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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: April 28, 2006


                              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 April 28, 2006, 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 Turkiye  Petrolleri  A.O.  ("TPAO") to
drill three (3) firm wells with options to drill three (3) additional  wells off
the coast of Turkey.  The contract  provides  for an  operating  dayrate for the
three (3) firm wells of $290,000,  with an operating dayrate of $320,000 for the
option wells. TPAO will provide a tow vessel and dayrate during rig mobilization
and is  obligated  to pay on  behalf  of the  Company  all  Turkish  income  tax
assessments.  The  drilling of the three (3) firm wells is estimated to take one
hundred days to complete.  If all of the option wells are drilled,  the drilling
program  could extend  another one hundred  days.  This  contract  will commence
immediately upon the rig completing its current commitments in the Black Sea for
Melrose  Resources and Toreador  Turkey Limited  (estimated May - July 2007). It
now appears that the rig's contract with ENI will not be completed  until August
- September 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 April 28, 2006



     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, 2005, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.


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                                  EXHIBIT INDEX


EXHIBIT NO.               DESCRIPTION


EX - 99.1        Press Release dated April 28, 2006








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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: April 28, 2006








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                               EXHIBIT EX. - 99.1

                          ATWOOD ANNOUNCES CONTRACT FOR
                              ATWOOD SOUTHERN CROSS



Houston, Texas
28 April 2006

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 Turkiye  Petrolleri A.O.  ("TPAO") to drill three (3)
firm wells with  options to drill  three (3)  additional  wells off the coast of
Turkey.  The contract  provides for an operating  dayrate for the three (3) firm
wells of $290,000,  with an operating  dayrate of $320,000 for the option wells.
TPAO will  provide a tow  vessel and  dayrate  during  rig  mobilization  and is
obligated  to pay on behalf of the Company all Turkish  income tax  assessments.
The  drilling of the three (3) firm wells is  estimated to take one hundred days
to complete.  If all of the option wells are drilled, the drilling program could
extend another one hundred days.  This contract will commence  immediately  upon
the rig  completing  its  current  commitments  in the  Black  Sea  for  Melrose
Resources  and  Toreador  Turkey  Limited  (estimated  May - July 2007).  It now
appears that the rig's  contract  with ENI will not be completed  until August -
September 2006.


     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, 2005, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.


                                                         Contact:  Jim Holland
                                                                (281) 749-7804


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