Purchase of Own Securities

Cairn Energy PLC
13 December 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 purchased in the market 800,000 of its
own Ordinary Shares of 10 pence each (being approximately 0.52% of its issued
share capital) at a price of 140 pence per share on 10 December 1999.


Enquiries:

Cairn Energy PLC              T: 0131 475 3000
Bill Gammell
Kevin Hart