| SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION | |
| Washington, D.C. 20549 | |
| SCHEDULE 13G | |
| Under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 | |
| (Amendment No. )* | |
Gastar Exploration Inc. | |
| (Name of Issuer) | |
Common Stock, par value $0.001 per share | |
| (Title of Class of Securities) | |
36729W202 | |
| (CUSIP Number) | |
December 31, 2017 | |
| (Date of Event Which Requires Filing of This Statement) | |
| Check the appropriate box to designate the rule pursuant to which this Schedule is filed: | |
| ý | Rule 13d-1(b) |
| ¨ | Rule 13d-1(c) |
| ¨ | Rule 13d-1(d) |
| (Page 1 of 6 Pages) | |
______________________________
*The remainder of this cover page shall be filled out for a reporting person's initial filing on this form with respect to the subject class of securities, and for any subsequent amendment containing information which would alter the disclosures provided in a prior cover page.
The information required in the remainder of this cover page shall not be deemed to be "filed" for the purpose of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 ("Act") or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section of the Act but shall be subject to all other provisions of the Act (however, see the Notes).
| CUSIP No. 36729W202 | SCHEDULE 13G | Page2 of 6 Pages |
| 1 | NAME OF REPORTING PERSON Fir Tree Capital Management LP | |||
| 2 | CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP | (a) ¨ (b) ¨ | ||
| 3 | SEC USE ONLY | |||
| 4 | CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION Delaware | |||
| NUMBER OF SHARES BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON WITH: | 5 | SOLE VOTING POWER 21,351,973 shares of Common Stock | ||
| 6 | SHARED VOTING POWER 0 | |||
| 7 | SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER 21,351,973 shares of Common Stock | |||
| 8 | SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER 0 | |||
| 9 | AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON 21,351,973 shares of Common Stock | |||
| 10 | CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (9) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES | ¨ | ||
| 11 | PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW (9) 9.75% | |||
| 12 | TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON IA, PN | |||
| CUSIP No. 36729W202 | SCHEDULE 13G | Page3 of 6 Pages |
| Item 1(a). | NAME OF ISSUER |
| Gastar Exploration Inc. (the "Issuer") |
| Item 1(b). | ADDRESS OF ISSUER'S PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE OFFICES |
| 1331 Lamar Street, Suite 650 | |
| Houston, Texas 77010 |
| Item 2(a). | NAME OF PERSON FILING |
| This Schedule 13G is being filed on behalf of Fir Tree Capital Management LP, a Delaware limited partnership ("Fir Tree"), relating to the shares of Common Stock, par value $0.001 per share (the "Common Stock"), issued by the Issuer, purchased by certain private-pooled investment vehicles for which Fir Tree serves as the investment manager (the "Funds"). | |
| Fir Tree is the investment manager of the Funds, and has been granted investment discretion over portfolio investments, including the shares of Common Stock held by the Funds. |
| Item 2(b). | ADDRESS OF PRINCIPAL BUSINESS OFFICE OR, IF NONE, RESIDENCE |
| The address of the principal business office of Fir Tree is: | |
| Fir Tree Capital Management LP | |
| 55 West 46th Street, 29th Floor | |
| New York, New York 10036 |
| Item 2(c). | CITIZENSHIP |
| Fir Tree is a Delaware limited partnership. |
| Item 2(d). | TITLE OF CLASS OF SECURITIES |
| Common Stock, par value $0.001 per share |
| Item 2(e). | CUSIP NUMBER |
| 36729W202 |
| Item 3. | IF THIS STATEMENT IS FILED PURSUANT TO Rules 13d-1(b), OR 13d-2(b) OR (c), CHECK WHETHER THE PERSON FILING IS A: |
| (a) | ¨ | Broker or dealer registered under Section 15 of the Act; | |
| (b) | ¨ | Bank as defined in Section 3(a)(6) of the Act; |
| CUSIP No. 36729W202 | SCHEDULE 13G | Page4 of 6 Pages |
| (c) | ¨ | Insurance company as defined in Section 3(a)(19) of the Act; |
| (d) | ¨ | Investment company registered under Section 8 of the Investment Company Act of 1940; | |
| (e) | ý | An investment adviser in accordance with Rule 13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(E); | |
| (f) | ¨ | An employee benefit plan or endowment fund in accordance with Rule 13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(F);
| |
| (g) | ¨ | A parent holding company or control person in accordance with Rule 13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(G);
| |
| (h) | ¨ | A savings association as defined in Section 3(b) of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act;
| |
| (i) | ¨ | A church plan that is excluded from the definition of an investment company under Section 3(c)(14) of the Investment Company Act;
| |
| (j) | ¨ | A non-U.S. institution in accordance with Rule 13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(J); | |
| (k) | ¨ | Group, in accordance with Rule 13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(K). |
If filing as a non-U.S. institution in accordance with Rule 13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(J), please specify the type of institution: ________________________________________ |
| Item 4. | OWNERSHIP |
| The information required by Items 4(a) - (c) is set forth in Rows 5-11 of the cover page for the Reporting Person and is incorporated herein by reference. | |
| The percentage set forth in this Schedule 13G is calculated based upon the 218,941,521 shares of Common Stock issued and outstanding on November 6, 2017 as reported in the Issuer's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended September 30, 2017 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on November 8, 2017. |
| Item 5. | OWNERSHIP OF FIVE PERCENT OR LESS OF A CLASS |
| Not applicable. |
| Item 6. | OWNERSHIP OF MORE THAN FIVE PERCENT ON BEHALF OF ANOTHER PERSON |
| See Item 2(a). |
| CUSIP No. 36729W202 | SCHEDULE 13G | Page5 of 6 Pages |
| Item 7. | IDENTIFICATION AND CLASSIFICATION OF THE SUBSIDIARY WHICH ACQUIRED THE SECURITY BEING REPORTED ON BY THE PARENT HOLDING COMPANY OR CONTROL PERSON |
| Not applicable. |
| Item 8. | IDENTIFICATION AND CLASSIFICATION OF MEMBERS OF THE GROUP |
| Not applicable. |
| Item 9. | NOTICE OF DISSOLUTION OF GROUP |
| Not applicable. |
| Item 10. | CERTIFICATION |
| By signing below I certify that, to the best of my knowledge and belief, the securities referred to above were acquired and are held in the ordinary course of business and were not acquired and are not held for the purpose of or with the effect of changing or influencing the control of the issuer of the securities and were not acquired and are not held in connection with or as a participant in any transaction having that purpose or effect. | |
| CUSIP No. 36729W202 | SCHEDULE 13G | Page6 of 6 Pages |
SIGNATURES
After reasonable inquiry and to the best of his or its knowledge and belief, each of the undersigned certifies that the information set forth in this statement is true, complete and correct.
DATE: February 14, 2018
| FIR TREECAPITAL MANAGEMENT LP | ||
| /s/ Brian Meyer | ||
| Name: Brian Meyer | ||
| Title: General Counsel |
