FORM  4               U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                               Washington, D.C. 20549
[ ]  Check this box if                                     OMB APPROVAL
     no longer subject                                  OMB Number 3235-0287
     to Section 16. Form 4                              Expires: January 31,2005
     or Form 5 obligations                              Estimated ave. burden
     may continue.  See                                 hours per response...0.5
     instruction 1(b).

                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(f) of the Investment Company Act 1940


                                                                                
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1.Name and Address of                    2.Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol      6.Relationship of Reporting
  Reporting Person*                                                                        Person(s) to Issuer
                                          Swift Energy Company (SFY)                     (check all applicable)
                                         ----------------------------------------------
Swift               A.            Earl   3. I.R.S. Identification    4. Statement for     X  Director          10% Owner
---------------------------------------     Number of Reporting         Month/Day/Year   ---               ---
     (Last)                (First)  (MI)    Person, if an entity                          X  Officer           Other
                                            (Voluntary)                 02/25/03         --- (give title   --- (specify
16825 Northchase Drive, Suite 400                                    -----------------        below)            below)
---------------------------------------- -------------------------   5. If Amendment,    Chairman of the Board
      (Street)                                                          Date of Original -------------------------------------
Houston       Texas            77060                                    (Month/Day/Year) 7.Individual or Joint/Group
----------------------------------------                                                   Filing (Check Applicable
   (City)         (State)      (Zip)                                 -------------------   Line)

                                                                                           X  Form filed by One Reporting Person
                                                                                          ---
                                                                                              Form filed by More than One
                                                                                          --- Reporting Person




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                                   Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of or Beneficially Owned
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1. Title of Security   2. Transaction 2A.       3. Transaction  4. Security Acquired (A)  5. Amount of      6. Owner   7. Nature of
     (Instr.3)            Date        Deemed       Code            or Disposed of (D)        Securities        ship       Indirect
                          (Month/     Execution    (Instr.8)       (Inst.3, 4 & 5)           Beneficially      Form:      Beneficial
                          Day/Yr)     Date, if   -----------------------------------------   Owned             Direct     Owner-
                                      any                                                    Following         (D) or     Ship
                                      (Month/                                                Reported          Indirect
                                       Day/                                   (A)            Transaction(s)    (I)
                                      Year)                                    or            (Instr. 3 and 4)  (Instr. 4) (Instr. 4)
                                                  Code   V          Amount    (D)   Price


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                                                                          Page 1

Reminder:  Report on a separate line for each class of  securities  beneficially
owned directly or  indirectly.  *If the form is filed by more than one reporting
person, see Instruction 4(b)(v).



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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                    2. Conversion    3. Transaction  3A. Deemed      4. Transaction  5. Number of Deriv-
   Derivative                     or Exercise      Date (Month      Execution      Code            ative Securities Ac-
   Security                       Price of         (Day/Year)       Date, if       (Instr. 8)      quired (A) or Dis-
   (Instr.3)                      Derivative                        any                            posed of (D)
                                  Security                          (Month/                        (Instr. 3,4, and 5)
                                                                     Day/Year)
                                                                                   Code    V       (A)        (D)


Employee Stock option (right
to buy)                               $9.50        02/25/03                          A     V        25,000
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6. Date Exercisable                 7.  Title & Amount of      8.  Price        9. Number       10. Owner-      11.  Nature
   & Expiration Date                    Underlying Securities      of Deriv-       of Deriv-        ship             of
   (Mon./Day/Year)                      (Inst. 3 & 4)              ative           ative            Form of          Indirect
                                                                   Secur-          Secur-           Deriv-           Benefi-
                                                                   ity             ities            ative            cial
                                                                   (Instr. 5)      Bene-            Security:        Owner-
                                                                                   ficially         (D) or           ship
                                                                                   Owned            Indirect         (Instr. 4)
                                                                                   Follow-          (I)
                                                                                   ing              (Instr. 4)
                                                                                   Reported
                                                                                   Trans-
                                                                                   action(s)
                                                                      (Instr. 4)
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   Date          Expira-             Title        Amount or number
   Exer-         tion                                of Shares
   cisable       Date

02/25/04(1)    02/25/13          Common Stock       25,000                           25,000               D
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Explanation of Responses:

(1)  Options become exercisable as to 20% of the underlying shares on each of the first five anniversaries of the grant date.
 


                                                                             
                                                                                /s/ Donald W. Brodsky            02/27/03
**Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal            ------------------------------------------
Criminal Violations. See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).                  **Signature of Reporting Person  Date
                                                                                     for A. Earl Swift
                                                                                  pursuant to attached Confirming Statement

Potential persons who are to respond to the collection of information contained
in this form are not  required to respond  unless the form  displays a currently
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