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SEC Company Response from ABRAXAS PETROLEUM CORP (CIK 0000867665) — Sep 16, 2005

ABRAXAS PETROLEUM CORP (CIK 0000867665)
Date: Sept. 16, 2005 · CIK: 0000867665 · Accession: 0000867665-05-000073

AI Filing Summary & Sentiment

File numbers found in text: 333-127480

Referenced dates: September 9, 2005

Date
September 16, 2005
Author
Assistant Director
Form
CORRESP
Company
ABRAXAS PETROLEUM CORP (CIK 0000867665)

Letter

Cox Smith Matthews INCORPORATED -------------------------------------------- ATTORNEYS o COUNSELORS -------------------------------------------- DIRECT NUMBER EMAIL ADDRESS 210.554.5255 SRJACOBS@COXSMITH.COM September 16, 2005 Mr. H. Roger Schwall Assistant Director Division of Corporation Finance Securities and Exchange Commission 450 5th Street Northwest Washington, DC 20549

Re: Abraxas Petroleum Corporation Registration Statement on Form S-3 filed August 12, 2005 File No. 333-127480 (the "Registration Statement")

Dear Mr. Schwall:

On behalf of our client, Abraxas Petroleum Corporation ("Abraxas"), we have reviewed the Staff's comments in your letter dated September 9, 2005 with respect to the Registration Statement.

The following are Abraxas' responses to your comments. To simplify your review, we have included your comments in italics. To the extent required, Amendment No. 1 to Registration Statement on Form S-3 which was filed today reflects the changes described in this letter.

1. Comment: Expand the Selling Stockholders table to include the natural persons with power to vote or to dispose of the securities offered for resale by the entities that are listed as selling stockholders. If more than one holder is listed as beneficial owner for the same securities, include explanatory text or footnotes. See Interpretation 4S of the Regulation S-K portion of the March 1999 supplement to the CF telephone interpretation manual.

Abraxas has amended the Selling Stockholder's table on page 15 of the Registration Statement to include the natural persons with power to vote or to dispose of the securities offered for resale by the entities that are listed as Selling Stockholders.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 112 EAST PECAN STREET 111 CONGRESS WWW.COXSMITH.COM SUITE 1800 SUITE 2800 SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS 78205 AUSTIN, TEXAS 78701 TEL: 210.554.5500 TEL: 512.703.6300 FAX: 210.226.8395 FAX: 512.703.6399 <PAGE> Cox Smith Matthews INCORPORATED

H. Roger Schwall September 16, 2005 Page 2

2. Comment: Identify as underwriters all selling stockholders who are registered broker-dealers, unless any such registered broker-dealers received their shares as compensation for investment banking services. Identify as underwriters all affiliates of registered broker-dealers that are listed as selling stockholders unless you can confirm to us that (1) each purchased its securities in the ordinary course of business and (2) at the time of purchase, the stockholder had no agreements or understandings, directly or indirectly, with any party to distribute the securities.

Based upon the information received by Abraxas from the Selling Stockholders, Abraxas confirms that none of the Selling Stockholders is a registered broker-dealer, and, therefore, no change was made in the Registration Statement to identify as underwriters any Selling Stockholders who are registered broker-dealers.

3. Comment: We note that the selling stockholders may engage in short sales of common stock. Please see Corporation Finance Telephone Interpretation A.65 in that regard.

Abraxas is aware of Corporation Finance Telephone Interpretation A.65 (the "Interpretation") and, prior to executing the Stock Purchase Agreement and the filing of the Registration Statement, Abraxas informed the selling stockholders signatory to the Stock Purchase Agreement of the Interpretation and has again received a representation and warranty from each such Selling Stockholder that each Selling Stockholder is aware of such interpretation and how it affects its ability to engage in short sales.

If you have any questions or comments with regard to the foregoing or the attached, please contact Steven R. Jacobs (210-554-5255) or Jeffrey C. Gifford (210-554-5560) of Cox Smith Matthews Incorporated.

Very truly yours,
COX SMITH MATTHEWS INCORPORATED

Show Raw Text
<DOCUMENT>
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<SEQUENCE>1
<FILENAME>filename1.txt
<TEXT>

                               Cox Smith Matthews
                                             INCORPORATED
                       --------------------------------------------
                             ATTORNEYS o COUNSELORS
                       --------------------------------------------
 DIRECT NUMBER                                              EMAIL ADDRESS
 210.554.5255                                              SRJACOBS@COXSMITH.COM

                               September 16, 2005

Mr. H. Roger Schwall
Assistant Director
Division of Corporation Finance
Securities and Exchange Commission
450 5th Street Northwest
Washington, DC 20549

         Re:      Abraxas Petroleum Corporation
                  Registration Statement on Form S-3 filed August 12, 2005
                  File No. 333-127480 (the "Registration Statement")

Dear Mr. Schwall:

         On behalf of our client, Abraxas Petroleum Corporation ("Abraxas"),  we
have reviewed the Staff's  comments in your letter dated  September 9, 2005 with
respect to the Registration Statement.

         The following are Abraxas' responses to your comments. To simplify your
review,  we have  included  your  comments in italics.  To the extent  required,
Amendment  No. 1 to  Registration  Statement  on Form S-3 which was filed  today
reflects the changes described in this letter.

         1. Comment:  Expand  the  Selling  Stockholders  table to  include  the
            natural  persons with power to vote or to dispose of the  securities
            offered  for  resale by the  entities  that are  listed  as  selling
            stockholders.  If more than one holder is listed as beneficial owner
            for the same securities,  include explanatory text or footnotes. See
            Interpretation  4S of the  Regulation  S-K portion of the March 1999
            supplement to the CF telephone interpretation manual.

            Abraxas has amended  the Selling  Stockholder's  table on page 15 of
            the Registration Statement to include the natural persons with power
            to vote or to dispose of the  securities  offered  for resale by the
            entities that are listed as Selling Stockholders.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
112 EAST PECAN STREET              111 CONGRESS              WWW.COXSMITH.COM
SUITE 1800                         SUITE 2800
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS 78205           AUSTIN, TEXAS 78701
TEL: 210.554.5500                  TEL: 512.703.6300
FAX: 210.226.8395                  FAX: 512.703.6399
<PAGE>
                              Cox Smith Matthews
                                             INCORPORATED

H. Roger Schwall
September 16, 2005
Page 2

         2. Comment:  Identify as underwriters all selling  stockholders who are
            registered broker-dealers, unless any such registered broker-dealers
            received  their  shares  as  compensation  for  investment   banking
            services.  Identify as  underwriters  all  affiliates  of registered
            broker-dealers  that are listed as selling  stockholders  unless you
            can  confirm to us that (1) each  purchased  its  securities  in the
            ordinary  course of business  and (2) at the time of  purchase,  the
            stockholder  had  no  agreements  or  understandings,   directly  or
            indirectly, with any party to distribute the securities.

            Based upon the  information  received  by Abraxas  from the  Selling
            Stockholders, Abraxas confirms that none of the Selling Stockholders
            is a registered broker-dealer, and, therefore, no change was made in
            the  Registration  Statement to identify as underwriters any Selling
            Stockholders who are registered broker-dealers.

         3. Comment:  We note that the selling  stockholders may engage in short
            sales of common  stock.  Please see  Corporation  Finance  Telephone
            Interpretation A.65 in that regard.

            Abraxas is aware of  Corporation  Finance  Telephone  Interpretation
            A.65  (the  "Interpretation")  and,  prior to  executing  the  Stock
            Purchase  Agreement  and the filing of the  Registration  Statement,
            Abraxas  informed  the selling  stockholders  signatory to the Stock
            Purchase  Agreement of the  Interpretation  and has again received a
            representation and warranty from each such Selling  Stockholder that
            each Selling  Stockholder is aware of such interpretation and how it
            affects its ability to engage in short sales.

         If you have any  questions or comments  with regard to the foregoing or
the  attached,  please  contact  Steven R. Jacobs  (210-554-5255)  or Jeffrey C.
Gifford (210-554-5560) of Cox Smith Matthews Incorporated.

                                 Very truly yours,

                                 COX SMITH MATTHEWS INCORPORATED

                                 By:   /S/ Steven R. Jacobs
                                    --------------------------------------------
                                       Steven R. Jacobs
                                       For the Firm
cc:      C. Moncada-Terry
         Chris Williford

Enclosures

</TEXT>
</DOCUMENT>