SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
	Washington, D.C.  20549

	Schedule 13G

	Under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
	(Amendment No. 1)*

	Atwood Oceanics, Inc.
	________________________________________
	(Name of Issuer)

	Common Stock
	________________________________________
	(Title of Class of Securities)

	05009510
	_________________________
	(CUSIP Number)


Check the following box if a fee is being paid with this 
statement [ ].  (A fee is not required only if the filing person:  
(1) has a previous statement on file reporting beneficial 
ownership of more than five percent of the class of securities 
described in Item 1; and (2) has filed no amendment subsequent 
thereto reporting beneficial ownership of five percent or less of 
such class.)  (See Rule 13d - 7.)

*  The remainder of the cover page shall be filled out for a 
reporting person's initial filing on this form with respect to 
the subject class of securities, and for any subsequent amendment 
containing information which would alter the disclosures provided 
in a prior cover page.

The information required in the remainder of this cover page 
shall not be deemed to be "filed" for the purpose of Section 18 
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 ("Act") or otherwise 
subject to the liabilities of that section of the Act but shall 
be subject to all other provisions of the Act (however, see the 
Notes).

(Continued on following page(s))




CUSIP No.  05009510     13G     
          __________

1.	NAME OF REPORTING PERSON
	S.S. OR I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NO. OF ABOVE PERSON

	Metropolitan Life Insurance Company
	(I.R.S. NO. 13-5581829)

2.	CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP*
(a)  [   ]  Not applicable
(b)  [   ]  Not applicable

3.	SEC USE ONLY

4.	CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION
	A New York corporation

				5.	SOLE VOTING POWER
						11,700
	NUMBER OF
	SHARES		6.	SHARED VOTING POWER	
	BENEFICIALLY			- 0 -
	OWNED BY EACH
	REPORTING		7.	SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER	
	PERSON WITH			11,700

				8.	SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER
						- 0 -

9.	AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON
				11,700
(All shares included in these totals were acquired for the 
benefit of the Reporting Person by certain of its affiliated 
Investment Advisers, who are registered under Section 203 of the 
Investment Advisers Act.  These Investment Advisers follow 
independent investment decision-making processes and have sole 
voting and/or dispositive power over such securities.)

10.	CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (9) EXCLUDES CERTAIN 
SHARES*

11.	PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW 9
		.08%

12.	TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON*
	IC
 


SCHEDULE 13G
	
Item 1 (a).  Name of Issuer
	Atwood Oceanics, Inc.

Item 1 (b).  Address of Issuer's Principal Office:
	15835 Park Ten Pl Drive 
	Suite 200
	Houston, TX  77084

Item 2(a).  Name of Person Filing
	Metropolitan Life Insurance Company
	By Jane C. Weinberg, Associate General Counsel

Item 2(b).  Address of Principal Business Office
	One Madison Avenue
	New York, New York 10010

Item 2(c).  Citizenship
	A New York corporation

Item 2(d).  Title of Class of Securities
	Common Stock

Item 2(e).  CUSIP Number
	05009510

Item 3.  If this statement is filed pursuant to Rules 13d-1(b), 
or 13d-2(b), check whether the person filing is a:
	(a) [ ]	Broker or Dealer registered under Section 15 of the 
Act.
	(b) [ ]	Bank as defined in Section 3 (a) (6) of the Act.
	(c) [X]	Insurance Company as defined in Section 3 (a) (19) 
of the Act.
	(d) [ ]	Investment Company registered under Section 8 of 
the Investment Company Act.
	(e) [ ]	Investment Adviser registered under Section 203 of 
the Investment Advisers Act of 1940.
	(f) [ ]	Employee Benefit Plan, Pension Fund which is 
subject to the provisions of the Employee Retirement Income 
Security Act of 1974 or Endowment Fund
	(g) [ ]	Parent Holding Company, in accordance with Section 
240.13d-1(b) (ii) (G) (Note: See Item 7).
	(h) [ ]	Group, in accordance with Section 240.13d-1 (b) 
(1) (ii) (H)


SCHEDULE 13G

Item	 4.	Ownership:

If the percent of the class owned, as of December 31 of the year 
covered by the statement, or as of the last day of any month 
described in Rule 13d-1(b) (2), if applicable, exceeds five 
percent, provide the following information as of that date and 
identify those shares which there is a right to acquire.

	(a)	Amount Beneficially Owned:  Not Applicable

	(b)	Percent of Class: Not Applicable

	(c)	Number of shares as to which such person has

		(i)	sole power to vote or to direct the 
			vote: Not Applicable
		(ii)	shared power to vote or to direct the 
			vote: Not Applicable
		(iii)	sole power to dispose or to direct the 	
			disposition of: Not Applicable
		(iv)	shared power to dispose or to direct 
			the disposition of: Not Applicable

Item	5.	Ownership of Five Percent or Less of a Class:

If this statement is being filed to report the fact that as of 
the date hereof the reporting person has ceased to be the 
beneficial owner of more than five percent of the class of 
securities, check the following  [X].

Item 6.   	Ownership of More than Five Percent on Behalf of 
Another Person: Not applicable


SCHEDULE 13G

Item 7.	Identification and Classification of the Subsidiary 
Which Acquired the Security Being Reported on By the Parent 
Holding Company: Not applicable

Item 8.	Identification and Classification of Members of the 
Group:	Not applicable

Item 9.	Notice of Dissolution of Group: Not applicable

Item 10.	Certification:

By signing below I certify that, to the best of my knowledge and 
belief, the securities referred to above were acquired in the 
ordinary course of business and were not acquired for the purpose 
of and do not have the effect of changing or influencing the 
control of the issuer of such securities and were not acquired in 
connection with or as a participant in any transaction having 
such purpose or effect.

Signature.

After reasonable inquiry and to the best of my knowledge and 
belief, I certify that the information set forth in this 
statement is true, complete and correct.

	Date:	January 30, 1998


	Signature:	/s/Jane C. Weinberg
		Associate General Counsel