We are dedicated to the continual training and development of our employees, especially of those in field operations, to ensure we can develop future managers and leaders from within our organization. Our training starts right at the beginning with on-boarding procedures that focus on safety, responsibility, ethical conduct and inclusive teamwork.

H&P’s strong commitment to our employees’ growth is demonstrated through our formal organizational development team, which oversees talent management, training and development. In addition to on–boardingcareer and safety training efforts, the team creates, manages and implements enhancements to development and succession plans, change management initiatives and diversity, equity and inclusion ("DE&I") programs.

H&P offers a variety of training programs ranging from job specific programs to leadership development. Some of the prominent training programs that we offer are:

Fundamental to our Actively C.A.R.E. culture is every individual's willingness to provide immediate open feedback to others regarding safe and 91% of Drillers received in-field coaching from a Safety Leadership Coachunsafe work practices and employees received, on average, 26 hours of training.

For more than 20 years, H&P measured safety success the same way other companies in our industry did – the absence of OSHA recordable injuries, declining lost time, restricted duty and medical treatment cases, declining total recordable injury rates ("TRIR") and the number of active rig years worked without an OSHA recordable injury or lost-time injury. We now believe that measuring safety in this manner can be destructive to management’s efforts to build trust with field employees. We have redefined safety success as the Control and Removal of Exposures (C.A.R.E.) for self and others and encourage employees to report near miss incidents with serious, life-altering or fatal injury potential, identifying and reporting serious injury exposures for which employees are personally recognized and rewarding monetarily for exemplifying our Actively C.A.R.E culture. We believe trust is key to organizational health, as well as safety and operational success.

We are committed to safety focused on lagging indicators that centered on reacting to injuries after they occurred. However, we believe the best approach is to focus on exposures (leading indicators) and controlling and removing them, thus helpingSIF exposures on any H&P location or operation. H&P safety data shows that approximately 10 to 15 percent of all OSHA recordable injuries are events in which valuable lessons learned are produced and inform mitigation efforts to reduce potential serious injury in the future. The remaining recordable cases may not provide the necessary learning opportunities to prevent injuries before they occur. Accordingly,future serious injury. Similarly, the data also indicates that SIF potential incidents, all of which provide information to help prevent future serious injury or fatality, occur approximately 1.5 times more than the traditional TRIR. We continue to track traditional safety metrics like TRIR and lost time injury rates in order to be responsive to client requests and to benchmark against existing industry data but we will have moveda proportionate response to tracking potential SIFs with annual goals targetedthese antiquated metrics. Our safety success at reducing SIFs. In calendar year 2019, we focusedH&P will be based on reducingkey performance indicators related to the numbercontrolling and removing of SIF incidents by improving pre-job planning toolsexposure, such as a means for reducing incidents with SIF potential year-over-year reduction in incidents relatedand SIF mitigated rates, and our vision for the future of safety at H&P will be guided by these principles.

H&P values its employees based on self-reported seatbelt use.and believes benefit packages are essential to prioritizing the well-being of its staff and offering competitive compensation. Select highlights of our benefits programs include:

Our operations are subject to a number of operational risks, including personal injury and death, environmental, cyber, and weather risks, which could expose us to significant losses and damage claims. We are not fully insured against all of these risks and our contractual indemnity provisions may not fully protect us. Furthermore, if a significant accident or other event occurs and is not fully covered by insurance or an enforceable or recoverable indemnity from a customer, it could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We have indemnification agreements with many of our customers and we also maintain liability and other forms of insurance. In general, our drilling contracts contain provisions requiring our customers to indemnify us for, among other things, pollution and reservoir damage. However, our contractual rights to indemnification may be unenforceable or limited due to negligent or willful acts by us, or subcontractors and/or suppliers or by reason of state anti-indemnity laws. Our customers and other third parties may also dispute these indemnification provisions, or we may be unable to transfer these risks to our drilling customers or other third parties by contract or indemnification agreements.

We insure working land rigs and related equipment at values that approximate the current replacement costs on the inception date of the policies. However, we self-insure large deductibles under these policies. We also carry insurance with varying deductibles and coverage limits with respect to stacked rigs, offshore platform rigs, and “named wind storm” risk in the Gulf of Mexico.

We have insurance coverage for comprehensive general liability, automobile liability, workers’ compensation and employer’s liability, and certain other specific risks. Insurance is purchased over deductibles to reduce our exposure to catastrophic events. We retain a significant portion of our expected losses under our workers’ compensation, general liability and automobile liability programs. We self-insure a number of other risks including loss of earnings and business interruption. We are unable to obtain significant amounts of insurance to cover risks of underground reservoir damage.

Our insurance may not in all situations provide sufficient funds to protect us from all liabilities that could result from our operations. Our coverage includes aggregate policy limits. As a result, we retain the risk for any loss in excess of these limits. No assurance can be given that all or a portion of our coverage will not be canceled, that insurance coverage will continue to be available at rates considered reasonable or that our coverage will respond to a specific loss. Further, we may experience difficulties in collecting from our insurers or our insurers may deny all or a portion of our claims for insurance coverage.

Environmental laws and regulations that apply to our operations include the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (“CERCLA”), the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (each, as amended) and similar laws that provide for responses to, and liability for, air emissions, water discharges or releases of oil or hazardous substances into the environment, including damages to natural resources. Applicable environmental laws and regulations also include similar foreign, state or local counterparts to the above-mentioned federal laws, which regulate air emissions, water discharges, and management of hazardous substances and waste. Environmental laws can have a material adverse effect on the drilling industry, including our operations, and compliance with such laws may require us to make significant capital expenditures, such as the installation of costly equipment or operational changes, and may affect the resale values or useful lives of our drilling rigs.

The Occupational Safety and Health Act (“OSHA”) and other similar laws and regulations govern the protection of the health and safety of employees. The OSHA hazard communication standard, the Environmental Protection Agency community right-to-know regulations under Title III of CERCLA, the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act and similar state statutes and local regulations require that information be maintained about hazardous materials used in our operations and that this information be provided to employees, state and local governments, emergency responders and citizens.

A number of countries actively regulate and control the importation and/or exportation of oil and gas and other aspects of the oil and gas industries in their countries. In addition, government actions and initiatives by OPEC+ may continue to contribute to oil price volatility. In some areas of the world, government activity has adversely affected the amount of exploration and development work done by oil and gas companies and influenced their need for drilling services, and likely will continue to do so.

We are also subject to regulation by numerous other regulatory agencies, including, but not limited to, the U.S. Department of Labor, which sets employment practice standards for workers. In addition, we are subject to certain requirements to contribute to retirement funds or other benefit plans, and laws in some jurisdictions restrict our ability to dismiss employees.

We believe affordableefficient and responsible energy improves lives globally. With a focus on leading-edge technology, we strive to deliver industry-leading efficiency, safety, and value while continuing to reduce our environmental impact.

Society’s general well-being relies on the environmental impact ofenergy industry to supply the power that sustains and drives our solutions.

At a certain point,Over time, the continued growth of the world’s population highlighted a need to capture more concentrated forms of energy, making a reliance on fossil fuels increasingly central. Over the last several decades, those responsible for producing fossil fuels gained more expertise and became more specialized.  A “service sector” developed to supply the most scientific and technologically specialized needs of the oil and gas sector.  We provide highly specialized services in this narrow segment of the very broad and constantly evolving energy sector. We continue to innovate in an effort to increase efficiency for our customers and provide continued societal benefits with less impact to the environment.

We design, build and operate rigsprovide performance-driven drilling solutions that are intended to make drilling for oil and gas recovery safer and more efficient.economical or our customers. Focused on the drilling segment of the oil and gas production value chain, we provide the expertise, technology and equipment to drill oil and gas wells for our customers - the exploration and production ("E&P") companies. Our E&P customers then determine if and when to extract those resources from the ground, following completion of the well.

Below is a description of the roles that H&P plays, in the oil and gas value chain, as a drilling solutions provider in comparison to the roles that participants in other sectors of the oil and gas industry play.

Public health crises, pandemics and epidemics, such as the ongoing outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, have adversely impacted and are expected to continue to adversely impact our operations, the operations of our customers and the global economy, including the worldwide demand for oil and natural gas and the level of demand for our services. Fear of such events has also altered the level of capital spending by oil and gas companies for exploration and production activities and adversely affected the economies and financial markets of many countries (or globally), resulting in an economic downturn that has affected demand for our services. For instance,Actions taken to prevent the outbreakspread of COVID-19 and its development into a pandemic has causedby governmental authorities in many countries in which we operate to imposearound the world, including imposing mandatory closures seekof all non-essential business facilities, seeking voluntary closures of such facilities and imposeimposing restrictions on, or advisories with respect to, travel, business operations and public gatherings or interactions. Among other matters, these actionsinteractions, have significantly reduced global economic activity, thereby resulting in lower demand for crude oil. In particular, the travel restrictions in certain countries where we operate, including the closure of their borders to travel into the country, have resulted in our "remote work" model for officean inability to effectively staff or rotate personnel at, and the quarantine of somethereby operate, certain of our personnel, which, in turn, has caused the inability or unwillingness of certain personnel to access our offices, rigs or customer facilities and could decrease organizational effectiveness.lead to an inability to fulfill our contractual obligations under contracts with customers. Governmental authorities have also implemented multi-step policies with the goal of re-opening various sectors of the economy. However, certain jurisdictions began re-openingreopening only to return to restrictions in the face of increases in new COVID-19 cases, while other jurisdictions are continuing to re-openreopen or have nearly completed the re-openingreopening process despite increases in COVID-19 cases. TheDespite the increased availability of vaccines in certain jurisdictions, the COVID-19 outbreakpandemic may significantlycontinue unabated or worsen during the upcoming months, including as a result of the emergence of more infectious strains of the virus, vaccine hesitancy or increased business and social activities, which may cause governmental authorities to reconsider restrictions on business and social activities. In the event governmental authorities increase restrictions, the re-openingreopening of the economy may be further curtailed. We have experienced, and expect to continue to experience, some resulting disruptions to our business operations, as these restrictions have significantly impacted, and may continue to impact, many sectors of the economy. Depressed economic conditions exacerbated by COVID-19 restrictions in one foreign jurisdiction where we operate have led to an increase in community strikes which have resulted in periodic suspensions of our operations. In addition, the perceived risk of infection and health risk associated with COVID-19, and the illness of many individuals across the globe, has resulted inand will continue to alter behaviors of consumers and policies of companies around the world; such altered behaviors and policies have many of the same effects intended by such governmental authorities to stop the spread of COVID-19. Further,COVID-19, such as self-imposed or voluntary social distancing, quarantining, and remote work policies. We are complying with local governmental jurisdiction policies and procedures where our operations reside. In some cases, policies and procedures are more stringent in our foreign operations than in our North America operations.

In early March 2020, the increase in crude oil supply resulting from production escalations from OPEC+ combined with a decrease in crude oil demand stemming from the global response and uncertainties surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a sharp decline in crude oil prices. Consequently, we saw a significant decrease in customer 2020 capital budgets and a corresponding dramatic decline in the demand for land rigs. Although OPEC+ subsequently agreed in April 2020 to cut oil production, OPEC+ has been gradually reducing such cuts and has extendedin July 2021, agreed to further reduce such cuts on a monthly basis with a goal of phasing out all production cuts through December 2020,towards the end of 2022. There is no assurance that the most recent OPEC+ agreement will be observed by its parties and OPEC+ may change its agreement depending upon market conditions. Although crude oil prices remain depressedhave recovered since March 2020, oil and natural gas prices are expected to continue to be volatile as a result of an increasingly utilizednear-term production instability, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, changes in oil and natural gas inventories, industry demand, global storage networkand national economic performance, and the decrease in crude oil demand due to COVID-19. actions of OPEC+.

These events have had, and could continue to have, an adverse impact on numerous aspects of our business, financial condition and results of operations, including, but not limited to, our growth, costs, loss of workers, labor shortages, supply chain disruptions, or equipment shortages, logistics constraints, customer demand for our services and industry demand generally, capital spending by oil and gas companies, our liquidity, the price of our securities and trading markets with respect thereto, our ability to access capital markets, asset impairments and other accounting changes, certain of our customers experiencing bankruptcy or otherwise becoming unable to pay vendors, including us, and the global economy and financial markets generally. The ultimate extent of the impact of COVID-19 and prolonged excess oil supply on our business, financial condition and results of operations will depend largely on future developments, including the duration and spread of the outbreakCOVID-19 within the United States and the parts of the world in which we operate and the related impact on the oil and gas industry, the impact of governmental actions designed to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and the development, availability, timely distribution and availabilityacceptance of effective treatments and vaccines worldwide, all of which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted with certainty at this time.

Our business depends on the conditions of the land and offshore oil and natural gas industry. Demand for our services and the rates we are able to charge for such services depend on oil and natural gas industry exploration and production activity and expenditure levels, which are directly affected by trends in oil and natural gas prices and market expectations regarding such prices. The sharp decline in oil prices resulting from the COVID-19 outbreakpandemic and the activities of OPEC+ has caused a significant decline in both drilling activity and prices for our services whichin fiscal year 2020. While crude oil prices have stabilized and increased and our rig count has hadcontinued to recover, our rig activity has still not reached the level it was at prior to these events and is expected tothese events therefore continue to have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

The level of land and offshore exploration, development and production activity and the prices of oil and natural gas are volatile and are likely to continue to be volatile in the future. Higher oil and natural gas prices do not necessarily translate into increased activity because demand for our services is typically driven by our customers’ expectations of future commodity prices, as well as our customers' ability to access sources of capital to fund their operating and capital expenditures. However, a sustained decline in worldwide demand for oil and natural gas, as well as excess supply of oil or natural gas coupled with storage and transportation capacity constraints, shutting in of wells or wells being drilled but not completed, prolonged low oil or natural gas prices or a reduction in the ability of our customers to access capital, has resulted in, and may in the future result in, reduced exploration and development of land and offshore areas and a decline in the demand for our services, which has had, and may in the future, have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Concerns over global economic conditions, energy costs, geopolitical issues, supply chain disruptions, inflation, the availability and volatility in oilcost of credit and gas prices may adversely affect our business.

Competition in drilling services and solutions involves such factors as price, efficiency, condition, type and operational capability of equipment, reputation, operating safety, environmental impact, customer relations, rig availability and excess rig capacity in the industry. Competition is primarily on a regional basis and may vary significantly by region at any particular time. Land drilling rigs can be readily moved from one region to another in response to changes in levels of activity, which could result in an oversupply of rigs in any region, leading to increased price competition. In addition, development of new drilling technology by competitors has increased in recent years, which could negatively affect our ability to differentiate our services.

We periodically seek to increase the prices on our services to offset rising costs, earn returns on our capital investment and otherwise generate higher returns for our stockholders. However, we operate in a very competitive industry and we are not always successful in raising or maintaining our existing prices. With the active rig count below the peak reached in 2014 and many rigs, including highly capable AC rigs, still idle, there is considerable pricing pressure in the industry. Even if we are able to increase our prices, we may not be able to do so at a rate that is sufficient to offset rising costs without adversely affecting our activity levels. The inability to maintain our pricing and to increase our pricing as costs increase could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

Following periods of downturn in our industry, there may be substantially more drilling rigs available than necessary to meet demand even as oil and natural gas prices, and drilling activity, rebound. In the event of a surplus of available and more competitive drilling rigs, we may continue to experience difficulty in replacing fixed‑term contracts, extending expiring contracts or obtaining new contracts in the spot market, and new contracts may contain lower dayrates and substantially less favorable terms, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. As of September 30, 2020, 2232021, 136 of our available rigs were not under contract.

Further, as a result of thea significant reducedreduction in the demand for oil and natural gas services, due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, certain of our competitors may engage in bankruptcy proceedings, debt refinancing transactions, management changes, or other strategic initiatives in an attempt to reduce operating costs to maintain a position in the market.  This could result in such competitors emerging with stronger or healthier balance sheets and in turn an improved ability to compete with us in the future. We may also see corporate consolidations among our competitors, which could significantly alter industry conditions and competition within the industry, and have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

The market for our services is characterized by continual technological developments that have resulted in, and will likely continue to result in, substantial improvements in the functionality and performance, including environmental performance, of rigs and equipment. Our customers increasingly demand the services of newer, higher specification drilling rigs.rigs, as well as new and improved technology, such as drilling automation technology and lower-emissions operations and services. This results in a bifurcation of the drilling fleet and is evidenced by the higher specification drilling rigs (e.g., AC rigs) generally operating at higher overall utilization levels and dayrates than the lower specification drilling rigs (e.g., SCR rigs). In addition, a significant number of lower specification rigs are being stacked and/or removed from service.

In the event that we are successful in developing new technologies for use in our business, there is no guarantee of future demand for those technologies. Customers may be reluctant or unwilling to adopt our new technologies. We may also have difficulty negotiating satisfactory terms for our technology services or may be unable to secure prices sufficient to obtain expected returns on our investment in the research and development of new technologies.

If we are not successful in upgrading existing rigs and equipment or building new rigs in a timely and cost‑effective manner suitable to customer needs, demand for our services could decline and we could lose market share. One or more technologies that we may implement in the future may not work as we expect and our business, financial condition, results of operations and reputation could be adversely affected as a result. Additionally, new technologies, services or standards could render some of our services, drilling rigs or equipment obsolete, which could reduce our competitiveness and have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our operations are subject to the many hazards inherent in the business, including inclement weather, blowouts, explosions, well fires, loss of well control, equipment failure, pollution, and reservoir damage. These hazards could cause significant environmental and reservoir damage, personal injury and death, suspension of operations, serious damage or destruction of equipment and property and substantial damage to producing formations and surrounding lands and waters. An accident or other event resulting in significant environmental or property damage, or injuries or fatalities involving our employees or other persons could also trigger investigations by federal, state or local authorities. Such an accident or other event and subsequent crisis management efforts could cause us to incur substantial expenses in connection with investigation and remediation as well as cause lasting damage to our reputation, loss of customers and an inability to obtain insurance. 

It is customary in our business to have mutual indemnification agreements with customers on a “knock-for-knock” basis, which means that we and our customers assume liability for our respective personnel, subcontractors, and property. In general, our drilling contracts contain provisions requiring our customers to indemnify us for, among other things, pollution and reservoir damage. However, our contractual rights to indemnification may be unenforceable or limited due to negligent or willful acts by us, our subcontractors and/or suppliers. Additionally, certain states, including Texas, New Mexico, Wyoming, and Louisiana, have enacted statutes generally referred to as "oilfield anti-indemnity acts," which expressly limit certain indemnity agreements contained in or related to indemnification in contracts, and could expose the Company to financial loss. Furthermore, other states may enact similar oilfield anti-indemnity acts.

Our customers and other third parties may also dispute, or be unable to meet, their contractual indemnification obligations to us. Accordingly, we may be unable to transfer these risks to our customers and other third parties by contract or indemnification agreements. Incurring a liability for which we are not fully indemnified or insured could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We insure working land rigs and related equipment at values that approximate the current replacement cost on the inception date of the policies. We also carry insurance with varying deductibles and coverage limits with respect to stacked rigs, offshore platform rigs, and “named wind storm” risk in the Gulf of Mexico. In addition, we have insurance coverage for comprehensive general liability, automobile liability, workers’ compensation and employer’s liability, and certain other specific risks. Insurance is purchased over deductibles to reduce our exposure to catastrophic events. In some cases, we self-insure large deductibles on certain insurance policies. We retain a significant portion of our expected losses under our workers’ compensation, general liability and automobile liability programs. The Company self‑insures a number of other risks, including loss of earnings and business interruption. We are unable to obtain significant amounts of insurance to cover risks of underground reservoir damage. Our insurance will not in all situations provide sufficient funds to protect us from all losses and liabilities that could result from our operations. Our coverage includes aggregate policy limits. As a result, we retain the risk for any loss in excess of these limits. No assurance can be given that insurance coverage will continue to be available at rates considered reasonable or that our coverage will respond to a specific loss. In addition, our insurance may not cover losses associated with pandemics such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Further, we may experience difficulties in collecting from our insurers or our insurers may deny all or a portion of our claims for insurance coverage.

If a significant accident or other event occurs and is not fully covered by insurance or an enforceable or recoverable indemnity from a customer, it could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

It is possible that our business, financial and other systems could be compromised, which could go unnoticed for a prolonged period of time. While various procedures and controls are being utilized to mitigate exposure to such risk, there can be no assurance that the procedures and controls that we implement, or which we cause third party service providers to implement, will be sufficient to protect our systems, information or other property. Additionally, customers oras well as other third parties upon whom we rely face similar cybersecurity threats, which could directly or indirectly impact our business and operations. The occurrence of a cyber incident or attack could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Further, as cyber incidents continue to evolve, we may be required to incur additional costs to continue to modify or enhance our protective measures or to investigate or remediate the effects of cyber incidents.

We continually seek opportunities to maximize efficiency and value through various transactions, including purchases or sales of assets, businesses, investments, or joint venture interests. For example, in November 2018 and August 2019, we completed the acquisitions of Angus Jamieson Consulting and DrillScan Energy SAS, respectively. These strategic transactions, among others, are intended to (but may not) result in the realization of savings, the creation of efficiencies, the offering of new products or services, the generation of cash or income, or the reduction of risk. Acquisition transactions may use cash on hand or be financed by additional borrowings or by the issuance of our common stock. These transactions may also affect our liquidity, consolidated results of operations and consolidated financial condition.

We have allocated a portion of the purchase price of certain acquisitions to goodwill and other intangible assets. Generally, the amount allocated to goodwill is the excess of the purchase price over the net identifiable assets acquired. At September 30, 2020,2021, we had goodwill of $45.7 million and other intangible assets, net of $81.0$73.8 million. If we experience future negative changes in our business climate or our results of operations such that we determine that goodwill or intangible assets are impaired, we will be required to record impairment charges with respect to such assets.

Drilling rigs use proprietary technology and equipment which can involve potential infringement of a third party’s rights, or a third party’s infringement of our rights, including patent rights. The majority of the intellectual property rights relating to our drilling rigs and technology services are owned by us or certain of our supplying vendors.  However, in the event thatFrom time to time, we or one of our customers or supplying vendors becomesbecome involved in a disputedisputes over infringement of intellectual property rights relating to equipment or technology owned or used by us,us. As a result, we may lose access to important equipment or technology, be required to cease use of some equipment or technology, be forced to modify our drilling rigs or technology, or be required to pay license fees or royalties for the use of equipment or technology. In addition, we may lose a competitive advantage in the event we are unsuccessful in enforcing our rights against third parties.parties, or third parties are successful in enforcing their rights against us. As a result, any technology disputes involving us or our customers or supplying vendors could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Unexpected or unanticipated events, including, without limitation, computer system disruptions, unplanned power outages, fires or explosions at drilling rigs, natural disasters such as hurricanes and tornadoes, war or terrorist activities, supply disruptions, failure of equipment, changes in laws and/or regulations impacting our businesses, pandemic illness and other unforeseeable circumstances that may arise from our increasingly connected world or otherwise, could adversely affect our business.  It is not possible for us to predict the occurrence or consequence of any such events. However, any such events could create unforeseen liabilities, reduce our ability to provide drilling and related technology services, reduce demand for our services, or make it more difficult or costly to provide services, any of which may ultimately have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We greatly depend on the efforts of our executive officers and other key employees to manage our operations. Similarly, we utilize highly skilled personnel in operating and supporting our businesses and in developing new technologies. In times of high utilization, it can be difficult to find and retain qualified individuals and, during the recent period of sustained declines in oil and natural gas prices, there have been reductions in the oil field services workforce, both of which could result in higher labor costs. We may also face a loss of workers and labor shortages as a result of vaccine mandates or requirements and enforcement of other COVID-19 regulations in jurisdictions where we operate. The loss of members of management or the inability to attract and retain qualified personnel could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, the unexpected loss of members of management, qualified personnel or a significant number of employees due to disease, including COVID-19, disability, or death, could have a detrimental effect on us.

In fiscal year 2020,2021, we received approximately 4650 percent of our consolidated operating revenues from our ten largest drilling services and solutions customers and approximately 2023 percent of our consolidated operating revenues from our three largest customers (including their affiliates). If one or more of our larger customers terminated their contracts, failed to renew existing contracts with us, or refused to award us with new contracts, it could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Further, consolidation among oil and natural gas exploration and production companies may reduce the number of available customers.

Fixed‑term drilling contracts customarily provide for termination at the election of the customer, with an “early termination payment” to be paid to us if a contract is terminated prior to the expiration of the fixed term. However, under certain limited circumstances, such as destruction of a drilling rig, our bankruptcy, sustained unacceptable performance by us or delivery of a rig beyond certain grace and/or liquidated damage periods, no early termination payment would be paid to us. Even if an early termination payment is owed to us, a customer may be unable or may refuse to pay the early termination payment. We also may not be able to perform under these contracts due to events beyond our control, and our customers may seek to cancel or renegotiate our contracts for various reasons, such as depressed market conditions. As of September 30, 2020,2021, our drilling services backlog was approximately $0.7 billion$572.0 million for future revenues under firm commitments. Our drilling services backlog may decline over time as existing contract term coverage may not be offset by new term contracts or price modifications for existing contracts, as a result of any number of factors, such as low or declining oil prices and capital spending reductions by our customers. Our inability or the inability of our customers to perform under our or their contractual obligations may have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We currently own and operate rigs and have deployed technology under contracts with foreign national oil companies.  In the future, we may expand our international solutions operations and enter into additional, significant contracts with national oil companies.  The terms of these contracts may contain non-negotiable provisions and may expose us to greater commercial, political, operational and other risks than we assume in other contracts.  Foreign contracts may expose us to materially greater environmental liability and other claims for damages (including consequential damages) and personal injury related to our operations, or the risk that the contract may be terminated by our customer without cause on short-term notice, contractually or by governmental action, or under certain conditions that may not provide us with an early termination payment.  We can provide no assurance that increased risk exposure will not have an adverse impact on our future operations or that we will not increase the number of rigs contracted, or the amount of technology deployed, to national oil companies with commensurate additional contractual risks.  Risks that accompany contracts with national oil companies could ultimately have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Certain key rig components, parts and equipment are either purchased from or fabricated by a single or limited number of vendors, and we have nolimited long‑term contracts with many of these vendors. Shortages could occur in these essential components due to an interruption of supply, the acquisition of a vendor by a competitor, increased demands in the industry or other reasons beyond our control. Similarly, certain key rig components, parts and equipment are obtained from vendors that are, in some cases, thinly capitalized, independent companies that generate significant portions of their business from us or from a small group of companies in the energy industry. These vendors may be disproportionately affected by any loss of business, downturn in the energy industry, supply chain disruptions, or reduction or unavailability of credit. If we are unable to procure certain of such rig components, parts or equipment, our ability to maintain, improve, upgrade or construct drilling rigs could be impaired, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

The drilling services and solutions business is highly cyclical. During periods of increased demand for drilling services and solutions and periods of supply chain disruption, including as a result of COVID-19, delays in delivery and shortages of drilling equipment and supplies can occur. Suppliers may experience quality control issues as they seek to rapidly increase production of equipment and supplies necessary for our operations. Additionally, suppliers may seek to increase prices for equipment and supplies, which we are unable to pass through to our customers, either due to contractual obligations or market constraints in the drilling services and solutions business. These risks are intensified during periods when the industry experiences significant new drilling rig construction or refurbishment. Additionally, in recent months, there have been a number of disruptions and delays across the global supply chain, which have created a tightening of supplies and shortages in a number of areas, including basic raw materials. Any such delays or shortages could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Certain of our international employees are unionized, and efforts may be made from time to time to unionize other portions of our workforce.  We may in the future be subject to strikes or work stoppages and other labor disruptions in connection with unionization efforts or renegotiation of existing contracts with unions representing our international employees. For example, worker strikes of short duration are common in Argentina and our operations have experienced such strikes in the past. Additional unionization efforts, if successful, new collective bargaining agreements or work stoppages could materially increase our labor costs, reduce our revenues or limit our operational flexibility.

Since our business depends on the level of activity in the oil and natural gas industry, any improvement in or new discoveries of alternative energy technologies that increase the use of alternative forms of energy and reduce the demand for oil and natural gas could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We currently have drilling operations in South America (primarily Argentina and Colombia) and the Middle East. In the future, we may further expand the geographic reach of our operations. As a result, we are exposed to certain political, economic and other uncertainties not encountered in U.S. operations, including increased risks of social unrest, strikes, terrorism, war, kidnapping of employees, nationalization, forced negotiation or modification of contracts, difficulty resolving disputes (including technology disputes) and enforcing contract provisions, expropriation of equipment as well as expropriation of oil and gas exploration and drilling rights, taxation policies, foreign exchange restrictions and restrictions on repatriation of income and capital, currency rate fluctuations, increased governmental ownership and regulation of the economy and industry in the markets in which we operate, economic and financial instability of national oil companies, and restrictive governmental regulation, bureaucratic delays and general hazards associated with foreign sovereignty over certain areas in which operations are conducted.

South American countries, in particular, have historically experienced uneven periods of economic growth, as well as recession, periods of high inflation and general economic and political instability.  From time to time, these risks have impacted our business.  For example, in Argentina, while our dayrate is denominated in U.S. dollars, we are paid in Argentine pesos.  The Argentine branch of one of our second-tier subsidiaries then remits U.S. dollars to its U.S. parent by converting the Argentine pesos into U.S. dollars through the Argentine Foreign Exchange Market and repatriating the U.S. dollars. Argentina also has a history of implementing currency controls, which restrict the conversion and repatriation of U.S. dollars, including controls which were implemented infrom September 2019 and September 2020.through 2021. As a result of these currency controls, our ability to remit funds from our Argentine subsidiary to its U.S. parent has been limited. Argentina’s economy is currently considered highly inflationary, which is defined as cumulative inflation rates exceeding 100 percent100% in the most recent three-year period based on inflation data published by the respective governments.  Nonetheless, all of our foreign operations use the U.S. dollar as the functional currency and local currency monetary assets and liabilities are remeasured into U.S. dollars with gains and losses resulting from foreign currency transactions included in current results of operations. For fiscal year 2020,2021, we experienced aggregate foreign currency losses of $7.6$5.4 million in Argentina.  Our aggregate foreign currency losses across all of our operations for fiscal years 2021 and 2020 and 2019 were $8.8$5.3 million and $8.2$8.8 million, respectively. However, in the future, we may incur larger currency devaluations, foreign exchange restrictions or other difficulties repatriating U.S. dollars from Argentina or elsewhere, which could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Additionally, there can be no assurance that there will not be changes in local laws, regulations and administrative requirements or the interpretation thereof, which could have a material adverse effect on the profitability of our operations or on our ability to continue operations in certain areas. Because of the impact of local laws, our future operations in certain areas may be conducted through entities in which local citizens own interests and through entities (including joint ventures) in which we have limited control or hold only a minority interest or pursuant to arrangements under which we conduct operations under contract to local entities. There can be no assurance that we will in all cases be able to structure or restructure our operations to conform to local law (or the administration thereof) on terms we find acceptable.

The future occurrence of one or more international events arising from the types of risks described above could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our current debt agreements pertaining to certain long‑term unsecured debt and our unsecured revolving credit facility contain, and our future financing arrangements likely will contain, various covenants that may in certain instances restrict our ability to, among other things, incur, assume or guarantee additional indebtedness, incur liens, sell or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of our assets, enter into new lines of business, and merge or consolidate. In addition, our credit facility requires us to maintain a funded leverage ratio (as defined therein) of less than or equal to 50 percent and certain priority debt (as defined therein) may not exceed 17.5 percent of our net worth (as defined therein). Such restrictions may limit our ability to successfully execute our business plans, which may have adverse consequences on our operations.

We evaluate our drilling rigs and other assets for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. Lower utilization and dayrates adversely affect our revenues and profitability. Prolonged periods of low utilization and dayrates may result in the recognition of impairment charges if future cash flow estimates, based upon information available to management at the time, indicate that the carrying value of an asset group may not be recoverable. Drilling rigs in our fleet may become impaired in the future if oil and gas prices decline or remain low for a prolonged period of time decline further or if market conditions deteriorate or if we restructuredrestructure our drilling fleet. For example, in fiscal years 20202021 and 2019,2020, we recognized impairment charges of $563.2$70.9 million and $224.3$563.2 million, respectively, related to tangible assets and equipment. If we experience future negative changes in our business climate such that we determine that one or more of our asset groups are impaired, we will be required to record additional impairment charges with respect to such asset groups.

Any impairment could have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial statements. The facts and circumstances included in our impairment assessments are described in Part II, Item 8— “Financial"Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.”"

Our ability to access capital markets or to otherwise obtain sufficient financing is enhanced by our senior unsecured debt ratings as provided by major U.S. credit rating agencies. Factors that may impact our credit ratings include debt levels, liquidity, asset quality, cost structure, commodity pricing levels, industry conditions and other considerations, including the impact of COVID-19. A ratings downgrade could adversely impact our ability in the future to access debt markets, increase the cost of future debt, and potentially require us to post letters of credit for certain obligations.

From time to time, we may need to access capital markets to obtain financing. Our ability to access capital markets for financing could be limited by oil and gas prices, our existing capital structure, our credit ratings, the state of the economy, the health or market perceptions of the drilling and overall oil and gas industry, the liquidity of the capital markets and other factors, including the impact of COVID-19. There have also been efforts in recent years aimed at the investment community, including investment advisors, sovereign wealth funds, public pension funds, universities and other groups, promoting the divestment of fossil fuel equities as well as to pressure lenders and other financial services companies to limit or curtail activities with companies engaged in the extraction of fossil fuel reserves, which, if successful, could limit our ability to access capital markets. Many of the factors that affect our ability to access capital markets are outside of our control. No assurance can be given that we will be able to access capital markets on terms acceptable to us when required to do so, which could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

At September 30, 2020, we had marketable securities, primarily consisting of equity in Schlumberger, Ltd., with a total fair value of approximately $7.3 million. The total fair value of the security was $16.3 million at September 30, 2019. At November 12, 2020, the fair value increased to approximately $8.1 million. The value of thisour marketable securities and our investment isin ADNOC Drilling Company P.J.S.C are subject to general credit, liquidity, market and interest rate risks, which may be exacerbated by unusual events, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.pandemic and political instability. A further significant loss in value of the investmentour investments would negatively impact our debt ratio and financial strength.

Our ability to make future scheduled payments on or to refinance our debt obligations, including any future debt obligations, depends on our financial position, results of operations and cash flows. We may not be able to maintain a level of cash flows from operating activities sufficient to permit us to pay the principal and interest on our indebtedness. If our cash flows and capital resources are insufficient to fund our debt service obligations, we may be forced to reduce or delay investment decisions and capital expenditures, sell assets, seek additional capital or restructure or refinance our indebtedness. Furthermore, these alternative measures may not be successful and may not permit us to meet our scheduled debt service obligations. Our ability to restructure or refinance our debt will depend on the condition of the capital markets and our financial position at such time. Any refinancing of our debt could be at higher interest rates and may require us to comply with more onerous covenants, which could further restrict our business operations. Any failure to make payments of interest and principal on our outstanding indebtedness on a timely basis would be a default (if not waived) and would likely result in a reduction of our credit rating, which could harm our ability to seek additional capital or restructure or refinance our indebtedness.

Amounts drawn under our current debt agreements, including the 2018 Credit Facility (as defined herein), may bear interest at rates based on the London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”). On July 27, 2017, the United Kingdom's Financial Conduct Authority in the United Kingdom(the "FCA"), which regulates LIBOR, announced that it wouldintends to phase out LIBOR as a benchmark by the end of 2021. It is unclear whetherOn November 30, 2020, ICE Benchmark Administration ("IBA"), the administrator of LIBOR, with the support of the United States Federal Reserve and the FCA, announced a plan to consult on ceasing publication of U.S. dollar LIBOR on December 31, 2021 for only the one week and two month U.S. dollar LIBOR tenors, and on June 30, 2023 for all other U.S. dollar LIBOR tenors, which the FCA subsequently confirmed on March 5, 2021. The U.S. Federal Reserve concurrently issued a statement advising banks to stop new methodsU.S. dollar LIBOR issuances by the end of calculating2021. Such announcements indicate that the continuation of LIBOR on the current basis cannot and will not be established such that it continues to existguaranteed after 2021. The 2018 Credit Facility provides for a mechanism to amend the facility to reflect the establishment of an alternative rate of interest upon the occurrence of certain events related to the phase-out of U.S. dollar LIBOR. However, we have not yet pursued any technical amendment or other contractual alternative to address this matter and are currently evaluating the impact of the potential replacement of the U.S. dollar LIBOR interest rate. In the United States,The U.S. Federal Reserve, in conjunction with the Alternative Reference Rates Committee, a steering committee comprised of large U.S. financial institutions (the"ARRC"), has proposed a new index calculated by short term repurchase agreements, backed by Treasury securities called the Secured Overnight Financing Rate ("SOFR") as an alternative to LIBOR for use in contracts that are currently indexed to U.S. dollar LIBOR and has proposed a paced market transition plan to SOFR. ItOn July 29, 2021, the ARRC formally recommended SOFR as its preferred alternative replacement rate for U.S. dollar LIBOR. Although SOFR appears to be the preferred replacement rate for U.S. dollar LIBOR at this time, it is not presently known whether SOFR or any other alternative reference rates that have been proposed will attain market acceptance as replacements of U.S. dollar LIBOR. In addition, the overall financial markets may be disrupted as a result of the phase-out or replacement of U.S. dollar LIBOR. Uncertainty as to the nature of such potential phase-out and alternative reference rates or disruption in the financial market could adversely affect the cost of our borrowings and interest expense related to outstanding floating-rate debt and could have a materialan adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

The physical and regulatory effects of climate change and a global transition to a low carbon economy could have a negative impact on our operations, our customers’ operations and the overall demand for our customers' products and services. 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.worldwide and there are a number of political and technological initiatives aimed at reducing the use of hydrocarbons.

We are aware of the increasing focus of local, state, regional, national and international regulatory bodies on GHG emissions and climate change issues. Legislation to regulate GHG emissions has periodically been introduced in the U.S. Congress and such legislation may be proposed or adopted in the future. In addition, in December 2015, the United States joined the international community at the 21st Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (the “UNFCCC”) in Paris, France in creating an agreement (the “Paris Agreement”) that requires member countries to review and “represent a progression” in their intended nationally determined GHG contributions, which set GHG emission reduction goals every five years beginning in 2020. The agreement entered into full force in November 2016. The U.S. President announcedEffective November 4, 2020, the United States planned to withdrawStates' withdrawal from the Paris Agreement, which had been announced by President Trump in June 2017. This2017, took effect. However, in January 2021, President Biden signed an instrument reversing this withdrawal formally took effect November 4, 2020. The terms and timeline under which the United States may reenterofficially rejoined the Paris Agreement or a separately negotiated agreement, are unclear at this time.on February 19, 2021.

The aim of the Paris Agreement wasis to hold the increase in the average global temperature to well below 2ºC (3.6ºF) above pre-industrial levels with efforts to limit the rise to 1.5ºC (2.7ºF) to protect against the more severe consequences of climate change forecasted by scientific studies. These consequences include increased coastal flooding, droughts and associated wildfires, heavy precipitation events, stresses on water supply and agriculture, increased poverty, and negative impacts on health. In connection with the decision to adopt the Paris Agreement, the UNFCCC invited the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (the “IPCC”) to prepare a special report focused on the impacts of an increase in the average global temperature of 1.5ºC above pre-industrial levels and related GHG emission pathways. The 2018 IPCC Report concludes that the measures set forth in the Paris Agreement are insufficient and that more aggressive targets and measures will be needed. The 2018 IPCC Report indicates that GHGs must be reduced from 2010 levels by 45 percent by 2030 and 100 percent by 2050 to prevent global warming of 1.5ºC above pre-industrial levels.

It is not possible at this time to predict the timing and effect of climate change or to predict the timing or effect of rejoining the Paris Agreement or whether additional GHG legislation, regulations or other measures will be adopted at the federal, state or local levels. However, more aggressive efforts by governments and non-governmental organizations to reduce GHG emissions appear likely based on the findings set forth in the 2018 and 2021 IPCC ReportReports and any such future laws and regulations could result in increased compliance costs, additional operating restrictions or affect the demand for our customers' products and, accordingly, our services. For example, a coalition of over 20 governors of U.S. states formed the United States Climate Alliance to advance the objectives of the Paris Agreement, and several U.S. cities have committed to advance the objectives of the Paris Agreement at the state or local level despite the federal withdrawal.as well. To this end, the California governor issued an executive order on September 23, 2020 ordering actions to pursue GHG emissions reductions, including a direction to the California State Air Resources Board to develop and propose regulations to require increasing volumes of new zero-emission passenger vehicles and trucks sold in California over time, with a targeted ban of the sale of new gasoline vehicles by 2035. If we are unable to recover or pass through a significant level of our costs related to complying with climate change regulatory requirements imposed on us, it could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Further, to the extent financial markets view climate change and GHG emissions as a financial risk, this could negatively impact our cost of or access to capital. Climate change and GHG regulation could also negatively impact the drilling programs of our customers and, consequently, delay, limit or reduce the services we provide. An increased focus by the public on the reduction of GHG emissions as well as the results of the physical impacts of climate change could affect the demand for our customers’ products and have a negative effect on our business.

Several political and regulatory authorities, governmental bodies, and environmental groups devote resources to campaigns aimed at eradicating hydraulic fracking. We do not engage in any hydraulic fracturing activities. However, it is a common practice in our industry for our customers to recover natural gas and oil from shale and other formations through the use of horizontal drilling combined with hydraulic fracturing. Hydraulic fracturing is the process of creating or expanding cracks, or fractures, in formations using water, sand and other additives pumped under high pressure into the formation. The hydraulic fracturing process is typically regulated by state oil and natural gas commissions. Several states have adopted or are considering adopting regulations that could impose more stringent permitting, public disclosure, waste disposal and/or well construction requirements on oil and gas development, including hydraulic fracturing operations, or otherwise seek to ban fracturing activities altogether. In addition to state laws, some local municipalities have adopted or are considering adopting land use restrictions, such as city ordinances, that may restrict or prohibit the performance of well drilling in general and/or hydraulic fracturing in particular. Members of the U.S. Congress are analyzing, and a number of federal agencies have historically been requested to review, and, under a newthe current administration, may be requested to review again, a variety of environmental issues associated with hydraulic fracturing and the possibility of more stringent regulation. At September 30, 2020,2021, we had approximately 1517 rigs placed on federal land and eightfour rigs in federal waters. Any new laws, regulations or permitting requirements regarding hydraulic fracturing could negatively impact the drilling programs of our customers and, consequently, delay, limit or reduce the services we provide. For example, the Environmental Protection Agency has asserted federal regulatory authority pursuant to the federal Safe Drinking Water Act over certain hydraulic fracturing activities involving the use of diesel fuels. Widespread regulation significantly restricting or prohibiting hydraulic fracturing or other drilling activity by our customers could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Further, we conduct drilling activities in numerous states, including Oklahoma, where seismic activity may occur. In recent years, Oklahoma has experienced an increase in earthquakes. Although the extent of any correlation has been and remains the subject of studies of both federal and state agencies, some parties believe that there is a correlation between hydraulic fracturing related activities and the increased occurrence of seismic activity. As a result, federal and state legislatures and agencies may seek to further regulate, restrict or prohibit hydraulic fracturing activities. Increased regulation and attention given to the hydraulic fracturing process could lead to greater opposition to oil and gas production activities using hydraulic fracturing techniques, operational delays or increased operating and compliance costs in the production of oil and natural gas from shale plays, added difficulty in performing hydraulic fracturing, and potentially a decline in the completion of new oil and gas wells, which could negatively impact the drilling programs of our customers and, consequently, delay, limit or reduce the services we provide.

The U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (“FCPA”) and similar anti‑bribery laws in other jurisdictions, including the United Kingdom Bribery Act 2010, generally prohibit companies and their intermediaries from making improper payments to non-U.S. officials for the purpose of obtaining or retaining business. We operate in many parts of the world that have experienced governmental corruption to some degree and, in certain circumstances, strict compliance with anti‑bribery laws may conflict with local customs and practices and impact our business. Although we have programs in place requiring compliance with anti‑bribery legislation, any failure to comply with the FCPA or other anti‑bribery legislation could subject us to civil and criminal penalties or other sanctions, which could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition and results of operation. In addition, investors could negatively view potential violations, inquiries or allegations of misconduct under the FCPA or similar laws, which could adversely affect our reputation and the market for our shares. We could also face fines, sanctions and other penalties from authorities in the relevant foreign jurisdictions, including prohibition of our participating in or curtailment of business operations in those jurisdictions and the seizure of drilling rigs or other assets.

Energy production and trade flows are subject to government policies, mandates, regulations, and trade agreements. Governmental policies affecting the energy industry, such as taxes, tariffs, duties, price controls, subsidies, incentives, foreign exchange rates, economic sanctions and import and export restrictions, can influence the viability and volume of production of certain commodities, the volume and types of imports and exports, whether unprocessed or processed commodity products are traded, and industry profitability.  For example, the decision of the U.S. government to impose tariffs on certain Chinese imports and the resulting retaliation by the Chinese government imposing a 25 percent tariff on U.S. liquefied natural gas have disrupted aspects of the energy market. Disruptions of this sort can affect the price of oil and natural gas and may cause our customers to change their plans for exploration and production levels, in turn reducing the demand for our services. Moreover, many countries, including the United States, control the import and export of certain goods, services and technology and impose related import and export recordkeeping and reporting obligations.  Governments also may impose economic sanctions against certain countries, persons and other entities that may restrict or prohibit transactions involving such countries, persons and entities.  In particular, U.S. sanctions are targeted against certain countries that are heavily involved in the petroleum and petrochemical industries, which includes drilling activities.

Future government policies may adversely affect the supply of, demand for, and prices of oil and natural gas, restrict our ability to do business in existing and target markets, and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. The laws and regulations concerning import and export activity, recordkeeping and reporting, including customs, export controls and economic sanctions, are complex and constantly changing.  These laws and regulations may be enacted, amended, enforced or interpreted in a manner materially impacting our operations.  Ongoing economic challenges may increase some governments’ efforts to enact, enforce, amend or interpret laws and regulations as a method to increase revenue.  Shipments can be delayed and denied import or export for a variety of reasons, some of which are outside our control and some of which may result from failure to comply with existing legal and regulatory regimes.  Shipping delays or denials could cause unscheduled operational downtime.  Any failure to comply with applicable legal or regulatory requirements governing international trade could also result in criminal and civil penalties and sanctions, such as fines, imprisonment, debarment from government contracts, seizure of shipments and loss of import and export privileges.

Our deferred tax liability associated with property, plant and equipment is significant, which could materially increase the amount of cash income taxes that we pay in the future and, thus, adversely affect our cash flows. Our future capital expenditures, our results of operations and changes in income tax laws could significantly impact the timing of the reversal of our deferred tax liabilities and the timing and amount of our future cash income taxes. While management intends to minimize our income taxes payable in future years to the extent possible, the amount and timing of cash income taxes ultimately paid are based on the aforementioned factors as well as others and are subject to change.

Many aspects of our operations are subject to various laws and regulations in the jurisdictions where we operate, including those relating to drilling practices and comprehensive and frequently changing laws and regulations relating to the safety and to the protection of human health and the environment. Environmental laws apply to the oil and gas industry including those regulating air emissions, discharges to water, and the transport, storage, use, treatment, disposal and remediation of, and exposure to, solid and hazardous wastes and materials. These laws can have a material adverse effect on the drilling industry, including our operations, and compliance with such laws may require us to make significant capital expenditures, such as the installation of costly equipment or operational changes, and may affect the resale values or useful lives of our drilling rigs. If we fail to comply with these laws and regulations, we could be exposed to substantial administrative, civil and criminal penalties, delays in permitting or performance of projects and, in some cases, injunctive relief. Violations of environmental laws may also result in liabilities for personal injuries, property and natural resource damage and other costs and claims. In addition, environmental laws and regulations in the United States impose a variety of requirements on “responsible parties” related to the prevention of oil spills and liability for damages from such spills. As an owner and operator of drilling rigs, we may be deemed to be a responsible party under these laws and regulations.

We have paid a quarterly dividend for many years. Our most recent quarterly dividend was $0.25 per share. In the future, our Board of Directors may, without advance notice, determine to reduce or suspend our dividend in order to maintain our financial flexibility and best position the Company for long‑term success. The declaration and amount of future dividends is at the discretion of our Board of Directors and will depend on our financial condition, results of operations, cash flows, prospects, industry conditions, capital requirements and other factors and restrictions our Board of Directors deems relevant. The likelihood that dividends will be reduced or suspended is increased during periods of prolonged market weakness or uncertainty, such as the current downturn as a result of the COVID-19 outbreakpandemic and the oil price collapse in 2020. In addition, our ability to pay dividends may be limited by agreements governing our indebtedness now or in the future. There can be no assurance that we will not reduce our dividend or that we will continue to pay a dividend in the future.

We have received no written comments regarding our periodic or current reports from the staff of the SEC that were issued 180 days or more preceding the end of fiscal year 20202021 and that remain unresolved.