**POWER
OF ATTORNEY**
 
 
 BE IT
KNOWN: That the undersigned, in his capacity or capacities as an officer and/or
a member of the Board of Directors of McMoRan Exploration Co., a Delaware
corporation (the “Company”), does hereby make, constitute and appoint JAMES R.
MOFFETT his true and lawful attorney-in-fact with full power of substitution, to
execute, deliver and file, for and on behalf of him, in his name and in his
capacity or capacities as aforesaid, an Annual Report of the Company on Form
10-K for the year ended December 31, 2004, and any amendment or amendments
thereto and any other document in support thereof or supplemental thereto, and
the undersigned hereby grants to said attorney full power and authority to do
and perform each and every act and thing whatsoever that said attorney may deem
necessary or advisable to carry out fully the intent of the foregoing as the
undersigned might or could do personally or in the capacity or capacities as
aforesaid, hereby ratifying and confirming all acts and things which said
attorney may do or cause to be done by virtue of this Power of
Attorney.
 
 EXECUTED
this 31 st day of
January, 2005.
 
 
 
 /s/ Richard C.
Adkerson
 Richard
C. Adkerson
 
 
  
  **POWER
OF ATTORNEY**
 
 
 BE IT
KNOWN: That the undersigned, in his capacity or capacities as an officer and/or
a member of the Board of Directors of McMoRan Exploration Co., a Delaware
corporation (the “Company”), does hereby make, constitute and appoint JAMES R.
MOFFETT and RICHARD C. ADKERSON, and each of them acting individually, his true
and lawful attorney-in-fact with power to act without the other and with full
power of substitution, to execute, deliver and file, for and on behalf of him,
in his name and in his capacity or capacities as aforesaid, an Annual Report of
the Company on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2004, and any amendment
or amendments thereto and any other document in support thereof or supplemental
thereto, and the undersigned hereby grants to said attorneys, and each of them,
full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing
whatsoever that said attorney or attorneys may deem necessary or advisable to
carry out fully the intent of the foregoing as the undersigned might or could do
personally or in the capacity or capacities as aforesaid, hereby ratifying and
confirming all acts and things which said attorney or attorneys may do or cause
to be done by virtue of this Power of Attorney.
 
 EXECUTED
this 31 st day of
January, 2005.
 
 
 
 /s/ Robert A. Day
  
 
  
  **POWER
OF ATTORNEY**
 
 
 BE IT
KNOWN: That the undersigned, in his capacity or capacities as an officer and/or
a member of the Board of Directors of McMoRan Exploration Co., a Delaware
corporation (the “Company”), does hereby make, constitute and appoint JAMES R.
MOFFETT and RICHARD C. ADKERSON and each of them acting individually, his true
and lawful attorney-in-fact with power to act without the other and with full
power of substitution, to execute, deliver and file, for and on behalf of him,
in his name and in his capacity or capacities as aforesaid, an Annual Report of
the Company on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2004, and any amendment
or amendments thereto and any other document in support thereof or supplemental
thereto, and the undersigned hereby grants to said attorneys, and each of them,
full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing
whatsoever that said attorney or attorneys may deem necessary or advisable to
carry out fully the intent of the foregoing as the undersigned might or could do
personally or in the capacity or capacities as aforesaid, hereby ratifying and
confirming all acts and things which said attorney or attorneys may do or cause
to be done by virtue of this Power of Attorney.
 
 EXECUTED
this 31 st day of
January, 2005.
 
 
 /s/ Gerald J. Ford
 Gerald J. Ford
 
 
 
 
 
  
  **POWER
OF ATTORNEY**
 
 
 BE IT
KNOWN: That the undersigned, in his capacity or capacities as an officer and/or
a member of the Board of Directors of McMoRan Exploration Co., a Delaware
corporation (the “Company”), does hereby make, constitute and appoint JAMES R.
MOFFETT and RICHARD C. ADKERSON and each of them acting individually, his true
and lawful attorney-in-fact with power to act without the other and with full
power of substitution, to execute, deliver and file, for and on behalf of him,
in his name and in his capacity or capacities as aforesaid, an Annual Report of
the Company on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2004, and any amendment
or amendments thereto and any other document in support thereof or supplemental
thereto, and the undersigned hereby grants to said attorneys, and each of them,
full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing
whatsoever that said attorney or attorneys may deem necessary or advisable to
carry out fully the intent of the foregoing as the undersigned might or could do
personally or in the capacity or capacities as aforesaid, hereby ratifying and
confirming all acts and things which said attorney or attorneys may do or cause
to be done by virtue of this Power of Attorney.
 
 EXECUTED
this 31 st day of
January, 2005.
 
 
 
  /s/ H.
Devon Graham, Jr.     H. Devon Graham,
Jr.
  
  **POWER
OF ATTORNEY**
 
 
 BE IT
KNOWN: That the undersigned, in his capacity or capacities as an officer and/or
a member of the Board of Directors of McMoRan Exploration Co., a Delaware
corporation (the “Company”), does hereby make, constitute and appoint JAMES R.
MOFFETT and RICHARD C. ADKERSON, and each of them acting individually, his true
and lawful attorney-in-fact with power to act without the other and with full
power of substitution, to execute, deliver and file, for and on behalf of him,
in his name and in his capacity or capacities as aforesaid, an Annual Report of
the Company on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2004, and any amendment
or amendments thereto and any other document in support thereof or supplemental
thereto, and the undersigned hereby grants to said attorneys, and each of them,
full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing
whatsoever that said attorney or attorneys may deem necessary or advisable to
carry out fully the intent of the foregoing as the undersigned might or could do
personally or in the capacity or capacities as aforesaid, hereby ratifying and
confirming all acts and things which said attorney or attorneys may do or cause
to be done by virtue of this Power of Attorney.
 
 EXECUTED
this 31 st day of
January, 2005.
 
 
 
  /s/
Glenn A. Kleinert      Glenn A.
Kleinert
  
  **POWER
OF ATTORNEY**
 
 
 BE IT
KNOWN: That the undersigned, in his capacity or capacities as an officer and/or
a member of the Board of Directors of McMoRan Exploration Co., a Delaware
corporation (the “Company”), does hereby make, constitute and appoint RICHARD C.
ADKERSON his true and lawful attorney-in-fact with full power of substitution,
to execute, deliver and file, for and on behalf of him, in his name and in his
capacity or capacities as aforesaid, an Annual Report of the Company on Form
10-K for the year ended December 31, 2004, and any amendment or amendments
thereto and any other document in support thereof or supplemental thereto, and
the undersigned hereby grants to said attorney full power and authority to do
and perform each and every act and thing whatsoever that said attorney may deem
necessary or advisable to carry out fully the intent of the foregoing as the
undersigned might or could do personally or in the capacity or capacities as
aforesaid, hereby ratifying and confirming all acts and things which said
attorney may do or cause to be done by virtue of this Power of
Attorney.
 
 EXECUTED
this 31 st day of
January, 2005.
 
 
 
  /s/
James R. Moffett     James R.
Moffett
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  **POWER
OF ATTORNEY**
 
 
 BE IT
KNOWN: That the undersigned, in his capacity or capacities as an officer and/or
a member of the Board of Directors of McMoRan Exploration Co., a Delaware
corporation (the “Company”), does hereby make, constitute and appoint JAMES R.
MOFFETT and RICHARD C. ADKERSON, and each of them acting individually, his true
and lawful attorney-in-fact with power to act without the other and with full
power of substitution, to execute, deliver and file, for and on behalf of him,
in his name and in his capacity or capacities as aforesaid, an Annual Report of
the Company on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2004, and any amendment
or amendments thereto and any other document in support thereof or supplemental
thereto, and the undersigned hereby grants to said attorneys, and each of them,
full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing
whatsoever that said attorney or attorneys may deem necessary or advisable to
carry out fully the intent of the foregoing as the undersigned might or could do
personally or in the capacity or capacities as aforesaid, hereby ratifying and
confirming all acts and things which said attorney or attorneys may do or cause
to be done by virtue of this Power of Attorney.
 
 EXECUTED
this 31 st day of
January, 2005.
 
 
 
  /s/ C.
Howard Murrish     C. Howard
Murrish
 
 
  
  **POWER
OF ATTORNEY**
 
 
 BE IT
KNOWN: That the undersigned, in his capacity or capacities as an officer and/or
a member of the Board of Directors of McMoRan Exploration Co., a Delaware
corporation (the “Company”), does hereby make, constitute and appoint JAMES R.
MOFFETT and RICHARD C. ADKERSON, and each of them acting individually, his true
and lawful attorney-in-fact with power to act without the other and with full
power of substitution, to execute, deliver and file, for and on behalf of him,
in his name and in his capacity or capacities as aforesaid, an Annual Report of
the Company on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2004, and any amendment
or amendments thereto and any other document in support thereof or supplemental
thereto, and the undersigned hereby grants to said attorneys, and each of them,
full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing
whatsoever that said attorney or attorneys may deem necessary or advisable to
carry out fully the intent of the foregoing as the undersigned might or could do
personally or in the capacity or capacities as aforesaid, hereby ratifying and
confirming all acts and things which said attorney or attorneys may do or cause
to be done by virtue of this Power of Attorney.
 
 EXECUTED
this 31 st day of
January, 2005.
 
 
 
  /s/ B.
M. Rankin, Jr.     B. M. Rankin,
Jr.
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  **POWER
OF ATTORNEY**
 
 
 BE IT
KNOWN: That the undersigned, in his capacity or capacities as an officer and/or
a member of the Board of Directors of McMoRan Exploration Co., a Delaware
corporation (the “Company”), does hereby make, constitute and appoint JAMES R.
MOFFETT and RICHARD C. ADKERSON, and each of them acting individually, his true
and lawful attorney-in-fact with power to act without the other and with full
power of substitution, to execute, deliver and file, for and on behalf of him,
in his name and in his capacity or capacities as aforesaid, an Annual Report of
the Company on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2004, and any amendment
or amendments thereto and any other document in support thereof or supplemental
thereto, and the undersigned hereby grants to said attorneys, and each of them,
full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing
whatsoever that said attorney or attorneys may deem necessary or advisable to
carry out fully the intent of the foregoing as the undersigned might or could do
personally or in the capacity or capacities as aforesaid, hereby ratifying and
confirming all acts and things which said attorney or attorneys may do or cause
to be done by virtue of this Power of Attorney.
 
 EXECUTED
this 31 st day of
January, 2005.
 
 
 
  /s/ C.
Donald Whitmire, Jr.     C. Donald
Whitmire, Jr.
 
 
 
 
 
  
  **POWER
OF ATTORNEY**
 
 
 BE IT
KNOWN: That the undersigned, in his capacity or capacities as an officer and/or
a member of the Board of Directors of McMoRan Exploration Co., a Delaware
corporation (the “Company”), does hereby make, constitute and appoint JAMES R.
MOFFETT and RICHARD C. ADKERSON, and each of them acting individually, his true
and lawful attorney-in-fact with power to act without the other and with full
power of substitution, to execute, deliver and file, for and on behalf of him,
in his name and in his capacity or capacities as aforesaid, an Annual Report of
the Company on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2004, and any amendment
or amendments thereto and any other document in support thereof or supplemental
thereto, and the undersigned hereby grants to said attorneys, and each of them,
full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing
whatsoever that said attorney or attorneys may deem necessary or advisable to
carry out fully the intent of the foregoing as the undersigned might or could do
personally or in the capacity or capacities as aforesaid, hereby ratifying and
confirming all acts and things which said attorney or attorneys may do or cause
to be done by virtue of this Power of Attorney.
 
 EXECUTED
this 31 st day of
January, 2005.
 
 
 
  /s/ J.
Taylor Wharton     J. Taylor
Wharton
 
 
 
 
 
  
  **POWER
OF ATTORNEY**
 
 
 BE IT
KNOWN: That the undersigned, in her capacity or capacities as an officer and/or
a member of the Board of Directors of McMoRan Exploration Co., a Delaware
corporation (the “Company”), does hereby make, constitute and appoint JAMES R.
MOFFETT and RICHARD C. ADKERSON, and each of them acting individually, her true
and lawful attorney-in-fact with power to act without the other and with full
power of substitution, to execute, deliver and file, for and on behalf of her,
in her name and in her capacity or capacities as aforesaid, an Annual Report of
the Company on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2004, and any amendment
or amendments thereto and any other document in support thereof or supplemental
thereto, and the undersigned hereby grants to said attorneys, and each of them,
full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing
whatsoever that said attorney or attorneys may deem necessary or advisable to
carry out fully the intent of the foregoing as the undersigned might or could do
personally or in the capacity or capacities as aforesaid, hereby ratifying and
confirming all acts and things which said attorney or attorneys may do or cause
to be done by virtue of this Power of Attorney.
 
 EXECUTED
this 31 st day of
January, 2005.
 
 
 
  /s/
Nancy D. Parmelee     Nancy D.
Parmelee