8-K

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: January 17, 2012

(Date of earliest event reported)

Rosetta Resources Inc.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

DE	000-51801	43-2083519
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation)	(Commission File Number)	(IRS Employer Identification Number)
717 Texas, Suite 2800 Houston, TX 77002		77002
(Address of principal executive offices)		(Zip Code)

713-335-4000

(Registrant's telephone number, including area code)

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 7.01. Regulation FD Disclosure

On January 17, 2012, Rosetta Resources Inc. (the "Company") filed an updated company presentation.  A copy of the presentation can be found on the Company's website in the "Investor Relations" section.

The presentation is furnished as Exhibit 99.1 to this Current Report. Exhibit 99.1 shall not be deemed to be "filed" for the purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and will not be incorporated by reference into any registration statement filed under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, unless specifically identified therein as being incorporated therein by reference.

Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits

(a) Financial statements:

None

(b) Pro forma financial information:

None

(c) Company transactions:

None

(d) Exhibits

Exhibits. The Registrant includes a copy of the presentation as Exhibit 99.1.

SIGNATURE

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.

Dated: January 17, 2012	ROSETTA RESOURCES INC.
	By:	/s/ John E. Hagale
		John E. Hagale
		Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer & Treasurer

EXHIBIT INDEX

Exhibit No.	Description
99.1	Presentation dated January 17, 2012.

EX-99.1

1

Rosetta Resources Inc.

Investor Presentation

January 2012

www.rosettaresources.com / NASDAQ: ROSE

High Asset Quality - Executing Business Plan - Future Growth Catalysts - Financial Strength

2

This presentation includes forward-looking statements, which give the Company's current expectations or forecasts
of future events based on currently available information. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not
historical facts, such as expectations regarding drilling plans, including the acceleration thereof, production rates and
guidance, resource potential, incremental transportation capacity, exit rate guidance, net present value, development
plans, progress on infrastructure projects, exposures to weak natural gas prices, changes in the Company's liquidity,
changes in acreage positions, expected expenses, expected capital expenditures, and projected debt balances. The
assumptions of management and the future performance of the Company are subject to a wide range of business
risks and uncertainties and there is no assurance that these statements and projections will be met. Factors that
could affect the Company's business include, but are not limited to: the risks associated with drilling of oil and natural
gas wells; the Company's ability to find, acquire, market, develop, and produce new reserves; the risk of drilling dry
holes; oil and natural gas price volatility; derivative transactions (including the costs associated therewith and the
abilities of counterparties to perform thereunder); uncertainties in the estimation of proved, probable, and possible
reserves and in the projection of future rates of production and reserve growth; inaccuracies in the Company's
assumptions regarding items of income and expense and the level of capital expenditures; uncertainties in the timing
of exploitation expenditures; operating hazards attendant to the oil and natural gas business; drilling and completion
losses that are generally not recoverable from third parties or insurance; potential mechanical failure or
underperformance of significant wells; availability and limitations of capacity in midstream marketing facilities,
including processing plant and pipeline construction difficulties and operational upsets; climatic conditions; availability
and cost of material, supplies, equipment and services; the risks associated with operating in a limited number of
geographic areas; actions or inactions of third-party operators of the Company's properties; the Company's ability to
retain skilled personnel; diversion of management's attention from existing operations while pursuing acquisitions or
dispositions; availability of capital; the strength and financial resources of the Company's competitors; regulatory
developments; environmental risks; uncertainties in the capital markets; general economic and business conditions
(including the effects of the worldwide economic recession); industry trends; and other factors detailed in the
Company's most recent Form 10-K, Form 10-Q and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. If
one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize (or the consequences of such a development changes), or
should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual outcomes may vary materially from those forecasted or
expected. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements except
as required by law.

Forward-Looking Statements and Terminology Used

3

For filings reporting year-end 2010 reserves, the SEC permits the optional disclosure of probable and possible
reserves.  The Company has elected not to report probable and possible reserves in its filings with the SEC.  We use
the term “net risked resources” to describe the Company’s internal estimates of volumes of natural gas and oil that are
not classified as proved reserves but are potentially recoverable through exploratory drilling or additional drilling or
recovery techniques.  Estimates of unproved resources are by their nature more speculative than estimates of proved
reserves and accordingly are subject to substantially greater risk of actually being realized by the
Company.  Estimates of unproved resources may change significantly as development provides additional data, and
actual quantities that are ultimately recovered may differ substantially from prior estimates. We use the term “BFIT
NPV10” to describe the Company’s estimate of before income tax net present value discounted at 10 percent
resulting from project economic evaluation. The net present value of a project is calculated by summing future cash
flows generated by a project, both inflows and outflows, and discounting those cash flows to arrive at a present value. 
Inflows primarily include revenues generated from estimated production and commodity prices at the time of the
analysis.  Outflows include drilling and completion capital and operating expenses.  Net present value is used to
analyze the profitability of a project.  Estimates of net present value may change significantly as additional data
becomes available, and with adjustments in prior estimates of actual quantities of production and recoverable
reserves, commodity prices, capital expenditures, and/or operating expenses.

Forward-Looking Statements and Terminology Used (cont.)

4

–Doubled proved reserves to 970 Bcfe at mid-year 2011

–Set record levels of liquids production

–Increased project inventory to 2.8 Tcfe

–Increased gross estimated ultimate recovery to 10 Bcfe per Gates Ranch Eagle
Ford well*

–Increased Gates Ranch planned well density to 65 acres per well

–Announced three new Eagle Ford field discoveries

–Firm transportation and processing capacity from Eagle Ford in place to execute
business plan

–Advanced Southern Alberta Basin horizontal drilling program

2011 Highlights

* EUR based on 850’ well spacing

5

–$640 million of capital; more than 90 percent allocated to Eagle Ford

–Four-rig program in Eagle Ford Area; 60 completions per year

–Continued Gates Ranch development

–Step out into other areas

–Completion of seven-well horizontal drilling program in Southern Alberta Basin

–Maintain acreage position

–Base capital program funded from internally-generated cash flow supplemented
by borrowings under current credit facility

–Eagle Ford program self-funding by year-end

–Divestitures remain an option

–Debt-to-Capitalization ratio approximately 30% at strip pricing

–Approximately 40% production growth over 2011

2012 Plans

6

Includes capitalized interest and other corporate costs.

Excludes New Ventures and A&D.

2012E

2012E

2011E

2011E

Capital Expenditures

Total:$640MM

Total:$475MM

7

–Asset Base High-Graded

–Executing Business Plan

–Testing Growth Catalysts

–Financial Strength

Agenda

8

Asset Base High-Graded

9

Alberta Basin

300,000 net acres

6 BBOE hydrocarbon resource in place

1500 potential locations

Exploration underway

11 delineation wells completed

4 horizontal wells drilled

Horizontal completions underway

Eagle Ford Liquids

50,000 net acres

20 TCFE hydrocarbon resource in place

600 potential remaining locations

52 horizontal wells completed*

125 MMcfe/d net*

10 years of potential remaining inventory

Eagle Ford Dry Gas

15,000 net acres

5 TCFE hydrocarbon resource in place

170 potential locations

4 horizontal wells completed*

5 MMcfe/d net*

3-4 years of remaining inventory

South Texas

(Non-Eagle Ford)

100,000 net acres

Numerous stacked reservoirs

20 MMcfe/d net*

* End of 3Q 2011

Asset Base High-Graded

10

Executing Business Plan

11

Proved Reserves - Doubled Since YE 2010

■ Eagle Ford

■ Other Core

■ Non-Core

351 Bcfe

479 Bcfe

970 Bcfe

12

Year-end 2011: 56 wells*

* Completed wells

9 miles

More than 12 TCFE of “hydrocarbons in place” have been delineated and are now being
exploited…

Gates Ranch

13

7.3 BCFE Composite Type Curve (PUD bookings)

10 BCFE Composite Type Curve

DISCOVERY WELL

3500 ft lateral & 10 frac stages

DEVELOPMENT WELLS

5000 ft lateral & 15 frac stages

Gates Ranch Well Performance

14

Eagle Ford Firm Transportation Capacity

¹ Net equivalent gas production (MMcfe/d) equals 1.35 times gross wet wellhead gas (MMcf/d).

Daily Production Rates
■	Net Equivalent Gas (MMcfe/d)1
Gross Wellhead Gas (MMcf/d):
■	REM Gathering - La Grange/Jackson Plant
■	Eagle Ford Gathering - (Copano) Houston Central Plant
■	Dos Hermanas Gathering - King Ranch Plant
■	Regency Gathering - Enterprise Plant

15

Quarterly Production Performance

Production

(MMcfe/d)

250-280

220-240

16

Testing Growth Catalysts

17

Area	Window	Net Acreage
Gates Ranch	Liquids	26,500
Non-Gates Ranch	Liquids	23,500
Encinal Area	Dry Gas	15,000
TOTAL		65,000

Other Eagle Ford Areas

18

•Increased Well Density

•280 locations remaining to be drilled

Gates Ranch
Field-wide development plans on 65-acre well spacing

19

Discovery Well Test

•Southern Dimmit County Area

•3,545 net acres

•47 well locations remaining

•Initial Rate

•850 bpd Oil

•490 bpd NGL’s

•3,900 mcfpd

•1,990 BOEPD

Eagle Ford DiscoveryBriscoe Ranch

20

Discovery Well Test

•Central Dimmit County Area

•8,143 net acres

•125 well locations remaining

•7 day average rate

•506 bpd Oil

•102 bpd NGL’s

•436 mcfpd

•680 BOEPD

Eagle Ford Discovery
Central Dimmit County

21

Discovery Well Test

•Southern Gonzales County Area

•1,900 net acres

•21 well locations remaining

•Initial Rate

•2,450 bpd Oil

•250 bpd NGL’s

•2,000 mcfpd

• 3,033 BOEPD

Eagle Ford DiscoveryKarnes Trough Area

22

* Includes only “well tested” inventory and excludesinventory on our 10,000 net acres that has offset data and will be tested in the upcoming quarters.

Eagle Ford
Well Tested Inventory

23

Delineation wells

Remaining Horizontal Wells

Southern Alberta Basin
2 of 7 Horizontal Wells Tested

Tribal Riverbend 07-04H

qDrilled +/- 3,500’ lateral length

qMiddle Bakken interval

qTested 154 BOEPD

Fee Simonson 34-01H

qDrilled +/- 3,700’ lateral length

qMiddle Bakken interval

qTested 104 BOEPD

24

–Confirmed significant resource in place, 6 billion BOE

–Advanced the well science work needed to “crack code” of complex play

–Identified fracture azimuth and orientation

–Achieved good vertical growth in initial stimulations

–Identified fracture stimulation design improvements to utilize in next four horizontal
well completions

–Improve isolation for more effective stimulations (cement liner and perf & plug)

–Targeted assumptions for well commerciality

–IP 250 Boe/d, EUR 185 MBOE, 160-acre spacing, $4 million well costs

–21% ROR at $85 per barrel WTI

Next Steps

–Complete seven-well horizontal drilling program

–Maintain acreage position

–Engage industry service providers to identify opportunities to expand infrastructure
and reduce costs in the basin

–Monitor long-term production performance to confirm model

Southern Alberta Basin Key Learnings

25

Financial Strength

26

Lower Cost Structure

	2011 Full Year			2012 Full Year
	(Guidance Range)			(Guidance Range)
Direct Lease Operating Expense	$0.44	-	$0.46	$0.25	-	$0.28
Workover Expenses	0.01	-	0.01	0.01	-	0.01
Insurance	0.02	-	0.02	0.03	-	0.03
Ad valorem Tax	0.12	-	0.13	0.13	-	0.14
Production Taxes	0.17	-	0.18	0.24	-	0.26
Treating, Transportation and Marketing	0.41	-	0.43	0.63	-	0.69
G&A, excluding stock-based compensation	0.74	-	0.78	0.50	-	0.55
Interest Expense	0.36	-	0.38	0.25	-	0.28
DD&A	2.03	-	2.13	1.85	-	1.95

27

Eagle Ford - Oil Marketing

Gates Ranch

–Plains Crude Gathering (formerly Velocity)

–Long term condensate pipeline gathering and truck loading terminal transfer

–Current: Gathering capacity of 15,000 Bbls/d to Catarina with 15,000 Bbls
storage

–February 2012: Gathering capacity of 25,000 Bbls/d to Gardendale with up to
60,000 Bbls storage

–Long Term Crude Purchase Agreements

–5,000 Bbls/d @ Catarina, Truck/Pipe; @ Gardendale, Pipeline Mid-2012

–Pricing based on Louisiana Light Sweet price less transportation

–Crude Oil Pricing Mix expected for 2012

–Gates Ranch, Briscoe Ranch and Central Dimmit County Properties

–5,000Bbls/dpricedbased on Louisiana Light Sweet (LLS) price less gravity and
transportation adjustments starting in mid-2012

–All other Condensate prices based on West Texas Intermediate (WTI) less gravity
and transportation adjustments

–Karnes Trough Properties

–WTI-based price (currently with premium), no gravity or transportation adjustment

28

Commodity Hedges

20

11,300

7,750

Note: Hedge position as of January 11, 2012. NGL hedges exclude the Ethane component.

29

Debt and Liquidity

350

250

402

237

30

–Adequate liquidity available to fund 2012 $640 million capital
program

–Strong cash flow in 2012

–$295 million of $325 million borrowing base available

–Potential to raise borrowing base based on performance

–Option for additional property divestitures

–In low price environment, $250 million capital spend will maintain
2012 production level flat versus 2011 exit rate

Liquidity

31

(MM)	3Q 2011	4Q 2010
Long-Term Debt	$250	$350
Total Stockholder’s Equity	608	529
TOTAL	$858	$879
Capitalization
- Debt	29%	40%
- Capital	71%	60%
TOTAL	100%	100%

Capital Structure

32

–Asset Base High-Graded

–Divestiture program complete

–South Texas focus

–Alberta Basin option

–Strong Eagle Ford project inventory

–Executing Business Plan

–Proved reserves doubled since 12/31/10

–Gates Ranch recoveries increased

–Increased firm take-away capacity

–Strong exit rates and 2012 growth projected

–Testing Growth Catalysts

–Increased Gates Ranch well density

–Other Eagle Ford areas

–Complete and evaluate Alberta Basin horizontal program

–Financial Strength

–Lower cost structure

–$402MM in liquidity

Summary

33