SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                         Washington, D.C.

                        February 27, 1997

LITIGATION RELEASE NO. 15266 / February 27, 1997

ACCOUNTING AND AUDITING ENFORCEMENT 
RELEASE NO. 890 / February 27, 1997

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION v. TRITON ENERGY CORPORATION,
ET AL., Civil Action No. 1:97CV00401 (D.D.C.)

     The Securities and Exchange Commission today filed a civil
injunctive action in the United States District Court for the
District of Columbia against Triton Energy Corporation ("Triton
Energy"), Philip W. Keever and Richard L. McAdoo, both former
senior officers of Triton Energy's subsidiary Triton Indonesia,
Inc. ("Triton Indonesia").  The Commission's complaint alleges
that during the years 1989 and 1990, McAdoo and Keever authorized
numerous improper payments to Roland Siouffi, Triton Indonesia's
business agent acting as an intermediary between Triton Indonesia
and Indonesian government agencies, knowing or recklessly
disregarding the high probability that Siouffi either had or
would pass such payments along to Indonesian government employees
for the purpose of influencing their decisions affecting the
business of Triton Indonesia.  The complaint alleges that these
payments were made in violation of the Foreign Corrupt Practices
Act.  According to the complaint, McAdoo and Keever, together
with other Triton Indonesia employees, also concealed these
payments by falsely documenting and recording the transactions as
routine business expenditures.  The complaint states that Triton
Energy did not expressly authorize or direct these improper
payments and misbookings.

     The complaint also alleges that Triton Indonesia recorded
other false entries in its books and records, including, for
example, falsely documenting and recording cash payments
totalling $1,000 per month to clerical employees of the
Indonesian national oil company made for the purpose of
expediting payment of monthly crude oil invoices.  During the
relevant time period, the complaint alleges, Triton Energy failed
to devise and maintain an adequate system of internal accounting
controls to detect and prevent improper payments by Triton
Indonesia to government officials and to provide reasonable
assurance that transactions were recorded as necessary to permit
preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally
accepted accounting principles.    The Commission seeks permanent
injunctions and civil monetary penalties from each of the three
defendants.
==========================================START OF PAGE 2======

     Simultaneous with the filing of the complaint, defendant
Triton Energy consented, without admitting or denying the
allegations, to the entry of a Final Judgment that permanently
enjoins it from violating the books and records and internal
controls provisions of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
("Exchange Act"), and orders Triton Energy to pay a $300,000
penalty.  In accepting the settlement, the Commission has
considered the fact that the violations occurred under former
management and that certain remedial actions have been
implemented by the current board of directors and senior
management.

     In addition, defendant Keever consented, without admitting
or denying the allegations, to the entry of a Final Judgment that
permanently enjoins him from violating the foreign corrupt
practices and books and records provisions of the Exchange Act,
and orders Keever to pay a $50,000 penalty.

     The Commission also instituted related administrative
proceedings against former employees David Gore, Robert Puetz,
William McClure, and Robert P. Murphy for their conduct in
connection with the improper payments and misbookings.  The
Commission's Order finds that, as a result of the falsely
documented payments and other false entries, Triton Indonesia
maintained books and records that did not accurately or fairly
reflect the underlying disposition of assets.  The Order further
finds that Murphy, Triton Indonesia's Controller, knowingly
participated in creating and recording false entries in Triton
Indonesia's books and records.  According to the Order, McClure,
Triton Indonesia's Commercial Manager, failed to assure that the
entries prepared by Murphy accurately reflected the underlying
transactions.  The Commission's Order also finds that Gore,
formerly Triton Energy's president and a director, and Puetz,
formerly Triton Energy's senior vice president of finance and
chief financial officer, each received information indicating
that Triton Indonesia was engaged in conduct that was potentially
unlawful, but took no action to initiate an investigation of the
serious issues raised by Triton Energy's internal auditor.

     Without admitting or denying the Commission's findings,
McClure and Murphy consented to cease and desist from committing
or causing any violation of, and committing or causing any future
violation of the books and records provision of the Exchange Act.

At the same time, Gore and Puetz consented to cease and desist
from committing or causing any violation of, and committing or
causing any future violation of the foreign payments provision of
the Exchange Act.  In addition, Gore, Puetz, McClure and Murphy
consented to cease and desist from causing any violation of, and
causing any future violation of the recordkeeping provision of
the Exchange Act.  See In the Matter of David Gore, Robert Puetz,
William McClure, and Robert P. Murphy, Administrative Proceeding 
3-9262, (February 27, 1997).