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FY2021 Annual Report · Premier Oil plc
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Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

A global independent oil and gas company  
A constituent of the FTSE 250, we are the 
largest London-listed independent oil and gas 
company. We have a diversified UK asset  
base within an attractive global footprint. 

Performance highlights

175kboepd

Oil and gas production 

$678m 

Free cash flow generation

948mmboe 

2P reserves + 2C resources 

$1.6bn 

Liquidity  
(cash and undrawn facilities)

0.9x 

Leverage ratio at year-end

$200m 

Annual dividend announced

2035 

Net Zero emissions goal by 2035

>25% 

Of 2021 emissions offset

FIND OUT MORE ONLINE 
harbourenergy.com

All data is provided on a reported basis with Premier Oil plc’s portfolio contributing from 
completion of the Merger (31 March 2021) unless otherwise stated.

Completion of the merger with Premier Oil: 
integration and realisation of synergies 
progressing as planned 

Production increased to over 200 kboepd in Q4: 
following safe execution of extended 
maintenance programmes

Net Zero 2035 activities include:  
emissions reduction actions, progress on 
UK offshore electrification & CCS projects 
and acquisition of offsets

2

Our investment proposition
At a glance
Chief Executive Officer’s statement
Performance overview

Strategic report
2 
4 
6 
8 
10  Market overview
12  How we create value
14  Key performance indicators
16  Engaging with our stakeholders
20  Our culture and values
22  Operational review
28  ESG review
36  Our Leadership Team
38  Financial review
44  Risk management
48  Principal risks

56

Governance
56  Chairman’s introduction
58  Board of Directors
62  Corporate governance report
66  Audit and Risk Committee report
70  Nomination Committee report
72  HSES Committee report
74  Directors’ remuneration report
100  Directors’ report
102   Statement of Directors’ 

responsibilities

103

Financial statements
103  Independent auditors’ report
114   Consolidated income statement
115   Consolidated statement  
of comprehensive income

115  Earnings per share
116  Consolidated balance sheet
117   Consolidated statement  
of changes in equity
118   Consolidated statement  

of cash flows

119   Notes to the consolidated  
financial statements
166  Company balance sheet
167   Company statement  

of changes in equity

168   Notes to the Company  

financial statements

170

Additional information
170  UK Government payment reporting
173  Group 2P reserves and 2C resources
174  Worldwide licence interests
176  Glossary
178  Shareholder information

2021 was a transformational year for  
Harbour Energy with the completion  
of the merger with Premier Oil, our third 
significant transaction since 2017. As a 
result, we became a public company with 
a global footprint and the largest London-
listed independent oil and gas company. 

With our scale, our commitment to producing 
safely and responsibly, our robust balance 
sheet and track record of executing successful 
M&A, I believe we are well placed to deliver 
value creation, growth and shareholder returns. 

I am proud of all we accomplished in our  
first year as a listed company and excited  
for our future. 

LINDA Z. COOK
Chief Executive Officer 

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

1

Our investment proposition

Why invest in  
Harbour Energy?

Pure play, upstream,  
global oil and gas company

At a time when major oil companies are de-emphasising  
their upstream businesses, we provide pure play exposure  
to oil and gas production at scale 

 ¼ Largest oil and gas producer in the UK

 ¼ Member of the FTSE 250

 ¼ Global, full cycle capability 

AT A GLANCE 
P4

Diverse, cash generative  
portfolio of scale 

We have a resilient portfolio focused on conventional producing assets  
with embedded low risk, high return investment opportunities to sustain  
production near term while generating positive cash flow

 ¼ Balance of oil and gas

 ¼ Diverse UK position with exposure to multiple key production hubs

 ¼ High margin asset base with significant degree of operational control

OPERATIONAL REVIEW 
P22

Positioning for the energy transition

We are a responsible oil and gas producer and, through a combination 
of activities, aim to be Net Zero by 2035

 ¼ Investment in activities to reduce emissions including by improving plant efficiency 

and assessing the opportunity for electrification of offshore facilities

 ¼ Purchasing high quality certified offsets to mitigate the impact of residual,  

hard-to-abate emissions

 ¼ Exploring the potential for CCS projects in the UK to support  

a lower carbon economy 

MARKET OVERVIEW 
P11

2

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

Conservative financial  
risk management policy

We have a conservative approach to managing our balance sheet, ensuring  
we’re financially strong through the commodity price cycle and providing  
us with significant optionality over our capital allocation 

 ¼ Strong and predictable cash flows via a disciplined hedging programme

 ¼ Conservative leverage profile and significant liquidity 

 ¼ Prudent capital allocation

FINANCIAL REVIEW 
P38

Commitment to shareholder returns

We aim to deliver both growth and yield to our shareholders,  
including via a $200 million annual dividend policy

 ¼ Track record of value creation

 ¼ Clearly defined and sustainable dividend policy, affordable from cash flow

 ¼ Distribution policy reviewed annually

FINANCIAL REVIEW 
P40

Track record of creating  
value through M&A

We have a strong track record of executing large scale  
M&A, integration and adding value to the assets acquired

 ¼ A proven, capable and well-capitalised buyer

 ¼ A focus on high quality, conventional, cash generative,  

producing assets 

 ¼ Active risk management to protect the balance sheet  

and shareholder distributions

PERFORMANCE OVERVIEW 
P8

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

3

Strategic report GovernanceFinancial statementsAdditional informationAt a glance

Pure play, upstream,  
global oil and gas company

Today, we have a leading position in the UK 
as well as interests in Indonesia, Vietnam, 
Mexico and Norway.

Our intention is to establish a material production 
base in at least one region outside the UK. 

MEXICO

5

Countries in which  
we are active

124

Licence interests covering 
exploration, development  
and production activities1

48

Producing fields 

1,771

Employees worldwide

BRAZIL

FALKLAND ISLANDS

1  Excluding Brazil and Falkland Islands.

2021 Group production

Group production increased to over 
200 kboepd in the fourth quarter, with 
improved uptime following completion  
of the maintenance programmes, new 
wells on-stream and a full contribution 
from the Premier portfolio.

OPERATIONAL REVIEW 
P22

4

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

4

175 

kboepd

2

3

2

Liquids

1  Oil
2  NGLs 

  Gas
3  North Sea 
4 

International 

1

49%
6%

41%
4%

10

9

1

175 

kboepd

8

7

6

5

3

4

  Operated
1  GBA
2  J-Area
3  AELE
4  Catcher
5  South East Asia

  Non-operated
6  Elgin Franklin
7  Buzzard
8  West of Shetland
9  Beryl
10 Other North Sea

33 kboepd
26 kboepd
24 kboepd
18 kboepd
12 kboepd

18 kboepd
13 kboepd
13 kboepd
12 kboepd
6 kboepd

 
NORWAY

UK

North Sea
>90%

of our production

VIETNAM

INDONESIA

South East Asia
<10%

of our production

Production / Development / Exploration and appraisal

Development / Exploration and appraisal

Decision taken to exit

Our business model

We invest in our high quality, cash generative UK portfolio 
to maximise value and aim to diversify and deliver growth 
through acquisition while maintaining a robust balance sheet.

Leverage existing 
global footprint

Selective investment 
in growth projects

Disciplined 
approach to M&A

High value, infrastructure 
led investment portfolio

Material stakes 
in long life assets

Deep operator competence, 
including in decommissioning

HOW WE CREATE VALUE 
P12

International 
growth

Maintain 
highly cash 
generative 
UK portfolio

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

5

Strategic report GovernanceFinancial statementsAdditional informationChief Executive Officer’s statement

6

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

I believe we are 
well placed to 
deliver value 
creation, growth 
and shareholder 
returns.

LINDA Z. COOK 
Chief Executive Officer

We founded Harbour Energy in 2014, 
aiming to build a global and diversified 
independent oil and gas company. We  
are delivering on that today as we produce 
over 200 kboepd safely, responsibly,  
and efficiently from a portfolio of cash 
generative, conventional assets. We are 
therefore well placed to play a key role in 
helping to meet the world’s growing energy 
needs through the energy transition.

2021 was a transformational year for us  
with the completion of the merger with 
Premier Oil, our third significant transaction 
since 2017. As a result, we became a public 
company with a global footprint and the 
largest London-listed independent oil and 
gas company by production and market 
capitalisation. We accomplished a great 
amount during the year, a testament to the 
tremendous effort and commitment of our 
people. We assembled a world class board, 
merged two organisations, maintained safe 
and responsible operations, set out our 
strategy and capital allocation plans, and 
issued our first bond – all of this whilst 
adapting to new ways of working as we 
learned to live with COVID-19. 

The safety of our people is our number  
one priority, and we are committed to  
never compromising our health, safety,  
and environmental standards. We have a 
well-defined Environmental, Social and 
Governance framework which specifically sets 
out our goal to achieve Net Zero greenhouse 
gas emissions by 2035. We will achieve this 
through a range of activities including reducing 
our own emissions, offsetting an increasing 
proportion of our residual emissions, being 
active in projects to capture and store CO2, 
and supporting wider governmental initiatives 
to decarbonise the industry. 

We continue to invest in high return projects 
across our UK asset base to sustain 
production while generating substantial free 
cash flow. We aim to grow and diversify 
through further acquisitions of high quality 
producing assets, establishing a material 
production base in at least one region 
outside the UK. We are uniquely positioned to 
take advantage of the shifting strategies of 
the major oil companies but we will as always 
be disciplined and focused on value creation. 

We will maintain a robust balance sheet 
and strong liquidity through the commodity 
price cycle, supported by our hedging 
programme, prudent capital allocation  
and conservative risk management. The 
importance of this has perhaps never been 
more evident than it is today with the triple 
impacts of a global pandemic, an uneven 
path towards a lower carbon economy and, 
more recently, the conflict in Ukraine. Our 
approach ensures we remain financially 
strong and it enabled us to announce a 
$200 million annual dividend policy.  
We believe a commitment to shareholder 
distributions is an important part of our 
equity story and we look forward to making 
our first distribution in May 2022. 

I would like to thank our employees, 
contractors and suppliers for their 
continued dedication, hard work and 
support in what was an eventful year for 
Harbour Energy. I would also like to note the 
significant contributions to our Company by 
Phil Kirk who stepped down as Executive 
Director of Harbour at the end of February 
2022. I wish him all the best for the future. 

With our scale, our commitment to producing 
safely and responsibly, our robust balance 
sheet and track record of executing successful 
M&A, I believe we are well placed to deliver 
value creation, growth and shareholder returns. 
I am proud of all we accomplished in our first 
year as a publicly listed company and very 
excited for our future.

LINDA Z. COOK
Chief Executive Officer

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

7

Strategic report GovernanceFinancial statementsAdditional informationPerformance overview

Track record of creating value through M&A

The evolution of Harbour Energy

17

kboepd

Harbour founded  
by private equity

Acquisition of  
UK North Sea  
assets from Shell

137

kboepd

175

kboepd

Acquisition of  
ConocoPhillips UK  
North Sea business

Merger with  
Premier Oil completed

>200

kboepd

Largest UK listed 
independent oil and  
gas company

2014

2017

2019

2021

2022 
TO END  
FEBRUARY

A strong production base
2021 production averaged 175 kboepd 
(2020: 173 kboepd). This reflected the 
addition of Premier’s portfolio from the  
end of March partially offset by significant 
planned maintenance campaigns, including 
those deferred from 2020 due to the global 
pandemic. Production was also impacted  
by some unplanned outages in the first half, 
the delay to the start-up of the Tolmount 
project and natural decline. Production 
increased to 214 kboepd in the fourth quarter, 
supported by strong operational performance.

Operating costs were $976 million and  
$15.2/boe on a unit of production basis,  
in line with expectations. Total capital 
expenditure including decommissioning  
was $935 million, lower than forecast due  
to savings across the asset base. Capital 
expenditure was weighted towards the second 
half of the year with the return of drilling activity 
across our operated assets to pre-COVID levels.

The strong production achieved at the end of 
2021 has continued into 2022. Our production 
is forecast to be higher in 2022, between 195 
and 210 kboepd, at the midpoint an increase 
of c.15 per cent versus 2021. The increase is 
underpinned by a full year of production from 
the Premier portfolio and the new Tolmount gas 
field. 2022 production is also expected to 
benefit from lower planned maintenance levels 
and contributions from new wells including  
at the J-Area and Catcher Area in the UK, 
and Chim Sáo in Vietnam. 

8

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

A focus on safety and ESG
In Harbour, safety is our number one 
priority. While we recorded no serious 
injuries or significant spills in the year,  
we are not satisfied with the performance. 
Our Total Recordable and Lost Time Injury 
Rates were 1.27 and 0.68 respectively,  
per million hours worked. We established 
process safety as our key focus area  
and made it the topic for our inaugural 
Global HSES Day.

Following completion of the Merger,  
we standardised how we measure and 
report our greenhouse gas emissions  
and established an emissions baseline.  
Our Net Zero goal has been embedded  
into our investment decision-making and  
we have incorporated emissions reduction 
incentives into our compensation and  
main debt facility. We also purchased  
our first carbon offsets, investing in 
independently certified forest conservation 
and landfill gas capture projects in Brazil.

In 2021, our GHG emissions and intensity 
(Scope 1 and 2), measured on a gross 
operated basis, were 1.6 mtCO2e and  
23 kgCO2e/boe, reflecting the addition  
of Premier’s portfolio from March and 
increased drilling activity. Net of the offsets 
acquired and retired with respect to 2021, 
our gross operated emissions reduced  
by over 25 per cent to 1.2 mtCO2e and  
17 kgCO2e/boe.

2021 saw good progress on our two 
early-stage UK CCS projects, V Net Zero  
and Acorn. For V Net Zero, this included the 
award to Harbour of a CCS licence to reuse 
the depleted offshore Viking fields for CO2 
storage and the selection of the project  
by some of Humber’s largest emitters as 
their preferred CO2 transportation and 
storage provider. V Net Zero and Acorn have 
the potential to capture and store multiple 
times our annual emissions using our 
infrastructure and offshore depleted fields. 

Capital deployment 
We have significant opportunities within our 
asset base to support production at current 
levels in the near term while generating 
material free cash flow, and the majority  
of our capex is allocated to lower risk,  
high return investments.

We have continued to see outperformance 
from infill wells drilled at the Greater 
Britannia Area as well as improved results 
from the ongoing drilling campaign at Clair. 
At J-Area, we recompleted the S-15 well, 
reinstated production from the previously 
shut in J-06 well and drilled the Jade South 
well. This successfully targeted a previously 
untested part of the Jade field and was 
brought into production in January 2022. 
Elsewhere at the J-Area, we completed  
the Dunnottar exploration well in December 
which did not appear to have found 
commercial levels of hydrocarbons.  

 
We have successfully executed three multi-billion  
dollar transactions in the past five years.

A history of successful integration and value creation

Improving production performance

Reinvestment to add reserves

Diversifying the portfolio

Managing operating costs

Extending field life

Improving decommissioning performance

Realising synergies

Indicates relative magnitude of impact.

2021 also saw successful drilling at  
Elgin Franklin, Everest and Beryl in the UK 
and Natuna Sea Block A in Indonesia. 

Looking to 2022, almost all of our drilling 
and development projects within our 
approved budget of $800 million break 
even at lower than $35/bbl and 35p/therm.  
This expenditure supports an active rig 
programme across our producing portfolio, 
including 23 infill and development wells 
and several well intervention campaigns. 
There is also ongoing production and plant 
optimisation activity planned for 2022, 
including a number of compression projects 
and gas reinjection programmes, helping  
to underpin future production and offset 
natural decline.

In 2021 we announced our decision to exit 
the Falklands Islands and our exploration 
acreage in Brazil. We believe there are 
lower risk and lower emissions intensive 
options to replace our reserves and grow 
than via frontier exploration or multi-billion 
dollar greenfield developments.

Strong reserves replacement through 
disciplined M&A
A key achievement in 2021 was the 
completion of the Merger which enhanced 
our UK North Sea asset base and provided 
us with a global footprint. Integration is well 
advanced, and we have started to realise 
the synergies and efficiencies resulting  
from the Merger, especially within our UK 
North Sea operations.

Harbour has several organic growth projects, 
which together could add materially to our 
future production. These include the Talbot 
field, which is expected to be developed as a 
multi-well tie-back to J-Area infrastructure in 
the UK, and the Tuna field in Indonesia. Both 
Talbot and Tuna were successfully appraised 
during 2021 and are now being progressed 
towards a final investment decision. Harbour 
also has a 12.39 per cent interest in the Zama 
Unit (Mexico) where the Block 7 partners and 
Pemex are working together to finalise a field 
development plan ahead of a final investment 
decision targeted for as early as 2023.

In 2021 we increased our proven and 
probable (2P) reserves on a working 
interest basis to 488 mmboe at year-end 
(2020: 451 mmboe), reflecting a 2P 
reserves replacement for the year of 157 
per cent, more than offsetting 2021 
production. This increase was driven by the 
addition of the Premier portfolio partially 
offset by a downward revision at the 
Tolmount field based on the outcome of the 
development drilling programme. Our 2C 
resources were 460 mmboe at year-end 
2021 and include the addition of the Zama 
and Tuna fields from the Premier portfolio. 

A solid financial position
During 2021, we retained a robust balance 
sheet, strong liquidity and diversified our 
capital structure. As a result of the Merger, 
we were admitted to trading on the London 
Stock Exchange and in August became a 
constituent of the FTSE 250 index. In October, 
we completed our debut $500 million bond 
issuance, using the proceeds to repay the 
Shell Junior debt facility, providing us with 
additional flexibility over the future marketing 
of our hydrocarbons.

During 2021, we generated $678 million  
of free cash flow. As a result, net debt 
excluding unamortised fees stood at $2.3 
billion at year-end, down from $2.9 billion  
at the time of completion of the Merger. 
Group leverage at year-end was 0.9x,  
in line with our target of less than 1.5x on 
average through the commodity price cycle.

Our strong financial position together  
with predictability of our future cash flow 
enabled us to introduce an initial $200 
million per annum dividend, with the first 
$100 million distribution paid in respect  
of the 2021 financial year in May 2022, 
subject to shareholder approval. Going 
forward, this will be paid in two equal 
instalments of $100 million each.

Outlook
As we enter 2022, our balance sheet is 
strong. The importance of this has perhaps 
never been more evident than it is today  
with the triple impacts of a global pandemic, 
an uneven path towards a lower carbon 
economy and, more recently, the conflict in 
Ukraine. Against this backdrop, and with 
volatile commodity prices, we are generating 
material and resilient free cash flow, 
underpinned by our high quality, diverse UK 
asset base. At $100/bbl and 200p/therm 
average prices for 2022, we expect to 
generate between $1.5 and $1.7 billion  
of free cash flow (after tax and the $200 
million dividend payment) with the potential 
to be debt free in 2023. As a result, we  
have significant optionality over our future 
capital allocation, including for meaningful 
value accretive transactions and additional 
shareholder returns.

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

9

Strategic report GovernanceFinancial statementsAdditional information 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Market overview

Reopening of the global economy

2021 was the year in which we learned to live with COVID-19,  
aided by the roll out of the vaccine and supportive government policies. 

Against this backdrop, we saw COVID-19 
restrictions lifted and economies recover, 
resulting in increasing global energy demand. 

Inflation emerged as a dominant theme as the 
year progressed, driven by surging commodity 
prices and continued supply chain disruptions, 
which in turn fuelled speculation around  
the outlook for interest rates. In the UK, the 
market went from an expectation of negative 
rates at the start of 2021 to ending the year 
with the Bank of England raising the base  
rate for the first time in three years. 

The start of 2022 brought further 
volatility fuelled by an uneven economic 
recovery from the pandemic and, related 
to that, an increase in demand for energy 
following years of lower global investment 
in oil and gas. On top of this, the tragedy 
unfolding in Ukraine brings additional 
uncertainty, a need for increased 
alternative energy supplies to Europe, 
and further disruption to supply chains. 
While Harbour has no assets or 
investments in Russia or Ukraine, and 
while we have not yet seen material  
signs of broad inflationary pressure, we 
are monitoring the situation carefully.

2021 also served to highlight the challenges  
the world faces as it strives to transition 
towards a low carbon future. It is clear it  
will take time, technological advances and 
substantial capital to scale up and deploy the 
infrastructure required to materially reduce 
reliance on hydrocarbons. Government policy 
also needs to play a key part. A poorly 
planned transition can lead to energy supply 
disruption and economic challenges.

In the meantime, oil and gas companies 
continue to play an important role in helping to 
meet global energy demand and supporting an 
orderly, affordable and just energy transition. 

Brent prices

UK gas prices

M&A activity

Summary
2021 saw a resurgence in oil demand  
as economies reopened. Global supply 
struggled to respond with OPEC+ maintaining 
its quotas and US producers demonstrating 
capital discipline. This drove oil prices  
higher over the course of 2021 with Brent  
averaging $71/bbl, up 63 per cent on 2020. 

Post year-end we have seen increased 
volatility in commodity markets with Brent 
surpassing $100/bbl for the first time since 
2014 as a result of the conflict in Ukraine.

Response and opportunity
Harbour aims to produce reliable and 
predictable cash flows through the  
cycle, supported by a steady investment 
programme and disciplined hedging, 
underpinning revenue while retaining 
some upside exposure.

Higher commodity prices enabled us to 
deleverage quicker than expected during 
2021, with net debt, excluding unamortised 
fees, reduced from $2.9 billion at 
completion of the Merger to $2.3 billion at 
year-end. With approximately 50 per cent  
of our 2022 oil production hedged, we have 
significant leverage to the oil price while 
continuing to be protected to the downside.

Summary
Against a backdrop of continued 
volatility, UK gas prices increased during 
2021 to average 122p/therm, up 360 
per cent with a record high of 450p/
therm reached in the fourth quarter.  
This was driven by a number of factors 
including a sharp recovery in demand, 
depleted storage levels, lower pipeline 
imports and global competition for  
LNG cargoes. 

Response and opportunity
2021 saw drilling activity on our 
operated assets return to pre-COVID-19 
levels, with the majority of the wells 
targeting natural gas. As a result, our 
portfolio is becoming more gas-weighted 
while, at the same time, we have 
increasing exposure to spot prices with 
c.59 per cent, 41 per cent and 20 per 
cent of our forecast gas production 
hedged in 2022, 2023 and 2024, 
respectively. In addition, we agreed with 
our lending banks to remove the year 3 
minimum hedging requirement providing 
us with more flexibility over our hedging 
programme going forward.

Summary
Upstream deal activity increased in 2021 
with $181 billion of M&A transactions 
announced. Major oil companies continue  
to reshape their portfolios with significant 
divestments targeted by 2025. Meanwhile, 
independent oil and gas companies have 
continued to make acquisitions with a 
focus on economies of scale.

Response and opportunity
In 2021, we completed the Merger to 
create the UK’s largest independent  
oil and gas company. 

With our scale, robust balance sheet and 
track record of executing value accretive 
M&A, we are uniquely positioned to take 
advantage of the current environment to 
grow and further diversify our portfolio. The 
rising commodity prices however may make 
transacting harder. As always, we will remain 
very disciplined and focused on value. 

63%

Increase in average Brent price  
versus 2020

360%

Increase in average UK gas price  
versus 2020

Note: Data in this section has been sourced from 
Rystad and NASDAQ.

10

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

Positioning for the energy transition

Harbour is exploring the potential for CCS projects and partial electrification of the UK Central North Sea to support 
our goal to reduce CO2 emissions.

V Net Zero
The V Net Zero project is a CO2 
transportation and storage project led  
by Harbour. 

The Humber is the UK’s most energy 
intense industrial area, emitting c. 20 
million tonnes of CO2 per annum. In 2021, 
V Net Zero was selected as the preferred 
CO2 Transportation & Storage provider by 
Humber Zero (Phillips 66’s Humber Oil 
Refinery and VPI Immingham’s power 
plant), EP UK Investment’s gas-fired power 
plant and Prax’s Lindsey Oil Refinery.

V Net Zero aims to transport and store 
more than 10 million tonnes of CO2 per 
annum by 2030. If sanctioned, the project 
could progress towards first capture and 
storage from 2027.

Acorn
As the Scottish Cluster, Acorn was awarded 
Track 1 reserve status as part of the UK 
Government’s Net Zero ambitions. Harbour is 
a partner in the Acorn Project, which is being 
led by Storegga with Shell as lead developer. 

Electrification
Harbour has been evaluating electrification 
options for our operated assets in the UK 
North Sea as a potential way to reduce our 
Scope 1 offshore CO2 emissions. 

Acorn aims to capture industrial CO2 
emissions and, by using existing oil and gas 
pipelines, transport it offshore to be 
permanently stored in depleted reservoirs. 

Phase 1 will capture CO2 emissions from  
St Fergus gas terminals and potentially  
from heavy industry in the Central Belt  
of Scotland. The Acorn partners are also 
considering using the Peterhead port 
facilities to import CO2 for storage. Initial 
studies were also undertaken in 2021  
on a proposed hydrogen plant which would 
generate low carbon hydrogen from natural 
gas landed at St Fergus. 

In addition we have been leading  
industry efforts to evaluate large scale 
electrification options across multiple 
facilities to help achieve UK oil and  
gas sector targets to reduce emissions. 
Detailed technical, regulatory and 
commercial analysis has been 
undertaken in close collaboration with 
industry stakeholders, regulators and 
supply chain. It is anticipated that the 
work to determine the viability of these 
projects will conclude in 2022.

Our Net Zero goal includes our share of Scope 1 and 2 CO2e emissions from both operated and non-operated assets.

Measure

Reduce

Offset

Incentivise

Invest

 ¼ Accurate and consistent  
emissions measurement, 
reporting and forecasting

 ¼ Alignment with global 
accounting standards

 ¼ Independent verification 
of progress towards 2035

 ¼ Operational optimisation 

 ¼ Offset an increasing 

 ¼ Emissions reduction 

 ¼ Screen M&A 

and improvements

 ¼ Minimise venting  

and flaring

 ¼ Low carbon design  

of new developments

portion of the residual, 
hard-to-abate emissions 
year on year

incentives embedded 
in compensation 
programmes

opportunities for 
emissions intensity

 ¼ Participate in two 

 ¼ Purchase independently 

 ¼ Financing cost 

certified offsets

 ¼ Policy reviewed annually

incentives linked to 
emissions performance

potential UK CCS projects 
(V Net Zero and Acorn)

 ¼ Assess the opportunity 

 ¼ Embed Net Zero impact 
in investment decisions

for partial electrification in 
the UK Central North Sea

ESG REVIEW 
P28

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

11

Strategic report GovernanceFinancial statementsAdditional informationHow we create value

A clear approach focused on  
value creation, cash flow and distributions

Our values 
At the heart of everything we do are our  
four core values:

Integrity

Collaboration

Responsibility

Innovation

Our purpose 
To play a significant role in meeting the world’s 
energy needs through the safe, efficient and 
responsible production of hydrocarbons while 
creating value for our stakeholders.

Our strategy 
To create value by continuing to build a global, 
diversified oil and gas company focused on  
value creation, cash flow and distributions.

Our business model

Harbour’s strategy is underpinned by our business 
model. We aim to maximise the value from our high 
quality UK asset base by investing in lower risk, high 
return projects to maintain production levels while 
generating substantial free cash flow. 

At the same time, we seek to grow and diversify through 
acquisition of conventional, cash generative producing 
assets, leveraging our full cycle capabilities, global footprint 
and strong financial position to establish a material 
production base in at least one region outside the UK. 

International 
growth

Maintain 
highly cash 
generative 
UK portfolio

Leverage existing 
global footprint

Selective investment 
in growth projects

Disciplined 
approach to M&A

High value, infrastructure 
led investment portfolio

Material stakes 
in long life assets

Deep operator competence 
including in decommissioning

12

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

 
KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS 
P14

OUR CULTURE AND VALUES 
P20

Our strategic pillars

Our target outputs

Ensure safe, reliable  
and environmentally  
responsible operations

Maintain a high quality 
portfolio of reserves  
and resources

Leverage our full cycle 
capability to diversify  
and grow further

Ensure financial strength 
through the commodity 
price cycle

Focus areas
 ¼ Protect the safety and wellbeing of our people

Responsible portfolio growth
 ¼ Continuous improvement in our safety 

 ¼ Safeguard the communities in which  

we operate and the environment

 ¼ Progress towards Net Zero

 ¼ Measure, verify and report the data  

to support our goals

 ¼ Include relevant metrics in our 
compensation programmes

and environmental performance 

 ¼ Strong governance framework and  
a high quality Board of Directors

Net Zero

Goal by 2035

Focus areas
 ¼ Robust margins in times of low  

commodity prices 

 ¼ Access to a range of profitable  

investment opportunities

 ¼ Ensure we have longer-term investment 
options including organic and inorganic 
opportunities 

 ¼ Rigorous prioritisation and capital  

allocation process 

Prudent capital allocation 
 ¼ A diverse mix of oil and gas

 ¼ Wide range of highly profitable 

investment opportunities

>90%

Of 2022 drilling and development 
projects break even below $35/bbl 
and 35p/therm

Focus areas
 ¼ Leverage our global footprint, full cycle 

capabilities and M&A expertise to diversify 
and expand our investment opportunity set

Medium-term reserve replacement
 ¼ High margin, diverse and 

geographically balanced portfolio 

 ¼ Establish a material production  

 ¼ Utilise our deep organisational competence 

base outside the UK

and operating skills to drive standards, 
efficiencies and control over capital 
expenditure levels

157%

2P reserve replacement in 2021

Focus areas
 ¼ Maintain a strong balance sheet with the 

Continued financial flexibility
 ¼ Positive free cash flow

potential for an Investment Grade credit rating 

 ¼ Conservative leverage profile  

 ¼ Disciplined annual budget and long-term 

and significant liquidity

planning processes 

 ¼ Conservative financial risk management policy, 
including a disciplined hedging programme 

 ¼ Ensure a sustainable dividend

$200m

Annual dividend policy announced

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

13

Strategic report GovernanceFinancial statementsAdditional information 
 
 
 
Key performance indicators

Measuring our performance

Operational 
Harbour maintained safe and 
responsible operations while 
integrating two organisations and 
adapting to new ways of working  
as we learn to live with COVID-19.

Average working interest production

175kboepd

Objective

We aim to maintain production from our high 
quality UK asset base and, at the same time, grow 
and diversify our production through acquisition. 

3
7
1

5
7
1

2021 progress

Link to strategic pillars

Financial 
We generated positive free cash 
flow during 2021, maintained  
a strong balance sheet with 
significant access to liquidity and 
diversified our capital structure. 
This enabled us to introduce a  
$200 million annual dividend policy.

Link to strategic pillars

Safety and the Environment1 
We are committed to behaving 
responsibly and conducting our 
business with integrity. The safety of 
our people is our number one priority 
and we never compromise our health, 
safety and environmental standards. 

Link to strategic pillars

7
3
1

2019

2020

2021

Free cash flow

$678m

3
3
8

8
7
6

2
6
5

2019

2020

2021

 ¼ As a result of the Merger, Harbour became 

the largest producer of oil and gas in the UK 
and established a global footprint 

 ¼ Production impacted by unplanned outages 

and delay to Tolmount project start up

 ¼ Significant planned maintenance campaigns 

completed safely with production rates 
increasing to in excess of 200 kboepd in  
the fourth quarter

Objective

Harbour aims to deliver predictable and reliable 
cash flow through the commodity price cycle to 
maintain financial strength, enable investment 
to ensure a robust and diverse portfolio, and 
to underpin the delivery of shareholder returns 
including through a sustainable dividend.

2021 progress

 ¼ Increased free cash flow, driven by higher 

commodity prices 

 ¼ Started to realise synergies resulting from 

the Merger, especially within the UK 
 ¼ Highly ranked, broad set of relatively low 
risk, high return projects to maintain 
production and cash flow near term 

Total Recordable Injury Rate (TRIR) Per million hours worked

1.27

7
2
1

.

7
1
1

.

3
9
0

.

Objective

Harbour is committed to managing its operations 
in a safe and reliable manner to prevent major 
accidents and provide a high level of protection 
to employees and contractors. 

2021 progress

 ¼ There were 15 recordable injuries resulting  

in a TRIR of 1.27 across the Group

 ¼ Europe Well Services team completed work 
on 36 wells across eight assets without a 
single first aid case or other recordable injury

 ¼ The Judy and Britannia platforms (UK) 
surpassed seven years without a lost 
time injury; while the Gajah Baru platform 
(Indonesia) surpassed 10 years

1   We report our Safety and the Environment KPIs – TRIR, Process 

safety and GHG intensity – on a gross, operated basis.

2019

2020

2021

14

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

Our strategic pillars

Ensure safe, reliable and 
environmentally responsible 
operations

Maintain a high quality 
portfolio of reserves  
and resources

Leverage our full cycle 
capability to diversify  
and grow further

Ensure financial strength 
through the commodity  
price cycle

Reserves and resources1

948mmboe

0
6
4

:

C
2

8
8
4

:

P
2

5
5
2

:

C
2

2
4
5

:

P
2

8
7
3

:

C
2

1
5
4

:

P
2

Objective

We aim to add reserves as well as convert 
reserves and resources into production via 
targeted investment in our existing asset 
base. We seek to replace reserves in the 
medium term through value accretive M&A. 

2021 progress

 ¼ Achieved 157 per cent 2P reserves 

replacement, underpinned by the Merger 

 ¼ Downward revision of Tolmount  

reserves estimates 

 ¼ Increase in 2C resources underpinned  
by the addition of the Zama (Mexico)  
and Tuna (Indonesia) fields

Operating costs

$15.2/boe

.

2
5
1

.

5
1
1

.

2
1
1

2019

2020

2021

2019

2020

2021

1   2019 is as per Harbour’s CPR. 2020 and 2021 are management estimates; 2021 excludes 
volumes associated with the Falkland Islands consistent with Harbour’s decision to exit.

Shareholder returns Dividend

$200m/year

0
0
1

Objective

Harbour aims to deliver both growth and yield 
to its shareholders. Shareholder returns, along 
with ensuring balance sheet strength and 
a robust and diverse portfolio, is one of our 
three capital allocation priorities.

2021 progress

 ¼ Increased earnings per share supported 

by higher commodity prices

 ¼ Annual $200 million dividend policy 

announced and will be reviewed annually 
in the context of the Group’s capital 
allocation priorities

 ¼ For 2021, a final dividend of $100 million 
to be paid in May 2022 post AGM and 
shareholder approval

Leverage ratio

0.9x

x
1
1

.

x
9
0

.

x
8
0

.

2019

2020

2021

YE 2019

YE 2020

YE 2021

Process safety 2 Tier 1 and 2

GHG intensity Scope 1 and 2 

2 events (Tier 2)

2

1

1

Objective

Harbour aims to maintain the highest 
standards of operational integrity to prevent 
any release of hazardous material from 
primary containment. 

2021 progress

 ¼ No Tier 1 Process Safety Events
 ¼ Two Tier 2 Process Safety Events 

relating to a gas release on the West 
Lobe platform (Indonesia) and overflow 
of a diesel tank at Solan (UK) during 
bunkering operations 

 ¼ Inaugural Global HSES Day held with 
particular focus on delivering process 
safety excellence

17kgCO2e/boe

2
2

2
2

3
2

Excluding
offsets

7
1

Including
offsets

2019

2020

2021

2019

2020

2021

2   Reported as per the IOGP’s Process Safety – Recommended Practice on Key Performance Indicators, report 456, 2018.

Objective

We strive for competitive operating costs 
without compromising on health, safety and 
the environment, enabling positive margins 
in times of low commodity prices.

2021 progress

 ¼ $15.2/boe field opex and $1.3/boe 
FPSO lease costs, reflecting natural 
decline and lower operating efficiency 
due to significant planned maintenance 
campaigns and some unplanned outages

 ¼ Operating costs on an absolute basis 
increased to $1.0 billion, driven by the 
addition of Premier’s portfolio from the 
end of March and a stronger Pound 
Sterling/US Dollar exchange rate

Objective

We aim to keep leverage below 1.5x on average 
through the commodity price cycle supported 
by prudent capital allocation and a disciplined 
hedging programme. We seek to repay debt when 
prices are high ensuring capital discipline, financial 
resilience and capacity to take advantage of M&A 
opportunities that align to our strategic drivers.

2021 progress

 ¼ Significant deleveraging since completion 
of the Merger with net debt, excluding 
unamortised fees, reduced from  
$2.9 billion to $2.3 billion at year-end
 ¼ Disciplined hedging programme underpins 
revenue and debt availability with additional 
flexibility following lender removal of year 
3 minimum hedging requirement 

 ¼ Completed a $500 million debut bond 
issuance with a coupon of 5.5 per cent 

Objective

Harbour is committed to proactively taking 
steps to address its environmental impact. 
This includes reducing our own emissions 
and offsetting an increasing proportion  
of our residual, hard-to-abate emissions  
year on year in order to achieve our goal  
of Net Zero by 2035.

2021 progress

 ¼ Higher GHG intensity reflects addition 
of Premier’s portfolio from March and 
increased drilling activity

 ¼ Purchased independently certified carbon 

offsets of which 400k were retired 
against our 2021 emissions reducing our 
GHG intensity to 17kgCO2e/boe

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

15

Strategic report GovernanceFinancial statementsAdditional information 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Engaging with our stakeholders

By partnering with our 
stakeholders, understanding 
their challenges and managing 
risks, we can find solutions  
for our shared success.

Section 172(1) statement
The disclosure on the following  
pages (16 to 19) describes how the 
Directors have had regard to the 
matters set out in section 172(1) (a) 
to (f) and forms the Directors’ 
statement required under section 
414CZA of the Companies Act 2006. 

Information regarding our assessment 
of environmental and community 
issues associated with our operations, 
including how we maximise our 
positive impacts and minimise the 
negative impacts, can be found in  
the ESG review on page 28.

GOVERNANCE 
P56

The duty of our Board is to promote the success  
of Harbour for our shareholders whilst having due 
regard for the interests of other stakeholder groups. 
In discharging this duty, the Directors must  
consider the likely consequences of their decisions 
in the long term whilst maintaining our corporate 
reputation and adhering to the highest standards  
of business conduct. Our Board of Directors carries 
out its decision-making with this key duty in mind. 
Central to this is ensuring it is equipped with the 
necessary information regarding the views of  
our stakeholders on key issues and how those 
stakeholders will be impacted over the long term  
by a particular course of action.

In this regard, the Board sets the parameters  
by which we develop, maintain and enhance 
relationships with our stakeholders. However, this 
engagement cannot be undertaken by the Board 
alone, so our Leadership Team aims to adopt a 
proactive approach to engagement and foster 
positive relationships with all groups who are 
impacted by our operations. The Board considers 
these stakeholder views when making key decisions 
about our operations. For example, the information 
is used in investment papers, strategy documents 
and budget proposals, to ensure that decisions are 
made with due consideration of all stakeholders.

Our values reinforce a 
positive and supportive 
company culture centred 
on employee engagement, 
learning and development, 
performance management 
and reward.

GILL RIGGS
Chief Human Resources Officer

2021 engagement highlights

66

Company-wide events held

72%

Of those responding to a  
Pulse Survey thought our  
global and regional Town  
Halls were the most effective  
form of communication

Open, honest engagement  
with our stakeholders
Our stakeholders are the individuals, 
organisations and authorities who are in 
some way connected with our activities at 
Harbour – whether it is in our role as an  
oil and gas producer, an employer or as a 
business that helps boost local and national 
economies through jobs and revenue.

OUR CULTURE AND VALUES 
P20

16

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

#WeAreHarbourEnergy

We engage with our stakeholders, listen to their concerns and take action where appropriate,  
as is consistent with our core values. Having an open and proactive dialogue with our stakeholders 
ensures we can access the resources we need throughout the life cycle of our assets. Their input 
and feedback serve as a basis for the decisions we make.

Our aim is to establish good relationships with our key stakeholder groups. These include shareholders, lenders, workforce, 
joint venture partners, suppliers and customers where we operate, non-governmental organisations, contractors, suppliers 
and trade unions.

Shareholders 

Why is it important to engage? 
Harbour seeks to develop an investor base of 
long-term, institutional shareholders who are 
supportive of our strategy. 

By ensuring our strategy and objectives  
are well understood by our shareholders,  
we maintain continued access to long-term 
capital providers.

Lenders

Why is it important to engage? 
The upstream oil and gas industry is a 
capital-intensive business. By maintaining 
supportive relationships with our lending 
group, we can ensure access to long-term 
debt financing that enables us to invest  
in high quality projects that generate 
sustainable long-term cash flows.

How do we engage?
We engage regularly with our 
shareholders and potential investors 
through meetings, presentations, 
conferences and investor events. Over 
350 meetings were held in 2021, 
including with investors representing 
over 80 per cent of the Group’s 
issued share capital. The CEO and 
Chief Financial Officer along with 
Investor Relations are primarily 
responsible for this engagement.

What issues are important to them?
 ¼ Financial and operational 

performance

 ¼ Capital allocation

 ¼ ESG performance

 ¼ Remuneration structure

Strategic actions and decisions
In 2021, we set out our strategy  
and capital allocation plans. We  
also communicated our investment 
proposition, highlighting the strength 
of our asset base and cash flow 
potential. This has attracted new 
institutional shareholders and 
allowed non-natural holders of  
our public equity such as the  
legacy Premier creditors to exit. 

Outcomes
The Group entered the FTSE 250  
in August and remains the largest  
London-listed independent oil  
and gas company. Our free float 
increased during 2021 as the 
six-month lock-ups rolled off, resulting 
in some index funds buying and 
several new long-term institutions 
entering our register.

How do we engage?
We undertake regular dialogue with the 
syndicate banks, both bi-laterally and 
via an annual bankers’ presentation. 
Members of the Leadership Team 
present performance updates at 
these sessions, followed by questions 
and answers. Post issuance of our 
bond, we have also engaged with 
debt investors through meetings  
and conferences.

Strategic actions and decisions
The completion of the Merger 
resulted in Premier’s debt being 
settled in full, financed by the 
up-sizing of our existing RBL and  
the issuance of Harbour’s shares.

We took the decision to seek a 
corporate rating to enable us to 
diversify our capital structure  
and access new debt investors. 

What issues are important to them?
 ¼ Sustainable financial and 
operational performance

 ¼ Capital allocation

 ¼ Covenant compliance

 ¼ Financial risk management

Outcomes
In June, we successfully completed  
a redetermination of our RBL.  
In addition, Harbour received BB 
ratings from S&P and Fitch. In 
October, we completed our debut 
$500 million bond issuance, using 
the proceeds to repay the Shell 
Junior debt facility.

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

17

Strategic report GovernanceFinancial statementsAdditional information 
Engaging with our stakeholders continued

Workforce

Why is it important to engage? 
Our current and future success is underpinned 
by our ability to engage, motivate and retain  
our workforce. Creating an environment 
where we listen to employees and where they 
in turn know their contribution is valued and 
appreciated will help us achieve our objectives.

Joint venture partners

Why is it important to engage? 
Sharing of risk is a fundamental component of 
our industry. By maintaining good relationships 
with our joint venture partners, we can ensure 
that maximum value can be extracted from our 
operations in a safe and sustainable manner.

18

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

How do we engage?
The global pandemic meant it was 
impossible for us to have face-to-face 
sessions for onboarding and Town 
Halls. We were also faced with the 
challenge of connecting with a global 
workforce during a period when we 
were still integrating databases and 
systems. The solution was a virtual, 
web-based ‘on demand’ platform  
that provided multiple opportunities 
for the global team to connect with 
management and each other. In April 
1,494 employees attended Harbour’s 
first Company-wide Town Hall event.

What issues are important?
 ¼ Group strategy

 ¼ Development and progression

 ¼ Corporate culture

 ¼ Reward

Strategic actions and decisions
Using the ‘on demand’ platform, we scheduled 
global and regional Town Halls and Village 
Halls to keep employees up-to-date on the 
integration process and our worldwide 
activities. We held onboarding sessions and 
networking live events. We also posted monthly 
CEO messages, Q&As, videos and documents 
online. At the end of December, the system 
had recorded 23,354 visits to the site overall. 
It virtually hosted 66 events (Town Halls, Q&A 
sessions, onboarding events and Village Halls) 
and 84 videos were uploaded to it. A new 
Global Staff Forum was also formed, made  
up of representatives from across Harbour, 
providing an opportunity for engagement with 
the CEO and other members of the Board  
of Directors at least three times per year.  
In addition, in January 2022 members of our 
Board held a virtual visit with key operations 
and other staff from our Aberdeen offices, 
giving them the opportunity to engage directly.

Outcomes
We have a workforce that understands our 
strategy and is fully engaged and committed  
to playing their part in achieving our objectives. 
Through the Global Staff Forum, employees 
have had the opportunity to engage directly 
with the CEO and other representatives of the 
Board on topics of interest to them including 
strategy, culture, personal development, and 
new ways of working. Our communications 
Pulse Survey highlighted the importance of  
the Company-wide Town Halls and provided 
valuable feedback regarding our intranet site 
and other engagement tools.

How do we engage?
The Operating Committee Meetings 
(OCMs) are the forum for joint 
venture decision-making with 
partners. These are set up under the 
Joint Operating Agreement (JOA) or 
equivalent. The OCM is supplemented 
by the main Technical Committee 
Meeting (TCM) and other technical and 
non-technical sub-committees, all of 
which have an advisory role to the OCM. 

A regular programme of OCMs  
and TCMs, plus other meetings as 
appropriate, ensures there is an open 
dialogue with our partners across the 
full range of asset activities, allowing 
for collaboration to be fostered and 
for ideas to be exchanged. 

Where we are the operator, we seek  
to ensure that all partners are aligned 
around common objectives for a 
particular asset to ensure we can 
maintain safe and reliable operations.

What issues are important to them?
 ¼ Safety and operational performance

 ¼ Work programmes and budgets

 ¼ ESG performance

 ¼ Asset stewardship and  
life-of-field strategy

Strategic actions and decisions
Decisions are taken by a vote of the 
participants against voting pass-marks 
and requirements set out in the JOA. It is 
the responsibility of the OCM to agree  
the asset strategy, ensuring alignment  
to partner and regulatory requirements.

Outcomes
Harbour enjoys strong and productive 
relationships with its joint venture partners. 
This helps us to maximise the value from  
our assets safely and responsibly.

Suppliers

Why is it important to engage? 
Building strong relationships with our 
contractors and suppliers is essential  
to the safe and efficient delivery of our 
projects and operations. Through supplier 
engagement and the development of 
collaborative working relationships, we  
aim to manage risk, improve our business 
processes, reduce emissions and increase 
both productivity and operational efficiency.

Strategic actions and decisions
Harbour’s Supplier Forum event provides 
our senior business leaders with the 
opportunity to communicate future 
strategy, share investment plans and 
respond to questions from suppliers. 

Outcomes
Harbour plans to implement a single 
integrated Enterprise Management System. 
This will help streamline engagement with 
our suppliers, consolidate contracts with key 
partners and realise efficiency improvements.

How do we engage?
Supplier relationship management  
is critical to our contracting strategy 
and ensuring delivery. At a working 
level we regularly engage our 
contractors through scheduled 
reviews and supplier audits to track 
HSES and performance, identify 
opportunities for improvement and 
align objectives. In response to 
COVID-19 we ensured more regular 
contact with key suppliers to 
maintain strong relationships,  
better anticipate potential issues 
and implement any necessary  
risk mitigation measures.

What issues are important to them?
 ¼ Pre-award transparency  

and opportunity

 ¼ Reciprocal commitment  

and integrity

 ¼ Prompt and fair payment terms

Customers

Why is it important to engage? 
Our oil and gas are sold via a mixture  
of long-term offtake arrangements, spot 
market sales and term sales agreements.  
In the UK gas is delivered via pipeline to 
several terminals, and in Indonesia, long-term 
gas sales arrangements are in place to supply 
gas into Singapore. We aim to achieve 
competitive prices for our oil and gas, whilst 
ensuring our operations continue to run 
smoothly through regular and open dialogue 
with customers.

How do we engage?
Harbour has an in-house Marketing 
and Trading team which, in addition 
to being the primary point of contact 
for long-term offtake arrangements, 
is responsible for our global crude 
oil, natural gas liquids (NGL) and 
North Sea gas sales, as well as price 
risk management. The Marketing 
and Trading team manage the entire 
sales process from the negotiation of 
lifting and shipping arrangements 
through to pricing negotiation and 
offtake logistics.

What issues are important to them?
 ¼ Robust and safe lifting operations 

 ¼ Crude oil and gas quality

 ¼ Reliability of supply and timing  

of delivery

 ¼ Financial capability

Strategic actions and decisions
We took the decision to repay the $400 
million Shell Junior debt facility to provide 
us with additional flexibility over the future 
marketing of our hydrocarbons.

Outcomes
Harbour sold to more than 20 global 
customers in 2021. Strong buyer demand 
was experienced for the majority of  
our production streams and scheduling 
performance was robust.

All our oil and gas sales volumes were 
safely lifted/delivered to the point of sale. 
Over 70 per cent of our oil and over 80 
per cent of our gas in the North Sea were 
sold to our primary offtake partner Shell. 
Our Indonesian production was maximised 
to meet strong Singapore gas demand. 
Strong gas prices were realised and crude 
oil sold at an average premium to the 
Dated Brent benchmark.

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

19

Strategic report GovernanceFinancial statementsAdditional informationOur culture and values

Our four core values  
sit at the heart of  
everything we do

These values represent what we 
stand for, what is important to us 
and where we will not compromise. 

Each of our core values is brought  
to life by a set of behaviours which 
help guide us as we strive to develop 
our people, embed our culture and 
live our values day to day.

Integrity

Collaboration

Responsibility

Innovation

Integrity
Always doing the right thing  
in a professional, respectful  
and honest way.

Desired behaviours:
 ¼ Be direct, honest and encourage 

constructive challenge

 ¼ Respect diversity and be inclusive  

in everything you do

 ¼ Create a safe environment in  

which everyone feels comfortable 
speaking up

Responsibility
For safety and the environment, 
for complying with our policies and 
procedures, for delivering against 
individual and team goals.

Desired behaviours:
 ¼ Demonstrate that you care for each 

other’s safety every day

 ¼ Actively consider the environmental 
impact of every decision you take

 ¼ Take personal responsibility for  

delivery and results

Innovation
Encouraging a more creative 
approach to business.

Desired behaviours:
 ¼ Foster a learning environment that 

focuses on continuous improvement

 ¼ Be open to new ideas and develop  

and apply creative solutions

 ¼ Look to remove complexity and  

simplify everything we do

Collaboration
Working together to achieve our  
goals and successfully execute 
our business plans.

Desired behaviours:
 ¼ Work as a team to resolve challenges  

and achieve goals

 ¼ Build and maintain strong, trust-based 

relationships with colleagues and 
stakeholders

 ¼ Be open to new ideas and develop  

and apply creative solutions

20

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

Our culture and values reinforce a positive and supportive  
working environment centred on employee engagement, learning  
and development, performance management and reward.

Here are some examples of how we live our values every day:

Recognising excellence
We believe that by working with highly skilled, innovative and 
dedicated colleagues who adhere to our core values we will safely 
and reliably deliver on our strategic goals. Living our values in 
everything we do is crucial to strengthening our culture and 
achieving our vision. To shine a light on outstanding health and 
safety behaviours across our global operations in 2021, we 
launched Harbour’s CEO Safety Award. An employee recognition 
system which links to our values and behaviours is also being 
developed for launch in 2022.

Encouraging open and honest discussion
We encourage open and ongoing communication between 
employees and their managers. When managers and 
employees can frankly discuss career development, they 
create a foundation for trust and higher engagement. We 
always strive to be clear, open and honest with each other, 
enabling true collaboration.

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

21

Creating a diverse and inclusive environment
We aim to recruit, retain and promote staff based on competence  
and regardless of age, disability, gender, marriage and civil 
partnership, maternity, race, religion and belief and sexual 
orientation. We conduct analysis across our business to ensure  
men and women are being paid equally for the same or similar  
work. We review compensation decisions in relation to bonus, 
recognition and salary regularly to ensure equality across  
gender groups.

Strategic report GovernanceFinancial statementsAdditional informationWest of Shetland
Clair – 7.5% non-operated
Schiehallion – 10% non-operated
Solan – 100% operated

Operational review

Diverse, cash generative  
portfolio of scale

More than 90 per cent of Harbour’s 
production is from the North Sea, 
with the balance from the Group’s 
International assets.

Group production averaged 175 kboepd for 
2021, split 163 kboepd North Sea / 12 kboepd 
International, and 96 kboepd liquids / 79 kboepd 
gas. Average unit operating cost was $15/boe. 
Total capital expenditure was $935 million 
(including $226 million in decommissioning).

Our North Sea portfolio comprises a mixture of producing 
assets, development and pre-development projects, as 
well as near-field exploration opportunities. We continue 
to invest in the future of the North Sea, maximising the 
value of our portfolio and helping to meet local demand 
for oil and natural gas.

Our International producing assets consist of Harbour’s 
operated fields in Indonesia and Vietnam.

175kboepd

Total 2021 production

163kboepd

North Sea 2021 production

12kboepd

International 2021 production

Group production

Asset / hub
Greater Britannia Area 
J-Area
AELE
Catcher Area
Elgin Franklin1
Buzzard
Beryl Area
West of Shetland2
Other North Sea3
North Sea
International
Total

2021 
(kboepd)
33
26
24
18
18
13
12
13
6
163
12
175

2020 
(kboepd)
39
31
32
–
19
18
17
11
6
173
–
173

1   In 2020 Harbour had a 14.1 per cent interest in Elgin Franklin; this increased to 19.3 per cent following the  

Chrysaor Premier Merger.

2   West of Shetland comprises Clair and Schiehallion in 2020, and Clair, Schiehallion and Solan in 2021.
3   Other North Sea includes East Irish Sea and Galleon in 2020, and East Irish Sea, Galleon, Ravenspurn North  

and Johnston in 2021.

22

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

Greater 
Britannia Area
Britannia – 58.7% operated
Brodgar – 93.8% operated
Callanish – 83.5% operated
Enochdhu – 50% operated
Alder – 26.3% non-operated
Finlaggan – third party tie-back

Buzzard
21.7%

non-operated

Elgin Franklin
19.3%

non-operated

Operated

Non-operated

Beryl Area
Beryl – 39.4% non-operated
Buckland – 37.5% non-operated
Callater – 45% non-operated
Ness – 39.4% non-operated
Nevis – 39-49% non-operated
Skene – 34% non-operated
Storr – 41% non-operated

AELE
Armada – 100% operated
Everest – 100% operated
Lomond – 100% operated
Erskine – 32% non-operated

J-Area
Jade – 67.5% operated
Jasmine – 67% operated
J-Block – 67% operated

Catcher Area
50%

operated

Tolmount Area
50%

operated

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

23

Strategic report GovernanceFinancial statementsAdditional informationOperational review continued

North Sea: operated

The Greater Britannia Area (GBA) was the 
Group’s largest producer in 2021, averaging 
33 kboepd net to Harbour. The planned six 
week maintenance campaign was completed  
in August. Production during the fourth quarter 
averaged 40 kboepd, underpinned by high 
uptime and new production from the Callanish 
F5 well. The third party Finlaggan field started 
up in the fourth quarter with its associated 
tariff leading to improved hub margins. Further 
production and plant optimisation is planned 
for 2022. This includes the Brodgar field 
re-route to the long-term booster compressor 
facility and the re-wheel of the compression 
train which aims to mitigate production 
decline. Following its move to single train 
operations, GBA is now one of the Group’s 
lowest greenhouse gas emitters on an 
intensity basis.

Greater Britannia  
Area

33kboepd

2021 production

J-Area

26kboepd

2021 production

AELE

24kboepd

2021 production

J-Area production averaged 26 kboepd 
net to Harbour for the year, supported 
by high uptime and an active well 
intervention and drilling programme.  
A second rig arrived at J-Area in July 
which enabled development, infill, 
near-field exploration and appraisal 
drilling activity. This included Jade 
South, a near-field exploration well 
which achieved first gas in early 2022. 

We also successfully appraised the 
Talbot field in 2021, with a final 
investment decision on the multi-well 
subsea tie-back project targeted for 
2022. In December we completed  
the Dunnottar exploration well; while 
the joint venture partners are still 
assessing the results, it does not 
appear to have found commercial  
levels of hydrocarbons.

Production from Armada, Everest & Lomond  
together with the Erskine tie-back (AELE) averaged  
24 kboepd net to Harbour. Production was impacted 
by an extended shutdown maintenance campaign. 
However, with strong operating efficiency later in the 
year, rates returned to just under 30 kboepd in the 
fourth quarter. The LAD development well, targeting 
the East Everest Extension area, was drilled during 
the second half of the year. First gas is targeted for 
the first half of 2022, helping to mitigate natural 
decline from the AELE hub. 

24

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

Tolmount 
Area 

20kboepd

Expected plateau rates

Catcher 
Area

18kboepd

2021 production

At the Tolmount gas field, issues were 
identified in certain offshore electrical 
systems during final commissioning and 
testing of the platform which resulted  
in first gas being delayed beyond July 
2021. The inspection of all of the 
electrical systems and the repairs 
required for first gas were completed 
post period end in early 2022, as were 
the Safety Instrument Functionality  
and Cause and Effect testing. 

Start-up operations commenced post 
period end in March with the handover 
from the engineering and construction 
contractor to ODE, the duty holder, 
initiated, ahead of back-gassing the 
pipeline and first production. 

At the end of 2021, we downgraded 
our estimates of the Tolmount field 
reserves, reflecting the outcome  
of the four well drilling campaign.  
In particular, the third well encountered  
a shallower than expected water 
contact. Tolmount is expected to 
produce c. 20 kboepd once at plateau 
rates with all four wells on-stream. 

Tolmount East, which will comprise  
a single subsea well tied back to the 
Tolmount platform, was sanctioned in 
July 2021, and once on-stream will 
supplement production from the main 
Tolmount field. Drilling is scheduled to 
commence in the second half of 2022 
with first gas targeted for 2023. 

The Catcher Area averaged 24 kboepd net to  
Harbour for nine months from 31 March, contributing 
18 kboepd to the Group’s production for the full year. 
Production was supported by the water and gas 
injection programme which has resulted in higher  
oil volumes and lower water cuts than anticipated.  
A three well programme is planned for 2022 to bring 
on-stream the Catcher North and Laverda satellite 
tie-backs as well as additional production from the 
Burgman field. A 4D seismic survey across the area 
was completed in April which will enable us to 
optimise reservoir management and identify future 
infill targets beyond the 2022 programme. 

Other activity

Harbour drilled two exploration wells  
in Norway in 2021, targeting the Jerv 
and Ilder prospects on licence PL 973. 
The wells were unsuccessful and have 
been plugged and abandoned. Post 
year-end, in the first quarter of 2022, 
we were awarded five licences in the 
APA 2021 licensing round.

Harbour’s Southern North Sea 
decommissioning programme has 
continued to deliver a strong safety, 
operational and cost performance, 
leveraging our significant in-house 
expertise. The well plug and 
abandonment programme continued 
during the year and the removal  
of five platforms in the LOGGS  
complex was successfully completed. 

In the Central North Sea, Harbour  
plugged and abandoned the final well  
on the MacCulloch field, marking the 
successful completion of the 13 well 
abandonment programme. Elsewhere  
in the Central North Sea, the Balmoral 
floating production vessel was  
demobilised and moved off station.

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

25

Strategic report GovernanceFinancial statementsAdditional information 
Operational review continued

North Sea: non-operated

Elgin 

Franklin  18kboepd

2021 production

Elgin Franklin produced 18 kboepd net to 
Harbour, reflecting a third party unplanned 
outage in April and a delayed start up 
following the extended planned summer 
shutdown which had been deferred from 
2020. This was partially offset by the 
contribution from Premier’s 5.2 per cent 
interest in the field from the end of March. 
Production averaged 26 kboepd during the 
fourth quarter, supported by significantly 
improved uptime. In addition, the EIG well 
was tied into production in the fourth 
quarter of 2021. 

West of 

Shetland 13kboepd

2021 production

Buzzard 13kboepd

2021 production

Buzzard production averaged 13 kboepd  
net to Harbour, reflecting natural decline and 
an extended shutdown from May to July  
to install Buzzard Phase 2 facilities and 
align with the Forties Pipeline System (FPS) 
outage. Buzzard Phase 2, which was 
developed as a subsea tie-back to the main 
Buzzard platform, came on-stream at the 
end of the year and will boost production by 
c.3 kboepd net to Harbour. Preparations are 
underway for the 2023 infill well campaign 
targeting the Northern Terrace which will help 
mitigate natural decline from the field. Buzzard 
Brownfield Electrification screening work was 
undertaken in the second half of the year. 

Beryl 
Area

12kboepd

2021 production

Production from the West of Shetland hub 
comprising our interests in Clair, Schiehallion 
and Solan averaged 13 kboepd. Production 
from the very long life Clair field continues  
to be supported by an ongoing drilling 
programme at Clair Ridge, with five wells 
drilled during the course of the year. 
Preparations also continued to return  
to drilling at Clair Phase 1 at the end  
of 2022. In addition, the partners  
continue to optimise the Clair Phase 3 
development, including Clair South. 

The Beryl Area produced 12 kboepd net to 
Harbour for 2021. Production was impacted 
by low operating efficiency due to an extended 
planned maintenance campaign and gas 
compression issues. Drilling operations and 
the subsea tie-in on the Storr-2 development 
well was achieved in late December. An active 
rig programme is planned for Beryl in 2022, 
with return to the Mobile Offshore Drilling Unit 
(MODU) infill drilling programme and the 
restart of platform drilling in the second half 
of the year. The operator continues to target 
mid-2020s for start-up from the Tertiary fields.

26

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

North Sea: working  
towards Net Zero
Harbour is participating in two early-stage 
potential Carbon Capture and Storage 
(CCS) projects: V Net Zero (England) and 
Acorn (Scotland). These projects have the 
potential to capture and store multiple 
times our annual emissions.

2021 saw good progress on our V Net Zero 
project which utilises our existing 
infrastructure and offshore depleted fields. 
The project is being designed to transport  
up to 10.9 million tonnes of CO2 per year 
from the Humber region, the UK’s most 
industrialised area, and permanently store  
it offshore in depleted gas fields in the 
Southern North Sea. During 2021, Humber 
Zero (Phillips 66’s Humber Refinery and 
Vitol’s VPI Immingham power plant), EPUKI’s 
South Humber Bank Power Plant and Prax’s 
Lindsey Oil refinery selected the project as 
their preferred CO2 transportation and 
storage provider. In addition, in October 
Harbour was awarded the Carbon Capture 
and Storage licence to reuse the depleted 
Viking and Victor gas fields to store CO2 as 
part of the project. Post year-end, in early 
2022 we awarded energy engineering 
specialist Kent the pre-front end engineering 
design contract for the V Net Zero pipeline 
systems. We, our partners and our emitters 
continue to work with regulators and the UK 
Government to progress V Net Zero towards  
a potential final investment decision.

The Acorn CCS and Hydrogen project is  
well placed to help decarbonise Scotland, 
especially the central industrial belt.  
Acorn was awarded Reserve Track 1 status 
as part of the UK Government’s Net Zero 
ambitions. Harbour is a partner in the Acorn 
project which is being led by Storegga with 
Shell as lead developer.

We are also assessing the potential  
for electrification of offshore facilities  
in the Central North Sea.

Harbour is leading an industry study to 
determine the technical and commercial 
viability for electrification of offshore 
platforms, including replacing diesel 
powered generators with electricity 
transmitted from shore or possibly from 
offshore wind turbines. Doing so would  
have a material impact on our GHG 
emissions from offshore oil and gas 
production. The analysis is expected  
to conclude during 2022.

International: operated and non-operated

Natuna  
Sea Block A 

8kboepd

2021 production

Chim Sáo 4kboepd

2021 production

Operated
The Natuna Sea Block A fields in Indonesia 
averaged 10 kboepd for the nine months  
from 31 March 2021, contributing 8 kboepd 
to the Group’s 2021 full year production.  
This reflected very high uptime and strong 
Singapore natural gas demand with offtake 
under our gas sales agreements above 
take-or-pay levels. In the fourth quarter,  
a jack-up rig campaign comprising a workover 
and an infill well was completed, helping to 
increase delivery from the field. Further rig 
activity is planned for 2022, including an infill 
well at Pelikan to help support production. 
Pricing of Indonesia gas remained strong 
during the year, averaging $12/mmscf. 

Elsewhere in Indonesia, we successfully 
appraised the Tuna discoveries. This involved 
two appraisal wells and an extensive data 
acquisition programme, including three drill 
string flow tests with rates achieved ahead of 
expectations. Technical and commercial work 
on the project has been initiated, with the 
development concept comprising dry gas 
sales to Vietnam and liquids offloaded to 
market via an FPSO scheme. Post year-end, 
we secured Indonesian Government approval 
for a one year extension to the exploration 
period of the Tuna PSC to allow the 
submission of a Plan of Development to  
the Indonesian Government in 2023. 

Preparations are also underway for the 
drilling of the Timpan-1 exploration well on 
the Group’s operated Andaman II licence  
off northern Sumatra, Indonesia. Together 
with our partners, BP and Mubadala 
Petroleum, we have contracted the West 
Capella drillship with the well expected  
to spud in the second quarter of 2022. 

Harbour also took the decision in 2021 to 
exit its exploration licence interests in the 
Ceara Basin in Brazil and the Burgos Basin 
in Mexico. This is in line with the Group’s 
exploration strategy which is focused 
primarily on infrastructure led, lower risk 
opportunities in areas with an existing 
Harbour producing presence. 

Harbour’s Chim Sáo field in Vietnam 
produced 5 kboepd during the nine months 
from 31 March, contributing 4 kboepd to 
Harbour’s 2021 production. An approved 
two well infill programme to help offset 
natural decline from the field is on schedule 
to commence mid-2022. 

In the Falkland Islands, Harbour undertook a 
thorough review of the Sea Lion project, in 
which the Group has a 60 per cent operated 
interest. Development of the project was not 
deemed a strategic fit for Harbour and the 
Group decided to exit the Falkland Islands.  
In December, Harbour agreed to assign all of 
its interests in the Falkland Islands to Navitas 
Petroleum. The transaction is expected to 
complete in the first half of 2022 subject to 
the Falkland Islands Government approval.

Non-operated
Harbour has a 12.39 per cent unitised 
interest in the Zama field offshore Mexico. 
During 2021, Harbour worked with partners 
and Pemex to define the basis of a unit 
development plan (UDP) which is envisaged 
to comprise two offshore platforms with  
oil and gas export to the nearby Dos Bocas 
terminal. The UDP is intended to minimise 
offshore installations and also lowers GHG 
intensity by powering the offshore platforms 
largely from shore. Front End Engineering and 
Design (FEED) on the proposed development 
scheme is expected to be initiated during 
2022 ahead of a final investment decision 
possibly in 2023. 

Elsewhere in Mexico, the Block 30 (Harbour 
30 per cent) joint venture partnership plans 
to drill two commitment wells on the licence 
targeting the Wahoo and Pike prospects  
in 2022. 

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

27

Strategic report GovernanceFinancial statementsAdditional informationESG review

A strong focus on delivering  
our ESG commitments

Our purpose 
To play a significant role in meeting the 
world’s energy needs through the safe, 
efficient and responsible production of 
hydrocarbons while creating value for  
our stakeholders.

Our aim 
To deliver value in a responsible manner 
for all stakeholders in accordance with 
key global standards, underpinned by 
strong corporate governance.

FIND OUT MORE ONLINE
In our ESG Report at: 
harbourenergy.com/sustainability

28

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

As our business continues to grow, we are committed to the highest standards 
of corporate governance, to keeping safety as our top priority and protecting the 
environment and local communities.

Safety

The health and safety  
of our people is our  
top priority. We never 
compromise on health  
or safety standards.

READ MORE 
P30

Our targets
 ¼ Maintain strong Health, Safety, Environmental and Security  

(HSES) leadership

 ¼ Continuous improvement in our safety performance

 ¼ Embed process safety excellence across the organisation

 ¼ Assure compliance with policies and procedures including  

in support of major accident prevention

 ¼ Maintain a trained and prepared incident response capability  

across our global organisation

2021 progress
Harbour Energy’s Life-Saving Rules  
and Process Safety Fundamentals  
were developed and rolled out at  
our inaugural Global HSES Day

1.27

Total Recordable Injury Rate 
(TRIR) per million hours

Environment

Committed to minimising  
the environmental impact  
of our operations and playing 
a role in the transition to a 
lower carbon economy.

READ MORE 
P32

Our targets
 ¼ Conducting our business with care for the environment 

 ¼ Net Zero for our equity share of Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2035

 ¼ Reduce emissions from our operations

 ¼ Zero routine flaring

 ¼ Explore the potential for Carbon Capture & Storage (CCS) and  

offshore electrification

 ¼ Incentives in executive remuneration for emissions reduction

 ¼ Investment in carbon offsets

2021 progress
Delivered emissions 6 per cent under  
target through improvements in plant 
efficiency and flaring, and offset more 
than 25 per cent of emissions

17kgCO2e/boe

GHG intensity (including offsets)

Social

Generating shared value 
through socially responsible 
operations will earn and keep 
the trust of our stakeholders.

Our targets
 ¼ Ensure diversity, equity and inclusion are reflected in the Group’s 

policies and procedures 

 ¼ Develop a working environment that fosters a sense of belonging 

and acceptance

 ¼ Commit to local employment 

 ¼ Invest in local communities to provide sustainable benefits

2021 progress
Launch of our Diversity, Equity & 
Inclusion Policy, which includes 
commitments to the principal of  
equal opportunity in employment

$3.67bn

In economic value generated

READ MORE 
P34

Governance

Our governance goes beyond 
regulatory compliance and  
puts the interests of all our 
stakeholders at the heart of 
the Board’s decision-making.

READ MORE 
P35

Our targets
 ¼ Establish and maintain a diverse Board of Directors

 ¼ Ensure a sound framework of internal controls and risk management

 ¼ Maximise long-term value for our shareholders

 ¼ Transparent and active engagement with all stakeholder groups

 ¼ Zero tolerance to unethical behaviour

2021 progress
Established a new Board  
and announced plans for  
dividend payments

>350

Investor meetings held

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

29

Strategic report GovernanceFinancial statementsAdditional informationESG review continued

Safety 

Ensuring our people are kept safe and well, and raising 
awareness of potential dangers related to our operations  
and locations are of paramount importance to us.

Our approach
At Harbour, safety is our top priority, and  
we aim to operate responsibly and securely 
across all our activities. 

We continually work to reduce risks and 
ensure the safety of everyone who is 
affected by our operations. We aim to 
improve occupational health and safety 
practices, and performance across the 
entire organisation through implementing 
standards and policies, training, raising 
awareness and sharing information.

We strive to achieve process safety 
excellence and work continually to reduce 
the likelihood and potential severity of 
process safety events. This involves applying 
best practices in the design, use and 
maintenance of our equipment, planning 
every stage of our operations with safety 
risks and the hierarchy of control in mind.

2021 performance
We launched several programmes to improve 
safety practices and promote greater safety 
awareness across our organisation. We  
held our first Global HSES Day, we adopted  
a common set of Life-Saving Rules across  
the organisation and implemented a 
comprehensive HSES audit programme.

We began standardising process safety 
procedures and practices, using best 
practices from across the Group. This work 
supports our aim of achieving process safety 
excellence across all of our operations.

Process safety was a primary area of focus at 
our Global HSES Day, where we announced 
the adoption of the IOGP Process Safety 
Fundamentals. We also developed an 
internal training programme called Major 
Hazards Awareness, which includes both 
site-based and virtual reality modules.

FIND OUT MORE ONLINE
On the IOGP website at: 
www.iogp.org/oil-and-gas-safety/
process-safety/fundamentals

30

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

Total Recordable Injury Rate (TRIR)1 
Per million hours worked

Process safety1,2 
Tier 1 and 2

1.27

7
2
1

.

7
1
1

.

3
9
0

.

2 events (Tier 2)

2

1

1

2019

2020

2021

2019

2020

2021

KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS 
P14

1   Reported on a gross, operated basis.
2   Reported as per the IOGP’s Process Safety 

– Recommended Practice on Key Performance 
Indicators, report 456, 2018.

HSES COMMITTEE REPORT 
P72

CEO Safety Award

Open for individuals or teams, staff and 
contractors working for Harbour, this 
award programme aims to recognise 
outstanding health and safety behaviour 
across our global operations. Anyone in 
the Group can make nominations across 
a broad scope including, for example, 
extended injury-free performance on an 
asset, personal interventions to stop 
work or raise safety concerns, the 
introduction of new ways of working or  
a change in facilities to reduce health 
and safety risks.

A total of 45 nominations were submitted. 
While all were worthy of recognition, the 
three finalists were: the Greater Britannia 
Area (GBA) preventative maintenance team, 
the barge campaign team in Indonesia and 
our North Sea decommissioning team. 

The winner of the inaugural CEO Safety Award 
was the GBA preventative maintenance 
team who significantly exceeded the annual 
target for preventative maintenance and  
in so doing helped to ensure the safety of 
themselves and their colleagues.

Our Total Recordable Injury Rate and Lost 
Time Injury Rate were both above target for 
the year. This was attributable to a number 
of incidents, predominantly the result of  
poor situational awareness, in the first  
half of 2021. 

We experienced zero Tier 1 and two Tier 2  
loss of process containment safety events. 

Looking forward
We will continue to focus on safety leadership, 
process safety and major accident prevention. 
Key actions for 2022 include rolling out the 
Process Safety Fundamentals across the 
organisation and embedding them into our 
operating practices. 

Additional details on our 2021 safety 
performance can be found in our ESG Report.

FIND OUT MORE ONLINE
In our ESG Report at: 
harbourenergy.com/sustainability

Major hazard awareness using virtual reality

Virtual reality (VR) tools have been 
successfully adopted by Harbour to 
help reinforce Major Accident Hazard 
(MAH) awareness training onboard  
our UK offshore platforms.

In addition to recommencing site-based 
MAH awareness training delivered  
at Spadeadam in Cumbria, UK, we 
have adopted use of VR technology  
to supplement this experience.  

The programme uses the latest VR  
gaming technology to create an immersive 
3D environment.

The VR sets have been deployed on rotation 
across our North Sea operated assets and 
also our onshore locations. This approach 
allows us to continue to raise awareness 
of MAH potential across our organisation 
and we are looking into how to take the 
technology across our global operations.

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

31

Strategic report GovernanceFinancial statementsAdditional informationESG review continued

Environment

Committed to addressing the environmental impact 
of our operations and playing a role in the transition  
to a lower carbon economy.

Scope 1 & 2 emissions MtCO2e

1.6

(2020: 1.0)

  North Sea 

1.0

International 

0.6 

17kgCO2e/boe

GHG intensity (including offsets)

Zero

Environmental fines

22.4MGJ

Energy used (2020: 13.8)

Task Force on Climate-related  
Financial Disclosures (TCFD)
In compliance with Listing Rule 9.8.6(8),  
our climate-related financial disclosures,  
which are partially consistent with the TCFD 
Recommendations and Recommended 
Disclosures published in June 2017, are 
summarised herein. Where our disclosures are 
not consistent with TCFD Recommendations 
and Recommended Disclosures, the reasons 
for this and steps we are taking are set out 
in our ESG Report. 

TCFD recommendations are embedded  
in our business practices and discussed 
throughout this report. Our ESG Report is 
aligned to the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), 
the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board 
(SASB) and TCFD. It provides additional details 
on our 2021 environmental performance and, 
for ease of reference, includes a full TCFD index.

TCFD overview

Disclosure level: 

 Full 

 Partial 

 Omitted

Recommendation

Recommended disclosures and disclosure level

Reference

Summary of progress

Governance 
Disclose the organisation’s 
governance around  
climate-related risks  
and opportunities

a)  Describe the Board’s oversight of  

climate-related risks and opportunities

b)  Describe management’s role in assessing 
and managing climate-related risks and 
opportunities

Strategy
Disclose the actual and 
potential impacts of 
climate-related risks and 
opportunities on the 
organisation’s businesses, 
strategy and financial 
planning where such 
information is material

a)  Describe the climate-related risks and 

opportunities the organisation has identified 
over the short, medium and long term

b)  Describe the impact of climate-related risks 
and opportunities on the organisation’s 
businesses, strategy, and financial planning

c)  Describe the resilience of the organisation’s 
strategy, taking into consideration different 
climate-related scenarios, including a 2°C  
or lower scenario

Risk management
Disclose how the 
organisation identifies, 
assesses, and manages 
climate-related risks

a)  Describe the organisation’s processes for 
identifying and assessing climate-related risks

b)  Describe the organisation’s processes  

for managing climate-related risks

c)  Describe how processes for identifying, 

assessing, and managing climate-related 
risks are integrated into the organisation’s 
overall risk management

Metrics and targets
Disclose the metrics and 
targets used to assess 
and manage relevant 
climate-related risks and 
opportunities where such 
information is material

a)  Disclose the metrics used by the 

organisation to assess climate-related  
risks and opportunities in line with its 
strategy and risk management process

b)  Disclose Scope 1, Scope 2, and, if 

appropriate, Scope 3 greenhouse gas 
(GHG) emissions, and the related risks

c)  Describe the targets used by the organisation 

to manage climate-related risks and 
opportunities and performance against targets

32

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

Annual Report
Governance: P56
Audit and Risk Committee 
report: P66
HSES Committee report: P72

ESG Report 
Governance: P33
Environment: P17

 ¼ A new Board of Directors along with four sub-committees 

were established in 2021, and have endorsed our Net Zero 
2035 goal

 ¼ The Board, and its HSES and Audit and Risk sub-committees, 
regularly review and evaluate risks, opportunities and impacts 
related to climate change and our path to Net Zero 2035

 ¼ Management executes our strategy, monitors our  

climate-related performance, and reports to the Board on our 
progress against targets

Annual Report
How we create value: P12
Risk management: P44

ESG Report 
Environment: P17

 ¼ We face a broad range of climate-related risks. These include 
transitional risks such as shifts in demand for fossil fuels, 
reputational, legal and technological risks, as well as physical 
risks such as extreme weather events and long-term sea-level 
rises. These are all monitored and evaluated when developing 
and reviewing our overall strategic direction and targets

 ¼ The energy transition also presents opportunities to Harbour 

Energy. We are actively investing in both hydrogen and 
Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS)

 ¼ We use different financial scenarios that embed various 
aspects, including carbon costs and commodity prices,  
into our strategic planning. We are developing models to 
integrate climate scenarios into our existing scenario analysis

Annual Report
Risk management: P44
Principal risks: P48

ESG Report 
Environment: P17

 ¼  All areas of the business are subject to regular risk 

identification, assessment and review. These reviews  
include both transitional and physical climate-related risks

 ¼ In 2021 we introduced a new principal risk relating  
to climate change, energy transition and Net Zero

 ¼  Climate-related risks are considered and managed within 

Harbour’s risk management framework

ESG Report
Environment: P17
Data sheet

 ¼  We use and disclose a wide range of climate-related metrics 

in order to manage the business and our risks

 ¼  We have provided details of Scope 1 and 2 emissions for our 
own operations, and for the equity share of our investments
 ¼ We have started to gather emissions data from our upstream 
supply chain to help us understand, quantify and, in future, 
disclose a broader range of Scope 3 emissions

 ¼ Harbour sets annual emission reduction targets that support 
our goals of zero routine flaring by 2030 and Net Zero by 2035

 ¼ Disclosure of our climate-related targets, that enable us to 
track progress toward our zero routine flaring and Net Zero 
goals, is under consideration

 
PRINCIPAL RISKS 
P48

Our approach
We are continually taking steps and making 
investments to reduce our emissions and 
environmental impacts, and are committed 
to playing a role in the responsible transition 
to a lower carbon economy.

Regarding GHG emissions, we are targeting 
Net Zero by 2035. As an independent  
oil and gas company, we focus on Scope 1 
and 2 emissions across our portfolio, 
including those from both our operated and 
non-operated assets. Our approach towards 
this goal is, first and foremost, to reduce 
our own emissions through operational 
efficiencies and modifications. We also 
explore opportunities for step-changes in 
our emissions profile through projects like 
offshore electrification and CCS, we embed  
a cost of carbon in all decision-making,  
we increasingly offset our hard-to-abate 
emissions, and we aim to measure and 
report in line with best practice. 

We set annual targets for GHG emissions 
– which are included in incentive pay 
outcomes – and related to the acquisition  
of offsets. We also have an incentive in  
our main debt facility, providing us with an 
opportunity for lower financing costs should 
certain emissions reduction targets be  
met in the future. In addition, we are a 
signatory of the World Bank Zero Routine 
Flaring (2030) protocol.

In other areas of environmental performance 
such as water usage, spill prevention and 
waste, we have policies and procedures  
in place to ensure we design, operate and 
maintain our facilities in line with best practice 
in order to minimise our environmental 
footprint. We ensure a strong spill response 
capability and a systematic approach  
to emergency preparedness and crisis 
management. We measure and track our 
performance using a broad set of metrics. 

Our progress is monitored regularly by our 
Leadership Team as well as the Board’s 
HSES Committee.

2021 performance
In 2021, our total Scope 1 and 2 GHG 
emissions from our operated assets increased 
to 1.6 million tonnes of CO2e as a result of the 
Merger and the higher level of drilling across 
the portfolio following lower activity during 2020 
as a result of the pandemic. Our operations in 
the UK were responsible for over 60 per cent 
of the emissions with the remainder coming 
from Norway and our International assets.  

The primary sources of our emissions are 
associated with the combustion of fuels. 
The majority (94 per cent) of our emissions 
are from CO2, with smaller amounts 
associated with CH4 and N2O. 

Our emissions in 2021 were 6 per cent 
lower than our target. The improvement was 
a result of plant efficiency gains and also 
lower production related to the delayed 
start-up of the Tolmount project in the UK. 

was 17.8 parts per million by weight. We 
recorded 28 hydrocarbon spills during the 
year, releasing a total of 0.9 tonnes to the 
environment. We also recorded 19 chemical 
spills, releasing a total of 27 tonnes, 80 per 
cent of which was attributable to a single 
event involving the unplanned release of 
20.7 tonnes of water-based cooling medium. 
Waste volumes – mainly resulting from our 
drilling, production and decommissioning 
activities – fell during the year to 25k tonnes.

We identify emissions reduction opportunities 
through our Environmental Hopper process 
and screen them based on emissions impact, 
feasibility and cost. In 2021 we implemented 
projects that result in annual emissions 
reductions of 56k tonnes CO2e.

During the year we continued to assess  
the viability of offshore electrification of  
our Central North Sea assets in the UK. 
While capital-intensive and commercially 
challenging, implementation would have a 
material impact on our emissions and could 
be viable with government support. We are 
assessing the project against a wide range 
of future costs for CO2, as we do in all 
investment decision-making. We aim to 
conclude the analysis during 2022. 

We also progressed our efforts to mature  
two CCS projects in the UK: V Net Zero and 
Acorn. Both projects have the potential to 
capture and store material amounts of CO2, 
with our operated V Net Zero project utilising 
existing Harbour pipeline infrastructure and 
targeting storage in offshore fields for which 
we secured the required licences during 
2021. The two projects are aligned with the 
UK Government’s Net Zero ambition and are 
active in the process to potentially secure 
government financial support. 

We recently secured our first carbon offsets, 
totalling 1.2 million tonnes, certified to 
international standards. The offsets are 
mostly associated with forestry conservation 
and landfill gas capture. Of the offsets 
acquired, 0.4 million tonnes have been 
applied against our 2021 emissions, 
offsetting more than 25 per cent of our 
annual emissions and reducing our GHG 
intensity from 23 kgCO2e/boe to 17 kgCO2e/
boe. We plan to use the remaining offsets 
in future years. 

In other areas of environmental performance, 
we discharged 2.1 million tonnes of treated 
produced water from our own operations.  
The average amount of oil in produced water 

Looking forward
Harbour aims to grow and diversify its 
business by investing in our existing assets 
and through further M&A. As a result, we 
expect our absolute emissions over the 
near to mid term will likely grow along with 
the business. However, we aim for our 
emissions intensity to improve and to reach 
Net Zero by 2035, through a combination  
of activities including:

 ¼ Increasing plant efficiency and further 

reductions in flaring and venting

 ¼ Implementing sanctioned and new 

emissions reduction projects

 ¼ Including the cost of carbon in all 
investments and screening M&A 
candidates for GHG intensity

 ¼ Continuing to progress our CCS projects 

to determine their technical and 
commercial viability

 ¼ The acquisition of high quality carbon offsets

We will also continue to monitor progress 
against all environmental aspects at both 
our Leadership Team and the Board’s  
HSES Committee. 

With respect to priorities to further develop 
our TCFD practices, during 2022 we will 
advance our efforts in the following areas:

 ¼ The collection, measurement, 

understanding and reporting of our  
value chain (Scope 3) emissions

 ¼ Incorporating climate-related scenarios 
alongside our financial scenarios in our 
strategic planning

 ¼ Disclosure of forward-looking targets  

of key climate-related metrics

FIND OUT MORE ONLINE
In our ESG Report at: 
harbourenergy.com/sustainability

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

33

Strategic report GovernanceFinancial statementsAdditional informationESG review continued

Social 

Proud of our role in generating shared value 
and our governance structure.

Our approach
Building, shaping and developing our 
culture, our people and new organisational 
structure are key to our success. Following 
completion of the Merger, we are focusing  
on creating an equal, inclusive, diverse  
and collaborative environment. Engaging, 
developing, retaining and rewarding our 
employees is a priority for us, and our 
commitment to building a diverse and 
inclusive environment is foundational  
to our core values.

2021 performance
Community, value generation and distribution
In 2021 we distributed $2.09 billion in  
the form of operating costs, payments to 
suppliers and contractors, royalties, wages, 
tax payments and community investments.

Diversity, equity and inclusion
At Harbour, we work hard to create a 
culture where everyone can thrive and 
succeed. Our commitment to building  
a diverse, equitable and inclusive 
environment is foundational to our values 
and is underpinned by our People and 
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Policies.

$3.67bn

Economic value generated 
by Harbour Energy1

$2.09bn

Economic value distributed 
by Harbour Energy

36%

Of our Board members are women

35% 

Of our Leadership Team and  
their direct reports are women

44k 

Staff training and  
development hours

Gender balance All employees

Vietnam: Sports, Social and Charity Committee

Our team in Vietnam co-ordinates and 
oversees a range of diverse activities in 
the local community. Their aims are to:

Some of the projects we supported  
in 2021 include:

 ¼ Heartbeat Vietnam, which has given 

 ¼   Provide engagement, support and 
activities related to our ESG goals

7,804 children to date a second chance 
at life

 ¼  Promote physical and mental 

health for staff (sports activities/
challenges, #workfromhome 
platform etc)

 ¼  Work hard, play harder – organise 
events which help to strengthen 
team spirit

 ¼  Christine Noble Children’s Foundation’s 
educational and healthcare centre for 
disadvantaged and disabled children

 ¼  Chevening Vietnam’s career mentoring 
programme for university students

 ¼  GAIA Nature Conservation, empowering 
and pioneering the implementation 
of solutions to conserve nature and 
protect the environment

  Male 

76%  

Female 

24% 

FIND OUT MORE ONLINE
In our ESG Report at: 
harbourenergy.com/sustainability

1  Including jobs and employment.

34

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

We give full and fair consideration to all 
applications for employment by disabled 
persons, having regard for their particular 
aptitudes and abilities. We strive to 
provide continued employment and 
arrange appropriate training for members  
of our workforce who become disabled 
whilst employed by us. We provide  
training, career development and 
promotion of disabled employees. 

Employee engagement and practices
Engagement with our workforce is key  
to our future success and is a valuable 
means of identifying employee concerns.  
In 2021, our employee engagement efforts 
centred on the integration of the merged 
companies to create Harbour. Throughout 
the Merger process, we engaged with 
employees on organisational change.  
We built on the existing staff forum 
structures from our legacy companies to 
ensure employee input into the design  
of the organisation and the subsequent 
integration process, and we created a  
new Global Staff Forum to enable direct 
engagement between representatives  
of our own global employee base, our  
CEO and other members of the Board.

Looking forward
Harbour will continue to aim to create 
maximum value for our stakeholders. We are 
proud that much of the value we create is 
distributed throughout our host countries 
and local communities, and directly supports 
long-term socio-economic development. We 
are working to build a diverse and inclusive 
working environment where everyone is 
accepted and there are equal opportunities 
and fair pay for all employees. 

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE REPORT 
P62

Governance 

Our Board is collectively responsible for the governance 
of Harbour Energy on behalf of shareholders.

FIND OUT MORE ONLINE
harbourenergy.com/policies

Our approach 
Harbour is committed to conducting its 
activities to the highest ethical standards 
and in compliance with all applicable laws 
and regulations. This is consistent with our 
core values, is critical in maintaining the 
trust of our stakeholders and underpins  
both our current and future success. 

We have a comprehensive risk governance 
framework that extends from the Board of 
Directors, through executive and senior 
management, to the working levels within 
each of our businesses.

2021 performance 
We formed a new Board of Directors for Harbour 
and established four Board Committees:

 ¼ The Health, Safety, Environment and 

Security (HSES) Committee

 ¼ The Audit and Risk Committee

 ¼ The Remuneration Committee

 ¼ The Nomination Committee

The Committees and the Board approved 
nine new Group-level policies including 
HSES, Risk Management and Tax.

We took steps to further develop our ethics 
and compliance programmes through: 

 ¼ Preparing for the launch of a new Global 

Code of Conduct and core values

 ¼ Engagement with key contractors on 

modern slavery and worker-welfare risks

 ¼ Participation in working groups, task forces 
and consultations on public policy and 
legislation in countries in which we operate

 ¼ Partnered with key members of our 

supply chain on climate change, worker 
protection and human rights 

In 2021 there were: 

 ¼ No significant fines or non-monetary 

sanctions for legal or regulatory breaches

 ¼ No legal actions relating to business ethics, 
corruption or anti-competitive behaviour

 ¼ No reported violations of our Human 
Rights Statement, nor any incidents  
of human rights abuses

 ¼ No alleged incidents of discrimination 

reported across our operations

 ¼ No security-related incidents with  

human rights implications

 ¼ No operations that presented risks to 

workers’ rights

 ¼ No significant negative human rights  
or labour rights impacts identified in  
our supply chain

Looking forward
Harbour will continue to aim to meet best 
practices in the area of corporate governance. 
We will launch our new Code of Conduct 
and will roll it out across the organisation  
in 2022. In addition, we will continue to 
mature our efforts to ensure compliance 
related to all of our policies and standards.

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

35

Strategic report GovernanceFinancial statementsAdditional informationOur Leadership Team

Leading the way  
through our expertise 

The objectives of the Leadership Team include 
implementing Harbour’s strategy and delivering 
business performance safely and responsibly, 
enabling the Group to play a significant role in 
meeting the world’s energy needs.

Linda Z. Cook Chief Executive Officer 

Prior to being named CEO, Linda was Chairman of 
the Board of Chrysaor Holdings Ltd, and a member 
of the Investment and Executive Committees of 
EIG, positions she held since 2014.

She retired from Royal Dutch Shell plc in 2010,  
at which time she was a member of the Board  
of Directors and the Executive Committee.

During her 29 years with Shell, she held positions 
including CEO of Shell Gas and Power (London); 
CEO of Shell Canada Limited (Calgary); Executive 
Vice President Strategy and Finance for Global 
Exploration and Production (The Hague);  
and various US exploration and production 
management, operational and engineering roles.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS 
P58

BOARD OF DIRECTORS 
P58

Bob Fennell EVP North Sea

Bob has over 35 years of industry experience, 
including 16 years running operations at a  
senior level. 

During his career he has worked in the majority  
of oil and gas basins around the world, including 
in Norway, Yemen and Canada, working for BP, 
Elf, Transocean and Nexen. 

Alexander Krane Chief Financial Officer

Alexander has over 20 years of experience in 
various accounting, controlling and executive 
roles in the energy industry. 

Prior to joining Harbour in 2021, Alexander was 
Investment Director at Aker ASA where he was 
responsible for all oil and gas investments. 

Before becoming Investment Director at Aker ASA 
in 2019, Alexander was CFO of Aker BP/Det 
Norske Oljeselskap, where he was responsible  
for all financial functions, strategy and M&A.

He is Co-Chair of Step Change in Safety and  
a member of Offshore Energies UK Board.

Stuart Wheaton EVP International

Stuart has over 30 years of industry experience 
focused on field development planning, project 
delivery, operations and upstream leadership.  
His career started in Exxon as a reservoir  
engineer in the North Sea.  

Later roles at Exxon, and then at Lasmo,  
Cairn Energy and Tullow Oil, have provided 
wide-ranging experience in both onshore  
and offshore environments.

Glenn Brown EVP Subsurface and Portfolio

Glenn has over 30 years’ industry experience. 
Prior to joining Harbour he was EVP Subsurface 
and Portfolio at Chrysaor where he was 
responsible for the subsurface function and 
value creation through resource maturation. 
Other past roles include Operations Coordination 
Manager at the UK regulator, the Oil and Gas 

36

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

Authority (now called North Sea Transition 
Authority), with a focus on promoting resource 
development, wells and projects performance  
in the UK Continental Shelf. 

Before joining the OGA (NSTA), Glenn was Vice 
President and Head of Subsurface for Maersk 
Oil in Copenhagen. 

Gill Riggs Chief Human Resources Officer

Prior to joining Harbour, Gill was the Vice 
President Human Resources, Global Upstream 
for Chevron based in the US. During her 20-year 
career with Chevron, Gill held increasing roles  
of responsibility in human resources including 
Regional HR Manager, Middle East and East 
Africa (UAE), Regional HR Manager, Africa & 

Middle East (South Africa), General Manager HR, 
Gas & Midstream (US), General Manager HR, 
Technology & Services (US) and General 
Manager HR, Upstream Asia Pacific (Singapore).

Howard Landes General Counsel / Legal

Prior to joining Harbour, Howard was General 
Counsel at Chrysaor. 

Howard trained and qualified at the international 
law firm, Clifford Chance.

His experience includes more than 10 years  
at BG Group where he led a team of lawyers 
responsible for the group’s corporate and M&A 
matters globally.  

Steve Cox EVP HSES and Global Services

Prior to joining Harbour, Steve was EVP Non 
Operated Ventures at Chrysaor where he was 
responsible for the Group’s non-operated assets. 

Having worked in the industry for over 25 years, 
including at BG and Shell, Steve has gained 
extensive experience in safety, project and asset 
management, operational and functional 
performance and partner engagement.

Alex Budden EVP Corporate Affairs

Alex joined Harbour in February 2022 after  
10 years at Lundin Energy, Africa Oil and Africa 
Energy. He was also a Director of the Lundin 
Foundation. Before his career in the oil and gas 
sector, he served for 21 years as a Diplomat  
with the British Government.  

Alex specialises in strategic and corporate 
communications, reputation management, 
stakeholder engagement and government  
and security relations. 

Stuart Cooper EVP Strategy, Commercial and Business Development

Stuart has worked in upstream oil and gas for 
over 25 years, focusing on business development, 
commercial activities and mergers and 
acquisitions. This has taken him all over the world 
from Scotland to Venezuela, Europe, the Middle 

East, North Africa and Canada, with companies 
including Total, Petro-Canada/Suncor, TAQA  
and DONG/INEOS. Stuart started his career  
as a corporate lawyer.

Andrew Osborne Special Projects

Prior to joining Harbour, Andrew was Chief Financial 
Officer at Chrysaor. 

Prior to Chrysaor he had over 20 years’ capital 
markets experience in investment banking, latterly 
as a Managing Director responsible for Merrill 
Lynch’s Natural Resources Equity Capital Markets 
and Broking business. 

He has worked on a significant number of  
oil and gas transactions for both public and 
private companies.

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

37

Strategic report GovernanceFinancial statementsAdditional information 
Financial review

Conservative financial  
risk management policy

As an oil and gas company, we believe in  
a conservative approach to managing the 
balance sheet, ensuring we have access to 
liquidity through the cycle. This is supported  
by a regular and disciplined hedging  
programme and prudent capital allocation.

Capital allocation priorities
We are generating strong, predictable operating cash flows which, together with our 
robust balance sheet, provide us with optionality over how we allocate our capital. 
When it comes to capital allocation we try to balance three equally important priorities: 

1
Safeguard  
balance  
sheet

2
Ensure a robust  
and diverse 
portfolio

3
Shareholder 
returns 

 ¼ Target leverage of less 
than 1.5x across the 
commodity price cycle

 ¼ Ensure significant 

liquidity

 ¼ Disciplined hedging 

programme

 ¼ Focused investment 
to underpin cash 
generation

 ¼ Establish at least one 
material production 
base outside the UK

 ¼ Target reserves life  
of c.8—12 years

 ¼ Pay a dividend of 
$200 million per 
annum from free cash 
flow through the cycle

 ¼ Aim to deliver both 
growth and yield to 
shareholders

$678m

Free cash flow generation

0.9x

Leverage ratio at year-end

 $200m

Annual dividend announced

$500m

Debut bond issuance completed

38

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

We have executed 
a transformational 
transaction and 
generated material 
free cash flow while 
retaining a robust 
balance sheet, a 
diversified capital 
structure and 
significant liquidity.

ALEXANDER KRANE 
Chief Financial Officer

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

39

Strategic report GovernanceFinancial statementsAdditional informationFinancial review continued

Commitment to  
shareholder returns

We aim to deliver both growth 
and yield to our shareholders. 
We believe a commitment to 
shareholder distributions is an 
important part of our equity 
story and will help to broaden 
our investor base. 

We believe an initial distribution should be 
affordable from free cash flow, sustainable 
through the cycle and, at the same time, 
meaningful and clearly defined. 

For Harbour, we believe that an initial set 
amount of $200 million per annum meets 
these targets and strikes a good balance. 

Proposed dividend timetable

We will review our dividend policy annually, 
in the context of our capital allocation 
priorities, and as we execute our strategy. 
As a result, we may revise the dividend 
level and/or supplement it through a 
special dividend or share buybacks.

2021

2022

2023+

For 2021, a final dividend 
of $100 million to be paid 
in May 2022 post AGM and 
shareholder approval

First interim dividend of 
$100 million to be paid in 
November 2022 following 
Half Year Results; the final 
dividend will be paid in 2023

Going forward, payments  
will be made on the basis of 
half interim and half final

Summary of financial results

Production – kboepd
Revenue and other 
income – $ million
Operating costs per boe 
– $/boe

EBITDAX – $ million1
Pre-tax profit/(loss)  
– $ million
Profit/(loss) after tax  
– $ million
Earnings/(loss) per share 
– $/share
Capital expenditure  
– $ million
Decommissioning spend 
– $ million
Operating cash flow  
– $ million
Free cash flow1  
– $ million
Net debt1 $ million  
(net of unamortised fees)

Year ended 
31 December
2021

Year ended 
31 December 
2020

175

173

3,618

2,438

15.2

11.2

2,431

1,784

315

101

0.1

709

226

(978)

(778)

(1.1)

556

142

1,614

1,373

678

562

2,147

1,414

Post-hedging realised prices:

Crude oil – $/boe

UK natural gas – p/therm

59

54

Singapore HSFO – $/mscf

11.7

63

33

N/A

1   See the Glossary on page 176 for the definition of 

non-GAAP measures. Reconciliations between GAAP  
and non-GAAP measures are provided within this 
Financial review.

Premier business, with production split 
between 55 per cent liquids (2020: 48 per 
cent) and 45 per cent gas (2020: 52 per cent).

Harbour reported total revenue and other 
income of $3,618 million (2020: $2,438 
million). Revenue was higher than the prior 
period primarily as a result of higher realised 
gas prices on a post-hedge basis and an 
increase in production volumes for both 
liquids and gas, with a greater proportion  
of liquids in 2021, in part due to the Merger. 
Realised post-hedge crude prices were 
broadly unchanged.

Production costs for the period were $15.2/
boe (2020: $11.2/boe). The increase  
was primarily driven by additional planned 
maintenance during extended summer 
shutdowns deferred from 2020 as a result 
of COVID-19. Unit production costs were 
also impacted by unplanned outages, well 
availability and natural decline, however, this 
was broadly offset by production from new 
wells. Additionally, production costs were 
also impacted by the strengthening of Pound 
Sterling against the US Dollar during the period. 

EBITDAX amounted to $2,431 million (2020: 
$1,784 million). The increase from 2020 was 
due to higher revenue partially offset by higher 
operating costs from the enlarged group. 

Harbour reported average production for 2021 
of 175 kboepd (2020: 173 kboepd), which 
includes nine months’ contribution from the 

Pre-tax profit was $315 million (2020:  
loss $978 million). Post-tax profits were 
$101 million (2020: loss $778 million).  

Premier legally acquired Chrysaor 
through the issuance of shares. 
The transaction completed on 
31 March 2021, whereupon Premier 
changed its name from Premier  
Oil plc to Harbour Energy plc.

For accounting purposes, the 
transaction constituted a reverse 
acquisition of Premier by Chrysaor 
in accordance with IFRS 3 Business 
Combinations. As a result, Premier 
is fully consolidated in the financial 
statements with effect from 31 March 
2021, and all results prior to this date 
represent those of Chrysaor only.  
For further detail, see note 14 to  
the financial statements.

$879m

Increase in after tax profitability

$1,614m

Material operating cash flow

40

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

Earnings per share were $0.1 per share 
compared to a loss of $1.1 per share for 
2020. The increase in profit and earnings per 
share are driven by higher revenue and lower 
impairments offset by higher cost of sales 
and exploration and evaluation expenses.

hedging gains). Some of our hydrocarbon 
production is sold pursuant to fixed-price 
contracts, as described on page 43 under 
‘Derivative financial instruments’. The rest  
is sold at market values, subject to standard 
quality and basis adjustments. 

Capital and decommissioning expenditure in 
the period amounted to $935 million (2020: 
$698 million). Capital expenditure of $709 
million (2020: $556 million) mainly consisted 
of spending on operated assets in the J-Area 
(Jasmine West Limb development, Talbot 
appraisal, the Jade South and Dunnottar 
exploration wells), Tolmount development 
drilling and Everest LAD development well. 
Non-operated capital expenditure included 
drilling programmes at Beryl, Elgin Franklin 
and Clair Ridge. Decommissioning spend of 
$226 million (2020: $142 million) related 
primarily to the Southern North Sea, Balmoral 
and the non-operated asset Hewett. 

Free cash flow for the period amounted  
to $678 million (2020: $562 million).

As at 31 December 2021, net debt of 
$2,147 million (2020: $1,414 million) 
consisted of RBL senior debt, and a High 
Yield Bond, less deferred amortised fees 
and cash balances. The junior debt facility 
of $400 million was repaid during the year. 
The increase since the 2020 year-end is 
mainly due to the drawdown on the RBL 
facility prior to completion of the Merger  
to fund the replacement of Premier’s debt. 

Liquidity, being the amount undrawn  
under the RBL facility plus cash balances, 
was $1.6 billion at the end of the year. 

Income statement 

Year ended 
31 December
2021 
$ million

Year ended 
31 December 
2020 
$ million

3,618

2,023

1,264

164

28

139

315

2,438

1,430

805

138

41

24

(978)

Revenue and other 
income

– Crude

– Gas

– NGL
–  Tariff income and  

other revenue

– Other income

Pre-tax profit/(loss)

EBITDAX

2,431

1,784

Profit/(loss) after tax
Earnings/(loss) per share 
– $/share

101

0.1

(778)

(1.1)

Revenue
Revenue earned from hydrocarbon production 
and tariff income amounted to $3,618 million 
(2020: $2,438 million) after realised hedging 
losses of $1,517 million (2020: $789 million 

Crude oil sales amounted to $2,023 million 
(2020: $1,430 million), with a post-hedge 
realised price of $59/boe (2020: $63/boe). 
Gas revenue was $1,264 million (2020: $805 
million) split between UK natural gas of $1,143 
million (2020: $805 million) and International 
of $121 million (2020: $nil). The post-hedge 
realised price of UK natural gas was 54p/
therm (2020: 33p/therm) and Singapore HSFO 
$11.7/mscf (2020: $nil). Condensate sales, 
tariff income and other revenue amounted  
to $192 million (2020: $179 million).

Other income amounted to $139 million (2020: 
$24 million) and includes mark-to-market gains 
on UK emissions derivatives of $51 million and 
a receipt of $40 million from ConocoPhillips in 
relation to an adjustment to consideration for 
Chrysaor’s purchase of the ConocoPhillips UK 
business in 2019.

Year ended 
31 December 
2021 
$ million

Year ended 
31 December 
2020
$ million

Operating costs

Field operating costs1 

1,003

Tariff income

Total
Field operating costs per 
barrel ($ per barrel)

731

(24)

707

(27)

976

15.2

11.2

Depreciation, depletion and amortisation  
(DD&A) (before impairment)
Depreciation of oil and 
gas assets (cost of 
operations only)
Depreciation of non-oil 
and gas assets
Amortisation of  
intangible assets

1,327

42

2

1,191

29

2

Total
DD&A before impairment 
charges  
$ per barrel

1,371

1,222

21.4

19.3

1   Includes mark to market gains on EUA emissions hedges 

of $51 million included in Other revenue, excludes 
non-cash depreciation on non-oil and gas assets.

Production costs
Production costs for the period were $15.2/
boe (2020: $11.2/boe). The increase  
was primarily driven by additional planned 
maintenance during extended summer 
shutdowns deferred from 2020 as a result 
of COVID-19. Unit production costs were 
also impacted by unplanned outages, well 
availability and natural decline, however, this 
was broadly offset by production from new 
wells. Additionally, production costs were 

also impacted by the strengthening of Pound 
Sterling against the US Dollar during the period.

The increase in the weighted average DD&A 
rate from 2020 is due to higher DD&A charges 
on right-of-use leased assets acquired as part 
of the Merger.

EBITDAX
EBITDAX amounted to $2,431 million (2020: 
$1,784 million) due to higher revenues 
partially offset by higher operating costs as 
a result of the higher commodity prices and 
higher production.

Year ended 
31 December
 2021 
$ million

Year ended 
31 December
 2020 
$ million

640

(687)

50

255

13

161

1,371

1,222

117

–

(2)

–

644

411

19

1

Operating profit/(loss)
Exploration and 
evaluation and  
new ventures
Exploration costs  
written-off
Depreciation, depletion 
and amortisation
Impairment of property, 
plant and equipment

Impairment of goodwill
Provision for  
onerous contract

Remeasurements

EBITDAX

2,431

1,784

Exploration and evaluation expenditure 
and new ventures
During the period the Group expensed  
$255 million (2020: $161 million) for 
exploration and appraisal activities. This 
includes costs associated with the exit from 
exploration acreage in Brazil and the Sea Lion 
project in the Falkland Islands of $134 million 
(2020: $nil). This also includes costs 
associated with relinquishments of UK licences 
and uncommercial drilling results on the UK 
Dunnottar well and Norwegian PL973 Jerv and 
Ilder prospects of $121 million (2020: $161 
million). In addition exploration and evaluation 
expenditure and new ventures amount to $50 
million (2020: $13 million), mainly related to 
pre-development costs associated with UK 
Carbon Capture and Storage projects and 
corporate expenditure in Norway related to 
regional seismic and time-writing costs.

Impairment and DD&A charges 
Impairment charges for property, plant  
and equipment pre-tax were $117 million 
(2020: $644 million) driven primarily by  
the cessation of production from the Millom 
field in the East Irish Sea assets, and from  
a single producing field in the UK North  
Sea as a result of underlying reservoir 
performance. There was no impairment of 
goodwill (2020: $411 million). Depreciation 

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

41

Strategic report GovernanceFinancial statementsAdditional informationFinancial review continued

unit expense was $21/boe (2020: $19/
boe) with the increase due to higher  
DD&A charges on right-of-use leased  
assets acquired as part of the Merger.

Net financing costs
Financing expenses totalled $375 million 
(2020: $302 million), including $113 million 
of interest expenses incurred on debt facilities 
and legacy Chrysaor shareholder loan notes 
(2020: $124 million). Also included are bank 
and facility fees of $63 million (2020: $36 
million), foreign exchange losses of $65 million 
(2020: $40 million), lease interest of $22 
million (2020: $7 million) and the unwinding  
of the discount on provisions, primarily 
associated with future decommissioning 
obligations, of $78 million (2020: $88 million).

Finance income amounted to $49 million 
(2020: $11 million), including gains on 
derivatives of $15 million (2020: $nil), gains 
of $10 million on foreign exchange forward 
contracts (2020: $4 million) and a one-off 
modification gain recognised on the 
amendment of the RBL facility of $14 million.

Taxation
The tax expense for the year amounted to 
$213 million (2020: credit $199 million), split 
between a current tax expense of $192 million 
(2020: $336 million), and a deferred tax 
expense of $21 million (2020: credit $535 
million) and representing an effective rate of 
68 per cent (2020: 20 per cent). The increase 
in the effective tax rate is predominantly driven 
by higher non-deductible expenses in respect 
of the Group’s exit from the Falklands  
and Brazil which are non-recurring plus 
unrecognised tax losses in relation to 
corporate acquisition debt expenses. 

Earnings and earnings per share
Profit after tax was $101 million (2020: 
loss $778 million). The improved result for 
2021 is primarily due to higher revenue  
and other income in 2021, and lower 
impairment charges on oil and gas assets 
and goodwill. Earnings per share was  
$0.1/share (2020: loss, $1.1/share).

Dividends
The Board is proposing a dividend of 11 
cents per Ordinary Share to be paid in GBP 
at the spot rate prevailing on the record  
date. This dividend is subject to shareholder 
approval at the AGM, to be held on 11 May 
2022. If approved, the dividend will be paid 
on 18 May 2022 to shareholders on the 
register as of 8 April 2022. A dividend 
re-investment plan (DRIP) is available to 
shareholders who would prefer to invest 
their dividend in the shares of the Company. 
The last date to elect for the DRIP in respect 
of this dividend is 26 April 2022.

42

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

Statement of financial position

Year ended 
31 December
2021 
$ million

Year ended 
31 December 
2020 
$ million

10,273

8,193

1,938

2,294

14,505

–

1,290

9,483

(474)

(1,068)

(2,886)

(2,182)

(5,354)

(4,197)

(187)

(654)

(4,950)

(1,031)

(141)

(864)

Total non-current assets, 
excluding deferred taxes

Deferred taxes (note 8)

Total current assets

Total assets

Total equity
Total borrowings net of 
transaction fees (note 21)
Total abandonment 
provisions (note 20)

Deferred taxes (note 8)

Lease creditor

Other liabilities

Total liabilities

(14,031)

(8,415)

Net debt (note 27)

(2,147)

(1,414)

Assets
At 31 December 2021, total assets 
amounted to $14,505 million (2020: $9,483 
million), of which current assets were $2,294 
million (2020: $1,290 million) and deferred 
tax assets $1,938 million (2020: $nil). 

The increase in total assets is mainly due  
to the inclusion of Premier assets on 
completion of the Merger which added total 
assets of $5,204 million including property, 
plant and equipment of $2,386 million, 
exploration and evaluation assets of $597 
million and deferred tax assets recognised 
of $1,549 million. The Merger also added 
goodwill of $339 million. Further information 
related to the Merger is included in note 14 
to the consolidated financial statements.

Capital investment is defined as additions 
to property, plant and equipment, fixtures 
and fittings and intangible exploration and 
evaluation assets, excluding changes to 
decommissioning assets. 

Year ended 
31 December
 2021 
$ million

Year ended 
31 December
 2020 
$ million

(464)

(415)

(35)

(51)

(210)

(709)

42

23

(90)

(556)

(58)

16

(644)

(598)

Additions to oil and gas 
assets (note 12)
Additions to fixtures and 
fittings, office equipment 
& IT software (notes 11 
and 12)
Additions to exploration 
and evaluation assets 
(note 11)

Total capital investment
Movements in  
working capital
Capitalised lease 
payments
Cash capital expenditure 
per the cash flow 
statement

During the period, the Group incurred  
capital investment of $709 million (2020: 
$556 million). Capital expenditure mainly 
consisted of spending on operated assets in 
the J-Area (Jasmine West Limb development, 
Talbot appraisal and Jade South and 
Dunnottar exploration wells), Tolmount 
development drilling and Everest LAD 
development well. Non-operated capital 
expenditure included drilling programmes  
at Beryl, Elgin Franklin and Clair Ridge.

Liabilities
At 31 December 2021, total liabilities 
amounted to $14,031 million (2020: 
$8,415 million) including decommissioning 
provisions of $5,354 million (2020: $4,197 
million) and borrowings of $2,886 million 
(2020: $2,182 million). 

The increase in total liabilities is mainly due 
to the inclusion of Premier’s liabilities of 
$5,263 million on completion of the Merger, 
drawdown on the RBL facility in order to fund 
the replacement of Premier’s debt prior to 
completion of the Merger and increased 
hedging liabilities as a result of increased 
commodity prices. The total liabilities included 
from the Merger consisted mainly of 
additional debt of $2,219 million which was 
fully settled as part of completion, provisions 
for decommissioning of $1,683 million and 
right-of-use asset lease liabilities of $638 
million. Further information is included in note 
14 to the consolidated financial statements.

As at 31 December 2021, net debt of 
$2,147 million (2020: $1,414 million) 
consisted of RBL senior debt and an 
unsecured bond, less deferred unamortised 
fees and cash balances. The increase  
since year-end 2020 is mainly due to the 
drawdown on the RBL facility prior to 
completion of the Merger to fund the 
replacement of Premier’s debt. Debt is 
stated net of the unamortised portion  
of the issue costs and bank fees of  
$136 million (2020: $73 million).

Equity and reserves 
Total equity amounted to $474 million 
(2020: $1,068 million) with changes  
in 2021 reflecting the accounting for  
the Merger as a reverse acquisition in 
accordance with IFRS 3, Business 
Combinations with the capital structure 
(share capital and share premium) being a 
continuation of the legal acquirer (Premier  
Oil plc), whilst the remaining reserves reflect 
the accounting acquirer (Chrysaor Holdings 
Limited). The reduction in equity reflects the 
negative fair value on the Group’s commodity 
hedging programme at 31 December 2021 
which is mainly accounted for through other 
comprehensive income, within equity.

Cash flow1

Hedge position

2022

2023

2024

2025

Year ended 
31 December
2021 
$ million

Year ended 
31 December 
2020 
$ million

1,614

1,373

Oil
Volume hedged 
(mmboe)
Average price hedged 
($/bbl)

18.80

7.30

61.15 61.05

–

–

–

–

Cash flow from operating 
activities after tax
Cash flow from investing 
activities – capital 
investment
Cash flow from investing 
activities – acquired on 
business combination
Cash flow from investing 
activities – other
Operating cash flow after 
investing activities
Cash flow from financing 
activities – net interest 
and lease payments

Free cash flow
Cash and cash 
equivalents

(644)

(598)

97

(24)

–

(5)

1,043

770

(365)

678

(208)

562

699

445

1   Table excludes financing activities related to debt 

principal movements.

Net cash from operating activities after tax 
amounted to $1,614 million (2020: $1,373 
million) after accounting for tax payments of 
$280 million (2020: $190 million) and working 
capital movements of $607 million (2020: 
$46 million). Cash flow used in investing 
activities on capital expenditure was $644 
million (2020: $598 million). Cash outflow 
from financing activities (excluding movements 
in debt principal) – interest and lease 
payments was $365 million (2020: $208 
million). Cash balances were $699 million 
(2020: $445 million) at the end of the period.

Principal risks
There are no significant changes to  
the headline principal risks from those 
disclosed in the 2021 Interim results.  
A full description of Harbour’s principal  
risks can be found on pages 48 to 55.

Derivative financial instruments
We carry out hedging activity to manage 
commodity price risk, to ensure we comply 
with the requirements of the RBL facility  
and to ensure there is sufficient funding  
for future investments.

We have entered into a series of fixed-price 
sales agreements and a financial hedging 
programme for both oil and gas, consisting  
of swap and option instruments. Our future 
production volumes are hedged under the 
physical and financial arrangements in 
place at 31 December 2021. These are  
set out in the following table. Hedges 
realised to date are in respect of both  
crude oil and natural gas.

UK Gas
Volume hedged 
(mmboe)
Average priced 
hedged (p/therm)

25.37 23.00

8.33

1.55

50.75 40.86 43.05 44.55

At 31 December 2021, our financial  
hedging programme on commodity derivative 
instruments showed a pre-tax negative fair value 
of $3,868 million (2020: positive fair value of 
$142 million) included in other financial assets 
and liabilities, with no ineffectiveness charge 
to the income statement.

Post balance sheet events 
As announced on 2 February 2022, Phil Kirk 
stepped down from his role as Executive 
Director with effect from 28 February 2022.

The Group has assessed and will continue 
to assess the implications of the events in 
Ukraine. Currently there is considered to be 
no material impact to the Group’s financial 
performance or position.

The Company confirmed that the Directors 
intend to submit a proposal to shareholders 
at the Company’s forthcoming Annual 
General Meeting for a general authority  
to purchase the Company’s own Ordinary 
Shares. The Directors believe that the Board 
should be afforded the flexibility to be able  
to buy back the Company’s shares when it  
is in the best interests of shareholders to do 
so and will result in an increase in earnings 
per share. The resolution will specify the 
maximum number of shares that can be 
acquired (approximately 15 per cent of the 
issued Ordinary Share capital) and the 
minimum and maximum prices at which they 
may be bought. Any shares purchased under 
the authority granted by the resolution will 
either be cancelled or may be held as 
treasury shares. In accordance with the 
Listing Rules, a further announcement  
would be made by the Company in the  
event that the Directors intend to commence 
a programme to repurchase shares. 

Going concern
The Group monitors its capital position  
and its liquidity risk regularly throughout the 
year to ensure it has access to sufficient 
funds to meet forecast cash requirements. 
Cash forecasts are regularly produced based 
on, inter alia, the Group’s latest life of field 
production and expenditure forecasts, 

management’s best estimate of future 
commodity prices (based on recent forward 
curves, adjusted for the Group’s hedging 
programme) and the Group’s borrowing 
facilities. During the year, the Group 
extended the maturity of its RBL facility 
from December 2025 to November 2027. 

The Group’s base case going concern 
assessment assumes: an oil price of $75/
bbl and $70/bbl and average NBP gas price 
of 150p/therm and 100p/therm in 2022 
and 2023, respectively; production in line 
with approved asset plans and the ongoing 
capital requirements of the Group will be 
financed by existing RBL and High Yield  
Bond financing arrangements.

In line with the principal risks, sensitivity 
analyses have been prepared to reflect the 
combined impact of reductions in crude 
and UK natural gas prices of 20 per cent 
and in the Group’s production of 10 per 
cent throughout the going concern period, 
which is the period up to June 2023.  
In these combined downside scenarios 
applied to the base case forecast, the 
Group is forecasted to have sufficient 
financial headroom and no covenant breach 
throughout the going concern period.

Further, reverse stress tests have been 
prepared reflecting further reductions in 
commodity price and production parameters, 
prior to any mitigation strategies, to 
determine at what levels each would need  
to reach such that either lending covenants 
are breached or financial liquidity headroom 
runs out. The results of this reverse stress 
test demonstrated the likelihood of the  
fall in price and production parameters 
required to cause a risk of funds shortfall  
or covenant breaches is remote.

Taking the above into account the Board 
was satisfied that for the going concern 
period, the Group was able to maintain 
adequate liquidity and no covenant 
breaches occurred and therefore has 
adopted a going concern basis for 
preparing the financial statements.

Further associated details can be found 
within the Viability Statement.

ALEXANDER KRANE
Chief Financial Officer

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

43

Strategic report GovernanceFinancial statementsAdditional informationRisk management

ALAN FERGUSON 
Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee 

We believe the effective 
management of risk is critical  
to successfully executing  
our strategy.

The Company has a 
comprehensive approach 
to risk management, which 
we believe leads to better 
quality decision-making 
and increases the likelihood 
of achieving our strategic 
objectives.

ALAN FERGUSON 
Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee

44

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

Risk management framework
The Company believes the effective 
management of risk is critical to successfully 
executing the strategy we defined in 2021, 
including protecting our personnel, assets, 
the communities where we operate and 
with whom we interact, and our reputation.

The risk management framework in Harbour 
is designed to determine the nature and 
extent of risk that the Company is willing to 
take to achieve its strategic objectives and 
to provide an appropriate level of assurance 
that any risks taken are appropriately 
managed and that the system of internal 
control is effective. 

The framework comprises:

 ¼ A risk management process to enable  
the business to identify, assess,  
mitigate, monitor and communicate  
the risks facing the business  
(see ‘Risk management process’).

 ¼ An internal control system to enable  
the business to manage risk (see  
‘Internal control’).

 ¼ An assurance model to check that the 
controls in place are appropriate and 
effective (see ‘Reasonable assurance’).

The framework is designed to manage  
and communicate, rather than eliminate, the 
risk of failure to achieve business objectives 
and can provide only reasonable, and not 
absolute, assurance that the risks facing the 
business are being appropriately managed. 

Risk governance
The Board is responsible for determining 
the nature and extent of the principal risks 
the Company is willing to take to achieve its 
long-term strategic objectives. The Board has 
delegated monitoring of the management of 
certain principal risks to Board Committees. 
For example, the HSES Committee monitors 
the management of HSES related risks. The 
Board is also responsible for monitoring  
the Company’s risk management framework 
and for reviewing its effectiveness. 

The Leadership Team instils the tone for the 
risk management culture in the business 
and is responsible for monitoring and 
managing the most significant risks facing 
the business, with individual members 
responsible for ensuring risks that fall within 
their business area are being appropriately 
managed. The most significant management 
risks are recorded in the Leadership Team 
risk register. 

PRINCIPAL RISKS 
P48

GOVERNANCE 
P56

Individual business managers own and 
manage risk on a day to day basis, undertaking 
business activities in compliance with the 
governing company standards and procedures 
which are developed and owned by 
business functions.

Internal Audit and Risk Management 
undertakes a risk-based audit programme 
on behalf of the Board to assure the 
effectiveness of risk mitigation activities. 
The Group Risk Manager is responsible  
for developing and maintaining the risk 
management framework. 

Risk management process
The Company faces various risks that  
could result in events or circumstances  
that might negatively impact the Company’s 
business model, future performance, 
liquidity and reputation. Not all of these 
risks are wholly within the Company’s 
control and the Company may be affected 
by risks which have not yet manifested  
or are not reasonably foreseeable.

According to the nature of the risk, the 
Company may elect to accept or tolerate risk, 
treat risk with mitigating actions, transfer risk 
to third parties, or terminate risk by ceasing 
certain activities. In particular, the Company 
has a zero tolerance stance to fraud, bribery, 
corruption and facilitation of tax evasion, and 
ensures that health, safety, environmental 
and security risks are managed to levels that 
are as low as reasonably practicable.

For known risks facing the business, the 
Company attempts to reduce the likelihood  
and mitigate the impact of the risk to within  
the level of risk appetite set by the Board.  

This risk management process is illustrated 
in the panel below.

Risk management process
The Company follows a methodical process to identify, assess, mitigate, monitor and communicate the risks which may prevent  
it from achieving its strategic objectives.

Top-down
Oversight and monitoring by the Board

Communicate and consult 
Risks and mitigation measures 
are communicated through regular 
business reviews, including Leadership 
Team review of the risk register. 

Context 
The strategic objectives 
and risk appetite set by 
the Board contribute to the 
overall context. 

Monitor and review 
Risks and risk mitigation  
measures are monitored through 
regular business reviews, audits 
and other sources of assurance. 
These reviews are used to  
identify changes in the level  
of the identified risks, to  
identify emerging risks, and to 
assess the effectiveness  
of control measures. 

Risk assessment  
Risks are identified and analysed 
throughout the business as part 
of ongoing business reviews. 
Risks are evaluated based on the 
likelihood of the risk manifesting 
and the impact of the risk  
if it was to manifest.

Risk mitigation 
Depending on the nature of the risk, the 
Company may elect to accept or tolerate 
risk, treat risk with mitigating actions, 
transfer risk to third parties, or terminate 
risk by ceasing certain activities. 

Bottom-up
Ongoing identification, assessment and mitigation of risk across the business

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

45

Strategic report GovernanceFinancial statementsAdditional information 
 
 
 
 
Risk management continued

Principal and emerging risks 
During the year, the Board carried out an 
assessment of the principal risks facing  
the new Company and reviewed its appetite 
to accept or tolerate each principal risk. In 
deciding which risks are principal risks, the 
Board considered the newly defined strategy 
of the Company together with events or 
circumstances that might threaten the 
Company’s strategy and business model, 
future performance, liquidity and reputation. 
A description of the principal risks, together 
with an overview of how each risk is being 
managed, is provided on pages 48 to 55. 
The Board also reviewed the emerging risks 
facing the business and the procedures in 
place to identify them. These procedures 
take into account the most significant 
management risks and independent 
perspectives on the external environment. 

Internal control
The internal controls of the Company comprise 
the Company policies together with standards 
and procedures designed to govern each 
business activity. During 2021, the Company 
commenced the integration of the legacy 
company controls with the intention to 
implement a single company business 
management system during 2022.

Monitoring and effectiveness of  
the risk management framework
The Board is responsible for monitoring  
the Company’s risk management framework 
and for reviewing its effectiveness.

The review of the effectiveness of the 
Company’s risk management and internal 
control systems for 2021 has been carried 
out by the Audit and Risk Committee on 
behalf of the Board. The review considered 
the design of the risk management 
framework in place across Harbour, the 
most significant risks to achieving the 
Company’s strategic objectives, how each 
risk is being managed, Internal Audit 
findings to date and the status of their 
remediation. In conducting their review  
the Committee received perspectives  
and assurances from members of the 
Leadership Team. The Board concluded  
the risk management and internal control 
systems are effective.

ALAN FERGUSON 
Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee

Reasonable assurance
The adequacy of the internal controls are  
a function of their design and operating 
effectiveness. 

During the year, the Company adopted a 
‘Three Line’ assurance model across the 
newly enlarged business to provide senior 
management and the Board with reasonable 
assurance that the most significant risks 
facing the business are being appropriately 
managed and that the applicable controls  
are effective. 

The First Line is provided by business  
line managers who are responsible for 
designing and operating business controls. 
Second Line assurance teams are in place 
to monitor control effectiveness for certain 
key risk areas, such as HSES, by conducting 
a programme of audits agreed with senior 
management. Significant findings from 
these audits are reportable to management 
and the Board. The Third Line is provided  
by Internal Audit which undertakes a 
programme of audits agreed by the Audit 
and Risk Committee. Significant Internal 
Audit findings are reported to the Audit  
and Risk Committee which then monitors 
the implementation of agreed actions. 

To facilitate Board monitoring, the Company 
has developed an assurance map that  
sets out the sources of assurance in place 
against each principal risk. In addition,  
the Board and its Committees have 
commenced a programme of management 
led ‘deep dive’ presentations to support 
understanding and alignment on specific 
risk matters and to examine the levels of 
assurance provided.

46

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

Viability Statement

In accordance with the provisions of 
the UK Corporate Governance Code, 
the Board has assessed the prospects 
and the viability of the Group over  
a longer period than the 12 months 
required by the ‘going concern’ 
provision. This assessment included 
considering the principal risks faced  
by the Group, relevant financial 
forecasts and sensitivities, and the 
availability of adequate funding. 

Assessment period
The Board conducted this review for a 
period of three years to 31 March 2025 
(the Forecast Period), which was 
selected for the following reasons: 

 ¼ at least annually, the Board 

considers the Group’s corporate 
operating cycles, business plan 
projections (the Projections)  
and debt facility structures over  
a three-year period;

 ¼ within the three-year period, liquid 

commodity price forecasts are able 
to be used in the forecast. Given the 
lack of forward liquidity in oil and gas 
markets after this initial three-year 
period, we are reliant on our own 
internal estimates of oil and gas 
prices without reference to liquid 
forward curves; and

 ¼ the Group is not currently committed 
to any major capital expenditures 
beyond the three-year period.

Review of financial forecasts 
The Projections are based on: 

Base case
 ¼ Production and expenditure forecasts 
on an asset by asset basis, together 
with a variety of portfolio management 
opportunities which management could 
undertake if required;

 ¼ assumed crude oil prices of $75/bbl in 
2022, $70/bbl in 2023, and $65/bbl  
(in real terms) thereafter and UK NBP gas 
prices of 150p/therm in 2022, 100p/
therm in 2023 and 60p/therm (in real 
terms) thereafter, adjusted for the Group’s 
hedging programme; and

 ¼ the financial covenant tests associated 
with the Group’s borrowing facilities. 
Sensitivities have been run to reflect 
different scenarios including, but 
not limited to, changes in oil and gas 
production rates and possible reductions 
in commodity prices.

 Sensitivity analyses
 ¼ In line with the principal risks, sensitivity 
analyses have been prepared to reflect 
the combined impact of reductions in 
crude and UK natural gas prices of 20 
per cent and in the Group’s production 
of 10 per cent throughout the Viability 
Statement period. In these combined 
downside scenarios applied to the base 
case forecast, the Group is forecasted 
to have sufficient financial headroom 
throughout the Viability Statement period.

Reverse stress tests
 ¼ Further, reverse stress tests have been 
prepared reflecting further reductions 
in commodity price and production 
parameters, prior to any mitigation 
strategies, to determine at what levels 
each would need to reach such that 
either lending covenants are breached 
or financial liquidity headroom runs out. 
The results of this reverse stress test 
demonstrated the likelihood of the fall in 
price and production parameters required 
to cause a risk of covenant breaches  
as remote.

Review of principal risks 
The Group’s principal risks, as set out  
in detail on pages 48 to 55, have been 
considered over the period. 

Under the Projections, the Group is 
expected to have sufficient liquidity over 
the Forecast Period and to be able to 
operate within the requirements of the 
financial covenants. 

The Group has run downside scenarios, 
where oil and gas prices are reduced  
by 20 per cent throughout the Forecast 
Period, and where total production 
volumes are forecast to reduce by 10 per 
cent. In the individual and combined 
downside scenarios, the Group is forecast 
to have sufficient liquidity and covenant 
compliance headroom.

The potential impact of each of the Group’s 
other principal risks on the viability of the 
Group during the Forecast Period, should 
that risk arise in its unmitigated form, has 
been assessed. The Board has considered 
the risk mitigation strategy as set out for 
each of those risks and believes the 
mitigation strategies are sufficient to reduce 
the likelihood and impact of each risk such 
that it would be unlikely to jeopardise the 
Group’s viability during the Forecast Period. 

Conclusion
The Directors’ assessment has been 
made with reference to the Group’s 
current position and prospects, the 
Group’s strategy and availability of 
funding, the Board’s risk appetite and 
the Group’s principal risks and how 
these are managed, as detailed in the 
Strategic Report. The Directors have also 
considered the availability of actions 
within their control in the event of 
plausible negative scenarios occurring. 
Therefore the Directors confirm that they 
have a reasonable expectation that the 
Group will continue to operate and meet 
its liabilities, as they fall due, throughout 
the Forecast Period. 

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

47

Strategic report GovernanceFinancial statementsAdditional informationPrincipal risks

The principal risks  
which may prevent the Company  
achieving its strategic objectives

Strategic execution: failure to effectively implement the strategy

Risk description

How the risk is managed

The Company has defined a corporate strategy to create 
value by continuing to build a global, diversified oil and  
gas company focused on value creation, cash flow and 
distributions. This is underpinned by four strategic pillars: 
ensuring safe, reliable and environmentally responsible 
operations; maintaining a high quality portfolio of reserves 
and resources; leveraging our full cycle capability to diversify 
and grow further; and ensuring financial strength through 
the commodity price cycle.

There is a risk the Company may fail to effectively implement 
this strategy. The Company may be unable to maintain 
sufficient leadership and organisation capacity to effectively 
manage and grow the business. Leadership may fail to 
effectively communicate or create alignment internally, 
leading to sub-optimal decision-making. The Company may 
fail to identify or execute attractive M&A opportunities,  
or may over-estimate the value of assets acquired. The 
Company may be slow to respond to changes in the external 
environment that may merit a change to any of the four 
pillars of the strategy. 

If implementation is ineffective, investors, creditors and 
lending banks may lose confidence in the leadership of the 
Company. Ultimately, the Company may fail to demonstrably 
create value for shareholders and other stakeholders.

 ¼ Corporate strategy clearly defined, approved by the Board and communicated  

to the market

 ¼ Strategic execution progress reviewed regularly with the Board

 ¼ Senior executive team has a proven track record of delivering strategic growth, 

including executing and integrating large scale M&A, with regular Board 
assessment of performance

 ¼ New organisation designed and implemented to deliver the defined strategy

 ¼ Capital deployment, growth and financial metrics agreed with the Board and 

feature prominently in incentive compensation 

 ¼ Corporate model and M&A analyses evaluated across a range of scenarios

 ¼ Detailed due diligence of acquisition opportunities undertaken prior to agreeing 

transaction terms

 ¼ Regular two-way communication between employees and senior leadership  

to help build understanding and engagement

Link to strategic pillars

48

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

RISK MANAGEMENT 
P44

GOVERNANCE 
P56

Our strategic pillars

Ensure safe, reliable and 
environmentally responsible 
operations

Maintain a high quality 
portfolio of reserves  
and resources

Leverage our full cycle 
capability to diversify  
and grow further

Ensure financial strength 
through the commodity  
price cycle

Health, safety and environment: risk of a major health, safety, environmental or physical security incident

Risk description

How the risk is managed

The Company may face a major accident resulting in personal 
injuries, physical property damage and/or environmental 
impact. There is also a risk of a significant personal safety  
or physical security incident arising from natural disaster, 
pandemic, social unrest or other external cause.

In addition to the potential to cause personal injury or harm to 
the environment, the production and financial performance of 
the business may be significantly degraded. The business may 
be subject to punitive fines and suffer damage to its reputation. 
A serious incident could also undermine the Company’s ability 
to execute its strategy.

 ¼ Strong safety leadership culture established with an emphasis on process safety 
and, in particular, including a strong tone from the top with leadership support to 
do the right thing 

 ¼ Newly merged organisation designed and resourced to support health, safety, 
environmental and physical security performance. Safety critical roles defined  
by management and protected from re-organisational risk in order to maintain  
a focus on safety 

 ¼ Safety and environmental performance metrics agreed with Board and feature 
prominently in business performance tracking and incentive compensation

 ¼ Company Major Accident Prevention Policy (CMAPP) and HSES Policy in place that 
direct all Company activities, including contract work, supported by a defined 
management system and an HSES strategy and plan with relevant training; Safety 
Cases in place for all assets

 ¼ Active risk assessment process and management of change in place for  

operated assets

 ¼ Experienced Board HSES Committee established to provide oversight and 

challenge; direct engagement by Non-Executive Directors with operations managers

 ¼ HSES auditing and reporting in place with a focus on Major Accident Hazards 

(MAH) and with regular reporting to the Board HSES Committee

 ¼ Performance monitoring in place including prompt and thorough investigation of 
incidents, sharing of learnings across the organisation and adoption of learning 
from third party incidents

 ¼ Crisis management and emergency response processes practised regularly

 ¼ COVID-19 pandemic response embedded including application of government advice

 ¼ Senior management commitment to HSES values demonstrated through visits  

to operated facilities (subject to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions), participation in 
global and regional safety events, an annual Global HSES Day to promote a safety 
focus and emphasise its importance and an annual CEO Safety Award programme 
to recognise outstanding performance

Link to strategic pillars

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

49

Strategic report GovernanceFinancial statementsAdditional informationPrincipal risks continued

Energy transition and Net Zero: failure to adapt the strategy and business model in the context of the 
energy transition as oil and gas demand as well as investor, societal and regulatory expectations evolve

Risk description

How the risk is managed

 ¼ Clear ESG strategy in place and owned by CEO and Board with a goal to achieve  

Net Zero by 2035 

 ¼ Corporate strategy and business model reviewed with Board at least annually to ensure 
it remains appropriate in light of energy transition scenarios and associated risks 

 ¼ Net Zero strategy and execution progress reviewed regularly with the Board and  

the Board’s HSES Committee including related to emissions reduction, acquisition 
of offsets, and involvement in CCS projects

 ¼ Emissions reduction targets agreed with Board and feature prominently in incentive 
compensation and incorporated into the main Reserve Based Lending debt facility

 ¼ Environmental considerations embedded in decision-making and plans to ensure 

delivery against Net Zero goal, including emissions reduction activities

 ¼ Environmental considerations, including cost of carbon, incorporated into investment 

decision-making processes, including for potential acquisitions

 ¼ Impact of energy transition considered in the key judgements and estimates within the 

financial statements and subject to ongoing monitoring

 ¼ Processes established for meeting ESG reporting and other regulatory  

reporting requirements, including independent verification

Link to strategic pillars

The Company recognises the transition towards a lower 
carbon economy will require many businesses to review 
and reshape their business model. 

The pace of the energy transition will impact both supply and 
demand of oil and gas and this may increase the volatility of 
future oil and gas prices. The demand for oil and gas may reduce 
over time depending on the pace of deployment of alternative 
energy technologies and shifts in consumer preference  
for lower greenhouse gas emissions products. On the 
supply side, the oil and gas sector may be subject to new 
climate-change regulations or supply chain challenges that 
increase costs and impact how we operate. For example higher 
emitting assets may need to be decommissioned sooner than 
currently expected. Reduced investment in the oil and gas sector 
may reduce supply more quickly than demand, resulting in 
periods of higher commodity prices. In the longer term, changes 
in weather patterns and ocean currents and more frequent 
extreme weather events may disrupt projects and operations. 

Investor, societal and regulatory expectations regarding the 
energy transition may evolve. The Company may lose some 
sources of funding if it is unable to meet the expectations of 
investors, creditors and lending banks regarding their energy 
transition requirements. The Company may be subject to 
negative NGO or shareholder activism which could affect its 
reputation and societal ‘licence to operate’. The Company may 
also face more demanding regulatory requirements. In the event 
the Company is unable to operate an appropriate business 
model and meet investor and societal expectations through the 
energy transition, including successfully progressing towards 
meeting its Net Zero 2035 goal, the strategy will be undermined, 
and the long-term viability of the business may be in doubt.

Operational performance: failure to deliver competitive operational performance

Risk description

How the risk is managed

The Company may fail to achieve its strategic objective to 
maintain reliable and responsible operations. As oil and  
gas fields mature and facilities age, maintaining operational 
performance becomes increasingly challenging. Geology, 
reservoir and well performance are inherently uncertain  
and so the quality and volume of produced oil and gas may 
differ from forecast. As installed facilities and equipment 
age, significant expenditure and outages may be required  
to maintain operability and operations integrity. Adverse 
political, social, security, weather, regulatory or other 
external conditions could impact operational performance, 
especially in the UK where the majority of the Company’s 
operations are located. This may include continued travel 
restrictions and quarantines due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 
In addition, downstream infrastructure to transport produced 
oil and gas to market may be interrupted. 

Consequently, the Company may fail to meet production 
expectations, maintain competitive operating costs and 
meet contractual obligations, any of which may undermine 
its financial strength and strategy.

 ¼ New organisation designed and resourced to manage existing operational activity

 ¼ Production, operating cost. HSES and other operational performance metrics 

agreed with the Board and feature prominently in business performance tracking 
and incentive compensation

 ¼ Procedures in place to govern production operations, including production forecasting 
and reporting, preventative maintenance, and field and well performance monitoring

 ¼ Material reinvestment in the assets maintained, including for maintenance  
and development drilling, to support operational reliability and throughput

 ¼ Inventory of future near-field drilling opportunities maintained to support production levels

 ¼ Proactive oversight maintained of non-operated joint ventures

 ¼ Use of new technology regularly explored to increase recovery and lower costs

 ¼ Potential to contract with third parties for utilisation of our existing infrastructure  

to enable further cost efficiency

 ¼ Unit operating costs and other metrics benchmarked to identify opportunities  

for performance improvement

 ¼ Regular business performance reviews and reporting take place to monitor performance

 ¼ Clear Delegation of Authority in place globally to support effective cost management

Link to strategic pillars 

50

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

Organisation and talent: failure to create and maintain a cohesive organisation with sufficient 
capability and capacity following major acquisitions

Risk description

How the risk is managed

Following the completion of a material acquisition, the Company 
may fail to embed a cohesive organisation in the form of  
a consistent culture, aligned values and clear roles and 
responsibilities. The Company may also fail to maintain sufficient 
capability and capacity across all levels of the organisation.

 ¼ New organisation and compensation programme implemented with aligned terms  
and conditions, a competitive reward package and designed to ensure sufficient 
capability and capacity to deliver the defined strategy 

 ¼ Regular communication between employees and senior leadership to help build 

understanding and engagement and supported by staff surveys to encourage feedback 

A failure to embed a cohesive new organisation may result in 
a lack of engagement, inertia or conflict among employees. 
This may be heightened by the demands, uncertainty  
and change imposed on the new organisation by the work 
required to integrate the legacy businesses. Key employees 
may leave, important capabilities may be lost, and the 
Company may be unable to attract suitable new talent, 
making it difficult to maintain sufficient capability and 
capacity across all levels. The Company may lack sufficient 
leadership bench strength to manage the business and 
execute the strategy. Ultimately, a failure to manage this  
risk may heighten safety risk, constrain performance and 
impede strategic execution.

 ¼ Direct access by the Non-Executive Directors to senior management through 

presentations to the Board and other meetings

 ¼ Local and Global Staff Forums maintained including employee interactions with  

senior management and the Board

 ¼ Staff counselling and grievance arrangements in place
 ¼ Experienced Head of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion appointed to drive an  

inclusive environment 

 ¼ Experienced Integration Management Office established to oversee integration 
efforts related to organisation, as well as systems, policies and processes 

 ¼ Further activities planned for 2022 include:

 – Rollout of a culture and values programme with clear linkage to strategic objectives
 – Implementation of a global staff performance management process aligned  

to culture and values and with clear links to reward

 – Design and rollout of a new talent development programme
 – Implementation of common systems and processes across the Company  

to enable a common ‘way of working’ and improve efficiency

 – Consolidation of offices in the UK to enable co-locating of work teams

Link to strategic pillars

Capital programme and delivery: failure to define and deliver a capital programme that optimises value

Risk description

How the risk is managed

The Company undertakes capital projects and drilling 
operations to explore for new resources, develop new 
discoveries, and increase production from or extend  
the life of existing producing assets. 

Capital projects involve advanced engineering, extensive 
procurement activities and complex construction work, 
carried out under various contract packages at various 
locations. The Company may face delays, supply chain 
issues, cost overruns or unsatisfactory HSES performance  
in executing capital projects. The Company may also 
experience disruptive fiscal, regulatory, political, economic, 
social, security and weather conditions, including continued 
travel restrictions and quarantines due to the COVID-19 
pandemic. In addition, geology and reservoir engineering 
and well performance are inherently uncertain and so the 
quality and volume of oil and gas produced from new 
developments, and consequently the reserves added and 
value created from the capital deployed, may differ from that 
expected. The Company may fail to add oil and gas reserves 
in a timely, profitable and safe manner leading to a decline  
in reserves, production and revenue.

The Company is obliged to decommission assets at the  
end of their useful life. The Company may fail to reliably 
estimate the cost of future decommissioning spend  
and may face incremental costs in connection with 
decommissioning obligations.

 ¼ New organisation designed and resourced to manage the capital programme 
with experienced decommissioning team in place to execute the Company’s 
decommissioning programme 

 ¼ Capital deployment and growth metrics agreed with Board and feature prominently  

in business performance tracking and incentive compensation

 ¼ Processes in place to support the maturation of resources into developed reserves 

and ensure efficient deployment of capital

 ¼ Rigorous technical and economic evaluation process in place with defined stage-gate 

reviews and decisions

 ¼ Independent assurance team established to assure governance of capital investment 

activities, including decommissioning 

 ¼ Investment guidelines agreed with Board that standardise planning assumptions and 
investment hurdles to ensure consistent evaluation of capital investment opportunities

 ¼ Drilling and capital costs benchmarked to understand relative performance with 

systematic lookbacks undertaken to assess and improve performance

 ¼ Regular business performance reviews and reporting to monitor delivery

 ¼ Annual lookback of capital programme undertaken to assess performance versus 
budget and versus estimates of costs and volumes at the time of project approval; 
learnings identified and shared

 ¼ Independent review of the Company’s reserves and resources undertaken

Link to strategic pillars

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

51

Strategic report GovernanceFinancial statementsAdditional informationPrincipal risks continued
Principal risks continued

Access to capital: failure to ensure sufficient access to capital to implement the Company’s strategy1

Risk description

How the risk is managed

The Company seeks to ensure financial strength through the 
commodity price cycle. In the event the Company is unable 
to maintain sufficient access to capital, the Company may 
be unable to sufficiently re-invest in its existing assets or 
fund growth through capital investments and M&A as 
targeted in the strategy. The Company may be unable to 
service security or letter of credit obligations, including 
those related to decommissioning obligations. Ultimately,  
a failure to ensure sufficient access to capital would 
directly undermine the implementation of the strategy. 

 ¼ Robust financial framework and prudent capital allocation policy agreed with the 

Board and rigorously implemented

 ¼ Diversified capital structure in place with low financing cost, including Reserve  

Based Lending (RBL) facility and an unsecured bond issue during 2021. Annual  
RBL redetermination programme undertaken to ensure available liquidity is known  
for the forthcoming period

 ¼ Ongoing engagement with lead-syndicate banks in the RBL facility maintained to 

ensure relationship remains strong

 ¼ Disciplined hedging programmes in place to help manage exposure to commodity prices 
(see also ‘Commodity price exposure’ risk below), interest rates and foreign exchange

 ¼ Corporate model in place to facilitate oversight of the Company’s financial position 

across a range of commodity price scenarios

 ¼ Annual capital budgets set taking into account near term commodity prices and cash  

flow expectations with spending levels stress-tested against adverse scenarios

 ¼ Insurance programmes in place to minimise the risk to the business  

(see also ‘Third party reliance’ risk opposite)

Link to strategic pillars 

Commodity price exposure: failure to manage the impact of commodity price fluctuations on the business

Risk description

How the risk is managed

 ¼ Disciplined commodity price hedging programme in place aligned to risk appetite and 

designed to underpin the financial framework, limit downside risk, comply with Reserve 
Based Lending requirements and protect the value of acquired assets

 ¼ Carbon hedging is conducted to actively manage the Group exposure to carbon  

pricing in the UK market, whilst ensuring regulatory requirements are met

 ¼ Strong control framework in place that covers full hedging life cycle and includes 

monitoring activities to ensure the hedging programme is applied consistent with  
risk appetite

Link to strategic pillars

Oil and gas prices have fluctuated significantly in recent 
years, most recently due to the impact of the COVID-19 
pandemic on demand, general economic uncertainty and 
the consequences of recent Russian action in Ukraine. 
The price of oil and gas is impacted by changes in global 
and regional supply and demand, and expectations 
regarding future supply and demand. Supply factors that 
influence pricing include the pace of new oil and gas 
developments, operational issues, natural disasters, 
adverse weather events, political and security instability, 
conflicts, and actions by major oil-exporting countries. 
Demand factors that influence pricing include economic 
conditions, climate change regulations and the pace of 
transition to a low carbon economy. Consequently, it is  
not possible to accurately predict future oil and gas  
prices and prices may continue to remain volatile.

In order to safeguard its balance sheet, the Company  
has set a strategic intent to protect the business from 
excessive volatility, ensure liquidity through the commodity 
price cycle as well as to take advantage of market 
movements (see risk description under ‘Access to capital’ 
above). A sustained decline in oil and gas prices could 
undermine this strategy by reducing cash flow available  
to fund growth and distributions and impairing access  
to capital. In addition, excessive volatility in prices could 
impede business planning and financial decision-making. 

1  Refer also to the Viability Statement for commentary on the prospects and the viability of the Group over the viability period including availability of adequate funding. 

52

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

Integration of acquired businesses: failure to properly integrate acquired businesses and realise 
anticipated synergies in a timely manner 

Risk description

How the risk is managed

Following the completion of an acquisition, the Company  
may fail to manage the pace, scope and cost of integrating  
the acquired business. Integration synergies may not be 
realised in a timely manner, eroding investor confidence.  
The demands, uncertainty and change imposed on the new 
organisation by the integration work required may lead to 
confusion, disengagement or resignations among employees.  
The Company may be unable to establish a scalable  
operating model to support the efficient integration of  
further M&A that is targeted in the strategy.

 ¼ Senior executive team has a proven track record of integrating large scale M&A

 ¼ Experienced Integration Management Office established with clear governance 

model, regular Board updates, and resourced with employees who are familiar with 
the acquired businesses and have a proven track record of effective integration

 ¼ Detailed integration plan developed with business and expert advisers, leveraging 

experience gained from prior acquisitions

 ¼ Enterprise Management System being implemented to ensure the Company 

systems landscape is scalable to a growing business. Multidisciplinary project  
team in place with project risks challenged via third party assurance model

 ¼ Regular internal communications in place to maintain employee awareness and 

engagement through to the completion of the integration process

Link to strategic pillars 

Third party reliance: failure to adequately manage supply chain, joint venture and other partners,  
and third party infrastructure owners

Risk description

How the risk is managed

 ¼ New partners and suppliers carefully assessed through due diligence and approval 

processes, supported by additional security arrangements as required

 ¼ Existing partners and suppliers regularly engaged to monitor performance and risk 
exposure through proactive oversight and governance, enforcement of commercial 
agreements and with a culture of collaborative working to create value

 ¼ Formal budgeting and tendering processes in place to govern material spend with 

partners and suppliers

 ¼ Production monetisation routes in place for existing assets governed by contractual 
agreements. Commercial assurance and contract risk forms part of decision gate 
process for new developments

 ¼ Insurance programmes in place include contingent Business Interruption insurance 
for loss of revenue following loss or damage to third party facilities identified as 
production bottlenecks

Link to strategic pillars 

The Company is reliant on a range of third parties to achieve  
its strategic objective to ensure safe, reliable and responsible 
operations, and to maintain a high quality portfolio of reserves 
and resources. These third parties include suppliers of products 
and services, joint venture (JV) partners, outsourced operators 
who operate some of the Company’s assets on its behalf, 
downstream infrastructure owners and trading counterparties.

The recent industry downturn and the ongoing effects of  
the COVID-19 pandemic have led to financial distress and 
consolidation across the sector and disrupted capacity and 
capability. In addition, some third parties may be impacted  
by sanctions arising as a result of recent Russian action in 
Ukraine. Consequently the Company may be unable to readily 
procure cost-effective products and services to operate existing 
assets or undertake new capital projects. Financial distress 
among existing suppliers or JV partners may increase the 
likelihood of exposure to unsafe practices or non-compliance  
on matters such as Anti-Bribery and Corruption or Human 
Rights. JV partners may be unwilling or unable to meet funding 
commitments or invest new capital. Poor performance or 
damaged reputation of an outsourced operator or JV partner 
may tarnish the Company’s reputation. In the event of 
insolvency in a JV partner, the Company may be required  
to cover their long-term asset commitments. In addition, 
misalignment in objectives within a JV may lead to sub-optimal 
decision-making and the ability of the Company to influence  
this may be limited. 

The Company is also reliant on third party infrastructure to 
transport produced oil and gas to market, a significant portion  
of which has been in operation for a number of years. A loss of 
availability or access to downstream infrastructure could directly 
impact production and revenue. In addition, new developments 
are dependent on the Company agreeing acceptable 
commercial terms with prospective downstream partners. 

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

53

Strategic report GovernanceFinancial statementsAdditional informationPrincipal risks continued
Principal risks continued

Information and cyber security: failure to maintain safe, secure and reliable operations

Risk description

How the risk is managed

The Company may fail to implement sufficient information 
security measures to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, 
availability and regulatory compliance of Company 
information. In particular, the risk of a cyber-attack 
continues to increase due to a rising global threat, recent 
Russian action in Ukraine, the visibility of Harbour as a 
newly enlarged entity and the number of personnel 
working remotely. The Company may fail to implement 
adequate cyber security precautions in order to efficiently 
prevent, identify or respond to such an attack.

A failure to manage this risk could result in heightened 
safety or environmental risk exposure or interruption to 
business operations which would undermine delivery of 
the strategy. In addition, loss of commercially sensitive 
information, regulatory fines and ransom demands  
could damage the Company’s reputation. 

 ¼ Experienced and fully resourced information and cyber security organisation 

established with clear accountability across all locations 

 ¼ Prioritised and budgeted work plan in place to transition legacy IT infrastructure  

in a controlled manner as part of establishing a new Company IT infrastructure platform 

 ¼ Defensive and preventative controls designed and implemented to an industry 
standard that include independent testing and assurance mechanics to check 
resilience and are subject to an annual Internal Audit. Business-led recovery measures 
in place to maintain business continuity and limit any material impact of a cyber 
security attack 

 ¼ Continuous strengthening of controls related to information and cyber security  

in line with the evolving threat landscape and regulatory requirements

Link to strategic pillars 

Legal and regulatory compliance: failure to maintain and demonstrate effective legal and  
regulatory compliance

Risk description

How the risk is managed

The Company, its employees and contractors are subject 
to various laws and regulations governing conduct. These 
laws and regulations cover a range of activities such as 
fraud, bribery, corruption and facilitation of tax evasion. 

A failure to maintain and demonstrate effective legal and 
regulatory compliance could lead to compliance breaches 
which could damage the Company’s reputation, erode its 
values-based culture and result in financial consequences. 
This could in turn lead to increased scrutiny from 
regulators and undermine the Company’s strategy by 
impeding its ability to motivate employees, conduct 
business with partners and suppliers, and maintain 
access to capital.

 ¼ Zero tolerance stance set for fraud, bribery, corruption and facilitation of tax evasion 
in any form that could be unlawful or otherwise undermine the legitimate business 
environment and damage the reputation of the Company 

 ¼ Business principles, values and Company policies outlining Company expectations 

communicated to all employees with relevant training. These include Board approved 
policies covering Code of Conduct, Sustainability, Modern Slavery and Tax 

 ¼ Governance structure established that complies with the UK Listing Rules (including 
UK Corporate Governance Code), including the appointment of a Senior Independent 
Director and a Relationship Agreement with EIG, the largest shareholder

 ¼ Enforcement of the Company’s Code of Conduct and the adequacy and security of the 

whistleblowing procedure monitored by the Audit and Risk Committee 

 ¼ Compliance monitoring and disciplinary arrangements maintained, including whistleblowing 

 ¼ During 2022, the Company will move to a single, global compliance programme which 

will improve efficiency and simplify approach

Link to strategic pillars 

54

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

Host government political and fiscal risks: exposure to adverse or uncertain political, regulatory or 
fiscal developments in countries where the Company operates or maintains interests

Risk description

How the risk is managed

 ¼ Constructive engagement maintained with relevant government and regulatory 
stakeholders in the countries and regions where the Company does business 

 ¼ Contribution to industry representation maintained on key industry issues

 ¼ Portfolio of interests maintained to diversify country risk exposure, including through  

an aim to establish a material production base outside the UK

 ¼ Active monitoring of the local political, fiscal, social and security situations in place  

in regions where the Company does business or is proposing to enter

Link to strategic pillars

The Company operates or maintains interests in multiple 
countries including some where political, economic or 
social transition is taking place or there are sovereignty 
disputes. The political and security situation and the 
regulatory and fiscal framework in any of these countries 
may change and adverse changes could have an impact 
on the operations, profitability and future investment 
opportunities of the business. 

Consequences may include increases in the regulatory 
burden, increases in tax or loss of relief, retroactive tax 
claims, price controls, limits on production or cost 
recovery, import and export restrictions, other changes  
in fiscal terms, cancellation of contract rights, and 
expropriation of property. Such consequences would 
undermine the Company’s financial position and, in  
some cases, could put at risk our ability to successfully 
implement the strategy. 

The Strategic Report, which has been prepared in accordance with the requirements  
of the Companies Act 2006, has been approved and signed on behalf of the Board.

LINDA Z. COOK
Chief Executive Officer 
16 March 2022

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

55

Strategic report GovernanceFinancial statementsAdditional informationChairman’s introduction

Harbour is a unique investment 
opportunity within the energy 
sector. With a diverse, cash 
generative producing portfolio 
coupled with a number 
of exciting development 
opportunities and the financial 
strength for further M&A,  
your Board is excited about  
the future of our Company.

R. BLAIR THOMAS 
Chairman

Board activities

Strategy

Governance

Performance

We aim to continue building a global, 
diverse, independent oil and gas company. 
We will achieve this by maximising value 
from our existing portfolio, growing through 
selective investments and disciplined  
M&A, all whilst maintaining a robust 
balance sheet and operating in a safe  
and responsible manner. 

Your Board is committed to the highest 
standards of corporate governance.  
The processes and procedures which 
underpin the way we operate are designed  
to ensure the right decisions are taken  
at the right time and by the right people.  
We have assembled a world-class Board 
with decades of industry, UK and global 
business experience as well as robust 
independent judgement and challenge.

2021 was another year characterised  
by volatile commodity prices in the  
energy sector. Despite some operational 
challenges, our cash generation has been 
strong and the base portfolio provides a 
reliable foundation on which we can grow 
the business over the longer term. 

Highlights

Highlights

Highlights

 ¼ Strategic scope set for Harbour Energy

 ¼ New Board appointed and inducted 

 ¼ Production of 175 kboepd

 ¼ Capital allocation priorities agreed

 ¼ 2035 Net Zero strategy approved

following the Merger

 ¼ Board Committees formed with 

experienced membership

 ¼ Group procedures, policies and internal 

control frameworks endorsed

 ¼ Principal risks identified and approved

 ¼ Free cash flow of $678 million

 ¼ Unit operating cost of $15.2/boe

 ¼ Leverage of 0.9x at year-end

 ¼ Introduction of $200 million annual  

dividend policy

HOW WE CREATE VALUE 
P12

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE REPORT 
P62

KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS  
P14

56

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

  
  
 
Dear shareholder, 

I am delighted to be writing to you on 
behalf of the Board in this, Harbour 
Energy’s inaugural Annual Report. 

Harbour is a unique investment opportunity 
within the energy sector. With a diverse, 
cash generative producing portfolio coupled 
with a number of exciting development 
opportunities and the financial strength for 
further M&A, your Board is excited about 
the future of our Company. 

First and foremost however, our focus  
as Directors is on ensuring that Harbour 
operates responsibly in a way that never 
compromises our high standards in relation  
to HSES. In this regard, I would like to  
thank all of our employees, partners and 
contractors for their continued efforts  
in promoting a positive safety culture, 
particularly during the global pandemic. 

Turning to our environmental responsibility, 
at the point of the Merger in 2021, your 
Board approved Harbour’s goal to achieve 
Net Zero emissions by 2035. During 2021, 
Linda and her Leadership Team provided 
additional detail on the Company’s strategy 
to achieving this ambitious goal and we 
have been pleased with the reaction of  
our shareholders and stakeholders to our 
strategy in this area. It is clear that all 
companies, particularly those within the 
energy sector, need to play their part in the 
energy transition and I am confident that 
Harbour is well positioned in this regard. 

Corporate governance
Your Board aspires to the highest standards of 
corporate governance and has implemented  
a strong framework to support this. You can 
read more about our work in this area on the 
following pages. 

The Company’s relationship with its  
major shareholder, EIG – where I am  
Chief Executive Officer – has been a key 
area of focus for the Board in establishing 
our governance framework. To allow the 
Company to operate independently and  
in accordance with the high standards of 
governance applicable to a UK Premium 
Listed Company, we have a Relationship 
Agreement in place with EIG, which you  
can read more about on page 65. In 
addition to this, we have assembled  
a world-class Board of Non-Executive 
Directors – including an experienced  
Senior Independent Director in Simon Henry 

Our focus during 2022 will be on delivering 
safely and responsibly against our operating 
targets, executing our capital allocation 
programme and growing the business via 
selective investments.

Your Board is confident that the framework  
we have in place represents the right balance 
of prudent capital allocation for growth and 
sustainable returns to shareholders and we 
are pleased to confirm our objective to return 
$200 million to shareholders during 2022.  
As a Board, we will not compromise the 
Company’s balance sheet position and  
we believe the established framework we 
have in place for the coming years will 
deliver an attractive return for shareholders 
through the commodity price cycle, whilst 
maintaining optionality to execute high 
quality growth projects or M&A opportunities 
if they exceed our investment hurdles.

Board priorities for 2022
For the Board and the Leadership Team,  
our focus during 2022 will be on delivering 
safely and responsibly against our operating 
targets, executing our capital allocation 
programme and growing the business via 
selective investments. The macro-economic 
environment remains volatile and uncertain 
but I am confident that we have the right 
team and strategy in place to create value 
for all our stakeholders.

Finally, I would like to thank all of our 
employees, shareholders, partners and 
contractors for their continued support  
of Harbour Energy.

R. BLAIR THOMAS
Chairman

– who provide robust and independent 
challenge within the boardroom. All of the 
Non-Executive Directors meet regularly 
without management present. In addition, 
the independent Non-Executive Directors 
hold meetings regularly, chaired by Simon.  
I would like to thank all of the Directors  
for their services during this busy year, 
including Phil Kirk, who stepped down as  
an Executive Director on 28 February 2022. 
Phil was instrumental in the growth of 
Harbour Energy and I wish him all the  
best going forward.

Board activities in 2021
The Merger of Premier Oil and Chrysaor  
to form Harbour Energy was set against  
an incredibly challenging macro-economic 
backdrop, characterised by volatile commodity 
prices in our sector. It is testament to all those 
involved that such a complex transaction 
was completed during a once-in-a-century 
pandemic whilst working remotely. 

Our efforts in the first half of 2021 were 
focused on bringing the two businesses 
together whilst maintaining safe and reliable 
operations and, despite some challenges 
with production, I am pleased with how  
this integration process has progressed. 
Your Leadership Team is continuing to 
concentrate its efforts on embedding good 
processes and systems across the Group 
and I am confident that this work will stand 
the Company in good stead as it continues to 
grow, both organically and through M&A. In 
the second half of the year, we turned our 
attention to developing and implementing 
our strategic objectives and capital 
allocation priorities, both of which were set 
out in detail by Linda and her team during 
the Capital Markets Day in December.  
Our financial position was further bolstered 
by a successful debut $500 million bond 
issuance in October and we are grateful  
for the continued support our creditors 
have shown for our business plan. 

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

57

Strategic report GovernanceFinancial statementsAdditional informationBoard of Directors

Board background, key roles  
and responsibilities

Board tenure as at 16 March 2022

Board gender

Board nationality

Board skills and experience

Male 

6

Female  4

British 

4

American  4

Norwegian  2

International 10

Oil and gas  9

Financial 

Listed plc 

9

8

UK listed plc  5

R. Blair Thomas 
Chairman

Linda Z. Cook 
Chief Executive Officer

Alexander Krane 
Chief Financial Officer

Skills and experience
Blair was appointed as Non-Executive Chairman  
of the Company pursuant to EIG’s right to appoint 
up to two directors to the Board. Blair has more 
than 30 years’ experience in the investment 
management business, with a focus on energy 
and energy-related infrastructure. He was also a 
member of the Board of Directors of Chrysaor 
Holdings Limited from 2017 through to completion 
of the Merger. The Board believes that Blair’s 
industry experience and knowledge of the Harbour 
Group justifies his appointment as Chairman  
and is of significant benefit to the Company  
and shareholders as a whole.

Skills and experience
Linda has significant experience in building and 
managing large-scale, global energy businesses. 
She has a track record of successful strategic 
execution and growth, including through M&A, 
major project delivery, and raising capital. Her 
experience in disciplined capital allocation within 
the sector is invaluable for Harbour as the 
Company embarks on an ambitious programme 
of investment across the portfolio. Also important 
are Linda’s many years of experience serving as  
a CEO, and as a director in both executive and 
non-executive capacities on the boards of large, 
publicly listed companies.

Skills and experience
Having spent a large portion of his career as  
CFO of Aker BP, including during the merger of  
Det Norske Oljeselskap and BP Norge, Alexander 
has experience leading a large finance function 
through an integration process. His listed company 
experience and understanding of debt and equity 
capital markets will be invaluable in ensuring that 
the Company has the balance sheet strength to  
be able to deliver its growth and investment plans 
through the commodity price cycle.

External appointments with public companies
 ¼ None

External appointments with public companies
 ¼ None

External appointments with public companies
 ¼ BNY Mellon, Non-Executive Director  
and Chair of the Human Resources  
and Compensation Committee

Committee membership  

 Nomination Committee (Chair) 

Committee membership  
N/A 

Committee membership  
N/A 

58

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

AUDIT AND RISK COMMITTEE REPORT 
NOMINATION COMMITTEE REPORT 

P66
P70

HSES COMMITTEE REPORT 
DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION REPORT 

P72
P74

Board independence

Board attendance

Directors

Chairman
R. Blair Thomas

Executive
Linda Z. Cook
Alexander Krane

Non-Executive 
Simon Henry 
Anne Marie Cannon 
G. Steven Farris 
Alan Ferguson
Andy Hopwood
Margareth Øvrum 
Anne L. Stevens

Independent? 

Joined the Harbour  
Energy Board

No

No 
No

Yes 
Yes 
No
Yes 
Yes 
Yes 
Yes

31 March 2021

31 March 2021
 15 April 2021

31 March 2021
31 March 2021 
31 March 2021 
31 March 2021 
31 March 2021 
1 April 2021 
31 March 2021

Directors3

Chairman
R. Blair Thomas

Executive
Linda Z. Cook
Alexander Krane
Phil Kirk1

Non-Executive 
Simon Henry 
Anne Marie Cannon2 
G. Steven Farris 
Alan Ferguson
Andy Hopwood
Margareth Øvrum 
Anne L. Stevens

Scheduled
meetings attended

8/8 – 100%

8/8 – 100%
7/7 – 100%
8/8 – 100%

8/8 – 100%
8/8 – 100%
8/8 – 100%
8/8 – 100%
8/8 – 100%
8/8 – 100%
8/8 – 100%

1  Phil Kirk stepped down from the Board on 28 February 2022.
2  Anne Marie Cannon also served on the Board of Premier Oil plc.
3 

 Roy A. Franklin, Dave Blackwood, Iain Macdonald, Elisabeth Proust and Mike Wheeler 
stepped down from the Board of Premier Oil plc on completion of the Merger.  
Richard Rose stepped down from the Board on 15 April 2021. 

Simon Henry 
Senior Independent Non-Executive Director 

Anne Marie Cannon 
Independent Non-Executive Director

G. Steven Farris  
Non-Independent Non-Executive Director

Skills and experience
Simon’s position as Senior Independent  
Director is vital for the Board in ensuring that the 
highest standards of corporate governance are 
maintained. He plays a pivotal role in managing 
the relationship with the Company’s major 
shareholder, EIG, and ensuring the Company  
is able to operate independently and in 
accordance with its obligations as a listed 
company. In addition, Simon brings significant 
experience in both the oil and gas sector and 
public markets having spent his entire career 
working with large-scale companies, including as 
the CFO for Royal Dutch Shell plc for many years. 

External appointments with public companies
 ¼ Rio Tinto plc, Non-Executive Director  
and Chair of the Audit Committee 

 ¼ PetroChina Company Limited,  

Non-Executive Director 

Skills and experience
Having spent much of her career in the energy 
sector including while at Morgan Stanley and J 
Henry Schroder Wagg, Anne Marie has significant 
experience advising on oil and gas mergers and 
acquisitions, and is thus well equipped to engage 
with management and provide appropriate 
independent challenge in relation to commercial 
transactions. Having previously served on the 
Premier Board, Anne Marie also brings continuity 
to the Company’s Board and Committees in 
relation to governance as well as with regard  
to the legacy Premier assets and operations.

External appointments with public companies
 ¼ STV plc, Non-Executive Director and  
Chair of the Remuneration Committee

 ¼ Aker BP ASA, Deputy Chair

 Board representative to the Group Staff Forum

Skills and experience
Steve was appointed as a Non-Executive Director 
of the Company pursuant to EIG’s right to appoint 
up to two directors to the Board. Having spent  
his entire career within the energy sector and,  
in particular, leading Apache Corporation as 
Chairman and CEO through a period of significant 
growth and expansion, Steve’s knowledge and 
counsel is a great asset to the Board and the 
Company as a whole.

External appointments with public companies
 ¼ None

Committee membership  

 Audit and Risk Committee 
 HSES Committee

Committee membership  

 Audit and Risk Committee 
 Remuneration Committee

Committee membership  

 HSES Committee 

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

59

Strategic report GovernanceFinancial statementsAdditional information 
 
 
 
Board of Directors continued

Alan Ferguson  
Independent Non-Executive Director

Andy Hopwood 
Independent Non-Executive Director

Margareth Øvrum 
Independent Non-Executive Director

Skills and experience
Alan brings current and relevant financial 
experience to the Board and as Chair of the Audit 
and Risk Committee having spent his executive 
career in finance roles along with a decade of 
experience leading audit committees of listed 
companies. Alan has already successfully led  
the tender process for the Group’s external 
auditors and his expertise in audit and accounting 
is vital for the Group particularly as it enters the 
first reporting cycle as Harbour Energy plc.

External appointments with public companies
 ¼ AngloGold Ashanti Limited, Non-Executive 
Director and Chair of the Audit Committee

 ¼ Marshall Motor Holdings, Interim Chairman, 
Senior Independent Director and Chair of  
the Audit Committee 

Skills and experience
Andy has over 40 years’ experience in the  
global oil and gas industry gained during his  
long association with BP. He brings a strong 
understanding of the technical, operational and 
commercial issues associated with development 
and managing large-scale, complex energy 
assets around the world, from exploration 
through to decommissioning, and including in  
the areas of safety and the environment. Andy’s 
oil and gas technical, operational and leadership 
expertise are invaluable to the Board and its 
Committees in overseeing the existing portfolio 
and assessing opportunities for investment. 

External appointments with public companies
 ¼ None 

Skills and experience
Margareth worked for Equinor and its predecessor 
companies from 1982 until January 2021. Latterly, 
she was Executive Vice President for 17 years with 
responsibility for global HSE, project development, 
drilling, procurement, technology and new energy. 
She has extensive knowledge of international  
oil and gas operations, major projects, health  
and safety, sustainability and the role of digital 
technology in engineering. In particular, she has a 
passion for safety and the environment which will 
be of great value to the Board and through her role 
as Chair of the HSES Committee. She also has 
considerable governance experience through  
her non-executive director roles.

External appointments with public companies
 ¼ FMC Corporation, Non-Executive Director

 ¼ Technip FMC plc, Non-Executive Director

 ¼ Transocean Ltd, Non-Executive Director 

Committee membership  

 Audit and Risk Committee (Chair) 
 Remuneration Committee

Committee membership  

 HSES Committee 
 Nomination Committee

Committee membership  

 HSES Committee (Chair) 
 Audit and Risk Committee

 Board representative to the Group Staff Forum

60

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

Anne L. Stevens  
Independent Non-Executive Director

Rachel Rickard  
Company Secretary

Rachel is a Fellow of the Chartered 
Governance Institute with more than 20 
years’ experience gained across a variety  
of industries and sectors in FTSE 100 and 
FTSE 250 listed companies, including three 
years within the financial services sector.

As Company Secretary, Rachel is 
responsible for advising the Board, through 
the Chairman, on all governance matters.

Skills and experience
Anne has served on remuneration committees, 
including as Chair, in a number of large 
organisations in recent years. Anne has significant 
experience engaging with investors to deliver 
remuneration outcomes that are of benefit to  
all stakeholders. In addition to her expertise  
as a remuneration committee chair, Anne also 
contributes a wealth of experience built up over  
a long career in engineering and executive roles  
in large global companies. 

External appointments with public companies
 ¼ Anglo American plc, Non-Executive Director 
and Chair of the Remuneration Committee1

 ¼ Aston Martin Lagonda Global Holdings plc, 
Non-Executive Director and Chair of the 
Remuneration Committee 

Committee membership  

 Remuneration Committee (Chair) 
 Nomination Committee

1   Anne will step down as Non-Executive Director  

of Anglo American plc in April 2022.

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

61

Strategic report GovernanceFinancial statementsAdditional informationCorporate governance report

Applying the key principles of the Code

The Board of Harbour Energy is committed to strong governance across all 
the Company’s activities. The table below summarises how the Company has 
applied the Main Principles of the UK Corporate Governance Code and where 
further information on each Principle can be found in this Annual Report. 

1

Board leadership  
and company purpose

Application of the Main Principles

A.
The Company is led by a Board of Directors  
who hold the Chief Executive Officer and the 
Leadership Team to a very high standard.  
The Board includes two appointees from EIG, 
the Company’s largest shareholder, but is 
majority independent.

Further information
Board of Directors: P58

B. 
Shortly after completion of the Merger on  
31 March 2021, the Board met to define the 
Company’s purpose and strategic scope.  
An in-depth review of the Company’s strategy 
was presented at the Capital Markets Day in 
December 2021. A key focus area for the Board 
in 2022 will be on establishing and developing 
a culture that supports these stated objectives. 

Further information
How we create value: P12 
Our culture and values: P20

C. 
As part of the process of defining the Company’s 
strategic support, the Board also approved a 
robust financial framework, underpinned by 
prudent capital allocation. In addition, work 
undertaken by the Audit and Risk Committee 
since the Merger – building on systems and 
processes within the two legacy companies 
– means that the Company has an effective  
and reliable system of internal control in place.

Further information
Financial review: P38 
Risk management: P44  
Audit and Risk Committee report: P66

D. 
Engagement with all of our stakeholders is a 
priority for the Board. By maintaining good 
dialogue, we ensure that our objectives are 
understood and that we receive regular 
feedback on our strategy, performance and 
governance which can then be factored into  
the Board decision-making process. 

Further information
Engaging with our stakeholders: P16 
ESG review: P28 

E. 
Following the Merger, the Board, its Committees 
and the Leadership Team have devoted a 
significant amount of time to organisational 
design and establishing ways of working for 
Harbour Energy. During 2022, implementation of 
these plans will continue along with the planned 
rollout of a new Enterprise Management System. 
Employee engagement and feedback has been 
and continues to be a key aspect of developing 
the new organisation.

Further information
Nomination Committee report: P70 
ESG review: P28 
Our culture and values: P20

62

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

2

Division of  
responsibilities

Application of the Main Principles

F.
Whilst the Company’s Chairman, R. Blair Thomas, 
was not regarded as independent on appointment, 
he brings significant industry knowledge and 
experience which the Board believes is of great 
benefit to the Company. The Chairman is responsible 
for facilitating open conversations and dialogue at 
Board level and, following an externally led review in 
2021, the Board is of the view that the Chairman 
has been very effective in carrying out this role 
since the Merger. 

Further information
Board of Directors: P58

G. 
The Board is made up of a majority of independent 
Non-Executive Directors including a very 
experienced Senior Independent Director in Simon 
Henry. Given EIG’s position as a major shareholder, 
the Company has entered into a Relationship 
Agreement with EIG to ensure the Company is able 
to operate independently and to meet the highest 
standards of corporate governance. 

Further information
Board of Directors: P58 
Other governance disclosures: P65

H. 
Non-Executive Directors have all committed to 
devoting sufficient time to the Company to meet their 
duties. The Company also has robust procedures 
in place to ensure that proposed new mandates 
for Non-Executives are thoroughly reviewed to 
ensure they do not impinge on a Director’s ability 
to discharge their obligations to the Company.

Further information
Board of Directors: P58 
Nomination Committee report: P70

I. 
The Company Secretary supports the Board  
and its Committees to ensure they receive 
accurate and timely information to carry out  
their function effectively. Where possible, the 
Leadership Team and the Company Secretary 
deliver papers to Non-Executive Directors one 
week in advance of scheduled meetings. 

Further information
N/A

Applying the Principles of good governance 
will support the successful delivery of  
long-term value for all of our stakeholders.

R. BLAIR THOMAS 
Chairman

3

Composition, succession  
and evaluation

4

Audit, risk and  
internal control

5

Remuneration

Application of the Main Principles

Application of the Main Principles 

Application of the Main Principles 

J.
The Company’s Nomination Committee is 
responsible for ensuring that plans are in place  
for orderly succession to the Board and senior 
management positions with due regard to the 
skills, knowledge, experience and diversity 
required to execute the Company’s strategy. 

Further information
Nomination Committee report: P70

M.
The Audit and Risk Committee has met six times 
since completion of the Merger on 31 March 
2021 and has devoted a significant amount  
of its time to ensuring policies and procedures 
with respect to internal and external audit are 
effective. A competitive tender process for the 
role of external auditor was undertaken in 2021 
resulting in the appointment of Ernst & Young LLP 
as the Company’s auditor. 

K. 
The Board ensures that Committees are comprised 
of Non-Executive Directors with a balance of skills, 
experience and knowledge appropriate for each 
Committee. Following changes to the Board on 
completion of the Merger, a full review of Committee 
composition was undertaken to ensure each 
Committee was appropriately constituted for  
the new organisation. 

Further information
Board of Directors: P58 

L. 
The Board and its Committees undertook an 
externally facilitated evaluation in late 2021. Given 
the significant changes to the Board during the 
year it was noted by the Directors that, whilst it 
was too early to draw conclusions in some areas, 
the Board is satisfied that both the Committees 
and the Board are performing effectively and to  
a high standard.

Further information
Nomination Committee report: P70

Further information
Audit and Risk Committee report: P66

N. 
The Board confirms that, in its view, the Annual 
Report and Financial Statements, taken as a 
whole, is fair, balanced and understandable,  
and provides the information necessary for 
shareholders to assess the Group’s position  
and performance, business model and strategy. 

Further information
Audit and Risk Committee report: P66 
Statement of Directors’ responsibilities: P102

O. 
Building on the good foundations from the two 
legacy companies, the Audit and Risk Committee 
has endorsed the framework of internal control 
and risk management for the new Company, which 
now includes a dedicated Internal Audit function. 
The Board and the Audit and Risk Committee  
have assessed the Company’s principal risks  
and have set the Company’s risk appetite which 
the Directors believe is appropriate for the  
Group’s strategy.

Further information
Audit and Risk Committee report: P66 
Principal risks: P48

P.
On completion of the Merger the Remuneration 
Committee approved a new Remuneration 
Policy that reflects the size, scale and strategic 
ambitions of the enlarged organisation.  
This Policy received the support of 97 per cent 
of shareholders who voted at the Company’s 
2021 AGM. 

Further information
Directors’ remuneration report: P74

Q. 
Following the approval of the Company’s new 
Remuneration Policy by shareholders at the 2021 
AGM, the Remuneration Committee oversaw 
the roll out of a new Reward Strategy for the 
Leadership Team and the rest of the organisation. 
The Committee believes the Policy and Reward 
Strategy are appropriate to attract, retain and 
motivate high calibre executives and employees 
across the organisation. 

Further information
Directors’ remuneration report: P74 
Our culture and values: P20

R. 
The Remuneration Committee exercised 
independent judgement and discretion when 
reviewing and authorising remuneration 
outcomes associated with the legacy Premier 
Oil organisation and continues to do so when 
assessing performance under the new Policy. 
The Committee receives independent advice 
from Deloitte, who are founding members of  
the Remuneration Consultants Group (RCG), 
and have at all times operated under the  
RCG’s voluntary Code of Conduct in dealings 
with the Committee.

Further information
Directors’ remuneration report: P74

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

63

Strategic report GovernanceFinancial statementsAdditional informationCorporate governance report continued

The role of the Board

The Board is collectively responsible for the governance of the 
Company on behalf of Harbour Energy’s shareholders and is 
accountable to them for the long-term success of the Company. 

The Board governs the Company in accordance with the authority 
set out in the Company’s Articles of Association and in compliance 
with the Code. Our governance goes beyond regulatory compliance, 
putting the interests of all our stakeholders at the heart of the 
Board’s decision-making.

R. Blair Thomas 
Non-Independent Chairman

Linda Z. Cook 
Chief Executive Officer

Alexander Krane 
Chief Financial Officer

Simon Henry 
Senior Independent  
Non-Executive Director

G. Steven Farris 
Non-Independent  
Non-Executive Director

Alan Ferguson 
Independent Non-Executive Director

Andy Hopwood 
Independent Non-Executive Director

Margareth Øvrum 
Independent Non-Executive Director

Our Articles of Association are available on the Company’s website, 
whilst a copy of the Code can be accessed at www.frc.org.uk. 

Anne Marie Cannon 
Independent Non-Executive Director

Anne L. Stevens 
Independent Non-Executive Director

Board Committees
The Board has established Audit and Risk, Nomination, HSES and 
Remuneration Committees. Each Committee has formal terms of 
reference approved by the Board, copies of which can be found on 
the Company’s website. The Company Secretary provides advice 
and support to the Board and all Board Committees.

Board Committees are authorised to engage the services  
of external advisers as they deem necessary. 

Details of all of the Committees are set out in the relevant 
sections of this report.

Audit and Risk Committee

Nomination Committee

HSES Committee

Remuneration Committee

Alan Ferguson (Committee Chair) 
Anne Marie Cannon 
Simon Henry 
Margareth Øvrum

R. Blair Thomas (Committee Chair) 
Andy Hopwood 
Anne L. Stevens 

Margareth Øvrum (Committee Chair) 
Simon Henry 
Andy Hopwood 
G. Steven Farris

Anne L. Stevens (Committee Chair) 
Anne Marie Cannon 
Alan Ferguson 

Responsibilities

Responsibilities

Responsibilities

Responsibilities

Keeps under review the 
effectiveness of the Group’s risk 
management and internal control 
systems and the programme of 
reviews co-ordinated by Internal 
Audit and Risk Management; 
monitors the integrity of the 
Company’s financial statements and 
the overall fairness of the Annual 
Report and Financial Statements.

Considers Board and Committee 
structure, composition and succession 
planning and oversees succession 
planning and development of senior 
management. It also leads Board-level 
engagement with the Company’s 
workforce and assesses and monitors 
the Company’s culture in order to ensure 
its alignment with the Company’s 
purpose, values and strategy.

To monitor and review the Group’s 
HSES strategy – including related  
to Net Zero – ensuring the policies 
and systems within the Group are 
compliant with HSES regulatory 
requirements. This Committee also 
monitors the quality and integrity of the 
Group’s internal and external reporting 
of HSES performance and issues.

Ensures that there is an appropriate 
reward strategy in place for Executive 
Directors with the intention of 
aligning their interests with those of 
shareholders. This Committee also 
oversees reward strategy for senior 
management.

READ MORE 
P66

READ MORE 
P70

READ MORE 
P72

READ MORE 
P74

Leadership Team
The Leadership Team supports the Chief Executive Officer with the development and implementation of Group strategy, management of the operations  
of the Company including succession planning, financial planning, risk management, internal control, HSES and corporate responsibility.

North Sea operations 

International operations 

Functional oversight and 
support

64

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

Other governance disclosures

 ¼ influence the day-to-day running of the 
Company at an operational level and  
shall allow the Company to operate on  
an independent basis;

 ¼ vote its Ordinary Shares (and shall use its 

reasonable endeavours to procure that any 
director appointed by it does not vote his or 
her shares) in a manner that would prevent 
the Company from operating and making 
decisions for the benefit of shareholders 
of the Company as a whole; and

 ¼ act in a manner which would be 

inconsistent with the independence  
of the Board being maintained in 
accordance with the rules of the London 
Stock Exchange or the FCA applicable to 
the Company, including the Listing Rules 
and the UK Corporate Governance Code.

In accordance with the Listing Rules, the 
Board confirms that, throughout the period 
under review:

 ¼ the Company has complied with 
the undertakings included in the 
Relationship Agreement;

 ¼ so far as the Company is aware, EIG 

and its associates have complied with 
the undertakings in the Relationship 
Agreement; and

 ¼ so far as the Company is aware, EIG has 
complied with the obligation included in 
the Relationship Agreement to procure 
the compliance of its associates with the 
undertakings in the Relationship Agreement. 

Notwithstanding EIG’s position as a 
controlling shareholder, the Directors believe 
the Company is still able to carry on an 
independent business. The Relationship 
Agreement took effect on completion of the 
Merger in March 2021 and will continue in 
force unless and until EIG and its affiliates 
cease to own 10 per cent or more of  
the Ordinary Shares or the voting rights 
attaching to the Ordinary Shares. EIG may 
terminate the Relationship Agreement in 
certain circumstances, including where the 
Ordinary Shares cease to be admitted to the 
premium listing segment of the Official List 
and admitted to trading to the London Stock 
Exchange’s main market for listed securities. 
In addition, the Relationship Agreement 
complies with the independence provisions 
set out in Listing Rules 6.5.4R and 9.2.2ADR. 

Under the Relationship Agreement, EIG is 
entitled to nominate one non-executive 
director for appointment to the Board so long 
as it holds between 10 per cent and 25 per 
cent of the issued shares of the Company, 
and two non-executive directors for so long 
as it holds over 25 per cent of the shares. At 
the current time, R. Blair Thomas (Chairman) 
and Steve Farris (Non-Executive Director) are 
EIG’s nominated appointees. In addition, EIG 
undertakes that it shall not:

 ¼ take any action that would have the 

effect of preventing the Company from 
complying with its obligations under the 
Listing Rules;

 ¼ propose or procure the proposal of a 

shareholder resolution of the Company 
which is intended or appears to be 
intended to circumvent the proper 
application of the Listing Rules;

 ¼ exercise any of its voting rights in the 

Company in a way that would be inconsistent 
with, or breach any of the provisions of, 
the Relationship Agreement;

The Company was fully compliant 
with the UK Corporate Governance 
Code (the Code) throughout 2021 
with the exception of Provision 9 
regarding the independence of the 
Chairman on appointment. 

Further details on this and other 
governance matters are provided below. 

Compliance with the Code
Under Provision 9 of the Code, “the chair 
should be independent on appointment 
when assessed against the circumstances 
set out in Provision 10”. R. Blair Thomas, 
the Company’s Chairman, did not meet the 
independence criteria of Provision 10 of the 
Code by virtue of being appointed pursuant 
to EIG’s right to appoint up to two directors 
to the Board of Directors under the 
Relationship Agreement (further details  
of which are set out below).

Blair has more than 30 years’ experience  
in the investment management business, 
with a focus on energy and energy-related 
infrastructure, and he was a member of the 
Board of Directors of Chrysaor Holdings 
Limited between 2017 until completion  
of the Merger. The Board believes that 
Blair’s industry experience and knowledge 
of Chrysaor justified his appointment as 
Chairman and is of continuing benefit  
to the Group and shareholders as a whole. 
The Board is comprised of a majority of 
independent Non-Executive Directors, 
including a very experienced Senior 
Independent Director in Simon Henry.  
The Independent Non-Executive Directors 
meet regularly without the EIG-appointed 
Directors present, with those meetings 
being chaired by Simon Henry. The Board  
is therefore of the view that there is 
sufficient independent challenge and 
judgement within the boardroom. 

Relationship Agreement
Due to its 36.73 per cent shareholding in 
the Group, EIG (through its wholly owned 
subsidiary Harbour North Sea Holdings 
Limited) is deemed a controlling shareholder 
for the purposes of the Listing Rules.  
As a result, the Company has entered  
into a Relationship Agreement with EIG  
(the Relationship Agreement). 

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

65

Strategic report GovernanceFinancial statementsAdditional informationAudit and Risk Committee report

ALAN FERGUSON 
Committee Chair 

Members1,3

Alan Ferguson (Committee Chair)

Anne Marie Cannon2

Simon Henry

Margareth Øvrum

Meetings attended
(eligible to attend)

6(6)

6(6)

6(6)

6(6)

1     Alan Ferguson, Simon Henry and Margareth Øvrum joined the Committee on 

completion of the Merger.

2  Anne Marie Cannon also served on the Premier Oil Audit and Risk Committee.
3   Iain Macdonald, Dave Blackwood and Mike Wheeler served on the Premier Oil  

Audit and Risk Committee, stepping down on completion of the Merger.

How the Committee spent its time during the year (%)

Financial reporting and audit 

60

Risk management and 
internal control 

Governance 

30

10

Role of the Committee

 ¼ Monitors the integrity of the Company’s financial statements and any 
formal announcements relating to the Company’s financial performance 
and the significant financial reporting judgements they contain.

 ¼ Reviews the external auditors’ independence and objectivity and 

the effectiveness and quality of the audit process. 

 ¼ Monitors and reviews the effectiveness of the Company’s risk 

management and internal control systems, including in particular the 
identification of emerging risks and the effectiveness of actions taken 
to mitigate them, together with the results of the programme of reviews 
of these systems and management’s response to the review findings.

 ¼ Monitors and reviews the effectiveness and objectivity of the 
Company’s Internal Audit function, the appropriateness of its  
work plan, the results of reviews undertaken, and the adequacy  
of management’s response to matters raised.

 ¼ Develops and implements policy on the engagement of the external 

auditors to supply non-audit services.

 ¼ Monitors the enforcement of the Company’s Global Code of Conduct 

and the adequacy and security of its whistleblowing procedure.

66

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

Dear fellow shareholder, 

I am pleased to present the Audit and 
Risk Committee’s (the Committee) 
report for 2021. The objective of this 
report is to provide a summary of 
the Committee’s work in ensuring 
that the interests of the Company’s 
stakeholders are protected through 
a robust system of risk management 
and transparent financial reporting.

I assumed the position of Chair of the Harbour 
Audit and Risk Committee following the 
completion of the Merger on 31 March 2021. 

Key activities during the year
The Committee held six scheduled meetings 
during 2021. A further two meetings were 
held in 2022, prior to the publication of this 
Annual Report & Accounts. In addition to 
the members of the Committee listed on 
this page, meetings of the Committee were 
normally also attended by the Chief Executive 
Officer, the President & CEO Europe, the Chief 
Financial Officer, the Corporate Controller, 
the VP Internal Audit and Risk Management, 
the Group General Counsel, the Company 
Secretary, the Deputy Company Secretary, 
and the external auditors. Other senior 
managers are required to attend when 
significant audit and risk management 
matters relating to their area of responsibility 
are considered by the Committee. During 
the year, the Committee met privately with 
the VP Internal Audit and Risk Management 
and with the Company’s external auditors. 
The Committee also undertook an externally 
facilitated review of its effectiveness on  
1 December 2021.

The Committee met for the first time under 
my leadership in April to recommend the 
selection of the proposed external auditors 
to the Board following a competitive audit 
tender process. The Committee also 
received presentations on the outcome  
of the Financial Position and Prospect (FPP) 
Procedures undertaken as part of the 
Merger process, the 2020 Auditor Letters 
issued by both legacy external auditors, 
future financial and management reporting 
matters, and the control environment in 
place following the completion of the Merger. 
The Committee also reviewed and endorsed 
the planned schedule of Internal Audits  
for the year. Finally, the Committee reviewed 
and subsequently approved a number  
of amendments to the Committee terms  
of reference.

Financial judgements and internal control matters

The Committee considered the following significant judgements, estimates 
and internal control matters in preparing the 2021 Annual Report & Accounts, 
coming to the following conclusions:

Going concern

The Directors are required to consider the 
appropriateness of adopting the going concern 
basis of accounting. The Committee reviewed 
management’s projections of the Group’s liquidity 
position. Key assumptions in the projections 
included those related to oil and gas prices during 
the period. The Committee concluded that it is 
satisfied that the judgements applied in making 
the assumptions and estimates that underpin the 
forecasts and projections have been exercised in an 
appropriate manner. The going concern statement 
included on page 43 is fair and balanced. 

Purchase price accounting

In assessing the purchase price accounting for the 
Merger, the Committee reviewed and challenged:

 ¼ management’s key assumptions for valuing 

the acquired assets. This included approval of 
management’s long-term planning assumptions 
for crude oil prices of $65/bbl in real terms and 
UK NBP gas prices of 60p/therm in real terms, 
adjusted for the Group’s hedging programme;

 ¼ valuations of intangible exploration and 

evaluation (E&E) assets taking into account the 
various valuations available which comprise 
financial carrying values, expected monetary 
valuations from discounted cash flows and 
potential sale proceeds from disposal initiatives;

 ¼ management’s key assumptions for 
decommissioning provisions; and

 ¼ recoverability of tax credits associated with the  

items above.

Impairment of tangible and intangible 
properties

In assessing indicators of impairment or reversals  
of previous impairments, the Committee: 

 ¼ reviewed and challenged management’s key 

assumptions for oil and gas properties, including 
the long-term planning assumptions and future 
oil and gas prices; and

 ¼ taking account of available market data, 

approved management’s long-term planning 
assumptions for crude oil prices of $75/bbl in 
2022, $70/bbl in 2023, and $65/bbl (in real 
terms) thereafter and for UK NBP gas prices of 
150p/therm in 2022, 100p/therm in 2023 and 
60p/therm (in real terms) thereafter, adjusted 
for the Group’s hedging programme. 

The Committee was satisfied that the most significant 
assumptions on which the amount of the impairment 
charge is based are future commodity prices, the 
discount rate applied to the forecast future cash flows 
and the decommissioning provisions. The Committee 
considered the disclosure of the sensitivity of the 
impairment charge to changes in the commodity 
prices, as set out in note 12 to the financial 
statements on page 139, to be appropriate.

The Committee noted that estimates of the Group’s 
oil and gas proven and probable reserves prepared  
by independent reservoir engineers were within one 
per cent of management’s estimates. 

The Committee assessed the carrying values of E&E 
assets and whether any indicators of impairment 
exist in relation to these assets. The Committee 
reviewed the oil and gas resources estimates and 
maturation reports from management and satisfied 
itself that the resource movements in the year and 
balances at year-end were appropriately prepared 
and supported and that the corresponding E&E asset 
carrying balances and income statement charges 
were aligned with the resources reports. Details of  
the Group’s intangible E&E assets are provided in 
note 11 to the financial statements on page 138.

Oil and gas reserves and resources

The Committee considered reports from 
management on the process applied to determine 
the oil and gas reserves and resources estimates, 
addressing in particular the extent to which the 
methodology and techniques applied by the 
Company were generally accepted industry practice, 
whether the methodology and techniques applied 
were consistent with those applied in prior years, 
and the experience and expertise of the managers 
who prepared and reviewed the estimates. The 
Committee noted that estimates of the Group’s oil 
and gas proven and probable reserves prepared  
by independent reservoir engineers were within  
one per cent of management’s estimates.

The Committee discussed with management the 
main reasons for the difference between the two 
estimates and was satisfied that it was appropriate  
to apply management’s estimates for the purpose  
of preparing the financial statements.

Provisions for decommissioning 

The Committee discussed with management the 
estimation process and the basis for the principal 
assumptions underlying the cost estimates for 
future decommissioning activity, noting in particular 
the reasons for any major changes in estimates as 
compared with the previous year. The Committee 
was satisfied that the approach applied was fair and 
reasonable. The Committee was also satisfied that the 
combination of discount and contracted rig rates used 
to calculate the provision was appropriate. Further 
information on decommissioning provisions is provided 
in note 20 to the financial statements on page 145.

Taxation

The Committee discussed with management 
their projections of probable UK taxable profits 
and noted that these projections include existing 
producing assets and certain currently unsanctioned 
UK development projects. The projections use 
underlying assumptions which are consistent with 
those used in the asset impairment review and 
support the recognition of a net deferred tax asset. 
Further details of the deferred tax asset and the 
assumptions used to estimate the amount of tax 
recoverable in respect of tax losses and allowances 
are provided in note 8 to the financial statements  
on page 135.

The Committee spent considerable time 
during the year reviewing the significant 
financial reporting judgements and key 
accounting estimates associated with  
the Company’s full and half-year results.  
In this work the impact of climate change 
and the energy transition was considered 
recognising in particular the uncertainty 
around the scale and timing of such impacts. 
The Committee reviewed, in particular, 
judgements and key accounting estimates 
for the Merger, the impairment and 
decommissioning provision assessments, 
the appropriateness of the financial 
modelling work that supported the going 
concern recommendations, and the clarity 
and completeness of disclosures in the 
financial statements. More detail about  
the work of the Committee in relation to 
financial reporting judgements can be  
found in the panel opposite.

During the year, the Committee received 
reports on the outcome of the Internal Audits 
conducted over the period. The audits 
reviewed included treasury controls, cyber 
security and UK financial controls in the 
legacy Premier business, and the project  
to implement a Company-wide Enterprise 
Management System (EMS). In reviewing 
these reports the Committee took note of 
any significant findings and the closeout of 
the actions agreed as a result of these 
audits. The Committee also reviewed and 
endorsed the Internal Audit plan for 2022. 

Through the year the Committee also 
received presentations on risk management 
matters in support of its duty to monitor 
and review the effectiveness of the 
Company’s risk management and internal 
control systems. Presentations included  
the control environment in place on the 
completion of the Merger; the risk 
management framework being implemented 
across the business; mapping of the 
sources of assurance to assure effective 
control across key risk areas; ethics and 
compliance matters; and a proposal to 
develop an Audit and Assurance policy 
document. There was also a ‘deep dive’ 
presentation on cyber security as the first of  
a series of management led presentations 
to support understanding and alignment  
on specific risk matters. The Committee 
also reviewed the processes in place for 
understanding the principal and emerging 
risks facing the business, in support of  
the Board’s review during the year. 

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

67

Strategic report GovernanceFinancial statementsAdditional informationAudit and Risk Committee report continued

In the March 2022 meeting, the  
Committee completed its annual review of 
the effectiveness of the Company’s risk 
management and internal control systems 
so as to be able to approve the statements 
on the risk management framework in the 
Risk management section of the Strategic 
Report on page 46. It also completed its 
annual review of the processes in place to 
prepare the Annual Report & Accounts in 
order to support the Statement of Directors’ 
responsibilities on page 102.

Risk management and internal control
The Committee is responsible for reviewing 
the effectiveness of the Company’s risk 
management and internal control systems 
(also known as its risk management 
framework). The framework is discussed 
more fully on pages 44 to 46 of the Risk 
management section. 

The framework includes specific internal 
controls governing the financial reporting 
process and preparation of financial 
statements. These systems include clear 
policies, standards and procedures for 
ensuring that the Company’s financial 
reporting processes and the preparation  
of its consolidated accounts comply with 
relevant regulatory reporting requirements. 
These policies are applied consistently  
by the corporate finance reporting teams 
and in each business area involved in  
the preparation of the financial results. 

Management representations covering 
compliance with relevant policies and  
the accuracy of financial information are 
collated on a biannual basis. Detailed 
management accounts for each reporting 
business unit are prepared monthly and 
subject to management review. These 
reports detail the performance of the 
business and support the preparation and 
processes for external financial reporting.

Internal Audit
On the completion of the Merger, the 
Committee endorsed management’s 
recommendation for an Internal Audit 
function, reflecting the increased size, 
complexity and risk profile of the enlarged 
business. The function is resourced through 
an external co-source arrangement and led 
and managed by the VP Internal Audit and 
Risk Management. The Committee reviewed 
and endorsed the Internal Audit plan for the 
year and supported its budget and resource 
requirements. The Internal Audit plan is 
focused on the most significant risks facing 
the Company and takes account of other 
sources of assurance to avoid duplication. 
During 2021 the COVID-19 pandemic 
restricted physical access and so most 
audits were carried out remotely. The 
Committee received reports on Internal  
Audit findings at each meeting, noting any 
significant findings and the closeout of 
actions agreed as a result of the audits. 
The Committee met twice with the VP 
Internal Audit and Risk Management without 
management present, and the Committee 
Chair also held private meetings with her in 
between Committee meetings.

Auditors’ independence and objectivity
The Committee is responsible for making 
recommendations to the Board on the 
appointment of the Group’s external 
auditors and to oversee the Board’s 
relationship with the external auditors.

Following a competitive tender process 
between the two incumbent external audit 
firms prior to the Merger, the Committee 
recommended to the Board the appointment 
of Ernst & Young LLP (EY) as the Group’s 
external auditors. The Committee agreed to 
a more limited tender due to the Merger 
and the tight timetable to the 2021 Interim 
Results. The appointment will be effective 
for up to five years at which point the 
Company will run a full competitive tender 
process. Shareholders subsequently 
approved the appointment of EY at the 2021 
AGM to audit the 2021 financial statements. 
Furthermore, the Committee can confirm 
that the Company fully complies with the 
provisions of the Statutory Audit Services 
Order 2014. 

The Committee regularly reviews the 
independence and objectivity of the auditors 
which considers the overall relationship 
between the auditors and the Group. This 
review considers feedback from the Group’s 
finance function and from the auditors, the 
nature and extent of non-audit services 
provided by the auditors, and takes account 
of the safeguards established by the 
auditors against loss of audit independence, 
including rotation of the audit engagement 
partner which is required every five years. 

The Committee believes that certain  
limited non-audit work may be carried  
out by the auditors without compromising 
their independence and objectivity. The 
allocation of non-audit work is considered  
by reference to the Company’s policy on  
the provision of non-audit services by the 
auditors.1 During 2021, this included services 
relating to reporting accountant services  
in respect of the Company’s Interim review 
(£220k), the bond issuance in October 
2021 and the performance of certain 
agreed-upon-procedures engagements.  
The total non-audit services fee for these 
activities was £480k. Any non-audit work  
of this nature requires approval by the 
Committee. Prior to the Merger, EY provided 
tax services to Chrysaor which were  
ceased ahead of the regulatory deadlines 
on provision of non-audit services. The 
Committee approves the fees for the full-year 
audit and half-yearly review after reviewing the 
scope of work to be performed, and reviews 
the scope and fees for potential non-audit 
assignments to the auditors to satisfy itself 
that the assignments concerned do not give 
rise to threats to the auditors’ independence 
and objectivity. The global audit fee for the 
2021 audit work amounted to £2,018k. 
Further details of the fees paid are set out 
in note 5 to the financial statements on 
page 132. 

1  The Company’s policy is available in the Audit and Risk section in the Governance area of its website: harbourenergy.com/about-us/governance.

68

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

The Committee Chair holds private meetings 
with the audit partner throughout the year. 
These meetings provide an opportunity  
for open discussion with the auditors.  
In addition the Committee meets with the 
auditors without management present. 
Matters discussed included the auditors’ 
assessment of significant financial risks 
and the performance of management in 
addressing these risks, the auditors’ opinion 
of management’s role in fulfilling obligations 
for the maintenance of internal controls,  
the transparency and responsiveness of 
interactions with management, confirmation 
that no restrictions have been placed on it by 
management, maintaining the independence 
of the audit, and how it has exercised 
professional challenge.

EY are required to confirm to the Committee 
that they have both the appropriate 
independence and objectivity to allow them to 
continue to serve the Group. The Committee 
also requires the auditors to confirm that  
in providing non-audit services, they comply 
with the Ethical Standards for Auditors 
issued by the UK Auditing Practices Board. 
This confirmation was received for 2021.

External audit effectiveness and quality
The Committee has a responsibility for 
assessing the effectiveness and quality  
of the audit process.

The Committee reviewed the auditors’  
work plan at the start of the audit cycle, 
considering in particular the auditors’ 
assessment of the significant areas of  
risk in the Group’s financial statements. 
Details of the significant risks and 
judgement areas can be found on page 67. 

As part of this review, the Committee also 
sought assessments from management, 
Committee members and senior finance staff. 

Based on its review of the effectiveness 
and quality of the 2021 audit process and 
the independence and objectivity of the 
auditors, the Committee concluded that the 
auditors’ effectiveness and independence 
have not been impaired in any way and that 
the audit process was operating effectively, 
and it has reported accordingly to the Board.

For 2021, the significant areas of risk 
corresponded with the major areas of 
judgement and estimates identified by the 
Committee. At the conclusion of the audit, 
the Committee discussed with the auditors 
the findings of the audit, including key 
accounting and audit judgements and 
estimates, the level of errors identified 
during the audit, the recommendations 
made to management by the auditors and 
management’s response. The Committee 
met privately with the auditors in September 
2021 and March 2022 at the conclusion  
of the 2021 audit. 

The Committee also assessed the 
effectiveness and quality of the audit 
process, based on its own experience  
and on feedback from the corporate and 
business finance teams, and considered  
in particular: 

 ¼ the experience and expertise of the  

audit team; 

 ¼ the auditors’ fulfilment of the agreed audit 
plan and any variations from the plan; 

 ¼ the robustness and perceptiveness of 
the auditors in their handling of the key 
accounting and audit judgements; 

 ¼ the quality of the auditors’ 

recommendations for financial reporting 
process and control improvements; and

 ¼ delivery against commitments made in 

the tender presentations.

Committee evaluation
As part of the externally facilitated Board 
and Committee evaluation, the Committee 
discussed the assessment of its own 
performance and agreed actions for the 
coming year. More detail on the evaluation 
process and outcomes are provided in the 
Nomination Committee report.

Finally I would like to thank my fellow 
Committee members and the management 
team for their efforts and support. This was 
a challenging year for a new Committee 
given the need for an audit tender, reverse 
takeover accounting and a significant 
purchase price allocation process, while 
establishing a unified control environment 
for the new organisation. There is still more 
to do and areas of focus in 2022 will 
include further reviews of the planned 
implementation of a single EMS system and 
deep dives into a number of principal risk 
areas such as commodity price exposure 
and information and cyber security.

On behalf of the Audit and Risk Committee:

ALAN FERGUSON
Committee Chair

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

69

Strategic report GovernanceFinancial statementsAdditional informationNomination Committee report

R. BLAIR THOMAS  
Committee Chair

Members1,2

R. Blair Thomas (Committee Chair)

Andy Hopwood

Anne L. Stevens

Meetings attended
(eligible to attend)

2(2)

2(2)

2(2)

1   R. Blair Thomas, Andy Hopwood and Anne L. Stevens joined the Committee  

on completion of the Merger.

2   Roy A. Franklin, Dave Blackwood, Anne Marie Cannon, Iain MacDonald,  

Elisabeth Proust and Mike Wheeler served on the Premier Oil Nomination 
Committee, stepping down on completion of the Merger. 

How the Committee spent its time during the year (%)

Workforce engagement 
including staff forums 

Governance and 
organisation structure 

Executive Director and senior 
management succession 

Talent management and 
development 

Non-Executive Director 
succession 

30

25

15

10

10

Diversity, equity and inclusion  10

Role of the Committee

 ¼ To plan Board member succession and oversee plans for senior 
management succession, taking into account the strategy of the 
Company and the skills, knowledge, diversity and experience required 
to deliver the strategy; and to oversee the development of a diverse 
pipeline for succession to Board and senior management positions.

 ¼ To keep under review the structure, size and composition of the 

Board and Committees.

 ¼ To lead the process for the annual Board and Committee effectiveness 

evaluation process and oversee the results and actions.

 ¼ To lead the process for Board appointments, ensuring that the 

procedure is formal, rigorous and transparent, and identifying and 
nominating candidates for the Board’s approval.

 ¼ To lead Board-level engagement with the Company’s workforce, 

enabling the workforce to raise matters of concern.

 ¼ To assess and monitor the Company’s culture in order to ensure 

that it is aligned with the Company’s purpose, values and strategy.

70

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

Dear shareholder, 

During 2021, the Nomination 
Committee focused its attention on 
organisation design and leadership, 
workforce engagement, Board and 
Committee evaluation and a review  
of the Committee’s remit and terms  
of reference. 

Board and Committee changes  
and composition 
2021 was a unique year, with an entirely new 
group of Directors brought together to lead 
Harbour Energy on completion of the Merger. 
An external search agency, Spencer Stuart, 
supported the process with candidates 
selected set out in the Prospectus and 
subsequent market announcements prior  
to completion of the Merger. The process 
was designed to ensure the Board has the 
appropriate balance of skills, knowledge, 
experience, independence and diversity to 
lead Harbour effectively. The composition of 
the Committees was also carefully designed 
to ensure they consist of the appropriate 
combination of skills, experience, 
independence, knowledge and diversity, and 
that non-executive members are not overly 
committed elsewhere. These processes were 
completed prior to the Merger and therefore 
the Committee was not formally involved. 

In December 2021 the Committee  
reviewed the constitution of the Board and 
Committees, alongside the performance 
review process for the first eight months  
of working together post Merger. 

Externally facilitated Board and 
Committee evaluation process
During the year, when reviewing the 
Committee’s terms of reference, it was 
proposed that the Committee oversee  
both the process and overall outcomes  
of the Board, Committee and individual 
performance evaluation going forward. 

In June 2021, the Committee approved a 
three-year Board development programme 
with Lintstock selected as the external 
facilitator. Lintstock worked with the 
Chairman and Company Secretary to design 
surveys to support the overall process, 
including in relation to the performance of 
the Board, its Committees and individual 
Directors. These surveys were completed  
by all Directors. The results were compiled 
in reports written by Lintstock which  
were used as a basis for discussion  
and formulation of action plans. 

It is intended that in addition to the surveys, 
externally facilitated interviews will be  
held in autumn 2022. Topics identified for 
further focus in 2022 and beyond included:

 ¼ Diversity

 ¼ Employee engagement and  

Company culture

 ¼ Board interaction with management 

below the executive level

 ¼ Operational performance and cyber risk

 ¼ Succession planning and talent 

management 

The Committee took into account the 
findings of the evaluation and concluded 
that each Director continues to contribute 
effectively. The Committee and the Board are 
therefore unanimous in recommending all 
Directors for re-election at the 2022 AGM. 

Organisational design and structure
A significant organisation design review 
project was undertaken following the Merger 
on 31 March 2021. The Committee oversaw 
the process and considered the composition 
of the top three tiers of the organisation, 
including diversity, and to ensure a balance 
of staff selected from across legacy 
organisations as well as new hires. 

Workforce engagement 
In 2021, the Committee agreed with the 
establishment of a workforce advisory  
panel to be used as a basis for engagement 
in line with the options set out in the UK 
Corporate Governance Code. Staff in 
Harbour’s operating regions and corporate 
offices elect representatives to local staff 
forums. These local forums are facilitated 
by Human Resources but owned by the 
staff representatives themselves, under a 
Forum Charter communicated throughout 
the Group. The Group Staff Forum, which 
includes the staff members who chair the 
Aberdeen, Indonesia, London and Vietnam 
Forums, meets at least annually with the 
CEO, Anne Marie Cannon, Andy Hopwood 
and other members of the Board. The 
Nomination Committee receives regular 
updates on the actions arising from the 
feedback provided and reviews progress 
achieved. The CEO has committed to holding 
more frequent informal sessions with the 
Group Staff Forum throughout the year.

The Group Staff Forum met with members of 
the Committee and Board in October 2021 
and again in January 2022. A range of topics 
was selected by Forum members, with 
discussion including the process to merge 
the organisations, employee development, 
Company culture, communication and 
hybrid working. A presentation on executive 
compensation and alignment with workforce 
remuneration was also given to Forum 
members with discussion held afterwards. 
Outcomes and actions suggested by the 
Global Staff Forum were reviewed by the 
Leadership Team, and Nomination 
Committee, and reported to the Board. 

Diversity, equity and inclusion
The Board recognises that diversity, equity 
and inclusion are essential both for the Board 
and throughout Harbour. All appointments  
are made based on merit, experience and 
performance and whilst actively seeking 
diversity of skills, gender, social and ethnic 
backgrounds, cognitive and personal 
strengths. The Committee’s oversight role 
includes ensuring that diversity, equity and 
inclusion are integrated into our Business 
Management System, HR standards and 
recruitment processes, and remain front  
of mind as we continue to build Harbour’s 
corporate culture.

The objective of our Board Diversity Policy, 
which the Committee reviews annually,  
is to ensure the optimal composition of  
the Board for successfully delivering the 
Company’s strategy. The Committee’s policy 
is to embrace diversity in its broadest 
sense, including gender, ethnic and social 
diversity but without setting formal, 
measurable objectives at this time.

The Committee is mindful of the 
Hampton-Alexander target on gender 
diversity, that women should constitute  
at least one third of the membership of 
FTSE 350 company boards. Harbour’s 
Board met the Hampton-Alexander  
target from completion of the Merger  
on 31 March 2021 with 36 per cent  
of the Board being female from that point, 
including our Chief Executive Officer.  
As at 16 March 2022, 40 per cent of the 
Board is female. With regard to senior 
management gender diversity, women 
represent 35 per cent of the Leadership 
Team and its direct reports. As Harbour 
moves forward into 2022, we expect  
efforts in the diversity, equity and inclusion 
area to increase to ensure our approach  
is fit for the Company’s ongoing strategy.

The Committee is fully aware and supportive 
of the Parker Review recommendations that 
FTSE 250 boards should include a non-white 
board director by 2024. One of Harbour’s 
Board members identifies as being from 
multiple ethnic groups. While we have not 
set targets in relation to the Parker Review 
recommendations, and notwithstanding that 
Harbour meets this recommendation today, 
this recommendation will also be borne in 
mind in any future recruitment processes.

Further details of the Board’s composition 
are outlined on pages 58 to 61.

Committee remit
During 2021 the Committee reviewed  
its terms of reference and recommended  
to the Board that its scope be widened  
to include: 

 ¼ approval of the process, and oversight of 
the results, of the Board Committees and 
individual Director performance evaluation; 
and

 ¼ oversight of the Board’s governance 

arrangements including compliance with 
the UK Corporate Governance Code. 

The Board adopted the amended terms  
of reference in January 2022. 

Succession planning
The Committee’s remit includes responsibility 
for reviewing the needs of the Company,  
both at Executive and Non-Executive levels, 
with a view to ensuring the continued ability 
of the organisation to compete effectively  
in the marketplace, including contingency 
planning for any sudden or unforeseen 
circumstances. As the new Board continues 
to establish itself and develop during 2022, 
the Committee will turn its attention to 
ensuring that a robust succession plan is in 
place for all Board positions and key roles in 
the wider organisation. This work will include 
a review of the leadership potential of senior 
executives below Board level to ensure that 
your Company is equipped with the skills, 
knowledge and experience to grow and thrive. 

R. BLAIR THOMAS
Committee Chair

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

71

Strategic report GovernanceFinancial statementsAdditional informationHSES Committee report

MARGARETH ØVRUM 
Committee Chair

Members1,2

Margareth Øvrum (Committee Chair)

Simon Henry

Andy Hopwood

G. Steven Farris

Meetings attended
(eligible to attend)

3(3)

3(3)

3(3)

3(3)

1   Margareth Øvrum, Simon Henry, Andy Hopwood and G. Steven Farris joined  

the Committee on completion of the Merger. 

2     Dave Blackwood and Elisabeth Proust were members of the Premier Oil  

HSES Committee, stepping down on completion of the Merger.

How the Committee spent its time during the year (%)

Safety performance, including response
to the COVID-19 pandemic 

35

Environmental performance, 
including review of Climate Change
Policy and Net Zero strategy 

25

HSES strategy and management 
system development 

20

Review of external reporting 
and key performance indicators 

Review of audit findings 

15

5

Role of the Committee

 ¼ To monitor and review the Group’s HSES strategy including related 

to Net Zero and the energy transition.

 ¼ To evaluate the effectiveness of the Group’s policies and systems 

for delivering the Group’s HSES strategy.

 ¼ To monitor the quality and integrity of the Group’s internal and 

external reporting of HSES performance and issues.

 ¼ To assess the policies and systems within the Group for ensuring 

compliance with HSES regulatory requirements.

72

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

Dear shareholder, 

HSES (Health, Safety, Environment 
and Security) is a fundamental part of 
our business and as Committee Chair, 
I am pleased to be able to report 
on the activities of the Board HSES 
Committee in 2021.

HSES is and always should be Harbour’s 
and my own undisputed priority. Safety  
is about being accountable, visible and 
engaged and we need to put safety first  
in everything we do. Sound environmental 
management has always been important to 
the oil and gas industry but the increasing 
focus on combatting climate change and 
the energy transition has made this crucial 
to Harbour’s licence to operate. The HSES 
Committee has and will continue to devote 
significant time to these topics. 

I was appointed by the Board to act as 
Chair of the HSES Committee, alongside 
three other Non-Executive Directors. The 
Committee meets at least three times a 
year and I report formally to the Board as to 
how the Committee has discharged its duties. 
I am also available to discuss these matters 
with shareholders should they wish to do so.

Key activities during the year
At the first meeting in June 2021, the 
governance of the HSES Committee was 
discussed including its terms of reference 
and annual meeting agenda and work plan.

In line with the agreed standing agenda,  
at all of its meetings the Committee reviews:

 ¼ HSES performance against the Company’s 
HSES key performance indicators (KPIs);

 ¼ any serious incidents and high potential 
incidents (HiPos) that have occurred 
in the business, receiving reports from 
management on the specific details of 
an incident, the root causes, and any 
remedial actions being taken; and

 ¼ the results of HSES focused audits and 
the status of associated actions raised  
to close any findings raised.

The impacts of COVID-19 and the Company’s 
response were discussed at each Committee 
meeting throughout the year. The June 2021 
meeting reviewed HSES benchmarking data 
showing the Company’s performance against 
its peers. The Committee also reviewed 
2021 HSES priorities and ensured these and 
all HSES efforts were properly resourced. 
Focus areas centred on issuing a standard 
modified set of Harbour Energy Life Saving 

Relationship between the HSES Committee  
and the Audit and Risk Committee

The HSES Committee is responsible for HSES strategy and performance, 
whilst the Audit and Risk Committee monitors and reviews the effectiveness 
of the Group’s risk management and internal control systems.

HSES Committee
Highlights HSES 
incidents and other 
HSES matters which  
may have broader 
audit or risk 
implications

Effective risk  
management  
and internal 
control systems

Audit and  
Risk Committee
Refers detailed review  
of HSES risks, HSES 
audit findings and  
HSES control matters  
as appropriate

The final HSES Committee meeting of 2021 
was held in December, with the Committee 
reviewing HSES plans for 2022, which are 
focused on six strategic priorities namely: 

 ¼ Safe Operations

 ¼ Process Safety and Learning

 ¼ Assurance

 ¼ People

 ¼ Environment, Social and Governance; and

 ¼ Integration 

A draft of a proposed new HSES Management 
System Framework for Harbour Energy, to  
be published in 2022, was reviewed and 
endorsed. Following on from the September 
meeting, at the request of the Committee, 
there was a more in depth review of 
emissions reduction projects, both those 
already implemented and those in various 
stages of development. Discussion focused 
on work programmes to reduce flaring and 
methane emissions and the Committee 
endorsed ongoing efforts in these areas.

The Committee discussed the Company’s 
efforts to manage process safety  
with management, highlighting the tools, 
leadership training and awareness 
programmes being implemented to manage 
major accident risks at Harbour Energy. The 
Committee also reviewed its effectiveness 
over the course of the year and discussed 
plans for HSES engagement in 2022, 
including plans for direct engagement with 
the organisation to obtain feedback from 
various levels of management on HSES 
performance and strategy, in addition to 
scheduled Committee meetings.

In early 2022, members of the Committee 
and other Non-Executive Directors held a 
virtual visit with key operations and other 
staff from the Company’s Aberdeen office. 
We intend to continue with this direct 
engagement at least annually.

MARGARETH ØVRUM
Committee Chair

Rules and the introduction of Process  
Safety Fundamentals, to support Harbour’s 
strategic goal to be recognised within the 
industry for process safety excellence.

At its September meeting, the Committee 
received presentations on key HSES focus 
areas including:

 ¼ safety-critical maintenance work, 

which highlighted that the backlog of 
maintenance work was much lower  
than industry standards; and

 ¼ dropped objects management, which has 
been a focus area across all its regions 
and operations with active programmes 
aimed at reducing the frequency of 
dropped object events by taking a 
proactive and preventative approach 
offshore and through the supply chain.

The main focus, however, for the September 
meeting was the Company’s work in response 
to climate change and energy transition.

The Committee reviewed the Net Zero  
2035 strategy and associated action  
plan. Discussions covered both emissions 
reduction initiatives and options for 
emissions offsetting.

The Company’s Emissions Reduction ‘Hopper’ 
was presented, with its stated aim to balance 
stable production with material reductions 
in emissions from existing operations. A 
high level summary of emissions reduction 
projects was presented with management 
highlighting the efforts being made to 
galvanise the organisation to bring additional 
ideas forward to reduce emissions and help 
meet the Company’s Net Zero goal.

Various strategic considerations with regard  
to an offsetting programme were discussed, 
covering both short-term and longer-term 
offsetting plans and a designed focus on a 
blend of different offsetting schemes. At the 
end of the discussion the Committee approved 
the Net Zero 2035 strategy and plan and, 
in doing so, re-emphasised to management 
the importance of the Emissions Reduction 
Hopper in meeting the Net Zero goal.

The Committee also received detailed 
presentations on Harbour’s two UK CO2 
Capture and Storage projects that at the 
time were competing for government 
funding: the V Net Zero Cluster located in  
the Humber region and the Scottish Cluster 
(Acorn Project) in the North East of Scotland, 
with the Committee giving its endorsement 
for continuing with both projects.

Harbour Energy plc
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Strategic report GovernanceFinancial statementsAdditional informationDirectors’ remuneration report

ANNE L. STEVENS 
Committee Chair

Members1,3

Anne L. Stevens (Committee Chair)

Anne Marie Cannon2

Alan Ferguson

Meetings attended
(eligible to attend)

6(6)

6(6)

6(6)

1   Anne L. Stevens and Alan Ferguson joined the Harbour Energy Remuneration 

Committee on completion of the Merger. 

2   Anne Marie Cannon also served on the Premier Oil Remuneration Committee.
3   Mike Wheeler and Roy A. Franklin served on the Premier Oil Remuneration 

Committee, stepping down on completion of the Merger. 

How the Committee spent its time during the year (%)

Executive Director Policy review  25

Senior executive remuneration  25

Wider workforce pay and 
conditions 

Employee engagement 

Shareholder consultation 

Remuneration reporting 
and governance 

25

10

10

5

Role of the Committee

 ¼ Develop and maintain a Remuneration Policy that rewards fairly  
and responsibly, and attracts, retains and motivates employees  
to enable the Company to meet its objectives, taking into account 
the long-term interests of employees, shareholders and other  
long-term stakeholders.

 ¼ Consider and approve the remuneration arrangements for the 
Chairman, the Executive Directors and other senior executives  
as determined by the Committee.

 ¼ Exercise oversight of the pay and performance conditions across 

the Group.

Compliance statement

 ¼ This report has been prepared in accordance with Schedule 8 of the 

Large and Medium-sized Companies and Groups (Accounts and Reports) 
(Amendment) Regulations 2013. The Companies Act 2006 requires the 
auditors to report to the shareholders on certain parts of the Directors’ 
Remuneration Report and to state whether, in the auditors’ opinion, 
those parts of the report have been properly prepared in accordance 
with the above regulations. The Chair’s Annual Statement and the Policy 
Report are not subject to audit. The sections of the Annual Report 
on Remuneration that are subject to audit are indicated accordingly.

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Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

Dear shareholder, 

On behalf of the Board, I am pleased 
to present the first Directors’ 
Remuneration Report for Harbour 
Energy, which was formed on 31 March 
2021 following the Merger of Premier 
Oil and Chrysaor. 

Following the completion of the Merger,  
all Non-Executive Directors, other than  
Anne Marie Cannon, stepped down from 
the Premier Oil Board and a new Board  
and Remuneration Committee for Harbour 
Energy were appointed. Our immediate area 
of focus as a new Committee was to design 
the remuneration framework for the 
Executive Directors, and Harbour Energy’s 
first Directors’ Remuneration Policy was 
published in our Notice of AGM for the 
2021 AGM. We were pleased that over  
97 per cent of our shareholders were 
supportive of the Policy and voted in favour 
of the resolution at the AGM on 23 June 
2021. The Policy is reproduced on pages 
77 to 85 for information only. 

This report sets out how the Policy operated 
in 2021 and how we intend to implement  
it for 2022. Together with this Annual 
Statement, it will be put to an advisory  
vote at the AGM on 11 May 2022.

Directors’ Remuneration Policy
The Merger of Premier Oil and Chrysaor to 
form Harbour Energy created the largest UK 
listed independent oil and gas company, 
which in its first year has delivered a solid 
set of financial and non-financial results. 

Our strategy is to continue building a  
global diversified oil and gas company by 
reinvesting in our existing asset base, while 
aiming to establish material production  
in another region over time. In 2021, the 
Company safely produced 175 kboepd  
and delivered free cash flow of $678 
million. 2021 has seen successful drilling 
at a number of sites, supporting future 
production. In addition, the exit from Brazil 
and the Falkland Islands has ensured the 
alignment of the portfolio with our strategy. 
The integration of Premier Oil and Chrysaor 
is already leading to significant synergies, 
which will increase over the near term. We 
have a diverse portfolio of growth projects 
and a strategy for additional, disciplined 
M&A, with a sustainable dividend policy  
and debt repayment, all underpinned by a 
continued focus on safety and progress 
towards Net Zero by 2035. The Company 

has exciting potential for the future, enabled 
by our high quality asset base, financial 
flexibility and capacity to consider a wide 
range of growth opportunities. 

As part of our transformation, in early 2021 
we appointed three new Executive Directors 
with extensive skills, expertise and sector 
knowledge, able to lead us as we execute  
our future strategy to create a leading, global, 
independent oil and gas company. Many of 
our sector peers, with whom we compete for 
talent, are located outside the UK where pay 
practices vary. This includes several key 
competitors in the US where pay levels in the 
market are commonly higher. It was important 
that our Policy allowed us to offer reward 
packages that were competitive in the US  
and internationally, in order to attract the top 
global talent in our sector. At the same time, 
we were aware of the expectations of UK 
institutional investors and we worked hard to 
develop an approach which balanced these 
different factors.

Our Policy has enabled us to offer the  
right reward packages to attract FTSE 100 
calibre executives with extensive global 
sector experience, which is critical to 
support our further growth over the 
three-year life of the Policy. The Policy 
consists of competitive fixed pay, an annual 
bonus assessed against a corporate 
scorecard and a Long Term Incentive Plan 
(LTIP) focused on the delivery of long-term 
returns to shareholders. It also contains the 
best practice features expected by UK 
shareholders including three-year bonus 
deferral, a two-year holding period for LTIP 
awards, discretion, malus and clawback 
provisions, a post-employment shareholding 
requirement in line with current views of 
best practice and pensions that are aligned 
to the wider workforce. A summary table 
can be found on page 81.

Prior to the 2021 AGM we consulted with 
shareholders holding approximately 80 per 
cent of the issued share capital to seek their 
views on the Policy, and we were pleased 
with the levels of support expressed during 
that process. We will continue to engage 
regularly with our shareholders on the 
executive remuneration framework to ensure 
we continue to receive their support.

Implementation of the Remuneration 
Policy in 2021
2021 annual bonus
The 2021 annual bonus was based on a 
scorecard of performance measures with 
five categories: safety & environment, 

operations, growth, capital deployment  
and financial. In terms of performance, 
cash flow generation was particularly strong 
and greenhouse gas emissions from our 
operations were better than forecast.  
We also made good progress on our capital 
programme. On the other hand, oil and  
gas production was lower than external 
guidance and some other targets were  
not met. Overall, the scorecard outcome 
was 33 per cent of maximum for Executive 
Directors. Full details of the measures  
and targets, together with the actual 
performance outcome for each measure, 
are provided on page 90.

occurred, waivers had been agreed with 
creditors in light of the proposed transaction 
with Chrysaor, and without these waivers 
these covenants would have been expected 
to be breached. The Harbour Energy 
Remuneration Committee considered the 
appropriate treatment for the 2019 RSAs 
and concluded the same assessment that 
was made for the 2018 awards was equally 
applicable, and that in view of the general 
performance of Premier Oil prior to the 
Merger and the experience of creditors and 
shareholders during the vesting period, it 
was not appropriate for the 2019 RSAs to 
vest. Consequently, all awards lapsed in full.

The Committee reviewed the result of the 
formulaic outcome in the context of wider 
Company and individual performance to 
determine whether the payout levels were 
appropriate. Overall, we were impressed 
with the management team’s delivery  
of critical work streams to support the 
Company’s transition following the Merger, 
made especially challenging by the global 
pandemic. We therefore concluded that the 
scorecard outcome was appropriate. In line 
with the new Policy, 50 per cent of the bonus 
will be deferred into shares for three years. 

2019 LTIP 
None of our current Executive Directors 
participated in the 2019 LTIP. However, 
certain former Premier Oil Executive 
Directors participated in the Premier Oil 
Performance Share Awards (PSAs) and 
Restricted Share Awards (RSAs) granted  
in 2019, whose performance period  
ended on 31 December 2021.

The PSAs were based on three-year total 
shareholder return (TSR) relative to a 
comparator group of international oil and gas 
sector peers. Premier ranked between 15th 
and 16th in the comparator group, therefore 
the awards lapsed in full. The Committee 
considered the underlying performance  
of the Company and concluded that the 
outcome was appropriate.

The RSAs were subject to continued 
employment and to the achievement of a 
financial underpin based on the reduction  
of the ratio of net debt to EBITDA, as agreed 
with the Company’s lenders. The same 
underpin applied to the 2018 RSAs, and  
at the time of determining vesting for that 
award, the Premier Oil Remuneration 
Committee judged that the underpin had not 
been met. This was in light of the Company’s 
financial position at that time and on the 
basis that, while technically no breach had 

Remuneration for 2022
The Committee reviewed salary levels in 
late 2021 and determined that no change 
in base salaries for Executive Directors 
should be made given that salaries had 
been set at completion of the Merger 
following a full benchmarking exercise.  
No changes will be made to variable pay 
opportunity levels.

The annual bonus will continue to be based 
on a balanced scorecard of measures.  
The Committee reviewed the scorecard in 
late 2021 and determined that the broad 
framework continued to be appropriate. 
Some small changes were made to the 
weightings including an increase to the 
metric related to greenhouse gas 
emissions. The full list of measures and 
weightings is provided on page 99.

The Executive Directors are granted 
performance shares which measure the 
Company’s TSR compared to the FTSE 100 
and an oil and gas comparator group. During 
the year the Committee considered whether  
it would be appropriate to introduce a third 
measure to the LTIP in response to feedback 
from some shareholders. It was determined 
that, while this may be suitable in future 
years, it was not appropriate for 2022 
awards while the business continues to 
settle following the Merger. Furthermore, 
the Committee noted that our current use  
of relative TSR measures is consistent with 
the market practice for our sector and had 
not been an area of significant concern for 
shareholders. The Committee will however 
keep the inclusion of a financial or strategic 
performance measure into the LTIP under 
review for the future. If the Committee 
decided to introduce an additional measure 
the intention would be to consult with 
shareholders in advance. The Committee 
reviewed the TSR comparator groups in  
late 2021 and determined that no changes 

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Strategic report GovernanceFinancial statementsAdditional informationDirectors’ remuneration report continued

were required. Consequently, the same 
comparators that were used in the 2021 
LTIP will apply to the 2022 awards.

Wider workforce considerations
Under its terms of reference, the Committee 
has oversight of the remuneration 
arrangements for the wider workforce.  
In addition to the executive remuneration 
review, in 2021 the Company refreshed  
its reward strategy for the broader workforce 
to align employees to the new Harbour 
Energy reward framework. Our reward 
strategy enables us to provide attractive, 
competitive fixed and variable pay supported 
by a generous benefits package. 

The reward strategy review was a significant 
project consisting of multiple stages.  
The Company carried out an extensive job 
mapping exercise to align our employees  
to a common grading structure, and this  
new structure underpins the whole reward 
framework at Harbour Energy. All the 
elements of the package were reviewed 
individually in the context of market 
positioning, and to ensure they aligned with 
our reward philosophy. We considered which 
elements from the legacy Chrysaor and 
Premier Oil packages should be retained, 
based on how valued they were within the 
business, and added some new features to 
ensure we are able to especially reward our 
high performers. The review also ensured 
there was appropriate alignment between 
the arrangements for the Executive Directors 
and the rest of the workforce.

The review was led by Human Resources, 
with significant input from the Executive 
Directors, and the Committee provided its 
feedback at multiple stages. The Company 
carried out an extensive communication 
programme to relaunch the reward strategy 
in late 2021 and early 2022 and was 
pleased with the positive response from 
employees. The Committee commended  
the Human Resources team for such a 
successful delivery of the project in an 
ambitious timeframe. We will continue to 
consult regularly with employees on reward 
and other matters and as part of this, in line 
with the UK Corporate Governance Code, 
we will seek to understand the views of 
employees on executive pay. This was a topic 
of discussion at a meeting of the Company’s 
Global Staff Forum in January 2022 which 
included the CEO, our Senior Independent 
Director and a member of the Committee. 

76

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

During the meeting the Forum members 
had the opportunity to engage with 
Directors on executive remuneration, 
amongst other topics. 

Diversity and equality are embedded into  
all our policies and processes, and the 
Committee ensures that our policies and 
practices across the business are fair and 
consistent. We conduct analysis across our 
business to ensure both men and women 
are being paid equally for the same or 
similar work, and our first Gender Pay Gap 
report for Harbour Energy will be published 
in early 2022.

Board changes
As announced on 2 February 2022, Phil Kirk 
stepped down from his role as President & 
CEO Europe with effect from 28 February 
2022. After a successful handover process, 
he has been placed on garden leave until 
31 July 2022. Phil Kirk will continue to 
receive salary and contractual benefits  
up to 31 July 2022. He will receive a lump 
sum payment of £351,200 in lieu of his 
remaining notice period (six months from  
1 August 2022). Phil will remain eligible to 
receive his 2021 annual bonus as outlined 
on page 91 but he will not receive a 2022 
LTIP award. The Remuneration Committee 
has agreed that he will be treated as a good 
leaver in respect of his 2021 LTIP award 
and 2022 annual bonus. These awards will 
be subject to performance conditions and 
time pro-rating. 

Richard Rose was treated as a good leaver 
for all outstanding share awards. Under the 
good leaver provisions of the rules of the 
2017 LTIP at that time, Deferred Bonus 
Awards vested in full on termination. His 
2018 PSAs and RSAs and 2019 PSAs and 
RSAs lapsed as performance conditions 
and financial underpins were not met. His 
2016 Deferred Share Award granted under 
the 2009 LTIP vested in its entirety at the 
normal vesting date on 1 January 2022. 
The remaining tranches of his 2017 RSA 
will vest in their entirety at their normal 
vesting dates and a two-year holding period 
will continue to apply.

In conclusion
2021 was a year of significant change for 
the Company and the Board is confident 
that the hard work and commitment of the 
Executive Directors, management team  
and wider workforce have placed Harbour 
Energy in a strong position as we continue 
to execute our strategy and deliver financial 
growth. We believe that our Remuneration 
Policy supports the achievement of our 
objectives and will drive the delivery of 
long-term shareholder returns.

The Committee is always pleased to receive 
feedback from our shareholders and, in 
addition to holding formal consultations,  
we welcome your feedback throughout  
the year. We hope we can count on your 
support for this Remuneration Report at  
the upcoming AGM. 

Full details of Phil Kirk’s remuneration 
arrangements on departure are disclosed 
on page 89.

On behalf of the Committee, I would like  
to thank all our stakeholders for their 
continuing support.

ANNE L. STEVENS
Committee Chair

Former Executive Directors of Premier Oil
Richard Rose served as Interim CEO from 
1 January 2021 until completion of the Merger, 
stepping down from the Board on 15 April 
2021. Details of his remuneration received 
up to that date are included in this report. 

Richard Rose’s remuneration arrangements 
on departure were in line with the approved 
Premier Oil directors’ remuneration policy.  
He received a payment in lieu of his 
12-month notice period, a single redundancy 
payment of £237,543 (inclusive of his 
statutory redundancy entitlement) and a 
contribution of £5,500 plus VAT towards 
legal fees incurred in connection with his 
departure. As disclosed in last year’s report, 
he also received a retention payment of 
£350,000 (gross) less the aggregate value 
of all gross monthly salary supplements paid 
to him as Interim CEO and Finance Director, 
and the gross 2020 annual bonus. He was 
not eligible for any bonus in respect of 2021.

Policy Report

This section of the Remuneration Report sets out the current Remuneration Policy (Policy) for Harbour Energy plc (the Company, or 
Harbour), which was approved by shareholders on 23 June 2021. The Policy applies to payments made from 23 June 2021 and is next 
due for renewal at the 2024 AGM; as such it is reproduced here for information only. Details of how we intend to operate this Policy for 
the 2022 financial year are set out as part of the statement from the Remuneration Committee Chair on pages 74 to 76. As announced 
on 2 February 2022, Phil Kirk stepped down from his role as Executive Director with effect from 28 February 2022, therefore the Policy 
Report has been updated to reflect Phil’s departure. 

Key principles of our Remuneration Policy 
The objective of the Remuneration Policy is to ensure it supports shareholder interests, reinforces the business strategy and promotes 
long-term sustainable success. Overall, the Committee aims to ensure that pay rewards all employees fairly and responsibly for their 
contributions. Remuneration packages are intended to be sufficiently competitive to attract, retain and motivate individuals with the deep 
sector knowledge and extensive listed company experience required to achieve the Group’s objectives and thereby enhance shareholder 
value. In addition, the Committee aims to ensure that the Remuneration Policy does not raise environmental, operational, social, safety  
or governance risks by inadvertently motivating irresponsible behaviours.

Premier Oil plc merged with Chrysaor Holdings Limited on 31 March 2021 (the Merger) to form Harbour Energy plc. The Group’s strategy 
is to create a leading, global, independent oil and gas company through investment in its high quality, large-scale asset base in the UK 
and broad international growth, leading to a more balanced and diversified portfolio and delivering value for shareholders.

At the time of the Merger, the Committee reviewed the existing Directors’ Remuneration Policy to consider its ongoing appropriateness in 
the context of the Group’s strategy, purpose and values. In particular, the Policy required the capability to attract FTSE 100 or Fortune 50 
calibre global talent who are critical to delivering high performance and growth and returning value to shareholders. Many sector peers, 
with whom Harbour competes for talent, are located outside the UK where pay practices vary. The Policy was therefore designed in a way 
that ensures pay is competitive for a global oil and gas company with a strong focus on pay for performance, while being structured to 
reflect the expectations of UK institutional investors. The Policy framework meets all of the best practice expectations of a UK plc, but pay 
levels have been set to recognise the Executive Directors’ deep sector experience and proven track record of delivering large-scale 
initiatives at international oil and gas companies and to reflect the global nature of the talent market in our sector. 

Committee process in determining the Remuneration Policy
As outlined above, following the Merger, the Committee undertook a detailed review of the Remuneration Policy to ensure that our Policy 
was appropriate to support the new Company. The process the Committee went through was as follows:

 ¼ the Committee considered the Company’s strategy to create a leading, global, independent oil and gas company and the changes 

required to the Policy to ensure that we were able to recruit and retain executives of the calibre required to deliver this strategy and  
drive high levels of performance;

 ¼ the Committee sought advice from its independent remuneration consultant in developing the Policy including in relation to current 

investor sentiment; 

 ¼ when determining the new Policy the Committee ensured it addressed the factors of Provision 40 of the Code, namely clarity, simplicity, 

risk, predictability, proportionality and alignment to culture; 

 ¼ the Committee reviewed the wider workforce remuneration and incentives to ensure the approach to executive remuneration is 

appropriate in this context;

 ¼ the Committee consulted with Executive Directors and other relevant members of senior management on the proposed changes to the 

policy; and

 ¼ the Committee conducted a full consultation exercise with major shareholders (representing over 75 per cent of shares in issue) and 

investor bodies on the changes.

The Committee was mindful in its deliberations on the new Remuneration Policy of any potential conflicts of interest and sought to 
minimise them through an open and transparent internal consultation process, by seeking independent advice from its external advisers 
and by undertaking a full shareholder consultation exercise.

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Executive Director Policy 
The Policy for Executive Directors is set out below:

Salary

Purpose and link to strategy

 ¼ To provide an appropriate level of salary to support recruitment and retention of Executive Directors of the  

calibre required to deliver the Group’s strategy, and with due regard to the role and the individual’s responsibilities 
and experience

Operation

 ¼ Typically reviewed annually with reference to Company and individual performance, each executive’s responsibilities 

and experience, the external market for talent, and salary increases across the Group

 ¼ Salaries are reviewed taking into account market practice at other oil and gas sector companies in the UK and 

internationally and UK-listed companies of a similar size to Harbour

 ¼ Salary increases are normally effective 1 January

Opportunity

 ¼ Whilst there is no maximum salary, increases will normally be in line with the typical increases awarded to other 

employees in the Group

 ¼ However, increases may be above this level in certain circumstances such as:

 – Where an Executive Director has been appointed to the Board at a lower than typical market salary to allow for 
growth in the role, larger increases may be awarded to move salary positioning closer to typical market level as 
the Executive Director gains experience

 – Where an Executive Director has been promoted or has had a change in responsibilities

 – Where the size and complexity of the Company has changed materially

 – Where there has been a significant change in market practice

Performance metrics

 ¼ Not applicable

Pension

Purpose and link to strategy

 ¼ To help provide a competitive pension provision, facilitating the recruitment and retention of high-calibre Executive 

Directors to execute the Group’s strategy

Operation

 ¼ Executive Directors are eligible to participate in the Company’s defined contribution personal pension plan and/or 

receive an equivalent cash supplement

 ¼ The only pensionable element of pay is salary

Opportunity

 ¼ Executive Directors will receive pension contributions and/or an equivalent cash supplement in line with the 

contribution for the majority of the UK workforce. Pensions for existing Executive Directors are currently set at  
15 per cent of base salary, the lower end of the current range for the Company’s UK workforce. If the pension  
range of the Company’s UK workforce changes then pension provision for Executive Directors would normally  
also change in line with the wider workforce

Performance metrics

 ¼ Not applicable

Benefits

Purpose and link to strategy

 ¼ To provide a benefits package competitive in the market for talent and to support the wellbeing of employees

Operation

 ¼ Executive Directors receive a competitive benefits package, which may include medical and dental insurance,  

car allowance, life assurance, income protection cover, personal accident insurance, expatriate benefits, relocation 
allowance, health checks and a subsidised gym membership

 ¼ Where an Executive Director has been required to re-locate to perform their role they may be provided with 

additional benefits to reflect their circumstances, which may include items such as a housing allowance, flights 
home and tax equalisation. Such benefits will be determined taking into account our expatriate policy for other 
employees who are moving from their home location to take up their role 

 ¼ Other benefits may be introduced from time to time to ensure the benefits package is appropriately competitive  

and reflects the circumstances of the individual Director

Opportunity

 ¼ Set at a level which the Committee considers appropriate for the role, location and individual circumstances

Performance metrics

 ¼ Not applicable

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Annual Report & Accounts 2021

All-employee share plans

Purpose and link to strategy

 ¼ To encourage share ownership in Harbour and increase the alignment of the Executive Directors’ interests to those 

of stakeholders

Operation

 ¼ Executive Directors may participate in any all-employee share plans operated by the Company on the same terms 

as other employees

 ¼ UK-based employees (including UK-based Executive Directors) may be invited to participate in the following tax 

advantaged share plans:
 – Share Incentive Plan (SIP), under which employees may buy partnership shares using gross pay and the Company 
may then grant matching shares. Under the SIP, free shares may also be granted. Dividends may accrue on any 
shares and be automatically reinvested

 – Save As You Earn (SAYE) scheme under which employees are invited to make regular monthly contributions over 

three or five years to purchase shares through options which may be granted at a discount 

 ¼ Under the SIP, participants may participate up to HMRC prescribed limits
 ¼ Under the SAYE, employees may save up to HMRC prescribed limits
 ¼ For any other all-employee plan operated, Executive Directors may participate on the same basis as other employees

Opportunity

Performance metrics

 ¼ Not applicable

Annual bonus 

Purpose and link to strategy

 ¼ To reinforce the delivery of key short-term financial and operational objectives and, through the deferred share 

element, help ensure alignment with shareholders and support retention

Operation

 ¼ Performance is normally measured on an annual basis for each financial year against stretching but achievable 
financial and non-financial targets, comprising key performance indicators (KPIs), and other corporate objectives

 ¼ Performance measures, weightings and targets are set at the beginning of the year and weighted to reflect  

business priorities

 ¼ A proportion, normally at least 50 per cent, of any annual bonus earned is deferred in shares for three years
 ¼ Deferred Share Awards may be granted in such form as determined by the Committee in accordance with the  

LTIP rules including in the form of conditional shares and nil cost options

 ¼ Dividend equivalents may accrue on Deferred Bonus Awards granted under the LTIP and be paid on those shares 

which vest. Dividend equivalent payments made under this Policy will be made in shares

 ¼ Annual bonus payouts and deferred shares are subject to malus and clawback in the event of material 

misstatement of the Company’s financial results, gross misconduct, material error in the calculation of performance 
conditions or other conditions, serious reputational damage, corporate failure, or in such other exceptional 
circumstances as the Committee sees fit

 ¼ The Committee may exercise malus and clawback until the later of: (i) two years from the payment of the bonus  

or the vesting of the shares, or (ii) the completion of the second audit after payment/vesting

 ¼ Up to 200 per cent of salary in respect of a financial year
 ¼ Normally 50 per cent of the maximum pays out for target performance
 ¼ Normally 0 per cent of the maximum pays out for threshold performance but the Committee may increase this  

to up to 25 per cent of maximum if this is considered appropriate

 ¼ Performance is normally assessed against a corporate scorecard encompassing several performance categories, 
which may include some or all of Safety, Environment, Operations, Growth/Capital Deployment, and Financial.  
Other measures may also be incorporated if this is considered appropriate

 ¼ Normally, the Committee would not expect the weighting for any performance category in the corporate scorecard 
to be higher than 50 per cent. However, it retains discretion to adjust weightings to align with the business plan for 
each year

 ¼ The Committee retains the discretion to adjust outcomes in the event that they are not considered reflective of the 

underlying business performance and/or wider circumstances over the vesting period

Opportunity

Performance metrics

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Strategic report GovernanceFinancial statementsAdditional informationDirectors’ remuneration report continued

Long-term incentives

The Harbour Energy 2017 Long Term Incentive Plan (LTIP) – Performance Share Awards

Purpose and link to strategy

 ¼ To support alignment with shareholders by reinforcing the delivery of returns to shareholders, with a focus on 
relative stock market out-performance over the long term, and with due regard for the underlying financial and 
operational performance of the Company

Operation

 ¼ The Committee may grant Performance Share Awards annually
 ¼ Awards may be in the form of nil or nominal priced options or conditional shares
 ¼ Performance Share Awards normally vest based on performance assessed over a period not shorter than three years
 ¼ Awards vesting are normally subject to a minimum two-year Holding Period such that the total time horizon is at 

least five years (normally on a net of tax basis)

 ¼ Dividend equivalents may accrue on Performance Share Awards. Dividend equivalent payments made under this 

Policy will be made in shares

 ¼ All Performance Share Awards are subject to malus and clawback in the event of a material misstatement of the 

Company’s financial results, gross misconduct, material error in the calculation of performance conditions or other 
conditions, serious reputational damage, corporate failure, or in such other exceptional circumstances as the 
Committee sees fit

 ¼ The Committee may exercise malus and clawback until the later of: (i) two years from the vesting date or (ii) the 

completion of the second audit after vesting

Opportunity

 ¼ Performance Share Awards may be granted up to 300 per cent of salary
 ¼ 25 per cent of the award will normally vest for threshold performance, with full vesting for stretch performance. 

Vesting increases on a straight-line basis between threshold and stretch

Performance metrics

 ¼ The Committee will select performance measures and determine their weighting for each cycle to ensure that they 

continue to be linked to the delivery of Company strategy 

 ¼ The Committee retains the discretion to adjust the vesting outcomes in the event that these are not considered 

reflective of the underlying business performance and/or wider circumstances over the vesting period

CFO recruitment award

This section relates to a one-off award only and does not enable the grant of future awards of this nature

Purpose and link to strategy

 ¼ To enable the recruitment of a high quality candidate to the role of CFO to support the execution of the Group’s strategy

Operation

 ¼ The Committee may grant a one-off Conditional Share Award under the LTIP in the form of conditional shares to the 

CFO shortly after the approval of the Policy

 ¼ This award will vest based on continued employment on 1 April 2024
 ¼ Shares received will be subject to a minimum two-year Holding Period to 1 April 2026 (on a net of tax basis)
 ¼ Dividend equivalents may accrue on the award. Dividend equivalent payments made under this Policy will be made in shares
 ¼ The award is subject to malus and clawback as outlined above under the LTIP section

Opportunity

 ¼ The award will have the value of £1 million at the date of grant

Performance metrics

 ¼ Subject to continued employment

Share ownership

Purpose and link to strategy

 ¼ Enhances the Executive Directors’ alignment with shareholders’ long-term interests while in employment and for  

a period following departure through the building up of a significant shareholding in the Company

Operation

 ¼ The Executive Directors are expected to build up, and maintain, ownership of the Company’s shares worth 300 per 

cent of salary for the CEO and 250 per cent of salary for the other Executive Directors

 ¼ Shares owned outright (including by persons closely associated), shares held in the Share Incentive Plan, and any unvested 
share awards which are no longer subject to performance (net of taxes) will normally count towards this requirement
 ¼ The Executive Directors are also expected to retain no less than 50 per cent of the net value of shares vesting under 

the Company’s long-term incentive plans until such a time that the share ownership requirement is met

 ¼ On cessation of employment, Executive Directors are expected to retain their minimum shareholding requirement 

immediately prior to departure for two years. Where their shareholding at departure is below the minimum 
requirement, the Executive Director’s actual shareholding is expected to be retained for two years

 ¼ Shares acquired from own resources are excluded from the post-cessation shareholding requirement. The 

Committee retains discretion to exclude other shares from the post-cessation shareholding requirement if it 
considers it to be appropriate

 ¼ The Committee intends to operate an appropriate enforcement mechanism of the post-cessation shareholding 
requirement. The Committee retains discretion to waive the post-cessation shareholding requirement if it is not 
considered to be appropriate in the specific circumstances of an Executive Director’s departure

Opportunity

Performance metrics

 ¼ Not applicable

 ¼ Not applicable

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Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

Summary of changes to the Policy
A summary of the material changes to the Policy compared to the 2020 policy is set out below:

Change to the Policy

Reason for change

Increase in annual bonus 
opportunity from 120 per cent of 
salary to 200 per cent of salary 
and increase in LTIP opportunity 
from 200 per cent of salary to 
300 per cent of salary

Provision for a one-time 
recruitment award to be made to 
the new Chief Financial Officer

Increase in share ownership 
guideline for the CEO from 250 
per cent of salary to 300 per 
cent (no change for other 
Executive Directors)

 ¼ Ensures pay is competitive for a global oil and gas company, supporting the recruitment of high calibre international 

talent to drive the Group’s strategy following the Merger

 ¼ Reflects the material increase in the size of the Group
 ¼ Drives the delivery of strong performance, linked to stretching targets

 ¼ Supports the recruitment of a high calibre Chief Financial Officer with the necessary global expertise to support  

the execution of the Group’s strategy

 ¼ Shareholding guideline set at a level equal to the annual LTIP opportunity for each Executive Director
 ¼ Ensures an appropriate alignment with the long-term interests of shareholders

Other minor changes have been made to the wording of the Policy to aid operation and to increase clarity.

Further details on the Policy 
Selection of performance conditions
For the annual bonus, the Committee believes that a mix of financial and non-financial targets is most appropriate for the Group.  
The use of a corporate scorecard encompassing several performance categories ensures delivery of business milestones in a number  
of key areas. Performance under the LTIP will typically include a focus on relative stock market out-performance over the long term,  
in line with common practice in the oil and gas sector, providing a strong indication of the Group’s long-term financial growth and the 
returns delivered to its shareholders. 

The Committee retains discretion to amend a performance condition provided that any amended performance condition will be fairer,  
a more effective incentive and not materially less demanding than the original target was when set.

Legacy arrangements
The Committee reserves the right to make any remuneration payments and/or payments for loss of office (including exercising any 
discretions available to it in connection with such payments) notwithstanding that they are not in line with the Policy set out above,  
where the terms of the payment were agreed (i) before 14 May 2014; (ii) before the Policy set out above came into effect, provided that 
the terms of the payment were consistent with the shareholder-approved Directors’ Remuneration Policy in force at the time they were 
agreed; or (iii) at a time when the relevant individual was not a Director of the Company (or other persons to whom the Policy set out 
above applies) and, in the opinion of the Committee, the payment was not in consideration for the individual becoming a Director of the 
Company or such other person. For these purposes, ‘payments’ includes the Committee satisfying awards of variable remuneration and, 
in relation to an award over shares, the terms of the payment are ‘agreed’ no later than at the time the award is granted. This Policy 
applies equally to any individual who is required to be treated as a Director under the applicable regulations.

Remuneration Policy for other employees 
When determining the Policy, the Committee reviewed wider workforce remuneration and incentives to ensure the approach to executive 
remuneration was compatible in this context. As a result of the Merger, the frameworks in place for legacy Premier Oil plc and Chrysaor 
employees will be reviewed, to harmonise arrangements where needed and ensure pay continues to appropriately motivate and reward 
the workforce. The Committee will continue to consider the approach to executive remuneration in this context.

The Company’s policy for all employees is to provide remuneration packages which reward them fairly and responsibly for their 
contributions. In addition to a competitive salary, employees are typically eligible for a performance-related bonus, pension and a number 
of benefits, including expatriate benefits where relevant. In the UK, employees are eligible to receive at least the same proportion of 
salary in pension contributions as the Executive Directors, in line with UK best practice. The specific bonus framework varies by job level 
and scope to ensure annual incentives support motivation and retention accordingly.

The Leadership Team and other senior leaders participate in the same annual bonus plan and Long Term Incentive Plan as for Executive 
Directors. Performance is assessed on the same criteria for all, though opportunity levels vary as appropriate. These schemes provide a 
clear link between pay and performance, ensuring that superior remuneration is paid only if superior performance is delivered.

We have historically operated SIP and SAYE share schemes, to foster a sense of ownership in the Company and to increase the alignment 
of interests across stakeholders. Participation levels among Premier Oil plc employees in these plans have historically been strong, 
outperforming market norms.

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

81

Strategic report GovernanceFinancial statementsAdditional informationDirectors’ remuneration report continued

Incentive plan discretions
The Committee operates the Company’s incentive plans according to their respective rules and the Remuneration Policy, and in 
accordance with the Listing Rules and HMRC rules where relevant. The rules of the Long Term Incentive Plan (the Harbour 2017 Long 
Term Incentive Plan) were approved by shareholders at the 2017 AGM and amended at the 2020 AGM. Further proposed amendments 
were approved by shareholders at the 2021 AGM to reflect the new Policy.

In line with common market practice, the Committee retains discretion as to the operation and administration of these incentive plans, 
including with respect to:

 ¼ who participates; 

 ¼ the timing of grant and/or payment;

 ¼ the size of an award and/or payment and any other terms of the award (within the plan and Policy limits approved by shareholders);

 ¼ form of award (e.g. nil cost option or conditional award);

 ¼ the manner in which awards are settled;

 ¼ the choice of (and adjustment of) performance measures and targets in accordance with the Remuneration Policy and the plan rules; 

 ¼ in exceptional circumstances, amendment of any performance conditions applying to an award, provided the new performance 

conditions are considered fair and reasonable and are not materially less challenging than the original performance targets when set;

 ¼ discretion relating to the measurement of performance or other condition in the event of a variation of share capital, change of control, 

special dividend, distribution or any other corporate event which may affect the current or future value of an award; 

 ¼ determination of a good leaver (in addition to any specified categories) for incentive-plan purposes, based on the plan rules and the 

appropriate treatment under the plan rules; 

 ¼ determination of the operation of the post-vesting holding period; and

 ¼ adjustments required in certain circumstances (e.g. rights issues, share buybacks, special dividends, other corporate events, etc.).

Any use of the above discretions would, where relevant, be explained in the Annual Report on Remuneration for the relevant year.  
As appropriate, it might also be the subject of consultation with the Company’s major shareholders.

Minor changes
The Committee may make minor amendments to the Policy set out above (if required for legal, regulatory, exchange control, tax or 
administrative purposes or to take account of a change in legislation) without requiring prior shareholder approval for that amendment.

Illustration of application of the Executive Directors’ Remuneration Policy
The performance scenario charts opposite show the estimated remuneration that could be received by the current Executive Directors  
for 2021, both in absolute terms and as a proportion of the total package under different performance scenarios. The assumptions 
underlying each performance scenario are detailed in the table below:

Remuneration receivable for different performance scenarios

Fixed pay 

 ¼ 2022 salary, as disclosed on page 99 of this report
 ¼ Estimated housing benefits of £120,000 for the CEO and £60,000 for the CFO1
 ¼ Pension contribution of 15 per cent of salary 

Minimum

On-target

Maximum

Annual bonus

Nil payout

Long Term Incentive Plan

Nil payout

Payout of 50 per cent of 
maximum (100 per cent  
of salary)

Payout of 100 per cent of 
maximum (200 per cent  
of salary)

Performance Share  
Awards vest at 25 per cent  
of maximum

Performance Share Awards 
vest in full (300 per cent of 
salary for the CEO and 250 
per cent of salary for other 
Executive Directors)

Maximum  
with share price growth

As per maximum

As per maximum with a 50 per 
cent share price increase over 
three years

Note:
1   No prior year benefits data is available. Maximum value of housing benefits as disclosed on page 87 of this report. Other benefits (including tax equalisation for the CEO) are not easily 

estimated and have been excluded.

82

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

The charts below illustrate the potential reward opportunities for the current Executive Directors for the four performance scenarios.

The CFO’s recruitment award has not been included in these scenario charts on the basis that it does not form part of the ongoing Policy.

Chief Executive Officer (£’000s)

Minimum

100%

£1,098

Fixed pay

Annual bonus

LTIP

Share price appreciation

On-target

42%

33%

25%

£2,585

Maximum

20%

Maximum + share
price appreciation

17%

32%

26%

48%

38%

Chief Financial Officer (£’000s)

£5,348

19%

£6,623

Minimum

100%

£664

Fixed pay

Annual bonus

LTIP

Share price appreciation

On-target

44%

34.5%

21.5%

£1,517

Maximum

22%

Maximum + share
price appreciation

18%

35%

28.5%

43%

35.5%

£3,026

18%

£3,683

Note:
1   The valuation of annual bonus and Performance Share Awards (PSAs) for the on-target and maximum scenarios excludes share price appreciation, any dividend accrual and the impact of 
any scale back of awards. PSAs vest after three years subject to TSR performance and continued employment. PSAs are subject to a Holding Period ending on the fifth anniversary of the 
date of grant of the awards.

Approach to remuneration of Executive Directors on recruitment
When determining the remuneration package for a newly appointed Executive Director, the Committee would seek to apply the following principles:

 ¼ The package should be market competitive to facilitate the recruitment of individuals of sufficient calibre and global experience to lead 
the business. At the same time, the Committee would intend to pay no more than it believes is necessary to secure the required talent.

 ¼ New Executive Directors will normally receive a base salary, benefits and pension contributions in line with the Policy described above 

and would also be eligible to join the bonus and long-term incentive plans up to the limits set out in the Policy.

 ¼ In addition, the Committee has discretion to include any other remuneration component or award which it feels is appropriate taking into 
account the specific circumstances of the recruitment, subject to the limit on variable remuneration set out below. The key terms and 
rationale for any such component would be disclosed as appropriate in the Remuneration Report for the relevant year.

 ¼ Where an individual forfeits outstanding variable pay opportunities or contractual rights at a previous employer as a result of 

appointment, the Committee may offer compensatory payments or awards, in such form as the Committee considers appropriate, taking 
into account all relevant factors including the form of awards, expected value and vesting timeframe of forfeited opportunities.

 ¼ When determining any such ‘buyout’, the guiding principle would be that awards would generally be on a ‘like-for-like’ basis unless this is 

considered by the Committee not to be practical or appropriate.

 ¼ The maximum level of variable remuneration which may be awarded (excluding any ‘buyout’ awards referred to above) in respect of 

recruitment is 500 per cent of salary, which is in line with the current maximum limit under the annual bonus and LTIP.

 ¼ Where an Executive Director is required to relocate from their home location to take up their role, the Committee may provide assistance 
with relocation (either via one-off or ongoing payments or benefits). Should an Executive’s employment be terminated without cause by 
the Group, repatriation costs may be met by the Group.

 ¼ In the event that an internal candidate is promoted to the Board, legacy terms and conditions would normally be honoured, including any 
accrued pension entitlements and any outstanding incentive awards. If an Executive Director is appointed following an acquisition of, or 
merger with, another company, legacy terms and conditions that are of higher value than provided in the Policy would normally be honoured.

To facilitate any buyout awards outlined above, the Committee may grant awards to a new Executive Director: (i) relying on the exemption 
in the Listing Rules which allows for the grant of awards to facilitate, in unusual circumstances, the recruitment of an Executive Director, 
without seeking prior shareholder approval; or (ii) under any other appropriate Company incentive plan.

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

83

Strategic report GovernanceFinancial statementsAdditional information 
 
Directors’ remuneration report continued

Service contracts and exit payments and change of control provisions
Executive Director service contracts, including arrangements for early termination, are carefully considered by the Committee and are 
designed to recruit, retain and motivate Directors of the quality required to manage the Company. The service contract of each Executive 
Director may be terminated on 12 months’ notice in writing by either party. Executive Directors’ contracts are available to view at the 
Company’s registered office.

Details of the service contracts of the current Executive Directors are as follows:

Director

Linda Z. Cook

Alexander Krane

Contract date

01.04.2021

01.04.2021

Unexpired term of contract

Rolling contract

Rolling contract

The Company will consider termination payments in light of the circumstances on a case-by-case basis, taking into account the relevant 
contractual terms, the circumstances of the termination and any applicable duty to mitigate. In such an event, the remuneration 
commitments in respect of the Executive Director contracts could amount to one year’s remuneration based on salary, benefits in kind 
and pension rights during the notice period, together with payment in lieu of any accrued but untaken holiday leave, if applicable. 

There are provisions for termination with less than 12 months’ notice by the Company in certain circumstances. If such circumstances 
were to arise, the Executive Director concerned would have no claim against the Company for damages or any other remedy in respect of 
the termination. The Committee would apply general principles of mitigation to any payment made to a departing Executive Director and 
will honour previous commitments as appropriate, considering each case on an individual basis.

The table below summarises how Performance Share Awards under the Harbour Energy 2017 Long Term Incentive Plan and annual bonus awards 
are typically treated in different leaver scenarios and on a change of control. Whilst the Committee retains overall discretion on determining 
‘good leaver’ status, it typically defines a ‘good leaver’ in circumstances such as retirement with agreement of the Company, ill health, 
disability, death, redundancy, or part of the business in which the individual is employed or engaged ceasing to be a member of the Group. 

Event

Timing of vesting/award

Annual bonus/Deferred Bonus Awards

Calculation of vesting/payment

‘Good leaver’

Annual bonus is normally paid at the same time as to continuing 
employees but may be paid on departure in compassionate 
circumstances

Annual bonus is paid only to the extent that any performance 
conditions have been satisfied and is pro-rated for the proportion  
of the financial year worked before cessation of employment

Unvested Deferred Bonus Awards vest on the normal vesting date 
(or, at the Committee’s discretion, on cessation of employment)

The Committee has discretion not to defer part of the bonus earned 
in the year of leaving

Unvested Deferred Bonus Awards will vest in full

‘Bad leaver’

Not applicable

Change of control1 Annual bonus is paid and unvested Deferred Bonus Awards vest  

on the date of change of control

Performance Share Awards

‘Good leaver’

Awards vest on the normal vesting date subject to the Holding 
Period (or earlier at the Committee’s discretion)

Individuals lose the right to their annual bonus and unvested 
Deferred Bonus Awards

Annual bonus is paid only to the extent that any performance 
conditions have been satisfied, and will normally be pro-rated for  
the proportion of the financial year worked to the effective date  
of change of control unless the Committee determines otherwise

Unvested Deferred Bonus Awards will vest in full

Unvested awards normally vest to the extent that any performance 
conditions have been satisfied over the full performance period  
(or a shorter period at the Committee’s discretion)

The number of unvested awards is normally reduced pro-rata to take 
into account the proportion of the vesting period not served

‘Bad leaver’

Unvested awards lapse

N/A

Any vested shares subject to the Holding Period are forfeited by  
bad leavers who leave due to gross misconduct, but remain and  
are released at the end of the Holding Period for other bad leavers 
(e.g. following resignation)

Change of control1 Awards vest on the date of the event

Unvested awards normally vest to the extent that any performance 
conditions have been satisfied and a pro-rata reduction applies  
for the proportion of the vesting period not completed unless the 
Committee determines otherwise

Note:
1   In certain circumstances, the Committee may determine that unvested Deferred Bonus Awards and Performance Share Awards will not vest on a change of control but will instead be 

replaced by an equivalent grant of a new award, as determined by the Committee, in the new company.

The leaver treatment for the CFO’s recruitment award will be in line with the provisions for the Performance Share Awards outlined above. 
Upon exit or change of control, SAYE and SIP awards will be treated in line with the plan rules.

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Annual Report & Accounts 2021

If employment is terminated by the Company, the departing Executive Director may have a legal entitlement (under statute or otherwise) 
to additional amounts, which would need to be met. In addition, the Committee retains discretion to settle other amounts reasonably  
due to the Executive Director, for example to meet the legal fees incurred by the Executive Director in connection with the termination  
of employment, outplacement support, where the Company wishes to enter into a settlement agreement (as provided for below) and,  
in which case, the individual is required to seek independent legal advice.

In certain circumstances, the Committee may approve new contractual arrangements with departing Executive Directors including  
(but not limited to) settlement, confidentiality, restrictive covenants and/or consultancy arrangements. These will be used sparingly  
and only entered into where the Committee believes that it is in the best interests of the Company and its shareholders to do so.

External appointments
Executive Directors are entitled to accept non-executive director appointments outside the Company and retain any fees received 
providing that the Board’s prior approval is obtained. 

Consideration of employment conditions elsewhere in the Company
The Committee engages with the wider workforce by taking account of feedback from employee engagement opportunities such as the 
Group Staff Forum. The Committee considers the pay and conditions elsewhere in the Company, including how Company-wide pay tracks 
against the market. When determining salary and pension for Executive Directors, the Committee takes account of salary increases and 
pension contributions across the Group, particularly for those employees based in the UK. The Committee ensures that our policies and 
practices across the business are fair and consistent, and support diversity and equality. Further, the Company seeks to promote and 
maintain good relationships with employee representative bodies – including trade unions – as part of its employee engagement strategy 
and consults on matters affecting employees and business performance as required in each case by law and regulation in the 
jurisdictions in which the Company operates. 

Consideration of shareholder views
The Committee aims to ensure that the Policy serves shareholder interests and is aligned with the Group’s business strategy, market 
practice and evolving best practice. The Committee Chair consulted with major shareholders and proxy advisers in developing this 
Remuneration Policy, and will also from time-to-time engage to discuss the Remuneration Policy more generally. The Committee considers 
all feedback received from such consultations, as well as guidance from shareholder representative bodies more generally, to help to 
ensure the Policy is aligned with shareholder views. 

Non-Executive Director Remuneration Policy
Non-Executive Directors have letters of appointment effective for a period of three years, subject to annual re-election by shareholders at 
each Annual General Meeting (AGM) in accordance with the UK Corporate Governance Code. All letters of appointment have a notice period 
of three months and provide for no arrangements under which any Non-Executive Director is entitled to receive remuneration upon the early 
termination of his or her appointment. Non-Executive Directors’ letters of appointment are available to view at the Company’s registered office.

The Company’s Articles of Association provide that the remuneration paid to Non-Executive Directors is to be determined by the Board 
within limits set by the shareholders. The Policy for the Chairman and Non-Executive Directors is as follows:

Non-Executive Director fees

Purpose and link  
to strategy

Operation

 ¼ To provide fees that allow Harbour to attract and retain Non-Executive Directors of the highest calibre that add value to our business

 ¼ Fees for Non-Executive Directors are normally reviewed at least every two years
 ¼ Fees are set with reference to UK and international oil and gas sector companies and UK-listed companies of a similar size to Harbour 
 ¼ Fees paid to the Chairman are determined by the Committee, while the fees of the other Non-Executive Directors are determined 

by the Board

 ¼ Additional fees may be paid to reflect additional Board or Committee responsibilities as appropriate 
 ¼ Fee increases are normally effective 1 January
 ¼ The Non-Executive Director fees are summarised on page 99 of this report
 ¼ Reasonable costs in relation to travel and accommodation for business purposes are reimbursed to the Chairman and  

Non-Executive Directors. The Company may meet any tax liabilities that may arise on such expenses

 ¼ A travel allowance may be provided where intercontinental travel is required to attend a meeting
 ¼ The Chairman and Non-Executive Directors are not entitled to participate in any of the Group’s incentive plans or pension plans
 ¼ Additional benefits may be provided to Non-Executive Directors if considered appropriate

Opportunity

 ¼ Non-Executive Director fees are set at a level that is considered appropriate in the light of relevant market practice and the  

size/complexity of the role

 ¼ Aggregate fees are within the limit approved by shareholders in the Articles of Association

Performance metrics  ¼ Not applicable

Approach to Non-Executive Director recruitment remuneration
In the case of hiring or appointing a new Non-Executive Director, the Committee will follow the Policy as set out in the table above.

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

85

Strategic report GovernanceFinancial statementsAdditional informationDirectors’ remuneration report continued

Annual Report on Remuneration

Committee membership and operation

Harbour Energy plc Committee members2

Anne L. Stevens (Committee Chair)

Anne Marie Cannon1

Alan Ferguson

Date of appointment  
to the Committee

31 March 2021

17 May 2017

31 March 2021

Meetings attended
(eligible to attend)

6(6)

6(6)

6(6)

Notes:
1  Anne Marie Cannon was also a member of Premier Oil’s Remuneration Committee prior to the Merger. 
2  Mike Wheeler and Roy A. Franklin also served on Premier Oil’s Remuneration Committee. Both Roy and Mike stepped down from the Committee on completion of the Merger. 

Committee terms of reference
The Committee acts within written terms of reference which are reviewed regularly and published on the Company’s website  
harbourenergy.com. The terms of reference were reviewed in 2018 with amendments made in order to comply with the 2018  
UK Corporate Governance Code. Minor amendments were also made in August 2020 and September 2021. 

The main responsibilities of the Committee include:

 ¼ determining the Remuneration Policy for Executive Directors and senior management and engaging with the Company’s principal 

shareholders thereon;

 ¼ determining the individual remuneration packages for each Executive Director and any changes thereto;

 ¼ approving the remuneration package of the Chairman;

 ¼ considering the design of, and determining targets for, the annual bonus plan;

 ¼ reviewing and recommending to the Board the establishment of any new employee share plans and any material amendments to the 

Company’s existing share plans;

 ¼ determining the overall quantum and performance conditions for long-term incentive awards;

 ¼ reviewing pension arrangements, service agreements and termination payments for Executive Directors and senior management;

 ¼ approving the Directors’ Remuneration Report, ensuring compliance with related governance provisions and legislation;

 ¼ reviewing the Gender Pay Gap report;

 ¼ reviewing bonus outcomes for the Group, including Executive Directors; and

 ¼ considering the remuneration policies and practices across the Group.

Advisers
Following the Merger to form Harbour Energy plc, the Remuneration Committee received advice from independent Remuneration 
Committee advisers Deloitte LLP. Deloitte LLP were appointed by the Committee in March 2021 following a competitive tender process. 
Before the Merger, the Committee also received advice from Aon, who served as an interim Remuneration Committee adviser. 

The fees charged for the provision of independent advice to the Committee during the year were £103,900 from Deloitte LLP, £37,005 
from Aon and £21,077 from Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner (BCLP). Other than in relation to advice on remuneration, Deloitte LLP provided 
support to management in relation to corporate tax, indirect tax, payroll taxes, and Internal Audit plus other related services.

Deloitte are founding members of the Remuneration Consultants Group and voluntarily operated under its Code of Conduct in dealings 
with the Committee. The Committee is satisfied that the Deloitte and Aon engagement teams, who provided remuneration advice to the 
Remuneration Committee, do not have connections with Harbour Energy plc or its Directors that may impair their independence.

During the year, the Committee also took advice from the Chief Executive Officer and other members of management. Their attendance at 
Remuneration Committee meetings was by invitation from the Committee Chair to advise on specific questions raised by the Committee and 
on matters relating to the performance and remuneration of the senior management team. No Director was present for any discussions that 
related directly to their own remuneration.

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Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

Voting on remuneration matters
Votes received at the 2021 AGM in respect of approval of the Annual Report on Remuneration along with votes received on the Directors’ 
Remuneration Policy are set out below: 

Resolution

Votes FOR and % of votes cast

Votes AGAINST and % of votes cast

Votes WITHHELD

Annual Report on Remuneration (2021 AGM)1

14,913,939,666

Directors’ Remuneration Policy (2021 AGM)

14,593,098,273

98.85%

97.19%

173,270,899

421,903,633

1.15%

2.81%

520,322

72,728,980

Note:
1  The vote on the Annual Report on Remuneration at the 2021 AGM was for the 2020 Premier Oil Remuneration Report.

Single total figure of remuneration for Executive Directors (audited)

Executive 
Directors1,2

Salary 
£’000

Year

Taxable
benefits3
£’000

Pension4
£’000

Other
payments5
£’000

Total fixed 
remuneration 
£’000 

Bonus 
£’000

LTIP
£’000

Total variable 
remuneration 
£’000

Other
variable6
£’000

Total 
remuneration 
£’000

Linda Z. Cook

2021 637.5

275.3

94.2

2020

–

–

–

Alexander Krane

2021 386.3

62.2

50.0

2020

–

–

–

Former Executive  
Directors

Phil Kirk 

2021 450.0

17.0

59.4

2020

–

Richard Rose7

2021 150.5

2020 360.8

–

7.0

22.4

–

18.6

64.1

–

–

–

–

–

–

0.6

1.8

1,007.0 422.7

–

–

498.5 255.4

–

–

526.4 396.0

–

176.7

–

–

449.1

45.1

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

422.7

4,548.6

5,978.3

–

–

–

255.4

1,000

1,753.9

–

396.0

–

–

45.1

–

–

–

259.9

–

–

922.4

–

436.6

494.2

Notes to 2021 figures (unless stated):
1   Linda Z. Cook and Phil Kirk were appointed to the Board when Harbour Energy plc formed on 31 March 2021. Phil Kirk stepped down from the Board on 28 February 2022. 
2   Alexander Krane was appointed to the Board on 15 April 2021. He replaced Richard Rose, interim Chief Executive Officer and Finance Director, who stepped down from the Board  

on the same day. 

3   The Executive Directors receive a benefits package aligned with the approach for other employees. In 2021, Linda Z. Cook and Alexander Krane relocated from the US and Norway 
respectively to join Harbour Energy and they are entitled to receive the same expatriate benefits as other employees relocating internationally. They both elected not to take the full 
expatriate benefits available to them, and their benefits are therefore limited to housing costs and two return flights home per year. Linda Z. Cook received £58,073 in respect of housing 
costs in the year while Alexander Krane received £30,000. As outlined in the Notice of 2021 AGM, Linda Z. Cook and Alexander Krane’s housing will be paid for by the Company up to  
a value of approximately £120,000 p.a. and £60,000 p.a. respectively. The arrangements for Linda Z. Cook will be in place for an initial three-year period and the arrangements for 
Alexander Krane will be in place for two years. The Committee considers it appropriate to provide this benefit for a period of time given they have both been required to re-locate to take 
up their roles. Linda Z. Cook’s benefit figure also includes £200,097 in respect of tax equalisation payments. As outlined in the Notice of 2021 AGM, her remuneration will be tax 
equalised for an initial three-year period to ensure she is not required to pay more tax in the UK than she would do in the US, in line with the policy for all international assignees. 
Alexander Krane’s benefit figure also includes £23,582 in respect of tax equalisation payments for this housing allowance. 

4   Richard Rose’s pension figure includes a combination of pension contributions to the defined contribution scheme and a salary supplement. Current Executive Directors receive their 

pension as a cash supplement that is aligned to the rate of the workforce. 

5  Other payments comprise Share Incentive Plan (SIP) awards only. SIP awards are valued as the number of Matching Awards granted, multiplied by the share price at the date of award. 
6   Linda Z. Cook received a buyout award to compensate for the loss of incentive arrangements she had as part of her employment at EIG, the terms of which required her incentives be 
relinquished on departure. This buyout award was made on a like-for-like basis, at a level equal to the value forfeited and with vesting according to the same timescales. Malus and 
clawback conditions apply. Alexander Krane received a one-off award, which was detailed in the Policy and approved by shareholders at the 2021 AGM. The award will vest on the third 
anniversary of grant with a two-year post-vesting holding period and malus and clawback conditions apply. Neither Linda Z. Cook’s nor Alexander Krane’s awards have further 
performance conditions.

7   The Company made a gross payment of £447,990 in lieu of Richard Rose’s notice period not worked. Richard Rose also received a single redundancy payment of £237,543 (inclusive  
of his statutory redundancy entitlement) and a retention payment of £350,000 (gross) less the aggregate value of all gross monthly salary supplements paid to him as Interim CEO and 
Finance Director, and the gross 2020 annual bonus. Further details of payments made to him are set out on page 89.

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

87

Strategic report GovernanceFinancial statementsAdditional informationDirectors’ remuneration report continued

Single total figure of remuneration for Non-Executive Directors (audited)

Base fees6
£’000

Additional
payments7
£’000

Non-Executive 
Directors1,2, 

R. Blair Thomas (Chairman)5

Simon Henry

Anne Marie Cannon3

G. Steven Farris

Alan Ferguson 

Andy Hopwood

Margareth Øvrum

Anne L. Stevens

Former Non-Executive Directors  
of Premier Oil plc4,10

Roy A. Franklin (Chairman)

Dave Blackwood

Iain Macdonald

Elisabeth Proust

Mike Wheeler

Year

2021

2020

2021

2020

2021

2020

2021

2020

2021

2020

2021

2020

2021

2020

2021

2020

2021

2020

2021

2020

2021

2020

2021

2020

2021

2020

225.0

–

105.0

–

102.5

64.8

71.2

–

90.0

–

78.8

–

86.2

–

86.2

–

43.2

173.0

16.2

62.1

16.2

64.8

13.5

40.5

16.2

54.9

Travel
allowance8
£’000

5.0

–

–

–

–

–

5.0

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

21.3

–

–

–

–

–

21.3

–

–

–

–

–

21.3

15.0

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

Expenses9 
£’000

Total remuneration
£’000 

–

–

–

–

–

–

8.4

–

–

–

–

–

0.3

–

–

–

0.4

1.9

–

–

–

–

–

0.2

–

–

230.0

–

126.3

–

102.5

64.8

84.6

–

111.3

–

78.8

–

86.5

–

122.5

–

43.6

174.9

16.2

62.1

16.2

64.8

13.5

40.7

16.2

54.9

Notes to 2021 figures (unless stated):
1  R. Blair Thomas, Simon Henry, G. Steven Farris, Alan Ferguson, Andy Hopwood and Anne L. Stevens joined the Board on 31 March 2021. 
2  Margareth Øvrum joined the Board on 1 April 2021. 
3  Anne Marie Cannon was appointed to the Board of Premier Oil plc on 1 February 2014. Her remuneration shown in the table above is for the full financial year. 
4   The former Non-Executive Directors of Premier Oil plc (Roy A. Franklin, Dave Blackwood, Iain Macdonald, Elisabeth Proust and Mike Wheeler) stepped down from the Board on 31 March 2021. 
5   The Base Fees for R. Blair Thomas are paid to Harbour Direct Holdings Limited. 
6   In addition to Basic Fees for acting as a Non-Executive Director, Base Fees include amounts payable for acting as a member or Chair of a Committee, and fees for the Senior Independent 

Director role. Further detail on the level of these fees is set out on page 99. The Chairman and former Chairman waived their fees for acting as Chair of the Nomination Committee.

7   Additional payments include upfront fees for work undertaken by Non-Executive Directors in advance of the Merger. 
8  In accordance with the Remuneration Policy approved by shareholders in June 2021, Steve Farris and Anne L. Stevens received an allowance for intercontinental travel during the year. 
9  Amounts disclosed relate to taxable travel and accommodation expenses paid to Non-Executive Directors in respect of qualifying services during the year.
10  Former Non-Executive Directors of Premier Oil plc remained available to support with the transition for three months after they stepped down from the Board. They continued to receive 

fees during this period which were as follows: £43,248 for Roy A. Franklin, £16,218 for Iain Macdonald, Dave Blackwood and Mike Wheeler, and £13,515 for Elisabeth Proust. 

88

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

Payments for loss of office and payments to former Directors (audited)
Richard Rose
Richard Rose served as an Executive Director of the Company up to and including 15 April 2021.

Richard Rose’s remuneration arrangements on departure were in line with the approved Premier Oil plc directors’ remuneration policy.  
He received a payment in lieu of his 12-month notice period of £447,990, a single redundancy payment of £237,543 (inclusive of his 
statutory redundancy entitlement) and a contribution of £5,500 plus VAT towards legal fees incurred in connection with his departure.  
As disclosed in Premier Oil’s 2020 directors’ remuneration report, he also received a retention payment of £350,000 (gross) less the 
aggregate value of all gross monthly salary supplements paid to him as Interim CEO and Finance Director, and the gross 2020 annual 
bonus. He was not eligible for any bonus in respect of 2021.

Richard Rose was treated as a good leaver for all outstanding share awards. Under the good leaver provisions of the rules of the 2017 
LTIP, Deferred Bonus Awards vested in full on termination. His 2018 PSAs and RSAs and 2019 PSAs and RSAs lapsed as performance 
conditions and underpins were not met. His 2016 Deferred Share Award granted under the 2009 LTIP vested in its entirety at the normal 
vesting date on 1 January 2022. The remaining tranches of his 2017 RSA will vest in their entirety at their normal vesting dates and a 
two-year holding period will continue to apply. His entitlements under the Share Incentive Plan and the SAYE scheme have been dealt  
with in accordance with the relevant plan rules.

No further LTIP awards were made to Richard Rose and he will continue to hold a number of shares in the Company following the 
termination of his employment until October 2022. 

Remuneration for outgoing Executive Director
Phil Kirk 
As announced on 2 February 2022, Phil Kirk stepped down from his role as Executive Director with effect from 28 February 2022.  
After a successful handover process, he has been placed on gardening leave until 31 July 2022. Phil Kirk will continue to receive salary  
and contractual benefits up to 31 July 2022. He will receive a lump sum payment of £351,200 in lieu of his remaining notice period  
(six months from 1 August 2022). He will also receive a contribution of £5,000 plus VAT towards legal fees incurred in connection with  
his departure. 

Phil Kirk will remain eligible for an annual bonus in respect of 2021 as outlined on page 91. His 2021 annual bonus will be subject to 
deferral with awards released on the normal vesting date, in line with plan rules. In respect of his 2022 annual bonus, the Remuneration 
Committee has agreed that he will be eligible for a pro-rated award up to 28 February 2022. The bonus will be calculated and paid in line 
with the normal timescales in cash. 

In line with our Directors’ Remuneration Policy, the Remuneration Committee has treated Phil Kirk as a good leaver in relation to his  
2021 LTIP award. The award will be treated in accordance with the plan rules and will remain subject to performance conditions and  
will be pro-rated for time over the vesting period up to cessation of employment. The award will be released on its normal vesting date 
and remain subject to malus and clawback. The holding period will continue to apply as will post-employment shareholding guidelines.  
In line with best practice, he will not be eligible for a 2022 LTIP award. 

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

89

Strategic report GovernanceFinancial statementsAdditional informationDirectors’ remuneration report continued

2021 Annual bonus outcome (audited)
The maximum bonus opportunity for Executive Directors for 2021 was 200 per cent of salary. The scorecard below summarises the 
Group’s performance against the financial and operational targets (on a pro forma basis) set by the Board for 2021 that are used to 
determine the level of bonus awarded.

Category

Metric

Weighting

Safety & 
environment  
(25%)

Safety Incident Rate
TRIR incident rate/million 
hours, 12 month rolling average

10%

2021 
Performance

1.30

Threshold

1.10

Scorecard

Target

0.90

Stretch

0.70

Process Safety
Tier 1 and Tier 2 events

GHG Emissions
k tonnes CO2e

5%

2

3

2

1

10%

1,755

2,124

1,865

1,772

Operations 
(30%)

Oil and gas production
kboepd

15%

190

Unit Operating Cost
$/boe

15%

15.2

Growth 
(10%)

Reserves Replacement 
2P, CPR, %

Capital  
deployment  
(20%)

Expenditure vs AFE
%

Reserves vs AFE
%

Initial Production vs AFE
%

10%

10%

5%

5%

<60

105

71

97

Financial 
(15%)

Free Cash Flow
Million $, pre-financing,  
pre-tax

15%

1,453

201

15.0

60

115

80

80

850

214

14.5

75

100

100

100

974

230

13.5

100

85

120

120

1,100

90

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

Summary of performance
Note: The metrics in the 2021 Scorecard were set on a pro forma basis – including a full year of Premier – and therefore will differ  
from the figures elsewhere in this document which are on a ‘reported’ basis (only nine months of Premier).

Safety & environment
 ¼ Safety Incident Rate: The Total Recordable Injury Rate target on the scorecard was not met; injuries were predominantly a result of poor 

situational awareness

 ¼ Process Safety: There were two Tier 1 and Tier 2 events during the year, resulting in an ‘on target’ performance. These events related to a gas 
release on the West Lobe platform (Indonesia) and the overflow of a diesel tank at Solan (UK); both of these events were classified as Tier 2
 ¼ GHG Emissions: Emissions for the year were 1,755 kt CO2e, better than our target due to a combination of operational improvements 

and project delays

Operations
 ¼ Production: Production was below target as a result of project delays and unplanned maintenance outages

 ¼ Unit Operating Costs: Unit costs were higher than target, mainly as a result of production at below-target levels

Growth
 ¼ Reserves Replacement (excluding the impact of the Premier Merger): The outcome was below target with the largest impact being the 

reduction in reserves relating to the Tolmount project drilling results

Capital deployment
 ¼ Expenditure vs AFE: Outcome was near target, reflecting good cost performance demonstrated on drilling and development projects 

during the year

 ¼ Reserves vs AFE: Outcome was below target, impacted by the reserves downgrade at Tolmount and also unsuccessful exploration 

drilling in the UK and Norway

 ¼ Initial Production vs AFE: Outcome was near target, reflecting good initial production from the new wells in our drilling programme

Financial
 ¼ Free cash flow: Cash flow was higher than the target, largely driven by higher than anticipated commodity prices

The calculated score was 66 per cent of the target bonus (where the target bonus is 100 per cent of salary and the maximum is 200 per 
cent of salary). The Committee considered this score and approved bonus payouts for the Executive Directors on that basis, pro-rated to 
reflect time served during the year.

Amounts paid to Executive Directors are set out below. In line with the Remuneration Policy, 50 per cent of the bonus paid to the 
Executive Directors will be deferred into shares for three years.

Directors1,2

Linda Z. Cook

Alexander Krane 

Former Director

Phil Kirk 

Bonus as a % 
of maximum

Total value 
£ ’000s

Cash amount 
£ ’000s

33%

33%

33%

422.7

255.4

396.0

211.4

127.7

198.0

Amount deferred  
into shares 
£ ’000s

211.3

127.7

198.0

Notes:
1  The bonuses awarded to Linda Z. Cook and Alexander Krane are pro-rated amounts to reflect time served during the year.
2  Richard Rose was not eligible to participate in the 2021 annual bonus award as he stepped down from the Board on 15 April 2021. 

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

91

Strategic report GovernanceFinancial statementsAdditional informationDirectors’ remuneration report continued

LTIP awards vesting in respect of the year ended 31 December 2021 (audited)
In March 2022, the Committee assessed the performance targets for LTIP awards granted in 2019 with a vesting date of 14 March 
2022. The performance period for these awards ran from 1 January 2019 to 31 December 2021 with the outcomes being as follows:

 ¼ Performance Share Awards (PSAs): Vesting levels for the PSAs granted in 2019 are subject to the Company’s Total Shareholder Return 
(TSR) over the performance period relative to a comparator group of 17 international oil and gas sector peers as set out below. During 
the performance period, one comparator company delisted and was removed from the comparator group. The Company’s TSR over the 
Performance Period was minus 80 per cent resulting in a ranking between 15th and 16th within the comparator group. Under the Group’s 
Remuneration Policy, 25 per cent of an award vests for median performance, 100 per cent for upper decile performance and pro-rata 
vesting in between. The Company’s ranking within the comparator group for the 2019 PSA meant that the awards lapsed in full. 

2019 comparator group: Aker BP ASA, Beach Energy Limited, Cairn Energy PLC, DNO ASA, Energean PLC, EnQuest plc, Genel Energy plc, 
Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited, Kosmos Energy, Lundin Petroleum, Maurel & Prom, Nostrum Oil & Gas plc, Ophir Energy plc, Pharos 
Energy, Rockhopper Exploration plc, Santos Ltd, Tullow Oil plc.

 ¼ Restricted Share Awards (RSAs): Vesting levels for the RSAs granted in 2019 are subject to a financial underpin based on the reduction 
of the ratio of net debt to EBITDA, as agreed with the Company’s lenders. The same underpin applied to 2018 RSAs, and at the time 
of determining vesting for that award, the Premier Oil Remuneration Committee judged that the underpin had not been met. This was 
in light of the Company’s financial position at that time and on the basis that, while technically no breach had occurred, waivers had 
been agreed with creditors in light of the proposed transaction with Chrysaor, and without these waivers these covenants would have 
been expected to be breached. The Harbour Energy Remuneration Committee considered the appropriate treatment for the 2019 RSAs 
and concluded that the same assessment that was made for the 2018 awards was equally applicable, and that in view of the general 
performance of Premier Oil prior to the Merger and the experience of creditors and shareholders during the vesting period, it was  
not appropriate for the 2019 RSAs to vest. 

LTIP awards granted during the year ended 31 December 2021 (audited)
For the awards granted to Executive Directors under the 2017 LTIP plan during 2021, the performance condition is based 100 per cent  
on relative TSR performance conditions against two peer groups. The structure has been summarised below: 

Performance element 

Weighting

Minimum  
performance

Mid  
performance

Maximum  
performance

Performance  
period

Relative TSR 
performance vs  
FTSE 100 index1

Relative TSR vs bespoke 
peer group of oil and gas 
companies2

50%

50%

25% vesting at median 
performance  
(50th percentile)

Linear vesting between 
minimum and 
maximum performance

100% vesting if in the 
upper quartile  
(75th percentile)

1 January 2021 –  
31 December 2023

Notes:
1  Constituents of the FTSE 100 as at the start of the performance period on 1 January 2021.
2   Selected oil and gas peer group, including European and US independent oil and gas companies. The group consists of the following 17 companies: 

Company

Aker BP

Apache Corp

BP

Cairn Energy

Diversified Gas & Oil

Energean

Genel Energy

Hess

Kosmos Energy

2020

2021

Company

2020

2021

Lundin Energy

Marathon Oil

Murphy Oil

Royal Dutch Shell

Seplat Energy

Tullow Oil

Vermillion Energy

John Wood Group

92

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Details of the awards made to the three Executive Directors are as follows:

Executive Directors

Linda Z. Cook

Alexander Krane

Former Director

Phil Kirk

Grant date
30 June 2021

30 June 2021

Number of  
shares awarded

674,103

346,965

Type of  
award
Performance Share Award

Performance Share Award

Face value  
(% of salary)

300%

250%

Face value1

£2,550,000

£1,312,500

30 June 2021

396,531

Performance Share Award

250%

£1,500,000

Note:
1  Face value was calculated using the average of the mid-market closing prices for the five dealing days preceding the award date (on a post-consolidation basis) being £3.7828 per share.

Other awards granted in the year (audited)
Linda Z. Cook received a buyout award to compensate for the loss of performance-based incentives she held as part of her employment  
at EIG, the terms of which required the award to be relinquished on departure. This buyout award was made on a like-for-like basis  
and vests one-third per year on the first, second and third anniversary of award, reflecting the payout profile for the forfeited awards.  
Malus and clawback conditions apply. In the event that a vesting of shares under the buyout award would give rise to the prospect of  
an obligation under Rule 9 of The Takeover Code, the Company will settle the vesting in cash, as allowed under the terms of the award.

Her forfeited award was valued at around $8 million using the historical annual average of payouts from 2017-2020 (noting the  
payout for 2020 was zero, which brought down the average), with this average multiplied by three to reflect each of the three years that 
awards were due to vest. Basing the value of the buyout on the historical average is expected to give a lower value than using future 
performance. The Committee is fully satisfied that this buyout is appropriate and that its terms reflect an appropriate like-for-like basis 
with the remuneration forfeited. The outcome of the calculation was individually verified, and the Committee is satisfied of its accuracy.

Alexander Krane received a one-off award, which was detailed in the Policy and approved by shareholders at the 2021 AGM.  
The award will vest on the third anniversary of grant with a two-year post-vesting holding period. Malus and clawback conditions apply.
Details of the awards are set out below:

Executive Directors 

Grant date

Number of  
shares awarded

Type of  
award

Face value  
(% of salary)

Face value 

Vesting  
date

Performance 
conditions

Linda Z. Cook1

4 May 2021

1,155,852 Conditional Share Award

536%

£4,554,058 In equal thirds on: 
4 May 2022
4 May 2023
4 May 2024

None

Alexander Krane2

30 June 2021

264,354 Conditional Share Award

190%

£1,000,000

1 April 2024

None

Notes:
1   Linda Z. Cook’s award face value was calculated using the Volume Weighted Average Price during the month of April 2021, being £0.197 per share (pre-consolidation). The number of 

shares above has been restated on a post-consolidation basis. 

2   Alexander Krane’s award face value was calculated using the average of the mid-market closing prices for the five dealing days preceding the award date (on a post-consolidation basis) 

being £3.7828 per share.

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

93

Strategic report GovernanceFinancial statementsAdditional informationDirectors’ remuneration report continued

Outstanding share awards
2017 Long Term Incentive Plan (2017 LTIP)
As at 31 December 2021, Linda Z. Cook, Phil Kirk, Alexander Krane and Richard Rose held the following outstanding Performance Share 
Awards (PSAs), Conditional Share Awards (CSAs) and Restricted Share Awards (RSAs) under the 2017 LTIP: 

Directors

Award type2

Date of  
grant

Awards held 
at 1 January 
2021

Granted

Lapsed

Vested

Linda Z. Cook

CSA 2021-24

04.05.21

PSA 2021-24

30.06.21

Alexander Krane

CSA 2021-24

30.06.21

PSA 2021-24

30.06.21

Former Directors

Phil Kirk

PSA 2021-24

30.06.21

Richard Rose1

PSA 2018-21

15.03.18

PSA 2019-22

14.03.19

RSA 2018-21

15.03.18

RSA 2019-22

14.03.19

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

1,155,852

674,103

1,829,955

264,354

346,965

611,319

396,531

396,531

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

43,272

39,350

4,945

4,497

92,064

–

–

–

–

–

43,272

12,024

4,945

2,050

62,291

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

Awards  
held at  
31 December 
2021

Market price 
of shares on 
date of award

Earliest
vesting date3

1,155,852

393.53p

04.05.22

674,103

378.28p

30.06.24

1,829,955

264,354

378.28p

01.04.24

346,965

378.28p

30.06.24

611,319

396,531

378.28p

30.06.24

396,531

–

1430.6p

15.03.21

27,326

1573.2p

14.03.22

–

1430.6p

15.03.21

2,447

1573.2p

14.03.22

29,773

Notes:
1   Awards shown as lapsed for Richard Rose illustrate the impact of time pro-rating following cessation of his employment on 15 April 2021. Awards and prices are shown on a 

post-consolidation basis. 

2  Any vested awards (except for Linda Z. Cook’s 2021 Conditional Share Award) are subject to a two-year holding period such that the total time horizon is five years.
3   Vesting outcomes for PSAs and RSAs that vested on 15.03.21 were determined by the Premier Oil Remuneration Committee in March 2021 in respect of the performance period running 
between 1 January 2018 and 31 December 2020. As noted in the Premier Oil 2020 Directors’ Remuneration Report, the PSAs did not meet the minimum performance threshold and 
therefore there was nil vesting, and the underpin for the RSAs was deemed not to have been met, and all awards duly lapsed.

2009 Long Term Incentive Plan (2009 LTIP)
On 4 March 2019, the Committee determined that the Equity Pool and Performance Share Awards granted to Executive Directors on 
1 January 2016 should vest. Details of the vesting outcomes are set out on page 98 of the Company’s 2018 Annual Report. 50 per cent 
of the vested awards were released immediately with the remaining 50 per cent being granted as a Deferred Share Award subject to a 
further three-year deferral period. The table below sets out details of the Executive Directors’ outstanding awards under the 2009 LTIP.

Former Director

Award type

Richard Rose

Deferred Share 
Award

Date of  
grant

Awards held 
at 1 January 
2021

Granted

Lapsed

Vested

Awards held 
at  
31 December 
2021

Market price 
of shares on 
date of award

Earliest 
vesting date 

01.01.19

7,574

–

–

–

7,574

1573.2p

01.01.22

Deferred Bonus Awards
As at 31 December 2021 the following Deferred Bonus Awards were held in respect of the deferred element of the annual bonus 
awarded for the years ending 31 December 2017, 31 December 2018, 31 December 2019 and 31 December 2020.

Former Director

Date of  
grant

Awards held at  
1 January 2021

Granted

Lapsed

Vested

Awards held at  
31 December 
2021

Market price  
of shares on date
of award1

Earliest vesting 
date (or date of
leaving)2

Richard Rose

15.03.18

14.03.19

25.06.20

25.03.21

6,453

3,705

9,675

–

19,833

–

–

–

4,326

4,326

–

–

–

–

–

6,453

3,705

9,675

4,326

24,159

–

–

–

–

–

1430.6p

1573.2p

1023.6p

521.2p

15.03.21

15.04.21

15.04.21

15.04.21

Notes:
1  The average of the closing prices of a Premier Oil share over the five dealing days immediately preceding the award date (on a post-consolidation basis).
2  The 2019, 2020 and 2021 Awards for Richard Rose vested on cessation of his employment on 15 April 2021.

94

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

 
All-employee share schemes
The Executive Directors may also participate, on the same terms as all other eligible employees, in a Share Incentive Plan (SIP) and  
a Savings Related Share Option Scheme (SAYE Scheme). Executive Directors’ interests under the SAYE Scheme are shown below:

Former Director

Date  
of grant

Exercisable 
dates

Acquisition price 
per share

Options held at  
1 January 2021

Granted

Exercised

Richard Rose

05.05.20

01.06.23 
– 30.11.23

553.4p

3,252

–

–

Options held at  
31 December 2021 

–

Lapsed

3,252

Shares held beneficially in the SIP by the Executive Directors during the financial year were as follows:

Total Partnership Shares 
purchased in 2021 at 
prices between 
£0.19695 and £0.2975

Total Matching Shares 
awarded in 2021 at 
prices between 
£0.19695 and £0.2975

Shares held on 
1 January 2021

Shares held on 
31 December 2021

Partnership and 
Matching Shares 
acquired between  
1 January and  
16 March 2022

37,228

2,693

2,693

42,614

–

Former Director

Richard Rose1

Note:
1  Richard Rose participated in the plan until his leaving date of 15 April 2021. 

Statement of Directors’ shareholdings and scheme interests (audited)
The table below summarises the Directors’ interests in shares, including unvested awards under employee share schemes, as at  
31 December 2021. Further details of all outstanding awards are provided on pages 93 to 95.

Directors

Linda Z. Cook

Alexander Krane

R. Blair Thomas

Simon Henry

Anne Marie Cannon4

G. Steven Farris

Alan Ferguson

Andy Hopwood

Margareth Øvrum

Anne L. Stevens

Former Directors6

Phil Kirk

Richard Rose5 

Roy A. Franklin 

Dave Blackwood

Iain Macdonald

Elisabeth Proust

Mike Wheeler

Own shares at  
31 December 2021
(or date of leaving)1

Unvested shares subject  
to continued employment 
at 31 December 2021

(or date of leaving)2

Unvested shares subject  
to performance at
31 December 20213

Unvested SAYE options at  
31 December 2021

8,919,424

–

14,836,700

10,000

500

400,662

14,203

–

–

30,000

13,217,698

 21,884 

3,000

500

1,153

500

1,500

1,155,852

264,354

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

7,574

–

–

–

–

–

674,103

346,965

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

396,531

29,773

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

Notes:
1   Own shares includes shares held by the Director and/or connected persons. For Linda Z. Cook, R. Blair Thomas and G. Steven Farris, this figure includes indirect interests they hold in 
shares in the Company through certain EIG-managed entities, the Company’s major shareholder. Blair is also Chief Executive Officer of EIG and a Director of a number of EIG’s wholly 
owned subsidiaries. Details regarding EIG’s shareholding are set out on page 101. 

2   Unvested shares subject to continued employment comprise Deferred Bonus Awards and Deferred Share Awards under the 2009 LTIP, and Conditional Share Awards awarded to Linda Z. 
Cook and Alexander Krane in connection with their recruitment. The Deferred Bonus Awards are subject to malus and clawback in the event of a material misstatement of the Company’s 
financial results, gross misconduct or material error in the calculation of performance conditions. The Committee may exercise clawback until the later of: (i) one year from vesting, or (ii) 
the completion of the next audit after vesting. Alexander Krane’s CSA is subject to the malus and clawback provisions set out in the Directors’ Remuneration Policy on page 80. The malus 
and clawback provisions for Linda Z. Cook’s buyout award are in line with those set out on page 80 for the Performance Share Awards of the 2017 LTIP. 

3  Unvested shares for Richard Rose illustrate the impact of time pro-rating following cessation of his employment.
4  Anne Marie Cannon purchased 10,000 Premier Oil plc shares on 14 April 2016. The reported interest shown above is on a post-consolidation basis. 
5  Shares owned outright are reported as at 15 April 2021, the date on which Richard Rose’s directorship ceased.
6  Shares owned outright are reported as at 31 March 2021, the date on which all the former Premier Oil Non-Executive Directors’ directorship ceased. 

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

95

Strategic report GovernanceFinancial statementsAdditional informationDirectors’ remuneration report continued

Awards under all the Company’s share schemes may be met using a combination of market purchases, financed by the Company  
through the Harbour Energy plc Employee Benefit Trust, and newly issued shares. The Company complies with the Investment 
Association’s recommended guidelines on shareholder dilution through employee share schemes: awards under the Group’s 
discretionary schemes which may be satisfied with newly issued shares must not exceed 5 per cent of the Company’s issued share 
capital in any rolling 10-year period, and the total of all awards satisfied with newly issued shares under all plans must not exceed  
10 per cent of the Company’s issued share capital in any rolling 10-year period.

Directors’ shareholding requirements
The Company requires the Executive Directors to retain no less than 50 per cent of the net value of shares vesting under the Company’s 
long-term incentive plans until such a time that they have reached a holding worth 300 per cent of salary (CEO) and 250 per cent of 
salary (CFO). 

Shares owned outright including shares purchased and received from incentive arrangements, shares subject to deferral or a holding 
period (which are not beneficially owned by the senior executive) net of any relevant tax and social security that would be due, vested but 
unexercised nil cost options under any share plan, unvested share plan awarded where vesting is not subject to the achievement of any 
performance conditions or underpins net of any relevant tax and social security and free shares under any UK share incentive plan count 
towards this requirement. 

Based on an average share price of £3.73 during the final three months of 2021, Linda Z. Cook currently holds shares (directly and 
indirectly) and an unvested Conditional Share Award worth 4,424 per cent of her salary. Alexander Krane holds an unvested Conditional 
Share Award worth 188 per cent of his salary using the same average price. The Committee notes that Alexander Krane joined the Board 
on 15 April 2021 and will therefore need time to build up his shareholding. 

Under the Company’s Remuneration Policy, the shareholding requirement extends for two years post-cessation of employment. Shares 
purchased by the departed Executive Directors are not covered by the post-cessation requirement.

Executive Director external appointments
Executive Directors are permitted to accept non-executive appointments outside the Company providing that the Board’s approval is 
obtained. Details of external appointments are set out on pages 58 to 61.

Comparison of Company performance
The chart below compares the value of £100 invested in the Company’s shares, including re-invested dividends, on 31 December 2011 
compared to the equivalent investment in the FTSE All-Share Oil & Gas Producers Index over the last ten financial years. The FTSE 
All-Share Oil & Gas Producers Index has been chosen as it comprises companies who are exposed to broadly similar risks and 
opportunities as the Company.

10-year TSR performance
Value of £100 invested on 31 December 2011: 

£160

£140

£120

£100

£80

£60

£40

£20

£0

£119.65

£5.02

31 Dec 2011

31 Dec 2012

31 Dec 2013

31 Dec 2014

31 Dec 2015

31 Dec 2016

31 Dec 2017

31 Dec 2018

31 Dec 2019

31 Dec 2020

31 Dec 2021

FTSE All-Share Oil & Gas Producers Index

Harbour Energy plc

Note:
1  The closing share price of the Company on 31 December 2021 was 354.00p. On 16 March 2022, being the date of approval of this report, the closing share price was 396.40p. 

96

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

The table below shows the CEO single figure of remuneration for the past 10 years and corresponding performance under the annual and 
long-term incentives, as a percentage of maximum.

Year

2012

2013

20143

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

20204

20215

CEO

Simon Lockett

Simon Lockett

Simon Lockett

Tony Durrant

Tony Durrant

Tony Durrant

Tony Durrant

Tony Durrant

Tony Durrant

Tony Durrant

Richard Rose

Linda Z. Cook

CEO single figure 
of remuneration 
£’000s

Annual bonus 
payout as %  
of maximum

Equity Pool  
as % of
maximum1

Restricted Share 
Award vesting as
% of maximum2

2,728.2

1,002.7

680.3

428.7

1,040.4

1,404.3

1,474.3

1,558.4

1,631.1

814.1

436.6

5,978.3

45

24

39
(pro-rated)

40

10

66.5

63.4

54.3

65

10.4

0

33

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

45.1

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

100

0

0

N/A

Performance 
Share Award 
vesting as %  
of maximum

Matching Share 
Award vesting as 
% of maximum

90

66

0

0

0

0

0

0

75.1

38

0

0

N/A

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

Notes:
1   Maximum opportunity for the 2016 Equity Pool was 50 per cent of salary. 
2   The maximum opportunity for the Restricted Share Award was 20 per cent of salary.
3   Figures shown for 2014 for Tony Durrant relate to the period during 2014 that he served as Chief Executive Officer: 25 June to 31 December 2014; and for Simon Lockett relate to the 

period during 2014 that he served as Chief Executive Officer: 1 January to 25 June 2014.

4  Tony Durrant stepped down from the Board on 16 December 2020. 
5   Figures shown for 2021 for Richard Rose relate to the period during 2021 that he served as interim Chief Executive Officer: 1 January 2021 to 31 March 2021; and for Linda Z. Cook 

relate to the period during 2021 that she served as Chief Executive Officer: 1 April 2021 to 31 December 2021.

Percentage change in Directors’ remuneration compared with other employees
The table below shows the percentage change in each Director’s remuneration, comprising salary/fees, benefits and annual bonus, and 
comparable data for the average of all UK-based employees within the Company, between the year ended 31 December 2019 and the 
year ended 31 December 2020, and between the year ended 31 December 2020 and 31 December 2021.

Salary / fees

2021

2020

2021

Benefits

2020

Annual bonus1

2021

2020

Executive Directors

Linda Z. Cook

Alexander Krane

Non-Executive Directors 

R. Blair Thomas 

Simon Henry

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

Anne Marie Cannon2

36.78%

22.45%

G. Steven Farris 

Alan Ferguson 

Andy Hopwood

Margareth Øvrum

Anne L. Stevens 

Former Executive Directors3

Phil Kirk

Richard Rose4 

Former Non-Executive Directors5

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

49.89%

1.98%

0.00%

0.00%

(100.00%)

(83.65%)

Roy A. Franklin

Dave Blackwood

Iain Macdonald

Elisabeth Proust

Mike Wheeler

All employees

0%

4.17%

0%

0%

15.28%

3.69%

2.00%

17.36%

2.04%

–

3.77%

2.51%

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

26.09%

(3.54%)

98.20%

(69.43%)

Notes:
1  Includes cash bonus and amount deferred into shares (amounts above 50 per cent of salary are deferred into shares).
2  The increase for Anne Marie Cannon reflects the impact of the new Remuneration Policy approved by shareholders in June 2021. 
3  Figures for former Directors have been presented on an annualised basis to allow for comparison. 
4  The increase in salary for Richard Rose reflects his change of role from Finance Director to Interim CEO. 
5  Increases for Dave Blackwood and Mike Wheeler reflect the impact of additional Committee mandates during the year. 

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

97

Strategic report GovernanceFinancial statementsAdditional informationDirectors’ remuneration report continued

CEO pay ratio
The table below sets out the ratio of the CEO’s pay to the lower quartile, median, and upper quartile pay of the Company’s UK employees 
for the past three years.

Year

2021

2020

2019

Method

Method A

Total pay and benefits

Salary

Method A

Total pay and benefits

Salary

Method A

Total pay and benefits

Salary

P25 (lower quartile)

P50 (median)

P75 (upper quartile)

76.6 : 1

£80,077

£58,880

10.8 : 1

£75,717

£58,140

19.8 : 1

£82,237

£52,508

62.3 : 1

£98,476

£70,210

7.5 : 1

£108,225 

£81,412

11.9 : 1

£136,538 

£79,465

 40.99 : 1

£149,729

£97,340

5.1 : 1

£160,027 

£121,107

8.2 : 1

£200,076

£124,584

The pay ratio has increased significantly from 2020 to 2021. This is primarily due to Linda Z. Cook’s 2021 single total figure of 
remuneration including a one-off buyout award in respect of remuneration forfeited at her former employer (see page 93). If the buyout 
were excluded, the pay ratio at the P50 level would fall to 16.1:1. Other factors are her larger total compensation package compared to 
Tony Durrant, and the higher annual bonus payout for 2021 (33% of maximum) compared to 2020 (10.4% of maximum). No LTIP awards 
vested in either year, though the Committee expects that where vesting levels vary year-on-year, this will create volatility in the pay ratio in 
future years. Furthermore, the total pay and benefits for the employee at P50 is lower this year, reflecting organisational changes following 
completion of the Merger.

The Committee believes that, of the methodologies permitted under the regulations, Method A provides the most statistically accurate 
representation of the Chief Executive Officer’s remuneration relative to the UK workforce. Total pay and benefits (on a full-time equivalent 
basis) for the people employed at 31 December 2021 have been calculated in line with the ‘single figure methodology’ used for the  
Chief Executive Officer. Employees were then ranked to identify each individual at the 25th, 50th and 75th percentiles.

The median pay ratio is consistent with the pay, reward and progression policies for the Company’s UK employees as a whole, as we  
have pay grades benchmarked to the oil and gas industry, a graduated bonus scheme based on these grades. The results are consistent 
for the professional nature of our workforce and we would not expect to see a disconnect between the CEO pay and the pay of the UK 
workforce, excluding the one-off buyout award as detailed above. 

Relative importance of spend on pay
The table below shows the Company’s actual expenditure on shareholder distributions and total employee pay expenditure for the 
financial years ending 31 December 2020 and 31 December 2021. Total shareholder distribution expenditure is composed of dividends 
and share buybacks. The Company did not pay a dividend nor re-purchase shares for the financial years ending 31 December 2020 and 
31 December 2021.

Remuneration paid to or receivable by all employees of the Group1

Distributions to shareholders by way of dividend2

Distributions to shareholders by way of share buyback

2021 
$ million

317.1

–

–

2020 
$ million

219.5

–

–

% 
change

44%

–

–

Notes:
1  Remuneration for all employees reflects the impact of the Merger in 2021. 
2   This table reflects expenditure during the 2021 financial year. As set out on page 7 of this Report, the Company intends to pay an annual dividend of $200m (subject to shareholder 

approval) with the first distribution due in May 2022. 

Implementation of Executive Director Remuneration Policy for 2022
This section sets out the proposed implementation of the Directors’ Remuneration Policy in 2022.

Salary
The salaries of the Executive Directors are reviewed annually to ensure they remain appropriate. Following a review in December 2021, 
the Remuneration Committee determined not to increase salaries. Opposite are the base salaries of the Executive Directors effective 
from 1 January 2022.

98

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

Directors

Linda Z. Cook

Alexander Krane

Former Executive Director

Phil Kirk1 

Position

Chief Executive Officer 

Chief Financial Officer 

Salary from 
1 April 2021 
£

Salary from 
1 January 2022 
£

Percentage 
increase 
%

850,000

525,000

850,000

525,000

0%

0%

0%

President & CEO Europe

600,000

600,000

Note:
1  Phil Kirk stepped down from the Board on 28 February 2022.

Pension and benefits 
There are no changes intended to the pensions and benefits provided to Executive Directors. 

Annual bonus 
The Executive Director annual bonus corporate scorecard, setting out measures for 2022, is summarised below. Individual performance 
targets are considered to be commercially sensitive and will be disclosed in next year’s Annual Report & Accounts. 

Category

Targets

1. Safety & environment

Safety incident rate, Process safety, GHG emissions

2. Operations

Production and unit operating costs

3. Growth & capital deployment 

Expenditure against budget, Reserves against budget

4. Financial 

Free cash flow

Weighting  
(% of maximum corporate 
bonus opportunity)

35%

30%

20%

15%

Long Term Incentive Plan
The Committee intends to grant LTIP awards to Executive Directors of value equal to 300 per cent of salary for the CEO and 250 per cent of 
salary for the Chief Financial Officer in line with the Policy. The award will continue to be assessed against relative TSR, with 50 per cent of 
the award being assessed against the FTSE 100 index and 50 per cent against a bespoke oil and gas peer group. After a review of the current 
bespoke peer group for 2021, the Committee determined not to make any changes for 2022 given that no companies had materially changed in 
size or delisted (at the time of this report). The comparator group will therefore be as listed on page 92. The structure of the award will be threshold 
vesting (25 per cent of maximum) for performance in line with the median and maximum vesting for performance in line with the upper quartile. 

Non-Executive Director remuneration
No increases are proposed for Non-Executive Director fees during 2022, as summarised in the table below: 

Basic fees

Chairman all-inclusive fee

Other Non-Executive Directors’ base fee

Supplementary fees

Senior Independent Director

Chair of Audit and Risk Committee

Chair of Remuneration Committee

Chair of Health, Safety, Environment and Security Committee

Chair of Nomination Committee (N.B. waived by the Chairman)

Member of Audit and Risk Committee

Member of Remuneration Committee

Member of Health, Safety, Environment and Security Committee

Member of Nomination Committee

For and on behalf of the Remuneration Committee:

ANNE L. STEVENS
Committee Chair 
16 March 2022

£

300,000

85,000

30,000

 20,000

 15,000

 10,000

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

99

Strategic report GovernanceFinancial statementsAdditional informationDirectors’ report

The Directors present their Annual Report on the affairs of the 
Group, together with the audited Group and parent company 
financial statements and Auditors’ Report for the year ended  
31 December 2021. There are certain disclosure requirements 
which form part of the Directors’ Report and are included 
elsewhere in this Annual Report. The location of information 
incorporated by reference into this Directors’ Report is set  
out on the next page.

Dividend
The Board is proposing a dividend of 11 cents per Ordinary Share 
(2020: nil) to be paid in GBP at the spot rate prevailing on the 
record date. This dividend is subject to shareholder approval at  
the AGM, to be held on 11 May 2022. If approved, the dividend  
will be paid on 18 May 2022 to shareholders on the register as  
of 8 April 2022 (the record date).

Annual General Meeting
The Company anticipates that the next AGM will be held on 11 May 
2022. The Notice of the AGM, together with details of all resolutions 
which will be placed before the meeting, will be published in due 
course and will be available online.

Directors
The Directors of the Company as at 16 March 2022 are shown on 
pages 58 to 61. Changes to the Directors during the year and up  
to the date of this report are set out below: 

Name

Role

Resignations
Phil Kirk
Richard Rose
Roy A. Franklin
Dave Blackwood
Mike Wheeler
Elisabeth Proust

Executive Director
Executive Director 
Chairman
Non-Executive Director
Non-Executive Director
Non-Executive Director

Executive Director

Appointments
Alexander Krane 
Margareth Øvrum Non-Executive Director
R. Blair Thomas
Linda Z. Cook
Phil Kirk
Simon Henry
G. Steven Farris
Alan Ferguson
Andy Hopwood
Anne L. Stevens

Chairman
Executive Director
Executive Director
Non-Executive Director
Non-Executive Director
Non-Executive Director
Non-Executive Director
Non-Executive Director

Effective date  
of resignation  
or appointment

28 February 2022
15 April 2021
31 March 2021
31 March 2021
31 March 2021
31 March 2021

15 April 2021
1 April 2021
31 March 2021
31 March 2021
31 March 2021
31 March 2021
31 March 2021
31 March 2021
31 March 2021
31 March 2021

Articles of Association
The Company’s Articles of Association may only be amended by 
special resolution at a General Meeting of shareholders. The 
Company’s Articles of Association contain provisions regarding  
the appointment, retirement and removal of Directors.

A Director may be appointed by an ordinary resolution of shareholders 
in a General Meeting following nomination by the Board or a member 
(or members) entitled to vote at such a meeting. The Directors may 
appoint a Director during any year provided that the individual stands 
for election by shareholders at the next AGM. Further detail regarding 
the appointment and replacement of Directors is included in the 
Corporate Governance Report.

Subject to applicable law and the Company’s Articles of Association 
the Directors may exercise all powers of the Company. Details of the 
Matters Reserved for the Board are set out on the Company’s website.

100

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

Indemnification of Directors and insurance
During the financial year, the Company had in place an indemnity  
to each of its Directors and the Company Secretary under which  
the Company will, to the fullest extent permitted by law and to the 
extent provided by the Articles of Association, indemnify them 
against all costs, charges, losses and liabilities incurred by them  
in the execution of their duties. The indemnity was in force for all 
Directors who served during the year. The Company also has 
Directors’ and Officers’ liability insurance in place.

Share capital
Details of the Company’s issued share capital, together with details of 
any movement in the issued share capital during the year, are shown 
in note 24 to the consolidated financial statements on page 155.  
The Company has one class of Ordinary Shares which carries no right 
to fixed income. Each share carries the right to one vote at General 
Meetings of the Company.

Subject to applicable law and the Company’s Articles of Association 
the Directors may exercise all powers of the Company, including  
the power to authorise the issue and/or market purchase of the 
Company’s shares, subject to an appropriate authority being given to 
the Directors by shareholders in a General Meeting and any conditions 
attaching to such authority. The current authority, approved at the 
General Meeting held on 23 June 2021, for the allotment of relevant 
securities is for a nominal amount of up to (i) £6,170 and (ii) equity 
securities up to a nominal amount of £12,340 less the nominal 
amount of any shares issued under part (i) of the authority.

In addition to the authority given at the 2021 AGM, at the General 
Meeting held on 15 June 2017, in connection with the Company’s 
refinancing which was completed on 28 July 2017 shareholders 
authorised the Directors to allot Ordinary Shares in the Company  
and to grant rights to subscribe for, or to convert any security into, 
Ordinary Shares in the Company up to a nominal amount of 
£59,039,247.10. This authority is specific to the issue of shares 
pursuant to the terms of the Company’s refinancing. Further details 
are contained in the Circular to Shareholders dated 30 May 2017,  
a copy of which can be accessed in the Shareholder Information 
section of the Company’s website.

There are no specific restrictions on the size of a holding nor on  
the transfer of shares, both of which are governed by the general 
provisions of the Articles of Association and prevailing legislation. 
The Directors are not aware of any agreements between holders  
of the Company’s shares that may result in restrictions on the 
transfer of securities or on voting rights. Details of employee share 
schemes are set out in note 25 to the consolidated financial 
statements on page 156. The voting rights in relation to the shares 
held within the Employee Benefit Trust are exercisable by the 
Trustee but it has no obligation to do so. Details of the number of 
shares held by the Employee Benefit Trust are set out in note 24 to 
the financial statements on page 155. No person has any special 
rights of control over the Company’s share capital and all issued 
shares are fully paid.

American Depositary Receipt programme
Harbour Energy plc has a sponsored Level 1 American Depositary 
Receipt (ADR) programme which BNY Mellon administers and for 
which it acts as Depositary. Each ADR represents one Ordinary 
Share of the Company. The ADRs trade on the US over-the-counter 
market under the symbol HBRIY.

Significant shareholdings
As at 16 March 2022, the Company had received notification from the institutions below, in accordance with Chapter 5 of the Disclosure  
and Transparency Rules, of their significant holdings of voting rights (3 per cent or more) in its Ordinary Shares:

Name of shareholder

Harbour North Sea Holdings, Ltd

GIC Private Limited

FMR LLC

Marshfield Advisers, LLC

Date of notification to 
the stock exchange

Notified number
of voting rights1

Notified percentage
of voting rights

Nature of holding

09.04.2021

11.03.2022

16.11.2021

08.04.2021

6,798,223,348

110,822,599

48,533,713

879,431,317

36.73%

11.97%

5.24%

4.75%

Direct

Indirect

Indirect

Direct

1  Notified number of voting rights in issue at the time of the announcement to the market. 

Hedging and risk management
Details of the Group’s hedging and risk management are provided  
in the Financial review on page 38. A further disclosure has been 
made in note 23 to the consolidated financial statements on pages 
151 to 155, related to various financial instruments and exposure  
of the Group to price, credit, liquidity and cash flow risk.

Significant agreements
The following significant agreements will, in the event of a change  
of control of the Company, be affected as follows:

 ¼ under the up to $4.5 billion senior secured revolving borrowing 
base facility agreement between, among others, the Company, 
certain subsidiaries of the Company and a syndicate of 
financial institutions, upon a change of control (save for certain 
exceptions), each lender has the right to serve notice, and 
following a short prescribed period after such notice, all of that 
lender’s commitments under the agreement would be cancelled 
and all amounts owing to it would become immediately due  
and payable; and

 ¼ the Group has outstanding senior unsecured High Yield Bond 

notes totalling $500 million due 2026. Upon a change of control 
(save for certain exceptions), each noteholder will have the right 
to require Harbour Energy plc to repurchase all or any part of  
that holder’s notes at a premium, together with accrued interest.

Political donations
No political donations were made during the year (2020: $nil).

Significant events since 31 December 2021
Details of significant events since the balance sheet date are 
contained in note 30 to the financial statements on page 163.

Information set out in the Strategic Report
The Strategic Report set out on pages 2 to 55 provides a 
comprehensive review of the performance of the Company’s 
operations for the year ended 31 December 2021 and the potential 
future developments of those operations. The Strategic Report also 
includes details of the Company’s principal risks during the year. 
Information regarding the Company’s policy applied during the year 
relating to diversity, equity and inclusion, employee engagement, 
career development and promotion of staff including employment  
of disabled persons is included within the Social and Governance 
sections of the ESG review in the Strategic Report on pages 34 and 
35. In addition, information regarding the Company’s greenhouse  
gas emissions is also included in the Environment section of the ESG 
review in the Strategic Report on pages 32 to 33. In accordance 
with s414C(11) of the Companies Act 2006, the Directors have 
chosen to set out the information outlined above, required to be 
included in the Directors’ Report, in the Strategic Report.

The Strategic Report and the Directors’ Report together include  
the ‘management report’ for the purposes of the FCA’s Disclosure  
& Transparency Rules (DTR 4.1.8R).

Information set out elsewhere in this Annual Report
Information regarding the Company’s governance arrangements is 
included in the Corporate Governance Report and related Board 
Committee reports on pages 62 to 99. These sections of the report 
are incorporated into this report by reference.

For the purposes of Listing Rule 9.8.4C R, the information required  
to be disclosed by Listing Rule 9.8.4 R can be found in the following 
locations:

Listing Rule 
sub-section Item

9.8.4 (1)

Interest capitalised

9.8.4 (5)

9.8.4 (14)

Waiver of emoluments  
by a director
Controlling shareholder

Location

Note 7 to the financial statements, 
page 134
Directors’ Remuneration Report, 
page 88
Corporate Governance Report,  
page 65

Audit information
Each of the persons who is a Director at the date of approval of this 
Annual Report and Financial Statements confirms that:

 ¼ so far as the Director is aware, there is no relevant audit 

information of which the Company’s auditors are unaware; and

 ¼ the Director has taken all reasonable 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 Company’s auditors are aware of that information.

This confirmation is given and should be interpreted in accordance 
with the provisions of s418 of the Companies Act 2006. By order 
of the Board:

RACHEL RICKARD 
Company Secretary  
16 March 2022

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

101

Strategic report GovernanceFinancial statementsAdditional informationStatement of Directors’ responsibilities

The Directors are responsible for preparing the Annual Report and Financial Statements in accordance with applicable United Kingdom 
law and regulations. 

Group financial statements 
Company law requires the Directors to prepare financial statements for each financial year. Under that law the Directors have elected to prepare 
the Group and parent company financial statements in accordance with International Accounting Standards in conformity with the requirements 
of the Companies Act 2006, and the parent company financial statements in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting 
Practice (United Kingdom Accounting Standards and applicable law), including Financial Reporting Standard 101 Reduced Disclosure 
Framework (FRS 101).Under company law the Directors must not approve the financial statements unless they are satisfied that they give a true 
and fair view of the state of affairs of the Group and the Company and of the profit or loss of the Group and the Company for that period. 

Under the Financial Conduct Authority’s Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules, Group financial statements are required to be 
prepared in accordance with UK-adopted International Accounting Standards. 

In preparing the Group and parent company financial statements the Directors are required to:

 ¼ select suitable accounting policies in accordance with IAS 8 Accounting Policies, Changes in Accounting Estimates and Errors and then 

apply them consistently;

 ¼ make judgements and accounting estimates that are reasonable and prudent;

 ¼ present information, including accounting policies, in a manner that provides relevant, reliable, comparable and understandable information;

 ¼ provide additional disclosures when compliance with the specific requirements in IFRSs (and in respect of the parent company financial 
statements, FRS 101) is insufficient to enable users to understand the impact of particular transactions, other events and conditions on 
the Group and Company financial position and financial performance; 

 ¼ in respect of the Group financial statements, state whether UK-adopted International Accounting Standards have been followed, subject 

to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements;

 ¼ in respect of the parent company financial statements, state whether International Accounting Standards in conformity with the 

requirements of the Companies Act 2006 / applicable UK Accounting Standards, including FRS 101, have been followed, subject to any 
material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements; and

 ¼ prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is appropriate to presume that the Company and/or the Group  

will not continue in business.

The Directors are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that are sufficient to show and explain the Company’s and 
Group’s transactions and disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the Company and the Group and enable 
them to ensure that the Company and the Group financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible  
for safeguarding the assets of the Group and parent company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection  
of fraud and other irregularities.

Under applicable law and regulations, the Directors are also responsible for preparing a Strategic Report, Directors’ report, Directors’ 
remuneration report and Corporate governance statement that comply with that law and those regulations. The Directors are responsible  
for the maintenance and integrity of the corporate and financial information included on the Company’s website harbourenergy.com. 

Directors’ responsibility statement (DTR 4.1)
The Directors confirm, to the best of their knowledge:

 ¼ that the consolidated financial statements, prepared in accordance with UK-adopted International Accounting Standards, give a true 

and fair view of the assets, liabilities, financial position and profit of the parent company and undertakings included in the consolidation 
taken as a whole; 

 ¼ that the Annual Report & Accounts, including the Strategic Report, includes a fair review of the development and performance of the 

business and the position of the Company and undertakings included in the consolidation taken as a whole, together with a description 
of the principal risks that they face; and

 ¼ that they consider the Annual Report & Accounts, taken as a whole, is fair, balanced and understandable and provides the information 

necessary for shareholders to assess the Company’s position, performance, business model and strategy.

This responsibility statement was approved by the Board of Directors on 16 March 2022 and is signed on its behalf by:

LINDA Z. COOK
Chief Executive Officer 

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Independent auditors’ report to the members of Harbour Energy plc

Opinion
In our opinion:

 ¼ Harbour Energy plc’s Group financial statements and parent company financial statements (the financial statements) give a true and fair view 
of the state of the Group’s and of the parent company’s affairs as at 31 December 2021 and of the Group’s profit for the year then ended;

 ¼ the Group financial statements have been properly prepared in accordance with UK-adopted International Accounting Standards;

 ¼ the parent company financial statements have been properly prepared in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted 

Accounting Practice; and

 ¼ the financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006. 

We have audited the financial statements of Harbour Energy plc (the parent company) and its subsidiaries (the Group) for the year ended 
31 December 2021 which comprise:

Group

Parent company

Consolidated balance sheet as at 31 December 2021

Balance sheet as at 31 December 2021

Consolidated income statement for the year then ended

Statement of changes in equity for the year then ended

Consolidated statement of comprehensive income for the year then ended  Related notes 1 to 10 to the financial statements including a summary  

of significant accounting policies 

Consolidated statement of changes in equity for the year then ended

Consolidated statement of cash flows for the year then ended

Related notes 1 to 31 to the financial statements, including a summary  
of significant accounting policies

The financial reporting framework that has been applied in the preparation of the Group financial statements is applicable law and 
UK-adopted International Accounting Standards and International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRSs). The financial reporting 
framework that has been applied in the preparation of the parent company financial statements is applicable law and United Kingdom 
Accounting Standards, including FRS 101 ‘Reduced Disclosure Framework’ (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

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 Auditors’ responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements section of our report. 
We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.

Independence
We are independent of the Group and parent in accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the financial 
statements in the UK, including the FRC’s Ethical Standard as applied to listed public interest entities, and we have fulfilled our other 
ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements. 

The non-audit services prohibited by the FRC’s Ethical Standard were not provided to the Group or the parent company and we remain 
independent of the Group and the parent company in conducting the audit. 

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. For the purposes of our evaluation of the Directors’ assessment of the Group  
and parent company’s ability to continue to adopt the going concern basis of accounting, we: 

 ¼ confirmed our understanding of management’s going concern assessment process in conjunction with our walkthrough of the Group’s 

financial close process, and engaged with management to confirm all relevant assumptions were considered; 

 ¼ tested the integrity of management’s going concern model by ensuring the forecasts were consistent with the budget approved by  

the Board and with other areas of the audit such as impairment assessments; 

 ¼ obtained the cash flow forecasts prepared by management for the Group, including the base case and downside scenarios; 

 ¼ challenged the key assumptions included in the model, including management’s oil and gas price assumptions. Our assessment  

of these price assumptions included a comparison of management’s price assumptions with recent broker and consultant estimates 
together with estimates used by other market participants, including those estimates that forecast the potential impact of the climate 
transition risks; 

 ¼ evaluated the reasonableness of all other key assumptions, such as production profiles and operating and capital expenditure forecasts, 
through assessing their consistency with other areas of the audit, including impairment assessments. We ensured these assumptions 
were consistent with the budget approved by Harbour Energy’s Board;

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 ¼ reviewed the Group’s loan agreements, ensuring that the cash outflows relating to interest and repayments are consistent with the 

agreements, that no covenants have been breached and that there is no forecast covenant breach in either the base case or downside 
case scenarios during the going concern period; 

 ¼ reviewed management’s reverse stress test in order to identify what factors would lead to the Group not meeting the financial covenants 
during the going concern period, including the minimum liquidity requirement as set in the Reserve Based Lending loan agreement, and 
assessed the likelihood of such a scenario;

 ¼ where relevant, we challenged the likelihood of management’s ability to execute mitigating actions such as removal of non-committed 
capex, as required, to continue its business activities under a downside scenario and under the scenarios in the reverse stress test;

 ¼ evaluated the impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on the Group’s operations and on the going concern assessment; and

 ¼ evaluated the appropriateness of the going concern disclosures in the Group financial statements to determine whether they are 

accurate and in line with IAS 1 – Presentation of financial statements – and our expectations given the above procedures performed. 

Based on the procedures performed, we observed that the key assumptions underpinning the base case scenario, specifically the  
oil and gas prices, are within the range of recent brokers and consultants’ estimates, and production profiles are consistent with the 
assumptions in our audit work on impairment and oil and gas reserves. In the downside cases modelled by management, we observed 
that there remained liquidity headroom before taking into account the mitigating actions management have identified and that under 
these cases the Group operates within the requirements of its financial covenants. 

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 and parent company’s ability to continue as a going concern for the period up to 
30 June 2023. 

In relation to the Group and parent company’s reporting on how they have 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. However, because not all future events or conditions can be predicted, this statement is not a guarantee as to the Group’s and 
parent company’s ability to continue as a going concern.

Overview of our audit approach

Audit scope

 ¼ We performed an audit of the complete financial information of seven components and audit procedures on specific 

balances for a further nine components.

 ¼ The components where we performed full or specific audit procedures accounted for 98% of Adjusted EBITDA, 

100% of Revenue and 82% of Total assets.

Key audit matters

 ¼ Accounting associated with the Reverse Takeover (RTO) and Purchase Price Allocation (PPA) process.

Materiality

First year audit transition

 ¼ Oil and gas reserves estimation including reserves used in the calculation of depreciation, depletion and 

amortisation, impairment testing and the assessment of the recoverability of deferred tax assets.

 ¼ Impairment of tangible oil and gas properties and associated goodwill.

 ¼  We determined materiality for the Group to be $57 million (2020: $102 million) which is 2.4% of Adjusted EBITDA 
($2,384 million). Adjusted EBITDA is earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, impairments and amortisation 
($2,129 million), excluding exploration cost write off ($255 million) but including exploration and evaluation expenses 
and new ventures ($50 million) (Adjusted EBITDA).

 ¼  The year ended 31 December 2021 is our first year as auditor of the newly formed Harbour Energy group following 
completion of the Reverse Takeover at the end of March 2021. EY were the previous auditors of Premier Oil plc and 
PwC were the previous auditors of Chrysaor, the accounting acquirer. 

 ¼  As part of our audit transition activities, we undertook reviews of the predecessor auditor files related to the audit 
of Chrysaor to review the working papers in relation to significant audit risk matters, to identify and assess the 
judgements exercised over these risks and to assess the nature, timing and extent of audit procedures performed 
by the predecessor auditor in forming the prior year audit opinion. 

 ¼  Prior to signing the interim review opinion, we performed procedures to understand and walk through the key 

processes in place for the newly formed group.

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An overview of the scope of the parent company and group audits
Tailoring the scope
Our assessment of audit risk, our evaluation of materiality and our allocation of performance materiality determine our audit scope for 
each company within the Group. Taken together, this enables us to form an opinion on the consolidated financial statements. We take into 
account size, risk profile, the organisation of the Group and effectiveness of group-wide controls, changes in the business environment 
and other factors such as the potential for and history of material misstatements when assessing the level of work to be performed at 
each company.

In assessing the risk of material misstatement to the Group financial statements, and to ensure we had adequate quantitative coverage 
of significant accounts in the financial statements, of the 88 reporting components of the Group, we selected 16 components covering 
entities within the United Kingdom, Vietnam and Indonesia, which represent the principal business units within the Group.

Of the 16 components selected, we performed an audit of the complete financial information of 7 components (full scope components) 
which were selected based on their size or risk characteristics. For the remaining 9 components (specific scope components), we 
performed audit procedures on specific accounts within that component that we considered had the potential for the greatest impact  
on the significant accounts in the financial statements either because of the size of these accounts or their risk profile. 

The reporting components where we performed audit procedures accounted for 98% of the Group’s Adjusted EBITDA, 100% of the Group’s 
Revenue and 82% of the Group’s Total Assets. For the current year, the full scope components contributed 79% of the Group’s Adjusted 
EBITDA, 80% of the Group’s Revenue and 71% of the Group’s Total Assets. The specific scope components contributed 19% of the Group’s 
EBITDA, 20% of the Group’s Revenue and 11% of the Group’s Total Assets. The audit scope of these components may not have included 
testing of all significant accounts of the component but will have contributed to the coverage of significant accounts tested for the Group. 
The primary team also performed specified procedures over six reporting components specifically on exploration asset balances.

Of the remaining 72 components that together represent 2% of the Group’s Adjusted EBITDA, none are individually greater than 1.7% of the 
Group’s Adjusted EBITDA, For these components, we performed other procedures, including analytical review and testing of consolidation 
journals and intercompany eliminations to respond to any potential risks of material misstatement to the Group financial statements.

The charts below illustrate the coverage obtained from the work performed by our audit teams.

Adjusted EBITDA

Revenue

Total assets

Full scope components

Specific scope components

Other procedures

79%

19%

2%

Full scope components

80%

Specific scope components

20%

Other procedures

0%

Full scope components

Specific scope components

Other procedures

71%

11%

18%

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Involvement with component teams 
In establishing our overall approach to the Group audit, we determined the type of work that needed to be undertaken at each of the 
components by us, as the primary audit engagement team, or by component auditors from other EY global network firms operating under 
our instruction. Of the seven full scope components, audit procedures were performed on all of these by the component audit teams in 
United Kingdom, Vietnam and Indonesia. For the nine specific scope components, the audit work for three of these was performed by the 
primary audit team and for the other six the work was performed by component auditors in United Kingdom, Vietnam and Indonesia. For 
these six specific scope components, we determined the appropriate level of involvement to enable us to determine that sufficient audit 
evidence had been obtained as a basis for our opinion on the Group as a whole.

As the 2021 audit of Harbour Energy plc is an initial audit, we performed additional procedures to ensure we exercised sufficient 
oversight over the components. As the previous auditors of Premier Oil, we had performed oversight procedures on these entities 
previously, including site visits to Indonesia and Vietnam. For the Chrysaor components in the United Kingdom we performed two 
separate site visits as described below.

Under normal circumstances, the lead audit partner and other senior members of the primary audit team would visit the component 
teams on a rotational basis during the audit cycle. During the current year’s audit cycle, visits were undertaken by the primary audit  
team to the component team in the United Kingdom (92% of Adjusted EBITDA), both prior to and subsequent to the year-end date.  
This component team performs the procedures over 10 out of 13 full and specific scope entities in scope in the United Kingdom.  
These visits involved discussing the audit approach with the component team and any issues arising from their work, meeting with  
local management, attending planning and closing meetings, and reviewing relevant audit working papers on risk areas. 

Due to the ongoing travel restrictions and lockdowns in place during the year it was not possible to perform an in-person site visit to  
the components in Indonesia and Vietnam. The strategy to evaluate, review and oversee the work of the component teams in Indonesia 
(4% of Adjusted EBITDA) and Vietnam (2% of Adjusted EBITDA) included the following procedures:

 ¼  held a virtual planning event, with members of all component teams in attendance, in order to discuss the audit approach and relevant 

business updates;

 ¼  increased the frequency of our dialogue with our component teams throughout the audit cycle;

 ¼ reviewed key workpapers prepared by component teams in areas of particular risk such as impairment and revenue recognition through 

the interactive capability of EY Canvas, our global audit workflow tool, or share-screen functionality; and

 ¼ virtually attended closing meetings held between EY component teams and local management in order to discuss the audit status and 

any issues arising.

These procedures, together with the additional procedures performed at group level, gave us appropriate evidence for our opinion on the 
Group financial statements.

Climate change 
There has been increasing interest from stakeholders as to how climate change will impact Harbour Energy plc. The Group has determined 
that the most significant future impacts from climate change on their operations will be from the shift in demand for oil and gas in the future 
as the world transitions towards a low carbon economy. Additionally, on the supply side, the oil and gas sector may be subject to new climate 
change regulations or supply chain challenges that increase costs and impact the decommissioning of high emitting assets. These are 
explained in the ESG review on page 32, which includes the required Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures and on page  
55 in the principal risks, which form part of the ‘Other information’, rather than the audited financial statements. Our procedures on  
these disclosures therefore consisted solely of considering whether they are materially inconsistent with the financial statements or our 
knowledge obtained in the course of the audit or otherwise appear to be materially misstated. 

As explained in Note 2 – Accounting Policies, governmental and societal responses to climate change risks are still developing, and are 
interdependent upon each other, and consequently financial statements cannot capture all possible future outcomes as these are not  
yet known. The degree of certainty of these changes may also mean that they cannot be taken into account when determining asset and 
liability valuations and the timing of future cash flows under the requirements of IFRS. In Note 2 to the financial statements a description 
has been provided on how climate change risks have been considered in the key judgements and estimates in the financial statements. 

Our audit effort in considering climate change was focused on ensuring that the effects of material climate risks disclosed on pages 32 
and 55 and the Group’s commitment to be Net Zero (Scope 1 and 2) by 2035 have been appropriately reflected in the estimation of oil  
and gas reserves and the impairment assessments for oil and gas assets. Details of climate related procedures and findings are included 
within our key audit matters opposite. We also challenged the Directors’ considerations of climate change in their assessment of going 
concern and viability and associated disclosures.

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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 our opinion thereon, and we do not provide a separate opinion on these matters.

Key observations communicated  
to the Audit and Risk Committee

The Merger constituted a ‘reverse 
takeover’ of Premier by Chrysaor and 
has therefore been accounted for as a 
reverse acquisition in accordance with 
IFRS 3, Business Combinations. As a 
result, Premier is fully consolidated in 
the financial statements with effect 
from 31 March 2021, and all results 
prior to this date represent those of 
Chrysaor only.

We reported to the Audit and Risk 
Committee that, based on our testing 
performed, we consider the key 
assumptions applied by management 
in its PPA exercise to be reasonable. 
Following the execution of our PPA 
audit procedures, we did not identify 
any positions adopted by management 
that were indicative of management 
bias. The accounting for and disclosure 
of the transaction in the financial 
statements are in line with IFRS 3.

The provisional PPA fair values  
were finalised at year-end. We 
concluded that the final amounts 
recognised were reasonable and  
the adjustments to the provisional 
PPA met the IFRS 3 criteria. 

Accounting associated with the Merger and PPA

Risk 

Our response to the risk

Refer to the Audit and Risk Committee 
Report (page 67); Accounting policies 
(page 119); and Note 14 of the 
Consolidated Financial Statements 
(page 142).

Although Premier legally acquired 
Chrysaor through the issuance of 
shares, Chrysaor is considered the 
accounting acquirer on the basis that 
it took control of the enlarged group. 
Reverse takeovers that involve two 
operating entities of significant scale 
are rare and involve a number of 
technical accounting considerations.

The recognition of Premier’s assets 
and liabilities at fair value involve a 
number of judgemental estimates, 
including the valuation of oil and gas 
properties, exploration and evaluation 
assets and the recognition of deferred 
tax assets which rely on the use of 
certain key assumptions. These 
include the estimation of future oil and 
gas prices, a future production profile 
and an appropriate discount rate.

Our audit response was executed by the primary audit team. We performed 
the following audit procedures with respect to management’s accounting 
for the transaction:

 ¼  reviewed the underlying agreements and evaluated the commercial 

substance of the transaction in order to assess whether the 
transaction was a business combination; 

 ¼  recalculated management’s assessment of ‘consideration transferred’ 
based on the terms of the arrangement and publicly available share 
price data;

 ¼ in auditing the valuation of ‘acquired’ tangible oil and gas assets we 

focused on the following areas:

 –  Price: in conjunction with EY valuations specialists, we assessed 
the appropriateness of oil and gas price assumptions through 
comparison with the estimates of market participants, including 
those estimates that forecast the potential impact of the climate 
transition risks;

 –  discount rate: in conjunction with EY valuations specialists, we 

assessed the appropriateness of management’s discount rates 
based on an independent re-calculation of the Group’s weighted 
average cost of capital; and

 –  other assumptions (including production and cost estimates): 

compared management’s assumptions to those audited as part  
of our 2020 audit of Premier and assessed the appropriateness  
of any significant changes. 

 ¼  assessed the appropriateness of management’s methodology 

of assigning fair value to exploration assets, including the 
appropriateness of key assumptions applied throughout;

 ¼ reviewed the ‘reverse acquisition’ accounting requirements in order to 

assess management’s measurement and presentation of equity balances; 

 ¼  tested the appropriateness of management’s deferred tax asset (DTA) 
recoverability assessment through reconciliation of the underlying 
cash flow forecasts to the audited asset valuation models;

 ¼ assessed the valuation of Premier’s debt based on the terms of the 
agreed settlement as well as the appropriateness of management’s 
accounting in respect of the subsequent settlement;

 ¼  evaluated the appropriateness of management’s decommissioning 
discount rates based on comparison with recent government bond 
rates and compared management’s decommissioning cost estimates 
to those audited during our 2020 year-end audit of Premier, assessing 
the appropriateness of any significant changes; 

 ¼ given the judgemental nature of the PPA exercise, we considered 

the potential for management bias throughout the execution of our 
procedures. Whilst our audit procedures included the determination of 
reasonable ranges which assessed the risk of over and understatement 
of recognised assets and liabilities, we remained alert to the potential 
incentive to reduce the extent of goodwill recognised on acquisition;

 ¼ reviewed management’s proposed IFRS 3 disclosures and assessed 
their appropriateness in disclosing the key judgements applied in 
measuring the fair value of acquired assets and liabilities; and

 ¼ audited any material adjustments made to the provisional PPA during a 
maximum period of one year from the acquisition date and assessed 
whether, in line with IFRS 3 requirements, those additional assets or 
liabilities were based on new information obtained about facts and 
circumstances that existed at the acquisition date.

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Key observations communicated  
to the Audit and Risk Committee

We reported to the Audit and Risk 
Committee in its March 2022 meeting 
that, based on our testing performed, we 
had not identified any errors or factual 
inconsistencies with reference to Harbour’s 
oil and gas reserve estimates that would 
materially impact the financial statements 
and that, as a result, we consider the 
reserve estimates to be appropriate.

90% of Harbour’s 2P reserves are 
expected to be produced by 2035. We  
do not believe that Harbour’s 2P reserves 
as at 31 December 2021, as well as 
associated tangible oil and gas properties, 
are significantly exposed to climate 
transition risks.

Oil and gas reserve estimation

Risk 

Our response to the risk

Refer to the Audit and Risk Committee 
Report (page 67); Accounting policies 
(page 119); and Additional information 
on page 173.

Our audit response was performed by the primary audit team. Our 
procedures covered 100% of reserve volumes with a direct impact on  
the financial statements. We performed the following audit procedures 
with respect to management’s estimation of oil and gas reserves:

At 31 December 2021, Harbour reported 
487.5 million barrels of oil equivalent 
(mmboe) of proven and probable (2P) 
reserves (2020: 451.2 mmboe).

The estimation and measurement  
of oil and gas reserves impacts  
many material elements of the 
financial statements including 
depreciation, depletion and 
amortisation (DD&A), impairment, 
going concern, decommissioning 
provisions and DTA recoverability.

Auditing the estimation of oil and  
gas reserves is complex, as there is 
significant estimation uncertainty in 
assessing the quantities of reserves 
and resources in place. Estimation 
uncertainty is further elevated given 
the transition to a low-carbon 
economy which could impact 
life-of-field assumptions and increase 
the risk of underutilised or stranded 
oil and gas assets. Also, given the 
estimation of oil and gas reserves is 
complex, there is a risk that 
inappropriate management bias 
influences the estimates. 

Management’s 2P reserves estimates 
are prepared by an internal specialist 
whilst an external specialist is 
engaged for the purpose of assessing 
the appropriateness of management’s 
internal estimate.

 ¼ confirmed our understanding of Harbour’s oil and gas reserve 

estimation process as well as the control environment implemented  
by management;

 ¼  reconciled the opening reserves balances to the prior year reserves 
estimate for Chrysaor and assessed the addition in reserves as a 
result of the acquisition of Premier;

 ¼  assessed the appropriateness of reliance on management’s internal 

and external reserve specialists by performing procedures to evaluate 
their competence and objectivity;

 ¼  met with management’s internal and external specialists to 

understand the basis, and therefore appropriateness, of variances 
between the two sets of estimates;

 ¼  where variances of a technical nature were identified, we utilised 
the knowledge and expertise of an EY partner from our Financial 
Accounting Advisory Services practice with significant oil and gas 
reserves expertise and valuation experience to assess the nature  
of the variance and appropriateness of management’s estimate;

 ¼  we recalculated net entitlement production that reflect the terms of 
production sharing contracts for the relevant fields and is derived  
from reserves prepared by internal specialists and assessed by 
external specialists;

 ¼  investigated all material volume movements from management’s  

prior period estimate together with lack of movement where changes 
were expected based on our understanding of the Group’s operations 
and findings from other areas of our audit;

 ¼ in light of Harbour’s pledge to reach Net Zero for Scope 1 and 2 
emissions by 2035 (equity share), we considered the extent of 
reserves recognised that are due to be produced beyond 2035 in 
assessing the potential impact of the climate transition risk and 
energy transition on the recognition of Harbour’s reserves; and

 ¼  ensured reserve volumes were consistently applied throughout all 
relevant accounting processes including DD&A, impairment, going 
concern, decommissioning provisions and DTA recoverability.

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Key observations communicated  
to the Audit and Risk Committee

We reported to the Audit and Risk 
Committee in its March 2022 meeting 
that, based on our testing performed, we 
considered the current period impairment 
charge to be fairly stated. The key 
assumptions used within the impairment 
models were within a reasonable range. 

Impairment of tangible oil and gas properties and associated goodwill

Risk 

Our response to the risk

Refer to the Audit and Risk Committee 
Report (page 67); Accounting policies 
(page 119); Notes 10 and 12 of the 
Consolidated Financial Statements 
(pages 137 and 139).

In the current period, management 
noted impairment indicators for 
certain of the Group’s assets and 
recorded a pre-tax impairment charge 
of $117 million (2020: $644 million).

Management prepares the tangible 
asset impairment tests under the Fair 
Value Less Cost to Sell methodology. 
The models include a number of 
accounting estimates and judgements 
including: future oil and gas prices; 
discount rates; inflation rates; 
production forecasts; operating 
expenditures; and capital expenditures 
for each CGU. Changes to any of these 
key inputs could lead to a potential 
impairment or a reversal of impairment, 
hence this is considered a key audit 
matter. Following the identification of 
indicators of impairment for five of the 
Group’s CGUs, these were tested for 
impairment in the period.

Our audit response was executed by the primary audit team and 
Aberdeen, Indonesia and Vietnam component audit teams, covering all 
assets at risk of material impairment. We performed the following audit 
procedures with respect to management’s impairment assessment:

 ¼ confirmed our understanding of Harbour’s impairment process,  
as well as the control environment implemented by management;

 ¼ considered the internal and external sources of information included 

in IAS 36 to identify any potential indicators of impairment loss and/or 
reversal, specifically any sustained increase or decrease in long term 
oil and gas prices compared to the prior year; 

 ¼ following identification of indicators of impairment in respect of five 
CGUs, we obtained the discounted cash flow model and tested the 
model integrity;

 ¼ in conjunction with our EY valuations specialists, we assessed the 
appropriateness of management’s oil and gas price assumptions 
through comparison with the estimates of market participants. 
Reflective of a narrowing of the range of long-term oil price forecasts, 
management elected to revise its long-term Brent oil price assumption 
to $65/bbl (real) (2020: $60/bbl, real) during the current period. 
Our assessment of management’s long-term oil price assumption 
considered the estimates of recognised consultants, including 
those that reflect the potential impact of the transition to a Net Zero 
economy on future prices;

 ¼ in conjunction with our EY valuations specialists, we assessed the 

appropriateness of management’s impairment discount rates based 
on an independent re-calculation of the Group’s weighted average 
cost of capital;

 ¼ tested management’s production profiles through reconciliation to the 

results of our testing in respect of reserve estimation; 

 ¼ tested the appropriateness of other cash flow assumptions such  

as opex, capex and decommissioning spend by comparing against  
Board-approved plans and actual costs incurred; we compared inflation 
and FX rates to recent market forecasts to assess their reasonableness;

 ¼ performed procedures to understand how management intend to 
achieve their planned Scope 1 and 2 emissions reductions and 
whether these actions have been reflected in the cash flow forecasts 
in the corporate model that underpins management’s impairment 
assessment;

 ¼ performed headroom analysis for the material profit making CGUs  

as part of our assessment of the goodwill balance; and

 ¼ performed independent testing of carbon prices to assess 

reasonableness of the carbon price forecasts used in the cash  
flow models. 

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

109

Strategic report GovernanceFinancial statementsAdditional informationIndependent auditors’ report to the members of Harbour Energy plc continued

Our application of materiality
We apply the concept of materiality in planning and performing the audit, in evaluating the effect of identified misstatements on the audit 
and in forming our audit opinion. 

Materiality
The magnitude of an omission or misstatement that, individually or in the aggregate, could reasonably be expected to influence the 
economic decisions of the users of the financial statements. Materiality provides a basis for determining the nature and extent of our 
audit procedures.

We determined materiality for the Group to be $57 million which is 2.4% of earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, impairments and 
amortisation ($2,129 million), excluding exploration cost write off ($255 million) but including exploration and evaluation expenses and 
new ventures ($50 million) (Adjusted EBITDA). We believe that Adjusted EBITDA represents a measure that is of particular focus to 
shareholders and is closely linked to both the metric used in the covenant included in the Group’s major loan agreement and the key 
performance indicator for the Group (EBITDAX). Measures such as Adjusted EBITDA are a primary indicator of company valuation and 
cash flow generation across the upstream oil and gas sector. For the 2020 audit of Chrysaor Holdings Limited, PwC determined 
materiality to be $102 million which represented 1% of Total Assets.

We determined materiality for the parent company to be $37.9 million (2020: $10.0 million), which is 0.5% (2020: 0.5%) of Total Assets. 
There has been a significant increase in Total Assets since the prior period due to the Reverse Takeover that occurred during the year. 

Starting  
basis

 ¼ $2,129 million

 ¼ EBITDA

 ¼ $255 million

 ¼ Adjustments relating to non-recurring items: 

Adjustments

exploration cost write off

 ¼ Totals £2,384 million Adjusted EBITDA

 ¼ Materiality of $57 million (2.4% of materiality basis)

Materiality

During the course of our audit, we reassessed initial materiality and found no reason to change from our original assessment at planning. 

Performance materiality
The application of materiality at the individual account or balance level. It is set at an amount to reduce to an appropriately low level 
the probability that the aggregate of uncorrected and undetected misstatements exceeds materiality.

On the basis of our risk assessments, together with our assessment of the Group’s overall control environment, our judgement was  
that performance materiality was 50% of our planning materiality, namely $28.5 million. We have set performance materiality at this 
percentage due to 2021 being the first period for our audit of the newly formed Harbour Energy listed Group as well as our quantitative 
and qualitative assessment of prior year misstatements, our assessment of the Group’s overall control environment, and consideration  
of relevant changes in market conditions during the period. Performance materiality for the 2020 audit of Chrysaor Holdings Limited  
was set by PwC at $76.5 million, being 75% of planning materiality.

Audit work at component locations for the purpose of obtaining audit coverage over significant financial statement accounts is 
undertaken based on a percentage of total performance materiality. The performance materiality set for each component is based on  
the relative scale and risk of the component to the Group as a whole and our assessment of the risk of misstatement at that component. 
In the current year, the range of performance materiality allocated to components was $5.7 million to $18.5 million. For the 2020 audit 
of Chrysaor Holdings Limited, PwC allocated materiality to in-scope components in the range of $75 million to $90 million.

Reporting threshold
An amount below which identified misstatements are considered as being clearly trivial.

We agreed with the Audit and Risk Committee that we would report to them all uncorrected audit differences in excess of $2.9 million, which 
is set at 5% of planning materiality, as well as differences below that threshold that, in our view, warranted reporting on qualitative grounds.

We evaluate any uncorrected misstatements against both the quantitative measures of materiality discussed above and in light of other 
relevant qualitative considerations in forming our opinion.

110

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Annual Report & Accounts 2021

Other information 
The other information comprises the information included in the annual report as set out on pages 2 to 102, including the Strategic 
Report, Governance and Additional Information sections, 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  
this 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 the other information, we are required to report that fact.

We have nothing to report in this regard.

Opinions on other matters prescribed by the Companies Act 2006
In our opinion, the part of the Directors’ remuneration report to be audited has been properly prepared in accordance with the  
Companies Act 2006.

In our opinion, based on the work undertaken in the course of the audit:

 ¼  the information given in the Strategic Report and the Directors’ report for the financial year for which the financial statements are 

prepared is consistent with the financial statements; and 

 ¼  the Strategic Report and the Directors’ report have been prepared in accordance with applicable legal requirements.

Matters on which we are required to report by exception
In the light of the knowledge and understanding of the Group and the parent company and its environment obtained in the course of the 
audit, we have not identified material misstatements in the Strategic Report or the Directors’ report.

We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters in relation to which the Companies Act 2006 requires us to report to you if, 
in our opinion:

 ¼  adequate accounting records have not been kept by the parent company, or returns adequate for our audit have not been received from 

branches not visited by us; 

 ¼ the parent company financial statements and the part of the Directors’ remuneration report to be audited are not in agreement with the 

accounting records and returns; 

 ¼ certain disclosures of directors’ remuneration specified by law are not made; or

 ¼ we have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit.

Corporate Governance Statement
We have reviewed the Directors’ statement in relation to going concern, longer-term viability and that part of the Corporate Governance 
Statement relating to the Group and company’s compliance with the provisions of the UK Corporate Governance Code specified for our 
review by the Listing Rules.

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 or our knowledge obtained during the audit:

 ¼ directors’ statement with regards to the appropriateness of adopting the going concern basis of accounting as set out on pages 43  

and 102;

 ¼ directors’ explanation as to its assessment of the Company’s prospects, the period this assessment covers and why the period is 

appropriate as set out on pages 43 and 47;

 ¼ directors’ statement on whether it has a reasonable expectation that the Group will be able to continue in operation and meets its 

liabilities as set out on pages 43 and 102;

 ¼ directors’ statement on fair, balanced and understandable as set out on page 102;

 ¼ the Board’s confirmation that it has carried out a robust assessment of the emerging and principal risks as set out on page 48;

 ¼ the section of the annual report that describes the review of effectiveness of risk management and internal control systems as set  

out on page 68; and

 ¼ the section describing the work of the Audit and Risk Committee as set out on page 66.

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

111

Strategic report GovernanceFinancial statementsAdditional informationIndependent auditors’ report to the members of Harbour Energy plc continued

Responsibilities of Directors
As explained more fully in the Statement of Directors’ responsibilities as set out on page 102, 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 and parent company’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 the parent company or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so.

Auditors’ 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 auditors’ 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. 

Explanation as to what extent 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 irregularities, including fraud. The risk of not detecting a material misstatement due to fraud  
is higher than the risk of not detecting one resulting from error, as fraud may involve deliberate concealment by, for example, forgery or 
intentional misrepresentations, or through collusion. The extent to which our procedures are capable of detecting irregularities, including 
fraud is detailed below.

However, the primary responsibility for the prevention and detection of fraud rests with both those charged with governance of the 
Company and management. 

 ¼ We obtained an understanding of the legal and regulatory frameworks that are applicable to the Group and determined that the most 
significant are those that relate to the reporting framework (IFRS, Companies Act 2006, the UK Corporate Governance Code and the 
Listing Rules of the UK Listing Authority) and the relevant tax compliance regulations in the jurisdictions in which Harbour Energy plc 
operates. In addition, we concluded that there are certain significant laws and regulations that may have an effect on the determination 
of the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements, relating to health and safety, employee matters, environmental, and bribery 
and corruption practices. We understood how the Group is complying with those frameworks by making enquiries of management, legal 
counsel and the Company Secretary. We corroborated the results of our enquiries through our review of Board minutes, papers provided 
to the Audit and Risk Committee and correspondence received from regulatory bodies and noted there was no contradictory evidence. 

 ¼ We assessed the susceptibility of the Group’s financial statements to material misstatement, including how fraud might occur by 

considering the degree of incentive, opportunity and rationalisation that may exist to undertake fraud. We also considered performance 
targets and their influence on efforts made by management to manage earnings or influence the perceptions of analysts. We engaged 
our forensics specialists in assisting our assessment of the susceptibility of the Group’s financial statements to fraud. We have 
determined there is a risk of fraud associated with management override in manual revenue journals that do not follow the expected 
process. We performed audit procedures to address each identified fraud risk. These procedures were designed to provide reasonable 
assurance that the financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, due to fraud or error. 

 ¼ Based on this understanding we designed our audit procedures to identify non-compliance with such laws and regulations, including 

specific instructions to full scope components. Our procedures involved journal entry testing, with a focus on manual consolidation journals 
and journals indicating large or unusual transactions based on our understanding of the business; enquiries of legal counsel, Group 
management, Internal Audit, component management at all full and specific scope components; and focused testing, including in respect  
of management override through manual revenue journals and specific searches derived from forensic investigations experience. 

 ¼ Based on the results of our audit procedures, there were no significant instances of non-compliance with laws and regulations identified 

at the Group or component level.

A further description of our responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements is located on the Financial Reporting Council’s website 
at www.frc.org.uk/auditorsresponsibilities. This description forms part of our auditors’ report.

112

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

Other matters we are required to address
 ¼ Following the recommendation from the Audit and Risk Committee, we were appointed by the Company on 22 April 2021 to audit  

the Group and parent company financial statements for the year ending 31 December 2021 and for subsequent financial periods.  
The period of total uninterrupted engagement including previous renewals and reappointments is one year, covering the year ended  
31 December 2021.

 ¼ The audit opinion is consistent with the additional report to the Audit and Risk Committee.

Use of our report
This report is made solely to the Company’s members, as a body, in accordance with Chapter 3 of Part 16 of the Companies Act 2006. 
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 auditors’ report 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.

ANDREW SMYTH (Senior statutory auditor) 
For and on behalf of Ernst & Young LLP, Statutory Auditor 
London, United Kingdom 
16 March 2022

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

113

Strategic report GovernanceFinancial statementsAdditional informationConsolidated income statement 
For the year ended 31 December

Revenue

Other income

Cost of operations

Impairment of property, plant and equipment

Impairment of goodwill

Exploration and evaluation expenses and new ventures

Exploration costs written-off

General and administrative expenses

Operating profit/(loss)

Finance income

Finance expenses

Profit/(loss) before taxation

Income tax (expense)/credit

Profit/(loss) for the financial year

Note

4

4

12

10

5

5

5

7

7

8

2021  
$ million

3,478.8

139.2

2020  
$ million

2,413.6

24.2

(2,453.2)

(1,847.2)

(117.2)

–

(49.8)

(255.0)

(102.5)

640.3

48.8

(374.6)

314.5

(213.4)

101.1

(644.0)

(411.4)

(13.2)

(160.8)

(48.6)

(687.4)

11.4

(301.7)

(977.7)

199.3

(778.4)

114

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

Consolidated statement of comprehensive income 
For the year ended 31 December

Profit/(loss) for the financial year

Items that may be subsequently reclassified to income statement in subsequent periods

Fair value losses on cash flow hedges

Tax credit on cash flow hedges

Currency exchange differences 

Total other comprehensive loss for the financial year, net of tax

Total comprehensive loss for the financial year

Attributable to equity holders of the parent

2021 
$ million

2020 
$ million

101.1

(778.4)

(3,583.8)

1,433.2

(5.7)

(2,156.3)

(2,055.2)

(2,055.2)

(173.7)

71.3

27.4

(75.0)

(853.4)

(853.4)

Earnings per share
For the year ended 31 December

Basic and diluted

Note

9

2021 
cents

11.6

2020 
cents

(110.4)

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

115

Strategic report GovernanceFinancial statementsAdditional informationConsolidated balance sheet 
As at 31 December

Assets

Non-current assets

Goodwill

Other intangible assets

Property, plant and equipment

Right-of-use assets

Deferred tax assets

Other receivables

Other financial assets

Total non-current assets

Current assets

Inventories

Trade and other receivables

Other financial assets

Cash and cash equivalents

Total current assets

Total assets

Equity and liabilities

Equity

Share capital

Share premium

Capital redemption reserve

Merger reserve

Cash flow hedge reserve

Costs of hedging reserve

Currency translation reserve

Retained earnings/(accumulated losses)

Total equity

Non-current liabilities

Borrowings

Provisions

Deferred tax

Trade and other payables

Lease creditor

Other financial liabilities

Total non-current liabilities

Current liabilities

Trade and other payables

Borrowings

Lease creditor

Provisions

Current tax liabilities

Other financial liabilities

Total current liabilities

Total liabilities

Total equity and liabilities

Note

2021 
$ million

2020 
$ million

10

11

12

13

8

16

22

15

16

22

17

24

21

20

8

19

13

22

19

21

13

20

22

1,327.1

873.7

7,246.7

551.5

1,938.4

263.0

10.1

990.0

454.1

6,522.4

132.2

–

3.6

90.4

12,210.5

8,192.7

211.4

1,342.2

41.8

698.7

2,294.1

14,504.6

171.1

1,504.6

8.1

677.4

(2,062.1)

1.5

98.3

74.6

160.5

461.3

222.6

445.4

1,289.8

9,482.5

0.1

910.0

–

–

80.2

9.8

104.0

(36.8)

473.5

1,067.3

2,823.7

5,022.6

187.1

32.3

489.2

1,373.6

9,928.5

873.6

62.3

165.1

358.6

116.8

2,526.2

4,102.6

14,031.1

14,504.6

2,160.3

4,020.8

1,031.4

29.8

80.8

52.5

7,375.6

540.3

21.5

60.1

190.2

153.3

74.2

1,039.6

8,415.2

9,482.5

The notes on pages 119 to 165 form part of these financial statements. 
The financial statements on pages 114 to 165 were approved by the Board of Directors on 16 March 2022 and signed on its behalf by:  

ALEXANDER KRANE 
Chief Financial Officer 

116

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

Consolidated statement of changes in equity
For the year ended 31 December

Share 
capital 
$ million

Share 
premium 
$ million

Merger 
reserve 
$ million

Capital 
redemption 
reserve 
$ million

Cash flow 
hedge
reserve1
$ million

Costs of 
hedging
reserve1
$ million

Currency 
translation 
reserve 
$ million

(Accumulated 
losses)/
retained 
earnings 
$ million

Total  
equity 
$ million

As at 1 January 2020 

0.1

910.0

Loss for the financial year

Share-based payments

Other comprehensive profit/(loss)

–

–

–

–

–

–

At 31 December 2020

0.1

910.0

Shares issued in settlement  
of D loan notes

–

134.7

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

Reverse takeover

171.0

(527.2)

635.9

8.1

Settlement of Premier’s debt2

Profit for the financial year

Share-based payments

Purchase of ESOP Trust shares

Other comprehensive loss

–

–

–

–

–

987.1

41.5

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

176.1

16.3

76.6

729.8

1,908.9

–

–

(95.9)

80.2

–

–

(6.5)

9.8

–

–

27.4

104.0

–

–

–

–

–

–

(2,142.3)

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

(8.3)

1.5

(5.7)

98.3

(778.4)

(778.4)

11.8

–

11.8

(75.0)

(36.8)

1,067.3

–

–

–

134.7

287.8

1,028.6

101.1

101.1

13.4

(3.1)

13.4

(3.1)

–

(2,156.3)

74.6

473.5

At 31 December 2021

171.1

1,504.6

677.4

8.1

(2,062.1)

1  Disclosed net of deferred tax.
2  Debt settlement relates to the issuance of shares in partial settlement of Premier’s debt.

The Merger constituted a ‘reverse takeover’ of Premier by Chrysaor and has therefore been accounted for as a reverse acquisition  
in accordance with IFRS 3 Business Combinations. The effect on the statement of changes in equity is that the capital structure  
(Share capital and Share premium) is a continuation of the legal acquirer (Premier Oil plc), whilst the remaining reserves reflect  
the accounting acquirer (Chrysaor Holdings Limited).

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

117

Strategic report GovernanceFinancial statementsAdditional informationNote

27

2021 
$ million

 2020 
$ million

1,614.2

1,373.4

(176.5)

(437.4)

(30.0)

97.4

7.4

–

(46.0)

14.1

(88.3)

(457.6)

(52.2)

–

–

(12.5)

–

7.4

(571.0)

(603.2)

(697.5)

(400.0)

(9.3)

(14.7)

(1,276.5)

(48.5)

45.9

1,617.5

500.0

(3.1)

(160.4)

(135.7)

(204.9)

(787.2)

256.0

(2.7)

445.4

698.7

(774.0)

–

(1.6)

(8.7)

–

–

12.8

157.5

–

–

(60.5)

(77.1)

(147.8)

(899.4)

(129.2)

1.4

573.2

445.4

14

21

21

21

21

21

21

21

21

13

21

17

Consolidated statement of cash flows 
For the year ended 31 December

Net cash inflow from operating activities

Cash flows from investing activities

Expenditure on exploration and evaluation assets

Expenditure on property, plant and equipment

Expenditure on non-oil and gas intangible assets

Cash acquired on business combinations

Receipts for sub-lease income

Expenditure on business combinations – contingent consideration

Expenditure on business combinations – deferred consideration

Finance income received

Net cash outflow from investing activities

Cash flows from financing activities

Repayment of senior debt

Repayment of junior debt

Repayment of financing arrangement

Repayment of Exploration Financing Facility

Repayment of short-term debt arising on business combination

Repayment of hedging liabilities arising on business combination

Proceeds from new borrowings – Exploration Financing Facility

Proceeds from new borrowings – senior debt

Proceeds from new borrowings – High Yield Bond

Purchase of ESOP Trust shares

Lease payments

Redemption of loan notes

Interest paid and bank charges

Net cash outflow from financing activities

Net increase/(decrease) in cash and cash equivalents

Effect of exchange rates on cash and cash equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents at 1 January 

Cash and cash equivalents as at 31 December

118

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

Notes to the consolidated financial statements

1. Corporate information
The consolidated financial statements of Harbour Energy plc (Harbour or the Company, formerly Premier Oil plc) for the year ended  
31 December 2021 which comprise the Company and all its subsidiaries (the Group), were authorised for issue in accordance with a 
resolution of the Directors on 16 March 2022. Harbour Energy plc is a limited liability company incorporated in Scotland and listed on the 
London Stock Exchange. The Company’s registered office is 4th Floor, Saltire Court, 20 Castle Terrace, Edinburgh, EH1 2EN, United Kingdom.

In October 2020, Harbour Energy Limited entered into an agreement with Premier Oil plc (Premier) regarding an all-share Merger between 
Premier and Harbour Energy Limited’s subsidiary, Chrysaor Holdings Limited (Chrysaor). Under the terms of the Merger, Premier legally 
acquired Chrysaor through the issuance of consideration shares whilst Chrysaor was the acquiror for accounting purposes, primarily as a 
result of its ability to appoint the Board of the enlarged group. The transaction completed on 31 March 2021, whereupon Premier, being 
the legal acquirer and accounting acquiree, changed its name from Premier Oil plc to Harbour Energy plc.

The Merger constituted a ‘reverse takeover’ of Premier by Chrysaor and has therefore been accounted for as a reverse acquisition in 
accordance with IFRS 3 Business Combinations. As a result, Premier is fully consolidated in the financial statements with effect from 
31 March 2021, and all results prior to this date represent those of Chrysaor only.

The Group’s principal activities are the acquisition, exploration, development and production of oil and gas reserves on the UK and 
Norwegian Continental Shelves, Indonesia, Vietnam and Mexico.

2. Accounting policies
Basis of preparation
The consolidated financial statements of the Group have been prepared on a going concern basis in accordance with International Financial 
Reporting Standards (IFRS) in conformity with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 and UK-adopted International Accounting 
Standards. The analysis used by the Directors in adopting the going concern basis considers the various plans and commitments of the 
Group as well as various sensitivity and reverse stress test analyses. Further details are within the Financial review and Viability Statement.

The Group financial statements are presented in US Dollars ($) and all values are rounded to the nearest $0.1 million except where 
otherwise stated.

The financial statements have been prepared on the historical cost basis, except for certain financial assets and liabilities (including 
derivative financial instruments) which have been measured at fair value.

The accounting policies which follow set out those policies which apply in preparing the financial statements for the year ended 
31 December 2021. All accounting policies are consistent with those adopted and disclosed in Chrysaor’s 2020 Annual Report  
and Financial Statements, other than where new policies have been adopted, and the comparatives are those of Chrysaor. 

In addition, following the Merger with Premier and its material FPSO lease arrangements, the Group has adopted its leasing accounting 
policy in relation to lease arrangements of a joint operation, see Leases.

Basis of consolidation
The Group financial statements consolidate the financial statements of the Company and its subsidiary undertakings drawn up to 
31 December 2021. Subsidiaries are those entities over which the Group has control. Control is achieved where the Group has the 
power over the subsidiary, is exposed, or has rights to variable returns from the subsidiary and has the ability to use its power to affect  
its returns. All subsidiaries are 100 per cent owned by the Group and there are no non-controlling interests. 

The results of subsidiaries acquired or disposed of during the year are included in the income statement from the effective date of 
acquisition or up to the effective date of disposal, as appropriate. Where necessary, adjustments are made to the financial statements  
of subsidiaries acquired to bring the accounting policies used into line with those used by other members of the Group.

All intercompany balances have been eliminated on consolidation.

Impact of climate change on the financial statements and related disclosures
Judgements and estimates made in assessing the impact of climate change and the energy transition
The Group monitors global climate change and energy transition developments and plans accordingly. Management recognises there  
is a general high level of uncertainty about the speed and scale of impacts which, together with limited historical information, provides 
significant challenges in the preparation of forecasts and plans with a range of possible future scenarios. 

The Group’s strategic ambition is to achieve Net Zero by 2035 through several opportunities, including operational improvements, UK 
offshore electrification, UK Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) and the eventual cessation of production of mature fields. Where the Group 
cannot reduce its Scope 1 and 2 emissions, it will invest in carbon offsets to achieve the goal of Net Zero. All new economic investment 
decisions include the cost of carbon and opportunities are assessed on their climate-impact potential and alignment with Harbour Energy’s 
Net Zero goal, taking into consideration both GHG volumes and intensity. Emissions reduction incentives are part of staff remuneration and 
annual bonus schemes (refer to Remuneration Committee report). Additionally, the cost of borrowing is tied to our gross operated CO2 
emissions performance, with GHG metrics being linked to our RBL interest expense, further incentivising our emissions reduction targets.

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

119

Strategic report GovernanceFinancial statementsAdditional informationNotes to the consolidated financial statements continued

2. Accounting policies continued
As a result, climate change and the energy transition have the potential to significantly impact the accounting estimates adopted by 
management and therefore the valuation of assets and liabilities reported on the balance sheet. On an ongoing basis management 
continues to assess the potential impacts on the significant judgements and estimates used in the financial statements. Estimates 
adopted in the preparation of the financial statements reflect management’s best estimate of future market conditions where, in 
particular, commodity prices can be volatile. Notwithstanding the challenges around climate change and the energy transition, it is 
management’s view that the financial statements are consistent with the disclosures in the Strategic Report. 

Impairment of property, plant and equipment, and goodwill
The energy transition has the potential to significantly impact future commodity and carbon prices which would, in turn, affect the 
recoverable amount of property, plant and equipment and goodwill. In the current period, management’s estimates of real long-term 
commodity price assumptions when testing for impairment were $65/bbl (2020: $60/bbl) and 60p/therm (2020: 40p/therm) for  
Brent crude and UK NBP gas, respectively. The real long-term price assumption for the UK regulatory price of carbon is £55/tonne.  
The scenarios which reflect the potential impact of the energy transition continue to be developed and with respect to potential 
investment criteria, in particular, a carbon price hurdle of $100/tonne is used in combination with other investment parameters.  
Such assumptions are inherently uncertain and may ultimately differ from the actual amounts.

See key sources of estimation uncertainty: recoverability of oil and gas assets and goodwill for further information including sensitivity 
analysis in relation to reasonably possible changes in price assumptions. Asset impairments were recognised during 2021 as a result of 
underlying reservoir performance. In 2020, impairments were recognised on both assets and goodwill as a result of the prior commodity 
price assumptions. See notes 10 and 12 for further information. 

Property, plant and equipment – depreciation and expected useful lives
The energy transition has the potential to reduce the expected useful lives of assets and consequently accelerate depreciation charges. 
No changes have been identified or recognised to date.

See accounting policy: property, plant and equipment for further information.

Intangible assets – exploration and evaluation assets
The energy transition has the potential to affect the future development or viability of exploration and evaluation prospects. A significant 
portion of the Group’s exploration and evaluation assets relates to prospects that could be tied back to existing infrastructure and hence 
require less capital investment and are less exposed to the impacts of the energy transition compared to large frontier developments.  
At each balance sheet date, all exploration and evaluation prospects are reviewed against the Group’s financial framework to ensure that 
the continuation of activities is planned and expected. 

See judgements: exploration and evaluation expenditure and note 11 for further information. 

Decommissioning cost and provisions
The energy transition may accelerate the decommissioning of assets which would result in an increase in the carrying value of associated 
decommissioning provisions. Whilst the Group currently expects to incur decommissioning costs over the next 40 years, we anticipate the 
majority of costs will be incurred between the next 10 to 20 years which will reduce the exposure to the impact of the energy transition. 
Decommissioning cost estimates are based on the known regulatory and external environment. These cost estimates and recoverability 
of associated deferred tax may change in the future, including as a result of the energy transition. 

On the basis that all other assumptions in the calculation remain the same, a 10 per cent increase in the cost estimates, and a 10 per cent 
reduction in the applied discount rates used to assess the final decommissioning obligation, would result in increases to the decommissioning 
provision of approximately $622 million and $93 million respectively. This change would be principally offset by a change to the value of the 
associated asset unless the asset is fully depreciated, in which case the change in estimate is recognised directly within the income statement.

See key sources of estimation uncertainty: decommissioning costs for further information.

Segment reporting
The Group’s activities consist of one class of business – the acquisition, exploration, development and production of oil and gas reserves 
and related activities, and are split geographically and managed in two business units: namely ‘North Sea’ and ‘International’. 

Joint arrangements
A joint arrangement is one in which two or more parties have joint control. Joint control is the contractually agreed sharing of control of an 
arrangement, which exists only when decisions about the relevant activities require the unanimous consent of the parties sharing control.

Exploration and production operations are usually conducted through joint arrangements with other parties. The Group reviews all joint 
arrangements and classifies them as either joint operations or joint ventures depending on the rights and obligations of each party to  
the arrangement and whether the arrangement is structured through a separate vehicle. The Group’s interest in joint operations, such  
as exploration and production arrangements, are accounted for by recognising its:

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 ¼ Assets, including its share of any assets held jointly.

 ¼ Liabilities, including its share of any liabilities incurred jointly.

 ¼ Revenue from the sale of its share of the output arising from the joint operation.

 ¼ Expenses, including its share of any expenses incurred jointly.

A joint venture, which normally involves the establishment of a separate legal entity, is a contractual arrangement whereby the parties 
that have joint control of the arrangement have the rights to the arrangement’s net assets. The results, assets and liabilities of a joint 
venture are incorporated in the consolidated financial statements using the equity method of accounting. During 2021, the Group did  
not have any interests in joint ventures.

Where the Group transacts with its joint operations, unrealised profits and losses are eliminated to the extent of the Group’s interest  
in the joint operation.

Foreign currency translation
Each entity in the Group determines its own functional currency, being the currency of the primary economic environment in which  
the entity operates, and items included in the financial statements of each entity are measured using that functional currency.

The consolidated financial statements are presented in US Dollars.

Transactions recorded in foreign currencies are initially recorded in the entity’s functional currency by applying an average rate of 
exchange. Monetary assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies are retranslated at the functional currency rate of exchange 
ruling at the reporting date. All differences are taken to the income statement. Non-monetary assets and liabilities denominated in foreign 
currencies are measured at historic cost based on exchange rates at the date of the transaction and subsequently not retranslated. 

On consolidation, the assets and liabilities of the Group’s operations are translated at exchange rates prevailing on the balance sheet 
date. Income and expense items are translated at the average monthly exchange rates for the year. Equity is held at historic cost and  
is not retranslated. The resulting exchange differences are recognised as other comprehensive income or expense and are transferred  
to the Group’s translation reserve.

When an overseas operation is disposed of, such translation differences relating to it are recognised as income or expense.

Business combinations
Business combinations are accounted for using the acquisition method. The cost of an acquisition is measured as the fair value of the 
assets transferred, equity instruments issued and liabilities incurred or assumed at the date of completion of the acquisition. Acquisition 
costs incurred are expensed and included in administrative expenses. Where applicable, the consideration for the acquisition includes any 
asset or liability resulting from a contingent consideration arrangement, measured at its fair value at acquisition.

The identifiable assets, liabilities and contingent liabilities acquired that meet the conditions for recognition under IFRS 3 are recognised  
at their fair value at the acquisition date, except that:

 ¼ Deferred tax assets or liabilities and liabilities or assets related to employee benefit arrangements are recognised and measured  

in accordance with IAS 12 Income Taxes and IAS 19 Employee Benefits respectively.

 ¼ Lease arrangements that represent leases as defined by IFRS 16 Leases are recognised and measured in accordance with IFRS 16 Leases.

 ¼ Liabilities or equity instruments related to the replacement by the Group of an acquirer’s share-based payment awards are measured  

in accordance with IFRS 2 Share-based Payment.

If the initial accounting for a business combination is incomplete by the end of the reporting period in which the combination occurs,  
the Group reports provisional amounts for the items for which the accounting is incomplete. Those provisional amounts are adjusted 
during the measurement period, or additional assets or liabilities are recognised to reflect new information obtained about facts and 
circumstances that existed as of the acquisition date that, if known, would have affected the amounts recognised as of that date.  
The measurement period is the period from the date of acquisition to the date the Group obtains complete information about facts  
and circumstances that existed as of the acquisition date, subject to a maximum of one year.

Goodwill
In the event of a business combination or acquisition of an interest in a joint operation in which the activity constitutes a business, as 
defined in IFRS 3 Business Combinations, the acquisition method of accounting is applied. Goodwill represents the difference between 
the aggregate of the fair value of purchase consideration transferred at the acquisition date and the fair value of the identifiable assets, 
liabilities and contingent liabilities acquired. If however, the fair value of the purchase consideration transferred is lower than the fair 
value of the identifiable assets and liabilities acquired, the difference is recognised in the income statement as negative goodwill. Goodwill  
is initially measured at cost. Following initial recognition, goodwill is measured at cost less any accumulated impairment. For the purpose 
of impairment testing, goodwill acquired in a business combination is, from the acquisition date, allocated to each of the Group’s 
cash-generating units (CGUs), or groups of CGUs, that are expected to benefit from the combination, irrespective of whether other assets 
or liabilities of the acquiree are assigned to those units. Goodwill is treated as an asset of the relevant entity to which it relates and 
accordingly non-US Dollar goodwill is translated into US Dollars at the closing rate of exchange at each reporting date. 

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2. Accounting policies continued
Goodwill, as disclosed in note 10, is not amortised but is reviewed for impairment at least annually by assessing the recoverable amount of 
the CGUs to which the goodwill relates. Where the carrying amount of the CGU and related goodwill is higher than the recoverable amount 
of the CGU, an impairment loss is recognised in the income statement. The recoverable amounts of the CGUs have been determined on a 
fair value less costs to sell basis. Impairment losses relating to goodwill cannot be reversed in future periods. Goodwill acquired through 
business combinations has been allocated to two CGUs, being North Sea and International.

Oil and gas assets
(a) Intangible assets

Exploration and evaluation assets
Exploration and evaluation expenditure is accounted for using the successful efforts method of accounting having regard to the 
requirements of IFRS 6 Exploration for and Evaluation of Mineral Resources.

Pre-licence costs
Pre-licence costs are expensed in the period in which they are incurred.

Licence and property acquisition costs
Licence and property acquisition costs paid in connection with a right to explore in an existing exploration area are capitalised as 
exploration and evaluation costs within intangible assets.

Licence and property acquisition costs are reviewed at each reporting date to confirm that there is no indication that the carrying amount 
exceeds the recoverable amount. If no future activity is planned or the related licence has been relinquished or has expired, the carrying 
value of the property acquisition costs is written-off through the income statement. Upon recognition of proven reserves and internal 
approval for development, the relevant expenditure is transferred to oil and gas properties within development and production assets. 

Exploration and evaluation costs
Once the legal right to explore has been acquired, costs directly associated with the exploration are capitalised as exploration and 
evaluation intangible non-current assets until the exploration is complete and the results have been evaluated. If no potential commercial 
resources are discovered, the exploration asset is written-off.

All such capitalised costs are subject to technical, commercial and management review, as well as review for indicators of impairment at 
least annually. This is to confirm the continued intent to develop or otherwise extract value from the discovery. When this is no longer the 
case, the costs are written-off through the income statement.

When proven reserves of oil or natural gas are identified and development is sanctioned by management, the relevant capitalised 
expenditure is first assessed for impairment and (if required) any impairment loss is recognised, then the remaining balance is 
transferred to oil and gas properties within development and production assets. No amortisation is charged during the exploration  
and evaluation phase.

Farm-outs – in the exploration and evaluation phase
The Group does not record any expenditure made by the farmee on its account. It also does not recognise any gain or loss on its 
exploration and evaluation farm-out arrangements but re-designates any costs previously capitalised in relation to the whole interest  
as relating to the partial interest retained. Any cash consideration received directly from the farmee is credited against costs previously 
capitalised in relation to the whole interest with any excess accounted for by the farmor as a gain on disposal.

(b) Property, plant and equipment – oil and gas assets
Oil and gas development and production assets are accumulated generally on a field-by-field basis. This represents expenditure on the 
construction, installation or completion of infrastructure facilities such as platforms, pipelines and the drilling of development wells, 
including Exploration & Evaluation (E&E) expenditures incurred in finding commercial reserves transferred from intangible E&E assets,  
as outlined in accounting policy (a) above, which is capitalised as oil and gas properties within development and production assets.

The initial cost of an asset comprises its purchase price or construction cost, any costs directly attributable to bringing the asset into 
operation, the initial estimate of the decommissioning obligation and, for qualifying assets (where relevant), borrowing costs. The 
purchase price or construction cost is the aggregate amount paid and the fair value of any other consideration given to acquire the asset. 

An item of development and production expenditure and any significant part initially recognised is derecognised upon disposal or when 
no future economic benefits are expected. Any gain or loss arising on derecognition of the asset (calculated as the difference between 
the net disposal proceeds and the carrying amount of the asset) is included in the income statement.

Expenditure on major maintenance refits, inspections or repairs comprises the cost of replacement assets or parts of assets, inspection 
costs and overhaul costs. Where an asset, or part of an asset, that was separately depreciated and is now written-off is replaced and it is 
probable that future economic benefits associated with the item will flow to the Group, the expenditure is capitalised. All other day-to-day 
repairs and maintenance costs are expensed as incurred.

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Depreciation of producing assets
All costs relating to a development are accumulated and not depreciated until the commencement of production. Depreciation is provided 
generally on a field-by-field basis, using the unit of production method by reference to the ratio of production in the year and the related 
commercial proven and probable reserves of the field, taking into account future development expenditures necessary to bring those 
reserves into production. When there is a change in the estimated total recoverable proven and probable reserves of a field, that change 
is accounted for in the depreciation charge over the revised remaining proven and probable reserves.

(c) Acquisitions, asset purchases and disposals
Acquisitions of oil and gas properties are accounted for using the acquisition method when the assets acquired and liabilities assumed 
constitute a business. 

Transactions involving the purchase of an individual field interest, or a group of field interests, that do not constitute a business, are 
treated as asset purchases irrespective of whether the specific transactions involve the transfer of the field interests directly or the 
transfer of an incorporated entity. Accordingly, no goodwill and no deferred tax gross up arises, and the consideration is allocated to  
the assets and liabilities purchased on an appropriate basis.

Proceeds on disposal are applied to the carrying amount of the specific intangible asset or oil and gas properties disposed of and any 
surplus is recorded as a gain on disposal in the income statement.

(d) Decommissioning
Provision for decommissioning is recognised in full when the related facilities are installed. The amount recognised is the present value of 
the estimated future expenditure. A corresponding amount equivalent to the provision is also recognised as part of the cost of the related 
oil and gas property. This is subsequently depreciated as part of the capital costs of the production facilities. Any change in the present 
value of the estimated expenditure is dealt with from the start of the financial year as an adjustment to the opening provision and the oil 
and gas property. The unwinding of the discount is included as a finance cost.

Non-oil and gas assets
(a) Property, plant and equipment – fixtures and fittings and office equipment
Fixtures and fittings and office equipment is stated at cost less accumulated depreciation and impairment. Depreciation is provided for 
on a straight-line basis at rates sufficient to write off the cost of the assets less any residual value over their estimated useful economic 
lives. The depreciation periods for the principal categories of assets are as follows:

 ¼ Fixtures and fittings: 

up to 10 years.

 ¼ Office furniture and equipment: 

up to 5 years.

(b) Intangible assets
Intangible assets, which principally comprise IT software, are carried at cost less any accumulated amortisation. These assets are 
amortised on a straight-line basis over their useful economic lives of up to three years.

Impairment of non-current assets (excluding goodwill)
In accordance with IAS 36, impairment tests are carried out on items of property, plant and equipment and intangible assets where there 
is an indicator of impairment, or an indicator identified that a prior year impairment may have reversed or decreased. Such indications 
may be based on events or changes in the market environment, or on internal sources of information.

Impairment indicators
Property, plant and equipment and intangible assets with finite useful lives are only tested for impairment when there is an indication  
that they may be impaired. This is generally the result of significant changes to the environment in which the assets are operated or when 
asset performance is significantly lower than expected.

The main impairment indicators used by the Group are described below:

 ¼ External sources of information:

 – significant changes in the economic, technological, political or market environment in which the entity operates or to which an asset  

is dedicated;

 – fall in demand; and

 – changes in commodity prices and exchange rates.

 ¼ Internal sources of information:

 – evidence of obsolescence or physical damage;

 – significantly lower than expected production or cost performance;

 – reduction in reserves and resources, including as a result of unsuccessful results of drilling operations;

 – pending expiry of licence or other rights; and

 – in respect of capitalised exploration and evaluation costs, lack of planned future activity on the prospect or licence.

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Notes to the consolidated financial statements continued

2. Accounting policies continued
Measurement of recoverable amount
The CGU applied for impairment test purposes is generally the field, except that a number of field interests may be grouped as a  
single CGU where the cash inflows of each field are interdependent. The carrying value of each CGU is compared against the expected 
recoverable amount of the asset, which is primarily determined based on the fair value less cost of disposal method where the fair value 
is determined from the estimated present value of the future net cash flows expected to be derived from production of commercial 
reserves. Standard valuation techniques are used based on the discount rates that reflect the specific characteristics of the operating 
entities concerned; discount rates are determined on a post-tax basis and applied to post-tax cash flows. 

Any impairment loss is recorded in the consolidated income statement under ‘Impairment of property, plant and equipment’. Impairment 
losses recorded in relation to property, plant and equipment may be subsequently reversed if the recoverable amount of the assets 
subsequently increases above carrying value. The increased carrying amount of an item of property, plant or equipment attributable to a 
reversal of an impairment loss may not exceed the carrying amount that would have been determined (net of depreciation/amortisation) 
had no impairment loss been recognised in prior periods.

Financial instruments 
(a) Financial assets
The Group uses two criteria to determine the classification of financial assets: the Group’s business model and contractual cash flow 
characteristics of the financial assets. Where appropriate the Group identifies three categories of financial assets: amortised cost, fair 
value through profit or loss (FVTPL), and fair value through other comprehensive income (FVOCI). 

Financial assets held at amortised cost
Financial assets held at amortised cost are initially measured at fair value except for trade debtors which are initially measured at cost. 
Both are subsequently carried at amortised cost using the effective interest rate (EIR) method, less impairment. The EIR amortisation is 
presented within finance income in the income statement. 

Cash and cash equivalents
Cash at bank and in hand in the balance sheet comprise cash deposits with banks and in hand.

Impairment of financial assets
The Group recognises an allowance for expected credit losses (ECLs) for all debt instruments not held at fair value through profit or loss. 
ECLs are based on the difference between the contractual cash flows due in accordance with the contract and all the cash flows that the 
Group expects to receive, discounted at an approximation of the original effective interest rate. 

ECLs are recognised in two stages. For credit exposures for which there has not been a significant increase in credit risk since initial recognition, 
ECLs are provided for credit losses that result from ‘default events’ that are possible within the next 12 months (a 12-month ECL). 

Default events could include:

 ¼ payment default, i.e. the failure to pay principal or interest when it falls due for payment;

 ¼ prospective default, when payment is not yet due, but it is clear that it will not be capable of being paid when it does fall due; and

 ¼ covenant default, when the borrower fails to keep a promise (a covenant) that it has made in the contract.

For those credit exposures for which there has been a significant increase in credit risk since initial recognition, a loss allowance is 
required for credit losses expected over the remaining life of the exposure, irrespective of the timing of the default (a lifetime ECL).

For trade receivables and contract assets, the Group applies a simplified approach in calculating ECLs as allowed under IFRS 9.  
Provision rates are calculated based on estimates including the probability of default by assessing counterparty credit ratings, as 
adjusted for forward-looking factors specific to the debtors, the economic environment and the Group’s historical credit loss experience.

Credit impaired financial assets
At each reporting date, the Group assesses whether financial assets carried at amortised cost and debt financial assets carried at FVOCI 
are credit impaired. A financial asset is ‘credit impaired’ when one or more events that have a detrimental impact on the estimated future 
cash flows of the financial asset have occurred. Evidence that a financial asset is credit impaired includes the following observable data:

 ¼ significant financial difficulty of the borrower or issuer;

 ¼ a breach of contract such as default or past due event;

 ¼ the restructuring of a loan or advance by the Group on terms that the Group would otherwise not consider;

 ¼ it is becoming probable that the borrower will enter bankruptcy or other financial reorganisation; or 

 ¼ the disappearance of an active market for a security because of financial difficulties.

(b) Financial liabilities
Financial liabilities are classified, at initial recognition, as financial liabilities at fair value through profit or loss, loans and borrowings, 
payables, or as derivatives designated as hedging instruments in an effective hedge, as appropriate. All financial liabilities are recognised 
initially at fair value and, in the case of loans and borrowings and payables, net of directly attributable transaction costs. 

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Borrowings and loans 
Interest-bearing bank loans and overdrafts are recorded at the proceeds received, net of direct issue costs. Finance charges, including premiums 
payable on settlement or redemption and direct issue costs, are accounted for on an accrual basis in the income statement using the effective 
interest method 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.

Derecognition 
A financial liability is derecognised when the obligation under the liability is discharged or cancelled or expires. When an existing financial 
liability is replaced by another from the same lender on substantially different terms, or the terms of an existing liability are substantially 
modified, such an exchange or modification is treated as the derecognition of the original liability and the recognition of a new liability. 
The difference in the respective carrying amounts is recognised in the income statement. 

(c) Derivative financial instruments
The Group uses derivative financial instruments such as forward currency contracts, interest rate swaps, commodity option contracts and 
commodity swap arrangements, to hedge its foreign currency risks, interest rate risks and commodity price risks respectively. Derivative 
financial instruments are initially recognised and subsequently remeasured at fair value. Certain derivative financial instruments are 
designated as cash flow hedges in line with the Group’s risk management policies. When derivatives do not qualify for hedge accounting 
or are not designated as accounting hedges, changes in the fair value of the instrument are recognised within the income statement. 

Cash flow hedges
The effective portion of gains and losses arising from the remeasurement of derivative financial instruments designated as cash flow 
hedges are deferred within other comprehensive income and subsequently transferred to the income statement in the period the hedged 
transaction is recognised in the income statement. When a hedging instrument is sold or expires, any cumulative gain or loss previously 
recognised in other comprehensive income remains deferred until the hedged item affects profit or loss or is no longer expected to occur. 
Any gain or loss relating to the ineffective portion of a cash flow hedge is immediately recognised in the income statement. Hedge 
ineffectiveness could arise if volumes of the hedging instruments are greater than the hedged item of production, or where the 
credit-worthiness of the counterparty is significant and may dominate the transaction and lead to losses.

(d) Fair values
Fair value is defined as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between 
market participants at the measurement date. It is determined by reference to quoted market prices adjusted for estimated transaction 
costs that would be incurred in an actual transaction, or by the use of established estimation techniques such as option pricing models 
and estimated discounted values of cash flows.

For financial instruments not traded in an active market, the fair value is determined using appropriate valuation techniques.

Under IFRS 9, embedded derivatives are not separated from a host financial asset, and are classified based on their contractual terms 
and the Group’s business model. 

Equity
(i) Share capital
Share capital includes the total net proceeds, both nominal and share premium, on the issue of ordinary and preference shares of the Company.

(ii) Capital redemption reserve
The capital redemption reserve represents the nominal value of shares transferred following the Company’s purchase of them.

(iii) Merger reserve
On 31 March 2021, Harbour Energy plc (formerly Premier Oil plc) acquired Chrysaor Holdings Limited as part of a reverse acquisition. 
Under the terms of the Merger, Premier legally acquired Chrysaor through the issuance of consideration shares whilst Chrysaor was the 
acquirer for accounting purposes, primarily as a result of its ability to appoint the Board of the enlarged group. The Merger reserve 
primarily represents Premier’s opening balance on the legal reserve plus the fair value of the assets and liabilities acquired by Chrysaor.

(iv) Cash flow hedge reserve
The cash flow hedge and cost of hedging reserves represent gains and losses on derivatives classified as effective cash flow hedges. 
Upon the designation of option instruments as hedging instruments, the intrinsic and time value components are separated, with only  
the intrinsic component being designated as the hedging instrument and the time value component is deferred in other comprehensive 
income as a ‘cost of hedging’.

(v) Currency translation reserve
This reserve comprises exchange differences arising on consolidation of the Group’s operations with a functional currency other than US Dollar.

Share-based payments
The Group has applied the requirements of IFRS 2 Share-based Payment. The Group has share-based awards that are equity and cash 
settled as defined by IFRS 2. The fair value of the equity-settled awards has been determined at the date of grant of the award allowing 
for the effect of any market-based conditions. 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 shares that will eventually vest and adjusted 
for the effect of non-market based vesting conditions. For cash-settled awards, a liability is recognised for the goods or service acquired. 

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2. Accounting policies continued
This is measured initially at the fair value of the liability. The fair value of the liability is subsequently remeasured at each balance sheet 
date until the liability is settled, and at the date of settlement, with any changes in fair value recognised in the income statement.

Inventories
All inventories, except for petroleum products, are stated at the lower of cost and net realisable value. The cost of materials is the 
purchase cost, determined on a first-in, first-out basis. Petroleum products and underlift and overlift positions are measured at net 
realisable value using an observable year-end oil or gas market price, and are included in other debtors or creditors respectively.

Leases
Leases are recognised as a right-of-use asset and a corresponding liability at the date at which the leased asset is available for use by the 
Group. The finance cost is charged to the income statement over the lease period so as to produce a constant periodic rate of interest on 
the remaining balance of the liability for each period. The right-of-use asset is depreciated over the shorter of lease term and useful life. The 
Group recognises right-of-use assets and lease liabilities on a gross basis and the recovery of lease costs from joint operations’ partners is 
recorded as other income.

Right-of-use assets and lease liabilities arising from a lease are initially measured on a present value basis reflecting the net present value  
of the fixed lease payments and amounts expected to be payable by the Group assuming leases run to full term. The Group has applied 
judgement to determine the lease term for some lease contracts in which it is a lessee that include renewal options. The assessment of 
whether the Group is reasonably certain to exercise such options impacts the lease term, which significantly impacts the amount of lease 
liabilities and right-of-use assets recognised.

The lease payments are discounted using the Group’s incremental borrowing rates of between 1.5 per cent and 5.9 per cent, being the rate 
that the Group would have to pay to borrow the funds necessary to obtain an asset of similar value in a similar economic environment with 
similar terms and conditions. 

To determine the incremental borrowing rate, the Group where possible:

 ¼ uses recent third party financing received by the individual lessee as a starting point, adjusted to reflect changes in financing conditions 

since third party financing was received; and

 ¼ makes adjustments specific to the lease, for example term, country, currency and security.

The Group is exposed to potential future increases in variable lease payments based on an index or rate, which are not included in the lease 
liability until they take effect. When adjustments to lease payments based on an index or rate take effect, the lease liability is reassessed 
and adjusted against the right-of-use asset.

Lease payments are allocated between principal and finance cost. The finance cost is charged to profit or loss over the lease period so as to 
produce a constant periodic rate of interest on the remaining balance of the liability for each period.

Right-of-use assets are measured at cost comprising the following:

 ¼ the amount of the initial measurement of lease liability; 

 ¼ any lease payments made at or before the commencement date less any lease incentives received; and

 ¼ any initial direct costs and restoration costs.

Right-of-use assets are generally depreciated over the shorter of the asset’s useful life and the lease term on a straight-line basis.

Payments associated with short-term leases and leases of low value assets are recognised on a straight-line basis as an expense in the 
income statement. Short-term leases are leases with a lease term of 12 months or less.

For lease arrangements where all partners of a joint operation are considered to share the primary responsibility for lease payments 
under a lease contract, the Group recognises its share of the respective right-of-use asset and lease liability. This situation is most 
common where the parties of a joint operation co-sign the lease contract. The Group recognises a gross lease liability for leases entered 
into on behalf of a joint operation where it has primary responsibility for making the lease payments. In such instances, if the 
arrangement between the Group and the joint operation represents a finance sublease, the Group recognises a net investment in 
sublease for amounts recoverable from non-operators whilst derecognising the respective portion of the gross right-of-use asset. The 
gross lease liability is retained on the balance sheet. The net investment in sublease is classified as either trade and other receivables or 
long-term receivables on the balance sheet according to whether or not the amounts will be recovered within 12 months of the balance 
sheet date. Finance income is recognised in respect of net investment in subleases.

Provisions for liabilities
A provision is recognised when the Group has a legal or constructive obligation as a result of a past event, it is probable that an outflow  
of resources embodying economic benefits will be required to settle the obligation and a reliable estimate can be made of the amount  
of the obligation.

The expense relating to any provision is presented in the income statement net of any reimbursement. If the effect of the time value of money  
is material, provisions are discounted using a current pre-tax rate that reflects, where appropriate, the risk specific to the liability. Where 
discounting is used, the increase in the provision due to the passage of time is recognised as part of finance costs in the income statement.

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The estimated cost of dismantling and restoring the production and related facilities at the end of the economic life of each field is 
recognised in full when the related facilities are installed. The amount provided is the present value of the estimated future restoration 
cost. A non-current asset is also recognised. Any changes to estimated costs or discount rates are dealt with prospectively.

The Group recognises provision for the estimated CO2 emissions costs when actual emissions exceed the emission rights granted and 
still held. When actual emissions exceed the amount of emission rights granted, provision is recognised for the exceeding emission rights 
based on the purchase price of allowance concluded in forward contracts or market quotations at the reporting date.

Group retirement benefits
Payments to defined contribution retirement benefit plans are charged as an expense as they fall due. Payments made to state-managed 
retirement benefit schemes are dealt with as payments to defined contribution plans where the Group’s obligations under the schemes 
are equivalent to those arising in a defined contribution retirement benefit plan. 

The Group operates a defined benefit pension scheme, which requires contributions to be made to a separately administered fund.  
The cost of providing benefits is determined using the projected unit credit method, with actuarial valuations being carried out at each 
balance sheet date. Actuarial gains and losses are recognised immediately in the statement of comprehensive income.

The retirement benefit obligation recognised in the balance sheet represents the present value of the defined benefit obligation as 
reduced by the fair value of plan assets. Any asset resulting from this calculation is limited to the present value of available refunds  
and reductions in future contributions to the plan.

Trade payables
Initial recognition of trade payables is at fair value. Subsequently they are stated at amortised cost.

Taxes
(i) Current tax
Current tax assets and liabilities for the current and prior periods are measured at the amount expected to be recovered from or paid to 
the taxation authorities. The tax rates and laws used to compute the amount are those that are enacted or substantively enacted at the 
reporting date in the countries where the Group operates and generates taxable income.

Current income tax related to items recognised directly in other comprehensive income or equity is recognised in other comprehensive 
income or directly in equity, not in the income statement.

(ii) Deferred tax
Deferred taxation is recognised in respect of all timing differences arising between the tax bases of the assets and liabilities and their 
carrying amounts in the financial statements with the following exceptions:

 ¼ Deferred income tax assets are recognised only to the extent that it is probable that the taxable profit will be available against which the 

deductible temporary difference, carried forward tax credits or tax losses can be utilised. 

 ¼ Deferred income tax assets and liabilities are measured on an undiscounted basis at the tax rates that are expected to apply when 

the related asset is realised or liability is settled, based on tax rates and laws enacted or substantively enacted at the reporting date. 
The carrying amount of the deferred income tax asset 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 of the asset to be recovered. The Group reassesses 
any unrecognised deferred tax assets each year taking into account changes in oil and gas prices, the Group’s proven and probable 
reserves and resources profile and forecast capital and operating expenditures.

 ¼ Deferred income tax assets and liabilities are offset only if a legally enforceable right exists to offset current assets against current tax liabilities, 
the deferred income tax relates to the same tax authority and that same tax authority permits the Group to make a single net payment.

Deferred tax is charged or credited in the income statement, except when it relates to items charged or credited in other comprehensive 
income, in which case the deferred tax is also dealt with in other comprehensive income.

Revenue from contracts with customers
Revenue from contracts with customers is recognised when the Group satisfies a performance obligation by transferring a good or service 
to a customer. A good or service is transferred when the customer obtains control of that good or service. Revenue associated with the 
sale of crude oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids (NGLs) is measured based on the consideration specified in contracts with 
customers with reference to quoted market prices in active markets, adjusted according to specific terms and conditions as applicable 
according to the sales contracts. The transfer of control of oil, natural gas, natural gas liquids and other items sold by the Group occurs 
when title passes at the point the customer takes physical delivery. The Group principally satisfies its performance obligations at a point 
in time and the amounts of revenue recognised relating to performance obligations satisfied over time are not significant.

Over/underlift
Differences between the production sold and the Group’s share of production result in an overlift or an underlift. Overlift and underlift are 
valued at net realisable value using an observable year-end oil or gas market price and included within payables or receivables 
respectively. Movements during the accounting period are recognised within cost of sales.

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Strategic report GovernanceFinancial statementsAdditional informationNotes to the consolidated financial statements continued

2. Accounting policies continued
Interest income
Interest income is recognised on an accruals basis, by reference to the principal outstanding and at the effective interest rate applicable.

Borrowing costs
Borrowing costs directly attributable to the acquisition, construction or production of an asset that necessarily takes a substantial period 
of time to get ready for its intended use or sale (a qualifying asset) are capitalised as part of the cost of the respective assets. Where the 
funds used to finance a project form part of general borrowings, the amount capitalised is calculated using a weighted average of rates 
applicable to relevant general borrowings of the Group during the period. All other borrowing costs are recognised in the income 
statement in the period in which they are incurred.

New accounting standards and interpretations
The Group adopted new and revised accounting standards and interpretations relevant to its business and effective for accounting 
periods beginning on or after 1 January 2021, including: 

IBOR reform and the effects on financial reporting
The International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) issued Interest Rate Benchmark Reform—Phase 2, which amends IFRS 9 Financial 
Instruments, IAS 39 Financial Instruments: Recognition and Measurement, IFRS 7 Financial Instruments: Disclosures, IFRS 4 Insurance 
Contracts and IFRS 16 Leases. The IASB identified two groups of accounting issues that could have financial reporting implications. In 
2019, the IASB issued its initial amendments in Phase 1 of the project, applicable to 2020 reporting, covering reporting in the period 
before the replacement of an existing interest rate benchmark with an alternative RFR (Risk Free Rate). This addressed hedge accounting 
requirements: the highly probable requirement; prospective assessments; and separately identifiable risk components. The Group 
assessed the requirements of Phase 1 which applied for the first time in 2020, none of which had any impact on the financial statements 
of the Group because there is no material hedge accounting of interest rate exposures. Phase 2 addresses financial reporting when an 
existing interest rate benchmark is replaced with an alternative RFR, including the effects of changes to contractual cash flows or hedging 
relationships arising from the replacement of an interest rate benchmark with an alternative benchmark rate (replacement issues). 

On 1 January 2021, the Group has adopted the amendments to IFRS 9, IFRS 7, IFRS 4 and IFRS 16 Leases that are mandatory for application 
for the financial year. The Phase 2 amendments provide temporary reliefs which address the financial reporting effects when an interbank 
offered rate (IBOR) is replaced with an alternative RFR. Phase 2 provides practical expedients and reliefs in relation to modifications of 
financial instruments and leases that arise from transition of IBORs to RFRs and further relief to hedge accounting requirements. 

The adoption of the amended standards did not result in any material impact on the financial statements of the Group predominantly 
since hedge accounting is applied to commodity-based hedging activities.

US LIBOR will cease publication after 30 June 2023 and will be replaced by SOFR (Secured Overnight Financing Rate). The Group has 
variable rate RBL borrowings that reference US LIBOR, which are partially hedged using interest rate swaps also linked to US LIBOR.  
The Group has agreed with the relevant counterparties that the timing and terms for the transition of the swap contracts to SOFR will  
be aligned with the borrowings to reduce any future impact on the financial statements after transition.

The following table shows the financial instruments held by the Group as at 31 December 2021 which are referenced to US LIBOR that 
will transition to SOFR by 30 June 2023.

RBL borrowings financial liabilities

USD 1M LIBOR

USD 3M LIBOR

USD 6M LIBOR

Derivatives

Interest rate swaps USD 6M LIBOR

Nominal value  
$ million

482.5

405.0

1,550.0

2,437.5

 700.0

The nominal values in the table above also represent the carrying values of the RBL as at 31 December 2021.

The other pronouncements did not have any impact on the Group’s accounting policies and did not require retrospective adjustments.

Accounting standards issued but not yet effective
The new and amended standards and interpretations that are issued, but not yet effective, up to the date of issuance of the Group’s 
financial statements are disclosed opposite. The Group intends to adopt these new and amended standards and interpretations, if 
applicable, when they become effective.

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Amendments to IAS 1 – Presentation of Financial Statements – classification of liabilities as current or non-current
On 23 January 2020, the IASB issued a narrow-scope amendment to IAS 1 to clarify that liabilities are classified as either current or 
non-current, depending on the rights that exist at the end of the reporting period. Liabilities are classified as non-current if the entity  
has a substantive right to defer settlement for at least 12 months at the end of the reporting period. The Group does not consider this 
amendment to have significant impact on the classification of its liabilities as either current or non-current when the standard becomes 
effective on 1 January 2023.

Amendments to IFRS 3 – Reference to the Conceptual Framework
The IASB issued amendments to IFRS 3 to update the reference to the 2018 Conceptual Framework. The amendments add an exception 
to the recognition principle for liabilities and contingent liabilities within the scope of IAS 37 or IFRIC 21 and clarify existing guidance for 
contingent assets. The amendments are effective for annual reporting periods beginning on or after 1 January 2022 and apply prospectively.

Amendments to IAS 8 – Definition of Accounting Estimates
In February 2021, the International Accounting Standards Board issued Definition of Accounting Estimates, which amended IAS 8 
Accounting Policies, Changes in Accounting Estimates and Errors.

The amendments introduced the definition of accounting estimates and included other amendments to IAS 8 to help entities distinguish 
changes in accounting estimates from changes in accounting policies, with the distinction important because changes in accounting 
estimates are applied prospectively only to future transactions and other future events, but changes in accounting policies are generally 
also applied retrospectively to past transactions and other past events.

Amendments to IAS 1 and IFRS Practice Statement 2 – Disclosure of Accounting Policies
In February 2021, the International Accounting Standards Board issued amendments to IAS 1 Presentation of Financial Statements and 
IFRS Practice Statement 2 Making Materiality Judgements. The amendments to IAS 1 require companies to disclose their material 
accounting policy information rather than their significant accounting policies. The amendments to IFRS Practice Statement 2 provide 
guidance on how to apply the concept of materiality to accounting policy disclosures.

Amendments to IAS 12 – Deferred Tax related to Assets and Liabilities arising from a Single Transaction
On 7 May 2021, the IASB issued amendments to IAS 12 Income Taxes. The amendments require companies to recognise deferred tax  
on transactions that, on initial recognition, give rise to equal amounts of taxable and deductible temporary differences. According to the 
amended guidance, a temporary difference that arises on initial recognition of an asset or liability is not subject to the initial recognition 
exemption if that transaction gave rise to equal amounts of taxable and deductible temporary differences. The proposed amendments will 
typically apply to transactions such as leases for the lessee and decommissioning obligations. The amendments are effective for annual 
reporting periods beginning on or after 1 January 2023.

IFRS 9 Financial Instruments – Fees in the ’10 per cent’ test for derecognition of financial liabilities
As part of its 2018-2020 annual improvements to IFRS standards process, the IASB issued an amendment to IFRS 9. The amendment 
clarifies the fees that an entity includes when assessing whether the terms of a new or modified financial liability are substantially different 
from the terms of the original financial liability. These fees include only those paid or received between the borrower and the lender, including 
fees paid or received by either the borrower or lender on the other’s behalf. An entity applies the amendment to financial liabilities that are 
modified or exchanged on or after the beginning of the annual reporting period in which the entity first applies the amendment.

The amendment is effective for annual reporting periods beginning on or after 1 January 2022 with earlier adoption permitted.  
The Group will apply the amendments to financial liabilities that are modified or exchanged on or after the beginning of the annual 
reporting period in which the entity first applies the amendment.

The amendments listed above are not expected to have a material impact on the Group.

Critical accounting judgements and estimates
The preparation of the Group’s financial statements in conformity with IFRS requires management to make judgements, estimates  
and assumptions at the date of the financial statements. Estimates and assumptions are continuously evaluated and are based on 
management experience and other factors, including expectations of future events that are believed to be reasonable under the 
circumstances. Uncertainty about these assumptions and estimates could result in outcomes that require a material adjustment to  
the carrying amount of the assets or liabilities affected in future periods. In particular, the Group has identified the following areas  
where significant judgement, estimates and assumptions are required.

Critical accounting judgements
 ¼ The application of the going concern basis of accounting (see ‘Basis of preparation’ section on page 119);

 ¼ carrying value of intangible exploration and evaluation assets, in relation to whether commercial determination of an exploration 

prospect had been reached;

 ¼ carrying value of property, plant and equipment regarding assessing assets for indicators of impairment;

 ¼ decommissioning costs, relating to the timing of when decommissioning would occur; and

 ¼ tax and recognition of deferred tax assets, relating to the extent to which future taxable profits are included in the assessment  

of recoverability.

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Strategic report GovernanceFinancial statementsAdditional informationNotes to the consolidated financial statements continued

2. Accounting policies continued
Key sources of estimation uncertainty
Details of the Group’s critical accounting estimates are set out in these financial statements and are considered to be:

 ¼ Purchase Price Allocation that involved a number of judgemental estimates in regard to fair value of assets and liabilities acquired  

from Premier;

 ¼ carrying value of property, plant and equipment, where the key assumptions relate to oil and gas prices expected to be realised and 2P 

production profiles;

 ¼ decommissioning costs where the key assumptions relate to the discount and inflation rates applied, applicable rig rates and expected 

timing of cessation of production (COP) on each field; and

 ¼ tax and recognition of deferred tax assets, where key assumptions relate to oil and gas prices expected to be realised, and 

production profiles.

Further information is provided in the Audit and Risk Committee report on pages 66 to 69. 

3. Segment information
The chief operating decision maker, who is responsible for allocating resources and assessing performance of the Group’s business 
segments, has been identified as the Chief Executive Officer.

The Group’s activities consist of one class of business being the acquisition, exploration, development and production of oil and gas 
reserves and related activities, and are split geographically and managed in two regions, namely ‘North Sea’ and ‘International’. The 
North Sea segment includes the UK and Norwegian Continental Shelves, and the ‘International’ segment includes Indonesia, Vietnam 
and Mexico. 

Information on major customers can be found in note 4.

2021 
$ million

2020 
$ million

3,268.2

210.6

3,478.8

139.0

0.2

2,413.6

–

2,413.6

24.2

–

3,618.0

2,437.8

699.3

(59.0)

640.3

48.8

(374.6)

314.5

(213.4)

101.1

(687.4)

–

(687.4)

11.4

(301.7)

(977.7)

199.3

(778.4)

Income statement 

Revenue

North Sea

International

Total Group revenue

Other income

North Sea

International

Total Group revenue and other income

Group operating profit/(loss)

North Sea

International

Total Group operating profit/(loss)

Finance income

Finance expenses

Profit/(loss) before taxation 

Income tax (expense)/credit

Profit/(loss) for the financial year

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Annual Report & Accounts 2021

Balance sheet

Segment assets

North Sea

International

Total assets

Segment liabilities

North Sea

International

Total liabilities

Other information

Capital expenditure

North Sea

International

Total capital expenditure

Depreciation, depletion and amortisation

North Sea

International

Total depreciation, depletion and amortisation

Exploration and evaluation expenses and new ventures

North Sea

International

Total exploration and evaluation expenses and new ventures

2021 
$ million

13,325.8

1,178.8

2020 
$ million

9,482.5

–

14,504.6

9,482.5

2021 
$ million

2020 
$ million

(13,379.6)

(8,415.2)

(651.5)

–

(14,031.1)

(8,415.2)

2021 
$ million

640.7

68.4

709.1

2021 
$ million

1,299.8

71.2

2020 
$ million

556.3

–

556.3

2020 
$ million

1,222.1

–

1,371.0

1,222.1

2021 
$ million

2020 
$ million

45.4

4.4

49.8

13.2

–

13.2

Exploration costs written-off of $255.0 million (2020: $160.8 million) comprise $133.9 million (2020: $nil) related to the International 
segment, in connection with the Group’s exits from exploration acreage in Brazil and the Sea Lion project in the Falkland Islands, and 
$121.1 million (2020: $160.8 million) of write-offs in the North Sea business unit, primarily related to uncommercial drilling results from 
the Dunnottar, Jerv and Ilder exploration wells, and UK licence relinquishments. 

4. Revenue and other income

Crude oil sales

Gas sales

Condensate sales

Hydrocarbon revenue

Tariff income

Other revenue

Total revenue from production activities

Other income

Total revenue and other income

2021 
$ million

2,023.4

1,264.0

163.6

3,451.0

27.2

0.6

3,478.8

139.2

3,618.0

2020 
$ million

1,430.1

805.2

138.4

2,373.7

24.1

15.8

2,413.6

24.2

2,437.8

Revenue of $4,996.0 million (2020: $1,624.6 million) was from contracts with customers. This excludes realised hedging losses on 
crude and gas sales in the year of $1,517.2 million (2020: $789.0 million gain). 

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Strategic report GovernanceFinancial statementsAdditional informationNotes to the consolidated financial statements continued

4. Revenue and other income continued
Other income mainly represents mark to market and realised gains on EUA emissions hedges of $51.0 million (2020: $0.3 million),  
a $40.0 million receipt from ConocoPhillips in relation to an adjustment to consideration relating to Chrysaor’s purchase of the 
ConocoPhillips UK business in 2019 (2020: $nil), $17.5 million in respect of Research and Development Expenditure credits  
(2020: $nil) and $26.0 million partner recovery on IFRS 16 lease accounting (2020: $23.9 million).

Approximately 84 per cent (2020: 95 per cent) of the revenues were attributable to sales to energy trading companies of the Shell group.

The revenues for 2021 include the nine months of oil and gas production from the Premier business following the all-share Merger 
described in note 14.

5. Operating profit
Stated after charging/(crediting):

Movement in over/underlift balances and hydrocarbon inventories

Production, insurance and transportation costs

Gas purchases

Royalties

Depreciation of oil and gas assets

Depreciation of non-oil and gas assets

Amortisation of non-oil and gas intangible assets 

Depreciation of right-of-use oil and gas assets 

Depreciation of right-of-use non-oil and gas assets

Amortisation of capacity rights

Capitalisation of IFRS 16 lease depreciation on oil and gas assets

Impairment of property, plant and equipment

Impairment of goodwill

Onerous contract provision

Exploration and evaluation expenditure and new ventures

Exploration costs written-off 

Remeasurement of royalty valuation

Remeasurement of acquisition completion adjustments

Remeasurement – loss/(gain) on termination of lease

Auditors’ remuneration

Audit fees

Fees payable to the Company’s auditor for the Company’s Annual Report & Accounts

Audit of the Company’s subsidiaries pursuant to legislation

Non audit fees

Other services pursuant to legislation – interim review

Other services1

Note

12

12

11

13

13

11

13

12

10

20

11

2021 
$ million

9.6

1,085.5

28.4

3.8

2020 
$ million

(119.9)

754.2

–

–

1,204.1

1,168.9

5.5

26.1

153.9

10.5

1.6

(30.7)

117.2

–

(2.3)

49.8

255.0

(0.5)

–

0.3

2.3

0.5

0.3

0.4

5.7

17.2

50.6

6.2

1.7

(28.2)

644.0

411.4

18.5

13.2

160.8

1.3

0.4

(0.5)

0.7

0.5

–

0.6

1   Other services in 2021 primarily relate to reporting accountant services provided by EY in respect of the acquisition or other corporate transactions. These services are typically provided 

by a company’s auditors, and the Audit and Risk Committee concluded that shareholder value was best served by appointing our auditors for this work.

Exploration and evaluation expenditure and new ventures of $49.8 million (2020: $13.2 million) includes $14.4 million (2020: $nil)  
of early project costs on new ventures incurred in respect of the Group’s interest in Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) projects.

Expenses related to both short-term and low value lease arrangements are considered to be immaterial for reporting purposes.

The Company has a policy on the provision of non-audit services by the auditor which is aimed at ensuring their continued independence. 
This policy is available on the Group’s website. The use of the external auditor for services relating to accounting systems or financial 
statement preparations is not permitted, as are various other services that could give rise to conflicts of interest or other threats to the 
auditors’ objectivity that cannot be reduced to an acceptable level by applying safeguards.

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6. Staff costs

Wages and salaries

Social security costs

Pension costs

Other staff costs including benefits

Offshore based

Office and administration

2021 
$ million

223.8

27.9

28.2

37.2

317.1

2021 
Number

589

1,218

1,807

2020 
$ million

146.4

21.5

18.6

33.0

219.5

 2020 
Number

373

676

1,049

Staff costs above are recharged to joint venture partners where applicable, or are capitalised to the extent that they are directly 
attributable to capital or decommissioning projects. The above costs include share-based payments as disclosed in note 25.

All employees were engaged in the acquisition, exploration, development and production of oil and gas reserves, and energy  
transition activities.

The Group operates two defined contribution schemes and one defined benefit pension scheme for which further details are provided  
in note 26.

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Strategic report GovernanceFinancial statementsAdditional informationNotes to the consolidated financial statements continued

7. Finance income and finance expenses

Finance income

Bank interest receivable

IFRS 9 modification impact

Lease finance income

Finance income on deferred revenue

Realised gains on foreign exchange forward contracts

Gain on derivatives

Exchange differences and other gains

Other interest

Finance expenses

Interest payable on Reserve Based Lending and junior facilities

Interest payable on loan notes

Interest payable on High Yield Bond

Other interest and finance expenses

Realised losses on interest rate swaps

Derivative losses

Lease interest

Foreign exchange losses

Bank and financing fees 

Unwinding of discount on deferred consideration

Unwinding of discount on decommissioning and other provisions

Finance costs capitalised during the year

2021 
$ million

2020 
$ million

0.9

13.9

3.2

1.2

10.0

14.5

1.9

3.2

48.8

101.6

5.6

5.7

16.6

2.4

14.6

22.3

65.2

63.4

–

78.0

375.4

(0.8)

374.6

2.8

–

–

–

3.9

–

–

4.7

11.4

98.5

25.4

–

5.9

0.7

–

7.2

40.0

36.1

0.1

87.8

301.7

–

301.7

Bank and financing fees include an amount of $38.9 million (2020: $17.0 million) relating to the amortisation of arrangement fees and 
related costs capitalised against the Group’s long-term borrowings (note 21).

Net other interest includes an $11.6 million charge (2020: $4.9 million) which represents interest under a financing arrangement (note 21).

The amount of finance costs capitalised was determined by applying the weighted average rate of finance costs applicable to the 
borrowings of the Group of 3.7 per cent to the expenditures on the qualifying assets.

Effective March 2021, the Group extended the maturity of its RBL facility from December 2025 to November 2027. The amended terms 
did not represent a substantial modification to the terms of the facility and, therefore, the debt was not derecognised. A modification gain 
of $13.9 million (2020: $nil) was recognised on amendment of the facility.

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8. Income tax
The major components of income tax expense/(credit) for the years ended 31 December 2021 and 2020 are:

Current income tax expense

UK corporation tax

Overseas tax

Adjustments in respect of prior years

Total current income tax expense

Deferred tax expense/(credit)

UK corporation tax

Overseas tax

Adjustments in respect of prior years 

Total deferred tax expense/(credit) 

Tax expense/(credit) in the income statement

The tax expense/(credit) in the income statement is disclosed as follows:

Income tax expense/(credit) on continuing operations

The tax (credit) in the statement of comprehensive income is as follows:

Tax (credit) on cash flow hedges

2021 
$ million

2020 
$ million

202.2

(5.2)

(4.9)

192.1

7.7

(10.3)

23.9

21.3

213.4

213.4

213.4

(1,433.2)

(1,433.2)

355.7

(18.2)

(1.9)

335.6

(545.6)

13.0

(2.3)

(534.9)

(199.3)

(199.3)

(199.3)

(71.3)

(71.3)

A reconciliation between total tax expense/(credit) and the profit/(loss) before taxation multiplied by the statutory rate of corporation tax and 
supplementary charge applying to UK oil and gas production operations for the years ended 31 December 2021 and 2020 is as follows:

Profit/(loss) before taxation 

Profit/(loss) before taxation at 40.0% (2020: 40.0%)

Effects of:

– Expenses not deductible for tax purposes 

– Interest not deductible for supplementary charge

– Adjustments in respect of prior years 

– Movement in unrecognised deferred tax assets

– Income not taxable

– Impact of losses relieved at different rates

– Investment allowance

Total tax expense/(credit) reported in the consolidated income statement

2021 
$ million

314.5

125.8

56.8

13.1

19.0

27.4

–

4.0

(32.7)

213.4

2020 
$ million

(977.7)

(391.1)

176.6

7.6

(4.2)

17.3

(5.7)

20.7

(20.5)

(199.3)

The tax expense/(credit) reconciliation has been prepared based on the statutory rate of taxation applying to UK oil and gas production 
because the majority of Group profit was generated on the UK Continental Shelf.

The future effective tax rate is impacted by the mix of jurisdictions in which the Group operates. The UK statutory tax rate for oil and gas 
production operations is expected to remain a primary influence on the effective tax rate.

Deferred tax
The principal components of deferred tax are set out in the following tables:

Deferred tax assets

Deferred tax liabilities

Total deferred tax

2021 
$ million

1,938.4

2020 
$ million

–

(187.1)

(1,031.4)

1,751.3

(1,031.4)

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Strategic report GovernanceFinancial statementsAdditional informationNotes to the consolidated financial statements continued

8. Income tax continued
The origination of and reversal of temporary differences are, as shown in the next table, related primarily to movements in the carrying amounts 
and tax base values of expenditure and the timing of when these items are charged and/or credited against accounting and taxable profit.

Accelerated 
capital 
allowances 
$ million

Note

Decommissioning 
$ million

Losses 
$ million

As at 1 January 2020

Deferred tax credit

Comprehensive income

Foreign exchange

Additions from business combinations  
and joint arrangements 

(3,160.6)

1,588.9

532.8

–

(22.7)

–

25.8

–

26.0

–

As at 31 December 2020

(2,650.5)

1,640.7

–

–

–

–

–

–

Additions from business combinations  
and joint arrangements

14

(569.0)

564.0

1,530.6

Deferred tax expense

Comprehensive income

Foreign exchange

As at 31 December 2021 

385.9

–

13.5

(178.2)

(216.1)

–

(13.6)

–

–

1,433.2

4.0

(2,820.1)

2,012.9

1,314.5

1,392.1

 Fair value of 
derivatives 
$ million

(128.9)

–

71.3

0.5

–

(57.1)

8.4

3.6

Other 
$ million

Overseas 
$ million

Total 
$ million

53.0

(10.7)

–

1.1

8.1

51.5

15.2

(26.8)

–

(1.1)

38.8

(1.6)

(1,649.2)

(13.0)

534.9

–

(1.4)

71.3

3.5

–

8.1

(16.0)

(1,031.4)

(183.1)

1,366.1

10.3

–

1.9

(21.3)

1,433.2

4.7

(186.9)

1,751.3

The Group’s deferred tax assets as at 31 December 2021 are recognised to the extent that taxable profits are expected to arise against 
which the tax assets can be utilised. The Group assessed the recoverability of its UK ring fenced losses and allowances using corporate 
assumptions which are consistent with the Group’s impairment assessment and business combination accounting (note 14). Based  
on those assumptions, the Group expects to fully utilise its recognised UK tax losses and allowances. The recovery of the Group’s UK 
decommissioning deferred tax asset is additionally supported by the ability to carry back decommissioning tax losses and set these 
against ring fence taxable profits of prior periods.

The Group has unrecognised UK tax losses and allowances as at 31 December 2021 of approximately $343.1 million (2020: $12.5 million) 
in respect of ring fence losses, $104.4 million (2020: $nil) in respect of ring fence investment allowance and $741.5 million (2020: $203.2 
million) in respect of non-ring fence losses. 

The Group also has unrecognised tax losses of approximately $212.8 million (2020: $nil) in respect of its International operations.  
These losses include amounts of $148.5 million which will expire, primarily within five years.

No deferred tax has been provided on unremitted earnings of overseas subsidiaries, based on UK tax legislation which provides 
exemption for foreign dividends from the scope of UK corporation tax, where relevant conditions are satisfied.

Changes in tax rate
Legislation was introduced in UK Finance Act 2021 to increase the main rate of UK corporation tax for non-ring fence profits from 19 per 
cent to 25 per cent from 1 April 2023. This change did not have a material impact on the Group as the UK profits are primarily subject to 
the UK ring fence tax rate.

9. Earnings per share
The calculation of basic earnings/(loss) per share is based on the profit/(loss) after tax and the weighted average number of Ordinary 
Shares in issue during the period. Basic and diluted earnings per share are calculated as follows:

Earnings/(loss) for the period

Earnings/(loss) for the purpose of basic earnings per share

Effect of dilutive potential Ordinary Shares

Earnings/(loss) for the purpose of diluted earnings per share

Number of shares (millions)

Weighted average number of Ordinary Shares for the purpose of basic earnings per share

Dilutive potential Ordinary Shares

Weighted average number of Ordinary Shares for the purpose of diluted earnings per share

Earnings/(loss) per share (cents)

Basic

Diluted

136

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

2021 
$ million

2020 
$ million

101.1

–

101.1

871.2

1.3

872.5

11.6

11.6

(778.4)

–

(778.4)

705.0

–

705.0

(110.4)

(110.4)

The weighted number of average shares in the comparative period and prior to the acquisition date is based on number of shares of the 
legal acquiree multiplied by the exchange ratio established in the Merger agreement. From the date of acquisition the weighted number 
of Ordinary Shares are that of the legal acquirer.

The effect of equity warrants and certain share options outstanding at 31 December 2021 were anti-dilutive as their exercise price was 
greater than market price and, therefore, was not included in the calculation of diluted earnings/(loss) per share.

10. Goodwill

Cost and net book value

At 1 January

Additions 

Impairment charge

Finalisation of 2019 business combination

Currency translation adjustment

At 31 December 2021

Note

14

2021 
$ million

2020 
$ million

990.0

339.3

–

–

(2.2)

1,404.3

–

(411.4)

(5.3)

2.4

1,327.1

990.0

Goodwill represents the difference between the aggregate of the fair value of purchase consideration transferred at the acquisition date 
and the fair value of the identifiable assets.

The goodwill balance consists of balances arising from the completion of the all-share Merger between Premier Oil plc and Chrysaor 
Holdings Limited in March 2021, on Chrysaor Holdings Limited’s acquisition of the ConocoPhillips UK business, and of the UK North Sea 
assets from Shell, which completed on 30 September 2019 and 1 November 2017 respectively.

Goodwill acquired through business combinations has been allocated to two groups of cash-generating units (CGUs), being North Sea,  
of $1,278.1 million (2020: $990.0 million) and International, of $49.0 million (2020: $nil), and these are therefore the lowest levels at 
which goodwill is reviewed.

Impairment testing of goodwill
In accordance with IAS 36 Impairment of Assets, goodwill has been reviewed for impairment at the year-end. In assessing whether 
goodwill has been impaired, the carrying amount of the CGU for goodwill is compared with its recoverable amount.

The Group tests goodwill annually for impairment, or more frequently if there are indications that goodwill might be impaired. At the year-end,  
the Group tested for impairment in accordance with accounting policy and no impairment was identified (2020: impairment of $411.4 million).

Determining recoverable amount
The recoverable amounts of the CGU and fields have been determined on a fair value less costs to sell basis. The key assumptions  
used in determining the fair value are often subjective, such as the future long-term oil and gas price assumption, or the operational 
performance of the assets. Discounted cash flow models comprising asset-by-asset life of field projections using Level 3 inputs (based on 
IFRS 13 fair value hierarchy) have been used to determine the recoverable amounts. The cash flows have been modelled on a post-tax and 
post-decommissioning basis, inflated at 2 per cent per annum from 1 January 2024, and discounted at the Group’s post-tax discount rate  
of between 8 and 10.5 per cent (2020: 8 per cent). Risks specific to assets within the CGU are reflected within the cash flow forecasts.

Key assumptions used in calculations
Assumptions involved in impairment measurement include estimates of commercial reserves and production volumes, future oil and gas 
prices, discount rates and the level and timing of expenditures, all of which are inherently uncertain. 

Management’s commodity price curve assumptions are benchmarked against a range of external forward price curves on a regular basis. 
The first two years reflect the market forward prices curves transitioning to a long-term price thereafter. The long-term commodity prices  
used were $65 per barrel for crude and 60p per therm for gas, which are inflated at 2 per cent per annum from 1 January 2024. 

Production volumes are based on life of field production profiles for each asset within the CGU. Proven and probable reserves are estimates  
of the amount of oil and gas that can be economically extracted from the Group’s oil and gas assets. The Group estimates its reserves using 
standard recognised evaluation techniques and they are assessed at least annually by management and by an independent consultant. 
Proven and probable reserves are determined using estimates of oil and gas in place, recovery factors and future commodity prices.

Operating expenditure, capital expenditure and decommissioning costs, which have been inflated at 2 per cent per annum from 1 January 
2024, are derived from the Group’s business plan.

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Strategic report GovernanceFinancial statementsAdditional informationNotes to the consolidated financial statements continued

10. Goodwill continued
The discount rate reflects management’s estimate of the Group’s country-based Weighted Average Cost of Capital (WACC), considering 
both debt and equity. The cost of equity is derived from an expected return on investment by the Group’s investors, and the cost of debt 
is based on its interest-bearing borrowings. Segment risk is incorporated by applying a beta factor based on publicly available market 
data. The discount rate is based on an assessment of a relevant peer group’s post-tax WACC.

Foreign exchange rates are based on management’s long-term rate assumptions, with reference to a range of underlying economic indicators.

Sensitivity to changes in assumptions used in calculations
The Group has run sensitivities on its long-term commodity price assumptions, which have been based on long-range forecasts from external 
financial analysts, using alternate long-term price assumptions, and discount rates. These are considered to be reasonably possible changes 
for the purposes of sensitivity analysis. No impairment arose on the Group’s goodwill under any of the sensitivity scenarios.

11. Other intangible assets

Cost

At 1 January 2020

Additions

Reduction in decommissioning asset 

Disposals

Transfers to property, plant and equipment

Unsuccessful exploration written-off

Currency translation adjustment

At 31 December 2020

Additions

Additions from business combinations and joint arrangements 

Increase in decommissioning asset 

Transfers to property, plant and equipment

Prior capitalised costs expensed

Unsuccessful exploration written-off

Currency translation adjustment

At 31 December 2021

Accumulated amortisation

At 1 January 2020

Charge for the year

Currency translation adjustment

At 31 December 2020

Charge for the year

Currency translation adjustment

At 31 December 2021

Net book value

At 31 December 2020

At 31 December 2021

Oil and gas 
assets 
$ million

Non-oil and gas 
assets 
$ million

Capacity  
rights  
$ million

Note

Total 
$ million

20

14

20

425.2

90.1

(3.0)

–

32.6

(160.8)

7.2

391.3

210.0

596.7

10.4

(139.5)

–

(255.0)

(0.5)

813.4

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

391.3

813.4

40.0

50.2

–

–

–

–

4.7

94.9

30.2

0.4

–

–

(4.7)

–

(1.4)

119.4

16.0

17.2

1.6

34.8

26.1

(0.7)

60.2

60.1

59.2

10.0

–

–

–

–

–

0.3

10.3

–

–

–

–

–

–

(0.1)

10.2

5.6

1.7

0.3

7.6

1.6

(0.1)

9.1

2.7

1.1

475.2

140.3

(3.0)

–

32.6

(160.8)

12.2

496.5

240.2

597.1

10.4

(139.5)

(4.7)

(255.0)

(2.0)

943.0

21.6

18.9

1.9

42.4

27.7

(0.8)

69.3

454.1

873.7

The exploration write-off of $255.0 million (2020: $160.8 million), which relates to costs associated with licence relinquishments and 
uncommercial well evaluations, is net of a $6.3 million credit (2020: $nil) relating to the effect of changes in decommissioning provisions 
on oil and gas intangible assets previously written-off.

An increase to decommissioning assets of $10.4 million (2020: decrease of $3.0 million) was made during the year as a result of an 
update to decommissioning estimates (note 20).

Non-oil and gas assets relate primarily to Group IT software. The capacity rights represent National Transmission System (NTS) entry 
capacity at Bacton and Teesside acquired as part of the business combination completed in 2017. These rights have a remaining useful 
life of one year and are amortised on a contractual volume basis.

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12. Property, plant and equipment

Cost

At 1 January 2020

Additions

Transfers to intangible assets

Increase in decommissioning asset

Currency translation adjustment

At 31 December 2020

Additions

Additions from business combinations and joint arrangements 

Transfers from intangible assets

Disposals

Decrease in decommissioning asset 

Currency translation adjustment

At 31 December 2021

Accumulated depreciation

At 1 January 2020

Charge for the year

Impairment charge

Currency translation adjustment

At 31 December 2020

Charge for the year

Impairment charge

Disposals

Currency translation adjustment

At 31 December 2021

Net book value

At 31 December 2020

At 31 December 2021

Oil and gas 
assets 
$ million

Fixtures, fittings 
and office 
equipment 
$ million

Note

20

14

20

9,258.3

414.9

(32.6)

257.6

97.8

9,996.0

464.5

1,814.3

139.5

–

(357.8)

(34.5)

12,022.0

1,613.1

1,168.9

644.0

54.2

3,480.2

1,204.1

117.2

–

(16.6)

21.1

1.1

–

–

0.6

22.8

4.4

4.2

–

(0.3)

–

(0.3)

30.8

9.8

5.7

–

0.7

16.2

5.5

–

(0.1)

(0.4)

Total 
$ million

9,279.4

416.0

(32.6)

257.6

98.4

10,018.8

468.9

1,818.5

139.5

(0.3)

(357.8)

(34.8)

12,052.8

1,622.9

1,174.6

644.0

54.9

3,496.4

1,209.6

117.2

(0.1)

(17.0)

4,784.9

21.2

4,806.1

6,515.8

7,237.1

6.6

9.6

6,522.4

7,246.7

During the year, the Group recognised a pre-tax impairment charge of $117.2 million (post-tax $70.3 million) (2020: pre-tax $644.0 
million; post-tax $386.4 million) within the income statement. This represents a write-down of property, plant and equipment assets  
of $108.7 million (2020: $712.1 million) and a pre-tax impairment of $8.5 million (2020: $68.1 million credit) in respect of revisions  
to decommissioning estimates on the Group’s non-producing assets with no remaining net book value (see note 20).

The impairment to property, plant and equipment arises primarily due to cessation of production from the Millom field, part of the Group’s 
East Irish Sea assets, and from a single CGU in the UK North Sea, driven primarily by underlying reservoir performance. Impairments on 
property, plant and equipment are reversible in the future.

Key assumptions used in calculations
Assumptions involved in impairment measurement include estimates of commercial reserves and production volumes, future oil and gas 
prices, discount rates and the level and timing of expenditures, all of which are inherently uncertain.

The Group uses the fair value less cost of disposal method (FVLCD) to calculate the recoverable amount of the cash-generating units (CGU) 
consistent with a level 3 fair value measurement (see note 22). In determining the recoverable value, appropriate discounted-cash-flow valuation 
models were used, incorporating market-based assumptions. Management’s commodity price curve assumptions are benchmarked against 
a range of external forward price curves on a regular basis. Individual field price differentials are then applied. The first two years reflect the 
market forward prices curves transitioning to a long-term price from 2024, thereafter inflated at 2 per cent per annum. The long-term 
commodity prices used were $65 per barrel for crude and 60p per therm for gas.

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

139

Strategic report GovernanceFinancial statementsAdditional informationNotes to the consolidated financial statements continued

12. Property, plant and equipment continued
Production volumes are based on life of field production profiles for each asset within the CGU. Proven and probable reserves are 
estimates of the amount of oil and gas that can be economically extracted from the Group’s oil and gas assets. The Group estimates its 
reserves using standard recognised evaluation techniques, assessed at least annually by management. Proven and probable reserves 
are determined using estimates of oil and gas in place, recovery factors and future commodity prices.

Operating expenditure, capital expenditure and decommissioning costs are derived from the Group’s business plan. The discount rate 
reflects management’s estimate of the Group’s Weighted Average Cost of Capital (WACC), see note 10 for further details. Foreign 
exchange rates are based on management’s long-term rate assumptions, with reference to a range of underlying economic indicators.

Reductions or increases in the long-term oil and gas prices of 10 per cent are considered to be reasonably possible changes for the 
purpose of sensitivity analysis. Decreases to the long-term oil and gas prices specified above would result in a further post-tax 
impairment of $73.3 million. A 10 per cent increase in the long-term oil and gas price deck would reduce the post-tax impairment charge 
by $35.7 million. Considering the discount rates, the Group believes a 1 per cent increase in the post-tax rate is considered to be a 
reasonable possibility for the purpose of sensitivity analysis. A 1 per cent increase in the post-tax rate would lead to a further post-tax 
impairment of $28.3 million, and a 1 per cent decrease in the post-tax rate would reduce the post-tax impairment charge by $31.1 
million. The impairment was calculated as detailed above.

A decrease in the decommissioning assets of $357.8 million (2020: increase of $257.6 million) was made during the year as a result  
of both new obligations and an update to the decommissioning estimates (note 20).

Further information on additions from business combinations and joint arrangements can be found in note 14. 

Included within property, plant and equipment additions of $468.9 million (2020: $416.0 million) are associated cash flows of $437.4 
million (2020: $457.6 million) and non-cash flow movements of $31.5 million (2020: ($41.6 million)), represented by a $9.0 million 
increase in capital accruals (2020: $58.2 million decrease) and $22.5 million of capitalised lease depreciation (2020: $16.6 million).

13. Leases – right-of-use assets
(i) This note provides information for leases where the Group is a lessee:

Right-of-use assets 

Land and buildings

Drilling rigs

FPSO

Equipment

Lease liabilities

Current

Non-current

2021 
$ million

2020 
$ million

78.0

54.9

407.8

10.8

551.5

54.9

75.6

–

1.7

132.2

2021 
$ million

2020 
$ million

165.1

489.2

654.3

60.1

80.8

140.9

Additions of $612.5 million, which arise primarily from business combinations (see note 14) of $567.9 million and $42.7 million from a 
new drilling rig contract, were made to the right-of-use assets during the year (2020: $nil). 

The significant portion of the Group’s lease liabilities represent lease arrangements for FPSO vessels on the Catcher and Chim Sáo assets.

The lease liabilities and associated right-of-use-assets have been calculated by reference to in-substance fixed lease payments in the 
underlying agreements incurred throughout the non-cancellable period of the lease along with periods covered by options to extend the 
lease where the Group is reasonably certain that such options will be exercised. When assessing whether extension options were likely  
to be exercised, assumptions are consistent with those applied when testing for impairment.

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(ii) The consolidated income statement includes the following amounts relating to leases:

Depreciation charge of right-of-use assets

Land and buildings – non-oil and gas assets

Land and buildings – oil and gas assets

Drilling rigs

FPSO

Equipment

Capitalisation of IFRS 16 lease depreciation

Drilling rigs

Equipment

Depreciation charge included within consolidated income statement

2021 
$ million

2020 
$ million

10.5

1.1

44.8

102.1

5.9

164.4

(27.2)

(3.5)

133.7

6.2

1.0

48.3

–

1.3

56.8

(27.4)

(0.8)

28.6

Of the $30.7 million (2020: $28.2 million) capitalised IFRS 16 lease depreciation, $22.5 million (2020: $16.6 million) has been 
capitalised within property, plant and equipment and $8.2 million (2020: $11.6 million) within provisions (note 20).

Lease interest (included in finance expenses)

The total cash outflow for leases in 2021 was $160.4 million (2020: $60.5 million).

Note

7

2021 
$ million

22.3

2020 
$ million

7.2

14. Business combinations and acquisition of interests in joint arrangements
Business combinations during the year ended 31 December 2021
In October 2020, Harbour Energy Limited entered into an agreement with Premier regarding an all-share Merger between Premier and 
Harbour Energy Limited’s subsidiary, Chrysaor Holdings Limited. Under the terms of the Merger, Premier legally acquired Chrysaor through 
the issuance of consideration shares whilst Chrysaor was the acquirer for accounting purposes, primarily as a result of its ability to appoint 
the Board of the enlarged group. The transaction completed on 31 March 2021, whereupon Premier, being the legal acquirer and 
accounting acquiree, changed its name from Premier Oil plc to Harbour Energy plc (Harbour).

The Merger constituted a ‘reverse takeover’ of Premier by Chrysaor and has therefore been accounted for as a reverse acquisition in 
accordance with IFRS 3 Business Combinations. As a result, Premier is fully consolidated in the financial statements with effect from 
31 March 2021, and all results prior to this date represent those of Chrysaor only.

Premier was an upstream exploration and production company with its primary assets located in the UK North Sea, Vietnam and Indonesia. 
The Merger brought together two complementary businesses and created the largest independent oil and gas company listed on the London 
Stock Exchange with a strong balance sheet and significant international growth opportunities. 

A Purchase Price Allocation (PPA) exercise has been performed under which the identifiable assets and liabilities of Premier were recognised 
at fair value. 

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

141

Strategic report GovernanceFinancial statementsAdditional informationNotes to the consolidated financial statements continued

14. Business combinations and acquisition of interests in joint arrangements continued
The fair values of the net identifiable liabilities as at the date of acquisition are as follows:

Assets

Exploration, evaluation and other intangible assets

Property, plant and equipment – oil and gas assets

Property, plant and equipment – non-oil and gas assets

Property, plant and equipment – right-of-use assets

Long-term receivables

Deferred tax

Inventories

Trade and other receivables

Derivative financial instruments

Cash and cash equivalents

Liabilities

Trade and other payables

IFRS 16 lease liabilities

Deferred tax

Provision for decommissioning

Derivative financial instruments

Short-term debt

Deferred income

Other provisions

Fair value of identifiable net liabilities acquired

Fair value of shares acquired

Transaction cost adjustments

Cost of acquisition

Goodwill recognised

Fair value  
$ million

597.1

1,814.3

4.2

567.9

258.8

1,549.2

15.2

291.0

9.2

97.4

5,204.3

(317.5)

(637.8)

(183.1)

(1,683.0)

(153.7)

(2,219.3)

(33.6)

(34.5)

(5,262.5)

(58.2)

285.7

(4.6)

281.1

339.3

A provisional PPA exercise was completed and presented within the Group’s 2021 Half-Year results. As is permitted under IFRS 3 
Business Combinations, if during a maximum measurement period of one year from the acquisition date, the Group identifies additional 
assets or liabilities based on new information obtained about facts and circumstances that existed at the acquisition date, then those 
assets and liabilities should be recognised at that date. 

As a result, the decommissioning provision has increased by $130.2 million from that presented in the provisional PPA presented in the 
Half-Year results, and the deferred tax asset increased by $40.4 million, resulting in a net increase to goodwill of $89.8 million.

The fair values of the oil and gas assets and intangible assets acquired have been determined using valuation techniques based on 
discounted cash flows using forward curve commodity prices and estimates of long-term prices consistent with those applied by 
management when testing assets for impairment, a discount rate based on market observable data and cost and production profiles 
generally consistent with the 2P reserves acquired with each asset. Where applicable other observable market information has also  
been used. The decommissioning provisions recognised have been estimated based on Harbour’s internal estimates with reference  
to observable market data, including rig rates.

The fair value of debt facilities has been determined based on the total fair value of cash paid and new shares issued to creditors  
to satisfy Premier’s historical debt arrangements.

The consideration was measured using the closing market price of Premier’s Ordinary Share capital and the number of shares in issue 
immediately before the acquisition date. The transaction cost adjustments relate to share-based payment charges accruing prior to  
31 March 2021 and certain transaction costs settled by Premier on behalf of Chrysaor which have been recognised as an expense 
within general and administrative expenses.

142

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Goodwill of $339.3 million has been recognised on the acquisition, representing the excess of the total consideration transferred over the 
fair value of the net assets acquired. The goodwill arises principally because of the following factors:

1.  The ability to deliver cost synergies as a result of combining the two businesses.

2.  The avoidance of costs that would otherwise have been incurred by Chrysaor as a result of an initial stock exchange listing.

3.  The expertise and experience of the acquired business, particularly with respect to fulfilling the obligations of a UK listed entity.

4.  The requirement to recognise deferred tax liabilities for the difference between the assigned fair values and the tax bases of assets acquired.

None of the goodwill is deductible for corporation tax.

Acquisition related costs of $13.5 million and $26.5 million were incurred by the Group and recognised as an expense within general  
and administrative expenses within 2020 and 2021 respectively.

From the date of acquisition, the acquired business contributed $815.6 million of revenue and a loss of $89 million to the profit before 
tax from continuing operations of the Group. Had the acquisition completed at 1 January 2021, the business would have contributed 
revenue of $1,078.5 million in the year to 31 December 2021, and a loss of $93.9 million towards the profit before tax.

15. Inventories

Hydrocarbons

Consumables and subsea supplies

2021 
$ million

2020 
$ million

65.4

146.0

211.4

34.1

126.4

160.5

Inventories of consumables and subsea supplies include a provision of $8.5 million (2020: $8.9 million) where it is considered that the 
net realisable value is lower than the original cost.

Inventories recognised as an expense during the year ended 31 December 2021 amounted to $3.3 million (2020: $3.3 million).  
These expenses are included within production costs.

16. Trade and other receivables

Trade debtors

Underlift position

Other debtors

Prepayments and accrued income

Corporation tax receivable

2021 
$ million

364.0

147.5

74.1

677.4

79.2

2020 
$ million

189.5

93.1

98.7

61.0

19.0

1,342.2

461.3

Trade debtors are non-interest bearing and are generally on 20 to 30 days’ terms. As at 31 December 2021, there were no trade 
receivables that were past due (2020: $nil). 

Prepayments and accrued income mainly comprise amounts due, but not yet invoiced, for the sale of oil and gas. Other debtors mainly 
relate to amounts due from joint venture partners.

The carrying value of the trade and other receivables are equal to their fair value as at the balance sheet date. 

Non-current

Net investment in sublease

Decommissioning funding asset

Long-term employee benefit plan surplus

Other receivables

2021 
$ million

2020 
$ million

52.9

67.1

0.8

142.2

263.0

–

–

–

3.6

3.6

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

143

Strategic report GovernanceFinancial statementsAdditional informationNotes to the consolidated financial statements continued

16. Trade and other receivables continued
Other long-term receivables include $120.7 million in cash held in escrow accounts for expected future decommissioning expenditure in 
Indonesia, Vietnam and Mauritania (2020: $nil).

The decommissioning funding asset relates to the Decommissioning Liability Agreement entered into with E.ON whereby E.ON agreed to 
part fund Premier’s share of decommissioning the Johnston and Ravenspurn North assets. Under the terms of the agreement, E.ON will 
reimburse 70 per cent of the decommissioning costs between a range of £40 million to £130 million based on Premier’s net share of the 
total decommissioning cost of the two assets. This results in maximum possible funding of £63 million from E.ON. At 31 December 2021, 
a long-term decommissioning funding asset of $67.1 million has been recognised utilising the year-end $/£ exchange rate and underlying 
assumptions consistent with those used for the corresponding decommissioning provision.

17. Cash and cash equivalents

Cash at bank and in hand

2021 
$ million

698.7

2020 
$ million

445.4

Included within cash at bank and in hand balances is $23.9 million (2020: $nil) held as security for the Mexican letters of credit and 
performance bonds relating to Andaman (Indonesia) E&E licences.

Cash at bank earns interest at floating rates based on daily bank deposit rates. The Group only deposits cash with major banks of high 
quality credit standing. 

18. Commitments
Capital commitments
As at 31 December 2021, the Group had commitments for future capital expenditure amounting to $451.1 million (2020: $231.1 million). 
Where the commitment relates to a joint arrangement, the amount represents the Group’s net share of the commitment. Where the Group  
is not the operator of the joint arrangement then the amounts are based on the Group’s net share of committed future work programmes. 

19. Trade and other payables

2021 
$ million

2020 
$ million

120.9

76.7

148.6

482.4

45.0

873.6

108.5

20.0

105.7

272.0

34.1

540.3

2021 
$ million

2020 
$ million

27.6

4.7

32.3

29.8

–

29.8

Current

Trade payables

Overlift position

Other payables 

Accruals

Deferred income

Non-current

Other payables

Deferred income

144

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

Other payables, within both current, $24.1 million (2020: $46.0 million) and non-current $nil (2020: $24.4 million), includes the present 
value of additional completion payments payable to ConocoPhillips Company as part of the acquisition of the ConocoPhillips UK business. 
The remaining amount is payable in late 2022.

Deferred income includes $20.8 million in relation to the closing year-end fair value payable to FlowStream. In June 2015, Premier 
received $100.0 million from FlowStream in return for granting them 15 per cent of production from the Solan field until sufficient barrels 
have been delivered to achieve the rate of return within the agreement. This balance is being released to the income statement within 
revenue as barrels are delivered to FlowStream from production from Solan. The estimated fair value includes unobservable inputs and  
is level 3 in the IFRS 13 hierarchy and is held at fair value through profit and loss. The balance has reduced by $12.8 million since the 
completion of the Merger reflecting the impact of barrels delivered to FlowStream and a change in estimate following an increase in the 
long-term oil price assumption resulting in a debit to the income statement within finance expense.

Deferred income of $16.1 million (2020: $nil) is expected to be delivered to FlowStream within the next 12 months and has been 
classified as a current liability, with the balance of $4.7 million classified as non-current liabilities.

Additions from business combinations and joint arrangements 

14

1,683.0

20. Provisions

At 1 January 2020

Additions

Changes in estimates – increase to oil and gas tangible decommissioning assets

Changes in estimates – decrease to oil and gas intangible decommissioning assets

Amounts used 

Amounts recovered from prior owner

Interest on decommissioning lease

Depreciation, depletion & amortisation on decommissioning right-of-use leased asset

Unwinding of discount

Currency translation adjustment

At 31 December 2020

Additions

Changes in estimates – decrease to oil and gas tangible decommissioning assets

Changes in estimates – increase to oil and gas intangible decommissioning assets

Changes in estimates – credit to income statement

Changes in estimates on oil and gas tangible assets – debit to income statement

Changes in estimates on oil and gas intangible assets – credit to income statement

Amounts used 

Interest on decommissioning lease

Depreciation, depletion & amortisation on decommissioning right-of-use leased asset

Release of royalty provision (note 22)

Unwinding of discount

Currency translation adjustment

At 31 December 2021

Classified within

At 31 December 2020

At 31 December 2021

Decommissioning 
provision 
$ million

Note

Other 
$ million

3,949.8

29.9

227.7

(3.0)

(142.0)

4.0

(1.4)

(11.6)

87.8

55.9

4,197.1

17.1

(381.0)

14.3

–

8.5

(6.3)

Total 
$ million

3,949.8

48.4

227.7

(3.0)

(147.4)

4.0

(1.4)

(11.6)

87.8

56.7

4,211.0

18.1

1,717.5

(381.0)

14.3

(2.3)

8.5

(6.3)

–

18.5

–

–

(5.4)

–

–

–

–

0.8

13.9

1.0

34.5

–

–

(2.3)

–

–

(225.9)

(9.2)

(235.1)

(0.7)

(8.2)

–

78.0

(22.2)

5,353.7

Non-current 
liabilities 
$ million

4,020.8

5,022.6

–

–

(10.2)

–

(0.2)

27.5

Current 
liabilities 
$ million

190.2

358.6

(0.7)

(8.2)

(10.2)

78.0

(22.4)

5,381.2

Total 
$ million

4,211.0

5,381.2

Of the $17.1 million (2020: $29.9 million) decommissioning provision additions, $14.7 million (2020: $29.9 million) relates to oil and 
gas tangible assets, and $2.4 million (2020: nil) to oil and gas intangible assets.

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

145

Strategic report GovernanceFinancial statementsAdditional informationNotes to the consolidated financial statements continued

20. Provisions continued
The Group provides for the estimated future decommissioning costs on its oil and gas assets at the balance sheet date. The payment 
dates of expected decommissioning costs are uncertain and are based on economic assumptions of the fields concerned. The Group 
currently expects to incur decommissioning costs over the next 40 years, the majority of which are anticipated to be incurred between  
the next 10 to 20 years. Decommissioning provisions are discounted at a risk-free rate of between 0.9 per cent and 1.8 per cent  
(2020: 1.2 per cent and 2.1 per cent) and the unwinding of the discount is presented within finance costs.

These provisions have been created based on internal and third party estimates. Assumptions based on the current economic 
environment have been made, which management believe are a reasonable basis upon which to estimate the future liability. These 
estimates are reviewed regularly to consider any material changes to the assumptions. However, actual decommissioning costs will 
ultimately depend upon market prices for the necessary decommissioning work required, which will reflect market conditions at the 
relevant time. In addition, the timing of decommissioning liabilities will depend upon the dates when the fields become economically 
unviable, which in itself will depend on future commodity prices and climate change, which are inherently uncertain.

Other provisions relate to a provision for an onerous contract in respect of the termination cost of the rig which had been operating on  
the Schiehallion field, but no future approved activities have resulted in the contract being terminated. Also included within other 
provisions is a termination benefit provision in Indonesia of $25.3 million (2020: $nil), where the Group operates a Service, Severance 
and Compensation pay scheme under a Collective Labour Agreement with the local workforce.

21. Borrowings and facilities
The Group’s borrowings are carried at amortised cost.

Reserve Based Lending facility 

Junior facility

High Yield Bond 

10% Unsecured D loan notes 2027 

Exploration Financing Facility

Other loans

Classified within

Non-current liabilities

Current liabilities

Non-current assets (deferred fees)

Current assets (deferred fees)

2021 
$ million

2020 
$ million

2,312.0

1,448.6

–

489.5

–

44.6

39.9

396.4

–

264.8

14.1

37.5

2,886.0

2,161.4

2,823.7

2,160.3

62.3

21.5

2,886.0

2,181.8

–

–

(0.1)

(20.3)

2,886.0

2,161.4

The deferred fees shown in current and non-current assets reflect the expected amortisation of fees within earlier periods where there is no 
expected repayment of principal.

Interest of $17.4 million (2020: $2.8 million) on the Reserve Based Lending facility (RBL), High Yield Bond and Exploration Financing Facility 
(EFF) had accrued by the balance sheet date and has been classified within accruals.

The key terms of the RBL facility are:

 ¼ term extended to 23 November 2027;

 ¼ facility size now at $4.5 billion (with $0.75 billion accordion option);

 ¼ debt availability currently at $3.32 billion;

 ¼ debt availability to be redetermined on an annual basis;

 ¼ interest at USD LIBOR plus a margin of 3.25 per cent, rising to a margin of 3.5 per cent from November 2025;

 ¼ the incorporation of a margin adjustment linked to carbon emission reductions; and

 ¼ the syndication group now stands at 19 banks.

146

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

The $400 million junior facility was fully repaid and cancelled in October 2021 through issuance of a $500 million High Yield Bond.  
The remaining proceeds were used to pay legal fees and pay down some of the drawn debt on the senior facility. The bond was issued 
under Rule 144A and has a tenor of five years to maturity. The coupon was set at 5.50 per cent and interest is payable semi-annually.

Certain fees are also payable, including fees on available commitments at 40 per cent of the applicable margin and commission on 
letters of credit issued at 50 per cent of the applicable margin.

Since 2019, Chrysaor has been operating within an Exploration Financing Facility, currently for NOK 1 billion, in relation to part-financing the 
exploration activities of Chrysaor Norge AS. At the balance sheet date, the amount drawn down on the facility was NOK 396 million/$44.9 
million (2020: NOK 124 million/$14.5 million).

A further $77.2 million of arrangement fees and related costs were capitalised in 2021 following amendments to the RBL facility which 
became effective from March 2021, related to replacement of Premier’s debt prior to completion of the Merger. In addition, $10.9 million 
of arrangement fees and related costs were capitalised as part of the issuance of the High Yield Bond in October 2021, and $0.4 million 
capitalised following further drawdowns on the EFF. These amounts are being amortised over the term of the relevant arrangement.  
At 31 December 2021, $136.0 million of arrangement fees and related costs remain capitalised (2020: $72.5 million), of which $43.6 
million are due to be amortised within the next 12 months (2020: $20.4 million).

During the year $38.9 million (2020: $17.0 million) of arrangement fees and related costs have been amortised and are included within 
financing costs. Also included is a $13.9 million modification gain (2020: nil) following a maturity extension of the RBL debt prior to the 
completion of the Merger.

At the balance sheet date, the outstanding RBL balance excluding incremental arrangement fees and related costs was $2,438 million 
(2020: $1,918 million including the $400 million junior facilities). As at 31 December 2021, $884 million remained available for 
drawdown under the RBL facility.

On 15 March 2021, a partial cash redemption of the 10 per cent unsecured D loan notes of $135.7 million took place, and on 30 March 
2021, the outstanding balance of the D loan notes, with a principal and accrued interest value of $134.7 million, was exchanged for 
16,186,811 F Ordinary Shares of £0.0001 each.

The Group has facilities to issue up to $1.25 billion of letters of credit, of which $796 million was in issue as at 31 December (2020: 
$557 million), mainly in respect of future abandonment liabilities.

Other loans represent a commercial financing arrangement with Baker Hughes (formerly BHGE), covering a three-year work programme 
for drilling, completion and subsea tie-in of development wells on Harbour’s operated assets. As part of the deal, Baker Hughes 
contributes to the costs of the work programme by funding a portion of the capital expenditure, in exchange for a greater exposure to 
returns, as well as risks, should certain targets and success criteria, both operational and geological, be met. Interest on this financing 
arrangement has been calculated using the effective interest method with reference to the expected cash flows, using an estimated 
reserve case.

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

147

Strategic report GovernanceFinancial statementsAdditional informationNotes to the consolidated financial statements continued

21. Borrowings and facilities continued
The table below details the change in the carrying amount of the Group’s borrowings arising from financing cash flows. 

Total borrowings as at 1 January 2020

Repayment of senior debt

Repayment of financing arrangement

Repayment of Exploration Financing Facility

Proceeds from drawdown of borrowing facilities

Proceeds from Exploration Financing Facility

Loan notes redemption

Arrangement fees and related costs on senior debt paid and capitalised

Currency translation adjustments 

Loan notes interest capitalised

Financing arrangement interest payable

Amortisation of arrangement fees and related costs

Total borrowings as at 31 December 2020

Repayment of senior debt

Repayment of junior debt

Short-term debt arising on business combination

Repayment of debt – equity allocation to borrowings

Repayment of debt – cash allocation to borrowings

Conversion of D loan notes to equity

IFRS 9 modification gain

Repayment of financing arrangement

Repayment of Exploration Financing Facility loan

Proceeds from drawdown of borrowing facilities

Proceeds from Exploration Financing Facility loan

Proceeds from issue of High Yield Bond

Loan notes redemption

Arrangement fees and related costs on senior debt paid and capitalised

Arrangement fees and related costs on High Yield Bond capitalised

Arrangement fees and related costs on Exploration Financing Facility loan capitalised

Currency translation adjustment on Exploration Financing Facility loan 

Loan notes interest capitalised

Financing arrangement interest payable

Amortisation of arrangement fees and related costs

Total borrowings as at 31 December 2021

148

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

$ million

2,822.7

(774.0)

(1.6)

(8.7)

157.5

12.8

(77.1)

(18.4)

0.8

25.4

5.0

17.0

2,161.4

(697.5)

(400.0)

(2,219.3)

942.8

1,276.5

(134.7)

(13.9)

(9.3)

(14.7)

1,617.5

45.9

500.0

(135.7)

(77.2)

(10.9)

(0.4)

(0.6)

5.6

11.6

38.9

2,886.0

22. Other financial assets and liabilities
The Group held the following financial instruments at fair value at 31 December 2021. The fair values of all derivative financial instruments 
are based on estimates from observable inputs and are all level 2 in the IFRS 13 hierarchy, except for the royalty valuation, which includes 
estimates based on unobservable inputs and is level 3 in the IFRS 13 hierarchy.

Measured at fair value through profit and loss

Royalty consideration

Foreign exchange derivatives

Interest rate derivatives

Fair value of embedded derivative within gas contract

Carbon swaps

Measured at fair value through other comprehensive income

Commodity derivatives

Foreign exchange derivatives1

Carbon swaps1

Total current

Measured at fair value through profit and loss

Royalty consideration

Interest rate derivatives

Measured at fair value through other comprehensive income

Commodity derivatives

Interest rate derivatives1

Carbon swaps1

Total non-current

Total current and non-current

31 December 2021

31 December 2020

Assets 
$ million

Liabilities 
$ million

Assets 
$ million

Liabilities 
$ million

–

0.9

3.3

–

36.6

40.8

1.0

–

–

1.0

41.8

–

8.3

8.3

–

(2.2)

–

(11.5)

(15.6)

(29.3)

(2,496.9)

–

–

(2,496.9)

(2,526.2)

–

–

–

1.8

(1,373.6)

–

–

1.8

10.1

51.9

–

–

(1,373.6)

(1,373.6)

(3,899.8)

3.0

–

–

–

–

3.0

191.6

12.6

15.4

219.6

222.6

6.7

–

6.7

72.8

–

10.9

83.7

90.4

–

–

–

–

–

–

(74.2)

–

–

(74.2)

(74.2)

–

–

–

(48.5)

(4.0)

–

(52.5)

(52.5)

313.0

(126.7)

1   The accumulated gains and losses relating to carbon swaps, interest rate and foreign exchange derivatives recognised in the hedge reserve as at 31 December 2020 have been 

recycled to the income statement in the current period, along with gains and losses arising in the year to 31 December 2021. 

Part of the consideration received on the sale of Chrysaor’s interest in a pre-production development in 2015 to Premier was a royalty 
interest, which prior to 2021 was recognised on the balance sheet as a financial asset. Subsequent to the Merger with Premier to form 
Harbour Energy plc, the royalty agreement was terminated in May 2021.

Fair value measurements
All financial instruments that are initially recognised and subsequently remeasured at fair value have been classified in accordance with 
the hierarchy described in IFRS 13 Fair Value Measurement. The hierarchy groups fair value measurements into the following levels 
based on the degree to which the fair value is observable.

 ¼ Level 1: fair value measurements are derived from unadjusted quoted prices for identical assets or liabilities.

 ¼ Level 2: fair value measurements include inputs, other than quoted prices included within level 1, which are observable directly or indirectly.

 ¼ Level 3: fair value measurements are derived from valuation techniques that include significant inputs not based on observable data.

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

149

Strategic report GovernanceFinancial statementsAdditional informationNotes to the consolidated financial statements continued

22. Other financial assets and liabilities continued

As at 31 December 2021

Fair value of embedded derivative within gas contract

Commodity derivatives

Foreign exchange derivatives

Carbon swaps

Interest rate derivatives

As at 31 December 2020

Royalty valuation

Commodity derivatives

Foreign exchange derivatives

Carbon swaps

Interest rate derivatives

Financial assets

Financial liabilities

Level 2 
$ million

Level 3 
$ million

Level 2 
$ million

(11.5)

(3,870.5)

(2.2)

(15.6)

–

(3,899.8)

Level 3 
$ million

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

Financial assets

Financial liabilities

Level 3 
$ million

9.7

–

–

–

–

9.7

Level 2 
$ million

–

(122.7)

–

–

(4.0)

(126.7)

Level 3 
$ million

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

2.8

0.9

36.6

11.6

51.9

Level 2 
$ million

–

264.4

12.6

26.3

–

303.3

There were no transfers between fair value levels in the year. The movements in the year associated with financial assets and liabilities 
measured in accordance with level 3 of the fair value hierarchy are shown below:

Fair value as at 1 January

Additions from business combinations and joint arrangements

Settlements

Gains and (losses) recognised in the income statement

Fair value as at 31 December

Financial assets

Financial liabilities

2020 
$ million

2021 
$ million

2020 
$ million

12.1

–

(1.1)

(1.3)

9.7

–

(4.2)

–

4.2

–

(12.5)

–

12.5

–

–

2021 
$ million

9.7

(10.2)

–

0.5

–

The agreement with the sellers of the UK North Sea assets purchased by the Group in 2017 included contingent consideration 
dependent on future commodity prices. The final contingent payment was settled in full during 2020.

Fair value movements recognised in the income statement on financial instruments are shown below:

Income/(expense) included in the income statement

Remeasurement of royalty valuation

2021 
$ million

2020 
$ million

0.5

0.5

(1.3)

(1.3)

150

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

Fair values of other financial instruments
The following financial instruments are measured at amortised cost and are considered to have fair values different to their book values.

High Yield Bond

Long-term borrowings – loan notes

2021

2020

Book value 
$ million

Fair value 
$ million

Book value 
$ million

Fair value 
$ million

(489.5)

(483.0)

–

–

(489.5)

(483.0)

–

(264.8)

(264.8)

–

(299.0)

(299.0)

The fair values of the loan notes are within level 2 of the fair value hierarchy and have been estimated by discounting all future cash flows 
by the relevant market yield curve at the balance sheet date adjusted for an appropriate credit margin. The fair values of other financial 
instruments not measured at fair value including cash and short-term deposits, trade receivables, trade payables and floating rate 
borrowings equate approximately to their carrying amounts. 

Cash flow hedge accounting
The Group uses a combination of fixed price physical sales contracts and cash-settled fixed price commodity swaps and options to 
manage the price risk associated with its underlying oil and gas revenues. As at 31 December 2021, all of the Group’s cash-settled  
fixed price commodity swap derivatives have been designated as cash flow hedges of highly probable forecast sales of oil and gas. 

The following table indicates the volumes, average hedged price and timings associated with the Group’s financial commodity derivatives. 
Volumes hedged through fixed price contracts with customers for physical delivery are excluded.

Position as at 31 December 2021

Oil volume hedged (thousand bbls)

Weighted average hedged price ($/bbl)

Gas volume hedged (million therms)

Weighted average hedged price (p/therm)

2022

18,798

61.15

1,472

51p

2023

7,300

61.05

1,334

41p

2024

2025

–

–

483

43p

–

–

90

45p

As at 31 December 2021, the fair value of net financial commodity derivatives designated as cash flow hedges, all executed under ISDA 
agreements with no margining requirements, was a net payable of $3,867.7 million (2020: net receivable of $141.7 million) and net 
unrealised pre-tax losses of $3,454.2 million (2020: gains $113.0 million) were deferred in other comprehensive income in respect  
of the effective portion of the hedge relationships. Amounts deferred in other comprehensive income will be released to the income 
statement as the underlying hedged transactions occur. As at 31 December 2021, net deferred pre-tax losses of $2,495.9 million 
(2020: gains $117.4 million) are expected to be released to the income statement within one year.

23. Financial risk factors and risk management 
The Group’s principal financial assets and liabilities comprise trade and other receivables, cash and short-term deposits accounts, trade 
payables, interest bearing loans and derivative financial instruments. The main purpose of these financial instruments is to manage 
short-term cash flow and price exposures and raise finance for the Group’s expenditure programme. Further information on the Group’s 
financial instrument risk management objectives, policies and strategies are set out in the discussion of capital management policies in 
the Strategic Report.

Risk exposures and responses
The Group manages its exposure to key financial risks in accordance with its financial risk management policy. The objective of the policy 
is to support the delivery of the Group’s financial targets while protecting future financial security. The main risks that could adversely 
affect the Group’s financial assets, liabilities or future cash flows are market risks comprising commodity price risk, interest rate risk and 
foreign currency risk, liquidity risk, and credit risk. Management reviews and agrees policies for managing each of these risks which are 
summarised in this note.

The Group’s senior management oversees the management of financial risks. The Group’s senior management ensures that financial 
risk-taking activities are governed by appropriate policies and procedures and that financial risks are identified, measured and managed 
in accordance with Group policies and risk objectives. All derivative activities for risk management purposes are carried out by specialist 
teams that have the appropriate skills, experience and supervision. It is the Group’s policy that no trading in derivatives for speculative 
purposes shall be undertaken. 

Market risk
Market risk is the risk that the fair value of future cash flows of a financial instrument will fluctuate because of changes in market prices. 
Market risk comprises three types of risk: commodity price risk, interest rate risk and foreign currency risk. Financial instruments mainly 
affected by market risk include loans and borrowings, deposits and derivative financial instruments. 

The sensitivity analyses in the following sections relate to the position as at 31 December 2021 and 2020.

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

151

Strategic report GovernanceFinancial statementsAdditional informationNotes to the consolidated financial statements continued

23. Financial risk factors and risk management continued
The sensitivity analyses have been prepared on the basis that the number of financial instruments are all constant. The sensitivity analyses 
are intended to illustrate the sensitivity to changes in market variables on the composition of the Group’s financial instruments at the 
balance sheet date and show the impact on profit or loss and shareholders’ equity, where applicable.

The following assumptions have been made in calculating the sensitivity analyses:

 ¼ The sensitivity of the relevant profit before tax item and/or equity is the effect of the assumed changes in respective market risks for  

the full year based on the financial assets and financial liabilities held at the balance sheet date.

 ¼ The sensitivities indicate the effect of a reasonable increase in each market variable. Unless otherwise stated, the effect of a 

corresponding decrease in these variables is considered approximately equal and opposite. 

 ¼ Fair value changes from derivative instruments designated as cash flow hedges are considered fully effective and recorded in 

shareholders’ equity, net of tax. 

 ¼ Fair value changes from derivatives and other financial instruments not designated as cash flow hedges are presented as a sensitivity  

to profit before tax only and not included in shareholders’ equity. 

(a) Commodity price risk
The Group is exposed to the risk of fluctuations in prevailing market commodity prices on the mix of oil and gas products. On a rolling basis, 
the Group’s policy is to hedge the commodity price exposure associated with 50 to 70 per cent of the next 12 months’ production (‘year 1’), 
between 40 and 60 per cent of ‘year 2’ production, from ‘year 3’ up to 50 per cent of production and from ‘year 4’ up to 40 per cent of 
production. The Group manages these risks through the use of fixed price contracts with customers for physical delivery and derivative 
financial instruments including fixed price swaps and options.

The following table summarises the impact on the Group’s pre-tax profit and equity from a reasonably foreseeable movement in commodity 
prices on the fair value of commodity based derivative instruments held by the Group at the balance sheet date. 

As at 31 December 2021

Brent oil price

Brent oil price

NBP gas price

NBP gas price

As at 31 December 2020

Brent oil price

Brent oil price

NBP gas price

NBP gas price

Market movement

USD 10/bbl increase

USD 10/bbl decrease

GBP 0.1/therm increase

GBP 0.1/therm decrease

Market movement

USD 10/bbl increase

USD 10/bbl decrease

GBP 0.1/therm increase

GBP 0.1/therm decrease

Effect on profit 
before tax 
$ million

–

–

–

–

Effect on profit 
before tax 
$ million

–

–

–

–

Effect  
on equity 
$ million

(156.6)

156.6

(208.9)

208.9

Effect on 
equity 
$ million

(123.3)

123.3

(261.9)

261.9

(b) Interest rate risk
Floating rate borrowings comprise loans under the RBL facility which incurs interest fixed either one month, three months or six months  
in advance at USD LIBOR plus a margin of 3.25 to 3.5 per cent. Fixed rate borrowings at 31 December 2021 comprise a High Yield Bond 
which incurs interest at 5.5 per cent per annum (at 31 December 2020 fixed rate borrowings comprised a series of shareholder loan 
notes which incurred interest at 10 per cent per annum). Floating rate financial assets comprise cash and cash equivalents which earn 
interest at the relevant market rate. The Group monitors its exposure to fluctuations in interest rates and uses interest rate derivatives  
to manage the fixed and floating composition of its borrowings. 

The interest rate financial instruments in place at the balance sheet date are shown below:

As at 31 December 2021

Derivative

Interest rate swaps

As at 31 December 2020

Derivative

Interest rate swaps

152

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

Currency

Period of hedge

Terms

$700 million

June 20 – June 25

Average 0.5561%

Currency

Period of hedge

Terms

$700 million

June 20 – June 25

Average 0.5561%

The interest rate and currency profile of the Group’s interest-bearing financial assets and liabilities are shown below:

As at 31 December 2021

US Dollar

Pound Sterling

Norwegian Krone

Other

As at 31 December 2020

US Dollar

Pound Sterling

Norwegian Krone

Other

Cash at bank 
$ million

Fixed rate 
borrowings 
$ million

Floating rate 
borrowings 
$ million

Total 
$ million

477.9

201.0

14.6

5.2

698.7

(489.5)

(2,351.9)

(2,363.5)

–

–

–

–

(44.6)

–

201.0

(30.0)

5.2

(489.5)

(2,396.5)

(2,187.3)

Cash at bank 
$ million

Fixed rate 
borrowings 
$ million

Floating rate 
borrowings 
$ million

Total 
$ million

414.6

27.3

3.3

0.2

(264.8)

(1,882.5)

(1,732.7)

–

–

–

–

(14.1)

–

27.3

(10.8)

0.2

445.4

(264.8)

(1,896.6)

(1,716.0)

The following table illustrates the indicative pre-tax effect on profit and equity of applying a reasonably foreseeable increase in interest 
rates to the Group’s financial assets and liabilities at the balance sheet date. 

2021

US Dollar interest rates

2020

US Dollar interest rates

Market movement

Effect on profit 
before tax 
$ million

Effect on  
equity  
$ million

+100 basis points

(1.6)

–

+100 basis points

(15.0)

25.2

(c) Foreign currency risk 
The Group is exposed to foreign currency risk primarily arising from exchange rate movements in US Dollar against Pound Sterling.  
To mitigate exposure to movements in exchange rates, wherever possible financial assets and liabilities are held in currencies that  
match the functional currency of the relevant entity. The Group has subsidiaries with functional currencies of Pound Sterling, US Dollar, 
Norwegian Krone, Mexican Pesos and Brazilian Reals. Exposures can also arise from sales or purchases denominated in currencies  
other than the functional currency of the relevant entity; such exposures are monitored and hedged with agreement from the Board. 

The Group enters into forward contracts as a means of hedging its exposure to foreign exchange rate risks. As at 31 December 2021, the 
Group had £20.0 million hedged at a forward rate of $1.3903/£1 for the period to January 2022 and EUR18.4 million hedged at forward 
rates of between EUR1.1926 and EUR1.2030/£1 for the period January 2022 to December 2022.

As at 31 December 2020, the Group had £135.0 million hedged at forward rates of between $1.2321 and $1.2990/£1 for the period 
January 2021 to November 2021.

The following table demonstrates the sensitivity to a reasonably foreseeable change in US Dollar against Pound Sterling with all  
other variables held constant, of the Group’s profit before tax (due to foreign exchange translation of monetary assets and liabilities).  
The impact of translating the net assets of foreign operations into US Dollars is excluded from the sensitivity analysis.

2021

US Dollar/Pound Sterling

US Dollar/Pound Sterling

2020

US Dollar/Pound Sterling

US Dollar/Pound Sterling

Market movement

Effect on  
profit before tax 
$ million

Effect on  
equity 
 $ million

10% strengthening

10% weakening

10% strengthening

10% weakening

284.5

(284.5)

163.8

(163.8)

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

–

–

18.5

(18.5)

153

Strategic report GovernanceFinancial statementsAdditional informationNotes to the consolidated financial statements continued

23. Financial risk factors and risk management continued
(d) Credit risk
Credit risk is the risk that a counterparty will not meet its obligations under a financial instrument or customer contract, leading to 
financial loss. The Group is exposed to credit risk from its operating activities (primarily for trade receivables) and from its financing 
activities, including deposits with banks and derivative financial instruments. 

The Group only sells hydrocarbons to recognised and creditworthy parties, typically the trading arm of large, international oil and gas 
companies. An indication of the concentration of credit risk on trade receivables is shown in note 4, whereby the revenue from one 
customer exceeds 84 per cent of the Group’s consolidated revenue.

The credit risk on liquid funds and derivative financial instruments is limited because the counterparties are internationally recognised 
banking institutions and are considered to represent minimal credit risk.

There are no significant concentrations of credit risk within the Group unless otherwise disclosed, and credit losses are expected to be 
near to zero. The maximum credit risk exposure relating to financial assets is represented by carrying value as at the balance sheet date.

(e) Liquidity risk
The Group monitors the amount of borrowings maturing within any specific period and expects to meet its financing commitments from 
the operating cash flows of the business and existing committed lines of credit.

The table below summarises the maturity profile of the Group’s financial liabilities at 31 December 2021 and 2020 based on contractual 
undiscounted payments. 

As at 31 December 2021

Non-derivative financial liabilities

Reserve Based Lending facility

High Yield Bond

Exploration Financing Facility

Other loans

Trade and other payables

Lease obligations

Derivative financial liabilities

Net-settled commodity derivatives

Net-settled foreign exchange derivatives

Net-settled carbon derivatives

Total as at 31 December 2021

As at 31 December 2020

Non-derivative financial liabilities

Reserve Based Lending facility

Junior facility

Loan notes 

Exploration Financing Facility

Other loans

Trade and other payables

Lease obligations

Derivative financial liabilities

Net-settled commodity derivatives

Net-settled interest rate derivatives

Total as at 31 December 2020

154

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

Within 1 year  
$ million

1 to 2 years 
$ million

2 to 5 years 
$ million

Over 5 years 
$ million

Total 
$ million

85.8

27.3

45.8

17.7

913.7

181.7

1,272.0

758.4

27.5

–

12.7

32.2

127.8

958.6

1,569.5

582.5

–

20.9

–

309.4

2,482.3

2,496.8

1,090.6

283.1

2.2

15.6

–

–

–

–

305.8

2,719.5

–

–

3.3

–

97.4

406.5

–

–

–

637.3

45.8

54.6

945.9

716.3

5,119.4

3,870.5

2.2

15.6

3,786.6

2,049.2

2,765.4

406.5

9,007.7

Within 1 year  
$ million

1 to 2 years 
$ million

2 to 5 years 
$ million

Over 5 years 
$ million

Total 
$ million

53.0

22.3

–

14.7

7.3

673.6

60.1

831.0

74.2

–

905.2

73.1

175.2

–

–

14.9

29.8

44.9

1,595.9

225.2

–

–

31.3

–

23.8

337.9

1,876.2

20.4

–

358.3

28.0

4.1

–

45.7

507.9

–

5.8

–

31.5

590.9

–

–

1,722.0

468.4

507.9

14.7

59.3

703.4

160.3

3,636.0

122.6

4.1

1,908.3

590.9

3,762.7

The maturity profiles in the above tables reflect only one side of the Group’s liquidity position and will be recorded in the income 
statement against future production and revenue which are recognised on the balance sheet as assets. Interest bearing loans and 
borrowings and trade payables mainly originate from the financing of assets used in the Group’s ongoing operations such as property, 
plant and equipment and working capital such as inventories. These assets are considered part of the Group’s overall liquidity risk.

24. Called up share capital

Allotted, called up and fully paid

Ordinary Shares of 0.002p each

Ordinary non-voting deferred shares of 12.4999p each

F Ordinary Shares of £0.01 each

G Ordinary Shares of £0.40 each

M Ordinary Shares of £0.01 each

Number

925,532,639

925,532,639

–

–

–

2021 
$ million

–

171.1

–

–

–

171.1

Number

–

–

4,994,624

18,900

9,865

2020 
$ million

–

–

0.1

–

–

0.1

The rights and restrictions attached to the Ordinary Shares are as follows: 

 ¼ Dividend rights: the rights of the holders of Ordinary Shares shall rank pari passu in all respects with each other in relation to dividends.

 ¼ Winding up or reduction of capital: on a return of capital on a winding up or otherwise (other than on conversion, redemption or 

purchase of shares) the rights of the holders of Ordinary Shares to participate in the distribution of the assets of the Company available 
for distribution shall rank pari passu in all respects with each other. 

 ¼ Voting rights: the holders of Ordinary Shares shall be entitled to receive notice of, attend, vote and speak at any General Meeting of the Company.

The rights and restrictions attached to the non-voting deferred shares are as follows: 

 ¼ They will have no voting or dividend rights and, on a return of capital or on a winding up of the Company, will have the right to receive  
the amount paid up thereon only after holders of all Ordinary Shares have received, in aggregate, any amounts paid up on each  
Ordinary Share plus £10 million on each Ordinary Share. The Non-Voting Deferred Shares will not give the holder the right to receive 
notice of, nor attend, speak or vote at, any general meeting of the Company.

Issue of Ordinary Shares
In March 2021, the Company completed a subdivision of each of the existing 12.5 pence Ordinary Shares, subdividing them into:

 ¼ one Ordinary Share with a nominal value of 0.0001 pence each; and 

 ¼ one Non-voting Deferred Share with a nominal value of 12.4999 pence each. 

Following the subdivision of shares, the Company issued 14,253,203,210 shares in consideration for the acquisition of Chrysaor 
Holdings Limited. In addition to the consideration shares, 3,331,916,120 shares were issued to former creditors of the Company in 
connection with the restructuring of the Company’s debt, as announced on 16 December 2020.

On 25 June 2021, the Company undertook a consolidation of its shares whereby 1 new Ordinary Share of 0.002 pence each was issued 
for every 20 existing Ordinary Shares of 0.0001 pence each previously held. As at 31 December 2021, the Company had 925,532,639 
shares of 0.002 pence each in issue. 

Purchase and cancellation of own shares
During 2021, none of the Company’s Ordinary Shares were re-purchased or cancelled. 

Own shares

At 1 January 2021

Additions from business combinations and joint arrangements 

Purchase of ESOP Trust shares

Release of shares

At 31 December 2021

2021 
$ million

–

0.6

3.3

(0.2)

3.7

The own shares represent the net cost of shares in Harbour Energy plc purchased in the market or issued by the Company into the 
Harbour Energy plc Employee Benefit Trust. This ESOP Trust holds shares to satisfy awards under the Group’s share incentive plans.  
At 31 December 2021, the number of Ordinary Shares of 0.002 pence each held by the Trust was 775,523.

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

155

Strategic report GovernanceFinancial statementsAdditional information 
 
Notes to the consolidated financial statements continued

25. Share-based payments
The Group currently operates a Long Term Incentive Plan (LTIP) for certain employees and a Share Incentive Plan and a Save As You Earn 
scheme for UK-based and expatriate employees only.

For the year ended 31 December 2021, the total cost recognised by the Company for share-based payment transactions was $13.4 million. 
A credit of $13.4 million has been recorded in retained earnings for all equity-settled payments of the Company. Like other elements of 
remuneration, this charge is processed through the time-writing system which allocates cost, based on time spent by individuals, to various 
entities within the Harbour Energy plc group. Part of this cost is therefore recharged to the relevant subsidiary undertakings, part is 
capitalised as directly attributable to capital projects and part is charged to the income statement as operating costs, pre-licence exploration 
costs or general and administration costs.

Details of the various share incentive plans currently in operation are set out below.

2017 Long Term Incentive Plan (2017 LTIP)
The Long Term Incentive Plan (LTIP) was introduced as discretionary share awards granted to employees. The following types of award have 
been granted under the 2017 LTIP:

 ¼ Performance Share Awards (PSA): vesting is subject to a Performance Target, normally measured over a three-year period from 1 January 

based on Total Shareholder Return (TSR) relative to a peer group of companies and aligns to longer-term strategic objectives.

 ¼ Restricted Share Awards (RSA): aligns to the primary objective of balance sheet recovery, independent of other performance objectives 

and vesting of awards is subject to a financial underpin and continued employment.

 ¼ Conditional Share Awards (CSAs): one-off retention awards where vesting is only subject to continued employment. 

 ¼ Premier Value Share Plan (PVSP) awards: the PVSP is made up of two awards, Base Awards and Multiplier Awards. Under the PVSP, annual 
awards of time-vesting restricted shares (Base Awards) and three-year performance-vesting shares (Performance Multiplier Awards) may  
be made, with performance-vesting shares subject to achievements of Premier’s delivery of long-term shareholder return.

 ¼ Deferred Bonus Share Plan (DBSP) awards: certain employees are required to defer a portion of their annual bonus into shares which 

vest over a three-year period subject to continued employment.

All LTIP awards are granted in the form of nil-cost options or conditional share awards and therefore there is no exercise price payable on 
the exercise of these awards.

No RSA or PVSP awards were granted in 2021. 

For further details of the LTIP awards, including the performance conditions of the PSAs granted in 2021, please refer to the Directors’ 
Remuneration Report.

The following table shows the movement in the number of LTIP awards:

Outstanding at 1 January

Additions from business combinations and joint arrangements1

Granted pre-share consolidation

Vested pre-share consolidation

Forfeited pre-share consolidation

20 to 1 share consolidation

Granted post-share consolidation 

Vested post-share consolidation

Forfeited post-share consolidation

Outstanding at 31 December2

1  Includes DBSP awards.
2  This includes 0.2 million cash settled awards at 31 December 2021, which are revalued using the year-end share price.

2021 
(million)

–

31.2

23.1

(0.6)

(0.8)

(50.3)

18.0

–

(0.1)

20.5

156

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

LTIP awards totalling 0.03 million shares (adjusted for the 20 to 1 share consolidation) were vested during the period. The weighted 
average remaining contractual life of the LTIP awards at 31 December 2021 was 2.0 years.

Key assumptions used to calculate the fair value of awards
The fair value of awards which are subject to a TSR condition, such as the PSAs, is determined using a Monte Carlo simulation. The fair value 
of all other awards is calculated using the share price at the date of grant, adjusted for dividends not received during the vesting period.

The following table lists the inputs to the model used in respect of the PSA awards granted during the financial year.

Share price at date of grant

Dividend yield 

Expected term

Risk free rate

Share price volatility of the Company

2021

£3.60 – £3.77

0%

1.5 years – 3.0 years

0.1% – 0.5%

70%

The weighted average fair value of the PSA awards granted in 2021 was $1.57.

Expected volatility was determined by reference to both the historical volatility of the Company and the historical volatility of a group  
of comparable quoted companies over a period in line with the expected term assumption.

Share Incentive Plan
Under the Share Incentive Plan employees are invited to make contributions to buy partnership shares. If an employee agrees to buy 
partnership shares the Company currently matches the number of partnership shares bought with an award of shares (matching shares), 
on a one-for-one basis. 62,688 matching shares were awarded to employees in 2021. 

Save As You Earn (SAYE) scheme
Under the SAYE scheme, eligible employees with one month or more continuous service can join the scheme. Employees can save to a 
maximum of £500 per month through payroll deductions for a period of three or five years after which time they can acquire shares at up 
to a 20 per cent discount. No SAYE options were granted in 2021.

Outstanding at 1 January

Additions from business combinations and joint arrangements

20 to 1 share consolidation

Granted during the year

Lapsed during the year

Exercised during the year1

Outstanding as at 31 December

1  No Ordinary Shares were issued under the SAYE scheme during 2021.

2021

Weighted 
average  
exercise price

Options 
(million)

–

10.3

(9.8)

–

(0.1)

–

0.4

–

£5.82

–

–

£6.01

–

£5.78

No SAYE options were exercised during 2021. The SAYE options outstanding at 31 December 2021 had exercise prices ranging from 
£5.53 to £20.09 and a weighted average remaining contractual life of 1.9 years.

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

157

Strategic report GovernanceFinancial statementsAdditional informationNotes to the consolidated financial statements continued

26. Group pension schemes
Balance sheet

UK funded pension scheme

Total surplus in balance sheet

UK unfunded pension scheme

Total liability in balance sheet

2021 
$ million

2020 
$ million

0.8

0.8

–

–

2021 
$ million

2020 
$ million

0.7

0.7

–

–

Unfunded pensions
The Group is paying an unfunded pension to a former director of Premier in the UK in regard to which annual increases and a reversionary 
spouse’s pension apply on the same basis as to pensions paid under the Scheme. 

On the same actuarial basis as used to assess the Scheme’s pension costs, the present value as at 31 December 2021 of the future 
payments projected to be made in respect of UK unfunded pensions is $0.7 million.

Funded pensions
The Group operates a defined benefit pension scheme in the UK – The Retirement and Death Benefits Plan (the Scheme), primarily 
inflation-linked annuities based on an employee’s length of service and final salary. The Scheme is closed to new members.

The disclosures set out below are based on calculations carried out as at 31 December 2021 by a qualified independent actuary.  
The figures have been prepared in compliance with IAS 19 Employee Benefits.

The Scheme’s assets are held in a separate trustee-administered fund to meet long-term pension liabilities to beneficiaries. The Trustee 
of the Scheme is required to act in the best interest of the Scheme’s beneficiaries. The appointment of trustee directors is determined by 
the trust documentation.

The liabilities of the defined benefit Scheme are measured by discounting the best estimate of future cash flows to be paid out of the 
Scheme using the projected unit credit method. This amount is reflected in the surplus or the deficit in the balance sheet. The projected 
unit credit method is an accrued benefits valuation method in which the Scheme liabilities make allowance for the projected earnings.

The liabilities set out in this note have been calculated using membership data current as at 31 December 2021. The results of the 
calculations and the assumptions adopted are shown below.

As at 31 December 2021, contributions are payable to the Scheme by the Group at the rates set out in the schedule of contributions 
signed by the trustees on 23 March 2021. Under this schedule, the Company contributes on a monthly basis at the rate of 30 per cent  
of the aggregate of members’ pensionable salaries.

Principal assumptions

Discount rate

RPI inflation

CPI inflation

Rate of increase in salaries

Rate of increase in pensions in payment: LPI (max 5%)

Mortality

Proportion married

Withdrawals

Cash commutation

Life expectancy of male aged 65 now

Life expectancy of male aged 65 in 20 years

Life expectancy of female aged 65 now

Life expectancy of female aged 65 in 20 years

158

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

At 31 December 
2021

At 31 December 
2020

1.8% p.a.

3.4% p.a.

2.4% p.a. 

3.4% p.a.

3.3% p.a.
S3PA Light CMI_2020 with 0.5% IAMI 
and 1.25% long term

80%

No allowance

75% of maximum tax-free cash 

23.6

24.8

25.1

26.5

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

Asset breakdown – the major Scheme assets as a percentage of total Scheme assets are:

Equities

Gilts

Corporate bonds

Cash

Total 

Reconciliation of funded status and amount recognised in balance sheet:

Fair value of Scheme assets

Present value of defined benefit obligation

Surplus

Unrecognised amount due to effect of IFRIC 141

Defined benefit asset recognised in balance sheet 

2021 
%

41.2

29.3

29.1

0.4

100.0

 2020 
%

–

–

–

–

–

2021 
$ million

 2020 
$ million

(55.4)

39.4

(16.0)

15.2

(0.8)

–

–

–

–

–

1  The trustees have certain rights to grant benefit increases to members and accordingly it has been concluded the Group does not have an unconditional right to the surplus by way of a refund. 

Statement of amount recognised in the income statement:

Current service cost

Net interest on the net defined benefit liability (asset)

Total

Reconciliation of defined benefit obligation:

Opening present value of defined benefit obligation

Additions from business combinations and joint arrangements

Service cost

Interest cost

Actuarial (gains)/losses from changes in demographic assumptions

Actuarial (gains)/losses from changes in financial assumptions

Changes due to experience adjustments

Benefits paid

Currency translation effects

Closing defined benefit obligation

Reconciliation of fair value of assets:

Opening present value of Scheme assets

Additions from business combinations and joint arrangements

Interest income

Return on assets less interest income

Benefits paid

Currency translation effects

Closing fair value of Scheme assets

Actual return on Scheme assets

2021 
$ million

2020 
$ million

0.1

–

0.1

–

–

–

2021 
$ million

2020 
$ million

–

41.5

0.1

0.5

–

(1.7)

0.4

(1.1)

(0.3)

39.4

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

2021 
$ million

2020 
$ million

–

53.4

0.6

2.9

(1.1)

(0.4)

55.4

3.5

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

159

Strategic report GovernanceFinancial statementsAdditional informationNotes to the consolidated financial statements continued

26. Group pension schemes continued
Statement of amount recognised in comprehensive income:

(Gain)/loss from changes in the financial assumptions for value of Scheme liabilities

(Gain)/loss from changes in the demographic assumptions for value of Scheme liabilities

Changes due to experience adjustments

Return on assets (excluding amounts included in net interest on the net defined benefit liability (asset))

Change in the effect of the asset ceiling excluding amounts included in net interest on the net defined liability

Currency translation effects

Other comprehensive income

Statement of amount recognised in profit and loss and other comprehensive income:

Amount recognised in profit and loss

Other comprehensive income

Total comprehensive loss

2021 
$ million

2020
$ million

(1.7)

–

0.4

(2.9)

4.2

0.1

0.1

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

2021 
$ million

2020
$ million

0.1

0.1

0.2

–

–

–

Sensitivity of balance sheet at 31 December 2021
The results of the calculations are sensitive to the assumptions used. The balance sheet position revealed by IAS 19 calculations must 
be expected to be volatile, principally because the market value of assets (with significant exposure to equities) is being compared with  
a liability assessment derived from corporate bond yields.

The below table shows the sensitivity of the IAS 19 balance sheet position to small changes in some of the assumptions. Where one 
assumption has been changed all the other assumptions are kept as disclosed above. 

Discount rate less 0.1% p.a.

RPI inflation and linked assumptions plus 0.1% p.a.

Members living one year longer than assumed

Revised 
(surplus)/deficit 
$ million

Change from 
disclosed 
(surplus)/deficit 
$ million

(15.4)

(15.5)

(14.5)

0.6

0.5

1.5

Projected components of pension costs for period to 31 December 2022
Because of the significant volatility in investment markets, it is difficult to project forward the IAS 19 figures for the next year with 
confidence. The following projections should therefore be treated with caution. Assumptions implicit in the following projections are:

 ¼ the interest on the defined benefit liability/(asset) from 31 December 2021 is 1.8% p.a.;

 ¼ contributions to the Scheme will continue throughout 2022 in accordance with the current Schedule of Contributions in place at the date 

of signing this report; and

 ¼ there will be no changes to the terms of the Scheme.

The amounts recognised in the components of pension expense are:

Current service cost

Interest on defined benefit liability/(asset)

Net actuarial (gain)/loss recognised

Total

160

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

2022 
$ million

0.1

–

–

0.1

Defined contribution schemes
The Group operates defined contribution retirement benefit schemes. The only obligation of the Group with respect to the retirement 
benefit schemes are to make specified contributions. Payments to the defined contribution schemes are charged as an expense as they 
fall due. The total cost charged to income of $28.2 million (2020: $18.6 million) represents contributions payable to these schemes by 
the Group at rates specified in the rules of the schemes.

27. Notes to the statement of cash flows
Net cash flows from operating activities consist of:

Profit/(loss) before taxation

Finance cost, excluding foreign exchange

Finance income, excluding foreign exchange

Depreciation, depletion and amortisation

Impairment of property, plant and equipment

Impairment of goodwill

Taxes paid

Share-based payments

Decommissioning payments

Onerous contract provision

Exploration costs written-off

Write-off of non-oil and gas assets

Pre-Merger costs

Remeasurement of acquisition completion adjustments

Onerous contract payments

(Increase)/decrease in royalty consideration receivable

Loss/(gain) on termination of IFRS 16 lease

Loss on disposal of asset

Movement in realised cash flow hedges not yet settled

Unrealised foreign exchange loss

Working capital adjustments:

– Increase in inventories

– (Increase)/decrease in trade and other receivables

– Increase/(decrease) in trade and other payables

Net cash inflow from operating activities

2021 
$ million

314.5

309.4

(48.8)

2020 
$ million

(977.7)

261.7

(7.5)

1,371.0

1,222.1

117.2

–

(279.8)

8.4

(244.8)

(2.3)

255.0

4.7

7.0

–

(9.2)

(0.5)

0.3

0.1

361.6

57.3

(13.0)

(607.4)

13.5

644.0

411.4

(189.6)

11.8

(162.1)

18.5

160.8

–

–

0.4

(5.4)

2.4

(0.5)

–

(5.6)

34.7

(11.2)

41.5

(76.3)

1,614.2

1,373.4

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

161

Strategic report GovernanceFinancial statementsAdditional informationNotes to the consolidated financial statements continued

27. Notes to the statement of cash flows continued
Reconciliation of net cash flow to movement in net borrowings:

Proceeds from drawdown of borrowing facilities

Proceeds from issue of High Yield Bond

Short-term debt arising on business combination

Repayment of debt – equity allocation to borrowings

Repayment of debt – cash allocation to borrowings

Conversion of D loan notes to equity

Proceeds from Exploration Financing Facility loan

Repayment of senior debt 

Repayment of junior debt

Loan notes redemption

IFRS 9 modification gain

Repayment of Exploration Financing Facility loan

Repayment of financing arrangement

Arrangement fees and related costs capitalised

Financing arrangement interest payable

Amortisation of arrangement fees and related costs capitalised

Currency translation adjustment on EFF loan

Loan notes interest capitalised 

Movement in total borrowings

Movement in cash and cash equivalents 

(Increase)/decrease in net borrowings in the year

Opening net borrowings

Closing net borrowings

Analysis of net borrowings

Cash and cash equivalents

Reserve Based Lending facility

High Yield Bond

Junior facility

Exploration Financing Facility

Net debt

Shareholder loan notes

Financing arrangement

Closing net borrowings

162

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

2021 
$ million

(1,617.5)

(500.0)

2,219.3

(942.8)

(1,276.5)

134.7

(45.9)

697.5

400.0

135.7

13.9

14.7

9.3

88.5

(11.6)

(38.9)

0.6

(5.6)

(724.6)

253.3

(471.3)

2020 
$ million

(157.5)

–

–

–

–

–

(12.8)

774.0

–

77.1

–

8.7

1.6

18.4

(4.9)

(17.1)

(0.8)

(25.4)

661.3

(127.8)

533.5

(1,716.0)

(2,249.5)

(2,187.3)

(1,716.0)

2021 
$ million

698.7

2020 
$ million

445.4

(2,312.0)

(1,448.6)

(489.5)

–

–

(396.4)

(44.6)

(14.1)

(2,147.4)

(1,413.7)

–

(39.9)

(264.8)

(37.5)

(2,187.3)

(1,716.0)

28. Related party disclosures
Transactions between the Company and its subsidiaries, which are related parties, have been eliminated on consolidation and are not 
disclosed in this note.

Before year-end the Company entered into a secondment agreement with EIG to second two EIG employees to work for Harbour for an 
initial period of up to six months from 1 December 2021. The secondment agreement provides that the secondees will work for Harbour 
on a substantially full-time basis which may be terminated or extended with the agreement of the parties. The secondees, who are both 
familiar with Harbour’s business and assets, will provide the Company with additional support and expertise on a temporary basis. 

Directors and Executive remuneration
The remuneration of Directors during the year is set out in the Directors’ Remuneration Report. 

Remuneration of key management personnel, including Directors of the Group, is shown below:

Salaries and short-term benefits

Payments made in lieu of pension contributions

Pension benefits

2021 
$ million

2020 
$ million

18.6

0.7

–

19.3

13.6

0.8

0.1

14.5

Note:
2021 data includes remuneration of key management personnel for the Chrysaor Holdings Group in the three months to 31 March 2021.

29. Dividends
A dividend of $100.0 million is proposed for the year ended 31 December 2021 (2020: $nil).

30. Post balance sheet events
As announced on 2 February 2022, Phil Kirk stepped down from his role as Executive Director with effect from 28 February 2022. 

The Group has assessed and will continue to assess the implications of the events in Ukraine. Currently there is considered to be no 
material impact to Group’s financial performance or position. 

The Company confirmed that the Directors intend to submit a proposal to shareholders at the Company’s forthcoming Annual General 
Meeting for a general authority to purchase the Company’s own Ordinary Shares. The Directors believe that the Board should be afforded 
the flexibility to be able to buy back the Company’s shares when it is in the best interests of shareholders to do so and will result in an 
increase in earnings per share. The resolution will specify the maximum number of shares that can be acquired (approximately 15 per 
cent of the issued of Ordinary share capital) and the minimum and maximum prices at which they may be bought. Any share purchased 
under the authority granted by the resolution will either be cancelled or may be held as treasury shares. In accordance with the Listing 
Rules, a further announcement would be made by the Company in the event that the Directors intend to commence a programme to 
repurchase shares. 

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

163

Strategic report GovernanceFinancial statementsAdditional informationNotes to the consolidated financial statements continued

31. Investments and amounts due from subsidiary undertakings
At 31 December 2021, the subsidiary undertakings of the Company which were all wholly owned were:

Name of company

Area of operation

Country of incorporation

Main activity

UK

UK

Jersey

UK

UK (iii)

UK (vi)

Jersey (vii)

UK (iii)

Intermediate holding company

Intermediate holding company

Investment management

Intermediate holding company

Netherlands

Netherlands (viii)

Intermediate holding company

Premier Oil Exploration and Production Limited 

Falkland Islands

Premier Oil Group Holdings Limited (i) 

Premier Oil Group Limited 

Premier Oil Finance (Jersey) Limited (i) 

Premier Oil Holdings Limited 

Premier Oil Overseas BV 

Premier Oil UK Limited 

Premier Oil E&P Holdings Limited 

Premier Oil E&P UK Limited 

Premier Oil E&P UK EU Limited 

Premier Oil E&P UK Energy Trading Limited 

Premier Oil Barakuda Limited

Premier Oil Natuna Sea BV

Premier Oil Vietnam Offshore BV

Premier Oil (Vietnam) Limited 

Premier Oil Andaman Limited 

Premier Oil Andaman I Limited 

Premier Oil ANS Limited 

Premier Oil do Brasil Petróleo e Gás Ltda

Premier Oil Exploration and Production Mexico S.A.de C.V.

Premier Oil Mexico Recursos S.A. de C.V.

Premier Oil South Andaman Limited 

Premier Oil Tuna BV 

Ebury Gate Limited 

EnCore (NNS) Limited 

EnCore Oil Limited

FP Mauritania A BV 

FP Mauritania B BV 

Premier Oil (EnCore Petroleum) Limited

Premier Oil ANS Holdings Limited

Premier Oil Aberdeen Services Limited 

Premier Oil and Gas Services Limited 

Premier Oil Exploration (Mauritania) Limited

Premier Oil Far East Limited 

Premier Oil Mauritania B Limited 

Premier Oil Mexico Holdings Limited 

Premier Oil Vietnam 121 Limited 

Premier Oil Mexico Investments Limited 

Chrysaor Holdings Limited (i)

Chrysaor E&P Limited

Chrysaor Production Holdings Limited

Chrysaor Resources (UK) Holdings Limited

Chrysaor E&P Finance Limited 

Chrysaor E&P Services Limited 

Chrysaor North Sea Limited

Chrysaor Limited 

Chrysaor CNS Limited 

Chrysaor Norge AS 

Chrysaor Resources (Irish Sea) Limited 

Chrysaor Marketing Limited 

Chrysaor Energy Limited 

164

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

UK

UK

UK

UK

UK

Indonesia

Indonesia

Vietnam

Vietnam

Indonesia

Indonesia

Alaska

Brazil

Mexico

Mexico

Indonesia

Indonesia

Guernsey

UK

UK

Mauritania

Mauritania

UK

UK

UK

UK

Mauritania

Singapore

Mauritania

UK

Vietnam

UK

UK

UK

UK

UK

UK

UK

UK

UK

UK

UK (vi) 

UK (iii)

UK (iii)

UK (iii)

UK (iii)

UK (iii)

Exploration, production & development

Intermediate holding company

Exploration, production & development

Exploration, production & development

Gas trading 

Exploration, production & development 

Netherlands (viii)

Exploration, production & development

Netherlands (viii)

Exploration, production & development

British Virgin Islands (ix) Exploration, production & development

UK (iii)

UK (iii)

UK (iii)

UK (iii)

Brazil (x)

Mexico (xi)

Mexico (xi)

UK (iii)

Exploration, production & development

Exploration, production & development

Exploration, production & development

Exploration, production & development

Exploration, production & development

Exploration, production & development

Exploration, production & development

Exploration, production & development

Netherlands (viii)

Exploration, production & development

Guernsey (xii)

Risk Mitigation Services

UK (iii)

UK (iii)

Intermediate holding company

Intermediate holding company

Netherlands (viii)

Decommissioning activities

Netherlands (viii)

Decommissioning activities

UK (iii)

UK (iii)

UK (iii)

UK (iii)

Jersey (vii)

UK (iii)

Jersey (vii)

UK (iii)

UK (iii)

UK (iii)

Intermediate holding company

Intermediate holding company

Service company

Service company

Decommissioning activities

Service company

Decommissioning activities

Intermediate holding company

Exploration, production & development

Intermediate holding company

Cayman Islands (xiv)

Intermediate holding company

UK (ii)

UK (ii)

UK (ii)

UK (ii)

UK (ii)

UK (ii)

UK (ii)

UK (ii)

Intermediate holding company

Intermediate holding company

Intermediate holding company

Financing company

Service company

Exploration, production & development 

Exploration, production & development

Exploration, production & development 

Norway

Norway (iv)

Exploration, production & development

UK

UK

UK

UK (ii)

UK (ii)

UK (ii)

Exploration, production & development 

Gas trading 

Non-trading

Name of company

Chrysaor Production Limited 

Chrysaor Production (U.K.) Limited 

Chrysaor Petroleum Company U.K. Limited

Chrysaor (U.K.) Theta Limited 

Chrysaor (U.K.) Alpha Limited 

Chrysaor (U.K.) Beta Limited 

Chrysaor Developments Limited 

Chrysaor Petroleum Limited 

Chrysaor (U.K.) Sigma Limited 

Chrysaor (U.K.) Zeta Limited 

Chrysaor (U.K.) Delta Limited 

Premier Oil Belgravia Holdings Limited 

Chrysaor (U.K.) Eta Limited 

Premier Oil Belgravia Limited

Premier Oil Ebury Limited 

Premier Oil Exploration Limited

Premier Oil Buton BV

Premier Oil International Holding BV

Premier Oil Vietnam North BV

Harbour Energy Developments Limited 

Chrysaor Supply & Trading Limited (formerly  
Harbour Energy Limited) 

Chrysaor (U.K.) Lambda Limited

Chrysaor Investments Limited 

Harbour Energy Production Limited 

Harbour Energy Services Limited 

Chrysaor (U.K.) Britannia Limited

EnCore (VOG) Limited

EnCore CCS Limited

EnCore Natural Resources Limited

EnCore Oil and Gas Limited

Premier Oil B Limited

Premier Oil Bukit Barat Limited 

Premier Oil CCS Limited

Premier Oil Congo (Marine IX) Limited 

Premier Oil Exploration and Production (Iraq) Limited

Premier Oil Exploration ONS Limited

Premier Oil Investments Limited

Premier Oil ONS Limited

Premier Oil Pakistan Offshore BV

Premier Oil Pacific Limited

Premier Oil Philippines Limited

Premier Overseas Holdings Limited

XEO Exploration plc

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

Area of operation

Country of incorporation

Main activity

UK

UK

UK

UK

UK

UK

UK

UK

UK

UK

UK

UK

UK

UK

UK

UK

UK (ii)

UK (ii)

UK (ii)

UK (ii)

UK (ii)

UK (ii)

UK (ii)

UK (ii)

UK (ii)

UK (ii)

UK (ii)

UK (iii)

UK (ii)

UK (iii)

UK (iii)

UK (vi)

Netherlands

Netherlands

Netherlands

Netherlands (viii)

Netherlands (viii)

Netherlands (viii)

Intermediate holding company

Exploration, production & development 

Exploration, production & development

Exploration, production & development

Exploration, production & development

Exploration, production & development

Exploration, production & development 

Exploration, production & development

Exploration, production & development

Non-trading intermediate holding company

Non-trading intermediate holding company

Non-trading Intermediate holding company

Non-trading

Non-trading

Non-trading

Non-trading

Non-trading

Non-trading

Non-trading

Dormant company

Dormant company

Dormant company

Dormant company

Dormant company

Dormant company

Dormant company

Dormant company

Dormant company

Dormant company

Dormant company

Dormant company

Dormant company 

Dormant company

Dormant company

Dormant company

Dormant company

Dormant company

Dormant company

UK (ii)

UK (ii)

ROI (v)

UK (ii)

UK (ii)

UK (ii)

UK (ii)

UK (iii)

UK (iii)

UK (iii)

UK (iii)

UK (iii)

UK (iii)

UK (iii)

Jersey (vii)

UK (iii)

UK (iii)

UK (iii)

UK (iii)

Netherlands (viii)

Dormant company

Hong Kong (xiii)

Dormant company

Netherlands (viii)

Dormant company

UK (iii)

UK (iii)

Dormant company

Dormant company

Notes:
(i)    Held directly by the Company. All other companies are held through a subsidiary undertaking.
(ii)   Registered office – Brettenham House, Lancaster Place, London, United Kingdom, WC2E 7EN.
(iii)   Registered office – 23 Lower Belgrave Street, London, United Kingdom, SW1W ONR.
(iv)   Registered office – Haakon VII’s gate 1, 4th Floor, 0161 Oslo, Norway.
(v)   Registered office – Riverside One, Sir John Rogerson’s Quay, Dublin 2, Ireland.
(vi)   Registered office – 4th Floor, Saltire Court, 20 Castle Terrace, Edinburgh, EH1 2EN.
(vii)  Registered office – IFC 5, St Helier, Jersey, JE1 1ST.
(viii)  Registered office – Herikerbergweg 88, 1101 CM, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
(ix)   Registered office – Commerce House, Wickhams Cay 1, Road Town, Tortola, VG1110.
(x)   Registered office – Rua Lauro Müller, 116 – Sala 3201, Botafogo, Rio de Janeiro – CEP: 22.290-160, Brazil.
(xi)   Registered office – Presidente Masaryk 111, Piso 1, Polanco V Seccion, Mexico City, CP 11560, Mexico.
(xii)  Registered office – Level 5, Mill Court, La Charroterie, St Peter Port, Guernsey, GY1 1EJ.
(xiii)  Registered office – 31/F, Tower Two, Times Square, 1 Matheson Street, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong.
(xiv)  Registered office – Cricket Square, Hutchins Drive, P.O. Box 2681, Grand Cayman, KY1-1111.

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

165

Strategic report GovernanceFinancial statementsAdditional informationCompany balance sheet
As at 31 December

Assets

Non-current assets

Investments in subsidiaries

Long-term employee benefit plan surplus

Long-term receivables

Total non-current assets

Current assets

Trade and other receivables

Total current assets

Current liabilities

Trade and other payables

Derivative financial instruments

Borrowings

Net current(liabilities)/assets

Non-current liabilities

Borrowings

Long-term employee benefit plan deficit

Net assets

Equity and reserves

Share capital

Share premium account

Retained earnings

Other reserves

Total equity and reserves

Note 

2021 
$ million

2020 
$ million

3

7

4

4

5

6

6

7

9

4,965.6

565.5

0.8

2,782.6

7,749.0

1.0

–

566.5

4.8

4.8

1,403.8

1,403.8

(10.9)

–

–

(2.9)

(40.9)

(204.4)

(6.1)

1,155.6

(489.5)

(0.7)

–

(0.8)

7,252.7

1,721.3

171.1

1,504.6

762.6

4,814.4

7,252.7

171.1

517.5

650.3

382.4

1,721.3

Profit for the year ending 31 December 2021 was $104.3 million (2020: $20.4 million).

The financial statements, including the notes, of Harbour Energy plc (registered number SC234781) on pages 166 to 169 were approved  
by the Board of Directors on 16 March 2022 and signed on its behalf by:

ALEXANDER KRANE 
Chief Financial Officer 

166

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

Company statement of changes in equity
For the year ended 31 December

As at 1 January 2020 

Issue of Ordinary Shares

Purchase of ESOP Trust shares

Profit for the financial year

Provision for share-based payments

Pension costs – actuarial gains

Movement in cash flow hedges

At 1 January 2021

Merger shares issued

Debt settlement non top-up

Profit for the financial year

Provision for share-based payments

Purchase of ESOP Trust shares

Movement in cash flow hedges

At 31 December 2021

Share  
capital 
$ million

Share 
premium 
$ million

Merger 
reserve 
$ million

Capital 
redemption 
reserve 
$ million

Retained 
earnings 
$ million

Total equity 
$ million

156.5

14.6

499.4

18.1

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

374.3

8.1

619.0

1,657.3

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

1.9

(1.5)

20.4

11.3

0.3

(1.1)

34.6

(1.5)

20.4

11.3

0.3

(1.1)

171.1

517.5

374.3

8.1

650.3

1,721.3

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

4,432.0

987.1

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

104.3

13.1

(4.9)

(0.2)

4,432.0

987.1

104.3

13.1

(4.9)

(0.2)

171.1

1,504.6

4,806.3

8.1

762.6

7,252.7

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

167

Strategic report GovernanceFinancial statementsAdditional informationNotes to the Company financial statements

1. Significant accounting policies
The separate financial statements of the Company are presented as required by the Companies Act 2006. The Company meets  
the definition of a qualifying entity under Financial Reporting Standard 100 (FRS 100) issued by the Financial Reporting Council.  
These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with FRS 101 ‘Reduced Disclosure Framework’.

As permitted by FRS 101, the Company has taken advantage of the disclosure exemptions available under that standard in relation to 
accounting standards issued but not yet effective or implemented, share-based payment information, financial instruments, capital 
management, presentation of comparative information in respect of certain assets, presentation of a cash flow statement and certain 
related party transactions.

The financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis. Further information relating to the going concern assumption  
is provided in the Financial review on page 38. 

Where required, the equivalent disclosures are given in the consolidated financial statements. Key sources of estimation uncertainty 
disclosure are provided in the Accounting policies and in relevant notes to the consolidated financial statements as applicable. Details  
of the Company’s share-based payment schemes are provided in note 25 of the consolidated financial statements.

The financial statements have been prepared on the historical cost basis except for the remeasurement of certain financial instruments 
to fair value. The principal accounting policies adopted are the same as those set out on pages 119 to 130 to the consolidated financial 
statements except as noted below. Investments in subsidiaries are stated at cost less, where appropriate, provisions for impairment.

2. Profit for the year
As permitted by section 408 of the Companies Act 2006, the Company has elected not to present its own profit and loss account for the 
year. The Company reported a profit for the financial year ended 31 December 2021 of $104.3 million (2020: $20.4 million).

Other comprehensive expense for the year was $0.2 million (2020: $0.8 million).

The auditors’ remuneration for audit and other services is disclosed in note 5 to the consolidated financial statements.

3. Fixed asset investments

Cost and net book value

At 1 January

Additions

At 31 December

2021 
$ million

565.5

4,400.1

4,965.6

As a result of the all-share Merger between Premier and Chrysaor on 31 March 2021 Premier legally acquired Chrysaor through the 
issuance of 14,253,203,210 consideration shares at a price of 22.4p per share ($0.3087 per share).

A list of all investments in subsidiaries held at 31 December 2021, including the name and type of business, the country of operation 
and the country of incorporation or registration, is given in note 31 to the consolidated financial statements.

4. Receivables

Current

Amounts owed by subsidiary undertakings

Other receivables

Prepayments

Non-current

Amounts owed by subsidiary undertakings

2021 
$ million

0.3

–

4.5

4.8

2021 
$ million

2,782.6

2,782.6

2020 
$ million

1,399.3

4.5

–

1,403.8

2020 
$ million

–

–

Amounts owed by subsidiary undertakings include loans that are interest bearing and are repayable on demand, although the  
Company has confirmed that it has no current intention to call on the loans until at least 12 months from the date of the approval  
of these financial statements.

168

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

The carrying value reflects an impairment provision required under IFRS 9, which was calculated using the Group’s 12-month probability 
of default.

The carrying values of the Company’s debtors approximate their fair value.

5. Trade and other payables

Derivative financial instruments – warrants

Amounts owed to subsidiary undertakings

Other creditors

Accruals

2021 
$ million

2020 
$ million

–

1.7

1.4

7.8

10.9

0.7

–

–

2.2

2.9

The carrying values of the Company’s creditors approximate their fair value.

6. Borrowings

High Yield Bond

Retail bonds

2021

2020

Book value  
$ million

Fair value  
$ million

Book value 
$ million

Fair value 
$ million

(489.5)

(483.0)

–

–

–

–

(204.4)

(160.1)

In October 2021 the Company issued a $500 million High Yield Bond under Rule 144A and has a tenor of five years to maturity.  
The coupon was set at 5.5 per cent and interest is payable semi-annually.

The borrowings at 31 December 2020 relate to £150.0 million of UK retail bonds, which were put in place as part of a £500.0 million 
Euro Medium Term Notes (EMTN) programme. On completion of the Merger with Chrysaor in March 2021, these were settled via a 
combination of cash and equity.

The carrying value of the bonds are stated in the Company balance net of the unamortised portion of the debt arrangement fee  
of $10.5 million (2020: $0.4 million).

7. Long-term employee benefit plan
Defined benefit schemes
The Company operates a defined benefit scheme in the UK – The Retirement and Death Benefits Plan (the Scheme). Further details  
of the Scheme are disclosed in note 26 of the consolidated financial statements.

Defined contribution schemes
The Company operates a defined contribution retirement benefit scheme. Further details of this scheme are provided in note 26 of the 
consolidated financial statements.

8. Commitments and guarantees
At the year-end date the Company (together with certain subsidiary undertakings) guaranteed the Group’s borrowing facilities, which comprise:

 ¼ $4.5 billion Reserve Based Lending facility, of which $1.25 billion is available for drawing letters of credit; and

 ¼ $500 million High Yield Bond.

9. Share capital
Further details of these items are disclosed in note 24 of the consolidated financial statements.

10. Dividends
A dividend of $100.0 million is proposed for the year ended 31 December 2021 (2020: $nil).

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

169

Strategic report GovernanceFinancial statementsAdditional informationUK Government payment reporting
For the year ended 31 December

Basis of preparation
The Reports on Payments to Governments Regulations (UK Regulations) came into force on 1 December 2014 and require UK companies 
in the extractive sector to publicly disclose payments made to governments in the countries where they undertake extractive operations. The 
aim of the regulations is to enhance the transparency of the payments made by companies in the extractive sector to host governments in 
the form of taxes, bonuses, royalties, fees and support for infrastructure improvements. 

This consolidated report provides information in accordance with DTR 4.3A in respect of payments made by the Company and its subsidiaries  
to governments for the year ended 31 December 2021 and in compliance with the Reports on Payments to Governments Regulations 2014  
(SI 2014/3209), as amended by the Reports on Payments to Governments (Amendment) Regulations 2015 (SI 2015/1928).

The payments disclosed are based on where the obligation for the payment arose: payments levied at a project level have been disclosed 
at a project level and payments levied at a corporate level have been disclosed on that basis.

The payments disclosed are for the 12 month period ending 31 December 2021. 

Within the UK Regulations, a project is defined as being the operational activities which are governed by a single contract, licence, lease, 
concession or a similar legal agreement. The Company undertakes extractive activities in different types of fiscal petroleum regimes and 
therefore the types of payments disclosed vary from country to country. For the purposes of our reporting, for the UK, individual licences 
have been grouped into geographical hubs and are classified as projects; for the Falkland Islands, Brazil and Norway we have classified 
each individual licence as a project, whereas for Indonesia, Vietnam and Mexico each PSC arrangement has been classified as a project.

All of the payments disclosed have been made to national governments, either directly or through a Ministry or Department, or to a 
national oil company, who have a working interest in a particular licence. For projects where we are the operator we have disclosed the 
full payment made on behalf of the project; where we have a non-operated interest we have not disclosed payments made on our behalf 
by another party.

In line with the UK Regulations, where a payment or a series of related payments do not exceed $118,336 (£86,000), they have not been 
disclosed. Where the aggregate payments made in the period for a project or country are less than $118,336 we have not disclosed the 
payments made for this project or country.

Our total economic value distributed to all stakeholders can be found on page 34 of the Annual Report.

Reporting currency: Payments disclosed in this report have been disclosed in US Dollars, consistent with the rest of the 2021 Annual 
Report. Where actual payments have been made in a currency other than US Dollars, they have been translated using the prevailing 
exchange rate when the payment was made.

Production entitlements in barrels: Includes non-cash royalties and state non-participating interest paid in barrels of oil or gas out of the 
Group’s working interest share of production in a licence. The figures disclosed are on a cash paid liftings basis.

Income taxes: This represents cash tax calculated on the basis of profits including income or capital gains and taxes on production. Income 
taxes are usually reflected in corporate income tax returns. The cash payment of income taxes occurs in the year in which the tax has arisen 
or up to one year later. Income taxes also include any cash tax rebate received from the government or revenue authority during the year. 
Income taxes do not include fines and penalties. In accordance with the UK Regulations, payments made in relation to sales, employee, 
environmental or withholding taxes have not been disclosed.

Dividends: This includes dividends that are paid in lieu of a production entitlement or royalty. It does not include any dividends paid to a 
government as an ordinary shareholder.

Royalties: This represents cash royalties paid to governments during the year for the extraction of oil or gas. The terms of the royalties are 
described within our PSCs and can vary from project to project within one country. Export duties paid in kind have been recognised within 
the royalties category. The cash payment of royalties occurs in the year in which the tax has arisen.

Bonus payments: This represents any bonus paid to governments during the year, usually as a result of achieving certain milestones, 
such as a signature, discovery or production bonuses.

Licence fees: This represents licence fees, rental fees, entry fees and other consideration for licences and/or concessions paid for 
access to an area during the year (with the exception of signature bonuses which are captured within bonus payments). For 2021, this 
also includes the exit fee paid for the operated Brazil licence 717. 

Infrastructure improvement payments: This represents payments made in respect of infrastructure improvements for projects that are 
not directly related to oil and gas activities during the year. This can be a contractually obligated payment in a PSC or a discretionary 
payment for building/improving local infrastructure such as roads, bridges and ports.

170

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

Production 
entitlements
bbls ‘000s

Production 
entitlements 
$ ‘000s

Income 
taxes
$ ‘000s

Royalties; 
cash only
$ ‘000s

Dividends
$ ‘000s

Bonus 
payments
$ ‘000s

Country 

Licence/company 
level

Brazil 

CE-M-717-R11

Total Brazil 

Falkland
Islands

Sea Lion

Corporate

Total Falkland Islands

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

Indonesia Natuna Sea Block A

 4,097 

 250,779 

 55,990 

Total Indonesia

 4,097 

 250,779 

 55,990

Mexico

Block 11

Block 13

Total Mexico

Norway

Corporate

Total Norway

United
Kingdom

Central North Sea

Southern North Sea

East Irish Sea

West of Shetland

Other 

Corporate

Total UK

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 (20,440)

 – 

 (20,440)

 – 

 (747)

 – 

 (11,240)

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 257,778 

 –   245,791 

Vietnam

Chim Sáo 

 202 

 14,040 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

Corporate

Total Vietnam

 – 

 – 

 13,097 

 8,636 

 202 

 14,040 

 13,097 

 8,636 

Total Group

 4,299 

 264,819   294,438

 8,636 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

Licence 
fees
$ ‘000s

 41,103 

 41,103 

 400 

 1,080 

 1,480 

 – 

 – 

 837 

 837 

 1,674 

 – 

 – 

 6,843

 1,625

 1,800 

 193 

 247 

 – 

 10,708 

 – 

 – 

 – 

Infrastructure 
improvement 
payments
$ ‘000s 

Total
$ ‘000s

 – 

 41,103 

 – 

 41,103 

 – 

 400 

 1,080 

 – 

 1,480 

 – 

 306,769 

 –   306,769 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 837 

 837 

 1,674 

 – 

 (20,440)

 – 

 (20,440)

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 6,096 

 (9,615)

 1,800 

 193 

 247 

 – 

 257,778 

 –   256,499

 – 

 – 

 – 

 14,490 

 21,733 

 36,223 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 450 

 – 

 450 

 450 

 54,965 

 –   623,308

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

171

Strategic report GovernanceFinancial statementsAdditional informationProduction 
entitlements
bbls ‘000s

Production 
entitlements 
$ ‘000s

Income 
taxes
$ ‘000s

Royalties 
(cash only)
$ ‘000s

Dividends
$ ‘000s

Bonus 
payments
$ ‘000s

Licence 
fees
$ ‘000s

Infrastructure 
improvement 
payments
$ ‘000s 

Total
$ ‘000s

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 41,103 

 41,103 

 – 

 41,103 

 – 

 41,103 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 1,480 

 1,480 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 1,480 

 1,480 

 – 

 250,779 

 – 

 55,990 

 –   306,769 

 – 

 666 

 – 

 666 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 450 

 – 

 – 

 450 

 1,008 

 1,674 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 10,010

 456 

 242 

 – 

 – 

 1,008 

 1,674 

 – 

 (20,440)

 – 

 (20,440)

 – 

 245,791 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 10,010 

 456 

 242 

 10,708 

 –   256,499 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 14,490 

 17,887 

 3,846 

 36,223 

 450 

 54,965

 –   623,308 

UK Government payment reporting continued
For the year ended 31 December

Country 

Government

Brazil 

National Petroleum 
Agency

Falkland 
Islands

Total Brazil 

Falkland Islands 
Government 
– Department of 
Mineral Resources

Total Falkland Islands

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

Indonesia SKK Migas

 4,097 

 250,779 

Directorate General  
of Taxes

 – 

 – 

 55,990 

Total Indonesia

 4,097 

 250,779 

 55,990 

Mexico

Fondo Mexicano del 
Petróleo para la 
Estabilización y el 
Desarrollo (FMP)

Servicio de 
Administración 
Tributaria (SAT)

Total Mexico

Tax authorities 
(Skatteetaten)

Total Norway

Norway

United 
Kingdom

HM Revenue  
& Customs

Oil & Gas Authority

The Crown Estate

Crown Estate Scotland

Total UK

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 (20,440)

 – 

 (20,440)

 – 

 245,791 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 –   245,791 

Vietnam

Petro Vietnam

 202 

 14,040 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

HCM Tax Department

Vung Tau  
Customs Office

Total Vietnam

 – 

 – 

 – 

 13,097 

 4,790 

 – 

 – 

 3,846 

 202 

 14,040 

 13,097 

 8,636 

Total Group

 4,299 

 264,819   294,438 

 8,636 

172

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

Group 2P reserves and 2C resources
For the year ended 31 December

North Sea1

International1

Total1

Oil and 
NGLs
mmbbls

Gas
bcf

Total
mmboe2

Oil and 
NGLs
mmbbls

Gas
bcf

Total
mmboe2

Oil and 
NGLs
mmbbls

Gas
bcf

Total
mmboe2

2P reserves (working interest)

At 31 December 20203

234.1

1,136.1

Acquisition4

Revisions5

Production

42.8

(11.7)

(33.4)

323.5

(114.3)

(136.9)

451.2

102.9

(33.6)

(59.8)

At 31 December 2021

231.8

1,208.4

460.7

11.2

2P reserves (entitlement)6

–

–

–

234.1

1,136.1

12.7

126.9

(0.3)

(1.3)

(26.1)

(16.0)

84.8

36.1

(5.0)

(4.2)

55.5

(11.9)

(34.7)

450.4

(140.5)

(152.9)

26.9

242.9

1,293.2

487.5

451.2

139.0

(38.6)

(64.1)

At 31 December 2021

231.8

1,208.4

460.7

8.8

64.0

20.5

240.6

1,272.4

481.1

2C contingent resources (working interest)

At 31 December 2021

220.0

516.1

309.2

115.5

207.8

151.2

335.5

723.9

460.4

1   Volumes reflect internal estimates. ERCE as a competent independent person has audited the Group’s 2P net entitlement and working interest reserves as at 31 December 2021 and 

ERCE considers these to be fair and reasonable as per the SPE Standards Pertaining to the Estimating and Auditing of Oil and Gas Reserves Information. ERCE has also audited c. 80 per 
cent of the Group’s 2C contingent resources as at 31 December 2021 and is of the opinion that Harbour’s estimates are fair and reasonable. Further, ERCE believes that if its audit had 
included all of Harbour’s 2C resources then it would have been able to express the same opinion.

2   Conversion of gas volumes from bcf to boe is determined using an energy conversion of 5.8 mmbtu per boe. Fuel gas is not included in these estimates.
3   2P reserves as at 31 December 2020 reflect internal estimates of Chrysaor’s reserves as at that date.
4   Acquisition volumes reflects Premier’s volumes acquired following the completion of the Merger on 31 March 2021. Acquisition volumes have been adjusted from Premier year-end 2020 

estimates through deduction of production from Q1 2021 and removal of fuel gas, which Harbour does not include in 2P reserves estimates.
5   The most material 2P reserves revision is related to the Tolmount field based on the outcome of the 2021 development drilling programme. 
6  Harbour’s net entitlement 2P reserves are lower than its working interest 2P reserves for its International assets, reflecting the terms of the Production Sharing Contracts.

The Group provides for amortisation of costs relating to evaluated properties based on direct interests on an entitlement basis, which 
incorporates the terms of the PSCs in Indonesia and Vietnam. On an entitlement basis, reserves were 481.1 mmboe as at 31 December 
2021. This was calculated at 31 December 2021, using the following oil and gas price assumptions: $75/bbl and 150p/therm in 2022, 
$70/bbl and 100p/therm in 2023 and $65/bbl and 60p/therm in real terms thereafter.

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

173

Strategic report GovernanceFinancial statementsAdditional informationWorldwide licence interests 
As at 31 December 2021

United Kingdom
Operated producing assets

Location

Asset

Operator

Harbour equity

Armada Area

Armada, Everest & Lomond

Harbour

Catcher Area

Catcher

Greater Britannia 
Area

Britannia
Brodgar
Callanish
Enochdhu

J-Area

J-Block & Jasmine
Jade

West of Shetland

Solan

Southern North Sea Johnston
Tolmount

East Irish Sea1

Dalton, Millom & Calder

1  Managed on our behalf by Spirit Energy.

Non-operated producing assets

Harbour

Harbour
Harbour
Harbour
Harbour

Harbour
Harbour

Harbour

Harbour
Harbour

Harbour

100.0%

50.0%

58.7%
93.8%
83.5%
50.0%

67.0%
67.5%

100.0%

50.1%
50.0%

100.0%

Associated fields/ 
discoveries

Includes Armada, Everest, Lomond,  
Drake, Fleming, Hawkins & Maria

Includes Catcher, Burgman, Varadero & Laverda

Location

Asset

Operator

Harbour equity

Associated fields/ 
discoveries

West of Shetland

Clair
Schiehallion

Central North Sea

Alder
Buzzard
Elgin, Franklin & West Franklin
Erskine
Glenelg
Nelson
Beryl & Ness Area

Southern North Sea Galleon

Ravenspurn North

BP
BP

Ithaca
CNOOC
Total
Ithaca
Total
Shell
Apache

Shell
Perenco

7.5% 
10.0%

26.3%
21.7%
19.3%
32.0%
33.3%
1.7%
19.7%-49.1%

8.4%
28.8%

Includes Beryl, Buckland, Callater,  
Ness, Nevis, Skene & Storr

Note: 
These lists are not exhaustive. Harbour Energy also holds a number of operated and non-operated interests in fields on the UK Continental Shelf that have ceased production and are in or 
are entering decommissioning, as well as operated exploration, appraisal and pre-development interests.

Infrastructure

Asset

Rivers Terminal

Brent Pipeline System

Sullom Voe Terminal

CATS Pipeline

ETS Pipeline

SAGE System

SEAL Pipeline

SILK Pipeline

GAEL Pipeline (Northern)

GAEL Pipeline (Southern)

West of Shetland Pipeline System

Glen Lyon FPSO

1  Operated by Spirit Energy on behalf of Harbour.

Operator

Harbour Energy1

TAQA

EnQuest

Kellas Midstream

Kellas Midstream

Ancala Midstream

Shell

Total

Ineos

Ineos

BP

BP

174

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

Harbour equity

100.0%

1.6%

1.0%

0.7%

10.0%

19.7%

10.8%

16.0%

4.0%

13.4%

2.7%

8.2%

Norway

Location

PL038D

PL956

PL973

PL973B

PL974

PL1032

PL1033

PL1034

PL1046

PL1058

PL1060

PL1066

PL1087

PL1089

PL1092

PL1093

PL1113

PL1114

Asset

Block 15/12

Block 25/8

Block 15/12

Block 15/12

Block 15/12

Blocks 2/7 and 2/10

Blocks 1/9 and 2/7

Block 15/12

Operator

OKEA

Vår Energi

Harbour

Harbour

OKEA

Lundin

OMV

Harbour

Blocks 24/3, 24/6, 25/1 & 25/4 Harbour

Blocks 6307/1 and 6407/10

Blocks 6407/8 and 6407/9

Block 6507/3

Blocks 2/2 & 2/5

Blocks 1/5 & 1/6

Blocks 15/6 & 9

Blocks 16/4, 5, 6, 8 & 9

Blocks 6407/8, 9 & 11

Blocks 640/7/7. 8, 10 & 11

Equinor

Equinor

Aker BP

Harbour

Lundin

Lundin

Harbour

Neptune

Harbour

Harbour equity

35.0%

15%

50.0%

50.0%

40.0%

40.0%

40.0%

60.0%

40.0%

40.0%

20.0%

50.0%

50.0%

50.0%

50.0%

50.0%

30.0%

40.0%

Other worldwide licences

Licence

Blocks

Operator

Harbour equity

Falkland Islands

PL003a

PL003b

PL004a

14/14 (part) & 14/19 (part)

Rockhopper

14/14 (part) & 14/19 (part)

Rockhopper

14/15 (part), 14/20, 15/11 (part) 
& 15/16 (part)

Harbour

PL004b

14/15 (part)

PL004c

PL032

PL033

Indonesia

14/15 (part)

14/5, 14/10

15/1 (part) & 15/6 (part)

Harbour

Harbour

Harbour

Harbour

South Andaman

South Andaman

Andaman I

Andaman II

Natuna Sea

Andaman I

Andaman II

Block A

Tuna Block

Tuna Block

Mauritania

Mubadala Petroleum

Mubadala Petroleum

Harbour

Harbour

Harbour

PSC (Chinguetti)

Deepwater Blocks 4 & 5

Petronas

Mexico

Mexico Block 7

Mexico Block 11

Mexico Block 13

Mexico Block 30

Vietnam

Block 12W

7

11

13

30

12W

Talos

Harbour

Harbour

WDEA

Harbour

4.5%

6.9%

36.0%

36.0%

36.0%

60.0%

60.0%

20.0%

20.0%

40.0%

28.67%

50.0%

8.1%

25.0%

100.0%

100.0%

30.0%

53.1%

Associated fields/ 
discoveries

Grevling

Storskrymten

Galtvort

Associated fields/ 
discoveries

Isobel Deep

Beverley, Casper South  
& Zebedee

Casper North, Sea Lion

Anoa, Gajah Baru, Naga, Pelikan,  
Bison, Iguana & Gajah Puteri

Kuda Laut, Singa Laut

Chinguetti

Zama

Chim Sáo

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

175

Strategic report GovernanceFinancial statementsAdditional informationGlossary

AGM

ALARP

bbl

BBtud

Bcf

BIG-P

BMS

boe

Annual General Meeting

As low as reasonably practicable

Barrel

Billion British thermal units per day

Billion cubic feet

Bison, Iguana and Gajah Puteri

Business Management System

Barrel(s) of oil equivalent

BRINDEX

The Association of British Independent  
Oil Exploration Companies

CAGR

CGU

Compound annual growth rate

Cash-generating unit

Chrysaor

Chrysaor Holdings Limited and subsidiaries

COP

CPRs

DD&A

DTA

E&E

E&P

Cessation of production

Competent Person Reports

Depreciation, depletion and amortisation

Deferred tax asset

Exploration and evaluation

Exploration and production

EBITDA

Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation

EBITDAX

Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, amortisation 
and exploration

EIA

EIS

Environmental Impact Assessment

Environmental Impact Statement

EMTN

Euro Medium Term Notes

EPA

ERM

ESG

ExCo

FDP

FEED

FPSO

FVOCI

FVTPL

GBP

GHG

GRI

GSA

HiPo

HiPoR

HSES

HSFO

IAS

IASB

IEA

IFRIC

IFRSs

IOGP

176

Equity Pool Awards

Enterprise risk management

Environmental, social and governance

Executive Committee

Field development plan

Front end engineering and design

Floating production, storage and offtake vessel

Fair value through other comprehensive income

Fair value through profit or loss

Pound Sterling

Greenhouse gas

Global Reporting Initiative

Gas Sales Agreement

High potential incidents

High Potential Incident Rate

Health, safety, environment and security

High Sulphur Fuel Oil

International Accounting Standards

International Accounting Standards Board

International Energy Agency

IFRS Interpretations Committee

International Financial Reporting Standards

International Association of Oil and Gas Producers

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

IPIECA

International Petroleum Industry  
Environmental Conservation Association

ISAs (UK)

International Standards on Auditing (UK)

IVC

Investor Code

kboepd

Thousand barrels of oil equivalent per day

KPI

LDAR

LNG

LOPC

LTIP

LTIR

LWDC

M&A

Key performance indicator

Leak detection and repair programmes

Liquefied natural gas

Loss of primary containment

Long Term Incentive Plan

Lost Time Injury Rate (relating to Harbour’s employees  
and contractors, and operated assets only)

Lost work day cases

Mergers and acquisitions

The Merger

All share merger between Premier Oil plc and Chrysaor Holdings 
Limited, effective 31 March 2021 via a reverse takeover

mmbbls

mmboe

MODU

MSA

mscf

mt

MTC

NOK

NSTA

OGA

ORB

PB3

Million barrels

Million barrels of oil equivalent

Mobile Offshore Drilling Unit

Matching Share Awards

Thousand standard cubic feet

Metric tonne

Medical treatment cases

Norwegian Krone

North Sea Transition Authority

Oil and Gas Authority

Order Book of Retail Bonds

OPT PB3 PowerBuoy®

Premier

Premier Oil plc and subsidiaries

PSA

PSC

PVSP

RSA

RWDC

SAYE

SDGs

SIP

SPA

Tcf

TCFD

te

TRIR

TSR

UNGC

USD

USPP

WTI

2C

2P

Performance Share Awards

Production sharing contract

Premier Value Share Plan

Restricted Share Award

Restricted work day cases

Save As You Earn

UN Sustainable Development Goals

Share Incentive Plan

Sale and Purchase Agreements

Trillion cubic feet

Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures

Tonnes

Total Recordable Injury Rate

Total shareholder return

UN Global Compact

US Dollar

US Private Placement

West Texas Intermediate

Best estimate of contingent resources

Proven and probable reserves

Non-IFRS measures
Harbour uses certain measures of performance that are not specifically defined under IFRS or other generally accepted accounting 
principles. These non-IFRS measures, which are presented within the Financial review, are defined below:

 ¼ Capital investment: Depicts how much the Group has spent on purchasing fixed assets in order to further its business goals and 
objectives. It is a useful indicator of the Group’s organic expenditure on oil and gas assets, and exploration and appraisal assets, 
incurred during a period.

 ¼ DD&A per barrel: Depreciation and amortisation of oil and gas properties for the period divided by working interest production.  

This is a useful indicator of ongoing rates of depreciation and amortisation of the Group’s producing assets. 

 ¼ EBITDAX: Earnings before tax, interest, depreciation and amortisation, impairments, remeasurements, onerous contracts  

and exploration expenditure. This is a useful indicator of underlying business performance.

 ¼ Free Cash Flow: Operating cash flow less cash flow from investing activities less interest and lease payments.

 ¼ Leverage ratio: Net Debt/EBITDAX.

 ¼ Liquidity: The sum of cash and cash equivalents on the balance sheet and the undrawn amounts available to the Group on our 

principal facilities. This is a key measure of the Group’s financial flexibility and ability to fund day-to-day operations.

 ¼ Net Debt: Total senior and junior debt, High Yield Bond and Exploration Financing Facility (net of the carrying value of unamortised fees) 
less cash and cash equivalents recognised on the consolidated balance sheet. This is an indicator of the Group’s indebtedness and 
contribution to capital structure.

 ¼ Operating cost per barrel: Direct operating costs (excluding over/underlift) for the period, including tariff expense, insurance costs  
and mark-to-market movements on emissions hedges, less tariff income, divided by working interest production. This is a useful 
indicator of ongoing operating costs from the Group’s producing assets.

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

177

Strategic report GovernanceFinancial statementsAdditional informationDividend Reinvestment Plan 
The Company operates a Dividend 
Reinvestment Plan (DRIP) which enables 
shareholders to buy the Company’s shares 
on the London Stock Exchange with their 
cash dividend. Further information about 
the DRIP is available from Equiniti. 

Tax on dividends from April 2022
From April 2022, UK residents will pay tax 
on any dividends received over the £2,000 
dividend allowance at the following rates:

 ¼ 8.75 per cent on dividend income within 

the basic rate band.

 ¼ 33.75 per cent on dividend income within 

the higher rate band.

 ¼ 39.35 per cent on dividend income within 

the additional rate band.

Dividends received on shares held in  
an Individual Savings Account (ISA) will 
continue to be tax free.

E-communications
Shareholders have the option to receive 
communications including annual reports 
and notices of meetings electronically. This is 
a faster, more environmentally friendly and, 
for Harbour Energy plc, a more cost-effective 
way for shareholders to receive annual 
reports and other statutory communications 
as soon as they are available. 

To register for this service, please visit  
the share portal: www.shareview.co.uk.  
You will need your 11 digit Shareholder 
Reference Number which can be found  
on documents that you have been sent by 
Equiniti. Once registered, Harbour Energy 
plc will communicate with you via email 
rather than post.

Shareholder security
Shareholders are advised to be cautious about 
any unsolicited financial advice, including 
offers to buy Harbour Energy plc shares at 
inflated prices, or offers of free reports about 
the Company. More information can be found 
at www.fca.org.uk/consumers/scams and 
in the Shareholder Information section of 
the Investors area of the Company website: 
harbourenergy.com. 

American Depositary Receipt programme
Harbour Energy plc has a sponsored Level 
1 American Depositary Receipt (ADR) 
programme which BNY Mellon administers 
and for which it acts as Depositary. Each 
ADR represents one Ordinary Share of the 
Company. The ADRs trade on the US 
over-the-counter market under the symbol 
HBRIY. When dividends are paid to 
shareholders, the Depositary converts such 
dividends into US Dollars, net of fees and 
expenses, and distributes the net amount 
to ADR holders.

Registered Depositary Receipt holders  
can trade, access account balances  
and transaction history, find answers to 
frequently asked questions and download 
commonly needed forms online at  
www.adrbnymellon.com. To speak directly 
to a BNY Mellon representative, please call 
1-888-BNY-ADRS (1-888-269-2377) if you 
are calling from within the United States.  
If you are calling from outside the United 
States, please call 001-201-680-6825.

You may also send an email enquiry to 
shrrelations@cpushareownerservices.com 
or visit the website at  
www.computershare-na.com/bnym_adr.

Shareholder information

Registrar
All enquiries concerning your shareholding 
should be directed to Equiniti:

Equiniti Limited  
Aspect House  
Spencer Road 
Lancing  
West Sussex 
BN99 6DA 
United Kingdom 

Telephone: 0371 384 2030 

Telephone number from outside UK:  
+44 (0)371 384 2030

Calls are charged at the standard 
geographic rate and will vary by provider.

Calls outside the United Kingdom will be 
charged at the applicable international rate.

Lines are open 8.30am – 5.30pm Monday 
to Friday, excluding public holidays in 
England and Wales.

Email: For enquiries about shareholdings, 
send a secure email to us regarding your 
enquiry from our ‘Help pages’ on the 
Shareview website www.shareview.co.uk. 

Share portal
As a shareholder you have direct access to 
an online share portal operated by Equiniti 
at www.shareview.co.uk. You can access 
the share portal with your Shareholder 
Reference Number (SRN) which can be 
found on your share certificate. The portal 
provides a range of services, free of charge, 
to help you to administer your shareholding 
quickly and efficiently by allowing you to:

 ¼ check your share balance;

 ¼ change your address details;

 ¼ choose to receive electronic shareholder 

communications;

 ¼ set up or amend a dividend mandate so 
dividends can be paid directly to your 
bank account; and

 ¼ buy and sell Harbour Energy plc shares using 
the dealing service operated by Equiniti. 

Dividend history
Details of dividend payments made are 
included within the Shareholder Information 
section of the Investors area of the Company 
website: harbourenergy.com

178

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

Notes

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

179

Strategic report GovernanceFinancial statementsAdditional informationNotes

180

Harbour Energy plc
Annual Report & Accounts 2021

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Registered office
Harbour Energy plc 
4th Floor 
Saltire Court 
20 Castle Terrace 
Edinburgh 
EH1 2EN 

Registered No. SC234781

Head office
Harbour Energy plc 
23 Lower Belgrave Street 
London 
SW1W 0NR

Tel: +44 (0)20 7730 1111 
Email: info@harbourenergy.com 
Email: investor.relations@harbourenergy.com

harbourenergy.com