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)  April 26, 2004

                     Berry Petroleum Company
      (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Delaware                     1-9735               77-0079387
(State or other           (Commission            IRS Employer
jurisdiction of           File Number)        Identification No.
incorporation)


       5201 Truxtun Avenue, Suite 300 Bakersfield, CA  93309
              (Address of principal executive offices)

Registrant's telephone number, including area code (661) 616-3900


                            N/A
(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)







                       1



Item 9.  Regulation FD Disclosure

     (c)  Exhibits

     The following Exhibits are hereby filed as part of this Current
     Report on Form 8-K:

     Exhibit 99.1 Press Release dated April 26, 2004 regarding the
     Registrant's announcing the retirement of Jerry V. Hoffman as
     president and chief executive officer.

                     SIGNATURE

    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 thereunto duly authorized.

                            BERRY PETROLEUM COMPANY



                            By     /s/ Kenneth A. Olson
                            Name:      Kenneth A. Olson
                            Title:     Corporate Secretary
                                       and Treasurer

     April 26, 2004

                     2

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

Contacts:
Robert F. Heinemann, Chairman and Interim President and Interim CEO
Ralph J. Goehring, Senior Vice President and CFO


BERRY PETROLEUM COMPANY ANNOUNCES THE RETIREMENT OF JERRY V. HOFFMAN

Bakersfield, CA - April 26, 2004 - Berry Petroleum Company (NYSE:BRY)
announced  that effective today, Mr. Jerry V. Hoffman is retiring  as
president and chief executive officer of Berry Petroleum Company  for
personal  and  health reasons. Mr. Robert F. Heinemann,  the  current
chairman  of  the board, has been named interim president  and  chief
executive officer. The board is immediately proceeding to engage in a
search for a successor president and chief executive officer.

The board of directors is confident Mr. Hoffman's departure will have
no  adverse  affect  on the Company's ongoing operations,  management
team or financial results. First quarter results will be released  as
scheduled on May 5, 2004.

The  board of directors wishes Mr. Hoffman well in his retirement and
acknowledges the Company's appreciation for his almost  20  years  of
service  to  the  Company during which time the  Company  experienced
tremendous growth and success.

Berry Petroleum Company is a publicly traded independent oil and  gas
production   and  exploitation  company  with  its  headquarters   in
Bakersfield, California.

This  release  may contain descriptions of the Company's expectations
regarding   future   business   activities.   These   forward-looking
statements  are made in reliance upon safe harbor provisions  of  the
Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Accordingly, actual
results may differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-
looking statements.