8-K

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

                              WASHINGTON, DC 20549

                                   ----------

                                    FORM 8-K

                                 CURRENT REPORT
                     PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE
                         SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

                                   ----------

                          Date of Report: July 20, 2004
                        (Date of earliest event reported)

                            Stillwater Mining Company
               (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)

           Delaware                       0-7704                  81-0480654
(State or Other Jurisdiction         (Commission File           (IRS Employer
      of Incorporation)                  Number)             Identification No.)

                  536 East Pike Avenue, Columbus, Montana 59019
                  ---------------------------------------------
                    (Address of Principal Executive Offices)

                                 (406) 322-8700
              (Registrant's telephone number, including area code)



Item 5. Other Events and Required FD Disclosure.

(c)   Exhibits.

99.1  Press release issued on July 20, 2004 by Stillwater Mining Company.



                                    SIGNATURE

      Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934,
the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

                                            STILLWATER MINING COMPANY

Date: July 20, 2004                         By: /s/ John R. Stark
                                                --------------------------------
                                                Name:  John R. Stark
                                                Title: Vice President, Secretary
                                                       and General Counsel



                                    EXHIBITS

99.1  Press release issued on July 20, 2004 by Stillwater Mining Company.

EX-99.1

Exhibit 99.1

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 20, 2004

CONTACT:                            John R. Stark             406-322-8700

                    EMPLOYEES FROM STILLWATER MINE AND METAL
                   RECOVERY FACILITIES RATIFY UNION CONTRACT

Columbus, Montana, July 20, 2004 - STILLWATER MINING COMPANY (NYSE:SWC) reported
that the members of the Paper, Allied Industrial, Chemical and Energy Workers
International Local 8-0001, under which the Company's employees are organized,
voted to approve a three-year contract. Employees will return to work, beginning
day shift Wednesday, July 21, 2004 ending a strike that resulted from the union
membership failing to ratify a previous proposed contract on Sunday, July 11,
2004. The contract will cover employees at the Stillwater Mine & Mill, Nye,
Montana, and the Processing and Warehouse facilities in Columbus, Montana.

Stillwater Mining Company is the only U.S. producer of palladium and platinum
and is the largest primary producer of platinum group metals outside of South
Africa. The Company's shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the
symbol SWC. Information on Stillwater Mining can be found at its Web site:
www.stillwatermining.com.

Some statements contained in this news release are forward-looking statements
within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and
Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and, therefore,
involve uncertainties or risks that could cause actual results to differ
materially. These statements may contain words such as "believes,"
"anticipates," "plans," "expects," "intends," "estimates" or similar
expressions. These statements are not guarantees of the Company's future
performance and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other important factors
that could cause our actual performance or achievements to differ materially
from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Such
statements include, but are not limited to, comments regarding expansion plans,
costs, grade, production and recovery rates, permitting, financing needs, the
terms of future credit facilities and capital expenditures, increases in
processing capacity, cost reduction measures, safety, timing for engineering
studies, and environmental permitting and compliance, litigation and the
palladium and platinum market. Additional information regarding factors which
could cause results to differ materially from management's expectations is found
in the section entitled "Risk Factors" above in the Company's 2003 Annual Report
on Form 10-K. The Company intends that the forward-looking statements contained
herein be subject to the above-mentioned statutory safe harbors. Investors are
cautioned not to rely on forward-looking statements. The Company disclaims any
obligation to update forward-looking statements.

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