SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

                     Washington, D.C.  20549



                            FORM 8-K

                         CURRENT REPORT

             Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the

                 Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported):  April 09, 2001



                     McMoRan Exploration Co.


    Delaware                001-07791            72-1424200
(State or other            (Commission         (IRS Employer
jurisdiction of            File Number)        Identification
incorporation or                                   Number)
  organization)

                       1615 Poydras Street
                  New Orleans, Louisiana  70112

 Registrant's telephone number, including area code:  (504) 582-4000





Item 5. Other Events and Regulation FD Disclosures

McMoRan  announced the following information  regarding certain
preliminary  first-quarter 2001  financial  charges and
other operational updates:

NEW  ORLEANS,  LA,  April  9,  2001  -  McMoRan  Exploration  Co.
announced  today  that additional drilling of the  Eugene  Island
Block  97 Thunderbolt No. 2 well indicates an additional 60  feet
of net gas pay, bringing the total net gas pay for the No. 2 well
to  in  excess  of 110 feet, through a vertical depth  of  14,880
feet.  The well is currently being drilled deeper.  As previously
reported, protective casing has been set to a measured  depth  of
15,939  feet, total vertical depth of 14,388 feet, in this  well.
Depending  on  the results of the deepening of the well,  McMoRan
estimates  that  the close proximity of the No.  2  well  to  the
existing  production  facilities  recently  constructed  for  the
Thunderbolt No. 1 well, will allow it to be brought on production
quickly.    McMoRan  owns a 38 percent working  interest  in  the
Thunderbolt  prospect  located in  27  feet  of  water  25  miles
offshore  Louisiana.  Ocean Energy, Inc. is  operator  of  Eugene
Island  97 and holds a 35 percent working interest.  Samedan  Oil
Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Noble Affiliates, Inc.,
holds a 25 percent working interest in the prospect.

The  Thunderbolt  No.1 well at Eugene Island  Block  97  recently
commenced  production,  as  reported earlier,  and  is  currently
flowing  15  million cubic feet of natural gas per  day  and  150
barrels  of  condensate per day, approximately four months  after
its discovery.  Ownership in the No. 1 well is the same as in the
No. 2 well described above.

McMoRan1s  maintenance  activities  at  the  Main  Pass  299  oil
production facilities are now complete and daily gross production
is  currently averaging approximately 7,000 barrels of  oil.   As
indicated  previously, oil production from the field was  shut-in
during February 2001 for platform and equipment maintenance.   As
a  result of the maintenance work, gross daily production at Main
Pass averaged 2,400 barrels of oil during the 2001 first quarter.
McMoRan's share of production was approximately 1,200 barrels  of
oil  per  day.   McMoRan's  share of the  maintenance  costs  was
approximately $1.1 million, which will be included in  production
costs for the first quarter of 2001.

Because  of a recent significant decline in the market  price  of
sulphur to $42.50 per long ton for second quarter of 2001 (prices
averaged  $57.50 per long ton during the first quarter of  2001),
McMoRan  estimates  that  its financial results  will  include  a
charge of approximately $5.4 million to reduce the carrying value
of  its  sulphur  inventory as of March 31, 2001 to  reflect  the
lower  current market price.  Sulphur prices have dropped a total
of  $22.00 since the end of 2000 when the average Tampa price was
$64.50 per long ton.  Under McMoRan's recently announced proposed
sulphur  transportation and marketing joint venture  with  Savage
Industries Inc., McMoRan would no longer be exposed to  inventory
valuation adjustments, because it is contemplated that the  joint
venture would provide only transportation, handling and marketing
services.

CAUTIONARY STATEMENT:  This Form 8-K contains certain forward-
looking statements regarding various oil and gas discoveries, oil
and gas exploration, development and production activities,
anticipated production rates and revenues.  Important factors
that might cause future results to differ from these projections
include: variations in the market prices of oil and natural gas;
drilling results; unanticipated fluctuations in flow rates of
producing wells; natural gas and oil reserves expectations; the
ability to satisfy future cash obligations and environmental
costs; general exploration and development risks and hazards.
Such factors and others are more fully described in more detail
in McMoRan's 2000 Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission.


                            SIGNATURE
                       ------------------

     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act
of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed
on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

                              McMoRan Exploration Co.


                              By:  /s/ C. Donald Whitmire Jr.
                                   ------------------------------
                                       C. Donald Whitmire, Jr.
                                  Vice President & Controller -
                                        Financial Reporting
                                  (authorized signatory and
                                   Principal Accounting Officer)

Date:  April 10, 2001
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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

                     Washington, D.C.  20549

                            FORM 8-K

                         CURRENT REPORT

             Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the

                 Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported):  April 09, 2001

                     McMoRan Exploration Co.

    Delaware                001-07791            72-1424200
(State or other            (Commission         (IRS Employer
jurisdiction of            File Number)        Identification
incorporation or                                   Number)
  organization)

                       1615 Poydras Street
                  New Orleans, Louisiana  70112

 Registrant's telephone number, including area code:  (504) 582-4000

Item 5. Other Events and Regulation FD Disclosures

McMoRan  announced the following information  regarding certain
preliminary  first-quarter 2001  financial  charges and
other operational updates:

NEW  ORLEANS,  LA,  April  9,  2001  -  McMoRan  Exploration  Co.
announced  today  that additional drilling of the  Eugene  Island
Block  97 Thunderbolt No. 2 well indicates an additional 60  feet
of net gas pay, bringing the total net gas pay for the No. 2 well
to  in  excess  of 110 feet, through a vertical depth  of  14,880
feet.  The well is currently being drilled deeper.  As previously
reported, protective casing has been set to a measured  depth  of
15,939  feet, total vertical depth of 14,388 feet, in this  well.
Depending  on  the results of the deepening of the well,  McMoRan
estimates  that  the close proximity of the No.  2  well  to  the
existing  production  facilities  recently  constructed  for  the
Thunderbolt No. 1 well, will allow it to be brought on production
quickly.    McMoRan  owns a 38 percent working  interest  in  the
Thunderbolt  prospect  located in  27  feet  of  water  25  miles
offshore  Louisiana.  Ocean Energy, Inc. is  operator  of  Eugene
Island  97 and holds a 35 percent working interest.  Samedan  Oil
Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Noble Affiliates, Inc.,
holds a 25 percent working interest in the prospect.

The  Thunderbolt  No.1 well at Eugene Island  Block  97  recently
commenced  production,  as  reported earlier,  and  is  currently
flowing  15  million cubic feet of natural gas per  day  and  150
barrels  of  condensate per day, approximately four months  after
its discovery.  Ownership in the No. 1 well is the same as in the
No. 2 well described above.

McMoRan1s  maintenance  activities  at  the  Main  Pass  299  oil
production facilities are now complete and daily gross production
is  currently averaging approximately 7,000 barrels of  oil.   As
indicated  previously, oil production from the field was  shut-in
during February 2001 for platform and equipment maintenance.   As
a  result of the maintenance work, gross daily production at Main
Pass averaged 2,400 barrels of oil during the 2001 first quarter.
McMoRan's share of production was approximately 1,200 barrels  of
oil  per  day.   McMoRan's  share of the  maintenance  costs  was
approximately $1.1 million, which will be included in  production
costs for the first quarter of 2001.

Because  of a recent significant decline in the market  price  of
sulphur to $42.50 per long ton for second quarter of 2001 (prices
averaged  $57.50 per long ton during the first quarter of  2001),
McMoRan  estimates  that  its financial results  will  include  a
charge of approximately $5.4 million to reduce the carrying value
of  its  sulphur  inventory as of March 31, 2001 to  reflect  the
lower  current market price.  Sulphur prices have dropped a total
of  $22.00 since the end of 2000 when the average Tampa price was
$64.50 per long ton.  Under McMoRan's recently announced proposed
sulphur  transportation and marketing joint venture  with  Savage
Industries Inc., McMoRan would no longer be exposed to  inventory
valuation adjustments, because it is contemplated that the  joint
venture would provide only transportation, handling and marketing
services.

CAUTIONARY STATEMENT:  This Form 8-K contains certain forward-
looking statements regarding various oil and gas discoveries, oil
and gas exploration, development and production activities,
anticipated production rates and revenues.  Important factors
that might cause future results to differ from these projections
include: variations in the market prices of oil and natural gas;
drilling results; unanticipated fluctuations in flow rates of
producing wells; natural gas and oil reserves expectations; the
ability to satisfy future cash obligations and environmental
costs; general exploration and development risks and hazards.
Such factors and others are more fully described in more detail
in McMoRan's 2000 Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission.

                            SIGNATURE
                       ------------------

     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act
of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed
on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

                              McMoRan Exploration Co.

                              By:  /s/ C. Donald Whitmire Jr.
                                   ------------------------------
                                       C. Donald Whitmire, Jr.
                                  Vice President & Controller -
                                        Financial Reporting
                                  (authorized signatory and
                                   Principal Accounting Officer)

Date:  April 10, 2001