Holding(s) in Company

Cairn Energy PLC
11 April 2005


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

                                                                   11 April 2005

                         Cairn Energy PLC ('Cairn')

   Notification of Shareholding - Companies Act 1985 ss.198-202 (as amended)


On 11 April 2005, Cairn was notified by Merrill Lynch Investment Managers Group
Limited, on behalf of itself and its  subsidiaries, that they had an aggregate
interest in 20,966,101 ordinary shares of 10 pence each in Cairn, representing 
approximately 13.17% of Cairn's current issued ordinary share capital.

The registered holders to which this notification related and the number of
shares held by those registered holders as  at 7 April 2005 (if known) were as
follows:-

REGISTERED HOLDER                       NUMBER OF SHARES   NATURE OF INTEREST
(IF KNOWN)

Nutraco Nominees Limited (Des & Undes)        11,345,792   Non-beneficial
Merrill Lynch Pension Nominees Limited
A/C Noncert                                    1,269,014   Beneficial
Stamford Nominees Limited A/C Charty              17,908   Non-beneficial
Stamford Nominees Limited (Undes)                  1,000   Non-beneficial
Possfund Nominees Limited                        929,835   Non-beneficial
Britel Nominees Limited                        1,130,147   Non-beneficial
Treasury of the Government of the Isle
of Man Nominees A/C 5                            213,000   Non-beneficial
Treasury of the Government of the Isle
of Man Nominees A/C 10                           101,300   Non-beneficial
Other Names                                    5,958,105   Non-beneficial

                                              20,966,101   13.17%





                      This information is provided by RNS
            The company news service from the London Stock Exchange