Unaudited Interim Information	6 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2015
Quarterly Financial Information Disclosure [Abstract]
Unaudited Interim Information	UNAUDITED INTERIM INFORMATION The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements of Atwood Oceanics, Inc. and its subsidiaries as of March 31, 2015 and for the three and six months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the U.S. for interim financial information. Unless otherwise indicated, references to “we”, “us”, “our” and the “Company” refer collectively to Atwood Oceanics, Inc. and subsidiaries. The year-end condensed consolidated balance sheet data was derived from the audited financial statements as of September 30, 2014. Although these financial statements and related information have been prepared without audit and certain information and note disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles have been condensed or omitted, we believe that the note disclosures are adequate to make the information not misleading. The interim financial results may not be indicative of results that could be expected for a full fiscal year. These unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and the related notes included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 30, 2014. In our opinion, the unaudited interim financial statements reflect all adjustments considered necessary for a fair statement of our financial position, results of operations and cash flows for the periods presented. Certain prior period amounts have been reclassified to conform to current year presentation. Recently issued accounting pronouncements In April 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued new guidance intended to change the criteria for reporting discontinued operations while enhancing disclosures for discontinued operations, which changes the criteria and requires additional disclosures for reporting discontinued operations. The guidance is effective for all disposals of components of an entity that occur within annual periods beginning on or after December 15, 2014, and interim periods within annual periods beginning on or after December 15, 2015. We do not expect that our adoption of this guidance will have a material impact on our financial statements or disclosures in our financial statements. In May 2014, the FASB issued new guidance intended to change the criteria for recognition of revenue. The core principle of the guidance is that an entity should recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. The guidance is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016, including interim periods within that reporting period. Early application is not permitted. In April 2015, the FASB voted for a one-year deferral of the effective date of this new guidance. We are currently evaluating what impact the adoption of this guidance will have on our financial statements or disclosures in our financial statements. In June 2014, the FASB issued amended guidance on the accounting for certain share-based employee compensation awards. The amended guidance applies to share-based employee compensation awards that include a performance target that affects vesting when the performance target can be achieved after the requisite service period. These targets are to be treated as a performance condition. As such, the performance target should not be reflected in estimating the grant-date fair value of the award and compensation cost should be recognized in the period in which it becomes probable that the performance target will be achieved. The amendments are effective for annual periods and interim periods within those annual periods beginning after December 15, 2015. We do not expect that our adoption of this guidance will have a material impact on our financial statements or disclosures in our financial statements. In January 2015, FASB issued new guidance intended to simplify the complexity of reporting and accounting for extraordinary items. In essence, this new guidance will eliminate the concept of extraordinary items altogether. This guidance is effective for fiscal years and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2015 and early adoption is permitted. We do not expect that our adoption of this guidance will have a material impact on our financial statements or disclosures in our financial statements. In April 2015, the FASB issued new guidance intended to simplify the presentation of debt issuance costs. This new guidance requires that debt issuance costs related to outstanding debt be netted against that liability in the balance sheet, consistent with the treatment of debt discounts. This guidance is effective for fiscal years and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2015 and early adoption is permitted. We are currently evaluating what impact the adoption of this guidance will have on our financial statements or disclosures in our financial statements.

UNAUDITED INTERIM INFORMATION

The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements of Atwood Oceanics, Inc. and its subsidiaries as of March 31, 2015 and for the three and six months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the U.S. for interim financial information. Unless otherwise indicated, references to “we”, “us”, “our” and the “Company” refer collectively to Atwood Oceanics, Inc. and subsidiaries. The year-end condensed consolidated balance sheet data was derived from the audited financial statements as of September 30, 2014. Although these financial statements and related information have been prepared without audit and certain information and note disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles have been condensed or omitted, we believe that the note disclosures are adequate to make the information not misleading. The interim financial results may not be indicative of results that could be expected for a full fiscal year. These unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and the related notes included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 30, 2014. In our opinion, the unaudited interim financial statements reflect all adjustments considered necessary for a fair statement of our financial position, results of operations and cash flows for the periods presented. Certain prior period amounts have been reclassified to conform to current year presentation.

Recently issued accounting pronouncements

In April 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued new guidance intended to change the criteria for reporting discontinued operations while enhancing disclosures for discontinued operations, which changes the criteria and requires additional disclosures for reporting discontinued operations. The guidance is effective for all disposals of components of an entity that occur within annual periods beginning on or after December 15, 2014, and interim periods within annual periods beginning on or after December 15, 2015. We do not expect that our adoption of this guidance will have a material impact on our financial statements or disclosures in our financial statements.

In May 2014, the FASB issued new guidance intended to change the criteria for recognition of revenue. The core principle of the guidance is that an entity should recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. The guidance is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016, including interim periods within that reporting period. Early application is not permitted. In April 2015, the FASB voted for a one-year deferral of the effective date of this new guidance. We are currently evaluating what impact the adoption of this guidance will have on our financial statements or disclosures in our financial statements.

In June 2014, the FASB issued amended guidance on the accounting for certain share-based employee compensation awards. The amended guidance applies to share-based employee compensation awards that include a performance target that affects vesting when the performance target can be achieved after the requisite service period. These targets are to be treated as a performance condition. As such, the performance target should not be reflected in estimating the grant-date fair value of the award and compensation cost should be recognized in the period in which it becomes probable that the performance target will be achieved. The amendments are effective for annual periods and interim periods within those annual periods beginning after December 15, 2015. We do not expect that our adoption of this guidance will have a material impact on our financial statements or disclosures in our financial statements.

In January 2015, FASB issued new guidance intended to simplify the complexity of reporting and accounting for extraordinary items. In essence, this new guidance will eliminate the concept of extraordinary items altogether. This guidance is effective for fiscal years and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2015 and early adoption is permitted. We do not expect that our adoption of this guidance will have a material impact on our financial statements or disclosures in our financial statements.

In April 2015, the FASB issued new guidance intended to simplify the presentation of debt issuance costs. This new guidance requires that debt issuance costs related to outstanding debt be netted against that liability in the balance sheet, consistent with the treatment of debt discounts. This guidance is effective for fiscal years and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2015 and early adoption is permitted. We are currently evaluating what impact the adoption of this guidance will have on our financial statements or disclosures in our financial statements.