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 *
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)
Chief Executive Officer
(Last)
(First)
(Middle)
1775 SHERMAN STREET, SUITE 1200
3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year)
07/02/2013
(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 07/02/2013   M(1)   63,216 A (1) 292,405 D  
Common Stock; $.01 Par Value 07/02/2013   F   29,447 D $ 60.61 262,958 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) (2) 07/02/2013   A(1)   63,216   07/02/2013(1)(2) 07/02/2013(1)(2) Common Stock 63,216 $ 0 (1) 63,216 D  
Performance Share Award (1) (2) 07/02/2013   M(1)     63,216 07/02/2013(1)(2) 07/02/2013(1)(2) Common Stock 63,216 $ 0 (1) 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     Chief Executive Officer  

Signatures

 Karin M. Writer (Attorney-In-Fact)   07/05/2013
**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 2, 2013, the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors of the issuer determined that 63,216 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 July 1, 2010, 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 July 1, 2011, 2/7ths on July 1, 2012, and 4/7ths on July 1, 2013.

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