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UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
SCHEDULE 13G
Under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
(Amendment No. )*
BENTON OIL AND GAS COMPANY
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(Name of Issuer)
Common Stock, par value $.01 per share
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(Title of Class of Securities)
083288100
---------
(CUSIP Number)
September 18, 2000
------------------
(Date of Event which Requires Filing
of this Statement)
Check the appropriate box to designate the rule pursuant to which this Schedule
is filed:
[ ] Rule 13d-1(b)
[X] Rule 13d-1(c)
[ ] Rule 13d-1(d)
*The remainder of this cover page shall be filled out for a reporting person's
initial filing on this form with respect to the subject class of securities, and
for any subsequent amendment containing information which would alter the
disclosures provided in a prior cover page.
The information required on the remainder of this cover page shall not be deemed
to be "filed" for the purpose of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934 ("Act") or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section of the Act
but shall be subject to all other provisions of the Act (however, see the
Notes).
Page 1 of 6 pages
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CUSIP No. 083288100 13G Page 2 of 6 Pages
------------------- -----------------
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1 NAME OF REPORTING PERSON
I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NO. OF ABOVE PERSON
Cumberland Associates LLC
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2 CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP*
(a) [ ]
(b) [X]
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3 SEC USE ONLY
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4 CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION
New York
-------------------- ------ ----------------------------------------------------
5 SOLE VOTING POWER
1,923,100
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NUMBER OF 6 SHARED VOTING POWER
SHARES 176,900
BENEFICIALLY
OWNED BY
------ ----------------------------------------------------
EACH 7 SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER
REPORTING 1,923,100
PERSON
WITH
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8 SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER
176,900
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9 AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON
2,100,000
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10 CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (9) EXCLUDES CERTAIN
SHARES [ ]
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11 PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW (9)
7.1%
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12 TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON*
OO, IA
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*SEE INSTRUCTION BEFORE FILLING OUT!
Page 2 of 6 Pages
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Item 1(a) Name of Issuer:
---------------
Benton Oil & Gas Company (the "Issuer")
Item 1(b) Address of Issuer's Principal Executive Offices:
------------------------------------------------
6267 Carpinteria Avenue
Suite 200
Carpinteria, California 93013
Item 2(a) Name of Person Filing:
----------------------
This statement is being filed by Cumberland
Associates LLC. Cumberland Associates LLC is
a limited liability company organized under
the laws of the State of New York, and is
engaged in the business of managing, on a
discretionary basis, ten securities accounts
(the "Accounts"), the principal one of which
is Cumberland Partners. Gary Tynes, Oscar S.
Schafer, Bruce G. Wilcox, Glenn Krevlin,
Andrew Wallach and Dipak M. Patel are the
members (the "Members") of Cumberland
Associates LLC.
Item 2(b) Address of Principal Business Office:
-------------------------------------
The address of the principal business and
office of Cumberland Associates LLC and each
of the Members is 1114 Avenue of the
Americas, New York, New York 10036.
Item 2(c) Citizenship:
------------
Cumberland Associates LLC is a New York
limited liability company. Each of the
Members is a citizen of the United States.
Item 2(d) Title of Class of Securities:
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Common Stock, par value $.01 per share (the "Shares")
Item 2(e) CUSIP Number:
-------------
083288100
Item 3 Not Applicable
Item 4. Ownership:
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Page 3 of 6 Pages
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Item 4(a) Amount Beneficially Owned:
--------------------------
As of the date hereof, Cumberland Associates
LLC may be deemed the beneficial owner of
2,100,000 Shares.
Item 4(b) Percent of Class:
-----------------
The number of Shares of which Cumberland
Associates LLC may be deemed to be the
beneficial owner constitutes approximately
7.1% of the total number of Shares
outstanding.
Item 4(c) Number of shares as to which such person has:
---------------------------------------------
(i) Sole power to vote or to direct the
vote: 1,923,100
(ii) Shared power to vote or to direct the
vote: 176,900
(iii) Sole power to dispose or to direct the
disposition of: 1,923,100
(iv) Shared power to dispose or to direct the
disposition of: 176,900
Item 5 Ownership of Five Percent or Less of a Class:
---------------------------------------------
If this statement is being filed to report
the fact that as of the date hereof the
reporting person has ceased to be the
beneficial owner of more than five percent of
the class of securities, check the
following.[ ]
Item 6 Ownership of More than Five Percent on Behalf of Another
--------------------------------------------------------
Person:
-------
The beneficial owners of the Accounts have
the right to participate in the receipt of
dividends from, or proceeds from the sale of,
the Shares held for each Account in
accordance with their ownership interests in
each such Account.
Item 7 Identification and Classification of the
----------------------------------------
Subsidiary Which Acquired the Security Being
--------------------------------------------
Reported on By the Parent Holding Company:
------------------------------------------
Not Applicable
Page 4 of 6 Pages
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Item 8 Identification and Classification of Members
--------------------------------------------
of the Group:
-------------
Not Applicable
Item 9 Notice of Dissolution of Group:
-------------------------------
Not Applicable
Item 10 Certification:
--------------
By signing below the signatory certifies that, to the best of his knowledge
and belief, the securities referred to above were not acquired and are not held
for the purpose of or with the effect of changing or influencing the control of
the Issuer of the securities and were not acquired and are not held in
connection with or as a participant in any transaction having that purpose or
effect.
Page 5 of 6 Pages
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SIGNATURE
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After reasonable inquiry and to the best of my knowledge and belief, I
certify that the information set forth in this statement is true, complete and
correct.
Dated: September 27, 2000
CUMBERLAND ASSOCIATES LLC
By: /s/ Bruce Wilcox
------------------------------
Name: Bruce Wilcox
Title: Member
Page 6 of 6 Pages
