Director Shareholding

Cairn Energy PLC
11 March 2002





11 March 2002





                  CAIRN ENERGY PLC ('Cairn' or 'the Company')

              Awards under the Company's Long Term Incentive Plan



Cairn announces that the following awards were made on 11 March 2002 to
Directors of the Company under the Company's Long Term Incentive Plan at a price
of £2.675 per Share (being the mid-market closing price on 8 March 2002):


Name of Director                          Number of Ordinary Shares               Number of Notional Shares Under
                                                Under Tier 1                                  Tier 2

W B B Gammell                                      40,000                                     250,000
M J Watts                                          50,000                                     200,000
K Hart                                             50,000                                     200,000
M S Thoms                                          40,000                                     200,000

As a result of these awards, the total number of Shares/Notional Shares held by
the above named Directors under the Company's Long Term Incentive Plan is as
follows:

Name of Director                          Number of Ordinary Shares               Number of Notional Shares Under
                                                Under Tier 1                                  Tier 2

W B B Gammell                                      634,000                                    847,000
M J Watts                                          416,000                                    693,000
K Hart                                             416,000                                    693,000
M S Thoms                                          406,000                                    693,000





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