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): April 6, 2017

GASTAR EXPLORATION INC.

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)

(713) 739-1800

(Registrant's telephone number, including area code)

SECTION 1 – REGISTRANT’S BUSINESS AND OPERATIONS

Item 1.01 Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement.

On April 6, 2017, Gastar Exploration Inc. (the “Company”) entered into Amendment No. 1 (the “Amendment”) to the Rights Agreement, dated as of January 27, 2017, between Gastar Exploration Inc. and American Stock & Transfer Trust Company, LLC, as rights agent.

The Amendment accelerates the expiration of the Company’s preferred share purchase rights (the “Rights”) from 5:00 P.M., New York City time on January 27, 2020 to 5:00 P.M., New York City time on April 6, 2017, and has the effect of terminating the Rights Agreement on that date. At the time of the termination of the Rights Agreement, all of the Rights distributed to holders of the Company’s common stock pursuant to the Rights Agreement will expire.

The Company has determined that, as a result of the recent equity and convertible debt transactions with funds managed by affiliates of Ares Management, L.P., the value of the U.S. federal income tax benefits in the form of net operating losses would likely be substantially diminished by reason of an “ownership change,” as defined under Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code, occurring in 2017. As a result, the Company decided to terminate the Rights.

The foregoing is a summary of the terms of the Amendment. The summary does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the Amendment, a copy of which is attached as Exhibit 4.1 and incorporated herein by reference.

Item 1.02 Termination of a Material Definitive Agreement.

The information set forth under Item 1.01 is incorporated herein by reference.

SECTION 3 – SECURITIES AND TRADING MARKETS

Item 3.03 Material Modification to Rights of Security Holders.

The information set forth under Item 1.01 is incorporated herein by reference.

SECTION 5 – CORPORATE GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT

Item 5.03 Amendments to Articles of Incorporation or Bylaws; Change in Fiscal Year.

In connection with the adoption of the Rights Agreement, on January 27, 2017, the Company filed a Certificate of Amendment to Certificate of Designations of Series C Junior Participating Preferred Stock with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware setting forth the rights, powers and preferences of the Series C Junior Participating Preferred Stock issuable upon exercise of the Rights (the “Preferred Shares”).

Promptly following the expiration of the Rights and the termination of the Rights Agreement, the Company will file a Certificate of Elimination (the “Certificate of Elimination”) with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware eliminating the Preferred Shares and returning them to authorized but undesignated shares of the Company’s preferred stock.

The foregoing is a summary of the terms of the Certificate of Elimination. The summary does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the Certificate of Elimination, a copy of which is attached as Exhibit 3.1 and incorporated herein by reference.

SECTION 7 – REGULATION FD

Item 7.01 Regulation FD Disclosure.

On April 6, 2017, the Company issued a press release announcing the Amendment. A copy of the press release is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1 and is incorporated herein by reference.

In accordance with General Instruction B.2 of Form 8-K, the foregoing information, including Exhibit 99.1, shall not be deemed “filed” for the purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”) or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section, nor shall such information, including Exhibit 99.1, be deemed incorporated by reference into any filing under the Securities Act of 1933 or the Exchange Act, except as shall be expressly set forth by specific reference in such filing.

SECTION 9 – FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND EXHIBITS

Item 9.01  Financial Statements and Exhibits.

(d) Exhibits

The following is a list of exhibits furnished as part of this Form 8-K:

SIGNATURES

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.

EXHIBIT INDEX