SEC FORM 4

SEC Form 4

FORM 4

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP

Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

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Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).

1. Name and Address of Reporting Person^*

Leyendecker Gregory T

(Last)

(First)

(Middle)

1775 SHERMAN STREET

SUITE 1200

(Street)

DENVER

80203

(City)

(State)

(Zip)

2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
SM Energy Co [ SM ]

5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer
(Check all applicable)

	Director	10% Owner
X	Officer (give title below)	Other (specify below)
	Sr. VP & Regional Manager

3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year)
07/23/2012

4. If Amendment, Date of Original Filed (Month/Day/Year)

6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line)

X	Form filed by One Reporting Person
	Form filed by More than One Reporting Person

Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
1. Title of Security (Instr. 3)	2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)	2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)	3. Transaction Code (Instr. 8)		4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed Of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5)			5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 3 and 4)	6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)	7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
1. Title of Security (Instr. 3)	2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)	2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)	Code	V	Amount	(A) or (D)	Price		6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)	7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)

Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned (e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 3)	2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security	3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)	3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)	4. Transaction Code (Instr. 8)		5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5)		6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (Month/Day/Year)		7. Title and Amount of Securities Underlying Derivative Security (Instr. 3 and 4)		8. Price of Derivative Security (Instr. 5)	9. Number of derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 4)	10. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)	11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 3)	2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security	3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)	3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)	Code	V	(A)	(D)	Date Exercisable	Expiration Date	Title	Amount or Number of Shares	8. Price of Derivative Security (Instr. 5)		10. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)	11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
Performance Share Award	⁽¹⁾⁽²⁾	07/23/2012		A⁽¹⁾		24,000		08/01/2012⁽¹⁾⁽²⁾	08/01/2012⁽¹⁾⁽²⁾	Common Stock	24,000⁽¹⁾	$0⁽¹⁾	24,000	D

Explanation of Responses:

1. On July 23, 2012, the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors of the issuer determined that 24,000 shares of the issuer's common stock had been earned by the reporting person under the terms of a grant of performance share awards (the "PSAs"), based on the achievement of specific performance criteria that were not tied solely to the market price of the issuer's common stock. The PSAs were granted to the reporting person on August 1, 2009, and represent the right to receive, upon the settlement of the PSAs, the determined number of earned shares of the issuer's common stock based on the achievement of the performance criteria over a three-year performance period (with the determined number of earned shares being within a range of zero to two times the number of PSAs granted on the award date), to the extent that the PSAs have vested under separate employment service vesting provisions.

2. The PSAs vested 1/7th on August 1, 2010 and 2/7ths on August 1, 2011, and the remaining 4/7ths is scheduled to vest on August 1, 2012. Under the terms of the PSAs, the PSAs are scheduled to be settled through the issuance of the number of earned and vested shares of common stock on or about August 1, 2012.

Remarks:

	Karin M. Writer (Attorney-In-Fact)	07/24/2012
	** Signature of Reporting Person	Date
Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.
* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4 (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).
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