FORM 3

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 INITIAL STATEMENT OF BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

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(Print or Type Responses)

1. Name and Address of Reporting Person *   STATOIL ASA 2. Date of Event Requiring Statement (Month/Day/Year) 12/01/2011 3. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol BRIGHAM EXPLORATION CO [BEXP] (Last) (First) (Middle) FORUSBEEN 50 4. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable) _____ Director __X__ 10% Owner _____ Officer (give title below) _____ Other (specify below) 5. If Amendment, Date Original Filed(Month/Day/Year) (Street) STAVANGER, Q8 N4035 6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing(Check Applicable Line) ___ Form filed by One Reporting Person _X_ Form filed by More than One Reporting Person (City) (State) (Zip) Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned

1.Title of Security (Instr. 4) 2. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned (Instr. 4) 3. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 5) 4. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 5) Common stock, par value $0.01 per share (1) (2) (3) 104,029,535 I Beneficially owned through indirect, wholly - owned subsidiary

Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.			SEC 1473 (7-02)
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Table II - Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned (e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)

1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 4)	2. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (Month/Day/Year)		3. Title and Amount of Securities Underlying Derivative Security (Instr. 4)		4. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security	5. Ownership Form of Derivative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 5)	6. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 5)
	Date Exercisable	Expiration Date	Title	Amount or Number of Shares

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address	Relationships
	Director	10% Owner	Officer	Other
STATOIL ASA FORUSBEEN 50 STAVANGER, Q8 N4035	Â	  X	Â	Â
Statoil Petroleum AS FORUSBEEN 50 STAVANGER, Q8 N4035	Â	  X	Â	Â
STATOIL INTERNATIONAL HOLDING AS FORUSBEEN 50 STAVANGER, Q8 N4035	Â	  X	Â	Â
STATOIL INVESTMENT AMERICAS AS FORUSBEEN 50 STAVANGER, Q8 N4035	Â	  X	Â	Â
STATOIL E&P AMERICAS LP 2101 CITYWEST BLVD, SUITE 800 HOUSTON, TX 77042	Â	  X	Â	Â
STATOIL USA PROPERTIES INC. 2101 CITYWEST BLVD, SUITE 800 HOUSTON, TX 77042	Â	  X	Â	Â
FARGO ACQUISITION INC. FORUSBEEN 50 STAVANGER, Q8 N4035	Â	  X	Â	Â

Signatures

/s/ IRENE RUMMELHOFF, Attorney-in-Fact for Statoil ASA		12/05/2011
**Signature of Reporting Person		Date
/s/ JEFFREY C. ZARUBA, Attorney-in-Fact for Statoil Petroleum AS		12/05/2011
**Signature of Reporting Person		Date
/s/ JEFFREY C. ZARUBA, Attorney-in-Fact for Statoil International Holding AS		12/05/2011
**Signature of Reporting Person		Date
/s/ HELGE HALDORSEN, Vice President - Strategy for Statoil Investment Americas AS		12/05/2011
**Signature of Reporting Person		Date
/s/ JEFFREY C. ZARUBA, Treasurer and Assistant Secretary, Statoil Americas Investments LLC, its general partner for Statoil E&P Americas LP		12/05/2011
**Signature of Reporting Person		Date
/s/ ANDREW BYRON WINKLE, Vice President - Asset Development for Statoil USA Properties Inc.		12/05/2011
**Signature of Reporting Person		Date
/s/ IRENE RUMMELHOFF, President for Fargo Acquisition Inc.		12/05/2011
**Signature of Reporting Person		Date

Explanation of Responses:

*	If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 5(b)(v).
**	Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations. See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
(1)	In accordance with the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of October 17, 2011 (as it may be amended or supplemented from time to time in accordance with its terms, the "Merger Agreement"), by and among Statoil ASA, a public limited liability company organized under the laws of Norway ("Statoil"), Fargo Acquisition Inc., a Delaware corporation ("Purchaser") and an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Statoil, and Brigham Exploration Company, a Delaware corporation ("Brigham"), on October 28, 2011, Purchaser commenced a tender offer (the "Offer") to purchase all of the shares of common stock, par value $0.01 per share ("Shares"), of Brigham that are issued and outstanding at a price of $36.50 per Share, net to the seller in cash, without interest thereon and less any applicable withholding taxes, upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the offer to purchase, dated October 28, 2011, and the related letter of transmittal, (continued in footnote 2)
(2)	each as may be amended or supplemented from time to time, included as exhibits to the Tender Offer Statement on Schedule TO filed by Statoil with the Securities and Exchange Commission on October 28, 2011. As of midnight, New York City time, at the end of November 30, 2011, 104,029,535 Shares had been tendered by Brigham stockholders pursuant to the Offer, representing more than 87.7% of Brigham's total outstanding Shares (including and assuming delivery of 4,925,729 Shares tendered by notice of guaranteed delivery). Purchaser accepted these 104,029,535 shares on December 1, 2011. Shares are held by Purchaser. (Continued in Footnote 3)
(3)	As Purchaser is an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Statoil, Statoil Petroleum AS, Statoil International Holding AS, Statoil Investment Americas AS and Statoil E&P Americas LP and a direct, wholly owned subsidiary of Statoil USA Properties Inc., each of Statoil, Statoil Petroleum AS, Statoil International Holding AS, Statoil Investment Americas AS, Statoil E&P Americas LP and Statoil USA Properties Inc. may be deemed to have acquired indirect beneficial ownership of the Shares.

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