<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0303</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2010-11-05</periodOfReport>

    <notSubjectToSection16>0</notSubjectToSection16>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0000061398</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>MAGELLAN PETROLEUM CORP /DE/</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>MPET</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001468730</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>bogachev nikolay v</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>9-3 SECHNEOVSKY PEREULOK</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2></rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>MOSCOW</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>1Z</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>RUS-119034</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription>RUSSIAN FEDERATION</rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>1</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <nonDerivativeTable>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2010-11-05</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>S</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness>
                <value></value>
            </transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>712085</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F1"/>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <footnoteId id="F1"/>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>D</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>13612463</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F2"/>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>I</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value>See footnote 3</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F3"/>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
        <nonDerivativeHolding>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>15000</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F2"/>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeHolding>
    </nonDerivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">Effective as of November 5, 2010, the reporting person sold his 60.5% indirect equity interest in ECP Fund, SICAV-FIS (the &quot;ECP Fund&quot;) (formerly known as YEP I, SICAV-FIS) for an aggregate purchase price of 1,425,115.69 Euros.  Accordingly, the reporting person no longer has a pecuniary interst in any of the issuer's shares held by the ECP Fund.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F2">The reporting person beneficially owns 15,000 shares of the issuer's common stock directly and 13,612,463 shares of the issuer's common stock indirectly, which shares are held by Young Energy Prize S.A.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F3">The reported securities are held by the ECP Fund.  Effective as of November 5, 2010, the reporting person no longer owns an equity interest in the ECP Fund and thus no longer has a pecuniary interest in any of the issuer's shares held by the ECP Fund.</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>/s/ Nikolay V. Bogachev</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2010-12-09</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
