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                                  UNITED STATES

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
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                                    FORM 8-K

                                 CURRENT REPORT

                        PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15 (d)
                     OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934


                DATE OF EARLIEST EVENT REPORTED: December 5, 2005


                              ATWOOD OCEANICS, INC.
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)



                         COMMISSION FILE NUMBER 1-13167


        Internal Revenue Service - Employer Identification No. 74-1611874


                15835 Park Ten Place Drive, Houston, Texas, 77084
                                 (281) 749-7800

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Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to
simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the
following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):

[  ] Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act 
(17 CFR 230.425)

[  ]  Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act 
(17 CFR 240.14a-12)

[  ]  Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the 
Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

[  ]  Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the 
Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

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ITEM 8.01 OTHER EVENTS

     On December 5, 2005, the Company  announced that the ATWOOD SOUTHERN CROSS,
owned and  operated  by its wholly  owned  subsidiary  Atwood  Oceanics  Pacific
Limited,  has been awarded a contract by Toreador Turkey Limited ("Toreador") to
drill three (3) firm wells off the coast of Turkey.  The contract provides for a
operating dayrate for all wells of $125,000.  Toreador will provide a tow vessel
and dayrate for the mobilization of the rig and the obligation to demobilize the
rig on  dayrate  from the Black  Sea in the event the rig does not have  ongoing
work in the Black Sea following the Toreador contract. The drilling of three (3)
wells is estimated to take ninety days to complete.  This contract will commence
immediately upon the rig completing its contract  commitment  offshore  Bulgaria
for Melrose Resources (estimated September/October 2006).

     A copy of the press release  announcing the ATWOOD  SOUTHERN CROSS contract
is filed  with  the Form 8-K as  Exhibit  99.1  and is  incorporated  herein  by
reference.

ITEM 9.01 EXHIBITS

EXHIBIT NO.

EX-99.1  Press Release dated December 5, 2005

     Statements  contained  in  this  report  with  respect  to the  future  are
forward-looking  statements.  These statements reflect  management's  reasonable
judgment with respect to future events. Forward-looking statements involve risks
and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially from those anticipated
as a result of various  factors:  the  Company's  dependence  on the oil and gas
industry;  the  risks  involved  in  the  construction  and  repair  of  a  rig;
competition;  operating  risks;  risks  involved  in foreign  operations;  risks
associated  with  possible  disruption in  operations  due to  terrorism;  risks
associated with a possible disruption in operations due to war; and governmental
regulations and environmental  matters. A list of additional risk factors can be
found in the Company's  annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended  September
30, 2004, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.


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SIGNATURES

         Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned hereunto duly authorized.


                              ATWOOD OCEANICS, INC.
                              (Registrant)



                              /s/ James M. Holland
                              James M. Holland
                              Senior Vice President

                              DATE: December 5, 2005



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                                  EXHIBIT INDEX


EXHIBIT NO.                   DESCRIPTION


EX - 99.1            Press Release dated December 5, 2005




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                                                             EXHIBIT EX. - 99.1

         ATWOOD OCEANICS ANNOUNCES ATWOOD SOUTHERN CROSS CONTRACT AWARD

Houston, Texas
5 December 2005

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

     Atwood  Oceanics,  Inc. (a Houston based  International  Offshore  Drilling
Contractor - NYSE ATW) announced today that the ATWOOD SOUTHERN CROSS, owned and
operated by its wholly owned subsidiary  Atwood Oceanics  Pacific  Limited,  has
been awarded a contract by Toreador  Turkey Limited  ("Toreador") to drill three
(3) firm wells off the coast of Turkey.  The  contract  provides for a operating
dayrate  for all wells of  $125,000.  Toreador  will  provide a tow  vessel  and
dayrate for the mobilization of the rig and the obligation to demobilize the rig
on dayrate from the Black Sea in the event the rig does not have ongoing work in
the Black Sea following the Toreador  contract.  The drilling of three (3) wells
is  estimated  to take ninety days to  complete.  This  contract  will  commence
immediately upon the rig completing its contract  commitment  offshore  Bulgaria
for Melrose Resources (estimated September/October 2006).

     Statements  contained  in this  release  with  respect  to the  future  are
forward-looking  statements.  These statements reflect  management's  reasonable
judgment with respect to future events. Forward-looking statements involve risks
and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially from those anticipated
as a result of various  factors;  the  Company's  dependence  on the oil and gas
industry;  the risks  involved in upgrade to the  Company's  rigs;  competition;
operating  risks;  risks involved in foreign  operations;  risks associated with
possible   disruptions  in  operations  due  to  terrorism;   and   governmental
regulations and environmental  matters. A list of additional risk factors can be
found in the Company's  Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended  September
30, 2004, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.


                                                      Contact:  Jim Holland
                                                             (281) 749-7804

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