1
 
                                                                    EXHIBIT 23.1
 
                                    CONSENT
 
     We consent to the incorporation of our report dated November 14, 1997, with
respect to the statements of financial position of the U.S. Department of Energy
Naval Petroleum Reserve No. 1 (NPR-1) as of September 30, 1997 and 1996, and the
related statements of operations and changes in net position, and cash flows for
the year then ended, which report appears in the Current Report on Form 8-K
dated February 10, 1998 (Date of earliest event reported) into Occidental
Petroleum Corporation's previously filed Registration Statements Nos. 33-5487,
33-5490, 33-14662, 33-23798, 33-40054, 33-44791, 33-47636, 33-60492, 33-59395,
33-64719, 333-11897 and 333-17879.
 
     Our report dated November 14, 1997, contains an explanatory paragraph that
states that the financial statements were prepared in conformity with the
hierarchy of accounting principles and standards defined in U.S. Office of
Management and Budget Bulletin No. 94-01, Form and Content of Agency Financial
Statements. This hierarchy is a comprehensive basis of accounting other than
generally accepted accounting principles.
 
     Our report dated November 14, 1997, contains an explanatory paragraph that
states that on October 6, 1997, DOE announced that Occidental Petroleum
Corporation has submitted the highest responsible offer at $3.65 billion for all
of the Government's interest in NPR-1.
 
                                          KPMG PEAT MARWICK LLP
 
Salt Lake City, Utah
April 15, 1998