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)  June 16, 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 - Press Release dated June 16, 2004 regarding the
     Registrant's announcing the naming of Robert Heinemann 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

     June 16, 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, President and CEO
           Ralph J. Goehring, Executive Vice President and CFO


         BERRY PETROLEUM COMPANY NAMES ROBERT HEINEMANN CEO

BAKERSFIELD,  CA  - June 16, 2004 - The board of directors  of  Berry
Petroleum Company (NYSE: BRY) announced that Martin H. Young, Jr. was
named  chairman  of  the  board, and Robert F.  Heinemann  was  named
president  and  chief executive officer, effective immediately.   Mr.
Heinemann  has  served  as  chairman,  interim  president  and  chief
executive officer since April 2004.

Mr.  Young commented, "The board of directors is very pleased Bob has
agreed  to  make  a full-time commitment to Berry Petroleum.  He  has
extensive technical and management experience and is a strong  leader
who  can continue the Company's strategic growth activities, both  in
the Rocky Mountains and California."

Mr.  Heinemann  concluded, "It is an honor to be named president  and
chief  executive officer of Berry Petroleum. Together with our strong
management  team,  and  with support of the  board  of  directors,  I
believe  Berry  will  continue  to follow  its  strategic  plans  for
achieving its growth and performance targets."

In  addition, Ralph J. Goehring, chief financial officer,  was  named
executive  vice  president; Michael Duginski, was named  senior  vice
president  of  corporate development; and Logan Magruder,  was  named
senior  vice  president  of  the  Rocky  Mountain  and  Mid-continent
regions.

Mr.  Heinemann is an energy consultant who joined the board  in  2002
and  continues as a director on the board.  He served as senior  vice
president and chief technology officer of Halliburton Company and  as
chairman  of the Halliburton Technology Advisory Committee.   He  was
previously  with  Mobil  Oil Corporation  from  1981  to  1999,  most
recently  as  vice president of Mobil Technology Company and  general
manager of the Mobil Exploration and Producing Technical Center.

Mr. Young is the senior vice president and chief financial officer of
Falcon Seaboard Holdings, L.P., a private energy company involved  in
power production, natural gas exploration and production, real estate
and  private  investments.  He is also the chairman of the  board  of
Texas Mutual Insurance Company.  Mr. Young joined the Berry board  of
directors  in 1999 and has served as chairman of the audit committee.
Stephen  L. Cropper, who joined the Berry board of directors in  2002
and  was the former president and chief executive officer of Williams
Energy Services, will be the new chairman of the audit committee.

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.

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