diff --git a/ENI2/Excel/ExcelReader.cs b/ENI2/Excel/ExcelReader.cs
index 55b7ed09..cfe44970 100644
--- a/ENI2/Excel/ExcelReader.cs
+++ b/ENI2/Excel/ExcelReader.cs
@@ -420,7 +420,7 @@ namespace ENI2.Excel
                 {
                     var val = _nameDict[lookup].RefersToRange.Value;
                     if (val is DateTime)
-                    {       
+                    {
                         date = val;
                     }
                     else if (val is double)
@@ -446,22 +446,37 @@ namespace ENI2.Excel
                             date = tmpDate;
                     }
 
+                    if (date == null)
+                    {
+                        string[] formats = { "d/M/yyyy", "dd/M/yyyy", "d/MM/yyyy", "dd/MM/yyyy", "d/MMM/yyyy", "dd/MMM/yyyy" };
+                        if (DateTime.TryParseExact(val, formats, NumberFormatInfo.InvariantInfo, DateTimeStyles.None, out DateTime tmpDate))
+                            date = tmpDate;
+                    }
+
+                    if (date == null)
+                    {
+                        CultureInfo en = CultureInfo.CreateSpecificCulture("en-US");
+                        string[] formats = { "d/M/yyyy", "dd/M/yyyy", "d/MM/yyyy", "dd/MM/yyyy", "d/MMM/yyyy", "dd/MMM/yyyy" };
+                        if (DateTime.TryParseExact(val, formats, en, DateTimeStyles.None, out DateTime tmpDate))
+                            return tmpDate;
+                    }
+
                     if (date != null)
                     {
                         if ((date.Value < new DateTime(1899, 1, 1)) || (date.Value > new DateTime(2130, 1, 1)))
                         {
                             date = null; // this can't be right                     
-                        }                        
+                        }
                     }
                 }
 
                 return date;
             }
             catch (Exception)
-            {             
+            {
                 _log.WarnFormat("error parsing datetime for lookup {0}", lookup);
                 return null;
-            }            
+            }
         }
 
         internal DateTime? ReadDateTime(string dateField, string timeField)
@@ -690,19 +705,16 @@ namespace ENI2.Excel
             string dateString = ReadCellAsText(sheetName, range);
             if (dateString != null)
             {
-                CultureInfo provider = CultureInfo.InvariantCulture;                
-                const string dateTimeFormat = "yyyy/MM/dd HH:mm";
-                if (DateTime.TryParseExact(dateString, dateTimeFormat, provider, DateTimeStyles.None, out DateTime tmpDate))
-                    return tmpDate.ToUniversalTime();
-                const string dateFormat = "yyyy/MM/dd";
-                if (DateTime.TryParseExact(dateString, dateFormat, provider, DateTimeStyles.None, out DateTime tmpDate2))
+                string[] formats = { "yyyy/MM/dd HH:mm", "yyyy/MM/dd", "dd.MM.yyyy", "d/M/yyyy", "dd/M/yyyy", "d/MM/yyyy", "dd/MM/yyyy", "d/MMM/yyyy", "dd/MMM/yyyy" };
+                if (DateTime.TryParseExact(dateString, formats, NumberFormatInfo.InvariantInfo, DateTimeStyles.None, out DateTime tmpDate))
+                    return tmpDate;
+                CultureInfo en = CultureInfo.CreateSpecificCulture("en-US");
+                if (DateTime.TryParseExact(dateString, formats, en, DateTimeStyles.None, out DateTime tmpDate2))
                     return tmpDate2;
-                const string dateFormat2 = "dd.MM.yyyy";
-                if (DateTime.TryParseExact(dateString, dateFormat2, provider, DateTimeStyles.None, out DateTime tmpDate3))
-                    return tmpDate3;
                 return null;
             }
-            else return null;
+            else 
+                return null;
         }