UNITED STATES
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                              WASHINGTON, DC 20549

                                  ------------

                                    FORM 8-K

                                 CURRENT REPORT

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


                  DATE OF EARLIEST EVENT REPORTED: June 1, 2006



                              ATWOOD OCEANICS, INC.
             (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

                                      Texas
                 (State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation)

                         COMMISSION FILE NUMBER 1-13167


                   IRS Employer Identification No. 74-1611874

                           15835 Park Ten Place Drive
                              Houston, Texas, 77084
                    (Address of Principal Executive Offices)

                                 (281) 749-7800
                         (Registrant's Telephone Number,
                              Including Area Code)

                                       N/A
          (Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report)
                                  ------------

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))

                                       -1



ITEM 1.01   ENTRY INTO A MATERIAL DEFINITIVE AGREEMENT.

The information included in Item 5.02 of this Current Report on Form 8-K is
incorporated by reference into this Item 1.01 of this Current Report on Form
8-K.

ITEM 5.02   DEPARTURE OF DIRECTORS OR PRINCIPAL OFFICERS; ELECTION OF DIRECTORS;
            APPOINTMENT OF PRINCIPAL OFFICERS.

     On June 1, 2006,  the Board of  Directors  of Atwood  Oceanics,  Inc.  (the
"Company")  elected  James R.  Montague as a director of the Company,  with such
election to be effective as of June 2, 2006. Mr.  Montague was elected to fill a
vacancy on the Board of Directors,  so that after the election of Mr.  Montague,
the Board of Directors has seven members. Mr. Montague has been appointed to the
Company's Compensation and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committees.

     There is no arrangement or understanding between Mr. Montague and any other
person  pursuant to which Mr. Montague was elected as a director of the Company.
There  are no  transactions  in which Mr.  Montague  has an  interest  requiring
disclosure under Item 404(a) of Regulation S-K.

     Pursuant  to the terms of the  Company's  Amended and  Restated  2001 Stock
Incentive Plan, Mr. Montague shall be awarded  restricted  stock at the Board of
Directors  meeting  next  following  the  effective  date of his  election  as a
director.  The number of shares of the  Company's  Common Stock  included in the
restricted stock award shall be equivalent to $40,000,  based on the fair market
value of a share  of the  Company's  Common  Stock  on the  date of  grant.  The
restricted  stock will be subject to an  agreement  between  the Company and Mr.
Montague,  which will contain provisions relating to restrictions on transfer. A
copy of the form of restricted stock award agreement  relating to the restricted
stock to be awarded to Mr.  Montague and a copy of the press  release  issued by
the Company in  connection  with the election of Mr.  Montague to the  Company's
Board of Directors are attached hereto as Exhibits 10.1 and 99.1, respectively.

     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, 2005, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.



ITEM 9.01         EXHIBITS

(d)    Exhibits

       Exhibit No.    Description of Exhibit

       10.1           Form of Non-Employee Director Restricted Stock Award
                      Agreement Amended and Restated 2001 Stock Incentive Plan

       99.1           Press release dated June 1, 2006.

                                      -2-




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: June 1, 2006


                                      -3-


                                                                   EXHIBIT 10.1

         FORM OF NON-EMPLOYEE DIRECTOR RESTRICTED STOCK AWARD AGREEMENT
                 AMENDED AND RESTATED 2001 STOCK INCENTIVE PLAN

     This Agreement is dated the ____ day of ___________, 20__, between ATWOOD
OCEANICS, INC., (the "Company") and ___________________ (the "Participant").

Recitals:
     The Company has adopted an Amended and Restated 2001 Stock Incentive
Plan (the "Plan") which provides for grants of restricted stock awards of
Common Stock to Non-Employee Directors of the Company, and the Participant is a
Non-Employee Director of the Company.  Pursuant to said Plan, the Compensation
Committee has approved and ratified the execution of this Agreement between the
Company and the Participant.  All capitalized terms not defined herein shall
have the meaning set forth in the Plan as in effect on the date hereof.

Agreement:
  1.       The Company hereby awards to the Participant ______shares of
           restricted Common Stock, equal in value to $40,000, the ("Restricted
           Stock Award").  The number of shares of Common Stock included in the
           Restricted Stock Award is based upon the Fair Market Value of one
           share of Common Stock on ___________, 20__ (the "Date of Grant").
  2.       The shares of Common Stock included in the Restricted Stock Award
           are restricted such that ownership of such shares cannot be sold,
           transferred, pledged, exchanged, hypothecated, or otherwise disposed
           of until three(3) years from the Date of Grant (the "Restriction
           Period").  The stock certificates evidencing the shares of Common
           Stock included in the Restricted Stock Award may be endorsed with a
           legend to reflect such restrictions.
  3.       During any Restriction Period, the Participant shall have the rights
           of a shareholder with respect to the shares of Common Stock included
           in the Restricted Stock Award, including, but not by way of
           limitation, the right to vote such shares and to receive dividends
           and to purchase securities pursuant to that certain Rights Agreement
           by and between the Company and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust
           Company (as Rights Agent) dated October 18, 2002, as the same may be



           amended, modified or supplement from time to time.  If any dividends
           or other distributions are paid in shares of Common Stock, all such
           shares shall be subject to the same restrictions on transferability
           as the shares included in the Restricted Stock Award with respect to
           which they were paid.
  4.       If the outstanding shares of the Common Stock are changed into, or
           exchanged for, a different number or kind of shares or securities of
           the Company (whether by reason of merger, consolidation,
           recapitalization, reclassification, stock split, spinoff, combination
           of shares or otherwise), an appropriate and proportionate adjustment
           (to be conclusively determined by the Board of Directors of the
           Company) shall be made in the shares of Common Stock included in the
           Restricted Stock Award.
  5.       The Restricted Stock Award governed by this Agreement is subject to,
           and the Company and the Participant agree to be bound by, all of the
           terms and conditions of the Plan as the same shall be amended from
           time to time in accordance with the terms thereof, but no such
           amendment shall adversely affect the Participant's rights under this
           Agreement or the Restricted Stock Award governed hereby.  A copy of
           the Plan in its present form is available for inspection during
           business hours by the Participant at the Company's principal office.
  6.       The value of the Restricted Stock Award is $40,000, and such amount
           is additional compensation to each Participant for services rendered
           to the Company and will be included with all other compensation paid
           during the year for services performed and reported on Internal
           Revenue Service Form 1099.  Each Participant will be responsible for
           payment of all income taxes assessable on the Restricted Stock Award.
  7.       The Restricted Stock Award has been granted, executed and delivered
           the day and year first above written at Houston, Texas, and the
           interpretation, performance and enforcement on this Agreement shall
           be governed by the laws of the State of Texas.




ATWOOD OCEANICS, INC.


By: ___________________
Name: _________________
Title: ________________


PARTICIPANT


By: ___________________
Name: _________________





                                                                       Ex 99.1

Houston, Texas
June 1, 2006

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

     ATWOOD OCEANICS, INC., Houston-based International Drilling Contractor (the
"Company"), announced today that on June 1, 2006, its Board of Directors elected
James R.  Montague  as a  director  of the  Company,  with such  election  to be
effective June 2, 2006. Mr.  Montague was elected to fill a vacancy on the Board
of Directors, so that after the election of Mr. Montague, the Board of Directors
has seven members.

     Mr.  Montague,  59,  resides in  Houston,  Texas and is a director  of Penn
Virginia  Resource  GP,  LLC,  the  general  partner of Penn  Virginia  Resource
Partners,  LP, a publicly traded master limited  partnership  which manages coal
properties and gathers and processes natural gas, and a director of Magellan GP,
LLC, the general partner of Magellan Midstream  Partners,  LP, a publicly traded
master  limited  partnership  formed to own,  operate and acquire a  diversified
portfolio of energy  assets.  Mr.  Montague  serves as a member of the Audit and
Compensation  Committees  and Chairman of the  Conflicts  Committee of both Penn
Virginia  Resource  GP, LLC and  Magellan  GP,  LLC.  Mr.  Montague  is also the
Chairman of Memorial Hermann  Healthcare  System of Houston and is presently the
non-executive Chairman of Davis Petroleum Corporation,  a privately held oil and
gas exploration and production  company in Houston.  Prior to 2002, Mr. Montague
was the  President  of  Encana  Gulf of  Mexico,  LLC,  a  subsidiary  of Encana
Corporation.  He  was  President  of  IP  Petroleum  Company,  a  subsidiary  of
International Paper Company, from 1989 to 2001.

     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, 2005, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

                                                       Contact: Jim Holland
                                                             (281) 749-7804