Director/PDMR Shareholding

RNS Number : 4319A

Cairn Energy PLC

20 March 2013

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 20 March 2013

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

Interests of Directors / Persons Discharging Managerial Responsibility ("PDMRs")

in the Company's Shares

1. Awards under the Company's Long Term Incentive Plan (2009) ("the 2009 LTIP")

Cairn announces that the following awards over its ordinary shares of ²³¹/₁₆₉ pence each ("Ordinary Shares") were made today under the 2009 LTIP to the undernoted Executive Directors and PDMRs of the Company:-

Executive Director / PDMR	Number of Ordinary Shares
Simon Thomson, Chief Executive	565,732
Dr Mike Watts, Deputy Chief Executive	500,000
Jann Brown, Managing Director and Chief Financial Officer	460,129
Richard Heaton, Exploration Director and Head of New Ventures	236,350
Paul Mayland, Chief Operating Officer	307,112
Phil Dolan, Director of Operations	172,413
Douglas Taylor, Deputy Finance Director	114,942
Ian Watt, Regional Director (North Atlantic)	143,678
Rob JE Jones, Regional Director (Mediterranean & North Africa)	143,678

All Ordinary Shares were awarded at £2.784 per Share, being the mid-market price of an Ordinary Share as at close of business on 19 March 2013. The vesting of the awards depends upon the extent to which performance conditions are met over a three year performance period.

2. Award under the Company's 2009 Unapproved Option Plan

Cairn announces that the following award over its ordinary shares of ²³¹/₁₆₉ pence each ("Ordinary Shares") was made today under the 2009 Unapproved Option Plan to the undernoted PDMR of the Company:-

PDMR

Number of Ordinary Shares

Svein Ilebekk, Regional Director (UK & Norway)

183,245

The Ordinary Shares were awarded at £2.784 per Share, being the mid-market price of an Ordinary Share as at close of business on 19 March 2013. The vesting of the award depends upon the extent to which performance conditions are met over a three year performance period.

3. Summary of current holdings of Executive Directors / PDMRs

Following this announcement, the current Executive Directors' / PDMRs' beneficial interests in the Ordinary Shares of the Company are as follows:-

Executive Director / PDMR	Ordinary Shares	% Issued Share Capital	Outstanding Awards under 2009 LTIP
Simon Thomson	367,103	0.061	1,615,507
Dr Mike Watts	1,144,652	0.190	1,544,201
Jann Brown	284,088	0.047	1,470,951
Richard Heaton	477,458	0.079	777,494
Paul Mayland	10,220	0.002	722,272
Phil Dolan	22,994	0.004	483,258
Douglas Taylor	37,464	0.006	292,910
Ian Watt	1,677	0.000	431,630
Rob JE Jones	136,468	0.023	336,112