Mail Stop 7010 								June 1, 2005 Mr. Herb Mee, Jr., Chief Financial Officer The Beard Company Enterprise Plaza, Suite 320 Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73112 Re:	The Beard Company Form 10-K for Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2004 		File No. 1-12396 Dear Mr. Mee: We have reviewed your filing and have the following comments. Where indicated, we think you should revise your document in response to these comments. If you disagree, we will consider your explanation as to why our comment is inapplicable or a revision is unnecessary. Please be as detailed as necessary in your explanation. In some of our comments, we may ask you to provide us with information so we may better understand your disclosure. After reviewing this information, we may raise additional comments. 	Please understand that the purpose of our review process is to assist you in your compliance with the applicable disclosure requirements and to enhance the overall disclosure in your filing. We look forward to working with you in these respects. We welcome any questions you may have about our comments or any other aspect of our review. Feel free to call us at the telephone numbers listed at the end of this letter. Form 10-K for the Year Ended December 31, 2004 Note 5-Investments and Other Assets Investment in Cibola Corporation 1.		Please file your response to prior comment 5 on EDGAR as a correspondence file. 2.		In addition, tell us your method of accounting for your investment in Cibola Corporation. Please reference the accounting literature which supports your accounting treatment. Item 9A-Controls and Procedures 3.		We note your revisions to your controls and procedures disclosure. Please revise to clarify in future filings, if true, that your officers concluded that your disclosure controls and procedures are effective as of the reporting date instead of a date within 90 days of the date of the filing. 	Please respond to these comments within 10 business days or tell us when you will provide us with a response. Please furnish a letter that keys your responses to our comments and provides any requested information. Detailed letters greatly facilitate our review. Please understand that we may have additional comments after reviewing your responses to our comments. 	You may contact Bret Johnson at (202) 551-3753 or me at (202) 551-3768 if you have questions regarding our comments. Sincerely, John Cash Accounting Branch Chief ?? ?? ?? ?? Herb Mee, Jr. The Beard Company June 1, 2005 Page 1 UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549-7010 DIVISION OF CORPORATION FINANCE