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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1. Name and Address of Reporting Person * BEST ANTHONY JAMES   2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol SM Energy Co [SM] 5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable) __X__ Director _____ 10% Owner __X__ Officer (give title below) _____ Other (specify below) CEO & President (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)   105,000 A (1) 180,326 D   Common Stock, $.01 Par Value 08/01/2012   F   43,136 D $ 47.3 137,190 D   Common Stock, $.01 Par Value 08/01/2012   M   9,999 A (2) 147,189 D   Common Stock, $.01 Par Value 08/01/2012   F   4,108 D $ 47.3 143,081 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)

105,000

08/01/2012(1)

08/01/2012(1)

Common Stock

105,000

$ 0 (1)

0

D

Restricted Stock Units

(2)

08/01/2012

M

9,999

08/01/2012

08/01/2012

Common Stock

9,999

$ 0

0

D

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address	Relationships
	Director	10% Owner	Officer	Other
BEST ANTHONY JAMES 1775 SHERMAN STREET SUITE 1200 DENVER, CO 80203	X		CEO & President

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 105,000 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: 2,501 shares on 8/1/10, 5,000 shares on 8/1/11 and 9,999 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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