<SUBMISSION>
<ACCESSION-NUMBER>0000893538-07-000103
<TYPE>4
<PUBLIC-DOCUMENT-COUNT>1
<PERIOD>20070702
<FILING-DATE>20070830
<DATE-OF-FILING-DATE-CHANGE>20070830
<ISSUER>
<COMPANY-DATA>
<CONFORMED-NAME>ST MARY LAND & EXPLORATION CO
<CIK>0000893538
<ASSIGNED-SIC>1311
<IRS-NUMBER>410518430
<STATE-OF-INCORPORATION>DE
<FISCAL-YEAR-END>1231
</COMPANY-DATA>
<BUSINESS-ADDRESS>
<STREET1>1776 LINCOLN ST STE 700
<CITY>DENVER
<STATE>CO
<ZIP>80203
<PHONE>303-861-8140
</BUSINESS-ADDRESS>
</ISSUER>
<REPORTING-OWNER>
<OWNER-DATA>
<CONFORMED-NAME>NANCE ROBERT L
<CIK>0001195488
</OWNER-DATA>
<FILING-VALUES>
<FORM-TYPE>4
<ACT>34
<FILE-NUMBER>001-31539
<FILM-NUMBER>071091570
</FILING-VALUES>
<MAIL-ADDRESS>
<STREET1>NANCE PETROLEUM CORPORATION
<STREET2>PO BOX 7168
<CITY>BILLINGS
<STATE>MT
<ZIP>59103-7168
</MAIL-ADDRESS>
</REPORTING-OWNER>
<DOCUMENT>
<TYPE>4
<SEQUENCE>1
<FILENAME>nance30june07form4v2_ex.xml
<TEXT>
<XML>
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0202</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2007-07-02</periodOfReport>

    <notSubjectToSection16>0</notSubjectToSection16>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0000893538</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>ST MARY LAND &amp; EXPLORATION CO</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>SM</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001195488</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>NANCE ROBERT L</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>NANCE PETROLEUM CORPORATION</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>PO BOX 7168</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>BILLINGS</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>MT</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>59103-7168</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>1</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
            <officerTitle>Sr. VP</officerTitle>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <nonDerivativeTable>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock; $.01 Par Value</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2007-07-02</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>5</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>J</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
                <footnoteId id="F1"/>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>207</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>31.127</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>A</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>764617</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F2"/>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
    </nonDerivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">Mr. Nance purchased 207 shares of the issuer's common stock on July 2, 2007, through the issuer's Employee Stock
 Purchase Plan.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F2">Total includes 4,000 shares held of record by Ronan, Inc., a corporation controlled by Mr. Nance, 85,104 shares held of
 record by Robert L. Nance TTEE for Robert S. Nance Financial Mgt. Trust, of which Mr. Nance is the trustee, 126,700 shares
 held by Mr. Nance's spouse and 20,093 shares held in joint tenancy with Mr. Nance's spouse.</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>Karin M. Writer (Attorney-In-Fact)</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2007-08-30</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
</XML>
</TEXT>
</DOCUMENT>
</SUBMISSION>
