1


                                                                   EXHIBIT 23.1







The Board of Directors and Shareholders
Venus Exploration, Inc.:

We consent to incorporation by reference in the registration statement (No.
33-61193) on Form S-8 and registration statement (No. 33-73457) on Form S-3 of
Venus Exploration, Inc. of our report dated April 7, 1999, relating to the
consolidated balance sheets of Venus Exploration, Inc. and subsidiaries as of
December 31, 1998, and 1997, and the related consolidated statements of
operations, shareholders' equity (deficit), and cash flows for each of the
years in the three-year period ended December 31, 1998 which report appears in
the December 31, 1998 annual report on Form 10-K of Venus Exploration, Inc.

Our report dated April 7, 1998, contains an explanatory paragraph that states
that the Company has suffered recurring losses from operations and has an
accumulated deficit, which raise substantial doubt about its ability to
continue as a going concern. The consolidated financial statements do not
include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of that uncertainty.



KPMG LLP


San Antonio, Texas
April 13, 1999