EXHIBIT 12.1 TRITON ENERGY LIMITED AND SUBSIDIARIES COMPUTATION OF RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES (IN THOUSANDS, EXCEPT RATIOS) (UNAUDITED) SIX MONTHS ENDED JUNE 30, YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, ----------------------------- ------------------------------------ 1997 1996 1996 1995 ------------------ --------- ------------------------- --------- Fixed charges, as defined (1): Interest charges $ 25,242 $ 22,040 $ 43,884 $ 41,305 Preferred dividend requirements of subsidiaries adjusted to pre-tax basis --- --- --- --- ------------------ --------- ------------------------- --------- Total fixed charges $ 25,242 $ 22,040 $ 43,884 $ 41,305 ------------------ --------- ------------------------- --------- Earnings, as defined (1) (3): Earnings (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes, minority interest, extraordinary item and cumulative effect of accounting change $ 6,621 $ 26,738 $ 20,945 $ 16,600 Fixed charges, above 25,242 22,040 43,884 41,305 Less interest capitalized (12,505) (11,610) (27,102) (16,211) Plus undistributed (earnings) loss of affiliates --- (118) (118) 2,249 Less preferred dividend requirements of subsidiaries adjusted to pre-tax basis --- --- --- --- ------------------ --------- ------------------------- --------- $ 19,358 $ 37,050 $ 37,609 $ 43,943 ------------------ --------- ------------------------- --------- RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES (2) (3) 0.8 1.7 0.9 1.1 ------------------ --------- ------------------------- --------- SEVEN MONTHS ENDED DEC. 31, YEAR ENDED MAY 31, ------------------------------------------- 1994 1994 1993 1992 -------------- -------------------- ---------- --------- Fixed charges, as defined (1): Interest charges $ 20,285 $ 26,951 $ 16,336 $ 11,066 Preferred dividend requirements of subsidiaries adjusted to pre-tax basis --- 364 1,551 1,780 -------------- -------------------- ---------- --------- Total fixed charges $ 20,285 $ 27,315 $ 17,887 $ 12,846 -------------- -------------------- ---------- --------- Earnings, as defined (1) (3): Earnings (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes, minority interest, extraordinary item and cumulative effect of accounting change $ (22,834) $ (23,104) $(147,445) $(87,124) Fixed charges, above 20,285 27,315 17,887 12,846 Less interest capitalized (11,833) (16,863) (6,407) (6,529) Plus undistributed (earnings) loss of affiliates 4,102 (645) 3,012 2,558 Less preferred dividend requirements of subsidiaries adjusted to pre-tax basis --- (364) (1,551) (1,780) -------------- -------------------- ---------- --------- $ (10,280) $ (13,661) $(134,504) $(80,029) -------------- -------------------- ---------- --------- RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES (2) (3) --- --- --- --- -------------- -------------------- ---------- --------- (1) Earnings include the Company's equity in the losses of a former affiliate whose debt was guaranteed by the Company. Related interest charges for the year ended May 31, 1992 of $819,000 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 six months ended June 30, 1997 by $5,884,000, for the year ended December 31, 1996 by $6,275,000, 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 six months ended June 30, 1996, $46,153,000 and $1,058,000 for the years ended December 31, 1996 and 1995, $984,000 for the seven months ended December 31, 1994 and $45,754,000, $99,883,000 and $48,805,000 for the years ended May 31, 1994, 1993 and 1992, respectively. Nonrecurring gains from the sale of assets and other gains aggregated $4,842,000 and $13,486,000 for the six months ended June 30, 1997 and 1996, respectively, $22,189,000, $13,617,000 and $56,193,000 for the years ended December 31, 1996 and 1995 and May 31, 1994, 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, 1997, 1.4 and 0.8 for the years ended December 31, 1996 and 1995, respectively. Without nonrecurring items, earnings would have been inadequate to cover fixed charges for the six months ended June 30, 1997 by $10,726,000, 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 and 1992 by $51,415,000, $45,183,000 and $32,301,000, respectively.