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)   April 3, 2002
                                                --------------------------------

                             VINTAGE PETROLEUM, INC.
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             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)


     Delaware                       1-10578                       73-1182669
---------------                ----------------              ------------------
(State or other                (Commission File               (IRS Employer
jurisdiction of                  Number                      Identification No.)
incorporation)


110 West Seventh Street, Tulsa, Oklahoma                          74119
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(Address of principal executive offices)                        (Zip Code)


Registrant's telephone number, including area code      (918) 592-0101
                                                   -----------------------------


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



Item 5.   Other Events.
          ------------

          On March 16, 1999, the Board of Directors of Vintage Petroleum, Inc.
          (the "Corporation") declared a dividend distribution of one preferred
          share purchase right (a "Right") for each outstanding share of Common
          Stock, par value $.005 per share, of the Corporation (the "Common
          Shares") to stockholders of record on April 5, 1999 (the "Record
          Date"). Each Common Share issued after the Record Date has also been
          issued a Right. The description and terms of the Rights are set forth
          in a Rights Agreement, dated as of March 16, 1999, between the
          Corporation and Mellon Investor Services LLC (formerly known as
          ChaseMellon Shareholder Services, L.L.C.), as Rights Agent.

          On April 3, 2002, the Corporation and the Rights Agent executed the
          First Amendment to Rights Agreement (the "Amendment"). As more fully
          set forth in the Amendment, the Amendment, among other things, amends
          the Rights Agreement to lower the threshold at which a person becomes
          an Acquiring Person (as defined in the Rights Agreement, as amended by
          the Amendment) and triggers the rights plan from 15% to 10%.

          A copy of the Amendment has been filed with the Securities and
          Exchange Commission as an Exhibit to the Corporation's Amendment No. 1
          to Registration Statement on Form 8-A dated April 3, 2002. A copy of
          the Amendment is available free of charge from the Corporation. This
          summary description of the Amendment does not purport to be complete
          and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the Amendment, which
          is hereby incorporated herein by reference.

          The press release issued by the Corporation on April 3, 2002, with
          respect to the Amendment, is attached hereto as an exhibit and
          incorporated herein by reference.

Item 7.   Financial Statements and Exhibits.
          ---------------------------------

          (c)  Exhibits.

               4.1  First Amendment to Rights Agreement, dated as of April 3,
                    2002, between the Corporation and Mellon Investor Services
                    LLC (formerly known as ChaseMellon Shareholder Services,
                    L.L.C.), as Rights Agent (Incorporated herein by reference
                    to the Corporation's Amendment No. 1 to Registration
                    Statement on Form 8-A, dated April 3, 2002).

               99.1 Press release dated April 3, 2002, issued by the
                    Corporation.

                                       -2-



                                   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.

                                                  VINTAGE PETROLEUM, INC.

Date: April 3, 2002                           By:  /s/ Michael F. Meimerstorf
                                                  ------------------------------
                                                   Michael F. Meimerstorf
                                                   Vice President and Controller

                                       -3-



                                  Exhibit Index

Exhibit
Number                             Description
------    ----------------------------------------------------------------------

4.1       First Amendment to Rights Agreement, dated as of April 3, 2002,
          between the Corporation and Mellon Investor Services LLC (formerly
          known as ChaseMellon Shareholder Services, L.L.C.), as Rights Agent
          (Incorporated herein by reference to the Corporation's Amendment No. 1
          to Registration Statement on Form 8-A, dated April 3, 2002).

99.1      Press release dated April 3, 2002, issued by the Corporation.