<ARTICLE>                     5
<CIK>                                          0000061398
<NAME>                                         Magellan Petroleum Corporation
<MULTIPLIER>                                   1
<CURRENCY>                                     U.S. Dollars
       
                                            
<PERIOD-TYPE>                                  9-MOS
<FISCAL-YEAR-END>                              JUN-30-1997
<PERIOD-START>                                 JUL-01-1996
<PERIOD-END>                                   MAR-31-1997
<EXCHANGE-RATE>                                1
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