Directorate Change

Cairn Energy PLC
06 February 2004


EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE AT 0700

                                                                 6 February 2004


                  Cairn Energy PLC ('Cairn' or 'the Company')

                       Appointment of Executive Director

Cairn announces the appointment of Philip Tracy as Engineering & Operations
Director with immediate effect.

Mr Tracy, a Chartered Engineer, is 53 years of age and has over 30 years
experience in the oil and gas industry. He holds an MSc in Petroleum Engineering
from Imperial College and a BSc in Chemical Engineering from Leeds University.

Mr Tracy is Chairman of Cairn Energy India Pty Limited and is also currently
serving as the project director for Cairn's activities in Rajasthan.

He is also a non-executive director of Vienco Oil & Gas Limited and is a former
managing director of Providence Resources P.l.c.


Enquiries to:

Cairn Energy PLC:
Bill Gammell, Chief Executive Tel: [phone]

Brunswick Group Limited:
Patrick Handley, Catherine Bertwistle, Mark Antelme Tel: [phone]



Information required to be disclosed pursuant to the Listing Rules of the UK
Listing Authority:-

The are no matters which require to be disclosed for the purposes of paragraph
6.F.2 (a)-(g) of the Listing Rules.

Mr Tracy holds the following Awards under the Company's Long Term Incentive
Plan. He does not currently hold shares in the Company.

Tier One Awards

  Award of       Date of Award      Market Value at           Earliest Release  
  Shares                             Date of Award            Date (for 50% of             
                                                                 any Award)

  50,000       1 September 2002         £2.98                 1 September 2005
              
  49,000         18 March 2003         £3.055                  18 March 2006

Tier Two Awards

  Award of       Date of Award      Market Value at           Earliest Release
  Notional                          Date of Award             Date (for 50% of                                        
   Shares                                                         any Award)

             
   49,000        18 March 2003          £3.055                 18 March 2006



                      This information is provided by RNS
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