NABORS INDUSTRIES LTD - Annual Report: 2021 (Form 10-K)

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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K

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Commission File Number 001-32657

NABORS INDUSTRIES LTD.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

(441) 292-1510

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934:

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Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934: None.

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Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.  YES ☒  NO ☐

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Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act.  YES ☐  NO ☒

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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 ☒ NO ☐

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Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports).  YES ☒  NO ☐

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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. ☒

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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 definition of “large accelerated filer”, “accelerated filer”, “smaller reporting company” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

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Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report. ☒

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Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).  YES ☐  NO ☒

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The aggregate market value of the 7,528,655 common shares held by non-affiliates of the registrant outstanding as of the last business day of our most recently completed second fiscal quarter, June 30, 2021, based on the closing price of our common shares as of such date of $114.24 per share as reported on the New York Stock Exchange, was $860,073,547. Common shares held by each officer and director and by each person who owns 5% or more of the outstanding common shares have been excluded in that such persons may be deemed affiliates. This determination of affiliate status is not necessarily a conclusive determination for other purposes.

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The number of common shares outstanding as of February 14, 2022 was 8,571,349, excluding 1,090,003 common shares held by our subsidiaries, or 9,661,352 in the aggregate.

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

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Specified portions of the definitive Proxy

Statement to be distributed in connection with our 2022 Annual General Meeting of Shareholders (Part III).

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NABORS INDUSTRIES LTD.

Form 10-K Annual Report

For the Year Ended December 31, 2021

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Our internet address is www.nabors.com. We make available free of charge through our website our annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file such material with, or furnish it to, the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). Reference in this document to our website address does not constitute incorporation by reference of the information contained on the website into this annual report on Form 10-K. The SEC maintains an internet site (www.sec.gov) that contains reports, proxy and information statements and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC. In addition, documents relating to our corporate governance (such as committee charters, governance guidelines and other internal policies) can be found on our website.

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FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

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We discuss expectations regarding our future markets, demand for our products and services, and our performance in our annual, quarterly and current reports, press releases, and other written and oral statements. Statements relating to matters that are not historical facts are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Exchange Act. These “forward-looking statements” are based on an analysis of currently available competitive, financial and economic data and our operating plans. They are inherently uncertain and investors should recognize that events and actual results could turn out to be significantly different from our expectations. By way of illustration, when used in this document, words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “expect,” “plan,” “intend,” “estimate,” “project,” “will,” “should,” “could,” “may,” “predict” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements.

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Factors to consider when evaluating these forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to:

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Our business depends, to a large degree, on the level of spending by oil and gas companies for exploration, development and production activities. Therefore, a sustained increase or decrease in the price of oil or natural gas, that has a material impact on exploration, development and production activities, could also materially affect our financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

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The above description of risks and uncertainties is by no means all-inclusive, but highlights certain factors that we believe are important for your consideration. For a more detailed description of risk factors, please refer to Part I, Item 1A.—Risk Factors.

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PART I

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ITEM 1. BUSINESS

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Nabors Industries, Ltd. (NYSE: NBR) was formed as a Bermuda exempted company on December 11, 2001. Unless the context requires otherwise, references in this annual report to “we,” “us,” “our,” “the Company,” or “Nabors” mean Nabors Industries Ltd., together with our subsidiaries where the context requires. References in this annual report to “Nabors Delaware” mean Nabors Industries, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Nabors.

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Overview

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Tracing its origins back to 1952, Nabors has grown from a small land drilling business in Canada to one of the world’s largest drilling contractors. Today, Nabors owns and operates one of the world’s largest land-based drilling rig fleets and is a provider of offshore rigs in the United States and several international markets. Nabors also provides directional drilling services, tubular running services, performance tools, and innovative technologies for its own rig fleet and those operated by third parties. In today’s performance-driven environment, we believe we are well positioned to seamlessly integrate downhole hardware, surface equipment and software solutions into our AC rig designs. Leveraging our advanced drilling automation capabilities, Nabors’ highly skilled workforce continues to set new standards for operational excellence and transform our industry.

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Our business is comprised of our global land-based and offshore drilling rig operations and other rig related services and technologies. These services include tubular running services, wellbore placement solutions, directional drilling, measurement-while-drilling (“MWD”), logging-while-drilling (“LWD”) systems and services, equipment manufacturing, rig instrumentation and optimization software.

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Our business consists of five reportable segments: U.S. Drilling, Canada Drilling, International Drilling, Drilling Solutions and Rig Technologies.

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With operations in approximately 20 countries, we are a global provider of drilling and drilling-related services for land-based and offshore oil and natural gas wells, with a fleet of rigs and drilling-related equipment which, as of December 31, 2021 included:

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The following table presents our average rigs working (a measure of activity and utilization over the year) for the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019:

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Average rigs working represents a measure of the number of equivalent rigs operating during a given period. For example, one rig operating 182.5 days during a 365-day period represents 0.5 average rigs working.

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Additional information regarding the geographic markets in which we operate and our business segments can be found in Note 18—Segment Information in Part II, Item 8.—Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.

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U.S. Drilling

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Operating one of the largest land-based drilling rig fleets in the U.S., Nabors continues to drive innovation and integration in the industry. Nabors offers a full suite of options including performance tools and innovations developed by our team of internal engineers who are wholly focused on advanced technologies. We maintain activities in the lower 48 states and Alaska as well as offshore in the Gulf of Mexico. Our U.S. fleet consists of 173 AC rigs and 11 SCR land rigs, which were actively marketed as of December 31, 2021.

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Since our first AC land rig was built in 2002, we have continued to develop industry-leading breakthroughs. As the industry shifted to multi-well pad drilling, we anticipated the appetite for greater efficiencies and adaptability through batch drilling. As a result, we developed our suite of PACE® drilling rigs. In 2013, we introduced our PACE®-X800 rig equipped with an advanced walking system with multidirectional capabilities that enables the rig to move efficiently over existing wells on a pad. Because the ancillary equipment accompanies the rig, it moves easily between adjacent rows of wells. In 2016, we introduced our PACE®-M800 and PACE®-M1000 rigs which complement our existing PACE®-X800 rigs. The PACE®-M800 rig is designed for lower-density multi-well pads whereas the PACE®-M1000 is designed for higher density pads. Both are designed to move rapidly between pads. Featuring the same advanced walking capabilities as the PACE®-X800 rig, the PACE®-M800 rig can quickly move efficiently on pads and over short distances, with minimal rig-up and rig-down components.

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In addition to land drilling operations throughout the lower 48 states and Alaska, we also actively marketed 12 platform rigs in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico as of December 31, 2021.

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In recent years we have deployed a full suite of technology supporting Nabors and third party rigs. By seizing the opportunity to move forward, faster, Nabors has employed automation to increase safety, instill efficient processes and build agility for our customers. See Drilling Solutions below for more information.

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Canada Drilling

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The focus of the Canadian drilling market was almost exclusively on horizontal wells. To align with this market, our Canadian rig fleet was concentrated on larger, more agile rigs. In July 2021, we closed on the sale of our Canada Drilling assets.

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International Drilling

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We conduct activities in major international oil and gas markets, most notably Saudi Arabia, Argentina, Colombia, Mexico and Kazakhstan. Many of our rigs are designed to address the challenges of working in specific operating environments, such as desert climates, mountainous regions, and tropical zones.

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As of December 31, 2021, our international fleet consisted of 116 land-based drilling rigs located in approximately 14 countries. At the same time, we actively marketed 17 platforms rigs in the international offshore drilling markets. In

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prior years, we increased the utilization of the PACE®-X800 rigs in international markets through deployments in Latin America.

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Drilling Solutions

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Through Nabors Drilling Solutions, we offer specialized drilling technologies, such as patented steering systems and rig instrumentation software systems that enhance drilling performance and wellbore placement.

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Nabors specializes in wellbore placement solutions and is a leading provider of directional drilling and MWD systems and services. Our tools are ideal for applications where high reliability, precise wellbore placement and drilling efficiency are crucial. Some of the Nabors Drilling Solutions products and services are listed below.

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Nabors offers a full range of tubular running services to match operators’ requirements and preferences. Tubular running services (TRS) primarily include casing running, tubing running and torque monitoring. Managed pressure drilling (MPD) primarily includes drives, manifolds, tanks, pumps and gas handling equipment.  Our propriety software empowers the driller to deliver these services with consistency and repeatability. Both TRS and MPD integrate with the rig, eliminating the need for third party services and thereby improving efficiencies and reducing cost.

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Rig Technologies

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Our Rig Technologies segment is primarily comprised of Canrig, which manufactures and sells top drives, catwalks, wrenches, drawworks and other drilling related equipment such as robotic systems and downhole tools which are installed on both onshore and offshore drilling rigs. Rig Technologies also provides aftermarket sales and services for the installed base of its equipment.

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Our Business Strategy

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Our business strategy is to build shareholder value and enhance our competitive position by:

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During the past several years we have transformed our fleet in the Lower 48 into what we believe is the most capable, modern fleet in the market. We believe our customer base recognizes the quality of our assets, the competency

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of our crews, our industry leading operational performance and the value added by our performance software and our services integration.

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We believe our drilling technology portfolio positions us well to address the changing market dynamic both in the United States and internationally. Our technological development efforts drive toward a seamless integration of the rig’s operations with downhole sensing. Additionally, we have added complementary services to our traditional rig offering, in many cases replacing third-party providers of these complementary services as a single service provider.

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Drilling Contracts

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Our drilling contracts are typically daywork contracts. A daywork contract generally provides for a basic rate per day when drilling (the dayrate for providing a rig and crew) and for lower rates when the rig is moving between drilling locations, or when drilling operations are interrupted or restricted by equipment breakdowns, adverse weather conditions or other conditions beyond our control. In addition, daywork contracts may provide for a lump-sum fee for the mobilization and demobilization of the rig, which in most cases approximates our anticipated costs. A daywork contract differs from a footage contract (in which the drilling contractor is paid on the basis of a rate per foot drilled) and a turnkey contract (in which the drilling contractor is paid for drilling a well to a specified depth for a fixed price). We also offer performance enhancing drilling services, performance software and equipment such as managed pressure services, directional drilling, rotary steering systems and measurement while drilling. These additional products and services are additive to our rig charges.

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Our contracts for land-based and offshore drilling have durations that are single-well, multi-well or term. Term contracts generally have durations ranging from six months to five years. Under term contracts, our rigs are committed to one customer. Offshore workover projects are often contracted on a single-well basis. We generally receive drilling contracts through competitive bidding, although we occasionally enter into contracts by direct negotiation. Most of our single-well contracts are subject to termination by the customer on short notice, while multi-well contracts and term contracts may provide us with early termination compensation in certain circumstances. Such payments may not fully compensate us for the loss of a contract, and in certain circumstances the customer may not be obligated, able or willing to make an early termination payment to us. Contract terms and rates differ depending on a variety of factors, including competitive conditions, the geographical area, the geological formation to be drilled, the equipment and services to be supplied, the on-site drilling conditions, and the anticipated duration of the work to be performed.

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Our Customers

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Our customers include major international, national and independent oil and gas companies. One customer, Saudi Aramco, accounted for approximately 31%, 29% and 22% of our consolidated operating revenues during the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019, respectively, which operating revenues are primarily included in the results of our International Drilling reportable segment. Our contracts with Saudi Aramco are on a per rig basis. These contracts are primarily operated through SANAD, our joint venture with Saudi Aramco. See Part I, Item 1A.—Risk Factors—The loss of one or a number of our large customers could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

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Human Capital

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As of December 31, 2021, we employed approximately 10,000 employees worldwide, approximately 7,000 of which are employed internationally.

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Diversity and Inclusion

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We endeavor to create an environment rich in diversity that welcomes those of all backgrounds, ethnicities and experiences. All told, our employee base represents 75 nationalities.

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Traditionally the oil and gas industry has been male dominated. By implementing strategic recruiting efforts, employee development streams and retention practices, we have been able to achieve gender diversity that we believe outpaces not just the industry, but the business world in general. Based on our most recent employee engagement survey performed in late 2020, we learned that:

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As of December 31, 2021, women made up 20% of the Company’s SG&A and Field Support workforce.  Additionally, women represented 34% of our 2021 new hires.

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By recognizing disparate voices, we foster a more cohesive, high performing and productive company.

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Training and Talent Management

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We are dedicated to the development and training of our worldwide employee base. Training begins at onboarding, where employees receive job-specific instruction with a focus on safety, corporate ethics and an inclusive workplace. Ongoing training includes a focus on career development and advancement. A key focus is the career development offered to women and employees of color.

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Educational Assistance

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In 2009, our former Chairman and CEO, Eugene M. Isenberg, established the Isenberg Education Fund Scholarship Program, the purpose of which is to provide educational assistance to talented, high-achieving individuals who demonstrate strong academic performance and dedicated community service as well as financial need. Aid is available to employees and their family members, including spouses, children and grandchildren. To date, the program has provided over $3.8 million in educational assistance to employees and their families.

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Health, Welfare and Retirement

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We provide employees health and welfare benefits standard for the industry and their location of employment. U.S. employees and their families receive medical, dental and vision insurance, life insurance, short-term and long-term disability coverage, and health and dependent care flexible spending accounts. All U.S. full-time employees also are eligible for a 401(k) plan with a Company match.

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Seasonality

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Our operations are subject to seasonal factors. Specifically, our drilling operations in Canada and Alaska generally experience reduced levels of activity and financial results during the second quarter of each year, due to the annual spring thaw. In addition, our U.S. offshore market can be impacted during summer months by tropical weather systems in the Gulf of Mexico. Global climate change could lengthen these periods of reduced activity, but currently we cannot estimate the degree to which these activities may be affected. Our overall financial results reflect the seasonal variations experienced in these operations, but seasonality does not materially impact the remaining portions of our business.

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Industry/Competitive Conditions

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To a large degree, our businesses depend on the level of capital spending by oil and gas companies for exploration, development and production activities. The level of exploration, development and production activities is to a large extent tied to the prices of oil and natural gas, which can fluctuate significantly and are highly volatile. Relatedly, customers may have difficulty accessing capital markets due to poor historical returns for their investments and due to certain institutional investors choosing not to invest in fossil fuel industries. A decrease or prolonged decline in the price of oil or natural gas or in the exploration, development and production activities of our customers could result in a corresponding decline in the demand for our services and/or a reduction in dayrates and utilization, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations and cash flows. See Part I, Item 1A.—Risk Factors— Fluctuations in oil and natural gas prices could adversely affect drilling activity and our revenues, cash flows and profitability, and—Our drilling contracts may in certain instances be renegotiated, suspended or terminated without an early termination payment and Item 7.— Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.

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The markets in which we provide our services are highly competitive. We believe that competitive pricing is a significant factor in determining which service provider is awarded a job in these markets and customers are increasingly sensitive to pricing during periods of market instability. Historically, the number of available rigs and drilling-related

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equipment has exceeded demand in many of the markets in which we operate, resulting in strong price competition. This is due in part to the fact that most rigs and drilling-related equipment can be moved from one region to another in response to changes in the levels of exploration, development and production activities and market conditions, which may result in an oversupply of rigs and drilling-related equipment in certain areas.

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Although many rigs can be moved from one region to another in response to changes in levels of activity, competition has increased based on the supply of existing and new rigs across all our markets. Most available contracts for our services are currently awarded on a bid basis, which further increases competition based on price.

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In addition to price, other competitive factors in the markets we serve are the overall quality of service and safety record, the technical specification and condition of equipment, the availability of skilled personnel and the ability to offer ancillary services. Our drilling business is subject to certain additional competitive factors. For example, we believe our ability to deliver rigs with new technology and features and, in certain international markets, our experience operating in certain environments and strong customer relationships have been significant factors in the selection of Nabors for the provision of drilling services. We expect that the market for our drilling services will continue to be highly competitive. See Part I, Item 1A.—Risk Factors—We operate in a highly competitive industry with excess drilling capacity, which may adversely affect our results of operations.

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Nabors and companies across the oil and gas value chain have set aggressive decarbonization goals; now the industry needs the tools to achieve them.  In response to these goals, we have a fast-growing portfolio of technologies designed to drive energy efficiency and emissions reductions for the Company and third-party customers.  The line-up includes proprietary emissions reporting and analytics software, engine management controls, energy storage systems, hydrogen injection catalysts, carbon capture technology and fuel enhancing additives, as well as traditional high-line power and dual-fuel offerings, all of which are intended to establish Nabors’ fleet as the cleanest and most efficient in the industry.

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The global market for drilling and related products and services is competitive. Certain competitors are present in more than one of the markets in which we operate, although no one competitor operates in all such markets. Our strategy combines advanced drilling rig designs – complete with integrated downhole tools, surface equipment, and software – with operational performance, industry-leading safety, and an innovative technology roadmap.

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Significant competitors in our U.S. Drilling segment include: Helmerich & Payne Inc., Patterson-UTI Energy Inc., Precision Drilling Corp., and Ensign Energy Services Inc. In the U.S. Lower 48 land drilling market, we also compete with numerous smaller or regional drilling contractors. In our International segment, significant competitors with operations in multiple countries include KCA Deutag Drilling Limited, Saipem S.p.A, as well as many contractors with regional or local rig operations.

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Our Rig Technologies segment competes primarily with National Oilwell Varco Inc., Bentec GmbH, and several smaller rig equipment suppliers. Our Drilling Solutions segment competes with services provided by Baker Hughes Co., Halliburton Co., Schlumberger Ltd., Expro Group Holdings NV, Weatherford International plc., as well as several of our drilling competitors and smaller, specialized service providers.

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Acquisitions and Divestitures

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We have grown from a land drilling business centered in the U.S. Lower 48, Canada and Alaska to an international business with operations on land and offshore in major oil and gas markets around the world. This growth was fueled in part by strategic acquisitions. While we continuously consider and review strategic opportunities, including acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures, alliances and other strategic transactions, there can be no assurance that such opportunities will continue to be available, that the pricing will be economical or that we will be successful in completing and realizing the expected benefits of such transactions in the future.

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We may sell a subsidiary or group of assets outside of our core markets or business if it is strategically or economically advantageous for us to do so.

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In July 2021, we closed on the sale of our Canada Drilling segment assets for approximately $94.0 million. These assets included our fleet of 35 land-based drilling rigs and related equipment and property. This transaction did not

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represent a strategic shift in our operations and will not have a major effect on our operations and financial results going forward.

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Environmental Compliance

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Sustainability is an essential part of the corporate culture at Nabors and an integral part of our strategic plans. We know that our success is directly linked to implementing and executing a broad range of sustainable practices. Through technological innovation, environmental impact planning, corporate safety initiatives and community relations activities, Nabors understands that how we conduct business is as important as our results. Corporate responsibility guides every aspect of our daily activities and is the key to our continued success.

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We do not anticipate that compliance with currently applicable environmental rules and regulations and controls will significantly change our competitive position, capital spending or earnings during 2022. We believe we are in material compliance with applicable environmental rules and regulations and that the cost of such compliance is not material to our business or financial condition. For a more detailed description of the environmental rules and regulations applicable to our operations, see Part I, Item 1A.—Risk Factors—Changes to or noncompliance with laws and regulations or exposure to environmental liabilities could adversely affect our results of operations.

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ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS

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In addition to the other information set forth elsewhere in this annual report, the following factors should be carefully considered when evaluating Nabors. The risks described below are not the only ones we face. Additional risks not presently known to us or that we currently deem immaterial may also impair our business operations.

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Risk Factors Summary

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The following is a summary of the principal risks included in this annual report that we believe could adversely affect our business, operations, and financial results.

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Business and Operational Risks

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Financial Risks

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Technology Risks

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Legal and Regulatory Risks

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Share Capital and Corporate Structure Risks

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General Risks

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For a more complete discussion of the risks facing our business, see below.

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Business and Operational Risks

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Fluctuations in oil and natural gas prices could adversely affect drilling activity and our revenues, cash flows and profitability.

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Our operations, demand for our services, and the rates we are able to charge for such services depend on the level of spending by oil and gas companies for exploration, development and production activities. Both short-term and long-term trends in oil and natural gas prices affect these activity levels. Oil and natural gas prices, as well as the level of drilling, exploration and production activity, have been highly volatile for several years and are expected to continue to be volatile for the foreseeable future. In addition to the COVID-19 outbreak contributing to a significant decline in oil prices in 2020, declines in oil prices are primarily caused by, among other things, an excess of supply of crude oil in relation to demand. Worldwide military, political, public health, and economic events, including initiatives by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (“OPEC”) and OPEC+, uncertainty in capital and commodities markets, and the ability of oil and natural gas producers to access capital, and the extent to which they are willing or able to deploy capital, affect both the supply of and demand for oil and natural gas. In addition, weather conditions, governmental regulation (both in the United States and elsewhere), levels of consumer demand for oil and natural gas, general and global economic conditions, oil and gas production levels by non-OPEC countries, decisions by oil and gas producers to continue producing oil and gas despite excess supply, the availability and demand for drilling equipment and pipeline capacity, availability and pricing of alternative energy sources, and other factors beyond our control may also affect the supply of and demand for oil and natural gas, and thereby affect the price of oil and natural gas.

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Lower oil and natural gas prices also could adversely affect our cash forecast models used to determine whether the carrying values of our long-lived assets exceed our future cash flows, which could result in future impairment to our long-lived assets. Lower oil and natural gas prices also could affect our ability to retain skilled rig personnel and affect our ability to access capital to finance and grow our business. There can be no assurances as to the future level of demand for our services or future conditions in the oil and natural gas and oilfield services industries.

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Our customers and thereby our business and profitability could be adversely affected by low oil prices and/or turmoil in the global economy.

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Changes in general economic and political conditions may negatively affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. As a result of the volatility of oil and natural gas prices, we are unable to fully predict the level of exploration, drilling and production activities of our customers and whether our customers and/or suppliers will be able to sustain their operations and fulfill their commitments and obligations. If oil prices decrease and/or global economic conditions deteriorate, there could be a material adverse effect on the liquidity and operations of our customers, vendors and other worldwide business partners, which in turn could have a material effect on our results of

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operations and liquidity. Furthermore, these conditions may result in certain of our customers experiencing an inability to pay vendors, including us. In addition, we may experience difficulties forecasting future capital expenditures by our customers, which in turn could lead to either over capacity or, in the event of further recovery in oil prices and the worldwide economy, under capacity, either of which could adversely affect our operations. There can be no assurance that the global economic environment will not deteriorate in the future due to one or more factors.

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We operate in a highly competitive industry with excess drilling capacity, which may adversely affect our results of operations.

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The oilfield services industry is very competitive with a significant amount of excess capacity, especially in low oil price environments. Contract drilling companies compete primarily on a regional basis, and competition may vary significantly from region to region at any particular time. Rigs and drilling-related equipment can be moved from one region to another in response to changes in levels of activity and market conditions, which may result in an oversupply of such rigs and drilling-related equipment in certain areas, and accordingly, increased price competition. In addition, an important factor in determining job awards is our ability to maintain a strong safety record. If we are unable to remain competitive based on these and/or other competitive factors, we may be unable to increase or even maintain our market share, utilization rates and/or day rates for our services, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

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We must renew customer contracts to remain competitive.

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Our ability to renew existing customer contracts, or obtain new contracts, and the terms of any such contracts depends on market conditions and our customers’ future drilling plans, which are subject to change. Due to the highly competitive nature of the industry, which can be exacerbated during periods of depressed market conditions, we may not be able to renew or replace expiring contracts or, if we are able to, we may not be able to secure or improve existing dayrates or other material terms, which could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

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The nature of our operations presents inherent risks of loss, including weather-related risks, that could adversely affect our results of operations.

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Our operations are subject to many hazards inherent in the drilling industry, including environmental pollution, blowouts, cratering, explosions, fires, loss of well control, loss of or damage to the wellbore or underground reservoir, damaged or lost drilling equipment and damage or loss from inclement weather or natural disasters. Any of these hazards could result in personal injury or death, damage to or destruction of equipment and facilities, suspension of operations, environmental and natural resources damage and damage to the property of others. Our offshore operations involve the additional hazards of marine operations including pollution of coastal waters, damage to wildlife and natural habitats, capsizing, grounding, collision, damage from hurricanes and heavy weather or sea conditions, such as sea level rise, coastal storm surge, inland flooding, and unsound ocean bottom conditions.

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Accidents may occur, we may be unable to obtain desired contractual indemnities, and our insurance may prove inadequate in certain cases. The occurrence of an event for which we are not sufficiently insured or indemnified, or the failure or inability of a customer or insurer to meet its indemnification or insurance obligations, could result in substantial losses that could adversely affect our business, financial condition and liquidity. In addition, insurance may not be available to cover certain risks. Our insurance also may not cover losses associated with pandemics such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Even if available, insurance may be inadequate or insurance premiums or other costs may increase significantly in the future, making insurance prohibitively expensive. We expect to continue facing upward pressure in our insurance renewals, our premiums and deductibles may be higher, and some insurance coverage may either be unavailable or more expensive than it has been in the past. Moreover, our insurance coverage generally provides that we assume a portion of the risk in the form of a deductible or self-insured retention. We may choose to increase the levels of deductibles (and thus assume a greater degree of risk) from time to time in order to minimize our overall costs, which could exacerbate the effect of our losses on our financial condition and liquidity.

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Our drilling contracts may in certain instances be renegotiated, suspended or terminated without an early termination payment.

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Most of our multi-well and term drilling contracts require that an early termination payment be made to us if a contract is terminated by the customer prior to its expiration. However, such payments may not fully compensate us for the loss of a contract. In certain circumstances, including but not limited to, non-performance caused by significant operational or equipment issues (such as destruction of a drilling rig that is not replaced within a specified period of time), sustained periods of downtime due to a force majeure event, or other events beyond our control or some other breach of our contractual obligations, our customers may not be obligated to make an early termination payment to us at all. In addition, some contracts may be suspended, rather than terminated early, for an extended period of time, in some cases without adequate compensation. The early termination or suspension of a contract may result in a rig being idle for an extended period of time, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

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During periods of depressed market conditions, we may be subject to an increased risk of our customers (including government-controlled entities) seeking to renegotiate, repudiate or terminate their contracts and/or to otherwise exert commercial influence to our disadvantage. Downturns in the oil price environment may result in downward pricing pressure and decreased demand for our drilling services with existing customers, renegotiations of pricing and other terms in our drilling contracts with certain customers and early termination of contracts by others. Our customers’ ability to perform their obligations under the contracts, including their ability to pay us or fulfill their indemnity obligations, may also be affected by an economic or industry downturn or other adverse conditions in the oil and gas industry. If we were to sustain a loss and our customers were unable to honor their indemnification and/or payment obligations, it could adversely affect our liquidity. If our customers cancel some of our contracts, and we are unable to secure new contracts on a timely basis and/or on substantially similar terms, or if contracts are suspended for an extended period of time with or without adequate compensation or renegotiated with pricing or other terms less favorable to us, it could adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

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The loss of one or a number of our large customers could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

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In 2021, 2020 and 2019, we received approximately 44%, 49% and 41%, respectively, of our consolidated operating revenues from our three largest contract drilling customers (including their affiliates), with our largest customer and partner in our SANAD joint venture, Saudi Aramco, representing 31%, 29% and 22% of our consolidated operating revenues, respectively, for these periods. The loss of one or more of our larger customers would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects. In addition, if a significant customer experiences liquidity constraints or other financial difficulties it may be unable to make required payments or seek to renegotiate contracts, which could adversely affect our liquidity and profitability. Financial difficulties experienced by customers could also adversely affect our utilization rates in the affected market and may cause our counterparties to seek modifications to our contracts with them. Furthermore, potential consolidation among oil and natural gas exploration and production companies may reduce the number of available customers.

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The profitability of our operations could be adversely affected by war, civil disturbance, terrorist activity or other political or economic instability, fluctuation in currency exchange rates and local import and export controls.

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We derive a significant portion of our business from global markets, including operations in the Middle East, South America, the Far East, North Africa, central and southern Asia, and Russia. These operations are subject to various risks, including war, civil disturbances, labor strikes, nationalization, terrorist activity and governmental actions that may limit or disrupt markets, restrict the movement of funds or result in limits or restrictions in our ability to operate or compete, the deprivation of contractual rights or the taking of property without fair compensation, particularly in respect of contracts with state-owned oil companies. In some countries, our operations may be subject to the additional risk of fluctuating currency values and exchange controls. We also are subject to various laws and regulations that govern the operation and taxation of our business and the import and export of our equipment from country to country, the imposition, application and interpretation of which can prove to be uncertain.

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

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We rely on third-party suppliers, manufacturers and service providers to secure equipment, components and parts used in rig operations, conversions, upgrades and construction.

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Our reliance on third-party suppliers, manufacturers and service providers to provide equipment and services exposes us to volatility in the quality, price and availability of such items. Certain components, parts and equipment that we use in our operations may be available only from a small number of suppliers, manufacturers or service providers. The failure of one or more third-party suppliers, manufacturers or service providers to provide equipment, components, parts or services, whether due to capacity constraints, labor shortages or other labor-related difficulties, production or delivery disruptions, price increases, quality control issues, recalls or other decreased availability of parts and equipment, is beyond our control and could materially disrupt our operations or result in the delay, renegotiation or cancellation of drilling contracts, thereby causing a loss of contract drilling backlog and/or revenues to us, as well as an increase in operating costs.

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Additionally, our suppliers, manufacturers, and service providers could be negatively affected by changes in industry conditions or global economic conditions. If certain of our suppliers, manufacturers or service providers were to curtail or discontinue their business as a result of such conditions, it could result in a reduction or interruption in supplies or equipment available to us and/or a significant increase in the price of such supplies and equipment, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

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Our contracts with state-owned energy companies may expose us to greater risks than we normally assume in contracts with non-governmental customers.

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We currently own and operate rigs and rig-related equipment under contracts with state-owned energy companies (“NOCs”). In the future, we may expand our international solutions operations and enter into additional, significant contracts with NOCs. 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. These 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 effect on our future operations or that we will not increase the number of rigs contracted, or the amount of technology deployed, to NOCs with commensurate additional contractual risks. Risks that accompany contracts with NOCs could ultimately have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

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Control of oil and natural gas reserves by NOCs may affect the demand for our services and products and create additional risks in our operations.

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Much of the world’s oil and natural gas reserves are controlled by NOCs, which may require their contractors to meet local content requirements or other local standards, such as conducting our operations through joint ventures with local partners that could be difficult or undesirable for us to meet. The failure to meet the local content requirements and other local standards may adversely affect our operations in those countries. In addition, our ability to work with NOCs is subject to our ability to negotiate and agree upon acceptable contract terms.

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Our operating expense includes fixed costs that may not decline in proportion to decreases in rig utilization and dayrates.

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Our operating expense includes all direct and indirect costs associated with the operation, maintenance and support of our drilling and related equipment, many of which are not affected by changes in dayrates and some of which are not affected by utilization. During periods of reduced revenues and/or activity, certain of our fixed costs (such as depreciation) may not decline and often we may incur additional costs. During times of reduced utilization, reductions in costs may not be immediate as we may not be able to fully reduce the cost of our support operations in a particular geographic region due to the need to support the remaining drilling rigs in that region. Accordingly, a decline in revenues due to lower dayrates and/or utilization may not be offset by a corresponding decrease in drilling services and solutions expense, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

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Actions of and disputes with our joint venture partners could have a material adverse effect on the business and results of operations of our joint ventures and, in turn, our business and consolidated results of operations.

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We conduct some operations through joint ventures. As with any joint venture arrangement, differences in views among the joint venture participants may result in delayed decisions, the joint venture operating in a manner that is contrary to our preference or in failures to agree on major issues. We also cannot control the actions of our joint venture partners, including any nonperformance, default, or bankruptcy of our joint venture partners. These factors could have a material adverse effect on the business and results of operations of our joint ventures and, in turn, our business and consolidated results of operations.

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Failure to realize the anticipated benefits of acquisitions, divestitures, investments, joint ventures and other strategic transactions may adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial position.

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We undertake from time to time acquisitions, divestitures, investments, joint ventures, alliances and other strategic transactions that we expect to further our business objectives. For example, in October 2016, we announced an agreement to form a new joint venture in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which commenced operations in December 2017. The long-term success of the Saudi joint venture depends, to a large degree, on the satisfactory performance of our joint venture partner’s obligations, including contributions of capital, drilling rigs and related equipment, and our ability to maintain an effective, working relationship with our joint venture partner.

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We also completed the acquisition of Tesco in December 2017. We have been unable to obtain regulatory approvals to recognize our acquisition of the Tesco subsidiary in Russia.

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The anticipated benefits of the Saudi joint venture, the Tesco acquisition, and other strategic transactions may not be fully realized, or may be realized more slowly than expected, and may result in operational and financial consequences, including, but not limited to, the loss of key customers, suppliers or employees, or the disposition of certain assets or operations, which may have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

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Decisions by internet service, cloud host service and related providers to restrict or ban our ability to use their platforms could adversely affect our ability to promote and conduct our business and inform investors.

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We utilize the internet to provide services and to promote our business and services to current and potential customers and to provide information and updates to our investors. Internet service providers, cloud hosting services, social media companies and website providers that currently allow us to utilize their platforms to communicate with customers and the public may decide that our business or the industry in which we operate negatively affects their business or may make business decisions or changes to their policies that negatively affect us. Such actions could include placing restrictions on our use of their platforms or banning us from utilizing their services altogether. Our inability to use these platforms may have a negative effect on the way we are perceived in the industry or in the media and may adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

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We will be subject to a number of uncertainties during the timeframe when Nabors Energy Transition Corporation (NETC) pursues a business combination, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flows and share price.

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If NETC is unable to consummate a suitable business transaction during the prescribed time period set forth in the terms of the initial public offering, we may experience negative reactions from the financial markets and from our shareholders. In addition, in the event that NETC is able to find a suitable business combination, or if the business combination is unsuccessful, there is no assurance that we will realize the anticipated value from such transaction.

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Financial Risks

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We may record additional losses or impairment charges related to sold or idle drilling rigs and other assets.

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In 2021, 2020 and 2019, we recognized impairment charges of $60.5 million, $390.0 million and $290.5 million, respectively, related to tangible assets and equipment. Prolonged periods of low utilization or low dayrates, the cold stacking of idle assets, the sale of assets below their then-carrying value or the decline in market value of our assets may cause us to experience further losses. If future cash flow estimates, based upon information available to management at

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the time, including oil and gas prices and expected utilization levels, indicate that the carrying value of any of our rigs may not be recoverable or if we sell assets for less than their then carrying value, we may recognize additional impairment charges on our fleet.

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Our financial and operating flexibility could be affected by our long-term debt and other financial commitments.

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The 2018 Revolving Credit Facility (as hereinafter defined) was fully refinanced by the 2022 Credit Agreement (as hereinafter defined) on January 21, 2022. The 2022 Credit Agreement is secured with a first lien security interest on all land drilling rigs and related equipment, spare parts and inventory in the contiguous U.S. Under the facility, we are required to maintain an “interest coverage ratio” of no less than 1.75:1.00 as of the last day of the fiscal quarter ending March 31, 2022, with such ratio periodically increasing in increments of 0.125:1.00 to a minimum interest coverage ratio of 2.75:1.00 as of the fiscal quarter ending June 30, 2024. We are also required to maintain a “minimum guarantor value” of no less than 90% at all times. The interest coverage ratio is defined to mean the ratio of (i) EBITDA for the latest four fiscal quarters for which financial statements are required to have been delivered to (ii) the interest expense for the latest four fiscal quarters for which financial statements are required to have been delivered. The minimum guarantor value is defined to mean the percentage of book value of, minus depreciation and amortization on, property, plant and equipment owned by Nabors and its subsidiaries, that is directly or indirectly owned by the guarantors of the 2022 Credit Agreement (other than Nabors) and their wholly owned subsidiaries. The interest coverage ratio and the minimum guarantor value requirement are not measures of operating performance or liquidity defined by U.S. GAAP and may not be comparable to similarly titled measures presented by other companies.

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As of December 31, 2021, our consolidated total outstanding indebtedness was $3.3 billion. We also have various financial commitments, such as leases, contracts and purchase commitments. Our ability to service our debt and other financial obligations depends in large part upon the level of cash flows generated by our operating subsidiaries’ operations, our ability to monetize and/or divest non-core assets, availability under the 2022 Credit Agreement and our ability to access the capital markets and/or other sources of financing. If we cannot repay or refinance our debt as it becomes due, we may be forced to sell assets or reduce funding in the future for working capital, capital expenditures and general corporate purposes, any of which could negatively affect our stock price or financial condition.

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Our ability to access capital markets could be limited.

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From time to time, we may need to access capital markets to obtain long-term and short-term financing. However, our ability to access capital markets could be limited or adversely affected by, among other things, oil and gas prices, our existing capital structure, our credit ratings, interest rates and the health or market perceptions of the drilling and overall oil and gas industry and the global economy. In addition, many of the factors that affect our ability to access capital markets, including the liquidity of the overall capital markets, the state of the economy and/or the oil and gas industry, and the impact of COVID-19, among others, are outside of our control. 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 pressuring 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. 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 adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

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A downgrade in our credit rating could negatively affect our cost of and ability to access capital markets or other financing sources.

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Our ability to access capital markets or to otherwise obtain sufficient financing may be affected by our senior unsecured debt ratings as provided by major U.S. credit rating agencies. Factors that may affect our credit ratings include debt levels, asset purchases or sales, as well as near-term and long-term growth opportunities and industry conditions. Liquidity, asset quality, cost structure, market diversity, and commodity pricing levels and other factors, including the impact of COVID-19, are also considered by the rating agencies. Our senior unsecured debt has a non-investment grade rating. Ratings downgrades may affect our cost of capital and ability to access capital markets or other financing sources, any of which could adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

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Technology Risks

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New technologies may cause our drilling methods and equipment to become less competitive and it may become necessary to incur higher levels of operating and capital expenditures in order to keep pace with the disruptive trends in the drilling industry. Growth through the building of new drilling rigs and improvement of existing rigs is not assured.

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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 of rigs and equipment. Our customers increasingly demand the services of newer, higher specification drilling rigs and related equipment. Accordingly, we may have to allocate a higher proportion of our capital expenditures to maintain and improve existing rigs and other equipment, purchase and construct newer, higher specification drilling rigs and other equipment to meet the increasingly sophisticated needs of our customers and develop new and improved technology and data analytics.

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Although we take measures to ensure that we develop and use advanced oil and natural gas drilling technology, changes in technology or improvements by competitors could make our equipment less competitive. There can be no assurance that we will:

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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.

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Development of new technology is critical to maintaining our competitiveness. There can be no assurance that we will be able to successfully develop technology that our customers demand. If we are not successful keeping pace with technological advances and trends (including trends in favor of emissions-reducing technologies) or if we fail to deliver such technologies to our customers in a timely and cost-effective manner suitable to their needs, demand for our services could decline and we could lose market share. Furthermore, if our equipment or proprietary technologies become obsolete, the value of our intellectual property may be reduced, or 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 effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

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Limitations on our ability to obtain, maintain, protect or enforce our intellectual property rights, including our trade secrets, could cause a loss in revenues and any competitive advantage we hold.

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There can be no assurance that the steps we take to obtain, maintain, protect and enforce our intellectual property rights will be adequate. Some of our products or services, and the processes we use to produce or provide them, have been granted patent protection, have patent applications pending, or are trade secrets. Our business may be adversely affected when our patents are unenforceable, the claims allowed under our patents are not sufficient to protect our

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technology, our patent applications are denied, or our trade secrets are not adequately protected. Patent protection on some types of technology, such as software or machine learning processes, may not be available in certain countries in which we operate. Our competitors may also be able to develop technology independently that is similar to ours without infringing on our patents or gaining access to our trade secrets, which could adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

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Technology disputes could negatively affect our operations or increase our costs.

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Our services and products 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 related services are owned by us or certain of our supplying vendors. However, in the event that we or one of our customers or supplying vendors becomes involved in a dispute over infringement of intellectual property rights relating to equipment or technology owned or used by us, services performed by us or products provided by us, we may lose access to important equipment or technology or our ability to provide services or products, or we could be required to cease use of some equipment or technology or be forced to invest or develop replacement technologies to enhance our equipment, technology, services or products. We could also be required to pay license fees or royalties for the use of equipment or technology or provision of services or products. In addition, we may lose a competitive advantage in the event we are unsuccessful in enforcing our rights against third parties. Regardless of the merits, any such claims generally result in significant legal and other costs, including reputational harm, and may distract management from running our business. Technology disputes involving us or our customers or supplying vendors could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, cash flows and results of operations.

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Improvements in or new discoveries of alternative energy technologies could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

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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.

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Legal and Regulatory Risks

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New and evolving regulations in the countries in which we operate (including the United States) concerning health and safety related to COVID-19 could have a material effect on our business.

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The COVID-19 pandemic has caused governments across the globe to implement laws and restrictions aimed at reducing the spread of COVID-19 and ensuring the safety of their citizens. In the United States, the federal government issued a vaccination mandate covering federal contractors (Executive Order 14042), and the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”) announced the implementation of the Vaccination and Testing Emergency Temporary Standard (the “ETS”), requiring all employers with at least 100 employees to ensure that their employees are fully vaccinated or require unvaccinated workers to obtain a COVID-19 test at least once a week. The Supreme Court enjoined the ETS on January 13, 2022, after which, effective January 26, 2022, OSHA withdrew the measure. OSHA continues to pursue imposition of a similar, permanent requirement through the rulemaking process. This process is not complete and, as such, the final form of OSHA’s rule regarding workplace vaccinations is not known. Executive Order 14042 is currently enjoined by court orders, and the ultimate outcome of such litigation is not known. Therefore, it is not clear at this time how either OSHA’s rule or Executive Order 14042, if enforced, may affect our workforce and our ability to maintain our operations throughout the United States.

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Similarly, laws in other jurisdictions where we operate require individuals to demonstrate proof of vaccination, negative COVID-19 tests, or have other requirements intended to halt or slow the spread of COVID-19, and may restrict travel to, through, and/or from such countries. These travel restrictions may significantly affect our global workforce. If our employees are not able to provide evidence consistent with local requirements and are not allowed to travel to the work location, our financial condition and results of operations may be adversely affected.

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Our international business exposes us to additional risks, including risks related to geopolitical and economic factors, laws and regulations, and compliance obligations and risks under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and other applicable anti-corruption laws. Violations of these laws could have a negative effect on our business.

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Our international business (including our participation in joint ventures, requirements for local content, and our global supply chain) is subject to numerous political and economic factors, legal requirements, cross-cultural considerations and other risks associated with doing business globally. Our international business is generally subject to both U.S. and foreign laws and regulations, including, without limitation, laws and regulations relating to export/import controls, sanctions, technology transfers, government contracts and procurement, data privacy and protection, investment, exchange rates and controls, the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (the “FCPA”), the Bermuda Bribery Act (2016) and other anti-corruption laws, anti-boycott provisions, securities laws, labor and employment, works councils and other labor groups, anti-human trafficking, taxes, environment, immunity, security restrictions and intellectual property. The SEC and U.S. Department of Justice have continued to focus on enforcement activities with respect to the FCPA. While our employees and agents are required to comply with applicable anti-corruption laws, and we have adopted policies and procedures and related training programs designed to promote and achieve compliance, we cannot ensure that our internal policies, procedures and programs will always protect us from risks associated with unlawful acts carried out by our employees or agents.

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Failure by us, our employees, affiliates, partners or others with whom we work to comply with applicable laws and regulations could result in administrative, civil, commercial or criminal liabilities, including suspension or debarment from government contracts or suspension of export/import privileges. Any such penalty could have a material adverse effect on our reputation, our ability to compete for other contracts and our financial position, results of operations and/or cash flows.

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Changes to or noncompliance with laws and regulations or exposure to environmental liabilities could adversely affect our results of operations.

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Drilling of oil and natural gas wells is subject to various laws and regulations in the jurisdictions where we operate, including comprehensive and frequently changing laws and regulations relating to the protection of the environment and human health, including those regulating the spill, release, transport, storage, use, treatment, disposal and remediation of, and exposure to, hazardous and solid wastes and materials. Our costs to comply with these laws and regulations may be substantial. Violation of environmental laws or regulations could lead to the imposition of administrative, civil or criminal penalties, capital expenditures, delays in the permitting or performance of projects, and in some cases injunctive relief. Violations may also result in liabilities for personal injuries, property and natural resource damage and other costs and claims. We are not able to allocate all risks of environmental liabilities to customers, and it is possible that customers who assume the risks will be financially unable to bear any resulting costs.

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In addition, U.S. federal laws and the laws of other jurisdictions regulate the prevention of oil spills and the release of hazardous substances and may impose liability for removal costs and natural resource, real or personal property and certain economic damages arising from any spills. Some of these laws may impose strict and/or joint and several liability for clean-up costs and damages without regard to the conduct of the parties. As an owner and operator of onshore and offshore rigs and other equipment, we may be deemed to be a responsible party under federal law. In addition, we are subject to various laws governing the containment and disposal of hazardous substances, oilfield waste and other waste materials and the use of underground storage tanks.

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Changes in environmental laws and regulations may also negatively affect the operations of oil and natural gas exploration and production companies, which in turn could have an adverse effect on us. Future or more stringent federal or state regulation could dramatically increase operating costs for oil and natural gas companies, curtail production and demand for oil and natural gas in areas of the world where our customers operate, and reduce the market for our services by making wells and/or oilfields uneconomical to operate, which may in turn adversely affect results of operations.

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The physical effects of climate change and the regulation of greenhouse gas emissions and climate change could have a negative effect on our business.

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There has been an increasing focus of international, national, state, regional and local regulatory bodies on greenhouse gas (“GHG”), including carbon dioxide and methane, emissions and climate change issues. Future regulation could require industries to meet stringent standards to substantially reduce GHG emissions. Legislation to regulate GHG

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emissions has periodically been introduced in the U.S. Congress. In addition, the current administration has taken steps to further regulate GHG emissions. Those reductions could be costly and difficult to implement.

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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (the “EPA”) has published findings that GHG emissions present an endangerment to public health and the environment. The EPA has also issued rules requiring monitoring and reporting of GHG emissions from the oil and natural gas sector, including onshore and offshore production activities. In November 2021, the EPA proposed new rules aimed at sharply reducing methane and other emissions from new and existing sources in the oil and gas industry. The Bureau of Land Management also issued a rule in November 2016 requiring reductions in methane emissions from venting, flaring, and leaking activities on public lands.

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The United States is a member of the Paris Agreement, a climate accord reached at the Conference of the Parties (“COP 21”) in Paris, that set many new goals, and many related policies are still emerging. The Paris Agreement requires set GHG emission reduction goals every five years beginning in 2020. Stronger GHG emission targets were set at the Conference of Parties in Glasgow (“COP 26”) in November 2021.

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It is not possible to predict the timing and effect of climate change or whether additional GHG regulations will be adopted. However, more aggressive efforts by governments and non-governmental organizations to reduce GHG emissions appear likely, and any such future regulations could result in increased compliance costs, additional operating restrictions or affect the demand for our customers’ products and, accordingly, our services.

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In addition, there have been efforts in recent years aimed at the investment community 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. Further, members of the investment community have increased their focus on sustainability practices with regard to the oil and gas industry, including practices related to GHGs and climate change, and an increasing number of our customers consider sustainability factors in awarding work. These developments, and public perception relating to climate change, may curtail production and demand for oil and natural gas by shifting demand towards lower carbon energy sources such as wind, solar and other renewables. If these efforts are successful, our ability and the ability of our customers to access capital markets may be limited and our stock price may be negatively affected.

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Beyond financial and regulatory effects, the projected severe effects of climate change have the potential to directly affect our facilities and operations and those of our customers. 

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Legal proceedings and governmental investigations could affect our financial condition and results of operations.

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We are subject to legal proceedings and governmental investigations from time to time that include employment, tort, intellectual property and other claims, and purported class action and shareholder derivative actions. We are also subject to complaints and allegations from former, current or prospective employees from time to time, alleging violations of employment-related laws or other whistle blower-related matters. Lawsuits or claims could result in decisions against us that could have an adverse effect on our financial condition or results of operations. See “Item 3—Legal Proceedings” for a discussion of certain existing legal proceedings.

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We may be subject to changes in tax laws and have additional tax liabilities.

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We operate through various subsidiaries in numerous countries throughout the world. Consequently, we are subject to changes in tax laws, treaties or regulations and the interpretation or enforcement thereof in the United States and in jurisdictions in which we or any of our subsidiaries operate or are organized, and any such changes could have a material effect on our results of operations in the periods in which such laws and regulations become effective as well as in future periods. In October 2021, the Group of 20 endorsed a new global minimum tax rate for large multinational companies, which also has the support of a large number of countries and territories responsible for the overwhelming majority of global economic output. To take effect, the minimum tax would need to be implemented by each jurisdiction. It is not yet clear how such a minimum tax would impact our business.

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The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (“Tax Reform Act”) adopted sweeping changes to the U.S. Internal Revenue Code which also could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations. In addition to lowering the U.S. corporate income tax rate and numerous other changes, the law imposes more stringent limitations on the deductibility of interest expense and net operating losses and imposes a type of minimum tax designed to reduce the

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benefits derived from intercompany transactions and payments that result in base erosion. Tax laws, treaties and regulations are highly complex and subject to interpretation. Our income tax expense is based upon our interpretation of the tax laws in effect in various countries at the time that the expense is incurred. Although the Tax Reform Act has not had a material effect on our financial statements to date, if these tax laws, treaties or regulations change or any tax authority successfully challenges our assessment of the effects of such laws, treaties and regulations in any country, including our operational structure, intercompany pricing policies or the taxable presence of our subsidiaries in certain countries, this could have a material adverse effect on us, resulting in a higher effective tax rate on our consolidated earnings or a reclassification of the tax effects of our significant corporate restructuring transactions.

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The Company’s ability to use its net operating loss carryforwards, and possibly other tax attributes, to offset future taxable income for U.S. federal income tax purposes may be significantly limited due to various circumstances, including future transactions involving the sale or issuance of Company equity securities, or if taxable income does not reach sufficient levels.

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As of December 31, 2021, the Company reported consolidated federal net operating loss (“NOL”) carryforwards of approximately $728.6 million and certain other favorable federal income tax attributes. The Company’s ability to use its NOL carryforwards and certain other attributes may be limited if it experiences an “ownership change” as defined in Section 382 (“Section 382”) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”). An ownership change generally occurs if there is a more than 50 percentage point increase in the aggregate equity ownership of the Company by one or more “5 percent shareholders” (as that term is defined for purposes of Sections 382 and 383 of the Code) in any testing period, which is generally the three-year period preceding any potential ownership change, measured against their lowest percentage ownership at any time during such period.

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There is no assurance that the Company will not experience an ownership change under Section 382 as a result of future actions that may significantly limit or possibly eliminate its ability to use its NOL carryforwards and potentially certain other tax attributes. Potential future transactions involving the sale, issuance, redemption or other disposition of common or preferred shares or other equity-based securities, the exercise of conversion or exchange options under the terms of any convertible or exchangeable debt, the repurchase of any such debt with Company shares, in each case, by a person owning, or treated as owning, 5% or more of the Company’s shares, or a combination of such transactions, may cause or increase the possibility that the Company will experience an ownership change under Section 382. Under Section 382, an ownership change would subject the Company to an annual limitation that applies to the amount of pre-ownership change NOLs (and possibly certain other tax attributes) that may be used to offset post-ownership change taxable income. If a Section 382 limitation applies, the limitation could cause the Company’s U.S. federal income taxes to be greater, or to be paid earlier, than they otherwise would be, and could cause all or a portion of the Company’s NOL carryforwards to expire unused. Similar rules and limitations may apply for state income tax purposes. The Company’s ability to use its NOL carryforwards will also depend on the amount of taxable income it generates in future periods. The Company’s NOL carryforwards may expire before it can generate sufficient taxable income to use them in full.

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Share Capital and Corporate Structure Risks

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Significant issuances of common shares could adversely affect the market price of our common shares.

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As of February 14, 2022, we had 32,000,000 authorized common shares, of which 9,661,352 shares were outstanding and entitled to vote, including 1,090,003 million held by our subsidiaries. In addition, 350,067 common shares were reserved for issuance pursuant to stock option and employee benefit plans. The sale, or availability for sale, of substantial amounts of our common shares in the public market, whether directly by us or resulting from the exercise of options or warrants (and, where applicable, sales pursuant to Rule 144 under the Securities Act) or the exchange of our 0.75% Exchangeable Notes due 2024, would be dilutive to existing shareholders, could adversely affect the prevailing market price of our common shares and could impair our ability to raise additional capital through the sale of equity securities.

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Our common share price has been and may continue to be volatile.

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The trading price of our common shares has fluctuated in the past and is subject to significant fluctuations in response to the following factors, some of which are beyond our control:

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The trading market for our common stock is influenced by the research and reports that industry or securities analysts may publish about us, our business, our markets or our competitors. We do not have any control over these analysts, and we cannot provide any assurance that analysts will cover us or provide favorable coverage. If any of the analysts who may cover us adversely change their recommendation regarding our stock, or provide more favorable relative recommendations about our competitors, our stock price could materially decline. If any analyst who may cover us were to cease coverage of our Company or fail to regularly publish reports on us, we could lose visibility in the financial markets, which in turn could cause our stock price or trading volume to materially decline.

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During 2021, our stock price on the NYSE ranged from a high of $130.49 per common share to a low of $57.34 per common share. In recent years, the stock market in general has experienced extreme price and volume fluctuations that have affected the market price for many companies in industries similar to ours. Some of these fluctuations have been unrelated to the operating performance of the affected companies. These market fluctuations may decrease the market price of our common shares in the future.

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Provisions in our organizational documents may be insufficient to thwart a coercive hostile takeover attempt; conversely, these provisions and those in our outstanding debt and Saudi joint venture documents may deter a change of control transaction and decrease the likelihood of a shareholder receiving a change of control premium.

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Companies generally seek to prevent coercive takeovers by parties unwilling to pay fair value for the enterprise they acquire. Provisions in our organizational documents that are meant to help us avoid a coercive takeover include:

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Certain actions taken by us could make it easier for another party to acquire control of the Company. For instance, in June 2012 we adopted an amendment to our bye-laws to declassify the Board and in 2017, as recommended by our shareholders, we amended our policy regarding nomination and proxy access for director candidates. Conversely, the provisions designed to prevent hostile takeovers, or protect holders of our debt instruments and our joint venture partner,

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may deter transactions in which shareholders would receive a change of control premium. For example, certain change of control transactions could accelerate the principal amounts outstanding, and require premiums payments, under our debt instruments, or trigger a call option to purchase our interest in SANAD, our joint venture with Saudi Aramco.

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As a holding company, we depend on our operating subsidiaries and investments to meet our financial obligations.

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We are a holding company with no significant assets other than the stock of our subsidiaries. In order to meet our financial needs and obligations, we rely exclusively on repayments of interest and principal on intercompany loans that we have made to operating subsidiaries, and income from dividends and other cash flow from such subsidiaries. There can be no assurance that such operating subsidiaries will generate sufficient net income to pay dividends or sufficient cash flow to make payments of interest and principal to us in respect of intercompany loans. In addition, from time to time, such operating subsidiaries may enter into financing arrangements that contractually restrict or prohibit these types of upstream payments. Our debt instruments do not contain covenants prohibiting any such contractual restrictions. There may also be adverse tax consequences associated with such operating subsidiaries paying dividends. Finally, the ability of our subsidiaries to make distributions to us may be restricted by the laws of the applicable subsidiaries’ jurisdictions of organization and other laws and regulations. If subsidiaries are unable to distribute or otherwise make payments to us, we may not be able to pay interest or principal on obligations when due, and we cannot assure you that we will be able to obtain the necessary funds from other sources.

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General Risks

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Investor sentiment and public perception related to the fossil fuels industry and to ESG initiatives could increase our costs of capital, our reporting requirement, and our operations, which could negatively affect our stock price.

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We are a service provider to energy companies in the fossil fuel industry. Investor sentiment and public perception of fossil fuels have led to calls to limit investment and lending to businesses in this industry. If any of these efforts continue or increase, our ability to raise capital could be negatively affected, which could lead to a reduction in our stock price. 

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Similarly, there are calls by certain investors for companies to increase their environment, social, and governance (“ESG”) initiatives, and for more robust reporting on such initiatives. The European Union has implemented ESG reporting requirements on EU market participants, and similar regulations are pending in various states in the United States. Members of the investment community and lenders have also begun establishing standards required of companies in which they invest or to which they provide credit. We anticipate these reporting requirements will continue and potentially increase. Increased ESG efforts and reporting requirements may increase our costs of operations and thereby negatively affect our financial condition. In addition, if we are unable to meet the requirements of our investors or our lenders, our cost of capital may increase and our stock price may be negatively affected.

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Our business, results of operations and financial condition have been and may continue to be adversely affected by global public health epidemics, including the strain of coronavirus known as COVID-19, and future adverse effects could be material and difficult to predict.

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The global spread of the strain of coronavirus known as COVID-19 and its variants, which was declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization on March 11, 2020, has adversely affected our operations and the operations of our customers and suppliers. The outbreak triggered a sharp sell-off in energy commodities markets during the first quarter of 2020, as economic activity tumbled as a result of government impositions of mandatory closures, quarantines and other restrictions on, or advisories with respect to, travel, business operations and public gatherings or interactions. Certain jurisdictions recently have begun re-opening only to return to restrictions in the face of increases in new COVID-19 cases, while other jurisdictions are continuing to re-open or have nearly completed the re-opening process despite increases in COVID-19 cases. The pandemic may significantly worsen during the upcoming months, which may cause governmental authorities to reconsider restrictions on business, travel, and other activities.

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The significant weakness in oil and natural gas prices resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in sharp reductions in the exploration and production capital and operating budgets of our customers. Demand for our services and associated product offerings, and the rates we are able to charge to customers, is closely tied to such exploration and production activities and the significant price weakness and associated volatility surrounding these events has had, and is likely to continue to have, an adverse effect on the demand for our services.

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Future increases in commodity prices may not necessarily translate into the resumption of exploration and production activities (and a corresponding demand for our services) because our customers’ expectations of future prices may also influence or limit their activity. As a result of these factors, lower demand for drilling and drilling related services may persist for a significant time, which would continue to materially adversely affect the rates that we are able to charge our customers and the demand for our services.

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The spread of the virus into our workforce may also prevent us from meeting the demands of our customers in the future. For example, if the COVID-19 pandemic were to significantly affect a location where we have a high concentration of business and resources, our local workforce could be affected by the outbreak, which could significantly disrupt our operations or lead to a shutdown of operations in that location.

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Our business is subject to cybersecurity risks.

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Our operations are increasingly dependent on information technologies and services. Threats to information technology systems associated with cybersecurity risks and cyber incidents or attacks continue to grow, and include, among other things, storms and natural disasters, terrorist attacks, utility outages, theft, viruses, phishing, malware, design defects, human error, and complications encountered as existing systems are maintained, repaired, replaced, or upgraded. Risks associated with these threats include, among other things:

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Although we utilize various procedures and controls to mitigate our exposure to such risk, cybersecurity attacks and other cyber events are evolving and unpredictable. Moreover, we have no control over the information technology systems of our customers, suppliers, and others with which our systems may connect and communicate. As a result, the occurrence of a cyber incident could go unnoticed for a period time.

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We do not presently maintain insurance coverage to protect against cybersecurity risks. If we procure such coverage in the future, we cannot ensure that it will be sufficient to cover any particular losses we may experience as a result of such cyberattacks. Any cyber incident could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

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The loss of key executives or inability to attract and retain experienced technical professionals and talented personnel could reduce our competitiveness and harm prospects for future success.

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The successful execution of our business strategies depends, in part, on the continued service of certain key executive officers and employees. We have employment agreements with some of our key personnel within the company, but no assurance can be given that any employee will remain with us, whether or not they have entered into an employment agreement. We do not carry key man insurance. In addition, our operations depend, in part, on our ability to attract and retain experienced technical professionals and talented personnel. Competition for such professionals is intense, and as the business environment improves, competition for personnel generally intensifies. The loss of key executive officers and/or our inability to retain or attract experienced technical professionals and talented personnel,

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could reduce our competitiveness and harm prospects for future success, which may adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

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ITEM 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS

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Not applicable.

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ITEM 2. PROPERTIES

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Nabors’ principal executive offices are located in Hamilton, Bermuda. We own or lease executive and administrative office space in Houston, Texas; Anchorage, Alaska; Dubai in the United Arab Emirates; Bogota, Colombia; Dhahran, Saudi Arabia; and Sandnes, Norway. Our principal physical properties are drilling rigs, which are more fully described in Part I, Item 1.—Business.

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Many of the international drilling rigs and some of the Alaska rigs in our fleet are supported by mobile camps which house the drilling crews and a significant inventory of spare parts and supplies. In addition, we own various trucks, forklifts, cranes, earth-moving and other construction and transportation equipment, which are used to support our operations. We also own or lease a number of facilities and storage yards used in support of operations in each of our geographic markets.

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ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

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Nabors and its subsidiaries are defendants or otherwise involved in a number of lawsuits in the ordinary course of business. We estimate the range of our liability related to pending litigation when we believe the amount and range of loss can be estimated. We record our best estimate of a loss when the loss is considered probable. When a liability is probable and there is a range of estimated loss with no best estimate in the range, we record the minimum estimated liability related to the lawsuits or claims. As additional information becomes available, we assess the potential liability related to our pending litigation and claims and revise our estimates. Due to uncertainties related to the resolution of lawsuits and claims, the ultimate outcome may differ from our estimates. For matters where an unfavorable outcome is reasonably possible and significant, we disclose the nature of the matter and a range of potential exposure, unless an estimate cannot be made at the time of disclosure. In the opinion of management and based on liability accruals provided, our ultimate exposure with respect to these pending lawsuits and claims is not expected to have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial position or cash flows, although they could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations for a particular reporting period. See Note 15 — Commitments and Contingencies in Part II, Item 8.—Financial Statements and Supplementary Data for a description of such proceedings. 

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ITEM 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES

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Not applicable.

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PART II

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ITEM 5. MARKET PRICE OF AND DIVIDENDS ON THE REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED SHAREHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES

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Market Information.

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Our common shares, par value $0.05 per share, are publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange (the “NYSE”) under the symbol “NBR”.

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On February 14, 2022, the closing price of our common shares as reported on the NYSE was $123.22.

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Holders.

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At February 14, 2022, there were approximately 1,742 shareholders of record of our common shares.

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Dividends.

The declaration and payment of future dividends will be at the discretion of the Board and will depend, among other things, on future earnings, general financial condition and liquidity, success in business activities, capital requirements and general business conditions in addition to legal requirements.

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See Part I, Item 1A.—Risk Factors—As a holding company, we depend on our operating subsidiaries and investments to meet our financial obligations.

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Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities.

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The following table provides information relating to our repurchase of common shares during the three months ended December 31, 2021:

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Performance Graph

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The following graph illustrates comparisons of five-year cumulative total returns among Nabors, the S&P 500 Index, S&P SmallCap 600 Index, Russell 3000 Index and Dow Jones Oil Equipment and Services Index. We present all these indices. Total return assumes $100 invested on December 31, 2016 in shares of Nabors and in the aforementioned indices noted above assuming reinvestment of dividends at the end of each calendar year, presented in the table below.

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The foregoing graph is based on historical data and is not necessarily indicative of future performance. This graph shall not be deemed to be “soliciting material” or “filed” with the SEC or subject to Regulations 14A or 14C under the Exchange Act or to the liabilities of Section 18 under the Exchange Act.

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Related Shareholder Matters

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Bermuda has exchange controls which apply to residents in respect of the Bermuda dollar. As an exempted company, Nabors is designated as non-resident for Bermuda exchange control purposes by the Bermuda Monetary Authority. Pursuant to our non-resident status, there are no Bermuda restrictions on our ability to transfer funds (other than funds denominated in Bermuda dollars) in and out of Bermuda or to pay dividends to non-residents who are holders of our common shares in all other currencies, including currency of the United States.

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There is no reciprocal tax treaty between Bermuda and the United States. Under current Bermuda law, there is no Bermuda withholding tax on dividends or other distributions, nor any Bermuda tax computed on profit or income payable by Nabors or its operations. Furthermore, no Bermuda tax is levied on the sale or transfer (including by gift and/or on the death of the shareholder) of Nabors common shares (other than by shareholders resident in Bermuda). Nabors has received an undertaking from the Minister of Finance in Bermuda that, in the event of any taxes being imposed, Nabors will be exempt from taxation in Bermuda until March 31, 2035.

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ITEM 6. [Reserved]

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Removed and reserved.

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ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

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The following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations is based on, and should be read in conjunction with, our consolidated financial statements and the related notes thereto included under Part II, Item 8.—Financial Statements and Supplementary Data. This discussion and analysis contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of certain factors, including those set forth under Part I, Item 1A.—Risk Factors and elsewhere in this annual report. See “Forward-Looking Statements.”

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Management Overview

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We own and operate one of the world’s largest land-based drilling rig fleets, and also provide offshore rigs in the United States and numerous international markets. Our business is comprised of our global land-based and offshore drilling rig operations and other rig related services and technologies. These services include tubular services, wellbore placement solutions, directional drilling, measurement-while-drilling, logging-while-drilling systems and services, equipment manufacturing, rig instrumentation and optimization software.

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Outlook

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The demand for our services is a function of the level of spending by oil and gas companies for exploration, development and production activities. The primary driver of customer spending is their cash flow and earnings, which are largely driven by oil and natural gas prices and customers’ production volumes. The oil and natural gas markets have traditionally been volatile and tend to be highly sensitive to supply and demand cycles.

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During 2020, the oil markets experienced unprecedented volatility. The COVID-19 outbreak, and its development into a pandemic, along with policies and actions taken by governments and behaviors of companies and customers around the world, had a significant negative impact on demand for oil and our services, which negatively impacted our operating results and cash flow throughout 2020 and into 2021. The Lower-48 drilling rig market began to stabilize during the second half of 2020 and has continued to improve at a measured rate throughout 2021. We expect continued measured but steady increases in activity throughout 2022 for the Lower-48 market. Our International markets also experienced factors and conditions that led to similar reductions in activity throughout 2020, but the impact varied considerably from country to country. As government-imposed restrictions continue to ease, we expect our international activity to generally increase through the next year.

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Recent Developments

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Common stock warrants

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On May 27, 2021, the Board declared a distribution to holders of the Company’s common shares of warrants to purchase its common shares (the “Warrants”). Holders of Nabors common shares received two-fifths of a warrant per common share held as of the record date (rounded down for any fractional warrant). Nabors issued approximately 3.2 million warrants on June 11, 2021 to shareholders of record as of June 4, 2021.

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Each Warrant represents the right to purchase one common share at an initial exercise price of $166.66667 per Warrant, subject to certain adjustments (the “Exercise Price”). In addition, Warrants submitted for exercise may be eligible to receive an additional one-third common share due to the incentive share component. The incentive share is an extra amount of common shares that Nabors will award when the volume weighted average price of Nabors’ common shares on the day before any Warrant holder exercises its Warrants multiplied by three is at least 6% higher than the sum of the volume weighted average prices of Nabors’ common shares on each of the second, third and fourth days before any Warrant holder exercises its Warrants. Payment for common shares on exercise of Warrants may be in (i) cash or (ii) “Designated Notes,” which the Company initially defines as (a) Nabors Delaware’s (i) 5.10% Notes due 2023, (ii) 0.75% Exchangeable Notes due 2024, (iii) 5.75% Notes due 2025, and (b) the Company’s 7.25% Notes due 2026, subject to compliance with applicable procedures with respect to the delivery of the Warrants and Designated Notes. The Exercise Price and the number of common shares issuable upon exercise are subject to anti-dilution adjustments, including for share dividends, splits, subdivisions, spin-offs, consolidations, reclassifications, combinations, noncash distributions, cash dividends (other than regular quarterly cash dividends not exceeding a permitted threshold amount),

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certain pro rata repurchases and similar transactions, including certain issuances of common shares (or securities exercisable or convertible into or exchangeable for common shares) at a price (or having a conversion price) that is less than 95% of the market price of the common shares. The Warrants expire on June 11, 2026, but the expiration date may be accelerated at any time by the Company upon 20-days’ prior notice. The Company has listed the Warrants on the over-the-counter market.

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Canada Asset Sale

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During the second quarter of 2021, Nabors entered into an agreement to sell the assets of its Canada Drilling segment for $117.5 million CAD (or approximately $94.0 million USD). The sale closed during July 2021.

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7.375% Senior Priority Guaranteed Notes Due May 2027

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In November 2021, Nabors issued $700.0 million in aggregate principal amount of 7.375% senior priority guaranteed notes, which are fully and unconditionally guaranteed by Nabors and certain of Nabors’ indirect wholly-owned subsidiaries. Interest on the notes is payable May 15 and November 15 of each year, beginning May 15, 2022. The notes will mature on May 15, 2027. The remaining proceeds are available for general corporate purposes, including repaying outstanding debt.

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Nabors Energy Transition Corporation

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In November 2021, Nabors Energy Transition Corporation (“NETC”), a special purpose acquisition company, commonly referred to as a “SPAC”, co-sponsored by Nabors, completed its initial public offering of 27,600,000 units at $10.00 per unit, generating gross proceeds of approximately $276.0 million. Simultaneously with the closing of the IPO, NETC completed the private sale of an aggregate of 13,730,000 warrants for an aggregate value of $13,730,000. NETC was formed for the sole purpose of effecting a merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses with significant growth potential and to create value by supporting the company in the public markets. NETC intends to identify solutions, opportunities, companies or technologies that focus on advancing the energy transition; specifically ones that facilitate, improve or complement the reduction of carbon or greenhouse gas emissions while satisfying growing energy consumption across markets globally.

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Financial Results

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Comparison of the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020

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Operating revenues in 2021 totaled $2.0 billion, representing a decrease of $116.5 million from 2020. The primary driver was a decrease in international activity due to the continued impact on our international businesses brought on by the COVID-19 outbreak and the resultant measures put in place by some countries in response to it. This decrease in activity is evidenced by the 10% decline in average rigs working within our International Drilling operating segment. For a more detailed description of operating results see —Segment Results of Operations, below.

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Net loss from continuing operations attributable to Nabors common shareholders totaled $572.9 million for 2021 ($76.58 per diluted share) compared to a net loss from continuing operations attributable to Nabors common shareholders of $820.3 million ($118.69 per diluted share) in 2020, or a $247.3 million decrease in the net loss. This decrease in the net loss is primarily due to (i) a $344 million reduction in asset impairment charges required in 2021 as compared to $410 million in impairment charges required in 2020, as a result of dramatic decline in market conditions and activity brought about by (a) the outbreak of COVID-19, and (b) unprecedented volatility in the oil market, both of which led to a significant decline in oil prices resulting from oversupply and demand weakness in early 2020, (ii) a $78 million improvement in adjusted operating income (loss) primarily due to a reduced amount of depreciation as a result of impairments taken in recent years and (iii) a $35 million reduction in interest expense as a result of our debt reduction objectives over the past few years. These improvements to the net loss were partially offset by a $215 million reduction in gains from retirement of debt, which was mostly attributable to the Exchange Transactions that were completed during 2020.

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General and administrative expenses in 2021 totaled $213.6 million, representing an increase of $10.0 million, or 5% from 2020. This is reflective of temporary workforce cost reductions taken in the prior year due to industry market conditions combined with a moderate increase in workforce as market conditions have improved.

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Research and engineering expenses in 2021 totaled $35.2 million, representing an increase of $1.6 million, or 5%, from 2020. This is reflective of temporary workforce cost reductions taken in the prior year due to industry market conditions combined with a moderate increase in workforce as market conditions have improved.

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Depreciation and amortization expense in 2021 was $693.4 million, representing a decrease of $160.3 million, or 18%, from 2020. The decrease is attributable to the combination of many assets recently reaching the end of their useful lives, limited capital expenditures over recent years and the impact from impairment charges and retirement provisions recorded in 2020.

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Segment Results of Operations

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Our business consists of five reportable segments: U.S. Drilling, Canada Drilling, International Drilling, Drilling Solutions and Rig Technologies.

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Management evaluates the performance of our reportable segments using adjusted operating income (loss), which is our segment performance measure, because we believe that this financial measure reflects our ongoing profitability and performance. In addition, securities analysts and investors use this measure as one of the metrics on which they analyze our performance. Adjusted operating income (loss) represents income (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes, interest expense, earnings (losses) from unconsolidated affiliates, investment income (loss), (gain)/loss on debt buybacks and exchanges, impairments and other charges and other, net. A reconciliation of adjusted operating income to net income (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes can be found in Note 18—Segment Information in Part II, Item 8. —Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.

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The following tables set forth certain information with respect to our reportable segments and rig activity:

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U.S. Drilling

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Operating revenues decreased by $43.4 million or 6% in 2021 compared to 2020 primarily due to decreases in pricing for our services. Activity declined throughout 2020 due to market conditions, but has steadily improved throughout 2021, beginning in late 2020, resulting in a 4% increase in the number of average rigs working in 2021 as compared to 2020. The impact from pricing lags activity due to the nature of our drilling contracts, so the average revenue per operating day in 2021 was lower than 2020, as pricing continues to recover with sustained higher activity. The reduction in revenues was partially offset by cost cutting initiatives and a reduction in depreciation expense.

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Canada Drilling

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Operating revenues decreased by $15.4 million or 28% in 2021 compared to 2020 primarily due to the sale of the Canada Drilling assets in July 2021.

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International Drilling

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Operating revenues decreased by $88.5 million or 8% in 2021 compared to 2020 primarily due to reduced activity, as reflected in the 10% decrease in the average number of rigs working, as certain countries implemented measures to counter COVID-19. The reduction in revenues was partially offset by cost reductions related to the drop in activity and a reduction in depreciation expense.

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Drilling Solutions

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Operating revenues increased by $22.6 million or 15% in 2021 compared to 2020 primarily due to the increase in market activity and additional product offerings across the U.S. during 2021, relative to the prior year. The decline in activity for this segment in 2020 was more pronounced than the decline in our drilling segments, due to the nature of its operating contracts. As market conditions improved in 2021, this also allowed for a more pronounced rebound relative to our drilling segments.

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Rig Technologies

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Operating revenues increased by $17.7 million or 13% in 2021 compared to 2020 due to an increase in activity in the U.S. In addition, this segment experienced a reduction in depreciation expense similar to our other operating segments, and implemented significant cost reduction measures.

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Other Financial Information

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Interest expense

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Interest expense for 2021 was $171.5 million, representing a decrease of $34.8 million, or 17%, compared to 2020. The decrease was primarily due to debt restructuring and exchange transactions in the fourth quarter of 2020 and the first quarter of 2021, along with reductions in overall debt levels from our cash flows, which have contributed to reduced interest expense.

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Gain on debt buybacks and exchanges

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Gain on debt buybacks and exchanges in 2021 was $13.4 million, representing a decrease of $214.9 million compared to 2020. Approximately $161.8 million of this amount is due to the debt exchanges completed in the fourth quarter of 2020. The remaining change is primarily attributable to fewer open market purchases of debt in 2021, as the discount levels have reduced.

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Impairments and other charges

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During the year ended December 31, 2021, we recognized impairments and other charges of approximately $66.7 million, representing a decrease of $343.9 million compared to the prior year. The decrease was primarily due to a $344 million reduction in asset impairment charges required in 2021, as compared to $410 million in impairment charges required in 2020, as a result of the dramatic decline in market conditions and activity brought about by (a) the outbreak of COVID-19, and (b) unprecedented volatility in the oil market leading to a significant decline in oil prices resulting from oversupply and demand weakness in early 2020. In response to the market conditions, in 2020 we recognized charges which included impairment charges, and retirement provisions of long-lived assets of $260.5 million comprised of underutilized rigs and drilling-related equipment across all our operating segments. We also recognized $111.4 million in impairments to our remaining goodwill and intangible asset balances in our Drilling Solutions and Rig Technologies operating segments. Of the $66.7 million in 2021 impairments, $58.5 million is attributable to the sale of our Canada drilling assets.

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Other, net

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Other, net for 2021 was $53.4 million of loss, compared to $28.6 million of loss during 2020. The $24.8 million difference between periods was primarily due to $14.7 million related to costs incurred during 2021 on our energy transition initiatives, including the purchase of certain development stage technologies that were expensed and an $11.5 million increase in losses from sales and retirements of assets.

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Income taxes

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Our worldwide income tax expense for 2021 was $55.6 million compared to $57.3 million for 2020. The relatively small decrease in tax expense was primarily attributable to higher tax expense on a gain related to our debt exchange recognized in 2020, partially offset by an increase in tax expense attributable to a recorded liability for uncertain tax positions of $26.3 million in 2021, as well as changes in the operating income and the geographic mix of our pre-tax earnings (losses) in the jurisdictions in which we operate.

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Liquidity and Capital Resources

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Financial Condition and Sources of Liquidity

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Our primary sources of liquidity are cash and investments, availability under our revolving credit facility and cash generated from operations. As of December 31, 2021, we had cash and short-term investments of $991.5 million and working capital of $1.0 billion. As of December 31, 2020, we had cash and short-term investments of $481.7 million and working capital of $616.0 million.

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At December 31, 2021, we had $460.0 million of borrowings outstanding under the 2018 Revolving Credit Facility, which had a total borrowing capacity of $524.1 million. The 2018 Revolving Credit Facility required us to maintain “minimum liquidity” of no less than $160.0 million at all times, and an asset to debt coverage ratio of at least 4.25:1 as of the end of each calendar quarter. Minimum liquidity was defined to mean, generally, a consolidated cash balance consisting of (a) the aggregate amount of unrestricted cash and cash equivalents maintained in a deposit account U.S. or Canadian branch of a commercial bank, plus (b) the lesser of $75 million or an amount equal to 75% of the aggregate amount of unrestricted cash and cash equivalents held in deposit account of a commercial bank outside of the U.S. or Canada, plus (c) available commitments under the 2018 Revolving Credit Facility. The asset to debt coverage ratio applied only during the period which Nabors Delaware failed to maintain an investment grade rating from at least two rating agencies, which was the case as of the date of this report. As of December 31, 2021, and through and including January 21, 2022, we were in compliance with all covenants under the 2018 Revolving Credit Facility. We also had $62.7 million of letters of credit outstanding under the 2018 Revolving Credit Facility.

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On January 21, 2022, we entered into a revolving credit agreement between Nabors Delaware, the guarantors from time to time party thereto, the issuing banks and other lenders party thereto and Citibank, N.A., as administrative agent (the “2022 Credit Agreement”). Under the 2022 Credit Agreement, the Lenders (as defined below) have committed to provide up to an aggregate principal amount at any time outstanding not in excess of $350.0 million (with an accordion feature for an additional $100.0 million) to Nabors Delaware under a secured revolving credit facility, including sub-

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facilities provided by certain of the lenders for letters of credit in an aggregate principal amount at any time outstanding not in excess of $100.0 million. The 2022 Credit Agreement replaces the 2018 Revolving Credit Facility.

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The 2022 Credit Agreement permits the incurrence of additional indebtedness secured by liens, which may include liens on the collateral securing the facility, in an amount up to $150.0 million as well as a grower basket for term loans in an amount not to exceed $100.0 million secured by liens not on the collateral. The Company is required to maintain an interest coverage ratio (EBITDA/interest expense), which increases on a quarterly basis, and a minimum guarantor value, requiring the guarantors (other than the Company) and their subsidiaries to own at least 90% of the consolidated property, plant and equipment of the Company. The facility matures on the earlier of (a) January 21, 2026 and (b) (i) to the extent any principal amount of Nabors Delaware’s existing 5.1% senior notes due 2023, 5.5% senior notes due 2023 and 5.75% senior notes due 2025 remains outstanding on the date that is 90 days prior to the applicable maturity date for such indebtedness, then such 90^th day or (ii) to the extent 50% or more of the outstanding (as of the closing date) aggregate principal amount of the 0.75% senior exchangeable notes due 2024 remains outstanding and not refinanced or defeased on the date that is 90 days prior to the maturity date for such indebtedness, then such 90th day.

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Additionally, the Company is subject to certain covenants, which are subject to certain exceptions and include, among others, (i) a covenant restricting our ability to incur liens (subject to the additional liens basket of up to $150.0 million), (ii) a covenant restricting its ability to pay dividends or make other distributions with respect to its capital stock and to repurchase certain indebtedness and (iii) a covenant restricting the ability of the Company’s subsidiaries to incur debt (subject to the grower basket of up to $100.0 million).

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If we fail to perform our obligations under the covenants, the revolving credit commitments under the 2022 Credit Agreement could be terminated, and any outstanding borrowings under the facilities could be declared immediately due and payable. If necessary, we have the ability to manage our covenant compliance by taking certain actions including reductions in discretionary capital or other types of controllable expenditures, monetization of assets, amending or renegotiating the revolving credit agreement, accessing capital markets through a variety of alternative methods, or any combination of these alternatives. We expect to remain in compliance with all covenants under the 2022 Credit Agreement during the twelve month period following the date of this report based on our current operational and financial projections. However, we can make no assurance of continued compliance if our current projections or material underlying assumptions prove to be incorrect. If we fail to comply with the covenants, the revolving credit commitment could be terminated, and any outstanding borrowings under the facility could be declared immediately due and payable.

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Our ability to access capital markets or to otherwise obtain sufficient financing may be affected by our senior unsecured debt ratings as provided by the major credit rating agencies in the United States and our historical ability to access these markets as needed. While there can be no assurances that we will be able to access these markets in the future, we believe that we will be able to access capital markets or otherwise obtain financing in order to satisfy any payment obligation that might arise upon maturity, exchange or purchase of our notes and our debt facilities, loss of availability of our revolving credit facilities and our A/R Agreement (see—Accounts Receivable Sales Agreement, below), and that any cash payment due, in addition to our other cash obligations, would not ultimately have a material adverse impact on our liquidity or financial position. The major U.S. credit rating agencies have previously downgraded our senior unsecured debt rating to non-investment grade. These and any further ratings downgrades could adversely impact our ability to access debt markets in the future, increase the cost of future debt, and potentially require us to post letters of credit for certain obligations. See Part I, Item 1A.—Risk Factors—A downgrade in our credit rating could negatively impact our cost of and ability to access capital markets or other financing sources.

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We had 18 letter-of-credit facilities with various banks outstanding as of December 31, 2021. Availability under these facilities was as follows:

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We are a holding company and therefore rely exclusively on repayments of interest and principal on intercompany loans that we have made to our operating subsidiaries and income from dividends and other cash flows from our operating subsidiaries. There can be no assurance that our operating subsidiaries will generate sufficient net income to

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pay us dividends or sufficient cash flows to make payments of interest and principal to us. See Part I., Item 1A.—Risk Factors—As a holding company, we depend on our operating subsidiaries and investments to meet our financial obligations.

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Accounts Receivable Sales Agreement

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On September 13, 2019, we entered into an A/R Facility consisting of a Receivables Sales Agreement and a Receivables Purchase Agreement, whereby the originators sold or contributed, and will on an ongoing basis continue to sell or contribute, certain of their domestic trade accounts receivables to a wholly-owned, bankruptcy-remote special purpose entity (“SPE”). The SPE would in turn, sell, transfer, convey and assign to third-party Purchasers, all the rights, title and interest in and to its pool of eligible receivables.

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On July 13, 2021, we entered into the First Amendment to the Receivables Purchase Agreement which extends the term of the A/R Facility by two years, to August 13, 2023. However, the expiration of the agreement could be accelerated to July 19, 2022, if any of the 5.5% Senior Notes due 2023 of Nabors Delaware remain outstanding as of such date. The amendment also reduced the commitments of the Purchasers from $250 million to $150 million, with the possibility of being increased up to $200 million.

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The amount available for purchase under the A/R Facility fluctuates over time based on the total amount of eligible receivables generated during the normal course of business after excluding excess concentrations and certain other ineligible receivables. The maximum purchase commitment of the Purchasers under the A/R Facility is approximately $150.0 million and the amount of receivables purchased by the Purchasers as of December 31, 2021 was $73.0 million.

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The originators, Nabors Delaware, the SPE, and the Company provide representations, warranties, covenants and indemnities under the A/R Facility and the indemnification guarantee. See further details at Note 4—Accounts Receivable Sales Agreement.

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Future Cash Requirements

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Our current cash and investments, projected cash flows from operations, proceeds from equity or debt issuances and the facilities under our 2022 Credit Agreement are expected to adequately finance our purchase commitments, capital expenditures, acquisitions, scheduled debt service requirements, and all other expected cash requirements for the next 12 months including the $24.4 million outstanding of the 5.50% senior notes due January 2023. However, we can make no assurances that our current operational and financial projections will prove to be correct, especially in light of the effects the COVID-19 pandemic has on oil and natural gas prices and, in turn, our business. A sustained period of highly depressed oil and natural gas prices could have a significant effect on our customers’ capital expenditure spending and therefore our operations, cash flows and liquidity.

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Purchase commitments outstanding at December 31, 2021 totaled approximately $269.1 million, primarily for rig-related enhancements, sustaining capital expenditures, operating expenses, and purchases of inventory. $238.1 million of the outstanding commitments are expected to be paid in the next 12 months. Purchase commitments include agreements to purchase goods or services that are enforceable and legally binding and that specify all significant terms, including fixed or minimum quantities to be purchased; fixed, minimum or variable pricing provisions; and the approximate timing of the transaction. We can reduce planned expenditures if necessary or increase them if market conditions and new business opportunities warrant it. The level of our outstanding purchase commitments and our expected level of capital expenditures over the next 12 months represent a number of capital programs that are currently underway or planned.

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As of December 31, 2021, we had approximately $3.3 billion of long-term debt outstanding with $3.3 billion in aggregate principal. We have expected aggregate future interest payments of $861.5 million related to the outstanding debt with $182.1 million due in the next twelve months. See Note 10—Debt in Part II, Item 8.—Financial Statements and Supplementary Data for additional details. Our obligations for operating leases total $32.2 million with $7.1 million of the obligations coming due in the upcoming year. See Note 20—Leases in Part II, Item 8.—Financial Statements and Supplementary Data for additional details.

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We may from time to time seek to retire or purchase our outstanding debt through cash purchases and/or exchanges for equity securities, both in open-market purchases, privately negotiated transactions or otherwise. Such repurchases or

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exchanges, if any, will depend on prevailing market conditions, our liquidity requirements, contractual restrictions and other factors and may involve material amounts.

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We are a party to transactions, agreements or other contractual arrangements defined as “off-balance sheet arrangements” that could have a material future effect on our financial position, results of operations, liquidity and capital resources. The most significant of these off-balance sheet arrangements include the A/R Agreement (see —Accounts Receivable Sale Agreement, above) and certain agreements and obligations under which we provide financial or performance assurance to third parties. Certain of these financial or performance assurances serve as guarantees, including standby letters of credit issued on behalf of insurance carriers in conjunction with our workers’ compensation insurance program and other financial surety instruments such as bonds. In addition, we have provided indemnifications, which serve as guarantees, to some third parties. These guarantees include indemnification provided by us to our share transfer agent and our insurance carriers. We are not able to estimate the potential future maximum payments that might be due under our indemnification guarantees. Management believes the likelihood that we would be required to perform or otherwise incur any material losses associated with any of these guarantees is remote.

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The following table summarizes the total maximum amount of financial guarantees issued by Nabors:

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Cash Flows

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Our cash flows depend, to a large degree, on the level of spending by oil and gas companies for exploration, development and production activities. Sustained decreases in the price of oil or natural gas could have a material impact on these activities, and could also materially affect our cash flows. Certain sources and uses of cash, such as the level of discretionary capital expenditures or acquisitions, purchases and sales of investments, loans, issuances and repurchases of debt and of our common shares are within our control and are adjusted as necessary based on market conditions. We discuss our 2021 and 2020 cash flows below.

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Operating Activities. Net cash provided by operating activities totaled $428.8 million during 2021, compared to net cash provided of $349.8 million during 2020. Operating cash flows are our primary source of capital and liquidity.  Changes in working capital items such as collection of receivables, other deferred revenue arrangements and payments of operating payables are significant factors affecting operating cash flows. Changes in working capital items provided $188.1 million in cash flows during 2021 and used $8.4 million in cash flows during 2020 resulting in the increased operating cash flow for 2021 which more than offset the reduction in net income in 2021. 

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Investing Activities. Net cash used for investing activities totaled $117.2 million during 2021 compared to net cash used of $165.5 million in 2020. Our primary use of cash for investing activities is for capital expenditures related to rig-related enhancements, new construction and equipment, as well as sustaining capital expenditures. During 2021 and 2020, we used cash for capital expenditures totaling $234.0 million and $195.5 million, respectively.

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We received $124.3 million in proceeds from insurance claims and sales of assets during 2021 compared to $27.4 million in 2020. The increase was primarily due to the sale of our Canada drilling assets in July 2021.

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Financing Activities. Net cash provided by financing activities totaled $448.4 million during 2021. During 2021, we received net proceeds of $700.0 million from the issuance of long-term debt and received $260.0 million from the public offering of NETC.  Partially offsetting these activities, we reduced $212.5 million in amounts borrowed under our revolving credit facilities and repaid $174.1 million on our senior notes. Additionally, we paid dividends totaling $7.3 million to our preferred shareholders and had distributions of $58.5 million from our SANAD joint venture to our partner.

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Net cash used for financing activities totaled $148.0 million during 2020. During 2020, we received net proceeds of $317.5 million in amounts borrowed under our revolving credit facilities, partially offset by a $1.3 billion repayment on our senior notes. Additionally, we paid dividends totaling $22.5 million to our common and preferred shareholders.

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Summarized Combined Financial Information for Guarantee of Securities of Subsidiaries

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Nabors Delaware is an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Nabors. Nabors fully and unconditionally guarantees the due and punctual payment of the principal of, premium, if any, and interest on Nabors Delaware’s registered notes, which are its (i) 5.10% Senior Notes due 2023 (the “2023 Notes”), (ii) 5.50% Senior Notes due 2023 (the “5.50% 2023 Notes”) and (iii) 5.75% Senior Notes due 2025 (the “2025 Notes” and, together with the 2023 Notes and the 5.50% 2023 Notes, the “Registered Notes”), and any other obligations of Nabors Delaware under the Registered Notes when and as they become due and payable, whether at maturity, upon redemption, by acceleration or otherwise, if Nabors Delaware is unable to satisfy these obligations. Nabors’ guarantee of Nabors Delaware’s obligations under the Registered Notes are its unsecured and unsubordinated obligation and have the same ranking with respect to Nabors’ indebtedness as the Registered Notes have with respect to Nabors Delaware’s indebtedness. In the event that Nabors is required to withhold or deduct on account of any Bermudian taxes due from any payment made under or with respect to its guarantees, subject to certain exceptions, Nabors will pay additional amounts so that the net amount received by each holder of Registered Notes will equal the amount that such holder would have received if the Bermudian taxes had not been required to be withheld or deducted.

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The following summarized financial information is included so that separate financial statements of Nabors Delaware are not required to be filed with the SEC. The condensed consolidating financial statements present investments in both consolidated and unconsolidated affiliates using the equity method of accounting.

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In lieu of providing separate financial statements for issuers and guarantors (the “Obligated Group”), we have presented the accompanying supplemental summarized combined balance sheet and income statement information for the Obligated Group based on Rule 13-01 of the SEC’s Regulation S-X that we early adopted effective April 1, 2020.

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All significant intercompany items among the Obligated Group have been eliminated in the supplemental summarized combined financial information. The Obligated Group’s investment balances in subsidiary non-guarantors have been excluded from the supplemental combined financial information. Significant intercompany balances and activity for the Obligated Group with other related parties, including subsidiary non-guarantors (referred to as “affiliates”), are presented separately in the accompanying supplemental summarized financial information.

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Summarized combined Balance Sheet and Income Statement information for the Obligated Group is as follows (in thousands):

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Other Matters

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Recent Accounting Pronouncements

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See Note 2—Summary of Significant Accounting Policies in Part II, Item 8.—Financial Statements and

Supplementary Data.

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Critical Accounting Estimates

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The preparation of our financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make certain estimates and assumptions. These estimates and assumptions affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, the disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities at the balance sheet date and the amounts of revenues and expenses recognized during the reporting period. We analyze our estimates based on our historical experience and various other assumptions that we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances. However, actual results could differ from our estimates. The following is a discussion of our critical accounting estimates. Management considers an accounting estimate to be critical if:

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For a summary of all our significant accounting policies, see Note 2—Summary of Significant Accounting Policies in Part II, Item 8.—Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.

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Depreciation of Property, Plant and Equipment. The drilling and drilling services industries are very capital intensive. Property, plant and equipment represented 61% of our total assets as of December 31, 2021, and depreciation and amortization constituted 28% of our total costs and other deductions in 2021.

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Depreciation for our primary operating assets, drilling rigs, is calculated based on the units-of-production method. For each day a rig is operating, we depreciate it over an approximate 4,927-day period, with the exception of our jackup rigs which are depreciated over an 8,030-day period, in each case after provision for salvage value. For each day a rig asset is not operating, it is depreciated over an assumed depreciable life of 20 years, with the exception of our jackup rigs, where a 30-year depreciable life is typically used, after provision for salvage value.

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Depreciation on our buildings, oilfield hauling and mobile equipment, aircraft equipment, and other machinery and equipment is computed using the straight-line method over the estimated useful life of the asset after provision for salvage value (buildings—10 to 30 years; aircraft equipment—5 to 20 years; oilfield hauling and mobile equipment and other machinery and equipment—3 to 10 years).

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These depreciation periods and the salvage values of our property, plant and equipment were determined through an analysis of the useful lives of our assets and based on our experience with the salvage values of these assets. Periodically, we review our depreciation periods and salvage values for reasonableness given current conditions. Depreciation of property, plant and equipment is therefore based upon estimates of the useful lives and salvage value of those assets. Estimation of these items requires significant management judgment. Accordingly, management believes that accounting estimates related to depreciation expense recorded on property, plant and equipment are critical.

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There have been no factors related to the performance of our portfolio of assets, changes in technology or other factors indicating that these estimates do not continue to be appropriate. Accordingly, for the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019, no significant changes have been made to the depreciation rates applied to property, plant and equipment, the underlying assumptions related to estimates of depreciation, or the methodology applied. However, certain events could occur that would materially affect our estimates and assumptions related to depreciation. Unforeseen changes in operations or technology could substantially alter management’s assumptions regarding our ability to realize the return on our investment in operating assets and therefore affect the useful lives and salvage values of our assets.

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Impairment of Long-Lived Assets. As discussed above, the drilling and drilling services industries are very capital intensive. We review our assets for impairment when events or changes in circumstances indicate that their carrying amounts may not be recoverable. If the estimated undiscounted future cash flows are not sufficient to support the asset’s recorded value, an impairment charge is recognized to the extent the carrying amount of the long-lived asset exceeds its estimated fair value determined utilizing either a discounted cash flows or market approach model. Management considers a number of factors such as estimated future cash flows from the assets, appraisals and current market value analysis in determining fair value. The determination of future cash flows requires the estimation of utilization, dayrates, operating margins, sustaining capital and remaining economic life. Such estimates can change based on market conditions, technological advances in the industry or changes in regulations governing the industry. The appraisals require estimation based on location, working status, asset condition and market conditions. Significant and unanticipated changes to the assumptions could result in future impairments. A significantly prolonged period of lower oil and natural gas prices could continue to adversely affect the demand for and prices of our services, which could result in future impairment charges. As the determination of whether impairment charges should be recorded on our long-lived assets is subject to significant management judgment, and an impairment of these assets could result in a material charge on our consolidated statements of income (loss), management believes that accounting estimates related to impairment of long-lived assets are critical.

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Assumptions in the determination of future cash flows are made with the involvement of management personnel at the operational level where the most specific knowledge of market conditions and other operating factors exists. For 2021, 2020 and 2019, no significant changes have been made to the methodology utilized to determine future cash flows.

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For an asset classified as held for sale, we consider the asset impaired when its carrying amount exceeds fair value less its cost to sell. Fair value is determined by calculating the expected sales price less any costs to sell.

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Impairment of Goodwill and Intangible Assets. We review goodwill and intangible assets with indefinite lives for impairment annually during the second quarter of each fiscal year or more frequently if events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of such goodwill and intangible assets may exceed their fair value. We perform our impairment tests for goodwill for all our reporting units within our reportable segments. Our business consists of U.S. Drilling, Canada Drilling, International Drilling, Drilling Solutions and Rig Technologies reportable segments. Our Rig Technologies reportable segment includes our Canrig, RDS and 2TD reporting units. We initially assess goodwill for impairment based on qualitative factors to determine whether the existence of events or circumstances leads to a determination that it is more likely than not that the fair value of one of our reporting units is greater than its carrying amount. If the carrying amount exceeds the fair value, an impairment charge will be recognized in an amount equal to the excess; however, the loss recognized should not exceed the total amount of goodwill allocated to that reporting unit.

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Due to industry conditions and the corresponding impact on future expectations of demand for our products and services, including the effect on our stock price, we determined a triggering event had occurred and performed a quantitative impairment assessment of our goodwill as of March 31, 2020. Based on the results of our goodwill test performed in the first quarter of 2020, we recognized additional impairment charges to write off the remaining goodwill balances attributable to our Drilling Solutions and Rig Technologies operating segments of $11.4 million and $16.4 million, respectively, in the quarter ended March 31, 2020.

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We also reviewed our intangible assets for impairment in the first quarter of 2020. The fair value of our intangible assets is determined using discounted cash flow models. Based on our updated projections of future cash flows, the fair value of our intangible assets did not support the carrying value. As such, we recognized an impairment of $83.6 million to write off all remaining intangible assets in the quarter ended March 31, 2020.

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Our estimated fair values of our reporting units incorporate judgment and the use of estimates by management. The fair values calculated in these impairment tests were determined using discounted cash flow models, which require the use of significant unobservable inputs, representative of a Level 3 fair value measurement. Our cash flow models involve assumptions based on our utilization of rigs or other oil and gas service equipment, revenues and earnings from affiliates, as well as direct costs, general and administrative costs, depreciation, applicable income taxes, capital expenditures and working capital requirements. Our fair value estimates of these reporting units are sensitive to varying dayrates, utilization, and costs. A significantly prolonged period of lower oil and natural gas prices, other than those assumed in developing our forecasts, or changes in laws and regulations could adversely affect the demand for and prices of our services, which could in turn result in future goodwill and other intangible asset impairment charges for

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these reporting units due to the potential impact on our estimate of our future operating results. Our discounted cash flow projections for each reporting unit were based on financial forecasts. The future cash flows were discounted to present value using discount rates determined to be appropriate for each reporting unit. Terminal values for each reporting unit were calculated using a Gordon Growth methodology with a long-term growth rate of approximately 2%.

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Another factor in determining whether impairment has occurred is the relationship between our market capitalization and our book value. As part of our annual review, we compared the sum of our reporting units’ estimated fair value, which included the estimated fair value of non-operating assets and liabilities, less debt, to our market capitalization and assessed the reasonableness of our estimated fair value. Any of the above-mentioned factors may cause us to re-evaluate goodwill during any quarter throughout the year.

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Income Taxes. We operate in a number of countries and our tax returns filed in those jurisdictions are subject to review and examination by tax authorities within those jurisdictions. We are currently contesting tax assessments in a number of countries and may contest future assessments. We believe the ultimate resolution of the outstanding assessments, for which we have not made any accrual, will not have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial statements. We recognize uncertain tax positions that we believe have a greater than 50 percent likelihood of being sustained. We cannot predict or provide assurance as to the ultimate outcome of any existing or future assessments.

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Audit claims of approximately $128.6 million attributable to income tax have been assessed against us. We have contested, or intend to contest, these assessments, including through litigation if necessary, and we believe the ultimate resolution, for which we have not made any accrual, will not have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial statements. Tax authorities may issue additional assessments or pursue legal actions as a result of tax audits and we cannot predict or provide assurance as to the ultimate outcome of such assessments and legal actions.

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Applicable income and withholding taxes have not been provided on undistributed earnings of our subsidiaries. We do not intend to repatriate such undistributed earnings except for distributions upon which incremental income and withholding taxes would not be material.

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In certain jurisdictions we have recognized deferred tax assets and liabilities. Judgment and assumptions are required in determining whether deferred tax assets will be fully or partially utilized. When we estimate that all or some portion of certain deferred tax assets such as net operating loss carryforwards will not be utilized, we establish a valuation allowance for the amount ascertained to be unrealizable. We continually evaluate strategies that could allow for future utilization of our deferred assets. Any change in the ability to utilize such deferred assets will be accounted for in the period of the event affecting the valuation allowance. If facts and circumstances cause us to change our expectations regarding future tax consequences, the resulting adjustments could have a material effect on our financial results or cash flow.

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Litigation and Self-Insurance Reserves. Our operations are subject to many hazards inherent in the drilling and drilling services industries, including blowouts, cratering, explosions, fires, loss of well control, loss of or damage to the wellbore or underground reservoir, damaged or lost drilling equipment and damage or loss from inclement weather or natural disasters. Any of these and other hazards could result in personal injury or death, damage to or destruction of equipment and facilities, suspension of operations, environmental and natural resources damage and damage to the property of others. Our offshore operations are also subject to the hazards of marine operations including capsizing, grounding, collision and other damage from hurricanes and heavy weather or sea conditions and unsound ocean bottom conditions. Our operations are subject to risks of war or acts of terrorism, civil disturbances and other political events.

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Accidents may occur, we may be unable to obtain desired contractual indemnities, and our insurance may prove inadequate in certain cases. There is no assurance that our insurance or indemnification agreements will adequately protect us against liability from all the consequences of the hazards described above. Moreover, our insurance coverage generally provides that we assume a portion of the risk in the form of a deductible or self-insured retention.

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Based on the risks discussed above, it is necessary for us to estimate the level of our liability related to insurance and record reserves for these amounts in our consolidated financial statements. Reserves related to self-insurance are based on the facts and circumstances specific to the claims and our past experience with similar claims. The actual outcome of self-insured claims could differ significantly from estimated amounts. We maintain actuarially determined accruals in our consolidated balance sheets to cover self-insurance retentions for workers’ compensation, employers’ liability, general liability and automobile liability claims. These accruals are based on certain assumptions developed

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utilizing historical data to project future losses. Loss estimates in the calculation of these accruals are adjusted based upon actual claim settlements and reported claims. These loss estimates and accruals recorded in our financial statements for claims have historically been reasonable in light of the actual amount of claims paid.

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Because the determination of our liability for self-insured claims is subject to significant management judgment and in certain instances is based on actuarially estimated and calculated amounts, and because such liabilities could be material in nature, management believes that accounting estimates related to self-insurance reserves are critical.

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During 2021, 2020 and 2019, no significant changes were made to the methodology used to estimate insurance reserves. For purposes of earnings sensitivity analysis, if the December 31, 2021 reserves were adjusted by 10%, total costs and other deductions would change by $11.3 million, or .45%.

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ITEM 7A. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES

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We may be exposed to certain market risks arising from the use of financial instruments in the ordinary course of business. This risk arises primarily as a result of potential changes in the fair market value of financial instruments due to adverse fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates, credit risk, interest rates, and marketable and non-marketable security prices as discussed below.

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Foreign Currency Risk. We operate in a number of international areas and are involved in transactions denominated in currencies other than U.S. dollars, which exposes us to foreign exchange rate risk and foreign currency devaluation risk. The most significant exposures arise in connection with our operations in Argentina, Russia, Kazakhstan and Canada, which usually are substantially unhedged.

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At various times, we utilize local currency borrowings (foreign currency denominated debt), the payment structure of customer contracts and foreign exchange contracts to selectively hedge our exposure to exchange rate fluctuations in connection with monetary assets, liabilities, cash flows and commitments denominated in certain foreign currencies. A foreign exchange contract is a foreign currency transaction, defined as an agreement to exchange different currencies at a given future date and at a specified rate. A hypothetical 10% increase in the value of all our foreign currencies relative to the U.S. dollar as of December 31, 2021 would result in a $5.6 million increase in the fair value of our net monetary liabilities denominated in currencies other than U.S. dollars.

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Credit Risk. Our financial instruments that potentially subject us to concentrations of credit risk consist primarily of cash equivalents, short-term and long-term investments and accounts receivable. Cash equivalents such as deposits and temporary cash investments are held by major banks or investment firms. Our short-term and long-term investments are managed within established guidelines that limit the amounts that may be invested with any one issuer and provide guidance as to issuer credit quality. We believe that the credit risk in our cash and investment portfolio is minimized as a result of the mix of our investments. In addition, our trade receivables are with a variety of U.S., international and non-U.S. national oil and gas companies. Management considers this credit risk to be limited due to the financial resources of these companies. We perform ongoing credit evaluations of our customers, and we generally do not require material collateral. We do occasionally require prepayment of amounts from customers whose creditworthiness is in question prior to providing services to them. We maintain reserves for potential credit losses, and these losses historically have been within management’s expectations.

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Interest Rate and Marketable and Non-marketable Security Price Risk. Our financial instruments that are potentially sensitive to changes in interest rates include our floating rate debt instruments (our 2022 Credit Agreement), our fixed rate debt securities comprised of our 5.50%, 5.10% and 5.75% senior notes; 0.75% senior exchangeable notes; 7.25% and 7.50% senior guaranteed notes; 6.50%, 7.375% and 9.00% senior priority guaranteed notes; our investments in debt securities (including corporate and mortgage-CMO debt securities); and our investments in overseas funds that invest primarily in a variety of public and private U.S. and non-U.S. securities (including asset-backed and mortgage-backed securities, global structured-asset securitizations, whole-loan mortgages and participations in whole loans and whole-loan mortgages), which are classified as long-term investments.

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We may utilize derivative financial instruments that are intended to manage our exposure to interest rate risks. We account for derivative financial instruments under the Derivatives Topic of the ASC. The use of derivative financial instruments could expose us to further credit risk and market risk. Credit risk in this context is the failure of a counterparty to perform under the terms of the derivative contract. When the fair value of a derivative contract is positive, the counterparty would owe us, which can create credit risk for us. When the fair value of a derivative contract

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is negative, we would owe the counterparty, and therefore, we would not be exposed to credit risk. We attempt to minimize credit risk in derivative instruments by entering into transactions with major financial institutions that have a significant asset base. Market risk related to derivatives is the adverse effect on the value of a financial instrument that results from changes in interest rates. We try to manage market risk associated with interest-rate contracts by establishing and monitoring parameters that limit the type and degree of market risk that we undertake.

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Fair Value of Financial Instruments. The fair value of our fixed rate long-term debt and revolving credit facilities is estimated based on quoted market prices or prices quoted from third-party financial institutions. The carrying and fair values of these liabilities were as follows:

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The fair values of our cash equivalents, trade receivables and trade payables approximate their carrying values due to the short-term nature of these instruments. Our short-term investments as of December 31, 2020 were carried at fair market value and totaled $9.5 million, respectfully.

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Our investments in debt securities and a portion of our long-term investments are sensitive to changes in interest rates. Additionally, our investment portfolio of debt and equity securities, which are carried at fair value, exposes us to price risk.

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ITEM 8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA

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INDEX

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Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

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To the Board of Directors and Shareholders of Nabors Industries Ltd.

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Opinions on the Financial Statements and Internal Control over Financial Reporting

We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Nabors Industries Ltd. and its subsidiaries (the “Company”) as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, and the related consolidated statements of income (loss), of comprehensive income (loss), of changes in equity and of cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2021, including the related notes and financial statement schedule listed in the index appearing under Item 15(a)(2) (collectively referred to as the “consolidated financial statements”). We also have audited the Company’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2021, based on criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO).

In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2021 in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. Also, in our opinion, the Company maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2021, based on criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the COSO.

Basis for Opinions

The Company’s management is responsible for these consolidated financial statements, for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting, and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, included in Management’s Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting appearing under Item 9A. Our responsibility is to express opinions on the Company’s consolidated financial statements and on the Company’s internal control over financial reporting based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB) and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audits to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the consolidated financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud, and whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects.

Our audits of the consolidated financial statements included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the consolidated financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the consolidated financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the consolidated financial statements. Our audit of internal control over financial reporting included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, and testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk. Our audits also included performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinions.

Definition and Limitations of Internal Control over Financial Reporting

A company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (i) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (ii) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (iii) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely

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detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.

Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

Critical Audit Matters

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The critical audit matter communicated below is a matter arising from the current period audit of the consolidated financial statements that was communicated or required to be communicated to the audit committee and that (i) relates to accounts or disclosures that are material to the consolidated financial statements and (ii) involved our especially challenging, subjective, or complex judgments. The communication of critical audit matters does not alter in any way our opinion on the consolidated financial statements, taken as a whole, and we are not, by communicating the critical audit matter below, providing a separate opinion on the critical audit matter or on the accounts or disclosures to which it relates.

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Uncertain Tax Positions

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As described in Note 11 to the consolidated financial statements, the Company has recorded liabilities for uncertain tax positions of $46.0 million as of December 31, 2021. As disclosed by management, the Company operates in a number of countries and is subject to highly complex tax laws, treaties and regulations. Tax returns filed in the jurisdictions where the Company operates are subject to review and examination by tax authorities within those jurisdictions and the Company is currently contesting tax assessments in a number of countries and may contest future assessments. Management believes the ultimate resolution of the outstanding assessments, for which no accrual has been made, will not have a material adverse effect on the consolidated financial statements. Management recognizes uncertain tax positions that have a greater than 50 percent likelihood of being sustained.

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The principal considerations for our determination that performing procedures relating to uncertain tax positions is a critical audit matter are (i) the significant judgment by management when determining uncertain tax positions, including a high degree of estimation uncertainty relative to the interpretation of numerous and complex tax laws, treaties and regulations and potential for significant adjustments as a result of resolution of outstanding tax assessments; (ii) a high degree of auditor judgment, subjectivity, and effort in performing procedures and evaluating management’s timely identification, recognition, and measurement of uncertain tax positions; (iii) the evaluation of audit evidence available to support the uncertain tax positions is complex and resulted in significant auditor judgment as the nature of the evidence is often highly subjective; and (iv) the audit effort involved the use of professionals with specialized skill and knowledge.

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Addressing the matter involved performing procedures and evaluating audit evidence in connection with forming our overall opinion on the consolidated financial statements. These procedures included testing the effectiveness of controls relating to the identification, recognition, and measurement of material uncertain tax positions. These procedures also included, among others (i) testing, on a sample basis, the completeness and accuracy of the information used in the calculation of the change in uncertain tax positions by obtaining supporting documentation for intercompany transactions, benchmark data used to support management’s position , and international filing positions; (ii) evaluating management’s assessment of the technical merits of tax positions and estimates of the amount of tax benefit expected to be sustained; (iii) evaluating the completeness of management’s assessment of the identification of uncertain tax positions; and (iv) evaluating the status and resolution of tax assessments with the relevant tax authorities. Professionals with specialized skill and knowledge were used to assist in the evaluation of the measurement of the Company’s uncertain tax positions, including evaluating the reasonableness of management’s assessment of whether tax positions have a greater than 50 percent likelihood of being sustained, management’s application of relevant tax laws, regulations and administrative practices, and testing the accuracy of potential benefit to be realized and estimated interest and penalties.

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Houston, Texas

February 18, 2022

We have served as the Company’s auditor since 1987.

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NABORS INDUSTRIES LTD. AND SUBSIDIARIES

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CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

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The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

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NABORS INDUSTRIES LTD. AND SUBSIDIARIES

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CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME (LOSS)

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