UNITED STATES
                       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): May 3, 2006



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


               Delaware                    1-13245               75-2702753
    ------------------------------       ------------        -----------------
           (State or other               (Commission          (I.R.S. Employer
    jurisdiction of incorporation)       File Number)          Identification
                                                                   Number)

        5205 N. O'Connor Blvd                                      75039
              Suite 900                                          ----------
            Irving, Texas                                        (Zip Code)
        ---------------------
        (Address of principal
         executive offices)


       Registrant's telephone number, including area code: (972) 444-9001

                                 Not applicable
          -------------------------------------------------------------
          (Former name or former address, if changed since last report)

Check  the  appropriate  box  below  if the  Form  8-K  filing  is  intended  to
simultaneously  satisfy the filing obligation of the Registrant under any of the
following provisions:

[ ] Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR
    230.425)
[ ] Soliciting material  pursuant to Rule 14a-12  under the Exchange Act (17 CFR
    240.14a-12)
[ ] Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange
    Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))
[ ] Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange
    Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))







Item 1.01. Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement

2006 Long-Term Incentive Plan

     At the Annual Meeting of Stockholders of Pioneer Natural  Resources Company
(the  "Company")  held on May 3, 2006, the Company's  stockholders  approved the
Company's  2006 Long-Term  Incentive Plan (the "Plan").  The Plan was adopted by
the Compensation and Management  Development Committee of the Company's Board of
Directors  on  February  14,  2006,  subject to the  approval  of the  Company's
stockholders,  and became  effective  with such  stockholder  approval on May 3,
2006.

     The Plan  provides for the grant of stock options  (both  nonstatutory  and
incentive stock options),  restricted  stock awards,  restricted stock units and
stock  appreciation  rights  to  employees  (including  employee  directors  and
executive  officers) and  consultants  of the Company and its  subsidiaries  and
affiliates, and non-employee directors of the Company. An aggregate of 4,600,000
shares of the  Company's  common stock have been  reserved and are available for
issuance under the Plan on a  discretionary  basis,  subject to limitations  set
forth in the Plan.

     No Award may be granted under the Plan on or after May 3, 2016.

     A more complete  description of the terms of the Plan can be found in "Item
Three - Adoption of the 2006 Long-Term  Incentive Plan" (pages 10 through 17) in
the Company's  definitive proxy statement filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission on April 3, 2006,  which  description  is  incorporated  by reference
herein. The foregoing  description of the Plan and the description  incorporated
by reference  from the  Company's  definitive  proxy  statement are qualified in
their  entirety by  reference  to the Plan,  a copy of which is filed as Exhibit
10.1 to this report and is incorporated by reference.

Awards of Restricted Stock Units to Non-Employee Directors

     On May 3, 2006, the Board of Directors of the Company approved the award of
restricted stock units to the Company's  non-employee  directors,  in accordance
with the previously approved  compensation plan for the 2006-2007 director year.
Each  non-employee  director received an annual equity award of restricted stock
units.  Additionally,  four of the Company's  non-employee  directors elected to
receive their annual fees in restricted stock units.

     The  restricted  stock unit awards were made  pursuant to the form of Award
Agreement  attached  hereto as Exhibit  10.2,  which is  incorporated  herein by
reference.


Item 5.02.  Departure of Directors or Principal Officers; Election of Directors;
Appointment of Principal Officers

     On May 4, 2006, the Company  issued a news release that is attached  hereto
as exhibit 99.1. In the news release,  the Company announced that Jerry P. Jones
has retired from its Board of  Directors,  effective  May 3, 2006, in accordance
with the  mandatory  retirement  age  provisions  of the  Company's  Amended and
Restated Bylaws and its Governance Principles.






Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits

       (d)   Exhibits
             10.1 - Pioneer Natural Resources Company  2006 Long-Term  Incentive
                    Plan.
             10.2 - Form of  restricted  stock unit  Award  Agreement  for  non-
                    employee  directors,  together with a  schedule  identifying
                    substantially  identical agreements  between the Company and
                    each  of  its   non-employee  directors  identified  on  the
                    schedule and  identifying  the material differences  between
                    each of those agreements and the filed Award Agreement.
             99.1 - News Release dated May 4, 2006.







                                   SIGNATURES

     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/ Darin G. Holderness
                                  -----------------------------------------
                                  Darin G. Holderness
                                  Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer


Dated: May 8, 2006



















                                  EXHIBIT INDEX



         Exhibit
         Number                             Exhibit Title
         -------                            -------------


          10.1 -      Pioneer Natural Resources Company 2006 Long-Term Incentive
                      Plan.
          10.2 -      Form of  restricted stock unit  Award  Agreement for  non-
                      employee  Directors,  together with a schedule identifying
                      substantially identical agreements between the Company and
                      each  of  its  non-employee  directors  identified  on the
                      schedule and identifying the material differences  between
                      each of those  agreements and the filed Award Agreement.
          99.1 -      News Release dated May 4, 2006.