UNITED
STATES
SECURITIES
AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington,
D.C. 20549
FORM
8-K
CURRENT
REPORT
Pursuant
to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934
Date
of
Report (Date of earliest event reported): December 12, 2007
BERRY
PETROLEUM COMPANY
(Exact
Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)
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DELAWARE
(State
or Other Jurisdiction of
Incorporation
or Organization)
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1-9735
(Commission
File Number)
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77-0079387
(IRS
Employer
Identification
Number)
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5201
TRUXTUN AVE., STE. 300, BAKERSFIELD, CA
(Address
of Principal Executive Offices)
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93309
(Zip
Code)
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Registrant’s
telephone number, including area code: (661)
616-3900
Check
the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously
satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following
provisions:
o
Written
communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR
230.425)
o
Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR
240.14a-12)
o
Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the
Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))
o
Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the
Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))
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1
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Item
5.02 (b). Departure of Principal
Officer
On
December 12, 2007, Berry Petroleum Company (Company) announced that Ralph
J. Goehring has given notice to the Company's Board of Directors that
he intends to retire from his position of chief financial officer of Berry
Petroleum Company during the summer of 2008. He
will
serve as an executive assistant to the President and Chief Executive Officer
through the end of next year facilitating various special
projects.
Item 9.01. Financial
Statements and Exhibits
(d)
Exhibits
99.1
News
Release by Berry Petroleum Company dated December
12, 2007, titled "Berry Petroleum Company Announces the Retirement of
its Chief Financial Officer."
SIGNATURES
Pursuant
to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant
has
duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereto
duly authorized.
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BERRY
PETROLEUM COMPANY
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By:
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/s/
Kenneth A. Olson
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Kenneth
A. Olson
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Corporate
Secretary
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Date:December
12, 2007
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2
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News
Release
Berry
Petroleum Company
Phone
(661) 616-3900
5201
Truxtun Avenue, Suite
300 E-mail:
ir@bry.com
Bakersfield,
California
93309-0640
Internet: www.bry.com
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Contacts:
Robert F. Heinemann, President and CEO - - Ralph J. Goehring, Executive
Vice President and CFO
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Berry
Petroleum Company Announces the Retirement of its Chief Financial
Officer
Bakersfield,
Calif. -- (BUSINESS WIRE) -- December 12, 2007-- Berry
Petroleum Company (NYSE:BRY) (“Company”) today announced that Ralph J. Goehring
has informed the Company’s Board of Directors that he intends to retire from his
position as Chief Financial Officer during the summer of 2008. He
will serve as an executive assistant to the President and Chief Executive
Officer through the end of next year facilitating various special
projects.
Mr.
Goehring joined the Company in 1987 as the Manager of Taxation and was promoted
to Chief Financial Officer in March 1992. He was also promoted to
Executive Vice President in 2004.
“Ralph
has been an instrumental part of the success of Berry Petroleum Company over
the
past twenty years. He has participated in Berry’s entire journey from
the Company’s initial public offering in 1989, its growth in California and
Berry’s expansion into the Rockies while building a strong financial foundation
for the Company. Ralph has made notable contributions in the areas of
tax management, investor relations and financial strategy. We thank
him for his many contributions and wish him well in his future endeavors” said
Robert F. Heinemann, President and Chief Executive Officer.
About
Berry Petroleum Company
Berry
Petroleum Company is a publicly traded independent oil and gas production
and
exploitation company with its headquarters in Bakersfield,
California.
Safe
harbor under the “Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of
1995”
Any
statements in this news release that are not historical facts are
forward-looking statements and indicate risk and uncertainty, and actual
outcomes may differ from those indicated.
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