1





                                                                    EXHIBIT 99.1

                                                                        CONTACT:
                                                                  James H. Price
                                                          Vice President-Finance
                                                                  (713) 658-9444

November 24, 1997


             SOUTHERN MINERAL BUYS INTEREST IN LAKE RACCOURCI FIELD
              AND ADDITIONAL INTEREST IN BIG ESCAMBIA CREEK FIELD


HOUSTON - Southern Mineral Corporation (NASDAQ/NM:SMIN) today announced that it
has purchased a 22.5% working interest in two producing wells in Lake Raccourci
Field in Lafourche Parish, Louisiana.  Current gross production from the two
wells is 8.6 Mmcf per day.  The Company anticipates the drilling of one
development well and one to two additional exploratory wells in 1998.  The
wells are operated by Xplor Energy, Inc. located in The Woodlands, Texas.

The Company has also recently acquired additional working interest in eleven
producing wells in which it currently owns a working interest in the Big
Escambia Creek Field in Big Escambia County, Alabama.  The Big Escambia Creek
Field is operated by Exxon Company, U.S.A.

The purchase price for both acquisitions combined was $8.0 million.  Total
proved reserves of the Lake Raccourci and the Big Escambia acquisitions are
estimated to be 9.1 Bcfe net to the Company.

Southern Mineral Corporation is an oil and gas acquisition, exploration and
production company that owns interests in oil and gas properties located along
the Gulf Coast, Canada and Ecuador.  The Company is listed on the NASDAQ
National Market under the symbol SMIN.