Exhibit 24.2

                                  POWER OF ATTORNEY


                    BE IT KNOWN:  That the errsigned, in his capacity  or
          capacities as  aan  officer  asigned, in his capacity  or
          capacities as  an  officer  and/or  a  member  of  the  Board  of
          Directors of McMoRan Oil & Gas  Co., a Delaware corporation  (the
          "Company"), does hereby make,  constitute and appoint RICHARD  C.
          ADKERSON  and  C.  HOWARD  MURRISH,  and  each  of  them   acting
          individually, his true and lawful attorney-in-fact with power  to
          act without the others  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, 1997,
          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 2nd day of February, 1998.

                                           By:/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 Oil & Gas  Co., a Delaware corporation  (the
          "Company"), does  hereby make,  constitute and  appoint JAMES  R.
          MOFFETT  and  C.  HOWARD  MURRISH,   and  each  of  them   acting
          individually, his true and lawful attorney-in-fact with power  to
          act without the others  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, 1997,
          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 2nd day of February, 1998.


                                         By: /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 Oil & Gas  Co., a Delaware corporation  (the
          "Company"), does  hereby make,  constitute and  appoint JAMES  R.
          MOFFETT, RICHARD C. ADKERSON and C.  HOWARD MURRISH, and each  of
          them acting individually,  his true  and lawful  attorney-in-fact
          with power  to act  without the  others 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, 1997,  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 2nd day of February, 1998.


                                         By: /s/ Robert A. Day 
                                                 -------------
                                                 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 Oil & Gas  Co., a Delaware corporation  (the
          "Company"), does  hereby make,  constitute and  appoint JAMES  R.
          MOFFETT, RICHARD C. ADKERSON and C.  HOWARD MURRISH, and each  of
          them acting individually,  his true  and lawful  attorney-in-fact
          with power  to act  without the  others 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, 1997,  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 2nd day of February, 1998.


                                         By: /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 Oil & Gas  Co., a Delaware corporation  (the
          "Company"), does  hereby make,  constitute and  appoint JAMES  R.
          MOFFETT, RICHARD C. ADKERSON and C.  HOWARD MURRISH, and each  of
          them acting individually,  his true  and lawful  attorney-in-fact
          with power  to act  without the  others 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, 1997,  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 2nd day of February, 1998.

                                         By:/s/ B.M. Rankin, Jr.
                                               ----------------
                                                B.M. Rankin, Jr.