Patterson-UTI Reports Drilling Activity for December 2025
Rhea-AI Summary
Patterson-UTI Energy (NASDAQ:PTEN) reported an average of 93 drilling rigs operating in the United States for December 2025 and for the three months ended December 31, 2025.
The company defines average drilling rigs operating as rigs earning revenue under a drilling contract in the United States and warns that rig counts are one of many factors that can affect operating results.
Patterson-UTI said it intends to continue providing monthly updates on drilling rigs operating shortly after each month-end.
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News Market Reaction
On the day this news was published, PTEN gained 4.95%, reflecting a moderate positive market reaction. Our momentum scanner triggered 4 alerts that day, indicating moderate trading interest and price volatility. This price movement added approximately $116M to the company's valuation, bringing the market cap to $2.45B at that time.
Data tracked by StockTitan Argus on the day of publication.
Key Figures
Market Reality Check
Peers on Argus
Several drilling peers showed notable moves, with SDRL up 5.75%, RIG up 5.66%, HP up 5.58%, and NBR up 5.58%, while SOC declined 4.77%, indicating mixed but generally positive momentum across the group.
Historical Context
| Date | Event | Sentiment | Move | Catalyst |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 09 | Rig activity update | Neutral | +2.2% | Reported average <b>93 rigs</b> in November and <b>94</b> over two months. |
| Nov 05 | Rig activity update | Neutral | +0.0% | Reported average <b>94 rigs</b> operating in the U.S. in October. |
| Oct 22 | Quarterly earnings | Neutral | +0.8% | Q3 2025 results with <b>$1.2B</b> revenue and net loss but ongoing shareholder returns. |
| Oct 06 | Earnings call notice | Neutral | +2.1% | Announced Q3 2025 earnings call on <b>Oct 23, 2025</b> with dial-in details. |
| Oct 03 | Rig activity update | Neutral | +4.5% | Reported average <b>93 rigs</b> in September and <b>95</b> over the quarter. |
Recent neutral operational and scheduling updates have generally coincided with modestly positive price reactions.
Over the last few months, Patterson-UTI has regularly reported U.S. rig activity, with averages of 93–95 rigs from September through November 2025, and each update emphasizing that rig counts alone do not predict financial performance. Alongside these, Q3 2025 results showed $1.2 billion in revenue and a net loss, while capital returns continued via dividends and buybacks. Today’s December 2025 rig count of 93 rigs fits this pattern of steady operational disclosure.
Market Pulse Summary
This announcement reports an average of 93 drilling rigs operating in the United States for December 2025 and the related quarter, consistent with recent monthly updates. The company reiterates that rig counts alone may not indicate financial performance, highlighting the need to watch future earnings, activity levels, and capital allocation. Recent results with multi-billion-dollar annualized revenue but continued net losses remain important context alongside these operational disclosures.
AI-generated analysis. Not financial advice.
HOUSTON, TEXAS / ACCESS Newswire / January 5, 2026 / PATTERSON-UTI ENERGY, INC. (NASDAQ:PTEN) today reported that for the month of December 2025, the Company had an average of 93 drilling rigs operating in the United States. For the three months ended December 31, 2025, the Company had an average of 93 drilling rigs operating in the United States.
Average drilling rigs operating reported in the Company's monthly announcements represent the average number of the Company's drilling rigs that were earning revenue under a drilling contract in the United States. The Company cautioned that numerous factors in addition to average drilling rigs operating can impact the Company's operating results and that a particular trend in the number of drilling rigs operating may or may not indicate a trend in or be indicative of the Company's financial performance. The Company intends to continue providing monthly updates on drilling rigs operating shortly after the end of each month.
About Patterson-UTI
Patterson-UTI is a leading provider of drilling and completion services to oil and natural gas exploration and production companies in the United States and other select countries, including contract drilling services, integrated well completion services and directional drilling services in the United States, and specialized drill bit solutions in the United States, Middle East and many other regions around the world. For more information, visit www.patenergy.com.
Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements which are protected as forward-looking statements under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that are not limited to historical facts, but reflect Patterson-UTI's current beliefs, expectations or intentions regarding future events. Words such as "anticipate," "believe," "budgeted," "continue," "could," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "plan," "predict," "potential," "project," "pursue," "should," "strategy," "target," or "will," and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. The statements in this press release that are not historical statements, including statements regarding Patterson-UTI's future expectations, beliefs, plans, objectives, financial conditions, assumptions or future events or performance that are not historical facts, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. These statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond Patterson-UTI's control, which could cause actual results to differ materially from the results expressed or implied by the statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: adverse oil and natural gas industry conditions; global economic conditions, including inflationary pressures and risks of economic downturns or recessions in the United States and elsewhere; volatility in customer spending and in oil and natural gas prices that could adversely affect demand for Patterson-UTI's services and their associated effect on rates; excess availability of land drilling rigs, pressure pumping and directional drilling equipment, including as a result of reactivation, improvement or construction; competition and demand for Patterson-UTI's services; the impact of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine; strength and financial resources of competitors; utilization, margins and planned capital expenditures; liabilities from operational risks for which Patterson-UTI does not have and receive full indemnification or insurance; operating hazards attendant to the oil and natural gas business; failure by customers to pay or satisfy their contractual obligations (particularly with respect to fixed-term contracts); the ability to realize backlog; specialization of methods, equipment and services and new technologies, including the ability to develop and obtain satisfactory returns from new technology; the ability to retain management and field personnel; loss of key customers; shortages, delays in delivery, and interruptions in supply, of equipment and materials; cybersecurity events; synergies, costs and financial and operating impacts of acquisitions; difficulty in building and deploying new equipment; governmental regulation; climate legislation, regulation and other related risks; environmental, social and governance practices, including the perception thereof; environmental risks and ability to satisfy future environmental costs; technology-related disputes; legal proceedings and actions by governmental or other regulatory agencies; the ability to effectively identify and enter new markets; public health crises, pandemics and epidemics; weather; operating costs; expansion and development trends of the oil and natural gas industry; ability to obtain insurance coverage on commercially reasonable terms; financial flexibility; interest rate volatility; adverse credit and equity market conditions; availability of capital and the ability to repay indebtedness when due; our return of capital to stockholders; stock price volatility; and compliance with covenants under Patterson-UTI's debt agreements.
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 Patterson-UTI's SEC filings. Patterson-UTI's filings may be obtained by contacting Patterson-UTI or the SEC or through Patterson-UTI's website at http://www.patenergy.com or through the SEC's Electronic Data Gathering and Analysis Retrieval System (EDGAR) at http://www.sec.gov. Patterson-UTI undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement.
Contact:
Michael Sabella
Vice President, Investor Relations
(281) 885-7589
SOURCE: Patterson-UTI Energy
View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire
FAQ
How many drilling rigs did Patterson-UTI (PTEN) report for December 2025?
What period does the PTEN three-month average cover ending December 31, 2025?
How does Patterson-UTI define "average drilling rigs operating" in its December 2025 update?
Will PTEN continue to report monthly rig counts after December 2025?
Does PTEN say rig counts directly indicate future financial performance for December 2025?
Is the December 2025 rig count from Patterson-UTI a U.S.-only figure for PTEN?
