POWER OF ATTORNEY
For Executing Forms 3, 4 and 5

	Know all by these presents, that the undersigned hereby
constitutes and appoints each of David T. Brigham and Warren
Ludlow, signing singly, as the undersigned's true and lawful
attorney-in-fact to:

(1)	execute for and on behalf of the undersigned, in the
undersigned's capacity as an officer
and/or director of Brigham Exploration Company (the "Company"),
Forms 3, 4 and 5 in
accordance with Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934, and the rules
promulgated thereunder;

(2)	do and perform any and all acts for and on behalf of the
undersigned which may be
necessary or desirable to complete and execute any such Form 3, 4
or 5 and timely file
such form with the United States Securities and Exchange
Commission and any stock
exchange or similar authority; and

(3)	take any other action of any type whatsoever in connection
with the foregoing which, in
the opinion of such attorney-in-fact, may be of benefit to, in
the best interest of, or legally
required by, the undersigned, it being understood that the
documents executed by such
attorney-in-fact on behalf of the undersigned pursuant to this
Power of Attorney shall be
in such form and shall contain such terms and conditions as such
attorney-in-fact may
approve in her or his discretion.

	The undersigned hereby grants to each such attorney-in-fact
full power and authority to do and
perform any and every act and thing whatsoever requisite,
necessary or proper to be done in the exercise
of any of the rights and powers herein granted, as fully to all
intents and purposes as the undersigned
might or could do if personally present, with full power of
substitution or revocation, hereby ratifying and
confirming all that such attorney-in-fact, or her or his
substitute or substitutes, shall lawfully do or cause
to be done by virtue of this Power of Attorney and the rights and
powers herein granted.  The undersigned
acknowledges that the foregoing attorneys-in-fact, in serving in
such capacity at the request of the
undersigned, are not assuming, nor is the Company assuming, any
of the undersigned's responsibilities to
comply with Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

	This Power of Attorney shall remain in full force and
effect until the undersigned is no longer
required to file Forms 3, 4 and 5 with respect to the
undersigned's holdings of and transactions in
securities relating to the Company, unless earlier revoked by the
undersigned in a signed writing delivered
to the foregoing attorneys-in-fact.

	IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has caused this Power
of Attorney to be executed as
of this 2nd day of January, 2003.


_Hobart A. Smith_____

010283.001479 Austin 189262.1