[Jenkens & Gilchrist letterhead]

                                 August 8, 2001

Swift Energy Company
16825 Northchase Dr., Suite 400
Houston, Texas 77069

          Re: Swift Energy Company - Registration Statement on Form S-8 covering
              1,525,000 shares of common stock

Gentlemen:

     We have  acted as  securities  counsel  to Swift  Energy  Company,  a Texas
corporation   (the   "Company"),   in  connection  with  the  preparation  of  a
Registration  Statement on Form S-8 (the  "Registration  Statement") to be filed
with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended (the  "Securities  Act"),  on or about  August 8, 2001,  relating to the
registration of a total of 1,525,000 shares of common stock (the "Common Stock")
of the Company  that may be issued by the Company  pursuant to employee  benefit
plans of the  Company,  including  (i) 25,000  shares of Common  Stock  issuable
pursuant to the Swift  Energy  Company 1990 Stock  Compensation  Plan (the "1990
Plan") and (ii) 1,500,000 shares of Common Stock issuable  pursuant to the Swift
Energy Company 2001 Omnibus Stock  Compensation Plan (the "2001 Plan"). The 1990
Plan and the 2001 Plan are referred to collectively herein as the "Plans."

     You have  requested an opinion with respect to certain legal aspects of the
filing. In connection therewith,  we have examined and relied upon the original,
or copies identified to our satisfaction,  of (1) the Articles of Incorporation,
as amended,  and the Bylaws, as amended, of the Company; (2) minutes and records
of the corporate proceedings of the Company with respect to the establishment of
the Plans,  the issuance of the Shares of Common Stock pursuant to the Plans and
related matters; (3) the Registration Statement and exhibits thereto,  including
the Plans;  and (4) such  other  documents  and  instruments  as we have  deemed
necessary  for the  expression  of  opinions  herein  contained.  In making  the
foregoing  examinations,  we have assumed the  genuineness of all signatures and
the  authenticity  of  all  documents  submitted  to us as  originals,  and  the
conformity to original  documents of all documents  submitted to us as certified
or photostatic copies. As to various questions of fact material to this opinion,
and as to the content and form of the Articles of Incorporation, as amended, and





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the Bylaws,  as amended,  minutes,  records,  resolutions and other documents or
writings  of the  Company,  we have  relied,  to the  extent  deemed  reasonably
appropriate,  upon  representations  or certificates of officers or directors of
the Company and upon documents,  records and instruments  furnished to us by the
Company, without independent check or verification of their accuracy.

     Based upon our examination, consideration of, and reliance on the documents
and other matters described above, and assuming that:

     (1) outstanding  incentive options to purchase Shares ("Options") were duly
granted,  and the  Options to be granted  in the  future  are duly  granted,  in
accordance with the terms of the 1990 Plan or the 2001 Plan, as applicable,  and
the Shares to be sold and issued in the future  upon the  exercise of Options or
otherwise will be issued and sold in accordance with the terms of the Plans;

     (2) the Company  maintains an adequate  number of  authorized  but unissued
shares  and/or  treasury  shares  available  for  issuance to those  persons who
purchase Shares pursuant to the Plans; and

     (3) the  consideration  for the  Shares  issued  pursuant  to the  Plans is
actually  received  by the  Company as provided in the Plans and exceeds the par
value of such Shares,

we are of the  opinion  that the Shares  issued or sold in  accordance  with the
terms  of  the  Plans  will  be  duly  and  validly   issued,   fully  paid  and
nonassessable.

     The opinion  expressed herein is limited to the laws of the State of Texas,
and  the  federal  laws  of the  United  States  of  America  and we  assume  no
responsibility as to the applicability  thereto,  or the effect thereon,  of the
laws of any other jurisdiction.

     We hereby  consent  to the  filing of this  opinion  as an  exhibit  to the
Registration Statement and to references to us included in or made a part of the







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Registration  Statement.  In giving this  consent,  we do not admit that we come
within the category of persons whose consent is required  under Section 7 of the
Securities  Act or the Rules and  Regulations  of the  Securities  and  Exchange
Commission thereunder.

                                     Respectfully submitted,

                                     Jenkens & Gilchrist
                                     A Professional Corporation


                                     By: /s/ Judy G. Gechman
                                        Judy G. Gechman
                                        Authorized Signatory