Ownership Submission
FORM 4
Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).
UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES

Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940
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(Print or Type Responses)
1. Name and Address of Reporting Person *
ADKERSON RICHARD C
   2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
MCMORAN EXPLORATION CO /DE/ [MMR] 		5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer
(Check all applicable)
__X__ Director _____ 10% Owner
__X__ Officer (give title below) _____ Other (specify below)
Co-Chairman of the Board
(Last)
(First)
(Middle)
333 NORTH CENTRAL AVENUE		 3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year)
01/30/2013
(Street)

PHOENIX, AZ 85004		 4. If Amendment, Date Original Filed(Month/Day/Year)
 6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing(Check Applicable Line)
_X_ Form filed by One Reporting Person
___ Form filed by More than One Reporting Person
(City)
(State)
(Zip)
Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
1.Title of Security
(Instr. 3)		 2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year) 2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year) 3. Transaction Code
(Instr. 8)		 4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D)
(Instr. 3, 4 and 5)		 5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s)
(Instr. 3 and 4)		 6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I)
(Instr. 4)		 7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership
(Instr. 4)
Code V Amount (A) or (D) Price
Common Stock 01/30/2013   M   100,000 A $ 7.515 100,000 D  
Common Stock 01/30/2013   M   100,000 A $ 7.515 200,000 D  
Common Stock 01/30/2013   F(1)   39,818 D $ 15.89 127,384 (2) D  
Common Stock               312,431 (3) I Through GRAT
Common Stock               147 I IRA

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Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
(e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
1. Title of Derivative Security
(Instr. 3)		 2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security 3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year) 3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year) 4. Transaction Code
(Instr. 8)		 5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D)
(Instr. 3, 4, and 5)		 6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date
(Month/Day/Year)		 7. Title and Amount of Underlying Securities
(Instr. 3 and 4)		 8. Price of Derivative Security
(Instr. 5)		 9. Number of Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s)
(Instr. 4)		 10. Ownership Form of Derivative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I)
(Instr. 4)		 11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership
(Instr. 4)
Code V (A) (D) Date Exercisable Expiration Date Title Amount or Number of Shares
Options (right to buy) $ 7.515 01/30/2013   M     100,000 02/03/2004(4) 02/03/2013 Common Stock 100,000 $ 0 0 D  
Options (right to buy) $ 7.515 01/30/2013   M     100,000 05/01/2003 02/03/2013 Common Stock 100,000 $ 0 0 D  

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address Relationships
 Director  10% Owner  Officer  Other
ADKERSON RICHARD C
333 NORTH CENTRAL AVENUE
PHOENIX, AZ 85004		   X     Co-Chairman of the Board  

Signatures

 Kelly C. Simoneaux, on behalf of Richard C. Adkerson, pursuant to a power of attorney   02/01/2013
**Signature of Reporting Person Date

Explanation of Responses:

* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4(b)(v).
** Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations. See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
(1) Shares withheld in payment of taxes resulting from the exercise of options.
(2) 32,798 of the net shares issued to the Reporting Person pursuant to his exercises were previously transferred to his former spouse and are no longer included in his beneficial ownership.
(3) Since the date of Mr. Adkerson's last Form 4, an additional 50,552 shares of the Issuer's Common Stock have been contributed to his GRAT and are now reported as indirectly held.
(4) 25% exercisable on the date indicated and 25% exercisable on each of the next three anniversaries thereof.
 
Remarks:
As of the date of this filing, Mr. Adkerson holds options to acquire a total of 2,600,000 shares of MMR Common Stock, 2,262,500 of which are vested and 337,500 of which are unvested.  The Reporting Person has transferred the economic value of 600,000 of such options to his former spouse, and thus disclaims beneficial ownership of such options.  The Reporting Person also holds 500 shares of 8% Convertible Perpetual Preferred Stock convertible into 73,072 shares of MMR Common Stock.

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