SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSIONWashington, D.C. 20549FORM 8-KCURRENT REPORTPursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of The Securities Exchange Act of 1934Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported):April 9, 2012 (April 3, 2012)Tri-Valley Corporation(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter) 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 23, 2012 (April 18, 2012)

Tri-Valley Corporation

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Delaware	001-31852	94-1585250
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)	(Commission File Number)	(IRS Employer Identification No.)

4927 Calloway ~~DriveBakersfield, California 93312(Address of principal executive office)Issuer's telephone number: 661-864-0500~~ Drive

Bakersfield, California 93312

(Address of principal executive office)

Issuer's telephone number: 661-864-0500

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

⃞ o Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

⃞ o Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

⃞ o Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

⃞ o Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Item 12.0102 Results ~~Entry~~of ~~into~~Operations aand ~~Material~~Financial ~~Definitive Agreement~~Condition.

On April 318, 2012, ~~Mr. G. Thomas Gamble, through a related trust, loaned~~ Tri-Valley Corporation ~~(the~~issued ~~“Company”)~~a ~~$1,500,000,~~press ~~bearing~~release ~~simple interest~~to atreport ~~14%~~its ~~per~~financial ~~annum~~results ~~and~~for ~~due on April 30, 2013 (~~the ~~“Additional Note”),~~fiscal onyear ~~the~~ended ~~express~~December ~~condition that the Additional Note would be combined with the Senior Secured Note issued to Mr. Gamble’s trust on March 30~~31, ~~2012~~2011. The ~~Corporation’s~~release obligations under the Additional Note will be secured by the same collateral that currently secures the Senior Secured Note. A summary of such collateral was set forth in the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K dated April 5, 2012, which summary is ~~incorporated~~furnished ~~herein~~herewith byas ~~this~~Exhibit ~~reference~~99. 1.

The ~~Company~~information ~~also~~contained ~~agreed~~in tothis ~~issue~~Item Mr2.02, ~~Gamble’s~~including ~~trust~~the anfinancial ~~additional warrant~~results toset ~~purchase~~forth in Exhibit 99.1,~~365,000~~ ~~shares~~is ofbeing ~~Common~~furnished ~~Stock~~pursuant ~~(the~~to ~~“Additional Warrant”),~~Item at2.02 anand ~~exercise~~shall ~~price~~not ~~per~~be ~~share~~deemed ~~equal~~“filed” tofor the ~~closing~~purposes ~~price~~ of ~~the~~ ~~Common~~Section ~~Stock~~18 onof the ~~last~~Securities ~~trading~~Exchange ~~day~~Act ~~prior~~of ~~to issuance~~1934, ~~plus~~as ~~$0.01~~amended, or otherwise subject to ~~approval~~the liability of ~~the~~that ~~application~~section, tonor ~~NYSE~~shall ~~Amex~~it ~~for~~be ~~the~~deemed ~~listing~~incorporated ~~of the~~by ~~shares~~reference ofin ~~Common~~any ~~Stock~~filing ~~underlying~~under the ~~Additional~~Securities ~~Warrant. Once issued,~~Act ~~the~~of ~~Additional~~1933, ~~Warrant~~as ~~will~~amended, beexcept ~~exercisable~~as ~~for~~shall abe ~~period~~expressly ofset ~~five (5)~~forth ~~years~~by ~~from~~specific ~~the~~reference ~~date~~in ofsuch ~~issuance~~a filing.

~~The~~Item ~~Company used the proceeds from the additional $1~~9.501 Financial ~~million~~Statements loan to settle its pending litigation with the plaintiffs in Hansen et al. v. Tri-Valley Corporation et al., No. 56-2010-00373549-CU-OR-VTA, Superior Court, Ventura County, California. Pursuant to the settlement agreement, the Company agreed to pay the plaintiffs the sum of $1.5 million in return for a mutual release that pertains to all claims asserted in the complaint and ~~a dismissal of the lawsuit with prejudice~~Exhibits.

~~Item 2.03 Creation of a Direct Financial Obligation or an Obligation under an Off-Balance Sheet Arrangement of a Registrant.~~(d) Exhibits

The information contained in Item 1.01 above with respect to the $1.5 million loan is incorporated by reference into this Item 2.03.

Exhibit Number	Description of Exhibit

99.1	Press release, dated April 18, 2012.

~~Item 3.02 Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities.~~Signatures

~~The~~Pursuant ~~information~~to ~~contained~~the inrequirements ~~Item~~of ~~1.01~~the ~~above~~Securities ~~with~~Exchange ~~respect~~Act toof 1934, the ~~issuance~~ ofregistrant ~~the~~has ~~Additional~~duly ~~Warrant~~caused isthis ~~incorporated~~report to be signed on its behalf by ~~this~~the ~~reference into~~undersigned ~~this~~hereunto ~~Item~~duly 3authorized.~~02.~~

~~Signatures~~ Date: April 23, 2012 TRI-VALLEY CORPORATION /s/ Maston N. Cunningham Maston N. Cunningham, President and Chief Executive Officer

~~Pursuant~~EXHIBIT ~~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.~~ INDEX

		TRI-VALLEY CORPORATION
Exhibit Number	Description of Exhibit
Date:	April 9, 2012	/s/ Maston N. Cunningham
99.1	Press release, dated April 18, 2012.
		Maston N. Cunningham, President and Chief Executive Officer

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