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): December 5, 1997



                        PIONEER NATURAL RESOURCES COMPANY
             (Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)




              Delaware                   333-26951              75-2702753
 (State or other jurisdiction of        Registration         (I.R.S. Employer
 incorporation or organization)         File Number       Identification Number)




1400 Williams Square West, 5205 N. O'Connor Blvd., Irving, Texas      75039
         (Address of principal executive offices)                   (Zip code)



       Registrant's Telephone Number, including area code : (972) 444-9001


                                 Not applicable
              (Former name, former address and former fiscal year,
                          if changed since last report)



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                        Pioneer Natural Resources Company



Item 4.   Changes in Registrant's Certifying Accountants

At a meeting held on December 5, 1997, the Board of Directors of Pioneer Natural
Resources  Company (the "Company")  approved the engagement of Ernst & Young LLP
as the Company's  independent  auditors for the fiscal year ending  December 31,
1998 to replace the firm of KPMG Peat  Marwick  LLP,  who will be  dismissed  as
auditors of the Company after completing the audit of the Company for the fiscal
year ending  December  31, 1997.  The audit  committee of the Board of Directors
approved the change in auditors on December 5, 1997,  subject to ratification by
the Company's stockholders.

The reports of KPMG Peat Marwick LLP on the Company's  financial  statements for
the past two fiscal years did not contain an adverse  opinion or a disclaimer of
opinion and were not qualified or modified as to  uncertainty,  audit scope,  or
accounting principles.

In connection with the audits of the Company's financial  statements for each of
the two fiscal  years ended  December 31, 1995 and 1996,  and in the  subsequent
interim period,  there were no  disagreements  with KPMG Peat Marwick LLP on any
matters of accounting  principles or practices,  financial statement disclosure,
or auditing scope and procedures  which, if not resolved to the  satisfaction of
KPMG Peat Marwick LLP would have caused KPMG Peat Marwick LLP to make  reference
to the matter in their report.

The Company has  requested  KPMG Peat  Marwick LLP to furnish the Company with a
letter addressed to the Securities and Exchange  Commission stating whether KPMG
Peat Marwick LLP agrees with the above statements. A copy of that letter will be
filed with the Securities  and Exchange  Commission as an amendment to this Form
8-K within 10 business days of this filing.


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                        PIONEER NATURAL RESOURCES COMPANY



                               S I G N A T U R E S


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.

                                          PIONEER NATURAL RESOURCES COMPANY





                                           /s/ M. Garrett Smith
Date:       December 12, 1997         By:  ---------------------------------
                                              M. Garrett Smith
                                              Executive Vice President and
                                              Chief Financial Officer



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