Ownership Submission
FORM 3
 UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

INITIAL STATEMENT OF 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
OMB APPROVAL
OMB Number: 3235-0104
Expires: January 31, 2005
Estimated average burden hours per response... 0.5

(Print or Type Responses)
1. Name and Address of Reporting Person *
  Jacobs James J
 2. Date of Event Requiring Statement (Month/Day/Year)
12/15/2015		 3. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
Yuma Energy, Inc. [YUMA]
(Last)
(First)
(Middle)
1177 WEST LOOP SOUTH, SUITE 1825		 4. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer
(Check all applicable)
_____ Director _____ 10% Owner
__X__ Officer (give title below) _____ Other (specify below)
Chief Financial Officer
 5. If Amendment, Date Original Filed(Month/Day/Year)
(Street)

HOUSTON, TX 77027		 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 Beneficially Owned
1.Title of Security
(Instr. 4)		 2. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned
(Instr. 4)		 3. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I)
(Instr. 5)		 4. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership
(Instr. 5)
Common Stock (1) 456,371
D
 

Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly. SEC 1473 (7-02)
Persons who respond to the collection of information contained in this form are not required to respond unless the form displays a currently valid OMB control number.

Table II - Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned (e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
1. Title of Derivative Security
(Instr. 4)		 2. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date
(Month/Day/Year)		 3. Title and Amount of Securities Underlying Derivative Security
(Instr. 4)		 4. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security 5. Ownership Form of Derivative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I)
(Instr. 5)		 6. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership
(Instr. 5)
Date Exercisable Expiration Date Title Amount or Number of Shares
Stock Appreciation Right   (2) 08/18/2022 Common Stock 268,305 $ 0.605 D  

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address Relationships
Director 10% Owner Officer Other
Jacobs James J
1177 WEST LOOP SOUTH
SUITE 1825
HOUSTON, TX 77027		       Chief Financial Officer  

Signatures

/s/ James J. Jacobs 12/28/2015
**Signature of Reporting Person Date

Explanation of Responses:

* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 5(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) 385,711 shares of the registrant's common stock represent unvested restricted stock awards that vest as follows: 14,137 shares vest on January 1, 2016, 109,217 shares vest on May 31, 2016, 29,789 shares vest on July 14, 2016, 14,136 shares vest on January 1, 2017, 109,216 shares vest on May 31, 2017, and 109,216 shares vest on May 31, 2018.
(2) The stock appreciation right award vests in three equal annual installments beginning on May 31, 2016.

Note: File three copies of this Form, one of which must be manually signed. If space is insufficient, See Instruction 6 for procedure.

Potential persons who are to respond to the collection of information contained in this form are not required to respond unless the form displays a currently valid OMB number.