<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0306</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2014-02-03</periodOfReport>

    <notSubjectToSection16>0</notSubjectToSection16>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0001092839</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>DUNE ENERGY INC</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>DUNR</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001539625</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>TPG Opportunities Advisors, Inc.</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>C/O TPG GLOBAL, LLC</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>301 COMMERCE STREET, SUITE 3300</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>FORT WORTH</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>TX</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>76102</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
            <officerTitle></officerTitle>
            <otherText></otherText>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0000860866</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>BONDERMAN DAVID</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>C/O TPG GLOBAL, LLC</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>301 COMMERCE STREET, SUITE 3300</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>FORT WORTH</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>TX</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>76102</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
            <officerTitle></officerTitle>
            <otherText></otherText>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001099776</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>COULTER JAMES G</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>C/O TPG GLOBAL, LLC</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>301 COMMERCE STREET, SUITE 3300</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>FORT WORTH</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>TX</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>76102</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
            <officerTitle></officerTitle>
            <otherText></otherText>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <nonDerivativeTable>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2014-02-03</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <deemedExecutionDate></deemedExecutionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>S</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness></transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>9999</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>1.21</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>D</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>9737467</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>I</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value>See Explanation of Responses</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F1"/>
                    <footnoteId id="F2"/>
                    <footnoteId id="F3"/>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
    </nonDerivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">David Bonderman and James G. Coulter are officers and sole stockholders of TPG Opportunities Advisors, Inc. (&quot;Opportunities Advisors&quot; and, together with Messrs. Bonderman and Coulter, the &quot;Reporting Persons&quot;), which is the general partner of each of (i) TPG Opportunity Fund I, L.P. (&quot;Opportunity I&quot;), which directly owns 6,820,726 shares of Common Stock of Dune Energy, Inc. (the &quot;Issuer&quot;) reported herein (the &quot;Opportunity I Shares&quot;), and (ii) TPG Opportunity Fund III, L.P. (&quot;Opportunity III&quot; and, together with Opportunity I, the &quot;TPG Funds&quot;), which directly owns 2,916,741 shares of Common Stock of the Issuer reported herein (the &quot;Opportunity III Shares&quot; and, together with the Opportunity I Shares, the &quot;Shares&quot;).</footnote>
        <footnote id="F2">Because of the Reporting Persons' relationship to the TPG Funds, the Reporting Persons may be deemed to beneficially own the Shares to the extent of the greater of their respective direct or indirect pecuniary interests in the profits or capital accounts of the TPG Funds.  Each Reporting Person and TPG Fund disclaims beneficial ownership of the Shares, except to the extent of such Reporting Person's and TPG Fund's pecuniary interest therein, if any.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F3">Pursuant to Rule 16a-1(a)(4) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the &quot;Exchange Act&quot;), this filing shall not be deemed an admission that the Reporting Persons are, for purposes of Section 16 of the Exchange Act or otherwise, the beneficial owners of any equity securities in excess of their respective pecuniary interests.</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <remarks>(4) The Reporting Persons are jointly filing this Form 4 pursuant to Rule 16a-3(j) under the Exchange Act.     (5) Ronald Cami is signing on behalf of Messrs. Bonderman and Coulter pursuant to the authorization and designation letters dated July 1, 2013, which were previously filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.</remarks>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>/s/ Ronald Cami, Vice President, TPG Opportunities Advisors, Inc. (4)</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2014-07-31</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>/s/ Ronald Cami, on behalf of David Bonderman (4)(5)</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2014-07-31</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>/s/ Ronald Cami, on behalf of James G. Coulter (4)(5)</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2014-07-31</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
