FORM 4 Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN 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 * Hastings Jeff   2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol SAExploration Holdings, Inc. [SAEX] 5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable) __X__ Director _____ 10% Owner __X__ Officer (give title below) _____ Other (specify below) Chairman and CEO (Last) (First) (Middle) 4860 25TH STREET SE 3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year) 07/27/2017 (Street) CALGARY, A0 T2B 3M2 4. If Amendment, Date Original Filed(Month/Day/Year) 6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing(Check Applicable Line) _X_ Form filed by One Reporting Person ___ Form filed by More than One Reporting Person (City) (State) (Zip) Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned

1.Title of Security (Instr. 3) 2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year) 2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year) 3. Transaction Code (Instr. 8) 4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5) 5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 3 and 4) 6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4) 7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4) Code V Amount (A) or (D) Price Common Stock 07/27/2017   M   29,418 A $ 0 (1) 30,248 (2) D   Common Stock 07/27/2017   F   8,046 D $ 2.98 22,202 (3) D   Common Stock 07/27/2017   J(4)   82,156 D $ 0 27,000 I Through dispositive and voting control of Speculative Seismic Investments, LLC (5) Common Stock               24,221 I Through dispositive and voting control of CLCH, LLC (6)

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Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
(e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)

1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 3)

2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security

3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)

3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)

4. Transaction Code (Instr. 8)

5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4, and 5)

6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (Month/Day/Year)

7. Title and Amount of Underlying Securities (Instr. 3 and 4)

8. Price of Derivative Security (Instr. 5)

9. Number of Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 4)

10. Ownership Form of Derivative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)

11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)

Code

V

(A)

(D)

Date Exercisable

Expiration Date

Title

Amount or Number of Shares

Restricted Stock Units (1)

(1)

07/27/2017

M

29,418

(7)

(7)

Common Stock

29,418

$ 0

58,834

D

Stock Option (Right to Buy) (8)

$ 10.19 (9)

(10)

09/26/2026

Common Stock

88,252

88,252

D

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address	Relationships
	Director	10% Owner	Officer	Other
Hastings Jeff 4860 25TH STREET SE CALGARY, A0 T2B 3M2	X		Chairman and CEO

Signatures

/s/ Jeffrey Hastings		07/31/2017
**Signature of Reporting Person		Date

Explanation of Responses:

*	If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4(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)	The restricted stock units were issued pursuant to the SAExploration Holdings, Inc. (the "Company") 2016 Long Term Incentive Plan on September 26, 2016. The 2016 Long Term Incentive Plan was amended and restated effective as of May 30, 2017 (as amended, the "LTIP"). Each restricted stock unit issued pursuant to the LTIP represents the right to receive, upon the applicable vesting date, either (i) a share of Common Stock of the Company or (ii) an amount of cash equal in value to the value of a share of the Company's Common Stock on the date of transfer. The Reporting Person elected to receive shares of Common Stock of the Company in lieu of an amount of cash equal to the value of such Common Stock of the Company.
(2)	Amount includes (a) 830 shares previously directly owned by Reporting Person, and (b) 8,046 shares to be withheld to cover tax obligations incident to the vesting of the Common Stock.
(3)	Amount includes 830 shares previously directly owned by Reporting Person. The aggregate amount of securities beneficially owned by the Reporting Person is the amount in this Note 3 plus the amounts indirectly owned through Speculative Seismic Investments, LLC and CLCH, LLC as set forth in Notes 4 and 5, respectively, below.
(4)	Distribution by Speculative Seismic Investments, LLC, a Texas limited liability company controlled by the Reporting Member, to its non-managing members.
(5)	Speculative Seismic Investments, LLC is a Texas limited liability company controlled by the Reporting Member.
(6)	CLCH, LLC is an Alaska limited liability company controlled by the Reporting Member.
(7)	The restricted stock units will vest as follows: (i) 1/3 on the earliest to occur of certain events as defined in the LTIP; (ii) 1/3 on the second anniversary of the Closing Date, as defined in the LTIP; and (iii) the remaining 1/3 on the third anniversary of the Closing Date, as defined in the LTIP.
(8)	The non-qualified stock options were issued pursuant to the Company's LTIP on September 26, 2016.
(9)	The Exercise Price of the option is $10.19 per share, which is equal to the VWAP per common share for the 30-day period that ends on the Grant Date, all terms as defined in the Company's LTIP.
(10)	The stock option becomes exercisable as follows: (i) 1/3 of the Option on the earliest to occur of certain events as defined in the LTIP, (ii) 1/3 of the Option on the second anniversary of the Closing Date, as defined in the LTIP; and (iii) the remaining 1/3 of the Option on the third anniversary of the Closing Date, as defined in the LTIP.

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