Ownership Submission
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 *
MCKESSY STEPHEN W
  2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
HOUSTON EXPLORATION CO [THX]
5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer
(Check all applicable)
__X__ Director _____ 10% Owner
_____ Officer (give title below) _____ Other (specify below)
(Last)
(First)
(Middle)
520-1 MAIN ST.
3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year)
06/06/2007
(Street)

RIDGEFIELD, CT 06877
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 ($0.01 par value) 06/06/2007   M   495 A (1) 8,283 D  
common stock ($0.01 par value) 06/06/2007   D   8,283 D (2) 0 D  

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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
stock option (right to buy) $ 35.11 06/06/2007   D     2,000   (3) 09/22/2013 common stock 2,000 $ 24.91 0 D  
stock option (right to buy) $ 54.85 06/06/2007   D     2,000   (3) 09/20/2014 common stock 2,000 $ 5.17 0 D  
phantom stock (1) 06/06/2007   M     495 06/06/2007 06/06/2007 common stock 495 (1) 0 D  

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address Relationships
 Director  10% Owner  Officer  Other
MCKESSY STEPHEN W
520-1 MAIN ST.
RIDGEFIELD, CT 06877
  X      

Signatures

 /s/ Karol L. Adams by Power of Attorney for Stephen W. McKessy   06/08/2007
**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) Pursuant to The Houston Exploration Company?s (the "Company") post-2004 director deferred compensation plan, the reporting person?s phantom stock rights are exchanged for a cash distribution upon termination from the Company?s Board of Directors. Each share of phantom stock was the economic equivalent of one share of the Company?s common stock.
(2) Pursuant to the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of January 7, 2007 (the "Merger Agreement"), by and among Forest Oil Corporation ("Forest"), MJCO Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Forest, and The Houston Exploration Company (the "Company"), at the effective time ("Merger I Effective Date") of the merger contemplated therein, each outstanding share of the Company?s common stock was converted into the right to receive (i) .84 shares of Forest?s common stock and (ii) $26.25 in cash. This represents $60.02 per share of consideration to be received by the Company?s stockholders based on the average closing price of Forest?s common stock during the ten-day valuation period specified in the Merger Agreement. The mix of cash and stock consideration to be received by each of the Company?s stockholders will be determined by stockholder elections, subject to proration. As a result of the proration procedures that have not yet been completed as of the date of this filing, it
(3) Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, at the Merger I Effective Time, each non-qualified stock option became immediately and fully vested and was cancelled and converted into the right to receive a cash amount equal to the excess of $60.02 over the option exercise price multiplied by the number of shares subject to such option.

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