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 * Newton Lehman E III   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) Sr. VP & Regional Manager (Last) (First) (Middle) 1775 SHERMAN STREET, SUITE 1200 3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year) 08/01/2011 (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 08/01/2011   M(1)   4,180 A (1) 13,600 D   Common Stock, $.01 Par Value 08/01/2011   F   1,106 D $ 75.56 12,494 D   Common Stock, $.01 Par Value 08/01/2011   M   1,286 A (2) 13,780 D   Common Stock, $.01 Par Value 08/01/2011   F   340 D $ 75.56 13,440 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)

08/01/2011

M(1)

4,180

08/01/2011(1)

08/01/2011(1)

Common Stock

4,180

$ 0 (1)

0

D

Restricted Stock Units

(2)

08/01/2011

M

1,286

08/01/2011

08/01/2011

Common Stock

1,286

$ 0

2,571

D

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address	Relationships
	Director	10% Owner	Officer	Other
Newton Lehman E III 1775 SHERMAN STREET SUITE 1200 DENVER, CO 80203			Sr. VP & Regional Manager

Signatures

Karin M. Writer (Attorney-In-Fact)		08/02/2011
**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, 2011, the issuer issued 4,180 shares of common stock to the reporting person in a settlement conversion of a performance share award (the "PSA") reported in a Form 4 for the reporting person filed on July 29, 2011. The PSA represented the right to receive, upon the settlement of the PSA, the determined number of earned shares of the issuer's common stock based on the achievement of performance criteria, to the extent that the PSA had vested under separate employment service vesting provisions. The PSA became fully vested and was settled in accordance with its terms on 08/01/2011.
(2)	Each restricted stock unit represents a contingent right to receive one share of stock. The restricted stock unit grants vests as follows: 643 shares on 8/1/10, 1,286 shares on 8/1/11 and 2,571 shares on 8/1/12. The vested shares will be issued to the reporting person on the vesting dates, at which time all restrictions on the vested shares will lapse.

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