================================================================================ UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 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: November 1, 2004 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 ____________ 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 8.01 OTHER EVENTS On November 1, 2004, the Company announced that the ATWOOD FALCON has been awarded a contract by Japan Energy Development Co., Ltd. ("JED") to drill one firm well with an option to drill one additional well off the coast of Japan. This drilling program will commence immediately upon the rig completing its current contract for Sarawak Shell in Malaysia, which is expected to be completed in February 2005. The JED contract provides for a dayrate of $88,300 for both firm and option wells and mobilization and demobilization payments of approximately $1.9 million, respectively. The Company also announced that the ATWOOD EAGLE has been awarded additional work under an existing contract with Woodside Energy, Ltd. ("Woodside") to drill three (3) firm wells with options to drill three (3) additional wells off the coast of Australia. The rig's current drilling commitments with Woodside and BHP Billiton Petroleum Pty. are expected to be completed around January 15, 2005. The additional work with Woodside is not expected to commence until February 15, 2005. During the planned break in drilling commitments, certain inspections and maintenance work will be performed on the rig. A copy of the press release announcing these contract awards 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 November 1, 2004 EX-99.2 Contract Status Summary at November 1, 2004 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, 2003, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. -2- EXHIBIT INDEX EXHIBIT NO. DESCRIPTION ----------- ----------- EX - 99.1 Press Release dated November 1, 2004 EX - 99.2 Contract Status Summary at November 1, 2004 -3- 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: November 1, 2004 -4- EXHIBIT EX. - 99.1 ATWOOD ANNOUNCES CONTRACT FOR ATWOOD FALCON AND ATWOOD EAGLE Houston, Texas 01 November 2004 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Atwood Oceanics, Inc. (Houston-based International Offshore Drilling Contractor - NYSE: ATW) announced today that the ATWOOD FALCON has been awarded a contract by Japan Energy Development Co., LTD. to drill one (1) firm well with an option to drill one (1) additional well off the coast of Japan. The contract provides for a dayrate of $88,300 for both the firm and option wells and mobilization and demobilization payments of approximately $1.9 million, respectively. The ATWOOD FALCON is currently drilling a program for Sarawak Shell in Malaysia which is expected to be complete in February 2005. Upon completion of this contract, the rig will be moved to Japan, with an anticipated commencement of drilling operations in Japan in March 2005. The drilling of the firm well as well as the option well, if drilled, are estimated to take 60 to 100 days, respectively, to complete. The Company also announced that the ATWOOD EAGLE has been awarded additional work under an existing contract with Woodside Energy, Ltd. ("Woodside") to drill three (3) firm wells with options to drill three (3) additional wells off the coast of Australia. The amended contract provides for a dayrate of $89,000 for wells drilled in water depths below 600 meters and $109,000 for wells drilled in water depths of 600 meters or more except that the first well drilled in water depths between 600 meters and 700 meters will have a dayrate of $99,000. The drilling of the three firm wells is expected to take approximately four months to complete, and if all the option wells are drilled, the contract could extend into September 2005. The rig's current drilling commitments with Woodside and BHP Billiton Petroleum Pty. are expected to be completed around January 15, 2005. The additional work with Woodside will not commence until February 15, 2005. During the planned break in drilling commitments, certain required inspections and maintenance work will be performed on the rig. 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, 2003, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Contact: Jim Holland (281) 749-7804 -5- EXHIBIT 99.2 ATWOOD OCEANICS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES CONTRACT STATUS SUMMARY AT NOVEMBER 1, 2004 NAME OF RIG LOCATION CUSTOMER CONTRACT STATUS ----------- -------- -------- --------------- SEMISUBMERSIBLES - ------------------ ATWOOD FALCON MALAYSIA SARAWAK SHELL BERHAD The rig continues to work under the Shell contract ("SHELL") with the rig currently drilling the second of now four firm wells after Shell exercised one of its two options provided under the contract. This contract is currently anticipated to extend into February 2005. One option remains under the Shell contract. Immediately upon completion of the Shell contract, the rig will be move to Japan to commence a one firm well plus an option to drill one additional well program for Japan Energy Development Co., Ltd. The drilling of the firm well, as well as the option well, if drilled is estimated to take 60 to 100 days, respectively, to complete. ATWOOD HUNTER EGYPT BURULLUS GAS CO. On December 31, 2003, the rig commenced a drilling ("BURULLUS") program for Burullus which currently includes eleven firm wells plus options to drill five additional wells. The drilling of the eleven firm wells is expected to take until February 2005 to complete, and if all the option wells are drilled, the contract could extend into September 2005. ATWOOD EAGLE AUSTRALIA WOODSIDE ENERGY, LTD. The rig has commenced drilling the second of three ("WOODSIDE") firm wells for Woodside. The current Woodside drilling program is expected to take until the end of November 2004 to complete. BHP Billiton Petroleum Pty. ("BHP"), the rig's prior customer, was previously granted three option wells which can be drilled after the completion of the Woodside contract and are subject to mutual agreement on timing. BHP has now exercised one of their three options, with the drilling of this well to commence immediately after the completion of the Woodside program and is expected to take approximately 30 days to complete. BHP retains the right to drill two option wells using the rig. The rig has been awarded additional work under its current contract with Woodside to drill three firm wells with option to drill three additional wells off the coast of Australia. The drilling of the three firm wells is expected to take approximate four months to complete, and if all the option wells are drilled, the contract could extend into September 2005. The rigs current drilling commitments with Woodside and BHP are expected to be completed around January 15, 2005. The additional work with Woodside will not commence until February 15, 2005. SEAHAWK MALAYSIA SARAWAK SHELL BERHAD The rig has completed its contract with ExxonMobil ("SHELL") Exploration & Production Malaysia and has been moved to the demobilization site at Kemanan Supply Base, Malaysia. The rig will undergo some minor -6- modifications and equipment change-out in preparation for its next contract. This work is expected to take approximately 30 days to complete. Shell has given a commitment to utilize the SEAHAWK for a two-well drilling program offshore Malaysia. The two-well drilling program has an expected duration of 60 days, and will commence immediately upon completion of the minor rig modifi- cations and equipment change-out work. Additional work, following the Shell contract, is being pursued in Southeast Asia as well as other areas of the world. ATWOOD SOUTHERN CROSS MALAYSIA MURPHY SARAWAK OIL The rig continues to work under the Murphy contract COMPANY, LTD. ("MURPHY") with the rig currently drilling the fourth of now five firm wells with Murphy relinquishing its last option. This contract is currently anticipated to extend into December 2004. The rig has been awarded a contract by Daewoo International Corporation ("Daewoo") to drill two firm wells plus an option to drill one additional well offshore Myanmar. The Daewoo work will commence immediately after completing the Murphy program, and is expected to take 90 days to complete. SEASCOUT UNITED STATES The SEASCOUT was purchased in December 2000 for future GULF OF MEXICO conversion to a tender-assist unit, similar to the SEAHAWK. There are currently no upgrade plans and the rig is currently coldstacked. CANTILEVER JACK-UPS - ---------------------- VICKSBURG MALAYSIA EXXONMOBIL EXPLORATION & In May 2004, the rig's contract with EMEPMI was PRODUCTION MALAYSIA INC. suspended and the rig moved to Thailand to commence a ("EMEPMI") drilling program for Chevron Offshore (Thailand) Limited. This program has now been completed. The rig has been relocated back to Malaysia and the EMEPMI contract reinstated. The EMEPMI drilling commitment includes the five months that the contract was suspended plus an extension of twelve months, for a total of seventeen months commencing in October 2004. EMEPMI retains its right to terminate the contract by providing 120 days notice. ATWOOD BEACON UNDER REPAIR AT The process of repairing the damage incurred by the A SINGAPORE ATWOOD BEACON on July 25, 2004 continues on schedule. SHIPYARD The rig is expected to return to service in January 2005. The ATWOOD BEACON has been awarded a contract by HOANG LONG and HOAN VU Joint Operating Companies to drill three firm wells, with options to drill three additional wells, offshore Vietnam. The three firm wells have a combined expected duration of 200 days and if all option wells are drilled, the program could extend for another 200 days. The drilling of this program must commence between January 15, 2005 and April 15, 2005. -7- SUBMERSIBLE - ------------- RICHMOND UNITED STATES APPLIED DRILLING The rig is currently drilling a third well for ADTI GULF OF MEXICO TECHNOLOGY INC. ("ADTI") which was assigned from Helis Oil & Gas Company ("Helis"). Upon completion of this well, the rig will have three firm wells to drill for Helis, with Helis retaining one option to drill two additional wells. The drilling of the three remaining firm wells is expected to take until February/March 2005 to complete and if the option wells are drilled, the contract could extend to June/July 2005. MODULAR PLATFORMS - ------------------- GOODWYN 'A' /NORTH AUSTRALIA WOODSIDE ENERGY LTD. There is currently an indefinite planned break in RANKIN 'A' drilling activity for the two client-owned rigs managed by the Company. The Company is involved in maintenance of the two rigs for future drilling programs. -8-