Zavanna, LLC was formed in August of 1994, to exploit a unique proprietary computer-based technology for oil and gas exploration, development and acquisitions in the United States.  The technology we incorporated into The ExplorationStation, was developed as the result of a 16 year multidisciplinary effort.  The power of the technology was in its unique ability to integrate several types of databases and to apply statistical analysis in a very compressed time frame.  This allowed our expert users to perform unbiased and exhaustive quantitative analysis of geological, geophysical, engineering and production data compiled for large geographically defined areas of up to 30,000 wells, or areas defined by a trend, play or concept. It gave Zavanna, and its joint venture partners, the capability to conduct new exploration in existing producing areas, unmatched by any oil and gas company, large or small.  Zavanna pursued a strategy of forming strategic alliances, joint ventures or joint exploration agreements with industry partners that were designed to complement the technology.  

Joint ventures were formed during the late 1990’s in portions of East Texas, West Texas, The Anadarko Basin of Oklahoma, Florida, the Williston Basin of North Dakota, and Alberta and Saskatchewan, Canada.  In early 2000, Zavanna concentrated its efforts in the Williston Basin to develop two of its significant discoveries (the Foreman Butte Field and the Briar Creek Field).  In October of 2005, Zavanna sold a portion of its leasehold to Brigham in an effort to develop Bakken production.   Starting a company is full of dreams and pitfalls and we tried to capture this state of mind in the name Zavanna.  The word Zavanna came from the word savanna and its reference in Bernard DeVoto’s book, Across the Wide Missouri.  One only has to replace fabled lands and the riches that lie just over the horizon, with words like Prospects, Discoveries, DSTs and Dry Holes to capture the essence of Zavanna.  "It was a word of poetry and power.  A savanna was of the mind only, of the mind’s edge, of fantasy.  It suggested meadows in sunlight, groves beside streams, something lovely and rich and distant.  While the pioneer was still in the piedmont, savannas were what you would see from the Cumberland Mountains when you looked down into a country still mostly fable, Kentucky.  The Spanish sailors with bearded lips found savannas in Florida as long as that province too remained fable.  The trouble was that Florida and Kentucky came out of fable, came out of it diminished by fact, and savannas moved on west."