Atwood Oceanics, Inc. Announces Appointment of Chairman of the Board of Directors

Atwood Oceanics, Inc. ATW, announced that Mr. George S. Dotson was appointed non-executive Chairman of the Board of Directors effective March 10, 2011.

He has served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Company since February 1988. From 1990 until his retirement in 2006, Mr. Dotson was a director of Helmerich & Payne, Inc.. Previously he was Vice President, Drilling of H&P and President of Helmerich & Payne International Drilling Company, a wholly-owned subsidiary of H&P.