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

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

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(Print or Type Responses)

1. Name and Address of Reporting Person * Ottoson Javan D   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) Exec VP & COO (Last) (First) (Middle) 1775 SHERMAN STREET, SUITE 1200 3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year) 07/23/2012 (Street) DENVER, CO 80203 4. If Amendment, Date 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 (City) (State) (Zip) 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) Code V Amount (A) or (D) Price

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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 Underlying Securities (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 of Derivative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)

11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)

Code

V

(A)

(D)

Date Exercisable

Expiration Date

Title

Amount or Number of Shares

Performance Share Award

(1) (2)

07/23/2012

A(1)

67,500

08/01/2012(1)(2)

08/01/2012(1)(2)

Common Stock

67,500

$ 0 (1)

67,500

D

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address	Relationships
	Director	10% Owner	Officer	Other
Ottoson Javan D 1775 SHERMAN STREET SUITE 1200 DENVER, CO 80203			Exec VP & COO

Signatures

Karin M. Writer (Attorney-In-Fact)		07/24/2012
**Signature of Reporting Person		Date

Explanation of Responses:

*	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).
(1)	On July 23, 2012, the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors of the issuer determined that 67,500 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.

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