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Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited

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FY2021 Annual Report · Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited
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Annual report and 
accounts 2021

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
About us

    International Border

    Oil Pipelines

    Shaikan Licence 

    Block Licences

2021 full-year highlights

43,440 bopd 
record gross annual average production, 
representing a 19% increase vs 2020

$100 million 
of dividends distributed to shareholders

$222.7 million 
adjusted EBITDA, almost four times greater 
than 2020

$164.6 million 
profit after tax

$169.9 million
cash at year end

2021 timeline

January: 
New Chief Executive 
Officer, Jon Harris, 
appointed

March: 
Reinstatement of 
annual dividend policy 
of at least $25 million

June: 
Resumption of drilling 
activities ahead of 
schedule

July: 
Payment of $25 million 
annual ordinary dividend

August: 
Payment of $25 million 
special dividend

Gulf Keystone is the operator of the Shaikan Field, one of the largest developments in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.MOSULTALL'AFARDOHUKERBILKIRKUKCHEMCHEMALSULEIMANIAHStrategic report

2021 full-year highlights

GKP is a responsible energy company developing natural 
resources for the benefit of all our stakeholders, delivering 
social and economic benefits by working safely and 
sustainably with integrity and respect.

Financial statements
Independent auditor’s report  

Consolidated income statement  

Consolidated statement of 
comprehensive income 

Consolidated balance sheet  

Consolidated statement  
of changes in equity  

Consolidated cash flow statement  

Summary of significant  
accounting policies  

Notes to the consolidated  
financial statements  

Non-IFRS measures 

102

109

 109

110

111

112

113

121

 137

Report on Payments to Governments   139

Glossary  

Directors and advisers 

Key shareholder engagements 

140

IBC

IBC

Strategic report
Our investment case 

Chairman’s statement 

Chief Executive Officer’s review 

Operational review 

Financial review  

Our asset 

Operating in Kurdistan 

Crude oil payments  

Business model  

Strategy and objectives  

Key performance measures  

Stakeholder engagement  

Sustainability report  

Management of principal risks 
and uncertainties  

Viability statement  

Governance
Board of Directors 

Corporate governance report 

Nomination Committee report  

Audit and Risk Committee report 

Safety and Sustainability 
Committee report  

Technical Committee report  

Remuneration Committee report  

Directors’ report  

2

4

6

8

10

 14

16

17

18

20

22

24

28

46

56

 58

 60

70

73

77

79

81

99

Directors’ responsibilities statement   101

Our 
asset

READ MORE
on pages 14 to 17

CEO 
review

READ MORE
on pages 6 and 7

September: 
Completed 
debottlenecking of  
PF-2, increasing total 
field processing capacity 
to c.57,500 bopd

October: 
Payment of $50 million 
interim dividend and 
record 2021 gross 
monthly production of 
45,654 bopd

November: 
Submission of 
draft Shaikan Field 
Development Plan to 
the Ministry of Natural 
Resources

Sustainability 
report

READ MORE
on pages 28 to 45

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited  Annual report and accounts 2021  

1

GovernanceFinancialsOur investment case

Robust financial  
position 

Long life asset with proven 
production track record

•  The Shaikan Field is highly cash generative 
•  Rigorous focus on maintaining capital discipline 

and our leading low cost structure

•  Robust balance sheet, enabling us to safeguard 

the future of the Company and our ability to deliver 
against our strategy through economic and 
commodity cycles 

$2.7/bbl
gross Opex in 2021

$122.2 million
free cash flow in 2021

•  The Shaikan Field ranks among the largest energy 
developments in Kurdistan and has significant 
growth potential

•  100 million stock tank barrels (MMstb) produced 

to date 

•  Estimated 489 MMstb of 2P reserves left to 

produce as at 31 December 2021(1), equivalent to 
a 2P gross reserves life index of around 30 years(2) 

>100 MMstb
oil produced from the Shaikan Field to date

30 years
estimated 2P gross reserves life index(2)

Cash balance 2017-2021 ($m)  

Shaikan Field production history (‘000 bopd) 

296

43.4

34.8

35.3

36.6

32.9

31.6

30.5

160

191

170

148

$100m 
bond

Covenant
$15m

17.8

1.4

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

(1)  Based on the 31 December 2020 Competent Person’s Report adjusted 

for 2021 production. 

(2)  489 MMstb of estimated gross 2P reserves as at 31 December 2021/

gross average production for 2021 of 43,440 bopd.

2 

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited  Annual report and accounts 2021

Balancing sustainable growth 
with shareholder returns 

Safety and sustainability 
underpin our business 

•  Committed to balancing investment in sustainable 

growth with shareholder returns 

•  Delivered against this promise in 2021, reinstating 
our annual dividend policy of at least $25 million 
and paying total dividends of $100 million 

•  2021 gross average production increased 19% 
to 43,440 bopd, the third year of consecutive 
production growth since 2018

•  Submitted a draft Field Development Plan to the 

MNR to capitalise on the significant future growth 
potential of the Shaikan Field

19%
increase in gross average production in 2021

$100 million
dividends paid in 2021

•  Focused on enhancing the safety 
and sustainability of our business 
•  Strategic priorities include minimising 

environmental impact, workforce safety, 
enhancing diversity & inclusion, generating local 
economic value and strong governance and 
compliance

•  The Gas Management Plan will enable us to 

eliminate routine flaring and significantly reduce 
our carbon intensity per barrel by 2025 

>50%
reduction in scope 1 and 2 CO2 emissions 
per barrel by 2025

“A”
MSCI ESG Research rating(4)

$340 million cumulative shareholder  
distributions declared since 2019

MSCI ESG rating history 

$340 million

Dividends

Share buybacks

AAA

AA

A

BBB

140

100

BB

BB

BB

20

30

50

B

CCC

400

350

300

250

200

150

100

50

0

A

BBB

2019

2020

2021

2022 YTD(3)

Oct 2018

Dec 2019

Sep 2020

Sep 2021

(3)  As at 30 March 2022.

(4)  MSCI ESG Research as at 24 September 2021. MSCI ESG Research 

aims to measure a company’s resilience to long-term, financially relevant 
ESG risks. Companies are rated on a AAA-CCC scale relative to the 
standards and performance of their industry peers. “A” is at the upper 
end of the “average” rankings of BB, BBB and A.

To read about GKP’s principal risks and uncertainties, and how the Company manages them, please see pages 46 to 55.

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited  Annual report and accounts 2021  

3

GovernanceStrategic reportFinancialsChairman’s 
statement

We are focused on driving 
sustainable growth and 
value from the Shaikan 
Field for the benefit of 
all stakeholders.

Jaap Huijskes
Non-Executive Chairman

2021 was characterised by both an improvement in the oil price and 
operational environment. The price of Dated Brent averaged $71/bbl 
in the year, up $29/bbl versus the 2020 average, driven by the partial 
recovery of global demand and the continued regulation by OPEC+ 
of supply. At the same time, COVID-19 restrictions gradually loosened, 
with a return to more normal working patterns in the field. Having 
taken rapid action in 2020 to protect staff, reduce costs and preserve 
liquidity, the Company was able to capitalise on these better conditions.

Since the beginning of the year, the price of Brent crude has continued 
to increase, although it remains volatile. While the improvement in oil 
price drives increased cash flow, I and the Board are deeply concerned 
about the primary reason for the increase, the invasion of Ukraine. 
Our thoughts are with the many Ukrainian citizens who have had to 
flee their homes or have lost their lives due to the conflict. 

In 2021, Gulf Keystone generated significant cash flow due to its 
strong leverage to the recovery in oil price, increased production 
and continued cost and capital discipline. In line with the Company’s 
strategy of balancing investment in sustainable growth with 
shareholder distributions, in March 2021 the Board reinstated the 
Company’s dividend policy of paying at least $25 million annually to 
shareholders. Total dividends of $100 million were subsequently paid 
in 2021, given continuing strong oil prices and cash generation. 

Since the beginning of 2022, Gulf Keystone has paid a $50 million 
interim dividend and we are pleased to have declared $90 million of 
additional dividends, comprising a $25 million 2021 annual ordinary 
dividend for shareholder approval at the Company’s AGM on 
24 June 2022 and a $65 million interim dividend payable in May 2022. 
Including these, prior dividends and $50 million of share buybacks, 
since 2019 the Company has distributed $340 million to shareholders. 

Capitalising on a strong balance sheet and improving operating 
conditions, the Company also resumed investment in the Shaikan 
Field, restarting drilling activities ahead of schedule in June and 
bringing two new wells, SH-13 and SH-14, on stream by the end of the 
year. The Company also resumed engagement with the MNR on Gulf 
Keystone’s vision to develop the Shaikan Field’s almost 800 MMstb of 
2P reserves and 2C resources, resulting in the submission of a draft 
Field Development Plan (“FDP”) towards the end of 2021. 

4 

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited  Annual report and accounts 2021

Phase 1 of the draft FDP is expected to enable Gulf Keystone to 
increase gross production plateau to between 85,000-95,000 bopd 
while reducing carbon intensity per barrel by over 50% through the 
implementation of a Gas Management Plan. We are committed to 
ensuring the FDP generates significant value for all of Gulf Keystone’s 
stakeholders. We continue to actively engage the MNR to obtain 
approval of the draft FDP and in the meantime have focused our 
capital expenditure programme for 2022 on production, safety 
and preparatory activities. 

The Board continued to engage with Gulf Keystone’s shareholders 
in 2021, both at the Annual General Meeting (“AGM”) and on a more 
frequent basis with the Company’s major shareholders. We welcome 
ongoing engagement and feedback from all investors and encourage 
all GKP shareholders to participate in our 2022 AGM. This year, 
the Company’s remuneration policy will be subject to a binding 
shareholder vote at the AGM. The Board has made minor changes to 
the current policy, which was approved at the 2019 AGM with support 
in excess of 98%. 

Sustainability continues to be a strategic focus for the Board, which is 
supported by Gulf Keystone’s Safety and Sustainability Committee. 
With the submission of the draft FDP, the Board was pleased to 
see the Company’s Gas Management Plan, and its objectives of 
reducing carbon intensity and eliminating routine flaring, move a step 
closer. The Company also continued to make significant social and 
economic contributions to Kurdistan through local employment and 
community engagement programmes, local supply chain investment 
and generation of revenues from the field for our host government, 
the KRG.

The only change to the Board over the last year was the appointment 
of Jon Harris as Gulf Keystone’s new CEO in January 2021. Jon has 
been instrumental in successfully resuming investment in the Shaikan 
Field and advancing negotiations with the MNR as we seek approval 
of the FDP. 

On behalf of the Board, I would like to thank Jon, the rest of the 
leadership team and all of Gulf Keystone’s employees for another 
strong year of operational and financial delivery. In addition, I would 
like to thank all of our stakeholders for their ongoing support. We are 
excited about the future and we look forward to further progress in 
driving sustainable growth and value from the Shaikan Field for the 
benefit of all of Gulf Keystone’s stakeholders.

Jaap Huijskes 
Non-Executive Chairman 

29 March 2022

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited  Annual report and accounts 2021  

5

GovernanceStrategic reportFinancialsChief Executive  
Officer’s review

We continue to deliver 
against our strategic 
commitment to balance 
growth with shareholder 
returns.

Jon Harris
Chief Executive Officer

I am pleased to report strong operational and financial delivery for 
Gulf Keystone in 2021. By growing production from the Shaikan Field 
and maintaining our rigorous focus on cost and capital discipline, we 
were able to capitalise on our leverage to an improving oil price and 
generate revenue of $301 million and adjusted EBITDA of $223 million. 
We delivered on our strategy of balancing investment in sustainable 
growth and shareholder returns, as we resumed drilling activities 
and submitted a draft Field Development Plan (“FDP”) to the Ministry 
of Natural Resources (“MNR”) while also returning $100 million of 
dividends to our shareholders.

The foundation of our performance is a rigorous focus on safety, 
which is one of Gulf Keystone’s core values. Despite carefully managing 
the resumption of drilling activities, we were disappointed to record a 
lost time incident (“LTI”) in October. We are committed to continuous 
learning and carried out detailed investigations and implemented 
remedial actions to safeguard against future incidents.

Gross average production in 2021 was 43,440 bopd, at the top 
end of our tightened guidance range of 42,000-44,000 bopd. 
This represented a 19% increase versus the prior year and the third 
consecutive year of production growth. Higher production was driven 
by the contribution from well workovers taking place in 2020 and 2021 
and the contribution of two new wells, SH-13 and SH-14, at the end of 
the year.

We were pleased to successfully restart drilling activities in June, ahead 
of schedule. Despite a promising start, the need for an acid stimulation 
programme on SH-13 and equipment failures and wellbore issues in the 
subsequent side-track on SH-14 created delays. Nonetheless, we were 
able to surmount these challenges to bring SH-13 and SH-14 on stream 
towards the end of the year and spud SH-15 in early 2022.

We also continued to progress development of the full potential of the 
Shaikan Field’s significant reserves and resources with the submission 
of a draft FDP to the MNR towards the end of 2021. This was the result 
of several months of constructive engagement with the MNR and our 
partner MOL following the resumption of discussions in 2021.

The draft FDP comprises a plan to increase Phase 1 gross production 
plateau to between 85,000-95,000 bopd while significantly reducing 
our carbon intensity. We plan to achieve this by expanding Jurassic 
gross production plateau up to 85,000 bopd and testing the Triassic 
reservoir, targeting gross production plateau of up to 10,000 bopd. 
At the same time, we will implement a Gas Management Plan to 
eliminate routine flaring through the reinjection of natural gas into the 
reservoir, underpinning our target to more than halve our scope 1 and 
2 emissions per barrel by 2025. The Gas Management Plan is critical 
to our licence to operate in Kurdistan and responds to both GKP’s and 
the KRG’s desire to eliminate routine flaring and reduce the emissions 
intensity of the region’s production. 

In keeping with our commitment to eliminate routine flaring, we have 
applied to endorse the World Bank’s “Zero Routine Flaring by 2030” 
initiative. Beyond the Gas Management Plan, we are exploring 
the viability of several other projects to reduce our scope 1 and 2 
emissions intensity further beyond the 2025 target. 

Our focus on climate risk is just one part of our ESG agenda and 
sustainability strategy. Our other priorities include working safely, 
minimising our impact on the local environment, supporting and 
developing our people, generating economic value in Kurdistan and 
maintaining strong governance and compliance. We are particularly 
proud of our social and economic contribution to Kurdistan, our home 
for over 15 years, and see significant opportunities from the FDP for 
further local job creation, workforce development and investment in 
our local supply chain and communities as we generate increasing 
revenues for the KRG and the region from the Shaikan Field. In 2021, 
$336 million was generated for the KRG, primarily from production 
entitlements, royalties and capacity building payments. 

6 

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited  Annual report and accounts 2021

While we continued to invest in growth in 2021, we also delivered 
against our strategic commitment to balance growth with shareholder 
returns. We understand the importance of cash returns to our 
shareholders and we were pleased to reinstate our dividend policy of 
distributing at least $25 million annually, subsequently distributing total 
dividends in the year of $100 million. Since the beginning of 2022, we 
have distributed a further $50 million and we are delighted to declare 
$90 million of additional dividends, comprising a $25 million 2021 
ordinary annual dividend for shareholder approval at the Company’s 
AGM on 24 June 2022 and a $65 million interim dividend payable in 
May 2022. 

We have entered 2022 with momentum and hit the milestone in 
February of 100 MMstb cumulative gross production from the Field 
since inception. Gross average production year to date has been 
around c.45,500 bopd, and we remain focused on delivering our 
2022 gross average production guidance of 44,000-50,000 bopd.

As a Company, we are deeply saddened and concerned about the 
invasion of Ukraine and the resulting humanitarian crisis. Our thoughts 
are with the people of Ukraine and we are all hoping for a swift and 
peaceful end to the conflict. 

While there has been no impact on our operations to date, we are 
closely monitoring the developing situation in Ukraine. This includes 
potential sanctions being imposed on Russian entities, which could 
adversely impact our business. 

We also continue to monitor the broader political and regulatory 
environment in the Kurdistan Region and Federal Iraq following 
the recent ruling by the Iraqi Federal Supreme Court regarding the 
Kurdistan Region Oil & Gas Law. We have noted the KRG’s strong 
opposition to the ruling and agreement by both the KRG and the 
Federal Government to engage on what has been a long-standing 
issue. To date, we have seen no impact from the ruling on our business.

While the timing of approval of the FDP is uncertain given the scale 
of the project, constructive engagement continues with the MNR, 
and further progress is required before we fully execute FDP activity, 
including drilling beyond SH-15. For the remainder of 2022, we are 
focused on executing activity that enables us to expedite the FDP 
following approval. This includes activities to prepare for expansion 
of our production facilities to include water handling and preparation 
of well pads and installation of flowlines to enable a continuous drilling 
programme. We are also focused on well interventions and workovers. 
Net capital expenditure guidance for 2022 is $85-$95 million. 

We are targeting gross Opex of $2.9-$3.3/bbl, with the increase 
versus 2021 primarily due to increased operational activity and the 
continued catch-up of previously scheduled work programmes 
deferred due to COVID-19.

Assuming timely payment of invoices and continuing strong oil prices, 
we are expecting strong cash flow generation in 2022. This would 
provide flexibility to fund a potential increase in capital expenditure, 
with progress on the FDP, and the opportunity for further distributions 
to shareholders, while preserving adequate liquidity and maintaining a 
robust balance sheet.

I would like to thank the teams in Kurdistan and the UK for their hard 
work and contributions to a strong year of performance. I would also 
like to give my thanks to our Chief Operating Officer, Stuart Catterall, 
who has retired from Gulf Keystone after five years with the Company. 
Stuart has helped us steer the Company through a volatile oil price 
cycle and the COVID-19 pandemic, enabling us to emerge stronger 
and more focused on driving sustainable value from the Shaikan Field. 

Stuart will be succeeded by John Hulme who joins us at the end of 
April from Noreco where he was their COO. John brings a wealth of 
experience from more than 30 years in the industry, previously working 
at Exxon, Anadarko, Santos and Newfield. I look forward to welcoming 
John to GKP. 

Jon Harris
Chief Executive Officer

29 March 2022

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited  Annual report and accounts 2021  

7

GovernanceStrategic reportFinancialsOperational review

Gulf Keystone’s operational performance was solid in 2021, with 
a continued increase in production, the successful resumption of 
drilling activities and the submission of a draft Field Development 
Plan to the MNR.

As ever, a rigorous focus on safety underpinned all our activity. 
As drilling restarted, we took extra precautions to ensure all drilling 
and operational staff on site were prepared. Unfortunately, we were 
disappointed to incur one lost time incident (“LTI”) during drilling 
operations after over 660 LTI-free days. 

Following a challenging year in 2020 from the COVID-19 pandemic, 
the rollout of vaccinations in 2021 facilitated a gradual improvement 
in operating conditions. We were pleased to see 97% of our staff 
get double vaccinated in the year following a successful awareness 
campaign. This enabled us to ease health protocols on site, including 
a move from three shifts back to two, although access to our offices in 
Erbil and London remained restricted with employees encouraged to 
work from home.

We achieved gross average production of 43,440 bopd in 
2021, towards the upper end of our tightened guidance range of 
42,000-44,000 bopd and a 19% increase versus 2020. Higher 
production was driven by a full year of production from SH-9, the 
successful workover of SH-12 towards the end of 2020 and enhanced 
production from the installation in 2021 of a multiphase pump on SH-5 
and a jet pump in SH-10. We also completed two new wells, SH-13 
and SH-14, towards the end of 2021. Both plant and pipeline uptime 
remained high at above 99%. 

Following an extended hiatus in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, 
we successfully restarted drilling activities in June 2021, ahead of 
schedule. Rapid mobilisation was made possible by a cohesive 
effort across the whole organisation and our excellent relationships 
with our suppliers. Despite the early completion of SH-13, progress 
subsequently slowed as an acid stimulation programme was required 
on the well to access the broader fracture network. During the drilling 
of SH-14, equipment failures and wellbore issues in the subsequent 
side-track led to delays, in turn resulting in a deferral of spudding 
SH-15 to January 2022. Nonetheless, despite these issues, SH-13 
and SH-14 were brought on stream towards the end of the year. We also 
completed the debottlenecking of PF-2, increasing total field capacity 
to c.57,500 bopd.

Draft Shaikan Field Development Plan
With the submission of the draft Field Development Plan to the MNR in 
November 2021, we took an important step towards unlocking the full 
potential of the Shaikan Field. Constructive discussions continue with 
the MNR and, while final timing of approval remains uncertain due to the 
complexity of the project, we are pleased to provide an interim update 
on the progress that we have made to date on Phase 1 of the draft FDP. 
Final details and cost estimates may vary and we expect to provide an 
update upon FDP approval. 

Gross average production (March 2021 – March 2022) 

SH-5 
multiphase 
pump

Record production 
on SH-10 jet pump 
and strong well 
performance

SH-13 & SH-14 online

SH12 shut-in

43.4

43.9

44.2

43.3

Well testing

41.0

41.4

42.4

45.7

45.1

44.6

46.1

45.4

44.9

44-50  
2022 guidance

‘000 bopd

50

45

40

35

30

0

March
2021

April
2021

May
2021

June
2021

July
2021

August
2021

September
2021

October
2021

November
2021

December
2021

January
2022

February
2022

March
2022(1)

(1)  As at 28 March 2022.

8 

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited  Annual report and accounts 2021

As a result of a series of optimisations, we are now targeting to increase 
Phase 1 gross plateau production to between 85,000-95,000 bopd, 
including up to 85,000 bopd from the Jurassic reservoir and up to 
10,000 bopd from the Triassic reservoir.

In addition, we have updated the Gas Management Plan from 
processing and export of gas with recovery of elemental sulphur, to 
reinjection of gas into the reservoir, underpinning our target to eliminate 
routine flaring and more than halve our scope 1 and 2 emissions per 
barrel by 2025. The project is expected to be executed in parallel with 
the Phase 1 increase in oil production.

From FDP approval, the expected duration of the Phase 1 Jurassic and 
Triassic projects is 36 to 42 months and the Gas Management Plan is 
18 to 24 months. Total Phase 1 gross Capex is currently estimated to be 
$800-$925 million, up around $160 million from the previous FDP with 
the objective of increasing production towards 95,000 bopd through 
project optimisations. We continue to review opportunities to further 
optimise the project.

While the focus remains on delivering Phase 1 of the FDP, we are 
committed to exploiting the further potential of the field with a vision 
of increasing production beyond 85,000-95,000 bopd through the 
expansion of the Triassic reservoir and a Cretaceous reservoir pilot. 

Current operational activity and 2022 outlook
Gross average production since the beginning of the year has been 
c.45,500 bopd. After acid stimulations, current SH-13 production is in 
line with expectations, while we continue to explore options to further 
increase SH-14 production. Following the early appearance of trace 
quantities of water, SH-12 is currently shut-in while we investigate 
near-term production options ahead of the installation of planned 
water handling facilities.

Looking ahead to the rest of the year, we remain focused on delivering 
gross average production of 44,000-50,000 bopd, reflecting 
the anticipated production contribution from SH-15, which is 
currently being hooked up ahead of targeted start-up in Q2 2022, 
and the benefits of an intervention and workover campaign with 
our existing wells with the primary focus of production assurance 
and enhancement, where possible. 

We remain confident in Shaikan Field gross 2P reserves of 489 MMstb 
and gross 2C resources of 293 MMstb, based on the 31 December 
2020 Competent Person’s Report adjusted for 2021 production from 
2P reserves of around 16 MMstb. 

Constructive engagement continues with the MNR on the FDP, 
and further progress is required before we fully execute FDP activity, 
including drilling beyond SH-15. In 2022, we are focused on executing 
activity that enables us to expedite the FDP following approval. 
This includes activities to prepare for expansion of our production 
facilities to include water handling and a continuous drilling programme. 
Net capital expenditure guidance for 2022 is $85-$95 million. 

Sustainability
We continue to work hard on enhancing the sustainability of our 
business, with Board approval of our sustainability strategy and 
roadmap in 2021. We remain focused on a number of core priorities. 
First, we continue to target zero harm across our operations, 
particularly as operational activity continues to increase. Second, the 
Gas Management Plan will enable us to reduce our carbon intensity by 
more than 50% by 2025 and we are also exploring the viability of other 
projects that could enable us to reduce our scope 1 and 2 emissions 
further. Third, we continue to develop our people and identify 
opportunities to enhance diversity and inclusion across our business. 
Lastly, we remain intensely focused on amplifying the broader social 
and economic value of the Shaikan Field and our operations for 
Kurdistan. We look forward to updating you on our progress.

Draft Shaikan Field Development Plan

Jon Harris
Chief Executive Officer

29 March 2022 

Phase 1
gross production 
ramp-up (bopd)

Gas Management Plan
carbon intensity(1) 
reduction (kg/bbl)

To 85,000-95,000

38

43,440

Targeting >50%
reduction vs 2020
baseline

2021 gross
production

Jurassic expansion
and Triassic test

2020 baseline

2025 target

(1)  Scope 1 and 2 emissions intensity.

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited  Annual report and accounts 2021  

9

GovernanceStrategic reportFinancialsFinancial review

Key financial highlights

Gross average production(1)  

Dated Brent(1)  

Realised price(1)  

Revenue  

Operating costs  

Gross operating costs per barrel(1)  

Other general and administrative expenses  

Incurred in relation to Shaikan Field  

Corporate G&A  

Share option expense 

Adjusted EBITDA(1)  

Profit/(loss) after tax  

Basic earnings/(loss) per share  

Revenue and arrears receipts(1) 

Net capital expenditure(1)  

Free cash flow(1) 

Dividends 

Cash and cash equivalents   

Face amount of the Notes  

Net cash(1) 

We are committed to 
a disciplined approach 
to capital allocation 
and cost control, and 
maintaining a prudent 
level of liquidity and 
robust financial position.

Ian Weatherdon
Chief Financial Officer

Year ended 

Year ended  
  31 December   31 December 
2020

2021 

bopd 

$/bbl 

$/bbl 

$m 

$m  

$/bbl 

$m  

$m  

$m  

$m 

$m  

$m  

cents  

$m  

$m  

$m 

$m 

$m 

$m  

$m 

43,440 

36,625

70.8 

49.7 

301.4 

34.4 

2.7 

13.6 

4.1 

9.5 

8.5 

222.7 

164.6 

77.14 

221.7 

50.8 

122.2 

100.0 

169.9 

100.0 

69.9 

42.0

 20.9

 108.4

27.4

 2.6

12.3

5.0

7.3

1.2

56.7

(47.3)

(22.45)

101.1

45.9

(22.9)

—

147.8

100.0

47.8

(1)  Gross average production, Dated Brent, realised price, gross operating costs per barrel, adjusted EBITDA, revenue and arrears receipts being actual cash 

received during the year, net capital expenditure, free cash flow and net cash are either non-financial or non-IFRS measures and, where necessary, are explained 
in the summary of non-IFRS measures. 

10 

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited  Annual report and accounts 2021

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Strategically, Gulf Keystone is committed to a disciplined approach 
to capital allocation and cost control, and maintaining a prudent level 
of liquidity and robust financial position. By taking decisive action in 
2020 to reduce capital expenditures, operating costs and general and 
administrative (“G&A”) expenses, the Company entered 2021 with a 
strong balance sheet and well positioned to capitalise on improving 
macro-economic fundamentals. In 2021, the Company restarted its 
development programme, generated a significant increase in adjusted 
EBITDA and paid dividends of $100 million, while further strengthening 
the balance sheet.

Adjusted EBITDA
Adjusted EBITDA grew almost four-fold in 2021 to $222.7 million 
(2020: $56.7 million), driven by a strong increase in the oil price and 
higher production, partly offset by higher operating costs, share option 
expense and capacity building payments.

Gross average production was 43,440 bopd in 2021, up 19% from 
36,625 bopd in 2020 and towards the upper end of the Company’s 
tightened 2021 guidance range of 42,000-44,000 bopd. With Gulf 
Keystone’s leverage to the strengthening of the Dated Brent price from 
an average of $42.0/bbl in 2020 to $70.8/bbl in 2021, the realised price 
per barrel more than doubled to $49.7/bbl, resulting in an almost tripling 
in revenue from $108.4 million in 2020 to $301.4 million in 2021. 

Adjusted EBITDA

Revenue was partially offset by a corresponding $15.2 million increase 
in capacity building payments to $23.5 million (2020: $8.4 million), 
which is a component of the KRG’s entitlement from the Shaikan Field. 

Gulf Keystone continues to maintain strict control over its cost 
base. Gross operating costs per barrel increased 4% to $2.7/bbl in 
2021 (2020: $2.6/bbl), in the middle of the Company’s 2021 guidance 
range of $2.5-$2.9/bbl. The increase in operating costs in 2021 
to $34.4 million (2020: $27.4 million), primarily due to increased 
production, maintenance and well services activity that was 
deferred from 2020, was substantially offset by higher production.

Other G&A, comprising Shaikan Field and corporate support costs, 
were slightly higher in 2021 at $13.6 million (2020: $12.3 million), 
reflecting increasing activity levels. Share option expense in the period 
increased by $7.3 million, principally due to tax settlements related 
to the exercise of former Directors’ contractual Value Creation Plan 
share option entitlements being made in cash and an increase in 
accrued national insurance contributions resulting from the increased 
share price.

48

149

(15)

(7)

(1)

223

(7)

$m

300

250

200

150

100

50

0

57

2020 adjusted
EBITDA

Brent
price

Production

CBP(1)

Operating
costs

Other
G&A

Share option 
expense

2021 adjusted
EBITDA

(1)  Capacity building payments.

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited  Annual report and accounts 2021  

11

GovernanceStrategic reportFinancialsFinancial review continued

Cash flows

223

(51)

(10)

(1)

(39)

148

170

183

(100)

$m

400

350

300

250

200

150

100

50

0

Opening cash
(31 December 2020)

Adjusted
EBITDA

Capex

Interest

Put option

Working capital

Dividends

Closing cash
(31 December 2021)

Cash balance
(29 March 2022)

Cash increased in 2021 from $147.8 million to $169.9 million. The Group 
has notes outstanding with a principal balance of $100.0 million (2020: 
$100.0 million) that do not mature until July 2023, resulting in net cash of 
$69.9 million at 31 December 2021. The cash balance has consistently 
exceeded the $100.0 million notes outstanding since issue in 2018 and 
the Company continues to retain significant covenant headroom.

The Company generated cash from operating activities of 
$178.6 million in 2021, up from $42.6 million in 2020 due 
principally to the increase in adjusted EBITDA.

In 2021, the Company received revenue receipts of $221.7 million 
from the KRG for crude oil sales related to the December 2020 to 
August 2021 invoices and partial repayment of arrears related to the 
outstanding November 2019 to February 2020 invoices. Of the original 
outstanding arrears of $73.3 million net to GKP, a total of $32.4 million 
was repaid in 2021, based on an arrangement with the KRG and IOCs 
operating in Kurdistan(1). Despite continued collection of arrears, the 
delays to payments from the KRG have contributed to a working capital 
increase of $38.5 million (2020: $9.0 million increase).

Since the beginning of 2022, the Company has received a further 
$106.4 million net to GKP for crude oil sales and arrears related to the 
September 2021 to November 2021 invoices. As at 29 March 2022, 
the outstanding arrears balance was $21.9 million net to GKP.

With the improvement in oil prices and continuous payments from 
the KRG, Gulf Keystone restarted its investment programme in the 
Shaikan Field and resumed drilling activities in June. During the 
year, the Company invested net capital expenditure of $50.8 million 
(2020: $45.9 million), primarily on the completion of the SH-13 and 
SH-14 wells, related civil and flowline works and the debottlenecking 
of PF-2. Net capital expenditure was slightly lower than final 2021 
guidance of approximately $55 million.

As at 31 December 2021, there were $437 million gross of 
unrecovered costs, subject to potential cost audit by the KRG. 
The R-factor, calculated as cumulative gross revenue receipts of 
$1,478 million divided by cumulative gross costs of $1,543 million, 
was 0.96. The unrecovered cost pool and R-factor are used to 
calculate monthly cost oil and profit oil entitlements, respectively, 
owed to the Company from crude oil sales.

Free cash flow generation was $122.2 million in 2021, an increase of 
$145.1 million versus the prior year (2020: ($22.9) million), enabling 
the Company to continue to deliver against its commitment of 
balancing investment in growth with returns to shareholders. 
In March 2021, Gulf Keystone reinstated its dividend policy of paying 
at least $25 million annually. Given continuing strong oil prices and 
cash generation in the year, the Company paid total dividends of 
$100 million. Since the beginning of 2022, Gulf Keystone has paid 
an additional dividend of $50 million to shareholders. 

The Group performed a cash flow and liquidity analysis based on 
which the Directors have a reasonable expectation that the Group has 
adequate resources to continue to operate for the foreseeable future. 
Therefore, the going concern basis of accounting is used to prepare 
the financial statements.

(1)  The repayment of arrears related to January 2021 and February 2021 were calculated based on 50% of the difference between average monthly Dated Brent 
price and $50/bbl multiplied by the gross Shaikan crude sold in a month. The KRG advised IOCs that since the Dated Brent price had remained consistently 
well above $50/bbl, the 50% difference would be changed to 20% from March 2021 and onwards.

12 

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited  Annual report and accounts 2021

Outlook
The Company has a strong balance sheet with cash and cash 
equivalents of $182.7 million at 29 March 2022. 

Looking ahead to 2022, we are currently planning to invest net 
capital expenditure of $85-$95 million. This includes the drilling of 
SH-15, well interventions and workovers and activity that enables us 
to expedite the FDP following approval, including preparatory work 
for the continued expansion of our production facilities to include 
water handling and for a continuous drilling programme. Constructive 
engagement continues with the MNR on the FDP, and further progress 
is required before we fully execute FDP activity, including drilling 
beyond SH-15. With progress on the FDP, we expect to resume 
drilling and increase 2022 capital guidance.

We are targeting gross Opex of $2.9-$3.3/bbl, driven by increased 
operational activity and the continued catch-up of previously 
scheduled work programmes deferred due to COVID-19. 2022 annual 
gross average production is expected to be 44,000-50,000 bopd.

Given the strong oil price outlook and our flexible spending programme, 
we currently have no hedging programme in place. We consider 
hedging on an ongoing basis, taking into account macro-economic 
and corporate considerations.

In line with our commitment to balancing investment in growth with 
returns to shareholders, we are pleased to declare $90 million of 
dividends, comprising a $25 million 2021 ordinary annual dividend for 
shareholder approval at the Company’s AGM on 24 June 2022 and a 
$65 million interim dividend payable in May 2022. 

Assuming timely payment of invoices and continuing strong oil prices, 
we are expecting strong cash flow generation in 2022. This would 
provide flexibility to fund a potential increase in capital expenditure, 
with progress on the FDP, and the opportunity for further distributions 
to shareholders, while preserving adequate liquidity and maintaining a 
robust balance sheet.

Ian Weatherdon 
Chief Financial Officer

29 March 2022

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited  Annual report and accounts 2021  

13

GovernanceStrategic reportFinancialsOur asset

The Shaikan Field is a long life asset, with a proven 
production track record and significant growth potential.

Location & size
The Shaikan Field is one of the largest energy developments in Kurdistan by reserves and production. Located around 60 kilometres 
north-west of Erbil, the largest city in Kurdistan, and at the north-west end of the Zagros Fold-belt, the Field spans an area of approximately 
280 square kilometres. 

History & production
The Shaikan Field Production Sharing 
Contract (“PSC”) was awarded in 2007, 
with oil discovered in 2009 through the 
SH-1 well and first commercial production 
achieved in July 2013. Since then, over 
100 MMstb of oil has been produced, with 
gross average production increasing from 
1,361 bopd in 2013 to 43,440 bopd in 2021. 
Gross average production grew 19% in 
2021, marking the third consecutive year 
of growth.

Shaikan Field production history (‘000 bopd)

34.8

35.3

31.6

32.9

30.5

43.4

36.6

17.8

1.4

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

Infrastructure
The number of Shaikan Field production wells was expanded to 13 in 2021, following the start-up of SH-13 and SH-14 towards the end of the 
year. The Field’s wells produce into two production facilities, PF-1 and PF-2, which have a total capacity of around 57,500 bopd following 
recent debottlenecking work. 

Shaikan Field map

SH-4

SH-9

SH-10

SH-14

SH-11

SH-5

SH-1

SH-7

PF-1

SH-3

SH-8

SH-15

SH-12

SH-13
SH-2

SH-6

0

2.5

5

KILOMETRES

Key

  Wells 
  Facilities

PF-2

PIPE YARD

  Shaikan flowlines

  Kurdistan Export Pipeline

  Block boundaries

  Pipeline tie-in

  River network

14 

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited  Annual report and accounts 2021

Reserves & resources
The Shaikan Field consists of three reservoirs, the Cretaceous, the Jurassic and the Triassic, with the Cretaceous being the shallowest and 
the Triassic the deepest. Crude oil contained in the Cretaceous and Jurassic reservoirs is relatively heavy, with the Cretaceous containing 
bituminous oil between 12-15° API and the Jurassic holding heavy oil with a slightly higher API of 15-17°. The Triassic reservoir contains light oil 
with gas condensate of between 38-43° API. The reservoir is constructed of three layers or “horizons”, the Kurra Chine A (“KCA”), the Kurra 
Chine B (“KCB”) and the Kurra Chine C (“KCC”). 

Production to date has been entirely from the Jurassic reservoir, in which all of the Field’s 489 MMstb estimated gross 2P reserves at 
31 December 2021(1) are located (see table below). As part of the Field Development Plan, Gulf Keystone plans to test the Triassic reservoir, 
which is estimated to contain 157 MMstb of gross 2C resources at 31 December 2021(1). 

Gross reserves and resources based on the Competent Person’s Report at 31 December 2020 and estimated gross reserves and 
resources at 31 December 2021 based on adjustments for 2021 production were:

Formation (MMstb)

31 December 2021
Jurassic

Triassic

Cretaceous

Total – gross

31 December 2020
Jurassic

Triassic

Cretaceous

Total – gross

Reserves

Resources

1P

2P

2C(2)

2P+2C(3)

224

—

—

224

240

—

—

240

489

—

—

489

505

—

—

505

80 

157 

56 

293

80 

157 

56 

 293 

569

157

56

782

585

157

56

798

The reconciliation of changes in reserves and resources between the Competent Person’s Report and the Company’s estimates at 
31 December 2021 is as follows:

Gross (MMstb)

31 December 2020
Production

31 December 2021

Reserves

Resources

1P

240 
(16)

224

2P

505 
(16)

489

2C(2)

2P+2C(3)

293 
—

293

798
(16)

782

GKP’s 80% net working interest(3) (“WI”) share of estimated reserves and resources at 31 December 2021 were:

Formation (80% WI) (MMstb)

Jurassic

Triassic

Cretaceous

Total – net WI

Reserves

Resources

1P

179

—

—

179

2P

391

—

—

391

2C(2)

2P+2C(3)

64

125

45

234

455

125

45

625

(1)  Based on the 31 December 2020 Competent Person’s Report adjusted for 2021 production.
(2)  Contingent resources volumes are classified as such because there is technical and commercial risk involved with their extraction. In particular, there 

may be a chance that accumulations containing contingent resources will not achieve commercial maturity. The 2C (best estimate) contingent resources 
presented are not risked for chance of development. 

(3)  Aggregated 2P+2C estimates should be used with caution as 2C contingent resources are commercially less mature than the 2P reserves. 
(4)  Net working interest reserves and resources do not represent the net entitlement resources under the terms of the Production Sharing Contract (“PSC”). 

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited  Annual report and accounts 2021  

15

GovernanceStrategic reportFinancialsOur asset continued

Operating  
in Kurdistan

Kurdistan’s oil and gas industry
The oil and gas industry in Kurdistan is relatively young 
compared to other producing regions in the world with the 
KRG concluding Production Sharing Contracts with a number 
of local and international oil companies from 2007. Since then, 
the discovery and development of oil fields, like the Shaikan Field, 
have enabled Kurdistan to become a major global producer, 
producing around 445,000 bopd in 2021(1). Between 2017 and 
2021, the Shaikan Field’s contribution to total KRG production 
grew from 6% to 10%(1) (see chart). 

The oil and gas industry provides a significant contribution to 
Kurdistan’s economy, primarily through oil revenues, investment 
in local goods and services and employment. In 2021, 275, or 74%, 
of Gulf Keystone’s workforce was local at the end of the year, 
with more than 600 local people indirectly employed through 
contractors. $49 million, or 58%, of our total purchasing and 
contracting in the year was spent with local suppliers. In addition, 
the Shaikan Field generated $335.8 million for the KRG from 
production entitlements, royalties and capacity building payments. 
Read more about Gulf Keystone’s economic value generation in 
Kurdistan in the Sustainability report on pages 28 to 45. 

Shaikan Field production as % of KRG production (2017-2021)

6%

8%

7%

8%

10%

bopd

600,000

500,000

400,000

300,000

200,000

100,000

0

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

KRG production ex  
Shaikan Field production(1)

Shaikan Field production

(1)  Source: Deloitte reviews of Kurdistan Regional Government of Iraq’s 
oil production, export, consumption and revenue; KRG production 
defined as “total exported and consumed”.

Crude marketing and export
The KRG is responsible for marketing and exporting all crude from the Shaikan Field. Crude exports continued reliably in 2021 with 
all production exported via the Kurdistan Export Pipeline to Fishkhabour, from where production then travels to Ceyhan through the 
Iraq-Turkey Pipeline (see map). Pipeline uptime was in excess of 99%.

The realised price for Shaikan crude of $49.7/bbl in 2021 was based on an average Dated Brent price of $70.8/bbl less a quality discount 
and transportation costs for use of export pipelines totalling $21.2/bbl, in accordance with the principles of the Crude Oil Sales Agreement. 

Pipeline export map

CEYHAN PIPELINE 
TERMINAL

IRAQ – TURKEY 
PIPELINE

FISHKHABOUR

DOHUK

SHAIKAN

TALL’AFAR

KURDISTAN 
EXPORT PIPELINE

MOSUL

ERBIL

CHEMCHEMAL

SULEIMANIAH

KIRKUK

TIKRIT

0

100

KILOMETRES

Key

16 

  Oil Pipelines

International Border

  KRG-Iraqi Forces Demarcation

  Kurdistan
  Shaikan Licence

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited  Annual report and accounts 2021

TURKEYIRANSYRIAIRAQMEDITERRANEANSEA 
Crude oil  
payments

Net crude oil payments since December 2020

Payment received

Revenue arrears received

$5m

$5m

$4m

$5m

$4m

$3m

$3m

$6m

$3m

$22m

$21m

$24m

$25m

$25m

$24m

$25m

$17m

$18m

$14m

$7m

$7m

$33m

$30m

$m (net)

45

40

35

30

25

20

15

10

5

0
Month of 
production

Gross  
prod.  
(kbopd)  

Brent  
price(1)  
($/bbl) 

December
2020

January
2021

February
2021

March(2)
2021

April
2021

May
2021

June
2021

July
2021

August
2021

September
2021

October
2021

November
2021

43.0 

44.4 

41.6 

43.4 

43.9 

44.2 

43.3 

41.1 

41.4 

42.4 

45.7 

45.1

$50.0 

$54.8 

$62.3 

$65.4 

$64.8 

$68.5 

$73.2 

$75.2 

$70.8 

$74.5 

$83.5 

$81.1

Crude oil payments
A total of nine payments were received in 2021 from the KRG covering production sold from December 2020 to August 2021. Payments for 
September to November 2021 were received in the first quarter of 2022. In addition, in March 2021, the KRG began repaying arrears related 
to the outstanding November 2019 to February 2020 invoices, with the first repayment received for January 2021 production. 

The KRG has continued to repay the arrears balance alongside payments for crude oil sales, based on an arrangement with the KRG and 
IOCs operating in Kurdistan(3). As at 29 March 2022, the outstanding arrears balance was $21.9 million net to GKP. 

(1)  Source: EIA Brent spot prices.
(2)  $3.3 million net to GKP for the March 2021 arrears was received as part of the April 2021 arrears payment.
(3)  The repayment of arrears related to January 2021 and February 2021 was calculated based on 50% of the difference between average monthly 

Dated Brent price and $50/bbl multiplied by the gross Shaikan crude sold in a month. The KRG advised IOCs that since the Dated Brent price had 
remained consistently well above $50/bbl, the 50% difference would be changed to 20% from March 2021 and onwards. 

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited  Annual report and accounts 2021  

17

GovernanceStrategic reportFinancialsBusiness model

Our purpose: GKP is a responsible energy company 
developing natural resources for the benefit of all our 
stakeholders, delivering social and economic benefits by 
working safely and sustainably with integrity and respect.

Inputs

Our core activities

Focus on safe operations
No LTI 

recorded for over 160 days(1)

One LTI in 2021; full investigation completed, followed by remedial actions

Long life asset 
782 MMstb

estimated gross 2P reserves 
+ 2C contingent resources(2)

>30 years 

gross 2P reserves life index(3)

Local and empowered workforce
>600
74%

of GKP’s employees are local 
to Kurdistan

local workers employed 
through GKP contractors

Develop

The Shaikan Field is one of the largest energy developments in 
Kurdistan by reserves and production, with significant growth potential. 
The Company submitted a draft Field Development Plan to the Ministry 
of Natural Resources in 2021, which comprises a plan to increase 
gross production to 95,000 bopd while achieving a greater than 50% 
reduction in scope 1 and 2 CO2 emissions per barrel by 2025 through 
the elimination of routine flaring. The FDP is subject to review and 
approval by the MNR. 

Read more on pages 14 and 15

Financial strength
$170m 

cash as at 31 December 2021

Low-cost structure 
<$35/bbl

Brent price covers operating 
costs, G&A and interest 
expense

$100m 

bond due mid-2023 

Our strategic priorities

$2.7/bbl 

gross Opex in 2021

Safety and 
sustainability 

Value  
creation

Capital 
discipline  
and cost  
focus 

Robust 
financial 
position 

(1)  As at 29 March 2022.
(2)  Based on the 31 December 2020 Competent Person’s Report adjusted 

for 2021 production.

(3)  489 MMstb of estimated gross 2P reserves as at 31 December 2021/

gross average production for 2021 of 43,440 bopd.

Underpinned by our values and culture 

1. Safety

2. Social responsibility

3. Trust through open 
communication

18 

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited  Annual report and accounts 2021

Produce

In 2021, Gulf Keystone delivered gross average 
production of 43,440 bopd, towards the upper 
end of its guidance range, the Company’s highest 
gross annual average production rate to date 
from the Shaikan Field and a 19% increase versus 
2020. This record was achieved with continuing 
reliable production from the Field, with over 99% 
plant and pipeline uptime. In February 2022, 
the Company hit the milestone of 100 MMstb 
cumulative gross production from the Field.

Operating responsibly

Read more on pages 8 and 9

Strong  
governance  
framework

Sustainability  
underpins our  
business model

Read more on pages 60 to 69

Read more on pages 28 to 45

Outputs 

  Investors

Gulf Keystone is committed to balancing investment in 
growth with shareholder returns, while maintaining a robust 
financial position. The Company delivered on its promise in 
2021, paying $100 million of dividends, while maintaining a 
net cash position.

  Kurdistan

Kurdistan is part of Gulf Keystone’s DNA. Through our ongoing 
operations and by creating local jobs, investing in the local 
supply chain and supporting local communities, Gulf Keystone 
makes a significant contribution to Kurdistan’s oil and gas 
industry, society and economy. The Company is planning to 
make further significant contributions as it commits to a new 
Field Development Plan to deliver sustainable growth.

  Communities

Gulf Keystone takes pride in its engagement with 
communities and has a strong relationship with the areas 
local to Shaikan. The Company is one of the largest 
employers in Kurdistan and has a high staff localisation ratio, 
with many employees hired from neighbouring villages. It is 
committed to local workforce development through jobs, 
training and career opportunities.

  Workforce

Gulf Keystone’s workforce is integral to the Company’s ability 
to deliver its strategy. Through annual equity awards under 
the Long-Term Incentive Plan (“LTIP”), all employees are able 
to share in the Company’s success.

   Host government and partner

The Company continues to work with its host government, 
the KRG, and partner, MOL, to generate value from the 
Shaikan Field. In 2021, $336 million was generated for 
the government, primarily from production entitlements, 
royalties and capacity building payments.

4. Innovation and excellence

5. Integrity and respect

6. Teamwork

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited  Annual report and accounts 2021  

19

GovernanceStrategic reportFinancialsStrategy and objectives

Our strategy is to create value for all stakeholders by 
driving sustainable and profitable production growth 
from the staged development of the Shaikan Field, 
balanced with distributions to shareholders. 

Our strategic priorities are as follows:

Safety and  
sustainability

Value  
creation

Strategic objective
•  The Group is committed to high ESG standards with a focus 

Strategic objective
•  Deliver sustainable and profitable production growth and 

distributions to shareholders

2021 progress
•  Annual gross average production of 43,440 bopd, towards the 

upper end of tightened guidance range of 42,000-44,000 bopd
•  Resumed drilling activities ahead of schedule; SH-13 and SH-14 

brought online, SH-15 spudded

•  Submitted draft FDP following constructive engagement with 

partner MOL and MNR

•  $222.7 million adjusted EBITDA, primarily driven by a strong 

increase in the oil price and higher production

•  Reinstated dividend policy of at least a $25 million annual 

dividend

•  Paid $100 million of dividends to shareholders in 2021

2022 priorities
•  Deliver annual gross average production guidance range of 

44,000 – 50,000 bopd

•  Progress discussions with MNR to secure approval of the FDP
•  Maintain dividend policy of paying at least $25 million 

to shareholders

•  With continuing strong oil prices and cash flow generation, 
there may be opportunities to consider further distributions 
to shareholders

Link to key performance measures
•  Gross production (bopd)
•  Adjusted EBITDA ($m) 

on safety, the environment, our people and local communities, 
underpinned by strong governance processes

2021 progress
•  Submission of draft FDP to MNR, comprising a Gas Management 
Plan to eliminate routine gas flaring and reduce scope 1 and 2 
emissions per barrel by >50% by 2025
Increase in TRIR, due to two recordable incidents in 2021; 
remedial actions implemented, zero LTIs for over 160 days since 
incident(1) 

• 

•  Substantial completion of HSE improvement programme
•  Developed ESG roadmap to progress the sustainability strategy
•  December 2021 Kurdistan staff localisation rate of 74%. 2021 

voluntary turnover rate of 1.7%

•  Zero production outages related to COVID-19, with 97% of 

GKPI’s workforce receiving vaccinations

•  Refer to the Sustainability report on pages 28 to 45 for more detail 

on safety and sustainability initiatives and 2021 performance

2022 priorities
•  Continue to target zero harm across our operations and 
improvement of the Company’s total recordable incident 
rate (“TRIR”)

•  Deliver HSE and corporate social responsibility (“CSR”) 

programmes

•  Progress discussions with MNR to secure approval of the FDP, 

including the Gas Management Plan

•  Endorse the World Bank’s “Zero Routine Flaring by 2030” initiative
•  Explore viability of additional projects to further reduce scope 1 

and 2 emissions intensity beyond the 2025 target 

•  Work towards full compliance with TCFD for fiscal year 2022
•  Ensure high level of staff localisation and retention
•  Further build capability of workforce, drive engagement and 

well-being and advance diversity and inclusion

Link to key performance measures
•  Safety performance (TRIR)

Successful delivery of our strategic objectives is underpinned by a robust and rigorous risk management process.

(1)  As at 29 March 2022.

20 

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited  Annual report and accounts 2021

Capital discipline  

and cost focus

Robust  

financial position

Strategic objective

Strategic objective

•  Prudent, disciplined and proactive management of capital 

•  Maintain adequate liquidity to fund the development of 

expenditures and underlying cost base

the Shaikan Field over time while allowing for shareholder 

2021 progress

•  Net Capex of $50.8 million, below final 2021 guidance of 

distributions 

2021 progress

approximately $55 million

•  $122.2 million of free cash flow generated in 2021, an increase of 

•  Gross Opex per barrel of $2.7/bbl, within 2021 guidance range of 

$145.1 million versus the prior year

$2.5-$2.9/bbl

•  Cash balance of $169.9 million as at 31 December 2021, in excess 

•  Other G&A expenses of $13.6 million, slightly higher versus 2020 

of $100 million outstanding debt due in 2023

reflecting increasing activity levels

•  Significant headroom under current Nordic bond financial 

2022 priorities

•  Deliver annual net Capex guidance range of $85-$95 million 

•  Deliver annual gross Opex per barrel guidance range of 

covenants

2022 priorities

$2.9-$3.3/bbl

•  Maintain robust balance sheet

•  Maintain position as leading low-cost operator among Kurdistan 

•  Ready access to debt market

•  Adequate liquidity to fund 2022 and forward work programme

Region of Iraq and international E&P peers

Link to key performance measures

•  Operating costs ($m)

•  Other G&A expenses ($m)

•  Net capital expenditure ($m)

Link to key performance measures

•  Adjusted EBITDA ($m)

•  Net cash ($m)

 
We are focused on the safety and sustainability 
of our operations and capital and cost discipline, 
while maintaining a robust financial position.

Our strategic priorities are as follows:

Safety and  

sustainability

Value  

creation

Capital discipline  
and cost focus

Robust  
financial position

Strategic objective

Strategic objective

•  The Group is committed to high ESG standards with a focus 

•  Deliver sustainable and profitable production growth and 

on safety, the environment, our people and local communities, 

distributions to shareholders

underpinned by strong governance processes

2021 progress

2021 progress

•  Annual gross average production of 43,440 bopd, towards the 

Strategic objective
•  Prudent, disciplined and proactive management of capital 

expenditures and underlying cost base

2021 progress
•  Net Capex of $50.8 million, below final 2021 guidance of 

•  Submission of draft FDP to MNR, comprising a Gas Management 

upper end of tightened guidance range of 42,000-44,000 bopd

approximately $55 million

Strategic objective
•  Maintain adequate liquidity to fund the development of 

the Shaikan Field over time while allowing for shareholder 
distributions 

2021 progress
•  $122.2 million of free cash flow generated in 2021, an increase of 

Plan to eliminate routine gas flaring and reduce scope 1 and 2 

•  Resumed drilling activities ahead of schedule; SH-13 and SH-14 

•  Gross Opex per barrel of $2.7/bbl, within 2021 guidance range of 

$145.1 million versus the prior year

emissions per barrel by >50% by 2025

brought online, SH-15 spudded

$2.5-$2.9/bbl

•  Cash balance of $169.9 million as at 31 December 2021, in excess 

• 

Increase in TRIR, due to two recordable incidents in 2021; 

•  Submitted draft FDP following constructive engagement with 

•  Other G&A expenses of $13.6 million, slightly higher versus 2020 

of $100 million outstanding debt due in 2023

reflecting increasing activity levels

•  Significant headroom under current Nordic bond financial 

2022 priorities
•  Deliver annual net Capex guidance range of $85-$95 million 
•  Deliver annual gross Opex per barrel guidance range of 

$2.9-$3.3/bbl

•  Maintain position as leading low-cost operator among Kurdistan 

Region of Iraq and international E&P peers

Link to key performance measures
•  Operating costs ($m)
•  Other G&A expenses ($m)
•  Net capital expenditure ($m)

covenants

2022 priorities
•  Adequate liquidity to fund 2022 and forward work programme
•  Maintain robust balance sheet
•  Ready access to debt market

Link to key performance measures
•  Adjusted EBITDA ($m)
•  Net cash ($m)

remedial actions implemented, zero LTIs for over 160 days since 

partner MOL and MNR

incident(1) 

•  Substantial completion of HSE improvement programme

•  $222.7 million adjusted EBITDA, primarily driven by a strong 

increase in the oil price and higher production

•  Developed ESG roadmap to progress the sustainability strategy

•  Reinstated dividend policy of at least a $25 million annual 

•  December 2021 Kurdistan staff localisation rate of 74%. 2021 

dividend

voluntary turnover rate of 1.7%

•  Paid $100 million of dividends to shareholders in 2021

•  Zero production outages related to COVID-19, with 97% of 

GKPI’s workforce receiving vaccinations

•  Refer to the Sustainability report on pages 28 to 45 for more detail 

on safety and sustainability initiatives and 2021 performance

2022 priorities

44,000 – 50,000 bopd

2022 priorities

rate (“TRIR”)

programmes

•  Continue to target zero harm across our operations and 

improvement of the Company’s total recordable incident 

to shareholders

•  Deliver HSE and corporate social responsibility (“CSR”) 

to shareholders

•  Deliver annual gross average production guidance range of 

•  Progress discussions with MNR to secure approval of the FDP

•  Maintain dividend policy of paying at least $25 million 

•  With continuing strong oil prices and cash flow generation, 

there may be opportunities to consider further distributions 

•  Progress discussions with MNR to secure approval of the FDP, 

Link to key performance measures

•  Gross production (bopd)

•  Adjusted EBITDA ($m) 

including the Gas Management Plan

•  Endorse the World Bank’s “Zero Routine Flaring by 2030” initiative

•  Explore viability of additional projects to further reduce scope 1 

and 2 emissions intensity beyond the 2025 target 

•  Work towards full compliance with TCFD for fiscal year 2022

•  Ensure high level of staff localisation and retention

•  Further build capability of workforce, drive engagement and 

well-being and advance diversity and inclusion

Link to key performance measures

•  Safety performance (TRIR)

Successful delivery of our strategic objectives is underpinned by a robust and rigorous risk management process.

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited  Annual report and accounts 2021  

21

GovernanceStrategic reportFinancials 
Key performance measures

Safety performance
(TRIR)

Adjusted EBITDA 
($m)

2.61

2019

0.75

2018

0.71

2020

1.37

150

123

2021

2018

2019

57

2020

223

2021

Why we measure this
•  The Company is committed to safe, reliable operations and HSE is 

a priority. 

Why we measure this
• 

Indicator of the Group’s cash generation to fund expenditures and return 
capital to shareholders.

•  Safety performance and improvements in safety management are 

measured by several measures, including TRIR.

•  We require employees and contractors to work in a safe and responsible 

manner and provide them with the training and equipment to do so. 

Operating costs

Other G&A expenses

($m)

3.2

31

3.9

37

2.6

27

2.7

34

($m)

7

8

9

7

5

7

4

10

2018

2019

2020

2021

2018

2019

2020

2021

Why we measure this

Why we measure this

•  The Company monitors operating costs to ensure they remain in line with 

•  A key metric for the Company is to control G&A expenses, including 

•  Costs are carefully controlled with a focus on remaining a 

•  Performance is measured relative to budget and the ability to identify 

the budget.

low-cost operator.

business, corporate and support costs.

and implement cost reductions.

Link to strategic priorities 

Link to remuneration 
Yes

Link to strategic priorities 

Link to remuneration 
No

Link to strategic priorities 

Link to remuneration 

Link to strategic priorities 

Link to remuneration 

Yes

Yes

Performance 
•  TRIR increased in 2021 due to two incidents (a lost time incident and a 

medical treatment case) during drilling operations.

•  Both incidents were investigated and the Company implemented a 

number of remedial actions.

•  As at 29 March 2022, there have been more than 160 LTI-free days since 

the last incident in December 2021.

•  The Company’s 2021 HSE improvement plan was substantially complete 

on 31 December 2021.

Performance 
•  Revenue increase of $193 million driven by 19% increase in gross average 
production and leverage to the strengthening of the Dated Brent price.

• 

• 

Increase in absolute operating costs due to ramp up of operational activity 
and catch up on scopes deferred from 2020. Opex of $2.7/bbl in line 
with guidance.

Increase in share option related expense due to settlement in cash of tax 
payable on exercise of Value Creation Plan share options.

Performance 

Performance 

• 

Increase primarily driven by ramp-up in operational activity in 2021, 

•  2021 costs, excluding stock-based compensation, were up slightly from 

following cost-saving measures implemented in 2020 as a result of the 

2020, reflecting increasing activity levels. 

COVID-19 pandemic and lower oil prices.

•  Majority of increase relates to increased activity due to higher production, 

maintenance and well services following deferral of these scopes in 2020.

•  Gross operating costs of $2.7 per barrel (2020: $2.6 per barrel) within 

2021 guidance range of $2.5 - $2.9 per barrel. 

Net capital expenditure
($m)

90

Net cash
($m)

196

36

2018

46

51

91

2019

2020

2021

2018

2019

48

2020

70

2021

Why we measure this
•  Net capital expenditure includes the Company’s net expenditure on oil 

Why we measure this
•  Maintaining a robust balance sheet and adequate liquidity provides 

asset investments. 

•  Net capital expenditure is incurred in an efficient, controlled and timely 

manner to profitably develop oil reserves.

the flexibility to execute our strategy and fund the development of the 
Shaikan Field.

Link to strategic priorities 

Link to remuneration 
Yes

Link to strategic priorities 

Link to remuneration 
No

Link to strategic priorities 

Link to remuneration 

Strategic priorities key:

Yes

Performance 
• 

Increase in 2021 following recommencement of investment in the 
Shaikan Field.

•  Majority of expenditure on completion of SH-13 and SH-14 wells, 
related civil and flowline works and the debottlenecking of PF-2.

•  Net capital expenditure lower than 2021 guidance due to revised spud 

date of SH-15 and the deferral of installation of two electric submersible 
pumps, partially offset by the higher cost of SH-14.

Performance 
• 

Increase in 2021 due to higher adjusted EBITDA, more than offsetting 
the slight increase in net capital expenditure and payment of $100 million 
of dividends. 

22 

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited  Annual report and accounts 2021

Gross production

(bopd)

31,563

32,883

36,625

43,440

Gulf Keystone sets performance measures 

and assesses progress against these 

targets on a regular basis.

2018

2019

2020

2021

Why we measure this

• 

Indicator of our revenue generation potential.

•  Measure of progress towards achieving our annual production guidance 

and driving sustainable production growth.

Performance 

•  2021 gross average production of 43,400 bopd, at the top end of the 

tightened 42,000–44,000 bopd guidance range.

• 

19% increase versus 2020 driven by the contribution from well workovers 

taking place in 2020 and 2021 and the contribution of two new wells, 

SH-13 and SH-14, at the end of the year.

Safety and sustainability

Value creation

Capital discipline and cost focus

Robust financial position

  
  
  
  
  
Adjusted EBITDA 

($m)

1.37

150

123

223

2021

57

2020

Safety performance

(TRIR)

2.61

2019

0.75

2018

a priority. 

Why we measure this

0.71

2020

•  Safety performance and improvements in safety management are 

measured by several measures, including TRIR.

•  We require employees and contractors to work in a safe and responsible 

manner and provide them with the training and equipment to do so. 

Operating costs
($m)

3.2

31

3.9

37

Gross Opex per  
barrel ($/bbl)

Other G&A expenses
($m)

2.6

27

2.7

34

7

8

9

7

5

7

Shaikan

Corporate

4

10

2021

2018

2019

2018

2019

2020

2021

2018

2019

2020

2021

•  The Company is committed to safe, reliable operations and HSE is 

• 

Indicator of the Group’s cash generation to fund expenditures and return 

Why we measure this

capital to shareholders.

Why we measure this
•  The Company monitors operating costs to ensure they remain in line with 

Why we measure this
•  A key metric for the Company is to control G&A expenses, including 

the budget.

business, corporate and support costs.

•  Costs are carefully controlled with a focus on remaining a 

•  Performance is measured relative to budget and the ability to identify 

low-cost operator.

and implement cost reductions.

Link to strategic priorities 

Link to remuneration 

Link to strategic priorities 

Link to remuneration 

Link to strategic priorities 

Yes

No

Link to remuneration 
Yes

Link to strategic priorities 

Link to remuneration 
Yes

Performance 

Performance 

•  TRIR increased in 2021 due to two incidents (a lost time incident and a 

•  Revenue increase of $193 million driven by 19% increase in gross average 

medical treatment case) during drilling operations.

production and leverage to the strengthening of the Dated Brent price.

•  Both incidents were investigated and the Company implemented a 

• 

Increase in absolute operating costs due to ramp up of operational activity 

number of remedial actions.

and catch up on scopes deferred from 2020. Opex of $2.7/bbl in line 

•  As at 29 March 2022, there have been more than 160 LTI-free days since 

with guidance.

Performance 
• 

Increase primarily driven by ramp-up in operational activity in 2021, 
following cost-saving measures implemented in 2020 as a result of the 
COVID-19 pandemic and lower oil prices.

•  Majority of increase relates to increased activity due to higher production, 
maintenance and well services following deferral of these scopes in 2020.

the last incident in December 2021.

• 

Increase in share option related expense due to settlement in cash of tax 

•  Gross operating costs of $2.7 per barrel (2020: $2.6 per barrel) within 

•  The Company’s 2021 HSE improvement plan was substantially complete 

payable on exercise of Value Creation Plan share options.

2021 guidance range of $2.5 - $2.9 per barrel. 

Performance 
•  2021 costs, excluding stock-based compensation, were up slightly from 

2020, reflecting increasing activity levels. 

on 31 December 2021.

Net capital expenditure

($m)

90

36

2018

Net cash

($m)

196

Gross production
(bopd)

31,563

32,883

36,625

43,440

Gulf Keystone sets performance measures 
and assesses progress against these 
targets on a regular basis.

46

51

91

48

2020

70

2021

2019

2020

2021

2018

2019

2018

2019

2020

2021

Why we measure this

asset investments. 

•  Net capital expenditure includes the Company’s net expenditure on oil 

•  Maintaining a robust balance sheet and adequate liquidity provides 

the flexibility to execute our strategy and fund the development of the 

Why we measure this

•  Net capital expenditure is incurred in an efficient, controlled and timely 

Shaikan Field.

manner to profitably develop oil reserves.

Why we measure this
• 

Indicator of our revenue generation potential.

•  Measure of progress towards achieving our annual production guidance 

and driving sustainable production growth.

Link to strategic priorities 

Link to remuneration 

Link to strategic priorities 

Link to remuneration 

Link to strategic priorities 

Yes

No

Link to remuneration 
Yes

Strategic priorities key:

Performance 

Shaikan Field.

• 

Increase in 2021 following recommencement of investment in the 

• 

Increase in 2021 due to higher adjusted EBITDA, more than offsetting 

the slight increase in net capital expenditure and payment of $100 million 

Performance 

of dividends. 

•  Majority of expenditure on completion of SH-13 and SH-14 wells, 

related civil and flowline works and the debottlenecking of PF-2.

•  Net capital expenditure lower than 2021 guidance due to revised spud 

date of SH-15 and the deferral of installation of two electric submersible 

pumps, partially offset by the higher cost of SH-14.

Performance 
•  2021 gross average production of 43,400 bopd, at the top end of the 

tightened 42,000–44,000 bopd guidance range.

• 

19% increase versus 2020 driven by the contribution from well workovers 
taking place in 2020 and 2021 and the contribution of two new wells, 
SH-13 and SH-14, at the end of the year.

Safety and sustainability

Value creation

Capital discipline and cost focus

Robust financial position

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited  Annual report and accounts 2021  

23

GovernanceStrategic reportFinancials  
  
  
  
  
   
Stakeholder engagement

Ongoing engagement with our stakeholders remains 
a priority and is critical to Gulf Keystone’s success.

Statement by the Directors in performance of their 
statutory duties in accordance with section 172(1) 
of the Companies Act 2006
The Board of Directors of Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited consider, 
both individually and together, that they have acted in the way they 
consider, in good faith, would be most likely to promote the success of 
the Company for the benefit of its members as a whole (having regard 
to the stakeholders and matters set out in s172 of the Companies Act 
2006 (“section 172”)) in the decisions taken during the year ended 
31 December 2021. 

In doing so, the Directors have taken account of the likely long-term 
consequences of decisions made in the year, the interests of Gulf 
Keystone’s employees, the Company’s business relationships with 
suppliers and its single customer, the host government, and the impact 
of the Company’s operations on the community and the environment. 

The Directors have also acted with regard to the desirability 
of Gulf Keystone maintaining a reputation for high standards of 
business conduct, and the need to act fairly as between members 
of the Company.

When formulating the Company’s strategy, the Directors consider 
the longer-term and broader consequences and implications of its 
business on key stakeholders and factors relating to climate change. 
The need to be a responsible energy company is embedded in Gulf 
Keystone’s corporate purpose and is the focus of the Company’s 
ESG strategy.

As part of GKP’s commitment to effective stakeholder engagement, 
and in accordance with section 172, the Company sets out its key 
stakeholder groups and corresponding approach to engagement with 
them. GKP’s stakeholder engagement strategies are tailored for each 
of these key audiences to continue a mutually beneficial dialogue with 
those who are invested in, or impacted by, the Company’s operations.

  Investors

Key engagement topics
•  Operational and financial 

How we engaged in 2021
•  Active and ongoing investor 

performance

•  Valuation considerations
•  Capital allocation
•  Financing strategy
•  Risk management
•  Shareholder distributions
•  ESG

relations programme engaging 
with equity and debt investors

•  Clear and timely investor 

communications, including 
the London Stock Exchange’s 
Regulatory News Service 

•  Regular meetings with 

sell-side analysts

•  AGM held with open invitation 
to all shareholders with the 
ability to submit questions 
electronically via the 
Company’s website
•  Consulted with GKP 

shareholders regarding 
remuneration policy

Why we engage 
•  We are dependent on access 
to equity and debt funding
•  Our investors have valid views 
on strategic, financial and 
operational decision making 
which we must take into 
account

24 

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited  Annual report and accounts 2021

  Host government

Key engagement topics
•  Community investment 

How we engaged in 2021
•  Regular meetings and 

Why we engage 
•  We work closely with our 

strategy and plans

•  Shaikan Field performance
•  Shaikan Field Development 

correspondence with senior 
KRG and MNR officials

•  Crude Oil Sales Agreement 

Plan

•  Commercial arrangements
•  Health and safety
•  Environmental matters
•  Crude oil sales payments

renewal

•  Generate revenues from 
the Shaikan Field for the 
government, comprising 
production entitlements, 
royalties and capacity 
building payments

host government, the KRG, 
to ensure alignment on 
developing and producing 
resources for the benefit of all 
stakeholders, business and 
operational strategy and our 
licence to operate

•  The KRG is responsible for 
marketing and exporting all 
crude from the Shaikan Field

  Local communities 

Key engagement topics
•  Local employment
•  Development of local staff and 

contractors

•  Health and safety
•  Major incident prevention
•  CSR initiatives
•  Protection of the environment

How we engaged in 2021
•  Active and ongoing 
engagement with 
local communities

•  Support and funding for local 

community initiatives

•  Proactive staff localisation 

policy

•  Proactive use of local supplier 

and service companies

Why we engage 
•  The support of local 

communities is essential 
for the mutually beneficial 
development and operation of 
the Shaikan Field 

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited  Annual report and accounts 2021  

25

GovernanceStrategic reportFinancialsStakeholder engagement continued

  Workforce

Key engagement topics
•  Health, safety and security
•  Learning and development
•  Remuneration and benefits
•  Company strategy 
•  Gulf Keystone’s purpose, 

values and culture
•  Team collaboration
•  ESG and climate change

How we engaged in 2021
•  Regular safety briefings across 

Why we engage 
•  The Company’s workforce is 

essential to the success of the 
Company

the Company

•  Regular “town hall” briefings
•  Regular “teach-ins” by 

departments

•  Team meetings and office visits
•  Clear communication of 
targets and attainment of 
incentive schemes

•  Clear communication of 
policies and procedures, 
including “working from 
home” and vaccination 
protocols

  Joint venture partner

How we engaged in 2021
•  Regular multi-disciplinary 
meetings and dialogue

•  Approval of work programmes 

and budgets 

Why we engage 
•  Partner alignment is critical 
for the development and 
operation of the Shaikan Field 
to achieve its full potential

Key engagement topics
•  HSE
•  CSR strategy and initiatives
•  Shaikan Field performance
•  Shaikan Field Development Plan
•  Work programme and budget
•  Commercial arrangements
•  Crude oil sales payments
•  ESG and climate change

26 

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited  Annual report and accounts 2021

  Suppliers and contractors

Key engagement topics
•  Fair and transparent 

contracting processes
•  Long-term partnerships
•  Collaborative approach 
•  Fair payment terms
•  Consistency of application 
of business ethics practices

How we engaged in 2021
•  Rigorous contracting 
processes strictly in 
accordance with the MNR set 
tendering processes for all 
suppliers, resulting in broad 
participation 

•  Active contract management
•  Focus on working with 

businesses that are involved 
with local communities

•  Regular communication with all 
suppliers and the MNR Tender 
Committee 

Why we engage 
•  The support and performance 
of suppliers and contractors 
enables the Company to 
deliver against its strategy

The Company’s impact on the environment continues to be a key consideration in stakeholder engagement.

  Environment

Key engagement topics
•  Elimination of routine flaring 
•  >50% reduction in scope 1 and 
2 emissions per barrel by 2025 

Why we engage 
•  We are focused on minimising 
our impact on the environment, 
particularly regarding climate 
change and reducing our 
emissions footprint

How we engaged in 2021
•  Submitted draft FDP to 

the MNR, which includes a 
Gas Management Plan that 
underpins the Company’s 
2025 emissions intensity 
reduction target

•  Continued to minimise 
our impact on the local 
environment, in particular by 
protecting air quality, managing 
water and waste and assessing 
and managing the impact of 
our facilities 

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited  Annual report and accounts 2021  

27

GovernanceStrategic reportFinancialsSustainability report

Safety and sustainability 
underpin our business.

Jon Harris
Chief Executive Officer

CEO’s introduction 
The sustainability of our business, in particular the integration of 
sustainability into our corporate purpose, values, strategy and culture, 
is fundamental for our ability to create long-term value for all our 
stakeholders. As an E&P company operating in Kurdistan, we have a 
particular set of responsibilities related to our environmental, social 
and governance performance which guide our sustainability strategy 
and its priorities. These strategic priorities, and the material factors 
that underpin them, have been identified as the result of a materiality 
assessment exercise, which included interviews with our stakeholders, 
including our investors, workforce, government and local community 
stakeholders (read more on page 30). Through regular engagement, 
we ensure that our sustainability strategy remains current, 
focused and efficient.

So what is important to Gulf Keystone and the sustainability of 
our business? 

We are keenly aware of the role that we and our industry must play in 
addressing climate risk, while ensuring the world maintains access to 
secure and affordable supplies of energy. We also must minimise our 
impact on the local environment where our operations are situated and 
which we and our local communities rely upon.

Regarding social aspects, striving for safe operations, with zero harm 
to our employees and contractors, is our number one priority. We are 
also focused on the development of our people and creating a diverse 
and inclusive environment for them to work in. Our economic and social 
contribution in Kurdistan is also paramount, as we support local jobs, 
invest in the local supply chain and generate revenues from the field 
for the government and its people, as is regular interaction with and 
investment in the communities local to the Shaikan area.

We strive to maintain a robust governance and compliance framework, 
with a commitment to the highest standards of ethical conduct at all 
levels of the organisation.

Safety and sustainability is one of Gulf Keystone’s key strategic 
priorities (see the Strategy and objectives section on pages 20 and 21). 
Our sustainability strategy is sponsored by our Chief Operating Officer, 
reporting directly to me, and supported by our HSE and Sustainability 
team. The Board has direct oversight over the strategy through 
the Safety and Sustainability Committee. All short-term employee 
bonuses include an element of safety and sustainability based on 
the achievement of certain objectives during the year and we are also 
proposing to our shareholders this year the introduction of an ESG 
performance condition to the Company’s Long-Term Incentive Plan 
(“LTIP”) from 2023, with a weighting of 20%. You can read more about 
this in the Remuneration Committee report, beginning on page 81.

In 2021, we continued to make strides in executing our sustainability 
strategy. We moved a step closer to our 2025 target of more than 
halving our scope 1 and 2 emissions per barrel by submitting a draft 
FDP to the Ministry of Natural Resources, which includes a Gas 
Management Plan focused on eliminating routine flaring. 

We also completed substantially all of our HSE improvement plan, 
continued to maintain a high level of local employment, with a total of 
275 local people employed directly by Gulf Keystone and over 600 
through our local contractors, invested $49 million in our local supply 
chain through purchasing and contracting, continued to support a 
variety of local community projects and generated $336 million for the 
Kurdistan Regional Government from the Shaikan Field. In addition, we 
refreshed our Company-wide compliance training programme.

There were some areas where we need to work harder. Our carbon 
emissions and intensity increased in 2021, due to higher production 
and changes in the gas-oil ratio from particular wells, making the 
Gas Management Plan and meeting our 2025 target even more 
important. While we are a diverse organisation in terms of nationalities 
and ethnicity, we need to do more on gender diversity and attracting 
more women to work at Gulf Keystone and in our industry. 

28 

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited  Annual report and accounts 2021

Our sustainability strategy:

Environment

Social

Strategic 
priorities

•  Address climate risk
•  Minimise our impact on 

•  Workforce health 

and safety

the environment 

•  Support and develop 

Governance

•  Robust corporate 
governance and 
compliance 

•  Highest standards 
of business ethics

•  Board oversight
• 

Internal controls and 
policies

•  Risk management
•  Anti-bribery 

and corruption

our people

•  Enhance diversity 

and inclusion

•  Generate economic value 

in Kurdistan

•  Engage with and invest in 
our local communities

•  Workforce health 

and safety
•  Learning and 
development

•  Diversity and inclusion
•  Local employment
•  Local supply 

chain purchasing 
and contracting
•  Payments to host 

government

•  Community engagement 

and investment

•  Zero harm

•  Outstanding governance 

and compliance

Material 
factors

•  Emissions
•  Air quality 
•  Facility impact 
management

•  Water management 
•  Waste management 
•  Soil remediation 

•  Eliminate routine flaring
•  Reduce carbon intensity 
per barrel by >50% by 
2025(1)

•  Full TCFD compliance for 

fiscal year 2022

Key current 
targets

Alignment 
with SDGs

Looking ahead to this year, we will continue to make progress on 
delivering our sustainability strategy. We continue to target zero harm 
across our operations and will be sharpening our focus further on 
safety as operational activity continues to ramp up. 

We are exploring the viability of several projects to reduce our scope 
1 and 2 emissions intensity further beyond the 2025 target and we 
are continuing to work towards full TCFD compliance, which will be 
implemented for fiscal year 2022 reporting. We are also developing 
plans to further build the capability of our workforce, drive engagement 
and well-being and advance diversity and inclusion. I look forward to 
updating you on our achievements.

Jon Harris
Chief Executive Officer

29 March 2022

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited  Annual report and accounts 2021  

29

GovernanceStrategic reportFinancialsSustainability report continued

Identification of material ESG factors 
for Gulf Keystone 
In 2020, Gulf Keystone used the recognised process, known as 
materiality assessment, to assess and evaluate the universe of 
material ESG factors and identify which factors were most relevant 
to GKP and its stakeholders. 

The Company started with a broad universe of ESG factors and 
narrowed them down to a selection of relevant and material ESG 
factors for GKP. The importance of these factors to the Company 
and its stakeholders was then measured. This process was 
guided by: interviews with the Company’s stakeholders; the SASB 
materiality metrics, to identify which ESG areas are considered 
material for companies in the oil and gas exploration and production 
sector; benchmarking of peer company reporting; and a review of 
relevant public information and internal documentation.

Material ESG factors

Environment
A.  Climate change/gas flaring

D

K

A

B.  Environmental 
management

L

C.  Biodiversity

Social 
D.  Process safety

H.  Human rights

I.  Community engagement

J.  Community investment

K.  Economic value generated

Governance
L.  Business ethics and 
anti-corruption

E.  Occupational health

M.  Effective governance

M

F.  Employee training 
and development

G.  Diversity

B

I

J

G

H

E

C

F

h
g
H

i

i

m
u
d
e
M

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l

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a
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s
s
P
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a
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o
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I

w
o
L

Low

Medium

High

Importance to GKP

(1)  >50% reduction measured against a baseline carbon intensity of 38kg/bbl in 2020.

30 

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited  Annual report and accounts 2021

 
 
 
Environment

Why is this important to our business model and strategy?
Our business is inextricably linked to environmental considerations. We care deeply 
about addressing climate risk and are focused on transforming our emissions 
footprint. We also seek to minimise our impact on the local environment, in particular 
by protecting air quality, managing water and waste and assessing and managing the 
impact of our facilities. 

Targets:

Eliminate 
routine flaring

Reduce carbon 
intensity per 
barrel by >50% 
by 2025(1)

Full TCFD 
compliance 
for fiscal 
year 2022

Material SDG alignment:

Our performance

Material factors 

Indicator 

Emissions 

Total scope 1 emissions (80% WI) 

Total scope 2 emissions (80% WI) 

Emission intensity 

Total SO2 emissions (80% WI) 

Water and wastewater   Total water withdrawn (80% WI) 
management(2)

Unit of 
measurement  

ktCO2e 
ktCO2e 
kgCO2e per barrel 
ktSO2 
m3 

2019 

342 

10 

35.7 

65 

2020  

2021 

Standard Alignment

407 

8 

37.9 

71 

505 

SECR, TCFD(3),(4)

13 

SECR, TCFD(3),(4)

40.8 

SECR, IPIECA(3),(6)

82 

SASB(5)

22,944 

11,467 

88,432 

SASB, IPIECA(5),(6) 

Waste management 

Recycled solid non-hazardous waste  % of total waste 

Recycled solid hazardous waste 

% of total waste  

Recycled liquid non-hazardous waste  % of total waste  

Recycled liquid hazardous waste 

% of total waste  

86 

5 

100 

100 

92 

6 

100 

100 

86 

28 

100 

100 

IPIECA(6)

IPIECA(6)

IPIECA(6)

IPIECA(6)

(1)  >50% reduction measured against a baseline carbon intensity of 

38kg/bbl in 2020.

(2)  2019 and 2020 data are estimates, with the installation of water 
metering devices in 2021 to better understand the amount of 
water withdrawn.

References 
(3)  Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting (“SECR”). 
(4)  Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (“TCFD”). 
(5)  Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (“SASB”). 
(6)  International Petroleum Industry Environmental Conservation 

Association (“IPIECA”).

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited  Annual report and accounts 2021  

31

GovernanceStrategic reportFinancials 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Sustainability report continued

Environment continued

Addressing climate risk
Emissions
Our aim is to more than halve our emissions intensity per barrel by 2025 
by eliminating routine gas flaring from all our operations. This objective 
is underpinned by implementation of the Gas Management Plan 
(see case study below). 

Minimising our impact on the environment
Air quality monitoring
Given the proximity of our operations to local villages, air quality around 
our facilities is continuously measured as part of the Company’s air 
quality monitoring programme. During 2021 we were pleased to report 
that the air quality tested was well within the Kurdistan regulatory limits.

While we progress implementation of the Gas Management Plan, 
we have seen a gradual increase in our carbon emissions and intensity 
since 2019, primarily due to increasing production and changes in 
the gas-oil ratio from particular wells. We have seen the same trend 
regarding our sulphur dioxide emissions, which will be virtually 
eliminated following implementation of the Gas Management Plan. 

Looking beyond 2025, we are identifying and reviewing potential 
projects that could further materially reduce our carbon intensity. 
We expect to conduct feasibility studies for these projects in 2022 
and will provide more information on progress and the evolution of 
our emissions in the future. 

Air quality is monitored in three ways:

Stationary field monitoring
The Company operates four Scentinal SL-50 air quality monitoring 
stations which constantly measure a wide range of air quality 
parameters, such as H2S, Methane, VOC, NOx, PM2.5 and PM10. 
This data is monitored and reported monthly to the Ministry of Natural 
Resources.

Additionally, the Company deploys passive diffusion tubes at ten 
locations near the Shaikan Field and neighbouring villages to ensure 
the levels of H2S, O3, VOC, SO2 and NO2 remain below Kurdistan 
stipulations. These tubes are deployed and recovered monthly 
for analysis.

Case study

Gas Management Plan

The Gas Management Plan is a critical element of Gulf Keystone’s 
sustainability strategy, underpinning our target of more than 
halving our emissions intensity per barrel by 2025. It is also 
fundamental for our licence to operate in Kurdistan as the 
government seeks to reduce gas flaring. 

The Gas Management Plan is designed to eliminate routine gas 
flaring from our operations by reinjecting the associated natural gas 
that is produced with our oil production back into the reservoir, a 
method that is used elsewhere in Kurdistan and globally. To do this, 
the project involves the installation of additional facilities to collect 
the associated gas from PF-1 and PF-2, transport it to the new 
production facility PF-3 via pipeline and subsequently reinject it 
into the reservoir through a dedicated gas injection well. 

In addition, a portion of the associated gas will be utilised to 
generate electricity, with power generation centralised at PF-3 
and distributed to PF-1 and PF-2 via overhead lines to replace the 
majority of diesel power generation at the facilities. 

The project is expected to save several million tonnes of carbon 
emissions over the life of the Field once implemented. In keeping 
with our commitment to eliminate routine flaring, we have applied 
to endorse the World Bank’s “Zero Routine Flaring by 2030” 
initiative. We will provide more detail on the project upon approval 
of the Field Development Plan by the MNR.

32 

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited  Annual report and accounts 2021

Handheld Photo-ionisation Detector (“PID”)
The Company uses a handheld PID, which can detect more than 
400 gaseous pollutants, providing a helpful, portable method for 
tracking air quality.

Gas surveys
The Company conducts gas surveys of the Shaikan block, aimed at 
identifying any natural gas seeps at surface level to provide insights to 
the underlying geology. Surveys are conducted using very sensitive 
hydrogen sulphide (H2S), methane (CH4) and sulphur dioxide (SO2) 
detectors deployed from a land vehicle, together with sensors 
deployed from a drone to cover inaccessible areas. 

A survey in 2019 confirmed the presence of three known seeps, 
together with the discovery of a fourth seep in the area. Generally low 
ppb levels of H2S and SO2 and typical low ppm background levels of 
CH4 were detected, indicating overall low levels of seepage. 
A second survey was conducted in 2021 in order to verify the results 
of the baseline survey. Apart from areas where there are known 
anthropogenic inputs (e.g. in close proximity to the production facilities, 
local villages, main roads), similar levels of these three gases were 
observed. Follow-up monitoring is planned in and around the four 
identified seeps.

Facility impact management
Before any facilities or access roads are built, flowlines installed or 
wells drilled, the Company conducts an environmental and social 
impact assessment (“ESIA”) during the design phase so any potential 
impacts can be identified and mitigation plans agreed with the KRG 
before construction. In 2021, one ESIA was conducted related to the 
drilling of a future well.

Specific measures to minimise the impact of Gulf Keystone facilities on 
the environment include:

1.  Site selection and locating well pads, access roads and flowlines as 
far as possible away from environmentally sensitive targets, such as 
human habitations and places of ecological and cultural significance. 
GKP maximises the use of existing field infrastructure and studies 
survey data for site selection. 

2.  Adequate waste management with a strong focus on waste 

minimisation and recycling.

3.  Implementing civil engineering designs that prevent or minimise 
impacts on the natural hydrology, drainage systems and erosion 
patterns; maximising the use and reuse of local fill material from the 
area of land disturbance; ensuring potentially hazardous materials 
are contained on site (this will include drainage systems that capture, 
for example, contaminated run-off from accidental spills and leaks) 
and enhancing future site restoration plans.

4.  Equipment specification, maintenance and operational control. 

Selecting equipment that is fuel efficient, maintaining the equipment 
so it meets specification and minimises emissions, and controlling 
operations.

5.  Operational management control: ensuring documentation is in 

place to deliver operational activity in line with project environment, 
social and safety objectives; ensuring the requirements of GKP’s 
health and safety and environmental management systems are 
met; and ensuring the recommendations of the development 
environmental management plan are adhered to. This involves 
demonstrable design and planning documentation together with 
inspection and reporting regimes to assure GKP management 
and the MNR that environmental and social impacts are kept to 
a minimum by GKP and its contractors. 

6.  Unplanned events: emergency response and contingency plans are 
developed, resourced and rehearsed to mitigate unforeseen events 
that could have a significant environmental or social impact. 

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited  Annual report and accounts 2021  

33

GovernanceStrategic reportFinancialsSustainability report continued

Environment continued

Minimising our impact on the environment continued
Soil remediation
We aim to manage contaminated soil, surface water and ground water 
to prevent, minimise or mitigate risks to public health and safety of the 
environment. All waste drilling cuttings and fluids must be managed 
in line with Kurdistan legislation and international standards, and 
pits, which are excavated next to well pads and used to hold drilling 
fluid, should be remediated after drilling operations are completed. 
All historic pits have been remediated and, in 2021, given all current 
pits were in use, no remediation was required.

Water and wastewater management
Water at both production facility camps is supplied via water wells, 
which are sampled and analysed on a monthly basis to ensure they 
meet the World Health Organization (“WHO”) guidelines. Site water 
storage tanks are chlorinated on a weekly basis. 

In 2021, the Company installed metering devices at both production 
facilities, PF-1 and PF-2, to better understand the amount of water 
withdrawn. Water withdrawn in 2021 increased versus the prior year 
because of more accurate measurement and increased operational 
activity. In addition to the installation of water meters, a water treatment 
unit was installed at one of our production facilities to improve drinking 
water quality. In 2022, another water treatment facility will be installed 
in the second production facility.

Sewage wastewater is continuously treated via sewage treatment 
units, with samples taken from the inlet and outlet streams to ensure the 
units are operating efficiently and the quality of the effluent meets World 
Bank Guidelines. 

Wastewater with oil traces is collected and transported via vacuum 
trucks to an MNR-approved refinery that specialises in producing 
engine oil and lubricants of different grades from waste containing 
oil/hydrocarbons. One of the products from this process is engine 
oil which is then sold locally.

Waste management
Gulf Keystone maintains high standards in waste management. During 
2021, the Company recycled 100% of its non-hazardous liquid waste, 
100% of its hazardous liquid waste, 86% of its non-hazardous solid 
waste and 28% of its hazardous solid waste, the latter increasing 
from around 6% in 2020 due to better process efficiency and the 
increased recycling capacity of our contractors. All the waste recycled 
had cradle-to-grave traceability. To ensure third parties comply with 
Company requirements and local legislation, tools such as GPS vehicle 
tracking, waste transfer documentation and quarterly contractor 
auditing were used. 

Oil-based mud (“OBM”) cuttings
Gulf Keystone is committed to collecting oil-based mud cuttings and 
disposing of them through a third-party provider in accordance with 
Kurdistan environmental regulations. 

In addition to disposal, we have found a way to feed OBM to asphalt 
production in Kurdistan. The drill cuttings are transported in sealed 
containers on flatbed trucks to the asphalt company. The trucks are 
equipped with GPS to track their journey and their manifests signed 
and stamped upon arrival. In 2021, a total of 37 tonnes of OBM waste 
was collected and transported to the asphalt plant, where it was reused 
as raw material for road construction. From 37 tonnes of oily waste, 
11 tonnes of asphalt were produced.

TCFD 
We recognise climate change as one of the biggest environmental threats the world faces. To demonstrate our commitment to climate-related 
risks, we have embedded the four pillars of the TCFD into our business to provide transparency on our understanding and management of 
climate-related risks. We continue to work to achieve full compliance with TCFD reporting requirements for the 2022 fiscal year.

Our summary is provided below.

Governance

The Board is responsible for approving and monitoring GKP’s ambitions in relation to 
reducing the Company’s impact on climate change, and to operating in a responsible 
and ethical manner.

Index

The Board’s oversight of 
climate-related risks and 
opportunities. 

•  The Safety and Sustainability Committee oversees the management of GKP’s 
climate-related risks and opportunities, all under the supervision and oversight 
of the Board.

•  Safety and Sustainability 

Committee report

•  Pages 77 and 78

•  The Chair of the Safety and Sustainability Committee has overall accountability 

for sustainability. 

•  The Committee meets formally four times a year.

Management’s role in assessing and 
managing climate-related risks and 
opportunities. 

•  Gulf Keystone’s Chief Operating Officer is the executive sponsor for 

•  Safety and Sustainability 

sustainability, responsible for maintaining the risk register in relation to climate 
change and proposing targets and projects to the Executive Committee and the 
Safety and Sustainability Committee for consideration.

Committee report

•  Pages 77 and 78

•  Heads of Department are also responsible for assessing and managing 

climate-related risks and opportunities.

34 

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited  Annual report and accounts 2021

Strategy

GKP continues to work to embed climate change and sustainability into all aspects 
of its strategy where possible, including the Company’s financial planning, stress test 
scenarios and review of risks and uncertainties. In particular, the potential impacts of 
climate change are considered in the Group’s viability and impairment assessments 
though inclusion of carbon tax, adjustment of future oil price estimates to reflect the 
potential impact of meeting the Paris Agreement targets, and considerations around 
climate change impacts on the Group’s costs and production reliability. 

Index

Climate-related risks and 
opportunities the organisation has 
identified over the short, medium 
and long term.

•  Short term (0-5 years) – market shift in terms of new and more robust legislation 

•  Risks and uncertainties 

and regulations and increased cost of capital for high-carbon industries. 
Opportunity for increased positive ESG perception in the market by achieving the 
Company’s target of more than halving scope 1 and 2 emissions intensity by 2025. 

•  Pages 46 to 55

  Hiring and retaining a talented workforce could become more challenging 

without a positive sustainability strategy.

•  Medium term (5-10 years) – changing climate conditions could cause disruption 

to operations and supply chains, as well as putting our employees and 
contractors, local communities and environment at risk.

•  Long term (10+ years) – reduced market demand for oil and gas as renewable 

fuels become more widely available. 

Impact of climate-related risks and 
opportunities on the organisation’s 
businesses, strategy and financial 
planning.

•  GKP’s scenario analysis helps guide strategic and risk management decisions 

•  Risks and uncertainties

under complex and uncertain conditions, including climate change. 

•  Providing a better understanding of the risks and uncertainties GKP may 

face against future outcomes enables the Company to build a climate-risk 
mitigation strategy.

•  The Company is targeting a >50% reduction in its scope 1 and scope 2 emissions 
intensity by 2025 through the implementation of the Gas Management Plan. 

•  Pages 46 to 55 

•  Viability statement

•  Pages 56 and 57 

•  Gas Management Plan 

case study

•  Page 32 

Resilience of the organisation’s 
strategy, taking into consideration 
different climate-related scenarios, 
including a 2°C or lower scenario.

Risk 
management

Processes for identifying and 
assessing climate-related risks.

•  The first step of assessing the Company’s resilience to two climate-related 

scenarios has been completed for 1.5°C (Paris-aligned) and 4°C (fossil-fuelled 
growth) scenarios.

Climate change is already factored into certain aspects of the Company’s strategy, 
including the risk management process.

Index

•  Existing ESG and climate-related risks will be consolidated in an ESG register in 

•  Risks and uncertainties

2022 and linked to the corporate risk register.

•  Pages 46 to 55 

Processes for managing 
climate-related risks.

•  We have identified processes for managing climate-related risks in operations, 

supply chain and HSE which we are currently implementing. 

How processes for identifying, 
assessing and managing 
climate-related risks are integrated 
into the organisation’s overall risk 
management. 

•  Gulf Keystone maintains a detailed risk register that encompasses all identified 

•  Risks and uncertainties

risks (which includes climate change and sustainability-related risks), the impact 
of those risks, the mitigating controls the Company has in place to reduce those 
risks to an acceptable level and the actions it must take to further mitigate risks 
that are not deemed to be at an acceptable level.

•  This register is regularly reviewed by the Executive Committee and the Audit and 

Risk Committee.

•  Pages 46 to 55 

Metrics 
and targets

Metrics used by the organisation 
to assess climate-related risks and 
opportunities in line with its strategy 
and risk management process. 

Scope 1 and scope 2 greenhouse 
gas (“GHG”) emissions, and the 
related risks.

Targets used by the organisation to 
manage climate-related risks and 
opportunities and performance 
against targets.

Despite the challenges presented by the pandemic, Gulf Keystone remains 
committed to reducing scope 1 and 2 CO2 emissions per barrel by more than 50% by 
2025 through the implementation of the Gas Management Plan.

Index

•  The Company uses key metrics and targets to manage and monitor 

•  Environment performance 

its performance in reducing its impact on the environment, providing a 
straightforward and transparent measure to GKP’s stakeholders.

highlights

•  Page 31 

•  GKP actively monitors scope 1 and scope 2 absolute emissions and intensity 

•  Environment performance 

throughout the year and discloses them on an annual basis.

•  Data is calculated in line with the GHG Protocol.

highlights

•  Page 31

•  The Company is targeting a >50% reduction in its scope 1 and scope 2 emissions 
intensity by 2025 through the implementation of the Gas Management Plan. 
This project is expected to eliminate routine flaring.

•  Environment performance 

highlights

•  Page 31

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited  Annual report and accounts 2021  

35

GovernanceStrategic reportFinancialsSustainability report continued

Social

Why is this important to our business model and strategy?
Gulf Keystone’s relationship with, and contribution to, society has been critical to 
the development of the Company as it stands today and is fundamental for its future 
success. As a large employer of over 390 people in Kurdistan and the UK, we are 
responsible for creating a safe, diverse and inclusive working environment for each one 
of our staff and are focused on providing the learning and development opportunities 
they need to advance their careers. Our operations generate significant economic 
value, creating local jobs, supporting local suppliers and generating revenues for the 
host government from the Shaikan Field. We also regularly engage with and invest in 
our local communities, as we continue to strengthen the relationships we have built 
over 15 years working in Kurdistan. 

Target:

Zero harm

Material SDG alignment:

Our performance

Material factors 

Indicator 

Workforce health 
and safety 

Total recordable incident rate (“TRIR”) 

Lost time incident rate (“LTIR”) 

Unit of 
measurement  

Incidents per  
million man-hours 

Incidents per  
million man-hours 

Gender diversity  

Proportion of female staff in workforce  % 
(as at 31 December) 

Economic value  
generation in Kurdistan  (as at 31 December) 

Proportion of local staff in workforce 

Local supplier purchasing and  
contracting (80% WI)

% 

$m 

Proportion of total purchasing and  
contracting with local suppliers (80% WI)

% 

2019 

2.61 

2020  

2021 

Standard Alignment

0.71 

1.37 

SASB(3) 

0.52 

0.00 

0.68 

IPIECA, GRI(4),(5) 

9 

74 

40 

27 

10 

84 

21 

42 

7 

GRI, WEF(5),(6) 

74 

49 

58 

IPIECA(4) 

GRI(5) 

IPIECA(4) 

Payments to host government(7)  

$m 

221.6 

120.6 

335.8 

GRI(5)

References
(1)  Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting (“SECR”). 
(2)  Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (“TCFD”). 
(3)  Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (“SASB”). 
(4)  International Petroleum Industry Environmental Conservation Association (“IPIECA”). 
(5)  Global Reporting Initiative (“GRI”).
(6)  Water Environment Federation (“WEF”).
(7)  See the Report on Payments to Governments for 2021 for full disclosure.

36 

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited  Annual report and accounts 2021

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Workforce health and safety
The health and safety of our workforce is a fundamental Gulf Keystone 
value and integrated into every aspect of our daily operations. Our 
target for health and safety is zero harm across our operations and 
we focus on maintaining high standards by encouraging visible safety 
leadership at all levels of the organisation, engaging continuously with 
the workforce through training and development and fostering an open 
and honest incident reporting and investigation culture. 

Health and safety is a line responsibility for the executive team and 
delegated to the whole organisation. The Board oversees health 
and safety through the Safety and Sustainability Committee while 
the Executive Committee addresses the topic at regular operational 
meetings such as the weekly senior management meeting and the 
Operations and Development Leadership Team meeting. The COO 
holds weekly health and safety and sustainability meetings with the 
Head of HSE and Sustainability to ensure that the Company’s HSE 
Action Plan, HSE-related Company metrics and daily HSE actions are 
appropriately addressed.

HSE Management System
Working with the KRG and the Company’s local communities, as well as 
specialist consultants, Gulf Keystone has put in place a comprehensive 
HSE and Security Policy (available to view on the Company’s website), 
managed and executed by the Company’s HSE Management System. 

The HSE Management System follows the “plan – do – check – act” 
process, outlined in the ISO standards on environmental management 
and occupational health and safety management(1). This system is 
driven through a combination of commitment, leadership, planning 
assessment and mitigation of risk, and employment of trained and 
competent personnel to carry out the work. The performance 
is monitored to identify any shortfalls, as well as introducing 
improvements where required – providing a comprehensive 
investigation process. Along with the implementation of the system, 
a “maturity index” was developed to monitor progress, which is 
reviewed on an annual basis and agreed improvements are then 
included in the following year’s HSE plan. 

An important element of GKP’s HSE Management System is 
developed through its formal Competency Based Framework to train 
and develop local staff. This programme includes a combination of 
mentoring: online, internal/external training, and a formal assessment 
to demonstrate competence. The HSE Management System is 
fundamental in supporting the development of the HSE culture 
within GKP.

GKP Life Saving Rules
While Gulf Keystone’s HSE and Security Policy and HSE 
Management System underpin the Company’s approach to health 
and safety, Gulf Keystone’s Life Saving Rules, which are based on the 
International Association of Oil & Gas Producers’ Life Saving Rules, 
provide all staff and contractors with the practical guidance they need 
in the field. The Life Saving Rules are regularly discussed at safety 
briefings across the Company and reviewed continually to ensure 
they remain appropriate for current operational activity.

Emergency response
The Company has established tiered emergency response plans, 
which are regularly tested through a combination of drills and exercises 
covering different operations-related and security-related scenarios. 
During 2021, five emergency response exercises were held, either 
virtually or on site with the support of an external consultancy. 

(1)  Environmental Management Standard ISO 14001: 2015, the Occupational Health and Safety Management Standard OHSAS 18001:2007/ISO 45001:2018 

and the IOGP Guidelines for the Development and Application of Health, Safety and Environmental Management Systems (6.36/210). 

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited  Annual report and accounts 2021  

37

GovernanceStrategic reportFinancialsSustainability report continued

Social continued

Workforce health and safety continued
Land clearance activity
Each time our operations expand into a new area of the Shaikan 
Field, we make the land safe beforehand by surveying for and clearing 
unexploded ordnance. In 2021, we surveyed 978,363 m3 of land in 
preparation for future FDP activity, finding two pieces of ordnance that 
were safely disposed of by a government agency. Through this vital 
activity, we protect our staff and contractors, and reclaim the use of 
land for our local communities.

2021 health and safety performance
With the resumption of drilling activity in 2021, Gulf Keystone stepped 
up safety training and stand-downs for staff. Despite these efforts, one 
lost time incident and one recordable incident were recorded during 
drilling activities (see chart). Full investigations were carried out for 
both incidents and remedial actions implemented. Since the lost time 
incident, over 160 LTI-free days(1) have been completed.

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3.0

2.5

2.0

1.5

1.0

0.5

 0

1,600,000

1,400,000

1,200,000

1,000,000

800,000

600,000

400,000

200,000

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Jan
2021

Feb
2021

Mar
2021

Apr
2021

May
2021

Jun
2021

Jul
2021

Aug
2021

Sep
2021

Oct
2021

Nov
2021

Dec
2021

Twelve-month rolling LTIR per one million hours worked

Twelve-month rolling TRIR per one million hours worked  

Benchmark LTIR for Kurdistan, IOGP Stats 0.5

Benchmark TRIR for Kurdistan, IOGP Stats 2.51

Benchmark LTIR for Company less than 50 million man-hours, IOGP Stats 0.47

Benchmark TRIR Company less than 50 million man-hours, IOGP Stats 1.4 

Twelve-month rolling working hours

(1)  As at 29 March 2022.

38 

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited  Annual report and accounts 2021

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Gulf Keystone continued to manage the effects of the COVID-19 
pandemic in 2021, with the priority in the year ensuring as many 
employees as possible received vaccinations against the virus. 
A campaign to educate employees on the benefit of the vaccination 
was carried out, resulting in a Company-wide vaccination rate of 97%. 
The success of the campaign enabled a return to more normal working 
patterns in the field, including a move from three shifts to two, although 
access to our offices in Erbil and London remained restricted with 
employees encouraged to work from home. Social distancing, mask 
wearing and increased hygiene standards at all Company sites and 
offices continued to be maintained. 

HSE Plan 2021
The HSE Plan is the Company’s roadmap for improving HSE and 
monitoring HSE-related metrics throughout the year. The HSE Plan is 
proposed by the COO to the Executive Committee and endorsed by 
the Safety and Sustainability Committee.

In 2021, the HSE Plan comprised action points addressing topics 
such as improvements to the HSE Management System, process 
safety, training, contractor management, emergency preparedness, 
environmental protection and health and medical care. The Company 
achieved 99% completion of the 2021 actions. 

Case study

Production facility 
operational safety 
study

Gulf Keystone has a comprehensive suite of documents, 
drawings, procedures and plans describing the PF1 and 
PF2 production facilities, their management, operations 
and maintenance, developed throughout the lifecycle of the 
field. Similarly, safety and environmental studies (e.g. hazard 
identification (“HAZID”), hazard and operability (“HAZOPS”), 
quantified risk assessments (“QRAs”), environmental impact 
assessments (“EIAs”) have been undertaken in parallel and 
integrated into these plans and procedures. In an initiative to 
consolidate this information and ensure any gaps were identified 
and filled, the Company undertook a systematic review of both 
PF1 and PF2 and developed a simple operational safety case, 
framed around identified major accident hazards (“MAHs”). 
Following an initial review of the documentation, an independent 
HAZID study was conducted for both production facilities, with 
participation of operating, engineering and safety staff. A total 
of 17 MAH scenarios were identified and each reviewed in detail 
in a series of “bowtie” workshops to identify the barriers and 
controls currently in place to mitigate these MAHs. Gaps were 
identified, documented and a prioritised action plan established 
to fill these.

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited  Annual report and accounts 2021  

39

GovernanceStrategic reportFinancialsSustainability report continued

Social continued

Our people
At Gulf Keystone we recognise that our success is dependent on 
the skills, motivation and commitment of our people. To obtain these 
qualities, we are focused on creating a safe, diverse and inclusive 
working environment for each one of our staff and providing them with 
the learning and development opportunities they need to advance their 
careers. We are also committed to local employment, hiring directly 
from the local communities in Kurdistan that support us.

GKP’s culture
Getting the best out of our people starts with the environment they 
work in. Our culture is underpinned by our core values – safety; social 
responsibility; trust through open communication; innovation and 
excellence; integrity and respect; and teamwork – and all employees 
and contractors are encouraged to come to work every day with these 
in mind. Regular meetings, briefing sessions, town hall sessions as 
well as “coffee chats” and surveys give our people the opportunity to 
feel close to the organisation, to listen and discuss progress and help 
to facilitate the interaction between employees at all levels, providing 
insight into our performance and Company growth objectives.

Commitment to local employment
We are committed to the localisation of our Kurdistan workforce in 
a structured way, ensuring the safe and effective development and 
operation of the Shaikan Field. We have several strategies in place to 
help meet these requirements which protect our good standing with 
our employees, the MNR and local stakeholders:

•  our organisation development plan and objectives are aligned with 

our business strategy;

•  we have a clear succession planning and localisation 

programme; and

•  our resourcing, employment and development decisions are 

driven by our commitment to develop our Kurdistan workforce 
both technically and professionally.

As at 31 December 2021, we had 275 local employees in Kurdistan, 
or 74% of our total headcount. In addition, through our contractors 
we provided work in 2021 to over 600 local workers who support our 
field and office facilities, providing services such as security, catering, 
cleaning and laundry. Since 2018, over 100 employees have been 
promoted into more senior positions and several employees have 
replaced expatriate staff in senior technical or management positions. 

We work hard to attract and retain the most talented individuals and 
develop them into high calibre professionals. Our skills level within the 
local workforce is monitored carefully to ensure that our development 
plans are successful. This category includes trained operations staff, 
technicians, supervisors and managers. In terms of engagement, 
our employee retention rate remains excellent, with a 2021 voluntary 
turnover level of 1.7%, well below our target of 5%, and we are proud 
that close to 50% of our local workforce has been with the Company 
for over five years. This is a strong indicator of the high employee 
engagement and positive people culture within our business. 

Diversity and inclusion
At Gulf Keystone we value a diverse workforce. We treat people 
fairly, equally and without prejudice irrespective of gender, age, race, 
disability, sexual orientation and other attributes and this is reflected in 
both our Diversity and Equal Opportunities policies. 

We make a concerted effort to attract female employees to improve 
our gender diversity and to create opportunities for development 
and promotion into senior leadership positions. In 2022, we plan 
to introduce a global women’s network to promote women’s 
advancement across the Company through education, networking 
events and volunteering activities. 

We work hard to foster an inclusive culture that creates a strong 
sense of belonging. We believe that our individual differences and 
perspectives bring enhanced value to our teams and enable us to 
find more innovative solutions to solving problems. In 2022, we plan 
to focus learning activities to equip managers with the skills to improve 
workplace inclusion, increase cultural sensitivity and intelligence and 
promote equity best practices. 

Learning and development
We provide training and development opportunities for all our 
employees and have ambitious development objectives and 
localisation targets for our workforce in Kurdistan. We are committed 
to developing our local workforce and providing both technical and 
non-technical management training programmes.

Amongst our training opportunities we deliver a bespoke Gulf Keystone 
Management Development Programme together with a Coaching and 
Mentoring Programme for our managers and supervisors. We offer 
a mini-MBA programme to our employees to learn more about our 
business and industry in general. In addition, we offer online training 
courses through Harvard’s “ManageMentor” programme which 
provides a range of educational and soft skills courses. We are also 
delivering English language training as we consider that this is critical 
for our employees to be successful in their future careers. 

We have invested in providing structured technical training 
programmes for our employees working in our subsurface and HSE 
groups. In 2021, we commenced our engineering apprenticeship 
programme which includes placements across a range of engineering 
disciplines and will offer our local graduates the opportunity to receive 
formal training across a range of functions.

40 

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited  Annual report and accounts 2021

Staff testimonial

Staff testimonial

Khudaida Hassan 
Darweesh
Production Superintendent

My name is Khudaida Hassan Darweesh. I grew up in 
Kurdistan and hold a Bachelor of Science in Geology from 
Mosul University. I started work for Gulf Keystone in March 
2013 as Plant Lead Operator in Production Facility 1 when the 
facility was still under construction. I worked with the team to 
successfully commission and start up the facility. 

In June 2014, I was promoted to Process Supervisor and 
moved to Production Facility 2. It was a great opportunity 
and challenge to learn and progress in this senior position. 
During this time, I completed the SAIT Gas Process Operations 
certificate, followed by a course in energy leadership skills. I also 
worked closely with the managers and superintendents at the 
Production Facility, who became my mentors.

As a result of my training and working with team, 
I was promoted to Plant Superintendent in January 2017. 
Following my promotion, I went on to complete a mini-MBA 
course, the Management Development Programme and 
Harvard’s “ManageMentor” programme, all sponsored by Gulf 
Keystone. I love how the Company supports our learning and 
development and, in turn, encourages us to teach what we have 
learned to our more junior colleagues. 

Dunia Awdo
Government Liaison Officer

My name is Dunia Awdo and I’m from Shaqlawa, close to 
Erbil in Kurdistan. I hold a bachelor’s degree from Salahaddin 
University’s College of Languages – English department. I have 
been working with Gulf Keystone for twelve years.

I joined the HR department at Gulf Keystone in 2010 as an 
HR Assistant, which was the start of my career in the industry. 
I quickly found the chance to build on my former experience and 
gain more skills and knowledge when I moved to the position 
of Government Liaison Assistant in 2012, then Government 
Liaison Officer in 2018. My role has grown considerably over 
the last few years and I’m responsible for coordinating Company 
activities with all KRG Ministries and Government Directorates 
and keeping the Company updated with all Government 
instructions and policies.

I have been able to develop my talents and skills through 
various Gulf Keystone initiatives, including a Leadership and 
Communication training course in 2019, the Management 
Development Programme in 2021 and the Harvard 
“ManageMentor” programme. 

I am delighted to be a member of the Gulf Keystone family. 
The Company is committed to creating a collaborative 
workplace that shows strength in diversity and where 
everyone is treated fairly and with respect. 

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited  Annual report and accounts 2021  

41

GovernanceStrategic reportFinancialsSustainability report continued

Social continued

Generating economic value for Kurdistan
Kurdistan is part of Gulf Keystone’s DNA and since the Company’s 
entry into the region in 2007, we have generated significant economic 
value by creating local jobs, investing in the local supply chain and 
generating value from the Shaikan Field for our host government, 
the KRG. 

Creating local jobs
As at 31 December 2021, 275, or 74%, of Gulf Keystone’s employees 
were local. In addition to direct employment, the Company’s operations 
are also responsible for significant indirect employment through 
the engagement of local contractors. In 2021, major Gulf Keystone 
contracts with local companies supported over 600 jobs among local 
villagers. The Company engages with local stakeholders to ensure 
that direct and indirect employment is shared amongst the villages 
surrounding the Shaikan operations.

Supporting the local supply chain
In 2021, $49 million, or 58%, of our total purchasing and contracting in 
the year was spent locally, with 17 new contracts entered into with local 
Shaikan companies for services ranging from security to construction. 
The proportion of total expenditure spent with local suppliers has 
increased over the past three years, demonstrating our commitment 
to supporting the local supply chain.

Generating value from the Shaikan Field
Since first commercial production in 2013, the Shaikan Field has 
generated increasing revenues for our host government, the KRG, 
through production entitlements, royalties and capacity building 
payments. In 2021, with the sharp recovery in the oil price and 
increased production from the field, $335.8 million in total was 
generated for the KRG. For further information, please refer to 
the Report on Payments to Governments for 2021 on page 139.

Local community engagement and investment
Gulf Keystone’s relationships with the communities located close to 
the Shaikan Field is critical to the Company’s success. Through regular 
engagement and investment, Gulf Keystone continues to deepen these 
relationships, listening to local stakeholders regarding all aspects of 
Field operations and supporting local community initiatives.

Engaging with and listening to local stakeholders
We operate in Kurdistan at the pleasure of our hosts, in particular the 
local communities situated in the Shaikan area. Beginning from the 
early phases of our operations, we identify and assess the possible 
impacts of our operations and projects on the communities, and we 
communicate with local stakeholders and local authorities to mitigate 
issues and negative impacts. We maintain close relationships with local 
authorities, share information on safety, security and other issues, and 
set professional standards for local employees and contractors. 

The Company has in place a formal procedure for our local 
communities to provide all types of feedback regarding our operations. 
The procedure is connected to our corporate values and incorporates 
guidance on best practice from the International Finance Corporation 
(“IFC”) Standards. Grievances and the resulting conclusions are 
documented in a tracking system, which enables us to analyse, 
track and mitigate future issues.

Supporting and funding local community initiatives
Gulf Keystone works closely with its local communities to 
identify programmes that promote local economic growth and 
social development. Our primary focus is on supporting agriculture, 
the second largest sector of Kurdistan’s economy after oil and 
gas, and on education and enterprise. We also support our local 
communities with Good Neighbour projects, which provide vital 
infrastructure tailored to requests received from local stakeholders.

During 2021, we supported 18 villages within the Shaikan area with 
various sustainable projects across agriculture, education, water, 
electrical and health. In total, around $800,000 was provided by 
Gulf Keystone to fund the projects.

Agriculture
We continued to provide support in 2021 to local farmers and livestock 
breeders, helping them to generate a sustainable income and to better 
deal with the challenges of operating in an area often impacted by 
drought. In summary, the Company:

•  Distributed 123 metric tonnes of certified wheat seed and fertilisers 

to over 440 farmers.

•  Supplied 1,500 olive trees and a cold press olive extractor; olive trees 
have numerous benefits, particularly for the Shaikan area, given they 
are drought resistant, can live for hundreds of years, start bearing 
fruit in less than five years and can produce more than 200kg of 
olives annually.

•  Donated three metric tonnes of black barley seeds to sheep breeders 
and distributed 24 metric tonnes of fodder to 120 sheep and goat 
breeders to assist with the challenges of reduced pastural land.

We also continued our support for a local beekeeping project, 
disbursing three boxes of live bees and two boxes of beehives to 
each beekeeper in the area. The project, which began in 2019, has 
been a success to date, with honey production in 2021 increasing 
60% to almost a tonne. The project is focused on encouraging a 
new generation of beekeepers in the Shaikan area, with many of the 
participants in the project newcomers to bee husbandry.

Education and training
Gulf Keystone provided funding for a local NGO, AOACO, to run 
an auto mechanic training course covering a range of skills, including 
engine and electrical repairs and air conditioning. Thirty students from 
13 nearby villages participated, with five participants going on to start 
their own business following the course. Read more about the project 
in Luqman’s testimonial. 

42 

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited  Annual report and accounts 2021

Good Neighbour projects
Gulf Keystone has been involved in several “Good Neighbour” 
projects, with the objective of providing our local communities 
with the infrastructure they need most. 

In 2021, we provided vital medical equipment to the intensive care 
hospital in Duhok as part of our continued support related to the 
COVID-19 pandemic. We also developed local water infrastructure 
by drilling a water well, constructing water tanks and a water supply 
network and connecting existing water wells to the electricity grid. 
In addition, we provided four generators to villages to help them with 
power outages during the summer season and purchased five air 
blowers for a local fire department.

Health
Gulf Keystone supported a team of ophthalmologists and optometrists 
to examine more than 1,600 students in 15 schools located around 
the Shaikan area. The initiative resulted in the distribution of 220 
pairs of glasses to local students, with many students and their 
parents previously unaware of visual impairments. Ten students were 
referred for further examination and five others scheduled for surgical 
procedures. Read more about the project in Bangin’s testimonial. 

Local community testimonial

Bangin

Bangin is a six-year-old first-grader at Afriva school in the 
Shaikan area. He has sickle cell anaemia, a chronic illness 
that needs ongoing treatment. He also suffers from poor 
eyesight, needing to sit at the front of the classroom to see his 
teachers write on the white board. Unable to afford a visit to an 
ophthalmologist, Bangin was one of 220 students in the Shaikan 
area to receive glasses following the visit to his school by the eye 
test screening programme funded by Gulf Keystone. 

Local community testimonial

Luqman

Luqman was one of the local Shaikan villagers who benefited 
from the Gulf Keystone funded auto mechanic training course. 
After completing the course, he was able to develop his own 
business and manage a repair shop in the Chra sub-district. 
The business assists him in providing food and daily living 
expenses for his family. He currently repairs generator motors, 
electric heaters and various other appliances. In the future, 
he intends to expand his services to vehicle maintenance.

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited  Annual report and accounts 2021  

43

Bangin receiving his glasses from his headmasterLuqman at work repairing a carGovernanceStrategic reportFinancialsSustainability report continued

Governance

Why is this important to our business model and strategy?
Outstanding governance, compliance and ethical conduct are the bedrock of 
our organisation and underpin our purpose as a responsible energy company. 
By combining the correct tone and culture with a strong governance structure and 
relevant policies, procedures, training and communication, we ensure that we are able 
to operate effectively, legally and ethically, safeguarding the long-term sustainability of 
our business for all our stakeholders. 

Targets:

Outstanding governance, compliance and 
ethical conduct

Material SDG alignment:

Our performance

Material factors 

Indicator 

Board oversight 

Proportion of independent 
Directors on Board(1) 

Proportion of independent Directors 
on Nomination Committee 

Proportion of independent Directors 
on Audit and Risk Committee 

Proportion of independent Directors 
on Remuneration Committee 

Unit of 
measurement  

% 

% 

% 

% 

2019 

67% 

2020  

57% 

100% 

100% 

100% 

67% 

100% 

100% 

Proportion of female Directors on Board  % 

17% 

14% 

Director Board meeting attendance 

% 

96% 

98% 

(1) 

Includes independent Non-Executive Chairman. 

2021 

Standard Alignment

57% 

UK Corporate 
  Governance Code

100% 

UK Corporate 
  Governance Code

100% 

UK Corporate  
  Governance Code

100% 

UK Corporate 
  Governance Code

14% 

UK Corporate 
  Governance Code

100% 

UK Corporate  
  Governance Code

44 

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited  Annual report and accounts 2021

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Role of the Board
The Board of Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited meets regularly to 
consider strategy and policy, major capital expenditure and all aspects 
of the Group’s activities and business operations. This includes active 
involvement in the environmental, safety, social and governance 
matters relating to the Company’s operations. The Board has a formal 
schedule of matters reserved specifically for decision by the Board. 
Effectively, no decision of any material consequence is made other 
than by the Directors and all Directors participate in the key areas of 
decision-making. Further details on the Board’s role can be found in 
the Corporate governance report on pages 60 to 69.

Board independence and diversity
The Board is composed of two Executive Directors, the Chief 
Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, and five Non-Executive 
Directors, four of whom are independent, including the Non-Executive 
Chairman. 

It is recognised that diversity is a key element for the Board, and that 
diversity extends to a number of different facets. The Company is 
currently looking to enhance the diversity of its Board through the 
recruitment of an additional Non-Executive Director. 

Board and executive oversight of sustainability 
In 2019, GKP amended the terms of reference of the existing Heath, 
Safety, Environmental and Corporate Social Responsibility Committee 
to bring in a broader remit for responsibilities on environmental 
(including emissions), social and governance matters. The Committee 
was renamed the Safety and Sustainability Committee and has primary 
responsibility within the organisation for ensuring appropriate systems 
are in place to manage health, safety, security and environmental risks, 
corporate social responsibility, as well as implementing and monitoring 
appropriate governance processes. This includes the formulation 
of relevant KPIs and making recommendations of improvement 
where appropriate.

The Safety and Sustainability Committee meets four times per year 
and reports into the Board on all matters discussed. All significant 
decisions affecting sustainability matters are considered by the Board 
upon the recommendation of the Safety and Sustainability Committee. 
Committee meetings are attended by management representing 
health and safety, security, environmental and social matters and 
governance. All Board members are encouraged to attend whether 
or not they are Committee members. 

Gulf Keystone’s Chief Operating Officer is executive sponsor 
for sustainability and has an open and regular dialogue with the 
Safety and Sustainability Committee. He is supported by the HSE 
and Sustainability team, headed up by Gulf Keystone’s Head of HSE 
and Sustainability, who is supported by a Sustainability Manager. 

Linking executive and employee remuneration to 
safety and sustainability
The Company has implemented remuneration KPIs linked to the 
implementation of safety and sustainability, including the sustainability 
strategy. These KPIs are used to determine bonus entitlements 
throughout the organisation, thus helping to ensure that all staff are 
fully cognisant of the importance of safety and sustainability to the 
Company’s future success and delivery of shareholder value. In 2021, 
safety and sustainability accounted for a potential 25% of the Company 
performance element of executive and employee bonus entitlements. 
In addition, the Company is proposing to its shareholders this year 
the introduction of an ESG performance condition to the Company’s 
Long-Term Incentive Plan (“LTIP”) from 2023, with a weighting of 20%.

Ethics and compliance
The Company fully appreciates that it must operate an ethics and 
compliance programme which is fully compliant with the highest 
standards. Failure to do so could endanger the Company’s licence 
to operate. 

Gulf Keystone operates a zero tolerance approach to bribery and 
corruption. It is essential that the Company maintains transparent 
relationships free from corruption with the host government, suppliers, 
contractors and local communities. This protects our reputation and 
our licence to operate, as well as the ability to access funding and 
operate effectively. 

The Company operates an independent whistleblowing service in the 
event any employee wishes to raise a concern, either online or over the 
phone, on an anonymous basis. There were no whistleblower cases 
handled by the service in 2021.

A comprehensive compliance training programme, which 
incorporates, amongst other matters, anti-bribery and corruption, 
handling of confidential information, conflicts of interest and 
whistleblowing is undertaken on a periodic basis for all staff and 
contractors, the last such programme being completed in March 2022.

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited  Annual report and accounts 2021  

45

GovernanceStrategic reportFinancialsManagement of principal 
risks and uncertainties

BOARD
Responsible for the overall system of 
internal control and risk management

Audit and Risk 
Committee
Responsible for monitoring the 
effectiveness of the Company’s 
risk management framework and 
internal controls

Safety and 
Sustainability 
Committee
Ensures appropriate systems are in place 
to manage safety, health, environmental 
and community risks

Technical  
Committee
Ensures that appropriate processes are 
in place to manage Shaikan development 
planning and project execution risks

SENIOR 
MANAGEMENT
Responsible for implementation and 
management of internal control and risk 
management systems

Risk assessment framework
The Board regularly considers the Group’s principal and emerging risks 
and reviews reports from the Audit and Risk, Safety and Sustainability 
and Technical Committees.

The Group considers potential emerging risks and maintains risk 
registers that incorporate strategic, ESG, commercial, financial, 
operations, projects, information technology and operational 
technology risks. The risk registers include clear definitions of the risk, 
potential impact, mitigating controls the Group has in place to reduce 
the impact or probability of the risk to an acceptable level, and actions 
to further mitigate the impact or probability of the risk. The Company 
invites specialist advisers to attend meetings with the Board and 
management to provide an assessment of particular risks which may 
affect the Company, such as geopolitical, security and cyber security 
risks, thus enabling the Company to understand and plan for the 
mitigation of these risks.

The risk register is reviewed by senior management on a regular 
basis following consultation with owners of the risks and external 
consultants, as appropriate.

The Audit and Risk Committee regularly reviews the status of the 
Group’s key risks and performs an ongoing review of effectiveness of 
the internal control and risk management systems to ensure risks are 
appropriately identified, monitored and reported to the Board and are 
aligned with the Group’s strategy.

The Safety and Sustainability Committee is primarily responsible 
for ensuring that appropriate systems are in place to manage health, 
safety, security and environmental risks as well as corporate social 
responsibility.

The Technical Committee regularly reviews the Group’s principal 
operational risks. It supports ongoing production operations and the 
Company’s Shaikan development planning and project execution 
activities and ensures that appropriate processes are in place to 
manage project execution risks.

The Board monitors the Company’s risk management and internal 
control systems by means of reports from the various committees 
and direct consideration of risk within the Board meeting agenda. 

46 

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited  Annual report and accounts 2021

Principal risks
The Board has carried out a robust assessment of the principal and emerging risks facing the Group, including those that would threaten its 
business model, future performance, solvency or liquidity. The following table indicates the principal post-mitigation risks the Group faces. 
The list is not exhaustive nor in priority order, and may change. 

Key risk factor

Potential impact

Mitigation

Strategic

Political, social and economic 
instability

Risk owner:
CEO

Kurdistan and Iraq as a whole and the 
neighbouring region have a history of 
political, social and economic instability 
which continue to represent a risk to the 
Group, its operations and its personnel. 

Uncertainty may arise from changes in 
the KRG leadership or changes in the 
continued administration of the Shaikan 
licence by the KRG.

Link to strategic priorities

Change in year

Disputes regarding title or 
exploration and production 
rights

Risk owner:
CEO

The Iraqi government disputes the 
validity of the PSCs granted by the KRG.

Link to strategic priorities

Change in year

There has been a history of tension 
between the political parties in the 
Kurdistan Region of Iraq and with the 
central government of Iraq.

Any changes in the government could 
generate uncertainty and may cause a 
material adverse impact to the Group, 
including changes in PSC terms.

Other consequences of political, social 
and economic instability may include 
unrest or armed conflict, limits on 
production (including restrictions related 
to OPEC actions) or cost recovery, 
import and export restrictions, price 
controls, uncertainty over payment 
mechanisms for export sales, imposition 
of additional costs and taxes, tax 
increases and other retroactive tax 
claims, revocation of licence to operate, 
expropriation of property, cancellation 
of contract rights and an increase in 
regulatory burdens and fiscal pressures 
on the KRG.

If the validity of the PSCs was 
successfully challenged, the Group 
could be required by the KRG or another 
administration to accept terms that 
are materially less favourable than the 
current PSC.

In February 2022 a majority decision of 
the Iraqi Supreme Court ruled that the 
Kurdistan Region of Iraq Oil and Gas 
Law (“KROGL”) was unconstitutional. 
The ruling also provides that the Iraqi 
Ministry of Oil may pursue annulment 
of Production Sharing Contracts issued 
by the Kurdish Regional Government 
(“KRG”). The KRG responded that 
“it will take all constitutional, legal, 
and judicial measures to protect and 
preserve all contracts made in the oil 
and gas sector”.

The Group engages in continuous dialogue with 
advisers and the KRG.

The Group acts as a responsible operator and adheres 
to the terms and requirements of the PSC and FDP, 
and holds regular, minuted meetings with the MNR. 
In November 2021, a draft FDP was submitted to the 
MNR which contains the GMP.

The Board closely monitors future spending plans 
and ensures that an adequate cash balance and 
other potential sources of liquidity are identified 
and maintained to enable the Company to manage 
potential future uncertainties. 

The Group has a corporate social responsibility policy 
which has led to several local initiatives and promotes a 
strong relationship with the local communities. 

This is an industry-wide risk faced by all international 
oil companies operating in the Kurdistan Region 
of Iraq.

The Group will continue to engage with KRG officials 
on this matter and will react as any implications 
of the ruling become clearer. The Group is also in 
discussions with external legal counsel and other 
advisers on the matter. 

The Group cannot control or completely mitigate 
disputes between the KRG and other parties. 
The Group closely monitors the local situation.

Key to strategic 
priorities

Safety and 
sustainability

Value 
creation

Capital discipline 
and cost focus

Robust  
financial position

Key to change 
in year

NEW

Newly  
identified

Increased  
level of risk

Similar level  
of risk

Decreased  
level of risk

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited  Annual report and accounts 2021  

47

GovernanceStrategic reportFinancials  
  
  
 
  
 
Management of principal 
risks and uncertainties continued

Principal risks continued

Key risk factor

Potential impact

Mitigation

Strategic

Business conduct and 
anti-corruption

Risk owner:
Anti-Bribery Officer

Due to the nature of the industry sector 
and the region in which the Group 
operates, it is exposed to the risk that 
the Group, or parties acting on its 
behalf, breach relevant laws, including 
anti-bribery and corruption laws.

Link to strategic priorities

Change in year

Export route availability

Risk owner:
CCO

Risks associated with availability and 
accessibility of infrastructure allowing 
the Group to sell oil to export markets, 
and changes to export route forced on 
the Group which affect profitability.

Link to strategic priorities

Change in year

Violation of anti-bribery or corruption 
regulations by the Group, or those 
acting on its behalf, may result in a 
criminal case against Gulf Keystone 
and/or its employees which may lead 
to reputational damage, monetary 
losses, fines, imprisonment of staff 
and revocation of licence to operate.

Loss of revenue or reduction in 
profitability. The Group relies on 
the international pipeline between 
Fishkhabour (in Kurdistan) and 
Ceyhan (in Turkey) and the Kurdistan 
Export Pipeline for delivery of oil. 
These pipelines may be subject to 
interruption due to a variety of reasons, 
including, but not limited to, technical, 
maintenance, repairs, damage by 
military operations, terrorism, theft, 
smuggling, regional politics, arbitration 
ruling or sanctions.

The Kurdish Pipeline Company (“KPC”) 
which owns the Kurdistan Export 
Pipeline, is 60% owned by Rosneft. 
In the event Rosneft is subject to certain 
sanctions by virtue of the Russian 
invasion of Ukraine, the Company may 
no longer be able to access the pipeline. 
Please also refer to “Risk of economic 
sanctions impacting the Group” on 
page 49. 

The Chief Legal Officer and Company Secretary is the 
Anti-Bribery Officer for the Group and reports directly 
to the Audit and Risk Committee.

The Group has various policies, including anti-bribery 
and corruption, whistleblowing and prevention of tax 
evasion, and has implemented training programmes 
to ensure understanding and promote compliance.

All employees, agents and other associated persons 
are made fully aware of the Group’s policies and 
procedures regarding ethical behaviour, business 
conduct and transparency. All staff and certain 
contractors are required to certify compliance 
with policies.

The Group has robust controls around contracting, 
payment approvals and the non-facilitation of 
tax evasion. 

The Crude Oil Sales Agreement between the Group 
and the MNR provides for access to the Kurdistan 
Export Pipeline and is currently renewed on a 
monthly basis.

Each PF is equipped with storage tanks that could 
mitigate the impact of short-term pipeline disruptions. 
Additional storage at PF-1 is planned as part of the FDP.

The option to export oil by means of trucking 
operations could be reimplemented but it would take 
time to do so. Plans to recommission truck loading 
facilities have been identified, however there is a 
possibility that the Group may not be able to maintain 
the current or future production rate using this method. 

Key to strategic 
priorities

Safety and 
sustainability

Value 
creation

Capital discipline 
and cost focus

Robust  
financial position

Key to change 
in year

NEW

Newly  
identified

Increased  
level of risk

Similar level  
of risk

Decreased  
level of risk

48 

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited  Annual report and accounts 2021

  
 
  
  
 
Key risk factor

Potential impact

Mitigation

Strategic

Risk of economic sanctions 
impacting the Group

Risk owner:
Chief Legal Officer and 
Company Secretary

The imposition of foreign economic 
sanctions impacts the ability of the 
Group to operate, or to produce, 
transport or market crude oil.

Link to strategic priorities

Change in year

NEW

Stakeholder misalignment

Risk owner:
CEO

The Group’s long-term strategy and 
plans may not be fully aligned with all 
stakeholder groups due to the diverse 
nature of the stakeholders (including, 
but not limited to, shareholders, 
bondholders, the KRG, the MNR, 
joint venture partners and local 
communities).

Link to strategic priorities

Change in year

The Group continues to monitor the current economic 
sanctions imposed on a country, sectoral and specific 
basis and takes regular professional advice relating to 
this. The Group is considering possible outcomes and 
monitors the potential sanctions-related risks affecting 
the Group of all suppliers and stakeholders.

In the event foreign economic sanctions 
(be it country, sectoral or specific) 
are made on Russian or other owned 
companies, this could have an impact 
on GKP’s ability to operate, or to 
produce, transport or market crude 
oil. In particular, the Kurdistan Pipeline 
Company (“KPC”) which owns the 
export pipeline, is partly owned by a 
Russian entity, and specific economic 
sanctions could entail that the Company 
is unable to access this pipeline. 

Ineffective or poorly executed strategy 
may lead to loss of investor confidence 
and reduction in the Company’s share 
price or credit quality, which reduces 
the Group’s ability to access finance and 
increases vulnerability to a takeover.

The Group employs an Investor Relations team 
which maintains regular dialogue with the Group’s 
stakeholder base and releases all key developments 
to the market through the London Stock Exchange’s 
Regulatory News Service and the Nordic ABM of the 
Oslo Bors.

Misalignment with our joint venture 
partner, the KRG or the MNR may 
result in delays or modifications to 
the development project, potentially 
impacting economic returns.

The inability to finalise commercial 
negotiations with the MNR confirming 
either no changes are required to 
the existing PSC or that the PSC 
will be amended in line with current oil 
sales invoice terms could potentially 
negatively impact profitability and 
stakeholder value.

Amount of recoverable costs may be 
challenged and reduced, adversely 
impacting profit and cash generation 
from operating activities.

Local community opposition may lead 
to project delays, inability to gain land 
lease extensions, significant security 
risk to our employees and contractors 
or, in extreme cases, loss of licence 
to operate.

Discussions between the Group, MOL and the MNR 
regarding the Gas Management Plan resumed in 
2021 and a draft FDP was submitted in November 
2021, which is being reviewed by and discussed 
with the MNR.

The Company continues to progress commercial 
negotiations with the MNR to finalise PSC terms with 
the overarching objective of at least maintaining the 
value of the current contract.

Shaikan Management Committee meetings 
including representatives of the MNR, MOL and 
GKP are held periodically to discuss issues and 
ensure alignment. Key decisions from meetings 
are formally documented.

Strong community relations are vital to our ability to 
achieve local support for new projects. Gulf Keystone 
strives to be a good corporate citizen and fosters its 
reputation through strong and positive relationships 
with the governments and communities where we 
do business.

The Group continues to collaborate with local and 
government stakeholders and has a CSR strategy to 
complement its existing community welfare initiatives. 

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited  Annual report and accounts 2021  

49

GovernanceStrategic reportFinancials  
 
  
  
  
 
Management of principal 
risks and uncertainties continued

Principal risks continued

Key risk factor

Potential impact

Mitigation

Strategic

Climate change and 
sustainability

Risk owner:
CEO

Climate change and sustainability are 
material issues for the global economy 
and for the Group. Introduction of 
regulations or the physical impact of 
climate change may have a significant 
effect on the long-term viability of the 
Group. 

Link to strategic priorities

Change in year

The transition to a low carbon economy 
may lead to a decline in oil demand 
resulting in lower oil prices, costs 
relating to flaring emissions or carbon 
taxes, reduced access to or increased 
cost of funding and insurance, 
disruptions to the supply chain, 
increasing challenges to attract and 
retain talent, and increased compliance 
and monitoring costs related to new 
regulatory frameworks.

The Group may also be impacted by 
physical risks due to climate changes, 
including increasing frequency and 
magnitude of extreme weather events 
impacting operations, production 
efficiency losses, disruptions to 
the supply chain and weakened 
international cooperation.

Additionally, conflicting stakeholder 
expectations and/or a lower oil price 
may lead to an inability of the Group to 
develop the asset.

Gulf Keystone is committed to implementing 
the recommendations of the Task Force on 
Climate-related Financial Disclosures (“TCFD”), 
targeting full compliance by fiscal year 2022 as per 
Standard Listing requirements. 

The Company has formulated its sustainability 
strategy and an ESG implementation roadmap has 
been approved by the Board. 

A specific ESG risk register has been created to 
closely track and review existing and evolving ESG 
risks more effectively.

The ability to achieve the Group’s targets of reducing 
emissions intensity and eliminating routine flaring is 
dependent on finalisation of the Gas Management 
Plan with our partner MOL and the MNR and its 
subsequent implementation. A draft FDP, containing 
a proposal for the Gas Management Plan, was 
submitted to the MNR in November 2021.

Wherever possible, the Group will improve the 
efficiency of its operations and processes in order 
to reduce emissions and consumption.

The Group continuously monitors air quality and its 
management of waste, water and wastewater, soil 
remediation and the impact of its facilities as part of its 
commitment to minimise impact on the environment 
and local communities.

Key to strategic 
priorities

Safety and 
sustainability

Value 
creation

Capital discipline 
and cost focus

Robust  
financial position

Key to change 
in year

NEW

Newly  
identified

Increased  
level of risk

Similar level  
of risk

Decreased  
level of risk

50 

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited  Annual report and accounts 2021

  
  
   
 
Key risk factor

Potential impact

Mitigation

Strategic

Global pandemic (e.g. 
COVID-19)

Risk owner:
CEO

The effects of a global pandemic 
such as COVID-19 may be severe 
and far-reaching, affecting the global 
economy, our business, our workforce 
and the local communities in which we 
operate.

Link to strategic priorities

Change in year

Over the long term, a pandemic and 
its effects on the global economy may 
threaten the viability of the Group. In the 
short term, the deterioration of market 
conditions and volatile oil prices could 
reduce the Group’s revenue generation 
potential and adversely impact the 
Group’s profitability and liquidity 
position.

A pandemic may adversely affect the 
health and safety of our staff, the KRG’s 
ability to make ongoing revenue or 
arrears payments, field operations and 
expansion activities and increase cyber 
security vulnerabilities due to remote 
working. 

Cyber security

Risk owner:
CFO

As the Group becomes more reliant 
on information technology systems, 
software and cloud computing, 
it becomes more vulnerable to 
malicious cyber attacks. 

Link to strategic priorities

Change in year

A cyber security breach could disrupt 
our operational and development 
activities, put employees at risk, 
result in the disclosure of confidential 
information, which could adversely 
affect the share price, damage our 
reputation and create significant 
financial and legal exposure for the 
Group.

As a result of current global events there 
could be an increase in the frequency 
and severity of cyber attacks.

The Group has taken several actions in order to 
manage the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, 
as follows:

• 

Implemented a vaccination campaign resulting 
in 97% of GKPI’s workforce receiving double 
vaccinations.

•  The Crisis Management Team, with representatives 

in the UK and Kurdistan, meets as required to 
develop and review plans to effectively manage the 
response.

•  The Company actively monitors advice from the 
World Health Organization and Public Health 
England and receives regular independent medical 
advice relating to the COVID-19 outbreak to ensure 
best practice precautions are being applied.
•  Clear guidelines and health precautions on 

• 

how employees should protect themselves and 
reduce exposure and transmission have been 
communicated to the organisation.
Implementation of a remote working policy, along 
with additional guidance relating to cyber-safety 
practices, and health screening of staff and 
contractors entering work sites.

The Company monitors the environment for potential 
signs of new or emerging pandemics.

The Company ensures that it maintains adequate 
liquidity and operational flexibility to protect itself from 
the effects of a pandemic. 

The Group has developed focused information and 
operational technology cyber risk registers to facilitate 
identification, management and mitigation of potential 
risks. 

The Group has implemented a cyber security strategy 
and roadmap to continuously identify and remediate 
system vulnerabilities. 

The Group has contracted a recognised Managed 
Security Services Provider that employs several 
tools to manage cyber security risks on an ongoing 
basis, including third-party monitoring, vulnerabilities 
management, red team tests, dark web monitoring, 
endpoints and perimeter security and ongoing 
cyber security awareness training.

The Group has invested in staff and software to 
monitor, maintain and regularly upgrade its systems, 
processes and network. 

The Group enrolled on the Early Warning Service 
carried out by the UK National Cyber Security Centre.

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited  Annual report and accounts 2021  

51

GovernanceStrategic reportFinancials  
  
  
 
  
  
 
Management of principal 
risks and uncertainties continued

Principal risks continued

Key risk factor

Operational

Health, Safety and 
Environment (“HSE”) risks

Risk owner:
COO

The Group, its staff and contractors and 
local communities may be exposed to 
specific risks in relation to HSE matters.

Identified risk areas include, but are not 
limited to, H2S leaks at the production 
facilities, loss of containment, road 
traffic accidents and other accidents at 
production facilities and well sites.

Link to strategic priorities

Change in year

Gas flaring

Risk owner:
COO

GKP relies on flaring as a disposal 
method for the gas produced as a 
by-product of its oil production, which 
creates an environmental impact. There 
is a risk that the Group does not achieve 
its target of reducing scope 1 and 2 CO2 
emissions per barrel by more than 50% 
by 2025, which is subject to approval of 
the FDP.

Link to strategic priorities

Change in year

Potential impact

Mitigation

Consequences may include 
accidents resulting in loss of life or 
injury, significant pollution of the local 
environment, destruction of facilities, 
disruption to business activities, risk of 
litigation and reputational damage with 
an associated financial loss.

The KRG may enforce a ban on gas 
flaring and/or introduce a financial 
penalty or other sanctions for gas 
flaring, resulting in reduction or 
cessation of production or a less 
favourable Shaikan asset valuation.

The Board has established a Safety and Sustainability 
Committee to ensure that the Company has a robust 
HSE strategy with clear lines of accountability and 
commitment throughout the organisation.

The Company has formulated its sustainability 
strategy and the ESG roadmap was approved by the 
Safety and Sustainability Committee in November 
2021, and subsequently approved by the Board in 
January 2022. In addition, a specific ESG risk register 
was created to track and review ESG risks more 
effectively.

The Group has comprehensive HSE and operations 
management procedures, including emergency and 
incident response plans. The HSE Action Plan for 
2021 included improvement and compliance initiatives 
and was 99% complete by the end of 2021 (see “Key 
performance measures” section on pages 22 and 23). 

In 2021 the Company completed a thorough review of 
the safety case for the FDP. The 2022 HSE Action Plan 
has been established, including key actions from the 
safety case, and progress will be closely monitored 
during the year.

The Group maintains active dialogue with the regional 
authorities to ensure that it complies with the existing 
emissions regulations.

Harmful gas emissions are closely monitored by 
the HSE department, with any variances outside 
normal levels investigated and reported to executive 
management.

The Group uses a clean flare stack to improve the 
combustion of flared gas.

The ability to achieve a reduction of routine flaring is 
dependent on finalisation of the Gas Management 
Plan with our partner MOL and the MNR and its 
subsequent implementation. A draft FDP, containing 
a proposal for the Gas Management Plan, was 
submitted to the MNR in November 2021.

Key to strategic 
priorities

Safety and 
sustainability

Value 
creation

Capital discipline 
and cost focus

Robust  
financial position

Key to change 
in year

NEW

Newly  
identified

Increased  
level of risk

Similar level  
of risk

Decreased  
level of risk

52 

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited  Annual report and accounts 2021

  
  
  
 
Potential impact

Mitigation

Key risk factor

Operational

Security

Risk owner:
COO

The Group is exposed to security risks 
by virtue of the location of its operations. 
These include the threat of terrorist 
attack, military action and local protests 
and unrest at Gulf Keystone sites.

Link to strategic priorities

Change in year

Political unrest, armed conflict in Iraq 
or other security issues may lead 
to loss of life or injury to personnel, 
personnel evacuations, disruption to 
operations, costs to repair facilities, 
increased costs of doing business due 
to increased security and reduced staff 
retention, reputational damage with the 
associated financial loss and loss of 
investor confidence.

There can be no assurance that the 
Group will be able to obtain or maintain 
effective security over any of the 
Group’s assets or personnel.

Field delivery risk

Risk owner:
COO

The Company does not achieve its 
stated investment case and economic 
and production returns do not match 
expectations.

The major identified risks within this 
area are the following:

•  Loss of a well due to water or gas 

breakthrough, pressure decline or 
mechanical failure.

•  Damage to wells during drilling due 

to loss of drill fluids.

•  Well locations are sub-optimal.

Link to strategic priorities

Change in year

Failure to control development and 
production risks may manifest as project 
delays, cost overruns, high production 
costs, early field decommissioning 
and, ultimately, lower than expected 
reserves.

Water breakthrough in advance 
of the installation of appropriate 
water-handling facilities may result in 
temporary well shut-ins, failure to meet 
production targets and damage to the 
production facilities.

Gas breakthrough in volumes 
exceeding the limit of the gas 
processing capacity could result in 
reduced oil production and shutting-in 
the well with gas breakthrough.

Drilling operations issues might result 
in cost overruns and project delays, and 
possibly even the suspension of drilling 
operations.

The Board has established a Safety and Sustainability 
Committee to ensure that the Company has a robust 
HSE strategy with clear lines of accountability and 
commitment throughout the organisation.

The wells and facilities are protected by external 
security consultants and local government forces who 
work closely with the Group’s internal security team.

The Company retains external security advisers 
who prepare detailed risk assessments, security 
procedures and contingency plans which can be 
activated when threats arise.

Local communities are an essential source of 
intelligence about the nature, severity and likelihood 
of any threat. The Group ensures it maintains good 
relations with the local population and considers the 
impact of all decisions on them.

Technical and financial approvals are required for all 
material projects and for all dedicated project teams.

All projects are closely monitored to ensure the project 
delivers against plan, which enables actions to be 
taken to maintain progress, and minimise budget 
overruns.

All wells are monitored to ensure early detection of, 
and reaction to, any abnormalities. Zones within wells 
which are producing water may be isolated while other 
zones in the well are brought on production. Wells 
are regularly tested to look for any changes in gas/
oil ratio and to provide an early warning of any gas 
breakthrough. 

Reservoir modelling is carried out to improve 
our understanding and forecasting of this event. 
Our current analysis does not show inclement water 
breakthrough. 

Water-handling and desalting facilities are included 
in the Group’s capital programme.

Design of future development wells takes account 
of the updated modelling to optimally locate the 
producing interval from wells at a depth to minimise 
the risk of early gas and water breakthrough.

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited  Annual report and accounts 2021  

53

GovernanceStrategic reportFinancials  
  
 
Management of principal 
risks and uncertainties continued

Principal risks continued

Potential impact

Mitigation

Key risk factor

Operational

Reserves

Risk owner:
COO

Recoverable reserves are below 
expectations, which will affect the 
revenue and economic viability of 
the field.

Link to strategic priorities

Change in year

Due to natural uncertainty in the 
volumes of hydrocarbons in place and 
the proportion of those hydrocarbons 
that might be recoverable, the actual 
reserves may be lower than our most 
likely forecast.

Financial

Liquidity and funding 
capability

Risk owner:
CFO

The Group has insufficient working 
capital to meet short-term operational 
requirements or has insufficient funding 
in place to pursue the full Shaikan 
development programme.

Link to strategic priorities

Change in year

Lack of liquidity may result in the Group 
not being able to function as a going 
concern and being unable to meet its 
operational commitments.

Lack of funding in the long term may 
result in the Group’s inability to fully 
achieve its strategy, failure to reach the 
stated field plateau, failure to service its 
debt and inability to deliver a return to 
investors.

Lack of capital discipline and 
operational cost focus may result in 
significant unplanned cash outflows 
and inadequate liquidity. 

An updated, independent third-party evaluation of the 
Company’s reserves as at 31 December 2020 was 
issued by ERCE in early 2021. The report reaffirmed 
the reserves and resources estimates of the 2016 
CPR, after adjusting principally for production.

The Company continues to evolve and optimise its 
Field Development Plans. A draft FDP was submitted 
to the MNR in November 2021.

The Group bases its forecasts and investment 
planning on a range of possible outcomes that 
include a low-side case. 

Phasing of the project investment is considered 
against the low-side scenario and the investment 
plans adjusted accordingly.

Data acquired from well production and pressure 
measurements and the results from new wells 
are used to help model the reservoir and reduce 
uncertainty over time.

Seismic data has been reprocessed and the structural 
model has been rebuilt in order to better understand 
the subsurface.

The Group currently has a significant cash balance. 

The Group invests capital in phases and has a flexible 
capital programme, enabling it to quickly adjust 
levels of spending to adapt to changes in market 
circumstances.

A draft FDP including a GMP was submitted to the 
MNR in November 2021. The Group is proactively 
reviewing options to finance the FDP.

The Board and management ensure that the strategy 
planning process is robust. The Group’s business 
plan is regularly reviewed and revisited by the Board 
to ensure that it reflects any changes to internal or 
external factors.

Business planning and corporate performance 
management processes are used to control spend. 
These processes involve the review of multiple 
scenarios to assess a possible range of outcomes. 

The Group carefully manages debt maturities and 
considers potential sources of funding to ensure 
there are available funds to repay debt outstanding 
on maturity. 

Key to strategic 
priorities

Safety and 
sustainability

Value 
creation

Capital discipline 
and cost focus

Robust  
financial position

Key to change 
in year

NEW

Newly  
identified

Increased  
level of risk

Similar level  
of risk

Decreased  
level of risk

54 

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited  Annual report and accounts 2021

  
  
 
Key risk factor

Potential impact

Mitigation

Financial 

Oil revenue payment 
mechanism

Risk owner:
CFO

There is uncertainty relating to the 
revenue payment mechanism for oil in 
Kurdistan.

There can be no assurance that 
PSC operators will be paid their full 
contractual entitlement.

Link to strategic priorities

Change in year

Delays in, or lack of, revenue payments 
from the KRG could adversely impact 
the Group’s ability to develop and invest 
in the asset, to operate efficiently and 
to make necessary working capital 
payments.

Irregular receipts of revenue payments 
may damage investor confidence in the 
Group and the region and make any 
fundraising difficult. 

Changes in the terms of the Crude 
Oil Sales Agreement may have an 
unfavourable effect on revenue.

Recently payment terms have slipped 
from the contractual 60 days per the 
Crude Oil Sales Agreement to around 
90 days.

The Group continues to monitor the political situation 
in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and maintains dialogue 
and relations with the relevant national and regional 
authorities.

The Group has maintained accurate records of liftings 
and applies robust assumptions when estimating 
historic revenue arrears. The Group’s position is 
regularly communicated to the MNR.

Export oil sales quantities are currently agreed by 
three parties (including an independent pipeline 
operator) to reduce uncertainty regarding delivery 
volumes. 

The Crude Oil Sales Agreement between the 
Group and the MNR provides for oil sales payments 
according to revenue entitlement and is renewed on a 
monthly basis. The Company is pursuing with the MNR 
a longer-term contractual arrangement. 

The KRG has proposed a mechanism to repay 
outstanding arrears of $73.3 million relating to 
November 2019 to February 2020 invoices. 
The outstanding balance is $21.9 million net 
to GKP at 29 March 2022. 

The Group monitors and, where possible, reduces 
costs while maintaining safe operations.

The Group’s cash forecast is constantly monitored 
and it maintains surplus cash to manage short-term 
uncertainty.

In establishing the annual work programme and 
budget, the Group considers a range of forward oil 
curves to assess the potential impact on cash flows 
and liquidity. Commodity prices are monitored on an 
ongoing basis. 

While a hedging programme is not currently in place, 
the Board considers hedging on an ongoing basis, 
taking into account macro-economic and corporate 
considerations. 

The Group’s revenues, profitability 
and future rate of growth will depend 
substantially on prevailing oil prices, 
which can be volatile and subject to 
fluctuation.

A sustained low oil price environment 
would have an adverse effect on the 
Group’s liquidity and ability to develop 
the asset. In addition, it may lead to a 
reduction in the Group’s commercial 
reserves and an impairment of its asset.

Commodity prices

Risk owner:
CFO

A material decline in oil prices may 
adversely affect the Group’s cash flows, 
asset valuations, production operations 
or result in delays to the Shaikan 
development.

Low oil prices may adversely impact 
the KRG’s ability to meet its payment 
obligations towards the region’s 
producers.

Link to strategic priorities

Change in year

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited  Annual report and accounts 2021  

55

GovernanceStrategic reportFinancials  
 
  
 
Viability statement

In accordance with the UK Corporate Governance Code, the Directors 
have carefully assessed the Group’s viability and prospects over a 
longer period than the twelve months required by the going concern 
provision. The Board assesses the business over a number of time 
horizons for different reasons, including the following:

a) annual Corporate Budget (i.e. 2022);
b) medium-term Corporate Budget; and
c) life-of-field plan used to produce an internal view of the value of 

the Company. 

The Board concluded that a three-year period most appropriately 
reflects the underlying prospects and viability of the Group for the 
following reasons: 

a) it is aligned with the Group’s strategic planning cycle;
b) it is expected to be the peak investment period under the draft FDP; 

and

c) should the risks and uncertainties identified by the Group on pages 
46 to 55 have an impact on the Group, it is reasonable to believe that 
they will occur within this period. 

Notwithstanding, the Group will continue to monitor the business over 
all time horizons noted above. 

The Directors’ viability assessment has been made with reference to 
the Group’s strategy and business model, as detailed on pages 18 to 21, 
and to the risks, uncertainties and available mitigating action plans, as 
detailed on pages 46 to 55. 

The Group conducted an annual planning process which consisted 
of the review of the Group’s strategy and performance, preparation 
of a work plan and budget and review of risks, uncertainties and 
opportunities over the three-year assessment period.

The Directors reviewed the Group’s cash flow projections which were 
prepared using the following base assumptions: 

•  average Brent price of $81/bbl in 2022 and $55/bbl thereafter; 
•  cost assumptions in line with the draft FDP; 
•  production profiles in line with the draft FDP; 
•  maintain current level of debt; and
•  regular revenue receipts.

The assessment demonstrated that the Group is in a strong financial 
position, with a significant cash balance and ability to meet liabilities as 
they fall due.

Further, the Directors have considered the financial and operational 
impact of severe but plausible scenarios that could threaten GKP’s 
viability. This was done through modelling the individual and combined 
effects of various risks and uncertainties in order to establish the 
Group’s ability to meet its working capital requirements. Additionally, 
the Directors considered possible mitigating actions. The modelled 
stress scenarios and potential mitigating actions considered are 
as follows: 

Stress test scenarios

Downside 
assumptions

Mitigating actions

1.  Low oil price environment 

2.  Oil revenue 

payment interruptions

3.  Delays to the development 

programme

4.  Decreasing reservoir 

productivity 

5.  Impacts of climate change 

6.  Inability to access 

debt market

7.  Inability to access 
export pipeline 

•  Brent price reduction 
to $50/bbl flat in 2023 
onwards, to reflect 
the potential impact 
of meeting the Paris 
Agreement targets 

•  Revenue receipts 

interruptions

•  Reduced production
•  Cost increases
• 
Introduction of a carbon tax
•  Repayment of $100 million 

Notes

•  Limited pipeline access

•  Deferrals and reductions 
in capital expenditure

•  Further optimisation of the 
development programme
•  Further rationalisation of 
the operational cost base 

•  Oil export via trucking
•  Dividend policy adjustment

Reference to 
principal risks 
and uncertainties(1)

•  Political, social and 
economic instability

•  Disputes regarding title or 

exploration and production 
rights

•  Export route availability
•  Risk of economic sanctions 

impacting Group
•  Oil revenue payment 

mechanism

•  Stakeholder misalignment
•  Climate change and 

sustainability

•  Gas flaring
•  Commodity prices
•  Global pandemic
•  Field delivery risk
•  Reserves
•  Liquidity and funding 

capability

(1)  Principal risks which were not specifically modelled were either considered not likely to have an impact within the viability period or their financial effect was 

covered within the overall downside economic risks implicit within the stress testing.

56 

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited  Annual report and accounts 2021

In February 2022, a majority decision of the Iraqi Supreme Court 
ruled that the Kurdistan Region of Iraq Oil and Gas Law (“KROGL”) 
was unconstitutional and provides that the Iraqi Ministry of Oil may 
pursue annulment of Production Sharing Contracts issued by the 
Kurdish Regional Government (“KRG”). The KRG responded that 
“it will take all constitutional, legal, and judicial measures to protect 
and preserve all contracts made in the oil and gas sector”. While the 
Iraqi government has disputed the validity of the PSCs and the ruling 
has not to date impacted our business, it is not possible to determine 
potential future implications. The Group will continue to engage with 
KRG officials on this matter and will react as any implications of the 
ruling become clearer.

Based upon the Directors’ robust assessment of the principal risks 
facing the Group, the stress test scenarios and possible mitigating 
actions, as described above, the Directors have a reasonable 
expectation that the Group will be able to continue to operate 
and meet its liabilities as they fall due over the three-year viability 
assessment period. In the event the stress test scenarios assumptions 
are more severe than what the Directors reasonably considered as 
severe but plausible, including potential adverse implications of the 
Federal Iraqi Supreme Court ruling, significant changes to the Group’s 
operational and development plans, including a further curtailment 
of activities and reductions in staff, amongst other things, would be 
required and there could be an impact on the Group’s viability. 

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited  Annual report and accounts 2021  

57

GovernanceStrategic reportFinancialsBoard of Directors

Jaap Huijskes
Non-Executive Chairman

Jon Harris
Chief Executive Officer

Appointed November 2017

Appointed January 2021

Skills and experience 
Jaap Huijskes was appointed Non-Executive Chairman of Gulf 
Keystone in April 2018, having been a Non-Executive Director since 
November 2017.  

Jaap has worked in the upstream oil and gas sector for nearly 
30 years. He started his career with Shell and worked in a variety of 
project engineering and other roles around the world. Jaap’s last 
role with Shell was as Project Director for the Sakhalin II project, 
followed by a short period at head office as Executive Vice 
President for all of Shell’s upstream projects. Jaap left Shell to join 
OMV, as their board member responsible for all upstream activities. 
OMV’s upstream activities at the time included significant 
exploration activities in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.   

Jaap is currently Non-Executive Chairman at Energie Beheer 
Nederland. 

Skills and experience 
Jon Harris joined Gulf Keystone in January 2021 as Chief Executive 
Officer.

Jon has over 30 years’ experience in the oil and gas industry 
and joined GKP from SASOL Limited, an integrated energy and 
chemicals company based in South Africa where he was Executive 
Vice President, Upstream.  Prior to this, he spent 25 years with BG 
Group in various international roles, including Executive Vice 
President Technical and General Manager Production Operations, 
as well as senior management assignments in the United States, 
Trinidad and Tobago and Egypt. 

Jon received a Masters of Engineering from the University of 
Leeds, UK.

Ian Weatherdon
Chief Financial Officer

Martin Angle
Deputy Chairman and 
Senior Independent Director

Appointed January 2020

Appointed July 2018

Skills and experience 
Ian Weatherdon joined Gulf Keystone in January 2020 as 
Chief Financial Officer.   

Ian has over 30 years’ experience in the international oil and gas 
industry. Prior to joining GKP, he was CFO of Sino Gas & Energy 
Holdings, an energy company focused on developing natural gas 
assets in China. Previously, he held various executive roles at 
Talisman Energy Inc., the Canadian exploration and production 
company, which was acquired by Repsol, including: Vice President 
of Finance & Planning for the Asia-Pacific region, CFO of Equión 
Energía Limited, a Colombian joint venture between Talisman and 
Ecopetrol SA, and Vice President of Investor Relations.

Ian has a B. Comm from the University of Calgary and is a Canadian 
Chartered Accountant. 

Skills and experience 
Martin Angle was appointed as Deputy Chairman in June 2019 
having been Senior Independent Non-Executive Director since 
joining the Board in July 2018. 

Martin has had a distinguished executive career holding senior 
positions in investment banking, industry and private equity.   

He has served as a Non-Executive Director on a number of Boards 
both in the UK and overseas including Pennon Group, where he 
chaired the Remuneration Committee, Savills plc (Senior 
Independent Director), National Exhibition Group (Chairman) 
and Dubai International Capital.   

Martin is currently Deputy Chairman and Senior Independent 
Director of Spire Healthcare plc, a Non-Executive Director of 
Ocean Biomedical Inc. (USA) and is a Hon. Professor in the College 
of Social Sciences and International Studies, University of Exeter. 
He is a Chartered Accountant and holds a BSc (Hons) in Physics 
from the University of Warwick.

58 

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited  Annual report and accounts 2021

Garrett Soden   
Non-Executive Director

David Thomas
Non-Executive Director

Appointed July 2020

Appointed October 2016

Skills and experience 
Garrett Soden was re-appointed as a Non-Executive Director of 
Gulf Keystone in July 2020. He is a shareholder representative of 
Lansdowne Partners Austria GmbH and thus is deemed 
non-independent.

Garrett has worked with the Lundin Group for more than a decade 
and has extensive experience as a senior executive and board 
member of various public companies in the natural resources 
sector. He is currently President and CEO of Africa Energy Corp., 
a Canadian oil and gas exploration company focused on South Africa. 
He is also a Non-Executive Director of Panoro Energy ASA. 

Garrett holds a BSc honours degree from the London School of 
Economics and an MBA from Columbia Business School.

Skills and experience 
David Thomas was appointed as a Non-Executive Director of 
Gulf Keystone in October 2016.   

David is an experienced oil and gas professional with 40 years 
in the industry. He started his career as a Petroleum Engineer 
working for Conoco in the North Sea and Dubai. Subsequently, 
he joined Lasmo where he became Group GM Operations and, 
following the company’s acquisition, held three international 
regional Vice President roles with Eni. David’s subsequent Board 
directorships have included positions as President and COO of 
Centurion Energy and CEO of Melrose Resources. In 2015 he 
briefly served on a caretaker Board at Afren and is currently the 
CEO of Cheiron in Egypt.   

David has a BSc in Mining Engineering from Nottingham University 
and an MSc in Petroleum Engineering from Imperial College.  

Kimberley Wood
Non-Executive Director

Appointed October 2018

Skills and experience 
Kimberley Wood was appointed as a Non-Executive Director 
of Gulf Keystone in October 2018.   

Kimberley is a legal professional with 20 years’ experience and a 
specialist in the energy sector. She was Head of Oil and Gas for 
Europe and Middle East at Norton Rose Fulbright LLP and remains 
a Senior Consultant for the firm. She is included in Who’s Who Legal 
Energy 2021 and as an expert in Energy and Natural Resources in 
Women in Business Law, 2021. Kimberley is also the European 
Regional Forum Liaison Officer for the Oil & Gas Law Committee 
of the International Bar Association (“IBA”). 

Kimberley is also a Non-Executive Director of Energean plc, 
Africa Oil Corp., and Valeura Energy Inc. 

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59

GovernanceStrategic reportFinancialsCorporate  
governance report

Our commitment to the 
highest standards of 
corporate governance, 
ethics and integrity are 
essential in delivering 
sustainable success 
for our stakeholders.

Jaap Huijskes
Non-Executive Chairman

The Company maintains an absolute 
zero-tolerance approach to bribery and 
corruption. It has in place a number of policies 
and procedures to maintain this, including 
regular training. This runs alongside the 
Company’s Whistleblowing Policy, Information 
Handling Policy, Share Dealing Code and 
Diversity Policy. The Board considers the 
robustness and appropriateness of such 
policies and procedures, ensuring that 
operating with integrity remains a top priority, 
and will review and amend these policies 
as appropriate in the spirit of continuous 
enhancement. 

Jaap Huijskes
Non-Executive Chairman

29 March 2022 

Dear Shareholder,

The Board recognises that a continual 
commitment to the highest standards of 
corporate governance, ethics and integrity 
is essential in delivering sustainable success 
for our stakeholders. Strong corporate 
governance is core to our culture, which 
ultimately benefits the long-term interests of 
all of our stakeholders. In addition to having 
a comprehensive governance and policy 
framework in place, the highest priority is given 
to fostering a culture of safety, governance, 
sustainability, environmental, social and 
ethical considerations, underpinned by the 
Company’s core values. 

In promoting the long-term sustainable 
success of the Company, the Board 
encourages a transparent and open culture 
to ensure effective contributions from all 
Directors, management and the wider 
workforce. Communication is key to this and 
despite the logistical challenges associated 
with COVID-19 in 2020 and 2021, we have 
sought to maintain and enhance this aspect 
of our culture as we interact with our staff 
and other stakeholders. In 2021, the Board 
undertook an internal evaluation of its 
performance and governance. This covered 
a number of aspects of the Board’s role, 
performance and governance, and the 
general conclusion was positive, with only 
minor amendments to existing practices 
proposed. A further, externally facilitated 
evaluation was completed in early 2022. 
This highlighted some enhancements which 
could be made as the Company evolves. 
These are more fully described in the report 
of the Nomination Committee.

60 

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited  Annual report and accounts 2021

Introduction
It is the duty of the Board of Directors that 
it must act in a manner, in good faith, which 
will be most likely to promote the success of 
the Company for the benefit of its members 
as a whole, and taking account of the likely 
consequences of any decision in the long 
term. The maintenance of high standards 
of governance is integral to this, and the 
Board sets the tone for the highest ethical 
compliance. The Board aims to create a 
culture which demands the same commitment 
and performance from all employees and 
contractors in all business activities. The 
governance processes applied across the 
Group are set out below and in the individual 
Committee reports.

The Board accepts responsibility for 
preparing the annual report and accounts 
which it considers, taken as a whole, are fair, 
balanced and understandable, and provide 
the information necessary for shareholders 
to assess the Company’s performance, 
business model and strategy.

Compliance with the 2018 UK 
Corporate Governance Code 
(the “Code”)
In respect of the year ended 31 December 
2021, Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited, a 
Bermuda registered company, voluntarily 
adhered to the Code (available from  
www.frc.org.uk). The Board recognises the 
value of the Code to the business and it will 
take all necessary measures it can to comply.

In line with our commitment to maintaining 
best practices of corporate governance, the 
Board confirms that Gulf Keystone Petroleum 
Limited applied the principles and complied 
with all of the provisions of the 2018 Code 
throughout the year save as disclosed in this 
Corporate governance report. 

Board leadership and purpose
The Board is accountable to shareholders 
and other stakeholders for the creation of a 
sustainable, long-term business. The Board 
oversees a robust governance framework 
with clear procedures, lines of responsibility 
and delegated authorities to ensure that 
the Company’s strategy and values are 
implemented, and key risks assessed and 
managed effectively. The Board also engages 
with the Company’s stakeholders on an 
ongoing basis to ensure their long-term 
interests are understood and preserved. 
This includes investors, the host government 
and local communities, staff and contractors, 
business partners and suppliers. It is 
recognised that the nature of the Company’s 
business requires specific expertise at Board 
level and this is regularly reviewed to ensure it 
is appropriate. 

Key responsibilities of the Board include:

•  health and safety; 
•  ethical compliance;
•  environmental and social governance;
•  strategy development and objectives;
•  operational and technical review;
•  financial performance, structure and capital 

management;

•  corporate planning and KPIs;
•  stakeholder and workforce engagement;
•  people, culture and values;
•  risk management;
•  Board development and effectiveness; and
•  governance and regulatory compliance.

When considering these responsibilities, the 
Chairman encourages an open, respectful 
and collaborative working environment 
where all Directors voice their opinions and 
contribute to constructive debate. 

Division of responsibilities
The Board is led by the Chairman, who 
promotes a culture of openness and debate 
and is responsible for the leadership of the 
Board and its overall effectiveness. The 
Chairman also facilitates constructive Board 
relations and the effective contribution of 
all Non-Executive and Executive Directors, 
and ensures that Directors receive accurate, 
timely and clear information. The Chairman 
is supported on the Board by three 
independent Non-Executive Directors, one 
of whom is the Senior Independent Director, 
a further Non-Executive Director who is a 
non-independent shareholder representative, 
and the CEO and CFO. The CEO is 
responsible for operational management, 
and the development and implementation 
of strategy in conjunction with the senior 
leadership team. The Chief Legal Officer 
attends Board and Committee meetings as 
Secretary to ensure corporate governance 
and regulatory compliance. 

The Company has a formal register of 
“Matters Reserved for the Board” which is 
reviewed and approved on a regular basis, and 
there is a clear separation of responsibilities 
between the Board and management. 
Some matters may be delegated to the Board 
Committees: the Safety and Sustainability 
Committee; the Technical Committee; the 
Audit and Risk Committee; the Remuneration 
Committee; and the Nomination Committee. 
Each Board Committee has terms of 
reference in place which are reviewed and 
approved on a regular basis. The Board is 
satisfied that the Committees have sufficient 
time and resources to carry out their duties 
effectively.

The Executive Committee comprises the 
CEO, CFO, Chief Operations Officer, Chief 
Commercial Officer, Chief Legal Officer and 
Chief HR Officer. They meet on a regular 
basis, at least weekly, to discuss significant 
management matters. The senior leadership 
team, comprising functional heads of 
departments and the Executive Committee, 
also meets on a regular basis to discuss 
management matters.

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GovernanceStrategic reportFinancialsCorporate governance report continued

Remuneration
The Remuneration Committee is primarily 
responsible for devising and monitoring the 
Company’s remuneration policies to ensure 
that they are consistent with corporate 
governance guidelines and the Company’s 
objectives, and it is assisted by external 
remuneration consultants, Mercer Kepler. 
A detailed report of all remuneration matters 
is contained in the Directors’ remuneration 
report. The Company’s Remuneration Policy 
was formally approved by shareholders at 
the Annual General Meeting in 2019 and will 
further be considered at the AGM in 2022.

Adherence with the 
UK Corporate Governance Code
Although the Company is not subject to 
the UK Corporate Governance Code 2018 
(“the Code”) on account of its Bermudan 
incorporation and standard listing on the 
London Stock Exchange, the Company has 
voluntarily agreed to adhere to the Code so 
far as practicable. We firmly believe that this 
voluntary adherence establishes a solid basis 
from which to conduct Board and managerial 
decision-making acting in the best interests 
of the Company and its stakeholders. A copy 
of the Code is available on the website of the 
Financial Reporting Council (“FRC”) on  
www.frc.org.uk. 

As at the date of this report, the Board 
considers that it and the Company have 
complied with the principles and provisions 
of the Code, except for the following matters, 
using the provision references set out in the 
July 2018 version of the Code: 

Provision 5 – There is no formal workforce 
engagement scheme in place. This has been 
reviewed by the Board in conjunction with its 
advisers, Mercer Kepler. It was concluded 
that GKP had a very transparent culture with 
regular staff engagement initiatives and an 
open reporting line which encouraged staff 
participation. Taking this, and the size and 
nature of the business into account, it was 
considered that it was an unnecessary step 
to formalise this into a formal workforce 
engagement scheme. The Board will keep this 
under review, taking into account GKP’s size 
and legal and regulatory requirements in its 
locations. 

Provision 36 – The policy for 
post-employment shareholding requirements 
is being put for consideration by shareholders 
within the Remuneration Policy at the 
2022 AGM. 

The information contained in this report, and 
elsewhere in this annual report and accounts, 
describes the manner in which Gulf Keystone 
has applied the main principles of governance 
set out in the Code and complied with 
individual Code provisions.

Composition, succession 
and evaluation
The Nomination Committee is primarily 
responsible for reviewing the composition 
and balance of the Board, and for 
recommending any new appointments to the 
Board and Committees. Appointments and 
succession planning are based on merit and 
in accordance with the Company’s Diversity 
Policy. During the year, one new appointment 
to the Board was made: Jon Harris was 
appointed as CEO in succession to 
Jón Ferrier. 

All Directors are subject to annual re-election 
by shareholders. 

A formal, externally facilitated Board and 
Committee evaluation takes place at least 
every three years, the last one being in 2022. 
This is more fully described within the report 
of the Nomination Committee. 

Audit, risk and internal control
The Audit and Risk Committee is primarily 
responsible for ensuring that the financial 
performance of the Company is measured 
and reported, in conjunction with the 
Company’s auditors. This Committee will also 
review and report on the risk identification, 
mitigation and management, identifying 
specific “deep dives” on particular risks, 
as appropriate. It is recognised that risk 
management is of crucial importance to a 
company of the profile of Gulf Keystone. 
The risk process is therefore placed as an 
integral part of the Company’s strategy 
formulation and execution.

The Board acknowledges that it must have 
in place a sound system of internal control 
to safeguard the assets and value of the 
business and to ensure reliability of financial 
information. In this respect, a regular review is 
undertaken by the Audit and Risk Committee 
to consider the adequacy of and whether 
enhancements to current internal control 
systems are necessary.

62 

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited  Annual report and accounts 2021

The Board
The composition of the Board is a key constituent of the Company’s corporate governance. As an international oil company, Gulf Keystone’s 
business carries a diverse range of risks and it is important that these are covered by the skills and knowledge of the Board. For each Board 
appointment a number of factors will be considered, including skills, experience, diversity and ability. This is replicated in senior management 
positions and in the Company’s succession planning. 

The Company’s Byelaws were amended on 17 July 2014 to provide for annual re-election of the Directors. Accordingly, all of the Directors stand for 
re-election by shareholders at every AGM. 

The following Board changes were made during 2021: Jon Harris was appointed CEO on 18 January 2021, replacing Jón Ferrier who retired on 
31 January 2021.

As at the date of this report, the Directors of the Company are:

Name 

Jaap Huijskes 

Jon Harris 

Ian Weatherdon  

David Thomas 

Martin Angle 

Kimberley Wood 

Garrett Soden 

Role 

Date of  
appointment 

Non-Executive Chairman 

29 November 2017 

CEO 

CFO 

18 January 2021 

13 January 2020 

Non-Executive Director 

13 October 2016 

Date of last 
re-election

18 June 2021

18 June 2021

18 June 2021

18 June 2021

Deputy Chairman and 
 Senior Independent Director

16 July 2018 

18 June 2021  

Non-Executive Director 

1 October 2018 

Non-Executive Director 

14 July 2020 

18 June 2021

18 June 2021

The Company has in place a Diversity 
Policy which seeks to ensure that there 
is no discrimination within the Company 
on the basis of gender, sexual orientation, 
ethnicity, age, disability or other minority. 
It is recognised that diversity is a key element 
for the Board, and that diversity extends to a 
number of different facets. The Company is 
currently looking to enhance the diversity of its 
Board through the recruitment of an additional 
Non-Executive Director. The operation of 
this is monitored on a continual basis and a 
report is prepared for each scheduled Board 
meeting which sets out the breakdown of staff 
according to parameters. This includes the 
gender balance of those considered to be 
senior management. The implementation of 
the Diversity Policy has resulted in enhanced 
awareness throughout the organisation of the 
benefits of a diverse workforce. The Diversity 
Policy will be strictly adhered to in the 
recruitment process for any Board position. 
The current gender balance of the Board is 
six male and one female.

Board composition, 
independence and diversity
As at the date of this report, the Board is 
comprised of two Executive Directors and 
five Non-Executive Directors (including 
the Chairman). In accordance with Code 
Provision 9, the Chairman was independent 
on appointment. The Company regards 
the other Non-Executive Directors as 
independent according to Code Provision 10, 
save for Garrett Soden who is representing 
funds managed by Lansdowne Partners 
Austria GmbH. 

The independence of each of the 
Non-Executive Directors is considered 
upon appointment, at each Board 
evaluation and at any other time a Director’s 
circumstances change in a way that warrants 
reconsideration, and by their ongoing actions. 

The Board considers whether the 
Non-Executive Director is independent 
of management and any business or 
other relationship that could materially 
interfere with the exercise of objective and 
independent judgement by the Director 
or the Director’s ability to act in the best 
interests of all stakeholders. In particular, the 
Board has considered any positions which 
the Non-Executive Director holds, or held, 
in companies with which Gulf Keystone 
has commercial relationships. None of the 
Non-Executive Directors participate in 
share compensation schemes, including the 
Company Share Options Plan and Executive 
Bonus Schemes. 

The Company’s Executive and Non-Executive 
Directors are recruited from a variety of 
backgrounds and bring different experience 
and perspectives, ensuring that the 
Company’s Directors have capacity and 
capability to meet the needs of the business. 
The Company places high importance on 
having diverse Board composition to enable 
robust consideration and challenge of 
the strategies proposed by the Executive 
Directors. The balance of skill diversity of the 
Board is specifically considered at the annual 
Board evaluation and by the Nomination 
Committee. 

The experience provided by the Board covers, 
inter alia, financial/capital markets, legal, 
commercial, technical (including petroleum 
engineering, geology, operations and HSE) 
and project management. The Company 
actively considers Board composition on 
a regular basis to ensure the Board has the 
necessary balance of skills, experience, 
knowledge, independence and diversity to 
discharge its duties.

Board appointments are undertaken through 
a formal, rigorous and transparent procedure 
run by external search consultants. 

Jon Harris was appointed to the Board 
in January 2021 following an external 
recruitment process managed by Korn Ferry 
which was based on merit and objective 
criteria including diversity. Korn Ferry has no 
other connection with the Company or any of 
its Directors.

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Corporate governance report continued

As part of the Board evaluation undertaken 
in early 2022, the Board evaluated the 
Non-Executive Chairman’s external 
commitments. The Board is satisfied that the 
Non-Executive Chairman has committed 
sufficient time to his duties in relation to the 
Company.

The Chief Executive Officer is responsible 
for the overall management of the business, 
delivering successful achievement of the 
Company’s KPIs and providing leadership 
to the management team and staff whilst 
communicating and fostering the underlying 
culture and principles of the Company to all 
staff and stakeholders. 

The role of the Senior 
Independent Director (“SID”)
Martin Angle was appointed as SID on 
16 July 2018. The SID is responsible for 
assisting the Non-Executive Chairman with 
effective communications with shareholders 
and is available to shareholders should 
there be any concern which could not be 
resolved through the normal channels of 
the Non-Executive Chairman, Executive 
Directors or the Investor Relations team. 
The SID is available to meet shareholders 
if they have specific concerns. The SID 
also ensures that there is a clear division of 
responsibility between the Non-Executive 
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer and, 
as necessary, acts as a conduit between 
the Board’s Non-Executive Directors and 
Executive Directors. Martin Angle also acts 
as Deputy Non-Executive Chairman of the 
Board. The Board is satisfied that the SID 
demonstrates complete independence in 
the role.

Board induction
New Directors receive a full and appropriate 
induction on joining the Board. This 
includes meetings with functional heads 
of department, other Board members 
and the Company’s principal advisers as 
appropriate. A comprehensive induction pack 
is also prepared which includes historical 
Board and Committee papers and minutes, 
Company compliance policies (for example 
the Anti-Bribery and Corruption Policy), 
organisational structure charts, relevant legal, 
insurance and regulatory information. 

The Company will also provide training on a 
periodic basis to the Directors on relevant 
matters. All Directors undergo anti-bribery 
and corruption, and also compliance, training 
on the same cycle as staff, with the latest such 
cycle having been completed in March 2022.

The role of the Board
The Board leads the Company in the delivery 
of its strategic goals, generating long-term 
sustainable success whilst putting in place 
and respecting the necessary controls within 
which the Company must operate to ensure 
appropriate assessment and management 
of risk and respect for the environment. The 
Board establishes the Company’s purpose, 
values and strategy, and ensures that these 
are aligned with its culture. 

The Board has a formal schedule of matters 
specifically reserved to it for decision-making 
on certain aspects of the business which is 
approved on an annual basis. They cover the 
key strategic, financial and operational issues 
facing the Group and include:

•  the Group’s strategic aims and objectives;
•  annual operating and capital expenditure 

budgets; 

•  changes to the Group’s capital, 

management or control structures;

•  dividend policy and dividend 

recommendation;

•  half-yearly reports, final results, annual 

report and accounts;

•  the overall system of internal control and 

risk management;

•  major capital projects, corporate actions 

and investment;

•  acquisitions and disposals; and
•  changes to the structure, size and 

composition of the Board.

A Delegation of Authority is reviewed by the 
Board on a regular basis to ensure there are 
appropriate controls in place for management 
decisions. In addition, terms of reference 
are set and approved for each of the Board 
sub-committees; these are available on 
the Company’s website. The Board and 
its Committees have access to the advice 
and services of the Chief Legal Officer and 
Company Secretary and, if necessary, the 
Board and its individual Directors have the 
ability to seek external expert advice at the 
expense of the Company. 

Board and Committee meetings are attended 
by members of the senior management 
team upon invitation. At each Board meeting 
any attendees are requested to declare any 
conflicts of interest they may have, including 
in relation to significant shareholdings. The 
Board will ensure that the influence of third 
parties will not compromise or override 
independent judgement. 

Division of responsibilities 
between Non-Executive Chairman 
and Chief Executive Officer
The Company maintains a clear division of 
responsibilities between the independent 
Non-Executive Chairman and the Chief 
Executive Officer. The Non-Executive 
Chairman is responsible for leading the 
Board in an ethical manner and for guiding 
the Directors in the development of the 
Company’s strategy. The Non-Executive 
Chairman chairs the Board meetings and 
oversees implementation of the Board’s 
decisions. On occasions, the Non-Executive 
Chairman will meet with key shareholders 
and stakeholders to articulate the Company’s 
strategy. 

In running the Board, the Non-Executive 
Chairman is responsible for creating an 
environment that facilitates robust and 
constructive challenge whilst promoting a 
culture of openness and debate. In creating 
this environment, the Non-Executive 
Chairman encourages open communications 
and aims to ensure that the Non-Executive 
Directors’ challenges and suggestions are 
considered dispassionately and on their 
merits. The Non-Executive Chairman is 
responsible for setting the Board’s agenda 
and ensuring that adequate time is available 
for discussion of all agenda items including 
strategic issues. 

64 

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited  Annual report and accounts 2021

Board meetings and attendance
Board meetings are held on a regular basis and no decision of any consequence is made other than by the Directors. A total of nine scheduled 
Board meetings were held during the year ended 31 December 2021. In addition to those scheduled meetings, the Board held a further seven 
strategy review meetings. These meetings were attended by all Directors and, if appropriate, senior management, with discussions being minuted. 
No formal decisions were made at these meetings. 

The Directors’ attendance record at the scheduled Board meetings and Board Committee meetings for the year ended 31 December 2021 is 
shown in the table below. For Board and Board Committee meetings, attendance is expressed as the number of meetings that each Director 
attended followed by the number of meetings held for the period she/he was a Director during the year. The number of meetings attended by 
each Director is shown out of the total number she/he was eligible to attend.

Audit 

Full Board 
meetings 

and Risk  Remuneration 
Committee 

Committee 

Safety and 
Nomination  Sustainability 
Committee 
Committee 

Technical 
Committee

Jaap Huijskes 

Martin Angle 

Garrett Soden(1) 

David Thomas 

Kimberley Wood 

Jón Ferrier(2) 

Jon Harris(3) 

Ian Weatherdon 

Stuart Catterall(4) 

Gabriel Papineau-Legris  

8/8 

3/3 

8/8 

4/4 

4/4 

4/4 

3/3 

3/3 

3/3 

9/9 

9/9 

9/9 

9/9 

9/9 

2/2 

8/8 

9/9 

4/4 

4/4

4/4 

4/4 

4/4 

4/4 

4/4

4/4

4/4

4/4

(1)  Resigned from the Audit and Risk Committee on 9 June 2021. 
(2)  Resigned on 31 January 2021. 
(3)  Appointed to the Board on 18 January 2021.
(4)  Resigned from the Safety and Sustainability Committee and the Technical Committee on 18 February 2022 upon his retirement.

The Board will generally hold scheduled meetings over two days. In advance of the Board meeting, on the first day, meetings of the Audit and Risk, 
Nomination and Remuneration Committees may be held as appropriate. Meetings of the Technical Committee and Safety and Sustainability 
Committee will generally be held approximately one to two weeks in advance of the Board meeting. The formal agenda for the Board meeting 
will be determined by the Non-Executive Chairman following consultation with the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Legal Officer. 

Current Board Committees

Audit and Risk

Remuneration

Nomination

Martin Angle (Chair)

Kimberley Wood

Kimberley Wood (Chair)

Jaap Huijskes (Chair)

David Thomas

Martin Angle

Kimberley Wood

Martin Angle

Safety and Sustainability

Technical

David Thomas (Chair)

David Thomas (Chair)

Jaap Huijskes

Kimberley Wood

Jon Harris

Jaap Huijskes

Jon Harris

Gabriel Papineau-Legris

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Corporate governance report continued

Remuneration Committee 
As at 31 December 2021, the Remuneration 
Committee comprised three Non-Executive 
Directors: Kimberley Wood (Chair), 
David Thomas and Martin Angle. There 
were no changes to the composition of the 
Committee in 2021.

This Committee, which meets at least 
twice per year, is responsible for making 
recommendations to the Board concerning 
the compensation of the Executive Directors 
and the Non-Executive Chairman, as well as 
the level and structure of remuneration for 
senior management. 

The Committee is also responsible for the 
determination of the Group’s Remuneration 
Policy. The Remuneration Committee met on 
four occasions during the year. 

The terms of reference for the Remuneration 
Committee are available in the corporate 
governance section of Gulf Keystone’s 
corporate website: www.gulfkeystone.com. 
The terms of reference are reviewed regularly 
and were last updated in March 2021.

The Remuneration Committee report is set 
out on pages 81 to 98.

The Board Committees 
The Company has five Board Committees: the 
Audit and Risk Committee, the Remuneration 
Committee, the Nomination Committee, the 
Safety and Sustainability Committee and the 
Technical Committee. Each Board Committee 
has specific written terms of reference issued 
by the Board and adopted by the relevant 
Committee, updated on a regular basis and 
published on the Company’s website. 

All Committee Chairs report orally on the 
proceedings of their Committees at the 
meetings of the Board. Where appropriate, the 
Committee Chairs also make recommendations 
to the Board in accordance with their relevant 
terms of reference. In addition, the minutes 
and papers of the Committee meetings are 
distributed to all Board members in advance 
of Committee meetings.

To ensure Directors are kept up to date 
on developing issues and to support the 
overall effectiveness of the Board and its 
Committees, the Non-Executive Chairman 
and Committee Chairs communicate regularly 
with the Chief Executive Officer and other 
executive management.

Alasdair Robinson acts as Company 
Secretary to each Committee.

There were a number of changes to 
the Board and Committee composition 
during 2021. Jon Harris was appointed 
to the Board on 18 January 2021 as Chief 
Executive Officer, replacing Jón Ferrier 
who resigned on 31 January 2021. 
Jon Harris replaced Mr Ferrier as a 
member of the Technical Committee and 
the Safety and Sustainability Committee 
on 26 January 2021. On 9 June 2021, 
Garrett Soden resigned as a member of the 
Audit and Risk Committee. Stuart Catterall 
resigned from the Safety and Sustainability 
Committee and the Technical Committee 
on 18 February 2022 upon his retirement.

The key governance mandates of the Board’s 
five main Committees are shown on the 
following pages. 

Audit and Risk Committee
As at 31 December 2021, the Audit and Risk 
Committee comprised two Non-Executive 
Directors, both of whom are considered to 
be independent. The members were: Martin 
Angle (Chair) and Kimberley Wood.

The Committee members have been selected 
to provide the wide range of financial and 
commercial expertise necessary to fulfil the 
Committee’s duties. The Board considers 
each Committee member’s experience to 
be recent and relevant for the purposes of 
the Code; in particular, the Chair possesses 
relevant financial expertise. This Committee 
meets at least three times per year. During 
the year ended 31 December 2021, the 
Committee met eight times.

The terms of reference of the Audit and Risk 
Committee are documented and agreed by 
the Board and are available in the corporate 
governance section of Gulf Keystone’s 
corporate website: www.gulfkeystone.com. 

The terms of reference are reviewed regularly 
and were last updated in January 2022. The 
Audit and Risk Committee report is set out on 
pages 73 to 76. 

Nomination Committee
As at 31 December 2021, the Nomination 
Committee comprised three Non-Executive 
Directors, who are considered to be 
independent, including the Non-Executive 
Chairman of the Board. The members were: 
Jaap Huijskes (Chair), Kimberley Wood and 
Martin Angle. There were no changes to the 
composition of the Committee in 2021.

The Nomination Committee met on three 
occasions during the year on a formal basis. 
The terms of reference of the Nomination 
Committee are documented and agreed by 
the Board and are available in the corporate 
governance section of Gulf Keystone’s 
corporate website: www.gulfkeystone.com. 
The terms of reference are reviewed regularly 
and were last updated in December 2021.

The Nomination Committee report is set out 
on pages 70 to 72. 

66 

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited  Annual report and accounts 2021

Safety and Sustainability Committee 
As at 31 December 2021, the Safety and 
Sustainability Committee comprised three 
Non-Executive Directors, one Executive 
Director and the Chief Operating Officer, 
being David Thomas (Chair), Jaap Huijskes, 
Kimberley Wood, Jon Harris (CEO) and 
Stuart Catterall (COO). On 26 January 
2021, Jon Harris replaced Jón Ferrier on the 
Committee. Stuart Catterall resigned from the 
Committee on 18 February 2022.

The Committee was formed in June 2020 in 
succession to the HSE and CSR Committee. 
It aims to meet at least four times a year and 
met four times during 2021. The primary 
function of the Committee is to oversee 
the development of the Group’s policies 
and guidelines for the management of ESG 
including evaluating HSE and social risks, 
evaluate the effectiveness of these policies 
and their ability to ensure compliance with 
applicable legal and regulatory requirements, 
overseeing the quality and integrity of 
reporting to external stakeholders concerning 
safety and sustainability, and reviewing the 
results of any independent audits of the 
Group’s performance in regard to safety and 
sustainability making recommendations, 
where appropriate, to the Board concerning 
the same. The Committee also reviews 
ESG and safety performance and examines 
specific safety issues as requested by the 
Board, and will also review all governance 
matters which are relevant to the work of the 
Committee. The Committee provides visible 
leadership on HSE matters through site visits 
to the production facilities and drilling sites as 
well as aiming to hold a Committee meeting 
once a year in Erbil at the field facilities, 
although due to restrictions on account of 
COVID-19, this was not possible in 2021.

The terms of reference of the Safety and 
Sustainability Committee are documented 
and agreed by the Board and are available 
in the corporate governance section of 
Gulf Keystone’s corporate website:  
www.gulfkeystone.com. The terms of 
reference are reviewed regularly and were 
last updated in March 2022.

The Safety and Sustainability Committee 
report is set out on pages 77 and 78.

Technical Committee
As at 31 December 2021, the Technical 
Committee comprised two Non-Executive 
Directors, one Executive Director, the Chief 
Operating Officer (“COO”) and the Chief 
Commercial Officer (“CCO”), being David 
Thomas (Chair), Jaap Huijskes, Jon Harris 
(CEO), Stuart Catterall (COO) and Gabriel 
Papineau-Legris (CCO). On 26 January 
2021, Jon Harris replaced Jón Ferrier on the 
Committee. Stuart Catterall resigned from the 
Committee on 18 February 2022.

The Committee’s main remit is to support 
the Company’s Shaikan development 
planning and project execution activities. 
The Committee also has the following 
specific objectives:

•  provide assurance that development plans 
are in line with the Company’s strategy and 
have been optimised;

•  review and approve Shaikan Field reserves 
and resources estimates and revisions;

•  ensure that the Company has the 

appropriate resources and project 
management systems in place to 
successfully execute development projects 
on time and within budget;

•  provide the Board with assurance that 
the key project execution risks have 
been identified and that the required risk 
management processes and mitigation 
measures are in place;

•  provide oversight, where appropriate, for 

any material contract tendering exercises; 
and

•  review and recommend for executive 

approval any information relating to the 
Shaikan FDP and reserves and resources 
estimates for public release.

The Committee met four times in 2021. 
The terms of reference of the Technical 
Committee are documented and agreed by 
the Board and are available in the corporate 
governance section of Gulf Keystone’s 
corporate website: www.gulfkeystone.com. 
The terms of reference are reviewed regularly 
and were last updated in March 2021.

The Technical Committee report is set out on 
pages 79 and 80. 

Information and support
The Company is committed to supplying 
the Board and its Committees with full 
and timely information, including detailed 
financial, operational and corporate 
information, to enable Directors and 
Committee members to discharge their 
responsibilities. The Committees are provided 
with sufficient resources to undertake their 
duties. All Directors have access to the 
advice of senior management and, where 
appropriate, the services of other employees 
and the Company Secretary and Chief Legal 
Officer for all governance and regulatory 
matters. Independent professional advice 
is also available to Directors in appropriate 
circumstances, at the Company’s expense. 
Board members also keep up to date with 
developments in relevant law, regulation 
and best practice to maintain their skills 
and knowledge. 

Relevant analysis and reports are prepared 
by management prior to all Board and 
Committee meetings, allowing the Board 
to effectively address all of the items on the 
relevant meeting’s agenda. Documents and 
reports are provided to the Board in a timely 
manner allowing for sufficient time to review 
the information prior to the meeting and raise 
questions where necessary. Management 
discusses the detail and format of Board 
reports on an ongoing basis to ensure 
the Board is appropriately informed of 
all relevant information.

Performance evaluation of the 
Board and its Committees
Following the financial year end, the 
Board undertook an externally facilitated 
performance evaluation and governance 
review in early 2022. This entailed detailed 
consideration, analysis and discussion of the 
results of the evaluation undertaken by Evalu8 
Limited. A summary of this is included in the 
report of the Nomination Committee. 

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited  Annual report and accounts 2021  

67

GovernanceStrategic reportFinancialsCorporate governance report continued

The Board also believes that the ability to 
work in partnership with the host government 
is a critical ingredient in managing risk 
successfully. 

The Directors have derived assurance over 
the control environment from the following 
internal and external controls during 2021:

• 

implementation of policies and procedures 
for key business activities;

•  an appropriate organisational structure;
•  specific delegations of authority for all 

financial and other transactions;

•  segregation of duties where appropriate 

and cost effective;

•  management and financial reporting, 

including KPIs;

•  reports from the Group Audit and Risk, 

Safety and Sustainability, and Technical 
Committees; and 

•  reports from the Group’s external auditor 
on matters identified during their audit.

The above procedures and controls have 
been in place in respect of the Group for the 
2021 accounting period and up to the date of 
approval of the annual report and accounts. 
There were no significant weaknesses or 
material failings in the risk management and 
internal control system identified in any of the 
above reviews and reports. Further details on 
the Company’s principal risks and procedures 
in place and to how these are managed and 
mitigated are contained on pages 46 to 55. 

Risk management and 
internal control
The Board acknowledges its responsibility 
for establishing and monitoring the Group’s 
systems of internal control. While the systems 
of internal control cannot provide absolute 
assurance against material misstatement 
or loss, the Group’s systems are designed 
to provide the Directors with reasonable 
assurance that material emerging and 
principal risks are identified on a timely 
basis and dealt with appropriately. The Board 
regularly reviews the effectiveness of the 
systems of internal control and considers 
the significant business risks and the control 
environment. The Board is satisfied that 
effective controls are in place and that 
risks have been identified and mitigated 
as appropriate.

The Group is subject to a variety of risks, 
which derive from the nature of the oil and gas 
exploration, development and production 
business and relate to the countries in which 
it conducts its activities. The key procedures 
that have been established and which are 
designed to provide effective control are 
as follows:

•  regular meetings between executive 

management and the Board to discuss 
all issues affecting the Group; 

•  detailed analysis of risk reviews undertaken 

at Audit and Risk Committee meetings 
(strategic, financial, ESG, IT and cyber 
risks) and Technical Committee meetings 
(operational and project risks);

•  a clearly defined framework for investment 
appraisal with Board approval required as 
appropriate; 

•  regular analysis and reporting on the 

Company’s risk register; and

•  reviews of the Company’s risk management 
systems, controls and culture by external 
advisers.

Business ethics
The Company adopts a zero-tolerance 
approach to bribery and corruption and 
has adopted a number of measures 
and procedures to ensure ongoing 
compliance with relevant anti-bribery 
laws. An Anti-Bribery Policy is in place which 
is regularly reviewed and updated by the 
Board. This policy also includes provisions on 
Conflicts of Interest and the Criminal Finances 
Act. Training is undertaken on a regular 
basis through both physical presentations 
(in Kurdistan and the UK, where possible), 
and online training courses. A number of 
procedures underlie the Policy, including 
the maintenance of registers covering, for 
example, gifts and hospitality. The latest 
compliance training cycle was completed 
in March 2022.

An external whistleblowing service, Navex 
Global, is maintained in order to provide 
a mechanism whereby staff may make 
anonymous reports if necessary, which 
is designed to encourage staff to “speak 
up”. In the event any reports are received 
through this service, the matter is brought to 
the attention of the Board and a full review is 
undertaken on the allegations. The Board will 
then determine whether there is a need for 
a further independent investigation of such 
matters and for follow-up action. 

Workforce engagement
The Company has noted the provisions 
contained in the Code with respect to 
workforce engagement. In the context of 
the size of the Company, the Board does not 
intend to appoint either a Director from the 
workforce or a designated Non-Executive 
Director to ensure engagement with the 
workforce. However, the Company does 
run a system of regular “town hall” events 
across its offices and production facilities 
which enable an open forum for discussion 
with its workforce. This matter is reviewed 
on a regular basis by management and, 
where appropriate, its advisers. The current 
conclusion is that the Company is not of 
a sufficiently complex nature to warrant 
the need for additional levels of workforce 
engagement processes.

68 

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited  Annual report and accounts 2021

The 2022 AGM will be held on 24 June 2022. 
The Notice of AGM accompanies this annual 
report and accounts and sets out the business 
to be considered at the meeting. The Board 
uses the AGM to communicate with private 
and institutional investors and welcomes their 
participation. The 2022 AGM will be held by 
video conference. Both the annual report and 
accounts and Notice of AGM are available on 
the Company’s website.

Jaap Huijskes
Non-Executive Chairman

29 March 2022

Relations with investors and 
stakeholders
Regular communications with the Company’s 
institutional and retail equity investors, 
as well as bondholders, are given high 
priority by the Board. The Non-Executive 
Chairman, Senior Independent Director, Chief 
Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer and 
members of the Investor Relations team are 
the Company’s principal spokespersons, 
engaging with investors, analysts, the press 
and other interested parties. Communication 
is undertaken through site visits, shareholder 
presentations, attendance and presentations 
at industry conferences, one-on-one 
meetings, conference calls and other 
written and oral mediums. Throughout 
2021, the Group held a number of investor 
presentations which are available to view on 
the Group’s website. It is recognised that 2021 
was a difficult year for organising physical 
meetings or site visits, and therefore many of 
the investor interactions had to be carried out 
through video conference calls, including the 
Annual General Meeting.

The Company is committed to maintaining this 
constructive dialogue with all its investors and 
will continue to provide regular updates on 
its operations and corporate developments. 
The Company has an established practice 
of issuing regulatory announcements on 
the Group’s operations and/or any new 
price-sensitive information. The Group’s 
website, www.gulfkeystone.com, which 
is regularly updated, contains a wide range 
of information on the Group, including a 
dedicated investor section where investors 
can find the Company’s share price, financial 
information, regulatory announcements, 
investor presentations and corporate 
webcasts with the Group’s management. 

A list of the Company’s significant 
shareholders as at the date of this report can 
be found in the Directors’ report and on the 
Group’s website, at www.gulfkeystone.com. 

The Company will also seek to engage with 
its wider stakeholders on a regular basis. This 
includes, for example, the Ministry of Natural 
Resources in Kurdistan, the Company’s joint 
venture partner, MOL Group, residents local 
to the Company’s operations, suppliers, 
contractors and employees. 

Information pursuant to 
the Takeover Directive 
The Company has provided the additional 
information required by the Disclosure 
and Transparency Rules of the UK Listing 
Rules (and specifically the requirements of 
DTR 7.2.6 in respect of directors’ interests 
in shares; appointment and replacement of 
directors; powers of the directors; restrictions 
on voting rights and rights regarding control of 
the Company) in the Directors’ report.

Annual General Meeting
At the Company’s Annual General Meeting 
(“AGM”) held on 18 June 2021, all resolutions 
were successfully passed. However, 
resolutions 2 and 6, being the re-election of 
the Company’s Chairman and Chief Financial 
Officer, failed to attain the support of 80% of 
the shareholders who voted. Substantially 
all the votes against resolutions 2 and 6 
were from a single major shareholder. 
In accordance with Provision 4 of the 2018 
UK Corporate Governance Code, the Board 
consulted with the single shareholder, and, 
as part of this exercise, also consulted with 
the Company’s other major shareholders. 
Feedback received from the single 
shareholder encompassed issues principally 
related to the Company’s operational 
progress, organisational structure and capital 
allocation. The Company also received 
feedback from other major shareholders, 
all of which were supportive of resolutions 2 
and 6. The Board has carefully considered 
the issues and has addressed them, to the 
extent possible or necessary. The Company 
reported on this matter on 17 December 2021 
in accordance with the Code and also stated 
that the independent members of the Board 
continued to hold every confidence in both 
the Chairman and Chief Financial Officer, 
recognising the value and contribution each 
bring to the Company.

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited  Annual report and accounts 2021  

69

GovernanceStrategic reportFinancialsNomination 
Committee report

Jaap Huijskes
Non-Executive Chairman

2021 membership and meeting attendance

Matters discussed

January 2021
•  Board evaluation
•  Committee composition
•  Terms of reference review

June 2021
•  Board composition including review 
of diversity, skill set and regulatory 
requirements

•  Committee composition

December 2021
•  Board and Executive Committee 

succession review

•  Non-Executive Director recruitment

Jaap Huijskes 

Martin Angle 

Kimberley Wood 

Role
In accordance with its terms of reference, the 
Nomination Committee (the “Committee”) is 
a committee of the Board of Directors of the 
Company which is primarily responsible for: 

•  reviewing the structure, size and 
composition of the Board and 
recommending changes; 

•  considering and recommending 

• 

succession planning strategy for Executive 
and Non-Executive Directors and key 
senior management positions;
identifying and nominating for the approval 
of the Board candidates to fill Board 
vacancies or new positions as and when 
they arise; 

Member 
since 

Nomination 
Committee

6 December 2017 

16 July 2018 

3 October 2019 

3/3

3/3

3/3

•  reviewing the Company’s policy on diversity 
and inclusion and the progress made in 
achieving the policy’s objectives; and 

•  the Committee will lead an annual 

evaluation of the performance of the Board, 
its Committees, the Chairman and the 
individual Directors. The Committee will 
consider an externally facilitated approach 
to this at least every three years.

Composition
The Nomination Committee currently 
comprises three independent Non-Executive 
Directors: Jaap Huijskes (Chair), Martin Angle 
and Kimberley Wood. 

The meetings may be attended by Alasdair 
Robinson (Chief Legal Officer and Secretary 
to the Committee), Clare Kinahan (Chief 
HR Officer), other Non-Executive and 
Executive Directors, and external advisers 
as appropriate. 

70 

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited  Annual report and accounts 2021

 
 
The Diversity Policy applies across all facets 
of the business, including its administrative, 
management and supervisory functions. 
Diversity statistics are provided in each 
scheduled Board meeting showing the 
breakdown of senior management (and 
their direct reports) and staff by a number 
of metrics. These are reviewed in detail 
by the Board and the Committee. In the 
event the statistics demonstrate a trend or 
weighting which is not in accordance with 
the Diversity Policy, this will be investigated, 
and, if necessary, rectified. In the event 
an individual has concerns about matters 
of a diversity nature, the Company has in 
place a confidential third-party managed 
whistleblowing service which is available 
to the individual. Excluding the Board of 
Directors, the current gender balance of 
the Executive Committee is three male 
and one female.

Review of the Committee’s 
activities
The Nomination Committee meets at least 
twice per year. During 2021, the Committee 
met formally on three occasions. In addition, 
a number of informal meetings took place to 
discuss matters relevant to the Committee, 
and on some occasions, matters of a 
Nomination Committee nature may be 
discussed in full Board meetings.

Some of the key matters considered by 
the Committee during the year ended 
31 December 2021 were: considering the 
balance and composition of the Board and 
Committees; the recruitment of further 
independent Non-Executive Directors; 
succession planning for the Board and 
Executive Committee, Board Committee 
composition; and Board evaluation.

On 18 January 2021, Jon Harris was 
appointed as CEO and Executive Director 
upon the retirement of Jón Ferrier. Jon Harris 
was appointed following an extensive 
search process, externally led by Korn Ferry. 
Jon Harris has over 30 years’ experience in 
the oil and gas industry including 25 years 
with BG Group in various international roles, 
including Executive Vice President Technical 
and General Manager Production Operations, 
as well as senior management assignments 
in the United States, Trinidad and Tobago 
and Egypt. Further information on Jon Harris 
is detailed in the section on the Board of 
Directors on pages 58 and 59.

Diversity 
The Committee recognises the benefits 
of diversity across all areas of the Group 
and believes that a diverse Board is a 
positive factor in business success, brings 
a broader, more rounded perspective to 
decision-making, and makes the Board 
more effective. When recruiting, the Board 
endeavours to consider a wide and diverse 
talent pool whilst also taking into account the 
optimum make-up of the Board, including 
the benefits of differences in skills, industry 
experience, business model experience, 
gender, race, disability, age, nationality, 
background and other attributes that 
individuals may bring.

In 2018, Gulf Keystone implemented a formal 
Diversity Policy throughout the organisation. 
The policy states that:

“The Company does not discriminate against 
workers or consultants on the basis of 
their gender, sexual orientation, marital or 
civil partner status, gender reassignment, 
race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national 
origin, religion or belief, disability or age. 
The Company will also seek to accommodate 
the religious observations and beliefs of 
all workers and consultants. The principle 
of non-discrimination and equality of 
opportunity applies equally to the treatment 
of former workers, visitors, clients, customers 
and suppliers by members of the Company’s 
current workforce.”

Board tenure

Board experience 

2

2

1

2

Under one year
Over one year
Over two years
Over three years

3

3

1

3

7

Oil and gas
Engineering
Technical/commercial
Finance
Legal

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited  Annual report and accounts 2021  

71

GovernanceStrategic reportFinancialsNomination Committee report continued

Succession
During 2021, the Committee has continued 
to review succession planning and the 
active engagement and development 
of the Company’s staff. This included 
the consideration and development of 
succession planning for the Executive 
Directors and the Executive Committee. 
The Company has a structured training 
programme for executives which includes 
access to the Harvard “ManageMentor” 
training system. 

Process used for Board 
appointments 
The Committee adopts a formal, rigorous and 
transparent procedure for the appointment of 
new Directors to the Board.

In appointing Non-Executive Directors, the 
Board’s practice is to use external recruitment 
consultants appointed following a formal 
pitch process. A detailed job profile and 
engagement scope will be agreed with the 
selected recruitment consultant following a 
review of the balance and composition of the 
Board. New Directors are subject to a formal 
induction process covering all facets of the 
business including asset review, technical, 
operations, finance, legal, ESG and HR. 

In 2021 Korn Ferry was engaged to run the 
selection process for the appointment of a 
new CEO. 

Board evaluation
The Company aims to undertake an externally 
facilitated Board evaluation process every 
three years. In early 2022, the Company 
undertook an externally facilitated evaluation 
with Evalu8 Limited. The evaluation covered 
the following topics and covered the Board 
and all Board Committees, with all Board 
members participating: 

There are no arrangements or 
understandings between any Director 
or executive officer and any other person 
pursuant to which any Director or executive 
officer was selected to serve. There are no 
family relationships between the Directors.

Jaap Huijskes
Chair of the Nomination Committee

•  composition, succession and evaluation;
•  Board/Committee strategy and Company 

29 March 2022 

purpose;
leadership;

• 
•  meetings, contributions and relationship 

with the Board;
•  effectiveness;
•  accountability;
•  remuneration; and
•  relations with shareholders. 

The review concluded that the Board as a 
whole considered the overall governance 
and associated processes of the Company 
were strong with only a small number of 
enhancements being proposed to improve 
overall effectiveness. These included:

•  enhanced diversity at the Board and 

Committee level;

•  enhanced communication with major 

• 

shareholders;
improved transparency on certain 
matters (e.g. remuneration) between 
the Board/Committees and senior 
management; and

•  additional training for Directors.

72 

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited  Annual report and accounts 2021

Audit and Risk 
Committee report

2021 membership and meeting attendance

Martin Angle 

Garrett Soden(1) 

Kimberley Wood  

Member 
since 

16 July 2018 

2 September 2020 

12 October 2018 

Audit and Risk 
Committee

8/8

3/3

8/8

(1)  Non-independent. Resigned from the Committee on 9 June 2021.

Matters discussed

January 2021
•  External audit
•  Risk review
•  Cyber review
•  D&O insurance
•  Audit tender

March 2021 (two meetings) 
•  2020 full-year results 
•  Report from the external auditor on the 

2020 audit

•  Principal accounting judgements and 

estimates affecting the Group based on 
reports from both the Group’s management 
and external auditor
•  Auditor independence
•  Going concern and viability statement
•  Risk register review, including climate 

change risks

•  Management representation letter
•  Private session with external auditor

•  Cyber security
•  Terms of reference

Internal audit

June 2021
•  Risk review, including climate change risks
•  Review of specific control areas
• 
•  ERP review
•  Cyber security
• 
•  Non-audit services policy

Insurance review

August/September 2021 (two 
meetings)
•  2021 half-year results
•  Report from the external auditor on 

outcome of interim review 

•  Principal accounting judgements and 

estimates affecting the Group based on 
reports from both the Group’s management 
and external auditor

Martin Angle
Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee

October 2021
•  Risk register review, including climate 

change risks
•  Cyber security
• 
•  ERP system implementation

Insurance review

December 2021
•  External audit engagement letter and fee 

quotation

•  2021 Deloitte audit planning report
•  Auditor independence
•  Risk register review, including climate 

change risks
Internal audit 

• 
•  ERP system implementation
•  Non-audit fee spend

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited  Annual report and accounts 2021  

73

GovernanceStrategic reportFinancials 
 
Audit and Risk Committee report continued

The Committee worked closely with 
the management team to ensure these 
recommendations were implemented in an 
efficient and timely manner. The Committee 
has been proactive in requesting information 
in order to fulfil its role. During the course 
of the year, the Committee has received 
sufficient information on a timely basis to 
enable it to discharge its duties effectively.

Significant issues considered 
by the Audit and Risk Committee 
in 2021
The Committee assesses whether suitable 
accounting policies have been adopted and 
whether management have made appropriate 
estimates and judgements. The Committee 
reviews reports prepared by management 
that provide details on the main financial 
reporting judgements and estimates. 
The Committee also reviews reports by the 
external auditor on the full-year and half-year 
results of the Group that highlight any issues 
identified by the auditor and provide further 
insights into the judgements and estimates 
used by management. 

Role
The Audit and Risk Committee is the 
committee of the Board of Directors that 
is primarily responsible for overseeing 
the financial reporting, internal risk 
management and control functions, the 
internal audit requirements, and for making 
recommendations to the Board in relation 
to the appointment of the Group’s internal 
(if applicable) and external auditor. 

In accordance with its terms of reference, the 
Committee, which reports its findings to the 
Board, is authorised to:

•  monitor the integrity of the Group’s financial 

statements and announcements, and 
significant financial accounting estimates 
and judgements;

•  review the effectiveness of the Group’s 

risk management framework and internal 
controls and risk management systems;
•  consider and make recommendations with 
respect to the Group’s risk appetite and 
review, on behalf of the Board, the Group’s 
risk profile; 

•  monitor and review the need for, and, 

if appropriate, the effectiveness of, the 
Group’s internal audit function;

•  oversee the Company’s corporate and 

operations technology functions, including 
cyber security controls and processes; 
•  advise the Board on the appointment of the 
external auditor and on the remuneration 
for both audit and non-audit work;

•  discuss the nature and scope of the audit 
with the external auditor, and review the 
audit findings ahead of reporting to the 
Board; and

•  assess the performance, independence 
and objectivity of the external auditor and 
any supply of non-audit services. 

Composition
As at 31 December 2021 and the date of 
this report, the Committee comprised two 
Non-Executive Directors, both of whom are 
considered to be independent. The members 
of the Committee are Martin Angle (Chair) 
and Kimberley Wood. Garrett Soden resigned 
from the Committee on 9 June 2021.

The meetings are also attended on a selective 
basis by Jon Harris (CEO), Ian Weatherdon 
(CFO), Nadzeya Kernoha (Head of Finance), 
Alasdair Robinson (Chief Legal Officer and 
Company Secretary), representatives from 
finance management, representatives from 
operations and Deloitte LLP (external auditor). 

Review of the Committee’s 
activities 
Eight Audit and Risk Committee meetings 
were held in the financial year and a number 
of informal meetings were also held. Meetings 
are held at key times during the Group’s 
reporting and audit calendar. 

Matters discussed 
During the year, the main focus of the 
Audit and Risk Committee has been to 
support and oversee the Group’s ongoing 
monitoring, review and evaluation of its risk 
management systems and internal controls, 
ensure the robustness and integrity of the 
Group’s financial reporting and assess the 
effectiveness of both the internal and external 
audit processes.

The Committee has devoted significant time 
to reviewing those areas that are integral to 
the Group’s core management and financial 
processes, as well as engaging regularly with 
management and the external auditor. 

74 

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited  Annual report and accounts 2021

The significant issues considered in the year are detailed below:

Significant issue

How the issue was addressed by the Committee

Revenue recognition: In order to recognise revenue, 
management must be able to measure reliably the 
economic benefit to be received and the costs 
associated with the sale and it must be probable that 
the Group will receive the economic benefits. 

In 2021, the Group has continued to recognise revenue 
when cash receipt is assured. The key judgement for 
the revenue recognition is considering whether the 
current accounting policy remains appropriate and 
whether under this policy it is reasonable to recognise 
the invoices that remained unpaid as of 31 December 
2021 as revenue for the year.

Impairment and carrying value of oil and gas assets: 
An assessment of any impairment and carrying value 
of the Group’s assets is required under International 
Financial Reporting Standards. This assessment 
involves management making a number of judgements 
and assumptions including identifying indicators of 
impairment and estimating future oil prices, production 
profiles, costs and discount rates.

Going concern and viability statement: The 
appropriateness of preparing the Group financial 
statements for the year on a going concern basis and 
the preparation of the long-term viability statement.

The Committee considered whether recognition of revenue in relation to oil sales 
was appropriate. The Committee discussed the key judgements with management 
and reviewed the information provided, including details of communications with 
the KRG and MNR. The Committee also had discussions with the external auditor 
in respect of the Group’s revenue recognition policy. Based on these reviews and 
discussions, the Committee agreed with management’s conclusion that the Group 
should recognise revenue in relation to oil exported when the receipt of cash was 
assured. The Committee was satisfied that the revenue recognition policy for oil 
sales for the year ended 31 December 2021 was appropriate. The Committee was 
also satisfied with the judgement that recognising revenue for the invoices that 
remained unpaid as of 31 December 2021 is appropriate.

The Committee considered reports from management and reviewed the 
impairment indicator assessment which included impacts of climate change and 
geopolitical factors. The Committee was satisfied that the base case and the range 
of scenarios, including a base case Brent oil price of $81/bbl for 2022 and $55/bbl 
real thereafter based on the price prevailing at 31 December 2021 and a stress case 
of $80/bbl for 2022 and $50/bbl real thereafter, used for the impairment indicator 
assessment, were reasonable. The Committee agreed with management’s 
conclusion with regard to the Iraqi Supreme Court ruling on 15 February 2022 that 
it is not possible to determine the potential future implications on the impairment 
assessment at present, although to date it has not had any adverse impact on the 
Group’s operations. The Committee agreed with management’s conclusion that no 
impairment indicators existed for the Group’s assets.

The Committee considered reports and analysis prepared by management, taking 
into account the external auditor’s review of these papers and their observations. 
The analysis involved stress testing the assumptions. The Committee concluded 
that management’s recommendation to prepare the financial statements on a going 
concern basis was appropriate. 

The Committee reviewed the assessment of the principal risks facing the Group, 
the stress test scenarios and possible mitigating actions over the three-year 
viability statement period. Based on this review, the Committee approved the 
disclosure included under the long-term viability statement.

•  the external auditor’s written confirmation 
of independence to the Audit and Risk 
Committee; and

•  the past service of the external auditor, 
which was first appointed in 2006.

Internal audit
The Audit and Risk Committee has oversight 
responsibilities for the internal audit function. 
The Committee has been considering the 
appropriateness of the appointment of an 
internal auditor and the matter is under active 
consideration by the Committee. 

The Committee also undertakes detailed 
analysis of higher risk internal procedures and 
controls on a periodic basis, recent examples 
being cyber security, payments, inventory 
and supply chain management. In addition, 
specialist advisers are engaged, where 
necessary, to review key controls in high risk 
areas. The lack of an internal audit function 
has not had any impact on the work of the 
external auditor. 

External auditor
The Audit and Risk Committee is responsible 
for the development, implementation and 
monitoring of the Group’s policy on external 
audit, including ensuring that the auditor 
remains objective and independent. To fulfil 
its responsibility regarding independence, the 
Committee considered:

•  the external auditor’s plan for the current 
year, noting the role of the audit partner 
who signs the audit report and who, in 
accordance with professional rules, has not 
held office for more than five years, and any 
changes in the key audit staff;

•  the overall extent of non-audit services 
provided by the external auditor, in 
addition to its case-by-case approval of 
the provision of non-audit services by the 
external auditor;

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GovernanceStrategic reportFinancialsAudit and Risk Committee report continued

The Committee considered the potential 
threats that engagement of Deloitte LLP 
to perform non-audit services may pose to 
auditor independence. Deloitte LLP ensured 
that necessary safeguards were put in 
place to reduce the independence threats 
to an acceptable level. The Committee was 
satisfied that, given the nature of the work 
and the safeguards in place, the provision of 
non-audit services did not undermine auditor 
objectivity and independence. 

Committee evaluation
In early 2022, an externally facilitated 
review of the Audit and Risk Committee’s 
performance and effectiveness was 
completed which did not raise any issues 
other than of a minor administrative nature. 
This was conducted alongside a full Board 
and Committee evaluation.

Martin Angle
Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee

29 March 2022

Non-audit services
As a safeguard to help to avoid the objectivity 
and independence of the external auditor 
becoming compromised, the Committee 
has a formal policy governing the supply of 
non-audit services by the external auditor. 
The Group engages external advisers to 
provide non-audit services based on cost 
and the skills and experience required for 
the work. The Group may engage the external 
auditor to provide a limited range of non-audit 
services where this is the most effective and 
efficient way of procuring such services, 
provided that the Group is satisfied that the 
auditor’s objectivity and independence will 
not be compromised as a result. 

In 2021, Deloitte LLP provided the following 
non-audit services to the Group:

interim review of the half-year results; 
• 
•  advisory services relating to ESG; and 
•  other assurance services.

In 2021, Deloitte LLP was appointed to 
advise the Company on its ESG strategy 
and implementation. Deloitte was appointed 
following a formal tender process and in 
accordance with all procedures in place to 
preserve auditor independence. 

A breakdown of the fees paid to the external 
auditor in respect of audit and non-audit 
work is included in note 4 to the consolidated 
financial statements. In 2021, the Company 
implemented a Non-audit Services Policy 
which stipulates a cap limiting non-audit fees 
to 70% of the average prior three years of 
audit fees. Taking 2021 as a whole, this cap 
was exceeded largely due to Deloitte being 
engaged for the half-year results review 
(which is not considered an audit fee) and with 
respect to ESG strategy implementation and 
compliance. However, non-audit services 
fees were less than audit fees for the year and 
the Committee is satisfied that the non-audit 
services do not impact the independence of 
the auditor. 

Audit tendering
The Audit and Risk Committee has noted the 
changes to the Code and the Guidance for 
Audit Committees issued by the Financial 
Reporting Council, each in the context of 
tendering for the external audit contract at 
least every ten years. The Group’s external 
audit was last tendered in 2011, resulting in a 
decision to retain Deloitte LLP as the Group’s 
auditor. Since the appointment of Deloitte 
LLP in 2006, there have been four senior 
statutory auditors in line with the required 
rotation timetable, the last rotation being after 
completion of the audit for the year ended 
31 December 2020. 

In line with guidance issued by the FRC 
encouraging companies to consider delaying 
tenders for new auditors, principally related to 
current COVID-19 constraints, the Company 
applied for and received the FRC’s approval 
for a two-year extension to the appointment 
of Deloitte LLP as the Company’s auditor. 
As a result, Deloitte will continue to serve as 
the Company’s auditor for the financial year 
ending 31 December 2022. The Company 
plans to progress the audit tender in 2022 
to allow, as appropriate, the new auditor to 
shadow Deloitte through the audit for the 
financial year ending 31 December 2022. 
There are no contractual obligations that 
restrict the choice of external auditor.

Effectiveness of external auditor
To assess the effectiveness of the external 
audit process, the auditor is asked on an 
annual basis to describe the steps that 
they have taken to ensure objectivity and 
independence, including where the auditor 
provides non-audit services. Gulf Keystone 
monitors the auditor’s performance, 
behaviour and effectiveness during the 
exercise of their duties, which informs 
the Committee’s decision to recommend 
reappointment on an annual basis. The 
external auditor’s fulfilment of the agreed audit 
plan and any variations from the plan and the 
robustness and perceptiveness of the auditor 
in its assessment of the key accounting and 
audit judgements are also considered when 
making a judgement on auditor effectiveness. 
The Committee monitored the efficiency of 
the audit process and the performance of the 
auditor. Following the above, the Audit and 
Risk Committee has recommended to the 
Board that Deloitte LLP be reappointed. 

76 

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited  Annual report and accounts 2021

Safety and Sustainability  
Committee report

David Thomas
Chair of the Safety and Sustainability Committee

2021 membership and meeting attendance

David Thomas 

Jaap Huijskes 

Kimberley Wood 

Jon Harris 

Stuart Catterall 

Member 
since 

8 December 2016 

6 December 2017 

11 October 2018 

26 January 2021 

11 January 2017 

Safety and 
Sustainability  
Committee

4/4

4/4

4/4

4/4

4/4

Committee activities during 2021
The Committee seeks to meet formally four 
times a year. During 2021 it met on four occasions 
(in March, June, September and November), 
and also held a “workshop” specifically for 
ESG. The Committee has a number of standing 
agenda items which are considered at each 
meeting, and will supplement these with specific 
agenda items as necessary. In 2021, the topics 
considered included: 

•  HSE performance and statistics, including 

a review of any incidents which have 
occurred and lessons learned; 
•  ESG strategy plan formulation and 

implementation, including production of the 
Group’s Sustainability report; 

•  progress for the year against the HSE 

improvement plan; 

•  security review and risk assessment; 
•  the formulation, approval and delivery of 

the Group’s annual CSR plan and initiatives, 
including review of key initiatives;

•  the Group’s strategy on the reduction of 

GHG emissions, including the formulation 
of specific targets relating thereto; and
•  HSE operational planning for key field 
activities (for example, rig operations).

Due to travel restrictions on account of 
COVID-19, no site visits by the Committee to 
the Shaikan Field were possible during 2021 
but it is hoped that this will be possible in 2022.

Role
The role of the Safety and Sustainability 
Committee is to monitor the development 
and implementation of the Group’s health and 
safety, environmental, social responsibility 
and ESG governance policies and to ensure 
that appropriate management systems and 
processes are in place to minimise any HSE 
risks associated with the Group’s activities, 
including the impact of the Group’s operations 
on GHG emissions and local communities. 

The Committee’s activities form an integral 
part of the Group’s HSE governance process, 
which include the following key elements: 
Board and management site visits, external 
and internal audits, third-party inspections, 
Permit to Work audits, regulatory inspections, 
safety walkabouts and ensuring visible safety 
leadership. The Group has robust governance 
processes in place to ensure that the 
appropriate framework exists to ensure that 
all matters of an ESG nature are appropriately 
considered and actioned.

The Safety and Sustainability Committee has 
written terms of reference which were last 
updated in March 2022. A copy of the terms 
of reference is available on the Company’s 
website. In accordance with its terms of 
reference, the Committee is authorised to:

•  oversee the development of policies and 
guidelines for the management of all risks 
relating to safety, sustainability and ESG, 
incorporating health, safety, security and 
environmental and social risks within the 
Group’s operations; 

•  oversee the quality of safety and ESG 
(incorporating health, safety, security, 
environment and corporate social 
responsibility) policies, processes, 
governance, management and the 
methods to create appropriate behaviours 
and decisions, including relevant key 
performance indicators;

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Safety and Sustainability  
Committee report continued

Role continued
•  review health and safety performance 
to assess the effectiveness of health 
and safety programmes and to make 
recommendations for improvement, where 
appropriate;

•  review, and if appropriate approve, specific 
corporate social responsibility projects 
within the agreed budgeted level approved 
by the Board; 

•  evaluate the effectiveness of the Group’s 

policies and systems for identifying 
and managing health, safety, security, 
environmental and social risks within the 
Group’s operations; 

•  assess the policies and systems within 
the Group for ensuring compliance 
with applicable legal and regulatory 
requirements; 

•  assess the performance of the Group 
with regard to the impact of health, 
safety, security, environmental and social 
decisions and impact of actions upon 
employees, communities and other 
stakeholders. It shall also assess the 
impact of such decisions and actions on 
the reputation of the Group and make 
recommendations to the Board on areas for 
improvement; 

•  working in conjunction with the Technical 
Committee, the Board of Directors, and 
management as appropriate, specifically 
consider the level of greenhouse gas 
emissions (“GHG”) generated by the 
Company, and reviewing challenging and 
achievable targets to reduce these;

•  on behalf of the Board, receive reports from 
management concerning all fatalities and 
serious accidents within the Group and 
actions taken by management as a result of 
such fatalities or serious accidents;
•  evaluate and oversee, on behalf of the 
Board, the quality and integrity of any 
reporting to external stakeholders 
concerning safety, sustainability and ESG 
issues; 

•  review the results of any independent 

audits of the Group’s performance in regard 
to safety, sustainability or ESG matters, 
review any strategies and action plans 
developed by management in response to 
issues raised and, where appropriate, make 
recommendations to the Board concerning 
the same; and

•  consider the position of the Group with 
respect to international best practice 
for safety, sustainability and ESG and 
emerging legal requirements including 
relevant corporate governance 

developments. 

Composition
As at 31 December 2021, the Safety and 
Sustainability Committee comprised three of 
the independent Non-Executive Directors, 
David Thomas (Chair), Jaap Huijskes and 
Kimberley Wood, the CEO, Jon Harris, 
and the COO, Stuart Catterall. Jon Harris 
was appointed to the Committee on 
26 January 2021. Stuart Catterall resigned 
on 18 February 2022 upon his retirement. 
The Company’s Head of HSE and 
Sustainability, Patrick Bersebach, the CSR 
Manager, Sirwan Dara, and the Security 
Manager, Serdar Abdullah, also attend 
meetings, along with other management and 
staff members as required. Alasdair Robinson 
acts as Secretary to the Committee. 

Governance
The Company endeavours to ensure that 
no harm comes to people as a result of 
its operations and that any effect on the 
environment is minimised. It also looks to 
have a beneficial long-term impact on the 
communities located in the vicinity of the 
Shaikan Field. The Group aims to ensure that 
all employees and contractors understand 
that working safely is the absolute priority and 
that they are responsible for their own safety 
and the safety of those around them.

The importance of these areas to the Group 
is demonstrated by the priority given to them 
at all levels in the organisation, from the daily 
toolbox talks in the Shaikan Field through 
to the regular weekly senior management 
meetings, and Safety and Sustainability 
Committee and Board meetings. At Board 
meetings, a formal report is provided on these 
matters to the Directors by the COO and the 
Safety and Sustainability Committee Chair. 

Sustainability
Recognising the importance of sustainability 
to both society and business organisations, 
the Company has included a detailed 
Sustainability report in the annual report 
and accounts; please refer to pages 28 to 45. 

This sets out the Company’s culture 
as it relates to sustainability issues, the 
management processes which it has in place, 
and focuses on a number of the environmental 
and social initiatives which have been 
launched and implemented over the past 
few years. In addition, the report includes 
key environmental and safety performance 
statistics. In 2021 the Company engaged 
Deloitte to act as the Company’s ESG 
advisers. Working with Deloitte, the Company 
developed a detailed ESG strategy roadmap 
which will be implemented as the Company 
strives to meet its emission reduction targets. 

Health and safety
During 2021, the Committee monitored and 
supported the Company’s 2021 HSE Action 
Plan implementation and was pleased to see 
an overall achievement of 99% during the 
year. The Committee was encouraged by the 
level of incident or potential incident reporting 
which occurred during the year and the open 
reporting culture which has continued to be 
developed in the organisation. Unfortunately, 
there was one lost time incident during the 
year; a full review was undertaken and lessons 
learned embedded in the Company’s culture 
and processes. The Company also held 
emergency response simulation exercises 
during the year.

Security
The security situation in Kurdistan remained 
stable during the year, enabling staff travel 
patterns and field operations to continue, with 
use of the Company’s COVID-19 and standard 
security precautions. The Board and the 
Committee keep the security situation under 
constant review through specialist advice 
and local security experts. The Company 
has response plans in place which can be 
activated immediately if required. 

Environment
During 2021, the Company took a proactive 
role in the implementation of a number 
of specific initiatives to minimise any 
environmental impact from the Company’s 
operations. These are described more fully in 
the Sustainability report.

Corporate social responsibility
Since the formal CSR programme was 
initiated in 2017, the Company has continued 
to progress several social initiatives, with a 
specific focus on sustainability. These are 
also more fully described in the Sustainability 
report.

David Thomas
Chair of the Safety and Sustainability 
Committee

29 March 2022

78 

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited  Annual report and accounts 2021

Technical  
Committee report

David Thomas
Chair of the Technical Committee

2021 membership and meeting attendance

David Thomas 

Jaap Huijskes 

Jon Harris(1) 

Stuart Catterall 

Gabriel Papineau-Legris 

(1)  Appointed to the Committee on 26 January 2021. 

Member 
since 

Technical 
Committee

8 December 2016 

6 December 2017 

26 January 2021 

11 January 2017 

8 December 2016 

4/4

4/4

4/4

4/4

4/4

Committee activities during 2021
The Committee met four times in 2021. 
In addition to standing agenda items, the 
following key matters were discussed:

•  the Company’s Field Development Plan 

(“FDP”) and its submission in draft form to 
the Ministry of Natural Resources (“MNR”);

•  production planning and forecasting 

(including 2022 production guidance);
•  produced gas management strategy, 
including gas management plan as 
contained in the FDP;

•  production enhancement initiatives 

(including ESP installation programmes);

•  drilling strategy and progress;
•  operational risk reviews;
•  well workover options;

•  Shaikan subsurface re-mapping and 

re-modelling project; and

In summary, the results of the CPR were 
as follows: 

•  review and approval of 31 December 2020 
Competent Person’s (Reserves) Report 
(“CPR”).

In February 2021, the Company announced 
that an updated CPR as at 31 December 
2020 had been completed by its independent 
reserves auditor, ERC Equipoise. The updated 
CPR confirmed that the gross 1P, 2P+2C 
reserves and resources volumes of the 
Shaikan Field were in line with the previous 
(2016) CPR, after adjusting for production 
over the period. 

•  gross 1P reserves of 240 MMstb;
•  gross 2P reserves of 505 MMstb; and
•  gross 2P reserves + 2C contingent 

resources of 798 MMstb.

Full details of the Shaikan Field reserves and 
resources are set out on page 15. 

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Technical Committee report continued

Role
The Technical Committee was established 
in late 2016 to provide support and guidance 
for the Shaikan Field development planning 
and project execution activities and has the 
following specific objectives to:

•  provide assurance that development plans 
are in line with the Company’s strategy and 
have been optimised in the context of the 
current and forecast funding position;
•  review and approve the Shaikan Field 
reserves and resources estimates and 
revisions;

•  ensure that the Company has the 

appropriate resources and project 
management systems in place to 
successfully execute the development 
projects on time and within budget;

•  provide the Board with assurance that the 
key operational and project execution risks 
have been identified and that the required 
risk management processes and mitigation 
measures are in place; 

•  provide a detailed review of the Company’s 
FDP prior to its submission to the MNR, 
and to report to and advise the Board 
accordingly; and

•  review and recommend for executive 

approval any information relating to the 
Shaikan FDP and reserves and resources 
estimates for public release.

2021 membership and meeting 
attendance
The members of the Committee are: 
David Thomas (Committee Chair, 
independent Non-Executive Director), 
Jaap Huijskes (Non-Executive Chairman), 
Jon Harris (CEO), Stuart Catterall (COO) 
and Gabriel Papineau-Legris (CCO). 
Jón Ferrier (former CEO) resigned from 
the Committee on 26 January 2021 and 
was replaced by Jon Harris. Stuart Catterall 
resigned on 18 February 2022 upon his 
retirement.

The Committee is supported in its activities by 
key members of the London-based technical, 
commercial and finance teams and by the 
Erbil-based projects and operations teams. 
Members of these teams are regularly invited 
to participate in Committee meetings to 
provide input in relation to the Committee’s 
deliberations. 

Generally, the Committee plans to meet on 
a quarterly basis, but adjusts the meeting 
timings to coincide with key decision points 
within the project development schedule or 
the release of significant new technical or 
reserves-related information.

David Thomas
Chair of the Technical Committee

29 March 2022

80 

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited  Annual report and accounts 2021

Remuneration  
Committee report

Kimberley Wood
Chair of the Remuneration Committee

2021 membership and meeting attendance

Kimberley Wood (Chair) 

Martin Angle 

David Thomas 

Part one: Annual Statement 
from the Chair of the 
Committee

Dear Shareholder,

On behalf of the Remuneration Committee, 
I am pleased to present the Directors’ 
remuneration report for the year ended 
31 December 2021. During 2021, the 
Committee undertook a review of the current 
Remuneration Policy to ensure it continues to 
support GKP’s corporate strategy, values and 
stakeholder expectations and ensures that 
outcomes fairly reflect GKP’s performance.

Member 
since 

Remuneration 
Committee

12 October 2018 

16 July 2018 

8 December 2016 

4/4

4/4

4/4

The work of the Remuneration Committee 
in 2021 was conducted against a backdrop 
of recovery from the unprecedented impact 
in 2020 from the COVID-19 pandemic and 
a return to more normal levels of oil prices 
and operational activity. The Remuneration 
Committee set robust and challenging targets 
for the annual bonus scheme and ensured the 
right policies and practices were in place to 
attract, retain and motivate all employees.

For the last six years, no salary increases have 
been awarded to the Executive Directors. 
Following a detailed benchmark review, the 
Remuneration Committee decided to award 
an increase in salary to the CEO of 4.8% 
to £440,000 and this broadly aligns with 
the wider workforce increase of 4% to 6%. 
No increase in pay was awarded for the CFO 
in 2022 following benchmarking analysis.

Matters discussed by the 
Remuneration Committee in 2021

The Committee held four Committee 
meetings in 2021 and also met on an 
informal basis on a further two occasions 
to discuss the following remuneration 
matters:

•  reviewed 2020 bonus performance 
outcomes for executives and senior 
management and resulting bonus 
pay-outs;

•  reviewed executive and senior 

management remuneration and 
proposals for the broader workforce;

•  approved bonus KPIs for 2021;
•  approved LTIP awards to all eligible 

participants and associated 
performance targets;

•  reviewed and approved the VCP 

pay-outs to former Executive Directors;

•  reviewed and approved the draft 
Directors’ remuneration report; 
•  reviewed the Company’s incentive 
structure for Executive Directors 
and other staff, resulting in a revised 
Remuneration Policy to put to a 
shareholder vote at the 2022 AGM;
•  reviewed the Committee’s terms of 

reference; and

•  reviewed and agreed salary and bonus 

review for wider workforce.

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Remuneration Committee report continued

Jón Ferrier, the departing CEO, retired from 
the Company and Board on 31 January 2021 
after a period of handover. As announced 
at the time, due to legacy contractual 
requirements that will not apply to the 
current Executive Directors or any future 
appointments, Jón will continue to participate 
in the VCP, subject to performance, as if he 
remained an employee. He did not receive 
any severance compensation on departure 
except for contractual pay in lieu of notice. 
Further details can be found on page 97 of the 
Directors’ remuneration report.

Performance and implementation 
of the Remuneration Policy in 2021 
Annual bonus
Based on the Remuneration Committee’s 
assessment of GKP and individual 
performance in 2021, the bonus awarded 
to the CEO was 101% of his pro-rated base 
salary out of a maximum potential of 125% and 
the CFO was awarded 81% of salary out of a 
potential of 100%. 30% of the annual bonus 
is to be deferred in shares for three years 
after award date. These payments reflect the 
attainment of personal objectives combined 
with Company performance as measured 
in the corporate KPIs. Further details can 
be found on page 96 of the Directors’ 
remuneration report.

Long-term incentives 
The CEO and CFO received conditional 
awards of 470,325 and 305,711 options 
respectively over shares (equivalent to 200% 
and 150% of salary) on 1 April 2021. The award 
is subject to both absolute and relative total 
shareholder return (“TSR”) targets being 
met, each measure having a 50% weighting. 
The exercise of reasonable discretion 
has been a feature of GKP’s approach in 
recent years where the formulaic outcome 
does not align with the overall shareholder 
experience and this remains unchanged. 
The Remuneration Committee will have the 
discretion to review vesting outcomes to 
ensure a fair reflection of performance. 

Part one: Annual Statement 
from the Chair of the 
Committee continued
Changes to the Remuneration 
Policy
Our current Policy was approved at the 
2019 AGM with support in excess of 98%. 
In this context and recognising the value of 
continuity and the overarching purpose of 
the Remuneration Committee as discussed 
above, we are proposing relatively minor 
changes to the Policy, primarily to align it with 
best practice. The proposed revisions are 
as follows.

Shares vesting from future Long-Term 
Incentive Plan (“LTIP”) awards made to 
Executive Directors will be subject to a 
holding period of two years. 

We are introducing post-exit shareholding 
requirements for Executive Directors in line 
with the Investment Association guidelines.

We are amending the performance conditions 
for the LTIP. At present, conditions are 
written directly into the Policy which creates 
unhelpful inflexibility since any change 
would require a new vote. The Committee 
and Board have agreed that it would be 
desirable for the Policy to allow one or more 
ESG condition(s) to be operated alongside 
the existing absolute and relative total 
shareholder return (“TSR”) conditions. 
The Committee will consult with shareholders 
prior to introducing ESG conditions, noting 
that ESG is expected to carry a weighting 
of 20% and be implemented no earlier than 
2023. To reassure shareholders, the Policy 
provides that at least 60% of the performance 
conditions will be linked to TSR.

2021 Board changes
We were pleased to welcome Jon Harris as 
the new CEO of GKP on 18 January 2021. 
Jon joined on a salary of £420,000 p.a. with 
a pension allowance of 10% of salary, which 
is aligned to GKP’s UK workforce. He was 
eligible for a 2021 bonus (pro-rated for time in 
role during 2021) and a grant under the 2014 
LTIP in line with the Remuneration Policy. 
Jon’s base salary remains in line with market 
competitive rates. Further details of the new 
CEO package can be found on page 86 of the 
Directors’ remuneration report. 

The former CEO and former CFO both 
continue to participate in the VCP, for which 
they received an award in December 2016. 
Following the first two measurement dates in 
May 2018 and April 2019, a total of 3,769,595 
and 3,247,656 nil-cost options were granted, 
respectively. No further nil-cost options 
can be accrued under the VCP as the cap 
was met at the second measurement date. 
The first vesting date for these nil-cost 
options in May 2020 resulted in no options 
vesting as performance conditions were not 
attained. On the second measurement date 
in May 2021, the performance conditions 
were met and 50% of the nil-cost options 
vested. The third and final measurement 
date is 30 days following the release of the 
Company’s financial results in March 2022 
with vesting dependent upon compound 
TSR performance. The incoming CEO and 
CFO are not entitled to participate in the VCP, 
which has been closed to new entrants since 
2016. Only one award was ever made under 
the VCP.

Instances of the exercise of discretion 
by the Remuneration Committee 
No discretion was exercised by the 
Remuneration Committee outside the 
normal Remuneration Policy guidelines. 

Remuneration across the workforce
GKP fosters an inclusive culture across the 
whole workforce which is reflected in our 
Remuneration Policy. Base salaries for all 
employees are benchmarked on a regular 
basis and targeted at median. The annual 
bonus plan is open to all employees, the 
outcome of which is linked to both corporate 
and individual targets. The corporate 
targets are the same for all who participate. 
In addition, all permanent employees working 
for the Company at the time of grant received 
an award in 2021 under the 2014 LTIP which 
aligns their interests with the long-term 
success of GKP and to the structure of 
rewards available to Executive Directors. 

The Committee and Board are given regular 
briefings on the pay, incentive and benefit 
arrangements for the wider workforce. 
The Board also regularly engages with 
employees through briefing sessions, 
surveys and town hall meetings, gaining 
valuable feedback directly from employees 
as well as receiving updates from the Chief HR 
Officer who attends all Committee meetings 
by invitation. 

82 

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited  Annual report and accounts 2021

The Committee believes the remuneration 
outcomes for 2021 reflect an appropriate 
outcome taking into account the global 
context and we hope that shareholders 
will recognise this as a continuation of our 
strategy for reward which fairly reflects the 
performance of the Company. Finally, on 
behalf of the Remuneration Committee, 
I would like to thank shareholders for their 
continued support and hope that you will vote 
in favour of the resolutions contained within 
the report at the AGM on 24 June 2022. 

Yours sincerely, 

Kimberley Wood
Chair of the Remuneration Committee 

29 March 2022

Summary of remuneration for 
Executive Directors in 2022 
In light of the current business context and the 
detailed remuneration benchmarking review, 
the Remuneration Committee decided to 
award the CEO an increase in salary of 4.8%. 
No increase in salary was awarded to the 
CFO for 2022. The salary review budget for all 
other employees, including senior managers, 
was 4-6% of payroll for 2022.

Both the CEO and CFO will be eligible for 
a 2022 bonus. The Company will review 
the Company’s achievements, KPIs and 
performance targets and publish these in 
the 2022 Directors’ remuneration report. 
The 2022 bonus measures will incorporate 
targets on safety and sustainability (including 
ESG and HSE improvement targets); value 
creation (covering shareholder value and 
project delivery); financial and operational 
achievements; and people, culture and values 
initiatives. Further information is set out on 
page 98 of the Directors’ remuneration report.

The CEO and CFO are entitled to participate 
in the LTIP where performance-based shares 
are granted up to a maximum of 200% and 
150% of salary, respectively, in line with policy. 
The 2022 LTIP award will have performance 
conditions based on absolute and relative 
TSR. Further information is set out on page 98 
of the Directors’ remuneration report. 

Remuneration outcome for the Chair 
and Non-Executive Directors
After a thorough review of Chair and 
Non-Executive Director fees in 2020, the 
Chair and Non-Executive Director fees were 
reduced in 2021. There will be no change to 
fees in 2022 save for an increase of £5,000 
for the role of Senior Independent Director to 
reflect additional workload. 

Basis of preparation of the report
As GKP is not incorporated in the UK, it is 
not subject to UK company law or the UK 
Corporate Governance Code. However, the 
Company’s Byelaws require it to comply with 
the Large and Medium-sized Companies 
and Groups (Accounts and Reports) 
(Amendment) Regulations 2013 (the “2013 
Regulations”). The Directors’ remuneration 
report has been prepared in accordance with 
such 2013 Regulations as amended. 

As a responsible corporate citizen, GKP 
is committed to following best practice, 
maintaining high corporate governance 
standards and the principles enshrined in the 
UK Corporate Governance Code (the “Code”) 
which are taken into account to the extent they 
are considered appropriate for the Company. 
As GKP only has 25 employees in the UK, 
not all elements of the Code or certain 2018 
changes to the 2013 Regulations, including 
the CEO pay ratio, are relevant or applicable. 
As noted above, the Committee has regard to 
wider workforce reward but considers that a 
ratio calculation would not be meaningful with 
such a small workforce. 

Shareholder consultation 
and 2022 AGM
Three remuneration-related resolutions will 
be proposed at the 2022 AGM. As I have 
referred to above, our revised Remuneration 
Policy, described on pages 87 to 92, will be 
the subject of a binding vote. In addition, 
our Directors’ remuneration report 
(pages 81 to 98) will be the subject of an 
advisory vote, in accordance with the 2013 
Regulations.

The Remuneration Committee ensures 
that, in carrying out its obligations, it takes 
account of the views and opinions of all its 
stakeholders; this includes consulting with 
our major shareholders and with leading 
proxy advisers. I am aware that some 
shareholders have reservations about the 
legacy VCP plan which was implemented 
at the 2016 AGM. This is a legacy plan that 
is closed to new entrants and will be fully 
wound down following the measurement date 
that will be 30 days following the release of 
the Company’s financial results for the year 
ended 31 December 2021. For the avoidance 
of doubt, current or future Executive Directors 
do not participate in the VCP.

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited  Annual report and accounts 2021  

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GovernanceStrategic reportFinancialsRemuneration Committee report continued

Remuneration at a glance

Remuneration Policy objective
What does the Policy seek to achieve?

The Group’s Remuneration Policy seeks to ensure that the Company is able to attract, retain and motivate its Executive Directors and members 
of the Executive Committee. The retention of key management and the alignment of management incentives to the Group’s purpose are the key 
objectives of this Policy.

Alignment of the Remuneration Policy to purpose and strategy

Our purpose

GKP is a responsible energy company developing natural resources for the benefit of all our stakeholders, 
delivering social and economic benefits by working safely and sustainably with integrity and respect.

Strategic priorities for 2022:

Relevant incentive metrics:

Safety and sustainability

•  Zero harm in operations and delivery
•  ESG roadmap implementation
•  HSE improvement plan
•  Safety performance
•  People, culture, values

Value creation

•  Shareholder value
•  Project delivery
•  Production

Capital discipline and cost focus

•  Financial and distribution strategy
•  Budget discipline

Robust financial position

•  Budget discipline

Read more 
on page 96

Read more 
on page 96

Read more 
on page 96

Read more 
on page 96

(1)  Safety performance figures are based on TRIFR (recordable incidents per million man-hours) applied to drilling, production and export operations. 

84 

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited  Annual report and accounts 2021

Summary of Remuneration Policy 
The key aspects of the Remuneration Policy to be approved by shareholders at the 2022 AGM is set out below. 

Remuneration element 

Structure and opportunity 

Base salary  

Benefits  

Salary increases will not typically exceed the average employee increase. 

Includes car allowance, private medical insurance, income protection insurance,  
critical illness cover, death-in-service insurance and relocation benefits. 

Pensions  

Pension allowance is 10% of salary, in line with the rest of the workforce. 

Annual bonus 

2014 LTIP  

In-post shareholding  
requirements

Post-exit 
shareholding 
requirements 

Maximum bonus opportunity is 125% of annual salary for the CEO and  
100% for other Executive Directors, based on achievement of annual objectives.
30% of the annual bonus is deferred in shares for three years after award date.
Malus and clawback provisions apply.
Target bonus is 60% of maximum.

Typically granted annually and in the form of nil-cost share options,  
nominal-cost share options or conditional shares. 
Awards vest after three years to the extent that performance targets have been met. 
When eligible, the maximum opportunity is 200% of annual salary for CEO and  
150% of salary for CFO. At threshold performance up to 30% of the award vests.
 Malus and clawback provisions apply. 

At least 200% of salary holding required for all Executive Directors. 

None. 

Executive Directors are required to hold any shares acquired through LTIPs granted  
after the 2022 AGM up to the in-post shareholding requirements for two years  
post-cessation of employment.  

Introduction of post-exit 
shareholding requirements 
in line with the IA guidelines.

What has changed  
since last Policy

None.

None.

No change (previous legacy 
terms for former CEO have 
ceased due to his retirement).

None. 

Awards are subject to a 
two-year holding period
post vesting.

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited  Annual report and accounts 2021  

85

GovernanceStrategic reportFinancials 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Remuneration Committee report continued

Part one: Annual Statement from the Chair of the Committee continued 
2021 remuneration outcomes 
Implementation in 2021
•  Salaries of £420,000 (pro-rated for time in role during 2021) and £364,000 paid during the year to the CEO and CFO, respectively. 
•  2021 bonus pay-outs of 101% and 81% of salary equating to £408,442 and £294,840 for the CEO and CFO respectively, with 30% of the bonus 

being deferred for three years and paid in shares. 

•  The CEO and CFO were granted LTIP awards of 200% and 150% of salary respectively.
•  Neither Executive Director was eligible for the vesting of any LTIP award or for the legacy VCP.
•  Pension allowance of 10% of salary for both the CEO and CFO. 
•  Benefits included private medical insurance, death in service and income protection for the CEO and CFO.

0
0
0
£

'

£1,000

£900

£800

£700

£600

£500

£400

£300

£200

£100

£0

48

408

401

CEO(1)

(1)  CEO figures pro-rated for time spent in role.

Implementation in 2022

2022 base salary  

Benefits  

Pension  

Annual bonus 

LTIP  

Pension and benefits 

Bonus

Salary

61

295

364

CFO

CEO 

£440,000 (+4.8%) 

Aligned to Policy  

10% of salary 

CFO

£364,000 (no change)

Aligned to Policy

10% of salary 

Maximum opportunity of 125% of salary.  
80% dependent on performance against  
corporate KPIs and 20% on  
individual strategic objectives 

Maximum opportunity of 100% of salary. 
80% dependent on performance against 
corporate KPIs and 20% 
on individual strategic objectives

200% of salary, vesting dependent on  
absolute and relative TSR performance  
over three years  

150% of salary, vesting dependent on 
absolute and relative TSR performance 
over three years

86 

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited  Annual report and accounts 2021

 
 
 
 
 
 
Part two: Directors’ 
Remuneration Policy
Introduction
Part two provides an overview of the Directors’ 
Remuneration Policy. It describes the 
elements of remuneration and summarises 
the approach the Remuneration Committee 
will adopt in certain circumstances, such as 
the exercise of discretion, the recruitment 
of new Directors and the making of any 
payments for loss of office. 

Purpose and role of the 
Remuneration Committee
The Remuneration Committee 
determines and agrees with the Board 
the overall Remuneration Policy for 
the Executive Directors and Executive 
Committee members. Within the terms 
of the agreed policy, key responsibilities 
of the Committee include:

•  determining and agreeing with the Board 
the framework and broad policy for the 
remuneration of the Company’s Executive 
Directors and setting remuneration for the 
Non-Executive Chairman of the Board, 
the Executive Directors and the Executive 
Committee (being those individuals 
considered to be Persons Discharging 
Managerial Responsibilities (“PDMR”); 

•  when setting remuneration policy for 

Directors, reviewing and having regard to 
remuneration and related policies across 
the Group, aligning incentives and rewards 
with culture. When conducting its last major 
review of the Remuneration Policy, the 
Committee took into account simplicity, 
clarity, risk management, predictability, 
proportionality as well as alignment to 
culture as part of the process;

•  reviewing the design of all share incentive 

plans for approval by the Board and 
shareholders. For any such plans, 
determining each year whether awards 
will be made, and if so, the overall amount 
of such awards, the individual awards to the 
Executive Directors and the performance 
targets to be used;

•  agreeing pension arrangements, service 
agreements and termination payments 
for Executive Directors and ensuring that 
any termination payments are fair to the 
individual and the Company; and

•  overseeing any major changes in employee 

benefits structures throughout the 
Company and/or the Group and giving 
advice on any such changes.

The Remuneration Committee also reviews 
and approves overall remuneration levels for 
employees below executive level but does 
not set individual remuneration levels for such 
individuals. This oversight role allows the 
Committee to take into account pay policies 
and employment conditions throughout the 
Company when designing packages for the 
Executive Directors and other key employees, 
and the alignment of incentives and rewards 
with culture. The Committee considers the 
general level of increases applied to basic 
pay across the Company when reviewing 
Executive Directors’ base salaries.

The Remuneration Committee operates 
within written terms of reference agreed by 
the Board. These are reviewed periodically 
to ensure that the Committee remains up to 
date with best practices appropriate to GKP, 
its strategy and the business and regulatory 
environment in which it operates. Terms of 
reference are in place and reviewed annually, 
the latest version being in March 2021. They 
are available on the Company’s website.

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GovernanceStrategic reportFinancialsRemuneration Committee report continued

Part two: Directors’ Remuneration Policy continued
Remuneration Policy table
The Company’s Directors’ Remuneration Policy to be voted on at the 2022 AGM is described in the following table. 

Link to strategy

Operation

Opportunity

Remuneration  
element 

Base salary

Essential to attract 
and retain key 
executives.

Reviewed annually based 
on:

•  role, experience and 

individual performance;
•  pay awards elsewhere in 

the Group;

•  external market; and 
•  general economic 

environment.

Directors may be entitled 
to a car allowance, private 
medical insurance, death in 
service benefit and income 
protection in line with the 
wider workforce.

Policy is to 
benchmark to the 
relevant market 
median.

Normally, salary 
increases for 
Executive Directors 
will be in line with the 
average employee 
increase. 

Benefit levels reflect 
those typically 
available to senior 
managers within 
GKP. 

Benefits

Helps attract and 
retain key executives.

Pension

Helps executives 
provide for retirement 
and aids retention.

Up to 10% of salary; may 
be provided as a cash 
allowance.

Annual bonus 

Rewards 
achievement 
of annual key 
performance 
indicators.

Pension allowances are 
not included in base salary 
for annual bonus or other 
executive rewards.

Targets and weightings are 
set annually; performance is 
measured over a single year.

Bonus awards are 
determined after the year 
end based on achievement 
of targets.

Clawback provisions apply.

10% of base salary for 
Executive Directors, 
aligned to rates 
applicable to the UK 
workforce. 

Maximum bonus 
opportunity is 125% 
of annual salary for 
the CEO and 100% 
for other Executive 
Directors.

Remuneration Committee 
discretion

The Committee retains discretion to:

•  select the appropriate market 

• 

comparator group; and
increase salaries above the 
general employee average; 
in general, this would be to 
reflect significant additional 
responsibilities.

If a Director is recruited from or 
required to move overseas, the 
Committee may provide additional 
benefits tailored to the circumstances 
(e.g. relocation expenses).

If additional benefits are introduced 
for the wider workforce, the 
Committee reserves the right to 
extend these to Executive Directors 
on equivalent terms.

The Committee may agree with an 
Executive Director that the cash 
allowance will be paid into a pension 
arrangement at no additional cost.

The Committee may, in exceptional 
circumstances, change performance 
measures and targets and their 
respective weightings part way 
through a performance year, if there 
is a significant event which causes 
the Committee to believe the original 
measures, weightings and targets are 
no longer appropriate. 

Discretion may also be exercised if 
the Committee believes the bonus 
outcome is not a fair and accurate 
reflection of business performance.

Safety is of central importance to the 
business and the Committee may 
reduce bonus awards if there is a 
serious safety event.

88 

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited  Annual report and accounts 2021

Remuneration Committee 
discretion

The Committee may, in exceptional 
circumstances, change the 
performance measures and targets 
and their respective weightings part 
way through a performance period, 
if there is a significant event which 
causes the Committee to believe the 
original measures, weightings and 
targets are no longer appropriate. 
The new measures and targets will 
be no more or less difficult than those 
they replace.

Discretion may also be exercised 
if the Committee believes the LTIP 
outcome is not a fair and accurate 
reflection of business performance.

Safety is of central importance to the 
business and the Committee may 
reduce or eliminate LTIP awards if 
there is a serious safety event.

The Committee also has discretion 
in determining when awards are 
granted, the form of the award and 
those eligible within the constraints 
of the LTIP rules.

Remuneration  
element 

LTIP

Link to strategy

Operation

Opportunity

Incentivises 
executives to deliver 
key financial targets 
over the longer term, 
with particular focus 
on shareholder 
return. 

Helps retain key 
executives.

When eligible, the 
maximum value of 
the shares subject 
to award to the CEO 
is 200% of annual 
salary and for the 
CFO it is 150% of 
salary.

At threshold 
performance up to 
30% of the award 
vests.

Awards are usually granted 
annually to participants, 
but grants may be made 
at other times, such as on 
recruitment or promotion of 
an executive.

Awards are in the form 
of nil-cost share options, 
nominal-cost share options 
or conditional shares. In 
special circumstances they 
may be cash-settled.

Awards normally vest after 
three years to the extent that 
performance targets can 
be based on a combination 
of share price, financial, 
operational and strategic 
metrics as determined by 
the Committee. At least 
60% of the award will be 
based on absolute and/or 
relative TSR.

A payment equal to the 
value of dividends which 
would have accrued on 
vested awards may be 
made following the release 
of awards to participants, 
either in the form of cash or 
as additional shares.

It is the Company’s practice 
to make awards under an 
LTIP to all employees of the 
Company as appropriate in 
a range of values based on 
seniority.

Specific malus and 
clawback provisions apply 
(see page 90).

Once vested, the shares 
received (net of tax) must be 
held for at least a two-year 
period before they can 
be sold (subject to the 
shareholding requirements). 
Note: this provision is 
subject to shareholder 
approval at the 2022 AGM.

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GovernanceStrategic reportFinancialsRemuneration Committee report continued

Part two: Directors’ Remuneration Policy continued
Remuneration Policy table continued

Remuneration Committee 
discretion

The Committee has discretion 
to change the shareholding 
requirements – in particular where 
compassionate circumstances apply.

Remuneration  
element 

Shareholding 
requirements

Link to strategy

Operation

Opportunity

Aligns the interests 
of executives and 
shareholders.

Formal requirements apply 
to Executive Directors. 
Participation in long-term 
incentives may be scaled 
back or withheld if the 
requirements are not met 
or maintained.

At least 200% 
of salary holding 
required for all 
Executive Directors. 
Post-exit: Executive 
Directors are 
required to retain the 
lower of actual shares 
held and shares 
equal to 200% of 
salary for two years 
post-exit in respect 
of shares which vest 
from grants of LTIP 
awards after the 
approval of this Policy 
at the 2022 AGM.

Malus and clawback 
These provisions allow the Committee in certain circumstances (such as gross misconduct, a material misstatement of the Group financial 
statements or decisions taken outside of the Group’s risk appetite) the discretion to:

•  reduce bonus pay-outs;
•  cancel entitlement of bonus; 
•  prevent or reduce vesting of the LTIP; and/or
•  allow the Company to claim back up to 100% of an award which has vested/been paid.

Remuneration scenarios for Executive Directors based on policy
The charts below provide an illustration of the potential future reward opportunities for the CEO and CFO, and the potential split between the 
different elements of remuneration under four different performance scenarios: “Minimum”, “On-target”, “Maximum” and “Maximum (including 
50% share price appreciation on long-term incentive awards)”. 

CEO

Minimum

100%

£512

On-target

40%

26%

34%

£1,282

Fixed

Bonus

LTIP

Maximum

Maximum
+50% share
price growth

27%

21%

28%

23%

0

500

1,000

45%

£1,942

56%

2,000

£2,382

2,500

3,000

1,500

£’000

90 

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited  Annual report and accounts 2021

CFO

Minimum

100%

£445

Fixed

Bonus

LTIP

On-target

Maximum

Maximum
+50% share
price growth

0

48%

33%

27%

23%

29%

£937

27%

23%

500

40%

£1,355

50%

£1,628

1,000

£’000

1,500

2,000

Potential reward opportunities are based 
on GKP’s Remuneration Policy, applied 
to the 2022 base salaries and pension 
opportunities. The annual bonus and LTIP 
are based on the maximum opportunities 
set out under the Remuneration Policy. Note 
that the LTIP awards granted in a year do not 
normally vest until the third anniversary of the 
date of grant and the projected values in the 
second and third scenarios are based on the 
face value at award rather than vesting (i.e. 
the scenarios exclude the impact of any share 
price movement over the period). 

The exception to this is the final scenario 
which, in line with the requirements of the 
Companies (Miscellaneous Reporting) 
Regulations 2018, illustrates the maximum 
outcome assuming 50% share price 
appreciation for the purpose of LTIP value. 

The “Minimum” scenario reflects base salary, 
pension and benefits (i.e. fixed remuneration) 
which are the only elements of the executives’ 
remuneration packages not linked to 
performance. 

The “On-target” scenario reflects fixed 
remuneration as above, plus annual bonus 
pay-out of 60% of maximum (75% of salary 
for the CEO and 60% of salary for the CFO) 
and LTIP at 50% of maximum award (100% 
and 75% of salary for the CEO and CFO 
respectively). 

The “Maximum” scenario is shown on two 
bases: excluding and including the impact 
of share price appreciation on the value of 
LTIP outcomes. In both cases, the scenario 
includes fixed remuneration and full pay-out 
of all incentives, with the final scenario also 
including the impact of a 50% increase in 
GKP’s share price on the value of the LTIP. 

Executive Directors’ 
recruitment policy
Remuneration packages for future Executive 
Directors will be aligned to the policy 
described, including a maximum annual 
bonus opportunity of 125% of salary for 
the CEO and 100% of salary for any other 
Executive Director and an annual LTIP grant 
of up to 200% of salary for the CEO and 
150% of salary for the CFO or any other 
Executive Director. Relocation packages 
are assessed on their individual merits. It is 
not the Company’s policy ordinarily to buy 
out executives from pre-existing incentive 
arrangements, but the Committee will 
consider compensating a new Executive 
Director for the loss of incentives awarded 
by a previous employer, if it believes such 
compensation is warranted taking into 
account the terms of the award forfeited. 
We seek to avoid paying more than 
necessary to secure a candidate and will 
have regard to current Remuneration Policy, 
shareholder guidance and market practice 
when formulating remuneration for a new 
Executive Director. 

Where an existing employee is promoted 
to the Board, the Policy described above 
will apply from the date of promotion, but 
there will be no retrospective application of 
the Policy. Existing remuneration, including 
incentives, will continue, even if inconsistent 
with the Policy above, until such time as they 
expire or vest. Pension contributions from the 
date of promotion will be aligned with that of 
the wider workforce.

Terms of the Executive Directors’ 
service contracts
Executive Directors are engaged on rolling 
service contracts, which provide for twelve 
months’ written notice of termination from 
the CEO and six months’ notice from other 
Executive Directors, with the same notice 
periods required from the Company. 

In exceptional circumstances, the Committee 
may agree to a longer notice period initially, 
reducing to twelve or six months, as 
appropriate, after one year. 

Non-Executive Directors’ letters 
of appointment
Non-Executive Directors are engaged 
by letters of appointment terminable on 
one month’s written notice from either the 
individual or the Company. 

The Non-Executive Chairman and 
Non-Executive Directors receive an annual 
fee paid in monthly instalments. The fee for 
the Non-Executive Chairman is set by the 
Remuneration Committee and the fees for 
the Non-Executive Directors are approved 
by the Board, on the recommendation of the 
Non-Executive Chairman and Executive 
Directors. 

Fees are set at a level required to attract 
and retain individuals with the necessary 
experience to advise and assist with 
establishing the Company’s strategy 
and monitoring its progress towards the 
successful implementation of that strategy. 
Fees are reviewed regularly to ensure they 
keep pace with market practice and the 
demands of the role. 

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Part two: Directors’ 
Remuneration Policy 
continued 
Non-Executive Directors’ letters 
of appointment continued
Reasonable expenses incurred by 
the Non-Executive Chairman and 
the Non-Executive Directors in the 
performance of their duties (including travel 
and accommodation benefits) may be 
reimbursed or paid for directly by the 
Company, as appropriate.

Each Non-Executive Director receives a 
basic fee. Additional fees are paid to the 
Non-Executive Chairman of the Board and 
the Chairs of the Board Committees. In the 
event that the Board requires the formation 
of an additional Board Committee, fees for 
the Chairs (and, where relevant, membership) 
of such Committee will be determined by the 
Board at the time. Non-Executive Directors 
do not participate in any of the Company’s 
benefits or incentive plans. 

Inspection of documents 
and re-election of Directors
Directors’ service contracts and appointment 
letters will be available for inspection prior to 
and during the 2022 AGM. 

All Directors are required to stand for 
re-election annually in accordance with 

the Company’s Byelaws. 

Termination payment policy
Any compensation payment made to 
an Executive Director for termination of 
employment will be determined with reference 
to the terms of the individual’s service 
agreement and the rules of any incentive 
plan in which the individual is a participant. 
Those rules will differentiate between “good” 
and “bad” leavers. The Company’s default 
policy is summarised in the table below, 
with Committee discretion to determine an 
alternative treatment as necessary:

Service contracts do not contain liquidated 
damages clauses. There is no provision in 
an Executive Director’s service agreement 
providing for compensation for loss of office 
or employment that occurs because of a 
change of control. However, on a change in 
control the following will normally happen:

•  the cash element of any bonus will be 

paid, at the discretion of the Committee, 
on the date of the change of control. The 
amount paid will be pro-rated and based on 
performance to date. The deferred element 
of the bonus will become exercisable on a 
change of control and will vest; and

•  vesting of LTIP awards will be accelerated: 

the number of shares that vest will be 
determined by the Committee taking 
account of the Company’s performance 
since the grant date and the proportion 
of the normal vesting period which 
has elapsed.

The Committee reserves the right to make 
additional payments, where such payments 
are made in good faith in discharge of an 
existing legal obligation (or by way of damages 
for breach of such an obligation) or by way 
of settlement or compromise of any claim 
arising in connection with the termination of 
an Executive Director’s office or employment. 

When deciding on the amount of any payment 
for loss of office, the Committee will seek 
to minimise the cost to the Company to the 
extent permitted by the circumstances of the 
particular case.

External appointments
The Executive Directors may accept external 
appointments with the prior approval of the 
Board provided that such appointments do 
not prejudice the individual’s ability to fulfil 
their duties to the Company and the Group, as 
a whole. Whether any related fees are retained 
by the individual or remitted to the Company is 
considered on a case-by-case basis.

Considerations of 
shareholder views 
When determining remuneration, the 
Committee takes into account the guidelines 
of representative investor bodies and 
proxy advisers and shareholder views. 
The Committee is always open to feedback 
from shareholders on remuneration policy 
and arrangements and updates major 
shareholders on any changes regularly.

Remuneration element

Policy summary

Salary and benefits

A payment equivalent to monthly salary as if the executive had continued to be employed throughout 
the contractual notice period. A lump sum may be paid in lieu of notice. Benefits will cease on 
termination of employment.

The Committee will determine such mitigation as it considers fair and reasonable in each case.

Annual bonus

The Committee may make such payment as it deems appropriate taking into account the period up 
to the date on which employment ceases and the level of performance achieved up to that date.

2014 LTIP

If the individual is deemed to be a “bad” leaver (for example, if dismissed owing to misconduct) no 
bonus is payable for the year in which employment terminates.

For “good” leavers whose employment ceases owing to ill-health, the award shall vest in full on 
the normal vesting date. For “good” leavers who leave owing to death, the award shall vest in full 
immediately. 

For “good” leavers due to other reasons which are considered to justify treatment as a good leaver, 
the award shall vest on the normal vesting date based on performance and pro-rated for the time 
served.

Awards granted to a “bad” leaver lapse on cessation of employment.

92 

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited  Annual report and accounts 2021

The Chair of the Committee may ask 
non-Committee members to attend meetings, 
including other Board members and 
members of the senior management team, 
including the Chief Human Resources Officer. 
The Company Secretary, or nominee, acts as 
secretary to the Committee. No individuals 
are involved in decisions relating to their own 
remuneration. Details of the Committee’s 
principal activities during the year ended 
31 December 2021 and attendance of 
Committee members is included on page 81.

Advisers
The Committee is informed of key 
developments and best practice in the field 
of remuneration and obtains advice from 
independent external consultants, when 
required, on individual remuneration packages 
and executive remuneration practices in 
general. After a competitive tender process, 
Mercer Limited (“Mercer”) was appointed as 
remuneration consultant from January 2020 
onwards. 

Services provided to the Committee by 
Mercer during 2021 included the provision 
of advice on the Company’s equity plans and 
executive remuneration levels; corporate 
governance support and best practice 
advice to the Remuneration Committee on 
the drafting of the Directors’ remuneration 
report; and other ad-hoc projects. Fees paid 
to Mercer for services provided to the 
Committee during the financial year were 
£34,498. Mercer has no connections with the 
Company or individual Directors other than an 
agreement for the provision of market data for 
the wider workforce.

Mercer is a signatory to the Remuneration 
Consultants’ Code of Conduct  
(www.remunerationconsultantsgroup.com) 
which requires its advice be objective and 
impartial.

Part three: Annual Report 
on Remuneration
Introduction
This part of the report is subject to an 
advisory vote at the AGM on 24 June 2022. 
GKP’s auditor has reported on those 
sections (highlighted below) which the 
Regulations require to be audited. 

Remuneration Committee 
membership during 2021
The terms of reference of the Committee, 
reviewed annually, are available on the 
Company’s website. As of 31 December 2021, 
the Committee comprised three independent 
Non-Executive Directors, all of whom had 
served on the Committee for the full financial 
year:

•  Kimberley Wood (Chair);
•  Martin Angle; and
•  David Thomas.

The members had no personal financial 
interest in the decisions made by the 
Committee. There were no conflicts of interest 
arising from cross-directorships and no 
involvement in the Company’s day-to-day 
operations. 

Statement of shareholder voting 
The following table shows the results of votes on the 2020 Directors’ remuneration report at the 2021 AGM held on 18 June 2021. 

Directors’ remuneration report for year to 31 December 2020 

Votes 
for 

Votes 
against 

Total  
votes cast 
 (excluding  
withheld) 

Votes 
withheld

  97,828,443  
(93.52%) 

6,774,781  104,603,224 

14,865 

(6.48%) 

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited  Annual report and accounts 2021  

93

GovernanceStrategic reportFinancials 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Remuneration Committee report continued

Part three: Annual Report on Remuneration continued
Single total figure of remuneration table for the year (audited)

Pension 
£’000 

Benefits 
£’000 

2021 

Executive Directors 

Jon Harris  

Ian Weatherdon  

Jón Ferrier(1)  

Salary 
/fees 
£’000 

401 

364 

38 

Non-Executive Directors

Martin Angle 

Jaap Huijskes 

Garrett Soden 

David Thomas 

Kimberley Wood 

80 

160 

60 

80 

70 

Total 

1,253 

40 

36 

6 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

82 

Annual 
bonus 
£’000 

408 

295 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

Other(2) 
£’000 

LTIP(3) 

£’000 

Total 
£’000 

Total fixed   Total variable 
remuneration 
£’000

remuneration 
£’000 

— 

— 

451 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

857 

720 

3,593 

4,091 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

80 

160 

60 

80 

70 

449 

425 

498 

80 

160 

60 

80 

70 

408

295

3,593

—

—

—

—

—

8 

25 

3 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

36 

703 

451 

3,593 

6,118 

1,822 

4,296

(1)  Jón Ferrier left the Board effective 31 January 2021. 
(2)  Jón Ferrier’s payment relates to payment in lieu of notice and accrued holiday. 
(3)  LTIP figures represent value vesting from the VCP for Jón Ferrier. 

2020 

Salary/ 
fees 
£’000 

Pension 
£’000 

Benefits 
£’000 

Annual 
bonus 
£’000 

Other 
£’000 

 LTIP(3) 

£’000 

Total 
£’000 

Total fixed 
remuneration 
£’000 

Total variable 
remuneration 
£’000

Executive Directors

Jón Ferrier  

Ian Weatherdon(1) 

 450  

 355 

Non-Executive Directors 

Martin Angle 

Jaap Huijskes 

Garrett Soden(2) 

David Thomas 

Kimberley Wood 

 90  

 180  

 33  

 90  

 80  

 68  

 36  

 —  

 —  

 —  

 —  

 —  

Total 

 1,278  

 104  

 34  

 10  

 —  

 —  

 —  

 —  

 —  

 44  

 —  

 —  

 —  

 —  

 —  

 —  

 —  

 —  

 —  

129  

 —  

 —  

 —  

 —  

 —  

129 

 —  

 —  

 —  

 —  

 —  

 —  

 —  

 —  

552 

530 

90 

180 

33 

90 

80 

552 

530 

90 

180 

33 

90 

80 

 1,555  

 1,555  

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

Ian Weatherdon received £129k relocation expenses on his move from Hong Kong to London. 

(1) 
(2)  Garrett Soden rejoined the Company in July 2020.
(3)  No LTIP or VCP awards vested in 2020.

Historical CEO pay

Single figure remuneration   

Bonus percentage of maximum payable 

Vested LTIP awards as percentage of maximum  

2017 
£’000 

768 

50% 

0% 

2018 
£’000 

973 

76% 

0% 

2019 
£’000 

824 

50% 

0% 

2020 
£’000 

552 

0% 

0% 

2021 
£’000

857

81%

0%

94 

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited  Annual report and accounts 2021

 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Percentage change in Director remuneration
The following table shows the percentage change in the remuneration of the Directors between the years ended 31 December 2020 and 
31 December 2021 and the average percentage change for the remuneration in the Group as a whole excluding the CEO.

Salary/ Fees 

Benefits 

Executive Directors 

Jon Harris(1) 

Ian Weatherdon(2) 

Non-Executive Directors

Martin Angle 

Jaap Huijskes 

Garrett Soden 

David Thomas 

Kimberley Wood 

Group percentage change 

(1)  Jon Harris joined the Company in January 2021.
(2)  Ian Weatherdon did not receive a bonus for 2020. 

N/A 

0% 

(11%) 

(11%) 

(14%) 

(11%) 

(13%) 

7% 

N/A 

60% 

0%

0%

0%

0%

0%

Annual  
bonus

N/A

N/A

57% 

97%

TSR performance
The following charts compare the change in value of a £100 investment in the Company and in both the FTSE 250 Index and the FTSE Oil & Gas 
Producers Index. The TSR performance has been assessed from 1 January 2017 due to a major repricing occurring in 2016: Total shareholder 
return (“TSR”) from 1 January 2017 to 31 December 2021.

Total shareholder return (“TSR”) from 1 January 2017 to 31 December 2021

250

200

150

100

50

7
1
0
2
y
r
a
u
n
a
J
1
n
o
d
e
t
s
e
v
n

i

0
0
1
£
f
o
e
u
a
V

l

Gulf Keystone
FTSE 250
FTSE UK Oil & Gas

 0
Jan
2017

Jul
2017

Jan
2018

Jul
2018

Jan
2019

Jul
2019

Jan
2020

Jul
2020

Jan
2021

Jul
2021

Jan
2022

Relative importance of spend on pay 

Total employee pay 

Profit/(loss) after tax 

Gross operating costs(1) 

Shareholder distributions(2)  

2021 
$’000 

2020 
$’000 

Percentage 
change

41,724 

35,724 

164,597 

(47,342)  

42,965 

100,000 

34,251 

20,164 

17%

448% 

25%

396%

(1)  The Company reported oil production costs in previous years. Gross operating costs are deemed to be a better measure of the Company’s operational expenditure 

and are also reported as part of the non-IFRS measure of gross operating costs per barrel in the Company’s financial statements.

(2)  Shareholder distributions comprise payment of dividends in 2021 and share buybacks in 2020.

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited  Annual report and accounts 2021  

95

GovernanceStrategic reportFinancials 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Remuneration Committee report continued

Part three: Annual Report on Remuneration continued
Implementation of the Directors’ Remuneration Policy in 2021
Executive Directors’ base salary provision
There were no salary increases for Executive Directors during the financial year ending 31 December 2021.

Annual bonus plan (audited) 
During 2021, GKP operated its annual executive performance bonus plan. The maximum bonus potential was 125% of base salary for the CEO and 
100% of base salary for the CFO, with performance assessed against a combination of corporate metrics (weighted 80% of total) and individual 
objectives (weighted 20%).

2021 performance elements

Corporate performance elements (80% of bonus)

Individual performance 20%

Corporate performance elements (80% of bonus) 

Safety and sustainability 25%

Value creation 30%

Financial 20%

Production 25%

The following table describes the corporate KPIs set for 2021.

Metric 

KPIs 

Safety and  
sustainability 

Zero harm in operations and delivery 
ESG 

Human capital 

HSE improvement plan 

Safety performance (TRIFR) 

Value creation 

Shareholder value and project delivery 

Recommence 55k expansion project 

Financial 

Financial and distributions strategy 

Direct Capex 

Direct Opex 

Direct G&A 

Staff costs 

Production 

Gross production (bopd) – annual average  

Total 

Maintenance 

Results

Score 

100% 
90% 

90% 

90% 

75% 

20% 

100% 

100% 

12% 

84% 

70% 

90% 

88.8% 

100% 

Weighting 

7.5% 
3.75% 

3.75% 

5% 

5% 

15% 

15% 

10% 

2.5% 

2.5% 

2.5% 

2.5% 

20% 

5% 

100% 

Weighted 
score

7.5% 
3.4%

3.4%

4.5%

3.8%

3%

15%

10%

0.4%

2.1%

1.8%

2.3%

17.8%

5%

80%

The executives are commended for the good performance achieved against the HSE, Financial and Production KPIs together with successfully 
recommencing the 55k expansion project. The Remuneration Committee approved the executive bonus on 80% for corporate performance 
objectives.

Individual performance objectives (20% of bonus)
With respect to the personal element of the annual bonus for both the CEO and the CFO, the Committee considered that the successes of 2021, 
including the early commencement of drilling activities, the payment of $100 million in dividends, material progress on the FDP and the GMP, as 
well as the development of an ESG strategy, were substantively driven by the leadership and efforts of both executives and, as such, a payment 
above the target level but below the maximum possible was warranted. 

Overall outcome
Reflecting performance, Executive Directors received the following bonus awards for 2021:

Executive 

CEO 

CFO 

96 

Bonus 
award 

 % of  
base salary

£408,442 

£294,840 

101%

81%

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited  Annual report and accounts 2021

 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Pension provision for Executive Directors (audited)
In lieu of a pension provision, both the CEO and CFO received a taxable cash allowance equivalent to 10% of base salary. The outgoing CEO 
received a taxable cash allowance equivalent to 15% of base salary.

Benefits (audited)
Benefits received by the CEO included private medical insurance totalling £8,000. The CFO received private medical insurance, death in service 
and income protection insurance totalling £25,000. 

Value Creation Plan (“VCP”) awards granted/vested in 2021 (audited)
Following measurement dates in May 2018 and April 2019, the number of nil-cost options received by the former CEO and former CFO 
is 3,769,595 and 3,247,656 respectively. No further nil-cost options can be awarded under the plan rules. Following assessment of TSR 
performance at the fourth measurement date in May 2021, 50% of the nil-cost options vested. Sustained TSR performance will be tested 
again in 2022. This will be subject to disclosure at that time and in the next Annual Report on Remuneration.

LTIP awards granted/vested in 2021 (audited)
The CEO and CFO received awards of 470,325 and 305,711 shares respectively, equivalent to 200% and 150% of salary each, on 1 April 2021. 
The awards are subject to both absolute and relative total shareholder return (“TSR”) targets being met over a period of three years, each measure 
having a 50% weighting. 

No awards vested or were exercised by Executive Directors.

Leaver arrangements for Jón Ferrier (audited)
Jón Ferrier retired and stepped down from the Board on 31 January 2021 and was accorded good leaver status. Details of Mr Ferrier’s leaver 
arrangements, which are in accordance with the Remuneration Policy approved by shareholders at the 2019 AGM, are set out below.

•  Mr Ferrier was paid in full until his departure date on 31 January 2021. He received £417,692 in lieu of notice and £33,385 in lieu of vacation due 

but not taken in line with the Company’s accumulated leave policy. Pension and other benefits ceased on his departure date.

•  Mr Ferrier will not receive a pro-rated annual bonus in respect of the year ending 31 December 2021. 
•  As a good leaver, Mr Ferrier retained 3,769,595 unvested nil-cost performance-based share awards, granted under the VCP, 50% of which 

vested in May 2021. The final measurement date will occur at the end of April 2022. 

Other payments to past Directors and for loss of office (audited)
VCP awards vested for former CEO Jón Ferrier of £3,593,000 and former CFO Sami Zouari of £2,976,000.

Statement of Directors’ shareholdings and share interests (audited)
Executive Directors are required to build and maintain a shareholding in the Company of at least 200% of salary within five years of appointment. 
The net value of vested but unexercised share awards are included for this purpose and individuals have five years in which to acquire the required 
levels. Participation in long-term incentive schemes may be scaled back or withheld if the requirements are not met or maintained. The new 
Remuneration Policy set out on pages 87 to 92 includes post-exit guidelines.

Directors’ shareholdings and share interests as at 31 December 2021 were as follows:

Executive Directors 

Jon Harris 

Ian Weatherdon 

Non-Executive Directors   

David Thomas 

Jaap Huijskes 

Martin Angle 

Kimberley Wood 

Garrett Soden 

  Shareholding  
requirement 
as a % 
of salary 

Beneficially 
owned 
shares 

Vested but 
unexercised 
scheme 
interests 

Unvested 
scheme  
interests  
subject to  
performance  
conditions 

Unvested 
scheme 
interests not 
subject to 
performance 
conditions 

Total  
conditional 
and 
unconditional 
interest in 
shares

200% 

200% 

30,000 

50,112 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

70,000 

150,112 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

470,325 

1,039,582 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

500,325

1,089,694

—

—

—

—

70,000

— 

1,509,907 

— 

1,660,019

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited  Annual report and accounts 2021  

97

GovernanceStrategic reportFinancials 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Remuneration Committee report continued

Part three: Annual Report on Remuneration continued
Implementation of the Directors’ Remuneration Policy in 2022
Base salaries and benefits
In light of the current business context and the detailed remuneration benchmarking review, the Remuneration Committee decided to award the 
CEO an increase in salary of 4.8%; no increase in salary was awarded to the CFO for 2022. The salary review budget for all other employees, 
including senior managers, was 4-6% of payroll for 2022.

Annual bonus
Payments under the executive annual bonus scheme will be determined based on performance against a range of KPIs. 

Historically, the same Company KPIs have been used for both the executive and employee bonus plans for which all Company employees are 
eligible. For 2022, we will again run the plans consistently and operate on the principle that Executive Directors will be treated no more favourably 
than other employees.

The scorecard that will be used is as follows. Targets are commercially sensitive and will be disclosed in the 2022 annual report and accounts.

Category 

KPI 

Safety and sustainability 

Zero harm, HSE improvement and safety performance measures (TRIFR) 
ESG roadmap implementation

Value creation 

Production 

Financial 

Shareholder value 
Project approval and delivery

Annual average production (bopd) 
Maintenance

Financial and distributions strategy 
Project implementation and delivery

People, culture, values  

Build workforce capability to include localisation 
Advance diversity, equity and inclusion 
Drive employee engagement and well-being

Weighting

20% 

20% 

25% 

25% 

10% 

LTIP
Jon Harris and Ian Weatherdon will be eligible to receive an LTIP grant of 200% and 150% of base salary, respectively, which is expected to be granted 
after the announcement of the 2021 results. The following three-year TSR performance conditions will be attached to the vesting of the award. 

Performance measure 

Weighting 

Absolute TSR  

Relative TSR  

50% 

50% 

Threshold performance 
(30% vesting) 

8% p.a. compound 

Maximum performance 
(100% vesting)

12% p.a. compound

Median vs. peer group 

Upper quartile vs. peer group

Linear interpolation will be used for performance between threshold and maximum. There will be no payment for the relevant tranche where 
performance is below threshold.

Relative TSR will be compared to that achieved over the same period against listed companies selected by the Remuneration Committee 
on the basis of their relevance and comparability. The peer group will be confirmed in the relevant RNS and in next year’s Annual Report on 
Remuneration.

Subject to shareholder approval, any awards under the LTIP made after the 2022 AGM will be based on the new Remuneration Policy set out on 
pages 87 to 92. 

The Committee has the discretion to review vesting outcomes to ensure a fair reflection of performance. In making this assessment, the 
Committee will consider, amongst other factors, the underlying performance of the Company over the period including operational milestones, 
production levels, safety, individual performance and the broader experience of stakeholders over the period.

Further details will be provided in next year’s Directors’ remuneration report. 

This Directors’ remuneration report was approved by the Board on 29 March 2022 and signed on its behalf by:

Kimberley Wood
Chair of the Remuneration Committee

29 March 2022

98 

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited  Annual report and accounts 2021

 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
Directors’ report

The Directors are pleased to present their report on the affairs of 
the Group, together with the consolidated financial statements of 
the Company and auditor’s report, for the year ended 31 December 
2021. A review of the business is set out in the preceding sections of 
this annual report and accounts, including the Chairman’s statement, 
Chief Executive Officer’s review, Financial review and Operational 
review, which are incorporated into this report by reference. 
The Corporate governance report also forms part of this report. 

Results and dividends
The Group’s financial results for the year ended 31 December 2021 
are set out in the consolidated financial statements. 

The Group made a profit after taxation for the year of $164.6 million 
(2020: loss of $47.3 million). The Directors resumed the dividend 
programme of at least $25 million per year. During 2021, an ordinary 
dividend of $25 million was paid, followed by a special dividend of 
$25 million and an interim dividend of $50 million (2020: no dividends 
were paid). To date in 2022, an interim dividend of $50 million has been 
paid. A further $65 million interim dividend is expected to be paid on 
13 May 2022, based on a record date of 29 April 2022 and ex-dividend 
date of 28 April 2022. The final $25 million 2021 ordinary dividend will 
be paid subject to approval at the AGM on 24 June 2022.

Capital structure
Full details of the authorised and issued share capital, together 
with movements in the Company’s issued share capital during the 
year, are shown in note 20 to the consolidated financial statements. 
The business is financed by means of debt (see note 16 to the 
consolidated financial statements) and external share capital. 

Share rights and restrictions
There are no specific restrictions on the size of a holding or on the 
transfer of common shares, both of which are governed by the general 
provisions of the Company’s Byelaws and prevailing legislation. 
The Directors are not aware of any agreements between holders of 
the Company’s common shares that may result in restrictions on the 
transfer of securities or on voting rights. No person has any special 
rights of control over the Company’s share capital and all issued 
common shares are fully paid.

Details of the employee share schemes are set out in note 24 to the 
consolidated financial statements and details of the Directors’ awards 
are included in the Remuneration Committee report.

Voting rights and Byelaw amendments
The Company’s Byelaws may only be revoked or amended by the 
shareholders of the Company by a resolution passed by a majority of 
not less than three-quarters of such shareholders as vote in person or, 
where proxies are allowed, by proxy at a general meeting. Resolutions 
put to the vote of any general meeting are decided on a show of hands 
unless a poll is demanded in accordance with the Company’s Byelaws.

The Company’s Byelaws are available on the Company’s website at 
www.gulfkeystone.com. 

Directors
With regard to the appointment and replacement of Directors, the 
Company is governed by its Byelaws, the Companies Act (Bermuda) 
and related legislation. All of the Directors are required to stand for 
re-election by the shareholders each year at the AGM. 

Directors’ indemnities
The Company has made qualifying third-party indemnity provisions for 
the benefit of its Directors during the year and these remain in force at 
the date of this report. 

Directors’ interests in shares 
As at 31 December 2021, the following Directors who held office had 
interest in the common shares of the Company(1):

•  Jon Harris (Chief Executive Officer) – 30,000 common shares;
Ian Weatherdon (Chief Financial Officer) – 50,112 common 
• 
shares; and

•  Garrett Soden (non-independent Non-Executive Director) – 

70,000 common shares.

At the date of this report, the Employee Benefit Trust (“EBT”) and 
Exit Event Trustee held 0.2 million (2020: 0.1 million) common shares 
of the Company. 

(1) 

Includes common shares held directly, by family members and through the Gulf Keystone EBT which are held subject to the discretion of the EBT Trustee.

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited  Annual report and accounts 2021  

99

GovernanceStrategic reportFinancialsDirectors’ report continued

Significant shareholdings
As at 28 February 2022, being the date of the most recent analysis of the Company’s share register, the Company discloses the following 
significant shareholdings:

Shareholder 

Lansdowne Partners Austria GmbH 

Van Lanschot Kempen NV 

Mr Gertjan Koomen 

BlackRock Investment Management (UK) Ltd. 

Hargreaves Lansdown Stockbrokers Ltd.   

Interactive Investor 

Dimensional Fund Advisors LP 

InsingerGilissen Bankiers NV 

Acadian Asset Management LLC 

Société Générale 

Number of 
common  
shares 

Percentage 
of issued 
share capital

  32,500,000 

  23,950,695 

10,068,552 

9,290,778 

8,969,330 

8,408,999 

8,361,221 

8,307,232 

7,490,897 

5,999,762 

15.21

11.21

4.71

4.35

4.20

3.93

3.91

3.89

3.50

2.81

The Company’s share register analysis was provided by Investor Insight, based on information available at the time of publication.

Going concern
The Group’s business activities, together with the factors likely to 
affect its future development, performance and position, are set out 
in the Chairman’s statement, the Chief Executive Officer’s review, 
the Operational review and the Management of principal risks and 
uncertainties. The financial position of the Group at the year end and 
its cash flows and liquidity position are included in the Financial review. 

As at 29 March 2022, the Group had $182.7 million of cash. The Group 
continues to closely monitor and manage its liquidity. Cash forecasts 
are regularly produced and sensitivities run for different scenarios 
including, but not limited to, change in commodity prices, different 
production rates from the Shaikan block, cost contingencies, 
disruptions to revenue receipts, impact of climate change and 
geopolitical risks on the Group’s operations, etc. In the current 
year, these have included both the Iraqi Supreme Court ruling on 
15 February 2022 and export route availability as a result of the 
evolving sanctions situation due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, 
as further described in note 29. The Group’s forecasts, taking into 
account the applicable risks, stress test scenarios and potential 
mitigating actions, show that it has sufficient financial resources 
for the twelve months from the date of approval of the 2021 annual 
reports and accounts. 

Based on the analysis performed, the Directors have a reasonable 
expectation that the Group has adequate resources to continue to 
operate for the foreseeable future. Thus, the going concern basis 
of accounting is used to prepare the annual consolidated financial 
statements.

Significant agreements – change of control
There are a number of agreements that take effect, alter or terminate 
upon a change of control of the Group, including the Shaikan PSC and 
employee share plans. The Directors are not aware of any agreements 
between the Group and its Directors or employees that provide for 
compensation for loss of office or employment that occurs because 
of a takeover bid.

Auditor
Each of the persons who is a Director at the date of approval of this 
annual report and accounts confirms that:

•  so far as the Director is aware, there is no relevant audit information 

of which the Group’s auditor is unaware; and

•  the Director has taken all the steps that he/she ought to have taken 
as a Director in order to make himself/herself aware of any relevant 
audit information and to establish that the Group’s auditor is aware 
of that information.

On behalf of the Board

Jon Harris
Chief Executive Officer

29 March 2022 

100 

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited  Annual report and accounts 2021

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Directors’ responsibilities statement

The Directors are responsible for preparing the annual report and the 
financial statements in accordance with applicable law and regulations.

Directors’ responsibility statement 
We confirm that to the best of our knowledge:

Company law requires the Directors to prepare financial statements for 
each financial year. Under that law the Directors are required to prepare 
the Group financial statements in accordance with United Kingdom 
adopted International Financial Reporting Standards (“IFRSs”) and 
Article 4 of the International Accounting Standards (“IAS”) Regulation. 
Under IAS 1 the Directors must not approve the accounts unless they 
are satisfied that they give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of 
the Company and of the profit or loss of the Company for that period. 
In preparing these financial statements, International Accounting 
Standard 1 requires that Directors:

•  properly select and apply accounting policies;
•  present information, including accounting policies, in a 

manner that provides relevant, reliable, comparable and 
understandable information; 

•  provide additional disclosures when compliance with the specific 

requirements in IFRSs are insufficient to enable users to understand 
the impact of particular transactions, other events and conditions on 
the entity’s financial position and financial performance; and
•  make an assessment of the Company’s ability to continue as a 

going concern.

The Directors are responsible for keeping adequate accounting 
records that are sufficient to show and explain the Company’s 
transactions and disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the 
financial position of the Company and enable them to ensure that the 
financial statements comply with the Bermuda Companies Act 1981. 
They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the Company 
and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection 
of fraud and other irregularities.

The Directors are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of 
the corporate and financial information included on the Company’s 
website. Legislation in the United Kingdom governing the preparation 
and dissemination of financial statements may differ from legislation in 
other jurisdictions.

•  the financial statements, prepared in accordance with United 

Kingdom adopted International Financial Reporting Standards, 
give a true and fair view of the assets, liabilities, financial position 
and profit or loss of the Company and the undertakings included 
in the consolidation taken as a whole;

•  the Strategic report includes a fair review of the development and 
performance of the business and the position of the Company and 
the undertakings included in the consolidation taken as a whole, 
together with a description of the principal risks and uncertainties 
that they face; and

•  the annual report and financial statements, taken as a whole, 

are fair, balanced and understandable and provide the information 
necessary for shareholders to assess the Company’s position and 
performance, business model and strategy.

This responsibility statement was approved by the Board of Directors 
on 29 March 2022 and is signed on its behalf by:

Jon Harris
Chief Executive Officer

29 March 2022

Ian Weatherdon
Chief Financial Officer

29 March 2022

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Report on the audit of the financial statements
1. Opinion
In our opinion the financial statements of Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited (the “Parent Company”) and its subsidiaries (the “Group”):

•  give a true and fair view of the state of the Group’s affairs as at 31 December 2021 and of the Group’s profit for the year then ended;
•  have been properly prepared in accordance with United Kingdom adopted international accounting standards; and
•  have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Bermuda Companies Act 1981.

We have audited the financial statements which comprise:

•  the consolidated income statement;
•  the consolidated statement of comprehensive income;
•  the consolidated balance sheet;
•  the consolidated statement of changes in equity;
•  the consolidated cash flow statement;
•  the summary of significant accounting policies; and
•  the related notes 1 to 29.

The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and United Kingdom adopted international 
accounting standards.

2. Basis for opinion
We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK) (“ISAs (UK)”) and applicable law. Our responsibilities 
under those standards are further described in the auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements section of our report. 

We are independent of the Group and the Parent Company in accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the 
financial statements in the UK, including the Financial Reporting Council’s (the “FRC’s”) Ethical Standard as applied to listed entities, and we 
have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements.

We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.

3. Summary of our audit approach

Key audit matters

The key audit matters that we identified in the current year were:

•  revenue recognition; and
•  carrying value of oil and gas assets.

Within this report, key audit matters are identified as follows:

NEW   Newly identified

  Increased level of risk

  Similar level of risk

  Decreased level of risk

Materiality

Scoping

The materiality that we used for the Group financial statements was $8 million which was determined on the 
basis of 1.5% of net assets.

The Group’s business is a single component, and therefore all of the operations of the Group were subject 
to a full scope audit by the UK audit team.

Significant changes 
in our approach

There were no significant changes in our audit approach, including the identified key audit matters, compared 
to the prior year. 

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4. Conclusions relating to going concern
In auditing the financial statements, we have concluded that the Directors’ use of the going concern basis of accounting in the preparation 
of the financial statements is appropriate.

Our evaluation of the Directors’ assessment of the Group’s ability to continue to adopt the going concern basis of accounting included:

•  assessing the Group’s cash flow forecasts by comparison to actual cash flow performance in 2021;
•  assessing the impact of COVID-19 and climate change on the Group;
•  benchmarking the oil price assumption against external data and historical levels; 
•  evaluating the Group’s financing facility and assessing its committed nature, repayment terms and covenants; 
•  assessing the liquidity and covenant headroom within the model based on the cash flow forecasts and reviewing the model’s mechanical 

accuracy; 

•  assessing the sensitivities run by the Directors;
•  assessing the mitigating actions that could be taken by the Directors to maximise liquidity headroom including not paying dividends 

and a reduction in uncommitted capital expenditure; and

•  assessing the appropriateness of the going concern disclosure.

Based on the work we have performed, we have not identified any material uncertainties relating to events or conditions that, individually or 
collectively, may cast significant doubt on the Group’s ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least twelve months from when 
the financial statements are authorised for issue. 

In relation to the reporting on how the Group has applied the UK Corporate Governance Code, we have nothing material to add or draw 
attention to in relation to the Directors’ statement in the financial statements about whether the Directors considered it appropriate to adopt 
the going concern basis of accounting.

Our responsibilities and the responsibilities of the Directors with respect to going concern are described in the relevant sections of this report.

5. Key audit matters
Key audit matters are those matters that, in our professional judgement, were of most significance in our audit of the financial statements of 
the current period and include the most significant assessed risks of material misstatement (whether or not due to fraud) that we identified. 
These matters included those which had the greatest effect on: the overall audit strategy; the allocation of resources in the audit; and directing 
the efforts of the engagement team.

These matters were addressed in the context of our audit of the financial statements as a whole, and in forming our opinion thereon, and we do 
not provide a separate opinion on these matters.

5. Key audit matters
5.1. Revenue recognition  

Key audit matter 
description

Revenue totalling $301.4 million (2020: $108.5 million) has been recognised during the year, relating to oil sales 
and related hedging activities. 

The Group has continued to estimate revenue on a “cash assured” basis, in accordance with the terms of the 
Crude Oil Export Sales Agreement which has been governing Shaikan crude oil sales since 1 October 2017. 
Receipt of outstanding amounts in relation to November 2019 to February 2020 revenue commenced in 
March 2021 and continued in line with the mechanism proposed by the Ministry of Natural Resources (“MNR”), 
the outstanding balance as at 31 December 2021 amounted to $43.1 million (2020: $77.3 million).

The key judgements in relation to revenue are:

•  whether any circumstances occurred during the period that would trigger the Group to change its revenue 

accounting policy from “cash assured” to an accruals basis;

•  the mechanical accuracy of the complex invoice calculations, and whether these are in line with the Shaikan 

Production Sharing Contract (“PSC”) and the Crude Oil Export Sales Agreement; and 

•  the extent of the risk in relation to unpaid revenue amounts, in particular the accuracy of the expected credit 
loss (“ECL”) calculation and the appropriateness of the assumptions used, notably the timing of payments, 
probability of default and loss given default.

In assessing whether the cash assured accounting policy basis remains appropriate, with the continued 
non-recognition of certain historical revenues, the Directors note the Crude Oil Export Sales Agreement 
was only effective from 1 October 2017 and does not apply to sales earlier than that date and the proposed 
amendments to the Shaikan PSC are still under discussion between the parties and subject to change.

Further details of the key judgements are disclosed in the Audit and Risk Committee report on page 75 and in 
the Critical accounting estimates and judgements disclosure on page 120. Revenue is disclosed in note 2 to the 
financial statements.

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5. Key audit matters continued
5.1. Revenue recognition                          

How the scope of 
our audit responded 
to the key audit 
matter

We have assessed the appropriateness of the revenue recognition policy in light of current year developments 
and recalculated the revenue recognised for oil sales for the year. In particular we have performed the 
following:

•  obtained an understanding of relevant controls over the revenue recognition process, including management 

review controls;

•  challenged management on its assessment of the accounting implications with reference to the relevant 

accounting standard, being IFRS 15 Revenue from Contracts with Customers;

•  recalculated the expected monthly entitlement revenue for the oil sales based on production in the year per the 
approved delivery reports and average Brent prices, less quality and transportation discounts, in line with the 
PSC and the Crude Oil Export Sales Agreement;

•  vouched all cash receipts in 2021 and reviewed post year-end bank statements to confirm the extent to which 

the outstanding receivable as at 31 December 2021 has subsequently been received; and

•  challenged the ECL assumptions used, through benchmarking with external sources, and recalculating 

the provision. 

Key observations

Based on our analysis, recognising revenue on a “cash assured” basis is still appropriate under the 
Crude Oil Export Sales Agreement. We concur with management’s treatment of sales for the year ended 
31 December 2021 and that it is appropriate to recognise $301.4 million of revenue. We concur with the 
appropriateness of the ECL calculation and the carrying value of receivables.

5.2. Carrying value of oil and gas assets  

Key audit matter 
description

In accordance with IAS 36 Impairment of Assets, management is required to perform a review of any producing 
assets (being the Shaikan Field) for indicators of impairment at each reporting date. The assessment of the 
carrying value of producing assets requires management to exercise judgement in identifying the indicators of 
impairment, such as a decrease in oil price or a downgrade of proved and probable reserves.

As part of its impairment indicators evaluation management considered key developments that occurred 
during 2021 including the impact of climate change, oil prices, field productivity, ongoing negotiations for a new 
Field Development Plan (“FDP”) and impacts of local and global geopolitical factors. Management concluded 
that no impairment indicators were present as at 31 December 2021.

In order to further support this conclusion, an updated valuation model was prepared, based on the latest 
estimate of future production and expenditure levels as shown in the draft FDP submitted to the MNR in 
November 2021 and also including sensitivities, which supported the carrying value of oil and gas properties.

The calculation of the recoverable amount requires judgement in estimating future oil prices, the applicable 
asset-specific discount rate and the cost and production profiles of reserves’ estimates. The impact of climate 
change on commodity prices and investment decisions was also considered, including the estimated cost 
of installing a gas reinjection system to reduce carbon emissions. As a result of this, the assessment of the 
recoverable amount of Shaikan remains a key judgement. We also considered there to be a potential fraud 
risk that the assumptions, such as the oil price and discount rate, applied to the impairment assessment 
could be subject to conscious or unconscious bias. In addition, as disclosed in the Critical accounting 
estimates and judgements on page 120 and note 29 to the financial statements, management considered 
the Iraqi Supreme Court ruling on 15 February 2022 and concluded that it is not possible to determine the 
potential future implications on headroom at present, although to date it has not had any adverse impact on 
the Group’s operations.

Further details of the key judgements are disclosed in the Audit and Risk Committee report on page 75 and in 
the Critical accounting estimates and judgements disclosure on page 120. Property, plant and equipment is 
disclosed in note 11 to the financial statements.

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Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited  Annual report and accounts 2021

 
How the scope of 
our audit responded 
to the key audit 
matter

Our audit work assessed the reasonableness of management’s key assumptions in determining that no 
impairment indicators were present as at 31 December 2021 for the Shaikan asset.

Specifically our work included, but was not limited to, the following procedures:

•  obtaining an understanding of relevant controls over the impairment process, including management review 

controls;

•  performing an independent assessment of impairment indicators;
•  holding meetings with key operational and finance staff to understand the current status and future intentions 

for the Shaikan Field, including the current status of FDP negotiations;

•  benchmarking and analysis of oil price assumptions against forward curves and other market data;
•  recalculating and benchmarking of discount rates applied, with involvement from our fair value specialists; 
•  comparing forecasted production and expenditure levels per the valuation model with actual historical 

production and the estimates set out in the draft FDP submitted to the MNR in November 2021;

•  assessing the sensitivity analysis performed on the key assumptions in the valuation model to determine 

whether there was headroom to support Shaikan’s book value under certain downside scenarios, including 
those relating to a reduced oil price;

•  considering the potential impact of climate change including the impact on headroom of a reduced oil price, 

the potential impact of the introduction of a carbon tax in Kurdistan and increasing expenditure requirements; 

•  considering the potential consequences of non-adjusting post balance sheet events, including the Iraqi 

Supreme Court ruling on 15 February 2022 and export route availability as a result of the evolving sanctions 
situation due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine; and

•  assessing the relevant disclosures in relation to the carrying value of oil and gas assets.

Key observations

Overall, we are satisfied that the conclusion that no indicators of impairment were present has been 
determined in accordance with the requirements of IAS 36 Impairment of Assets and that the related 
disclosures are appropriate. 

6. Our application of materiality
6.1. Materiality
We define materiality as the magnitude of misstatement in the financial statements that makes it probable that the economic decisions of a 
reasonably knowledgeable person would be changed or influenced. We use materiality both in planning the scope of our audit work and in 
evaluating the results of our work.

Based on our professional judgement, we determined materiality for the financial statements as a whole as follows:

Group financial statements

Materiality

$8.0 million (2020: $6.7 million)

Basis for determining 
materiality

1.5% of net assets (2020: 1.5% of net assets) 

Rationale for the 
benchmark applied

We consider that net assets is of particular relevance to users of the financial statements and is a key 
measure of performance used by the Group. The chosen materiality figure represents 5% of profit before tax.

6.2. Performance materiality
We set performance materiality at a level lower than materiality to reduce the probability that, in aggregate, uncorrected and undetected 
misstatements exceed the materiality for the financial statements as a whole. 

Performance 
materiality

Basis and rationale for 
determining 
performance 
materiality

Group financial statements

70% (2020: 60%) of Group materiality

In determining performance materiality, we considered the following factors:

•  the quality of the control environment and conclusions from our testing of Group-wide controls; 
•  the low level of historical uncorrected misstatements within the consolidated financial statements; 
•  the lack of significant changes in the business in the year which would impact on our ability to forecast the 

expected level of misstatement; and

•  the reduced impact of COVID-19 on the control environment during the year.

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6. Our application of materiality continued
6.3. Error reporting threshold
We agreed with the Audit and Risk Committee that we would report to the Committee all audit differences in excess of $400k (2020: $335k), 
as well as differences below that threshold that, in our view, warranted reporting on qualitative grounds. We also report to the Audit and Risk 
Committee on disclosure matters that we identified when assessing the overall presentation of the financial statements.

7. An overview of the scope of our audit
7.1. Identification and scoping of components
Our audit was scoped by obtaining an understanding of the Group and its environment, including Group-wide controls, and assessing the 
risks of material misstatement. Our audit planning identified the Group’s business to be a single component, and therefore all of the operations 
of the Group were subject to a full scope audit by the UK audit team. Our audit work was performed primarily at the Group’s head office in 
London. Specified audit procedures in respect of the Group’s property, plant and equipment and inventory balances were performed by a 
Deloitte member firm based in Kurdistan under the direction of the UK audit team.

7.2. Our consideration of climate-related risks
Management has considered climate change as part of their risk assessment process when considering the principal risks and uncertainties 
facing the Group. This is set out in the Strategic report, Management of principal risks and uncertainties and Summary of significant 
accounting policies. From the financial statements’ perspective, these risks have been focused on the carrying value of producing oil and gas 
assets. This is consistent with our evaluation of the climate-related risks facing the Group and is linked to the key audit matter as highlighted in 
section 5.2 above, where we have described both the risks related to these assumptions and our audit procedures in relation to the challenge 
of these assumptions. Our climate change procedures also included:

•  assessing the impact, with the involvement of our environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) specialists, on our risk assessment and 

planned audit procedures, for example how physical and transition risks translate to financial implications and the potential impact of these 
on the underlying account balances and disclosures; 

•  assessing whether the impacts of climate on the range of estimates and assumptions made by management are reasonable; and
•  reading the climate-related disclosures, with the involvement of our ESG specialists, in the Strategic report to consider whether they are 

materially consistent with the financial statements and our knowledge obtained in the audit.

As described above, we have considered the potential impacts of climate change as part of our key audit matter relating to the carrying value 
of oil and gas assets. We also considered the potential impact of climate change on the going concern assumption, by including the impact on 
liquidity headroom of a reduced oil price. 

8. Other information
The other information comprises the information included in the annual report, other than the financial statements and our auditor’s report 
thereon. The Directors are responsible for the other information contained within the annual report.

Our opinion on the financial statements does not cover the other information and, except to the extent otherwise explicitly stated in our report, 
we do not express any form of assurance conclusion thereon.

Our responsibility is to read the other information and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the 
financial statements or our knowledge obtained in the course of the audit, or otherwise appears to be materially misstated.

If we identify such material inconsistencies or apparent material misstatements, we are required to determine whether this gives rise to a 
material misstatement in the financial statements themselves. If, based on the work we have performed, we conclude that there is a material 
misstatement of this other information, we are required to report that fact.

We have nothing to report in this regard.

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9. Responsibilities of Directors
As explained more fully in the Directors’ responsibilities statement, the Directors are responsible for the preparation of the financial 
statements and for being satisfied that they give a true and fair view, and for such internal control as the Directors determine is necessary to 
enable the preparation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.

In preparing the financial statements, the Directors are responsible for assessing the Group’s ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing 
as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless the Directors either intend to liquidate 
the Group or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so.

10. Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements
Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, 
whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditor’s report that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance, 
but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with ISAs (UK) will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. 
Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be 
expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these financial statements.

A further description of our responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements is located on the FRC’s website at:  
www.frc.org.uk/auditorsresponsibilities. This description forms part of our auditor’s report.

11. Extent to which the audit was considered capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud
Irregularities, including fraud, are instances of non-compliance with laws and regulations. We design procedures in line with our 
responsibilities, outlined above, to detect material misstatements in respect of irregularities, including fraud. The extent to which our 
procedures are capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud, is detailed below. 

11.1. Identifying and assessing potential risks related to irregularities
In identifying and assessing risks of material misstatement in respect of irregularities, including fraud and non-compliance with laws and 
regulations, we considered the following:

•  the nature of the industry and sector, control environment and business performance including the design of the Group’s remuneration 

policies, key drivers for Directors’ remuneration, bonus levels and performance targets;

•  results of our enquiries of management and the Audit and Risk Committee about their own identification and assessment of the risks 

of irregularities; 

•  any matters we identified having obtained and reviewed the Group’s documentation of their policies and procedures relating to:

identifying, evaluating and complying with laws and regulations and whether they were aware of any instances of non-compliance;

• 
•  detecting and responding to the risks of fraud and whether they have knowledge of any actual, suspected or alleged fraud; and
•  the internal controls established to mitigate risks of fraud or non-compliance with laws and regulations.

•  the matters discussed among the audit engagement team and relevant internal specialists, including fair value, ESG and financial instrument 

specialists regarding how and where fraud might occur in the financial statements and any potential indicators of fraud.

As a result of these procedures, we considered the opportunities and incentives that may exist within the organisation for fraud and identified 
the greatest potential for fraud in the following areas: revenue recognition and the carrying value of oil and gas assets. In common with all 
audits under ISAs (UK), we are also required to perform specific procedures to respond to the risk of management override.

We also obtained an understanding of the legal and regulatory frameworks that the Group operates in, focusing on provisions of those laws 
and regulations that had a direct effect on the determination of material amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. The key laws and 
regulations we considered in this context included the Bermuda Companies Act and the UK Listing Rules.

In addition, we considered provisions of other laws and regulations that do not have a direct effect on the financial statements but compliance 
with which may be fundamental to the Group’s ability to operate or to avoid a material penalty. These included the Group’s operating licence 
and environmental regulations, as well as relevant legal regulations in both Kurdistan and Iraq.

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11. Extent to which the audit was considered capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud continued
11.2. Audit response to risks identified
As a result of performing the above, we identified revenue recognition and the carrying value of oil and gas assets as key audit matters related 
to the potential risk of fraud or non-compliance with laws and regulations. The key audit matters section of our report explains the matters in 
more detail and also describes the specific procedures we performed in response to those key audit matters. 

In addition to the above, our procedures to respond to risks identified included the following:

•  reviewing the financial statement disclosures and testing to supporting documentation to assess compliance with provisions of relevant laws 

and regulations described as having a direct effect on the financial statements;

•  enquiring of management, the Audit and Risk Committee and in-house legal counsel concerning actual and potential litigation and claims;
•  performing analytical procedures to identify any unusual or unexpected relationships that may indicate risks of material misstatement due to 

fraud;

•  reading minutes of meetings of those charged with governance; and
• 

in addressing the risk of fraud through management override of controls, testing the appropriateness of journal entries and other adjustments; 
assessing whether the judgements made in making accounting estimates are indicative of a potential bias; and evaluating the business rationale 
of any significant transactions that are unusual or outside the normal course of business.

We also communicated relevant identified laws and regulations and potential fraud risks to all engagement team members including internal 
specialists, and remained alert to any indications of fraud or non-compliance with laws and regulations throughout the audit.

Report on other legal and regulatory requirements
12. Opinion on other matter prescribed by our engagement letter
In our opinion the part of the Directors’ remuneration report to be audited has been properly prepared in accordance with the provisions of the 
UK Companies Act 2006 as if that Act had applied to the Company.

13. Corporate governance statement
Based on the work undertaken as part of our audit, we have concluded that each of the following elements of the Corporate governance 
statement is materially consistent with the financial statements and our knowledge obtained during the audit: 

•  the Directors’ statement with regard to the appropriateness of adopting the going concern basis of accounting and any material uncertainties 

identified set out on page 114;

•  the Directors’ explanation as to its assessment of the Group’s prospects, the period this assessment covers and why the period is appropriate 

set out on page 56;

•  the Directors’ statement on fair, balanced and understandable set out on page 101;
•  the Board’s confirmation that it has carried out a robust assessment of the emerging and principal risks set out on pages 46 to 55;
•  the section of the annual report that describes the review of effectiveness of risk management and internal control systems set out 

on pages 46 to 55; and

•  the section describing the work of the Audit and Risk Committee set out on pages 73 to 76.

14. Use of our report
This report is made solely to the Company’s members, as a body, in accordance with section 90 of the Bermuda Companies Act 1981. 
Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the Company’s members those matters we are required to state to them in 
an auditor’s report and/or those matters we have expressly agreed to report to them on in our engagement letter and for no other purpose. 
To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the Company and the Company’s 
members as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.

As required by the Financial Conduct Authority (“FCA”) Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rule (“DTR”) 4.1.14R, these financial 
statements form part of the European Single Electronic Format (“ESEF”) prepared Annual Financial Report filed on the National Storage 
Mechanism of the UK FCA in accordance with the ESEF Regulatory Technical Standard (“ESEF RTS”). This auditor’s report provides no 
assurance over whether the annual financial report has been prepared using the single electronic format specified in the ESEF RTS.

David Paterson ACA (Senior statutory auditor)
For and on behalf of Deloitte LLP 
Statutory Auditor

London, United Kingdom

29 March 2022

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Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited  Annual report and accounts 2021

Consolidated income statement
For the year ended 31 December 2021

Revenue 

Cost of sales 

Decrease/(increase) of impairment provision on trade receivables 

Gross profit/(loss) 

Other general and administrative expenses 

Share option related expenses 

Profit/(loss) from operations 

Finance revenue 

Finance costs 

Foreign exchange gains/(losses) 

Profit/(loss) before tax 

Tax credit/(expense) 

Profit/(loss) after tax for the year 

Profit/(loss) per share (cents) 

Basic  

Diluted 

Notes 

2 

3 

14 

4 

5 

7 

7 

8 

9 

9 

2021 
$’000 

2020 
$’000 

301,389 

108,449

(111,721) 

(121,507)

7,065 

(6,776)

196,733 

(19,834)

(13,643) 

(12,312)

(8,490) 

(1,235)

174,600 

(33,381)

419 

1,278

(11,353) 

(14,087)

57 

(841)

163,723 

(47,031)

874 

(311)

164,597 

(47,342)

77.14 

73.04 

(22.45)

(22.45)

Consolidated statement of comprehensive income
For the year ended 31 December 2021

Profit/(loss) after tax for the year 

Items that may be reclassified to the income statement in subsequent periods: 

Fair value losses arising in the period 

Cumulative losses arising on hedging instruments reclassified to revenue 

Exchange differences on translation of foreign operations 

Total comprehensive income/(expense) for the year 

2021 
$’000 

2020 
$’000

164,597  

(47,342)

(2,021) 

3,753 

(254) 

(1,732)

—

707

166,075 

(48,367)

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Consolidated balance sheet
As at 31 December 2021

Non-current assets 

Intangible assets 

Property, plant and equipment 

Trade receivables 

Deferred tax asset 

Current assets 

Inventories 

Trade and other receivables 

Derivative financial instruments 

Cash and cash equivalents   

Total assets 

Current liabilities 

Trade and other payables 

Non-current liabilities 

Trade and other payables 

Borrowings 

Provisions 

Total liabilities 

Net assets 

Equity 

Share capital 

Share premium 

Treasury shares 

Cost of hedging reserve 

Exchange translation reserve 

Accumulated losses 

Total equity 

  31 December 
2021 
$’000 

Notes 

31 December 
2020 
Restated(1) 
$’000 

1 January 
2020
Restated(1)
$’000

10 

11 

14 

18 

13 

14 

19 

3,583 

933 

454

404,205 

405,469(1) 

432,507(1)

— 

59,096 

1,385 

617 

—

849

409,173 

466,115 

433,810

6,018 

5,760(1) 

6,135(1)

179,200 

37,832 

103,181

— 

977 

—

169,866 

147,826 

190,762

355,084 

192,395 

300,078

764,257 

658,510 

733,888

15 

(98,800) 

(69,123) 

(83,981)

15 

16 

17 

20 

20 

20 

(789) 

(1,058) 

(1,989)

(99,123) 

(98,633) 

(98,192)

(43,841) 

(35,671) 

(29,807)

(143,753) 

(135,362) 

(129,988)

(242,553) 

(204,485) 

(213,969)

521,704 

454,025 

519,919

213,731 

211,371 

229,430

742,914 

842,914 

871,675

— 

— 

(2,768) 

(2,592) 

(29,749)

(1,732) 

(2,514) 

—

(3,221)

(432,173) 

(593,422) 

(548,216)

521,704 

454,025 

519,919

(1)  The comparative consolidated balance sheet has been restated to reflect a reclassification of inventory items that are to be used in the development of the 

Shaikan Field to property, plant and equipment. See note 28 for details regarding the restatement. 

The financial statements were approved by the Board of Directors and authorised for issue on 29 March 2022 and signed on its behalf by:

Jon Harris  
Chief Executive Officer 

Ian Weatherdon
Chief Financial Officer

110 

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited  Annual report and accounts 2021

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Consolidated statement of changes in equity
For the year ended 31 December 2021

Attributable to equity holders of the Company

Share 
capital 
$’000 

Share 
premium 
$’000 

Treasury 
shares 
$’000 

Notes 

Balance at 1 January 2020 

229,430 

871,675 

(29,749) 

Net loss for the year 

Cash flow hedge – fair value movements 

Exchange difference on translation  
of foreign operations 

Total comprehensive (expense)/ 
income for the year 

Employee share schemes 

Share buyback 

Share options exercised 

24 

20 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

(20,164) 

501 

Share cancellation 

20 

(18,059) 

(28,761) 

46,820 

Cost of 
hedging 
reserve 
$’000 

— 

— 

(1,732) 

Exchange 
translation  Accumulated 
losses 
$’000 

reserve 
$’000 

Total 
equity 
$’000

(3,221) 

(548,216) 

519,919

— 

— 

(47,342) 

 (47,342)

— 

— 

(1,732)

 707

— 

707 

(1,732) 

707 

(47,342) 

(48,367)

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

2,637 

2,637

— 

(20,164)

(501) 

— 

—

—

Balance at 31 December 2020 

211,371 

842,914 

(2,592) 

(1,732) 

(2,514) 

(593,422) 

 454,025

Net profit for the year 

Cash flow hedge – fair value movements 

Exchange difference on translation  
of foreign operations 

Total comprehensive income/ 
(expense) for the year 

Dividends paid 

Employee share schemes 

Share options exercised 

25 

24 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

Share issues 

20 

2,360 

— 

— 

— 

— 

(100,000) 

— 

— 

— 

Balance at 31 December 2021 

213,731 

742,914 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

2,592 

— 

— 

— 

1,732 

— 

— 

— 

(254) 

164,597 

164,597

— 

— 

1,732

(254) 

1,732 

(254) 

164,597 

166,075

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

(100,000)

1,604 

1,604

(2,592) 

(2,360) 

—

—

(2,768) 

(432,173) 

521,704

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GovernanceStrategic reportFinancials 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Consolidated cash flow statement
For the year ended 31 December 2021

Operating activities 

Cash generated from operations 

Interest received 

Interest paid  

Payment of put option premium 

Net cash generated from operating activities 

Investing activities 

Purchase of intangible assets 

Purchase of property, plant and equipment 

Net cash used in investing activities 

Financing activities 

Payment of dividends 

Share buyback 

Payment of leases 

Net cash used in financing activities 

Net increase/(decrease) in cash and cash equivalents 

Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year 

Effect of foreign exchange rate changes 

Cash and cash equivalents at end of the year being bank balances and cash on hand 

Notes 

2021 
$’000 

2020 
Restated 
$’000

21 

7 

7 

189,155 

56,734

419 

1,278

(10,000) 

(10,000)

(1,043) 

178,531 

(5,371)

42,641

(2,725) 

(458)

21 

(52,959) 

(63,760)

(55,684) 

(64,218) 

25 

(100,000) 

—

— 

(20,164)

(688) 

(1,317)

(100,688) 

(21,481)

22,159 

(43,058)

147,826 

190,762

(119) 

122

169,866 

147,826

112 

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited  Annual report and accounts 2021

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Summary of significant accounting policies

General information
The Company is incorporated in Bermuda (registered address: Cedar House, 3rd Floor, 41 Cedar Avenue, Hamilton, HM12, Bermuda). 
On 25 March 2014, the Company’s common shares were admitted, with a standard listing, to the Official List of the United Kingdom Listing 
Authority (“UKLA”) and to trading on the London Stock Exchange’s Main Market for listed securities. Previously, the Company was quoted 
on Alternative Investment Market, a market operated by the London Stock Exchange. In 2008, the Company established a Level 1 American 
Depositary Receipt programme in conjunction with the Bank of New York Mellon, which has been appointed as the depositary bank. 
The Company serves as the holding company for the Group, which is engaged in oil and gas exploration, development and production, 
operating in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. 

Amendments to International Financial Reporting Standards (“IFRSs”) that are mandatorily effective for 
the current year
In the current year, the Group has applied a number of amendments to IFRSs issued by the International Accounting Standards Board (“IASB”) 
that are mandatorily effective for an accounting period that begins on or after 1 January 2021. 

The following new accounting standards, amendments to existing standards and interpretations are effective on 1 January 2021: Amendments 
to IFRS 4 Insurance Contracts – deferral of IFRS 19, Amendments to IFRS 9, IAS 39, IFRS 7, IFRS 4 and IFRS 16 Interest Rate Benchmark Reform 
– Phase 2, Amendments to IFRS 16 Leases: Covid-19-related rent concessions beyond 30 June 2021. These standards do not and are not 
expected to have a material impact on the Company’s results or financial statement disclosures in the current or future reporting periods.

New and revised IFRSs issued but not yet effective
At the date of approval of these financial statements, the Group has not applied the following new and revised IFRSs that have been issued but are 
not yet effective by United Kingdom adopted International Accounting Standards:

IFRS 17 

Insurance Contracts

IFRS 10 and IAS 28 (amendments) 

Sale or Contribution of Assets between an Investor and its Associate or Joint Venture

Amendments to IAS 1 

Classification of Liabilities as Current or Non-current

Amendments to IFRS 3 

Reference to the Conceptual Framework

Amendments to IAS 16 

Amendments to IAS 37 

Property, Plant and Equipment – Proceeds before Intended Use

Onerous Contracts – Cost of Fulfilling a Contract

Annual Improvements Standards 
2018-20 

Amendments to IFRS 1 First Time Adoption of IFRS, IFRS 9 Financial Instruments, IFRS 16 Leases  
and IAS 41 Agriculture

Amendments to IAS 1 and  
IFRS Practice Statement 2 

Amendments to IAS 8 

Amendments to IAS 12 

Disclosure of Accounting Policies 

Definition of Accounting Estimates

Deferred Tax related to Assets and Liabilities arising from a Single Transaction

The Directors do not expect that the adoption of the standards listed above will have a material impact on the financial statements of the Group in 
future periods.

Statement of compliance
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with United Kingdom adopted International Accounting Standards.

Basis of accounting 
The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost basis, except for the valuation of hydrocarbon inventory and the valuation of 
certain financial instruments, which have been measured at fair value, and on the going concern basis. Equity-settled share-based payments are 
recognised at fair value at the date of grant, but are not subsequently revalued. The principal accounting policies adopted are set out below.

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Going concern
The Group’s business activities, together with the factors likely to affect its future development, performance and position, are set out in the 
Chairman’s statement, the Chief Executive Officer’s review, the Operational review and the Management of principal risks and uncertainties. 
The financial position of the Group at the year end and its cash flows and liquidity position are included in the Financial review. 

As at 29 March 2022, the Group had $182.7 million of cash. The Group continues to closely monitor and manage its liquidity. Cash forecasts 
are regularly produced and sensitivities run for different scenarios including, but not limited to, change in commodity prices, different production 
rates from the Shaikan block, cost contingencies, disruptions to revenue receipts, impact of climate change and geopolitical risks on the Group’s 
operations, etc. In the current year, these have included both the Iraqi Supreme Court ruling on 15 February 2022 and export route availability as 
a result of the evolving sanctions situation due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, as further described in note 29. The Group’s forecasts, taking 
into account the applicable risks, stress test scenarios and potential mitigating actions, show that it has sufficient financial resources for the 
twelve months from the date of approval of the 2021 annual report and accounts. 

Based on the analysis performed, the Directors have a reasonable expectation that the Group has adequate resources to continue to operate for 
the foreseeable future. Thus, the going concern basis of accounting is used to prepare the annual consolidated financial statements.

Basis of consolidation 
The consolidated financial statements incorporate the financial statements of the Company and enterprises controlled by the Company (its 
subsidiaries) made up to 31 December each year. Control is achieved where the Company has the power to govern the financial and operating 
policies of an investee entity, so as to obtain benefits from its activities.

Joint arrangements
The Group is engaged in oil and gas exploration, development and production through unincorporated joint arrangements; these are classified 
as joint operations in accordance with IFRS 11. The Group accounts for its share of the results and net assets of these joint operations. Where the 
Group acts as Operator of the joint operation, the gross liabilities and receivables (including amounts due to or from non-operating partners) of the 
joint operation are included in the Group’s balance sheet.

Sales revenue 
The recognition of revenue, particularly the recognition of revenue from export sales of crude oil, is considered to be a key accounting judgement. 

All oil is sold by the Shaikan Contractor (the Company and Kalegran BV, a subsidiary of MOL Hungarian Oil & Gas Plc (“MOL”)) to the Kurdistan 
Regional Government (“KRG”), who in turn resell the oil. The selling price is determined in accordance with the principles of the crude oil export 
sales agreement (“Crude Oil Sales Agreement”), based on the average monthly Dated Brent crude price less a quality discount and a pipeline tariff. 
The sales agreement also specifies the delivery point and the payment terms relating to export sales of crude oil. The Crude Oil Sales Agreement 
has been governing Shaikan crude oil sales from 1 October 2017 onwards. 

As the payment mechanism for sales is developing within the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, the Group currently considers that revenue can best be 
reliably measured when the cash receipt is assured. The assessment of whether cash receipt is assured is based on management’s evaluation 
of the reliability of the KRG’s payments to the international oil companies operating in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. 

The value of sales revenue is determined after taking account of the following: 

•  all crude oil sales were made via the Kurdistan Export Pipeline. The point of sale is the point that the crude oil is injected into the Kurdistan 

Export Pipeline; and

•  GKP recognises revenue for its share of the revenue on a cash-assured basis and these amounts of recognised revenue may be lower than the 

Company’s entitlement under the Shaikan PSC, giving rise to unrecognised revenue amounts.

During past PSC negotiations with the Ministry of Natural Resources (“MNR”), it was tentatively agreed that the Shaikan Contractor would provide 
the KRG a 20% carried working interest in the PSC. This would result in a reduction of GKP’s working interest from 80% to 61.5%. To compensate 
for such decrease, capacity building payments expense would be reduced from 40% to 20% of profit petroleum. While the PSC has not been 
formally amended, it was agreed that GKP would invoice the KRG for oil sales based on the proposed revised terms from October 2017. Since 
revenue is recognised on a cash-assured basis, the financial statements reflect the proposed revised working interest of 61.5%. Relative to the 
PSC terms, the proposed revised invoicing terms result in a decrease in both revenue and cost of sales and on a net basis are slightly positive for 
the Company. 

As part of earlier PSC negotiations, on 16 March 2016, GKP signed a bilateral agreement with the MNR (the “Bilateral Agreement”). The Bilateral 
Agreement included a reduction in the Group’s capacity building payment from 40% to 30% of profit petroleum. Subsequent to signing the 
Bilateral Agreement, further negotiations resulted in the capacity building payment rate being reduced from 30% to 20%, which has formed the 
basis for all oil sales invoices to date as noted above. Since PSC negotiations have not been finalised, GKP has included a non-cash payable for 
the difference between the capacity building rate of 20% and 30%, which is recognised in cost of sales and other payables. 

The Company is in constructive dialogue with the MNR to confirm whether to proceed with a formal amendment to the PSC to reflect current 
invoice terms or to revert to the original PSC terms.

Income tax arising from the Company’s activities under its PSC is settled by the KRG on behalf of the Company. However, the Company is not able 
to measure the amount of income tax that has been paid on its behalf and, therefore, the notional income tax amounts have not been included in 
revenue or in the tax charge.

114 

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited  Annual report and accounts 2021

Finance revenue
Interest revenue is accrued on a time basis, by reference to the principal outstanding and at the effective rate of interest applicable, which is the 
rate that exactly discounts estimated future cash receipts through the expected life of the financial asset to that asset’s net carrying amount on 
initial recognition.

Intangible assets 
Intangible assets include computer software and are measured at cost and amortised over their expected useful economic lives of three years.

Property, plant and equipment (“PPE”)
Oil and gas assets
Development and production assets 
Development and production assets are accumulated on a field-by-field basis and represent the costs of acquisition and developing the 
commercial reserves discovered and bringing them into production, together with the exploration and evaluation expenditure incurred in finding 
commercial reserves, directly attributable overheads and costs for future restoration and decommissioning. These costs are capitalised as part 
of PPE and depreciated based on the Group’s depreciation of oil and gas assets policy.

The net book values of producing assets are depreciated generally on a field-by-field basis using the unit of production (“UOP”) basis which uses 
the ratio of oil and gas production in the period to the remaining commercial reserves plus the production in the period. Production associated with 
unrecognised export sales revenue is included in the depreciation, depletion and amortisation (“DD&A”) calculation. Costs used in the calculation 
comprise the net book value of the field, and any anticipated costs to develop such reserves. 

Commercial reserves are proven and probable (“2P”) reserves together with, where considered appropriate, a risked portion of 2C contingent 
resources, which are estimated using standard recognised evaluation techniques. 

The reserves estimate used in 2021 is based on values as at 31 December 2020 included in the Competent Person’s Reports (“CPRs”) prepared 
by ERC Equipoise. 

Other property, plant and equipment
Other property, plant and equipment are principally equipment used in the field which are separately identifiable to development and production 
assets, and typically have a shorter useful economic life. Assets are carried at cost, less any accumulated depreciation and accumulated 
impairment losses. Costs include purchase price, construction and installation costs. 

These assets are expensed on a straight-line basis over their estimated useful lives of three years from the date they are put in use.

Fixtures and equipment
Fixtures and equipment assets are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation and any accumulated impairment losses. These assets are 
expensed on a straight-line basis over their estimated useful lives of five years from the date they are available for use.

Impairment of PPE and intangible non-current assets 
At each balance sheet date, the Group reviews the carrying amounts of its tangible and intangible assets to determine whether there is any 
indication that those assets have suffered an impairment loss. If any such indication exists, the recoverable amount of the asset, or group of 
assets, is estimated in order to determine the extent of the impairment loss (if any). 

For assets which do not generate cash flows that are independent from other assets, the Group estimates the recoverable amount of the 
cash-generating unit to which the asset belongs. 

Recoverable amount is the higher of fair value less costs to sell and value in use. In assessing value in use, the estimated future cash flows are 
discounted to their present value using a pre-tax discount rate that reflects current market assessments of the time value of money and the risks 
specific to the asset for which the estimates of future cash flows have not been adjusted.

Any impairment identified is immediately recognised as an expense. 

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115

GovernanceStrategic reportFinancialsSummary of significant accounting policies continued

Borrowing costs 
Borrowing costs directly relating to the acquisition or construction of qualifying assets, which are assets that necessarily take a substantial 
period of time to get ready for their intended use or sale, are capitalised and added to the cost of those assets, until such time as the assets are 
substantially ready for their intended use or sale. 

Investment income earned on the temporary investment of specific borrowings pending their expenditure on qualifying assets is deducted from 
the borrowing costs eligible for capitalisation. 

All other borrowing costs are recognised in the income statement in the period in which they are incurred. 

Taxation
Tax expense or credit represents the sum of tax currently payable or recoverable and deferred tax.

Tax currently payable or recoverable is based on taxable profit or loss for the year. Current tax assets and liabilities are measured at the amount 
expected to be recovered from or paid to the taxation authorities, based on tax rates and laws that are enacted or substantively enacted by the 
balance sheet date. 

As described in the revenue accounting policy section above, it is not possible to calculate the amount of notional tax in relation to any tax liabilities 
settled on behalf of the Group by the KRG.

Deferred tax is the tax expected to be payable or recoverable on differences between the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities in the financial 
statements and the corresponding tax bases used in the computation of taxable profit and is accounted for using the balance sheet liability 
method. Deferred tax liabilities are generally recognised for all taxable temporary differences and deferred tax assets are recognised to the extent 
that it is probable that taxable profits will be available against which deductible temporary differences can be utilised. Such assets and liabilities are 
not recognised if the temporary difference arises from the initial recognition of goodwill or from the initial recognition of other assets and liabilities 
in a transaction that affects neither the taxable profit nor the accounting profit.

The carrying amount of deferred tax assets is reviewed at each balance sheet date and reduced to the extent that it is no longer probable that 
sufficient taxable profits will be available to allow all or part assets to be recovered.

Deferred tax is calculated at the tax rates that are expected to apply in the period when the liability is settled or the asset is realised based on tax 
laws and rates that have been enacted or substantively enacted by the balance sheet date. Deferred tax is charged or credited in the income 
statement, except when it relates to items charged or credited directly to equity, in which case the deferred tax is also recognised in equity.

Foreign currencies
The individual financial statements of each company are presented in the currency of the primary economic environment in which it operates (its 
functional currency). For the purpose of the consolidated financial statements, the results and the financial position of the Group are expressed in 
US dollars, which is the presentation currency for the consolidated financial statements. 

In preparing the financial statements of the individual companies, transactions in currencies other than the entity’s functional currency are 
recorded at the rates of exchange prevailing on the dates of the transactions. At each balance sheet date, monetary assets and liabilities that are 
denominated in foreign currencies are retranslated at the rates prevailing on the balance sheet date. Non-monetary assets and liabilities carried at 
fair value that are denominated in foreign currencies are translated at the rates prevailing at the date when the fair value was determined. Gains and 
losses arising on retranslation are included in the income statement for the year.

On consolidation, the assets and liabilities of the Group’s foreign operations which use functional currencies other than US dollars are translated 
at exchange rates prevailing on the balance sheet date. Income and expense items are translated at the average exchange rates for the period. 
Exchange differences arising, if any, are recognised in other comprehensive income and accumulated in equity in the Group’s translation reserve. 
On the disposal of a foreign operation, such translation differences are reclassified to profit or loss.

Inventories
Inventories, except for hydrocarbon inventories, are stated at the lower of cost and net realisable value. Cost comprises direct materials and, 
where applicable, direct labour costs and those overheads that have been incurred in bringing the inventories to their present location and 
condition. Cost is calculated using the weighted average cost method. Hydrocarbon inventories are recorded at net realisable value with changes 
in the value of hydrocarbon inventories being adjusted through cost of sales.

116 

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited  Annual report and accounts 2021

Financial instruments
Financial assets and financial liabilities are recognised on the Group’s balance sheet when the Group has become a party to the contractual 
provisions of the instrument. 

Trade receivables
Trade receivables are measured at amortised cost using the effective interest method less any impairment. 

Cash and cash equivalents
Cash and cash equivalents comprise cash on hand and demand deposits and other short-term highly liquid investments that are readily 
convertible to a known amount of cash and are subject to an insignificant risk of changes in value.

Financial assets at fair value through profit and loss
Financial assets are held at fair value through profit and loss (“FVTPL”) when the financial asset is either held for trading or it is designated as 
FVTPL. Financial assets at FVTPL are stated at fair value, with any gains or losses arising on re-measurement recognised in profit or loss. The net 
gain or loss recognised in profit or loss incorporates any dividend or interest earned on the financial asset and is included in the other gains and 
losses line in the income statement.

Derivative financial instruments
The Group may utilise derivative financial instruments to manage its exposure to oil price risk.

Derivatives are initially recognised at fair value at the date a derivative contract is entered into and are subsequently re-measured to their fair 
value at each balance sheet date. The resulting gain or loss is recognised in the profit or loss immediately unless the derivative is designated and 
effective as a hedging instrument, in which event the timing of the recognition in profit or loss depends on the nature of the hedge relationship. 

A derivative with a positive fair value is recognised as a financial asset whereas a derivative with a negative fair value is recognised as a liability. 
A derivative is presented as a non-current asset or a non-current liability if the remaining maturity of the instrument is more than twelve months 
and it is not expected to be realised or settled within twelve months. Other derivatives are presented as current assets or current liabilities.

Hedge accounting
The Group uses hedge accounting for certain derivative instruments. The Group uses cash flow hedge accounting when hedging the exposure 
to variability in cash flows that is either attributable to a particular risk associated with a recognised asset or liability or a highly probable forecast 
transaction or the foreign currency risk in an unrecognised firm commitment.

At the inception of the hedge relationship, the Group formally designates and documents the relationship between the hedging instrument and the 
hedged item, along with its risk management objectives and its strategy for undertaking the hedge transaction. Furthermore, at the inception of 
the hedge and on an ongoing basis, the Group documents whether the hedging instrument is highly effective in offsetting changes in fair values or 
cash flows of the hedged item attributable to the hedged risk, which is when the hedging relationship meets all of the following hedge effectiveness 
requirements:

•  there is an economic relationship between the hedged item and the hedging instrument;
•  the effect of credit risk does not dominate the value changes that result from the economic relationship; and
•  the hedge ratio of the hedging relationship is the same as that resulting from the quantity of the hedged item that the Group actually hedges and 

the quantity of the hedging instrument that the Group uses to hedge that quantity of hedged item. 

If a hedging relationship ceases to meet the hedge effectiveness requirement relating to the hedge ratio but the risk management objective for 
that designated hedging relationship remains the same, the Group adjusts the hedge ratio of the hedging relationship (i.e. rebalances the hedge) 
so that it meets the qualifying criteria again. 

The Group designates only the intrinsic value of option contracts as a hedged item, i.e. excluding the time value of the option. The changes in the 
fair value of the time value of the option are recognised in other comprehensive income and accumulated in the cost of hedging reserve. If the 
hedged item is transaction-related, the time value is reclassified to profit or loss when the hedged item affects profit or loss. If the hedged item 
is time-period related, then the amount accumulated in the cost of hedging reserve is reclassified to profit or loss on a rational basis – the Group 
applies straight-line amortisation. Those reclassified amounts are recognised in profit or loss. If the hedged item is a non-financial item, then the 
amount accumulated in the cost of hedging reserve is removed directly from equity and included in the initial carrying amount of the recognised 
non-financial item. Furthermore, if the Group expects that some or all of the profit or loss accumulated in cost of hedging reserve will not be 
recovered in the future, that amount is immediately reclassified to profit or loss.

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Financial instruments continued
Cash flow hedge
The effective portion of changes in the fair value of derivatives and other qualifying hedging instruments that are designated and qualify as cash 
flow hedges is recognised in other comprehensive income and accumulated under the heading of cash flow hedging reserve, limited to the 
cumulative change in fair value of the hedged item from inception of the hedge. The gain or loss relating to the ineffective portion is recognised 
immediately in profit or loss and is included in the revenue line item.

The Group discontinues hedge accounting only when the hedging relationship (or a part thereof) ceases to meet the qualifying criteria (after 
rebalancing, if applicable). This includes instances when the hedging instrument expires or is sold, terminated or exercised. The discontinuation is 
accounted for prospectively. Any gain or loss recognised in other comprehensive income and accumulated in cash flow hedge reserve at that time 
remains in equity and is reclassified to profit or loss when the forecast transaction occurs. When a forecast transaction is no longer expected to 
occur, the gain or loss accumulated in the cash flow hedge reserve is reclassified immediately to profit or loss.

Impairment of financial assets
The Group recognises a loss allowance for expected credit losses (“ECL”) on trade receivables and contract assets, as well as on financial 
guarantee contracts. The amount of expected credit losses is updated at each reporting date to reflect changes in credit risk since initial 
recognition of the respective financial instrument.

The Group always recognises lifetime expected credit losses for trade receivables, contract assets and lease receivables. The expected credit 
losses on these financial assets are estimated based on observed market data and convention, existing market conditions and forward-looking 
estimates at the end of each reporting period, including time value of money where appropriate.

For all other financial instruments, the Group recognises lifetime ECL when there has been a significant increase in credit risk since initial 
recognition. However, if the credit risk on the financial instrument has not increased significantly since initial recognition, the Group measures 
the loss allowance for that financial instrument at an amount equal to twelve-month ECL.

Lifetime ECL represents the expected credit losses that will result from all possible default events over the expected life of a financial instrument. 
In contrast, twelve-month ECL represents the portion of lifetime ECL that is expected to result from default events on a financial instrument that 
are possible within twelve months after the reporting date.

Financial liabilities and equity
Financial liabilities and equity instruments are classified according to the substance of the contractual arrangements entered into. An equity 
instrument is any contract that evidences a residual interest in the assets of the Group after deducting all of its liabilities.

Equity instruments
Equity instruments issued by the Company are recorded at the proceeds received, net of direct issue costs, which are charged to share premium.

Borrowings
Interest-bearing loans and overdrafts are recorded at the fair value of proceeds received, net of transaction costs. Finance charges, including 
premiums payable on settlement or redemption, are accounted for on an accrual basis and are added to the carrying amount of the instrument to 
the extent that they are not settled in the year in which they arise. The liability is carried at amortised cost using the effective interest rate method 
until maturity.

Trade payables
Trade payables are stated at amortised cost. The average maturity for trade and other payables is one to three months.

Provisions
Provisions are recognised when the Group has a present obligation as a result of a past event which it is probable will result in an outflow of 
economic benefits that can be reliably estimated.

Decommissioning provision
Provision for decommissioning is recognised in full when there is an obligation to restore the site to its original condition. The amount 
recognised is the present value of the estimated future expenditure for restoring the sites of drilled wells and related facilities to their original status. 
A corresponding amount equivalent to the provision is also recognised as part of the cost of the related oil and gas asset. The amount recognised 
is reassessed each year in accordance with local conditions and requirements. Any change in the present value of the estimated expenditure is 
dealt with prospectively. The unwinding of the discount is included as a finance cost.

118 

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited  Annual report and accounts 2021

Share-based payments
Equity-settled share-based payments to employees and others providing similar services are measured at the fair value of the instruments at the 
grant date. Details regarding the determination of the fair value of equity-settled share-based transactions are set out in note 24. The fair value 
determined at the grant date of the equity-settled share-based payments is expensed on a straight-line basis over the vesting period, based on 
the Group’s estimate of equity instruments that will eventually vest. At each balance sheet date, the Group revises its estimate of the number of 
equity instruments expected to vest as a result of the effect of non-market-based vesting conditions. The impact of the revision of the original 
estimates, if any, is recognised in profit or loss such that the cumulative expense reflects the revised estimate, with a corresponding adjustment 
to equity reserve. 

For cash-settled share-based payments, a liability is recognised for the goods or services acquired, measured initially at the fair value of the 
liability. At each balance sheet date until the liability is settled, and at the date of settlement, the fair value of the liability is re-measured, with any 
changes in fair value recognised in profit or loss for the period. Details regarding the determination of the fair value of cash-settled share-based 
transactions are set out in note 24.

Leases
The Group assesses whether a contract contains a lease at inception of the contract. The Group recognises a right-of-use asset and 
corresponding lease liability in the consolidated balance sheet for all lease arrangements longer than twelve months, where it is the lessee and has 
control of the asset. For all other leases, the Group recognises the lease payments as an operating expense on a straight-line basis over the term 
of the lease. 

The lease liability is initially measured at the present value of the future lease payments from the commencement date of the lease. 
The lease payments are discounted using the interest rate implicit in the lease or, if not readily determinable, the Company-specific incremental 
borrowing rate.

The lease liability is subsequently measured by increasing the carrying amount to reflect interest on the lease liability (using the effective interest 
method) and by reducing the carrying amount to reflect the lease payments made. The lease liability is recognised in creditors as current or 
non-current liabilities depending on underlying lease terms. 

The right-of-use assets are initially recognised on the balance sheet at cost, which comprises the amount of the initial measurement of the 
corresponding lease liability, adjusted for any lease payments made at or prior to the commencement date of the lease and any lease incentive 
received. 

For short-term leases (periods less than twelve months) and leases of low value, the Group has opted to recognise lease expense on a 
straight-line basis.

Critical accounting judgements and key sources of estimation uncertainty
In the application of the Group’s accounting policies, which are described above, the Directors are required to make judgements, estimates and 
assumptions about the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. The estimates and associated 
assumptions are based on historical experience and other factors that are considered to be relevant. Actual results may differ from these 
estimates. 

The estimates and underlying assumptions are reviewed on an ongoing basis. Revisions to accounting estimates are recognised in the period in 
which the estimate is revised if the revision affects only that period or in the period of revision and future periods if the revision affects both current 
and future periods. 

Critical judgements in applying the Group’s accounting policies
The following are the critical judgements, apart from those involving estimations (which are presented separately below), that the Directors 
have made in the process of applying the Group’s accounting policies and that have the most significant effect on the amounts recognised in the 
financial statements.

Revenue
The recognition of revenue, particularly the recognition of revenue from exports, is considered to be a key accounting judgement. The Group 
began commercial production from the Shaikan Field in July 2013 and historically made sales to both the domestic and export markets. The Group 
considers that revenue can be only reliably measured when the cash receipt is assured. The assessment of whether cash receipts are assured is 
based on management’s evaluation of the reliability of the MNR’s payments to the international oil companies operating in the Kurdistan Region 
of Iraq. 

The judgement is not to recognise revenue in excess of the sum of the cash receipt that is assured and the amount of payables to the MNR that 
can be offset against amounts due for previously unrecognised revenue in line with the terms of the Shaikan PSC, even though the Group may be 
entitled to additional revenue under the terms of the Shaikan PSC. Any future agreements between the Company and the KRG might change the 
amounts of revenue recognised.

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited  Annual report and accounts 2021  

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Key sources of estimation uncertainty
The key assumptions concerning the future, and other key sources of estimation uncertainty at the reporting period that may have a significant risk 
of causing a material adjustment to the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities within the next financial year, are discussed below.

Carrying value of producing assets
In line with the Group’s accounting policy on impairment, management performs an impairment review of the Group’s oil and gas assets at 
least annually with reference to indicators as set out in IAS 36. The Group assesses its group of assets, called a cash-generating unit (“CGU”), 
for impairment, if events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. Where indicators are 
present, management calculates the recoverable amount using key estimates such as future oil prices, estimated production volumes, the cost of 
development and production, pre-tax discount rates that reflect the current market assessment of the time value of money and risks specific to the 
asset, commercial reserves and inflation. The key assumptions are subject to change based on market trends and economic conditions. Where 
the CGU’s recoverable amount is lower than the carrying amount, the CGU is considered impaired and is written down to its recoverable amount. 

The Group’s sole CGU at 31 December 2021 was the Shaikan Field with a carrying value of $402.1 million. The Group performed a full impairment 
indicator evaluation considering the impact of climate change, oil prices, field productivity, potential changes to future development plans, impacts 
of local and global geopolitical factors, including the potential inability to access export pipeline due to sanctions (see note 29), and liquidity. 
The potential impact of such factors together with other possible changes to key assumptions and available mitigating actions, showed that no 
impairment indicators arose. 

The key areas of estimation in the impairment assessment are as follows: 

•  commodity prices are based on latest internal forecasts, benchmarked with external sources of information to ensure they are within the range 

of available market and analyst forecasts; 

Scenario 

31 December 2021 – base case 

31 December 2021 – stress case 

31 December 2020 – base case 

31 December 2020 – stress case 

2022  2023 onwards 
$/bbl – Real

$/bbl – Real 

$81 

$80 

$55 

$40 

$55

$50

$55

$40

•  the Group continues to develop its assessment of the potential impacts of climate change and the associated risks, the transition to a 
low-carbon future and our ambition to reduce scope 1 and 2 per barrel CO2 emissions by at least 50% by 2025. The potential effects of 
climate change and the Paris Agreement were considered. It was concluded, based on benchmarking, that the stress case price deck used in 
the impairment assessment is reasonable to reflect the potential impact of meeting the Paris Agreement targets. The stress case also includes 
an estimated cost of the introduction of a carbon tax in Kurdistan;

•  discount rates that are adjusted to reflect risks specific to the Shaikan Field and the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. The impairment analysis was 

based on a post-tax nominal 15% discount rate (2020: 15%). The impact of an increase in the discount rate to 20% was considered to reflect 
potential increased geopolitical risks and no impairment was identified;

•  operating costs and capital expenditure are based on financial budgets and internal management forecasts. Costs assumptions incorporate 
management experience and expectations, as well as the nature and location of the operation and the risks associated therewith. Base case 
costs assumptions used in the assessment are consistent with the November 2021 draft FDP submitted to the MNR, which includes the 
estimated cost of implementing a Gas Management Plan, as part of our ambition to reduce scope 1 and 2 emissions as outlined above; 
•  commercial reserves and production profiles used in the assessment are consistent with the November 2021 draft FDP submitted to the 

MNR; and

•  timing of revenue receipts.

In February 2022, a majority decision of the Iraqi Supreme Court ruled that the Kurdistan Region of Iraq Oil and Gas Law (“KROGL”) was 
unconstitutional and provides that the Iraqi Ministry of Oil may pursue annulment of Production Sharing Contracts issued by the Kurdish Regional 
Government (“KRG”). The KRG responded that “it will take all constitutional, legal, and judicial measures to protect and preserve all contracts 
made in the oil and gas sector”. While the Iraqi government has disputed the validity of the PSCs and the ruling has not to date impacted our 
business, it is not possible to determine potential future implications. The Group will continue to engage with Ministry officials on this matter and will 
react as any implications of the ruling become clearer.

120 

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Notes to the consolidated financial statements 

1 Geographical information
The Group’s non-current assets, excluding deferred tax assets and other financial assets, by geographical location are detailed below:

Kurdistan 

United Kingdom 

2021 
$’000 

2020 
Restated 
$’000

402,787 

404,492

5,001 

1,910

407,788 

406,402

The Chief Operating Decision Maker, as per the definition in IFRS 8, is considered to be the Board of Directors. The Group operates in a single 
segment, that of oil and gas exploration, development and production, in a single geographical location, the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. As a result, 
the financial information of the single segment is the same as set out in the consolidated statement of comprehensive income, the consolidated 
balance sheet, the consolidated statement of changes in equity, the consolidated cash flow statement and the related notes.

Information about major customers
Included in revenues are $305.1 million, which arose from sales to the KRG (2020: $108.4 million).

2 Revenue

Oil sales 

Hedging losses reclassified to revenue 

2021 
$’000 

2020 
$’000

305,142 

108,449

(3,753) 

—

301,389 

108,449

The Group accounting policy for revenue recognition is set out in the ‘Summary of significant accounting policies’, with revenue recognised  
on a cash-assured basis.

During 2021, the cash-assured values recognised as oil sales were the invoiced revenue for the year amounting to $305.1 million (2020: 
$108.4 million). The oil sales price was calculated using the monthly average Dated Brent price, which was $70.8/bbl on average during the 
year (2020: $42.0/bbl) less an average discount of $21.20/bbl (2020: $21.10/bbl) for quality and pipeline tariff costs. 

Hedging losses were incurred on put options which were purchased to protect against a decline in Dated Brent prices below certain levels. 
Put options were purchased for H1 2021 and Q3 2021, effectively establishing a floor price of $35/bbl and $40/bbl, respectively, over 
approximately 60% of net entitlement production. The put options were designated as cash flow hedges. All the put options expired during 
the year and the associated hedging losses that had previously been deferred within the hedging reserve were reclassified to revenue.

3 Cost of sales

Operating costs  

Capacity building payments 

Changes in inventory valuation 

Depreciation of oil and gas assets 

Depreciation of operational assets  

2021 
$’000 

34,372 

23,529 

(348) 

2020 
$’000

27,401

8,362

2,923

54,120 

82,797

48 

24

111,721 

121,507

Further details on the depreciation of oil and gas assets and operational assets is set out in the Summary of significant accounting policies section.

During the year, the Group received a Competent Person’s Report from ERC Equipoise Limited regarding the Shaikan Field’s reserves and 
resources as at 31 December 2020. The use of the future capital expenditure and 2P reserves estimates from the report resulted in a lower 
depreciation, depletion and amortisation (“DD&A”) per barrel rate. The new DD&A rate constitutes a change in accounting estimate and is 
reflected in the financial statements effective 1 January 2021. 

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Notes to the consolidated financial statements 
continued

4 Other general and administrative expenses 

Depreciation and amortisation 

Auditor’s remuneration (see below) 

Other general and administrative costs  

2021 
$’000 

940 

583 

12,120 

13,643 

Of the $13.6 million of general and administrative expenses, $4.1 million (2020: $5.0 million) were incurred in relation to the Shaikan Field.

Fees payable to the Company’s auditor for the audit of the Company’s annual accounts  

Fees payable to the Company’s auditor for other services to the Group 

– audit of the Company’s subsidiaries pursuant to legislation  

Total audit fees 

Advisory services 

Other assurance services (including a half-year review) 

Total fees 

(1)  The fees payable to the Company’s auditor in 2020 included $43,000 in respect of the 2019 audit.

5 Share option related expense

Share-based payment expense  

Payments related to share options exercised 

Share-based payment related provision for taxes 

2021 
$’000 

318 

28 

346 

107 

130 

583 

2021 
$’000 

2,255 

4,142 

2,093 

8,490 

2020 
$’000

1,325

574

10,413

12,312

2020 
$’000

350(1)

28

378

45

151

574

2020 
$’000

2,440

—

(1,205)

1,235

On the exercise of the Value Creation Plan (“VCP”) share options by former Directors, tax settlements were made in cash instead of using the 
proceeds from selling additional shares. This and the payment of dividends accumulated during the VCP vesting period are the main components 
of the payments related to share options exercised. As applicable, the future exercise of outstanding VCP share options is expected to be equity 
settled although the Company may consider settling any related tax in cash.

6 Staff costs
The average number of employees and contractors (including Executive Directors) employed by the Group was 349 (2020: 354). The headcount 
numbers are not adjusted for part-time, shift-work and rotational working arrangements.

Staff costs were as follows:

Wages and salaries 

Social security costs 

Share-based payment (see note 24) 

2021 
$’000 

36,835 

1,880 

3,009 

41,724 

2020 
$’000

31,753

1,334

2,637

35,724

Staff costs include costs relating to contractors who are long-term workers in key positions, and are included in PPE additions, cost of sales and 
other general and administrative expenditure depending on the nature of such costs. 

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7 Finance costs and finance revenue

Notes interest paid during the year (see note 16) 

Unwinding of finance and arrangement fees (see note 16)  

Finance lease interest 

Put option premium  

Unwinding of discount on provisions (see note 17) 

Total finance costs  

Finance revenue  

Net finance costs 

8 Income tax 

Current year credit/(expense) 

Prior year adjustment 

Deferred UK corporation tax credit/(expense) (see note 18) 

Tax credit/(expense) attributable to the Company and its subsidiaries 

2021 
$’000 

2020 
$’000

(10,000) 

(10,000)

(489) 

(123) 

— 

(741) 

(440)

(221)

(2,662)

(764)

(11,353) 

(14,087)

419 

1,278 

(10,934) 

(12,809)

2021 
$’000 

75 

28 

771 

874 

2020 
$’000

(90)

—

(221)

(311)

Under current Bermudian laws, the Group is not required to pay taxes in Bermuda on either income or capital gains. The Group has received an 
undertaking from the Minister of Finance in Bermuda exempting it from any such taxes at least until the year 2035.

In the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, the Group is subject to corporate income tax on its income from petroleum operations under the Kurdistan PSC. 
Under the Shaikan PSC, any corporate income tax arising from petroleum operations will be paid from the KRG’s share of petroleum profits. Due to 
the uncertainty over the payment mechanism for oil sales in Kurdistan, it has not been possible to measure reliably the taxation due that has been 
paid on behalf of the Group by the KRG and therefore the notional tax amounts have not been included in revenue or in the tax charge. This is an 
accounting presentational issue and there is no taxation to be paid.

The annual UK corporation tax rate for the year ended 31 December 2021 was 19.0% (2020: 19.0%).

At the Budget 2021 on 3 March 2021, the UK Government announced that the corporation tax rate in the UK will increase to 25% for companies 
with profits above £250,000 with effect from 1 April 2023, as well as announcing a number of other changes to allowances and treatment of losses. 
These changes were substantively enacted as at 31 December 2021. Deferred tax is provided for due to the temporary differences, which give rise 
to such a balance in jurisdictions subject to income tax. All deferred tax arises in the UK. 

9 Profit/(loss) per share
The calculation of the basic and diluted profit per share is based on the following data:

Profit/(loss) after tax for basic and diluted per share calculations 

Number of shares (‘000s): 

Basic weighted average number of ordinary shares 

Basic EPS (cents) 

2021 
$’000 

2020 
$’000

164,597 

(47,342)

213,384 

210,893

77.14 

(22.45)

The Group followed the steps specified by IAS 33 in determining whether potential common shares are dilutive or anti-dilutive. 

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited  Annual report and accounts 2021  

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Notes to the consolidated financial statements 
continued

9 Profit/(loss) per share continued
Reconciliation of dilutive shares:

Number of shares (‘000s): 

Basic weighted average number of ordinary shares outstanding  

Effect of dilutive potential ordinary shares    

Diluted number of ordinary shares outstanding  

Diluted EPS (cents) 

2021 
$’000 

2020 
$’000

213,384 

210,893

11,962 

—

225,346 

210,893

73.04 

(22.45)

The weighted average number of ordinary shares in issue excludes shares held by the Employee Benefit Trustee (“EBT”) and the Exit Event 
Trustee. 

The diluted number of ordinary shares outstanding including share options is calculated on the assumption of conversion of all potentially dilutive 
ordinary shares. 

As the Company reported a loss for the year ended 2020, the exercise of the outstanding share options would have reduced the reported loss per 
share and, therefore, the share options were anti-dilutive.

10 Intangible assets

Year ended 31 December 2020 

Opening net book value 

Additions 

Amortisation charge 

Foreign currency translation differences 

Closing net book value 

At 31 December 2020 

Cost 

Accumulated amortisation   

Net book value 

Year ended 31 December 2021 

Opening net book value  

Additions 

Amortisation charge 

Foreign currency translation differences 

Closing net book value 

At 31 December 2021 

Cost 

Accumulated amortisation   

Net book value 

Computer  
software 
$’000

454

458

(3)

24

933

1,980

(1,047)

933

933

2,742

(25)

(67)

3,583

4,722

(1,139)

3,583

The amortisation charge of $25,000 (2020: $3,000) for computer software has been included in other general and administrative expenses 
(see note 4).

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Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited  Annual report and accounts 2021

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
11 Property, plant and equipment

Year ended 31 December 2020 

Opening net book value – restated 

Additions 

Lease modification 

Revision to decommissioning asset 

Depreciation charge 

Foreign currency translation differences 

Closing net book value – restated 

At 31 December 2020 

Cost 

Accumulated depreciation   

Net book value – restated  

Year ended 31 December 2021 

Opening net book value 

Additions 

Disposals 

Revision to decommissioning asset 

Depreciation charge 

Accumulated depreciation eliminated on disposal 

Foreign currency translation differences 

Closing net book value 

At 31 December 2021 

Cost 

Accumulated depreciation   

Net book value 

Oil and gas 
assets 
$’000 

Fixtures and 
equipment 
$’000 

Right-of-use 
assets 
$’000 

Total 
$’000

428,601 

51,716 

— 

5,100 

1,310 

155 

— 

— 

2,596 

432,507

1,721 

53,592

(1,623) 

— 

(1,623)

5,100

(82,797) 

(278) 

(1,044) 

(84,119)

— 

402,620 

— 

1,187 

12 

12

1,662 

405,469

778,329 

7,160 

3,602 

789,091

(375,709) 

(5,973) 

(1,940) 

(383,622)

402,620 

1,187 

1,662 

405,469

402,620 

46,165 

— 

7,429 

1,187 

203 

— 

— 

1,662 

405,469

76 

46,444

(1,432) 

— 

(1,432)

7,429

(54,120) 

(351) 

(612) 

(55,083)

— 

(1) 

— 

(6) 

1,405 

(21) 

1,405

(28)

402,094 

1,033 

1,078 

404,205

831,924 

7,363 

2,246 

841,533

(429,830) 

(6,330) 

(1,168) 

(437,328)

402,094 

1,033 

1,078 

404,205

The net book value of oil and gas assets at 31 December 2021 is comprised of property, plant and equipment relating to the Shaikan block with a 
carrying value of $402.1 million (2020 restated: $402.6 million). 

The additions to the Shaikan asset during the year include the costs relating to the drilling and completion of SH-14 and SH-13, well flowlines 
construction, PF-1 and PF-2 debottlenecking activities and subsurface studies. The increase in the decommissioning asset represents further 
decommissioning obligations that arose on capital projects completed during the year and revisions to decommissioning cost estimates.

The DD&A charge of $54.1 million (2020: $82.8 million) on oil and gas assets has been included within cost of sales (note 3). The depreciation 
charge of $0.4 million (2020: $0.3 million) on fixtures and equipment and $0.6 million (2020: $1.0 million) on right-of-use assets has been included 
in general and administrative expenses (note 4). 

Right-of-use assets at 31 December 2021 of $1.1 million (2020: $1.7 million) consisted principally of buildings.

For details of the key assumptions and judgements underlying the impairment assessment, refer to the “Critical accounting estimates and 
judgements” section of the Summary of significant accounting policies.

See note 28 for further information on restated balances. 

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited  Annual report and accounts 2021  

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Notes to the consolidated financial statements 
continued

12 Group companies
Details of the Company’s subsidiaries and joint operations at 31 December 2021 is as follows:

Name of subsidiary 

Gulf Keystone Petroleum (UK) Limited 
6th Floor 
New Fetter Place 
8-10 New Fetter Lane 
London EC4A 1AZ 

Gulf Keystone Petroleum International Limited 
Cedar House, 3rd Floor 
41 Cedar Avenue 
Hamilton HM12 
Bermuda

Name of joint operation 

Shaikan 

13 Inventories

Warehouse stocks and materials  

Crude oil  

Place of incorporation 

United Kingdom 

Proportion of 
ownership interest 

100% 

Principal 
activity

Management, support, 
geological, geophysical 
and engineering services 

Bermuda 

100% 

Exploration, evaluation, 
development and 
production activities 
in Kurdistan 

Location 

Kurdistan 

Proportion of 
ownership interest 

Principal 
activity

80% 

Production and 
 development activities

  31 December 
2021 
$’000 

   31 December 
2020 
Restated 
$’000 

5,318 

700 

6,018 

5,405 

355 

5,760 

1 January 
2020 
Restated 
$’000

5,230

905

6,135

Warehouse stock and materials at 31 December 2021 contain write downs to net realisable value of nil (2020: $2.5 million) included in cost of sales. 

The comparative inventory balances have been restated as items of inventory have been reclassified to property, plant and equipment. See note 
28 for further information. 

14 Trade and other receivables
Non-current receivables

Trade receivables 

Current receivables

Trade receivables 

Other receivables  

Prepayments and accrued income 

2021 
$’000 

2020 
$’000

— 

59,096

2021 
$’000 

174,634 

3,622 

944 

2020 
$’000

34,021

2,963

848

179,200 

37,832

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Reconciliation of trade receivables

Gross carrying amount  

Less: impairment allowance 

Carrying value at 31 December 

2021 
$’000 

2020 
$’000

175,754 

101,302

(1,120) 

174,634 

(8,185)

93,117

Gross trade receivables of $175.8 million (2020: $101.3 million) are comprised of invoiced amounts due from the KRG for crude oil sales totalling 
$163.6 million (2020: $92.2 million) and a share of Shaikan revenue arrears the Group purchased from MOL amounting to $12.2 million (2020: 
$9.1 million). The amount due for crude oil sales includes past due trade receivables of $43.1 million(1) (2020: $77.3 million) related to November 
2019 to February 2020 invoices. 

While the Group expects to recover the full value of the outstanding invoices and purchased revenue arrears, the ECL on the overdue receivable 
balance of $1.1 million (2020: $8.2 million) was provided against the receivables balance in line with the requirements of IFRS 9. During the year, 
a $7.1 million gain was recognised due to the reduction of the ECL provision (2020: a loss of $6.8 million due to the increase of the ECL provision), 
driven by a lower arrears balance. 

The Group continues to receive payments in relation to the arrears from the outstanding invoices in line with the KRG’s proposal to pay 20% of the 
difference between the monthly average Dated Brent price and $50/bbl multiplied by the gross Shaikan crude oil volumes sold in the month. 

(1)  The past due invoiced trade receivables amount excludes the associated capacity building payments due to the KRG which reduce the amount due to GKP to 

$41.0 million (2020: $73.3 million). 

ECL sensitivities 
The Group’s profit before tax was not sensitive to movements of +/-10% in production level, Brent price, loss given default or probability of default.

Other receivables 
Included within Other receivables is an amount of $0.4 million (2020: $0.4 million) being the deposits for leased assets which are receivable after 
more than one year. There are no receivables from related parties as at 31 December 2021 (2020: nil). No impairments of other receivables have 
been recognised during the year (2020: nil).

15 Trade and other payables
Trade and other payables principally comprise amounts outstanding for trade purchases and ongoing costs. 

The Directors consider that the carrying amount of trade payables approximates their fair value.

Current liabilities

Trade payables 

Accrued expenditures 

Other payables 

Current lease liabilities (see note 22) 

Tax liabilities 

2021 
$’000 

6,494 

25,961 

65,927 

419 

— 

2020 
$’000

2,212

14,481

51,612

718

100

98,800 

69,123 

Accrued expenditures include $4.4 million interest payable as at 31 December 2021 (2020: $4.4 million); see note 16. 

Other payables include $56.4 million (2020: $46.5 million) of amounts payable to the KRG that are not expected to be paid, but rather offset 
against revenue due from the KRG related to pre-October 2017 oil sales, which have not yet been recognised in the financial statements. 
Within this amount, $22.6 million (2020: $14.8 million) relates to a non-cash payable for the difference between the capacity building rate 
of 20% and 30% (see Summary of significant accounting policies, Sales revenue). 

Non-current liabilities

Non-current lease liability (see note 22) 

2021 
$’000 

789 

2020 
$’000

1,058

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Notes to the consolidated financial statements 
continued

16 Long-term borrowings

Liability component at 1 January  

Interest expense, including unwinding of finance and arrangement fees   

Interest paid during the year 

Liability component at 31 December  

Liability component reported in: 

Current liabilities (see note 15) 

Non-current liabilities 

2021 
$’000 

2020 
$’000

102,993 

102,553

10,489 

10,440

(10,000) 

(10,000)

103,482 

102,993

2021 
$’000 

4,359 

99,123 

2020 
$’000

4,360

98,633

103,482 

102,993

In July 2018, the Group completed the private placement of a five-year senior unsecured $100 million bond issue (the “Notes”). The unsecured 
Notes are guaranteed by Gulf Keystone Petroleum International Limited and Gulf Keystone Petroleum (UK) Limited, two of the Company’s 
subsidiaries, and the key terms are summarised as follows:

•  maturity date is 25 July 2023;
•  at any time prior to maturity, the Notes are redeemable by GKP in part or full with a prepayment penalty;
•  the interest rate is 10% per annum with semi-annual payment dates; and
•  the Company is permitted to raise up to $200 million of additional indebtedness at any time on market terms to fund capital and operating 

expenditure, subject to certain requirements.

During the year, the Group was not in breach of any terms of the Notes.

The Notes are traded on the Norwegian Stock Exchange and the fair value at the prevailing market price as at the balance sheet date was:

Notes 

Market 
price 

2021 
$’000 

2020 
$’000

$103.75 

103,750 

102,500

As at 31 December 2021, the Group’s remaining contractual liability comprising principal and interest based on undiscounted cash flows is as 
follows:

Within one year 

Within two years  

17 Provisions

Decommissioning provision 

At 1 January 

New provisions and changes in estimates   

Unwinding of discount 

At 31 December 

2021 
$’000 

10,000 

105,639 

2020 
$’000

10,000

115,639

115,639 

125,639

2021 
$’000 

35,671 

7,429 

741 

2020 
$’000

29,807

5,100

764

43,841 

35,671

The provision for decommissioning is based on the net present value of the Group’s estimated share of expenditure, inflated at 2.0% (2020: 2.0%) 
and discounted at 2.0% (2020: 2.0%), which may be incurred for the removal and decommissioning of the wells and facilities currently in place and 
restoration of the sites to their original state. Most expenditures are expected to take place towards the end of the PSC term in 2043. 

128 

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited  Annual report and accounts 2021

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
18 Deferred tax asset
The following are the major deferred tax liabilities and assets recognised by the Group and movements thereon during the current and prior 
reporting periods. The deferred tax assets arise in the United Kingdom.

At 1 January 2020 

(Charge)/credit to income statement 

Exchange differences 

At 31 December 2020 

(Charge)/credit to income statement 

Exchange differences 

At 31 December 2021 

19 Financial instruments

Financial assets 

Cash and cash equivalents   

Receivables 

Derivative financial instruments 

Put options used for hedging 

Financial liabilities 

Trade and other payables 

Borrowings 

 Accelerated tax  Share-based 
payments 
$’000 

depreciation 
$’000 

Tax losses 
 carried 
forward 
$’000 

(27) 

(85) 

(3) 

(115) 

(381) 

1 

801 

(66) 

(3) 

732 

321 

(4) 

(495) 

1,049 

75 

(70) 

(5) 

— 

831 

— 

831 

Total 
$’000

849

(221)

(11)

617

771

(3)

1,385

2021 
$’000 

2020 
$’000

169,866 

147,826

178,258 

97,776

348,124 

245,602

— 

977

348,124 

246,579

99,589 

99,123 

198,712 

70,081

98,633

168,714

All financial liabilities, except for borrowings (see note 16) and non-current lease liabilities (see note 15), are due to be settled within one year and 
are classified as current liabilities. All financial liabilities are recognised at amortised cost.

The maturity profile and fair values of the Notes are disclosed in note 16. The maturity profile of all other financial liabilities is indicated by their 
classification in the balance sheet as “Current” or “Non-current”. Further information relevant to the Group’s liquidity position is disclosed in the 
Directors’ report under “Going concern”. 

Fair values of financial assets and liabilities
With the exception of the Notes, and the receivables from the KRG which the Group expects to recover in full (see note 14), the Group considers 
the carrying value of all its financial assets and liabilities to be materially the same as their fair value. The fair value of the Notes, as determined using 
market values at 31 December 2021, was $103.8 million (2020: $102.5 million) compared to the carrying value of $99.1 million (2020: $98.6 million).

In making the above assessment, consideration has been given to the fair value hierarchy set out in IFRS 13. Fair value hierarchy levels 1 to 3 are 
based on the degree to which the fair value is observable:

•  Level 1 fair value measurements are those derived from quoted prices (unadjusted) in active markets for identical assets or liabilities;
•  Level 2 fair value measurements are those derived from inputs other than quoted prices included with Level 1 that are observable for the asset 

or liability, either directly (i.e. as prices) or indirectly (i.e. derived from prices); and

•  Level 3 fair value measurements are those derived from valuation techniques that include inputs for the asset or liability that are not based on 

observable market date (unobservable inputs).

The fair value of the Notes disclosed above is based on Level 1 in the hierarchy.

The financial assets balance includes an $1.1 million provision against trade receivables (2020: $8.2 million) (see note 14). All financial assets, 
except derivatives designated as a hedge, are measured at amortised cost.

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited  Annual report and accounts 2021  

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Notes to the consolidated financial statements 
continued

19 Financial instruments continued
Capital risk management
The Group manages its capital to ensure that the entities within the Group will be able to continue as going concerns while maximising the return 
to stakeholders through the optimisation of the debt and equity structure. The capital structure of the Group consists of cash, cash equivalents, 
Notes and equity attributable to equity holders of the parent. Equity comprises issued capital, reserves and accumulated losses as disclosed in 
note 20 and the consolidated statement of changes in equity.

Capital structure
The Group’s Board of Directors reviews the capital structure on a regular basis and will make adjustments in light of changes in economic 
conditions. As part of this review, the Board considers the cost of capital and the risks associated with each class of capital. 

Significant accounting policies
Details of the significant accounting policies and methods adopted, including the criteria for recognition, the basis of measurement and the basis 
on which income and expenses are recognised, in respect of each class of financial asset, financial liability and equity instrument, are disclosed in 
the Summary of significant accounting policies.

Financial risk management objectives
The Group’s management monitors and manages the financial risks relating to the operations of the Group. These financial risks include market 
risk (including commodity price, currency and fair value interest rate risk), credit risk, liquidity risk and cash flow interest rate risk.

As at year end, the Group did not hold any derivative assets to hedge against commodity price declines or any other financial risks. The Group 
does not use derivative financial instruments for speculative purposes.

The risks are closely reviewed by the Board on a regular basis and, where appropriate, steps are taken to ensure these risks are minimised.

Market risk
The Group’s activities expose it primarily to the financial risks of changes in oil prices, foreign currency exchange rates and changes in interest 
rates in relation to the Group’s cash balances. 

There have been no changes to the Group’s exposure to other market risks. The risks are monitored by the Board on a regular basis.

The Group conducts and manages its business predominantly in US dollars, the operating currency of the industry in which it operates. The Group 
also purchases the operating currencies of the countries in which it operates routinely on the spot market. Cash balances are held in other 
currencies to meet immediate operating and administrative expenses or to comply with local currency regulations. 

At 31 December 2021, a 10% weakening or strengthening of the US dollar against the other currencies in which the Group’s monetary assets and 
monetary liabilities are denominated would not have a material effect on the Group’s net assets or profit before tax.

Interest rate risk management
The Group’s policy on interest rate management is agreed at the Board level and is reviewed on an ongoing basis. The current policy is to maintain 
a certain amount of funds in the form of cash for short-term liabilities and have the rest on relatively short-term deposits, usually between one and 
three months, to maximise returns and accessibility. The Group must pay interest on its Notes semi-annually in cash at 10% per annum. 

Based on the exposure to the interest rates for cash and cash equivalents at the balance sheet date, a 0.5% increase or decrease in interest rates 
would not have a material impact on the Group’s profit for the year or the previous year. A rate of 0.5% is used as it represents management’s 
assessment of a reasonable change in interest rates.

Credit risk management
Credit risk refers to the risk that a counterparty will default on its contractual obligations resulting in financial loss to the Group. As at 31 December 
2021, the maximum exposure to credit risk from a trade receivable outstanding from one customer is $175.8 million (2020: $101.3 million). Although 
the Group is confident in the recovery of the trade receivables balance, a provision of $1.1 million (2020: $8.2 million) was recognised against the 
trade receivables balance. 

The credit risk on liquid funds is limited because the counterparties for a significant portion of the cash and cash equivalents at the balance sheet 
date are banks with investment grade credit ratings assigned by international credit-rating agencies.

Liquidity risk management
Ultimate responsibility for liquidity risk management rests with the Board of Directors. It is the Group’s policy to finance its business by means of 
internally generated funds, external share capital and debt. The Group seeks to raise further funding as and when required.

130 

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited  Annual report and accounts 2021

Fair value of derivative instruments
All derivatives are used to hedge against commodity price risk and are recognised at fair value on the balance sheet with valuation changes 
recognised immediately in the income statement unless the derivatives have been designated as a cash flow hedge. Fair value is the amount for 
which the asset or liability could be exchanged in an arm’s length transaction at the relevant date. Where available, fair values are determined 
using quoted prices in active markets. To the extent that market prices are not available, fair values are estimated by reference to market-based 
transactions or using standard calculation techniques for the applicable instruments and commodities involved. 

For derivatives designated as a cash flow hedge, the movements in the fair value of the derivatives are recognised in other comprehensive income. 
Derivatives’ maturity and the timing of their recycling into income or expense coincide. 

The Group’s derivative instruments’ value was as follows:

Derivatives that are designated and effective as hedging instruments carried at fair value: 

Put option 

2021 
$’000 

2020 
$’000

— 

— 

977

977

To manage the Group’s oil price risk, put options were entered into during the year. The first tranche related to H1 2021 and was entered into at a 
cost of $2.7 million hedging 1.6 MMbbl with a floor price of $35/bbl. A second tranche related to Q3 2021 was entered into at a cost of $1.0 million 
hedging 0.8 MMbbl with a floor price of $40/bbl. Costs relating to the put options have been recognised in revenue (see note 2).

20 Share capital

Authorised 

Common shares of $1 each (2020: $1 each) 

Non-voting shares of $0.01 each 

Preferred shares of $1,000 each 

Series A Preferred shares of $1,000 each   

Balance 1 January 2020 

Shares cancelled 

Balance 31 December 2020 

Dividends paid 

Shares issued 

Balance 31 December 2021 

2021 
$’000 

2020 
$’000

231,605 

231,605

500 

20,000 

40,000 

500

20,000

40,000

292,105 

292,105

Common shares

  No. of shares 
‘000 

Amount 
$’000 

Share 
capital 
 $’000 

Share 
premium 
$’000

229,430 

1,101,105 

229,430 

871,675

(18,059) 

(46,820) 

(18,059) 

(28,761)

211,371 

1,054,285 

211,371 

842,914

— 

(100,000) 

— 

(100,000)

2,360 

2,360 

2,360 

—

213,731 

956,645 

213,731 

742,914

At 31 December 2021, a total of nil (2020: 1,000,000) common shares were held in treasury with a value of nil (2020: $2.6 million). 

At 31 December 2021, a total of 0.1 million common shares at $1 each were held by the EBT and Exit Event Trustee (2020: 0.1 million at $1 each). 
These common shares were included within reserves.

In 2019 and 2020, the Company carried out two buyback programmes. Following the buyback programmes’ completion, the Company held 
19,059,064 shares in treasury, of which 18,059,064 were cancelled in late 2020.

Rights attached to share capital
The holders of the common shares have the following rights (subject to the other provisions of the Byelaws):

(i)  entitled to one vote per common share;
(ii)  entitled to receive notice of, and attend and vote at, general meetings of the Company;
(iii)  entitled to dividends or other distributions; and
(iv)  in the event of a winding-up or dissolution of the Company, whether voluntary or involuntary or for a reorganisation or otherwise or upon a 

distribution of capital, entitled to receive the amount of capital paid up on their common shares and to participate further in the surplus assets 
of the Company only after payment of the Series A Liquidation Value (as defined in the Byelaws) on the Series A Preferred Shares.

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited  Annual report and accounts 2021  

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Notes to the consolidated financial statements 
continued

21 Cash flow reconciliation

Cash flows from operating activities 

Profit/(loss) from operations 

Adjustments for: 

Depreciation, depletion and amortisation of property, plant and equipment (including right-of-use assets) 

Amortisation of intangible assets 

Notes 

2021 
$’000 

2020
Restated(1) 
$’000

174,600 

(33,381)

55,111 

84,119

25 

3

(Decrease)/increase of provision for impairment of trade receivables 

14 

(7,065) 

6,776

Put option hedging losses reclassified to revenue 

Share-based payment expense 

Lease modification 

Operating cash flows before movements in working capital 

Increase in inventories 

Increase in trade and other receivables 

Increase/(decrease) in trade and other payables 

Income taxes received 

Cash generated from operations 

24 

Reconciliation of property, plant and equipment additions to cash flows from purchase of property, plant and equipment:

Associated cash flows 

Additions to property, plant and equipment 

Movement in working capital 

Non-cash movements 

Finance lease additions 

Capitalised share option charges 

Foreign exchange differences 

Purchase of property, plant and equipment 

3,752 

1,197 

— 

—

2,440

(97)

227,620 

59,860

(258) 

(75,259) 

374(1) 

(523)

36,977 

(2,977)

75 

—

189,155 

56,734(1)

2021 
$’000 

2020 
Restated 
$’000

46,417 

6,927 

53,592(1)

12,087

— 

(409) 

24 

(1,721)

(197)

(1)(1)

52,959 

63,760

(1)  The comparative cash flow reconciliation has been restated. For further details, see the statement of cash flows.

Movement in financing-related liabilities
The Group’s financing-related liabilities are comprised of borrowings and lease liabilities. The movements in borrowings are shown in note 16 and 
the movements in lease liabilities in the year were primarily cash payments of $0.7 million. 

132 

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22 Lease liabilities

Analysed as: 

Current liabilities (note 15) 

Non-current liabilities (note 15) 

Lease liability maturity analysis 

Year 1 

Year 2 

Year 3 

Year 4 

Amounts payable under leases 

Within one year 

In the second to fifth year inclusive 

Less future interest charges 

Net present value of lease obligations 

2021 
$’000 

2020 
$’000

419 

789 

1,208 

419 

789 

— 

— 

509 

868 

1,377 

(169) 

1,208 

718

1,058

1,776

209

48

— 

1,519

720

1,396

2,116

(340)

1,776

23 Commitments
Exploration and development commitments
Additions to property, plant and equipment are generally funded with the cash flow generated from the Shaikan Field. As at 31 December 2021, 
gross capital commitments in relation to the Shaikan Field were estimated to be $20.6 million (2020: $0.6 million).

24 Share-based payments

Total share options charge   

Capitalised share options charge 

Share options charge in income statement 

2021 
$’000 

2,664 

(409) 

2,255 

2020 
$’000

2,637

(197)

2,440

Value Creation Plan (“VCP”)
The VCP was approved by shareholders in December 2016. As at 31 December 2021, 3.5 million nil-cost share options were outstanding under 
the VCP. There will be no further awards under the plan. 

Outstanding awards will vest subject to the Company achieving a total shareholder return (“TSR”) of at least 8% compound annual growth, in 
accordance with the VCP rules. Subject to achieving the requisite TSR, all the outstanding share options will vest following the measurement date 
for the financial year ending on 31 December 2021.

The requisite TSR was achieved following the measurement date for the financial year ended 31 December 2020. The measurement date for the 
financial year ended 31 December 2021 has not yet passed as at the date of this report. 

Outstanding at 1 January 

Exercised during the year 

Outstanding at 31 December 

Exercisable at 31 December  

2021 
Number of 
  share options 
’000 

2020 
Number of 
share options 
’000

7,017 

(3,509) 

3,508 

3,508 

 7,017

—

 7,017

—

The options outstanding at 31 December 2021 had a weighted average remaining contractual life of less than one year. 

A charge of $0.1 million (2020: $0.8 million) in relation to the VCP is included in the total share options charge. 

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited  Annual report and accounts 2021  

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Notes to the consolidated financial statements 
continued

24 Share-based payments continued
Staff Retention Plan 
At the 2016 Annual General Meeting (“AGM”), shareholders approved the adoption of the Gulf Keystone Petroleum 2016 Staff Retention Plan 
(“SRP”), which is designed to reward members of staff through the grant of share options at a zero exercise price. 

The exercise of the nil-cost awarded options is not subject to any performance conditions and can be exercised at any time after the three-year 
vesting period but within ten years after the date of grant. If options are not exercised within ten years, the options will lapse and will not be 
exercisable. If an employee leaves the Company during the three years from the date of grant, the options will lapse on the date notice to leave is 
given to the Company. Should an employee be regarded as a good leaver, the options may be exercised at any time within a period of six months 
from departure date.

Outstanding at 1 January 

Exercised during the year  

Outstanding at 31 December 

Exercisable at 31 December  

2021 
Number of 
  share options 
’000 

2020 
Number of 
share options 
’000

973 

(908) 

65 

65 

1,129

(156)

973

973

The weighted average share price at the date of exercise for share options exercised during the year was £1.70 (2020: £1.43). 

During the year no options (2020: nil) were granted to employees under the Group’s SRP.

A charge of nil (2020: $0.1 million) in relation to the SRP is included in the total share options charge. 

Share options outstanding at the end of the year have the exercise price of nil and the following expiry dates:

Expiry date 

11 December 2026 

9 January 2027 

30 June 2027 

Options (’000)

2021 

2020

12 

— 

53 

65 

516

250

207

973

The options outstanding at 31 December 2021 had a weighted average remaining contractual life of five years.

Long-Term Incentive Plan
The Gulf Keystone Petroleum 2014 Long-Term Incentive Plan (“LTIP”) is designed to reward members of staff through the grant of share options 
at a zero exercise price, that vest three years after grant, subject to the fulfilment of specified performance conditions. These performance 
conditions are 50% TSR over the vesting period and 50% the Group’s TSR relative to a bespoke group of comparators.

Outstanding at 1 January 

Granted during the year 

Exercised during the year 

Forfeited during the year 

Outstanding at 31 December 

Exercisable at 31 December  

2021 
Number of 
  share options 
’000 

2020 
Number of 
share options 
’000

7,254 

2,747 

(1,014) 

(712) 

8,275 

— 

2,629

4,752

—

(127)

 7,254

—

The weighted average share price at the date of exercise for share options exercised during the year was £1.69 (2020: n/a). 

134 

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited  Annual report and accounts 2021

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The inputs into the calculation of fair values of the shares granted during the year are as follows:

Weighted average share price 

Weighted average exercise price 

Expected volatility 

Expected life 

Risk-free rate 

Expected dividend yield (on the basis dividends equivalents received) 

The options outstanding at 31 December 2021 had a weighted average remaining contractual life of two years.

The aggregate of the estimated fair value of options granted in 2021 is $4.3 million (2020: $2.6 million).

A charge of $2.5 million (2020: $1.7 million) in relation to the LTIP is included in the total share options charge. 

2021 

£2.26 

Nil 

58.7% 

3 years 

0.14% 

Nil 

2020

£0.88

Nil

54.6%

3 years

0.08%

Nil 

25 Dividend 
During 2021, an ordinary dividend of $25 million (11.697 US cents per common share) was paid, followed by a special dividend of $25 million 
(11.697 US cents per common share) and an interim dividend for 2021 of $50 million (23.394 US cents per common share) (2020: no dividends 
were paid). To date in 2022, an interim dividend of $50 million has been paid. A further $65 million interim dividend is expected to be paid on 
13 May 2022, based on a record date of 29 April 2022 and ex-dividend date of 28 April 2022. An ordinary dividend of $25 million is subject 
to approval at the AGM on 24 June 2022 and will be paid to shareholders on 15 July 2022 based on a record date of 1 July 2022. 

26 Related party transactions 
The Group has a related party relationship with its subsidiaries. The Company and its subsidiaries, in the ordinary course of business, enter into 
various sales, purchase and service transactions with joint operations in which the Group has a material interest. These transactions are under 
terms that are no less favourable to the Group than those arranged with third parties.

Remuneration of Directors and Officers
The remuneration of the Directors and Officers who are considered to be key management personnel is set out below in aggregate for each of the 
categories specified in IAS 24 Related Party Disclosures. The Directors and Officers who served during the year ended 31 December 2021 were 
as follows:

•  J Huijskes – Non-Executive Chairman
•  M Angle – Deputy Chairman
•  G Soden – Non-Executive Director
•  D Thomas – Non-Executive Director
•  K Wood – Non-Executive Director
•  J Harris – Chief Executive Officer (appointed 4 January 2021)
• 
•  S Catterall – Chief Operations Officer (resigned 18 February 2022)
•  G Papineau-Legris – Chief Commercial Officer
•  J Barker – HR Director (resigned 10 September 2021)
•  C Kinahan – Chief Human Resources Officer (appointed 2 August 2021)
•  A Robinson – Chief Legal Officer and Company Secretary

I Weatherdon – Chief Financial Officer

The values below are calculated in accordance with IAS 19 and IFRS 2. 

Short-term employee benefits  

Share-based payment – options 

2021 
$’000 

5,809 

1,012 

6,821 

2020 
$’000

4,822

1,273

6,095

Further information about the remuneration of individual Directors is provided in the Directors’ emoluments section of the Remuneration 
Committee report.

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Notes to the consolidated financial statements 
continued

27 Contingent liabilities
The Group has a contingent liability of $27.3 million (2020: $27.3 million) in relation to the proceeds from the sale of test production in the period 
prior to the approval of the original Shaikan Field Development Plan (“FDP”) in July 2013. The Shaikan PSC does not appear to address expressly 
any party’s rights to this pre-FDP petroleum. The sales were made based on sales contracts with domestic offtakers which were approved by 
the KRG. The Group believes that the receipts from these sales of pre-FDP petroleum are for the account of the Contractor, rather than the KRG, 
and accordingly recorded them as test revenue in prior years. However, the KRG has requested a repayment of these amounts and the Group 
is currently involved in negotiations to resolve this matter. The Group has received external legal advice and continues to maintain that pre-FDP 
petroleum receipts are for the account of the Contractor. This contingent liability forms part of the ongoing Shaikan PSC amendment negotiations 
and it is likely that it will be settled as part of those negotiations.

28 Prior year restatement
The Group has identified that prior year inventory balances contained certain equipment to be used in the development of the Shaikan Field, 
which will be consumed over a period in excess of one year. The Group determined that this equipment met the definition of property, plant and 
equipment as defined by IAS 16 Property, Plant and Equipment and has restated the prior year financial statements to reflect this reclassification.

Comparative figures for the reclassification have been presented in the balance sheet and statement of cash flows, as detailed below. There is no 
impact to the income statement. 

Consolidated balance sheet

Property, plant and equipment 

Inventories 

Property, plant and equipment 

Inventories 

Statement of cash flows

1 January  
2020 

  As previously   Reclassification 
of inventory 
$’000 

reported 
$’000 

1 January 
2020 
Restated 
$’000

407,602 

24,905 

432,507

31,040 

(24,905) 

6,135

31 December  
2020 

  As previously  Reclassification 
of inventory 
$’000 

 reported 
$’000 

  31 December 
2020 
Restated 
$’000

374,702 

30,767 

405,469

36,527 

(30,767) 

5,760

31 December  
2020 

  As previously   Reclassification 
of inventory 
$’000 

reported 
$’000 

  31 December 
2020 
Restated 
$’000

Cash generated from operations 

Purchase of property, plant and equipment 

50,873 

5,862 

56,734

(57,899) 

(5,862) 

(63,760)

29 Subsequent events
Iraqi Supreme Court ruling
In February 2022, the Iraqi Supreme Court ruled that the Kurdistan Region of Iraq Oil and Gas Law is unconstitutional. The ruling also provides 
that the Iraqi Ministry of Oil may pursue annulment of Production Sharing Contracts issued by the KRG. The KRG responded that “it will take all 
constitutional, legal, and judicial measures to protect and preserve all contracts made in the oil and gas sector”. The ruling has not impacted the 
Company’s operations and the Company is continuing to monitor the situation closely.

Export route availability
The Company currently exports all of its crude oil through the Kurdistan Export Pipeline, which is 60% owned by Rosneft. As a result of Russia’s 
invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022, the Company is monitoring the evolving sanctions situation as certain specific sanctions on Rosneft 
could impact the Company’s ability to access this pipeline.

136 

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Non-IFRS measures

The Group uses certain measures to assess the financial performance of its business. Some of these measures are termed “non-IFRS measures” 
because they exclude amounts that are included in, or include amounts that are excluded from, the most directly comparable measure calculated 
and presented in accordance with IFRS, or are calculated using financial measures that are not calculated in accordance with IFRS. These 
non-IFRS measures include financial measures such as operating costs and non-financial measures such as gross average production. 

The Group uses such measures to measure and monitor operating performance and liquidity, in presentations to the Board and as a basis for 
strategic planning and forecasting. The Directors believe that these and similar measures are used widely by certain investors, securities analysts 
and other interested parties as supplemental measures of performance and liquidity. 

The non-IFRS measures may not be comparable to other similarly titled measures used by other companies and have limitations as 
analytical tools and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for analysis of the Group’s operating results as reported under IFRS. 
An explanation of the relevance of each of the non-IFRS measures and a description of how they are calculated is set out below. Additionally, 
a reconciliation of the non-IFRS measures to the most directly comparable measures calculated and presented in accordance with IFRS and 
a discussion of their limitations is set out below, where applicable. The Group does not regard these non-IFRS measures as a substitute for, or 
superior to, the equivalent measures calculated and presented in accordance with IFRS or those calculated using financial measures that are 
calculated in accordance with IFRS.

Gross operating costs per barrel 
Gross operating costs are divided by gross production to arrive at operating costs per barrel. 

Gross production (MMbbls) 

Gross operating costs ($ million)(1) 

Gross operating costs per barrel ($ per bbl) 

2021 

15.9 

43.0 

2.7 

2020

13.4

34.2

2.6

(1)  Gross operating costs equate to operating costs (see note 3) adjusted for the Group’s 80% working interest in the Shaikan Field. 

Adjusted EBITDA
Adjusted EBITDA is a useful indicator of the Group’s profitability, which excludes the impact of costs attributable to tax (expense)/credit, finance 
costs, finance revenue, depreciation, amortisation and impairment of receivables.

Profit/(loss) after tax 

Finance costs 

Finance revenue 

Tax (credit)/expense 

Depreciation of oil and gas assets 

Depreciation of other PPE assets and amortisation of intangibles 

Impairment of receivables 

Adjusted EBITDA 

2021 
$ million 

164.6 

2020 
$ million

(47.3)

11.4 

(0.4) 

(0.9) 

54.1 

1.0 

(7.1) 

222.7 

14.1

(1.3)

0.3

82.8

1.3

6.8

56.7

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Non-IFRS measures continued

Net capital expenditure
Net capital expenditure is the value of the Group’s additions to oil and gas assets excluding the change in value of the decommissioning asset and 
movements in drilling and other equipment. 

Additions to oil and gas assets (note 11) 

(Increase)/decrease of drilling and other equipment classified as oil and gas assets 

Net capital expenditure 

2021 
$ million 

46.2 

4.6 

50.8 

2020 
Restated 
$ million

51.7

(5.9)

45.8

Net cash
Net cash is a useful indicator of the Group’s indebtedness and financial flexibility because it indicates the level of cash and cash equivalents less 
cash borrowings within the Group’s business. Net cash is defined as cash and cash equivalents, less current and non-current borrowings and 
non-cash adjustments. Non-cash adjustments include unamortised arrangement fees and other adjustments.

Outstanding Notes 

Unamortised issue costs (note 16) 

Cash and cash equivalents   

Net cash 

Free cash flow
Free cash flow represents the Group’s cash flows, before any dividends or share buybacks.

Net cash generated from operating activities 

Net cash used in investing activities 

Payment of leases 

Free cash flow 

2021 
$ million 

(99.1) 

(0.9) 

169.9 

69.9 

2021 
$ million 

178.6 

(55.7) 

(0.7) 

122.2 

2020 
Restated 
$ million

(98.6)

(1.4)

147.8

47.8

2020 
Restated 
$ million

42.6

(64.2)

(1.3)

(22.9)

138 

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited  Annual report and accounts 2021

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Report on Payments to Governments for 2021

Introduction
This report sets out details of the payments made to governments by Gulf Keystone Petroleum Ltd and its subsidiary undertakings 
(“Gulf Keystone”) for the year ended 31 December 2021 as required under Disclosure and Transparency Rule 4.3A issued by the UK’s Financial 
Conduct Authority (“DTR 4.3A”) and in accordance with The Reports on Payments to Governments Regulations 2014 (as amended in 2015) 
(“the UK Regulations”) and our interpretation of the Industry Guidance on the UK Regulations issued by the International Association of Oil & 
Gas Producers. DTR 4.3A requires companies listed on a stock exchange in the UK and operating in the extractive industry to publicly disclose 
payments to governments in the countries where they undertake exploration, prospection, discovery, development and extraction of minerals, 
oil, natural gas deposits or other materials.

Basis for preparation
Total payments below £86,000 made to a government are excluded from this report, as permitted under the UK Regulations.

All of the payments made in relation to the Shaikan Production Sharing Contract (“Shaikan PSC”) in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq have been made 
to the Ministry of Natural Resources (“MNR”) of the Kurdistan Regional Government (“KRG”).

Production entitlements
Production entitlements are the host government’s share of production during the reporting period from the Shaikan Field operated by 
Gulf Keystone. The figures reported have been produced on an entitlement basis, rather than on a liftings basis. Production entitlements 
are paid in-kind and the monetary value disclosed is derived from management’s calculation based on the monthly oil sales invoices.

Royalties
Royalties represent royalties paid in-kind to governments during the year for the extraction of oil. The terms of the royalties are described within 
the Shaikan PSC. Royalties have been calculated on the same basis as production entitlements.

Licence fees and capacity building payments
These include licence fees, rental fees, entry fees, capacity building payments, security fees and other considerations for licences or 
concessions.

Infrastructure improvement payments
These include payments for infrastructure improvements, whether contractual or otherwise, such as roads, other than in circumstances where 
the infrastructure is expected to be primarily dedicated to operational activities throughout its useful life.

Summary of payments

Production entitlements in-kind(1) (mboe(2))  

Production entitlements in-kind(1) ($‘000) 

Royalties in-kind(1) (mboe(2))  

Royalties in-kind(1) (2) ($‘000) 

Licence fees and capacity building payments in-kind(3) ($‘000) 

Infrastructure improvement payments(4) 

Total (mboe(2)) 

Total ($‘000) 

KRG

5,151 

255,763 

1,255

62,320 

17,385

342

6,406 

335,811 

(1)  All of the crude oil produced by Gulf Keystone was sold by the KRG. All proceeds of sale were received by or on behalf of the KRG, out of which the KRG then 
made payment for cost oil and profit oil in accordance with the Shaikan PSC to Gulf Keystone, in exchange for the crude oil delivered to the KRG. Under these 
arrangements, payments were made by or on behalf of the KRG to Gulf Keystone, rather than by Gulf Keystone to the KRG. However, for the purposes of the 
reporting requirements under the UK Regulations, we are required to characterise the value of the KRG’s production entitlements under the Shaikan PSC 
(for which the KRG receives payment directly from the market) as a payment to the KRG.

(2)  Thousand barrels of oil. 
(3)  Capacity building payments are deducted from the monthly crude oil sales invoice, no direct payment is made to the KRG.  

The value of licence, rental and security fees has been accrued and is not expected to be paid, but rather offset against revenue due from the KRG related to 
pre-October 2017 oil sales, which have not yet been recognised in the financial statements.

(4)  Drilling of water well, construction of water supply network and purchase of generators.

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited  Annual report and accounts 2021  

139

GovernanceStrategic reportFinancials 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Glossary

1P 

2C 

2P 

AGM 

bbl 

bopd 

Capex 

CGU 

proved reserves

best estimate of contingent resources

proved plus probable reserves

Annual General Meeting

barrel

barrels of oil per day

capital expenditure

cash-generating unit

COVID-19 

Coronavirus 

CPR 

CSR 

DD&A 

E&P 

EBITDA 

EBT 

ECL 

Competent Person’s Report

corporate social responsibility

depreciation, depletion and amortisation

exploration and production

 earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and 
amortisation 

employee benefit trust

expected credit losses

ERCE 

ERC Equipoise Ltd

ESG 

ESIA 

ERP 

ESP 

FDP 

environmental, social and governance 

environmental and social impact assessment

Enterprise Resource Planning

electric submersible pump

Field Development Plan

G&A 

GHG 

GKP 

GKPI 

GMP 

GRI 

HSE 

IA 

IAS 

IFRS 

IOC 

IOGP 

general and administrative

greenhouse gas 

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited

Gulf Keystone Petroleum International

Gas Management Plan

Global Reporting Initiative 

health, safety and environment

Investment Association 

International Accounting Standards

International Financial Reporting Standards

International Oil Companies

International Association of Oil & Gas Producers

IPIECA 

 International Petroleum Industry Environmental 
Conservation Association 

ISAs (UK) 

International Standards on Auditing (UK)

KPI 

key performance indicator

KRG 

LTI 

LTIP 

LTIR 

Kurdistan Regional Government

lost time incident

Long-Term Incentive Plan

lost time incident rate

MMbbls  

million barrels

MMstb 

MNR 

MOL 

OBM  

OPEC 

Opex 

PDMR 

PF-1 

PF-2 

PID 

PPE 

PSC 

SASB 

SDGs 

SECR 

SH 

million stock tank barrels

 Ministry of Natural Resources of the Kurdistan 
Regional Government

Kalegran B.V. (a subsidiary of MOL Hungarian Oil  
& Gas plc)

oil-based mud

Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries

operating costs

Persons Discharging Managerial Responsibilities 

Shaikan Production Facility 1

Shaikan Production Facility 2

photo-ionisation detector 

property, plant and equipment 

Production Sharing Contract

Sustainability Accounting Standards Board 

The UN’s Sustainable Development Goals

Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting 

Shaikan

 PSC for the Shaikan block between the 
KRG, Gulf Keystone Petroleum International 
Limited, Texas Keystone, Inc and MOL 
signed on 6 November 2007 as amended by 
subsequent agreement

SID 

SRP 

TCFD 

TRIR 

TSR 

UKLA 

VCP 

WEF 

WHO 

WI 

$ 

Senior Independent Director 

Staff Retention Plan

 Task Force on Climate-related 
Financial Disclosures 

total recordable incident rate

total shareholder return

United Kingdom Listing Authority

Value Creation Plan

Water Environment Federation

World Health Organization

working interest

US dollars

FVTPL 

fair value through profit and loss

Shaikan PSC 

140 

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited  Annual report and accounts 2021

 
Directors and advisers

Registered office  
Gulf Keystone Petroleum 
Limited  
c/o Coson Corporate Services 
Limited    
Cedar House    
3rd Floor   
41 Cedar Avenue   
Hamilton HM12   
Bermuda  

Directors  
Jaap Huijskes  
Non-Executive Chairman  

Jon Harris  
Chief Executive Officer  

Ian Weatherdon  
Chief Financial Officer  

Martin Angle  
Deputy Chairman and Senior 
Independent Director  

Garrett Soden   
Non-Executive Director  

David Thomas  
Non-Executive Director  

Kimberley Wood   
Non-Executive Director  

Bermudan Company 
Secretary  
Coson Corporate Services 
Limited  
Cedar House 
3rd Floor 
41 Cedar Avenue 
Hamilton HM12 
Bermuda  

Bermudan legal adviser  
Cox Hallett Wilkinson  
Cedar House 
3rd Floor 
41 Cedar Avenue 
Hamilton HM12 
Bermuda  

Legal advisers – corporate  
Herbert Smith Freehills LLP  
Exchange House 
Primrose Street 
London EC2A 2EG 
United Kingdom  

Legal advisers – dispute 
resolution   
Three Crowns LLP  
New Fetter Place 
8-10 New Fetter Lane 
London EC4A 1AZ 
United Kingdom   

Auditor  
Deloitte LLP  
2 New Street Square 
London EC4A 3BZ 
United Kingdom  

Registrars  
Computershare Investor 
Services (Jersey) Limited  
13 Castle Street 
St Helier 
Jersey JE1 1ES 
Channel Islands  

Joint corporate brokers  
Canaccord Genuity Limited  
88 Wood Street 
London EC2V 7QR 
United Kingdom  

Peel Hunt LLP  
100 Liverpool Street 
London EC2M 2AT 
United Kingdom  

Banks 
Barclays Bank PLC  
Level 27 
1 Churchill Place 
London E14 5HP 
United Kingdom  

CitiBank, N.A. London Branch 
Citigroup Centre 
25 Canada Square 
Canary Wharf 
London E14 5LB 
United Kingdom 

The Royal Bank of Scotland 
Group plc 
43 Curzon Street 
London W1J 7UF 
United Kingdom 

Kurdistan International Bank for 
Investment and Development 
Golan Street 
Erbil 
Kurdistan Region of Iraq  

Byblos Bank S.A.L – Iraq  
Street 60 – Near Sports Stadium 
PO Box 34-0383 
Erbil 
Kurdistan Region of Iraq  

Byblos Bank S.A.L – UK  
Berkeley Square House 
Suite 5, Berkeley Square 
London W1J 6BS 
United Kingdom  

Bank of N.T. Butterfield & Son 
Limited 
65 Front Street 
Hamilton HM 12 
Bermuda 

Media relations
Celicourt Communications  
Orion House 
5 Upper St Martin’s Lane 
London WC2H 9EA 
United Kingdom  

Key shareholder engagements

28 February 2022 
ABG Sundal Collier E&P High Yield 
Conference, Video conference, Oslo  

3 March 2022 
SpareBank 1 Markets 2022 Energy 
Conference, Oslo  

30 March 2022 
2021 full-year results announcement 

26 April 2022 
Pareto Securities’ 17th Annual E&P 
Independents Conference,  
London

24 June 2022  
AGM, by videoconference from 
Computershare,  
Dublin, Ireland

14-15 September 2022 
Pareto Securities’ Energy 
Conference, Oslo

Note: Throughout this report, the 
imagery used has been captured 
both before, and during, the onset 
of the COVID-19 pandemic and is 
reflective of the changing health and 
safety recommendations, which have 
been followed throughout.

Designed and produced by 

www.lyonsbennett.com

This report has been printed on Munken Kristall Smooth 
True White, an FSC® certified material. This document was 
printed by Pureprint Group using its environmental print 
technology, with 100% of dry waste diverted from landfill, 
minimising the impact of printing on the environment. The 
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Bermuda 
Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited  
c/o Coson Corporate Services 
Limited  
Cedar House  
3rd Floor  
41 Cedar Avenue  
Hamilton HM12  
Bermuda 

Kurdistan Region of Iraq 
Gulf Keystone Petroleum  
International Limited  
3rd Floor  
UB Centre  
Bakhtyari  
Erbil 

United Kingdom 
Gulf Keystone Petroleum (UK) 
Limited  
6th Floor  
New Fetter Place  
8-10 New Fetter Lane  
London EC4A 1AZ 

Further details regarding 
shareholder information  
can be found on our website.

www.gulfkeystone.com