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UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

Form 10-K

(MARK ONE)

FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2012

Or

FOR THE TRANSITION PERIOD FROM            TO 

COMMISSION FILE NUMBER 1-7573

PARKER DRILLING COMPANY

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code:

(281) 406-2000

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:

None

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.    Yes  ¨    No  þ

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act.    Yes  ¨    No  þ

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.    Yes  þ    No  ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files).    Yes  þ    No  ¨

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K.     þ

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act).    Yes  ¨    No  þ

The aggregate market value of our common stock held by non-affiliates on June 30, 2012 was $519.6 million. At February 26, 2013, there were 118,638,423 shares of common stock outstanding.

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

Portions of our definitive proxy statement for the Annual Meeting of Shareholders to be held on May 8, 2013 are incorporated by reference in Part III.

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PART I

General

Unless otherwise indicated, the terms “Company,” “Parker,” “we,” “us” and “our” refer to Parker Drilling Company together with its subsidiaries and “Parker Drilling” refers solely to the parent, Parker Drilling Company. The Company was incorporated in the state of Oklahoma in 1954 after having been established in 1934. In March 1976, the state of incorporation of the Company was changed to Delaware through the merger of the Oklahoma corporation into its wholly-owned subsidiary Parker Drilling Company, a Delaware corporation. Our principal executive offices are located at 5 Greenway Plaza, Suite 100, Houston, Texas 77046.

We are a provider of contract drilling and drilling-related services and currently operate in 12 countries. We have operated in over 50 foreign countries and the United States since beginning operations in 1934, making us among the most geographically experienced drilling contractors in the world. We have extensive experience and expertise in drilling geologically difficult wells and in managing the logistical and technological challenges of operating in remote, harsh and ecologically sensitive areas. We believe our quality, health, safety and environmental practices are leaders in our industry.

Our business is comprised of six segments: Rental Tools, U.S. Barge Drilling, U.S. Drilling, International Drilling, Technical Services, and Construction Contract.

Our Rental Tools Business

We provide premium rental tools for land and offshore oil and natural gas drilling and provide high-quality, reliable equipment used for drilling, workover and production applications, such as drill pipe, heavy-weight drill pipe, tubing, high-torque connections, blow-out preventers (BOPs), drill collars and more. Our rental tools business is headquartered in New Iberia, Louisiana. We also hold an inventory of rental tools and provide service to our customers from locations in Louisiana, Texas, Wyoming, North Dakota and West Virginia.

Our largest market for rental tools is U.S. land drilling, a cyclical market driven primarily by commodity pricing and availability of project financing. The increase in unconventional lateral drilling, often used in drilling shale formations, has added to the market demand for rental tools, keeping our current market focus in the regions of the primary shale plays. Based on industry information on rig use, we believe that our rental tools were used primarily in drilling for oil and liquids-rich natural gas in 2012. We also have a growing portion of our business that supplies tubular goods and other equipment to international and offshore Gulf of Mexico (GOM) customers.

Our principal customers are major and independent oil and natural gas exploration and production companies operating in the U.S. energy producing markets on land and in the GOM. Generally, rental tools are used for only a portion of a well drilling program and are requested by the customer when they are required. As a result, rental tools are usually rented on a daily or monthly basis, requiring us to keep a broad inventory in stock. For 2012, approximately 18 percent of revenues from our rental tools business were derived from equipment used in offshore and coastal water operations of the GOM. In addition, from our locations within the United States, we have provided rental tools to customers operating internationally. In 2012, we provided rental tools for use in Angola, Russia, Egypt, Mexico, Suriname, Turkey, Trinidad & Tobago, Singapore, Cameroon, Colombia, and Jordan, among others. During each of the years ended December 31, 2012, 2011 and 2010, approximately five percent of rental tools’ segment revenues were derived from equipment used in international applications, respectively.

Our U.S. Barge Drilling Business

Our U.S. Gulf of Mexico barge rig fleet is the largest marketed barge fleet in the GOM region, with rigs ranging from 1,000 to 3,000 horsepower with drilling depth capabilities ranging from 13,000 to over 30,000 feet. Our rigs drill for oil, natural gas, and a combination of oil and natural gas in the shallow waters in and along the inland waterways and coasts of Louisiana, Alabama and Texas. The barge drilling industry in the GOM is

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characterized by cyclical activity where utilization and dayrates are typically driven by current oil and natural gas prices and our customers’ access to project financing. Contract terms tend to be well-to-well or multi-well programs, with durations typically averaging 45 to 150 days. During periods of strong market demand, contract drilling terms may extend up to twelve months and longer.

We continue to make investments in our barge drilling fleet to increase its efficiency and safety performance. Our rigs are all equipped for zero-discharge operations and are suitable for a variety of drilling programs in coastal waters, particularly for deep shelf drilling.

Our U.S. Drilling Business

Our U.S. Drilling segment primarily consists of two new-design Arctic Alaska Drilling Unit (AADU) land rigs intended to address the challenges presented by the remote location, harsh climate and sensitive environment that characterize the Alaskan North Slope. The rigs include features in use in other applications but not currently available as a drilling package in Alaska and are expected to deliver improved drilling efficiency, operating consistency and safety in this very demanding setting. In early December 2012 we commenced drilling operations with the first rig. The second rig completed client acceptance testing and began drilling in February 2013.

The Alaskan North Slope drilling market is a focus of global and regional exploration and production (E&P) companies with active programs to develop the area’s hydrocarbon resources. In this market, drilling activity, and therefore production, is constrained by the existing limits of the infrastructure in place and the capabilities of existing aged technology. We believe our new-design rigs contribute to expanded drilling capabilities in this market for our customers.

In addition to the two AADU rigs, we have one land rig at our facility in New Iberia, Louisiana, that is currently being marketed for use in international markets.

Our International Drilling Business

Our international drilling business includes operations related to Parker-owned and operated rigs as well as customer-owned rigs. We strive to deploy our fleet of Parker-owned rigs in markets where we expect to have opportunities to keep the rigs regularly at work. In addition, we perform drilling-related activities for operators who own their drilling rigs and who choose to utilize our drilling experience and technical expertise to perform services on a contracted basis, including Operations and Maintenance (O&M) work, and other project management services (e.g., labor, maintenance, and logistics). We have ongoing O&M and project management activities in Sakhalin Island, Russia; Papua New Guinea; China; and Kuwait.

The international drilling markets in which we operate have one or more of the following characteristics:

Our Technical Services Business

Our technical services business primarily includes our engagement in concept development, pre-FEED (Front End Engineering Design), FEED and Engineering, Procurement, Construction and Installation (EPCI) projects that have the potential to evolve into future O&M opportunities. During the EPCI phase, we focus primarily on the drilling systems engineering, procurement, commissioning and installation and typically provide

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customer support during construction. Currently, we provide these services on the Berkut platform project for Exxon Neftegas Limited (ENL). Because these projects are customer-owned and customer-funded, the Technical Services business is non-capital intensive and helps to position the company for future potential growth in O&M work.

Our technical services business is also the Company’s engineering expertise center and provides our ongoing drilling businesses with services similar to those provided to our external customers; including engineering design, retrofitting of existing rigs, modification, upgrades and other technology related advancements.

Our Construction Contract Business

Our construction contract segment includes only the BP-owned Liberty extended-reach drilling rig construction project. In 2008, we commenced the construction phase of the Liberty project. In November 2010, BP suspended construction on the Liberty rig and our construction contract has expired. In addition, our O&M contract with respect to the Liberty rig expired on July 1, 2011.

For more information about the Liberty project, see Part II, Item 7—Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations — Other Matters — “Liberty Project Status.”

Our Strategy

Our strategy is to achieve and maintain market leadership in selected global markets as a provider of innovative, efficient and reliable drilling and drilling-related services; to grow our business through select investments in our core businesses, new assets and lines of business; and to achieve consistent execution excellence and exercise financial discipline. We are committed to achieving peak performance for our customers in routine or more conventional settings, as well as extreme and highly challenging environments through:

Achieving and Maintaining Market Leadership.     We believe we achieve and sustain the preference for our services by the quality, efficiency and dependability of our performance and its value to the customer. We achieve this by:

Growing Through Selective Investment.     We believe we can improve our competitive position and financial performance through investments in our core businesses and in new assets or lines of business that complement and expand our capabilities. We are focused on:

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Strive for Execution Excellence and Maintain Financial Discipline.     We believe we significantly enhance our operating and financial performance potential by how well we plan, execute and manage. Our operating culture is to align resources, responsibility and accountability with achievable objectives. Our management team has extensive experience in the industry and we work diligently to continue to attract new talent to the Company that can improve our management performance and provide for excellence in leadership in the future. We maintain strong financial controls and disciplines in all aspects of our business to ensure that we adhere to solid financial principles and provide attentive stewardship of our capital. These principles are intended to lead to consistency in operational performance, stronger-than-peer financial performance and value to our shareholders.

In 2013, our focus will be on specific goals that align with these strategies. These are intended to continue to improve our safety performance; manage the geopolitical risks associated with our asset deployment; improve financial returns from operations; improve the predictability and reliability of operational, planning and project management processes; and to continue to strengthen our enterprise talent.

Our Competitive Strengths

We differentiate ourselves from other providers of similar services by focusing on our core competencies and delivering premier and measurable results to our customers. We seek to provide our customers safe, reliable and efficient operations, and innovation in our products and services through these key focus areas:

Safety:    We believe industry-leading safety performance is a crucial factor in our status as a preferred drilling contractor and rental tools supplier. We have a portfolio of metrics and processes we utilize to reinforce and drive continuous improvement in safety and environmental performance.

We continue to have an outstanding safety record. In 2013, our Total Recordable Incident Rate (TRIR) was ahead of our targeted goal with more than 70 percent of our facilities reporting zero recordable injuries throughout 2013. Our TRIR has been below the industry average for more than ten years, with rates averaging significantly less than the industry average since 2004. We believe our safety record, along with integrated quality, health, safety, and environmental (HSE), maintenance and supply chain management programs, has contributed to our success in obtaining drilling contracts, as well as contracts to manage and provide labor resources for drilling rigs owned by third parties.

Personnel Development and Training:    The challenges of our business are magnified when considering the technological requirements of our work and our customers. We have invested significant resources to provide a full curriculum of standardized training to overcome barriers to working safely and operating efficiently. Our training centers in Louisiana and Alaska provide safety and technical training curricula in four different languages and provide regulatory compliance training throughout the world. We also provide structured training programs and on-site instruction to our customers and clients in the use of equipment we furnish as rental tools. We are committed to ongoing training and to developing best-in-class processes for quickly and effectively developing and deploying the most qualified and highly trained industry workers.

Technology:    Applying new technology to create greater efficiencies in the drilling process lies at the heart of our competitive edge. We have a nearly 80-year legacy of applying new technologies for drilling in challenging environments and a demonstrated history of technological leadership within the drilling industry. Our previous contributions to the industry include the patented heli-hoist rig design, winterized rigs on wheels for arctic drilling, and an arctic-class barge rig to explore the Caspian Sea. We have established extended reach drilling depth records on several occasions. Our new-design arctic class land rigs, designed for drilling on the Alaskan North Slope, are intended to increase drilling efficiency, consistency and safety in the extreme climate and harsh conditions of the arctic environment. Our rental tools business focuses on premium equipment, maintained to high standards, that complements advanced drilling technologies like those developed to exploit oil and natural gas deposits in shale.

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Performance:    A primary aim is to provide services that benefit both our customers and our company. We strive to achieve this by planning, executing and measuring our performance against our goals and our customers’ expectations. We utilize performance metrics in our business and regularly share them with our customers. Our planned maintenance programs, including preventive maintenance to facilitate dependable operating efficiency and minimize down time, helps to establish us as a contractor of choice. Our management team has extensive experience in the energy services and oil and gas drilling industries and utilizes this experience to set performance standards and assess the performance of our operations and individual employees.

Customers

Our customer base consists of major, independent and national oil and natural gas companies and integrated service providers. We depend on a limited number of significant customers. In 2012, our two largest customers, Exxon Neftegas Limited (ENL) and Schlumberger, accounted for approximately 11.8 percent and 10.4 percent, respectively, of our total revenues.

Competition

We operate in highly competitive businesses characterized by high capital requirements, continuously rigorous technological challenges, evolving regulatory requirements and challenges in securing and retaining qualified field personnel.

In international land markets, we compete with a number of international drilling contractors as well as local contractors. Most contracts are awarded on a competitive bidding basis and operators often consider technical expertise and quality of equipment in addition to price. Although local drilling contractors typically have lower labor and mobilization costs, we are generally able to distinguish ourselves from these companies based on our technical expertise, safety performance, quality of service, planned maintenance and experience. In international markets, our experience in operating in challenging environments has been a significant factor in securing contracts. We believe the market for drilling contracts will continue to be highly competitive with continued focus on efficiency and quality.

In the GOM barge drilling markets, we are awarded most contracts through a competitive bidding process. We have achieved some success in differentiating ourselves from competitors through our drilling performance, upgraded fleet, planned maintenance programs, well-trained and experienced crews and safety record. This strategy has resulted in safer and more efficient operations and we believe these are important factors in contract awards.

In the U.S. rental tools market we compete with suppliers both larger and smaller than our own business, some of which are parts of larger enterprises. We believe our rental tools business is one of the leading rental tools companies in the U.S. oil and natural gas drilling markets. Our rental tools business, competes against other rentals tool companies based on its breadth of inventory, the availability and price of its product and its quality of service.

Contracts

Most drilling contracts are awarded based on competitive bidding. The rates specified in drilling contracts vary depending upon the type of rig employed, equipment and services supplied, geographic location, term of the contract, competitive conditions and other variables. Our contracts generally provide for an operating dayrate during drilling operations, with lower rates for periods of equipment downtime, customer stoppage, adverse weather or other conditions, and no payment when certain conditions continue beyond contractually established parameters. When a rig mobilizes to or demobilizes from an operating area, the contract typically provides for a different dayrate or specified fixed payments during the mobilization or demobilization. The terms of most of our contracts are based on either a specified period of time or the time required to drill a specified number of wells. The contract term in some instances may be extended by the customer exercising options for an additional time period or for the drilling of additional wells, or by exercising a right of first refusal. Most of our contracts allow termination by the customer prior to the end of the term without penalty under certain circumstances, such as the

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loss of or major damage to the drilling unit or other events that cause the suspension of drilling operations beyond a specified period of time. Certain of our contracts require the customer to pay an early termination fee if the customer terminates a contract before the end of the term without cause, but in the remainder of the contracts the customer has the discretion to terminate the contract without cause prior to the end of the term without penalty.

Rental tools contracts are typically on a dayrate basis with rates based on type of equipment, investment and competitive conditions. Rental rates generally apply from the time the equipment leaves our facility until it is returned. Rental contracts generally require the customer to pay for lost, lost-in-hole or damaged equipment.

Technical Services contracts include engineering, consulting, and project management scopes of work and are typically on a time and materials basis.

Seasonality

Our rigs in the GOM are subject to severe weather during certain periods of the year, particularly during hurricane season from June through November, which could halt operations for prolonged periods or limit contract opportunities during that period. In addition, mobilization, demobilization, or well-to-well movements of rigs in arctic regions can be affected by seasonal changes in weather or weather so severe the conditions are deemed unsafe to operate in.

Insurance and Indemnification

Our operations are subject to hazards inherent in the drilling industry, such as blowouts, reservoir damage, loss of production, loss of well control, lost or stuck drill strings, equipment defects, craterings, fires, explosions, pollution, and damage or loss during transportation. These hazards can cause personal injury or loss of life, severe damage to or destruction of property and equipment and pollution damage, which could lead to claims by third parties or customers, suspension of operations and contract terminations. Some of our fleet is also subject to hazards inherent in marine operations, either while on-site or during mobilization, such as capsizing, sinking, grounding, collision, damage from severe weather and marine life infestations.

Our contracts provide for varying levels of indemnification between ourselves and our customers, including with respect to well control and subsurface risks. We also maintain insurance for personal injuries, damage to or loss of equipment and other insurance coverage for various business risks. Our insurance policies are typically 12-month policy periods.

Our insurance program provides coverage, to the extent not otherwise paid by the customer under the indemnification provisions of the drilling contract, for liability due to control-of-well events and liability arising from third-party claims, including wrongful death and other personal injury claims by our personnel as well as claims brought on behalf of individuals who are not our employees. Generally, our program provides liability coverage up to $200 million, with a retention of $1 million or less.

Control-of-well events generally include an unintended flow from the well that cannot be contained by using equipment on site (e.g., a BOP), by increasing the weight of drilling fluid or by diverting the fluids safely into production. Our insurance program provides coverage for third-party liability claims relating to pollution from a control-of-well event up to $200 million per occurrence. A separate limit of $10 million exists to cover the costs of re-drilling of the well and control-of-well costs under a Contingent Operators Extra Expense policy. Remediation plans are in place to prevent the spread of pollutants and our insurance program provides coverage for removal, response and remedial actions. Our insurance program also provides coverage for liability resulting from pollution events originating from our rigs up to $200 million per occurrence. We retain the risk for liability not indemnified by the customer below the retention and in excess of our insurance coverage. In addition, our insurance program covers only sudden and accidental pollution.

Based upon a Company risk assessment and due to the high cost, high self-insured retention and limited coverage insurance for windstorms in the GOM, we do not purchase windstorm insurance for our barge rigs in the GOM. We elected not to purchase such insurance. Although, we have retained the risk for physical loss or damage for these rigs arising from a named windstorm we have procured insurance coverage for removal of a wreck caused by a windstorm.

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Our contracts provide for varying levels of indemnification from our customers and may require us to indemnify our customers. Under our contracts liability with respect to personnel and property is customarily assigned on a “knock-for-knock” basis, which means that we and our customers customarily assume liability for our respective personnel and property regardless of fault. However, in certain contracts we may assume liability for damage to our customer’s property and other third-party property on the rig resulting from our negligence, subject to negotiated caps per occurrence, and in other contracts we are not indemnified by our customers for damage to their property and, accordingly, could be liable for any such damage under applicable law. In addition, our customers typically indemnify us for damage to our equipment down-hole, and in some cases our subsea equipment, generally based on replacement cost minus some level of depreciation.

Our customers typically assume responsibility for and indemnify us from any loss or liability resulting from pollution, including clean-up and removal and third-party damages, arising from operations under the contract and originating below the surface of the land or water, including as a result of blow-outs or cratering of the well. In some contracts, however, we may have liability for damages resulting from such pollution or contamination caused by our negligence, gross negligence, or, in some cases, ordinary negligence.

We generally indemnify the customer for legal and financial consequences of spills of industrial waste, lubricants, solvents and other contaminants (other than drilling fluid) on the surface of the land or water originating from our rigs or equipment. We typically require our customers to retain liability for spills of drilling fluid (sometimes called “mud”) which circulates down-hole to the drill bit, lubricates the bit and washes debris back to the surface. Drilling fluid often contains a mixture of synthetics, the exact composition of which is prescribed by the customer based on the particular geology of the well being drilled.

The above description of our insurance program and the indemnification provisions typically found in our contracts is only a summary as of the date hereof and is general in nature. Our insurance program and the terms of our contracts may change in the future. In addition, the indemnification provisions of our contracts may be subject to differing interpretations, and enforcement of those provisions may be limited by public policy and other considerations.

If any of the aforementioned operating hazards results in substantial liability and our insurance and contractual indemnification provisions are unavailable or insufficient, our financial condition, operating results or cash flows may be materially adversely affected.

Employees

The following table sets forth the composition of our employee base:

Environmental Considerations

Our operations are subject to numerous federal, state, local and foreign laws and regulations governing the discharge of materials into the environment or otherwise relating to environmental protection. Numerous foreign and domestic governmental agencies, such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), issue regulations to implement and enforce such laws, which often require difficult and costly compliance measures that carry substantial administrative, civil and criminal penalties or may result in injunctive relief for failure to comply. These laws and regulations may require the acquisition of a permit before drilling commences; restrict the types, quantities and concentrations of various substances that can be released into the environment in connection with drilling and production activities; limit or prohibit construction or drilling activities on certain

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lands lying within wilderness, wetlands, ecologically sensitive and other protected areas; require remedial action to clean up pollution from former operations; and impose substantial liabilities for pollution resulting from our operations. Changes in environmental laws and regulations occur frequently, and any changes that result in more stringent and costly compliance could adversely affect our operations and financial position, as well as those of similarly situated entities operating in the same markets. While our management believes that we comply with current applicable environmental laws and regulations, there is no assurance that compliance can be maintained in the future.

As an owner or operator of both onshore and offshore facilities, including mobile offshore drilling rigs in or near waters of the United States, we may be liable for the costs of clean up and damages arising out of a pollution incident to the extent set forth in the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (commonly known as the Clean Water Act (CWA), as amended by the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA); the Clean Air Act (CAA); the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA); the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA); the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA); Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act (EPCRA); Hazardous Materials Transportation Act (HMTA) and comparable state laws, each as may be amended from time to time. In addition, we may also be subject to applicable state law and other civil claims arising out of any such incident.

The OPA and regulations promulgated pursuant thereto impose a variety of regulations on “responsible parties” related to the prevention of spills of oil or other hazardous substances and liability for damages resulting from such spills. “Responsible parties” include the owner or operator of a vessel, pipeline or onshore facility, or the lessee or permittee of the area in which an offshore facility is located. The OPA assigns liability of oil removal costs and a variety of public and private damages to each responsible party.

The OPA liability for a mobile offshore drilling rig is determined by whether the unit is functioning as a vessel or is in place and functioning as an offshore facility. If operating as a vessel, liability limits of $1,000 per gross ton or $854,400, whichever is greater, apply. If functioning as an offshore facility, the mobile offshore drilling rig is considered a “tank vessel” for spills of oil or hazardous substances on or above the water surface, with liability limits of $3,200 per gross ton or $23.5 million, whichever is greater. To the extent damages and removal costs exceed this amount, the mobile offshore drilling rig will be treated as an offshore facility and the offshore lessee will be responsible up to higher liability limits for all removal costs plus $75.0 million. The party must reimburse all removal costs actually incurred by a governmental entity for actual or threatened oil or hazardous substance discharges associated with any Outer Continental Shelf facilities, without regard to the limits described above. A party also cannot take advantage of liability limits if the spill was caused by gross negligence or willful misconduct or resulted from violation of a federal safety, construction or operating regulation. If the party fails to report a spill or to cooperate fully in the cleanup, liability limits likewise do not apply.

Few defenses exist to the liability imposed by the OPA. The OPA also imposes ongoing requirements on a responsible party, including proof of financial responsibility, for offshore facilities and vessels in excess of 300 gross tons (to cover at least some costs in a potential spill) and preparation of an oil spill contingency plan for offshore facilities and vessels. The OPA requires owners and operators of offshore facilities that have a worst case oil or hazardous substance spill potential of more than 1,000 barrels to demonstrate financial responsibility in amounts ranging from $10.0 million in specified state waters to $35.0 million in federal Outer Continental Shelf waters, with higher amounts, up to $150.0 million, in certain limited circumstances where the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) believes such a level is justified by the risks posed by the quantity or quality of oil or hazardous substance that is handled by the facility. For “tank vessels,” as our offshore drilling rigs are typically classified, the OPA requires owners and operators to demonstrate financial responsibility in the amount of their largest vessel’s liability limit, as those limits are described in the preceding paragraph. Failure to comply with ongoing requirements or inadequate cooperation in a spill may subject a responsible party to civil or criminal enforcement actions.

The OCSLA authorizes regulations relating to safety and environmental protection applicable to lessees and permittees operating on the Outer Continental Shelf. Specific design and operational standards may apply to Outer Continental Shelf vessels, rigs, platforms, vehicles and structures. Violations of environmentally related

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lease conditions or regulations issued pursuant to the OCSLA can result in substantial civil and criminal penalties as well as potential court injunctions curtailing operations and the cancellation of leases. Such enforcement liabilities can result from either governmental or citizen prosecution.

Our operating U.S. barge drilling rigs are designed to achieve zero-discharge as required by law, such as CWA. In addition, in recognition of environmental concerns regarding dredging of inland waters and permitting requirements, we conduct negligible dredging operations, with approximately two-thirds of our offshore drilling contracts involving directional drilling, which minimizes the need for dredging. However, the existence of such laws and regulations (e.g., Section 404 of the CWA, Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act, etc.) has had and will continue to have a restrictive effect on us and our customers.

Our operations are also governed by laws and regulations related to workplace safety and worker health, primarily the Occupational Safety and Health Act and regulations promulgated thereunder. In addition, various other governmental and quasi-governmental agencies require us to obtain certain miscellaneous permits, licenses and certificates with respect to our operations. The kind of permits, licenses and certificates required by our operations depend upon a number of factors. We believe we have the necessary permits, licenses and certificates that are material to the conduct of our existing business.

CERCLA (also known as “Superfund”) and comparable state laws impose liability without regard to fault or the legality of the original conduct, on certain classes of persons who are considered to be responsible for the release of a “hazardous substance” into the environment. While CERCLA exempts crude oil from the definition of hazardous substances for purposes of the statute, our operations may involve the use or handling of other materials that may be classified as hazardous substances. CERCLA assigns strict liability to a broad class of potentially responsible parties for all response and remediation costs, as well as natural resource damages. In addition, persons responsible for release of hazardous substances under CERCLA may be subject to joint and several liability for the cost of cleaning up the hazardous substances released into the environment and for damages to natural resources. Few defenses exist to the liability imposed by CERCLA.

RCRA and comparable state laws regulate the management of wastes. Current RCRA regulations specifically excludes from the definition of hazardous waste “drilling fluids, produced waters, and other wastes associated with the exploration, development or production of crude oil, natural gas or geothermal energy.” However, these wastes may be regulated by EPA or state agencies as solid waste. Moreover, ordinary industrial wastes, such as paint wastes, spent solvents, laboratory wastes, and used oils, may be regulated as hazardous waste. Although the costs of managing solid and hazardous wastes may be significant, we do not expect to experience more burdensome costs than similarly situated companies involved in drilling operations in the Gulf Coast market.

The CAA, comparable state laws, and implementing regulations restrict the emission of air pollutants from various sources, and may require us to obtain permits for the construction, modification, or operation of certain projects or facilities and utilize specific equipment or technologies to control emissions. For example, the EPA has adopted regulations known as “RICE MACT” that require the use of “maximum achievable control technology” to reduce formaldehyde and other emissions from certain stationary reciprocating internal combustion engines, which can include portable engines used to power drilling rigs.

Recent scientific studies have suggested that emissions of certain gases, commonly referred to as “greenhouse gases” (GHGs) and which include carbon dioxide and methane, may be contributing to the warming of the atmosphere resulting in climate change. In response to such studies, the issue of climate change and the effect of GHG emissions, in particular emissions from fossil fuels, are attracting increasing attention worldwide. Legislative and regulatory measures to address concerns that emissions of GHGs are contributing to climate change are in various phases of discussions or implementation at international, national, regional and state levels.

In 2005, the Kyoto Protocol to the 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which establishes a binding set of emission targets for GHGs, became binding on all those countries that had ratified it. International discussions are currently underway to develop a treaty to replace the Kyoto Protocol after its expiration in 2020. In the United States, federal legislation imposing restrictions on GHGs is under consideration. Proposed legislation has been introduced that would establish an economy-wide cap on emissions of GHGs and would require most sources of GHG emissions to obtain GHG emission “allowances” corresponding to their

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annual emissions. Legislation has also been considered that would establish taxes tied to GHG emissions. In addition, the EPA is taking steps to regulate GHGs as pollutants under the CAA. To-date, the EPA has issued (i) a “Mandatory Reporting of Greenhouse Gases” final rule, which establishes a new comprehensive scheme requiring operators of stationary sources (including certain oil and natural gas production systems) in the United States emitting more than established annual thresholds of carbon dioxide-equivalent GHGs to inventory and report their GHG emissions annually; (ii) an “Endangerment Finding” final rule, effective January 14, 2010 which states that current and projected concentrations of six key GHGs in the atmosphere, as well as emissions from new motor vehicles and new motor vehicle engines, threaten public health and welfare, which allowed the EPA to finalize motor vehicle GHG standards (the effect of which could reduce demand for motor fuels refined from crude oil); and (iii) a final rule, effective August 2, 2010, to address permitting of GHG emissions from stationary sources under the CAA’s Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) and Title V programs. This final rule “tailors” the PSD and Title V programs to apply to certain stationary sources of GHG emissions in a multi-step process, with the largest sources first subject to permitting.

Because our business depends on the level of activity in the oil and natural gas industry, existing or future laws, regulations, treaties or international agreements related to GHGs and climate change, including incentives to conserve energy or use alternative energy sources, could have a negative impact on our business if such laws, regulations, treaties or international agreements reduce the worldwide demand for oil and natural gas or otherwise result in reduced economic activity generally. In addition, such laws, regulations, treaties or international agreements could result in increased compliance costs or additional operating restrictions, which may have a negative impact on our business. In addition to potential impacts on our business directly or indirectly resulting from climate-change legislation or regulations, our business also could be negatively affected by climate-change related physical changes or changes in weather patterns. An increase in severe weather patterns could result in damages to or loss of our rigs, impact our ability to conduct our operations and result in a disruption of our customers’ operations.

FINANCIAL INFORMATION ABOUT INDUSTRY SEGMENTS AND GEOGRAPHIC AREAS

We operate in six segments:    Rental Tools, U.S. Barge Drilling, U.S. Drilling, International Drilling, Technical Services and Construction Contract. Information about our reportable segments and operations by geographic areas for the years ended December 31, 2012, 2011 and 2010 is set forth in Note 12 in the notes to the consolidated financial statements included in Item 8 of this report.

EXECUTIVE OFFICERS

Officers are elected each year by the board of directors following the annual meeting for a term of one year and until the election and qualification of their successors. The current executive officers of the Company and their ages, positions with the Company and business experience are presented below:

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Other Parker Drilling Company Officers

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Available Information

We make available free of charge on our website at www.parkerdrilling.com our annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K and amendments to those reports as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file such material with, or furnish such material to, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Additionally, these reports are available on an Internet website maintained by the SEC at www.sec.gov.

ITEM 1A.     RISK FACTORS

Our businesses involve a high degree of risk. You should consider carefully the risks and uncertainties described below and the other information included in this Form 10-K, Item 7, Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations and Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data. While these are the risks and uncertainties we believe are most important for you to consider, you should know that they are not the only risks or uncertainties facing us or which may adversely affect our business. If any of the following risks or uncertainties actually occurs, our business, financial condition or results of operations could be adversely affected.

Risks Related to Our Business

Volatile oil and natural gas prices impact demand for our services. A decrease in demand for crude oil and natural gas or other factors may reduce demand for our services and substantially reduce our profitability or result in losses.

The success of our operations is significantly dependent upon the exploration and development activities of the major, independent and national oil and natural gas companies and large integrated service companies that comprise our customer base. Oil and natural gas prices and market expectations regarding potential changes in these prices can be extremely volatile. Increases or decreases in oil and natural gas prices and expectations of future prices could have an impact on our customers’ long-term exploration and development activities, which in turn could materially affect our business and financial performance. Higher commodity prices do not necessarily result immediately in increased drilling activity because our customers’ expectations of future commodity prices typically drive demand for our drilling services.

Commodity prices and demand for our services also depends upon numerous factors which are beyond our control, including:

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The 2010 drilling rig accident in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico and its consequences may continue to adversely affect our operations.

On April 22, 2010, the Deepwater Horizon, a deepwater drilling rig that was operating in the U.S. GOM, sank after an apparent blowout and fire (Macondo well blowout). The Macondo well blowout resulted in a temporary moratorium on certain drilling activities in the GOM, drilling delays after the lifting of the moratorium and increased federal regulation. For example, the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) has issued regulations that require each operator to conduct a specific review of its operations and to certify compliance to the BSEE that mandate independent third-party verifications, that impose blowout preventer capability, testing and documentation obligations, and that outline standards for specific well control training for deepwater operations. The BSEE has noted that it may impose additional regulations and has stated that it has the legal authority to extend its regulatory reach to include contractors in addition to operators.

The Macondo well blowout and the resulting moratorium and increased regulation resulted in longer times to obtain required permits and significantly reduced offshore drilling operations in the GOM, which negatively affected our Rental Tools segment. Significant continuing delay in the issuance of drilling permits, the possibility of additional regulations and government oversight and the possibility of increased legal liability could cause additional floating rigs to depart the GOM, with fewer customers operating in the region. If this were to occur, the market for our rental tools and other services could be further adversely affected.

A slow recovery from an economic recession or a slowdown in economic activity may result in lower demand for our drilling and drilling related services and rental tools business, and could have a material adverse effect on our business.

A slow recovery from an economic recession in the United States or abroad, or a slowdown in economic activity could lead to uncertainty in corporate credit availability and capital market access and could reduce worldwide demand for energy and result in lower crude oil and natural gas prices. Our business depends to a significant extent on the level of international onshore drilling activity and GOM inland and offshore drilling activity for oil and natural gas. Depressed oil and natural gas prices from lower demand as a result of slow or negative economic growth would reduce the level of exploration, development and production activity, all of which could cause our revenues and margins to decline, decrease day rates and utilization of our rigs and limit our future growth prospects. Any significant decrease in dayrates or utilization of our rigs or use of our rental tools could materially reduce our revenue and profitability. In addition, current and potential customers who depend on financing for their drilling projects may be forced to curtail or delay projects and may also experience an inability to pay suppliers and service providers, including us. Likewise, a slow recovery from an economic recession in the United States or abroad could also impact our vendors’ and suppliers’ ability to meet obligations to provide materials and services in general. All of these factors could have a material adverse effect on our business and financial results.

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Rig upgrade, refurbishment and construction projects are subject to risks and uncertainties, including delays and cost overruns, which could have an adverse impact on our results of operations and cash flows.

We regularly make significant expenditures in connection with upgrading and refurbishing our rig fleet. These activities include planned upgrades to maintain quality standards, routine maintenance and repairs, changes made at the request of customers, and changes made to comply with environmental or other regulations. Rig upgrade, refurbishment and construction projects are subject to the risks of delay or cost overruns inherent in any large construction project, including the following:

Any one of the above risks could adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations. Delays in the delivery of rigs being constructed or undergoing upgrade, refurbishment or repair may, in many cases, delay commencement of a drilling contract resulting in a loss of revenue to us, and may also cause our customer to renegotiate the drilling contract for the rig or terminate or shorten the term of the contract under applicable late delivery clauses, if any. If one of these contracts is terminated, we may not be able to secure a replacement contract on as favorable terms, if at all. Additionally, actual expenditures for required upgrades or to refurbishment or construct rigs could exceed our planned capital expenditures, impairing our ability to service our debt obligations.

Failure to attract and retain skilled and experienced personnel could affect our operations.

We require skilled, trained and experienced personnel to provide our customers with the highest quality technical services and support for our drilling operations. We compete with other oilfield services businesses and other employers to attract and retain qualified personnel with the technical skills and experience we require. Competition for skilled labor and other labor required for our operations intensifies as the number of rigs activated or added to worldwide fleets or under construction increases, creating upward pressure on wages. In periods of high utilization, we have found it more difficult to find and retain qualified individuals. A shortage in the available labor pool of skilled workers or other general inflationary pressures or changes in applicable laws and regulations could make it more difficult for us to attract and retain personnel and could require us to enhance

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our wage and benefits packages. Increases in our operating costs could adversely affect our business and financial results. Moreover, the shortages of qualified personnel or the inability to obtain and retain qualified personnel could negatively affect the quality, safety and timeliness of our operations.

Our debt levels and debt agreement restrictions may limit our liquidity and flexibility in obtaining additional financing and in pursuing other business opportunities.

As of December 31, 2012, we had:

Our ability to meet our debt service obligations depends on our ability to generate positive cash flows from operations. We have in the past, and may in the future, incur negative cash flows from one or more segments of our operating activities. Our future cash flows from operating activities will be influenced by the demand for our drilling services, the utilization of our rigs, the dayrates that we receive for our rigs, demand for our rental tools, general economic conditions and financial, business and other factors affecting our operations, many of which are beyond our control.

If we are unable to service our debt obligations, we may have to take one or more of the following actions:

Additional indebtedness or equity financing may not be available to us in the future for the refinancing or repayment of existing indebtedness, or if available, such additional indebtedness or equity financing may not be available on a timely basis, or on terms acceptable to us and within the limitations specified in our then existing debt instruments. In addition, in the event we decide to sell assets, we can provide no assurance as to the timing of any asset sales or the proceeds that could be realized by us from any such asset sale. Our ability to generate sufficient cash flow from operating activities to pay the principal of and interest on our indebtedness is subject to certain market conditions and other factors which are beyond our control.

Increases in the level of our debt and restrictions in the covenants contained in the instruments governing our debt could have important consequences to you. For example, they could:

Our current operations and future growth may require significant additional capital, and the amount of our indebtedness could impair our ability to fund our capital requirements.

Our business requires substantial capital. Currently, we anticipate that our capital expenditures in 2013 will be between $150 to $175 million, including between $90 to $105 million for maintenance projects and investments in rental tools equipment. We may require additional capital in the event of growth opportunities, unanticipated maintenance requirements or significant departures from our current business plan.

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Additional financing may not be available on a timely basis or on terms acceptable to us and within the limitations contained in the indentures governing the 9.125% Senior Notes and the documentation governing our senior secured credit facility. Failure to obtain additional financing, should the need for it develop, could impair our ability to fund capital expenditure requirements and meet debt service requirements and could have an adverse effect on our business.

Certain of our contracts are subject to cancellation or delay by our customers without penalty and with little or no notice.

Certain of our contracts are subject to cancellation by our customers without penalty and with relatively little or no notice. When drilling market conditions are depressed, a customer may no longer need a rig that is currently under contract or may be able to obtain a comparable rig at a lower dayrate. Further, due to government actions, a customer may no longer be able to operate in, or it may not be economical to operate in, certain regions. As a result, customers may leverage their termination rights in an effort to renegotiate contract terms.

Our customers may also seek to terminate drilling contracts if we experience operational problems. If our equipment fails to function properly and cannot be repaired promptly, we will not be able to engage in drilling operations, and customers may have the right to terminate the drilling contracts. If a rig is not timely delivered to a customer or does not pass acceptance testing, a customer may in certain circumstances have the right to terminate the contract. Even the payment of a termination fee may not fully compensate us for the loss of the contract. Early termination of a contract may result in a rig being idle for an extended period of time. The likelihood that a customer may seek to terminate a contract is increased during periods of market weakness. The cancellation or renegotiation of a number of our drilling contracts could materially reduce our revenue and profitability.

We rely on a small number of customers and the loss of a significant customer could adversely affect us.

A substantial percentage of our revenues are generated from a relatively small number of customers and the loss of a significant customer could adversely affect us. In 2012, our two largest customers, Exxon Neftegas Limited (ENL) and Schlumberger, accounted for approximately 11.8 percent and 10.4 percent, respectively of our total revenues. Each of our segments depends on a limited number of key customers and the loss of any one or more key customers could have a material adverse effect on a segment. Our consolidated results of operations could be adversely affected if any of our significant customers terminate their contracts with us, fail to renew our existing contracts or refuse to award new contracts to us.

The contract drilling and the rental tools businesses are highly competitive and cyclical, with intense price competition.

The contract drilling and rental tools markets are highly competitive and many of our competitors in both the contract drilling and rental tools business may possess greater financial resources than we do. Some of our competitors also are incorporated in countries that may provide them with significant tax advantages that are not available to us as a U.S. company and which may impair our ability to compete with them for many projects.

Contract drilling companies compete primarily on a regional basis, and competition may vary significantly from region to region at any particular time. Many drilling and workover rigs can be moved from one region to another in response to changes in levels of activity, provided market conditions warrant, which may result in an oversupply of rigs in an area. Many competitors have constructed numerous rigs during periods of high energy prices and, consequently, the number of rigs available in some of the markets in which we operate has exceeded the demand for rigs for extended periods of time, resulting in intense price competition. Most drilling and workover contracts are awarded on the basis of competitive bids, which also results in price competition. Historically, the drilling service industry has been highly cyclical, with periods of high demand, limited rig supply and high dayrates often followed by periods of low demand, excess rig supply and low dayrates. Periods of low demand and excess rig supply intensify the competition in the industry and often result in rigs being idle for long periods of time. During periods of decreased demand we typically experience significant reductions in dayrates and utilization. The Company, or its competition, may move rigs from one geographic location to

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another location; the cost of which may be substantial. If we experience reductions in dayrates or if we cannot keep our rigs operating, our financial performance will be adversely impacted. Prolonged periods of low utilization and dayrates could result in the recognition of impairment charges on certain of our rigs if future cash flow estimates, based upon information available to management at the time, indicate that the carrying value of these rigs may not be recoverable.

Our international operations are subject to governmental regulation and other risks.

We derive a significant portion of our revenues from our international operations. In 2012, we derived approximately 43 percent of our revenues from operations in countries outside the United States. Our international operations are subject to the following risks, among others:

We currently have operations in 12 countries. Our operations are subject to interruption, suspension and possible expropriation due to terrorism, war, civil disturbances, political and capital instability and similar events, and we have previously suffered loss of revenue and damage to equipment due to political violence. Civil and political disturbances in Syria, Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and other North African countries may affect our operations. During the fourth quarter of 2012 we began the process of moving two rigs out of Algeria and repositioning them for work in other markets. We may not be able to obtain insurance policies covering risks associated with these types of events, especially political violence coverage, and such policies may only be available with premiums that are not commercially justifiable.

Our international operations are subject to the laws and regulations of a number of foreign countries whose political, regulatory and judicial systems and regimes may differ significantly from those in the United States. Our ability to compete in international contract drilling markets may be adversely affected by foreign governmental regulations and/or policies that favor the awarding of contracts to contractors in which nationals of those foreign countries have substantial ownership interests or by regulations requiring foreign contractors to employ citizens of, or purchase supplies from, a particular jurisdiction. Furthermore, our foreign subsidiaries may face governmentally imposed restrictions or fees from time to time on the transfer of funds to us.

In addition, tax and other laws and regulations in some foreign countries are not always interpreted consistently among local, regional and national authorities, which often results in disputes between us and

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governing authorities. The ultimate outcome of these disputes is never certain, and it is possible that the outcomes could have an adverse effect on our financial performance.

A portion of the workers we employ in our international operations are members of labor unions or otherwise subject to collective bargaining. We may not be able to hire and retain a sufficient number of skilled and experienced workers for wages and other benefits that we believe are commercially reasonable.

We may experience currency exchange losses where revenues are received or expenses are paid in nonconvertible currencies or where we do not take protective measures against exposure to a foreign currency. We may also incur losses as a result of an inability to collect revenues because of a shortage of convertible currency available to the country of operation, controls over currency exchange or controls over the repatriation of income or capital. Given the international scope of our operations, we are exposed to risks of currency fluctuation and restrictions on currency repatriation. We attempt to limit the risks of currency fluctuation and restrictions on currency repatriation where possible by obtaining contracts payable in U.S. dollars or freely convertible foreign currency. In addition, some parties with which we do business could require that all or a portion of our revenues be paid in local currencies. Foreign currency fluctuations, therefore, could have a material adverse effect upon our results of operations and financial condition.

The shipment of goods, services and technology across international borders subjects us to extensive trade laws and regulations. Our import activities are governed by the unique customs laws and regulations in each of the countries where we operate. Moreover, many countries, including the U.S., control the export and re-export of certain goods, services and technology and impose related export recordkeeping and reporting obligations. Governments may also impose economic sanctions against certain countries, persons and other entities that may restrict or prohibit transactions involving such countries, persons and entities. The laws and regulations concerning import activity, export recordkeeping and reporting, export control and economic sanctions are complex and constantly changing. These laws and regulations can cause delays in shipments and unscheduled operational downtime. Moreover, any failure to comply with applicable legal and regulatory trading obligations could result in criminal and civil penalties and sanctions, such as fines, imprisonment, debarment from governmental contracts, seizure of shipments and loss of import and export privileges.

We are not fully insured against all risks associated with our business.

We ordinarily maintain insurance against certain losses and liabilities arising from our operations. However, we do not insure against all operational risks in the course of our business. Due to the high cost, high self-insured retention and limited coverage insurance for windstorms in the GOM we do not purchase windstorm insurance for our inland barges in the GOM. We elected not to purchase such insurance. Although, we have retained the risk for physical loss or damage for these rigs arising from a named windstorm we have procured insurance coverage for removal of a wreck caused by a windstorm. The occurrence of an event that is not fully covered by insurance could have a material adverse impact on our business activities, financial position and results of operations.

We are subject to hazards customary for drilling operations, which could adversely affect our financial performance if we are not adequately indemnified or insured.

Substantially all of our operations are subject to hazards that are customary for oil and natural gas drilling operations, including blowouts, reservoir damage, loss of well control, cratering, oil and natural gas well fires and explosions, natural disasters, pollution and mechanical failure. Our offshore operations also are subject to hazards inherent in marine operations, such as capsizing, sinking, grounding, collision and damage from severe weather conditions. Any of these risks could result in damage to or destruction of drilling equipment, personal injury and property damage, suspension of operations or environmental damage. We have had accidents in the past demonstrating some of these hazards. We may not be able to insure against these risks or to obtain indemnification agreements to adequately protect us against liability from all of the consequences of the hazards and risks described above. The occurrence of an event not fully insured or for which we are not indemnified against, or the failure of a customer or insurer to meet its indemnification or insurance obligations, could result in substantial losses. In addition, insurance may not continue to be available to cover any or all of these risks. For

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example, pollution, reservoir damage and environmental risks generally are not fully insurable. Even if such insurance is available, insurance premiums or other costs may rise significantly in the future, so to make the cost of such insurance prohibitive. For a description of our indemnification obligations and insurance, please read Item 1. “Business — Insurance and Indemnification.”

Certain areas in and near the GOM are subject to hurricanes and other extreme weather conditions. When operating in and near the GOM, our drilling rigs and rental tools may be located in areas that could cause them to be susceptible to damage or total loss by these storms. In addition, damage caused by high winds and turbulent seas to our rigs, our shore bases and our corporate infrastructure could potentially cause us to curtail operations for significant periods of time until the effects of the damages can be repaired. In addition, our rigs in arctic regions can be affected by seasonal weather so severe, conditions are deemed unsafe to operate in.

Although not a hazard specific to our drilling operations, we could incur significant liability in the event of loss or damage to proprietary data of operators or third parties during our transmission of this valuable data.

Government regulations and environmental risks, which reduce our business opportunities and increase our operating costs, might become more stringent in the future.

Government regulations control and often limit access to potential markets and impose extensive requirements concerning employee privacy and safety, environmental protection, pollution control and remediation of environmental contamination. Environmental regulations, including species protections, prohibit access to some locations and make others less economical, increase equipment and personnel costs, and often impose liability without regard to negligence or fault. In addition, governmental regulations, such as those related to climate change, may discourage our customers’ activities, reducing demand for our products and services. We may be liable for damages resulting from pollution of offshore waters and, under United States regulations, must establish financial responsibility in order to drill offshore. See Part I, Business, “Environmental Considerations.”

Regulation of greenhouse gases and climate change could have a negative impact on our business.

Some scientific studies have suggested that emissions of certain gases, commonly referred to as “greenhouse gases” (GHGs) and including carbon dioxide and methane, may be contributing to warming of the earth’s atmosphere and other climatic changes. In response to such studies, the issue of climate change and the effect of GHG emissions, in particular emissions from fossil fuels, is attracting increasing attention worldwide. Legislative and regulatory measures to address concerns that emissions of GHGs are contributing to climate change are in various phases of discussions or implementation at the international, national, regional and state levels.

In 2005, the Kyoto Protocol to the 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which establishes a binding set of emission targets for GHGs, became binding on the countries that had ratified it. International discussions are underway to develop a treaty to replace the Kyoto Protocol after its expiration in 2020. In the United States, federal legislation imposing restrictions on GHGs is under consideration. In addition, the EPA is taking steps to regulate GHGs as pollutants under the Clean Air Act (the CAA). To date, the EPA has issued (i) a “Mandatory Reporting of Greenhouse Gases” final rule, which establishes a new comprehensive scheme requiring operators of stationary sources (including certain oil and natural gas production systems) in the United States emitting more than established annual thresholds of carbon dioxide-equivalent GHGs to inventory and report their GHG emissions annually; (ii) an “Endangerment Finding” final rule, effective January 14, 2010, which states that current and projected concentrations of six key GHGs in the atmosphere, as well as emissions from new motor vehicles and new motor vehicle engines, threaten public health and welfare, which allowed the EPA to finalize motor vehicle GHG standards (the effect of which could reduce demand for motor fuels refined from crude oil); and (iii) a final rule, effective August 2, 2010, to address permitting of GHG emissions from stationary sources under the CAA’s Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) and Title V programs. This final rule “tailors” the PSD and Title V programs to apply to certain stationary sources of GHG emissions in a multi-step process, with the largest sources first subject to permitting.

Because our business depends on the level of activity in the oil and natural gas industry, existing or future laws, regulations, treaties or international agreements related to GHGs and climate change, including incentives

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to conserve energy or use alternative energy sources, could have a negative impact on our business if such laws, regulations, treaties or international agreements reduce the worldwide demand for oil and natural gas or otherwise result in reduced economic activity generally. In addition, such laws, regulations, treaties or international agreements could result in increased compliance costs or additional operating restrictions, which may have a negative impact on our business. In addition to potential impacts on our business directly or indirectly resulting from climate-change legislation or regulations, our business also could be negatively affected by climate-change related physical changes or changes in weather patterns. An increase in severe weather patterns could result in damages to or loss of our rigs, impact our ability to conduct our operations and/or result in a disruption of our customers’ operations.

We are regularly involved in litigation, some of which may be material.

We are regularly involved in litigation, claims and disputes incidental to our business, which at times may involve claims for significant monetary amounts, some of which would not be covered by insurance. We undertake all reasonable steps to defend ourselves in such lawsuits. Nevertheless, we cannot predict the ultimate outcome of such lawsuits and any resolution which is adverse to us could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition. See Note 13, “Commitments and Contingencies,” in Item 8 of this Form 10-K for a discussion of the material legal proceedings affecting us.

The proposed agreement in principle with the Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission relating to investigations of our possible violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act may not become final in its proposed form and could be materially more adverse to us than currently anticipated.

As previously disclosed, we have engaged in settlement discussions with the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) and the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) related to parallel investigations that they conducted regarding possible violations of U.S. law, including the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), by us. We have reached an agreement in principle with the DOJ and the staff of the SEC to settle these matters. The agreement in principle is contingent upon the parties’ preparation and agreement on the language of the settlement documents, approval of the SEC’s civil settlement by its governing Commission and approval by a United States District Court. There can be no assurance that this proposed settlement will be finalized, or finalized on the terms currently agreed in principle, and we cannot provide assurances regarding if and when the court and/or the SEC’s governing Commission will approve the settlement.

If one or both of these approvals do not occur, the Company may enter further discussions with the DOJ and/or the SEC to resolve the investigated matters on different terms and conditions; such terms and conditions could include any of a broad range of civil and criminal sanctions under the FCPA and other laws and regulations, which they may seek to impose against corporations and individuals in appropriate circumstances. These include, but are not limited to, injunctive relief, disgorgement, fines, penalties and modifications to business practices and compliance programs. Any such disgorgement, fines, penalties, interest and other associated costs could be materially higher than the amounts that we have currently accrued. The DOJ and the SEC have entered into agreements with, and obtained a range of sanctions against, several public corporations and individuals arising from allegations of improper payments and deficiencies in books and records and internal controls, whereby civil and criminal penalties were imposed. Recent civil and criminal settlements have included multi-million dollar fines, deferred prosecution agreements, guilty pleas, and other sanctions, including the requirement that the relevant corporation retain a monitor to oversee its compliance with the FCPA. In addition, corporations may have to end or modify existing business relationships. The Company could also face fines, sanctions and other penalties imposed by other regulatory authorities or in other legal actions. Any such fines, sanctions or penalties could impact the Company’s business operations and assets, particularly in jurisdictions outside the United States, and could have a material adverse impact on our business, results of operations, financial condition and liquidity.

Increased regulation of hydraulic fracturing could result in reductions or delays in drilling and completing new oil and natural gas wells, which could adversely impact the demand for rental tools.

Hydraulic fracturing is a process sometimes used in the completion of oil and natural gas wells whereby water, sand and chemicals are injected under pressure into subsurface formations to stimulate natural gas and, to

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a lesser extent, oil production. Various governmental entities (within and outside the United States) are in the process of studying, restricting, regulating, or preparing to regulate hydraulic fracturing, directly and indirectly. For example, several state governments now require the disclosure of chemicals used in the fracturing process. The U.S. EPA has taken the position that some hydraulic fracturing operations are subject to permitting requirements under the Safe Drinking Water Act; has proposed new air emissions standards that would apply to well completion activities; is developing new standards for wastewater discharges associated with hydraulic fracturing; and has commenced a study on the impacts of hydraulic fracturing on groundwater. The Bureau of Land Management is also in the process of developing regulations for hydraulic fracturing activities that would be unique to federal lands. In addition, some jurisdictions have imposed an express or de facto ban on hydraulic fracturing. These and other developments could cause operational delays or increased costs in exploration and production, which could adversely affect the demand for our rental tools.

A cybersecurity incident could negatively impact our business and our relationships with customers.

If our systems for protecting against cybersecurity risks prove not to be sufficient, we could be adversely affected by, among other things, loss or damage of intellectual property, proprietary information, or customer data, having our business operations interrupted, and increased costs to prevent, respond to, or mitigate cybersecurity attacks. These risks could have a material adverse effect on our business, consolidated results of operations, and consolidated financial condition.

Risks Related to Our Common Stock

The market price of our common stock has fluctuated significantly.

The market price of our common stock may continue to fluctuate in response to various factors and events, most of which are beyond our control, including the following:

A hostile takeover of our company would be difficult.

Some of the provisions of our Restated Certificate of Incorporation and of the Delaware General Corporation Law may make it difficult for a hostile suitor to acquire control of our company and to replace our incumbent management. For example, our Restated Certificate of Incorporation provides for a staggered Board of Directors and permits the Board of Directors, without stockholder approval, to issue additional shares of common stock or a new series of preferred stock.

Risks Related to our Debt Securities

We may not be able to repurchase our 9.125% Senior Notes upon a change of control.

Upon the occurrence of specific change of control events affecting us, the holders of our 9.125% Senior Notes will have the right to require us to repurchase our notes at 101 percent of their principal amount, plus

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accrued and unpaid interest. Our ability to repurchase our notes upon such a change of control event would be limited by our access to funds at the time of the repurchase and the terms of our other debt agreements. Upon a change of control event, we may be required immediately to repay the outstanding principal, any accrued interest on and any other amounts owed by us under our senior secured credit facilities, our notes and other outstanding indebtedness. The source of funds for these repayments would be our available cash or cash generated from other sources. However, we may not have sufficient funds available upon a change of control to make any required repurchases of this outstanding indebtedness.

In addition, the change of control provisions in the indenture governing our 9.125% Senior Notes may not protect the holders of our notes from certain important corporate events, such as a leveraged recapitalization (which would increase the level of our indebtedness), reorganization, restructuring, merger or other similar transaction, unless such a transaction constitutes a “Change of Control” under the indenture. Such a transaction may not involve a change in voting power or beneficial ownership or, even if it does, may not involve a change that constitutes a “Change of Control” as defined in the indenture that would trigger our obligation to repurchase the notes. Therefore, if an event occurs that does not constitute a “Change of Control” as defined in the indenture, we will not be required to make an offer to repurchase the notes and the holders may be required to continue to hold their notes despite the event.

The indenture for our 9.125% Senior Notes and our senior secured credit agreement impose significant operating and financial restrictions, which may prevent us from capitalizing on business opportunities and taking some actions.

The indenture governing our 9.125% Senior Notes and the agreement governing our senior secured credit facility impose significant operating and financial restrictions on us. These restrictions limit our ability to:

These limitations are subject to a number of important qualifications and exceptions. Our senior secured credit agreement also requires us to maintain ratios for consolidated leverage, consolidated interest coverage and consolidated senior secured leverage. These covenants may adversely affect our ability to finance our future operations and capital needs and to pursue available business opportunities. A breach of any of these covenants could result in a default with respect to the related indebtedness. If a default were to occur, the holders of our 9.125% Senior Notes and the lenders under our senior secured credit facility could elect to declare the indebtedness, together with accrued interest, immediately due and payable. If the repayment of the indebtedness were to be accelerated after any applicable notice or grace periods, we may not have sufficient funds to repay the indebtedness.

DISCLOSURE NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This Form 10-K contains statements that are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act. All statements contained in this Form 10-K, other than statements of historical facts, are forward-looking statements for purposes of these provisions, including any statements regarding:

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In some cases, you can identify these statements by forward-looking words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “outlook,” “may,” “should,” “will” and “would” or similar words. Forward-looking statements are based on certain assumptions and analyses made by our management in light of their experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions, expected future developments and other factors they believe are relevant. Although our management believes that their assumptions are reasonable based on information currently available, those assumptions are subject to significant risks and uncertainties, many of which are outside of our control. The following factors, as well as any other cautionary language included in this Form 10-K, provide examples of risks, uncertainties and events that may cause our actual results to differ materially from the expectations we describe in our forward-looking statements:

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Each forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of this Form 10-K, and we undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Before you decide to invest in our securities, you should be aware that the occurrence of the events described in these risk factors and elsewhere in this Form 10-K could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows.

None.

We lease corporate headquarters office space in Houston, Texas and own our Rental Tools headquarters office in New Iberia, Louisiana. Additionally, we own and/or lease office space and operating facilities in various locations including facilities where we hold an inventory of rental tools and locations with close proximity to where we provide service to our customers. Additionally, we own and/or lease facilities necessary for administrative and operational support functions.

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Land and Barge Rigs

The following table shows, as of December 31, 2012, the locations and drilling depth ratings of our rigs available for service:

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The following table presents our utilization rates and rigs available for service for the years ended December 31, 2012 and 2011:

For information on Legal Proceedings, see Note 13, Commitments and Contingencies, in the notes to the consolidated financial statements included in Item 8 of this annual report on Form 10-K, which information is incorporated herein by reference.

Not applicable.

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PART II

Parker Drilling Company’s common stock is listed for trading on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “PKD.” The following table sets forth the high and low sales prices per share of our common stock, as reported on the New York Stock Exchange composite tape, for the periods indicated:

Most of our stockholders maintain their shares as beneficial owners in “street name” accounts and are not, individually, stockholders of record. As of February 26, 2013, our common stock was held by 1,634 holders of record and we had an estimated 19,518 beneficial owners.

Our existing senior secured revolving credit agreement and the indenture for the 9.125% Senior Notes restrict the payment of dividends. We have not in the past paid dividends on our common stock and have no present intention to pay dividends on our common stock in the foreseeable future.

Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

The Company currently has no active share repurchase programs. When restricted stock awarded by the Company becomes taxable compensation to personnel, shares may be withheld to satisfy the associated withholding tax liabilities. Information on our purchases of equity securities by means of such share withholdings is provided in the table below:

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The following table presents selected historical consolidated financial data derived from the audited financial statements of Parker Drilling Company for each of the five years in the period ended December 31, 2012. The following financial data should be read in conjunction with “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and the financial statements and related notes appearing elsewhere in this Form 10-K.

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OVERVIEW AND OUTLOOK

Overview

We made significant progress in 2012 on several important projects aimed at improving the competitive position of some of our key operations, while sustaining our operating performance under challenging market conditions.

By mid-year 2012, we had achieved significant growth in revenues and earnings, with contributions from our domestic drilling, rental tools, and international drilling operations. This was primarily driven by the expansion of drilling activity in the U.S. land and GOM markets and steady and uninterrupted work for the portion of our international rig fleet that was under contract. During the second half of the year, drilling activity in the U.S. land and GOM markets underwent a slow and steady decline. This led to reduced demand and increased competitive conditions for our rental tools and barge drilling businesses. At the same time, international and local operators reduced their drilling programs in several of the international markets we serve, providing fewer opportunities to maintain our rig fleet utilization.

As we worked on operational responses to the changes in market conditions, we also were focused on completing or progressing several projects that are important to our future success. Included among these were: completing construction of our new AADU rigs, initiating the repositioning of our international rig fleet for more sustainable and profitable performance, and maximizing the organic growth opportunities of our rental tools business.

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Other achievements in 2012 that contributed to our results and are expected to have an impact on future performance were:

Outlook

Our markets are highly cyclical, driven by, among other things, our customers’ responses to price trends in oil and natural gas, the level of energy exploration and resource development spending (E&P spending) in the domestic and international markets in which we operate, and technological advancements in energy exploration and production. We expect oil and natural gas prices to remain near current levels or improve modestly in 2013. Recent industry surveys project worldwide E&P spending to rise, with the greatest increases in offshore exploration and development and the Middle East land market. Meanwhile, enhanced production in the U.S. of oil natural gas liquids and natural gas, brought about by the technological advancements accompanying the application of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing, is expected to lead to continued drilling activity in the U.S. land market.

Based on recent market trends, competitive conditions and the state of our operations, we anticipate to see improvements in operating results as the year progresses. The growing level of drilling activity in the deep water U.S. GOM should provide expanding business opportunities for our rental tools operations that will offset some of the impact of slowing activity and more competitive conditions in the U.S. land drilling market. We expect to continue to lead in the GOM barge drilling market and to use our performance-driven customer focus to maintain strong utilization and dayrates.

Our two AADU rigs are operating under contract on the Alaskan North Slope and they are projected to generate reliable cash flow during the year. We have been transforming our international drilling activities, focused both on enhancing the deployment of the assets we have in the field and on leveraging our drilling expertise through O&M contracts. As we execute this transformation and develop opportunities to employ our international rig fleet further repositioning of rigs may lead to uneven operating results. As we make progress in expanding our contract drilling business, we expect the contribution to Parker’s results to improve.

RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

Year Ended December 31, 2012 Compared with Year Ended December 31, 2011

Revenues of $678.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2012 decreased $8.7 million, or 1.3%, from the comparable 2011 period. The years ended December 31, 2012 and 2011 included construction contract revenues of zero and $9.6 million, respectively, for the Liberty rig construction project that was suspended by BP in November 2010. Excluding that individual project, revenues from ongoing operations for the year ended December 31, 2012 would have been approximately the same as in 2011. Operating gross margin, including depreciation and amortization decreased 3.5% to $150.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2012 as compared to $156.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2011.

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The following is an analysis of our operating results for the comparable periods:

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Operating gross margins, excluding depreciation and amortization, are computed as revenues less direct operating expenses, excluding depreciation and amortization expense, where applicable; operating gross margin percentages are computed as operating gross margin as a percent of revenues. The operating gross margin amounts and operating gross margin percentages should not be used as a substitute for those amounts reported under generally accepted accounting principles in the U.S. (U.S. GAAP). However, we monitor our business segments based on several criteria, including operating gross margin. Management believes that this information is useful to our investors because it more accurately reflects cash generated by segment. Such operating gross margin amounts are reconciled to our most comparable U.S. GAAP measure as follows: