Purchase of Own Securities

Cairn Energy PLC
10 November 1999


Cairn Energy PLC ('Cairn')
Purchase of own Shares

Cairn announces that in accordance with the authority conferred at its Annual
General Meeting held on 4 May 1999, it has today purchased in the market
12,700,322 of its own Ordinary Shares of 10 pence each (being 7.45% of its
issued share capital) at a price of 130 pence per share.  This amount includes
11,731,994 shares held by Santa Fe Snyder Corporation ('SFS') in Cairn.

As a result of this transaction, SFS no longer holds any shares in Cairn. 


Enquiries:

Cairn Energy PLC
Bill Gammell       Tel: [phone]
Kevin Hart         Tel: [phone]