The CORPORATEplan for Retirement EXECUTIVE PLAN Adoption Agreement IMPORTANT NOTE

Exhibit 10.16

The CORPORATEplan for Retirement

EXECUTIVE PLAN

IMPORTANT NOTE

This document has not been approved by the Department of Labor, the Internal Revenue Service or any other governmental entity. An Employer must determine whether the plan is subject to the Federal securities laws and the securities laws of the various states. An Employer may not rely on this document to ensure any particular tax consequences or to ensure that the Plan is "unfunded and maintained primarily for the purpose of providing deferred compensation to a select group of management or highly compensated employees" under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act with respect to the Employer's particular situation. Fidelity Management Trust Company, its affiliates and employees cannot and do not provide legal or tax advice or opinions in connection with this document. This document does not constitute legal or tax advice or opinions and is not intended or written to be used, and it cannot be used by any taxpayer, for the purposes of avoiding penalties that may be imposed on the taxpayer. This document must be reviewed by the Employer's attorney prior to adoption.

ADOPTION AGREEMENT

ARTICLE 1

1.01 PLAN INFORMATION


(a)	Name of Plan:

This is the Stone Energy Corporation Deferred Compensation Plan (the "Plan").


(b)	Plan Status (Check one.):


(1)	Adoption Agreement effective date: 01/01/2008.


(2)	The Adoption Agreement effective date is (Check (A) or check and complete (B)):

(A) ¨ A new Plan effective date.

(B) þ An amendment and restatement of the Plan. The original effective date of the Plan was: 12/01/2004.


(c)	Name of Administrator, if not the Employer:

__________________________________________________________________________________

1.02 EMPLOYER


(a)	Employer Name: Stone Energy Corporation


(b)	The term "Employer" includes the following Related Employer(s) (as defined in Section 2.01(a)(25)) participating in the Plan:

____________________________________________________________

1.03 COVERAGE

(Check (a) and/or (b).)


(a)	þ The following Employees are eligible to participate in the Plan (Check (I) or (2)):


(1)	¨ Only those Employees designated in writing by the Employer, which writing is hereby

incorporated herein.


(2)	þ Only those Employees in the eligible class described below:

Any individual who is an officer or key employee and who is selected by the Administrator to participate in the Plan. The Administrator shall, at its sole discretion, determine which individuals are key employees.


(b)	¨ The following Directors are eligible to participate in the Plan (Check (1) or (2)):


(1)	¨ Only those Directors designated in writing by the Employer, which writing is hereby

incorporated herein.


(2)	¨ All Directors, effective as of the later of the date 1.01(b) or the date the Director becomes a

Director.

(Note: A designation in Section 1.03(a) (l) or Section 1.03(b) (1) or a description in

Section 1.03(a) (2) must include the effective date of such participation.)

1.04 COMPENSATION

(If Section 1.03(a) is selected, select (a) or (b). If Section 1.03(b) is selected, complete (c))

For purposes of determining all contributions under the Plan:


(a)	¨ Compensation shall be as defined, with respect to Employees, in the________ Plan maintained by the Employer:


(1)	¨ to the extent it is in excess of the limit imposed under Code section 401(a)(l7).


(2)	¨ notwithstanding the limit imposed under Code section 401(a)(17).


(b)	þ Compensation shall be as defined in Section 2.01(a)(9) with respect to Employees (Check (1), and/or (2) below, if, and as, appropriate):


(1)	þ but excluding the following:

The value of any qualified or non-qualified stock option, and the value of any restricted stock award, phantom stock award, a bonus stock award, or other equity based award granted to an Employee by the Employer to the extent that such value is includable in the Employee's taxable income.


(2)	¨ but excluding bonuses, except those bonuses listed in the table in Section 1.05(a)(2).


(c)	¨ Compensation shall be as defined in Section 2.0l(a)(9)(c) with respect to Directors, but excluding the following:

______________________________________________________________________

1.05 CONTRIBUTIONS ON BEHALF OF EMPLOYEES


(a)	Deferral Contributions (Complete all that apply):


(1) þ	Deferral Contributions. Subject to any minimum or maximum deferral amount provided below, the Employer shall make a Deferral Contribution in accordance with, and subject to, Section 4.01 on behalf of each Participant who has an executed salary reduction agreement in effect with the Employer for the applicable calendar year (or portion of the applicable calendar year).



Deferral Contributions Type of Compensation	Dollar Amount		% Amount
Deferral Contributions Type of Compensation	Min	Max	Min	Max
Cash			0	100

(Note: With respect to each type of Compensation, list the minimum and maximum dollar amounts or percentages as whole dollar amounts or whole number percentages.)


(2) þ	Deferral Contributions with respect to Bonus Compensation only. The Employer requires Participants to enter into a special salary reduction agreement to make Deferral Contributions with respect to one or more Bonuses, subject to minimum and maximum deferral limitations, as provided in the table below.



Deferral Contributions Type of Bonus	Treated As		Dollar Amount		% Amount
Deferral Contributions Type of Bonus	Performance Based	Non- Performance Based	Min	Max	Min	Max
Bonus Compensation		X			0	100
Bonus Compensation	X				0	100

(Note: With respect to each type of Bonus, list the minimum and maximum dollar amounts or percentages as whole dollar amounts or whole number percentages. In the event a bonus identified as a Performance-based Bonus above does not constitute a Performance-based Bonus with respect to any Participant, such Bonus will be treated as a Non-Performance-based Bonus with respect to such Participant.)


(b)	Matching Contributions (Choose (1) or (2) below, and (3) below, as applicable):


(1)	þ The Employer shall make a Matching Contribution on behalf of each Employee

Participant in an amount described below:


(A)	¨ ___%of the Employee Participant's Deferral Contributions for the calendar year.


(B)	þ The amount, if any, declared by the Employer in writing, which writing is hereby incorporated herein.


(C)	¨ Other: _______________________________________________

_________________________________________________________


(2)	¨ Matching Contribution Offset. For each Employee Participant who has made elective contributions (as defined in 26 CFR section 1.401(k)-6 ("QP Deferrals")) of the maximum permitted under Code section 402(g), or the maximum permitted under the terms of the________Plan (the "QP"), to the QP, the Employer shall make a Matching Contribution in an amount equal to (A) minus (B) below:


(A)	The matching contributions (as defined in 26 CFR section 1.401(m)-l(a)(2) ("QP Match")) that the Employee Participant would have received under the QP on the sum of the Deferral Contributions and the Participant's QP Deferrals, determined as though-


•	no limits otherwise imposed by the tax law applied to such QP

match; and


•	the Employee Participant's Deferral Contributions had been made to the QP.


(B)	The QP Match actually made to such Employee Participant under the QP for the applicable calendar year.

Provided, however, that the Matching Contributions made on behalf of any Employee Participant pursuant to this Section 1.05(b)(2) shall be limited as provided in Section 4.02 hereof.


(3)	¨ Matching Contribution Limits (Check the appropriate box (es)):


(A) ¨	Deferral Contributions in excess of ____% of the Employee Participant's

Compensation for the calendar year shall not be considered for Matching

Contributions.


(B)	¨ Matching Contributions for each Employee Participant for each calendar year shall be limited to $ ______.


(c)	Employer Contributions


(1) ¨	Fixed Employer Contributions. The Employer shall make an Employer Contribution on behalf of each Employee Participant in an amount determined as described below:

________________________________________________________________


(2) þ	Discretionary Employer Contributions. The Employer may make Employer Contributions to the accounts of Employee Participants in any amount (which amount may be zero), as determined by the Employer in its sole discretion from time to time in a writing, which is hereby incorporated herein.

1.06 CONTRIBUTIONS ON BEHALF OF DIRECTORS


(a)	Director Deferral Contributions

The Employer shall make a Deferral Contribution in accordance with, and subject to, Section 4.01 on behalf of each Director Participant who has an executed deferral agreement in effect with the Employer for the applicable calendar year (or portion of the applicable calendar year), which deferral agreement shall be subject to any minimum and/or maximum deferral amounts provided in the table below.



Deferral Contributions Type of Compensation	Dollar Amount		% Amount
Deferral Contributions Type of Compensation	Min	Max	Min	Max

(Note: With respect to each type of Compensation, list the minimum and maximum dollar amounts or percentages as whole dollar amounts or whole number percentages.)

(b) Matching and Employer Contributions:

(1) ¨ Matching Contributions. The Employer shall make a Matching Contribution on behalf of each Director Participant in an amount determined as described below:

_____________________________________________________________

(2) ¨ Fixed Employer Contributions. The Employer shall make an Employer Contribution on behalf of each Director Participant in an amount determined as described below:

_____________________________________________________________

(3) ¨ Discretionary Employer Contributions. The Employer may make Employer Contributions to the accounts of Director Participants in any amount (which amount may be zero), as determined by the Employer in its sole discretion from time to time, in a writing, which is hereby incorporated herein.


1.07	DISTRIBUTIONS

The form and timing of distributions from the Participant's vested Account shall be made consistent with the elections in this Section 1.07.


(a)	(1) Distribution options to be provided to Participants



	(A) Specified Date	(B) Specified Age	(C) Separation From Service	(D) Earlier of Separation or Age	(E) Earlier of Separation or Specified Date	(F) Disability	(G) Change in Control	(H) Death
Deferral Contribution	¨ Lump Sum	¨ Lump Sum	þ Lump Sum	¨ Lump Sum	þ Lump Sum	¨ Lump Sum	¨ Lump Sum	¨ Lump Sum
Deferral Contribution	¨ Installments	¨ Installments	þ Installments	¨ Installments	þ Installments	¨ Installments		¨ Installments
Matching Contributions	¨ Lump Sum	¨ Lump Sum	þ Lump Sum	¨ Lump Sum	þ Lump Sum	¨ Lump Sum	¨ Lump Sum	¨ Lump Sum
Matching Contributions	¨ Installments	¨ Installments	þ Installments	¨ Installments	þ Installments	¨ Installments		¨ Installments
Employer Contributions	¨ Lump Sum	¨ Lump Sum	þ Lump Sum	¨ Lump Sum	þ Lump Sum	¨ Lump Sum	¨ Lump Sum	¨ Lump Sum
Employer Contributions	¨ Installments	¨ Installments	þ Installments	¨ Installments	þ Installments	¨ Installments		¨ Installments

(Note: If the Employer elects (F), (G), or (H) above, the Employer must also elect (A), (B), (C), (D), or (E) above, and the Participant must also elect (A), (B), (C), (D), or (E) above. In the event the Employer elects only a single payment trigger and/or payment method above, then such single payment trigger and/or payment method shall automatically apply to the Participant. If the employer elects to provide for payment upon a specified date or age, and the employer applies a vesting schedule to amounts that may be subject to such payment trigger(s), the employer must apply a minimum deferral period, the number of years of which must be greater than the number of years required for 1 00% vesting in any such amounts. If the employer elects to provide for payment upon disability, and the employer applies a vesting schedule to amounts that may be subject to such payment trigger, the employer must also elect to apply 100% vesting in any such amounts upon disability and/or death.)


(2)	¨ A Participant incurs a Disability when the Participant (Check at least one if Section 1.07(a)(l)(F) or if Section 1.08(e)(3) is elected):



(A)	¨	is unable to engage in any substantial gainful activity by reason of any
		medically determinable physical or mental impairment that can be expected
		to result in death or can be expected to last for a continuous period of not
		less than 12 months.



(B)	¨	is, by reason of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment
		that can be expected to result in death or can be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than 12 months, receiving income replacement benefits for a period of not less than 3 months under an accident and health plan covering employees of the Employer.



(C)	¨	is determined to be totally disabled by the Social Security Administration or
		the Railroad Retirement Board.

(D)	¨	is determined to be disabled pursuant to the following disability insurance program:_____________the definition of disability under which complies with the requirements in regulations under Code section 409A.

(Note: If more than one box above is checked, then the Participant will have a Disability if he satisfies at least one of the descriptions corresponding to one of such checked boxes.)

(3) þ Regardless of any payment trigger and, as applicable, payment method, to which the Participant would otherwise be subject pursuant to (1) above, the first to occur of the following Plan-level payment triggers will cause payment to the Participant commencing pursuant to Section 1.07(c)(l) below in a lump sum, provided such Plan-level payment trigger occurs prior to the payment trigger to which the Participant would otherwise be subject.

Payment Trigger



(A)	¨	Separation from Service prior to:
(B)	¨	Separation from Service
(C)	þ	Death
(D)	¨	Change in Control


(b)	Distribution Election Change

A Participant

(1) þ shall

(2) ¨ shall not

be permitted to modify a scheduled distribution election in accordance with Section 8.01(b)

hereof.


(c)	Commencement of Distributions


(1)	Each lump sum distribution and the first distribution in a series of installment payments (if applicable) shall commence as elected in (A), (B) or (C) below:



(A)	þ	Monthly on the 1^st day of the month which day next follows the applicable triggering event described in 1.07(a).
(B)	¨	Quarterly on the 1st day of the following months____________, _____________, _____________, or ___________________ (list one month in each calendar quarter) which day next follows the applicable triggering event described in 1.07(a).
(C)	¨	Annually on the 1st day of _________ (month) which day next follows the applicable triggering event described in 1.07(a).

(Note: Notwithstanding the above: a six-month delay shall be imposed with respect to certain distributions to Specified Employees; a Participant who chooses payment on a Specified Date will choose a month, year or quarter (as applicable) only, and payment will be made on the applicable date elected in (A), (B) or (C) above that falls within such month, year or quarter elected by the Participant.)


(2)	The commencement of distributions pursuant to the events elected in Section 1.07(a)(l) and Section 1.07(a)(3) shall be modified by application of the following:


(A) ¨	Separation from Service Event Delay Separation from Service will be treated as not having occurred for ___ months after the date of such event.


(B) ¨	Plan Level Delay all distribution events (other than those based on Specified Date or Specified Age) will be treated as not having occurred for ___ days (insert number of days but not more than 30).


(d)	Installment Frequency and Duration days

If installments are available under the Plan pursuant to Section 1.07(a), a Participant shall be permitted to elect that the installments will be paid (Complete 1 and 2 below):


(1)	at the following intervals:


(A) þ	Monthly commencing on the day elected in Section 1.07(c)(1).


(B) ¨	Quarterly commencing on the day elected in Section 1.07 (c)(1) (with payments

made at three-month intervals thereafter).


(C) ¨	Annually commencing on the day elected in Section 1.07(c)(I).


(2)	over the following term(s) (Complete either (A) or (B)):


(A) þ	Any term of whole years between 2 (minimum of 1) and 10 (maximum of 30).


(B) ¨	Any of the whole year terms selected below.



¨ 1	¨ 2	¨ 3	¨ 4	¨ 5	¨ 6
¨ 7	¨ 8	¨ 9	¨ 10	¨ 11	¨ 12
¨ 13	¨ 14	¨ 15	¨ 16	¨ 17	¨ 18
¨ 19	¨ 20	¨ 21	¨ 22	¨ 23	¨ 24
¨ 25	¨ 26	¨ 27	¨ 28	¨ 29	¨ 30

(Note: Only elect a term of one year if Section 1.07(d)(l )(A) and/or Section

1.07(d)(l)(B) is elected above.)

(e) Conversion to Lump Sum


¨	Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary , if the Participant 's vested Account at the time such Account becomes payable to him hereunder does not exceed $________ distribution of the Participant's vested Account shall automatically be made in the form of a single lump sum at the time prescribed in Section 1.07(c)(I).

(f) Distribution Rules Applicable to Pre-effective Date Accruals


¨	Benefits accrued under the Plan (subject to Code section 409A) prior to the date in Section 1.0 l (b)(1) above are subject to distribution rules not described in Section

1 .07(a) through (e), and such rules are described in Attachment A Re: PRE EFFECTIVE DATE ACCRUAL DISTRIBUTION RULES.

1.08 VESTING SCHEDULE


(a)	(1) The Participant's vested percentage in Matching Contributions elected in Section 1.05(b) shall be based upon the following schedule and unless Section 1.08(a)(2) is checked below will be based on the elapsed time method as described in Section 7.03(b).



Years of Service		Vesting %
0		100
1		100

(2) ¨ Vesting shall be based on the class year method as described in Section 7.03(c).


(b)	(1) The Participant 's vested percentage in Employer Contributions elected in Section 1.05(c) shall be based upon the following schedule and unless Section I.08(b)(2) is checked below will be based on the elapsed time method as described in Section 7.03(b).



Years of Service		Vesting %
0		100
1		100

(2) ¨ Vesting shall be based on the class year method as described in Section 7.03(c).


(c)	¨ Years of Service shall exclude (Check one.):

(1) ¨ for new plans, service prior to the Effective Date as defined in Section

1.0 1 (b)(2)(A).

(2) ¨ for existing plans converting from another plan document, service prior to the original Effective Date as defined in Section l.01(b)(2)(B).

(Note: Do not elect to apply this Section 1.08(c) if vesting is based only on the class year method.)


(d)	þ Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, a Participant will forfeit his Matching

Contributions and Employer Contributions (regardless of whether vested) upon the occurrence of the following event(s):

Termination for cause. Cause shall mean any termination of an officer's or key employee's employment by reason of the officer's or key employee's: (1) willful and continued failure to perform substantially the officer's or key employee's duties (other than any such failure resulting from the officer's or key employee's incapacity, due to physical or mental illness) after written notice of such failure has been given to the officer or key employee specifying in detail such failure or (2) the willful engaging by the Executive in conduct that is demonstrably and materially injurious to the Company and its affiliates taken as a whole, monetarily or otherwise. For purposes of clauses (1) and (2) of this definition, no act or failure to act, on behalf of the officer's or key employee's part shall be deemed "willful" unless done, or omitted to be done, by the officer or key employee not in good faith and without reasonable belief that the officer's or key employee's act, or failure to act, was in the best interest of the Company.

(Note: Contributions with respect to Directors, which are 100% vested at all times, are subject to the rule in this subsection (d).)


(e)	A Participant will be 100% vested in his Matching Contributions and Employer Contributions upon (Check the appropriate box(es)):

(1) ¨ Retirement eligibility is the date the Participant attains age ___ and completes ___ Years of Service, as defined in Section 7.03(b).

(2) ¨ Death.

(3) ¨ The date on which the Participant becomes disabled, as determined under Section

1.07(a)(2).

(Note: Participants will automatically vest upon Change in Control if Section

1.07(a)(l )(G) is elected.)


(f)	¨ Years of Service in Section 1.08 (a)(l) and Section 1.08 (b)(l) shall include service with the following employers:

_______________________________________________________________

1.09 INVESTMENT DECISIONS

A Participant's Account shall be treated as invested in the Permissible Investments as directed by the Participant unless otherwise provided below:

______________________________________________________________________

1.10 ADDITIONAL PROVISIONS

The Employer may elect Option below and complete the Superseding Provisions Addendum to describe overriding provisions that are not otherwise reflected in this Adoption Agreement.

¨ The Employer has completed the Superseding Provisions Addendum to reflect the provisions of the Plan that supersede provisions of this Adoption Agreement and/or the Basic Plan Document.

EXECUTION PAGE

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Employer has caused this Adoption Agreement to be executed this 20th day of December, 2007.


Employer	Stone Energy Corporation


By	Xxxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxx


Title	Vice President Human Resources & Administration

AMENDMENT EXECUTION PAGE

Plan Name: Stone Energy Corporation Deferred Compensation Plan (the "Plan")

Employer: Stone Energy Corporation

(Note: These execution pages are to be completed in the event the Employer modifies any prior election(s) or makes a new election(s) in this Adoption Agreement. Attach the amended page(s) of the Adoption Agreement to these execution pages.)

The following section(s) of the Plan are hereby amended effective as of the date(s) set forth below:



Section Amended	Effective Date

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Employer has caused this Amendment to be executed on the date below.


Employer:	______________________________


By:	______________________________


Title:	______________________________


Date:	______________________________

ATTACHMENT A

Re: PRE EFFECTIVE DATE ACCRUAL DISTRIBUTION RULES

Plan Name: Stone Energy Corporation Deferred Compensation Plan

ATTACHMENT B

Re: SUPERSEDING PROVISIONS

for

Plan Name: Stone Energy Corporation Deferred Compensation Plan

(a) Superseding Provision(s)- The following provisions supersede other provisions of this Adoption Agreement and/or the Basic Plan Document as described below:

Adoption Agreement

Amendment 8/24/2010