Exhibit 23.4

                          Independent Auditor's Consent

The Board of Directors and Stockholders
TMBR/Sharp Drilling, Inc.

We consent to the use of our report dated June 5, 2003, with respect to the
balance sheets of TMBR/Sharp Drilling, Inc., as of March 31, 2003 and 2002, and
the related statements of operations, stockholders' equity, and cash flows for
the years then ended, which report appears in the March 31, 2003 annual report
on Form 10-K of TMBR/Sharp Drilling, Inc. incorporated herein by reference and
to the reference to our firm under the heading "Experts" in the proxy
statement/prospectus. The 2001 financial statements of TMBR/Sharp Drilling, Inc.
were audited by other auditors who have ceased operations. Those auditors
expressed an unqualified opinion of those financial statements in their report
dated May 18, 2001.

                                                  /s/  KPMG LLP


Midland, Texas

December 9, 2003