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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) JULY 18, 1997
                              
                     OCCIDENTAL PETROLEUM CORPORATION
          (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
                              
                              
                              
                              
           DELAWARE                  1-9210            95-4035997
  (State or other jurisdiction     (Commission      (I.R.S. Employer 
        of incorporation)          File Number)     Identification No.)


           10889 WILSHIRE BOULEVARD, LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA 90024
           (Address of principal executive offices)     (ZIP code)

             Registrant's telephone number, including area code:
                              (310) 208-8800
                              
                              
                              
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Item 5.   Other Events
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LEGAL PROCEEDINGS - RECENT DEVELOPMENTS

     In 1991, Continental Trend Resources ("CTR") obtained a
jury verdict against OXY USA in the U.S. District Court  for
the  Western  District of Oklahoma for  $269,000  in  actual
damages  and  $30 million in punitive damages  for  tortious
interference with contract.  The verdict has been on  appeal
since  1991,  during  which time interest  on  the  original
verdict  has  been  accruing.  In November  1996,  the  10th
Circuit  Court of Appeals reduced the punitive damage  award
to  $6 million.  In June 1997, OXY USA paid CTR $9.5 million
as a final settlement of this case.

      The Registrant has been informed by the SEC that it is
conducting a private, formal investigation into the  matters
that  were  the  subject  of the  internal  inquiry  by  the
Registrant  described in a "Wall Street Journal" article  on
May  12,  1997.  Other  agencies may  also  seek information
on the internal inquiry.  The Registrant is cooperating with
the SEC in its conduct of this investigation.

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                          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  hereunto  duly
authorized.


                            OCCIDENTAL PETROLEUM CORPORATION
                                      (Registrant)
                                                            
                                                            
                                                            
                                                            
DATE: July 22, 1997         S. P. Dominick, Jr.
                            --------------------------------
                            S. P. Dominick, Jr.,  Vice
                            President and Controller
                            (Chief Accounting and Duly
                            Authorized Officer)



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