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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 12, 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 12, 2005, the Company announced that the ATWOOD EAGLE, owned by
its wholly  owned  subsidiary  Atwood  Oceanics  Pacific  Limited  ("AOPL")  and
operated by an Australian  subsidiary  of AOPL,  has been awarded a one (1) well
contract by ENI Australia BV ("ENI") and a one (1) year extension on its current
contract with Woodside Energy Ltd. ("Woodside") for their Australian operations.
The one (1) well contract for ENI  (estimated to take 40 days to complete)  will
commence  immediately  upon the rig completing  all of its contract  commitments
(estimated  June/July 2007) and provides for a dayrate of $360,000.  The one (1)
year contract  extension for Woodside will commence  immediately upon completion
of the ENI contract  and  provides for a dayrate of $420,000.  Prior to April 1,
2006,  Woodside  can elect  (with  Atwood's  consent) to change the one (1) year
extension to a two (2) year extension at a dayrate of $405,000 or to a three (3)
year extension at a dayrate of $390,000.

     Upon  completion  of its current  well for  Woodside,  the ATWOOD EAGLE has
current  commitments to drill three (3)  additional  wells for Woodside and nine
(9) firm wells  plus five (5) option  wells for BHP  Billiton  Petroleum.  These
commitments  must be completed prior to commencing the one (1) well contract for
ENI and the one (1) year extension for Woodside.

     A copy of the press release  announcing the ATWOOD EAGLE contract extension
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 12, 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 12, 2005



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                    EXHIBIT INDEX


EXHIBIT NO.           DESCRIPTION


EX - 99.1        Press Release dated December 12, 2005




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                                                        EXHIBIT EX. - 99.1


Houston, Texas
12 December 2005

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

     Atwood  Oceanics,  Inc.  (Houston  based  International  Offshore  Drilling
Contractor  - NYSE ATW)  announced  today  that the ATWOOD  EAGLE,  owned by its
wholly owned subsidiary Atwood Oceanics Pacific Limited ("AOPL") and operated by
an Australian  subsidiary  of AOPL,  has been awarded a one (1) well contract by
ENI  Australia BV ("ENI") and a one (1) year  extension on its current  contract
with Woodside Energy Ltd. ("Woodside") for their Australian operations.  The one
(1) well contract for ENI  (estimated to take 40 days to complete) will commence
immediately upon the rig completing all of its contract  commitments  (estimated
June/July  2007)  and  provides  for a  dayrate  of  $360,000.  The one (1) year
contract extension for Woodside will commence immediately upon completion of the
ENI contract  and  provides  for a dayrate of $420,000.  Prior to April 1, 2006,
Woodside can elect (with Atwood's  consent) to change the one (1) year extension
to a two (2) year  extension  at a dayrate  of  $405,000  or to a three (3) year
extension at a dayrate of $390,000.

     Upon  completion  of its current  well for  Woodside,  the ATWOOD EAGLE has
current  commitments to drill three (3)  additional  wells for Woodside and nine
(9) firm wells  plus five (5) option  wells for BHP  Billiton  Petroleum.  These
commitments  must be completed prior to commencing the one (1) well contract for
ENI and the one (1) year extension for Woodside.





     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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