EXHIBIT 10.79

                              TRITON ENERGY LIMITED
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                          1997 SHARE COMPENSATION PLAN
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                      NON-EMPLOYEE DIRECTOR'S NON-QUALIFIED
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                             STOCK OPTION AGREEMENT
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     1.     Grant  of  Option.  Pursuant to the Triton Energy Limited 1997 Share
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Compensation  Plan  (as  restated and/or amended, the "Plan"), for employees and
directors of Triton Energy Limited, a Cayman Islands company (the "Company"), or
any  of  its  Subsidiaries,  the  Company  grants  to


                             (Name of Option Holder)

an option to purchase from the Company a total of FIFTEEN THOUSAND (15,000) full
Ordinary  Shares ("Optioned Shares"), $.01 par value ("Ordinary Shares"), of the
Company  at  $________  per  share (being the fair market value per share of the
Ordinary  Shares  on this Date of Grant), in the amounts, during the periods and
upon the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement.  The Date of Grant of
this  Stock  Option  is  ___________________.

     2.     Time  of Exercise. This Stock Option is fully exercisable as to 100%
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of  the  total  optioned  shares at any time on and after the Date of Grant.  No
part  of  this  Stock  Option  may be exercised after the expiration of ten (10)
years  from  the  Date  of  Grant.

     3.     Subject  to Plan.  This Stock Option and its exercise are subject to
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the  terms and conditions of the Plan. The Option Holder acknowledges receipt of
a  copy  of  the  Plan  and  the  Plan is incorporated herein by reference.  The
defined  terms  used  herein  that  are  defined in the Plan shall have the same
meanings  assigned  to  them  in  the  Plan.  In  addition, this Stock Option is
subject  to  any  rules  promulgated  pursuant  to  the Plan by the Board or the
Committee.

     4.     Term.  Subject  to  Article  VIII  of  the Plan (including regarding
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termination  for Cause), this Stock Option, or applicable portions thereof, will
terminate  upon  the  earliest  to  occur  of  the  following:

          (a)          5 p.m., Dallas, Texas time, on ______________________; or

          (b)     5  p.m.,  Dallas,  Texas time, on the date which is five years
following the date that the Option Holder's service as a director of the Company
terminates  for  any  reason  other  than  Cause.

     5.     Who  May  Exercise.  During  the lifetime of the Option Holder, this
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Stock  Option  may  be  exercised  only  by  the Option Holder, or by the Option
Holder's  guardian  or  by  any  permitted  transferee.  If  the Option Holder's
service as a director of the Company terminates as a result of death, Disability
or Retirement prior to the termination date specified in Section 4(a) hereof and
the  Option  Holder  has not exercised this Stock Option as to the percentage of
Optioned  Shares  set  forth  in  Section  2  hereof  as  of  the date of death,
Disability  or  Retirement,  the following persons (in addition to any permitted
transferee)  may  exercise  the  exercisable portion of this Stock Option as set
forth  in  Section  2 hereof on behalf of the Option Holder at any time prior to
the  earlier of the dates specified in Sections 4(a) and (b) hereof:  (i) if the
Option  Holder is disabled or has retired, the Option Holder or his guardian; or
(ii)  if  the  Option Holder dies, the personal representative of his estate, or
the  person  who  acquired the right to exercise this Stock Option by bequest or
inheritance  or  by reason of the death of the Option Holder; provided that this
Stock  Option  shall  remain  subject  to the other terms of this Agreement, the
Plan,  and  applicable  laws,  rules,  and  regulations.

     6.     Restrictions  on  Exercise.  This Stock Option may be exercised only
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with  respect  to full shares, and no fractional share of stock shall be issued.

     7.     Manner  of  Exercise.  Subject to such administrative regulations as
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the Board or the Committee may from time to time adopt, this Stock Option may be
exercised  only upon written notice to the Company of the number of shares being
purchased  accompanied  by  the  following:

          (a)     Full payment of the option price for the shares of stock being
purchased;  and

          (b)     Such  other  documents  as the Company in its discretion deems
necessary  to  evidence the exercise, in whole or in part, of this Stock Option.

     Full  payment for shares purchased upon exercise of a Stock Option shall be
made either in (i) cash, (ii) by certified or cashier's check, (iii) by Ordinary
Shares,  (iv)  if  permitted by the Committee, and if permitted under applicable
law,  by  cash  or  certified or cashier's check for the par value of the shares
plus  a  promissory note for the balance of the purchase price, which note shall
provide  for  full  personal liability of the maker and shall contain such other
terms  and  provisions  as  the  Committee  may  determine,  including  without
limitation the right to repay the note partially or wholly with Ordinary Shares,
(v)  by delivery of a copy of irrevocable instructions from the Option Holder to
a broker or dealer, reasonably acceptable to the Company, to sell certain of the
shares  purchased  upon  exercise  of  the  Stock  Option  or  to pledge them as
collateral  for a loan and promptly deliver to the Company the amount of sale or
loan  proceeds  necessary  to pay such purchase price or (vi) any combination of
the foregoing.  If any portion of the purchase price or a note given at the time
of exercise is paid in Ordinary Shares, those shares shall be valued at the then
Fair  Market  Value.

     8.     Assignability.  This  Stock  Option shall not be transferable by the
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Option  Holder,  except  (i) by will or by the laws of descent and distribution,
(ii)  pursuant  to  the  terms  of a domestic relations order (as defined by the
Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or Title I of the Employee Retirement
Income  Security  Act of 1974, as amended, or the rules thereunder), or (iii) to
members  of  the  Option  Holder's  immediate  family  (i.e., parents, children,
grandchildren  or  spouse),  trusts  for  the  benefit  of such immediate family
members,  and  partnerships in which such immediate family members are partners;
provided that any such transfer shall be in accordance with all applicable laws,
rules  and  regulations;  and provided further that the provisions of this Stock
Option Agreement and the Plan that are governed by the Option Holder's status as
an  Employee or Director of the Company shall continue in effect notwithstanding
any  such  transfer.

     9.     Rights  as  Shareholder.  The Option Holder will have no rights as a
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shareholder  with  respect  to any shares covered by this Stock Option until the
issuance  of  a certificate or certificates to the Option Holder for the shares.
Except  as  otherwise provided in Section 10 hereof, no adjustment shall be made
for dividends or other rights for which the record date is prior to the issuance
of  such  certificate  or  certificates.

     10.     Adjustment  of  Number  of  Shares and Related Matters.  The Option
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Holder  understands  that  in  the  event  of  a  Change  of  Control,  merger,
consolidation,  reorganization,  recapitalization  of  the  Company,  or  the
declaration  of  a  stock  dividend, the number of shares which may be purchased
upon  exercise  of  this  Stock  Option granted hereunder, the time at which any
Stock  Option may be exercisable, and the exercise price thereof may be adjusted
in  accordance  with  the  Plan.

     11.     Option  Holder's  Representations.  Notwithstanding  any  of  the
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provisions hereof, the Option Holder hereby agrees that he will not exercise the
Stock Option granted hereby, and that the Company will not be obligated to issue
any  shares  to  the  Option  Holder  hereunder,  if the exercise thereof or the
issuance of such shares shall constitute a violation by the Option Holder or the
Company  of any provision of any law or regulation of any governmental authority
or shall not be in compliance with the listing requirements of a stock exchange.
Any  determination  in this connection by the Board shall be final, binding, and
conclusive.  The  obligations of the Company and the rights of the Option Holder
are  subject  to  all  applicable laws, rules and regulations including, without
limitation,  the  1934  Act,  the  Code,  any  successors thereto, and any other
applicable  laws.

     12.     Investment  Representation.  Unless  the Ordinary Shares are issued
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to him in a transaction registered under applicable federal and State securities
laws,  by his or her execution hereof, the Option Holder represents and warrants
to the Company that all Ordinary Shares which may be purchased hereunder will be
acquired by the Option Holder for investment purposes for his or her own account
and  not  with  any intent for resale or distribution in violation of Federal or
state  securities  laws.  Unless  the  Ordinary  Shares  are  issued to him in a
transaction  registered  under applicable federal and State securities laws, all
certificates  issued  with  respect  to  the  Ordinary  Shares  shall  bear  an
appropriate  restrictive  investment  legend.

     13.     Law  Governing.  This  Agreement is intended to be performed in the
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State  of  Texas  and  shall  be  construed  and enforced in accordance with and
governed  by  the  laws  of  Texas.

     14.     Invalidity of Provision.  The invalidity or unenforceability of any
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provision of this Agreement in any jurisdiction shall not affect the validity or
enforceability  of  the  remainder of this Agreement in that jurisdiction or the
validity  or  enforceability of this Agreement, including that provision, in any
other  jurisdiction.  If  any  provision  of  this  Agreement  shall be adjudged
unreasonable  in  any  judicial  or administrative proceeding, then the court or
administrative  body  shall  have the power to reform such provision and, in its
changed  form,  such  provision shall then be enforceable and shall be enforced.

     IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this Agreement to be executed by
its  duly  authorized  officer,  and  the  Option Holder, to evidence his or her
consent  and approval of all the terms hereof, has duly executed this Agreement,
as  of  the  date  specified  in  Section  1  hereof.


                                     TRITON  ENERGY  LIMITED



                                     By:___________________________________



                                     OPTION  HOLDER:



                                     ______________________________________