Exhibit 12.1

                    TRITON ENERGY LIMITED AND SUBSIDIARIES
              COMPUTATION OF RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES
                        (IN THOUSANDS, EXCEPT RATIOS)





                                                                                       
                                                                                                   SEVEN MONTHS
                                                         THREE MONTHS ENDED          YEAR ENDED    ENDED
                                                             MARCH 31,               DEC. 31,      DEC. 31,
                                                     ------------------------------  ------------  --------------
                                                                    1996      1995          1995            1994
                                                     --------------------  --------  ------------  --------------

Fixed charges, as defined (1):
    Interest charges                                 $            11,106   $ 9,586   $    41,305   $      20,285
    Preferred dividend requirements of
      subsidiaries adjusted to pre-tax basis                         ---       ---           ---             ---
                                                     --------------------  --------  ------------  --------------
        Total fixed charges                                       11,106     9,586        41,305          20,285
                                                     --------------------  --------  ------------  --------------

Earnings, as defined (1) (3):
  Earnings (loss) from continuing operations
     before income taxes, minority interest,
     extraordinary item and cumulative effect of
     accounting change                                            12,044     2,424        16,600         (22,834)
  Fixed charges, above                                            11,106     9,586        41,305          20,285
  Less interest capitalized                                       (5,182)   (3,766)      (16,211)        (11,833)
  Plus undistributed (earnings) loss of affiliates                    46    (2,927)        2,249           4,102
  Less preferred dividend requirements of
    subsidiaries adjusted to pre-tax basis                           ---       ---           ---             ---
                                                     --------------------  --------  ------------  --------------
                                                     $            18,014   $ 5,317   $    43,943   $     (10,280)
                                                     --------------------  --------  ------------  --------------

RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES (2) (3)                           1.6       ---           1.1             ---
                                                     --------------------  --------  ------------  --------------



                                                                                       


                                                                            YEARS ENDED MAY 31,
                                                     ------------------------------------------------------
                                                                     1994        1993       1992      1991
                                                     ---------------------  ----------  ---------  --------

Fixed charges, as defined (1):
    Interest charges                                 $             26,951   $  16,336   $ 11,066   $28,056
    Preferred dividend requirements of
      subsidiaries adjusted to pre-tax basis                          364       1,551      1,780     2,330

                                                     ---------------------  ----------  ---------  --------
        Total fixed charges                                        27,315      17,887     12,846    30,386
                                                     ---------------------  ----------  ---------  --------

Earnings, as defined (1) (3):
  Earnings (loss) from continuing operations
     before income taxes, minority interest,
     extraordinary item and cumulative effect of
     accounting change                                            (23,104)   (147,445)   (87,124)   21,054
  Fixed charges, above                                             27,315      17,887     12,846    30,386
  Less interest capitalized                                       (16,863)     (6,407)    (6,529)   (5,879)
  Plus undistributed (earnings) loss of affiliates                   (645)      3,012      2,558    (2,604)
  Less preferred dividend requirements of
    subsidiaries adjusted to pre-tax basis                           (364)     (1,551)    (1,780)   (2,330)
                                                     ---------------------  ----------  ---------  --------
                                                     $            (13,661)  $(134,504)  $(80,029)  $40,627
                                                     ---------------------  ----------  ---------  --------

RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES (2) (3)                            ---         ---        ---       1.3
                                                     ---------------------  ----------  ---------  --------





(1)      Earnings include the Company's equity in the losses of an affiliate
whose  debt  is guaranteed by the Company.  Related interest charges for the
years ended May 31, 1992 and 1991 of $819,000 and $802,000, respectively,
were  excluded  from  fixed  charges  due  to  the  improbability  that such
guarantees would be honored.

(2)       Earnings were inadequate to cover fixed charges for the three months
ended  March 31, 1995 by $4,269,000, for the seven months ended December 31,
1994  by  $30,565,000 and for the years ended May 31, 1994, 1993 and 1992 by
$40,976,000, $152,391,000 and $92,875,000, respectively.

(3)          Earnings  reflect  nonrecurring writedowns and loss provisions of
$350,000  for the three months ended March 31, 1996, $1,058,000 for the year
ended  December  31,  1995, $984,000 for the seven months ended December 31,
1994  and $45,754,000, $99,883,000, $48,805,000 and $2,708,000 for the years
ended  May  31,  1994, 1993, 1992 and 1991, respectively. Nonrecurring gains
from the sale of  assets and other gains aggregated $4,150,000 and $1,875,000
for  the  three  months  ended  March  31,  1996  and  1995,  respectively,
$13,617,000,  $56,193,000  and  $28,351,000 for the years ended December 31,
1995,  May  31,  1994 and 1991, respectively. The ratio of earnings to fixed
charges if adjusted to remove nonrecurring items, would have been 0.8 and 0.6
for  the  years  ended  December  31,  1995 and May 31, 1991, respectively.
Without  nonrecurring  items,  earnings  would have been inadequate to cover
fixed  charges  for the three months ended March 31, 1995 by $6,144,000, for
the  year ended December 31, 1995  by $9,921,000, for the seven months ended
December 31, 1994 by $29,581,000 and for the years ended May 31, 1994, 1993,
1992  and  1991  by  $51,415,000,  $45,183,000, $32,301,000 and $11,906,000,
respectively.