Edgar Filing: SEITEL INC

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 ^*

VA PARTNERS LLC

2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
SEITEL INC [SELA]

5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer
(Check all applicable)

_____ Director	__X__ 10% Owner
_____ Officer (give title below)	_____ Other (specify below)

(Last)

(First)

(Middle)

435 PACIFIC AVENUE, FOURTH FLOOR

3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year)
05/03/2005

(Street)

SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94133

4. If Amendment, Date Original Filed(Month/Day/Year)

6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing(Check Applicable Line)
___ Form filed by One Reporting Person
_X_ 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)
1.Title of Security (Instr. 3)	2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)	2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)	Code	V	Amount	(A) or (D)	Price		6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)	7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
Common Stock par value $.01 per share	05/03/2005		P		451,500	A	$ 1.28	27,623,363	I	See Footnotes ⁽¹⁾ ⁽²⁾
Common Stock par value $.01 per share	05/05/2005		P		550,000	A	$ 1.3	28,173,363	I	See Footnotes ⁽¹⁾ ⁽²⁾

Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.
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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

(A)

(D)

Date Exercisable

Expiration Date

Title

Amount or Number of Shares

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address	Relationships
Reporting Owner Name / Address	Director	10% Owner	Officer	Other
VA PARTNERS LLC 435 PACIFIC AVENUE FOURTH FLOOR SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94133		X
UBBEN JEFFREY W 435 PACIFIC AVENUE, FOURTH FLOOR SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94133		X
KAMIN PETER H TWO INTERNATIONAL PLACE, 25TH FLOOR BOSTON, MA 02110		X

Signatures

VALUEACT CAPITAL MASTER FUND, L.P., BY VA PARTNERS, L.L.C., ITS GENERAL PARTNER, By: /s/ George F. Hamel, Jr.		05/05/2005
^**Signature of Reporting Person		Date
VALUEACT CAPITAL PARTNERS CO-INVESTORS, L.P., BY VA PARTNERS, L.L.C., ITS GENERAL PARTNER, By: /s/ George F. Hamel, Jr.		05/05/2005
^**Signature of Reporting Person		Date
VA PARTNERS, L.L.C., By: /s/ George F. Hamel, Jr.		05/05/2005
^**Signature of Reporting Person		Date
By: /s/ Jeffrey W. Ubben		05/05/2005
^**Signature of Reporting Person		Date
By: /s/ George F. Hamel, Jr.		05/05/2005
^**Signature of Reporting Person		Date
By: /s/ Peter H. Kamin		05/05/2005
^**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)	As General Partner of ValueAct Capital Master Fund, L.P., and ValueAct Capital Partners Co-Investors, L.P.
(2)	The reported stock is owned directly by ValueAct Capital Master Fund, L.P., and ValueAct Capital Partners Co-Investors, L.P. and indirectly by VA Partners, LLC as general partner of ValueAct Capital Master Fund, L.P. and ValueAct Capital Partners Co-Investors, L.P. Jeffrey W. Ubben, Peter H. Kamin and George F. Hamel are Managing Members of VA Partners, LLC, the General Partner. The reporting persons disclaim beneficial ownership of the reported stock except to the extent of their pecuniary interest therein.
Remarks: Joint Filer Information Name: ValueAct Capital Master Fund, L.P. Address: 435 Pacific Avenue, 4th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94133 Designated Filer: VA Partners, L.L.C. Issuer and Ticker Symbol: Seitel, Inc. (SELA) Date of Event Requiring Statement: May 3, 2005 Name: ValueAct Capital Partners Co-Investors, L.P. Address: 435 Pacific Avenue, 4th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94133 Designated Filer: VA Partners, L.L.C. Issuer and Ticker Symbol: Seitel, Inc. (SELA) Date of Event Requiring Statement: May 3, 2005 Name: Jeffrey W. Ubben Address: 435 Pacific Avenue, 4th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94133 Designated Filer: VA Partners, L.L.C. Issuer and Ticker Symbol: Seitel, Inc. (SELA) Date of Event Requiring Statement: May 3, 2005 Name: George F. Hamel, Jr. Address: 435 Pacific Avenue, 4th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94133 Designated Filer: VA Partners, L.L.C. Issuer and Ticker Symbol: Seitel, Inc. (SELA) Date of Event Requiring Statement: May 3, 2005 Name: Peter H. Kamin Address: Two International Place, 25th Floor, Boston, MA 02110 Designated Filer: VA Partners, L.L.C. Issuer and Ticker Symbol: Seitel, Inc. (SELA) Date of Event Requiring Statement: May 3, 2005

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