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Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Equity Instruments Other than Options, Vested and Expected to Vest, Outstanding, Number

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Share based compensation arrangement by share based payment award performance period.

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Stock issued during period shares issued for settlement.

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Period which an employee's right to exercise an award is no longer contingent on satisfaction of either a service condition, market condition or a performance condition, in 'PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents the reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days.

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General descriptive information regarding an arrangement under which employees and directors receive: (a) awards of equity shares, equity share options, or other equity instruments; or (b) the entity incurs liabilities to them: (1) in amounts based, at least in part, on the price of the entity's shares or other equity instruments; or (2) that require or may require settlement by issuance of the entity's shares. Such an arrangement is usually provided to employees and directors to compensate them, provide performance incentives to them, and to attract or retain their services. May also include pertinent information particular to a plan that is not elsewhere specified in the taxonomy.

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Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

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The maximum number of shares (or other type of equity) originally approved (usually by shareholders and board of directors), net of any subsequent amendments and adjustments, for awards under the equity-based compensation plan. As stock or unit options and equity instruments other than options are awarded to participants, the shares or units remain authorized and become reserved for issuance under outstanding awards (not necessarily vested).

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The difference between the maximum number of shares (or other type of equity) authorized for issuance under the plan (including the effects of amendments and adjustments), and the sum of: 1) the number of shares (or other type of equity) already issued upon exercise of options or other equity-based awards under the plan; and 2) shares (or other type of equity) reserved for issuance on granting of outstanding awards, net of cancellations and forfeitures, if applicable.

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Net number of share options (or share units) granted during the period.

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- Definition

Amount by which the current fair value of the underlying stock exceeds the exercise price of options outstanding.

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Amount of difference between fair value of the underlying shares reserved for issuance and exercise price of vested portions of options outstanding and currently exercisable.

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Weighted average remaining contractual term for vested portions of options outstanding and currently exercisable or convertible, in 'PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents the reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days.

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Number of non-vested options outstanding.

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- Definition

Weighted average remaining contractual term for option awards outstanding, in 'PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents the reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days.

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Stock-based Compensation - Additional Information (Detail) - USD ($)	1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Apr. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Jun. 29, 2017
Share Based Compensation Arrangement By Share Based Payment Award [Line Items]
Number of stock option granted		0	0
Employee Stock Option
Share Based Compensation Arrangement By Share Based Payment Award [Line Items]
Options outstanding, aggregate intrinsic value		$ 0
Options outstanding, weighted-average remaining contractual term		4 years 18 days
Options exercisable, aggregate intrinsic value			$ 0
Options exercisable, weighted-average remaining contractual term			3 years 11 months 15 days
Outstanding non-vested options		138,881
Restricted Stock Awards
Share Based Compensation Arrangement By Share Based Payment Award [Line Items]
Outstanding non-vested restricted stock		423,000,000,000
Restricted Stock Units (RSUs)
Share Based Compensation Arrangement By Share Based Payment Award [Line Items]
Outstanding non-vested restricted stock		2,900,000
Performance Units Awards
Share Based Compensation Arrangement By Share Based Payment Award [Line Items]
Performance period		3 years
Basis of annual percentage exceeds		18.00%
Performance Units Awards \| 2015
Share Based Compensation Arrangement By Share Based Payment Award [Line Items]
Shares issued	381,200
Performance Units Awards \| Condition One [Member]
Share Based Compensation Arrangement By Share Based Payment Award [Line Items]
Award description		Generally, the recipients will receive a target number of shares if the Company’s total shareholder return during the performance period, when compared to the peer group, is at the 50th percentile. If the Company’s total shareholder return during the performance period, when compared to the peer group, is at the 75th percentile or higher, then the recipients will receive two times the target number of shares
Performance Units Awards \| Condition Two [Member]
Share Based Compensation Arrangement By Share Based Payment Award [Line Items]
Award description		if, during the two-year period ending March 31, 2018, the Company’s total shareholder return for any 30 consecutive day period equals or exceeds 18 percent on an annualized basis from April 1, 2013 through the last day of such 30 consecutive day period, and the recipient is actively employed by the Company through the last day of the extended performance period, then the Company will issue to the recipient the number of shares equal to the amount the recipient would have been entitled to receive had the Company’s total shareholder return been positive during the initial three-year performance period. The performance criteria for this extended period was not met and therefore there was no payout under the 2013 awards.
Amended and Restated Plan
Share Based Compensation Arrangement By Share Based Payment Award [Line Items]
Shares available for future issuance		2,471,800		10,049,156
Shares authorized for grant		18,900,000		18,900,000
Amended and Restated Plan \| Maximum
Share Based Compensation Arrangement By Share Based Payment Award [Line Items]
Option term		10 years
Amended and Restated Plan \| Non Employee Director
Share Based Compensation Arrangement By Share Based Payment Award [Line Items]
Awards vesting period		1 year
Amended and Restated Plan \| Employees
Share Based Compensation Arrangement By Share Based Payment Award [Line Items]
Awards vesting period		3 years
Patterson-UTI Energy, Inc. 2014 Long-Term Incentive Plan
Share Based Compensation Arrangement By Share Based Payment Award [Line Items]
Shares authorized for grant				9,100,000
Patterson-UTI Energy, Inc. 2005 Long-Term Incentive Plan \| Non Employee Director \| Employee Stock Option
Share Based Compensation Arrangement By Share Based Payment Award [Line Items]
Awards vesting period		1 year
Patterson-UTI Energy, Inc. 2005 Long-Term Incentive Plan \| Employees \| Employee Stock Option
Share Based Compensation Arrangement By Share Based Payment Award [Line Items]
Awards vesting period		3 years