HOUSTON, Jan. 18, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- ATWOOD OCEANICS,
INC., (NYSE: ATW) Houston-based
International Drilling Contractor (the "Company"), announced today
that effective February 1, 2011 Mr.
Arthur McGinnis ("Mac") Polhamus
will be appointed Vice President, Operations and will be the
principal operating officer of the Company.
Mr. Polhamus comes to Atwood after nearly 16 years at Transocean
in positions of increasing general management and operations
responsibility involving both deepwater and shallow water drilling
rigs. Mr. Polhamus most recently held the position of
Managing Director, West Africa South with oversight for offshore
drilling operations in Angola,
Gabon and Congo. Before that, he headed the North
America Division which, through Transocean's Gulf of Mexico fleet, encompassed the largest
concentration of ultra-deepwater rigs worldwide. Previously,
Mr. Polhamus led the division responsible for jack-up rig
operations in the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. Among
other earlier roles, Mr. Polhamus served as the first rig manager
of the 5th generation ultra-deepwater rig Cajun Express in
the Gulf of Mexico.
Prior to his service with Transocean, Mr. Polhamus was a
consultant for Sonat Drilling Services, Inc. and Triton
International & Petroleum Engineers, Inc. and also held various
positions with Amoco International Oil Company where he started his
career. Mr. Polhamus holds a Bachelor of Science degree in
Petroleum Engineering from Tulsa
University.
Rob Saltiel, President and Chief
Executive Officer, stated, "We are pleased to welcome Mac to the
Atwood leadership team as our head of worldwide operations.
Mac brings proven technical leadership, extensive experience
in deepwater operations and a strong reputation for client service
within our industry. Mac's appointment strengthens our
execution capabilities for our ambitious growth initiatives and
underscores our commitment to operational excellence."
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 including the
Company's dependence on the oil and gas industry; the risks
involved in the construction of a rig and commencement of
operations of the rig following delivery; competition; operating
risks; risks involved in foreign operations; risks associated with
possible disruption in operations due to terrorism, acts of piracy,
embargoes, war or other military operations; and governmental and
industry 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, 2010, filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission.
SOURCE Atwood Oceanics, Inc.