PATTERSON UTI ENERGY INC
PTEN
Energy
2
exclusion reasons
2 themes
This page is part of our public exclusion list — a transparency tool that shows which companies we screen out and why. It is not investment advice, and it is not an accusation. But it is subject to change as our understanding of the facts evolves.
Patterson-UTI Energy is an oilfield services company whose core business is the exploration and extraction of fossil fuels. The company provides contract drilling and pressure pumping services specifically to oil and gas producers, directly enabling upstream hydrocarbon production.
Evidence of a systemic safety failure in this line of work is documented. Between 2007 and 2017, a period of intense fossil fuel extraction, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) investigated 11 fatal accidents involving Patterson-UTI operations. OSHA found violations in 10 of those 11 cases. In one 2018 incident, the agency cited the company for six violations and proposed fines totaling $73,909. This pattern indicates operational risks inherent to the company's fossil fuel extraction activities.
Universal Pressure Pumping, Inc., a subsidiary of Patterson-UTI Energy, incurred a $27,377 environmental penalty in Texas in 2021 for regulatory violations. The company’s own risk disclosures in SEC filings acknowledge routine exposure to substantial liability for pollution, property damage, and environmental harm resulting from its drilling and pressure pumping operations. These services inherently involve the handling and disposal of toxic drilling byproducts, cuttings, and chemicals, which pose documented risks of soil and groundwater contamination if not managed properly. The company provides essential equipment and services for onshore oil and gas well development, an industrial process linked to land clearing, habitat disruption, and the generation of hazardous waste.
Research Sources
12 organizations
Related Exclusions
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Companies appear on our exclusion list based on our investment judgment — not because they've done anything illegal. This is a difference of values and opinion, not an accusation of wrongdoing. Exclusion does not constitute a recommendation against investing in any company, and absence from the list does not constitute a recommendation to invest.
This information is provided for educational and transparency purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice. Data is drawn from independent watchdogs, NGOs, government registries, and Ethical Capital's ongoing research — see Research Sources for the full list.
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