FORM 4 Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

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(Print or Type Responses)

1. Name and Address of Reporting Person * McCown Michael   2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol Gastar Exploration Inc. [GST] 5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable) _____ Director _____ 10% Owner __X__ Officer (give title below) _____ Other (specify below) Senior VP & COO (Last) (First) (Middle) 1331 LAMAR, SUITE 650 3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year) 01/30/2016 (Street) HOUSTON, TX 77010 4. If Amendment, Date Original Filed(Month/Day/Year) 6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing(Check Applicable Line) _X_ Form filed by One Reporting Person ___ Form filed by More than One Reporting Person (City) (State) (Zip) Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned

1.Title of Security (Instr. 3) 2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year) 2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year) 3. Transaction Code (Instr. 8) 4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5) 5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 3 and 4) 6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4) 7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4) Code V Amount (A) or (D) Price Common Stock 01/30/2016   F   80,494 (1) D $ 1.19 464,685 D   Common Stock 01/30/2016   M   89,080 (2) A $ 0 553,765 D   Common Stock 01/30/2016   F   31,092 (3) D $ 1.19 522,673 D

Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.
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Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
(e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)

1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 3)

2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security

3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)

3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)

4. Transaction Code (Instr. 8)

5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4, and 5)

6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (Month/Day/Year)

7. Title and Amount of Underlying Securities (Instr. 3 and 4)

8. Price of Derivative Security (Instr. 5)

9. Number of Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 4)

10. Ownership Form of Derivative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)

11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)

Code

V

(A)

(D)

Date Exercisable

Expiration Date

Title

Amount or Number of Shares

2013 Performance Based Units

$ 0

01/30/2016

M

44,540

(4)

01/30/2016

Common Stock

44,540

$ 0

0

D

2014 Performance Based Units

$ 0

01/30/2016

J

14,368 (5)

(4)

01/30/2017

Common Stock

14,368

$ 0

14,367

D

2014 Performance Based Units

$ 0

02/02/2016

J

14,367 (6)

(4)

01/30/2017

Common Stock

14,367

$ 0

0

D

2015 Performance Based Units

$ 0

02/02/2016

J

145,833 (6)

(7)

01/30/2018

Common Stock

145,833

$ 0

0

D

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address	Relationships
	Director	10% Owner	Officer	Other
McCown Michael 1331 LAMAR, SUITE 650 HOUSTON, TX 77010			Senior VP & COO

Signatures

/s/ Michael McCown, by Michael A. Gerlich as Attorney in Fact		02/02/2016
**Signature of Reporting Person		Date

Explanation of Responses:

*	If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4(b)(v).
**	Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations. See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
(1)	Shares forfeited to meet tax obligation of restricted share vesting.
(2)	Common stock acquired as a result of the 2013 performance based unit award vesting at 200% of the target award based on Gastar's share price appreciation over the performance period.
(3)	Shares forfeited to meet tax obligation of performance based unit vesting.
(4)	These performance based units ("PBUs") vest ratably over a three-year performance period as previously reported.
(5)	These PBUs vested and forfeited as a result of the 2014 PBU award settling at 0% of the target award based on Gastar's share price depreciation over the performance period.
(6)	These PBUs were forfeited in conjunction with reporting person's retirement.
(7)	These PBUs vest in their entirety at the end of a three-year performance period as previously reported.

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