SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

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                                    FORM 8-K


                                 CURRENT REPORT
                       PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF
                       THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

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       Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): February 13, 1997

                      UNION TEXAS PETROLEUM HOLDINGS, INC.
             (Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)




     Delaware                        1-9019                     76-0040040
  (State or other                  Commission                (I.R.S. Employer
   jurisdiction                   File Number)              Identification No.)
 of incorporation)


                  1330 Post Oak Boulevard, Houston, Texas 77056
               (Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)

        Registrant's telephone number, including area code (713) 623-6544









Item 5.  OTHER EVENTS.

                  Eastern  Indonesia.  The Kai  exploratory  well located in the
Maluku  (Moluccas)  Island  group in the  Banda  Sea in  Eastern  Indonesia  has
recently been plugged and abandoned  with the related  expenses  included in the
fourth quarter of the 1996 financial  statements.  Results of the well are under
review to determine what future exploration  program should be undertaken in the
area. A subsidiary of Union Texas  Petroleum  Holdings,  Inc. serves as operator
and has a 44.44% working interest in the Kai production sharing contract.

                  Press  Releases.  The  information  set  forth  in  the  press
releases of the registrant  dated February 11, 1997, filed as an exhibit hereto,
is incorporated by reference herein.

                  The press releases contain  forward-looking  statements within
the meaning of and in reliance upon the "safe harbor"  provisions of the Private
Securities  Litigation Reform Act, as set forth in Section 27A of the Securities
Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
as amended,  that involve risks and  uncertainties,  including price volatility,
exploration,  development,  operational  and  implementation  risks,  and  other
factors described from time to time in the registrant's  publicly  available SEC
reports,  which could cause  actual  results to differ  materially.  The capital
spending budget is subject to revision based upon results of activities,  market
conditions, acquisition opportunities and other factors.


Item 7.  FINANCIAL STATEMENT AND EXHIBITS.

                  (c)      Exhibits.


Exhibit
Number          Description
- -------         -----------
 99.1       Press release dated February 11, 1997









                                    SIGNATURE

                  Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934,  the  Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by
the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.

                                    UNION TEXAS PETROLEUM
                                    HOLDINGS, INC.



                                     By:      /s/ Alan R. Crain, Jr.
                                              Alan R. Crain, Jr.
                                              Vice President and General Counsel


Date: February 13, 1997









                                INDEX TO EXHIBITS



Exhibit
Number         Description
     99.1      Press release dated February 11, 1997