Ownership Submission
FORM 3
 UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

INITIAL STATEMENT OF BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES

Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940
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(Print or Type Responses)
1. Name and Address of Reporting Person *
  Campbell Michael Alan
 2. Date of Event Requiring Statement (Month/Day/Year)
01/01/2009		 3. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
ATWOOD OCEANICS INC [ATW]
(Last)
(First)
(Middle)
15835 PARK TEN PLACE DRIVE		 4. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer
(Check all applicable)
_____ Director _____ 10% Owner
__X__ Officer (give title below) __X__ Other (specify below)
Vice President / Controller
 5. If Amendment, Date Original Filed(Month/Day/Year)
(Street)

HOUSTON, TX 77084		 6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing(Check Applicable Line)
_X_ Form filed by One Reporting Person
___ Form filed by More than One Reporting Person
(City)
(State)
(Zip)
Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned
1.Title of Security
(Instr. 4)		 2. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned
(Instr. 4)		 3. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I)
(Instr. 5)		 4. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership
(Instr. 5)
Common Stock 17,097
D
 

Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly. SEC 1473 (7-02)
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Table II - Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned (e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
1. Title of Derivative Security
(Instr. 4)		 2. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date
(Month/Day/Year)		 3. Title and Amount of Securities Underlying Derivative Security
(Instr. 4)		 4. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security 5. Ownership Form of Derivative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I)
(Instr. 5)		 6. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership
(Instr. 5)
Date Exercisable Expiration Date Title Amount or Number of Shares
Nonqualified Stock Options   (1) 12/02/2014 Common Stock 3,000 $ 12.31 D  
Nonqualified Stock Options   (1) 12/01/2015 Common Stock 3,100 $ 18.58 D  
Nonqualified Stock Options   (1) 12/07/2016 Common Stock 2,400 $ 24.99 D  
Nonqualified Stock Options   (2) 12/06/2017 Common Stock 4,328 $ 44.75 D  
Nonqualified Stock Options   (2) 12/04/2018 Common Stock 4,600 $ 14.65 D  

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address Relationships
Director 10% Owner Officer Other
Campbell Michael Alan
15835 PARK TEN PLACE DRIVE
HOUSTON, TX 77084		       Vice President Controller

Signatures

Michael Alan Campbell 01/05/2009
**Signature of Reporting Person Date

Explanation of Responses:

* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 5(b)(v).
** Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations. See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
(1) These options were granted for a term of ten (10) years (pursuant to Atwood Oceanics, Inc. 2001 Plan), with twenty-five (25%) of such options becoming exercisable at each of one (1) year, two (2) years, three (3) years and four (4) years respectively, from the date of grant.
(2) These options were granted for a term of ten (10) years (pursuant to Atwood Oceanics, Inc. 2007 Plan), with twenty-five (25%) of such options becoming exercisable at each of one (1) year, two (2) years, three (3) years and four (4) years respectively, from the date of grant.

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