Holding(s) in Company

Cairn Energy PLC
24 June 2005


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

                                                                    24 June 2005

                             Cairn Energy PLC ('Cairn')

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

Cairn was today notified by Merrill Lynch Investment Managers Group Limited on
behalf of itself and certain of its  subsidiaries that they had an aggregate
interest in 22,258,477 ordinary shares of 10 pence each in Cairn, representing 
approximately 13.95% 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 22 June 2005 (if known) were as
follows:-

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

Nutraco Nominees Limited (Des & Undes)        12,656,589   Non-beneficial
Merrill Lynch Pension Nominees Limited
A/C Noncert                                    1,255,837   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                            187,830   Non-beneficial
Treasury of the Government of the Isle
of Man Nominees A/C 10                            89,310   Non-beneficial
Other Names                                    5,990,021   Non-beneficial
                                              22,258,477   13.95%





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