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                                                                    EXHIBIT 99.1



                                                           FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


               AMERADA HESS ANNOUNCES ACQUISITION OF TRITON SHARES


         New York, New York, August 14, 2001. . . . . . Amerada Hess Corporation
(NYSE: AHC) announced today that in response to its cash tender offer, made
through its wholly owned subsidiary, Amerada Hess (Cayman) Limited, to purchase
all of the Ordinary Shares of Triton Energy Limited for $45 per share, based on
reports from The Bank of New York as Depositary, 63,751,116 Ordinary Shares
(including 22,899,985 Ordinary Shares subject to guarantees of delivery) or
99.64% of the outstanding Ordinary Shares of Triton had been validly tendered
and not withdrawn as of 12:00 midnight, New York time, on Monday, August 13,
2001, the expiration date of the offer. Amerada Hess (Cayman) has accepted for
payment the tendered shares. The shares tendered include Ordinary Shares
(subject to guarantees of delivery) issued on the conversion of the Preference
Shares of Triton owned by Hicks, Muse, Tate & Furst Incorporated.

         As previously announced, Amerada Hess (Cayman) intends to effect a
compulsory acquisition of the remaining Ordinary Shares that are not owned by
Amerada Hess, Amerada Hess (Cayman) or any subsidiary of Amerada Hess in
accordance with the law of the Cayman Islands as soon as is permitted by the law
of the Cayman Islands.

ABOUT AMERADA HESS CORPORATION

         Amerada Hess, headquartered in New York, is a global integrated energy
company engaged in the exploration for and the production, purchase,
transportation and sale of crude oil and natural gas, as well as the production
and sale of refined petroleum products. Exploration and production activities
take place primarily in the United States, the United Kingdom, Norway, Denmark,
Brazil, Algeria, Gabon, Indonesia, Azerbaijan, Thailand and Malaysia.

         Amerada Hess produces approximately 425,000 barrels of oil equivalent
per day, two-thirds of which is oil and one-third natural gas. Amerada Hess'
total proved oil and gas reserves at December 31, 2000 were about 1.1 billion
barrels of oil equivalent.

         Amerada Hess' refined petroleum products are manufactured at the
HOVENSA refinery in St. Croix, United States Virgin Islands, which is owned
jointly with Petroleos de Venezuela S.A. The refinery is one of the largest in
the world with a capacity of 500,000 barrels per day. Amerada Hess markets
refined petroleum products on the East Coast of the United States through its
terminal network and approximately 1,180 HESS brand retail outlets.


        CONTACT: AMERADA HESS CORPORATION.......C.T. TURSI (212) 536-8593