As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 5, 2017

Registration Nos. 333-00135, 333-17231, 333-162858, 333-197345

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

POST-EFFECTIVE AMENDMENT NO. 1 TO

FORM S-3 REGISTRATION STATEMENT NO. 333-00135

POST-EFFECTIVE AMENDMENT NO. 1 TO

FORM S-3 REGISTRATION STATEMENT NO. 333-17231

POST-EFFECTIVE AMENDMENT NO. 1 TO

FORM S-3 REGISTRATION STATEMENT NO. 333-162858

POST-EFFECTIVE AMENDMENT NO. 1 TO

FORM S-3 REGISTRATION STATEMENT NO. 333-197345

ON

FORM S-3

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER

THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

HARVEST NATURAL RESOURCES, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: Not applicable. Removal from registration of securities that were not sold pursuant to this registration statement.

If the only securities being registered on this form are being offered pursuant to dividend or interest reinvestment plans, please check the following box. ☐

If any of the securities being registered on this form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, other than securities offered only in connection with dividend or interest reinvestment plans, check the following box. ☐

If this form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐

If this form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, please check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐

If this form is a registration statement pursuant to General Instruction I.D. or a post-effective amendment thereto that shall become effective upon filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box. ☐

If this form is a post-effective amendment to a registration statement filed pursuant to General Instruction I.D. filed to register additional securities or additional classes of securities pursuant to Rule 413(b) under the Securities Act, check the following box. ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act . ☐

TERMINATION OF REGISTRATION

These Post-Effective Amendments relate to the following Registration Statements on Form S-3 (as amended to date, the “Registration Statements”) filed by Harvest Natural Resources, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which registered certain securities of the Company:

The Company has terminated all offerings of its securities pursuant to the Registration Statements. In accordance with undertakings made by the Company in the Registration Statements to remove from registration, by means of a post-effective amendment, any securities that remain unsold at the termination of the offerings, the Company hereby removes from registration all securities registered but not sold under the Registration Statements.

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, the registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-3 and has duly caused these Post-Effective Amendments to the Registration Statements to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Houston, State of Texas, on this 5th day of May, 2017.

No other person is required to sign these Post-Effective Amendments in reliance upon Rule 478 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.