Yearend Reported Results

    SNYDER, Texas, Feb. 2 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- PATTERSON-UTI ENERGY, INC.
(Nasdaq: PTEN) today reported that for the month of January 2004 the Company
had a total of 5,790 drilling days, or an average of 187 drilling rigs
operating, including an average of 172 rigs in the U.S. and 15 rigs in Canada.
The Company noted that in some cases weather conditions prevent the Company
from moving drilling rigs to their next scheduled drilling location.  For the
month of January, the Company estimates that approximately 100 drilling days
(or an average of 3 rigs) were lost as a result of weather related delays in
moving rigs.  This estimate does not include drilling days lost due to weather
conditions that caused customers to delay preparation of drilling locations.
    Drilling days reported in our monthly announcements represent the number
of days in which a Patterson-UTI drilling rig was moving or operating under a
drilling contract.  This total will differ from monthly drilling days
considered in determining revenues and expenses for financial reporting
purposes because we use the completed contract method of accounting on turnkey
contracts for financial statement purposes.  Under the completed contract
method, revenues and expenses, along with the related drilling days associated
with turnkey contracts, are recorded in the period in which the turnkey
contract is completed.
    Additionally, the Company cautioned that numerous factors in addition to
drilling days can impact the Company's operating results and that a particular
trend in the number of drilling days may or may not indicate a trend in the
Company's financial performance.  The Company intends to continue providing
monthly updates on drilling days shortly after the end of each month.

    Yearend Reported Results
    Net income before cumulative effect of change in accounting principle was
$0.68 per diluted share for the year ended December 31, 2003.  The cumulative
effect of change in accounting principle was $(0.01) per diluted share in
2003.  Therefore, net income (after the cumulative effect of change in
accounting principle) was $0.67 per diluted share for the year ended December
31, 2003.  The Company's press release, dated January 29, 2004, did not
include the $(0.01) cumulative effect of change in accounting principle on net
income per diluted share for the year ended December 31, 2003.  This omission
did not affect other information contained in the January 29, 2004 press
release including reported net income for the three or twelve months ended
December 31, 2003 and reported net income per diluted share for the three
months ended December 31, 2003.

    About Patterson-UTI
    Patterson-UTI Energy, Inc. provides onshore contract drilling services to
exploration and production companies in North America.  The Company owns
343 land-based drilling rigs that operate primarily in the oil and natural gas
producing regions of Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Mississippi,
Colorado, Utah, Wyoming and western Canada.  Patterson-UTI Energy, Inc. is
also engaged in the businesses of pressure pumping services and drilling and
completion fluid services.  Additionally, the Company has a small exploration
and production business that is based in Texas.

    Statements made in this press release which state the Company's or
management's intentions, beliefs, expectations or predictions for the future
are forward-looking statements. It is important to note that actual results
could differ materially from those discussed in such forward-looking
statements.  Important factors that could cause actual results to differ
materially include, but are not limited to, declines in oil and natural gas
prices that could adversely affect demand for the Company's services, and
their associated effect on day rates, rig utilization and planned capital
expenditures, adverse industry conditions, difficulty in integrating
acquisitions, demand for oil and natural gas, and ability to retain management
and field personnel.  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 the Company's SEC filings.
Copies of these filings may be obtained by contacting the Company or the SEC.

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