UNITED STATES
                       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): August 10, 2005




                        Pioneer Natural Resources Company
             ------------------------------------------------------
             (Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)



           Delaware                   1-13245                75-2702753
----------------------------        ------------        -------------------
(State or other jurisdiction        (Commission          (I.R.S. Employer
     of incorporation)              File Number)        Identification No.)



5205 N. O'Connor Blvd., Suite 900, Irving, Texas                75039
------------------------------------------------             ----------
   (Address of principal executive offices)                  (Zip Code)


                                 (972) 444-9001
              ----------------------------------------------------
              (Registrant's telephone number, including area code)



                                 Not applicable
          -------------------------------------------------------------
          (Former name or former address, if changed since last report)


Check  the  appropriate  box  below  if the  Form  8-K  filing  is  intended  to
simultaneously  satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the
following provisions:

| | Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR
    230.425)
| | Soliciting material  pursuant to Rule 14a-12  under the Exchange Act (17 CFR
    240.14a-12)
| | Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange
    Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))
| | Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange
    Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))








                        PIONEER NATURAL RESOURCES COMPANY

                                TABLE OF CONTENTS


                                                                          Page
                                                                          ----

Item 5.02.  Departure of Directors or Principal Officers; Election
            of Directors; Appointment of Principal Officers.............   3

Item 9.01.  Financial Statements and Exhibits

            (c)   Exhibits..............................................   3

Signature...............................................................   4

Exhibit Index...........................................................   5




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                        PIONEER NATURAL RESOURCES COMPANY


Item 5.02.  Departure of Directors or Principal Officers; Election of Directors;
            Appointment of Principal Officers

     On August 11, 2005,  Pioneer  Natural  Resources  Company  (the  "Company")
issued a news  release  that is  attached  hereto as exhibit  99.1.  In the news
release,  the  Company  announced  that  Frank A.  Risch  was  appointed  to the
Company's board of directors as an independent  Class I director.  Mr. Risch was
also  appointed  to  the  audit  committee  and  the  nominating  and  corporate
governance committee of the board of directors.  The appointments were effective
August 10, 2005. There is no arrangement or understanding  between Mr. Risch and
any other persons pursuant to which Mr. Risch was selected as a director.  There
have been no transactions nor are there any currently  proposed  transactions to
which  the  Company  or any of its  subsidiaries  was or is to be a  party  that
require   disclosure  under  Rule  404(a)  of  Regulation  S-K  related  to  the
appointment of Mr. Risch.

Item 9.01.  Financial Statements and Exhibits

       (c)  Exhibits

            99.1   News Release dated August 11, 2005.




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                        PIONEER NATURAL RESOURCES COMPANY

                                S I G N A T U R E

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 hereunto duly authorized.

                                PIONEER NATURAL RESOURCES COMPANY




Date:  August 15, 2005          By:    /s/ Darin G. Holderness
                                     -------------------------------------------
                                     Darin G. Holderness
                                     Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer




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                        PIONEER NATURAL RESOURCES COMPANY

                                  EXHIBIT INDEX


Exhibit No.          Description
-----------          -----------

   99.1(a)           News Release dated August 11, 2005.


------------------
(a) filed herewith



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