Ownership Submission
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)
08/01/2012
(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
Common Stock, $.01 Par Value 08/01/2012   M(1)   67,500 A (1) 94,272 D  
Common Stock, $.01 Par Value 08/01/2012   F   27,662 D $ 47.3 66,610 D  
Common Stock, $.01 Par Value 08/01/2012   M   6,428 A (2) 73,038 D  
Common Stock, $.01 Par Value 08/01/2012   F   1,998 D $ 47.3 71,040 D  

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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) 08/01/2012   M(1)     67,500 08/01/2012(1) 08/01/2012(1) Common Stock 67,500 $ 0 (1) 0 D  
Restricted Stock Units (2) 08/01/2012   M     6,428 08/01/2012 08/01/2012 Common Stock 6,428 $ 0 0 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)   08/03/2012
**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 August 1, 2012, the issuer issued 67,500 shares of common stock to the reporting person to settle a grant of performance share awards (the "PSAs") reported in a Form 4 for the reporting person filed on July 24, 2012. The PSAs represented 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 performance criteria, to the extent that the PSAs had vested under separate employment service vesting provisions. The PSAs became fully vested and were settled in accordance with their terms on 08/01/2012.
(2) Each restricted stock unit represents a contingent right to receive one share of stock. The restricted stock unit grants vested as follows: 1,608 shares on 8/1/10, 3,214 shares on 8/1/11 and 6,428 shares on 8/1/12. The vested shares were issued to the reporting person on the vesting dates, at which time all restrictions on the vested shares lapsed.

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