FORM 3

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 INITIAL STATEMENT OF BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

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1. Name and Address of Reporting Person *   VA PARTNERS LLC 2. Date of Event Requiring Statement (Month/Day/Year) 10/04/2004 3. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol SEITEL INC [SELA] (Last) (First) (Middle) 435 PACIFIC AVENUE, FOURTH FLOOR 4. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable) _____ Director __X__ 10% Owner _____ Officer (give title below) _____ Other (specify below) 5. If Amendment, Date Original Filed(Month/Day/Year) (Street) SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94133 6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing(Check Applicable Line) ___ Form filed by One Reporting Person _X_ Form filed by More than One Reporting Person (City) (State) (Zip) Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned

1.Title of Security (Instr. 4) 2. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned (Instr. 4) 3. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 5) 4. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 5) Common Stock, par value $.01 per share 15,971,563 I See Footnotes (1) (2)

Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.			SEC 1473 (7-02)
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Table II - Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned (e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)

1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 4)	2. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (Month/Day/Year)		3. Title and Amount of Securities Underlying Derivative Security (Instr. 4)		4. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security	5. Ownership Form of Derivative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 5)	6. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 5)
	Date Exercisable	Expiration Date	Title	Amount or Number of Shares

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address	Relationships
	Director	10% Owner	Officer	Other
VA PARTNERS LLC 435 PACIFIC AVENUE FOURTH FLOOR SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94133	Â	  X	Â	Â
UBBEN JEFFREY W 435 PACIFIC AVENUE, FOURTH FLOOR SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94133	Â	  X	Â	Â
KAMIN PETER H TWO INTERNATIONAL PLACE, 25TH FLOOR BOSTON, MA 02110	Â	  X	Â	Â

Signatures

VALUEACT CAPITAL MASTER FUND, L.P., BY VA PARTNERS, L.L.C., ITS GENERAL PARTNER By: /s/ George F. Hamel, Jr., Managing Member		10/08/2004
**Signature of Reporting Person		Date
VALUEACT CAPITAL PARTNERS, L.P., BY VA PARTNERS, L.L.C., ITS GENERAL PARTNER By: /s/ George F. Hamel, Jr., Managing Member		10/08/2004
**Signature of Reporting Person		Date
VALUEACT CAPITAL PARTNERS II, L.P., BY VA PARTNERS, L.L.C., ITS GENERAL PARTNER By: /s/ George F. Hamel, Jr., Managing Member		10/08/2004
**Signature of Reporting Person		Date
VALUEACT CAPITAL INTERNATIONAL, LTD., BY VA PARTNERS, L.L.C., ITS INVESTMENT MANAGER By: /s/ George F. Hamel, Jr., Managing Member		10/08/2004
**Signature of Reporting Person		Date
VA PARTNERS, L.L.C. By: /s/ George F. Hamel, Jr., Managing Member		10/08/2004
**Signature of Reporting Person		Date
By: /s/ Jeffrey W. Ubben		10/08/2004
**Signature of Reporting Person		Date
By: /s/ George F. Hamel, Jr.		10/08/2004
**Signature of Reporting Person		Date
By: /s/ Peter H. Kamin		10/08/2004
**Signature of Reporting Person		Date

Explanation of Responses:

*	If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 5(b)(v).
**	Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations. See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
(1)	As General Partner and Investment Manager of ValueAct Capital Master Fund, L.P., ValueAct Capital Partners, L.P., ValueAct Capital Partners II, L.P., and ValueAct Capital International, Ltd.
(2)	These securities are also beneficially owned by Jeffrey W. Ubben, George F. Hamel, Jr., and Peter H. Kamin as Managing Members, Principal Owners and Controlling Persons of VA Partners, LLC. The reporting persons disclaim beneficial ownership except to the extent of their pecuniary interest therein.
  Remarks: Joint Filer Information Name: ValueAct Capital Master Fund, L.P. Address: 435 Pacific Avenue, Fourth Floor, San Francisco, CA  94133 Designated Filer: VA Partners, L.L.C. Issuer and Ticker Symbol: Seitel, Inc. (SELA) Date of Event Requiring Statement: October 4, 2004 Name: ValueAct Capital Partners, L.P. Address: 435 Pacific Avenue, Fourth Floor, San Francisco, CA  94133 Designated Filer: VA Partners, L.L.C. Issuer and Ticker Symbol: Seitel, Inc. (SELA) Date of Event Requiring Statement: October 4, 2004 Name: ValueAct Capital Partners II, L.P. Address: 435 Pacific Avenue, Fourth Floor, San Francisco, CA  94133 Designated Filer: VA Partners, L.L.C. Issuer and Ticker Symbol: Seitel, Inc. (SELA) Date of Event Requiring Statement: October 4, 2004 Name: ValueAct Capital International, Ltd. Address: 435 Pacific Avenue, Fourth Floor, San Francisco, CA  94133 Designated Filer: VA Partners, L.L.C. Issuer and Ticker Symbol: Seitel, Inc. (SELA) Date of Event Requiring Statement: October 4, 2004 Name: Jeffrey W. Ubben Address: 435 Pacific Avenue, Fourth Floor, San Francisco, CA  94133 Designated Filer: VA Partners, L.L.C. Issuer and Ticker Symbol: Seitel, Inc. (SELA) Date of Event Requiring Statement: October 4, 2004 Name: George F. Hamel, Jr. Address: 435 Pacific Avenue, Fourth Floor, San Francisco, CA  94133 Designated Filer: VA Partners, L.L.C. Issuer and Ticker Symbol: Seitel, Inc. (SELA) Date of Event Requiring Statement: October 4, 2004 Name: Peter H. Kamin Address: 435 Pacific Avenue, Fourth Floor, San Francisco, CA  94133 Designated Filer: VA Partners, L.L.C. Issuer and Ticker Symbol: Seitel, Inc. (SELA) Date of Event Requiring Statement: October 4, 2004

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