ATW Atwood Oceanics, Inc. (delisted)

HOUSTON, Dec. 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Atwood Oceanics, Inc. (NYSE:ATW) (a Houston based International Offshore Drilling Contractor) 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 an 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. DATASOURCE: Atwood Oceanics, Inc. CONTACT: Jim Holland of Atwood Oceanics, Inc., +1-281-749-7804 Web site: http://www.atwd.com/

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