Exhibit 21


                        Subsidiaries
                      of the Registrant


The  following  is a  list  of the  Company's  consolidated  subsidiaries  as of
December 31, 2000:



                                                                Percent of
                                                     State or     Voting
                                                    Country of  Securities
            Subsidiary                             Organization  Owned
            ----------                             -----------  ----------
                                                         
            The Beard Company (1)                    Oklahoma  Registrant
            Beard Leasing Company                    Delaware   100%
            Beard Oil Company                        Delaware   100%
            Beard Sino-American                      Oklahoma   100%
            Resources Co., Inc.
            Beard Technologies, Inc.                 Oklahoma   100%
            Incorporated Tank Systems(2)             Delaware    49%
            Incorporated Tank Systems de
              Mexico, S.A. de C.V                    Mexico     100%
            Interstate Travel
              Facilities, Inc.                       Oklahoma   100%
            ISITOP, Inc.                             Oklahoma    80%
            ITS, Inc.                                Oklahoma   100%
            starpay, com, inc                        Oklahoma   78.4%



(1)  The  consolidated  financial  statements of the Company include accounts of
     Registrant and the subsidiaries controlled by the Registrant.

(2)  Owns 100% of ITS, Inc. which in turn owns 100% of Incorporated Tank Systems
     de Mexico, S.A. de C.V.

(3)  Excludes 80%-owned Cibola  Corporation.  Registrant does not have financial
     control of this subsidiary.

(4)  Also excludes 50%-owned ITS-TESTCO, L.L.C. and TESTCO, INC. de MEXICO, S.A.
     de C.V.  Registrant does not have operating and financial  control of these
     subsidiaries.

(5)  Excludes  subsidiaries  which,  considered  in the  aggregate  as a  single
     subsidiary,  would not constitute a significant subsidiary as of the end of
     the year covered by this report.