EXHIBIT 12.1

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





                                                                                     
                                                                                                 SEVEN MONTHS
                                                     SIX MONTHS ENDED              YEAR ENDED    ENDED
                                                     JUNE 30,                      DEC. 31,      DEC. 31,
                                                     ------------------            ------------  --------------
                                                                  1996      1995          1995            1994
                                                     ------------------  --------  ------------  --------------

Fixed charges, as defined (1):
    Interest charges                                 $          22,040   $19,762   $    41,305   $      20,285
    Preferred dividend requirements of
      subsidiaries adjusted to pre-tax basis                       ---       ---           ---             ---
                                                     ------------------  --------  ------------  --------------
        Total fixed charges                                     22,040    19,762        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                                          26,738    10,347        16,600         (22,834)
  Fixed charges, above                                          22,040    19,762        41,305          20,285
  Less interest capitalized                                    (11,610)   (7,690)      (16,211)        (11,833)
  Plus undistributed (earnings) loss of affiliates                (118)     (777)        2,249           4,102
  Less preferred dividend requirements of
    subsidiaries adjusted to pre-tax basis                         ---       ---           ---             ---
                                                     ------------------  --------  ------------  --------------
                                                     $          37,050   $21,642   $    43,943   $     (10,280)
                                                     ------------------  --------  ------------  --------------

RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES (2) (3)                         1.7       1.1           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 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 six months ended June 30, 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 $13,486,000 and $10,075,000 for the six
months  ended  June  30, 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 0.6 for the six months ended June 30, 1995
and  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 six months ended June 30, 1995 by $8,195,000,
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.