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                                                                    EXHIBIT 23.2
 
                            DEGOLYER AND MACNAUGHTON
                               ONE ENERGY SQUARE
                              DALLAS, TEXAS 75206
 
                                 March 11, 1994
 
MESA Inc.
5205 North O'Connor Blvd.
Suite 1400
Irving, Texas 75039-3746
 
Gentlemen:
 
     We hereby consent to (i) the references to our firm under the caption
"Experts" in MESA Inc.'s Registration Statement on Form S-3 relating to debt
securities of MESA Inc. and Mesa Operating Co. and (ii) the incorporation by
reference in MESA Inc.'s Registration Statement on Form S-3 of (a) the
references to our firm under the captions "Business -- Properties" and
"Business -- Reserves" in MESA Inc.'s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year
ended December 31, 1993 (the "MESA Inc. 10-K") and (b) our "Appraisal Report as
of December 31, 1993 on Certain Properties owned by MESA Inc. and Hugoton
Capital Limited Partnership, including Satanta Plant"; provided, however, that
such report pertains to values for only a selected portion of the total
properties included in the MESA Inc. Form 10-K. Consequently, our estimates have
been combined with estimates prepared by MESA Inc.'s engineers and we are
necessarily unable to verify the accuracy of the aggregate reserves, revenue,
and discounted present worth.
 
                                            Very truly yours,
 
                                            /s/  DEGOLYER AND MACNAUGHTON
                                                 DeGolyer and MacNaughton