 pten_PerformanceAwardTargetNumberOfShares / us-gaap_AwardDateAxis = pten_YearTwentyTwelveMember / us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis = us-gaap_PerformanceSharesMember
2011 |
Share Based Compensation Arrangement By Share Based Payment Award [Line Items] |
Target number of shares | 144,375 pten_PerformanceAwardTargetNumberOfShares / us-gaap_AwardDateAxis = pten_YearTwentyElevenMember / us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis = us-gaap_PerformanceSharesMember

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- Definition Performance award target number of shares. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | pten_PerformanceAwardTargetNumberOfShares
Namespace Prefix: | pten_
Data Type: | xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

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- Details
Name: | us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardLineItems
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration